Today’s Podcast
Today’s Scriptures
Today’s Bible reading plans include:
Ready – Acts 10:1-33
Set – Exodus 36; Acts 10
Go! – Exodus 35-36; Acts 10
Acts 10:1-33
1Cornelius, a Roman Centurion and a member of a unit called the Italian Cohort, lived in Caesarea. 2 Cornelius was an outsider, but he was a devout man—a God-fearing fellow with a God-fearing family. He consistently and generously gave to the poor, and he practiced constant prayer to God. 3 About three o’clock one afternoon, he had a vision of a messenger of God.Messenger of God: Cornelius!
Cornelius (terrified): 4 What is it, sir?
Messenger of God: God has heard your prayers, and He has seen your kindness to the poor. God has taken notice of you. 5-6 Send men south to Joppa, to the house of a tanner named Simon. Ask to speak to a guest of his named Simon, but also called Peter. You’ll find his house near the waterfront.
7 After the messenger departed, Cornelius immediately called two of his slaves and a soldier under his command—an especially devout soldier. 8 He told them the whole story and sent them to Joppa.
9 Just as these men were nearing Joppa about noon the next day, Peter went up on the flat rooftop of Simon the tanner’s house. He planned to pray, 10 but he soon grew hungry. While his lunch was being prepared, Peter had a vision of his own—a vision that linked his present hunger with what was about to happen: 11 A rift opened in the sky, and a wide container—something like a huge sheet suspended by its four corners—descended through the torn opening toward the ground. 12 This container teemed with four-footed animals, creatures that crawl, and birds—pigs, bats, lizards, snakes, frogs, toads, and vultures.
A Voice: 13 Get up, Peter! Kill! Eat!
Peter: 14 No way, Lord! These animals are forbidden in the dietary laws of the Hebrew Scriptures! I’ve never eaten non-kosher foods like these before—not once in my life!
A Voice: 15 If God calls something permissible and clean, you must not call it forbidden and dirty!
16 Peter saw this vision three times; but the third time, the container of animals flew up through the rift in the sky, the rift healed, 17 and Peter was confused and unsettled as he tried to make sense of this strange vision.
At that very moment, Peter heard the voices of Cornelius’s delegation, who had asked for directions to Simon’s house, coming from the front gate.
Delegation: 18 Is there a man named Simon, also called Peter, staying at this house?
19-20 Peter’s mind was still racing about the vision when the voice of the Holy Spirit broke through his churning thoughts.
Holy Spirit: The three men who are searching for you have been sent by Me. So get up! Go with them. Don’t hesitate or argue.
21 Peter rushed downstairs to the men.
Peter: I’m the one you’re seeking. Can you tell me why you’ve come?
Delegation: 22 We’ve been sent by our commander and master, Cornelius. He is a Centurion, and he is a good, honest man who worships your God. All the Jewish people speak well of him. A holy messenger told him to send for you, so you would come to his home and he could hear your message.
23 Peter extended hospitality to them and gave them lodging overnight. When they departed together the next morning, Peter brought some believers from Joppa.
24 They arrived in Caesarea the next afternoon just before three o’clock. Cornelius had anticipated their arrival and had assembled his relatives and close friends to welcome them. 25 When Peter and Cornelius met, Cornelius fell at Peter’s feet in worship, 26 but Peter helped him up.
Peter: Stand up, man! I am just a human being!
27 They talked and entered the house to meet the whole crowd inside.
Peter: 28 You know I am a Jew. We Jews consider it a breach of divine law to associate, much less share hospitality, with outsiders. But God has shown me something in recent days: I should no longer consider any human beneath me or unclean. 29 That’s why I made no objection when you invited me; rather, I came willingly. Now let me hear the story of why you invited me here.
Cornelius: 30 It was about this time of day four days ago when I was here, in my house, praying the customary midafternoon prayer. Suddenly a man appeared out of nowhere. His clothes were dazzling white, and he stood directly in front of me 31 and addressed me: “Cornelius, your prayer has been heard, and your kindness to the poor has been noticed by God. 32 God wants you to find a man in Joppa, Simon who is also called Peter, who is staying at the home of a tanner named Simon, near the seaside.” 33 I wasted no time, did just as I was told, and you have generously accepted my invitation. So here we are, in the presence of God, ready to take in all that the Lord has told you to tell us.
Today’s Devotional
From today’s background scripture God might say to us:
You have a problem in the church today in getting My message out. It’s the same problem Peter and many in the early church had. It’s called prejudice.
You try to defend yourself and cry out, “But look, we have all races in our church! We have all ethnic groups worshiping in our building! How can You call us prejudice?”
Prejudice comes in all forms. When you minister to yourself and confine yourself to the four walls of your place of worship, shutting the world outside, you exercise prejudice. Sure you think you are an inviting place, but are you? How do you really feel about the prostitute who walks the street to make enough money for that next fix – trying to find something to fill the emptiness in her soul? How do you feel about the radical Islam terrorist taught all his life to kill infidels? How do you feel about the man who brings young teenagers across the border to traffic them into the sex slave market?
Do you see your prejudices come through? I love them all. They are My special creation. They are all made in My image, remember? Oh, I abhor their behavior. I detest evil. I would like to stamp out all of the things that fallen man has done to mar the beauty of My creation. But humankind is still the crowning glory of My creation. Those who stirred those dark feelings of prejudice in you a few minutes ago, I still love. They break My heart and I call out to them to return to Me just like I called to you one day. But how can they respond unless you extend a hand of love to them like someone did for you.
Peter would never have gone to meet with Cornelius without the vision I sent him that day. Fortunately, I broke his prejudices and he saw that all humankind is made in My image. His nation, his race is no more or no less important to Me than another. I made them all. I long for all…all…to come to Me in repentance so I may bring them into My kingdom. So, who will dare to love all humankind and share My mercy and grace to the lost without prejudices getting in the way? Will you stand up to the challenge…with My help?
The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
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