Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 36:48 — 33.7MB)

9-2-2018 Weekly Message
The contemplation of the week: Psalm 23:1-6
Text: Acts 10:34-48
The Title of the Word: The Living and the Dead in the Eyes of God

The main scripture given to us today is the preaching of the gospel of Christ by Apostle Peter  in the house of  the gentile Cornelius, a centurion of  the Roman army. Until then, Peter knew that through the death and resurrection of Christ , God had given the privilege of salvation only the Jews believing in the Lord Jesus Christ.  God first gave Apostle Paul the mission of preaching the gospel to the Jews and Gentiles.  But Peter, being called to be apostle for Jews, did not know about the gospel of saving the Gentiles. God made Apostle Peter to know the grace of God that saves all those who believe in Christ’s death and resurrection through Cornelius and his household.

At that time Cornelius was the centurion of the Roman army. As of now, he was  the rank of a captain of army.  He was a devout man, with all his family, to fear God, to help  the people a lot, and he  set the time to pray to God always.   Though he did not know who God is and Jesus died on the cross just recently, he feared God through his conscience. Our ancestors used to say, “Oh my God!” Whenever they are in trouble in the midst of ignorance of God. Some of the  ancestors also lived in the  fear of heaven through their conscience given by God.

God saw that Cornelius was afraid of God and always prayed to God with his whole family, even though Cornelius did not know God. God sent an angel in his vision and said to him:

 ” Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God. 5And now send men to Joppa, and call for one Simon, whose surname is Peter:

6He lodgeth with one Simon a tanner, whose house is by the sea side: he shall tell thee what thou oughtest to do. “(Acts 10: 4-6)

When Cornelius  heard the word of the angel, he sent his devout soldiers to the place where Peter was staying. When they arrived at Peter’s house, God showed Peter a vision of opening the heaven and a bowl coming down at the time of Peter’s prayer. There were all kinds of four-foot beasts on the earth, wild beasts, creeping things, and birds in the air. At this time, he  heard the voice of God, “Peter, get up and eat.” God told him to eat the things that the Jews under the law were prohibited to eat.   At that  time Peter said, ” Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean.”, But God said, “ What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common..”  God told Peter, he can cleanse the Gentiles that are considered as common through the blood of Jesus Christ.

After hearing the voice of God speaking over and over again three times, Peter   went to Cornelius’s house with the men of Cornelius  At that time, Cornelius called his relatives and close friends and was waiting for Peter. As Peter entered, Cornelius fell to his knees and worshiped him. At that time, it was a political situation that the Romans could not worship  the Jews, but Cornelius, who was afraid of God, humbly regarded him as a servant of God, not a Jew. Cornelius and Peter testified about each other’s visions of God.

Then Peter opened his mouth and said:
“ Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: 35But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.” (Acts 10: 34-35).

Apostle Paul also gave the same wwitness when he wrote to the people in Rome:

” For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

30Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. “(Romans 8: 29-30)

      Finally, Peter opened his mouth to preach the gospel of Christ, which gives salvation to all who believe:

“   The word which God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ: (he is Lord of all:) 37That word, I say, ye know, which was published throughout all Judaea, and began from Galilee, after the baptism which John preached;

38How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.

39And we are witnesses of all things which he did both in the land of the Jews, and in Jerusalem; whom they slew and hanged on a tree: 40Him God raised up the third day, and shewed him openly;

41Not to all the people, but unto witnesses chosen before of God, evento us, who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead.

42And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead.

43To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins. “(Acts 10: 36-43). )

         While Cornelius and the people who were with him were listening to the gospel of Jesus Christ preached by Peter, the Holy Spirit came to all who believed his words. At that moment they were born again by the Holy Spirit. After the breath of life that God gave him was taken away  because of Adam’s sin, all the people who are born dead of their spirit, even though their  body alive but spiritually dead. But to all those who believe  in the gospel that Peter preached, God sent the Holy Spirit to give the breath of life unto them again. At last they are no longer dead, but living.

        The Bible says that all who are born to the world as descendants of Adam are spiritually dead. Therefore, if we are not born again by the Holy Spirit, we cannot see the spiritual world of God. As Apostle Paul wrote to the saints of the church in Ephesus about the life style of the dead who cannot see the spiritual world, he said:

“And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; 2Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:

3Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

4But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 5Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) 6And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:

7That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9Not of works, lest any man should boast.“(Ephesians 2: 1-3).

       That’s right! If the spiritual eyes are not opened by the Holy Spirit, even though the body is alive before God, but spiritually dead. Jesus spoke of the spiritually dead:

” Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead.” (Matthew 8:22)

         Those who are spiritually dead have no choice but to go to places of suffering to be consumed by fire that will last for eternity. But when Cornelius and those that were with him heard the word of God, and believed in Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit came upon them to make them the living from the dead.  Apostle Paul testified to the saints of the Church of Ephesus who were living from the dead:

” But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,

5Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)

6And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:

7That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. 8For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9Not of works, lest any man should boast.” (Ephesians 2: 4-9)

           That’s right! Those who are spiritually dead to live in the place of hell, are living the  life of lust for things that are corrupt in the world as hell ruled by the devil. When they are  judged, they will have to go to hell following after the devil. But those who have been saved and born again by the Holy Spirit are living in spiritual heaven in  righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit (Rom. 14:17), and with Christ already sitting on the right side of the spiritual heavenly throne with Christ Jesus When our Lord Jesus Christ appears in the air, we shall go to the eternal heaven. Amen! Hallelujah!