#110 “Great Intercessors of the Bible”

Cornelius – Pt.2

(Horn, Strong Willed or Wise) 

 

 "Your prayers and your gifts to the needy have gone up for

a memorial before God.  Now send men to Joppa, and get

Simon, who is surnamed Peter!"

(Acts 10:5)

New King James (NKJ)

Now let’s pick-up where we lift off in our last lesion, Cornelius had a vision of an Angel of the Lord, who had instructed him to send for Peter, “Cornelius, your prayers and your gifts to the needy have gone up for a memorial before God.  Now send men to Joppa, and get Simon, who is surnamed Peter. (Acts 10:5) Cornelius followed the instruction of the Angel and immediately sent some of his servants go to get Peter.  This made Cornelius what is known as “first fruit” for the Gentiles; because He was responsible for his whole family being Baptized and accepted into the Christian Faith.  But what Cornelius did was not only for his family but it gave access to all gentles as well.  

Because the Lord God had been working on peter about not calling anything He had created unclean, Now on the next day as they were on their journey, and got close to the city, Peter went up on the housetop to pray at about noon.  He became hungry and desired to eat, but while they were preparing, he fell into a trance.  He saw heaven opened and a certain container descending to him, like a great sheet let down by four corners on the earth, in which were all kinds of four-footed animals of the earth,  wild animals, reptiles, and birds of the sky.   A voice came to him, "Rise, Peter, kill and eat!"  But Peter said, “Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean."  A voice came to him again the second time, "What God has cleansed, you must not call unclean."  This was done three times, and immediately the vessel was received up into heaven.” (Acts 10:9-16)

Peter like some people today felt that the his race (Jews) were superior to all other races and would have had a difficult time excepting the gentles as heirs to the promise of God; this is why God had to tell him, “What God has created, you must not call unclean.” God made sure that everyone who wanted to come to Him could come, “Come to me all you who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28) I love the why God orchestrates things; here are two men, whom unbeknown to each other are having simultaneous visions pertaining to the same thing. One is instructed to send for Peter a Jewish man, the other; Peter is having a vision telling him that everything God has created is clean, just before Gentiles arrives at the door inquiring after Him.

 What’s even more fascinating is that neither of them fully understood what God was about to do! Yet Peter went along with them fully trusting God and not doubting a thing He was doing.  “Now while Peter was very perplexed in himself what the vision which he had seen might mean, behold, the men who were sent by Cornelius, having made inquiry for Simon's house, stood before the gate, and called and asked whether Simon, who was surnamed Peter, was lodging there.  While Peter was pondering the vision, the Spirit said to him, "Behold, three men seek you. But arise, get down, and go with them, doubting nothing; for I have sent them." Peter went down to the men, and said, "Behold, I am he whom you seek. Why have you come?" They said, "Cornelius, a centurion, a righteous man and one who fears God, and well spoken of by all the nation of the Jews, was directed by a holy angel to invite you to his house, and to listen to what you say." So he called them in and lodged them.” 

Peter had been chosen to preach Christ to the Gentiles and witness the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon them, although Paul would be the one who primarily ministered to them. Nevertheless, I believe this was needful so that there would be no doubt that God had poured out the Holy Spirit upon Jews and Gentiles alike. Proving that He truly had no respect of persons and that all that called upon the name of the Lord would in fact be saved whether Jew or Gentile. God had pronounced the Gentiles clean and therefore they were qualified to hear the Gospel “On the next day Peter arose and went out with them, and some of the brothers from Joppa accompanied him.” On the next day they entered into Caesarea. Cornelius was waiting for them, having called together his relatives and his near friends. When it happened that Peter entered, Cornelius met him, fell down at his feet, and worshiped him.  But Peter raised him up, saying, "Stand up! I myself am also a man."  As he talked with him, he went in and found many gathered together. 

He said to them, "You yourselves know how it is an unlawful thing for a man who is a Jew to join himself or come to one of another nation, but God has shown me that I shouldn't call any man unholy or unclean. Therefore also I came without complaint when I was sent for. I ask therefore, why did you send for me?”(Acts 10:24-29)  I often wonder how this story could be applied to our lives today, who is that you think is unclean and unholy and you cannot go to them and share the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

When Jesus was here on earth his life and ministry touched every kind of people, blind, lamb, holt, so called clean and unclean, leapers, raised dead men and even hypocrites."THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS UPON ME, BECAUSE HE ANOINTED ME TO PREACH THE GOSPEL TO THE POOR. HE HAS SENT ME TO PROCLAIM RELEASE TO THE CAPTIVES, AND RECOVERY OF SIGHT TO THE BLIND, TO SET FREE THOSE WHO ARE OPPRESSED" (Luke 4:18)  Yet we say we can’t go where they are because, their environment is unclean… what better place to take the cleansing power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Whenever you are having doubts about going to speak to someone, which you feel the Lord has placed on your heart, don’t doubt; because, if he is sending you to them then he is also preparing the way for your message. Just as He prepared Peter for what He was getting ready to do through Cornelius so too He well prepare you. This reminds me of a song I use to sing years ago, "Carry the Water to The Desert"... the sick ones need the doctor, I'm gonna stop this hauling water to the sea." 

The Lord told Cornelius when Peter arrives he will speak to you. Cornelius, told Peter what happen and why he had sent for him, then he said, “Therefore I sent to you at once, and it was good of you to come. Now therefore we are all here present in the sight of God to hear all things that have been commanded you by God.” (Acts 10:33)

Peter opened his mouth and said, "Truly I perceive that God doesn't show favoritism; but in every nation he who fears him and works righteousness is acceptable to him. The word which he sent to the children of Israel, reaching good news of peace by Jesus Christ--he is Lord of all--that spoken word you yourselves know, which was proclaimed throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee, after the baptism which John preached; even Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed him with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. 

We are witnesses of everything he did both in the country of the Jews, and in Jerusalem; whom they also killed, hanging him on a tree. God raised him up the third day, and gave him to be revealed, not to all the people, but to witnesses who were chosen before by God, to us, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.  He charged us to preach to the people and to testify that this is he who is appointed by God as the Judge of the living and the dead.  All the prophets testify about him, that through his name everyone who believes in him will receive remission of sins.” (Acts 10:34-43)

We never know the impact that our dedication and commitment to prayer and intercession will have; however. we believe the Father hears our prayers and will answer just the same. I like to liken our intercession to the wave of the sea. When you’re standing on the seashore and a waive comes and dashes against you, there is no way for you to know from whist it came; for all you know it’s origination point could have been off the coast of China or Africa.  Intercession is much like that, no matter where it has come from once it has gone out, it is far reaching and you never know who or how many people will be caught in its wake. As we will learn in our next lesson, the same was true with Cornelius, he never know that his intercession before God would have a wake which traveled across generation not just his family.

My Prayer: Heavenly Father, what a joy and honor it is to pray and intercede on behalf of other, even more to see or hear of the impact of our intercessions. Although Cornelius never knew the impact of his prayer outside of that of his own family; nevertheless his prayers transcended time and space reaching even into the realm of the future. Now thousands of years later the impacts of his prayers are still being felt on the seashores of time even today. Father when we pray let our prayers and intercessions have such weight and authority that it too can transcend time and space, touching distant shores in future times; changing and transforming lives of many whom we may never know or see in this life. Thank you for the privilege of sharing with you in intercession for the souls of men. In the precious name of Your Son Jesus Christ…Amen!

Have A Bless Day…Go in God’s Peace!  

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