37 of 40 Lenten Journey
Today's readings: Acts 10 and pages 79
in Terry Teykl's book: Acts 29
larryjameson.blogspot.com
Dear Prospect, Trinity,
and Asbury Church family,
Hello dear ones!
I was tired and fuzzy
yesterday, so I missed out
on writing to you.
Time for me to rest up
and prepare for Sunday.
I've noticed that when I kneel
and pray, things suddenly
start to click for me.
If I need an idea,
or I seem to be spinning
my wheels,
it all seems to get better
after I spend a few minutes
on my knees.
I'm sure this is different
for everyone. And what works
for me isn't necessarily
what you may need.
Let me know what helps you
get on track.
We have two lovely Easter
activities coming up.
At 11am on Easter Sunday
we are planning to have a
Drive In Church Service
at Gregg and Stephanie
Knutsen’s Dairy Farm.
The Knutsens live at
292 Prospect Church Road
Harrington, DE 19952.
EVERYONE WILL BE REQUIRED
TO STAY IN YOUR CARS
THE WHOLE TIME.
Vehicles will be parked
six feet apart.
You will hear the service
by tuning to 90.1FM
after arriving at the farm.
You are invited to make a
a sign or window decoration
on your vehicle to add
some Easter joy.
Chad Robinson, Rob Taylor,
and Stephanie Knutsen did
a lot of behind the scenes
work to get permission for
this event. It is all legal.
Just don't get out of your
car please.
There are no bathrooms, so
please go before you go. :-)
Gregg has mowed a field
and there is a spot for your
car to sit on.
They plan to put me up on
a hay wagon where I can preach.
I shared all these details with
my boss, the Rev. Dr. Kyung Hee
Sa. Her response? She said,
"Send me a picture of you
preaching on that hay wagon."
So somebody please take one. OK?
Stephanie told me she is going
to put an empty milk can out by
the driveway. It's going to be
BYOE: "Bring Your Own Envelope".
The offering will go to what
ever church name you put on
the check or the envelope.
Any undesignated offering will
be divided three ways between
Prospect, Trinity, and Asbury.
I told Chad and Stephanie that
when I preach, a honk means Amen!
And movement of windshield wipers
means "I see that hand!"
We hope we never have to have
another service like this
ever again. The pandemic
is not funny. We are serious
in our commitment to keeping
everyone healthy. But we can
still cope by laughter and fun.
Just don't get out of the car.
OK?
Samantha Sharp did a lovely job
creating a video explaining all
these points. You should view
that! Her post is on the
Facebook Group "Study as Worship".
She plans to live stream the event
at that same Facebook Group.
This is a long post!
Today we started reading Acts
chapter 10. Oh what an amazing
chapter that is! Most of us were
not born to Jewish parents.
All of us are spiritual
descendants of Acts chapter 10.
I absolutely love verse 28.
That's when Peter said,
"God has shown me that I should
not call any man unholy or
unclean." That sentence changed
the world for us.
Prayer by Larry Jameson
Thank you dear Heavenly Father,
for Acts chapter 10
and how you accepted
us Gentiles into your kingdom.
By the power
of your Holy Spirit
open doors for us
like you did for
Peter and Cornelius.
In the name of Jesus Christ
we pray. Amen.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Acts 10 (NIV)
10 At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion in what was known as the Italian Regiment. 2 He and all his family were devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly. 3 One day at about three in the afternoon he had a vision. He distinctly saw an angel of God, who came to him and said, “Cornelius!”
4 Cornelius stared at him in fear. “What is it, Lord?” he asked.
The angel answered, “Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God. 5 Now send men to Joppa to bring back a man named Simon who is called Peter. 6 He is staying with Simon the tanner, whose house is by the sea.”
7 When the angel who spoke to him had gone, Cornelius called two of his servants and a devout soldier who was one of his attendants. 8 He told them everything that had happened and sent them to Joppa.
Peter’s Vision
9 About noon the following day as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray. 10 He became hungry and wanted something to eat, and while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance. 11 He saw heaven opened and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners. 12 It contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles and birds. 13 Then a voice told him, “Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.”
14 “Surely not, Lord!” Peter replied. “I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.”
15 The voice spoke to him a second time, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.”
16 This happened three times, and immediately the sheet was taken back to heaven.
17 While Peter was wondering about the meaning of the vision, the men sent by Cornelius found out where Simon’s house was and stopped at the gate. 18 They called out, asking if Simon who was known as Peter was staying there.
19 While Peter was still thinking about the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Simon, three[a] men are looking for you. 20 So get up and go downstairs. Do not hesitate to go with them, for I have sent them.”
21 Peter went down and said to the men, “I’m the one you’re looking for. Why have you come?”
22 The men replied, “We have come from Cornelius the centurion. He is a righteous and God-fearing man, who is respected by all the Jewish people. A holy angel told him to ask you to come to his house so that he could hear what you have to say.” 23 Then Peter invited the men into the house to be his guests.
Peter at Cornelius’s House
The next day Peter started out with them, and some of the believers from Joppa went along. 24 The following day he arrived in Caesarea. Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends. 25 As Peter entered the house, Cornelius met him and fell at his feet in reverence. 26 But Peter made him get up. “Stand up,” he said, “I am only a man myself.”
27 While talking with him, Peter went inside and found a large gathering of people. 28 He said to them: “You are well aware that it is against our law for a Jew to associate with or visit a Gentile. But God has shown me that I should not call anyone impure or unclean. 29 So when I was sent for, I came without raising any objection. May I ask why you sent for me?”
30 Cornelius answered: “Three days ago I was in my house praying at this hour, at three in the afternoon. Suddenly a man in shining clothes stood before me 31 and said, ‘Cornelius, God has heard your prayer and remembered your gifts to the poor. 32 Send to Joppa for Simon who is called Peter. He is a guest in the home of Simon the tanner, who lives by the sea.’ 33 So I sent for you immediately, and it was good of you to come. Now we are all here in the presence of God to listen to everything the Lord has commanded you to tell us.”
34 Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism 35 but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right. 36 You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, announcing the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all. 37 You know what has happened throughout the province of Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached— 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.
39 “We are witnesses of everything he did in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They killed him by hanging him on a cross, 40 but God raised him from the dead on the third day and caused him to be seen. 41 He was not seen by all the people, but by witnesses whom God had already chosen—by us who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. 42 He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead. 43 All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”
44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message. 45 The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on Gentiles. 46 For they heard them speaking in tongues[b] and praising God.
Then Peter said, 47 “Surely no one can stand in the way of their being baptized with water. They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have.” 48 So he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked Peter to stay with them for a few days.
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