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Daily Devotions, Evening and Morning Devotional

 

Sunrise on Temple Mount in Jerusalem; Back to Previous Devotion

October 14 - Morning

"At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius,
a centurion in what was known as the Italian Regiment. He and all his family were devout
and God-fearing; he gave generously to
those in need and prayed to God regularly.

 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!”

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. 
Now send men to Joppa to bring back a
man named Simon who is called Peter.
"

- Acts 10:1-5

Sunset on the Sea of Galilee; Click to go to next devotion  
Cornelius, the Centurion from Italy    

A Roman soldier who had become a centurion had worked his way up through the ranks of the military to earn the status of a noncommissioned officer given the responsibilities equivalent to
a captain in the US Army and the command of a hundred Roman soldiers. A Centurion was
paid sixteen times what the average soldier was paid. Polybius, the Roman historian described
a Centurion like this:

“Centurions are required not to be bold and adventurous so much as good leaders, of steady and prudent mind, not prone to take the offensive or start fighting wantonly, but able when overwhelmed and hard-pressed to stand fast and die at their post.”
- Polybius, History 6.24

Cornelius was a centurion in the Cohors II Miliaria Italica Civium Romanorum which consisted of archers from Italy who were freedmen (freed slaves) who had gained their citizenship. A cohort
was a unit of 1,000 men. Ten cohorts made a legion (10,000 men). Cornelius was in charge of
a group of 100 archers that together with 900 other archers made up the Second Italian Cohort of Roman Citizens. The members originally all came from Italy. Notice that Cornelius' family was with him in his home and that Cornelius had done many good things in the community of Caesarea. Cornelius had probably been in this position in Caesarea for a faily long time since he had a home with his family in a community where he was known for his good deeds.

Luke tells us that Cornelius was devout, God-fearing, gave generously and prayed to God regularly. Likewise, the angel also said that Cornelius’ prayers and gifts to the poor have become a memorial
before God. Directions on how to receive eternal life where brought to Cornelius by the angel,
because of Cornelius’ desire to seek God and his willingness to do the good deeds that reflected God’s character. Cornelius’ good deeds showed that he was seeking the God of glory, honor and immortality. Paul wrote in a similar way in Romans 2:7 when he wrote that a man like Cornelius
will receive eternal life:  

 “To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life…glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.” - Romans 2:7

But, Paul also writes that no one will be declared righteous and given eternal life because
of their good deeds. Instead, Paul makes it clear that no man can gain glory, honor and
immortality because of their good works. Righteousness and eternal life are attained through
faith in Jesus Christ, because even though we may seek glory, honor and immortality from God,
we all fall short of attaining it.

“No one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law…This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”
- Romans 3:20-24

Even though men will never attain eternal life by their own works, men do reveal that they are
seeking God when they do good and seek to find God. God says that to these men, “he will give eternal life…glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good” (Romans 2:7) How? He will lead them to Jesus who is the only way to be justified and the only source of righteousness.
(Romans 3:20-24)

The angel tells Cornelius that his prayers and gifts have reminded God (“memorial offering”) that Cornelius was seeking God’s “glory, honor and immortality.” Because of this, God sent an angel
to Cornelius to tell him to go get Peter (who is 30 miles south of Caesarea in Joppa). Peter will
tell Cornelius how he can gain by grace what he has demonstrated by his works that he is
trying to gain, but has not. Cornelius will be saved in Acts 10:44.

  Christian Quote from Church History

" Any number of people assume that the Bible says that Eve ate an apple, or that Jonah was swallowed by a whale. Yet the Bible never says a word about whales or apples. In the former case it refers to a fish, which might imply any sort of sea-monster; and in the second, to the essential experience of fruition, or tasting the fruit of the tree, which is obviously more general and even more mystical . . . The things that look silly now are the first rationalistic explanations rather than the first religious or primitive outlines. If those original images had been left in their own natural mystery of dark fruition or dim monsters of the deep, nobody would have quarrelled with them half so much . . . But it is unfair to turn round and blame the Bible because of all these legends and jokes and journalistic allusions, which are read into the Bible by people who have
not read the Bible.
- G. K. Chesterton

 

 

 

Something to Ponder??
The doctrine of the Trinity is
a solid and orthodox biblical subject, but the word “Trinity” never appears in Scripture.
 
Hebrew and Greek Word Study   Facts and Information

 

 

Pesel (Hb) - Image (Eng) - the Hebrew noun pesel is used 31 times in the OT for "idol" or "image" carved from wood or metal. Most of the time a pesel was made to look like man or
an animal, or the combination of the two which was used as a focal point to worship
a spiritual being or make contact with a demon that was unseen.

  In 112 AD Pliny the Younger, a Roman governor of Bithynia in Asia Minor, writes to Emperor Trajan concerning a large number of his citizens from every age, class and sex had been accused of being Christians. Pliny writes:
"They were in the habit of meeting on a certain fixed day before it was light, when they sang in alternate verses a hymn to Christ, as to a god, and bound themselves by a solemn oath, not to any wicked deeds, but never to commit any fraud, theft or adultery, never to falsify their word, nor deny a trust when they should be called upon to deliver it up; after which it was their custom to separate, and then reassemble to partake of food - but food of an ordinary and innocent kind."
     
Confession to Action   Facts and Information
Do I do good deeds and give generously to honor God?
Am I seeking to know and please the God who saved me?
Even though I am not saved by good works, I will seek to honor God by doing good and seeking him.
  "Evil men will bow down in the presence of the good, and the wicked at the gates of the righteous." - Proverbs 14:19
     
Read the Bible in a Year; Bible Reading Program
Read one chapter each day to read through the narrative portion (or, the story line) of the whole Bible Genesis-Acts in one year. Read the General Text of the Bible Read the Complete Text of the Bible in a Year
Esther 9 Acts 15 Matthew 13
 
Prayer for Today
Personal Prayer Church Prayer Item National Prayer Concerns World Prayer Concerns
Health Peace with opponents Scientists and Theologians Russia - political wisdom
 
Photo of Jerusalem; Pictures of Israel Bible Map and Diagram
The royal mark impressed on the handles of clay jars with the Hebrew word LMLK which means "belonging to the king." This was the royal seal. (click on image for larger size) Jerusalem in 70 AD.
   
Details and Explanation of Sets & Reps Devotional System Here Make a donation to support Generation Word Bible Teaching Ministry
   
 
 
 
Reps & Sets is a daily Bible devotional for Christians from Generation Word Bible Teaching used each morning and evening.
 

 
 
 
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Generation Word - Bible Teaching Ministry   Generation Word - Bible Teaching Ministry