Acts 10
COMMENTARY:
: 2 A devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God always. (2152 “devout” [eusebes] means godly, pious, dutiful, religious, or well-reverent.)
DEVOTION: One of the problems with many people is they think that if they are well-behavior and religious they will go to heaven. There are many people who act better than many people who are true believers in Christ. They are religious but not true followers of Christ.
We have an illustration of someone who is godly or pious and still not a believer in Jesus Christ. Some of the Jewish leaders were good men who tried to live a life that was pleasing to the rules God had set down in the Old Testament. They had their act together, in that, they knew the rules and obeyed them the best they could but were still headed to the lake of fire which was reserved for the devil and his angels.
We even have many in the churches around the world who sing praises to God and give their money for the ministry but leave the church and do nothing from Sunday to Sunday. They have no devotional life. They have no prayer life. They are not witnessing for the LORD. They are good attendees but not servants. Are they genuinely saved? Only the LORD knows their hearts. Their actions don’t show life.
Here is a man and his family that seem to be interested in going further with the LORD. They needed someone to present Christ to them. Peter was reluctant but came after the LORD gave him a vision regarding his attitude toward the Gentiles.
The LORD answered the prayer of a man who wanted to know more. HE will always answer the prayers of those who are outside of Christ but seek more. There are other religious people who seek to know more about the life in Christ. We might be the ones who have to share these truths with them as the Holy Spirit directs us.
CHALLENGE: Realize that not all pious people are believers in Christ without our showing them more. Share the truth with others.
: 19 While Peter thought on the vision, the Spirit said to him, Behold, three men seek you.
: 20 Arise therefore and get you down, and go with them doubting nothing for I have sent them. (1252 “doubting” [diakrino] means make a distinction, discriminate, prefer, give judgment, to pause or hold back in uncertainty or unwillingness, waver, evaluate, differentiate, or separate.)
DEVOTION: Peter is one who questions God on a regular basis. He questioned Christ on some of his commands. He struggled with understanding a plain statement of the LORD. He struggled even during the vision that the LORD gave him regarding reaching out to the Gentiles with the Gospel.
Change is not easy for any of us. It was extra hard for Peter. He thought he knew what God wanted him to do but then the LORD gave him other instructions. He was to reach those whom the Jews hated. There was prejudice. There was a lack of understanding the promise to Abraham that all the nations of the earth were to be blessed by the coming of the Messiah.
Now he came face to face with a group of Gentiles who wanted to know more about Jesus. He was to go with them and present the Gospel to them. He was not to hesitate. He was not to worry. He was just to go.
God sends people into our life for a reason. Each person is one that needs our friendship and encouragement. Some need to know the LORD. Some need to help us grow in the LORD. Some need our help to grow in the LORD. Some just need someone to walk side by side with them as they go through their walk with the LORD. We are to be prayer partners to all.
CHALLENGE: Listen to the voice of the LORD and follow HIS instructions. HE will direct our paths.
: 29 Therefore came I unto you without gainsaying, as soon as I was sent for: I ask therefore for what intent ye have sent for me? 369 “without gainsaying” [anantirrhetos] means promptly, without contradiction, or without raising an objection.)
DEVOTION: Have you ever said “NO” to God when HE asked you to do something? Remember HE speaks to those who are true followers of HIM through our prayers and the ministry of the Holy Spirit even today.
We have to remember that there are sins of omission, as well as, sins of commission. The sins of commission we understand are sins that are listed in the word of God such as lying, stealing, anger, etc. Here we are concerned with the sins of omission.
When the Holy Spirit tells us to do something and we don’t do it – that is the sin of omission. When HE tells us to do something, do we do it?
This could be helping a family who is in need. This could be having a burden for something to be done in the church and giving the money so that it can be done. This could be taking someone to church, a doctor appointment, visiting someone in the hospital, etc. This could be opening our homes for missionaries or traveling speakers.
The LORD may lay a burden for a servant of God on our hearts and we may need to give something to him or buy his children shoes or help in another way.
One example is that a group of dentists saw a camp speaker who needed work done on his teeth and they set up the appointments and fixed his teeth for nothing. PTL. When we offer a cup of cold water in Jesus’ name, we will receive a reward. We need to be listening to HIM. Peter didn’t want to do what the LORD told him to do, but he did it anyways?
Peter was given a vision of unclean animals that Jews were not to eat. In the vision he was told to eat. He refused. The LORD told him that there were men waiting for him downstairs and that he was to go with them. He did.
What happened? Gentiles were saved. PTL. He did it promptly. He had others come with him as witnesses. They all saw the Holy Spirit active in the lives of these Gentiles.
CHALLENGE: When the LORD tells you to do something – do it!!!
: 38 How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with HIM. (5548 “anointed” [chrio] means consecrating Jesus to the Messianic office, to assign, to coat, paint, to consecrate by unction, appoint one for a position, practice of pouring of olive oil on a prophet, priest or king as a symbol or choice or approval.)
DEVOTION: Here again we find the Trinity or Godhead in one verse of the Bible. God is the one who sent the Son to die on the cross for our sins because he was the only appeasing sacrifice, HE could accept for our sins.
Jesus sent the Holy Spirit as a comforter and teacher and helper for all those who believe. HE would help them in their prayer life when they didn’t know how to pray. HE would give them direction regarding who they were to witness to in their journey.
Jesus as our Messiah is sitting at the right hand of God as our advocate. HE finished his task on the earth by dying on the cross for our sins. We have forgiveness offered to us because of HIS death.
All three persons of the Godhead have a responsibility. All three have equal power but have willingly worked with one another for special purposes. They are not three gods or a manifestation of one god at three different times. They are one God working a plan for eternity.
The Father sent the Son who sent the Holy Spirit to give us the power to oppose the devil and his angels. We have the power of the Godhead on our side.
CHALLENGE: We can overcome with that power. God is with us also.
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