A.O.T.A Pt3 “Gentile Lives Matter”

The Acts of the Apostles Part Three “Gentile Lives Matter”

Acts 10:1-2 (NLT); In Caesarea there lived a Roman army named Cornelius, who was a captain of the Italian Regiment. He was a devout, man, as was everyone in his household. He gave to the poor and prayed regularly to God.

Cornelius was a Military Officer as part of an force, yet he was a God-fearing, , prayerful man. He lived as a majority/minority in the sense that the Roman Empire was vast but small in areas where it occupied. It also ruled with an iron fist.

Acts 10:3 (NLT); One afternoon about three o’clock, he had a vision in which he saw an angel of God coming toward him. “Cornelius!” the angel said. Cornelius stared at him in . “What is it, ” he asked the angel. And the angel replied, “Your prayers and gifts to the poor have been received by God as an offering!

Cornelius showed both and . He had and recognized it in others. He sent for Peter.

Acts 10:9-20 (NLT) The next day as Cornelius’s messengers were nearing the town, Peter went up on the flat roof to pray. It was about noon, and he was hungry. But while a meal was being prepared, he fell into a . He saw the sky open, and something like a large sheet was let down by its four corners. In the sheet were all sorts of animals, reptiles, and birds. Then a voice said to him, “Get up, Peter; kill and eat them.” “, Lord,” Peter declared. “I have never eaten anything that our laws have declared and .”

But the voice spoke again: “Do call something unclean if has made it .” The same vision was repeated three times. Then the sheet was suddenly pulled up to Heaven. Peter was very perplexed. What could the vision mean? Just then the men sent by Cornelius found Simon’s house. Standing outside the gate, they asked if a man named Simon Peter was staying there. Meanwhile, as Peter was puzzling over the vision, the Holy Spirit said to him, “Three men have come looking for you. Get up, go downstairs, and go with them without hesitation. Don’t worry, for I have sent them.”

As Peter entered his home, Cornelius fell at his feet and him. But Peter pulled him up and said, “Stand up! I’m a being like you!” So, they together and went , where many others were assembled.

Families all have things in . Simple, respect, humility and , breakdown walls between people. Recognizing that have many things in common and are created the same which is; in the and likeness of God.

Acts 10:28 (NLT); Peter told them, “You know it is against our laws for a man to enter a home like this or to with you. But God has shown me that I should no longer think of as impure or unclean.

Our Heavenly Father did not, will not and in fact cannot create one skin tone with privilege over another. His character and nature demand that He loves the whole world and everyone in it equally whom He has created equally. It is unbiblical and immoral as a follower of Jesus to make such a statement as; “I or you are/were born with white privilege,” for in truth that is blasphemous as it makes the God of love, grace, mercy, forgiveness and more, instead out to be the source and or purveyor of hatred, bigotry and racism.

Racism is sin. It is hatred and prejudice based on the colour of someone’s skin. It has no place whatsoever in the life of any follower of Jesus Christ and or in the body of Christ, local and universal.

Acts 10:33 (NLT); So, I sent for you at once, and it was of you to come. Now we are all here, waiting before to hear the message the Lord has given you.”

Acts 10:34 (NLT); Then Peter replied, “I see clearly that God shows favoritism.

Gentile Lives Matter! Black Lives Matter. There are thousands of Christian Police Officers and Military Personnel, Blue Lives Matter, White Lives Matter. Brown, Red and Yellow lives matter. We all are so valuable that God sent His One and Only Son to die; so that anyone of us from any colour, male or female could be set free for sin. The is the message of the Christian Gospel.

Romans 8:7 (NLT); For the sinful nature is hostile to God. It did obey God’s laws, and it will.

The official Black Lives Matter organization is an anti- Evangelical, anti – traditional family, , anti democracy, organization and declares itself as such on it’s website. I do not, cannot and will not support the official organization.

Galatians 3:28 (NLT)’ There is longer or , slave or free, male and female. For you are one in Christ Jesus.

Jesus the against by ; I believe a church is a mistake. It the very racism and hatred it cries out against in other areas such as schools, governments, laws, etc… Worse yet, it is a signal to the unbeliever that Galatians 3:28 is a lie and that the church is in reality, no better than any other institution in the area of racism and segregation. This ought to be the direct .

The church should be the place where people who have been created in the image and likeness of God can joyfully celebrate together as the family of God. God does have multiple families. He has body and everyone is invited to be part of it and the colour of your skin cannot be a barrier for anyone to belong.

Acts 10:38-43 Peter talks about Jesus. Peter shares the message of through Jesus Christ, how Jesus accomplished that through His death, burial and .

Acts of the Apostles from Peter in Acts 10

1 – He became willing to be led by the Spirit’s direction; 2. – Gentile lives Matter – He learned that people are by God and before God. 3. the Great Commission – He fellowshipped with non-Jews, taught them and baptized them in water after the Holy Spirit baptized them.

Even as Peter was saying these things, the Holy Spirit upon who were listening to the message. The Jewish believers who came with Peter were that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles, too. For they heard them speaking in and praising God. Then Peter asked, “Can anyone object to their being baptized, now that they have received the Holy Spirit just as we did?”

So, he gave orders for them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Afterward Cornelius asked him to stay with them for several days.

The Holy Spirit brought two brothers in the faith to change Peter’s perspective as well as the Jewish believers who had come with Peter as well. They were amazed at what happened and Peter’s perspective was changed. That’s what the Holy Spirit can do for anyone!

; Soon the news reached the apostles and other believers in Judea that the Gentiles had received the Word of God.

Next Week: Who are you?