Latest / Reflections On The Word With Richard Kay / Household of Cornelius | Episode #376 | Encore Episode #047

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Household of Cornelius | Episode #376 | Encore Episode #047 · Reflections On The Word With Richard Kay

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  Speaker 1: Welcome to today's edition of Reflection on the Word with
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  Speaker 1: Richard K. I'm Chuck Christie, and today we are asking
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  Speaker 1: you to spend a few moments of your time with
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  Speaker 1: us each day as Richard shares from God's work with notes, quotes,
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  Speaker 1: and story along with some of his own personal experiences,
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  Speaker 1: to confirm for you God's great love for us, that
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  Speaker 1: his compassion for us never fails, and that He has
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  Speaker 1: a great faithfulness toward us in every regard. Now, if
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  Speaker 1: you miss a portion of today's broadcast or would like
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  Speaker 1: to recommend it to a friend, you can hear this
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  Speaker 1: program anytime online at Talknetwork Radio dot com. Well, now
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  Speaker 1: here's Richard with today's reflection.
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  Speaker 2: Yesterday we discussed the conversion of Saul of Tarsus, who
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  Speaker 2: met Jesus on the Damascus road towards Syria. He was
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  Speaker 2: blinded physically, and he was told to go into the
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  Speaker 2: Syrian city of Damascus, go to a street called Strait
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  Speaker 2: and visit a house of Judas, and in that house
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  Speaker 2: he would then be told what he would have to do.
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  Speaker 2: At the same time, a prophet, Annius was given the
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  Speaker 2: word and direction from the Lord to be able to
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  Speaker 2: go and to minister to Saul of Tarsus. He of
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  Speaker 2: course knew the reputation that Saul had for persecuting believers,
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  Speaker 2: and he was reluctant, but he did go, and when
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  Speaker 2: he went, he proclaimed to Saul that he was there
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  Speaker 2: to be able to reveal to him what God had
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  Speaker 2: in store for him. Now, in this particular situation, he
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  Speaker 2: first laid hands on him, prayed for him, and he
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  Speaker 2: received his physical sight. But he also said that he
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  Speaker 2: had come so that he could be filled with the
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  Speaker 2: Holy Spirit. It was very evident that this act of
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  Speaker 2: being able to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit
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  Speaker 2: was again conveyed by the laying on of hand, in
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  Speaker 2: this case by Anonius the prophet. Today, we're going to
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  Speaker 2: discuss yet another example of how the Holy Spirit baptizes
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  Speaker 2: believers in our scripture. For today, we are going to
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  Speaker 2: talk about a man from Cesarea named Cornelius. Now, this
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  Speaker 2: man was a centurion of what was called the Italian Regiment.
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  Speaker 2: He was a devout man and feared God. Along with
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  Speaker 2: his old household, he did many charitable deeds for the
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  Speaker 2: Jewish people and always prayed to God At about three
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  Speaker 2: in the afternoon. He distinctly saw in a vision an
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  Speaker 2: angel of God who came in and said to him Cornelius.
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  Speaker 2: Looking intently at him, he became afraid and said, what
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  Speaker 2: is it? Lord? And he told him, your prayers and
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  Speaker 2: your acts of charity have come up as a memorial
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  Speaker 2: offering before God. Now send men to Joppa and call
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  Speaker 2: for Simon, who is also named Peter. He is lodging
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  Speaker 2: with Simon, a tanner whose house is by the sea.
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  Speaker 2: When the angel who spoke to him had gone, he
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  Speaker 2: called two of his household slaves and devout soldier, who
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  Speaker 2: was one of those who attended him. After explaining everything
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  Speaker 2: to them, he sent them to Joppa. The next day.
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  Speaker 2: As they were traveling and nearing the city, Peter went
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  Speaker 2: up to pray on the housetop at about noon. Then
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  Speaker 2: he became hungry and wanted to eat. But while they
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  Speaker 2: were preparing something, he went into a visionary state. He
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  Speaker 2: saw heaven open and an object coming down that resembled
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  Speaker 2: a large sheet being lowered to the earth by its
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  Speaker 2: four corners. In it were all the four footed animals
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  Speaker 2: and reptiles of the earth, and the birds of the sky.
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  Speaker 2: Then a voice said to him, get up, Peter kill
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  Speaker 2: and eat no, Lord, Peter said, for I have never
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  Speaker 2: eaten anything common and unclean. Again a second time, a
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  Speaker 2: voice said to him what God has made clean, you
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  Speaker 2: must not call common. This happened three times, and then
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  Speaker 2: the object was taken up into heaven. While Peter was
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  Speaker 2: deeply perplexed about what the vision he had seen might mean,
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  Speaker 2: the men who had been sent by Cornelius, having asked
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  Speaker 2: directions to Simon's house, stood at the gate. They called out,
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  Speaker 2: asking if Simon, who was also named Peter, was lodging there.
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  Speaker 2: While Peter was thinking about the vision, the spirit told him,
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  Speaker 2: three men are here looking for you. Get up, go downstairs,
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  Speaker 2: and accompany them with no doubts at all, because I
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  Speaker 2: have sent them. Then Peter went down to the men
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  Speaker 2: and said, here, I am the one you're looking for.
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  Speaker 2: What is the reason you're here, they said, Cornelius, a centurion,
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  Speaker 2: an upright and god fearing man who has a good
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  Speaker 2: reputation with the whole Jewish nation, was divinely directed by
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  Speaker 2: a holy angel to call you to his house and
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  Speaker 2: to hear a message from you. Peter then invited them
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  Speaker 2: in and gave them lodging. The Next day, he got
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  Speaker 2: up and set out with them, and some of the
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  Speaker 2: brothers from Joppa went with him. The following day he
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  Speaker 2: entered cesarea. Now Cornelius was expecting them and had called
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  Speaker 2: together his relatives and close friends. When Peter entered, Cornelius
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  Speaker 2: met him, fell at his feet and worshiped him, But
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  Speaker 2: Peter helped him up and said, stand up, I myself
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  Speaker 2: am also a man. While talking with him, he went
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  Speaker 2: on in and found that many had come together there.
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  Speaker 2: Peter said to them, you know it's forbidden for a
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  Speaker 2: Jewish man to associate with or visit a foreigner. But
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  Speaker 2: God has shown me that I must not call any
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  Speaker 2: person common or unclean. That's why I came without any
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  Speaker 2: objection when I was sent for. So, I asked, why
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  Speaker 2: did you send for me? Cornelius replied, four days ago
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  Speaker 2: at this hour, at three in the afternoon, I was
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  Speaker 2: praying in my house. Just then a man in a
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  Speaker 2: dazzling robe stood before me and said, Cornelius, your prayer
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  Speaker 2: has been heard and your acts of charity have been
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  Speaker 2: remembered in God's sight. Therefore, send some one to Japha
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  Speaker 2: and invite Simon here, who is also named Peter. He
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  Speaker 2: is lodging in Simon the Tanner's house by the sea. Therefore,
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  Speaker 2: I immediately sent for you, and you did the right
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  Speaker 2: thing in coming. So we are all present before God
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  Speaker 2: to hear everything you have been commanded by the Lord.
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  Speaker 2: Then Peter began to speak in truth. I understand that
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  Speaker 2: God doesn't show favoritism, but in every nation, the person
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  Speaker 2: who fears Him and does righteousness is acceptable to him.
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  Speaker 2: He sent the message to the sons of Israel, proclaiming
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  Speaker 2: the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, He is
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  Speaker 2: Lord of all. You know the events that took place
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  Speaker 2: throughout all Judaea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism that
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  Speaker 2: John preached, how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the
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  Speaker 2: Holy Spirit and with power, and how he went about
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  Speaker 2: doing good and curing all who were under the tyranny
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  Speaker 2: of the devil. Because God was with him. We ourselves
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  Speaker 2: are witnesses of everything he did in both the Jadean
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  Speaker 2: country and in Jerusalem. Yet they killed him by hanging
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  Speaker 2: him on a tree. God raised up this man on
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  Speaker 2: the third day and permitted him to be seen not
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  Speaker 2: by all the people, but by us witnesses appointed beforehand
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  Speaker 2: by God, who ate and drank with him. After he
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  Speaker 2: rose from the dead. He commanded us to preach to
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  Speaker 2: the people and to solemnly testify that he is the
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  Speaker 2: one appointed by God to be the judge of the
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  Speaker 2: living and the dead. All the prophets testify about him
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  Speaker 2: than that threw his name. Everyone who who believes in
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  Speaker 2: him will receive forgiveness of sins. While Peter was still
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  Speaker 2: speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came down on all
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  Speaker 2: those who heard the message. The circumcised believers who had
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  Speaker 2: come with Peter were astounded because the gift of the
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  Speaker 2: Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles, also,
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  Speaker 2: for they heard them speaking in other languages and declaring
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  Speaker 2: the greatness of God. Then Peter responded, can anyone withhold
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  Speaker 2: water and prevent these from being baptized who have received
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  Speaker 2: the Holy Spirit just as we have? And he commanded
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  Speaker 2: them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.
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  Speaker 2: And then they asked him to stay for a few days.
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  Speaker 2: The purpose of reading this particular passage, which in a
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  Speaker 2: was the majority of the entire chapter of the tenth
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  Speaker 2: Chapter of Acts, was to illustrate how God uses people
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  Speaker 2: to actually do the works that he has called them
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  Speaker 2: to do. In this illustration. We find that Cornelius was
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  Speaker 2: a devout centurion of the Italian band. This was not
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  Speaker 2: of a Jewish household, and yet he had been very
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  Speaker 2: charitable to the Jewish people. He had also had a
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  Speaker 2: very good reputation with them. And because of this, his
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  Speaker 2: prayers were heard, and God sent an angel to let
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  Speaker 2: him know that he would be hearing the gospel message.
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  Speaker 2: He proclaimed it in the method of being able to
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  Speaker 2: send for Simon, the one called Peter. When he did that,
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  Speaker 2: he actually was looking forward to this message that was promised,
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  Speaker 2: and he gathered his whole house as well as his friends,
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  Speaker 2: and of course those that were his neighbors. He brought
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  Speaker 2: them to the house. And we of course have seen
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  Speaker 2: that through this vision that Peter had at the same
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  Speaker 2: time he was being visited by this vision, he was
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  Speaker 2: able to understand that he needed to go. He did
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  Speaker 2: not understand why, but he was obedient to go. Now,
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  Speaker 2: it is important for us to be able to understand
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  Speaker 2: that Peter preached the Gospel message in a very open
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  Speaker 2: and simplistic way, proclaiming Jesus as the Messiah. Now he
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  Speaker 2: was speaking as though he were delivering the Gospel to
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  Speaker 2: the Jewish people. But yet the Holy Spirit fell upon
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  Speaker 2: those that were in the house the same exact way
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  Speaker 2: that those that were in the upper room in Jerusalem
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  Speaker 2: had received this wonderful baptism of the Holy Spirit. And
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  Speaker 2: this is what was stated, because after this they knew
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  Speaker 2: what God meant when he said that he had no favoritism,
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  Speaker 2: that he was dying for all. He was providing sacrifice
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  Speaker 2: and the forgiveness of sins for all men, regardless of
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  Speaker 2: what their nationality, their ethnicity, their race, their color, their
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  Speaker 2: creed had no bearing. He died for all mankind. But
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  Speaker 2: more importantly, he reminded Peter. And we find this in
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  Speaker 2: the following chapter, the eleventh chapter, and the fifteenth verse,
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  Speaker 2: because here he is relating what took place at Cornelius's home,
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  Speaker 2: and he says here in the fifteenth verse, as I
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  Speaker 2: began to speak, the Holy Spirit came down on them,
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  Speaker 2: just as on us at the beginning. Then I remembered
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  Speaker 2: the word of the Lord, how he said, John baptized
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  Speaker 2: with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit. Therefore,
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  Speaker 2: if God gave them the same gift that he also
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  Speaker 2: gave to us when we believed on the Lord, Jesus
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  Speaker 2: Christ how could I possibly hinder God? We have read
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  Speaker 2: two elements that are recorded in scripture for more than
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  Speaker 2: just the history. And it is also not just to
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  Speaker 2: be able to show that the Gospel was meant for
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  Speaker 2: the jew first and then the gentile, although that is true,
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  Speaker 2: but what it actually illustrates is that the Holy Spirit
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  Speaker 2: directed Peter to do what he would not have done
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  Speaker 2: in the natural, and he would not have done it
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  Speaker 2: as a devout Jewish believer because he was still dealing
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  Speaker 2: with this issue of how he becomes the believer in
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  Speaker 2: Jesus and the one who can actually take the Gospel
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  Speaker 2: to all people. He at once realized that this was
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  Speaker 2: Jesus's proclamation when he said, John truly baptized with water,
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  Speaker 2: but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.
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  Speaker 1: Richard will be right back in a moment to wrap up.
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  Speaker 1: But if you've just joined us, you've been listening to
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  Speaker 1: Reflections on the Word with Richard k you can hear
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  Speaker 1: this message in its entirety again online as well as
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  Speaker 1: Richard's entire archive at Talknetwork Radio dot com. We would
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  Speaker 1: like to acknowledge our theme song how Great is Nine Faiths?
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  Speaker 1: From the America's twenty five Favorite Hymns Album unless otherwise.
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  Speaker 1: Express scriptures are read from the Homan Christian Standard Bible,
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  Speaker 1: which is published by Homan Bible Publishers in Nashville, Tennessee.
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  Speaker 1: Additional resources used for Reflections on the Word with Richard
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  Speaker 1: include Great Is Thy Faithfulness by Our Daily Bread and
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  Speaker 1: printed by Discovery House Publishers. Again here is Richard to
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  Speaker 1: wrap up today's message.
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  Speaker 2: We know now that the Holy Spirit was meant for
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  Speaker 2: all believers, not just Jews, and not just select gentiles,
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  Speaker 2: but for all believers. You see. The proof of that
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  Speaker 2: is that in Cornelia's house it was more than his family,
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  Speaker 2: and they were certainly not Jews. We could even say
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  Speaker 2: that many of them were not even believers. But they
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  Speaker 2: came to hear the message. They heard the Gospel, and
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  Speaker 2: the proclamation was being spoken to them. As they were
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  Speaker 2: willing to hear. The Holy Spirit came upon them in
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  Speaker 2: the same manner as he did in the Upper Room
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  Speaker 2: to the one hundred and twenty believers gathered there. And
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  Speaker 2: that is today's reflection on the Word.
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  Speaker 1: Thank you, Richard. Join us again tomorrow when we continue
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  Speaker 1: with the next edition of Reflections on the Word. Richard
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  Speaker 1: K Or Richard Tire Team. This is Chuck Christie saying
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  Speaker 1: thanks for listening to this edition reflections on the word