Jesus prepares you for that which He is preparing for you to do.  And rest assured that as Jesus is working in your life, He is also working in the lives of those that He will lead you to touch for Him.  But we must let go of all traditions and practices that would hinder our obedience.

In Acts 10:1-8 Cornelius, a Gentile, receives specific direction from God as he is praying.  The direction is to send men to go get Peter who was staying 30 miles south.  God was doing a deep work in Cornelius’ life.  He, along with his family, would be radically impacted through Peter’s obedience to Jesus.  But first, Peter had to be prepared for that which Jesus was preparing Him.

The next day, as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the housetop about the sixth hour to pray. And he became hungry and wanted something to eat, but while they were preparing it, he fell into a trance and saw the heavens opened and something like a great sheet descending, being let down by its four corners upon the earth. In it were all kinds of animals and reptiles and birds of the air. And there came a voice to him: "Rise, Peter; kill and eat." But Peter said, "By no means, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean." And the voice came to him again a second time, "What God has made clean, do not call common." This happened three times, and the thing was taken up at once to heaven.
(Act 10:9-16 ESV)

Peter separates himself from distractions and goes to the rooftop where he would not be disturbed so that he could pray.  It was in prayer that God’s specific instructions came to Cornelius the day prior.  We see God doing a work at both end of the lines in both individuals and the conduit of that work in both instances is prayer.

As they pray, divine communication comes to both Cornelius and Peter preparing them both for a divine appointment.  As Cornelius prays, an angel is the means of communication.  As Peter prays, a vision is the means of communication.  The means of the communication differ, but prayer is the common ground or the conduit of the communication.  Beloved, the resources of heaven are open to us through prayer and it is in prayer that we will be prepared for what is ahead of us. 

I wonder how many appointments we miss and how much preparation in us we forfeit in neglecting to separate ourselves for times of prayer.  Prayer needs to be a part of our life and the Holy Spirit will lead us into those times of separation from distractions that we need in order to be prepared for what is ahead of us as we follow Christ and continue His point of need ministry.  May God give us much sensitivity to the leading of the Holy Spirit and a desire to separate ourselves from the distractions of our day to spend time in prayer.

The vision that comes to Peter rattles the core of what he has been taught and what he has practiced all of his life.  The orthodox Jew adhered to strict food laws as outlined in Leviticus 11:2-47 of the Old Testament.  These food laws were given under the old covenant in order to separate the Jews and make them different from the world around them.  But, Jesus said that He came to fulfill the old covenant.  Now beloved, we have been given a better covenant through Jesus Christ.  We see in reading the Old Testament how the old points to the new, but we no longer live in the old as we are active participants in the new.

No doubt Peter heard the teaching of Jesus firsthand when He declared all foods clean and told them that it was not what went into a persons mouth that defiled (Mark 7:14-23).  But it’s hard to stop in an instance what one has been practicing for a lifetime, so Peter needed further preparation.  To emphasize the instruction, Peter is given the vision, not once or twice, but three times.

Peter recognized the instruction coming from Jesus as we see in his response of “By no means, Lord”, but his reaction is a contradiction.  How can you call Jesus “Lord”, but do not do what He says.  This is the reaction that still keeps many people from following Jesus. Peter is having a hard time letting go of tradition and what he has practiced all of his life.  As we will learn further in the tenth chapter of Acts, Peter will eventually see that Jesus was showing him that He does not favor one group of people over another.  He created and loves ALL people and there is no room for discrimination in the Kingdom of God. 

May we be quick to let go of traditions and those things that we have practiced all of our life responding in total obedience to Jesus as He prepares us to continue His point of need ministry in our day.  He will give us direction, preparing us for ministry opportunities ahead of us, as we pray.  But we must let go of all that hinders.
 
Click and check out our verse by verse Bible study in the book of Acts.

Know that you are loved,

@PastorGreg
Founder
www.LovingGodFellowship.org