A group of saints gathered at Mary’s house to pray. ⁣

There was a knock on the door, and young Rhoda went to see who it was.

She heard Peter’s voice!

Rhoda was SO GLAD that she ran back inside without opening the door for him. ⁣

She told everyone: Peter is right outside the gate!⁣

And these saints,

who are all gathered around, praying intently that Peter would be saved and set free,

tell Rhoda that she is crazy. ⁣

Anyone else see the irony there?

Do we sometimes pray and plead for answers and miracles in our lives…

and then ignore the small signs that the answer is right there?!

And then dear, excited, sweet Rhoda stands her ground.

She doesn’t second guess what she just experienced.

She doesn’t defer to the older people in the room.

But she also doesn’t argue or make a scene. ⁣

“But she constantly affirmed that it was even so.” (Acts 12:15)

Instead, she CONSTANTLY AFFIRMED that it was Peter. ⁣

Personal spiritual experiences and personal revelation are so interesting because they are just that – personal.

Nobody else is experiencing exactly what you are experiencing. ⁣

Sometimes well-meaning church members, family members, or close friends shed some doubt on our spiritual experiences. ⁣

“Well that’s an interesting decision for you!”

But Rhoda did not crumble or doubt.

She didn’t make a fuss or a scene.

She just CONSTANTLY AFFIRMED what she had heard. ⁣

THIS is what softened their hearts enough to go check the door themselves and eventually experience that same witness for themselves.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Constantly affirming with Rhoda and Peter first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

It’s not wording that we currently use, and I honestly didn’t understand what it meant!

But at some point, it clicked!

This phrase means God doesn’t favor certain groups of people over others – be that social status, race, nationality, etc. ⁣

And I LOVE the context in which Peter says this! ⁣

He’s just had a confusing vision, been summoned by two random men, and brought before Cornelius, a Gentile. ⁣

And all of a sudden, Peter realizes:

“Wait, I think that I can preach to this man, even though he isn’t Jewish. This is a righteous man, and that’s all that matters.”⁣

This was a HUGE paradigm shift for Peter with regard to the current religious culture.

For us, that realization shouldn’t be as jarring.

In fact, I’m sure most of us feel very comfortable with the idea of the gospel being for everyone!⁣

But for a moment, consider your current ward family. ⁣

Every socioeconomic class, every race, every gender.

God loves us literally each the same. ⁣

He loves the inactive lady as much as he loves a man with an important calling. ⁣

It’s a hard question to REALLY ask ourselves, because a lot of us would automatically deflect with a resounding “Of COURSE not!”…⁣

…But have we written people off from really being a part of the gospel? A member of our ward? Our friend?⁣

Do we realize God loves them AS MUCH as He loves you? ⁣

He wants them to return home AS MUCH as He wants you to?⁣

He wants other people to love and bless them AS MUCH as he wants people to love and bless you?⁣

“One of the precious things I love about the temple is that among those who attend, there are no distinctions of wealth, rank, or position of any kind.” —Quentin L. Cook

Maybe we can try asking our Heavenly Father how to be just a little more inclusive.

How we can help the marginalized feel loved.

How we can listen and just let them be on their own journeys instead of constantly adding our judgment.

Our Savior gave us the example of hanging out with the marginalized, outcasts, and those who needed the most help.

He was no respecter of persons, and with His grace, we can learn to be just as lovingly inclusive as He is!

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post What does it mean that God is no respecter or persons? first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

Most people fall into one of two categories when it comes to how they plan and learn:

• I want to see the forest before I can see the trees!

(in other words, I need to see the big picture before you can start giving me little details)

or ⁣

• I want to see all the trees before I see the forest!

(I need to know how all the details are going to work before I can get the big picture) ⁣

Me, personally? I’m 100% the first one.

If I can see the end game, the final purpose, or the desired result for something, then I don’t really get caught up in the details.

In a gospel setting, my style of planning works GREAT sometimes!

Focusing on major doctrines instead gives me peace.

But I’ve learned that my style does NOT work with the way many of us receive personal revelation – “line upon line”.

Line upon line?!

Show me the whole book first and then I’ll figure out the lines!

But I love Peter’s example in Acts 10-11. ⁣

Peter has a big, kind of confusing vision.

While he is pondering about the meaning, he gets the inspiration:

3 men are here to meet him. He should go with them and not doubt anything. ⁣

“Arise therefore, and get thee down, and go with them, doubting nothing”. (Acts 10:20)

Those are VERY SMALL TREE details, with no big vision of the FOREST.

But Peter’s FAITH is unshakable.

No questions or doubts. ⁣

And when he is brought to Cornelius, he slowly gains more details.

And then he has to listen to the Spirit even more before starting to piece together the meaning of the vision.

Eventually, he figures it out and teaches and converts the first group of non-Jews. ⁣

What an example to me! ⁣

Even though I PREFER to see the big picture first, my life has been (and continues to be!) a huge lesson that I can actually fully TRUST my Father in Heaven, more than any earthly leader.

He will not lead me astray.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post How can I be patient with the Lord like Peter? first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.