{"id":1616,"date":"2019-05-31T05:30:27","date_gmt":"2019-05-31T13:30:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/?p=1616"},"modified":"2019-05-31T05:30:27","modified_gmt":"2019-05-31T13:30:27","slug":"devotion-acts-109-23-the-law-the-gospel-and-an-amazing-god-part-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/?p=1616","title":{"rendered":"Devotion Acts 10:9-23 The Law, The Gospel And An Amazing God Part 1"},"content":{"rendered":"

Acts 10:9-23\u00a0<\/b>\u2013\u00a0About noon the following day as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof\u00a0to pray.<\/i><\/span>\u00a010\u00a0He became hungry and wanted something to eat, and while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance.<\/span>\u00a011\u00a0He saw heaven opened\u00a0and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners.<\/span>\u00a012\u00a0It contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles and birds.13\u00a0Then a voice told him,\u00a0<\/span>\u201cGet up, Peter. Kill and eat.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>14\u00a0\u201cSurely not, Lord!\u201d\u00a0Peter replied. \u201cI have never eaten anything impure or unclean.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/i>15\u00a0The voice spoke to him a second time,\u00a0<\/i><\/span>\u201cDo not call anything impure that God has made clean.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/i><\/span>16\u00a0This happened three times, and immediately the sheet was taken back to heaven.\u00a0\u00a0<\/i><\/span>17\u00a0While Peter was wondering about the meaning of the vision,\u00a0the men sent by Cornelius found out where Simon\u2019s house was and stopped at the gate.<\/i><\/span>\u00a018\u00a0They called out, asking if Simon who was known as Peter was staying there.\u00a0 19\u00a0While Peter was still thinking about the vision,\u00a0the Spirit said\u00a0to him, \u201cSimon, three\u00a0men are looking for you.<\/span>\u00a020\u00a0So get up and go downstairs. Do not hesitate to go with them, for I have sent them.\u201d\u00a0 21\u00a0Peter went down and said to the men, \u201cI\u2019m the one you\u2019re looking for. Why have you come?\u201d\u00a0 22\u00a0The men replied, \u201cWe have come from Cornelius the centurion. He is a righteous and God-fearing man,\u00a0who is respected by all the Jewish people. A holy angel told him to ask you to come to his house so that he could hear what you have to say.\u201d<\/span>\u00a023\u00a0Then Peter invited the men into the house to be his guests.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

\u201cAbout noon the following day as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof\u00a0to pray.<\/i><\/span>\u201d\u00a0 We see the Lord\u2019s plan coming together.\u00a0 The crescendo is building.\u00a0 Peter is going about his normal day.\u00a0 He was going to the roof to pray.\u00a0 Let\u2019s note that Peter was in the routine of praying three times a day, as was a routine of devout Jews.\u00a0 Secondly, that Peter was unsuspecting that what God had set in motion was about to come to the gate of the house that he was staying in.\u00a0 These men sent from the Centurion have traveled thirty miles in one day.\u00a0 They were fixed on accomplishing their mission and may have walked through the night. \u00a0They were displaying instant and exact obedience to their master<\/p>\n

\u201cHe became hungry and wanted something to eat, and while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance.<\/i><\/span>\u201d\u00a0 It was about noon and Peter, as he was praying and a meal was being prepared for him was hungry.\u00a0 Still, he did not allow his hunger to distract him, he prayed and \u201cfell into\u201d a trance.\u00a0 This word trance has a blend of meanings.\u00a0 It is a radical changed state of mind.\u00a0\u00a0 Peter did not just become sleepy.\u00a0 He was focusing on God, as He did his state of mind was changed.\u00a0 This is not subtle but comes with it a throwing out of the usual state of mind into an alien state of mind.\u00a0 We are not talking about a mind void of thought, but a mind void of all thought other than a focus on God.\u00a0\u00a0 It is an ability that is learned and improved upon by repetition.\u00a0 It is a state of clearing one\u2019s mind to be ready to receive from God.\u00a0 The Holy Spirit came upon Peter and prepared him to receive a message from God.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe saw heaven opened\u00a0and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners.<\/i><\/span>\u201d\u00a0 Peter knew the origin of what was approaching him.\u00a0 It is not said that he thought the sheet was from Heaven.\u00a0 No Peter saw Heaven open.\u00a0 He saw Heaven open and something begin to descend down to him. Wow!<\/p>\n

The KJV states that a \u201ccertain vessel<\/i>: was descending from Heaven toward him. The word \u201cvessel\u201d could be understood as a kitchen utensil, or gear from a ship.\u00a0 Also the word \u201csheet\u201d could also be translated as a sail. \u00a0Both of these together are interesting as Peter saw something that could be part of a ship that appeared to be a sail descending upon him.\u00a0 How appropriate for this fisherman who had made his living on ships.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles and birds.13\u00a0Then a voice told him,\u00a0<\/i><\/span>\u201cGet up, Peter. Kill and eat.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/i><\/span>14\u00a0\u201cSurely not, Lord!\u201d\u00a0Peter replied. \u201cI have never eaten anything impure or unclean.\u201d<\/i>\u00a0 To a Jew this would have been reprehensible to eat these things as Hebrew scripture would have advised him not too (Leviticus 11<\/b>).\u00a0 To Peter he had been taught and had obeyed not to eat unclean things and this thought was not only repulsive, but to him seemed unholy.<\/span><\/p>\n

Peter said \u201cSurely not, Lord!<\/i>\u201d\u00a0 Those sent by the centurion would not have considered disobeying him.\u00a0 They had immediately obeyed and pressed on until the arrival of their destination.\u00a0 They would not have dreamed of saying no to their lord.\u00a0 Yet Peter said no to whom he acknowledged as Lord.\u00a0 Peter said no to the Creator of mankind.\u00a0 He said no the one that he called Savior and Lord.\u00a0 In those days, saying no to ones lord was not an option.\u00a0 If one truly acknowledges one as lord, especially Lord, then speaking the word \u201cno\u201d to him (Him) should never happen.\u00a0 How is it that we think that saying no to Jesus is ever the right thing to do?\u00a0 It is ironic that these three men who were instantly and absolutely obedient to their lord were coming to find out truth about God from a man who was not always instantly and absolutely obedient to His Lord.\u00a0 This is not to disparage Peter, who was a blessed Apostle of Jesus.\u00a0 Ah but the grace of God, we too often abuse it, we definitely depend on it, and God is always faithful to give it to us.\u00a0 Wherever sin can be found in a saint, greater, more powerful, and overcoming is the grace of God!\u00a0 Like a toddler who was just told not to do something and then does it, the child has not lost the love, mercy and grace of its parents.\u00a0 No, when the child is disobedient, the love of the parent is greater than the disobedience of the child.\u00a0 The child will learn, change and grow through the patient diligence and correction of the parent, but the child will not become unloved.\u00a0 The servants of a centurion could lose their life by disobeying their master.\u00a0 They were under the law.\u00a0 Family, we are not under the law, but are covered by the grace that God gives to us.\u00a0 We are covered by His love and that love never fails.\u00a0 Even though the love of some parents fail, God\u2019s love and grace never, not ever, will.\u00a0 Praise God!\u00a0 Oh the depth and mysteries of God\u2019s love for us!\u00a0 Praise God!<\/span><\/p>\n

Psalm 150:6<\/b>\u00a0–\u00a0Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.\u00a0 Praise the Lord!<\/i><\/p>\n

Micah 7:7<\/b>\u00a0–\u00a0But as for me, I watch\u00a0in hope\u00a0for the\u00a0Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear\u00a0me.\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n

Micah 6:8<\/b>\u00a0–\u00a0He has shown You, O man, what\u00a0is\u00a0good; And what does the\u00a0Lord\u00a0require of You but to do justly, to love mercy, And to walk humbly with Your God.<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Acts 10:9-23\u00a0\u2013\u00a0About noon the following day as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof\u00a0to pray.\u00a010\u00a0He became hungry and wanted something to eat, and while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance.\u00a011\u00a0He saw heaven opened\u00a0and something like a large sheet being let down to earth…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1192],"tags":[82,2454,94,17],"class_list":["post-1616","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-devotion","tag-acts","tag-leviticus","tag-micah","tag-psalm"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1616","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1616"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1616\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1617,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1616\/revisions\/1617"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1616"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1616"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1616"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}