Acts 10:1-16 (CLICK HERE FOR BIBLE VERSES)
Hi GAMErs,
Today’s passage is Acts 10:1-16. As usual, I encourage you to read the passage yourself first and see what you can glean with the Holy Spirit’s help, then read the GAME sharing below. Let’s go!
Acts 10:1-4 (NIV)
1 At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion in what was known as the Italian Regiment.
2 He and all his family were devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly.
3 One day at about three in the afternoon he had a vision. He distinctly saw an angel of God, who came to him and said, “Cornelius!”
4 Cornelius stared at him in fear. “What is it, Lord?” he asked. The angel answered, “Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God.
On verse 4: God heard the sincere prayers and took note of the generous donations Cornelius made to the poor, though Cornelius at this point had not yet put his trust in Jesus Christ. Regardless of your faith position, God sees the good that you do and the sincerity with which you pray. But if all the good you do was good enough to save you, God wouldn’t have sent Jesus Christ for you. Likewise despite all the good that Cornelius had done in his lifetime, God still connected Cornelius to Peter so that Cornelius could hear the saving news about Jesus Christ.
Acts 10:5-8 (NIV)
5 Now send men to Joppa to bring back a man named Simon who is called Peter.
6 He is staying with Simon the tanner, whose house is by the sea.”
7 When the angel who spoke to him had gone, Cornelius called two of his servants and a devout soldier who was one of his attendants.
8 He told them everything that had happened and sent them to Joppa.
On verses 5-8: Just as God commanded, Cornelius sends his trusted staff to Joppa to find a man called Peter. Notice that Cornelius didn’t just hear the word of God, but he acted upon it. That’s where the real blessing is: not in hearing God’s Word but in hearing God’s Word and obeying it.
Acts 10:9-16 (NIV)
9 About noon the following day as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray.
10 He became hungry and wanted something to eat, and while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance.
11 He saw heaven opened and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners.
12 It contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles of the earth and birds of the air.
13 Then a voice told him, “Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.”
14 “Surely not, Lord!” Peter replied. “I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.”
15 The voice spoke to him a second time, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.”
16 This happened three times, and immediately the sheet was taken back to heaven.
On verses 9-16: Three times God gives Peter a vision of a sheet containing all kinds of four-footed animals which Jews were not allowed to eat according to the Law of Moses. In telling Peter to kill and eat, God declared that these dietary laws from the Law of Moses were no longer applicable. But even more God was using this picture to prepare Peter for an even greater revelation, which is that the good news of Jesus Christ is not just for Jews, but for Gentiles too.
Take a moment now to pray for someone you know who, like Cornelius, may have done a lot of good and also believes in God, but who has yet to trust Jesus Christ to save them from their sins. Thank God that He is working to reach that person.
God, thank You for Your heart for every person on this planet and how You sent Jesus Christ for every single one of us. May we not just hear Your Word but do it and find not only ourselves blessed, but others too. In Jesus’ name, AMEN!
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