Acts 10
3 One afternoon at about three o’clock,[a] Cornelius had a vision. He saw an angel from God coming to him and calling him by name. 4 Cornelius was surprised and stared at the angel. Then he asked, “What is this all about?”
The angel answered, “God has heard your prayers and knows about your gifts to the poor. 5 Now send some men to Joppa for a man named Simon Peter. 6 He is visiting with Simon the leather maker, who lives in a house near the sea.” 7 After saying this, the angel left.
Cornelius called in two of his servants and one of his soldiers who worshiped God. 8 He explained everything to them and sent them off to Joppa.
9 The next day about noon these men were coming near Joppa. Peter went up on the roof[b] of the house to pray 10 and became very hungry. While the food was being prepared, he fell sound asleep and had a vision. 11 He saw heaven open, and something came down like a huge sheet held up by its four corners. 12 In it were all kinds of animals, snakes, and birds. 13 A voice said to him, “Peter, get up! Kill these and eat them.”
14 But Peter said, “Lord, I can’t do that! I’ve never eaten anything that is unclean and not fit to eat.”[c]
15 The voice spoke to him again, “When God says that something can be used for food, don’t say it isn’t fit to eat.”
16 This happened three times before the sheet was suddenly taken back to heaven.
17 Peter was still wondering what all of this meant, when the men sent by Cornelius came and stood at the gate. They had found their way to Simon’s house 18 and were asking if Simon Peter was staying there.
19 While Peter was still thinking about the vision, the Holy Spirit said to him, “Three[d] men are here looking for you. 20 Hurry down and go with them. Don’t worry, I sent them.”
21 Peter went down and said to the men, “I am the one you are looking for. Why have you come?”
22 They answered, “Captain Cornelius sent us. He is a good man who worships God and is liked by the Jewish people. One of God’s holy angels told Cornelius to send for you, so he could hear what you have to say.” 23 Peter invited them to spend the night.
The next morning, Peter and some of the Lord’s followers in Joppa left with the men who had come from Cornelius. 24 The next day they arrived in Caesarea where Cornelius was waiting for them. He had also invited his relatives and close friends.
25 When Peter arrived, Cornelius greeted him. Then he knelt at Peter’s feet and started worshiping him. 26 But Peter took hold of him and said, “Stand up! I am nothing more than a human.”
27 As Peter entered the house, he was still talking with Cornelius. Many people were there, 28 and Peter said to them, “You know that we Jews are not allowed to have anything to do with other people. But God has shown me that he doesn’t think anyone is unclean or unfit. 29 I agreed to come here, but I want to know why you sent for me.”
30 Cornelius answered:
Four days ago at about three o’clock in the afternoon I was praying at home. Suddenly a man in bright clothes stood in front of me. 31 He said, “Cornelius, God has heard your prayers, and he knows about your gifts to the poor. 32 Now send to Joppa for Simon Peter. He is visiting in the home of Simon the leather maker, who lives near the sea.”
33 I sent for you right away, and you have been good enough to come. All of us are here in the presence of the Lord God, so that we can hear what he has to say.
34 Peter then said:
Now I am certain that God treats all people alike. 35 God is pleased with everyone who worships him and does right, no matter what nation they come from. 36 This is the same message that God gave to the people of Israel, when he sent Jesus Christ, the Lord of all, to offer peace to them.
37 You surely know what happened[e] everywhere in Judea. It all began in Galilee after John had told everyone to be baptized. 38 God gave the Holy Spirit and power to Jesus from Nazareth. He was with Jesus, as he went around doing good and healing everyone who was under the power of the devil. 39 We all saw what Jesus did both in Israel and in the city of Jerusalem.
Jesus was put to death on a cross. 40 But three days later, God raised him to life and let him be seen. 41 Not everyone saw him. He was seen only by us, who ate and drank with him after he was raised from death. We were the ones God chose to tell others about him.
42 God told us to announce clearly to the people that Jesus is the one he has chosen to judge the living and the dead. 43 Every one of the prophets has said that all who have faith in Jesus will have their sins forgiven in his name.
44 While Peter was still speaking, the Holy Spirit took control of everyone who was listening. 45 Some Jewish followers of the Lord had come with Peter, and they were surprised that the Holy Spirit had been given to Gentiles. 46 Now they were hearing Gentiles speaking unknown languages and praising God.
Peter said, 47 “These Gentiles have been given the Holy Spirit, just as we have! I am certain that no one would dare stop us from baptizing them.” 48 Peter ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, and they asked him to stay on for a few days.
Richard: I take this to mean that God has chosen me and Stacey to spread the New Truth, God’s Word of the Completed Testament and the Blessing of marriage. Those who are open will understand that there is no need for church structures church of Hak Ja Han, nor Sanctuary Church, nor the movement of Hyun Jin Moon. Although these are all related to the ‘chosen people’ (the lineage of Rev. Sun Myung Moon), those who do the Will of the Father are those called and chosen, just as Jesus said (Matthew 12: 46-50)
Psalm 72
Do this because the king
rescues the homeless
when they cry out,
and he helps everyone
who is poor and in need.
Let Us Follow the Way of Jesus
Sun Myung Moon
April 26, 1959
Prayer
Father! Please remember this day and reveal the granted grace. Reveal through our hearts the granted movement of life. If You can, please grant the glory of resurrection to us, even though we have been disloyal.
Please rule over our minds and bodies. We have realized that although we have our minds, they are not ours; although we have bodies, they are not ours. Our minds seek the direction of goodness, yet our bodies seek the direction of evil. Hence, we know that You treat us with the understanding that we are struggling between the two and have not stepped outside the realm of Heaven’s lament. Father, You will have to have pity on us and give us the heavenly grace of life and the strong power of resurrection in our hearts.
Although the body tries to subjugate the mind, the heavenly will is for the mind to defeat the body and establish one victorious standard whereby the mind can eternally subjugate the body. We know that an inevitable battle lies before us in which we have to establish such a standard in ourselves.
Please allow us to feel that the wars that appear continuously before us are not to be feared. Let us feel that all the sorrows encountered in such combative circumstances are not as great as the sorrow caused by the fact that the mind is subjugated by the body in the struggle between them.
Father! Please arouse in us a strong heart and strong grace. We eagerly hope and pray that You will help our minds possess the power to subjugate our bodies. We know that unless we achieve a life centered on the mind, our lives cannot be resurrected. Thus, Father, our minds have to rise like lava.
Allow shock and ecstasy to envelop our bodies and our environments through the mind that faces life, the mind that encounters grace, the mind that can harmonize with the work of resurrection. Father, we eagerly hope and pray that You allow such a heavenly work of re-creation to appear in us.
Although our minds are infinitely soaring high toward Your glory, our bodies are infinitely exhausted and struggling. Father, please control this environment. Allow the joyful garden to appear soon before those whose bodies move in accordance with their minds. Beloved Father, we eagerly hope and desire that if there are such sons and daughters, they will be remembered eternally in history. Bless them so that they can dominate the earth and move Heaven.
We know that unless the people on earth realize a Kingdom of Heaven in their minds, they cannot form a Kingdom of Heaven based on the word. Unless they can achieve peace of heart, they cannot build a peaceful country. First, please allow us to restore deep in our minds the heart that can be highly inspired and delighted by You, the heart that can sing to You. We know that Heaven is longing for the one whose body moves and harmonizes with that mind.
Father, we have been fighting to become such people. Please allow us to restore the victorious image You desire through the heart that burns in the mind of each of us.
Please allow such people to gather at this time. Give us the ability to serve You with dedicated hearts and to remove all the elements that can be conditions for resentment. Beloved Father, we eagerly hope and pray that in this way You will allow Your victorious hands, which can more than dominate all, to stay near us. Please allow us to understand that unless we achieve the heavenly kingdom of the heart and of peace in ourselves, the glorious heavenly kingdom has nothing to do with us.