Acts 10:9-16 - Peter's vision

In Acts 10:9-16, the scene now shifts to Peter. This is now the day after Cornelius had his vision. Being a devout Jew, Peter went up to the rooftop of Simon's house to pray. Although midday was not an appointed time for  prayer, he did it anyway.

There's something above the gift of prayer. It's a God-given exercise for us to touch heaven. The day God gave us this means to connect with Him, He had indicated that life and ministry is a collaboration between Him and us. For without God we cannot, but without us, God will not. Hence we must make time for prayer.

By going up to the rooftop, Peter had some privacy. Peter must have become hungry for it was time for lunch, and because he was in prayer, the meal was delayed. While in prayer, he was caught up in a divine trance. It was as if he was having a dream and he could see everything vividly.

In his divine trance, he was amazed when the heaven opened up and a a sheet,  much like a huge sheet of canvas, came down. On it were strange creatures. And mysteriously, he was command by the Lord, "to rise, kill and eat." What Peter saw were all kinds of four-footed unclean creatures of  reptiles and birds.

Being a Jew who was conscious of what the Jewish law demands, he blatantly responded, saying, "“By no means, Lord, for I have never eaten anything unholy and unclean."  

The divine picture appeared again a second time, and this time the voice said something that would forever etched into his conscious mind. It said, “What God has cleansed, no longer consider unholy.” The word unholy here was making reference to the Gentiles,  whom Peter would soon to realize, the reason for the heavenly trance.

What happened to Peter took place a third time. In all he experienced the whole act three times, declaring the mark of divine certainty. How does  Peter's divine vision apply to us today?

Like Peter, we could have prejudice against certain people because we have heard something about them. Although we know nothing about them personally, we very quickly bundle them as unclean things.

There is none in this life that can claim no impurity in his or her life. We should never prejudge and write off anyone just because of different practices.  

Like Peter, we may develop an unkind attitude toward others, while seemed to be in connection with God. Notice that Peter was in prayer when he said no to the Lord.  One could have a perfect attitude toward God but a disgusting one toward the world. Not that we must be like the world, but we must have an attitude that would make us want to reach them.

We must allow God to change us so that we can have a proper orientation and attitude toward the world and others. This would then make it easier for us to want to reach them for Christ.