Friday, July 6, 2007

God's desire is for the nations

 
What did I learn about God?  Acts 11:18 - When the others heard this, they stopped objecting and began praising God. They said, "We can see that God has also given the Gentiles the privilege of repenting of their sins and receiving eternal life."  God's plan from the beginning has been to extend salvation to the nations.  The Jews couldn't believe it at first (and some of them were offended at the thought), but God clearly demonstrated by the giving of His Holy Spirit to the Gentiles that salvation belongs to the Lord!
 
What applies to me?  In the Sermon on the Mount (particularly Matthew 6), Jesus instructs us in several practical measures.  First, perform your good deeds in secret (humbly, not looking for recognition).  (Of course, this presupposes that I am doing good deeds in the first place, which really makes me squirm.  Am I doing any good deeds?  How am I caring for the alien, fatherless, and widow?)  Second, don't worry.  I sincerely need to learn to apply this, because my blood pressure is accusing me of being to anxious.
 
Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank you for desiring the nations to come to salvation through Jesus Christ.  Thank you for pouring your spirit upon those who place their faith in Jesus Christ.   Lord, please help me be bold in sharing the Gospel message.  Jesus, I want to do good deeds, but I want to do them with the right motive. So, please lead me to the works you want to accomplish through me, and help me be humble as I execute your plan.  Please help me be selfless and content, not anxious about anything.  I pray this in the name of Jesus Christ.  Amen.

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