Tuesday, December 12, 2006

Da Word... 170!


Good EVENING!!!

What's going on!  Da holiday season is fast approaching.  I can't believe the year is almost over already!  It's crazy!  Heh heh, but time marches forward and new experiences await!  Aight, on to... da Word!

checkit:

Cornelius stared at him in fear. "What is it Lord?" he asked.  The angel answered, "Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God."
- Acts 10:4

The art of giving, so important!  Checkit, this kat Cornelius was a centurion (a Roman officer with 100 men under his command) in the Italian Regiment in Caesarea.  This kat's family was devout and God-fearing. Not only that potnas, this kat also gave generously to those in need!  And homeboy shot the breeze with Pops regularly (he prayed).  All this info can be found in the first 2 verses.  Suddenly, Cornelius had a vision and saw an angel of Pops speak the above captured verse... and then some.

That is HOT son!   Pops sent an angel to pass on a message of acknowledgment from Pops above Himself!  SWEEET!   Why?  Because, among other possible things, this centurion gave generously to the poor and prayed.  I mean, the angel said exactly why: "prayers and gifts to the poor."  If such acts moved Pops to send this guy, a gentile no less, a personal message of affirmation.... WOOO!!!  Giving and prayer have got to be MAAAAAAAAAAAAAD important!  Taking care of those less fortunate than you are, giving to those who have not, and taking up the cause of the wronged and the fatherless is an act of servanthood and living for more than just oneself.  But also note that prayer was a big part of that too.  We gots to be straight rollin' with Pops potnas!  Just chattin' all the time like the best of buds.  I mean, cuz the straight fact is that  He IS the best friend you will ever have.

So was this the only thing Pops did in response to this centurion's act of selflessness?  Nope, Pops hooked this guy up PHAT!!!!!  He created a divine meeting between this gentile and the apostle Peter (the so-called ROCK of the church)!   Check this, Pops also gave Peter a vision in order to prepare him!  But that's not even the koolest part.  Yoooo, check this, when these two kats met up, Peter dropped da knowledge, and all who heard da message were baptized in the Holy Spirit..... did you catch that?  They caught da Holy Ghost!  God gave them the gift of his spirit!  These gentiles son...  peeps who were not Jews!  This is HUGE... HUUUUUUGE!  (peep Da Word... 127!)   And this, my friends, is the gift God bestowed on this centurion because he willingly gave gifts to the poor and prayed to Pops on the regular.   So, does Pops think highly of giving and prayer?  heh, i think so! 

Take away:  Let us remember to give to those less fortunate than we, and let us remember to shoot the breeze with Pops on the regular. And let us do so not in anticipation of reward, but out of a genuine desire in our hearts.

G-bless,

   - patrick


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