Ironside

Prayer and Teaching of the Disciples

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Acts 10:9-15 (NASB)
On the next day, as they were on their way and approaching the city, Peter went up on the housetop about the sixth hour to pray. But he became hungry and was desiring to eat; but while they were making preparations, he fell into a trance; and he saw the sky opened up, and an object like a great sheet coming down, lowered by four corners to the ground, and there were in it all kinds of four-footed animals and crawling creatures of the earth and birds of the air. voice came to him, “Get up, Peter, kill and eat!” But Peter said, “By no means, Lord, for I have never eaten anything unholy and unclean.” Again a voice came to him a second time, “What God has cleansed, no longer consider unholy.”

A Theme to Remember:
In this passage we see clearly that the redeeming blood of Jesus was shed for Jews and Gentiles alike. Peter, as an observant Jew, would not have touched the creatures he saw in the vision because they were unclean according to the Mosaic law. Likewise, he would not have entered the home of an “unclean” Gentile to share the Gospel message. God was correcting Peter, and revealing to us, that all who call on the name of Jesus are cleansed and made whole.

Words to Remember:
Beware lest we mistake our prejudices for our convictions.
–Harry Ironside

Ironside, Henry Allan (“Harry”)

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Henry Allan (“Harry”) Ironside (1878-1951) was born in Toronto, Canada. He moved with his family in 1886 to Los Angeles and there accepted Christ at the age of 14. He joined the Salvation Army and began preaching at their gatherings and rallies. He became nationally-known as the “Boy Preacher of Los Angeles.” In 1896 he joined the Plymouth Brethren and spent nearly 35 years speaking at Bible conferences in the United States and Canada. In 1930 he became the pastor of Moody Memorial Church in Chicago. Here he began a radio ministry that was broadcast on the Moody radio network. He died in New Zealand while on an evangelistic crusade and was buried there. He was a well known and trusted Bible commentator and preacher whose books were among the best-selling inspirational works of his day.