‘I remembered the Word of the Lord, how He had said, “John baptized with water but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” If then God gave them the same gift that He gave us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could hinder God.’ –Acts 11:16-17 (NRSVCE)
Image Courtesy: Viola Tamez
Peter’s Report to the Church at Jerusalem
The Apostles and the Believers who were in Judea heard that the Gentiles has also accepted the Word of God so when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcised believers criticized him saying, ‘Why did you go to uncircumcised men and eat with them?’
Then Peter began to explain it to them, step-by-step saying, “I was in the City of Joppa praying and in a trance I saw a vision. There was something like a large sheet coming down from Heaven, being lowed by the four corners and it came close to me. As I looked at it closely, I saw four-footed animals, beasts of prey, reptiles and birds in the air. I also heard a voice saying to me, ‘Get up Peter; Kill and eat.’
I replied, “By no means Lord. for nothing profane or unclean has ever entered my mouth.”
A second time the voice answered from Heaven, ‘What God has made clean, you must not call profane.’
This happened three times, then everything was pulled up again to Heaven. At that very moment three men, sent to me from Ceasarea arrived at the house where we were. The (Holy) Spirit told me to go with them and not to make a distinction between them and us. These six brothers also accompanied me and we entered the man’s house. He told us how he had seen the Angel standing in his house and saying, ‘Send to Joppa and bring Simon, who is called Peter, he will give you a message by which you and your entire household will be saved.’
As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them just as it had upon us at the beginning and I remembered the Word of the Lord, how He had said, “John baptized with water but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” (See: Matthew 3:11)
If then God gave them the same gift that He gave us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could hinder God?”
When they heard this, they were silenced and they praised God saying, ‘Then God has given even to the Gentiles the repentance that leads to life.’ –Acts 11:1-18
Longing For God and His Help in Distress
My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. (Psalm 42:2A)
As a deer longs for flowing streams, so my soul longs for You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
When shall I come and behold the face of God? My tears have been my food day and night, while people say to me continually, ‘Where is your God?’
These things I remember as I pour out my soul; how I went with the throng and led them in procession to the House of God with glad shouts and songs of thanksgiving, a multitude keeping a festival.
Why are you cast down, O my soul and why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him, my help and my God.
My soul is cast down within me, therefore I remember You from the Land of Jordan and of Harmon, from Mount Mizar.
Deep calls to deep at the thunder of Your cataracts; All Your waves and Your billows have gone over me.
By day the Lord commands His steadfast love and at night His song is with me, a prayer to the God of my life.
I say to God, my rock, ‘Why have You forgotten me? Why must I walk about mournfully because the enemy oppresses me?’
As with a deadly wound in my body, my adversaries taunt me, while they say continually, ‘Where is your God?’
Why are you cast down, O my soul and why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God; For I shall again praise Him, my help and my God. –Psalm 42:1-11
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