Lukewarm Christians

by on April 20, 2020

Interactive

(#113 from Suffer Well Devotional Series©)

www.sufferwell.org
Stop! Read Acts 15:19-33.

Read it now!

Key points:

A) The book of Acts was not written until approximately 20-25 years AFTER the resurrection of Messiah;

B) Only Torah scrolls, what you know as Old Testament Books, were read in the synagogues during Paul’s, James’, and Peter’s lives;

C) There was none of what you know as the New Testament during the Apostle’s lives. And no, they did not think they were writing, reading, or producing new Scriptures when they were writing letters, making decisions, or giving testimonies; they were just upholding the Word that was already written in the light of Yahshua’s revelation;

D) The Apostles preached the “good news” from the Torah scrolls;

E) New converts in Messiah were instructed in basic commands to start their faith walk, as you just read in Acts 15:20;

F) The four instructions for new converts were:

1) Abstain from food polluted by idols (self-reliant thoughts; things sacrificed to other gods);
2) Abstain from sexual immorality (lust-filled thoughts; fornication, adultery);
3) Abstain from meat of strangled animals (unclean thoughts; keep kosher eating habits);
4) Abstain from blood (all fleshly ideas; no eating food with blood in it, as life is in the blood; Leviticus 17:11).

G) Only the above four “starter” commands were given to new converts in Messiah, as they encompassed so much of the heart of Yahweh. Take a moment and meditate on all the commands of Yahweh that involve idolatry, sexual immorality, unclean living, and not violating life. Then, the instruction for the future learning follows in verse 21. “For the law of Moses [Torah] has been preached in every city from the earliest times and is read in the synagogues on every Sabbath.” In other words, the new converts were expected to come learn the Torah each week after their conversion. The intent was not to burden new believers with too many details in the beginning, but to reveal the heart of Yahweh and the essentialness of obedience; growing in the faith would follow;

H) The Sabbath was, and always will be, from Friday sundown to Saturday sundown.

I) The Apostles saw the need to notify the entire “church” about what the Spirit had revealed to them. So, they sent letters to the whole church (verses 22-33).

Ask yourself this question.

“Why have you not heard this?”

Be a Berean! “These were more fair-minded [noble in character] than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether what Paul said was true.” (Acts 17:11)



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