June 21
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CONCERNS ABOUT GENTILE CONVERTS
A poem by ILMA
While Paul and Barnabas were at Antioch of Syria, some men began to teach
“Unless you are circumcised as required by law of Moses, you cannot be saved.”
Paul and Barnabas disagreed with them, and went to Jerusalem to the council
When they arrived in Jerusalem, they were both welcomed by the whole church.
All the apostles including the elders were eager to hear from Paul and Barnabas
They reported everything God had done through them and all the miracles
Some believers from the sect of the Pharisees insisted that Gentile converts obey
They required them to follow the law of Moses to be circumcised.
The apostles and elders met together to resolve this issue of circumcision
After a long discussion, Peter reminded them that the Gentiles converted
He said the God knows people’s hearts and that they were given the Holy Spirit
Peter posed this question “Why are you now challenging God by burdening them?”
Everyone listened quietly as Barnabas and Paul what God had done to the Gentiles
James stood up and reminded them of the prophet’s vision on the rest of humanity
“And so my judgement is that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles converts”
They decided to send a letter to the Gentile believers to remind them of God’s laws.
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MEMORY VERSE
We should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God. – Acts 15:19
Read: Acts 15
So many laws of Moses were stipulated by the Jewish leaders that enslaved them. They are so strict that it was difficult for many new believers to actually follow them. The apostles had the Holy Spirit in them so that they see how these laws especially the circumcision might make it difficult for the Gentiles to follow through their conversion.
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REFLECTION
• What laws have you been strictly adhering to that hinders you from doing things out of love instead of just following rules?
• Why are the Pharisees so legalistic and making it hard for new believers?
Tag Archives: Man’s Responsibility poem devotional
MAN’S RESPONSIBILITY Poem Devotional
March 25________________________________________
The heavens belong to the Lord, but he has given the earth to all humanity.
-Psalm 114:16(NLT)
MAN’S RESPONSIBILITY
A poem and essay by ILMA
When God made all creatures
He gave dominion for man to rule
The heavens belong to the Lord
But he gave man authority over the world.
All humans are responsible for the earth
They need to nurture it and constantly care
Without taking ownership, it will deteriorate
Without love, this world will disintegrate.
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One of the skills needed to succeed in running a theater performance is to delegate to others some of the things that you cannot all simultaneously do. As a stage manager for over two decades, I learned to hold others responsible for some things. I can’t do it all. Just like any other managers in any other field or sector, one has to be the leader. When there is no leader, there is chaos because everyone will try to assume roles that are not theirs. Boundaries are essential in relationships because if there are no set parameters, there will be overlapping and conflicts.
The bible tells us that the Lord owns everything, yet he gave mankind dominion over all creatures in the world. Because he created man in his image, he is well aware that all man possesses all that he has. So, he made humans rule over all things here on earth. Are we taking responsibility for the authority God gave us?
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PRAYER
Lord, show me how to be a godly leader and steward?
REFLECTION
Why do you think God gave humans the authority over all creation?
For more testimonials about God’s word, please go to YouTube and type ILMA’s poem devotional or go to www.ilmaarts.com posts. To receive emails of my poem devotionals, email me at ILMA.ARTS.STUDIO@gmail.com