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In Acts 10, three men are on their way to meet the apostle Peter, who is waiting before God in prayer, not realising what dramatic events are about to happen.

At that time, the Jews thought of everyone who was not a Jew as common or unclean. Peter had to unlearn what his theology and church and tradition had taught him. To unlearn is almost harder than learning something. This is seldom an easy thing to do.

Have we things to unlearn? Are we holding to prejudices from which God wishes to deliver us and set us free? The Holy Spirit falls upon Peter to perform a new work in his heart. God has more for Peter to do, just as God has more and more for us. Both Cornelius and Peter need a vision to put right what was wrong.

Verse 11. Peter sees heaven opened, and something like a great white sheet descends, and in this sheet is every kind of animal and beast. Then, a voice comes - "Peter, get up and kill and eat." Now Peter sees all the creatures he has been told never to touch, and he says, "NO, LORD". What a contradiction in terms. His response is - "Never. No. I've never touched them in the past and I'm not touching them now. You'll never get me doing that, Lord."

Three times this was done. He takes so long to learn the lesson. We too can be slow to learn important lessons, and if we do not learn them first time round, we have to re-sit the test. (Like a driving test - fail it and you have to re-sit it - if you wish to drive.)

Jesus Christ was to be available for everyone and to everyone, but so far, the Jews were going to keep Jesus to themselves. Peter had to meet God in a new way. He had to be open to receive fresh revelation. If it had not been for this vision - if it had not been for this ministry of the Holy Spirit, we might never have tasted the mercy and forgiveness and love of Jesus Christ. We might never have heard that Jesus Christ was the Saviour - crucified and risen.

In verse 17, Peter is wondering what this is all about. We never know at the time just what is involved when God begins to move in a new way. The Holy Spirit spoke - "Three men are looking for you - arise - go down - do not hesitate - I HAVE SENT THEM. What words - powerful - reassuring - confirming. This is as radical and revolutionary as what happened to Saul in Chapter 9.

Verse 21. Peter goes down and says, "I am the one you are looking for. Why have you come?" He is so cautious. There is a hint of - "Why have you come HERE?" Why are you bothering ME? They explain that they have come from Cornelius the centurion. A holy angel told him that you are to come to his house so that he could hear what you have to say.

A Roman army officer - a man with secular authority - wants to hear what you, the man of God, has to say. If someone in our country were to send at this time for a man of God - to hear what he has to say regarding what is going on in our nation - for whom would he send?

Peter invites these three men in. Up to this point there has been a barrier dividing them. There had been a wall separating and dividing Jew from Gentile. In the Temple there was a physical wall, but through Jesus, God is melting that barrier. He is beginning to breathe the Holy Spirit so that that wall will disappear and vanish.

Doors that have been closed have to be unlocked and opened. Jesus is now going to use Peter to break down barriers and unlock doors so that anyone can come to Christ and be washed and forgiven and anointed with the power of The Holy Spirit.

Today - anyone can come to Jesus Christ and be washed in His Blood - and bathed in His Love - and anyone can come and ask for the Holy Spirit and be anointed and empowered and saturated with the Spirit of God. Jesus is to become available to everyone. Here is where all this began to happen.

"Point of Reference" from Fred Price

A Broken Spirit And Contrite Heart