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Word from Scotland
by Sandy Shaw
In Acts 10, both Peter and Cornelius experience God moving in a way neither of them ever thought they would ever experience and see and witness.
Visions lead to men from different backgrounds coming together. Obedience to the revelation of God leads to an outpouring of The Holy Spirit, and a breakdown of barriers and prejudices. While Peter is speaking in that Gentile home those listening to Peter's message are filled with the Holy Spirit. They speak in tongues, and they are baptised in water. Gentiles, people who are not Jews, are 'born again', and the basic essential foundational elements are described for us by Luke.
Cornelius is a new man. He believes in Jesus. He has been anointed with the Holy Spirit. He is praising God in a language he has never learned, as have those relatives and close friends in his household, and they have been plunged in water.
Some people have to wait years for all this. It can all happen within an hour.
This happened in a few exciting dramatic moments, and then Peter stayed on a few days at Caesarea, and would have taught them as much as they could absorb.
Back in Jerusalem, eyebrows are raised. The leadership in Jerusalem has questions when news reaches them of what has happened in Caesarea.
What did this mean? What were the implications? What would they do? How would they handle this?
Remember - Peter has been away for a few weeks - ministering to those who had been scattered - picking up the pieces in these wounded lives - but he has also been involved in miraculous ministry in Lydda and Joppa - as well as this radical incident in Caesarea.
When Peter returns to Jerusalem it is this latter encounter which causes his ministry to come under close scrutiny. How do you react when God moves in a radical way which might surprise you? There are so many principles in these passages.
Alexander 'Sandy' Shaw is pastor of Nairn Christian Fellowship in Nairn, Scotland. Nairn is 17 miles east of Inverness - on the Moray Firth Coast - not far from the Loch Ness Monster!
Gifted as a Biblical teacher, Sandy is firmly committed to making sure that his teachings are firmly grounded in the Word.
Sandy has a weekly radio talk which can be heard via the Internet on Saturday at 11:40am, New Orleans time, at wsho.com.
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