THE STORY OF JESUS: Acts 10:1-8
“Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God.”(Acts 10:5)
Cornelius was not a Jew, but he did believe that there was only one God.
He was a Roman centurion, but he was also a humble, generous man.
His understanding of God led him to honour God and serve the poor.
God receives his prayers and deeds as the same as ‘obedience to the Law’.
The Moses Law required sacrifices, but Cornelius did not offer sacrifices.
His heart was open to God, and to people, and God honoured this.
“Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law.” (Romans 2:14)
God was pleased with Cornelius’s heart, not just his deeds.
God sees beyond our words and deeds – both for the churched and the unchurched.
Cornelius reminds us that God sees good soil outside of the church.
And He also knows the bad soil within the church (see Matthew 7:21-23).
As a Jesus follower, I should not ignore how God is at work in the unchurched.
Their words and deeds can also be received as a memorial offering before God.
What do you sense the Lord saying to you?
PRAYER
Lord, it is not whether we ‘belong to church’ that pleases You, but whether our hearts are sincerely open to You and other people. May my heart be sincere like Cornelius’s.
Hearing the voice of God.
This reminds me of the various times God called His servants – like Moses, Daniel, Cornelius and even Peter through the men Cornelius sent. How do I listen to the Voice saying, This is the Way. Walk in it.
I need to be God-fearing, prayerful and giving. Word and deed need to go together. That is a Christ follower and that I am. Others need to see Christ Jesus living in me and that is a possibility by our love – for God and for others.
We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord
We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord
And we pray that all unity may one day be restored
And they’ll know we are Christians by our love, by our love
They will know we are Christians by our love
We will work with each other, we will work side by side
We will work with each other, we will work side by side
And we’ll guard each one’s dignity and save each one’s pride
And they’ll know we are Christians by our love, by our love
They will know we are Christians by our love
By our love, by our love
And they’ll know we are Christians by our love, by our love
They will know we are Christians by our love
We will walk with each other, we will walk hand in hand
We will walk with each other, we will walk hand in hand
And together we’ll spread the news that God is in our land
And they’ll know we are Christians by our love, by our love
They will know we are Christians by our love
By our love, by our love
And they’ll know we are Christians by our love, by our love
They will know we are Christians by our love
Love is patient, love is kind
Never boasts, not full of pride
Always hopes, always trusts
The evidence of Christ in us