Quiet time

Yes it is hard to find at my house, but occationally I find some.

I try to read the Bible to apply it to my life, I think there are some historical accounts in the Bible, that are just that, however I also think we can learn from these. There is a lesson in all of it, and not just a history lesson.

So I was reading in Acts 15 :1-21

"1Some men came down from Judea to Antioch and were teaching the brothers: "Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved." 2This brought Paul and Barnabas into sharp dispute and debate with them. So Paul and Barnabas were appointed, along with some other believers, to go up to Jerusalem to see the apostles and elders about this question. 3The church sent them on their way, and as they traveled through Phoenicia and Samaria, they told how the Gentiles had been converted. This news made all the brothers very glad. 4When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and elders, to whom they reported everything God had done through them.

Then some of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, "The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to obey the law of Moses."

The apostles and elders met to consider this question. After much discussion, Peter got up and addressed them: "Brothers, you know that some time ago God made a choice among you that the Gentiles might hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe. God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us. He made no distinction between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith. Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of the disciples a yoke that neither we nor our fathers have been able to bear? No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are."

The whole assembly became silent as they listened to Barnabas and Paul telling about the miraculous signs and wonders God had done among the Gentiles through them. When they finished, James spoke up: "Brothers, listen to me. Simon has described to us how God at first showed his concern by taking from the Gentiles a people for himself. The words of the prophets are in agreement with this, as it is written:
" 'After this I will return
and rebuild David's fallen tent.
Its ruins I will rebuild,
and I will restore it,
that the remnant of men may seek the Lord,
and all the Gentiles who bear my name,
says the Lord, who does these things'
that have been known for ages.

"It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God. Instead we should write to them, telling them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals and from blood. For Moses has been preached in every city from the earliest times and is read in the synagogues on every Sabbath."

What on earth can you get out of this passage, other than just a history lesson?

Well a few things
God knows the heart - we don't need to know the heart of every other person on the planet - if the evidence of Christ is in their lives we can simply say "Ok" and strive to uplift them, pray for them, and seek to know them better.

Don't sweat the small stuff - not everyone is always going to agree with you. It doesn't mean they are less, or you are more, it just means that you don't agree. Is there a right and a wrong? YES, but on some things we might not know the answer until heaven.

How to handle a dispute - having a committee seems like a good idea - When it is subject to the leader- James in this case, (who by the way, was appointed by God as all those in authority over us are)

Be careful how you instruct a new beleiver - do so without placing a "yoke" on them.

There are some things in the "law" that were discarded after Jesus - this passage is an example of how that happened. But some things were kept because they were "known for ages" - good to know if you were wondering why we don't keep all of the old laws.

Finally don't make it difficult for people to come to Christ. Christianity isn't a club. We are saved by grace - just like everyone else can be.

Be at peace
or be a cat :-)
Amanda