Cases of Conversion in Acts, Part 3

Cases of Conversion

in Acts, Part 3

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Jesus said

Unless one is born

out of water and Spirit

he cannot enter

the Kingdom of God.

GOSPEL PREACHED
Acts 9:36-41 Peter raised Tabitha from the dead.

RESPONSE
Acts 9:42 Many people of Joppa trusted in the Lord.

GOSPEL PREACHED
Acts 10:34-43 Evidently, Peter used the kingdom keys to open the door of salvation to Cornelius/Gentiles: Everyone trusting in Him/Jesus receives remission/forgiveness of sins.

RESPONSE

Acts 10:44 The Holy Spirit fell upon Cornelius etc.; they spoke in tongues and praised God. It seems the early filling with the Holy Spirit was to show all that God was accepting the Gentiles into Christ equally with the Jews.

GOSPEL PREACHED
Acts 10:47 Peter said, Can anyone forbid water for these to be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit as we also.

In John 3:4 Nicodemus asked Can a man be born out of his mother's womb again (a 2nd time)? Jesus replied: Unless one is born out of water and Spirit he cannot enter the Kingdom of God, John 3:5.

I John 5:8 There are 3 that bear witness on earth: the Spirit, the water, and the blood; and these 3 are into the one (agree as one), the NEW BIRTH?

RESPONSE

Acts 10:48 He/Peter ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Looks like Cornelius and household were born out of Spirit and water! It's not stated they were saved/born-again prior to water baptism.
To say otherwise is presumption.
It must not be concluded that Acts 10:43-48 contradicts or nullifies Acts 2:38, or gives the Gentiles a different way to be saved.

GOSPEL PREACHED
Acts 11:20 They told the good news about the Lord Jesus at Antioch.

RESPONSE

Acts 11:21 The Lord's hand was with them: a great number of people trusted and turned to the Lord.

GOSPEL PREACHED
Acts 11:22-23 Being sent to Antioch, Barnabas encouraged them to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts.

RESPONSE
Acts 11:24 A great number of people were brought to the Lord.

GOSPEL PREACHED
Acts 13:8-11 Elymas, the sorcerer, opposed Paul and Barnabas, and tried to turn the proconsul from the faith. He was struck blind.

RESPONSE
Acts 13:12 When the proconsul saw what had happened, he trusted, for he was amazed at the teaching about the Lord.

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HELLO from Elder Milton

Hello from Milton...

In these messages, you will hear a lot about Baptism... the vital heart of the Salvation message. It's been lost, ignored, and taught against for the last several, YES, SEVERAL, years. But first, a word about who I am...

Growing up in North Alabama, I later moved to Nashville where I worked several years in Social Services.

As a youth, I was quite worldly. Church was occasionally attended from my youth on. But although worldly, I did learn one thing back then: I LEARNED THAT BAPTISM WAS FOR REMISSION OF SINS.

However, I was slow to realize that a radical heart-change and Holy Spirit renewing is really INDISPENSIBLE to becoming a Christian. After being regenerated, I began learning to be led by the Spirit.

During all this, I soon found that many friends from similar backgrounds as mine were giving up some beliefs that I considered fundamental to our faith. ONE OF THESE WAS BAPTISM FOR THE REMISSION OF SINS.

I began to try to understand why. I wanted to have full fellowship with them... yet stand for the truth. Many of my friends had just left churches where the Holy Spirit was not prominent although water baptism for remission of sins was.

In leaving the trappings of dead churchism, and wanting to blend with others from various denominations, my friends had tossed out baptism for remission of sins.

So, the sinner's prayer for salvation was increasingly used, it seems... yet, without post-Resurrection example or authority.

My mission over many years is to return the Church to the original pattern of entering the Covenant of Salvation through Jesus Christ. Our Lord laid down the way to enter into the New Birth by example and Word (John 3). The Apostle Peter confirmed this on the day of Pentecost in Acts 2.

There is no Scriptural authority whatsoever for doing away with water baptism (Gk: immersion). The whole package--- repentance, conversion, water and Holy Spirit baptism--- are required to enter into the New Covenant.

Here is where I stand. In the subsequent messages, I will be sharing the Scriptures which establish this truth and where I learned this.

Milton