ACTS 10

In this famous housetop vision found here in Acts 10, the Holy Spirit pointedly challenged Peter and convicted him about his long-held erroneous views about the “others.” When he said “Not so…,” the Lord of the Harvest unequivocally rebuked him and said “… What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common” (v.15). This was reinforced three times. As bible students, it is not lost upon us that when something is repeated in Scripture, it is something that the good Lord is urgently attempting to get across to us and teach us. The church was never designed to be monocultural, dominated by one culture, ethnicity, or nationality.

Now we are told that when Peter first began to ruminate on the vision, he doubted in himself what this vision, which he had seen, should mean (v.17). Like so many of us when we are first introduced to different concepts and worldviews, our first inclination is to doubt. Peter just couldn’t believe that the Lord wanted him to see that no one should be classified as common or unclean and that being Jewish does not make you better or superior to anyone.

The Scripture strikingly reveals “While Peter thought on the vision, the Spirit said unto him, Behold three men seek thee. Arise therefore, and get thee down, and go with them, doubting nothing: for I have sent them” (vv 19,20). See here how we must think on the vision and reflect on it until further clarity and inspiration are given. It is imperative that we give thought to that which the Holy Spirit is seeking to convey to us. Grapple with it until further light and direction come.

We are reassured that the Spirit will speak if we listen. Sometimes, He wants us to rethink some things, to get rid of some preconceived notions. We must allow the Holy Spirit to redirect us, even if it seems radical and revolutionary. I am absolutely convinced that the Spirit knows what He is doing and how He wants this church to proceed in these last times. We should always keep in mind that one of the distinctives of the real church is that she is not led by the traditions and opinions of men. We will break with convention and long-established traditional patterns to follow Jesus.

God doesn’t always work like He used to. He sometimes does strange and innovative things. It was time for the church to move in a different direction, to open its borders to other cultures and nationalities, so in need of God’s saving grace as revealed in Christ. Peter got it! He said “. . . But God showed me…”(v.28). Has God shown you anything lately? What then are you doing about it? We must know what God has shown us and be guided only by that!