BLESSINGS AFTER PERSECUTION

My Dear Precious Child,
    Peter expected, because of the warning from Jesus, that he and the apostles would suffer persecution from the unbelieving Pharisees and other religious and political leaders and their followers, but he never imagined that born again, baptized in the Holy Spirit believers would be some of his persecutors.  However, when the Jewish Christians who had submitted to circumcision heard that the heathen Gentiles had received, accepted and believed in the Word of God concerning salvation in My kingdom of God, they were astonished.  When Peter went to reunite with them in Jerusalem they found fault in Peter and separated themselves from him in a hostile way by openly opposing him and contending with him, asking why he was going to the Gentiles with the Good News. 
    At first Peter explained to them exactly how it all happened, told them about his praying and falling into a trance where he saw a vision of a huge sheet coming down from heaven by four corners and it descended until it came to him.  He told the Jewish Christians how he saw all kinds of wild beasts, reptiles, birds and four footed animals on the sheet.  He told them how he heard a Voice that said to him to get up, kill them and eat them.  He also told them that he said to the Voice that he would not eat them because of their being unclean and nothing unclean had ever entered into his mouth.  Peter reported that the Voice commanded two more times for him to kill and eat them.   He told them that after the third time, the sheet was lifted up into heaven.
   He continued His testimony by telling the Jewish Christians that immediately after the sheet disappeared into heaven that three men from Caesarea arrived at the house where he was instructed to go.  Peter told them that the three men accompanied him and his attendants into the house.  He told them about the angel that told them to go to Joppa and bring a man named Peter with them, that Peter would explain to them the means by which the whole household would be saved.  Peter included in his testimony the truth that the Holy Spirit began speaking through him to the Gentiles about John the Baptist saying that he baptized with water but One was coming who would baptize them with the Holy Spirit.
   Peter told the Jewish Christians that since I gave to those heathen Gentiles the gift of My Holy Spirit the same as on the beginning on the day of Pentecost, then who was he to interfere with My plan?   When the Jewish Christians heard that, they became quiet and did not protest any longer.   It was written that it was then that I began to grant to the Gentiles repentance into Life after the resurrection of Jesus.
    Many believers had been scattered after the persecution of Stephen into Gentile countries but they did not deliver the message to anyone relating to attaining salvation in My kingdom of God except to the Jews.  However, there were a few who proclaimed the Good News of Jesus Christ to the Gentile Greeks.  The power of My presence was with them and a great number of Gentiles believed and surrendered themselves to Jesus Christ.
    Peter's vision from Me extended the Good News from the Jews into the Gentile heathen.   Later Paul wrote that in Christ there is neither Greek nor Jew, neither male nor female, neither bond nor free, only the power of God and the wisdom of God. (I Corinthians 1:24; Galatians 3:28)
    Whom I have declared clean, you must declare clean.
    Your Heavenly Father of Equality