PT-2 "Preparation of Cornelius" (Acts 10:1-8)

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 1/16/2018 2:41 PM

My Worship Time                                                                Focus:  PT-2 Preparation of Cornelius

Bible Reading & Meditation                                     Reference:  Acts 10:1-8

            Message of the verses:  “1 Now there was a man at Caesarea named Cornelius, a centurion of what was called the Italian cohort, 2 a devout man and one who feared God with all his household, and gave many alms to the Jewish people and prayed to God continually. 3 About the ninth hour of the day he clearly saw in a vision an angel of God who had just come in and said to him, "Cornelius!" 4 And fixing his gaze on him and being much alarmed, he said, "What is it, Lord?" And he said to him, "Your prayers and alms have ascended as a memorial before God. 5 “Now dispatch some men to Joppa and send for a man named Simon, who is also called Peter; 6 he is staying with a tanner named Simon, whose house is by the sea." 7 When the angel who was speaking to him had left, he summoned two of his servants and a devout soldier of those who were his personal attendants, 8 and after he had explained everything to them, he sent them to Joppa.”

            As we continue looking at Cornelius we see that he was not only a good soldier, but he was a God fearer.  We can see that the Holy Spirit was doing a work in his life as He had moved on his dark side in order that he abandoned this pagan religion and began to worship the Lord.  We can say this for certainty because he was expressing himself as he began to give alms to the Jewish people and also by the fact that he continued to pray to God.  He did fall short of becoming a full convert to Judaism through circumcision.

            John MacArthur writes:  “Because of His sovereign election of Cornelius, and in response to his seeking heart, God moved to prepare him.  ‘About the ninth hour (3:00 p. m.) of the day he clearly saw a vision an angel of God who had just come in to him, and said to him, ‘Cornelius!’  The ‘ninth hour’ was the most important time of prayer in the Jewish day (Acts 3:1).  God responded to his prayer by sending the angelic messenger.”

            I think sometimes when I read stories of angels coming to meet people in the Word of God that I don’t understand the fear that is involved when this happens, but there has to be fear to see another being.  “Fixing his gaze upon the angel and being much alarmed, he said, ‘What is it, it “lord?”

            In a similar case when the angel came to talk to Mary this angel brought calmness to Cornelius as he said to him “Your prayers and alms have ascended as a memorial before God.”  As we continue to read through this passage we see that the angel gave him orders to go to Joppa, and send for a man named Simon who was also called Peter.

            After hearing this Cornelius immediately sent the men to find Peter.  In the book of Revelation we see in one of the scenes recorded in it that there will be an angel who will be giving out the gospel message, but not in this case.

Answer to yesterday’s Bible question:  “Jesus Christ.”

Today’s Bible question:  “What tribe of Israel followed Rehoboam?”

 Answer in our next SD.

1/16/2018 3:06 PM