We are ALL the same in the eyes of God. We are All baptized in Holy Spirit into the Body of Christ. John 3:16-17.
Acts 10:34 Then Peter opened his mouth and said: “In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality.
Acts 10:43 To Him all the prophets witness that, through His name, whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins.”
Faith in the unmerited favor of the One who loved us enough to offer His life in exchange for ours.
Glory be to the Father, the Son and Holy Spirit.
The word "sovereignty," in relation to God's character, is defined as His authority and control over all things always.
God sees. Nothing is hidden from Him.
And this promise holds the same truth for us in our times of distress and persecution. We are not abandoned by God (John 14:18). God has all authority in His hands, and His authority is eternal (Isaiah 40:28-31). God often works behind the scenes to help us learn to depend on Him and to teach us how to walk by faith in the unseen.
Even though we can't see God, He's working in ways beyond our comprehension (Isaiah 55:8-11). As humans, our understanding is limited by time and circumstance, but our eternal God exists outside of time; He knows the beginning and the end (Isaiah 46:10; Revelation 21:6b). First 5
Today, let us remember who we are.
And let us remember, compassion is real.
So, yes, compassion makes a difference.
“Love does no harm to a neighbor,” the Bible tells us. “Therefore, love is the fulfillment of the law.”
I am grateful for Pope Francis’ words, “Let the attacks and weapons cease, please, because it must be understood that terrorism and war bring no solutions, but only to the death and suffering of many innocent lives. War is a defeat, every war is a defeat. Let us pray for peace in Israel and Palestine.” SabbathMoments
What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbor. This is the whole Torah: all the rest is commentary. Hillel (Talmud, Shabath 31a)
Acts 15:6-9
6 Now the apostles and elders came together to consider this matter. 7 And when there had been much dispute, Peter rose up and said to them: “Men and brethren, you know that a good while ago God chose among us, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe. 8 So God, who knows the heart, acknowledged them by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He did to us, 9 and made no distinction between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith. 10 Now therefore, why do you test God by putting a yoke on the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? 11 But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved in the same manner as they.” The New King James Version
Luke (the narrator) stresses that the ruling of the Jerusalem Council will represent the Church’s official verdict on the matter.
Peter cites his own experience with the Gentile Cornelius and his vision about clean and pure food, which he has already explained to the church leadership in Jerusalem (Acts 10:1–11:18). Peter reasons that since God is working among both Jews and Gentiles that to demand that the Gentiles become Jews is to doubt what God has declared. Faithlife Study Bible
“Some of the sect of the Pharisees” believed in Jesus Christ but were still identified as Pharisees. Jews who became followers of Christ could still be Pharisees.
The same could not be said for the Sadducees, for they denied that there was a resurrection, and thus could not believe that Jesus had been raised from the dead.
“It is necessary to circumcise them” summarizes the problem. Is salvation granted through faith alone? Or does a person have to have faith plus the works of the law in order to be forgiven by God?
It was from the mouth of Peter that Cornelius and his Gentile friends heard the gospel of Jesus Christ. The NKJV Study Bible
We see from the words “purifying their hearts by faith,” and the address of St. Peter, that justification by faith, and sanctification by the Holy Ghost, cannot be separated; and that both are the gift of God. Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Acts 10:28 Then he said to them, “You know how unlawful it is for a Jewish man to keep company with or go to one of another nation. But God has shown me that I should not call any man common or unclean.
Acts 10:44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word.
Acts 10:47 “Can anyone forbid water, that these should not be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?”
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