In Caesarea there lived a Roman army officer, Cornelius, a captain of an Italian regiment. He was a godly man, deeply reverent, as was his entire household. He gave generously to charity and was a man of prayer. While wide awake one afternoon he had a vision - it was about three o'clock - and in this vision he saw an angel of God coming toward him. "Cornelius!" the angel said. Cornelius stared at him in terror. "What do you want, sir?" he asked the angel. And the angel replied, "Your prayers and charities have not gone unnoticed by God! Now send some men to Joppa to find a man named Simon Peter, who is staying with Simon, the tanner, down by the shore, and ask him to come and visit you."

   As soon as the angel was gone, Cornelius called two of his household servants and a godly soldier, one of his personal bodyguards, and told them what had happened and sent them off to Joppa.

   The next day, as they were nearing the city, Peter went up on the flat roof of his house to pray. It was noon and he was hungry, but while lunch was being prepared, he fell into a trance. He saw the sky open, and a great canvas sheet, suspended by its four corners, settle to the ground. In the sheet were all sorts of animals, snakes and birds [forbidden to the Jews for food]. Then a voice said to him, "Go kill and eat any of them you wish."

   "Never, Lord," Peter declared, "I have never in all my life eaten such creatures, for they are forbidden by our Jewish laws." The voice spoke again, "Don't contradict God! If He says something is kosher, then it is." The same vision was repeated three times. Then the sheet was pulled up again to heaven. Peter was very perplexed. What could the vision mean? What was he supposed to do?

   Just then the men sent by Cornelius had found the house and were standing outside at the gate, inquiring whether this was the place where Simon Peter lived! Meanwhile, as Peter was puzzling over the vision, the Holy Spirit said to him, "Three men have come to see you. Go down and meet them and go with them. All is well, I have sent them." So Peter went down. "I'm the man you're looking for," he said. "Now what is it you want?" To be continued.

Taken from Acts 10, The Living Bible. For free Lifescope book, write to Box 1575,
Carlsbad, NM 88221. Please send $1.00 for postage and handling.