ENCOURAGEMENT FOR THE DAY

“A New Perspective”

Acts 11:18
When they heard this, they had no further objections and praised God, saying, "So then, God has granted even the Gentiles repentance unto life."

On the surface, this may seem like a pretty innocent verse -- however, it can prove to be one of the hardest verses in the Bible for us to model.
Previously, God had changed the "rules" -- no longer were there any unclean animals, foods or people. Verse 7: "Do not call anything impure that God made clean." When the people who were originally criticizing Peter heard his explanation, "...they had no further objections and praised God..." In other words, they now understood what God wanted them to do -- His new plan -- "So then, God has granted even the Gentiles repentance unto life."
Martin Luther King Jr. was one of the great Christian leaders of the American Civil Rights Movement. He quoted the Bible in his famous "I Have A Dream" speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in 1963: "...We can never be satisfied as long as our children are stripped of their selfhood and robbed of their dignity by signs stating 'for whites only.' We cannot be satisfied as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote. No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream..."
This phrase is from Amos 5:24, "But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream." King later continued, "...I have a dream today. I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together..." This is a quote from Isaiah 40:4-5.
I believe that Martin Luther King, Jr. (like so many leaders throughout history), was raised up, given a vision ("I have a Dream"), and then empowered by God to do His will. In the 1960's God changed our perception of racial equality in this country. He changed our rules and gave us a new vision. Dr. King was His chosen instrument -- His voice.

What rules do you observe today that are not God's rules? What needs to change? What vision has God given you that you need to act upon? Are you sure the vision is from God? Is it supported by Scripture? Once you are sure the vision is from God and supported by Scripture, it is time to act upon it. What can you do today to act on what God has told you?

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