from Shane's Muslim Connect
Who’s your favorite person in the Bible? (After Jesus, of course!) One of mine is Cornelius. Luke makes quite a deal of him in Acts as the head of the household through which the good news bounced out into the non-Jewish world.
You know the story: An angel appears to Cornelius saying, “Your prayers have been heard. Go get a dude named Peter. Here’s his address.” At about the same time, a sheet full of squirmies shows up to peckish Peter. He gets the point, answers a knock at the door and heads off to Caesarea. After a wonderfully awkward introduction, Cornelius says “Lay it on us, brother.” Peter barely begins his talk when the Holy Spirit shows up and all heaven breaks loose! And then, way down the road, you and I get saved!
Why Cornelius? We can only speculate really, but Luke does give some interesting background on him. He tells us twice that Cornelius prayed and gave to the poor. He adds amazingly, that those things “have come up as a memorial offering before God.”
God receives an offering from a soldier of the empire oppressing the children of God? Stunning.
Here’s why this is rolling around in my head today: Ramadan, which wraps up next week, is known for fasting and feasting. It’s also an increased time of praying and giving for Muslims.
Could there be some Cornelius’s out there named Siddiq, Fatima, or Rasheed who are praying and giving with sincere hearts? Is it possible God might receive their efforts as an offering and send them an angel to say, “Go get this person and listen to what they have to say?”
There are Peters out there. I know it. Women and men, full of grace, love and the Holy Spirit, ready to answer a knock on their door. Please join me in praying that will happen as many times over as God gives you faith for.