Subscription Lists
Word from Scotland
by Sandy Shaw
In Acts 10:34, Peter begins to address all those who have gathered in the home of Roman Centurion, Cornelius. Do read this passage again. "I have just seen a great truth. God is no respecter of persons. God shows no favouritism." This is quite a transformation in Peter's thinking.
He goes on - and refers to the fear of God - which is a healthy fear. It is like fearing the dangerous traffic - having a healthy respect for fast-moving cars and lorries. If you ignore them or overlook their presence - you could get hurt. But at the same time you don't permit the fear to paralyse you on the pavement (or sidewalk) and so are unable to move.
We are called to reverence - fear - and respect God - and we do not want to displease Him by doing wrong. It was this that made God listen to and hear Cornelius's prayer. But this did not make him a Christian. When Peter sees that Cornelius is seeking and searching he then begins to speak about Jesus Christ. Peter speaks about Jesus' life and ministry. He tells the facts about Jesus - how Jesus was anointed - how Jesus went around doing good and healing people, and then how Jesus was crucified and raised from the dead.
Peter speaks about Jesus as being the Judge. God has appointed Jesus Christ to be the Judge. Peter doesn't water down or dilute his preaching in this new setting. Peter doesn't compromise his message to suit a new audience, but preaches the truth - the truth of God. Peter speaks about all the prophets pointing to Jesus, and everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins, through His Name.
While Peter is speaking - in the middle of his message - Jesus pours out The Holy Spirit upon all who are listening. This small group of Jewish believers who accompanied Peter are astonished and astounded. They are shocked, that Jesus Christ was pouring out The Holy Spirit upon those who were NOT Jews - on people who were not of their denomination.
How did these people know that Jesus had poured out The Holy Spirit - that Jesus had baptised these Gentiles in The Holy Spirit? They heard them speaking in tongues and glorifying God. These people were praising God in languages they had never learned. They were worshipping The Living God.
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.
Receive the newest devotional each week in your inbox by joining the "Word from Scotland" subscription list. Enter your email address below, click "Go!" and we will send you a confirmation email. Follow the instructions in the email to confirm your addition to this list.