Missions Paul

Flexibility

Acts 10:14
“Surely not, Lord!” Peter replied. “I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.”

When God takes you on a new journey sometimes He has to extricate you from a firmly held pattern of behaviour or belief. Your willingness to let go and trust Him with the new is key.
Peter began with a NO. He was being a very good Jew.
How many non-negotiables do you have? The more you have (though clearly some are paramount) the harder it may be for you to move into new things.
Some of the conversations I enjoy the most are from older people who tell me how they have changed and had to change for God to continue to use them.
May our prayer be ‘God make me ever more pliable in your hands’

The offensive God

Acts 10:13

Then a voice told him, “Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.”

This voice came from within the trance. Hearing the voice of God is a lifetime of discovery. Some hear God every single day and for others not so. Some hear him speaking audibly with no trouble at all and some have never done so. However you think about that, what is true, is that a Christ follower knows (certainly at strategic times of their life) that God has told them something significant. It may come in various forms and places but what is constant is that they know. They know they have been told.

Without being cynical I have heard a lot of testimonies in my life from people ‘hearing a voice’ which has been for some prospering of their life. They are going to have a greater, bigger, better future. It is wonderful! Who knows how accurate their experience was, but they for a season were filled with hope.
I have not heard many testimonies from people where the voice has told them to do something that is counter cultural, or that is against their norm. Or that is quite frankly, offensive.

“Peter get up from your knees (presumably) and satisfy your hunger by killing and eating everything before you, yes, even the non-kosher food!” That was the voice. How could this be God?
But it was and Peter knew it was.

Never say, “God would never say that or do that”, how do you know?!!

Are we really hungry?

Acts 10:12
“It contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles of the earth and birds of the air.”

So here is a hungry man waiting for a meal to be prepared having a vision from God. From heaven comes a banquet of food. Perfect!
God will match your appetite. Peter is hungry and God has given what he longs for. Except ….
Ever been hungry and what is presented to you doesn’t look like food? The joys of missions!
There’s other kinds of hunger. Some people are hungry to be used of God. They want God to open doors for them. They want to see the world won for Jesus. Then when God says YES I will use you. When doors open what comes could be what they never expected. “God you don’t want me to do that, to go there, to speak to them?!’ Actually a prayer is not used, to ignore is the most common response or they see it as a move of the devil not God.
Now we understand a little of what hungry Peter is experiencing. Everything was on that blanket, even food that should never be eaten, Peter could quote Scriptures to prove it. This could not be God, but it was, this was God. God is confusing? NO, we are just locked in to prejudices, presumptions and preconditions. We need unlocking for what God wants to do with us.

The world on God’s heart

Acts 10: 11
He saw heaven opened and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners.

When heaven opens something always falls.
Sometimes it’s hard to know what God is bringing. It can be very surprising and it can even be offensive. But God will bring onto the scene all that He needs. He will use the most demonstrative of visual aids.
Peter wasn’t expecting a large sheet to fall. He could not have predicted why it had come. But when heaven opens what does come will be for Gods glory here on earth. Symbolised by the sheet being let down by the 4 corners, these 4 corners of the world reveal again the heart of God for His world.
Heaven opens and God sends something to reveal His love for the world. Do we want this? Do we want to be part of this? Be careful how you answer!

Distractions are not necessarily the enemy.
Acts 10: 10
“He became hungry and wanted something to eat, and while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance.”

I am sure readers of my daily blog are so much more holy than me. However I have to confess to being often distracted in prayer, just like Peter was. I am either distracted by an over active mind thinking of a million and one things that I need to do immediately or like Peter I am distracted by what will I eat next.
But see what happens. Whilst the meal is being prepared for Peter, he falls into a trance where God would begin to speak to him. How does God speak to Peter? We will find out but we already know, it was through food!
God has the ability and the desire to use the distractions of your life to work His will and purposes. What I am saying is that not even your distractions can stop God. He can use everything, even your groaning stomach!
So next time you are praying, just relax, you are with God, He is in control of everything, even the things that you think may be your enemies!

The positioning of God
Acts 10: 9
“About noon the following day as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray.”

Garry Kasparov, Robert Fischer and Anatoly Karpov are the only chess players I have heard of but they were the masters of it. Apparently one of the keys of chess is not to move the same piece twice in the first 7 moves as this wastes time. I need to remember that for my next game.
What I have come to know is that God is the master chess player! Let me explain …
About noon (at the time of prayer)
Peter was climbing the steps to the roof of the house to pray.
And at the same time Cornelius’ men were entering the city.
God had got it all set up for revelation and then salvation.
He had positioned all the pieces on the chess board accurately.
Friends, He has moved upon you and though you and He has moved you into the place you are in today. And equally He has moved others on the board of life to interact with you, to cross your paths, to engage in your journey.
You may wonder at where you are and what you are doing. But do not worry for today there is one higher than you who He is control of the board. He knows what He is doing.

Too much detail

I’ve just seen I have posted ‘Detail’ 5 times! Sorry about this! However, sometimes you need to repeat yourself for the person to fully understand you. ‘I’ve told you once and I am not going to repeat myself’ may result in you not getting what you need. There’s a lesson in everything!
From tomorrow I am overseas for 3 weeks so dependent on the Internet will determine when I can post a blog. But keep looking out as I will do my best.

Detail
Acts 10:8
“He told them everything that had happened and sent them to Joppa.”

Tell people the detail if you want them to journey for and with you.
People will work for you if they understand fully your story and why it is you are asking them for help.
Summaries are not enough.
Detail is everything.
You may by your position be able to tell people what to do. However, knowledge of why they are doing something is as important as doing it, for the why will motivate them even when it proves challenging.

Detail
Acts 10:8
“He told them everything that had happened and sent them to Joppa.”

Tell people the detail if you want them to journey for and with you.
People will work for you if they understand fully your story and why it is you are asking them for help.
Summaries are not enough.
Detail is everything.
You may by your position be able to tell people what to do. However, knowledge of why they are doing something is as important as doing it, for the why will motivate them even when it proves challenging.

Detail
Acts 10:8
“He told them everything that had happened and sent them to Joppa.”

Tell people the detail if you want them to journey for and with you.
People will work for you if they understand fully your story and why it is you are asking them for help.
Summaries are not enough.
Detail is everything.
You may by your position be able to tell people what to do. However, knowledge of why they are doing something is as important as doing it, for the why will motivate them even when it proves challenging.