Sunday, February 27, 2011

The Orchestration of God

God working with Peter
Israel had always been the chosen people. After the ascension of Jesus Christ, there was no longer a distinction between Jew(Judean) and Gentile. The new church of God began to emerge. It wasn't until Acts 10, however, that this was fully realized, when Peter, a Hebrew was invited to a Gentile home to minister the Word about Jesus Christ. 


In the early records in Acts it is recorded that some of the Judeans (Jews) in Jerusalem were not too happy about all that had occurred in Jerusalem and a persecution of the new Christians started. During the events following the persecution in Acts 7, Peter traveled out from Jerusalem to visit the new Christian Judeans. His travels were filled with the operation of the gift of holy spirit operating all nine evidences of the gift which profited the new believers.
1 Corinthians 12:8-11 For to one (referring to the profit to God’s people) is given by the Spirit (God inspires or energizes each of these listed) the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit (God), dividing to every man severally as he will.
First he traveled to Samaria and helped Philip. These people were half-Judeans (Jews) and not looked upon with great respect by the Judean elite. As God worked in Peter along with John and Philip utilizing all nine of the tools of the spirit, people were set free and in turn were endowed with the same power.


Later we see Peter travel to Lydda where there is a man named Aeneas who was crippled. Aeneas asked for help and Peter explained the real deal about what Jesus Christ had done for his life and he told him to get up! He did! Nothing spooky about it! Just simply explaining what was really true!


Next we read that Peter was called up to Joppa to help a wonderful woman who had died. Peter knew what was available to her in that he had been in almost a similar situation with Jesus Christ when he raised Jarius’ daughter. Great working of miracles and healing resulted because of the dynamics of the gift of holy spirit within Peter. He was able to do that because of God’s tools of word of knowledge and wisdom and believing that he utilized and was strengthened by. Probably all nine of the manifestations of holy spirit were in operation.


Peter stayed in Joppa for a while after that. Interestingly enough, he stayed with Simon the Tanner, a man whose profession of handling dead animals was considered unclean by the Judeans. This shows how Peter was growing past former legalisms and distinctions. God continued to teach him as he moved closer (spiritually, as well as physically) to God’s original intention through the ages (recorded in Acts 10).

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