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ACCEPTABLE TO GOD - PART 2

WEDNESDAY 09 OCTOBER 2024


One thing I appreciate about God is that He is constantly talking and communicating with His children, granting them conceptual wisdom, precise understanding, demonstrative knowledge, life-changing insight, and rewarding direction, through their perceptive and discerning ability.


The Bible says, "Cornelius, a Roman Centurion and a member of a unit called the Italian Cohort, lived in Caesarea. Cornelius was an outsider, but he was a devout man—a God-fearing fellow with a God-fearing family.


He consistently and generously gave to the poor, and he practiced constant prayer to God. About three o'clock one afternoon, he had a vision of a messenger of God" (Acts 10: 1-3 AMP). Who granted Cornelius a vision? God Himself through His angel.


Reference: Acts 10:34-35 New Living Translation (NLT)

'So Peter opened his mouth and said: "Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to Him."'


When God often speaks to a man, it denotes a symbolism of light in the spirit of that man, which has a profound effect on the person's perspective and interpretation of the sphere of activities obtainable in their faith walk. In other words, God's voice offers divine perspective that influences one's earthly activities in any given situation, in accordance with the purpose of His will.


To that effect, Solomonic inspired utterance numbered as Proverbs 20:27 reads, "The human spirit is the lamp of the LORD that sheds light on one's inmost being" (NIV). That's the reason your spirit must be actively responsive to God, especially through constant fellowship with the Holy Spirit and by practising good works.


When the LORD's light penetrates the human spirit, a calmness sets in, and amid such aura, comes a clarification of divine thought being communicated to the person's spirit. This was exactly what happened to Cornelius, the God-fearing fellow with a God-fearing family. Although He wasn't a Jew, He consistently and generously gave to the poor, and he practiced constant prayer to God, which was utterly acceptable to God. Got it? Hence, in one afternoon, about three o'clock, he had a vision concerning a messenger of God.


Below is the interactive dialogue between Cornelius and the angel of the Lord in the vision:


Messenger of God: Cornelius!


Cornelius (terrified): What is it, sir?


Messenger of God: God has heard your prayers, and He has seen your kindness to the poor. God has taken notice of you. Send men south to Joppa, to the house of a tanner named Simon. Ask to speak to a guest of his named Simon, but also called Peter. You'll find this house near the waterfront.


After the messenger departed, Cornelius immediately called two of his slaves and a soldier under his command—an especially devout soldier. He told them the whole story and sent them to Joppa.


Beloved God always speaks, and considering the narrative observation of the above versified passage, which is filled with accuracy of explicated and directive insight, we can gain a basal comprehension that it wasn't a defective vision. The clarity of Cornelius' perception, in relation to the vision, was quite impressive. The Bible says, "He speaks in dreams, in visions of the night, when deep sleep falls on people as they lie in their beds" (Job 33:15 NLT). Who speaks? God! Our glorious supreme Deity.


Into the bargain, Solomonic inspired utterance numbered as Proverbs 19:23 reads, "The fear of the LORD leads to life, And he who has it will abide in satisfaction; He will not be visited with evil" (NKJV). Did you get that? How did the Scripture address Cornelius? He was a devout man - a God-fearing fellow. In accordance with the proverbial intimation of Solomonic inspired utterance, what is the heritage of a God-fearing man? Life, and he who has the fear of God will abide in satisfaction; He will not be visited with evil.


Zero wonder, Cornelius' divinised encounter in the vision was synonymous with God's goodness, not with evil visitation. In addition, the Psalmist says, "Who, then, are those who fear the Lord? He will instruct them in the ways they should choose" (Psalm 25:12 NIV). Did you also pay apt attention to the wordings of the Psalmist?


Now watch this: We can acknowledge that in the exclusive nature of the vision, Cornelius was instructed by the angelic messenger in the way he should go, which gracefully entailed divine visitation plus divine instruction, so pertinent to his situation as a divine direction.


Beloved, in the fear of the Lord, there is strong confident access to God's voice. The Spirit behind it empowers us to clearly hear from God and gain accurate access to His divine plan, purpose and direction, thereby positioning us to walk and function in the right path. Hallelujah! Stay tuned for part 3. Shalom!


Scripture Reading - Genesis 3:8; John 8:47; Isaiah 30:21; John 10:27.


Guided Prayer:

Heavenly Father, I thank you because you supply me with all the necessary provisions and remarkable essentialities, through the voice of your Spirit, and by the inspiration of your grace, in Jesus' Name, Amen.






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