Acts 10:1 There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of the band called the Italian band, 2 A devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God alway. 3 He saw in a vision evidently about the ninth hour of the day an angel of God coming in to him, and saying unto him, Cornelius. 4 ..."Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God. 5 And now send men to Joppa, and call for one Simon, whose surname is Peter: 6 He lodgeth with one Simon a tanner, whose house is by the sea side: he shall tell thee what thou oughtest to do.
This passage of scripture shows us a type of evangelizing that is arranged by The Holy Spirit, one which is destined and guaranteed to win souls to the kingdom of God. The reason why it was successful is because God had already done the ground work in the heart of Cornelius, and therefore, only the finishing touches were needed to bring him into the fold of the newly formed community of Christian believers. As stated in the passage, Cornelius and his entire household were already on their way to the kingdom of God, living according to the light and knowledge God had been pleased to bestow up until this time, and thus when it was time for them to take the next important step in the conversion process, they had already cultivated the disposition to obey anything that God would bid them do.
Souls are not won to the kingdom of God merely by argument or deep Bible studies. Although these are important in their proper sphere, yet it is The Spirit of God, working imperceptibly upon the human heart day by day, drawing the sinner to Christ, that really produces results in the likes of Cornelius and his family. Too often as Christians we believe that it is because of our own efforts why people are saved, and for this reason we sometimes take the credit for their conversion, when it was God and God alone working silently behind the scenes for many many years, long before we arrived on the scene, or even long before we were born. This sacred truth is clearly stated in the Bible and should always be kept in mind when evangelizing by Divine appointment. Let's read:
1st Corinthians 3:4 For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal? 5 Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man? 6 I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. 7 So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.
One of the most important lessons we should take away from this experience with Peter and Cornelius is that we need to pray and ask God to bring us in contact with people who are susceptible to the riches of His grace, and who after hearing the word of truth will not only rejoice with great joy, but will also put their rejoicing into practice by taking the necessary steps to be in full harmony with the teachings and instructions of Christ. There is often too much haphazard work in this regard where we fire scatter shots, hoping that one day, by some miraculous means, someone might be converted to the cause of Christ.
And while this is may be good in it's proper sphere, since we are instructed to sow beside all waters, yet the targeted type of evangelizing where the gospel is taken directly to those who are hungering and thirsting for the bread of life. is much more effective in bringing in those are willing to follow where Christ leads the way, and as a result they are less prone to backslide or cause trouble in the church. We therefore end with a passage of scripture which encourages us to seek God first when attempting to evangelize, for in this manner our efforts through the grace and power of Christ will be productive of great good. Let's read:
Acts 16:25 And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. 26 And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one's bands were loosed. 27 And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled. 28 But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here. 29 Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas, 30 And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? 31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.
May God add His blessing to the study and practice of His word. "Good night" and God bless!