Keeping In Step

 DEVOTION

THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

KEEPING IN STEP

Acts 10:1-8

10:1 At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion in what was known as the Italian Regiment. 2 He and all his family were devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly. 3 One day at about three in the afternoon he had a vision. He distinctly saw an angel of God, who came to him and said, "Cornelius!" 4 Cornelius stared at him in fear. "What is it, Lord?" he asked. The angel answered, "Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God. 5 Now send men to Joppa to bring back a man named Simon who is called Peter. 6 He is staying with Simon the tanner, whose house is by the sea." 7 When the angel who spoke to him had gone, Cornelius called two of his servants and a devout soldier who was one of his attendants. 8 He told them everything that had  happened and sent them to Joppa.

NIV

Much has been said about Cornelius by our esteemed commentators. We have learned as it is also borne out in the discussion Peter will have with the other Apostles in Jerusalem later, that this man Cornelius was a Roman Centurion in charge of about one hundred Roman soldiers who were garrisoned at Caesarea, by the Sea. Those of us who were on the Israel trip a few years back visited this place and saw the remains of the Roman barracks, the large arena, and a well-preserved amphitheater. Although Luke tells us that Cornelius was a devout God-fearing man, he was still a Gentile, born and bred in Italy alone with this entire regiment. This portion of the Acts of the Apostles makes the first transition from bringing the good news about the kingdom of God to only the chosen people of God, the Jews, to the other nations, that Jesus commanded them to go to, the ends of the earth. This would also be the beginning of fulfilling the promise God gave to Abraham, that he would be the father of many nations, as recorded in Genesis 17. It is interesting that this initiation of this promise to Abraham was God, himself. He sent an angel to Cornelius with the message to send for Peter, a man unknown to Cornelius. Yet, he answered the call with the commanded action, sending two of his servants and one devout soldier to Joppa to fetch Peter. What do we learn from this? We think the point is plain to see. When God instructs us to do something or go somewhere, we have but one response, do it or go there. Luke does not tell us that Cornelius had a long-drawn-out conversation with the angel of the Lord trying to get clarity or ask why he should do this thing, or how is this important, he simply did as the angel told him and he did it right away. As we know and will see next, it is also interesting that God instructed Peter about going to the Gentiles. But here is the kicker for us. God visits with us every moment of our lives as believers, as devout God-fearing people. He sent His Holy Spirit to dwell, to indwell, to live in communion within us, leading us, guiding us into all truth as well as giving us instructions as to where and how we should live, work and play. Why who we ever believe that God, who lives within us, would allow us to do whatever we decided was the best, to live where we think is the best, and to work at whatever we want to work at? Why would we believe that God would give us the right to declare our method of providing for ourselves, or want us to look to the sources of this world for our security? This applies to both of us personally and to how we function as the church. We are far too familiar with many of the churches today, which are storing up wealth for themselves rather than following the will of God, giving generously to those in need, as it is recorded that Cornelius, a gentile, did. Have we become too self-sufficient, too self-aware, or too self-orientated that we forge ahead, ignoring the moving of the Spirit? This sounds like an indictment, but it is only an observation and a self-examination. Let us not only listen for the voice of the Spirit, but let us move, or walk in step with him, allowing the Spirit to call out the cadence.