HOW YOU CAN ASTONISH THE LORD

            The Bible tells us God is Omni present..  He knows the past, the present and the future. Therefore, we would never really be able to surprise Him with our behavior, good or bad. In a way this is a relief.  No matter how bad we have been in life, God isn’t shocked by it.  If He is not shocked, there is no reason He wouldn’t forgive us, if we ask Him. Yet in the Bible, there is a story in which Jesus was Astonished by a man:

            (When Jesus entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help. “Lord he said, “My servant lies at home paralyzed and in terrible suffering.”

            Jesus said to him, “I will go and heal him.”

            The Centurion replied, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof.  But just say the word and my servant will be healed.  For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me.  I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes.  I say to my servant, ‘Do this and he does it.”

            When Jesus heard this He was Astonished and said to those following him, “I tell you the truth, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith. …..” Then Jesus said to the Centurion, “Go, it will be done just as you believed it would.” And his servant was healed at that very hour. )

            The word Astonished means: to surprise greatly.  Christ was surprised by the Centurion soldier, not because He dared to ask Jesus to heal his servant, but because he believed in Christ’s authority to heal by just saying the words.

              Many people were healed during the ministry years of Christ.  They came by the hundreds and thousands to have Christ lay His hand on them.  They believed if they could only touch His robe they would be healed.  Some were even healed by just being in the crowd. 

            Yet, the Centurion soldier saw the truth of Christ’s ability and power.  He knew that Jesus could just say a word, and that it would come to pass.

            When we need healing, blessing or answer to prayer, do we ask Christ to just say the word, or do we ask for miraculous signs?  There are many ways to ask for Christ to intercede in our life.  Still, it may be beneficial to use the example of the Centurion Soldier.

              We can astonish Christ with faith, if we pray “Lord, just say the word,” and then believe

He is able.

            When Christ recognizes that our faith in His ability is real, His reply then will be, “Go, it will be done just as you believed it would.”

LOVE FOUND IN BOERNE, TEXAS

by Teresa Ives Lilly

When Rachel attends the annual Dickens on Main event in Boerne, Texas, she never imagines she will end up spending the weekend with a handsome Houston Newspaper man who wants to write an article about the event as seen through her eyes. As their relationship grows, Rachel wonders if Charlie Dickens could be the man that God has prepared for her, until she discovers he is a possible thief. Will Rachel be able to solve the mystery before the weekend is over and Charlie leaves with the stolen Dickens collectible and her heart?

PURCHASE ON AMAZON