1 00:00:02,670 --> 00:00:13,600 Speaker 1: Life Audio Hello, and thank you for listening to your 2 00:00:13,640 --> 00:00:17,180 Speaker 1: daily Bible verse, the podcast that examines the Bible each 3 00:00:17,280 --> 00:00:19,600 Speaker 1: day to help us learn more about God and His 4 00:00:19,640 --> 00:00:23,180 Speaker 1: will for us. I'm your host, Shaka Hines, and after 5 00:00:23,239 --> 00:00:27,060 Speaker 1: this short word from our sponsor, we'll dive into today's 6 00:00:27,120 --> 00:00:42,840 Speaker 1: Bible verse in Acts 10, verse 4. Today's Bible verse 7 00:00:42,900 --> 00:00:48,680 Speaker 1: is Acts 10.4. Cornelius stared at him in fear. What 8 00:00:48,740 --> 00:00:52,640 Speaker 1: is it, Lord? he asked. The angel answered, Your prayers 9 00:00:52,720 --> 00:00:54,960 Speaker 1: and gifts to the poor have come up as a 10 00:00:55,000 --> 00:01:02,410 Speaker 1: memorial offering before God. You know, over 26 years, That 11 00:01:03,150 --> 00:01:13,320 Speaker 1: is 9,490 days, by the way, and 227,760 minutes. Should 12 00:01:13,360 --> 00:01:17,640 Speaker 1: I break it down into seconds? Over 26 years, I 13 00:01:17,680 --> 00:01:21,940 Speaker 1: was a full-time stay-at-home mom for our five kids. Before 14 00:01:21,980 --> 00:01:25,000 Speaker 1: we had children, my husband and I felt convicted that 15 00:01:25,200 --> 00:01:28,410 Speaker 1: I would remain home and invest in the kids. And 16 00:01:28,430 --> 00:01:31,390 Speaker 1: what do they say? It's the hardest job you'll ever love. 17 00:01:31,510 --> 00:01:35,130 Speaker 1: And for the most part, I loved it. But there 18 00:01:35,190 --> 00:01:40,030 Speaker 1: were days and even seasons of trial when it felt fruitless. 19 00:01:41,110 --> 00:01:44,810 Speaker 1: And I felt small and insignificant. Like, why am I 20 00:01:44,970 --> 00:01:49,030 Speaker 1: doing this? Does God notice me here doing the same 21 00:01:49,330 --> 00:01:55,290 Speaker 1: old ordinary things faithfully day after day after day? Well, 22 00:01:55,310 --> 00:01:59,010 Speaker 1: you know, chapter 10, it provides us with the overarching 23 00:01:59,070 --> 00:02:02,380 Speaker 1: context for the next step of God's promise to also 24 00:02:02,420 --> 00:02:05,480 Speaker 1: bring the Gentiles the good news of Jesus. But what 25 00:02:05,560 --> 00:02:08,600 Speaker 1: I'd like to do is focus on the man God 26 00:02:08,639 --> 00:02:14,930 Speaker 1: invited to initiate his plan, Cornelius, the Roman centurion. Cornelius 27 00:02:15,090 --> 00:02:18,310 Speaker 1: is a commander in charge of around 100 men in 28 00:02:18,330 --> 00:02:22,260 Speaker 1: the Italian regiment. That's the Roman military. And the text 29 00:02:22,300 --> 00:02:27,100 Speaker 1: teaches that he and his entire family are devout and God-fearing, 30 00:02:27,150 --> 00:02:31,910 Speaker 1: meaning they chose to worship the God of Israel. Verse 31 00:02:31,910 --> 00:02:36,029 Speaker 1: 2 says his piety was evidenced by his commitment to 32 00:02:36,070 --> 00:02:39,340 Speaker 1: the Jewish virtues of giving generously to those in need, 33 00:02:39,380 --> 00:02:45,130 Speaker 1: giving alms, and praying to God regularly. In verse 3, 34 00:02:45,130 --> 00:02:48,020 Speaker 1: at around 3 in the afternoon, an angel of God 35 00:02:48,139 --> 00:02:52,420 Speaker 1: visits him. Now, while the text doesn't state it explicitly, 36 00:02:52,600 --> 00:02:55,529 Speaker 1: as a devout and God-fearing man, he may have been 37 00:02:55,590 --> 00:03:00,470 Speaker 1: observing the afternoon prayer that coincided with the evening temple sacrifice. 38 00:03:01,460 --> 00:03:03,740 Speaker 1: Those who couldn't make it to Jerusalem for the temple 39 00:03:03,780 --> 00:03:07,160 Speaker 1: sacrifice stopped what they were doing daily at 9 a.m. 40 00:03:07,200 --> 00:03:10,760 Speaker 1: and 3 p.m. They faced Jerusalem and they prayed. So 41 00:03:10,860 --> 00:03:14,459 Speaker 1: it's easy to imagine Cornelius pausing his work to face 42 00:03:14,500 --> 00:03:17,710 Speaker 1: Jerusalem and pray when an angel of God shows up. 43 00:03:18,220 --> 00:03:22,190 Speaker 1: And that brings us to today's verse. Cornelius stared at 44 00:03:22,230 --> 00:03:25,609 Speaker 1: him in fear.' What is it, Lord?' he asked. The 45 00:03:25,669 --> 00:03:29,250 Speaker 1: angel answered,' Your prayers and gifts to the poor.' have 46 00:03:29,320 --> 00:03:34,430 Speaker 1: come up as a memorial offering before God. Leviticus 2, 47 00:03:34,430 --> 00:03:38,070 Speaker 1: it teaches that a memorial offering or burning a portion 48 00:03:38,150 --> 00:03:41,900 Speaker 1: of the grain offering was part of the sacrificial system 49 00:03:41,960 --> 00:03:45,420 Speaker 1: set up in the Old Testament. It wasn't a sacrifice 50 00:03:45,460 --> 00:03:50,180 Speaker 1: for sin, but it was an aroma pleasing to the Lord, 51 00:03:50,280 --> 00:03:54,260 Speaker 1: the Bible says. It signified both the worshiper's gratitude and 52 00:03:54,280 --> 00:03:58,290 Speaker 1: dependence on God and and the offering's acceptance by God, 53 00:03:58,390 --> 00:04:02,070 Speaker 1: God gave the Israelites this tangible way to thank him 54 00:04:02,690 --> 00:04:07,940 Speaker 1: and bring him pleasure. God is pleased with Cornelius' offerings 55 00:04:08,030 --> 00:04:11,220 Speaker 1: of prayer and his gifts to the poor. They have 56 00:04:11,360 --> 00:04:15,920 Speaker 1: risen to God like a memorial offering, an aroma pleasing 57 00:04:15,980 --> 00:04:19,180 Speaker 1: to him. And God sends this angel to let Cornelius 58 00:04:19,279 --> 00:04:23,760 Speaker 1: know he's personally received and accepted his obedience as an 59 00:04:23,940 --> 00:04:29,010 Speaker 1: act of worship. David prays in Psalm 20, verse 3, 60 00:04:29,010 --> 00:04:33,710 Speaker 1: May he remember all your sacrifices and accept your burnt offerings. 61 00:04:34,570 --> 00:04:37,420 Speaker 1: As human beings, we can sometimes feel that our acts 62 00:04:37,450 --> 00:04:40,920 Speaker 1: of obedience go unnoticed by God. But Jesus says in 63 00:04:40,960 --> 00:04:44,599 Speaker 1: Matthew 10, 42, that if anyone gives even a cup 64 00:04:44,700 --> 00:04:47,440 Speaker 1: of cold water to one of these little ones, who's 65 00:04:47,500 --> 00:04:51,420 Speaker 1: my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly 66 00:04:51,680 --> 00:04:56,070 Speaker 1: not lose their reward. Hebrews 13, 16 says, And do 67 00:04:56,130 --> 00:04:58,630 Speaker 1: not forget to do good and to share with others 68 00:04:58,710 --> 00:05:02,750 Speaker 1: for with such sacrifices God is pleased. And about the 69 00:05:02,790 --> 00:05:05,750 Speaker 1: gifts sent to him by the church of Philippi, Paul 70 00:05:05,790 --> 00:05:10,190 Speaker 1: says in Philippians 4.18, they are a fragrant offering, an 71 00:05:10,250 --> 00:05:15,000 Speaker 1: acceptable sacrifice pleasing to God. And Paul calls us in 72 00:05:15,060 --> 00:05:20,040 Speaker 1: Romans 12.1 to offer our bodies as a living sacrifice. 73 00:05:20,420 --> 00:05:24,600 Speaker 1: This is a holy and pleasing spiritual act of worship. 74 00:05:25,220 --> 00:05:28,880 Speaker 1: God sees not only our bold acts of obedience to him, 75 00:05:29,440 --> 00:05:33,560 Speaker 1: but also our private daily acts of faithfulness, and he 76 00:05:33,620 --> 00:05:37,870 Speaker 1: takes it personally. Our offering of prayers, our acts of 77 00:05:37,950 --> 00:05:41,529 Speaker 1: service on behalf of another, our gifts to the poor, 78 00:05:42,010 --> 00:05:45,390 Speaker 1: the sacrifice of ourselves as our spiritual act of worship, 79 00:05:45,440 --> 00:05:50,469 Speaker 1: like our time, our talents, our priorities, they all arise 80 00:05:50,510 --> 00:05:54,300 Speaker 1: to God as a gift pleasing to the God who 81 00:05:54,380 --> 00:06:00,360 Speaker 1: sees it all. Can you ask yourself, identify an area 82 00:06:00,380 --> 00:06:04,010 Speaker 1: of daily obedience or an area to grow in obedience 83 00:06:04,110 --> 00:06:08,529 Speaker 1: in your life? How might it help you persevere in prayer, 84 00:06:09,110 --> 00:06:16,480 Speaker 1: sacrificial giving, or showing up as a godly wife, husband, parent, co-worker, neighbor, 85 00:06:17,180 --> 00:06:21,860 Speaker 1: knowing that your obedient acts of righteousness come before God 86 00:06:22,620 --> 00:06:32,460 Speaker 1: like a memorial offering. Remember, Cornelius, God sees. God knows 87 00:06:32,900 --> 00:06:36,359 Speaker 1: what we're doing, even in the quiet of our homes. 88 00:06:37,140 --> 00:06:43,760 Speaker 1: God recognizes every obedience. And he's faithful to reward it. 89 00:06:45,200 --> 00:06:48,760 Speaker 1: Let's take some time and pray about how we might 90 00:06:49,380 --> 00:06:57,100 Speaker 1: please God by giving him ourselves, our time, our money 91 00:06:57,120 --> 00:07:05,000 Speaker 1: as an offering to him that is pleasing. Father, thank 92 00:07:05,040 --> 00:07:09,880 Speaker 1: you so much that Cornelius, the story of him in 93 00:07:10,000 --> 00:07:15,050 Speaker 1: Acts 10, it teaches us that you see. You saw 94 00:07:15,190 --> 00:07:20,570 Speaker 1: Cornelius every time he sat down or knelt down to 95 00:07:20,670 --> 00:07:25,810 Speaker 1: pray to you. You saw every alms he gave to 96 00:07:25,860 --> 00:07:31,440 Speaker 1: the poor. You saw and you knew and you accepted 97 00:07:31,540 --> 00:07:36,960 Speaker 1: his sacrifice as an offering that was pleasing to you. Abba, 98 00:07:37,000 --> 00:07:41,400 Speaker 1: would you help us to understand in our own day, 99 00:07:41,480 --> 00:07:47,610 Speaker 1: especially for those who are just slogging through their everyday life. 100 00:07:48,330 --> 00:07:52,490 Speaker 1: They are struggling with their obedience and the obedience steps, 101 00:07:52,590 --> 00:07:56,590 Speaker 1: especially when they're not seeing the fruit right now. Would 102 00:07:56,630 --> 00:07:59,880 Speaker 1: you remind them of Cornelius? Help that to hit them 103 00:07:59,920 --> 00:08:04,040 Speaker 1: in the heart that you are seeing them. You know 104 00:08:04,160 --> 00:08:10,040 Speaker 1: every sacrifice. You are pleased with their obedient sacrifices to you. 105 00:08:11,000 --> 00:08:15,930 Speaker 1: Jesus takes it personally. When they give even a cup 106 00:08:15,960 --> 00:08:21,070 Speaker 1: of water, when they stop to smile, to help someone 107 00:08:21,130 --> 00:08:24,010 Speaker 1: on the side of the road, you know, to encourage 108 00:08:24,070 --> 00:08:28,230 Speaker 1: a coworker, Jesus sees it and he takes it personally. 109 00:08:28,890 --> 00:08:34,890 Speaker 1: Every act of obedience. is an act of worship, rising 110 00:08:34,990 --> 00:08:39,050 Speaker 1: as a fragrant offering to you. Lord, help us to 111 00:08:39,190 --> 00:08:43,620 Speaker 1: understand that so we can persevere and keep on giving 112 00:08:44,320 --> 00:08:48,340 Speaker 1: and keep on obeying because, God, we want to please you. 113 00:08:49,280 --> 00:08:53,520 Speaker 1: We love you, Lord. It's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Amen.