Thoughts from Pastor Dave

JUST THINKING ABOUT IT

As we have been studying the mechanics of faith and how it operates in our lives in this series "50 Days of Faith". I was reflecting on the story of the Centurion in Luke 7:1-10. One day a Roman army officer came to Jesus and said, "I have a servant who's very ill. Jesus said, "I'll go to your house and heal him." And the Roman centurion said, "O Lord, You don't need to do that. I understand authority and I'm not worthy for You to come to my house. But I know this obedience and authority thing. I'm a captain in the army. I give commands to my soldiers and they obey immediately. If You just say the word from right here I'm sure he'll be healed instantly." Jesus looked at that man and said, "This is the greatest faith I've ever seen in Israel.""

The greatest faith I've seen in Israel? Why did Jesus elevate this Roman soldier's faith to the greatest faith seen in Israel? Because this Centurion understood that faith and obedience are interlocked. God linked faith and obedience together so we could unlock the promises of God. All the promises of God could only be acquired for our lives if we met the condition's that each promise calls for.

For example, Deuteronomy 5:33 "Follow all the directions the Lord has given you. Then life will go well for you." Obviously we all want the confidence of life going well. However, do we obey the part of this promise that say's "Follow all the directions the Lord has given you." I know that as I stare at those words I don't necessarily find myself filled with confidence that "I know that I always follow God's direction." Christians, who are honest with themselves, will answer the same way. However, I also understand that God gives us His promises based on the power of His character and grace. I don't deserve to be the benefactor of His promises, yet he generously gives them to me. They are a gift. This is where my faith in God's love, mercy and forgiveness gives me the confidence to get up when I fall or to be freshly filled with expectation that He will fulfill His promises. So what does this kind of forward persevering thing called? Obedience. Obedience is a demonstration of faith. It is proof whether you have faith or not. Obedience unlocks the key to all of God's blessings in life. As a pastor, I don't want you to miss out on these promises. So build a life that can obey God.

Don't get broken in the wave,

Pastor Dave