Benedict Arnold to Billy Graham in 7.0 weeks

As I was planning on studying the Holy Spirit this week....the Holy Spirit has guided me to yet another Ah Ha moment.

  

Two weeks ago I was at a dinner and one of the speakers spoke of verses that were about the Holy Spirit.  I had messaged her and asked her if she would send me the references, she did and for the past 2 days I have written out the references and the scriptures.  BUT just like God..He takes me elsewhere. 

Acts 10:38 was one of the verses: 

 And you know that God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. Then Jesus went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.

 

I wanted to find out the context of this verse so I started my research of Gods word.  I went up a few verses to 34....

 Then Peter replied, “I see very clearly that God shows no favoritism.  In every nation He accepts those who fear Him and do what is right. 

So I now found out that Peter was speaking. Ok but why did Peter say, "God shows no favoritism"? 

Let's go up even further. 

Peter went up on the flat roof to pray. It was about noon,  and he was hungry. But while a meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance. He saw the sky open, and something like a large sheet was let down by its four corners.  In the sheet were all sorts of animals, reptiles, and birds.  Then a voice said to him, “Get up, Peter; kill and eat them.” “No, Lord,” Peter declared. “I have never eaten anything that our Jewish laws have declared impure and unclean."But the voice spoke again: “Do not call something unclean if God has made it clean.”  The same vision was repeated three times. Then the sheet was suddenly pulled up to heaven. Peter was very perplexed. What could the vision mean?

As I continued to read down back toward vs 38 

They arrived in Caesarea the following day. Cornelius was waiting for them and had called together his relatives and close friends.  As Peter entered his home, Cornelius fell at his feet and worshiped him.  But Peter pulled him up and said, “Stand up! I’m a human being just like you!”  So they talked together and went inside, where many others were assembled. Peter told them, “You know it is against our laws for a Jewish man to enter a Gentile home like this or to associate with you. BUT GOD has shown me that I should no longer think of anyone as impure or unclean". 

So what were my Ah Ha moments: 

Peter pulled Cornelius up as he fell at Peters feet and worshiped him...."stand up I am just a HUMAN just like you". Back in the day Peter would have been over Cornelius because as you see later in that verse Peter was a Jew and Cornelius was a Gentile. They did not associate. The Jews in their prideful behavior, were like the upper-class of today whose poop did not stink.  And the Gentiles were considered a lower class citizen.  

So why did Peter have the heart change? The vision....God clearly told Peter that "Do not call something unclean if God has made it clean".  Then Peter goes on to say "BUT GOD has shown me that I should no longer think of anyone as impure or unclean". 

The verses then go on to say: I see very clearly that God shows no favoritism.  In every nation He accepts those who fear Him and do what is right. 

Now why is this an Ah Ha moment because Peter denied Jesus 3 times right before Jesus was hung on a cross to die. Matthew 26

Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, Peter—this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny three times that you even know me.” “No!” Peter insisted. “Even if I have to die with you, I will never deny you!” And all the other disciples vowed the same.

 Meanwhile, Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. A servant girl came over and said to him, “You were one of those with Jesus the Galilean.”But Peter denied it in front of everyone. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said. Later, out by the gate, another servant girl noticed him and said to those standing around, “This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.” Again Peter denied it, this time with an oath. “I don’t even know the man,” he said. A little later some of the other bystanders came over to Peter and said, “You must be one of them; we can tell by your Galilean accent.” Peter swore, “A curse on me if I’m lying—I don’t know the man!” And immediately the rooster crowed.

Jesus has now died and resurrected and is walking among the people.

Jesus is here for 40 days. After the ascension they are talking about who should become the 12th disciple.  And Peter (our Benedict Arnold) stands up among the believers Acts1

During this time, when about 120 believers were together in one place, Peter stood up and addressed them. 

Then Acts 2 

Then Peter stepped forward with the eleven other apostles and shouted to the crowd, “Listen carefully, all of you, fellow Jews and residents of Jerusalem! Make no mistake about this.

And it continues and Peter becomes Billy Graham in about 7 weeks...preaching and preaching and preaching the Good News of Jesus. 

If God will use Peter a man who denies Jesus 3 times while walking with Him as His disciple...that gives me so much hope that God could use an "impure, unclean (Greek translation common and unclean) and the other word for common: ORDINARY.... God takes the ordinary and allows them to do the extraordinary by His power of the Holy Spirit living in them.