He and all his family were devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly.
Verse 2
Cornelius was gentile, not Israeli people but he believed in God and all his family was devout and God-fearing. His deed was generous to the people who need help and he did pray regularly which means his awful mind to God.
Here are some features of whom believe in God which is to fear God, do good things, and pray so much. There is no exception to whom believe in God for the above three features. When I look at myself I lack a God-fearing mind and do good things for people and pray to God as well. 2% lack for each.
Then what to do to fill in 2%? First, I need to increase my God-fearing mind. An awful mind will guide me to pray more and do good things more. God is light which means doing good things.
Through Cornelius’ case, I learn that God is blessing the people who are fearing God and are doing good things and praying so much regardless of their position, or background. Hallelujah
“Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God.
Verse 4
God has said through his servant that Cornelius’ prayers and good deeds are specific offerings before God. God said the memorial offering is prayers and good deeds, not money or not sacrifice itself.
We can think the money and sacrifice amount is the ratio of love to God. But in God’s viewpoint, the prayers and good deeds to the poor people are more loveful actions to God. God imposes more importance on those prayers and good deeds to the poor people.
So, what we must do more eagerly? Of course, through God’s mentioning we have to put effort more into the prayers and good deeds to the poor people. Always carve in our hearts for what God is pleased.
If we do an effort to those prayers and good deeds to the poor people then God will be pleased with our actions. God’s joy is our joy and our joy is God’s joy. Hallelujah.
“I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism
Verse 34,35
but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right.
Peter has now realized that God is God for all nations not for specific people. And God is for whom fear and do what is right. This means Peter thought God was only for the Israeli people. Why did he think like that? Because the Bible is the history of Israeli and most of the believers are Israelis. And they did not realize some scriptures which reveal for the nations. Those minds have come from ancestors and their privileged minds. Now Peter has broken out of those narrow minds and started to enlarge his conception of the nations. God is the creator of the universe so not limited to the Israeli. This is obvious and natural when we think about God. God should be God of all the nations not only of Israelis.
With the same conception, we have to break out our minds and enlarge our limited minds bound to this Korean nation. We have to go into the nations God is showing for us. We have so many nations in this Korean land. We have a lot of national people around us. We have to look around us from now.
The Gospel of God was spread to the people so much now but not to the nations so far. And so many grains to harvest are around us. We have to care for them. I think God has called me to CEM for this mission. I have a mission in this my life to serve those nations’ people through CEM. Hallelujah. I really would like to use my remained life for this mission.
doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.
Verse 38
Peter could do good things and heal all from the power of the devil because God was with him.
This last sentence is very important. This sentence structure is to impose importance on the latter part. If God is with me then I can do good things and heal all the people from the devil’s power. These words are for me. Before I thought God’s power are on other specific people and only they can do healing and good things. I was not the target God asked. But through this sentence, suddenly I realized this sentence is for me. Because God is with me I can do good things and I can heal all from the power of the devil. I thought I don’t have the power to do good things and heal all from the power of the devil. Because I looked at myself only without the background of God who gives amazing power. God is the creator of the universe so amazing God who can do everything I can think of. So with God’s help, I can do all the things over my expectation because God is almighty God and helping me and ordering me to do like that. If I follow God’s will then there is no limit to power. So I need to be keen in looking into the will of God and then just have the faith in God and obedience to God. This is my mission from now on. Hallelujah. I can do good things and I can heal all the people from the power of the devil. Let’s try it from now on.