God says, “Those two men need to get together.”

Wednesday  2-3-16 (Home in Modesto, California)     

Scripture reading for today: Exodus 35 – 36  Acts 10

S=Scripture  O=Observation  A=Application  P=Prayer  SOAP for the soul.

S.  Acts 10:30-31 So Cornelius said, "Four days ago I was fasting until this hour; and at the ninth hour I prayed in my house, and behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing, and said, 'Cornelius, your prayer has been heard, and your alms are remembered in the sight of God.  NKJV

O.  These two men had never met: Cornelius and Peter.  It was 3 PM and Cornelius, a Roman military officer, was fasting and praying.  Two days later it was noon and Peter was on vacation at the beach.  He was hungry waiting for his lunch to be prepared.  So he went up to the terrace on the roof to pray. 

Now God looks down from heaven and takes notice of Cornelius, a man who is hungry for righteousness and he sees Rev. Peter, a Jewish follower of Jesus and said to the nearest angel at hand.  “Hey, see those two men.  They need to get together.  Go take care of it.  “But, Lord,” says the angel, “You know that Peter is a devout Jew.  He would never consider entering a Gentile’s home.”  And God says, “Don’t worry about that.  I’ll take care of it.”    

A.  Jesus declared in His famous Sermon of the Mount, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled.”  Matt 5:6  NKJV  In Acts chapter 8 it was a spiritually hungry man reading the scriptures as he rode in his chariot.  In Acts chapter 10 it is Cornelius in prayer.  Can it be that the Lord often responds to spiritual hunger by jarring one of His servants loose from his evangelistic crusade or even his or her vacation to send them to a hungry soul?  In John 4 it is Jesus waiting at the well for a spiritually starved Samaritan woman to show up.  In Acts chapter 8 it was Philip running after the chariot of the Ethiopian.  In chapter 10 it is Peter hiking to visit a Roman soldier, chapter 16 it is Paul taking a ship from Troas to reach an unknown man in Greece. 

P.  Lord Jesus, in 2016 may it be a retired missionary named Ralph sent to a hungry soul somewhere in California or Argentina or wherever!  Master, here I am. Send me!  Don’t let me miss that celestial appointment!  Amen.

Ralph