Day 28 - A Member of the Club

Through the Spirit we enjoy adoption as children of the Father.

College sports have some of the most faithful and loyal fans...ever. You can be walking in a crowd (especially at the SEC tournament) and all around you perfect strangers are calling out to one another. You can hear “Roll Tide!” and “War Eagle!” and “Chomp ‘em, Gators!” and other odd phrases being echoed all around you. And the chances are pretty good that these people don’t even know each other. But something about them (usually a school insignia that I have failed to see) tips them off to each other and they call out, knowing that a kindred spirit will recognize and answer the call.

In Acts 10, we read the story of the conversion of Cornelius. Cornelius has the distinction of being the first Gentile convert. (FYI—A Gentile was a person who was not of Jewish heritage.) Up until Cornelius, Jesus’ disciples spread His message only among their Jewish countrymen. Though many of them rejected that message, God’s eternal plan always included the Gentiles. Cornelius is the first such “convert” in the new covenant.

Take a few minutes to read Acts 10:24-48. In this section of Scripture, we see Peter obeying God’s command to take His gospel beyond the borders of Israel.

Think about this. Peter, a Jewish Christian, had been taking the gospel to his fellow Jews (God’s chosen nation) and many had rejected that gospel. Now, Peter was instructed to take this gospel to people that he and others had considered "heathens"—not worthy of the gospel. Imagine the brain-disconnect for Peter! But from this time forward both Jews and Gentiles were flocking to faith in Christ. As a result persecution began to increase among the Jews and Gentiles, also.

The persecution of Christians in the first century became so intense that many were forced to meet in secret. In order to indicate among believers that Christians met in specific houses, they would scrawl the sign of the ><> in an obscure place on or around the door—noticeable only if you knew where to look. This was like the first "fish" locator, spiritually speaking.

Boat people are unique. They are a people who truly believe in their community. If you have the opportunity to be where people are boating; pay attention to their sense of community. There is always someone willing to lend a hand, to share what they have, assist in rescue, and to include others who are also boat people. It’s like a club. They just seem to recognize each other.

As Christians, are we that mindful of including and being around other Christians?

Do you recognize the need to be with other Christians, to strive to learn from them, to be a part of that family?