A Heart that Moves Heaven (Acts Pt. 22)
Recap
The Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) give us the incredible history of Jesus’ life, teaching, and miracles… but there is a focus on His three years of hands-on Kingdom discipleship with the 12. It’s amazing and humbling to remember that at the height of His ministry, He simply invested His life fully in a small group of men.
At the end of this time, Jesus is rejected by the Jewish religious leaders and crucified… which shocks the region and scatters these men. After an agonizing Friday night and the longest Saturday in history, Mary goes to visit the tomb on Sunday morning while it’s still dark… she discovered what we celebrated last Sunday, Jesus is the RESURRECTION AND THE LIFE! “He is not here; He is risen!” For the next 40 days, the once dead Jesus walks the earth as a resurrected man and reveals himself to over 500 people!
The Book of Acts opens on the final day of Jesus’ life on the earth. He reminds them of the promise of the Holy Spirit, and He is taken up to the right hand of the Father. His ascension is followed by the most significant day in the history of the Church a short 10 days later—Pentecost. Why was it the most significant day? Because on that day, the Lord fulfilled the promise of Joel 2 to pour out His Spirit upon all flesh… we saw this in Acts chapter 2. The church was birthed in a day!
40 + 10 = 50. Pentecost was a feast that occurred 50 days after Passover. It was also known as the “Feast of Weeks” and it was an annual celebration of the first fruits of the HARVEST! Remember when Jesus told the disciples, “Look up! The fields are white for harvest! Pray for laborers…” This is amazing stuff that only God could orchestrate… 3000 people got saved on a feast day celebrating the firstfruits of the harvest! Right now, we are again living in that 50 day time period. This year, Pentecost fell on June 8th, and I believe we are in a critical window of opportunity, preparation, focus and spiritual warfare because, yet again, THE HARVEST IS ON THE HORIZON!
If you are needing some fresh motivation… a fresh boost of vision… a reason to knock off the dust of summer and re-dedicate yourself to the movement of God’s Kingdom, you came to the right place today.
Acts 10:1-23
1 At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion of what was known as the Italian Cohort, 2 a devout man who feared God with all his household, gave alms generously to the people, and prayed continually to God. 3 About the ninth hour of the day he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God come in and say to him, “Cornelius.” 4 And he stared at him in terror and said, “What is it, Lord?” And he said to him, “Your prayers and your alms have ascended as a memorial before God. 5 And now send men to Joppa and bring one Simon who is called Peter. 6 He is lodging with one Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the sea.” 7 When the angel who spoke to him had departed, he called two of his servants and a devout soldier from among those who attended him, 8 and having related everything to them, he sent them to Joppa.
9 The next day, as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the housetop about the sixth hour to pray. 10 And he became hungry and wanted something to eat, but while they were preparing it, he fell into a trance 11 and saw the heavens opened and something like a great sheet descending, being let down by its four corners upon the earth. 12 In it were all kinds of animals and reptiles and birds of the air. 13 And there came a voice to him: “Rise, Peter; kill and eat.” 14 But Peter said, “By no means, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean.” 15 And the voice came to him again a second time, “What God has made clean, do not call common.” 16 This happened three times, and the thing was taken up at once to heaven.
17 Now while Peter was inwardly perplexed as to what the vision that he had seen might mean, behold, the men who were sent by Cornelius, having made inquiry for Simon's house, stood at the gate 18 and called out to ask whether Simon who was called Peter was lodging there. 19 And while Peter was pondering the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Behold, three men are looking for you. 20 Rise and go down and accompany them without hesitation, for I have sent them.” 21 And Peter went down to the men and said, “I am the one you are looking for. What is the reason for your coming?” 22 And they said, “Cornelius, a centurion, an upright and God-fearing man, who is well spoken of by the whole Jewish nation, was directed by a holy angel to send for you to come to his house and to hear what you have to say.” 23 So he invited them in to be his guests.
What do we know about Cornelius?
Devout
Feared God
Gave generously
Prayed continually
This is the type of lifestyle that attracts Heaven on earth.
Acts 10 shows us how much the Kingdom of heaven is looking for partnership so that it can invade the earth. We have angels, visions and the Spirit of God speaking directly to people, giving them revelation and direction.
8 Were not the Ethiopians and the Libyans a huge army with very many chariots and horsemen? Yet because you relied on the Lord, he gave them into your hand. 9 For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward him. — 2 Chronicles 16:8-9