April 28 at sundown - Day 29
Today is day 29 of counting the Omer
Today is day 29 out of Egypt
Today is day 29 of Messiah Resurrected
Everyone Belongs in the Family of God (Acts 10:1-48)
The Centurion’s Vision
1 Now in Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion of what was called the Italian Cohort.
2 He was a devout man, revering God with all his household. He gave tzedakah generously to the people and prayed to God continually.
3 About the ninth hour of the day, he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God coming and saying to him, “Cornelius!”
4 He stared at him in terror and said, “What is it, Lord?” The angel said to him, “Your prayers and tzedakah have gone up as a memorial offering before God.
5 Now send men to Joppa and call for Simon, also named Peter.
6 He is being entertained as a guest by Simon the tanner, whose house is beside the sea.”
7 When the angel speaking to him had left, he called two of his servants and a soldier from among those attached to his command.
8 After he explained everything to them, he sent them to Joppa.
Peter’s Vision
9 The next day, as the soldiers were traveling and approaching the city, Peter went up to the rooftop to pray, at about the sixth hour.
10 Now he became very hungry and wanted to eat; but while they were preparing something, he fell into a trance.
11 He saw the heavens opened, and something like a great sheet coming down, lowered by its four corners to the earth.
12 In it were all sorts of four-footed animals and reptiles and birds of the air.
13 A voice came to him, “Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.”
14 But Peter said, “Certainly not, Lord! For never have I eaten anything unholy or unclean.”
15 Again a voice came to him, a second time: “What God has made clean, you must not consider unholy.”
16 This happened three times, and the sheet was immediately taken up to heaven.
17 Now while Peter was puzzling about what the vision he had seen might mean, behold, the men sent by Cornelius found Simon’s house and appeared before the gate.
18 They called out and began to ask whether Simon, also called Peter, was staying in this place as a guest.
19 Now while Peter was mulling over the vision, the Ruach said to him, “Look here, three men are looking for you.
20 But get up, go downstairs, and go with them without hesitating, because I Myself have sent them.”
21 Going down to the men, Peter said, “Here, I’m the one you’re looking for. What is the reason for your coming?”
22 And they said, “Cornelius, a centurion, a righteous and God-fearing man well-spoken of by all the Jewish people, was directed by a holy angel to summon you to his house and to hear a message from you.”
23 So Peter invited them in to be his guests. The next day he got up and went with them, and some of the brothers from Joppa accompanied him.
Peter Goes to Cornelius
24 The following day he entered Caesarea. Cornelius was waiting for them and had called together his relatives and close friends.
25 As Peter entered, Cornelius met him and fell down at his feet and worshiped him.
26 But Peter pulled him up, saying, “Stand up! I too am just a man.”
27 Talking with him, Peter went inside and found many people gathered.
28 He said to them, “You yourselves know that it is not permitted for a Jewish man to associate with a non-Jew or to visit him. Yet God has shown me that I should call no one unholy or unclean.
29 So I came without objection when I was sent for. I ask, then, what is the reason why you sent for me?”
30 Cornelius declared, “Four days ago at this hour, I was praying minchah in my house. Suddenly, a man stood in front of me in shining clothes.
31 He says, ‘Cornelius, your prayer has been heard and your tzedakah remembered before God.
32 Therefore send to Joppa and ask for Simon, who is also called Peter. He is staying in the house of Simon the tanner, by the sea.’
33 So I sent for you immediately, and you have been kind enough to come. Now then, we are all here before God to hear all that you have been commanded by the Lord.”
34 Then Peter opened his mouth and said, “I truly understand that God is not one to show favoritism,
35 but in every nation the one who fears Him and does what is right is acceptable to Him.
36 You know the message He sent to Bnei-Yisrael, proclaiming shalom through Messiah Yeshua —He is Lord of all.
37 You know the message that has spread throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee after the immersion that John proclaimed.
38 You know how God anointed Yeshua of Natzeret with the Ruach ha-Kodesh and power—how He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, because God was with Him.
39 We are witnesses to all He did, both in the Judean countryside and in Jerusalem. They put Him to death by hanging Him on a tree,
40 but God raised Him up on the third day and caused Him to be visible—
18 They called out and began to ask whether Simon, also called Peter, was staying in this place as a guest.
19 Now while Peter was mulling over the vision, the Ruach said to him, “Look here, three men are looking for you.
20 But get up, go downstairs, and go with them without hesitating, because I Myself have sent them.”
21 Going down to the men, Peter said, “Here, I’m the one you’re looking for. What is the reason for your coming?”
22 And they said, “Cornelius, a centurion, a righteous and God-fearing man well-spoken of by all the Jewish people, was directed by a holy angel to summon you to his house and to hear a message from you.”
23 So Peter invited them in to be his guests. The next day he got up and went with them, and some of the brothers from Joppa accompanied him.
Peter Goes to Cornelius
24 The following day he entered Caesarea. Cornelius was waiting for them and had called together his relatives and close friends.
25 As Peter entered, Cornelius met him and fell down at his feet and worshiped him.
26 But Peter pulled him up, saying, “Stand up! I too am just a man.”
27 Talking with him, Peter went inside and found many people gathered.
28 He said to them, “You yourselves know that it is not permitted for a Jewish man to associate with a non-Jew or to visit him. Yet God has shown me that I should call no one unholy or unclean.
29 So I came without objection when I was sent for. I ask, then, what is the reason why you sent for me?”
30 Cornelius declared, “Four days ago at this hour, I was praying minchah in my house. Suddenly, a man stood in front of me in shining clothes.
31 He says, ‘Cornelius, your prayer has been heard and your tzedakah remembered before God.
32 Therefore send to Joppa and ask for Simon, who is also called Peter. He is staying in the house of Simon the tanner, by the sea.’
33 So I sent for you immediately, and you have been kind enough to come. Now then, we are all here before God to hear all that you have been commanded by the Lord.”
34 Then Peter opened his mouth and said, “I truly understand that God is not one to show favoritism,
35 but in every nation the one who fears Him and does what is right is acceptable to Him.
36 You know the message He sent to Bnei-Yisrael, proclaiming shalom through Messiah Yeshua —He is Lord of all.
37 You know the message that has spread throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee after the immersion that John proclaimed.
38 You know how God anointed Yeshua of Natzeret with the Ruach ha-Kodesh and power—how He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, because God was with Him.
39 We are witnesses to all He did, both in the Judean countryside and in Jerusalem. They put Him to death by hanging Him on a tree,
40 but God raised Him up on the third day and caused Him to be visible—
41 not to all the people, but to us, witnesses who were chosen beforehand by God. We ate and drank with Him after He rose from the dead.
42 And He commanded us to proclaim to the people and to testify that He is the One ordained by God as Judge of the living and the dead.
43 All the prophets testify about Him—that everyone who puts his trust in Him receives forgiveness of sins through His name.”
The Ruach Falls on the Gentiles
44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Ruach ha-Kodesh fell on all those hearing the message.
45 All the circumcised believers who came with Peter were astonished, because the gift of the Ruach ha-Kodesh had been poured out even on the Gentiles.
46 For they were hearing them speaking in tongues and magnifying God. Then Peter answered, 47 “Can anyone refuse water for these to be immersed, who have received the Ruach ha- Kodesh just as we did?”
48 So he commanded them to be immersed in the name of Messiah Yeshua. Then they asked him to stay for a few days.
Reflect:
Cornelius was a man who feared the God of Israel. He was considered righteous by the Jews, devout, reverent, and generous. By birthright he was a Roman, but somehow seeing the Jewish people worship their God had touched him deeply and stirred his heart. He moved towards God, and God saw what was in his heart and responded. What God did through Cornelius’ acts of faith forever changed the kingdom; the disciples realized that Yeshua wasn’t just for the Jewish people—Yeshua was for everybody! This is an important part of who we are at Restoration. Jews are Jews, Gentiles are Gentiles, and everyone belongs in the family of God. Everyone. You don’t need a birthright or special distinction. All you need is Yeshua. This is a simple message that we need to share with all who will hear it.
Prayer: Lord, I want to know more about You. Speak to me like You did to Cornelius. I want to hear from You. Teach Restoration in this season to lead people to know and follow Yeshua. In Yeshua’s name, amen.
42 And He commanded us to proclaim to the people and to testify that He is the One ordained by God as Judge of the living and the dead.
43 All the prophets testify about Him—that everyone who puts his trust in Him receives forgiveness of sins through His name.”
The Ruach Falls on the Gentiles
44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Ruach ha-Kodesh fell on all those hearing the message.
45 All the circumcised believers who came with Peter were astonished, because the gift of the Ruach ha-Kodesh had been poured out even on the Gentiles.
46 For they were hearing them speaking in tongues and magnifying God. Then Peter answered, 47 “Can anyone refuse water for these to be immersed, who have received the Ruach ha- Kodesh just as we did?”
48 So he commanded them to be immersed in the name of Messiah Yeshua. Then they asked him to stay for a few days.
Reflect:
Cornelius was a man who feared the God of Israel. He was considered righteous by the Jews, devout, reverent, and generous. By birthright he was a Roman, but somehow seeing the Jewish people worship their God had touched him deeply and stirred his heart. He moved towards God, and God saw what was in his heart and responded. What God did through Cornelius’ acts of faith forever changed the kingdom; the disciples realized that Yeshua wasn’t just for the Jewish people—Yeshua was for everybody! This is an important part of who we are at Restoration. Jews are Jews, Gentiles are Gentiles, and everyone belongs in the family of God. Everyone. You don’t need a birthright or special distinction. All you need is Yeshua. This is a simple message that we need to share with all who will hear it.
Prayer: Lord, I want to know more about You. Speak to me like You did to Cornelius. I want to hear from You. Teach Restoration in this season to lead people to know and follow Yeshua. In Yeshua’s name, amen.
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At Restoration, we have made it a priority to seek God first in prayer. During this season of counting of the Omer, we have decided to do this collectively as a congregation in the days leading up to Shavuot. Together, we want to trust in His power to impact our lives, our congregation, our city, and our world. The last 10 days we will encourage a corporate time of fasting and prayer, which starts the evening of May 9 and ends the evening of May 19. The conclusion of this season of prayer will culminate in a congregational picnic on the 50th day, the day of Shavuot - Sunday, May 20 at noon.
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