Week of May 28, 2021
“And when he observed him, he was afraid, and said, “What is it, lord?” So he said to him, “Your prayers and your alms have come up for a memorial before God.” (Acts 10:4, NKJV)
The book of Acts records a unique story of a gentile soldier by the name of Cornelius. This solider held the high rank of Roman centurion, which put him in charge of the movements of over 100 other soldiers in one of the most powerful militaries the world has ever seen. The Bible tells us that even though he had such a position of power, he was still a devout man, feared God, gave alms generously to the people and prayed continually to God. This man stood out in his beliefs in God over the majority of Roman citizens who worshipped the Roman system of pagan gods. The God of Israel saw how unique Cornelius was and sent an angel to give him instructions on how he was to be used by God to teach the apostle Peter about the place of the gentile in God’s promise.
A memorial commemorates a person or place for a certain event that took place in history. It is pretty remarkable to read that God saw Cornelius and his works as a memorial. The faithfulness of one soldier advanced the understanding of the gospel message to the world. Peter’s vision and subsequent visit with Cornelius allowed the apostle to make the two following eye-opener statements, “I should not call any person common or unclean” (Acts 10:28) and “truly I understand that God shows no partiality…” (Acts 10:34). The work of a soldier made all the difference.
This Memorial Day weekend we should all take time to reflect on all the soldiers that have made a difference through the sacrifice of their lives. Let us all pray that their work is never forgotten and that their sacrifice has made a difference in our freedom.
God Bless, Pastor Rick