Pastor Barry's  "Chapter & Verse"  2024  Day 45

February 14;        Acts 11:13;         100/260;        ‘Words That Save’

Acts 11:13 And he told us how he had seen an angel standing in his house, who said to him, 'Send men to Joppa, and call for Simon whose surname is Peter,

Peter was in Jerusalem narrating how he was instructed, by the Lord, to go to the home of Cornelius, who was a gentile Roman soldier.  The Jews in Jerusalem were upset that not only did Peter go into a gentile home, but that he also ate with them.  Peter shared how Cornelius had seen an angel who told him to send for Peter who was staying in a home in Joppa.  The angel told Cornelius that Peter would tell them words by which Cornelius and his household would be saved (verse14).  The point I want to make here, in this verse, is that the Lord trusted Peter to share the gospel accurately and clearly so that Cornelius and his household would be saved.  What an honor.  I believe that the Lord would want all of His disciples to be able to share the Gospel in a manner that would enable anyone to understand, believe and accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.  The circumstances you encounter may not be as supernatural as Peter and Cornelius, but if the end result is the salvation of those you share with, it is just as important.  The Lord would have us know the scriptures and be able to communicate the Gospel message well enough that those you share with will understand and believe what Jesus Christ did for them, and then accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior.  If you do not know the verses to share to lead someone to Jesus you can learn in the church you attend.  There are many Christian books on how to lead someone to the Lord as well.  The bottom line is that we all want to know how to do this. It is eternally important.