Hi, I am Claude and welcome to Acts.net.

This topics "Who Could Not Understand" has 6 chapters that we will be walking through together.

Acts 28:17-31, Acts 10, Exodus 4:11, 1 Corinthians 2:12-16, Hebrews 5:11-14, John 14:25-26

This introduction is critical because we need to know why some people can't understand God's message:

Act 28:17  After three days Paul called the local Jewish leaders together. When they had assembled, he said to them, “Brothers, although I had done nothing against our people or the customs of our ancestors, from Jerusalem I was handed over as a prisoner to the Romans. 

Act 28:18  When they had heard my case, they wanted to release me, because there was no basis for a death sentence against me. 

Act 28:19  But when the Jews objected, I was forced to appeal to Caesar – not that I had some charge to bring against my own people. 

Act 28:20  So for this reason I have asked to see you and speak with you, for I am bound with this chain because of the hope of Israel.” 

Act 28:21  They replied, “We have received no letters from Judea about you, nor have any of the brothers come from there and reported or said anything bad about you. 

Act 28:22  But we would like to hear from you what you think, for regarding this sect we know that people everywhere speak against it.” 

Act 28:23  They set a day to meet with him, and they came to him where he was staying in even greater numbers. From morning until evening he explained things to them, testifying about the kingdom of God and trying to convince them about Jesus from both the law of Moses and the prophets. 

Act 28:24  Some were convinced by what he said, but others refused to believe. 

Act 28:25  So they began to leave, unable to agree among themselves, after Paul made one last statement: “The Holy Spirit spoke rightly to your ancestors through the prophet Isaiah 

Act 28:26  when he said, ‘Go to this people and say, “You will keep on hearing, but will never understand, and you will keep on looking, but will never perceive. 

Act 28:27  For the heart of this people has become dull, and their ears are hard of hearing, and they have closed their eyes, so that they would not see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them.”’ 

Act 28:28  “Therefore be advised that this salvation from God has been sent to the Gentiles; they will listen!” 

Act 28:30  Paul lived there two whole years in his own rented quarters and welcomed all who came to him, 

Act 28:31  proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with complete boldness and without restriction. 

That is puzzling why some people can hear and understand God's word, and others become deaf. One thing we know is that it is not from God, so who is doing this?
From our Lord, in Exodus 4:11, God spoke: "The Lord said to him, “Who gave a mouth to man, or who makes a person mute or deaf or seeing or blind? Is it not I, the Lord?" So the Lord says it is not Him who does these things, so there could be only a few people who could. One is the devil who will do anything so you can stay away from God or yourself because you have too much to lose.

Either way, you cannot hear and understand the word from God, nor can you understand what you read from the Bible. How can you if your spiritual heart belongs to someone else? For God said that you are either with me or away from me. But He did not imply that you can never restore your spiritual heart and hear the truth.

When the word of God came to my ear, I did not understand, and I stayed away. But about five years later, I went into a situation that made me open my spiritual heart and was starting to understand—it was like a fissure in the growing wall. A new friend began to talk to me about God, and I loved that conversation more and more. We would meet every day and talk for hours. Then one day, I went to his church, and that is where I saw God. A few weeks later and I became a born-again Christian. Born Again means that I died from my previous life and was born spiritually in Christ. When you accept Jesus as your saviour and repent to Him, He then cleans you, and you start anew. That was very emotional when you consider that everything you did in your life up to that moment has been cleaned through Christ dying on the cross to take away the sins of the world.

So you can see that even though I was blind, deaf and could not understand the bible, now all this has changed. That can also happen to you. If you have a tiny fissure, then keep opening it up and meet someone who can help you breakthrough, and come back home.

Here is a passage that might help you to understand how to open that fissure:
"1Co 2:12 Now we have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things that are freely given to us by God.
1Co 2:13 And we speak about these things, not with words taught us by human wisdom, but with those taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual things to spiritual people.
1Co 2:14 The unbeliever does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him. And he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.
1Co 2:15 The one who is spiritual discerns all things, yet he himself is understood by no one.
1Co 2:16 For who has known the mind of the Lord, so as to advise him? But we have the mind of Christ."

Here in Hebrews 5:11-14, even Christians can have difficulty or lose their keys. That is ok because the world deceives us into thinking this realm is better. More temptations, more diversification, when we become weak, and the devil will try harder to pull Christians back into his lair.

John 14:25-26 has something outstanding to say. He was quoting from Jesus:
"Joh 14:25 “I have spoken these things while staying with you.
Joh 14:26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and will cause you to remember everything I said to you."

So you can read that our God will send the Holy Spirit so you can remember everything. We need all our memories to come back. Unfortunately, we would not be able to handle everything in one quick reboot. That is why the Holy Spirit shows us little by little, and your memories become fuller.

The knowledge of understanding, 1Jn 5:18-21,
1Jn 5:19 "We know that everyone fathered by God does not sin, but God protects the one he has fathered, and the evil one cannot touch him.
1Jn 5:19 We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.
1Jn 5:20 And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us insight to know him who is true, and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. This one is the true God and eternal life.
1Jn 5:21 Little children, guard yourselves from idols."

When he speaks of little children, he talks to everyone in Jesus Christ to be on their guard all day and night by wearing the Armour of God. God has provided all Christians with all the tools we need to fight and protect ourselves. We need to pray and ask in Jesus' name, and He will answer all prayers.

So now that you have received information about understanding, God would love to see you back home. Take the next step of faith and follow these few little steps, in Jesus' name, Amen.