Hello everyone, it's Aunt Frenita
Today's story is called: "Welcome to the Family"
The memory verse is from Acts, verses 34 & 35
It reads:
God does not show favoritism
But accepts men from every nation
who fear Him and do what is right.
Today's message is
I invite others to join God's family
by sharing His love.
Have you ever had a dream that made you wonder about something?
Some dreams are strange
Some are silly.
But some make us think.
Peter had a "dream"
that really wasn't a dream at all.
It was a vision,
and it made him think about something important.
Cornelius was an officer in the Roman army.
He was also a man who loved God.
Everyone in his house worshiped God.
Because he loved God so much,
he often talked to Him in prayer.
One day, about 3 o' clock in the afternoon,
Cornelius was praying.
Suddenly, an angel stood before him and called his name.
Cornelius was surprised,
and a bit afraid.
'God hears you prayers," the angel said.
"And He sees that you love Him so much
that you share with the poor.
God wants you to send for a man, named Peter.
He is staying in the home of Simon,
a man who lives by the sea.
God wants you to listen to what Peter has to tell you."
Then the angel was gone.
Cornelius immediately called two servants and a trusted soldier friend
and sent them off the find Peter.
While they were gone,
Cornelius talked to everyone in his household,
to his neighbors, and his friends.
He invited them to come to his house
to hear a special message from God.
About the same time,
Peter was on the roof of Simon's house.
Peter was hungry, but dinner wasn't ready yet.
He had gone to the roof to pray while he waited.
Suddenly, he was having a vision too.
The angel had left Cornelius' home
and come to bring a message to Peter too.
Peter's message was an unusual vision
about all kinds of animals in a sheet.
The sheet was being let down in front of him.
The angel told him to eat one of the animals.
Peter was very hungry,
but he knew the animals in the sheet, were all unclean animals.
And unclean animals were not good food.
"No, i can't do that." He said.
Then a strange thing happened.
The angel said very clearly,
three times.
"What God has made clean, don't call unclean."
Peter knew then that the message was not about eating unclean animals.
Suddenly, he heard knocking on the gate to Simon's house.
"Is there a man here named Peter?" 3 men asked the servant at the door.
And the angel said to Peter
"3 men are downstairs looking for you.
Get up and go downstairs.
Go with them.
God is sending you to them."
Then Peter knew what God was telling him.
Jesus died for everyone
Peter knew that he should tell the good news about Jesus
to all people.
To everyone.
Even if they did not look,
or act just as he did.
Even if they were from another country.
Peter went downstairs, and asked the men to spend the night.
In the morning, he went with them to Cornelius' home.
Cornelius had all his friends and relatives
there waiting for Peter.
He believed that Peter had been sent by God
to teach them about Jesus.
Peter didn't have any more doubts.
Jesus had died for everyone.
Everyone must hear the good news.
No one must be left out.
This podcast is read by Frenita Buddy
for gracelink.net
Created and produced by Falvo Fowler
Post produced by Faith Toh at Studio Elpizo
The theme music is by Clayton Kinney
Animation and artwork by Diogo Godoy
The audio engineer was Karel Holness.
For more information please visit gracelink.net