In this lesson, Peter is having some issues with what is asked of him. God showed him in a vision, to go down to the pig pen and slay, what was considered an unclean beast, and make a Pork-chop sandwich. Peter said, no Lord. Now we have a problem. If He's our Lord; then you, and I say Yes! But Peter wanted to defend his upbringing, to not eat what they considered unclean.
But God has said, what I have cleansed... don't call it call it common or unclean! God had to run this down to Peter three times. Maybe like Peter God has to tell us more than one time what he has called us to do.
When God cleanses us by the Blood of the Lamb, nothing and nobody, can undo that! God is inclusive and loves us all. Peter would have very little to do with us (the Gentiles). If it was up to him. At that time he believed that Gentiles were unworthy. At first he tried to defend his actions, but like Peter, we too can be changed. Each of us is a miracle of God's grace.
Peter wasn't afraid to say what he had to say, and to stand up for what he believed. Once he did what the Spirit said, he preached and people got saved. Can you imagine the people that could get saved,
if you say something? Try it this week, defend Jesus and tell somebody about Him. If you and I don't do it, it won't get done.
There are some true facts in life. One of them is that conflict will arise. As my Mother used to say, even your teeth and toungue fall out sometime. This week's lesson deal with conflict between the Jews and the Gentiles on what you would call Christian principles. The differing of their beliefs. There are times that we must deal with conflict because of our differences. But God never intended for the differences to hinder our ability to show others Christ.
Peter thought that defending his upbringing would get him out of what God purposed him to do. But it didn't, and neither will yours or mine. It does not matter where we started, or even how we got here. God wants you to reach across differences to reach somebody. Putting up your differences to say, no Lord won't fly with God. It's time to take Peter's example.
When Peter changed, it caused growth, and revival. It is in the conflict that God can show through, as Luke 6:31 (NIV) tells us, Do to others as you would have them do to you. The decision to act different in the midst of differences, can casue a different outcome in your situation too. Instead of defending what is expected, do something unexpected, don't defend the difference, do something that breaks down barriers for Christ. It's on you and me to get it done. That's another fact of life. God uses ordinary people.
Good morning and Happy Tuesday. One of my favorite movies of the past is one called Jerry Maguire. This movie came out in 1996 and it grossed over $250 million off a budget of $50 million and won Academy Awards for Best Picture and Best Actor which was Tom Cruise and Best Supporting Actor which was Cuba Gooding Jr. The movie had all kinds of memorable scenes but the one that I liked was when Tom Cruise told the love interest in the movie, Renee Zellweger, " You Complete Me. My life was once in shambles so much so that it did not matter to me what happened to me but I want to thank you. (Jesus) You Complete Me.
If you knew how I was in the past you would know what I am talking about. I smoked weed every day since I was a teen. I started drinking at age 13. I smoked cigarettes at 12. I ditched school and
tried to get someone pregnant at 14. I tried any and every kind of drug and way to get high except for shooting up. I became addicted to women, sex, money gambling and every kind of debauchery known to man. I came back to some one who I know who could make me better. (Jesus) You Complete Me.
In coming into this teaching of (Jesus) You Complete Me I begin in Luke 8:26-29. In these verses we see where Jesus is in Gadarenes and meets a man who has many demons and wants Jesus to leave
him as Jesus begins to call out the demons. I loved getting high and cheating on my wife and the life of the world that I did not want Jesus to bother me but he did any way.(Jesus) You Complete Me.
As I continue with this teaching of (Jesus) You Complete me I go back to the Word of God and Luke 8:30-35. In these verses Jesus asks the man his name, which is Legion for he had many demons, and
heals the man to the amazement of others. You see once I had fallen so far off track that I needed Jesus to take my addictive behaviors away and put in my right mind, which he did and those who knew me back then, are wondering how did I change. (Jesus) You Complete Me.
As I bring the body of this teaching of (Jesus) You Complete Me to a conclusion I go to Luke 8:38-39. In these verses the man who once had many demons now has none and wants to be with Jesus.
Jesus tells him to go spread the great news to his household. I am now in a place in my life that feel much better because the things of old are gone away. (Jesus) You Complete Me.
In closing I want to tell each and everyone about how Jesus can complete you. I was changed from the most negative person in the world to one of the most positive. My personal blog Brand New week, Brand New Attitude is allowing me to spread the gospel worldwide. People I come in contact with on a daily basis look forward to hearing an encouraging word. For those of you who do not know Christ as your personal Savior I am a witness he will Complete You. I give God all the glory and honor for this teaching. Please look forward to the Sunday School Preview and Review of this week of October 25, 2015. Have a great week all.
Fred Wesley is a Technology Teacher for Rhema Word 2.0 which is the Sunday School for Valley Kingdom Ministries International.
Assistant Superintendent Lois told us in the preview that Peter did a lot of firsts, and asked us, if we have gone where no man has gone before-to witness for Christ. We see in the lesson how Peter was able to put aside his traditional roles and open his heart to receive something new. In this case, the Gentiles, in our case, a new opportunity or new way to witness about Christ.
Who in our immediate circle haven't we told about being changed in Christ? Who in our circle of influence have we felt like its for somebody else who will tell them, because I don't know them that well? Today's lesson reminds us that Peter had a purpose; and, that we have a purpose. God wants us to move in faith and courage to our purpose. He is depending on us to fulfill this purpose.
On this journey, there will be challenging times, hard times, good times and even some great times, but the good news is, he will be with us. Deuteronomy 31:6 NIV tells us, "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you, he will never leave your or forsake you." He wants is to know that we can live our dream and fulfill our purpose. Go on, be strong, do something courageous for the Lord this week See you next week in Sunday School.
A glimpse of Peter's background shows he was one the first disciples to speak out. Yes sometines out of turn. He was the first to PREACH, on the day of Pentecost. Also just before his encounter with Cornelius, he was the firstto speak life into a dead woman named Tabitha. In today's LESSON, we will find Peter doing another FIRST. That is crossing the line no one else had yet crossed.
Preaching to the Gentiles, meant that Peter crossed the line of Jewish Law. In our society today, there are lines that we have been forbidden or afraid to cross such as theMason Dixon Line,which dealt with slavery. Crossing long-established barriers requires courage. Peter was impelled to do what was needed to extend the gospel to the Gentile nation. My Question is: Isn't that our calling as well? To go boldly where we have never gone before. (Matthew 28:19).
I believe God is sending out a cry to the believers today to go to Corneluis' house. You see in Cornelius' he has FAMILY, his FRIENDS, and his NEIGHBORS waiting to hear the GOOD NEWS!
That VISION that keeps coming to you, is not to demean you but to teach y0u a lesson in humility. Everyone who God created is in His own image, and likeness (Genesis 1:26). Therefore who are we to call ANYONE unclean or unworthy of receiving the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Join us in Rhema Word (Sunday School) as we dig deeper into the scriptures. Tell the person next, " I WANT TO BE A FIRST!"
This is clear case of the leopard spots being changed; Saul the persecutor is now the preacher (teller of good news). Notice I didn't say the leopard changed his spots, I said his spots were changed. This lesson reminds us that the saving grace of Christ is the changing power in our life. After we are changed, he deputizes us to become change agents.
But, if we don't believe that other people can be changed, we will not the share the news of God's changing grace to reach then. We are called to like Saul... after God changed him, he became the point man leading others into change, I would dare say, he was like the MJ for Jesus. He was good at it, because he believed that if he could be changed, then God could change anybody.
Yet he ran into some opposition, and that is when he met his new best friend, Barnabas. Barnabas become his encourager for change. Yes, we are going to run into some opposition too. So let me be your Barnabus today. You can do it with God's help. Now go do it. Be someone else's encourager to change. In order for there to be a breakthrough for the kingdom we are going to have to make a change in our community, city, nation and even world. Remember its not just Paul (the converted Saul) who needs an encourager.
Jesus said in Mark 16:15 to each of us, his deputized change agents..."go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature". Preaching is just telling the good news that you too can be changed. Everybody needs a Barnabus (an encourager) to help them change, As deputies of God's righteousness, go ahead and change your world. Be sure to read the full lesson in Acts 9:19b-31
Valley Kingdom Ministries International
15300 W. 151st Oak Forest
Good afternoon and Wonderful Wednesday. One of the most popular games in the history of video games is named Call of Duty. These series of games have sold over 175 million copies and $10 billion in the United States alone. The game is played always in place where there is conflict and the player or players have to go through many different levels of play before the person(s) playing the game finally gets to the end. The online community who plays this game is huge. Even though many of may not know it, God has a Call of Duty for all of us.
In coming into this teaching I want to define the two words in the title, call and duty. The word call means as follows; to cry out with a loud voice, to command or request, to ask or invite to come. The
word duty means as follows; something that one is expected or required to do by moral or legal obligation. We as the Body of Christ have to answer the Call of Duty God has for us all.
As I come to the Word of God for this teaching of Call of Duty I go to Exodus 3:1-10. In these verses God has come to Moses as he was just minding his business and gave him a difficult assignment.
We like Moses at times question God when cries out to us to do the things that we are required to do. In order to be able to advance the Kingdom of God we must accept our Call of Duty.
As we continue with this teaching of Call of Duty I go back to the Word of God and to Isaiah 6:5-8. In these verses Isaiah is in the presence of the Holy One and does not see himself as to being worthy
at first but then tells God to send him, he will go. God is commanding and requesting his people to do something that will bring the gospel of Christ to the masses. God wants us to be in our Call of Duty.
As we come to the end of the Biblical portion of our teaching we go to Acts 9:10-18. In these verses Ananias has an assignment of going to minister to a man who has done harm to all who believes in
Jesus. God is asking and inviting all of us to do something morally and legally by offering Christ to others and giving them a chance to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Call of Duty.
In closing I want to say that God appreciates everything that we do for him. He loves the way we give him praise and the things that we do for him in the church setting. But there is much more than that as the people of God that we have to do. God is crying out to us in a loud voice, God is commanding and requesting to his people and God is asking and inviting the Body of Christ to do what is expected or required to do and that is to bring the gospel of Christ to others. It is time that we all answer the Call of Duty God has for us all. I give God all the glory and honor for this teaching and ask him to bless each and everyone. Please join us later this week for a Sunday School preview of the lesson for Sunday 10-11-15 by Superintendent Liz Hope. Take care all.
Fred Wesley is a Technology Teacher for Rhema Word 2.0
Everybody knows its painful to be have a whooping. In this case Simon got a verbal whooping. Yes Simon got busted. But it's more to the story than meets the eye This was the first time Simon and the Samaritans were seeing a demonstration of God's power manifested through the apostles. So it was a big deal. Today I would call it the 'WOW factor church style.
Simon got caught up, and didn't know what to do. It was bolder and bigger than him, and he someone who pulled off spectacular feats in his day. Simon did what many of us would want if we saw somethings big and bold, he wanted to own it. This is where we need to think about what Simon said. He said' give me also this power'. Then he was rebuked or busted?
Why, because he thought he could turn the power of God into something man made so he could manipulate it. We have to be careful too, to not to try and turn the favor, faithfulness and fulfillment of God promises into man made accolades; and try to manipulate with a holler, hype and hundreds. Simon was rebuked because Apostle Peter was able to see what was in his heart through his actions
We should every now and then take stock of our actions and do as Simon did when he was rebuked, pray that these things come not on me... in other words his prayer was for a clean heart. Psalms 4:23 says Above all else, guard your heart, for everything flows from it. So I ask, if you took stock of what you done lately would you need to be rebuked or would you be busted? Does your heart and actions tell a tale on you? If it does, then at this time we can do as Simon says...we can pray. Be sure to read the whole lesson. See you in Sunday School.
