April 29, 2015 (Wednesday)
Tonight at Bethel Baptist Church, Ingleside, we resume our study of the Bible Book of Acts. Saul has been converted but has been living in his home town of Tarsus. The focus is once again on the Apostle Peter, who is seen in Lydda and Joppa, healing a man and raising a woman to life from the dead. While at Joppa, he has a vision of many unclean animals lowered from heaven in a sheet, and he hears the command, “Rise and eat,” to which he replies, “No, I’ve never eaten unclean animals.” He then hears God say, “What I have cleansed, do not call unclean.” Peter then hears a knock at the door, and receives an urgent message to go to the house of Cornelius, a Roman Military officer, and help him with his spiritual needs.
The next day Peter and some of the believers from Joppa went to Caesarea to visit Corneilius, who had called together his relatives and friends. Cornelius related how an angel had appeared to him as he prayed, telling him to call Peter, who would give him a message from God. 
Peter then began to tell them about Jesus, and as he spoke, “the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message. The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on Gentiles. For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God. Then Peter said, “Surely no one can stand in the way of their being baptized with water. They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have.” So he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked Peter to stay with them for a few days (Acts 10:44-48 NIV). Peter then went to Jerusalem and explained to the apostles and the Jerusalem believers about his preaching the gospel to Gentiles, relating his entire experience from the vision at Joppa to the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the Gentiles at Caesarea as they believed, and how they were then baptized. When the apostles and other believers had heard Peter, they praised God, saying, “So then, even to Gentiles God has granted repentance that leads to life” (Acts 11:18 NIV).