Divine Appointment

Acts 10:9-23 

About noon the following day as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray. 10 He became hungry and wanted something to eat, and while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance. 11 He saw heaven opened and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners. 12 It contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles and birds. 13 Then a voice told him, “Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.” 14 “Surely not, Lord!” Peter replied. “I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.” 15 The voice spoke to him a second time, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.” 16 This happened three times, and immediately the sheet was taken back to heaven.

17 While Peter was wondering about the meaning of the vision, the men sent by Cornelius found out where Simon’s house was and stopped at the gate. 18 They called out, asking if Simon who was known as Peter was staying there.

19 While Peter was still thinking about the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Simon, three men are looking for you. 20 So get up and go downstairs. Do not hesitate to go with them, for I have sent them.” 21 Peter went down and said to the men, “I’m the one you’re looking for. Why have you come?” 22 The men replied, “We have come from Cornelius the centurion. He is a righteous and God-fearing man, who is respected by all the Jewish people. A holy angel told him to ask you to come to his house so that he could hear what you have to say.” 23 Then Peter invited the men into the house to be his guests.

King Saul

In 1 Samuel 15:18-22, Prophet Samuel reprimanded, he rebuked King Saul.

18 And he sent you on a mission, saying, ‘Go and completely destroy those wicked people, the Amalekites; wage war against them until you have wiped them out.’ 19 Why did you not obey the Lord? Why did you pounce on the plunder and do evil in the eyes of the Lord?”

20 “But I did obey the Lord,” Saul said. “I went on the mission the Lord assigned me. I completely destroyed the Amalekites and brought back Agag their king. 21 The soldiers took sheep and cattle from the plunder, the best of what was devoted to God, in order to sacrifice them to the Lord your God at Gilgal.”

22 But Samuel replied: “Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.

King Saul thought that to “completely destroy” is to kill everything but saved the best.

Like King Saul, we also misunderstood obeying God as serving God with our best effort. We want to sacrifice our time; we exert our best effort. We want to do this, we want to do that. We want to do a lot of activities; we want to be very busy in the ministry. We have to do something for the Lord to show our obedience to God.

We do not want to be seen as negligent, slack, or sloppy Christians. Little did we know that we actually disobey God’s commands when we do things on our own.

In Psalms 46:10 it says, 10 He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” 

We misunderstood obedience to God’s commands as doing something for Him on our own. In our witnessing adventure, we are supposed to wait as God prepares and then we respond.

Peter was praying while God was preparing for witnessing opportunities.

1.  Preparation

About noon the following day as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray. 10 He became hungry and wanted something to eat, and while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance. 11 He saw heaven opened and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners. 12 It contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles and birds. 13 Then a voice told him, “Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.”

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

The Lord made the first step in the divine appointment between Cornelius and Peter. God sent His angel to tell Cornelius to send his men to bring back Peter from Joppa. Peter had no idea but God showed him a vision to prepare him to meet Cornelius. The meeting of Peter and Cornelius was made possible by God despite the cultural differences between them.

Jewish people and Gentiles were not supposed to socialize or associate with each other. Since Cornelius was a person of authority, his invitation of Peter included a special dinner. Dining with Gentiles was not acceptable; it’s a no, no in the Jewish culture. Gentiles were considered unclean by the Jews; Jews should not mingle with Gentiles.

Three times, it was shown and explained to Peter that God has made Cornelius clean.

15 The voice spoke to him a second time, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.” 16 This happened three times, and immediately the sheet was taken back to heaven.

Intentionally or unintentionally, we Christian are also very selective when we share the gospel. We chose to share the gospel to people of the same social class who are less intimidating. We chose to witness not to people of other upbringing but of the same language and culture.

We can be like Peter who would not contemplate on witnessing to particular group of people. We need to be told three times; we need a divine appointment because we don’t like rejection. Many times, the result of our witnessing efforts is very discouraging. Was it because God rejects our methods, ways or means of witnessing?

When it’s a divine appointment, God’s at work; there is excitement, willingness, no hesitation. There’s eagerness to tell about Jesus to the person God has prepared for us to witness to.

Pray for Relatives

When we were in China, we challenged our children to pray regularly for their cousins. When we were back in the Philippines, I offered to my sister: “Let your children stay in our home so that you will not worry about their rent and food while they study in college.”

God used the idea of not to be burdened with food and rent to convince my sister.

Studying in Baguio City was also very attractive to my nephews. In God’s right timing, our children personally shared the gospel to their cousins. Eventually, their cousins were involved in the music ministry like our children.

Sharing the gospel to relatives is one of the harder and tougher experiences in witnessing. Pray regularly for a particular relative here in Winnipeg or those who are future immigrants. Regularly pray for a friend, classmate, officemate, neighbor and wait for a divine appointment.

Earn your treasures in heaven by praying regularly for somebody close or precious to you. When the time is ripe, when the divine appointment has come, there will be no difficulty in persuading the person to believe. There will also be no struggle on your part to go and witness to the person for sure.

In God’s timing, you will be persuaded that it’s the right time for you to tell about the gospel.

2.  Persuasion

17 While Peter was wondering about the meaning of the vision, the men sent by Cornelius found out where Simon’s house was and stopped at the gate. 18 They called out, asking if Simon who was known as Peter was staying there.

When Peter saw the vision he was hungry at that time. God effectively used Peter’s hunger experience to get his attention and to teach him.

That is another example why God allows us to experience uncomfortable situation sometimes to get our attention and for us to focus our attention to Him.

There are many things we do not understand about the ways of the Lord. When we do not know something, it should lead us to continue asking for help from the Lord. Take note: When God allows us to experience difficulties, there is a lesson God wants us to learn; we need to be still, pray, and ask God to help us understand His ways.

There was, for sure, hesitation on the part of Peter to share the good news to the Gentiles. If he was willing to share the gospel to the Gentiles, his hesitation might be prompted probably by what other Jewish believers might say to him if he associated with Gentiles. Peter’s hesitation was an effect, a by-product of cultural realities. He sure would be criticized if he enters the home of the Gentiles much more to eat with them.

19 While Peter was still thinking about the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Simon, three men are looking for you. 20 So get up and go downstairs. Do not hesitate to go with them, for I have sent them.” 21 Peter went down and said to the men, “I’m the one you’re looking for. Why have you come?” 22 The men replied, “We have come from Cornelius the centurion. He is a righteous and God-fearing man, who is respected by all the Jewish people. A holy angel told him to ask you to come to his house so that he could hear what you have to say.” 23 Then Peter invited the men into the house to be his guests.

Gentiles as guests in a Jewish home were detestable; not acceptable to Jewish culture. Peter did not hesitate; he was more persuaded to accommodate his Gentile guests. He was aware of his Jewish culture but the word of the Lord was more compelling. No hesitation, no prejudice, no racism can stop when God is at work.

Donald Sterling

Donald Sterling, owner of Los Angeles Clippers, was recorded in his racist remarks. His racist remarks were made public and triggered the fight between him and NBA.

One Sunday, he attended a predominantly black church service in Los Angeles.

Sterling told KNBC-TV that he went to Praises of Zion Missionary Baptist Church to support the church and said the service was “beautiful.”

The station said the church’s pastor met Sterling recently and invited him to worship with the congregation.

Sterling received a warm welcome and Pastor J. Benjamin Hardwick told him the congregation was praying for him.

The predominantly black church who invited Sterling to their worship service had shown a great example of how Christians should welcome anybody.

Anybody can be easily persuaded to dislike anyone who is considered a racist. Prejudice against a racist person is actually, another form of racism; it’s racism against racist.

From our passage, the Lord anticipated the hesitation of Peter to entertain Gentiles. The hesitation of Peter to mingle with Gentiles was triggered by Jewish practices and culture of not socializing or associating with Gentiles. Peter was persuaded anyway; he was compelled by the word of the Lord not to hesitate.

Personally, what causes us to hesitate and not to witness to a potential believer? Is there hesitation, prejudice, or fear on our part? Is it because we did not hear any clear go signal from God-the divine appointment?

Effective and fruitful witnessing is a result of divine appointment not of human effort. Peter experienced hunger when he saw the vision as preparation for divine appointment.

What difficulty, what struggle are you experiencing now?

God might be telling you something. Be prayerful like Peter; God is about to take away your hesitation to be a witness to the person He has prepared for your divine appointment.

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