Paul Davis will be ordained to preach

next Sunday morning, 1-29-12We will have dinner afterward at

the voting precinct on Prater Road just off of Mack Smith Road near

East Ridge.

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The church will purchase the meat, and each of us may just bring a side, dessert, or ice and drinks.

No evening service

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Peter has gone to the home of Cornelius the Roman Centurion:

Teaching him not to look down on people of other nations.

Preached Jesus

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Returned toJerusalem

Telling the other apostles what happened.

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Acts 11:15-16 And as I began to speak, the Holy Ghost fell on them, as on us at the beginning. Then remembered I the Word of the Lord, how that He said, John indeed baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost.

2 Corinthians 10 4-5 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds;) Casting down imaginations [human logic], and every high thing that exalteth itself against the Knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

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17 Forasmuch then as God gave them the like gift as He did unto us, who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ; what was I, that I could withstand God?

We must never try to stand against what God is doing.We may not understand it.

We may never have seen it before.

But we must submit ourselves to the Word of God and unto the Spirit of God.

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18 When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.

They were willing to listen and learn.

So must we be!

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19 Now they which were scattered abroad upon the persecution that arose about Stephen traveled as far as Phenice, and Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the Word to none but unto the Jews only. 20 And some of them were men of Cyprus and Cyrene, which, when they were come to Antioch, spake unto the Grecians, preaching the Lord Jesus. 21 And the Hand of the Lord was with them: and a great number believed, and turned unto the Lord.

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Consequences of Stephen's martyrdom1. Christians were scattered, carrying the Gospel

into Samaria and other places.

2. In his zeal to persecute Christians, Saul was struck down on the road to Damascus -- and saved.

3. Now the church is actively carrying the Gospel of Jesus Christ to Gentiles.

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This is a crucial hinge in the Acts account. For the first time the church actively proselytized Gentiles. The Samaritans of chapter 8 were partly Jewish; the Ethiopian eunuch on his own was reading Isaiah 53 on his return from Jerusalem; and even Cornelius took the initiative in seeking the Gospel from Peter’s lips. But here the church took the first steps to take the message to uncircumcised Greeks.

The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures by Dallas Seminary Faculty.

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22 Then tidings of these things came unto the ears of the church which was in Jerusalem: and they sent forth Barnabas, that he should go as far as Antioch.

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23-24 Who, when he came, and had seen the Grace of God, was glad, and exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord.

For he was a good man, and full of the Holy Ghost and of faith: and much people was added unto the Lord.

Purpose

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Not just saved, but devoted to the Lord.Determined to serve God in the Power of the Holy

Ghost through Jesus Christ.Is your mind made up?

Is you foot on the Rock?

It's time to make up our minds to serve the Lord as He leads us --

No matter what the cost!