Acts 11:18 says, “When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.”
Michael continues his message by pointing out that there is another record in Acts about “Simon, the Sorcerer”, who wanted to buy the gift of the Holy Spirit. Simon thought that he could buy the power of the Holy Spirit. He wanted it for his own gain. He still valued the things of this earth ... he treasured earthly treasures. Peter told Simon that he should repent ... that he should change his mind and let God reign. The first step to salvation is to turn from making myself lord of my own life. It means to change lordships. It means to confess Jesus Christ is Lord. Lord means owner. It means that I'm not owner of my own life ... He is. The essence of Christianity is not who we are but rather whose we are.
2 Timothy 2:24-26 “A servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will.”
The will of God is to love them while they are still sinners and pray for them if perhaps God will make a way for them to turn to Him. In repentance and acknowledging the truth they will escape and recover themselves from the snare of the devil. The basic problem for the “unsaved” is that they have been held captive by the devil, aka, the god of this world. When they worship themselves and money is their treasure, they are ensnared by the devil. Repentance means to turn to the Lord Jesus Christ for deliverance.
Luke 16:9-14is the parable of the alleged unjust steward. He used his own wealth to cover part of the debtors' debts that they owed to the master of the house. The master commended the alleged unjust steward because he had done wisely: “And I say unto you, make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when you fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations. He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much. If therefore you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? And if you have not been faithful in that which is another man's, who shall give you that which is your own? No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.”
Relationships are more valuable than wealth. The church counsel is to use your money to invest in the things that really matter ... to use your wealth to build up people, for Christ’s sake. Treasure treasures in heaven by investing it into the only two things that last into eternity. The things of this world will be shaken and burned. The only two things that last into eternity are our own spiritual life in Christ and the eternal spiritual lives of others whom we influence for Christ. We don't live for our commission. We live for his “great co-mission” ... therefore, we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. In other words, Walk the talk and "Give 'em heaven!
May we ever live to the praise of the glory of His love and grace!
Your brother in Christ, Michael
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