Divine Directive.

"When God gives a directive, we are to obey regardless of our 'comfort level' with the task" (a quote from Pastor Benji, during the first service).

In Acts 10 we see that Simon Peter received a directive from God. In trance, he was challenged by a vision of things he considered unclean but God had pronounced them clean. As the vision ended, the Lord instructed Peter to go with the men who were sent from Cornelius' community. And in the home of Cornelius, Peter was faithful to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ to the salvation of the entire household.

Sometimes God shows up and destroys our old paradigm, our old belief system, our old way of thinking. Sometimes God has us travel to places where on our own we would not go. Sometimes He asks us to interact with people we would not normally be seen with. Sometimes He asks us to do things we are reluctant to do. Why? Because, in the process of His working, He calls us to participate with Him.

Some of you have been challenged as our church has gone through Back-to-Basics.
Some of you are being challenged during this weekend devoted to consecration through the disciplines of fasting and prayer.
Some of you are longing for the days where you could just come in to church, sit down for an hour or two, go home, and not be asked for anything by God nor by man.

But God is moving.

Peter said, as he saw the unclean animals in the vision, "Lord, I'm not having any of this. I've never eaten any of this stuff in my life- it's unclean" (Acts 10:14, my paraphrase). And what was the reply? Peter, that's your definition... but God has a different definition.

Famous phrases of those who are "stuck" in routine is, "We've never done that before"; "That is not how our people do things"; "I don't need this".

But guess what? Although Christ Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever, He is also the LORD who says, "Behold! I am doing a new thing". And those of us who hear His directive must obey.

Bronx Bethany, it's time! The feet of the priests who bear the ark of the LORD are at the edge of the Jordan (see Joshua 3).

Will you cross over, or will you stay behind?