The angel answered, “Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God.” – Acts 10:4 (Acts 10:4-8)

While Old Pete be in Joppa, a Roman centurion named Cornelius experienced an epiphany. It happened like this. About three in tha afternoon an angel of Skipper showed up and called, “Cornelius!”

Cornelius stared at him in fear. “What is it, Lord?”

The angel answered, “Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God. Now send men to Joppa to bring back a man named Simon who is called Peter. He is staying with Simon the tanner, whose house is by the sea.”

When tha angel disappeared, Cornelius called a pair of servants and one devout soldier who whar an attendant and told ’em all everything that had happened ter him. Then he sent ’em off ter Joppa ter fetch Old Pete.

Now think on this a wee little bit. Skipper’s Code of Conduct says:

When anyone brings a grain offering to the Lord, their offering is to be of the finest flour. They are to pour olive oil on it, put incense on it. The priest shall take a handful of the flour and oil, together with all the incense, and burn this as a memorial portion on the altar, a food offering, an aroma pleasing to the Lord. (Leviticus 2:1-2)

A grain offering be tha only bloodless offering listed in Skip’s Code. A grain offering be most like a finely baked crust. This “meal offering” be korban minchah in Hebrew and means “to give a present.” Like tha wafting aroma of a pie crust baking in an oven, so our prayers rise up ter heaven. Such a gift offering most often be used in tha context of giving a gift in order ter gain favor with Skip. It be a tribute of a faithful follower.

Ne’er think Skip don’ hear yer prayers, smell thar aroma. When it comes ter prayers and pleas, always sprinkle a little praise, gratitude, love, mercy, and blessing on ’em. Might be when ya get ter tha end of yer life, ya may find that yer prayers took first place in Skip’s Heavenly Prayer Bake Off.