Post by Shiloah on Jun 25, 2005 3:05:25 GMT -8
I was reading today in Act 10 about Cornelius. He and his household were the first Gentile believers to follow Yeshua.
It struck me that here was this Roman official, with a soft heart towards the Jewish people, who was a God-fearer (and his household), who supported the Jews with gifts and charitable works. He was even praying three times a day.
When the angel of Adonai came to him, he told him that his prayers, and his gifts had been noticed by G-d, in fact, in the Complete Jewish Bible it says "G-d has you on his mind".
I always believed that Cornelius was not a convert to Judaism. Otherwise, he would have been a Jew, and the gospel was now going to the Gentiles as well as the Jews.
But here we have a Gentile, who is already bearing fruit of one who has a right attitude to Adonai. And yet he is not described as being included in "Israel" yet.
Does anyone have any comments about this?
I can't get it out of my mind that he was already finding favour with G-d because of his good heart. It some how reminds me of the Angel Gabriel coming to Mary and telling her she has found favour with God. It sends a shiver up my spine to think that the L-rd is so moved when we act with compassion and generousity towards his people, and pray earnestly to him. It is our heart's attitude more than anything that matters. G-d sits up and "marks" that one! He has that sort of person "on his mind". If G-d wanted to do a major move by His Spirit, would He choose you and I? Would we be "on His mind?" Oh, how I pray that the answer to that would be yes!
It struck me that here was this Roman official, with a soft heart towards the Jewish people, who was a God-fearer (and his household), who supported the Jews with gifts and charitable works. He was even praying three times a day.
When the angel of Adonai came to him, he told him that his prayers, and his gifts had been noticed by G-d, in fact, in the Complete Jewish Bible it says "G-d has you on his mind".
I always believed that Cornelius was not a convert to Judaism. Otherwise, he would have been a Jew, and the gospel was now going to the Gentiles as well as the Jews.
But here we have a Gentile, who is already bearing fruit of one who has a right attitude to Adonai. And yet he is not described as being included in "Israel" yet.
Does anyone have any comments about this?
I can't get it out of my mind that he was already finding favour with G-d because of his good heart. It some how reminds me of the Angel Gabriel coming to Mary and telling her she has found favour with God. It sends a shiver up my spine to think that the L-rd is so moved when we act with compassion and generousity towards his people, and pray earnestly to him. It is our heart's attitude more than anything that matters. G-d sits up and "marks" that one! He has that sort of person "on his mind". If G-d wanted to do a major move by His Spirit, would He choose you and I? Would we be "on His mind?" Oh, how I pray that the answer to that would be yes!