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Sharing to a Cornelius

Not all people that we're going to share the gospel to appear to be lost and have their life out of order. In fact, some of the people that we're going to share the gospel to seem to have their life not just in order but it's like a plain sheet of paper that seems to be so white and immaculate.


We review the life of Cornelius, a God-fearing Gentile who was a devout man and gave regular gifts to the poor. God was pleased with his life, so much that He asked Peter to share the gospel to Cornelius. Cornelius was the first Gentile (non-Jew) who received the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ into his life.

What did I learn from the story of Cornelius and Peter? Read Acts 10.

I learned that we should not restrict the grace of God based on our own wisdom of how people seem or look. Peter as you would read from the story was at first basing his choices on the accepted culture of preaching only to the Jews, but then God was doing something new that required faith on Peter's part to extend God's grace to the non-Jews.

Some people might not seem like they need the gospel. Don't be deceived. They do. Every human being dies and everyone will stand before God one day. Don't worry if you don't feel like you're the best person to share the gospel to them. If God tells you to do it, just obey. It's not about the messenger, it's the message. The message is that Jesus Christ died for all sinners which includes all of us and that all who receive Him will receive eternal life and a relationship with Jesus Christ even in this life.

Cornelius was a centurion, part of the Roman army and Peter could have felt so small sharing the gospel to him but he did not. He obeyed God and shared the gospel. The result? The Holy Spirit descended upon Cornelius and his family and they were baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.

Second, I learned that real devout and God-fearing people will listen to you anyways. Three people I like to talk with about faith that comes from a different denomination are one, my grandma, two my former employer and three, my former co-worker. Real people who fear God will listen to you. Their hearts are attentive to the Lord's wisdom and the teaching of righteousness. Try to share God's Word to someone whose heart may not be right yet (like I was years before) and it would repel them. Darkness is repelled by the light, especially if they're not yet willing to let go of the dark.

We don't need to hesitate sharing the gospel to devout God-fearing people among us. What's more they will welcome and need the truth. Though my grandma was not open to really changing her practices, she confessed and received the gospel probably a year before she died. Practices are still debatedly may take a deeper work from the Lord but her heart I know was turned to the Lord and I really enjoy talking to her about the faith and everything and she would love those times and ask questions. She would share her dreams and her desire to really go to heaven.

My grandma I think barely finished elementary or maybe she finished it but she did not finish college like I did. So her comprehension of the Bible are mostly from what she was thought in Church and what God reveals to her heart in her prayer, listening. Another thing, most of what she had been taught was through her gravest personal trials and I knew somehow the Lord purified her faith through them. She's a devout Catholic who prays regularly and loves Jesus and Mary and gives her alms to the poor.

Before my grandma died, I received an impression from God that it was time for her to go to heaven and I, surrendering to God's will, willingly let go of her Spirit for I know how delightful and enjoyable heaven is. Grandmama will probably be there dancing right now. Many times she complains of her sore ankles and sometimes limps in her walk but there in heaven, her legs are quite fine and new and she can dance as much as she pleases.

Last lesson I've learned. Cornelius even in his righteousness that pleased God was not beyond God's grace. God in His mercy and love, still wanted him to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ, receive the Holy Spirit and be baptized by the anointing of Jesus' servant Peter in his life.

Share the grace and love of God to the Corneliuses in your family, relatives, friends, workmates, every last one of them. They need it just as Cornelius did. Cornelius could have missed it but God did not want him to miss it. It was part of God's loving plan for Cornelius to receive the gospel and be baptized in His Name.

Also, when we share to righteous friends or anyone in this life, let us do it in love and faithfulness. The word of God says, Proverbs 3:3-4, "Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man."

Sometimes we share not out of love or that they don't see the love of God in us, we share out of knowledge. Even sharing to devout people like Corneliuses might not have a good outcome. Their hearts are in tune to God but possibly our hearts are not and we have to also always check the condition of our hearts if we have left anything God told us to obey and have not obeyed. A Cornelius might not miss this. Not that our preaching is out of our own righteousness but that our preaching should also be in the power of Spirit and in truth. And our lives have to reflect that we are walking in truth. We share the truth and grace of God, but those of us who share it are also to walk in grace and truth when we share it to people. That will be a powerful testimony to people everywhere. 

I pray the Lord continually use you so that you will know the grace that we have first received from God.

"pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ." Philemon 1:6

God speed everybody and let your faith overflow in love and thanksgiving! God bless you! ;-)


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