Our paragraph topic is: (Christ heals his servant) Part 3.
We come to the end of this topic with Christ granting the request of the centurion by healing his servant. Jesus says to the centurion: "Go thy way; as thou hast believed, so be it done to thee." The faith of the centurion has brought him relief and his servant was healed within the same hour as Christ spoke it. As thou hast believed, so be it done. Such great words for us to go by today. Do we really believe that Christ will heal us if we ask?
Many have prayed to Christ and asked for things needed in their lives. Yet those prayers were not answered. Only on a few occassions have those requests been filled and someone was healed, someone was provided a breakthrough, someone was relieved of tribulation, someone was cured of cancer, etc. Why are some cured and some not? Why are some prayers answered and some not? Many would say that God knows what is best for us and he provides the best solution. Many may believe that the best case may be no answer because what we are asking for may not be good for us. What we may ask for may lead us down the road to destruction in the future and only God can see the future to know where our wants and desires may lead.
So why are we given these two examples of faith? What instructions can we learn from them if the answer to our prayers are to be judged by God as being good for us or not good? The centurion asked with great faith. The leper asked with great humility. Can we use these examples as a rule to guide us in how we should ask our Father for his help? Be it done to you as thou hast believed. If we truly had faith, if we truly believed, would God answer our prayers? If you knew that God would answer your prayers, what would you ask for? Would you ask for wealth? Would you ask for fame? Would you ask for honor? Would you ask for power? What would you ask for if you knew with certainty that your request would be answered?
The centurion asked for the health of his servant. The leper asked to be relieved of his affliction. Both pleaded their cases to Christ when he walked the earth. Now that he has been raised from the dead, ascended into heaven, and sites at the right hand of his father, can we still plead our cases before him as though he was here on earth? Does the separation of time matter? Does the separation of heaven matter? Can we talk to him as though he was standing here before us as he did some two thousand years ago? What would we ask for, if he appeared before us today? Do we believe that he would give us what we asked for? The leper knew that Christ could heal him of his afflictions? Do we know this today? Do we know that Christ can heal us today? Are we ready for a miracle? Do we believe in miracles? If we were given a miracle would we tell everyone or would we tell no one as Christ instructed the leper? Would we go and give the gift for our cure?
Christ lives just as surely as we live today. Yet it is the separation that we impose upon him that clouds our belief in what he will do for us. Miracles happen everyday. Some happen instantly. Some happen over time, but they are still miracles which we cannot explain away. If you prayed today, asked for help, and that help came next week, or next month, is that still a miracle or just circumstance? If a miracle happened to you today, would you recognize it? Does God have to perform a miracle for us to believe, to have faith?
We come to the end of this topic with Christ granting the request of the centurion by healing his servant. Jesus says to the centurion: "Go thy way; as thou hast believed, so be it done to thee." The faith of the centurion has brought him relief and his servant was healed within the same hour as Christ spoke it. As thou hast believed, so be it done. Such great words for us to go by today. Do we really believe that Christ will heal us if we ask?
Many have prayed to Christ and asked for things needed in their lives. Yet those prayers were not answered. Only on a few occassions have those requests been filled and someone was healed, someone was provided a breakthrough, someone was relieved of tribulation, someone was cured of cancer, etc. Why are some cured and some not? Why are some prayers answered and some not? Many would say that God knows what is best for us and he provides the best solution. Many may believe that the best case may be no answer because what we are asking for may not be good for us. What we may ask for may lead us down the road to destruction in the future and only God can see the future to know where our wants and desires may lead.
So why are we given these two examples of faith? What instructions can we learn from them if the answer to our prayers are to be judged by God as being good for us or not good? The centurion asked with great faith. The leper asked with great humility. Can we use these examples as a rule to guide us in how we should ask our Father for his help? Be it done to you as thou hast believed. If we truly had faith, if we truly believed, would God answer our prayers? If you knew that God would answer your prayers, what would you ask for? Would you ask for wealth? Would you ask for fame? Would you ask for honor? Would you ask for power? What would you ask for if you knew with certainty that your request would be answered?
The centurion asked for the health of his servant. The leper asked to be relieved of his affliction. Both pleaded their cases to Christ when he walked the earth. Now that he has been raised from the dead, ascended into heaven, and sites at the right hand of his father, can we still plead our cases before him as though he was here on earth? Does the separation of time matter? Does the separation of heaven matter? Can we talk to him as though he was standing here before us as he did some two thousand years ago? What would we ask for, if he appeared before us today? Do we believe that he would give us what we asked for? The leper knew that Christ could heal him of his afflictions? Do we know this today? Do we know that Christ can heal us today? Are we ready for a miracle? Do we believe in miracles? If we were given a miracle would we tell everyone or would we tell no one as Christ instructed the leper? Would we go and give the gift for our cure?
Christ lives just as surely as we live today. Yet it is the separation that we impose upon him that clouds our belief in what he will do for us. Miracles happen everyday. Some happen instantly. Some happen over time, but they are still miracles which we cannot explain away. If you prayed today, asked for help, and that help came next week, or next month, is that still a miracle or just circumstance? If a miracle happened to you today, would you recognize it? Does God have to perform a miracle for us to believe, to have faith?
