SUNDAY July 30, 2023

A Good Report

Then all the multitude kept silent and listened to Barnabas and Paul declaring how many miracles and wonders God had worked through them among the Gentiles. And after they had become silent, James answered, saying, “Men and brethren, listen to me: Simon has declared how God at the first visited the Gentiles to take out of them a people for His name.”
Acts 15:12-14

Many Jews had difficulty in accepting that God intended for the Gentiles to be saved, but as they silently listened to Paul and Barnabas give them a good report of all God’s works among the Gentiles, what could they say? It was an undisputable fact that the Gospel message was for the entire world, not just for a select few!

After Jesus’ death, James, the half-brother of Jesus, became saved along with his brother Jude. James was one of the main elders in the Church in Jerusalem. Do you realize the importance of what James stated to the men and brethren? God has ...visited the Gentiles to take out of them a people for His name. He was developing a prophecy. This means, God has a certain number of Gentiles who will be saved.

We see this to be true in Romans 11:25: ...blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. When the last Gentile is saved, then the Rapture of the Church will happen. After the Rapture, the last seven years of world history will begin. Imagine, the last Gentile may come forward to accept Christ at any church altar call, and at that very moment, in a twinkling of an eye, the Church age will close down and we will all go to heaven (1 Corinthians 15:52-54).

Again, that is why we must have an urgency to pray for people. Allow God to work in your life so He can use you to reach the lives of your friends, family, and even your enemies. God is faithful. As you diligently pray, in His love, mercy and grace, He will pursue them.

If sinners be damned, at least let them leap to Hell over our bodies. If they will perish, let them perish with our arms about their knees. Let no one go there unwarned and unprayed for.
~Charles H. Spurgeon~

For more from Raul Ries, please visit SomebodyLovesYou.com!