Peter defends God’s Grace. Acts 11:1-23.

Pause for thought

This incidence is of such importance that it must never be overlooked, which is why the Holy Spirit led Luke to record it twice first in Acts 10 and again in Acts 11 about what happened when Peter preached at Caesarea. Jesus Himself showed his message was for all people as recorded by the Holy Spirit in -John 4:1-42 for Samaritans, Mark 5:1-20 for Greeks, Luke 7::1-10 for Romans.

Peter’s defence was not an argument ; it was a statement of facts. The Holy Spirit had been poured upon these Gentiles in the same way as had been given to the Jewish Christians at Pentecost. What Peter related could be attested to by the six brothers who traveled with him and who witnessed the Gentiles being filled with the Holy Spirit. This was God’s doing therefore there could be no argument 11:17.

Before Acts 10:44-46 the gospel was preached to Jews only, afterwards it was deliberately preached to Gentiles. Peter teaches us that we must work with God not against Him 11:17. I well remember Dick Bells words to me in the mid seventies “find out what God is doing and get in on it!” Here are three thoughts that come to me, 1 good ideas are not always from God, 2 Talent is not the same as Holy Spirit anointing, 3 Wait on the Lord for His timing. Remember Jesus only did what He saw His Father doing John 5:19.

The Holy Spirit led Peter to preach in places where if he had held on to his prejudices he would never of gone!

A verse to remember

And since God gave these Gentiles the same gift He gave us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to argue? Acts 11:17 N.L.B.

Please send any feedback, questions, or prayer requests to jesusinprint@gmail.com