Reading: Acts 10
Cornelius is a faith-filled, honouring man, who believes in the one God. He is also a centurion. Cornelius has a vision, seeing an angel of God who tells him to send for a man called Peter. Cornelius does just that and sends for the man named Peter.
Meanwhile Peter also has a vision and God reminds him to not call anything impure that God has made clean. Cornelius’ servants arrive and take Peter to Cornelius’ House. In the house there is a large gathering and Peter says ‘you are well aware that it is against our law for a Jew to associate with or visit a Gentile. But God has shown me that I should not call anyone impure or unclean…’
Peter then preaches the Gospel to them as a witness of what Jesus Christ had done. Everyone who hears it is filled with the Holy Spirit. They were all then baptised in Jesus’ name.
Wow, wow, wow!
This is surely a prominent moment in the early church and was definitely the start of a new level.
God uses people – God sent an angel to Cornelius. The angel could have told him the Gospel, but God used Peter.
We are not just the ones being saved, we get to play a part in saving others and outworking God’s miracles.
I love it when people get baptised and share their testimonies. They often mention who God has used to help them on their Christian journey. As we go to new levels, let’s be open to be used by God.
One of my greatest joys is seeing people who I have invited to church through Storehouse, seeing lives transformed by God.
God used me wow!?
In this passage God reminds Peter that what God has cleansed you must not call unclean. He is referring to people and is showing Peter that no one is exempt from God’s love and grace. (Acts 10:28-29)
This is great teaching as it shows no matter who we are, we are accepted by God. Let’s also be accepting of others, open to Gods prompts to share his love to all. I never thought my (then atheist) husband would come to know God but this did not stop me from sharing His word or praying for him to come to know God.
As we go to new levels the challenge from this passage is to look around you, have you ever had that thought ‘they will never come to know God’ maybe because of their status, wealth, poverty, words, actions. (I did that with my husband Adam)
None of these things matter and should not stop us sharing the Gospel and God’s love with anyone. God loves the whole world (John 3:16, 1 John 2:2) wherever you are, whatever you are doing, you have an authority to share God’s love and hope to everyone.
Contributed by Suz Gregory