Thought for the Month - May 2009

Captain Marvel^TM - By Barry Adair

(Faith in action)

I want to tell you about someone this month who made Jesus marvel. Someone who astonished the Lord Jesus Christ! He was a Roman Centurion, a real life "Captain Marvel".

The story is recorded for us in Matthew's gospel...

And when Jesus entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, imploring Him, and saying, "Lord, my servant is lying paralysed at home, fearfully tormented." Jesus said to him, "I will come and heal him." But the centurion said, "Lord, I am not worthy for You to come under my roof, but just say the word, and my servant will be healed. "For I also am a man under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to this one, 'Go!' and he goes, and to another, 'Come!' and he comes, and to my slave, 'Do this!' and he does it." Now when Jesus heard this, He marvelled and said to those who were following, "Truly I say to you, I have not found such great faith with anyone in Israel.” Matthew 8:5-10

And the reason Jesus marvelled? Why, it was the centurion's faith. While many of the Jewish people would have nothing to do with Jesus, here was a Roman soldier who believed implicitly in Jesus and had total belief in His ability to heal his servant.

And the result of the centurion's faith…?

And Jesus said to the centurion, "Go; it shall be done for you as you have believed." And the servant was healed that very moment. Matthew 8:13

Referring to faith, Jesus said this...

…if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. Matthew 17:20

Let us remember that we all can be saved by the grace of God, through faith in God.

For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. Ephesians 2:8-9

Faith in God is simply this…

          Forgetting
          All
          I
          Trust
          Him

Faith in God is having a firm belief and total confidence in our Creator God.

If you are reading this and don't know of this faith and how to obtain it, read God's Word (the Bible)…

For faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Romans 10:17

And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him. Hebrews 11:6 (NIV)

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved. John 3:16-17

This is the Lord's doing; It is marvellous in our eyes. Psalm 118:23

Are you SURE that you have your place booked in Heaven? Read this if you're not!