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Yes, Even Them!

“And they praised God, saying, "Then God has given even to the gentiles the repentance that leads to life." - from Acts 11:18

A healthy spirituality allows us to look in the mirror and truly see ourselves. This spirituality gives us both confidence and humility. We see our faults and shortcomings. At the same time we also know and feel that God loves and embraces us, yes, even us.

The next step in our spiritual journey is for us to look around and understand that God loves and embraces them, even them.

These unclean foreigners who had been previously restricted by them to the outermost temple courtyard were fully embraced by God.

What was even more shocking for them is that the Gentiles were not required to embrace their standards of purity before God embraced them. Nor were they required to do so afterwards.

God’s new requirement for humanity demands only that we love one another in the same way God loves us. (John 13:34)

I’m Horace McMillon. This is 60 Seconds of Hope. Peace be with you.

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Be Servants not Judges

“But a second time the voice answered from heaven, 'What God has made clean, you must not call profane.” Acts 11:9

We have been called to take matters of ethics, morality, and personal conviction very seriously. Paul in writing to the Romans declares that each of us should be fully convinced in our own minds. (Romans 14:5)

Where most of us struggle is in figuring out what to do with and about other people who think and practice differently. Too often we are bound and determined to judge, exclude and perhaps even punish people who do not follow the dictates of our consciences.

That’s not our place. All of us belong to God and God alone. As Paul declares, each of us will ultimately stand or fall before God… And the part we miss, “And they will stand, for the Lord is able to make them stand.” (Romans 14:4) God’s grace works like that.

Remember that we have been called to love and serve each other not judge and condemn.

I’m Horace McMillon. This is 60 Seconds of Hope. Peace be with you.

#60secondsofhope #Devotion #inspiration #growth #faith #dailydevotion #dailyinspiration #dailymeditation #discipleship #positivemindset #dailydevotional #peace #Acts11 #Romans14

#spiritualgifts #holyspirit #personaldevelopment

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Recognize the Gifts of Yourselves and Others

“And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them just as it had upon us at the beginning.” -Acts 11:15

The earliest Christians made a lot of assumptions about who could be fully accepted and included and who couldn’t be. They assumed they the gifts were only available for people who believed and practiced like them.

The Gentiles according to their beliefs were unclean and impure in their estimation and understanding because they didn’t practice holiness and ritual purity in the way they believed God required. They couldn’t possibly be gifted. Therefore they couldn’t be included.

Despite their erroneous assumptions, the Holy Spirit came. The Gentiles received the gifts. And Peter recognized it right away.

We have to be willing to recognize the gifting and working of God in others, even when, especially when it goes against our assumptions and beliefs.

We have to willing to embrace our own gifts even when they are not recognized or affirmed by others.

I’m Horace McMillon. This is 60 Seconds of Hope. Peace be with you.

#60secondsofhope #Devotion #inspiration #growth #faith #dailydevotion #dailyinspiration #dailymeditation #discipleship #positivemindset #dailydevotional #peace #Acts11

#spiritualgifts #holyspirit #personaldevelopment

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