A Reason for Repentance

While Peter was staying in the house of Simon, the tanner of Joppa, a man so different from him was praying in a town up the coast.  The man who was praying lived in Caesarea and was named Cornelius.  Many things made Cornelius different from Peter, but the main thing which made him different from this Jewish Christian was the fact that he was a Gentile.  Even a casual reader of Scripture quickly learns that in the Hebrew mind of that first century there were two kinds of people.  There were Jews who were God's chosen and there were other folks who were lumped together as Gentiles.  Jews and Gentiles did not mix. 

 

While Peter was resting in Joppa, Cornelius, the centurion of the Italian Cohort, was praying.  As he was praying an angel of the Lord appeared in a vision telling him to send men to Joppa for one called Peter who was staying at the home of Simon, the tanner.  What Cornelius heard from the Lord was a very specific Word.  There was nothing vague about it.  He was told to do something and he did it. Unlike some might do, he did not talk it over with friends, or check it out for credibility with his spiritual leader, instead, he just up and did what he heard the Lord telling him to do.

 

There are times when it might be true that we cease hearing a Word from the Lord because He has spoken to us and we failed to act on what we heard.  Perhaps, it has happened often enough, that the Lord is tempted to think, "Why speak again.  It makes no difference."  Maybe what we have heard lacks the specifics of what Cornelius heard, but it was specific enough that we knew the Word was directed to us from the Lord.  If we are not hearing the Voice of the Lord in these days, going back to the last time we did hear might be the place to go.  While visiting that memory, we are likely to find a reason for repentance.