unclean

How do we respond to God when he calls us to a culture of people we think are unclean.

Teresa & Jennifer discuss several types of bathroom dreams and the possible meanings.

Miscellaneous topics discussed:

• Bathroom Dreams in Public
• Showering in a Church Naked
• Titling Your Dreams
• The Importance of Context
• Interpreting INSIDE the dream, not after you awake
• Using the 3 Step Process to interpret: T.E.A.
• Titling each dream scene or climax
• Emotions are often the anchor to reality
• What showering might mean in dreams
• 2 Profound Bathroom Dreams where God taught Teresa lessons
• What bowel movements mean in dreams
• What a toilet can represent in a dream
• What constipation might mean in a dream
• What diarrhea might mean in a dream
• What filthy/dirty/unclean bathrooms might mean in a dream
• What Sozo is/means
• Washing your hands
• Vanities in dreams
• What mirrors might mean
• Brushing your teeth in dreams
• Distorted faces and what they mean in dreams
• Urinating - Pressure
• Confirmations in dreams
• Getting ready in the bathroom
• Morning and evening
• Faces in the mirror
• Teeth in the mirror
• Hair in Dreams
• Hairdressers in dreams
• Flying Dreams
• Bikes in Dreams - Pedals, spokes, riding, etc.
• Jumping in Dreams
• Planes in Dreams
• What noses can mean in dreams
• Why pastors might not like dream interpretation
• 8200 Figures of speech in scripture and why it's important to understand symbolic ways God speaks
• Derek Prince
• The Joy of the Lord is Your Strength Dream really means.
• Past, Present, and Future in dreams

What does God want from you? What are His expectations? If salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone, what could we possibly do that adds anything to our relationship with God? Well, while we can do nothing that will earn us a right standing with God, that does not mean there is nothing left for us to do. We have been called to live holy lives. That is, we are to conduct ourselves in a way that lines up with our status as God’s children. And in Leviticus 10:10, God provides a necessary prerequisite for living a holy life: We have to know the difference between the holy and the common, the unclean and the clean. Otherwise, we will tend to live our lives in a state of constant moral compromise. God is holy and He has set us apart as His own, fully expecting us to live lives marked by holiness. But if you don’t know what holiness looks like, living a holy life will be impossible.

The story of God coming to rescue His people was never meant to be limited to just one group. But breaking down centuries of "us" and "them" between Jews and Gentiles isn't easy. In Acts 10, God starts the process by doing something amazing: orchestrating a meeting between Peter, the head apostle and Cornelius, a God-fearing Centurion. Pastor Josh breaks down the whole story and shows that the Good News of Jesus Christ is truly meant for all people.

Peter didn’t write much.

No surprise here. As you will hear in this week’s PODCAST, the hyperactive-apostle could not sit still long enough to put pen to parchment.

There is one of the four Gospels credited to Peter—but even that he could not write himself. Peter employed Mark to record his recollections. And no surprise that in reading what could-well be entitled, The Gospel According to Peter as Told to Mark, the one word that jumps out at us in Peter’s fast-paced, out-of-breath memoir is the adverb “immediately.” (Mark uses it 42 times).

All of which is to say that on the rare occasions when Peter did park himself at a desk to inscribe his insights (only twice—1 and 2 Peter!), we should sit up and take notice.

Case in point: 1 Peter 3:15. “If someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it. But do this in a gentle and respectful way.”

Words, BTW, that define for us a biblical approach to personal evangelism—AKA witnessing, soul-winning, sharing your faith.

When they ask, we explain.

A principle that Peter learned, and learned well, here in Acts 10.

The asker—Cornelius. Explainer—Peter.

Problem was—and it’s a HUGE problem indeed—Cornelius was an unclean Gentile centurion living in the unclean pagan city-capital city of Roman occupation of Peter’s land. This was for Peter One.Huge.Problem on multiple spiritually-threatening, faith-testing levels.

In order to understand, I need to put you into Peter’s sandals. And in order to put you into Peter’s sandals, I need to alert you to what has historically been the Greatest.Single.Threat to Judaism, and BTW, to us.

Now, allow me to lay out dots, and then connect these dots.

This entire discussion centers around one divine injunction, repeated several times in the Torah.

Please remember that depending upon your web browser and connection speed, it may take up to 60 seconds for this podcast to begin to play.

God bless you richly as you listen.

Today, we’re covering a longer-than-normal section of Scripture: Acts 1017-43. It involves the sequence of events that followed Peter’s rather bizarre vision of the sheet filled with unclean animals. Now, God is going to provide Peter with a real-life application of what that vision had meant. Peter is invited to the home of Cornelius in Caesarea, where he will be given an opportunity to treat that which he had long held in disdain: Gentiles, with respect, and extend to them the gospel of Jesus Christ. God was opening the doors to the unclean and the unworthy. But those descriptions were not to be reserved for just Gentiles. The truth of the matter was that all men and women stand before God as unclean and unworthy. All our best deeds done with the best of intentions are nothing but filthy rags in God’s eyes. A right standing with God is not based on human effort or any form of earned merit. God had extended His grace to Peter and the rest of the apostles. Now He was going to extend it to Cornelius and his household. The gospel was good news to all people, not just to the Jews. Jesus was the Savior of all mankind, not just the people of Israel. Salvation was a free gift, offered by God to any who would accept it, not to those who had somehow earned or inherited it. Peter’s dream had initially been a nightmare to him, but now he was going to see that God’s vision for the redemption of mankind was all-encompassing and non-discriminatory.

The LORD gives instructions for separation from the uncleanness of various discharges. We also must separate ourselves from defiling issues.

Join Pastor Daryl as he journeys through the entire Bible.
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Visit the church website.

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The LORD gives Moses and Aaron the instructions for a house with a leprous plague. God cleanses His house of all corruption.

Join Pastor Daryl as he journeys through the entire Bible.
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Read or subscribe to his daily devotional at simplythebible.blog.
Visit the church website.

Join Pastor Daryl as he journeys through the entire Bible.
Read or subscribe to his devotional at simplythebible.blog.
Visit the church website.

If you enjoy Simply the Bible, please give us a rating and leave a review wherever you listen to podcasts. That helps us a lot!

The LORD instructs Moses on leprosy and various kinds of skin diseases and how they should be treated.

Join Pastor Daryl as he journeys through the entire Bible.
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Read or subscribe to his daily devotional at simplythebible.blog.
Visit the church website.

Join Pastor Daryl as he journeys through the entire Bible.
Read or subscribe to his devotional at simplythebible.blog.
Visit the church website.

If you enjoy Simply the Bible, please give us a rating and leave a review wherever you listen to podcasts. That helps us a lot!

The LORD instructs Moses and Aaron on the animals that were unclean to Israel. God wants His people to be holy as He is holy.

Join Pastor Daryl as he journeys through the entire Bible.
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Read or subscribe to his daily devotional at simplythebible.blog.
Visit the church website.

Join Pastor Daryl as he journeys through the entire Bible.
Read or subscribe to his devotional at simplythebible.blog.
Visit the church website.

If you enjoy Simply the Bible, please give us a rating and leave a review wherever you listen to podcasts. That helps us a lot!

The LORD instructs Moses and Aaron on edible and inedible foods for the children of Israel.

Join Pastor Daryl as he journeys through the entire Bible.
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Visit the church website.

Join Pastor Daryl as he journeys through the entire Bible.
Read or subscribe to his devotional at simplythebible.blog.
Visit the church website.

If you enjoy Simply the Bible, please give us a rating and leave a review wherever you listen to podcasts. That helps us a lot!

The Approachable Apostle
(Acts 11:1-18)

Introduction
All of Jerusalem is in shock over the scandal. How could he have done it? Peter, changed by his time spent with Jesus and charged by the Spirit of Jesus, has become a legend. He spoke into the bewilderment of his brethren words of tremendous insight and hope and helped them to see the trustworthiness of God's word in the tragedy of Judas' treachery (Acts 1:15-26; 4:4). When he preached thousands made decisions to place their faith in Christ (Acts 2:40-41). When he extended the right hand of fellowship even people that could not walk were fully restored. Literally! E.g., there was a man that had been lame from birth. But when he was pulled to his feet by the big fisherman, the same man is later found walking, and leaping, and praising God (Acts 3:4-10).

When Peter was in trouble for his faith in Jesus he was indomitable. Incarceration did not break him (Acts 4:3). Threats from high ranking officials did not scare him away from preaching in the temple. When put on trial for the trespass of teaching the resurrection he in turn put his judge and jury on trial for the murder of the Messiah and told them to their face that they have no hope of salvation except in the name they won't say - Jesus (Acts 4:8-13). And when he was whipped for proclaiming the truth he would not wail saying "Woe is me!" Instead he sang for the joy of being allowed to suffer in Jesus' name (Acts 5:40-41). In the power of the Holy Spirit the man formerly driven by fear to deny the Lord is now fearless in his new identity as a witness for Jesus.

But legend or not... he has taken things too far. Even though he is the most well known and popular among the apostles he has crossed the line. Check out the headline in The Jerusalem Journal

Pete Meets and Eats with Gentiles

Peter's meeting and eating with Gentiles is altogether unacceptable. He seems to think that he is above the Law. Every self respecting Jew knows that God has in one breath both called Israel both away from Gentile fellowship and Gentile food.

24 But I have said to you, “You shall inherit their land, and I will give it to you to possess, a land flowing with milk and honey.” I am the Lord your God, who has separated you from the peoples. 25 You shall therefore distinguish between clean animals and unclean, between unclean birds and clean, and you shall not make yourselves abominable by beast or by bird, or by any kind of living thing that creeps on the ground, which I have separated from you as unclean. 26 And you shall be holy to Me, for I the Lord am holy, and have separated you from the peoples, that you should be Mine. (Leviticus 20:24-26)

Wait until he gets to Jerusalem. Apostle or not he is going to confronted and needs to answer for his actions.

People Perceive Problems in Peter (Acts 11:1-3)
1 Now the apostles and brethren who were in Judea heard that the Gentiles had also received the word of God. 2 And when Peter came up to Jerusalem, those of the circumcision contended with him, 3 saying, “You went in to uncircumcised men and ate with them!”
The news of what has happened in Caesarea traveled fast. It was such an astonishing thing that the Jewish News Network (JNN) was carrying the matter as breaking news: Gentiles had also received the word of God (Acts 11:1). But not everyone is happy about it. There are some who see a more disturbing issue: Peter's rebellion overshadows Gentile repentance. There are some in the fellowship who are so incensed about Peter's transgression of fellowship and food restrictions that they cannot rejoice in the faith revival. They are so fixed on his failure to keep the Law they are fundamentally incapable of seeing in his actions the leading of the Lord. Who are they? In the passage they are referred to as those of the circumcision. They are a group within the new fellowship holding up the importance of the Old Covenant.

Here, however, “those of the circumcision” has a narrower sense, namely those who contended for circumcision as being necessary for membership in the Christian Church, the circumcision party.
Lenski, R. C. H. (1961). The Interpretation of the Acts of the Apostles (p. 438). Minneapolis, MN: Augsburg Publishing House.

What does Legalism do? It locks up the grace of God in man-made traditions, in religious rituals, and in the Law. According to the gospel of legalism you cannot see the Savior until you have seen the synagogue. You cannot meet Messiah until you have been properly introduced to Moses. And you cannot know Jesus as Lord until you have submitted to the Law (Acts 15:5).

But the relentless grace of God sends an evangelist into a deserted area to share His truth with one man who was physically disqualified from participating in the fullness of Judaism. The determined move of the Spirit sends Peter to preach salvation to the uncircumcised. And the uncanny counsel of the Godhead considered it wise to send a former Pharisee to make grace in Christ known among the nations.

The legalists take issue with Peter's behavior. But, lest we become their judges, we should bear in mind that their thinking is reasonable. Judaism and Christianity are still viewed by some as the same thing.

Evidently they represented a strongly Jewish Their perspective is understandable, given that at this point Christianity was still seen as a movement within Judaism.
Polhill, J. B. (1992). Acts (Vol. 26, p. 266). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.

Moveover, the facts had not yet been brought forward. The decision to confront Peter should be viewed as an attempt to get an explanation. It is actually a good thing and reveals that Peter was approachable, people did not regard him as infallible, and their issues were not reduced to slander and gossip.

With refreshing openness [Peter] was taken to task for his conduct.
Lenski, R. C. H. (1961). The Interpretation of the Acts of the Apostles (p. 439). Minneapolis, MN: Augsburg Publishing House.

The Lord's Lesson on Being Loosed from the Law (Acts 11:4-10; Galatians 3:24-15; Romans 10:4; Leviticus 20:24-26)
4 But Peter explained it to them in order from the beginning, saying: 5 “I was in the city of Joppa praying; and in a trance I saw a vision, an object descending like a great sheet, let down from heaven by four corners; and it came to me. 6 When I observed it intently and considered, I saw four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, creeping things, and birds of the air. 7 And I heard a voice saying to me, ‘Rise, Peter; kill and eat.’ 8 But I said, ‘Not so, Lord! For nothing common or unclean has at any time entered my mouth.’ 9 But the voice answered me again from heaven, ‘What God has cleansed you must not call common.’ 10 Now this was done three times, and all were drawn up again into heaven.

* 9 But the voice answered me again from heaven, ‘What God has cleansed you must not call common.’ (Acts 11:9)
* 24 Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 25 But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor. (Galatians 3:24-25)
* 1 Or do you not know, brethren (for I speak to those who know the law), that the law has dominion over a man as long as he lives? 2 For the woman who has a husband is bound by the law to her husband as long as he lives. But if the husband dies, she is released from the law of her husband. 3 So then if, while her husband lives, she marries another man, she will be called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from that law, so that she is no adulteress, though she has married another man. 4 Therefore, my brethren, you also have become dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you may be married to another—to Him who was raised from the dead, that we should bear fruit to God. (Romans 7:1-4)

He did not argue in the least; he let the facts speak for others just as they had spoken for him. The imperfect ἐξετίθετο should receive more attention, “he proceeded to set out.” It continues the previous imperfect διεκρίνοντο. Both are descriptive, but both intend to hold the reader in suspense as to the final outcome which is recorded by the aorists in v. 18 after Peter has delivered his address. Here were these people contending with Peter, here was Peter telling his story. What was the result? Verse 18 tells us.
Lenski, R. C. H. (1961). The Interpretation of the Acts of the Apostles (p. 440). Minneapolis, MN: Augsburg Publishing House.

The wording of Peter’s refusal in verse 8 is closer even than that of 10:14 to Ezekiel’s protest when he was directed to eat “unclean” food: “abominable flesh has never entered into my mouth” (Ezek. 4:14).
Bruce, F. F. (1988). The Book of the Acts (pp. 221–222). Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.

Clean Meat Means Clean Man?
Some scholars feel that Peter’s vision dealt more with food laws than with interaction with Gentiles. This is to overlook the fact that the two are inextricably related. In Lev 20:24b–26 the laws of clean and unclean are linked precisely to Israel’s separation from the rest of the nations. The Jewish food laws presented a real problem for Jewish Christians in the outreach to the Gentiles. One simply could not dine in a Gentile’s home without inevitably transgressing those laws either by the consumption of unclean flesh or of flesh that had not been prepared in a kosher, i.e., ritually proper, fashion (cf. Acts 15:20). Jesus dealt with the problem of clean and unclean, insisting that external things like foods did not defile a person but the internals of heart and speech and thought render one truly unclean (Mark 7:14–23). In Mark 7:19b Mark added the parenthetical comment that Jesus’ saying ultimately declared all foods clean. This was precisely the point of Peter’s vision: God declared the unclean to be clean.86 In Mark 7 Jesus’ teaching on clean/unclean was immediately followed by his ministry to a Gentile woman (7:24–30), just as Peter’s vision regarding clean and unclean foods was followed by his witness to a Gentile. It is simply not possible to fully accept someone with whom you are unwilling to share in the intimacy of table fellowship. The early church had to solve the problem of kosher food laws in order to launch a mission to the Gentiles. Purity distinctions and human discrimination are of a single piece.
Polhill, J. B. (1992). Acts (Vol. 26, p. 255). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.

The Prevenient Grace and Gospel of God Goes Beyond My Boundaries (Acts 11:11-14)
11 At that very moment, three men stood before the house where I was, having been sent to me from Caesarea. 12 Then the Spirit told me to go with them, doubting nothing. Moreover these six brethren accompanied me, and we entered the man’s house. 13 And he told us how he had seen an angel standing in his house, who said to him, ‘Send men to Joppa, and call for Simon whose surname is Peter, 14 who will tell you words by which you and all your household will be saved.’

The most significant difference from the earlier account is the additional detail that there were six Christians from Joppa who accompanied Peter to Caesarea (v. 12). More than that—it was “these” six whom Peter brought to Jerusalem as witnesses to what transpired in Cornelius’s home (cf. 10:45).117
Polhill, J. B. (1992). Acts (Vol. 26, p. 267). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.

Barriers Broken Down in Baptism (Acts 11:15-18; Matthew 3:11; Acts 2:3-4; John 1:26, 33)
15 And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them, as upon us at the beginning. 16 Then I remembered the word of the Lord, how He said, ‘John indeed baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ 17 If therefore God gave them the same gift as He gave us when we believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could withstand God?” 18 When they heard these things they became silent; and they glorified God, saying, “Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life.”

The legalist would tell you it is necessary for you to help pay for your pardon and that you must garner God's grace through great effort. He will say that you must see the synagogue before you can see the Savior, that you must meet Moses before you can be properly introduced to Messiah, and that you must learned in the Law before you can know the Lord.

God evidently made no distinction between believing Gentiles and believing Jews; how could Peter maintain a barrier which God plainly ignored? To do so would be to oppose God. There is no express mention here (as there is in 10:47–48) of the baptism of the Gentiles, though it is perhaps implied in the language of verse 17.
Bruce, F. F. (1988). The Book of the Acts (pp. 222–223). Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.