Bursting the banks with the Gospel: Going Beyond
[Peter] said to them: "You are well aware that it is against our law for
a Jew to associate with or visit a Gentile. But God has shown me…
I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts from every nation the one who fears him. (Acts 10:28,34-35)
You are warmly welcome!
Simon Peter beats challenges, cultural limitations and geographical confines to be Christ’s witness, and to minister the good news of salvation to eager Cornelius and his company. In doing God’s will, there are many times when you too need to overcome challenges, culture, and confines – think about it. There may be a little set back that slumps one into discouragement and a slowdown, but this should and must always be short-lived. Pick yourself up and move; determine to advance in some way. Peter and the believers had three hurdles: first was the challenge of rampant persecutions; second was their culture that did not permit them to interact freely and eat with Samaritans and Gentiles; third was the long distances they needed to cover to advance the gospel as far as the Great Commission required them to.
In the book Abundance, Diamandis and Kotler point out and justify – from a global development point of view – that “a quick look at history shows that progress continues through the good times and the bad”. The twentieth century, for example, witnessed both incredible advancement and unspeakable tragedy. The 1918 influenza epidemic killed fifty million people (COVID-19 has so far killed less than four million); the Second World War killed another sixty million; there were tsunamis, hurricanes, earthquakes, fires, floods, even plagues of locust! Despite such unrest, this period also saw infant mortality decrease by 90 percent, maternal mortality decrease by 99 percent, and, overall, human lifespan increase by more than 100 percent. We also experienced the great East African Revival that sparked the Church into new life and growth. We find similar progress stories in the Bible.
At a time when “those who had been scattered by the persecution … traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, spreading the word only among Jews” (Acts 11:19), Peter’s ministry in the house of Gentile Cornelius reveals how God is at work to carry us beyond the challenges, cultural limitations and geographical confines, for the advancement of His Kingdom. Read Acts 10:28-35, especially Peter’s turning point confession well expressed… “But God has shown me… I now realize how true it is that God…”
Today’s needs range from simple survival and wellness to mission outreach to eager people out there; yet we are faced with pandemics, lockdowns, and various stereotypes. My prayer is that you will be alert, that God will show you and you will realize His work even in these times. You can laugh, you can live, you can grow; the Church can develop; we can praise the Lord and actively witness to His saving love.
God bless you all.