An Appointment in Joppa - Greg Laurie Devotion - October 19, 2021
Tuesday, October 19, 2021
An Appointment in Joppa
“Now send men to Joppa, and send for Simon whose surname is Peter” (Acts 10:5 NKJV).
The ancient city of Joppa has been sacked and rebuilt more times than almost any city in ancient Israel. The Egyptians, Phoenicians, Persians, and Greeks all have ruled it. Herod was in control of it at one point, as were the Romans and the Crusaders. Even Napoleon’s armies ruled over Joppa at one time. So did Alexander the Great.
Joppa was the place where Jonah boarded a ship to avoid having to go to Nineveh. And it’s also in Joppa where a biblical story about Simon Peter unfolds.
Peter was staying at the home of Simon the Tanner in Joppa, where he was praying on the rooftop one day. It was about lunchtime, and he had a vision of a giant sheet being lowered from Heaven. On this sheet were things that a good Jewish person was forbidden to eat.
Then Peter heard a voice say, “Rise, Peter; kill and eat” (Acts 10:13 NKJV).
But Peter replied, “Not so, Lord! For I have never eaten anything common or unclean” (verse 14 NKJV).
Yet God said, “What God has cleansed you must not call common” (verse 15 NKJV).
In Caesarea, there was a Roman named Cornelius who believed in the God of Israel. He didn’t embrace the false gods of Rome. Although he didn’t know Jesus yet, he was seeking God.
So an angel of the Lord appeared to Cornelius and told him to send for Simon Peter, who would tell him what he needed to know.
Peter, after his vision, came downstairs to find Cornelius’s men waiting for him. Peter went with them, and it resulted in the conversion of Cornelius.
Joppa is where God spoke to people to leave their comfort zones and take the gospel to people they didn’t necessarily want to share it with. Are you willing to leave your comfort zone and do the same?
Copyright © 2021 by Harvest Ministries. All rights reserved.
For more relevant and biblical teaching from Pastor Greg Laurie, go to www.harvest.org
and
Listen to Greg Laurie's daily broadcast on OnePlace.com and weekly podcast on LifeAudio.com.
Watch Greg Laurie's weekly television broadcast on LightSource.com.
In thanks for your gift, you can receive a copy of Jesus Revolution by Greg Laurie
God used the Jesus Movement to reach an entire generation with the hope of the gospel. In Jesus Revolution, Greg Laurie shares the true story behind this spiritual awakening and the people God used to change countless lives. Written with Ellen Vaughn, this book offers an inspiring look at how revival spread during one of America’s most turbulent decades.
Support Harvest Ministries this month and receive Jesus Revolution as our thank-you gift. For gifts of $50 or more, you’ll also receive the Jesus Revolution DVD to enjoy and share with others.
