Acts 15-16  After some men came from Jerusalem to Antioch and started telling the Gentile believers that they had to be circumcised and had to follow Jewish Law, Paul and Barnabas head to Jerusalem to talk to the apostles there.  After much debate, James, the brother of Jesus, who has become a leader of the church, gives a final judgement on the matter.

 Peter's experience with Cornelius showed that the Lord made no distinction between the Jews and the Gentiles - the circumcised and the uncircumcised , both:
heard the Word
believed
received the Holy Spirit
had hearts cleansed "by faith"

"But we believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same way as they also are." v11

So, James and the apostles and elders wrote to the church in Antioch that the only laws that they should hold to were the laws against idolatry - "abstain from things offered to idols and from blood and from things strangled and from fornication..."

After Paul and Barnabas return to Antioch for a while they decide to go back to all the places that they had been to see how the christians were doing there.  Barnabas wanted to take John Mark along again, but Paul did not since he had deserted them the first time.  They disagreed so strongly that Barnabas left with Mark on their own.  Paul took Silas and went a different way, ending up in Europe - Macedonia, through the leading of the Holy Spirit.

The Lord brought Paul, Silas, and Timothy to Philippi where they meet Lydia and lead her to Jesus.  A church is started in her house.  Then there is an incident with a slave girl, who is freed from an evil spirit, leading to Paul and Silas being beaten and thrown in prison.  God sends an earthquake that opens all the doors and releases their shackles, but they do not flee.  Instead they lead the jailer and his family to Christ.

Paul and his fellow workers were all about encouraging and strengthening the "brethren".  This was their goal, along with delivering the Word so that more would come into the church through believing the gospel.  Is that something that our church is doing?  Are we, here in America, focused on the Gospel and on encouraging and strengthening our fellow believers?  We are in great need of revival here in America especially!  We need to get back to basics and stop promoting our own agendas and just preach Christ!

Father in heaven,  lead Your church today.  Fill us with Your Spirit and revive us with Your Grace and glory.  In the name of Jesus we pray. amen.