" FAITH SHOWN BY A ROMAN CENTURION"

Greetings to you all,

May the good Lord be with you in all you think, do and say. Have you ever wondered why some people can say something and it comes to pass and another nothing happens? Today I have just a word for you and it's about believing or having the same kind of authority in your words, in your prayers and in the way you carry yourself. This man knew that all he had to do was to speak and his words would be honored.

" Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see" (Heb 11:1). Faith is the confidence based on past practical knowledge that God's new and hot off the press surprises will undoubtedly be ours.

A centurion was a career military officer in the Roman army with control over 100 plus soldiers. Now, it was a known fact that Roman soldiers, of all people, were hated by the Jews for their oppression, control, and ridicule. This man came to Jesus not as a last resort of superstition or magic charm, but because he believed Jesus was sent from God. Go figure a man of authority disregarding his own teachings and life experiences. This centurion could have allowed many obstacles to stand between him and Jesus -- self-glorification, mistrust, shekels a means of communication, distance, time, self-sufficiency, power and race, but he didn't. If this man did not let these barriers block his approach to Jesus, we don't need to either. Now, what keeps you from Christ? This man's genuine faith amazed Jesus! This hated Gentile's faith put to shame the inactive duty of many of the Jewish religious leaders.

This Roman centurion didn't come to Jesus, and he didn't expect Jesus to come to him. Just as this officer did not need to be present to have his orders carried out, so Jesus didn't need to be present to heal. The centurion's faith was especially amazing because he was a Gentile who had not been brought up to know a loving God. What's your faith like, is it limited or unlimited. All one has to remember is that all things are possible with God.

Until Next Time, Keep The Faith...

Jim