– Today’s Community Scripture – 6/10/2025

Peter’s Vision Pt. 1

There was a man named Cornelius who lived in Caesarea, captain of the Italian Guard stationed there. He was a thoroughly good man. He had led everyone in his house to live worshipfully before God, was always helping people in need, and had the habit of prayer. One day about three o’clock in the afternoon he had a vision. An angel of God, as real as his next-door neighbor, came in and said, “Cornelius.” Cornelius stared hard, wondering if he was seeing things. Then he said, “What do you want, sir?” The angel said, “Your prayers and neighborly acts have brought you to God’s attention. Here’s what you are to do. Send men to Joppa to get Simon, the one everyone calls Peter. He is staying with Simon the Tanner, whose house is down by the sea.” As soon as the angel was gone, Cornelius called two servants and one particularly devout soldier from the guard. He went over with them in great detail everything that had just happened, and then sent them off to Joppa.

                          Acts 10:1–8 (MSG)

– Reflection:

There are aspects of the Bible that we humans today struggle to believe in. Everything must be something we can feel and touch, or if it is being spoken, we need to know where the words are coming from. Cornelius needed none of that; his faith was so strong that when he heard the angel’s voice, he responded immediately. As much as I immerse myself in my Bible, I too have begun to believe in the stories within it. So much so that I truly believe these events occurred and are not just words on a page. To believe in something that remains untouchable for some can seem foolish, crazy, or off-putting. Cornelius did, and he sent three men to Joppa to get Peter because an angel from GOD instructed him to do so.

– Where do we go from here?

Cornelius acted on the first word from an angel of God. We typically need to know everything before we will even allow someone to borrow $20. We want to know why they need it, what it will be used for, and when we will get it back, etc. He needed none of that; the angel spoke, and he responded. Shouldn’t we be more like Cornelius? I know God has our best interests in mind when He speaks, but the world is so tainted today that no one but true believers is listening to or for what God is saying to us. Let’s get back to honoring our Father by accepting His Son, Jesus Christ, as our Lord and Savior. There is a second part to this, so stay tuned for more on this act.

– Our Prayer for Today

Father, thank you for creating us in your image. We are so far from who you intended us to be. Allow us to be simpler in our hearts so that we may once again believe you are the head of our lives and the world. Amen.