FORBIDDEN MIXTURES 05-17-17


(CLICK THE TITLE) Good morning everyone. Oh give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good! Take some time and think about how good God has been in your life regardless of the circumstances. As I sat down to start today’s meal, the title popped into my spirit; talk about things that should not be mixed together. I moved forward with the thought using scripture of course. Let it bless you.

Today’s Prayer

Good morning, Father! Thank you for this day. Thank you for times when we can step back and reflect. We realize that through the years, we have developed habits that are irritating to You and to our families too. Please help us to change that. We only want to have good habits. We pray that we will be a blessing to you, to our families, friends, and everyone we meet. Please forgive us of our sins and failures, of the times we have not been kind to our families, of those annoying little habits. We commit to You today, that with Your help, we will change for the better. We praise and worship You, Lord. In Jesus’ name we pray and give thanks, Amen.

Let’s eat.

Forbidden Mixtures

Law and Grace

 

Acts 15

 

While Paul and Barnabas were at Antioch, some men from Judea arrived and began to teach the believers that unless they adhered to the ancient Jewish custom of circumcision, they could not be saved. Paul and Barnabas argued and discussed this with them at length, and finally the believers sent them to Jerusalem, accompanied by some local men, to talk to the apostles and elders there about this question. After the entire congregation had escorted them out of the city the delegates went on to Jerusalem, stopping along the way in the cities of Phoenicia and Samaria to visit the believers, telling them–much to everyone’s joy–that the Gentiles, too, were being converted. Arriving in Jerusalem, they met with the church leaders–all the apostles and elders were present–and Paul and Barnabas reported on what God had been doing through their ministry. But then some of the men who had been Pharisees before their conversion stood to their feet and declared that all Gentile converts must be circumcised and required to follow all the Jewish customs and ceremonies. So the apostles and church elders set a further meeting to decide this question. At the meeting, after long discussion, Peter stood and addressed them as follows: “Brothers, you all know that God chose me from among you long ago to preach the Good News to the Gentiles, so that they also could believe. God, who knows men’s hearts, confirmed the fact that he accepts Gentiles by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as he gave him to us. He made no distinction between them and us, for he cleansed their lives through faith, just as he did ours. And now are you going to correct God by burdening the Gentiles with a yoke that neither we nor our fathers were able to bear? Don’t you believe that all are saved the same way, by the free gift of the Lord Jesus?” There was no further discussion, and everyone now listened as Barnabas and Paul told about the miracles God had done through them among the Gentiles. When they had finished, James took the floor. “Brothers,” he said, “listen to me. Peter has told you about the time God first visited the Gentiles to take from them a people to bring honor to his name. And this fact of Gentile conversion agrees with what the prophets predicted. For instance, listen to this passage from the prophet Amos: `Afterwards’ [says the Lord ], `I will return and renew the broken contract with David, so that Gentiles, too, will find the Lord–all those marked with my name.’ That is what the Lord says, who reveals his plans made from the beginning. “And so my judgment is that we should not insist that the Gentiles who turn to God must obey our Jewish laws, except that we should write to them to refrain from eating meat sacrificed to idols, from all fornication, and also from eating unbled meat of strangled animals. For these things have been preached against in Jewish synagogues in every city on every Sabbath for many generations.” Then the apostles and elders and the whole congregation voted to send delegates to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas, to report on this decision. The men chosen were two of the church leaders–Judas (also called Barsabbas) and Silas. This is the letter they took along with them:“From: The apostles, elders and brothers at Jerusalem.“To: The Gentile brothers in Antioch, Syria and Cilicia. Greetings! “We understand that some believers from here have upset you and questioned your salvation, but they had no such instructions from us.

 

Galatians 3:2  

Let me ask you this one question: Did you receive the Holy Spirit by trying to keep the Jewish laws? Of course not, for the Holy Spirit came upon you only after you heard about Christ and trusted him to save you.

 

Galatians 5:4  

Christ is useless to you if you are counting on clearing your debt to God by keeping those laws; you are lost from God’s grace.

  

Truth and Tradition

 

Mark 6:8-13

 

He told them to take nothing with them except their walking sticks–no food, no knapsack, no money, not even an extra pair of shoes or a change of clothes. “Stay at one home in each village–don’t shift around from house to house while you are there,” he said. “And whenever a village won’t accept you or listen to you, shake off the dust from your feet as you leave; it is a sign that you have abandoned it to its fate.” So the disciples went out, telling everyone they met to turn from sin. And they cast out many demons, and healed many sick people, anointing them with olive oil.

 

2 Timothy 4:3  

For there is going to come a time when people won’t listen to the truth, but will go around looking for teachers who will tell them just what they want to hear.

 

Saints and Sinners

 

2 Corinthians 6:14  

Don’t be teamed with those who do not love the Lord, for what do the people of God have in common with the people of sin? How can light live with darkness?

 

2 Timothy 2:21 

If you stay away from sin you will be like one of these dishes made of purest gold–the very best in the house–so that Christ himself can use you for his highest purposes.

Quote of the Day

The strong hands of God twisted the crown of thorns into a crown of glory; and in such hands we are safe. 

Charles Williams

WITH HOPE AND FAITH

REV. ELDER G E STERRETT


FOUNDER


GCKRS HELPING HAND FOUNDATION – THE RELATIONSHIP FACTORY


http://gckrs.com

Written by Glenn Sterrett, Founder and CEO of the GCKRS™ Helping Hand Foundation.

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