Read: Acts 10:1-12:5
Racism has been around since the beginning of time. The Jews, especially the Jewish leaders thought they were better than everyone else so this elitism was in the hearts of all the Jews and Peter was no exception. God had to change his heart so he could be effective for ministry to the Gentiles and the world. To get Peter to shift in his thinking, God sent him Cornelius, a Roman army officer who was Italian. He had three strikes against him: he was not a Jew, he was a Roman officer and he was Italian. So God sent Peter a vision of a sheet with pictures of all sorts of unclean animals on it. He was told to kill and eat them which was a taboo in Jewish law. When Peter protested, God told him to never call something unclean that God had called clean. This vision appeared three times. Peter got the message and was spiritually prepared and physically attuned so that when Cornelius came to his house, he knew this was the Lord. He opened the door and opened the Word to him. He received it with joy and became a believer. Cornelius needed what Peter knew and carried and Peter needed Cornelius.
The experience with Cornelius changed Peter’s whole ministry and mindset. God will bring some very different people into our lives to break the prejudices we have. God wants to widen our capacity to love so he can widen our influence and ministry. Peter came against opposition in the church for doing what God told him to do because change is always hard on everyone. Peter’s obedience opened the door for Saul and Barnabas. It also caused a great tremble in the demonic forces. They started persecuting the apostles and James, Jesus brother, was killed. Peter was arrested and imprisoned because it was Passover. This means it had been a year since they crucified Jesus.
Lord, help us to change with what you are doing. Help us to lay down our opinions and choose to love.
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