Acts 15-16
Many early Christians assumed any Gentile convert to Christ had to be circumcised and keep the law of Moses. Paul and Barnabas resist this and the apostles take it up in Jerusalem. Peter and James win the day: we are not followers of Moses, but of Christ - all Christians, Jew or Gentile, are saved the same way, by faith in His grace - the Old Testament predicted the Gentiles coming into the tent of David (ch 15). Paul and Barnabas want to revisit the churches they planted, but can't agree on whether to take Mark, so they split up. Paul discovers Timothy and probably Luke, and heads for Macedonia. Lydia is converted in Philippi, but when Paul exorcises a demon from a slave girl, her owners get them thrown in jail. They convert the jailer after an earthquake. Paul makes a point to the magistrates that they have wronged Paul and Silas, probably to give political protection to the budding church they leave behind (ch 16).
Many early Christians assumed any Gentile convert to Christ had to be circumcised and keep the law of Moses. Paul and Barnabas resist this and the apostles take it up in Jerusalem. Peter and James win the day: we are not followers of Moses, but of Christ - all Christians, Jew or Gentile, are saved the same way, by faith in His grace - the Old Testament predicted the Gentiles coming into the tent of David (ch 15). Paul and Barnabas want to revisit the churches they planted, but can't agree on whether to take Mark, so they split up. Paul discovers Timothy and probably Luke, and heads for Macedonia. Lydia is converted in Philippi, but when Paul exorcises a demon from a slave girl, her owners get them thrown in jail. They convert the jailer after an earthquake. Paul makes a point to the magistrates that they have wronged Paul and Silas, probably to give political protection to the budding church they leave behind (ch 16).
Rev. Christopher Thoma - on serving in the church - in "The Cruciform Way," pg 136.
Everyone you meet is carrying around unique gifts and skills they could be using to serve the body of Christ, the church. Let a pastor or other church leader know, when you become aware of them in yourself or in others.
William Godfrey - on the Reformation of Prayer - in Tabletalk, Oct 2021, pg 41.
The Reformation was not just one of doctrine, but also of personal prayer. Protestants stopped praying to Mary and other saints. And they regained a confidence that God heard them. In prayer we need to realize our true need before God, coming humbly but also coming boldly to a heavenly Father who promises to hear and love us.
Charles Cooke - on the bankrupt judicial Left - in National Review, "Losing their Fiat," May 29, '23, pg 28.
The Left's judicial philosophy has been exposed as no more than ideology and pragmatism. They decide based on what they think best at the time. Thankfully, the originalism of the Right is in firm control, instead. Leftist nominees like Kagan and Jackson actually had to say they are originalists (when they clearly are not) to get approved by the Senate. The Left's only response to recent conservative rulings is to call it an attack on democracy, and say SCOTUS has too much power. This is the opposite of what they said 40-50 years ago, when the court was deciding things their way. But they have no other argument.
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