There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of the band called the Italian band, A devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God alway. 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. And when he looked on him, he was afraid, and said, What is it, Lord? And he said unto him, Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God. And now send men to Joppa, and call for one Simon, whose surname is Peter: He lodgeth with one Simon a tanner, whose house is by the sea side: he shall tell thee what thou oughtest to do. (Acts 10:1-6)

 THOUGHT FOR TODAY:  

I enjoy exploring famous monuments when I travel. You never know what you might come across. Monuments convey history and share noteworthy stories.

When the angel appeared to Cornelius, he told him, "Your prayers and your acts of kindness have been noticed by God. Now, send men to Joppa and call for a man named Simon, also known as Peter. He is staying with Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the sea. He will tell you what you should do." In other words, Cornelius had a great reputation in heaven for the good deeds he had done. In spite of all the great works he did, he still needed to be baptized. Good works alone cannot save us.

The Bible also mentions another woman who had done great things. "In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha, also known as Dorcas. She was always doing good and helping the poor. During those days she became sick and died. Her body was washed and placed in an upstairs room. Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples heard that Peter was there and sent two men to him, urging him, "Please come at once!" Then Peter got up and went with them. When he arrived, they took him to the upper chamber where all the widows were standing beside him, weeping and showing the coats and garments that Dorcas had made while she was with them. Peter then asked everyone to leave the room, knelt down, and prayed. After that, he turned to the body and said, "Tabitha, arise." She opened her eyes, saw Peter, and sat up. He then helped her up and called the saints and widows to present her alive. The news of this miracle spread throughout all Joppa, and many people believed in the Lord (Acts 9:36-42).

Despite their great deeds, both Dorcas and Tabitha were dead without the spirit. They needed Peter, the man of God, to come to them from Joppa. When he arrived, they both received what they needed: newness of life. They both needed to be born again. Remember, you are not saved by your good works. You need to be born again of the water and the Spirit to be saved.