Author: ochimaokereke

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Personal walk

Avoid Evil, so the Lord Desires

Earlier on Tuesday, March 31, 2026, I became a bit emotional as I read about Judas Iscariot in Matthew 27, in his futile efforts to undo his betrayal of the Lord Jesus Christ. He tried without success to return the money to the High Priest and his team when he saw that the Lord was arrested, molested, beaten and moreover, He permitted and accepted it.  The Lord was made a condemned prisoner whose crucifixion plan was being irreligiously and steadily worked out to its actualisation.  When the Jewish religious leaders refused to negotiate the Lord’s release nor accept the money they paid for His betrayal, Judas cast the money into the temple and went on to hang himself.

Some months before this in his office, as the treasurer of the twelve disciples, he was involved in petty thefts by pilfering some of the money he kept John 12:6. He must have thought that he was smart. He continued until he convinced himself that he could betray the Lord for thirty pieces of silver and of course, in his mental permutations, the Lord could not be arrested. Whatever his calculations and confidence were that the Lord could not be arrested failed, and all ended for him in tears and suicide.  Seeing his remorse, crying and eventual suicide, it became clear that he did not expect the outcome he faced. If he knew that his petty thefts would eventually lead to betraying the Lord and his committing suicide, it was likely that  he would have stopped them. It was certainly not possible for him to have a second chance or learn from experience to stop the evil of stealing from the disciples’ money bag.

Another takeaway lesson from this experience is the futility of trying to play hide and seek with the law as long as one can get away with it. This is wrong whether one is alone or working with others. It does not matter even if one is acting alone.  Joseph asked the wife of Potiphar “…How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?” Genesis 39:9. This was it! His bother was not being caught by man but the fact that the all-seeing eyes of the Lord would see them. Most importantly, he would not be living as the Lord would desire of him as His child. For refusing to go into sin with Mrs Potiphar, he was lied against and ended in prison. This was a case of being imprisoned for doing good. He knew this and did not abandon the Lord in disappointment. And the Lord did not disappoint him.  Yes, the Lord took him from prison to the palace, and he became the prime minster, the number two person in Egypt. This was the Lord’s blessing for the slave boy who was wrongly imprisoned yet he trusted Him and lived to please Him. In effect, a child of God should not just be living to avoid the penalty of infringing on the laws of God and man. No, he should live no longer in the realm of keeping the law but, of seeking to  please the Lord, and walk according to the desire of the Lord all the time.

The Jews also did not get away Scot-free with their evil. They refused to accept the thirty pieces of silver because it was unlawful to accept such money into the temple. Yet, they deliberately accepted false witnesses against the Lord, an action which was unlawful. They did  it because it served their purpose of condemning the Lord to crucifixion.  Even when Pilate washed his hands to dissociate himself from the crime of crucifying, a just man, they stated that they accepted the punishment and it should be on them and their children, Matthew 27:24-25. The Lord had earlier warned of the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple, Matthew 24:1-2. When it eventually happened in AD 70. It was terrible. There was no hiding place. They certainly would not choose the experience and its causes if they had a second chance. Yes, after months of fighting, the Romans destroyed the Temple, known as the Second Temple, and razed the city, with tens of thousands killed, enslaved, or executed.

There is at least another takeaway lesson from this experience of the Jews. For political reasons, they shouted that Barabbas, a criminal, should be released instead of the sinless Lord Jesus Christ, As we have already read, in spite of their bravado that they were ready to face the consequences of their choice, with the benefit of hindsight, we know that they were destroyed as a people in AD 70. They could not in any good conscience declare for such a fate again if they had a chance.

Shall we as a people learn that we are destroying our nation when we choose criminals over people with verifiable track records of good governance. Irrespective of our refusal to accept good choices, borne of integrity, the word of God states clearly that righteousness exalts a nation but sin or evil is a reproach to a people, Proverbs 14:34.

In conclusion, as children of God, we have individual choices to make, we cannot be too careful when we choose to avoid evil and do good, irrespective of what others choose. What is more, it is what the Lord desires of His children to do.

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Christmas Quiz

Dear Friends and Readers,

I wish to share this question which I started thinking about as I completed my morning devotion on 24th December. 

It is this: Why did Angel Gabriel speak to Zechariah and the Virgin Mary instead of Elizabeth and the Virgin Mary?

In other words, why did the angel speak to Zechariah and not Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist, as the Virgin Mary, the mother of the Lord, was spoken to? Please, share your answers on this platform. Thank you.

I wish to thank all who sent me their answers to the question which I posted on December 24th. It was why did the Angel Gabriel speak to Zechariah and not to Elizabeth as the Virgin Mary was spoken to.

The question arises because I am convinced that the Lord has a reason for whatever He does.

In 1 Corinthians 14: 26- 40, there is an exhortation that everything should be done in order unto edification.

Reading through Luke chapter 1, the first time that the name John appears was when Angel Gabriel spoke to Zechariah. After which, he, the father of John the Baptist, became dumb.

The next time was when Elizabeth stated that the name of her son should be John, this was as they wanted to name him, during the circumcision but she was overruled. Actually, I am still wondering about how she got the name since her husband had been dumb after the encounter with the angel.

They had to ask her husband, Zechariah. As he wrote the name John, he pronounced it, and regained his ability to talk. The matter was settled and the name was accepted, moreover, backed up by the miracle.

Further, the views of women those days were not taken seriously. If Elizabeth was given the message by the angel, it was still possible that there might have been an argument if Zechariah was not informed and she might have been overruled.

What is in a name? Certainly, much more than meets the eye.

With respect to the angel speaking to the Virgin Mary, I find it instructive that the Lord, our Creator, had to seek the consent of the lady, the Virgin Mary, one of her creatures, to use her body as the vessel through which to bring in His Son into the world. This, she readily granted.

We also need to remember that in those days, views of women were not really sought or reckoned with. Yet, the Lord had respect for Mary by seeking her consent.

We thank the Lord for His love and care so well demonstrated in these two cases.

These are my suggestions.

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Professional

Some Lessons from Joseph, the disciplined and Successful God-fearing Professional

Joseph was a multidisciplinary and God-fearing professional. The twenty-first professional who is desirous to succeed has much to learn from his discipline, dedication to duty and his determination to succeed. What is more, he was a resounding success such that through his policies and their implementation, the then known world, and not just Egypt alone, was saved fro seven years of devastating famine.

There are lessons that we can learn from Joseph which are relevant and valuable to the modern professional. These have been grouped as message to the strong and powerful, message to the follower of the Lord, and message to the professional, respectively. Please these groupings are not hard and fast or water-tight demarcations because all the messages are applicable and beneficial to everyone.

Message to the strong and powerful

Avoid evil, refrain from deliberately hurting anyone. Fear the Lord always whether in public or in private, for He is God. You cannot thwart the plans of God. He will still bring  them to pass, no matter how long it takes. The brothers of Joseph could hardly believe their eyes and ears when they saw him after so many years and he introduced himself as the lord of Egypt, Genesis 45. This was after they had given him up as dead because of their ill-advised and malicious plans against him. Their compromise solution was to sell him as a slave.

Message to the follower of the Lord

The faithfulness of young Joseph should be an object lesson to all of us whether young or old. Some of the highlights of his walk with the Lord, as I see them, are as follows:

  • He maintained his walk with Lord all through his chequered experience. In spite of being sold as a slave into Egypt, he did not abandon the Lord but remained obedient and worshipped Him. This was despite his physical sufferings.
  • It was not only that he kept a level and disciplined head, but it was also that he rejected an illegal sexual  affair when the invitation and advances came from no less a person than Mrs. Potiphar. His reasons, it was a sin against the all-seeing God, and a crime. The realisation that the all-seeing God monitors our indiscretions and lapses, whether sexual or otherwise, public or private, should constitute self-checks and personal discipline to us in our everyday life.
  • His faith and confidence in his relationship with the Lord to provide answers to prayers were simply incredible and challenging. When the chief butler and chief baker, Pharoh’s servants, told him of their respective dreams and also added that there was no interpreter. Joseph replied: “Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell me them , I pray thee.” Genesis 40:8. Can we see through his confidence in the Lord that when he prayed the Lord would answer! Do I have this? Do we have this in our daily walk with the Lord? The rest is history. He interpreted their dreams and the subsequent events happened as he foretold them.

Message to the professional

  • Joseph’s successful management of the Egyptian economy during the famine

His masterly management of the Egyptian economy during the seven years of plentiful harvest and seven years of  famine testifies to  his skills in production and operations management, corporate management, and crisis management. His corporate strategies during the lean and plentiful years were proactive and comprehensive. They demonstrated his foresight, diligence and faith in the Lord and divine guidance. He was so dedicated that the years of plenty, he travelled throughout Egypt to supervise his policy of collecting and storing the surplus grains in cities (Genesis 41: .30-36). By implementing these policies, he ensured that they did had adequate reserves that not only preserved lives through the famine years but also enhanced the position of Egypt as a dominant economic and political power in the then known world. 

  • His forgiveness of his brothers – an object lesson in forgiveness

When Joseph talked with his brothers to reveal to them who he was, they were frightened fearing vengeance from him for their wickedness to him. But he reassured them that while they meant to harm him, God used the occasion to achieve His goal of saving lives during the famine that was occurring in Egypt and the rest of the world.

It is instructive that Joseph could understand that the Lord was in control in spite of their malicious plan. A takeaway lesson from this event is the fact that the Lord remains in control. Therefore, we should learn to treat our adversaries in that knowledge that we cannot take vengeance because vengeance belongs to the Lord. Rather, we should offer forgiveness as the Lord requires us to do because the battle is the Lord’s and our protection is in His hands. Joseph remained true to his forgiveness of his brothers even after their father had died and they were worried but he did not change. His forgiveness to them was not based or predicated on his respect for his father but on his obedience to the eternal and unchanging God who was, and will always remain, in the scene.

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Uncategorized

Called to be Consistent and not Negatively Customised

Effective and proficient business practice requires that products and services should be made to meet the needs of targeted customers. This entails that production and marketing activities have to be aimed at providing solutions that should enhance the productivity and profitability of the customer. Both the producer and the customer should find the solution beneficial to their businesses. It should be as a win-win arrangement. Indeed, the producer should be consistent in their business strategy to seek to be fair to all,  this is the win-win strategy.,

Sadly, in the real world, some businesses seek to take advantage of the weaknesses of the other party, whether customers or even producers, to cheat and rip them off. They practise a win-lose strategy. This is an unethical and unhelpful business practice and does not augur well for  a continuing business relationship.

The practice of a win-lose solution, a strategy which is here described as a negative customisation, is not limited to business but it is practised in international, national, public and private relationships and interactions.  Whenever we take advantage of another person and discriminate against them and deny them justice, equity and fair play, we are practising negative customisation.

In the national politics of a developing country, before the current administration, they had the a Moslem president administration, interested observers pointed at the shortcomings of his administration which included failure to observe the federal character requirement in his distribution of national benefits and in making appointments. He ignored all the corrections and unfavourable press and continued in his efforts to Islamise the nation. Probably, his worst offence was closing his eyes to the influx into the country of bandits, Boko Haram, and Moslem invaders from the Sahel region whose main objectives were to kill the nationals, especially Christians, and occupy their territories.

It is reported that the current presidency and the administration who have taken over the country through dubious activities clearly do not have any credentials to justify foisting themselves on the nation. What is sad and is in consonance with the subject of this writeup of negative customisation is that a lot of people, including national Christian leaders, who had condemned the failings of the past presidency, have kept mum, buried their heads in the sand, and refused to speak up.  Christians are still being slaughtered in some states. Not even a squeak of protest is heard from the leaders to protect our Christian brothers and sisters. Is this duplicity, double standards, or double faced dealing?

The premise of this writeup is not actually to criticise our Christian leaders but to warn all of us who are being led not only to avoid copying them but also to be careful that at our own level, we do not practise the same. For example, are our public lifestyle and comportment the same as what we do in the privacy of our homes, outside the glare of the public and our favourite fellowship or church group? Are we also guilty of negative customisation?

The Lord Jesus warned : “21 Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity” Matthew 7: 21- 23.

The Lord also stated ; “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand”, John 10:27-28” . The Lord is our standard and Master. We have no excuse to disappoint Him by copying any other human being. We read: “ Wherefore seeing  that we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us.

2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God” Hebrew 12: 1-2.

Concluding remarks

In many countries, including ours, Christians have a bad press. Our testimonies and witness are blunted by excesses of our leaders, rightly or wrongly. However, we have a responsibility to live for the Lord consistently and not engage in negative customisation “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;

13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;

14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works” Titus 2: 11-15.

Thank you.

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Called to be Consistent and not Negatively Customised

 

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About

About The Gospel Speaks Today

The Gospel Speaks Today seeks to analyse everyday event through the lens of the Bible. In effect, it uses the Bible as the standard, the reference point and basis for its analysis.

This approach is predicated on the fact that God is interested in the totality of a person.  In the Lord’s considerations, there is no division between the secular and religious. Every sphere of life and activity is observed and examined. This underlines the command to be perfect in all we do.

While perfection may not attainable, it is a goal to aim at. This informs the exhortation on the practical everyday life, that we should focus on “..whatever is true, whatever is honourable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise.” Philippians 4:8 

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Personal walk

 The Call for Self-control and Level headedness under Trials and Temptations

 The Call for Self-control and Level-headedness under Trials and Temptations

“He who is slow to anger is better than he who is mighty, and he who controls his spirit than he who captures a city.” Proverbs 16:32

Self-control is one of the fruit of the Spirit, Galatians 5:22-23. We also read that he who controls his spirit is better than he who captures a city.
In our everyday life, at home or at work, how much self-control do we show when the inevitable pressures and trials come our way? It is all well and good to be in good comportment when all is smooth sailing. How do we respond when the turbulence and waves of trials and temptations assail us?

Our physical reaction to pressure is just one aspect of our comportment, what about our decision making under pressure?  Shall we learn from our Lord’s example in the passage in John 8 : 3- 11 (New King James version).

3 Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst, 4 they said to Him, “Teacher, [a]this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act. 5 Now [b]Moses, in the law, commanded us [c]that such should be stoned. But what do You [d]say?” 6 This they said, testing Him, that they might have something of which to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, [e]as though He did not hear.

7 So when they continued asking Him, He [f]raised Himself up and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” 8 And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. 9 Then those who heard it, being[g] convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. 10 When Jesus had raised Himself up [h]and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, “Woman, where are those accusers [i]of yours? Has no one condemned you?”

11 She said, “No one, Lord.”

And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go [j]and sin no more.”

Comments

There  are many takeaway lessons on self-control which the Lord teaches us in the handling of this episode. Shall we list some of them as follows:

1 Probably the first point that strikes most readers is the clear injustice in their treatment of the woman. There were two persons involved in the act, a man and a woman. Why parade the woman alone?

2. The Lord took His time and did not go on to respond or criticise them. He chose to write on the ground, and waited as He took control of the situation. Shall we learn to think over an issue and not be in a hurry to respond or give an answer.

3. They had to prompt the Lord to remind Him that they were waiting for His reply.

4. In His answer, He gave them a fundamental lesson in ethical behaviour and self-examination in His statement: “He who is without sins should cast the first stone”. At this, they all left, one by one until He was alone with the woman.

5. The Lord advised her that whilst she did not condemn her, she should go and sin no more. Demonstrating that He did not condone her sin.

6. It is relevant to appreciate that the Lord was not against the commandment given by Moses. No, it is necessary to understand the purpose of the Jews in arraigning the woman before Him. It was a trap such that whatever He advised on the law on the incident was implicating.

If he said do not stone her, He would have been seen to be advising against the law of God given through Moses.

If he said, stone her as commanded by the law, He would have been committing a crime against the Romans who ruled the Jews then, and they only had the authority to put anyone to death.

Therefore, He paused, waited and then answered such that His reply not only avoided their trap but also made them leave in self-guilt.

Shall we pause and try to understand a situation or the purpose of a question or an issue before responding to ensure that we provide an appropriate response.

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Personal walk

The Walk of Faith: Paradoxes in the Life of Abraham, the Father of the Faithful

Hebrew 11: 8

Abraham left his people and travelled with his wife and Lot to a place where he did not know.

Paradox

How can an intelligent person abandon all for a strange place because he said that the Lord so instructed him?  Some might argue with him to show them the God who gave him the instructions.

Hebrew 11: 11

Sarah at 90 years of age and Abraham at 100 conceived and gave birth to Isaac.

Paradox

Does this comply with acceptable medical theory? Was Sarah not in the age in which she could no longer have babies?

Hebrew 11: 17 & 18:

Abraham obeyed the Lord and lifted his knife to kill Isaac who was bound to the altar where he was to be burnt as an offering because God told him to offer him as a sacrifice.

Yet, it was the same Isaac that the Lord promised that through him, Abraham was to become a great nation.

Paradox

It appears that there was a contradiction in this command. Abraham should sacrifice his only son through whom the Lord had promised that he would become a great nation.

Yes, by human reasoning, there was. The intelligent pragmatic person would not accept this. How could a dead child become the father of a great nation?

Hebrew 11:19

Abraham obeyed because he reasoned and believed that God was able to raise the dead Isaac back to life and make him a great nation.

Concluding comments

Faith is a complete reliance and obedience to the Lord. In the walk of faith, empirical and quantitative demonstration of the Lord and His ways fall down.

Complete obedience and reliance on God may appear foolish to the thinking person who may choose to disobey God.

We thank the Lord for the faith of Abraham. He demonstrated that faith in the Lord, in complete obedience to Him, sometimes transcends the extremities of human reasoning and calculations. This is because the reasoning man fails to include in his calculations an acknowledgement that the world belongs to the Sovereign Lord who cannot be found by human experimentation. Otherwise, He ceases to be God but a human contraption and invention.

But He can be found, experienced and known by those who faithfully obey His revealed word. Such that to refuse to believe Him is foolishness.

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Fellowship

Lord Jesus Christ, Saviour, Master, King, Author & Perfecter of our Faith

Shall we read from John 3: 16: “16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosever believes in him will not perish but have eternal life”.

The Lord saves us because He knows that we cannot save ourselves. The best we can do is not good enough before the Holy God who is of purer eyes than to behold iniquity. Habakkuk 1: 13. Our sins separate us from Him (Isaiah 59: 1-2). The finest we can accomplish is described as a filthy rag (Isaiah 64:6).

We praise and worship the Lord Jesus Christ, for paying for our sins on the cross of Calvary. “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends”( John 15: 13). What is more, He gives us eternal life as we are saved.

As a sinner, I repent of my sins, the most serious of which is ruling my life and taking my decisions. In repentance, I surrender the control to Him, I accept Him as Master and have an innate desire to  live in obedience to him as a result of the salvation which He has given to me by His grace. “8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast”. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them”.

As a result of our salvation, we walk with Him doing good works. Not just what we choose, but as He directs. “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand.” (John 10: 27-28). The Lord saves us, keeps us, guides us as the good Shepherd as we walk with Him daily in obedience and holiness. We shall never perish and His protection is guaranteed.

The Lord has called us to a life of fellowship in which He uses us to do good works as we walk with Him, living a life of holiness.

A Father-child relationship is the Lord’s plan for the believer.  From John 1: 12, we read: “12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.”

 Please, can we mull over the following passages which underline our call to holiness:

16 “What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said:

I will live with them  and walk among them, and I will be their God,
    and they will be my people.”[c]

17” Therefore, “Come out from them  and be separate, says the Lord.
Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.”[d]

18 And, “I will be a Father to you,  and you will be my sons and daughters,
says the Lord Almighty.”[e]  (2 Corinthians 6: 16-18)

11 “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,

12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;

13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ” (Titus 2: 11-13)

“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy”(1 Peter 2: 9 -11)

In summary: The Christian is saved by grace to live in a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ who is the Master and the Good Shepherd who guides His sheep to live a life of obedience and holiness. The Lord guarantees that He protects them in this present world, as eternal life start here, and to eternity when they leave this world and return to Him in Heaven.

Importantly, He uses them to do good works here on earth to reach others, labouring with Him to bring others into salvation as His Spirit guides. We are saved to serve to bring glory to the Lord in our everyday living. For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building. 1 Corinthians 3:9

14 “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven”. Matthew 5: 14-16

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Personal walk

Importance of Obedience

 

Since writing the blog entitled “obedience is pivotal to successful Christian living”, I have felt constrained to write on the importance of obedience.

To start with, it needs to be clearly stated that salvation is by grace through faith. There is nothing that we can do to earn our salvation because it is completely a gift from the Lord based on the merits of the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ to pay for our sins on the cross of Calvary.

The question is what is the importance of obedience?

There are two Bible passages that could be used to provide a graphic answer to this question. They are as follows:

  1. Encounter of Peter with Cornelius, Acts. 10: 1 – 48
  2. The conversion of Saul, Acts 9: 1-19

Starting with the Encounter between Peter and Cornelius

Cornelius was a Roman centurion in Caesarea and a God-fearing man who always prayed to the Lord. During one of his prayer sessions, an angel appeared and advised him to send for Peter who was then in Joppa that he would explain to him the way to relate to the Lord.

At this time, it was not normal for the disciples to travel to non-Jewish areas to preach the gospel message.

While Peter was praying on that day, the Lord spoke to him through a vision of a vessel with all types of animals including those that it was unlawful for the Jews to eat. The Lord invited Peter to kill and eat them but he politely refused, explaining that he would not eat anything unclean. The vision came to him three times, and he rejected the invitation on as many times. The Lord told him not to describe anything God has cleansed as unclean.

Meanwhile, Cornelius had sent three men to Peter inviting him as the angel directed. By the time they got to where Peter at Joppa, the Lord had prepared Peter to be willing and ready to go with them.

The men arrived at where Peter was staying. After the greetings, they explained why they were sent to him by Cornelius. Peter thanked and informed them that they were to travel together the next day to Cornelius.    The next day, they travelled to Caesarea and met with Cornelius. As Peter was preaching they received the gift of the Holy Spirit. They believed and were baptised.

In summary, it took the obedience of Peter for Cornelius and his people, Gentiles, to receive the gospel message and be converted. Please recall that it was an angel that advised Cornelius to send for Peter who came and the Lord used him to convert Cornelius and his people. In effect, Peter was used to do a job that an angel could not do.  The obedient Christian is used by the Lord to win converts, do the task of discipleship, and other assignments  here on earth which angels cannot do.      

Summary:

Cornelius, a God-fearing man was sent by an angel to invite Peter to tell him the gospel . It was unusual for Jews to associate with Gentiles but the Lord prepared Peter for the trip. Peter obeyed and travelled with the people sent by Cornelius to Caesarea where Cornelius was.  He gave them the Gospel message and they were converted.

The second is the conversion of Saul. Acts 9: 1-19

As Saul travelled to Damascus from Jerusalem to arrest the Lord’s followers and bring them back to Jerusalem as prisoners, a dazzling light from Heaven shone around him and his two companions. He fell down. A voice called him and asked why he was persecuting him. He asked who he was. The Lord answered that it was Him that Saul was persecuting. He asked what He wanted him to do. The Lord told him to get up and go to the city and there he would be told what he must do. As he got up, he discovered that he was blind and was led to where they stayed.

Meanwhile, the Lord spoke to Ananias, a disciple and told him to go and attend to Saul. He explained to the Lord how Saul had been arresting and punishing Christians. Further, his present trip was for the same purpose.  The Lord assured him that it was perfectly safe to go, that Saul had become “a chosen vessel” to spread the gospel message to the Gentiles and he would suffer much doing this.

Ananias went to where Saul was. Prayed for him and he regained his sight.

It took obedient Ananias to pray with Saul at his conversion for him to regain his sight and health. Obedient Ananias obeyed the Lord to go to Saul in spite of the inherent and obvious danger in going to carry out the assignment, given the frightening reputation of Saul as a persecutor of Christians.

Conclusion

The Lord is not interested in the death of a sinner but that the sinner should repent and live. Ezekiel 18:32

4 God wants everyone to be saved by understanding the gospel message and believing in Him. 5 There is only one God, and there is only one way that people can reach Him. That way is through Christ Jesus, who as a man, 6 gave Himself to pay for everyone to be free. This is the message that was given to us at just the right time. 1 Timothy 2: 4-6

The salvation of sinners is a task that is nearest His heart, which is why He sent His Son to die and resurrect to bring persons back to Him.

He says: “Go into the world and preach the gospel”.  The Lord has been using obedient Christians to reach out and win people to Himself. And also uses them to do other good works to bring glory to His Name. This is one of the points that underline the importance of obedience in Christian living.