Many have asked if God still speaks to us today? Absolutely, yes! God is so wonderful that He can speak to two different people and cause them to actually meet one another. How does this happen? By opening up our spiritual eyes and ears and release vision.
There was a Roman Centurion, named Cornelius, who was a God-fearing, devout man, who gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly.
One day he had a vision. “He saw an angel, who came to him and said, Cornelius! Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God.” (Acts 10: 3-4)
- When we pray and give, God has memory of it all. It’s an offering to him.
The angel tells him to send men to Joppa and bring back a man named Simon, who is called Peter. He is staying with Simon the tanner, whose house is by the sea. We visited there in Israel!
What’s a tanner anyway? My curiosity led me on a search to learn that a tanner was involved in treating the skins of dead animals, thus contacting the unclean according to Jewish law; so he was despised by many. Peter’s decision to stay at his house was already defying this Jewish prejudice, which prepares the way for his upcoming vision and mission to the Gentiles that is about to occur. Cornelius was a Gentile. According to Jewish law, Gentiles were considered unclean.
Hmmmmm! What’s God up to? I actually love this story! I see God’s humor in it all. They even both had the same names.
Simon Peter staying with Simon the Tanner. A Jew in the same house with an unclean Gentile was unheard of!
Cornelius obeys and sends two servants, and one of his devout soldiers who was his attendant, to Peter’s house. Peter is praying on his rooftop and becomes hungry, and wanting something to eat.
- How hungry are we for the things of God?
- Hunger for God may lead to open visions.
Peter falls into a trance and “He saw heaven opened and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners. It contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles of the earth and birds of the air. Then a voice told him, Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.” (Acts 10: 9-13)
Peter refuses and yells, “Surely not Lord! I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.” (Acts 10: 14)
Three times, the voice of the Lord says, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.” (Acts 10: 15)
- Jesus is already laying the groundwork for setting aside the laws of clean and unclean.
- Our prejudices can keep us from obeying the Lord.
What’s up with Peter and three times? He’s traveled this road before with the “three’s.” Remember the denial of Jesus three times.
Peter’s still wondering about the dream, while the men sent from Cornelius find his house. “While Peter was still thinking about the vision, the Spirit said to him, Simon, three men are looking for you. So get up and go downstairs. Do not hesitate to go with them, for I have sent them.” (Acts 10: 19)
Well, that’s about as clear as you can get, except one thing? Peter initially, was never told why they came to him? He was just told to go with the men, even though he was still puzzled about what the vision of the animals and the clean and unclean all meant.
- Don’t spend too much time thinking and wondering. We may waste or miss a set time. Just learn to obey.
I am in no way saying we must be impulsive and just proceed without any information or confirmation.
- Sometimes our analytical minds will keep us from obeying.
God already confirmed that HE had sent them to Peter. Peter does ask why they have come and the servants tell him about the vision Cornelius had. They tell Peter, “A holy angel told him to have you come to his house so that he could hear what you have to say.” (Acts 10: 22)
- Is there something that God wants to say through us?
- We are His mouthpiece, His voice.
So Peter and some of the brothers from Joppa go to Cornelius’s house. When they arrive, Cornelius has gathered his family and friends to hear the gospel. He says, “We are all here in the presence of God to listen to everything the Lord has commanded you to tell us.” (Acts 10: 33)
Talk about divine setups! I challenge you to ask God to send you to someone, you do not know, and give them something encouraging right from the Holy Spirit. I love doing this! It stretches our faith and fine-tunes our hearing!
He answers that prayer, because He hears the cries of wounded, hurting people, who do not know that God is crazy in love with them, and not mad at them.
On one occasion, I had a loaf of bread fall out of the shopping cart. It was an amazing moment, this awestruck the gal I was chatting with and myself as well. I’ll share that another time! Jesus showed Himself as her “Fresh Bread and Bread of Life,” right in Walmart!
- The Holy Spirit speaks and He is waiting to give us direction and instruction.
If you are lacking vision, start right here and now with this simple task, and God will meet you where you are at, and connect you with one who needs to know.
We might have to wait until the Covid-19 restrictions are over. Talking to someone from a mask, and not practicing social distancing could get us in trouble. This is why this is attack on our world is so very yucky.
- God has purposed us to connect and be unified, not to be distant and disconnected.
SET TIMES Job is doing some wondering himself these days. He asks, “Why does the Almighty not set times for judgment. Why must those who know him look in vain for such days?” (Job 24: 1-2) Hold on Job, just a bit longer, your suffering will end!
Joshua has some times set for him and Israel as well. He’s feeling discouraged, wanting to go back to the other side. He asks why they even crossed the Jordan.
Joshua is told by the Lord, “Stand up! Israel has sinned, and has violated the covenant which He commanded them to keep.” (Joshua 7: 10-11)
How does God correct this problem? He tells Joshua to assemble all the tribes and tell them to “Consecrate yourselves!” Achan confesses that he has hidden and buried some of the “devoted things” from Jericho that God told them NOT to take when they overtook the city. These items of silver, beautiful robe from Babylonia, shekels, etc. were to be left in that defiled city.
- God separates the clean and the unclean, the defiled, and the pure, so must we.
- The things that are hidden and buried, are not hidden from God.
This is why in the New Testament it says, “Come out and separate yourselves.” (2 Corinthians 6: 17) We are the temple of God and within our temple, nothing should be defiled.
Doesn’t this make more sense why God opened up the gospel especially to the Gentiles, then to all people? The Gentiles were the unclean ones, according to Jewish law.
Only Jesus can make us clean, no rule or law can. We only are cleansed through the power of His blood. That’s why we all need Jesus and need to receive the gospel. We are not a clean people, we are born sinners, that can be saved by grace, His grace. Mankind must come to Jesus, to be made clean. Tell them they are worthy to come. Invite them and let them know there’s a place in heaven awaiting them.
There is still a call to the lost going out; a call going out to those who do not know and have not heard. Come together, My children, come as one. Unite with My love and show the world how I love them, how I need them, and what I died for? You are now My carriers, My glorious ones who hold and house the temple of God within you…Go to the ones, who need the One. Show them My love. Show them I care. Be my hands and feet. Extend My heart, through your heart, My Beloved.”
“Go without raising any objection.” (Acts 10: 29)
I don’t know what happened there…but I cannot omit anything. Thanks for hearing my heart…His heart.
(Acts 10: 1-33, Job 24, Joshua 7-8, Modified)
UNBROKEN LOVE SERIES
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