Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him. Psalm 34:8.

Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations.” Matthew 28:18-19.

Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise – the fruit of lips that confess His name. Hebrews 13:15.

In our chapter, Acts 15, we can begin to see the challenges new understanding can bring to bear and how the early church trusted Jesus, the Son, as the Holy Spirit led them to the Father. Some men came down from Judea and began teaching the brethren, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.” And when Paul and Barnabas had great dissension and debate with them, the brethren determined that Paul and Barnabas and some others of them should go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and elders concerning this issue. Therefore, being sent on their way by the church, they were passing through both Phoenicia and Samaria, describing in detail the conversion of the Gentiles, and were bringing great joy to all the brethren. When they arrived at Jerusalem, they were received by the church and the apostles and the elders, and they reported all God had done with them. But some of the sect of the Pharisees who had believed stood up, saying, “It is necessary to circumcise them and to direct them to the Law of Moses.” The apostles and the elders came together to look into this matter. After there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them, “Brethren, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles would hear the word of the gospel and believe. And God, who knows the heart, testified to them giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He also did to us; and He made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith. Now therefore why do you put God to the test by placing upon the neck of the disciples a yoke which neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? But we believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same way as they also are.” All the people kept silent, and they were listening to Barnabas and Paul as they were relating what signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles. v. 1-12. They were silent…they listened to understand how God was leading His church. After they had stopped speaking, James answered, saying, “Brethren, listen to me. Simeon has related how God first concerned Himself about taking from among the Gentiles a people for His name. With this the words of the Prophets agree, just as it is written, ‘After these things I will return, and I will rebuild the tabernacle of David which has fallen, and I will rebuild its ruins, and I will restore it, so that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord, and all the Gentiles who are called by My name,’ says the Lord, who makes these things known from long ago. Therefore it is my judgment that we do not trouble those who are turning to God from among the Gentiles, but that we write to them that they abstain from things contaminated by idols and from fornication and from what is strangled and from blood. For Moses from ancient generations has in every city those who preach him, since he is read in the synagogues every Sabbath.” v. 13-21. Remember when Peter, James the Apostle, and John were with Jesus on the mountain and Jesus was transfigured before them and with Him were Moses and Elijah…and what did God the Father say, “This is My beloved Son, listen to Him!” Mark 9:2-8. So the church agreed and sent Paul and Barnabas, Judas called Barsabbas, and Silas back to Antioch with a letter agreed upon for the changes needed and allowed for the growth Creator God – Father, Son, Spirit, was bringing. And the letter? “The apostles and the brethren who are elders, to the brethren in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia who are from the Gentiles, greetings. Since we have heard that some of our number to whom we gave no instruction have disturbed you with their words, unsettling your souls, it seemed good to us, having become of one mind, to select men to send to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore we have sent Judas and Silas, who themselves will also report the same things by word of mouth. For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than these essentials: that you abstain from things sacrificed to idols and from blood and from things strangled and from fornication; if you keep yourselves free from such things, you will do well. Farewell.” v. 22-29. Change was needed. Understanding is given by the Holy Spirit. And the brethren rejoiced to receive the letter and to grow in the love that Creator God has for His children. Paul wanted to revisit the churches in every city they had visited. Barnabas wanted to take John, called Mark, along with them also. But Paul kept insisting that they should not take him along who had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not gone with them to the work. And there occurred such a sharp disagreement that they separated from one another, and Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus. But Paul chose Silas and left, being committed by the brethren to the grace of the Lord. And he was traveling through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches. v. 37-41. Disagreements so sharp that they separate from one another occurred then and occur now. So it’s good to remember…Brethren, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles would hear the word of the gospel and believe. And God, who knows the heart, testified to them giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He also did to us and He made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith…But we believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus. And this…After these things I will return…and I will restore it…So that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord, and all the Gentiles who are called by My name, says the Lord who makes these things known from long ago.

We can’t see the whole picture from before long ago to what will be. But we can trust Creator God. This is His work and it is beautiful and needed! Taste and see that the Lord is good…and it helps to slow down, read Scripture with the help of the Holy Spirit and be willing to be led forward by God. Circumcision is not of the flesh, which was a type to show us what was truly needed – and that was circumcision of our own hearts so we can trust Creator God and Him only to know and show us the way with Him. And He brings us together…how could He not? We are His children dearly loved! We learn best together as we experience life with Him with us. That takes trust in Him.