Check It

Check It

Acts 15: ¹² The whole assembly became silent as they listened to Barnabas and Paul telling about the signs and wonders God had done among the Gentiles through them. ¹³ When they finished, James spoke up. “Brothers,” he said, “listen to me. ¹⁴ Simon has described to us how God first intervened to choose a people for his name from the Gentiles. ¹⁵ The words of the prophets are in agreement with this, as it is written:

¹⁶ “‘After this I will return
    and rebuild David’s fallen tent.
Its ruins I will rebuild,
    and I will restore it,
¹⁷ that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord,
    even all the Gentiles who bear my name,
says the Lord, who does these things’—
¹⁸     things known from long ago.

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Going with my gut, I began to assemble the complex item. I mean, I had put a lot of things together before, what would be so hard about this thing? While I had a good start, somewhere towards the middle of my assembly, I discovered I did not have the right parts available. I had to take everything apart and look at the instructions. I had used the wrong parts too early.

• There were times when I went with my gut feelings.
• There were times when I did what I “thought” was right.
• There were times when I acted on something before checking to see if I was doing it correctly.

Barnabas and Paul explained how they began to speak to other races about JESUS. They also explained how amazing GOD worked through them. James explained how Simon, also known as Peter, had also been charged to speak to other races. James checked what they were doing by looking at what the prophets wrote.

• GOD wants me to check my actions to see if they align with HIS desires.
• GOD wants me to understand I may think of things that seem right but they are not.
• GOD wants me to follow HIS ways by reading HIS word first.

There is a way that seems right humans but its end is death. GOD wants me to check the thought that seems so right, so comfortable and so pleasurable, against HIS word. If the thought conflicts, HE wants me to have enough fear of HIM to obey what HE wants me to do rather than what I want to do.

Obedience to GOD may mean I am stretched to speak to people who do not look or act like me. The person may vote a different way or listen to music that I may not understand, BUT GOD wants me to reach the person anyway. I am grateful JESUS gave me purpose from long ago.

• Is GOD telling you to expand your heart to speak to other people?
• Do you see hurt across every nation?
• Will you allow GOD to give you abundant life by caring for the people HE sends to you today?