PURGING PREJUDICE

July 30

Bible Reading: Acts 10:9-16

Acts 10:14-15, “But Peter said, ‘By no means, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean.’ And the voice came to him again a second time, ‘What God has made clean, do not call common.”

Approximately seven years had passed since Jesus’ commission to the Apostles to be His witnesses “to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8).  It took a “great persecution” to scatter believers to the “regions of Judea and Samaria” (Acts 8:1).  Even then, there was no apparent attempt to take the message to the Gentiles.  The gospel outreach to the remotest part of the earth was apparently of remote concern.

The problem was that there were longstanding religious traditions and prejudices that stood in the way.  It was unlawful for a Jew “to associate with or visit anyone of another nation” (Acts 10:28) or eat with them (Acts 11:3).  In NT times, the Jews had little regard for the Gentiles.  So strong was their animosity that a common Jewish prayer went something like this: “God thank you, I was not born a woman or a Gentile.”  There were several Jewish laws that prohibited contact with Gentiles.  The very dust of heathen countries was unclean, and it defiled by contact.  It was not permissible to enter a Gentile’s home or even converse with them.  A Jewish woman could not help a Gentile woman, even in childbirth.  A Jew could not drink milk drawn from a cow by a Gentile’s hands or eat bread prepared by a Gentile.  Inviting a Gentile into a Jewish home required not leaving them unattended, to prevent every article of food and drink from being considered unclean.  The animosity by the Jews towards the Gentiles (and vice versa) was pervasive.  It affected every aspect of life.  A Gentile could be proselytized to Judaism, but as a matter of course, it rarely happened.  Gentile converts were rarely treated fairly and were commonly looked on with suspicion.

God would have to intervene if the gospel were to be taken to the Gentiles.  Christ “broke down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility” (Ephesians 2:14), but the benefits of His work had not yet borne fruit in this sense.  Religious traditions and prejudice kept the gospel from reaching the Gentiles.  So, God worked through Peter and Cornelius to set it free.  God orchestrated a meeting between the two at which Peter shared the gospel.  Long established walls of prejudice and division came crashing down when Cornelius and his family believed.  The day will come when people “from every tribe and language and people and nation” will sing a new song of worship to the Lamb (Revelation 5:9).  God is good at breaking down barriers and bringing people together.

“Without a change in apostolic attitudes, none of us would have heard the gospel of the love of Jesus Christ.”—Kent Hughes

A CRY FROM MACEDONIA
There’s a cry from Macedonia Come and help us,
The light of the precious gospel bring,
Let us hear the joyful tidings of salvation,
We thirst for the living spring.
O, ye heralds of the cross, be up and doing,
Remember the Saviour’s great command,
Go ye forth and preach the word to ev’ry creature,
Proclaim it in ev’ry land.

Chorus:
They shall gather from the East,
They shall gather from the West,
With the patriarchs of old.
And the ransom’d shall return
To the kingdom of the blest,
With their harps and crowns of gold.
There’s a cry from Macedonia Come and help us,
The light of the precious gospel bring,
Let us hear the joyful tidings of salvation,
We thirst for the living spring.
O, ye heralds of the cross, be up and doing,
Remember the Saviour’s great command,
Go ye forth and preach the word to ev’ry creature,
Proclaim it in ev’ry land.

O how beautiful their feet upon the mountains,
The tidings of peace from God who bring,
To the nations of the earth who sit in darkness,
And tell them of Zion’s King.
Then, ye heralds of the cross, be up and doing,
Go work in your blessed Master’s field,
Sound the trumpet, sound the trumpet of salvation,
The Lord is your strength and shield.

Chorus:
Let the distant isles be glad,
Let them hail the Saviour’s birth,
And the news of pardon free,
Till the knowledge of the truth
Shall extend to all the earth,
As the waters o’er the sea.
There’s a cry from Macedonia Come and help us,
The light of the precious gospel bring,
Let us hear the joyful tidings of salvation,
We thirst for the living spring.
O, ye heralds of the cross, be up and doing,
Remember the Saviour’s great command,
Go ye forth and preach the word to ev’ry creature,
Proclaim it in ev’ry land.

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Author: looking2jesus13

Jerry L. Conklin was born and raised in Hillsboro, Oregon. After graduating from high school, he enlisted in the United States Navy and served for six years in the Navy’s Nuclear Power Program. He was assigned to the USS *Omaha* (SSN-692), a nuclear-powered fast-attack submarine, where he served as a reactor-plant electrical operator. His military service took him to ports and locations throughout the world and provided extensive technical training, leadership experience, and an enduring appreciation for those who serve in the Armed Forces. Following his Navy service, Jerry earned a bachelor’s degree in Nuclear Technology from Thomas Edison State University. He worked at the Trojan Nuclear Plant near Rainier, Oregon, first as a reactor operator and later as a training specialist. After sensing God’s call to pastoral ministry, he left the nuclear-power industry and earned a master’s degree in theology from Western Conservative Baptist Seminary in Portland, Oregon. Jerry served for twenty-seven and a half years as senior pastor of Lewis and Clark Bible Church in Astoria, Oregon. During those years, he preached and taught the Scriptures, provided pastoral counseling, performed weddings and memorial services, trained church leaders, and served individuals and families throughout the community. He also served as a fire department chaplain and participated in a variety of community ministries. After retiring from full-time pastoral ministry, Jerry and his wife, Laura, moved to Heppner, Oregon. There he served for approximately four years as a chaplain with Pioneer Memorial Home Health and Hospice, providing spiritual and emotional support to more than 150 patients and their families. In 2023, the Oregon Association for Home Care honored him as its Chaplain of the Year. Jerry also helped establish South Morrow County Seniors Matter, a nonprofit organization created to address the needs of older adults following the COVID-19 pandemic. As chairman, he worked with community leaders and volunteers to develop a weekly senior meal program, a monthly veterans’ lunch, and other activities and services. The organization served hundreds of seniors, mobilized more than 200 volunteers, and received statewide and national recognition. In 2025, Jerry was named Heppner’s Man of the Year, and his community service was later recognized by United States Senator Jeff Merkley. International missions have also been an important part of Jerry’s ministry. He has made ten trips to Uganda, where he has taught at pastors’ conferences, preached in churches, participated in Bible-school graduations, distributed Bibles and Christian materials, and encouraged local pastors and ministry leaders. He developed the discipleship booklet *First Steps with Jesus* to help new believers understand and grow in their faith. Jerry is the author of numerous books, Bible studies, devotionals, and teaching resources, including works centered on prayer, Christian hope, spiritual growth, and the person of Jesus Christ. His decades of preaching and teaching reflect his commitment to presenting biblical truth clearly, practically, and faithfully. Jerry and Laura were married for nearly forty-two years and raised four children. They were also blessed with three grandchildren. Laura passed away in August 2025 following an eight-and-a-half-year battle with cancer. Jerry currently lives in Hillsboro, where he helps care for his elderly father. He continues to preach, teach, write, and serve others through pastoral and community ministry.

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