I Was Praying...

On the next day, as they were on their way and approaching the city, Peter went up on the housetop about the sixth hour to pray. (Acts 10:9 NASB)

Cornelius said, "Four days ago to this hour, I was praying in my house during the ninth hour; and behold, a man stood before me in shining garments, (Acts 10:30 NASB)

Prayer seems to frame hearing from my Master.  I do need to study the Scriptures, but I also need to pray.  Study comes easy to me and I really enjoy it.  But I also need the adoration and worship of my Master through prayer.  I need to place myself at His feet, bow my proud heart, and acknowledge the truly Awesome One.

So that's what I've been doing for the bulk of my study/devotional time.  So, this is short.  Your welcome.

Saving Lost Souls, my Master's Work

And fixing his gaze on him and being much alarmed, he said, "What is it, Lord?" And he said to him, "Your prayers and alms have ascended as a memorial before God. Now dispatch some men to Joppa and send for a man named Simon, who is also called Peter; he is staying with a tanner named Simon, whose house is by the sea."
 When the angel who was speaking to him had left, he summoned two of his servants and a devout soldier of those who were his personal attendants, and after he had explained everything to them, he sent them to Joppa. (Acts 10:4-8 NASB)

Just when I think I've thought something through pretty well, another thinker asks a question I hadn't considered.  One issue I have avoided with Acts 10 is a discussion on whether or not, and when, if so, was Cornelius "saved".  In other words, had an earthquake hit Caesaria before the angel arrived, and Cornelius perished, would he have gone to heaven?  The reason I ask is because the angel begins with, "Your prayers and alms have ascended as a memorial before God."  How is that possible if he has no relationship with God?

When I unpack that possibility, I thought that I had at least a partial answer for those asking about people in foreign lands who have never heard the gospel of Jesus.  To be clear, any discussion at this point using this text is conjecture for any position.  The text inspired by my Master does not address this point except to say, that my Master will draw those seeking Him.  Beyond that, we really know nothing because He hasn't told us.  That being said, I did wander into the realm of conjecture, presented my particular view, and was asked a very important question.

My opinion is that God will initiate a relationship with unlikely people in unlikely places without His people being involved, and therefore knowing nothing about it.  That means these people may have no contact with those who know the good news of Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection. Instead these may simply relate to the One responsible for everything in the world to the degree they are aware of it.

So, the question asked me was about other religions and other "denominations" within "Christianity".  I hadn't really gone there in my thinking.  So, the way I grappled with it was to point out that Cornelius left the religious beliefs he was born to, those popular in the Roman army, and instead adopted the one of an unruly people who hated him.  He clearly sought the God of all, in spite of serious barriers to that quest.  It's not about being sincerely devout to whatever religion, but rather leaving all other belief systems that worship someone other than the One having created all and seeking His creatures.  Other religions don't really teach that.

The problem about other denominations had to do with the constant bickering and infighting among those claiming to be followers of Jesus in the world.  The answer I came up with was that attitudes inconsistent with Jesus probably are not from His followers, regardless of what label they choose.  Here's why: If I am convinced someone is going to spend eternity apart from God in hell (i.e. going to die an eternal death), why would I attack them?  If I know someone is going to die of cancer, I don't start beating them and treating them like trash!  How can I, being convinced of my own eternal life, turn and mistreat those whom I am convinced are dead and dying eternally?  That's crazy!  I'm supposed to be helping them live, not helping them die, not if I am truly a child of the One who gave me life!

The other part of my response to the "denomination" question pointed out that under persecution, differences are put aside.  We bicker in the West because we're safe, at least for now.  At some point we may not be, and church as we know it will begin to vanish.  What will be in its place will be much less concerned with petty differences of Scriptural interpretation, and more concerned with spreading the good news of Jesus, and worshiping Him.  It may not be so easy to do this in the future we're heading into.  In countries outside the West, third world countries and so on, the focus of churches is much different that in the West.  They have other more pressing problems than "legalism".  Often they're fortunate to have any Scripture at all regardless of the "translation", and have no opinion at all about which translation should be used.

So, while I had assumed I had thought through the issue of my Master's work to save remote souls, it turns out I hadn't really gone far enough with it.  No relationship with God, even in remote parts of the world, negates or denies the work of my Master in Jesus, reconciling His creation back to Himself.  But I also suspect that the work of my Master in Jesus to reconcile His creation back to Himself is effective for some who have no idea of the details.  But this also excludes those holding competing beliefs about God, salvation, and Jesus.  We don't get to chose the path to our Creator, He chooses a path to us, and we must trust Him and His choice.

The Progression of Understanding

And he said to them, "You yourselves know how unlawful it is for a man who is a Jew to associate with a foreigner or to visit him; and yet God has shown me that I should not call any man unholy or unclean.  That is why I came without even raising any objection when I was sent for. So I ask for what reason you have sent for me." (Acts 10:28-29 NASB)

 Why am I here?  It's a question raised once someone has time to think or reflect, usually on what's wrong in their life.  For one following the Creator of suns and quarks, it's a question typically uttered in prayer.  In Peter's case, the Master opened the discussion with him not waiting for the question.  I think it is the mark of the Great Teacher that the answer wasn't complete without obedience.

The linen is lowered with the unclean animals in it, and Peter is told to kill and eat, he says no, and is then told to not profane what God has sanctified.  This repeats itself 3 times (which resonates with Peter for obvious reasons), and then disappears into heaven.  But the context in which to understand this vision is missing.  That requires obedience.  Peter must go with strangers to a stranger's house.

Once he arrived, Peter really has only one question, "Why am I here?"  He knows that Cornelius holds the other piece of this puzzle which completes the context he needs.  What he discovers is that he holds the piece which will make all the other things the assembled people "already know" suddenly make sense (verses 36-43).  They have a context but no interpretation; he has interpretation without the proper context.  They need each other.

And so I have an example of the proper response to things that don't make sense, obedience.  This isn't that unusual actually.  When faced with peculiar situations, military training is to follow the last orders given.  That may sound simplistic, but once you see what an order looks like it will make more sense, they're pretty involved things.  It might make more sense to civilians to say, "continue with the mission."  This is good advice for followers of Jesus as well.

Sometimes church, the neighborhood or community, work, school, or family can throw a curve ball at me that I have to somehow hit with a stick of wood (or sometimes I'd like to hit with a piece of wood).  When faced with surprising, confusing, seemingly chaotic situations, my response should be like that of Peter, continue the mission, obey, in all things trust my Master.  That is probably the main theme of obedience in these situations, in all things trust my Master.

Of course, obedience requires knowing the orders in the first place.  I have to have read them.  Which means I have to have spent time in Scripture.  It also means I must spend time in prayer.  Often, the act of obedience really is prayer, or at least begins there.  So, that is where I go next.