“God Accepts You”

This week Sunday in our sermon series on the book of Acts, we spent time in chapter 10. In this passage of Scripture, the Apostle Peter visits the home of a gentile named Cornelius. Cornelius was a Gentile, a centurionin the Italian Regiment of the Roman Army. He rose in the ranks to command 100 Roman soldiers. Verse 2 of Acts chapter 10 tells us of Cornelius:

He and all his family were devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly. 

Cornelius is not called a convert to Judaism. He is a Gentile who believed in the God of Israel and worshiped God as did his entire family.

According to the common law of the Jews at the time, it was illegal for a Jew to visit the home of a Gentile, let alone associate with one in public. But God had given Peter a vision in which God declared in Acts 10: 15

Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.

When Peter met Cornelius and his household and all the Gentile neighbors who had gathered, he told them about Jesus. Then the Holy Spirit came upon them, just as the Holy Spirit came upon the house in Jerusalem that was full of Jewish believes. They were praising God and speaking in tongues, just like on the Day of Pentecost.

Then Peter said, “Surely no one can stand in the way of their being baptized with water. They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have.” Acts 10:46-47

After this, Gentiles throughout the Roman Empire started following Jesus. Eventually, Jews and Gentiles in Coronado became followers of Jesus, and our congregation was established in the late 1800’s.

Let us pray that the Holy Spirit will bring a new revival to Coronado:

Almighty God, we pray that You will pour out Your Holy Spirit on Coronado. Please reveal Your Son, Jesus Christ to our community so that others may embrace Him as their Lord and Savior. Enable us, by you Holy Spirit to proclaim the love and salvation and forgiveness of Jesus to others. We pray all of this in the mighty name of Jesus. Amen.

In Christ,

Pastor David