Read: Acts 11:1-18
Who was I that I could stand in God’s way? (v. 17)
In a Bible study group I attended some years ago, a woman from Senegal shared her story of becoming a believer in Jesus. Although she was devastated when her Muslim family disowned and persecuted her when she entrusted her life to Christ, she emanated joy as she shared her testimony with us. She told us excitedly, “God is not slowing down, and nothing can stop his kingdom from coming! Muslims in my country and all over Africa are meeting Jesus in dreams, and many are coming to faith.”
Sometimes it takes us a while, like it did for Peter and like the gathered believers in Jerusalem who were questioning Peter about associating with Gentiles, to fully grasp the unstoppable nature of the coming kingdom of God. But when the testimonies keep coming and coming and coming from every corner of the planet, even through dreams and visions, we begin to catch on. For Peter, that moment came right in the middle of his sermon to Cornelius and all his friends and relatives: “As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on them just as on us at the beginning” (v. 15). This was the moment Peter realized that nothing and no one could stop God’s love and God’s kingdom from coming. “If then God gave the same gift to them as he gave to us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could stand in God’s way?” (v. 17)
When we share our testimonies, we embody the truth that this kingdom is coming!
As you pray, thank the Lord for his unstoppable kingdom.
Linda R. Rubingh is a parent, pastor, therapist, and writer with a passion for sharing the gospel with youth nationally and internationally. She is the co-founder with her husband, Trevor, of New City Kids, and more recently New City Networks, and is completing her first children’s book, I Love to Tell the Story: Stories of Meeting Jesus from Every Nation, Tribe and Tongue. Linda is a New Jersey native but now lives in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
