ACTS 27:25 Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me.

Here we find Paul in a life threatening storm.  And even in the mist of the storm we find Paul ministering to others.  He was witnessing of his faith.  Paul said "I believe God". 

And Paul's witnessing during the storm had an effect.

ACTS 27:36 Then were they all of good cheer, and they also took some meat.

The storm was still raging.  The ship was still in danger.  Yet these men were all of good cheer. 

Paul knew how to behave himself in the storms of life.  He kept witnessing for God and it did make a difference. 

Too many Christians have some storm come their way and then they start complaining.  What they should do is keep in good cheer and witness for God.  People will see God working in your life during the storm if you carry yourself the way God would have you to.

People have been trying to explain away the resurrection for centuries.  But it cannot be explained away. 

Some adhere to the swoon theory.  They say that Jesus only fainted and then the coolness of the tomb awakened Him.

This theory has no merit.  Christ was pierced in the side with a spear and water and blood came out.  The soldier was on the ground and Christ was lifted up on the cross.  So the angle of the spear would have been upward.  It would have been at an angle that would have pierced the heart.  The heart has a sack of water surrounding it.  This sack works as a shock absorber for the heart.  This sack is were the water came from that came out of the wound with the blood.  No one has a spear tear thru this sack of water and the heart and recover.

Christ really did die.  He literally died.  He had the blood drained from His heart.

He rose again three days later.  Referring to this Paul asks a question.  Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you, that God should raise the dead?

Paul is trying to get this man to understand that it is nothing for God to raise the dead. 

The God that created all things out of nothing.  The God that brought life into existence in the first place can raise the dead with only a thought.  It is no effort for Him at all.

There is no reason to try to explain away the resurrection, and the resurrection cannot be explained away. 

ACTS 25:3 And desired favour against him, that he would send for him to Jerusalem, laying wait in the way to kill him.

Here we go again.  Someone who believes in works salvation trying to kill someone who believes salvation is a free gift (which is what the Bible teaches).

This has been taking place since Cain killed Abel.

We see this not only in the Bible but also in history.  The Catholics (who believe in works salvation) killed millions and millions of people who believed in salvation by grace.  They were called by many different names and lived in many different countries but they were all murdered by the Catholics for the same reason.  They refused a false works based salvation. 

This went on for hundreds and hundreds of years. 

This brutality alone should be enough to convince you which system is right, works or grace.  You will never see in History grace believers murdering works believers.

And that is your only two choices.  All religions can be placed in either the camp of works or the camp of grace. 

And often in history we see the works crowd persecuting the people of grace.  And it is not going to stop until Jesus comes back.

Oh, I know that the Catholics have stopped it recently. 

But it is just picked up by others.  Most commonly today it is the Muslims. 

It has been this way since Cain and it will keep happening until Jesus comes back.

Now before you misunderstand me.  I know that not every one that believes in works kills those that believe in grace. 

The point that I am making is that the works system does breed those that kill true believers, whereas the grace system NEVER does.

Why?

The answer is simple.  Satan is the inventor and propagator of the work your way to heaven false religious systems.  The Bible says that Satan was a murder from the beginning.

Satan hates God, and Satan hates God's born again saved by grace Christians.  So it should be no surprise that some that are in Satan's work your way to heaven religious systems would take on Satan's murderous attitude.

ACTS 24:25 And as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled, and answered, Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee.

God clearly blessed Paul's preaching here and brought great conviction to Felix.  Felix was trembling. 

Then comes one of the saddest sayings in the Bible.  Felix says, "Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee."

That season never came.  Felix never called Paul again and God never called Felix again like He was at this time.  Felix was all so close.  But close does not count.  You have to repent and call upon Jesus.

Luk 13:3 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.

Joh 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Rom 10:13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

You need to change your mind about your sin, realize that you are on your way to hell, believe in Jesus, and call upon Him to save you.  And you have His promise that He will.  Salvation really is that simple. 

If God is speaking to you about getting saved, do not make the same mistake that Felix did.

God might never give you another chance. 

2Co 6:2 (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now [is] the accepted time; behold, now [is] the day of salvation.)

If you are not saved, will you not trust Him now?

ACTS 23:3 Then said Paul unto him, God shall smite thee, thou whited wall: for sittest thou to judge me after the law, and commandest me to be smitten contrary to the law?

ACTS 23:4 And they that stood by said, Revilest thou God's high priest?

ACTS 23:5 Then said Paul, I wist not, brethren, that he was the high priest: for it is written, Thou shalt not speak evil of the ruler of thy people.

Here is a principal that most Christians have forgotten or just ignore.

Rulers are ordained by God.  Yes both good rulers and bad rulers.  Saul was a bad ruler set up by God as a punishment for Israel's rebellion.  And even thou Saul tried to kill David, David was still respectful.

The principal before us is that, "Thou shalt not speak evil of the ruler of thy people."

All rulers, even bad ones, have been set up by God and thus deserve respectful treatment. 

Rom 13:1 Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.

Instead of bashing our presidents we are to pray for them. 

1Ti 2:1 I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, [and] giving of thanks, be made for all men;

1Ti 2:2 For kings, and [for] all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.

It does not matter if we agree with them or not, or if we like them or not.  We are instructed to pray for all that are in authority.

No matter who the next president is; as Christians we need to respect his position and pray for him. 

Paul then gets to preach to them.  There is one main important difference in this sermon from Paul.  You do not find anyone getting saved.

Many other times Paul's preaching met with harsh persecution, but you will read about someone who believed.  Not here.  Not even one. 

Why?  The reason is that Paul got out of the will of God.  He was told not to go to Jerusalem twice but went anyway. 

We see a important principal here.  Preachers just say the words.  It is God that brings conviction in the hearts of men.  It is God that speaks to hearts.  It is only by His Power and His blessing that preaching will have an effect. 

Without God working, preaching will accomplish nothing. 

We need more real God empowered preaching today and then we need to give all the glory were glory is due, and that is to God.

Paul was told twice not to go to Jerusalem.  Once in verse 4 and once in verse 11.

ACTS 21:4 And finding disciples, we tarried there seven days: who said to Paul through the Spirit, that he should not go up to Jerusalem.

Verse 4 makes it clear that it was the Holy Spirit that was telling Paul not to go.

Paul refused to listen so in verse 11 God sends a prophet to tell him again what will happen if he goes to Jerusalem.  Here is displayed the grace of God trying to keep Paul from going the wrong way. 

Paul still refuses to listen and goes anyway.  Even men of God can get stubborn and fail to listen.  We are all sinners saved by grace and we all can and do make mistakes.  Paul is making one here. 

You go ahead and mark it down.  Nothing good comes from disobeying God. 

No sooner is Paul out of the will of God by going to Jerusalem that we find him engaging in a ritual that Paul had no business being involved in.

The veil of the Temple had been rent and the age of grace ushered in.  They were to worship in Spirit and in truth and no longer in rituals.  What the rituals pointed to (which is Jesus) has been fulfilled.  So the rituals are no longer needed.  We now have the substance so the shadow is no longer needed. 

They asked Paul to go to the Temple and be involved in a ritual to show that Paul was for the law and kept the law.

Paul should have been preaching Jesus and salvation by grace, but we find him in the temple to show his support for rituals and the law. 

We are to worship God in Spirit and in Truth.  Not in rituals.

We are to tell people who are trusting in rituals and works that they are wrong.  We are to tell them how to be saved.  We are not to go worship with them like Paul is doing here.  When you worship with them you are saying with your actions that what they believe in and are doing is right.

Instead of bringing conviction to their hearts so they might forsake the lie that they are trusting in and be saved, worshiping with them gives them even more confidence that what they are doing is right.  Worshiping with people who are trusting in works to save them, is only helping them go to hell. 

This is one of the things that is wrong with movements like promise keepers.

Instead of telling the Catholic men in promise keepers that their trust in works and Mary will send them to hell, they are giving them even more confidence in their false faith.

Christians need to take a stand against false work based religious systems, and any group or movement that accepts and supports those false work based systems.

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ACTS 20:8 And there were many lights in the upper chamber, where they were gathered together.

I want to quickly point out a few things today from these two verses.

1. They were gathered together to break bread (the Lord's Supper).  The Lord's Supper is do be done when believers are assembled.  It is not to be done alone in a hospital.

2.  They were gathered together on the first day of the week.  The first day of the week is Sunday.  Worship changed from Saturday to Sunday!  The reason is that Christ rose from the dead on Sunday.  The Sabbath represents the law.  We do not worship the law we worship Christ.  We celebrate His resurrection every single Sunday.  That is why you are to go to church on Sunday.

3.  In verse 7 we see that they were also gathered for preaching! and not a side show.  We live in the day of itching ears and the un biblical side shows of TV "Christianity"  So I have to keep bringing it up from time to time.  They gathered for real preaching.

4.  Paul continued preaching until Midnight in verse 7, and then later in verse 11 we find that Paul preached until the morning.  These Christians loved  preaching!  They did NOT LOVE entertainment.   They stayed all night for preaching.  How many people today start looking at their watch if the preacher goes 5 min. over?  The people of God should Love the preaching of God's Holy Perfect Preserved Word!

Paul runs into some religious men.  Instead of just accepting whatever they believe, Paul asks them a very important question.

ACTS 19:2 He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost.

Paul asks them a doctrinal question.  He asked if they have received the Holy Ghost.  Now to be able to understand what is really going on here, you must know when does a Christian receive the Holy Ghost.

Eph 1:13 In whom ye also [trusted], after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,

The order is you hear the gospel, you believe, then the Holy Spirit seals you.  This all happens at salvation.

You get the Holy Spirit at salvation.

Rom 8:9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

If you do not have the Holy Spirit, then you are not His. 

You receive the Holy Spirit at salvation so if you have not received the Holy Spirit, then you are not saved.  The teaching that you get saved and then get the Spirit later is not Biblical. 

And just so you do not miss understand me.  I am not talking about this unbiblical flopping on the floor junk.

So Paul in a round about way is asking them if they are saved.  Paul now knowing that they are not Christians asks them about their baptism.  Paul wants information about what they believe so he can witness appropriately to them.

ACTS 19:3 And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John's baptism.

They tell Paul that they were baptized unto John's baptism.  Paul now knows how to work with them.

ACTS 19:4 Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.

Paul then explains what John's baptism was really about.  Paul exposed their error.  He taught them the truth.  He told them that they needed to believe on Christ Jesus.   And then look at what happens next. 

ACTS 19:5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

They got baptized again.  Baptism is for saved people.  Their first baptism did not count because they were lost when they got baptized the first time.  One of the things that baptism is for is to show forth and identify with the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ.

Now that they are saved they can now follow the Lord in believers baptism. 

In Acts Chapter 19 we have an example of re-baptizing someone who was not properly baptized the first time.

To have scriptural baptism you must be saved, be baptized with the right method, and with the right authority. 

The only correct method is to go under the water and then back out of the water.  This is the only method that shows the death, burial, and resurrection.  You cannot show death, burial, and resurrection with sprinkling or pouring.

The only correct authority is a scriptural Bible believing New Testament church.

If you were baptized before you were saved, then you need to follow the Bible's teaching and get baptized again. 

Paul preached to them Jesus.  (More preaching in the book of acts).  They rejected Paul.  But Paul did not quit.

ACTS 18:7 And he departed thence, and entered into a certain man's house, named Justus, one that worshipped God, whose house joined hard to the synagogue.

Joined hard to the synagogue means that they were attached.  A duplex would be a good example.

Paul was rejected so he just went next door.

Verse 11 tells us that Paul stayed there a year and six months.  Paul preached next door to the people who rejected him for a long time.

Use your imagination just for a moment.  Can you imagine the looks and the nasty things that were said from the people next door.  Every time Paul went in and out of that building to preach he endured the hostility.  His love for the people that were listening and his love for God was greater than the persecution.

ACTS 18:8 And Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his house; and many of the Corinthians hearing believed, and were baptized.

Paul's boldness and his faithfulness to witness under hostile conditions made a difference.  In verse 8 we see that many of the Corinthians heard, believed, and were baptized.

We all need to ask ourselves from time to time: How bold is our witness for Christ?

Paul saw the city wholly given to idolatry and it stirred his spirit.  Obviously Paul was stirred because of their sin.  He wanted them to get saved so he preached to them Jesus.  He wanted to see them break free from their bondage to idolatry.

Idolatry can be many things.  We will only look at one today.  If you take a created thing like a statue and assign to it powers that belong to God alone, that is idolatry. 

The same is true for people.  If you take a person who God created and assign to that person powers that belong to God alone, that is also idolatry.

For example, if you take a person and assign to them the ability to hear the prayers of 500 million people all at the same time that is idolatry because that is an ability that belongs to God alone.

This is exactly what the Catholics do with Mary.  They teach that you are to pray to Mary.  For her to hear all those prayers she would have to have an attribute of God. 

Assigning the attribute of God to hear everyone at once to Mary is idolatry.

Praying to Mary is idolatry.  She is not God.  The Bible says she was blessed among women.  The Bible DOES NOT SAY that she was blessed above women.

This should stir your heart to see the Catholics given to idolatry and like Paul it should stir you to preach to them Jesus.

Here is another place were we see the Holy Ghost acting as a person and not as a force (as some false teachers teach).  The Holy Ghost was giving a command to these men not to go to Asia.

ACTS 16:7 After they were come to Mysia, they assayed to go into Bithynia: but the Spirit suffered them not.

After being told not to go to Asia, they try to go into Bithynia.  The Holy Spirit again told them no.

ACTS 16:8 And they passing by Mysia came down to Troas.

After being told no twice they did not quit and head home.  They kept going as they waited for direction from God.

ACTS 16:9 And a vision appeared to Paul in the night; There stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us.

God in His time gave them direction.

ACTS 16:10 And after he had seen the vision, immediately we endeavoured to go into Macedonia, assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us for to preach the gospel unto them.

I love how they reacted to the direction of God.  Immediately they endeavoured to go.

Understand that God DID NOT tell them no to Asia and Bithynia because He  did not want the gospel preached there.  That is not the case.

God wants the gospel preached in all nations.  It just was not His will for these men.

God does call men and He does match them up with the people and the ministry that He wants them to do.

This happened to me once.  I tried to start a van route.  I thought that it was a good idea and it was biblical.  As I went out and started knocking doors, I never had peace about it.  And I noticed something odd.  I never saw one child.  I did almost 1,000 flyers and not only had zero interest from parents but I never saw any children.

I finally listened to the no I was getting.  Then another man was led to do it and he went out to the same area and saw kids everywhere he looked.  He filled the van in short order.

You see it was not that God did not want the van filled.  He just did not want me to do it.  He had other work for me to do.

That is what we see happening here in this chapter. 

Another example of this would be Billy Sunday and David Livingstone.  Each was greatly used of God.  But David Livingstone could have never successfully have thrown a chair across the platform and preach the sawdust trail like Billy Sunday.  And Billy Sunday could have never opened up Africa to the gospel.  Each man was uniquely fitted by God for a specific work. 

A Preacher must be himself and preach the way God would have him preach.  He should never try to preach like some other successful preacher.  And he should never enter a ministry just because it sounds like a good idea or because someone else is doing it.

We need to be more responsive to the leading of the Holy Spirit.  We need to realize that He leads different men into different areas of ministry.

If God is not leading you into a ministry, then don't enter it.  However, if God is leading you, then get going and get busy.

We have seen that God's plan involved preaching and teaching.

And now we see that false teachers were already creeping in.

ACTS 15:1 And certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved.

The New Testament had not even been finished yet and we have false teachers.

They were teaching the lie of salvation by works.  Anything that you must do to get saved is works.

You cannot add anything to grace and it still be grace.

Salvation is grace plus nothing. 

Here the false teachers were adding circumcision. 

Their kind is all around us today.  Some will add church membership.  Some false teachers will add baptism.  Some will add sacraments, or church on Saturday, and on and on the list goes.

In verse two some men of God would not remain silent about it.

ACTS 15:2 When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of them, should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this question.

It says that they had NO SMALL dissension and disputation with them.

That is a way of saying they had a BIG dissension and disputation with them.

It is Biblical to call false teaching what it is. 

The Catholic teaching on salvation is works based and it is false.

To be Biblical we should have NO SMALL dissension and disputation with them.  We should not be getting together and worshipping with them.  This is just one of the problems with groups like promise keepers.

The Catholic teaching is sending millions of people straight to hell.

We need to be more like Paul and Barnabas.

Here we go again.  More preaching and more people getting saved in the book of Acts.  You should be noticing a pattern here.

What you are seeing in action in the book of Acts is what it plainly states in 1 Cor. 1:21

1Co 1:21 For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.

God choose preaching to save the lost.

But notice that this kind of preaching will also have another result.

ACTS 14:2 But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles, and made their minds evil affected against the brethren.

Some people are going to hate preaching.  If your preacher is really preaching, then he is going to make some people mad. 

ACTS 14:5 And when there was an assault made both of the Gentiles, and also of the Jews with their rulers, to use them despitefully, and to stone them,

Some will hate preaching so much that they want  to kill the preacher.

ACTS 14:6 They were ware of it, and fled unto Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia, and unto the region that lieth round about:

ACTS 14:7 And there they preached the gospel.

They tried to kill the preachers, but they did not quit!!!

They just left those that refused to hear the truth and went to others and preached the same message.

If you are a preacher, NEVER quit.  And especially never quit because someone gets mad.

If you sit in the pew, never get upset because your preacher's preaching made someone mad. 

Understand that the Bible teaches that some will get mad at real preaching.

ACTS 13:2 As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them.

The Word of God clearly teaches a God called ministry. 

And look who God called.  He called men who were busy serving Him. (verse 1)  God does not call the lazy.

ACTS 13:3 And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.

These God called men where then sent out by a local body of believers (a local visible church).

ACTS 13:4 So they, being sent forth by the Holy Ghost, departed unto Seleucia; and from thence they sailed to Cyprus.

ACTS 13:5 And when they were at Salamis, they preached the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews: and they had also John to their minister.

The God called men went to where God sent them and they preached the word of God.  Not philosophy or opinion. 

The Word of God clearly teaches a God called ministry.  One of our big problems today is that we have a lot of preachers who were never called of God.  That explains why there is so much weak kneed preaching today.  They are preaching to please men and for a paycheck.  A real God called man preaches to please God and not man.  He preaches to tell you what God wants him to say whether you like it or not.

I hope that you are under the preaching of a real God called man.  A man who will preach the whole counsel of God.  A man that will call sin what it is and challenge you to forsake it. 

My prayer is that you have a God called man and that you are supporting him.  If not, my prayer is that you will go and find one to support.

Real God called men in our pulpits is one of our greatest needs today.

ACTS 12:4 And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him; intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people.

I just can't pass this one up.  Many people attack the Word of God because of the word Easter in this verse. 

They claim that Easter is a mistake and that the word should be translated Passover.

The problem with that is that Passover had already happened. The days of unleavened bread started with Passover.  So for it to be the days of unleavened bread, as verse 3 clearly states, then Passover had already come.

The answer for why the word is Easter and not Passover is that they are not the same thing. 

Passover and Easter are two different events.  To prove this to yourself just look at a 2008 calendar.  You will find that Easter was on March 23rd.  And Passover was on April 20th.  That is almost an entire month apart. 

This is just another case that shows that the Word of God is correct and the critics are wrong.  The Word of God CAN be trusted.

This also shows how many Christians have been deceived into celebrating resurrection Sunday on the wrong day.

Christ died on Passover and rose three days later on Sunday.  So in 2008 resurrection Sunday (the Sunday after Passover)  was actually April 27th and not March 23rd.

Now before you get too upset.  Just remember we actually celebrate resurrection Sunday every single Sunday. 

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This should bring up the question, what took place in Antioch to bring this about.

The first thing that happened is in verse 20.

ACTS 11:20 And some of them were men of Cyprus and Cyrene, which, when they were come to Antioch, spake unto the Grecians, preaching the LORD Jesus.

The first thing that happened is preachers came preaching the LORD Jesus.  They did not come with a sideshow or dramas or a worldly music program.  They came preaching. 

And they did not preach rabbit trails.  They preached the LORD Jesus.  They preached salvation and people got saved.

ACTS 11:23 Who, when he came, and had seen the grace of God, was glad, and exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord.

ACTS 11:24 For he was a good man, and full of the Holy Ghost and of faith: and much people was added unto the Lord.

In verse 23 the preacher exhorted the people.  To exhort is to advise, to warn, to caution, to urge. 

We see that he kept preaching and that they were not tickle your ears, health and wealth, cotton candy messages.

He challenged the people to cleave unto the Lord.  You cannot cleave unto the Lord and cleave unto sin.

This preacher was busy and could use some help. So he went and found Paul.

ACTS 11:26 And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.

They assembled themselves with the church and taught them for a whole year. 

The result was that the people grew so close to the Lord and changed so much that they started calling them Christians.

This came to pass because of the preaching and the teaching of the Word of God.

We do not need new music or new programs or light shows, side shows or entertainment!

What we need is our churches to simply get back to some real preaching and teaching of the Word of God.

ACTS 10:34 Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:

One of the things that I have absolutely zero tolerance for is prejudice. 

God showed Peter that he should not call any man common or unclean.

The Jews had a law that they were not to keep company with those of another nation.  Everyone else was looked down upon.  But this was NOT one of God's laws.  It was something that they made up on their own.

Peter was raised with this prejudice and God had to correct him.  That is why God gave him the vision of unclean things and told Peter to eat.

God told Peter that, "What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common."

God was speaking of men here.  God used the picture of crawling things and unclean beasts because that is what Peter thought of Gentiles.

God is not pleased with any type of looking down on any man.  It does not matter if he is black or Asian or Arab or anyone else you can name.

This is the context of  verse 34 that says, "Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:"

People use this verse out of context for all kinds of things. 

Some would use this verse to support that anyone can be a pastor.  This is not true.  God only calls certain men to be pastors.  God does make distinctions as far as who He assigns what jobs in His work,

What the verse means is that God makes no distinction between Jew and Gentile, between Black and White, between a Chinaman and a man from Japan.

God does not care if you are from Iran or from Canada. 

God only sees men in one of two positions.  You are either in Christ and thereby saved or you are without Christ and on your way to hell.

And God told Peter that he was to think the same way.

Racism is wrong.  Period!

There should not be all white churches and there should not be all black churches. 

This one will probably get me some hate mail.

But I don't care.  Racism is wrong and it cannot be defended. 

In verse one you have Saul going after Christians.  He was even willing to slaughter them.  He hated Jesus and those who followed Him.

ACTS 9:6 And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.

In verse 6 the same man is now telling Jesus Lord, what wilt thou have me to do.

What happened?  He met Jesus and saw Him for who He really is.  This changed his life.  He believed that Jesus was who He said He was.  The very Son of God who died for the sin of the world.  Paul got saved and became a new creature.

2Co 5:17 Therefore if any man [be] in Christ, [he is] a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

This is what happens when someone truly gets saved.  There will be a changed life.  A change of direction.  A change from rebelling against God to asking Lord what will thou have me to do.

Do not miss understand me.  When you get saved you do not drop all of your baggage all in a moment.  A new born babe in Christ needs to grow.

But there needs to be some growth.  If there never is any change after salvation, then there never was any salvation.

To have salvation there must be a repentant heart.

Act 3:19 Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;

Mar 1:15 And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.

Luk 13:3 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.

Repentance is not works.  To repent is to change your mind about your sin.  Repentance is to no longer love your sin and to want God to change you.  Repentance is a turning.  You turn from sin to God.

The moment that you change your mind about your sin and call upon God to save you, God lifts you up and sets you on the rock Christ Jesus.

This explains why so many "Christians" never show any change after they prayed.  They never prayed with a repentant heart.  There is no change in them because they did not get saved.

You cannot get saved without a repentant heart.

Answer to: Isn't it true that the dead know nothing?

Dear Philip,

Thank you so much for your question. You wrote:

I am studying the doctrine of whether or not we go to heaven when we die. In one of your articles relating to heaven you write 'David was saved and went to heaven'. Yet we read in Acts 2:34 it clearly states that David (a man after God's own heart) did not ascend to heaven. Isn't it true that the dead know nothing (Eccles 9:5) until the resurrection? So the dead (even the righteous dead) are not in heaven but in the grave awaiting a resurrection?

Or am I missing something?

I think that the first thing that you are missing is that the soul and the body are two different things.

2Co 5:8 We are confident, [I say], and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.

In this verse we see two things. First you can be absent from the body. This is talking about when you die your soul seperates from the body.

The second thing we learn from this verse is that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. Of course the qualifier there is if you are saved.

When you die your body goes to the grave awaiting a resurrection and your soul goes either to heaven or to hell.

Your soul does not sleep. We see this over and over again in scripture. A good example is in Luke Chapter 16. Two men die and look what happens to them.

Luk 16:22 And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;

In verse 22 we read that their bodies were buried.

Luk 16:23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.

In verse 16 it is obvious that we are not talking about their bodies because they are still in a grave. What we are reading about is the soul that is seperated from the fleshly body. And we see that after you die your soul does have bodily form even though it is not the new glorified body. That happens at the last trump.

Luk 16:24 And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.

Lazarus was still recognizable as Lazarus and he still had a finger. The rich man could feel and was tormented.

Luk 16:25 But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.

Lazarus is in Paradise and the rich man is in torment.

Luk 16:26 And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that [would come] from thence.

And after you die you can not get out of torment.