PONDER TO BE A WONDER! (Extract shared with Christian leaders in Nigeria)

[Dr Benard Etta]

(Acts Chapter 10)

"Cornelius was a devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, he gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God always (Acts 10: 2), yet, God sent an angel to him to tell him to send people to Joppa to call for Peter who would tell him "what he ought to do."

Insight!

1) Sometimes, even when you meet with God, he will till send you to a human instrument. This is where many in the church world are missing it. Your next level is not with God, but with someone whom you may despise or be reluctant to invite to your world. If we fail to receive those God has sent, we may continue the prayers and fasting if we want to and still wallow in the dark.

Human beings are God's agents of transformation on earth; those who think they can simply deal with God and get all the answers are simply ignorant and proud, lacking the humility to accept that others are gifted with what they don't have and are in need of.

2) Sometimes, you need to transport people who are carriers of light to your world. I can't tell how much it costs Cornelius and his team to get Peter to them, but the investment was worth the sacrifice. Peter told them what they "ought to do," meaning, despite all the devotion of Cornelius, his prayers and alms, he was still ignorant of what he and his people were supposed to do. Nawoooooooo

Religious activities are not equal to knowledge nor understanding of God's mind for a particular dispensation. Thank God for the humility of Cornelius and his sensitivity to God.

3) There is no substitution to the knowledge of what one ought to do. The sons of Issachar knew what Israel aught to do in their days and that distinguished them. The knowledge and insight of what God's people are supposed to do is not given to everyone, but to certain individuals. It takes humility to recognize and identify such individuals. PONDER TO BE A WONDER! DrBenard Etta