The Greatest Gift (Are You A Cornelius? Part 2)

   If you haven't read my last post " Are You A Cornelius?", go do it now! Otherwise, this post won't make complete sense.  This is the part 2 that I promised to write.

   They were not saved UNTIL THEY WERE BAPTIZED. In Acts 11, when Peter was telling those in Jerusalem what had happened leading up to Cornelius' conversion, it says, in 11:13-14 that the angel had told Cornelius, ....."and call for Simon whose surname is Peter, who will tell you words by which you and all your household will be saved."

   Salvation comes, first and foremost, through God's grace.  It also comes by obeying His commands, ALL of them.  God's plan of salvation is simple (much simpler than we think!), and if we love him as much as we claim to, we will do all that He says without questioning Him.
   (1) First, we have to hear the Gospel taught.  We have to know what God's Word says before we can obey it. Romans 10:17 says, "Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.")
Also, Hebrews 11:6, John 6:45, and Revelation 2:7.
   (2) Second, we must believe that God's Word is truth, and that Jesus is the Son of God.  John 8:24b - "For if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins." Also look at Heb.11:6, Mark 16:16, and Acts 16:31.
   (3) Third, we must repent of our sins.  To repent means not just to be sorry for our sins, but to turn away from our sins.  We can't become a Christian, and then immediately start willfully sinning.  We have to guard our hearts and our minds every day; it can be a battle, but not an impossible one to win.  God promises us, no temptation will be more than we can handle! We can win the battle! Look at Acts 2:38; 17:30, and Luke 13:3.
   (4) Next, we must confess our faith in God.  Romans 10:10b, "with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." Other Scriptures - Matthew 10:32-33; 16:16, Acts 8:37-38.
   (5) We must  be baptized.  Full immersion, not sprinkling or pouring.  1 Peter 3:21, " There is also an antitype which now saves us - baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ."  Other Scriptures- Mark 16:15-16; Acts 2:38; 22:16.
   (6)  And lastly, we must be faithful unto death.  Becoming a Christian is not a lifetime vaccination against sin.  Yes, we will fall.  But if we repent and ask God for forgiveness, He will help us up, dust us off, and give us strength.  It is a race (2 Timothy 4:7-8), a race we can win.

   At the beginning of Acts 10, it seems that Cornelius had done everything commanded by God, except for the act of baptism. When he and his family were told by Peter what they needed to do, they did it and were added to the Lord's church.

   I don't write all of this to condemn you or put you down for what you believe.  I'm sharing it in the hopes that you will read it, meditate on it, and act on it.  I'm not trying to force my beliefs on you; I just want to share what God's written Word says.  2 Timothy 3:16 says that ALL Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and Titus 1:2 says that God CANNOT lie.
   God's Word can change anyone's heart.  Just look at Paul the apostle!  Before he became a Christian, he was doing all he could to destroy Christianity (Just read Acts 7:54-8:3!).  He had Christians put in prison, he had them tortured, and even some were put to death.  And yet, God had a bigger and better plan for his life.  In fact, almost half of the New Testament was written by him!  A man who once had Christians put to death for their beliefs was now willing to die himself for the cause of Christ.  Don't for a second believe that you can't become a child of God.  His invitation is open to anyone who is willing to choose Him over the world.  Please, choose to obey the Gospel while you still have opportunity.  I would love to be able to call you my brother/sister in Christ!   Much love, Rosalea

P.S. - There are also many wonderful lessons on this website - http://www.nschristians.org. - I happen to attend there!  I would love to see you!

Are You A Cornelius? (Part 1)

As you read this, please keep your Bible open to Acts 10.❤
In Acts 10:1-2, we're told that Cornelius was a devout and upright man. He was generous, he prayed to God always, and he and his family feared (respected) the Lord. If you were to pass Cornelius on the street, you would probably say, "He is such a good man."
How many men and women, young or older, do you know that could be classified as "good" people? Those in the world who seem to be doing what is right; the ones that are kind, generous, respectful, and seem to have a close relationship with God? They sound VERY MUCH like Cornelius, don't they?
But Cornelius had not done everything God wanted him to do. He had not fully obeyed the Gospel.
In verse 6, Cornelius was told by an angel of God to send for Peter, who would tell Cornelius what he must do.
In verse 24, Peter makes it to Caesarea, along with some brethren from Joppa, where Peter had been staying. Cornelius was waiting for Peter, and had even called together his family and close friends. He was eager to obey the Lord, and he wanted his loved ones to do the same!
In verses 34-43, Peter proceeds to preach to all who were gathered there. He told them that God shows no partiality; any who fear(respect)Him and work righteousness are accepted by Him. Anyone who loves God enough to fully obey Him, will be accepted by Him!
In verse 44, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the Word, but they were still not saved. There was a reason the Spirit came upon them, however. Until that time, the Gospel could only be preached to the Jews. Cornelius and his family were Gentiles. The Spirit came upon the Jews in Acts 2, when the Gospel was first taught. In this instance, the Spirit came upon the Gentiles as a sign to Peter and the other Jews that God had now allowed the Gospel to be preached to the Gentiles.
In verse 47, Peter says, "Can anyone forbid water, that these should not be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have? And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord."
They were not saved until they were baptized! In Acts 11, when Peter was telling those in Jerusalem what had happened leading up to Cornelius' conversion, it says in verses 13-14, that the angel had told Cornelius, ..."and call for Simon whose surname is Peter, who will tell you words by which you and all your household will be saved."

(To be continued...)

A New Year, A New Word

     I've noticed lately that in addition to having resolutions for the New Year, some people choose a word that they want to live by for that year.  I put a lot of thought into what I think my word should be for 2018.  The one that kept coming to mind? Joy.

     Joy is one of those self-descriptive words.  When you see or hear the word "joy", your thinking doesn't shift to rain clouds and gray skies. It thinks of things that make you happy, things that bring you joy.
     Here are some of my favorite quotes on joy:

    

 

 Joy is not always an easy choice, let me tell you.  Especially when things just don't seem to go our way.

We find ourselves asking, " How can I possibly be happy in a situation like this? Anyone else in my shoes would be complaining and getting upset! Why can't I do the same?

The truth is, we can still be upset over things that disappoint us.  Maybe you studied really hard for a test, and just didn't get the grade you were hoping for?  Maybe you chose to put your trust in someone, and things just didn't work out?  Maybe you had plans to go to a certain school, or apply for a certain job, just to get turned down?

Of course, any of these things would upset someone!  I'm not saying that when something bad happens, we just be unrealistic and tell others that it didn't upset us. We need to be okay with feeling the feelings of disappointment, so that we don't squash them down and ultimately end up more upset than we were.

There are so many Scriptures that I am learning, well-known and ones I had forgotten, that remind me that joy can always be found.

In Psalm 30:5 it says that "Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning."

In Habakkuk 3:17-19, we're told that whatever we are going through, no matter how much things seem against us, "Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will JOY in the God of my salvation."

And in James 1:2-3, "My brethren, count it all JOY when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience."

Trials are not easy, but they can also teach us many lessons that we may never have learned otherwise. Speaking for myself, I feel like with each trial, I grow closer to my Heavenly Father. No matter what happens in this life, He is always faithful, He will never disappoint.

Nehemiah 8:10, "The JOY of the Lord is your strength."

The greatest gift I have been given on this earth is the opportunity to learn the Gospel. No matter what I am facing, as a Christian striving to do what is right, I have the promise of a home in Heaven. Forever! Do you know what a wonderful thought that is? 

Matthew 5:12, Luke 2:10, John 15:11, and 1 Peter 1:8 all give me this hope and a reason to live with joy in my heart.

These are some of the many reasons that I want joy to be such a big part of my life in 2018. I wish all of you a joy-filled and blessed 2018!💕

Christmas 2017

Merry Christmas! Christmas just happens to be my very favorite holiday. And even though I may not celebrate it in the way most people do, it is such an important day to me.
You see, I don't celebrate Christmas as Jesus' birthday. *Gasp!!!* The reason behind this, is that we were never told in the Bible to observe His birthday. We are not even told of his birth date.
In the Bible we are given all the knowledge we need to know in order to make it into Heaven. Nothing else matters, including when Jesus' birth date was.
Now, that is not to say that I'm not grateful that Jesus was born. On the contrary, I am beyond thankful that He came to this earth and ultimately gave His life for me so that I can live freed from sin. I try to make it a point every day to remember how blessed I am, not just on December 25th.
I do not say this to disrespect others for how they celebrate Christmas. I just wanted to point out some facts that come from the best source of knowledge in this world. And if you would like more research on this subject, please leave a comment below and I will be sure to contact you.
And once again, "Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night"!🎄