The Faith of The Centurion

 

Today, my yearly Bible reading reached to the book of Matthew 8 and I am interested to share a bit what I have learned from the Centurion of Capernaum in verse 5 to 13. Even though this passage talks about faith of the centurion, I got another important lesson from this centurion.  There are three important things we could learn from this passage. Let’s have a look together.

 Mercy

When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, asking for help for his paralyzed servant at his home. (Matthew 8:6 NIV) The centurion came to Jesus not because he is sick but he felt so sorry with his servant’s suffering. As a leader, would be so easy for him to cast away his servant and find a new one. But let’s see, he was willing to spent his time and try hard to meet Jesus. Here we could see that the centurion not just had a mercy but also accompanied with action by asking for help to Jesus. He did something concrete.

A question arises in my mind. In this very difficult live today, how big our mercy to our friends or relatives who are in difficult situation and need our hand? Whether our mercy has been accompanied with action? It is easy to have mercy but we may not easy to help them concretely. We may tend to have sympathy but difficult to have empathy. I often heard the old and classic reason: “How we could help others if ourselves in the difficult and shortcomings situation?” I remembered with the church in Macedonian. In the midst of very severe trial, they still have overflowing joy in giving and they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. (2 Corinthians 8:2-4 NIV) Maybe this time we do not like the church in Macedonia who is in poverty but are we already have generosity to give a little we have for those who are in need? Are we already have mercy that accompanied by action? It is very good to show a mercy and sympathy, but in reality oftentimes it is not enough to lighten those who have burden concretely.

Actually, God takes into account all mercy that we show to our neighbor no matter how small it is. Jesus said: “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” (Matthew 25:40 NIV) In our daily lives I often see the contrary situation to what was done by this centurion. The higher one’s position they lose their sense of mercy for others. This centurion has great mercy regardless of his position or status. And did not merely have sense of mercy but he revealed with the real action. This centurion of Capernaum can be a role model to us to always remember to have sense of mercy to others no matter their position lower than us or not because God alone has a great mercy to us and He will forget our sins.

For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more. (Hebrews 8:12 NKJV)

Humility

Now let’s take a look at the second important thing from the centurion of Capernaum. Humility! Yes this centurion had humility. Let us examine together. After Jesus knew the centurion ask for help to heal his servant, Jesus said that He wanted to come to the centurion’s house and heal his servant.

Jesus said to him, “Shall I come 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.

(Matthew 8:7-8 NIV)

Let’s pay attention to the centurion reaction. He did not say: “Yes, that is I want from you. Please come to my house and heal my servant immediately” but let’s look at his answer on verse 8: “Lord I do not deserve to have you come under my roof…”  Here we can see the sense of humility of this centurion. There are two things that show the centurion’s humility. First, let us notice to his efforts to meet Jesus in order to his servant to be healed. I imagine one thing. As a centurion, I do believe he has a lot of soldiers. It will be easier he ordered one of his men to go to meet Jesus. But he did not do it. He did it himself. The second thing is he felt unworthy to have Jesus come to his house. This centurion really realized who he was and that was clearly reflected in the following verse:

“For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me…. “(Verse 9)

This humble centurion truly realized that he is not the highest person in the world. He still has a leader and above of all he really realized that he was dealing with the King of kings.

To be honest, this part immensely touched my heart, become a rebuke, and makes me asking to myself. As a person who has position in the company, whether I already have humility in the eyes of all who are under me? This centurion becomes a great reminder to me. Although I have high position and big authority but there is still my parents who in fact is the owner of the company. Every single policy and decision that I take still needs their approval. And more than it all, there is God who created and become the owner of all in this world. This time maybe God bless us with the very high position and have full authority in a company, an organization or wherever we are. Be grateful for that and be grateful God entrust us to sit on the high position. But we must always remember to keep being humble. Remember that all of it is blessing from God. If we are become arrogant, God will not be pleased and anytime He can take it all back from us. Let us learn from the centurion of Capernaum to always has humility as God commanded,

Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. (Ephesians 4:2 NIV)

… All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble (1 Peter 5:5 NIV)

Great Faith

My beloved readers, now we come to the part that become a title of this passage. For me, this section is the most important thing that I got and learned from this centurion.  It is talk about something that becomes a foundation in the Christian living. Now we talk about faith. The centurion had something great and awesome. He had a great faith. Let’s take a look again to the verse 8.

For he was not worthy to have Jesus come in his house, then he said: “But just say the word, and my servant will be healed” I am so impressed with his word. This is amazing words that show such a great faith. His faith made him believe that God has a mighty power that is not limited by the dimensions of space and time. His faith also made him believe that through one word, Jesus has incredible power to do a healing miracle to his servant who far away in his house without Jesus’ touches hand directly. When Jesus heard this, He was amazed and said to those following Him:

“Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith.” (Verse 10)

 I imagine what I will do if one day my baby boy is sick then I ask my pediatrician come to my house but unfortunately he could not come and just give me suggestions what I have to do. Perhaps I will remain force the pediatrician come to my house because I will not satisfied and believe if I not see my doctor directly cure my baby. Oh, how much I want to have great faith like this centurion. Without need to look directly Jesus heal his servant, his great faith makes him believe that his servant will definitely healed. And it is proven. Jesus said, “Go! Let it be done just as you believed it would.” And his servant was healed at that moment. (Verse 13)

This time I will not deliver my thought about faith too much. I have written some posts which talk about faith and there are so many other excellent posts in the blog which talk about the same thing. Right now I just want to all of us to take a moment asking ourselves: How big our faith now? Whether we already have a great faith like this centurion? Are we having a great faith that makes us believe a miraculous thing will surely happen without we need to see it first? How deep these following verses embedded in our heart?

“…blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” (John 20:29b NIV)

Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. (Hebrews 11:1 NIV)

Whether our faith can make us believe something invisible, believe something unbelievable and make us believe can receives something impossible [i] as we believe there is God even we cannot see His real figure? Let’s together examine ourselves again how the quality of our faith today.

My dear friends, at the end of this post I encourage all of us to learn from the centurion of Capernaum wholeheartedly. Let us unite in prayer, pray for one another so that in every step of our lives, we have great mercy and accompanied with real action for our neighbor regardless of whom they are and no matter whom we are. Let us also remain have the humility even though we have a high position and authority wherever we are. Although there is no one higher than us, still remember there is God who the highest of the high. And the most important thing let us always maintain our faith in God. Let us pray so our faith keep growing, getting stronger day by day, strengthen our faith with outpouring of God’s word every day and finally will enable us to believe in something without having to look at. Amen.

Karina – Living by faith

Related article: https://insightsfromtom.wordpress.com/2015/03/22/john-448-believing-without-miracles/

 

Image source: historylectionary.com

[i] Quoted from Corrie Ten Boom’s quote

Always New Every Morning

After I had a baby, almost every morning I always found new things from my baby.  Sometime ago, in the early morning I was so amazed to see him began open his eyes. Not too wide but it has made ​​me amazed and thrilled.  My husband and I saw it with feelings of gratitude and happiness. My husband said softly, “What another great God’s grace in this morning and there will be another God’s grace and blessing to him which will always be present in all of our morning. And please remember, not merely to our son but to us as well. So, do not ever forget to give thanks to God.”

My beloved friends, in our life we always want to something new. Why do we always read the newspaper every morning, watching news on television or searching through internet? Because we always want to know the latest news and what is become a trending topic today. When we go to the bakery, we always look for the new and fresh bread. We all always love something new. God knows it, and behold that He promised new blessings every morning.

What do we think about when we wake up every morning? Whether we instantly think of our fully work schedule today? Griping and thinking about our unresolved problems? Or we are preoccupied with so many things so we forget to give thanks for the God’s blessings this morning? Would be a pity if we wake up every morning besides thinking about our busyness, we do not think and feel God’s grace and blessings that always new every morning.  every morning? Yes! God’s word said every morning. This means there is grace from God poured out down when we are wanted to start a new day. Look how beautiful we living with God. Once we wake up, there is God’s grace that instantly greets us. He longs to bless us with all the best that comes from Him alone. That is God’s promise. But unfortunately we may not be aware of and missed all of that because we tend to start a new day with the thinking about a stack of problems, our mind full of restlessness, grumbling and so on.

Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. (Lamentation 3:21-23)

The writer who wrote this verse really knows where he should direct his focus. He fully realizes that God’s faithfulness was not limited and so great for us. God’s grace is so, is endless, and always new every morning. Not only grace and blessings but God always gives us a new hope so we should not hesitate to put our hope in Him.

As human beings we may have doubts about all the goodness and grace of God promised and provided for us. Let us now examine one part of the Bible to prove what God promised and provided.  Let’s open the book of Psalms chapter 103:

• God forgives all our sins and heal our diseases (Verse 3)
• redeems our life from the pitand crowns us with love and compassion (Verse 4)
• Satisfies your desires with good thingsso that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.(Verse 5)
• The Lord works righteousnessand justice for all the oppressed (Verse 6)
• He made known his ways to Moses, his deeds to the people of Israel (Verse 7)
• The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love (Verse 8)
• He will not always accuse,nor will he harbor his anger forever (Verse 9)

And there are many more God’s promises in the following verses. If the verses above still less convincing us, let we open one passage the book of Isaiah, it was clearly written which states that those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They, or we, would like an eagle flying overcome the storm with a strong pair of wings, will not even easily tired despite facing severe storms.

But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. (Isaiah 40:31)

Romans 8:32 also show how precious we are in His eyes. How great His love to us. How great God’s yearning to always provide the best to us.

He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?

My beloved friends, what about our morning today? How we treat our beautiful morning? If we woke up then our mind has been filled with every kind of life problems? Filled with disquiet because there are so many unsolved tasks? Or we spend time a while just sitting on the bed and be grateful through prayer for the opportunity sipping the fresh morning air, give thanks to the breath of life that God has given to us, enjoying the warmth of the morning sun, be grateful we still have a chance to listening a beautiful songbird and said to God, “Dear Lord in heaven, thank you for this beautiful morning. Thank you for the opportunity to live and feel how beautiful and great is Your love”?

Right now, allow me to encourage you to always make sure ourselves to remember all of this every morning, and give thanks to all God’s goodness when we woke up. Keep reminding our soul and mind to realize how good God is, never forget the grace which He lavished on us, never forget a new grace that He bestowed to us as a tremendous grace to us. Keep Preserve so that we will be able to continue to grow with an increasingly strong faith. It is good to know what God’s blessings are, but please do not just to know, Let’s continue to give thanks every day and make sure we feel His goodness, and pay attention it all in order to be real and alive in us. By taking a few moments to give thanks, will make us more aware that God is always present in our lives with the grace which is always new every morning and His compassions never fail even in the midst of difficulties we face there is always grace and hope because He is ruling above of all forever and ever. Amen.

With those who keep his covenant and remember to obey his precepts. The Lord has established his throne in heaven, and his kingdom rules over all. (Psalm 103:18-19)

Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. (1 Thessalonians 5:18)

 

Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father
there is no shadow of turning with Thee
Thou changest not, Thy compassions they fail not
as thou hast been thou forever will be

Great is Thy faithfulness
Great is Thy faithfulness
Morning by morning new mercies I see
all I have needed Thy hand hath provided
great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me

Summer and winter and springtime and harvest
sun, moon and stars in their courses above
join with all nature in manifold witness
to Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth
Thy own dear presence to cheer and to guide
strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow
blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside

Thomas O. Chisholm – William M. Runyan

Karina – Living by faith

Great Is Thy Faithfulness sung by Woman of Faith: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-HszBrTGfA

Photo credit: debbieburtonnaturopath.squarespace.com

 

The Stars was not Enough

Hello dear reader! Now I am back. It is such a great blessing that I could come back to the blog after I have been absent for around 2 months. I have missed so many great and wonderful posts of you and I will try to visit the blog who followed me and read any posts of you. Here’s my first post this year. Hopefully this post will bring so many blessings to you.

The idea of this post was inspired when my husband and I spent the evening sitting on the balcony of our house. We saw the sky filled with so many beautiful stars. Seeing so many beautiful stars make up my mind drifted to the God’s blessings. There are so many blessings that we have received in our lives. Then I said to my husband, “There are so many stars there. It is the same with so many blessings that God has given to us. “My husband smiled and replied,” I do not think so, princess. The number of the stars was not enough to represent God’s blessing. Not enough! ”

Once again, my mind drifted away. Trying to look back and remember how much of a great blessing from God. And ultimately, I agree with my husband’s comment. Yes, the number of stars are not comparable with how great God’s goodness and blessing.

I am very grateful and feel how lucky I am as His child. God blessed me abundantly even when I got so many problems and difficult situation I still felt God’s blessing poured to me. Through many problems and trials God strengthen me amazingly and for me this is a great blessing. But just me? No! I am truly believed everyone had received and felt the blessing of God in many ways.  But unfortunately, not many people realize and remember God’s goodness and blessing. Even worse, many people who experience distress and suffering could easily accuse God is not fair and partiality. Well, that’s not true! God is not like that. Each of us is blessed and got the same portion. God loves all His children. But the problem is many people often judge God’s blessing only in few aspects: longevity, wealth, position and honor. Outside of it is not regarded as a blessing.

Whereas, if we want to contemplate for a moment, there are so many God’s blessing present in our lives. Even right now there are many blessing poured out as a form of His mercy to us. If we are still able to breathe, to have a complete eye to see everything, if our minds are still functioning normally, we can walk, work and can do many other things, it all is a blessing from God. This means that God still blesses us in many ways all the time.

In Psalm 145: 9 David expressed God’s grace so beautiful. Without doubt David said:

The Lord is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made.

Throughout the Chapter 145 is praise of David on God’s goodness and mercy not only for himself but for all human beings who believe in God. Let’s take a look to other verses of Psalm 145:

14. The LORD upholds all those who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down. 15 The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food at the proper time. 16 You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing. 17 The LORD is righteous in all his ways and loving toward all he has made. 18 The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. 19 He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them.

These verses are just a few examples.  Actually the Bible speaks very much about God’s goodness.  Even David many times mentioning a famous verse:

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever. (Psalm 106:1, 118:1,118:29, 136:1)

This verses clearly shows that David really understand how the God’s goodness and mercy always be with throughout his life. Although he had a very difficult time, full of suffering and struggle, he can still looking back to see how God’s presence in his life.

My dear lovely friends, how about us?  Whether we always realize that how beautiful and lucky we are having Father who is so good and His love is so great and faithfulness? Do we realize that no matter how big and small, abound or just slightly all we have is a blessing from God which must always be grateful? Whether we realize that God is always fair and not partiality, He blesses everyone without limitation?  Jesus said,

” that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.” (Matthew 5:45)

God not only bless the good and the righteous people but even He still pays attention to the evil and the unrighteous as well. God still maintains and miss them to repent. If God alone still pay attention to the evil and the righteous how could God do not pay attention to us as His children? Do we still doubt His love and faithfulness? Are we still judging God is not fair?

So my beloved readers, this evening I would like to ask you to spend a bit of our time to remember and reflect God’s goodness and blessing that we have ever received in our lives. Count one by one and I do believe if we compare with stars in the sky, finally we will have a conclusion that the stars wasn’t enough to represent God’s blessing. The number of the stars is not comparable with God’s goodness and blessings. And one thing that we should to always remember is God’s love is never fail! Lamentation 3:22-23:

Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning;   great is your faithfulness.

Count your many blessings, name them one by one, and it will surprise you what the Lord hath done. Amen. (Count Your Blessings –Johnson Oatman, Jr. 1897)

Karina – Living by Faith

Image source: Google Images

Through The Storms

I did not know His love before, the way I know it now. I could not see my need for Him, my pride would not allow. I had it all, without a care, the “Self-sufficient” lie.My path was smooth, my sea was still, and not a cloud was in my sky.

I thought I knew His love for me, I thought I’d seen His grace, I thought I did not need to grow, I thought I’d found my place. But then the way grew rough and dark, the storm clouds quickly rolled; the waves began to rock my ship, my anchor would not hold.

The ship that I had built myself was made of foolish pride. It fell apart and left me bare, with nowhere else to hide. I had no strength or faith to face the trials that lay ahead, and so I simply prayed to Him and bowed my weary head.

His loving arms enveloped me, and then He helped me stand. He said, “You still must face this storm, but I will hold your hand.” So through the dark and lonely night He guided me through pain. I could not see the light of day or when the storm might wane.

Yet through the aches and endless tears, my faith began to grow. I could not see it at the time, but my light began to glow. I saw God’s love in brand new light, His grace and mercy, too. For only when all self was gone could Jesus’ love shine through.

It was not easy in the storm, I sometimes wondered, “Why?”At times I thought, “I can’t go on.” I’d hurt, and doubt, and cry. But Jesus never left my side, He guided me each day. Through pain and strife, through fire and flood, He helped me all the way.

And now I see as never before how great His love can be. How in my weakness He is strong, how Jesus cares for me! He worked it all out for my good, although the way was rough. He only sent what I could bear, and then He cried, “Enough!”

He raised His hand and said, “Be still!” He made the storm clouds cease. He opened up the gates of joy and flooded me with peace. I saw His face now clearer still, I felt His presence strong, I found anew His faithfulness, He never did me wrong.

Now I know more storms will come, but only for my good, For pain and tears have helped me grow as naught else ever could. I still have so much more to learn as Jesus works in me; if in the storm I’ll love Him more, that’s where I want to be!

Unknown

Photo credit: elephantir.blogspot.com

Since I Met You

This is my first poem that I wrote for my fiancé, when he decided to accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as his Savior

Since I met You,

I saw a new light of life; change the darkness soul into the glow of holiness, forgiveness and salvation I accepted.

Reborn with new identity taking a new glorious journey in the sinful and chaotic world

No more fears upon my path, no more doubt within my step

Since I met you,

 Standing strong on Your promises, always walking in the Divine righteousness

There are no tears flow, sorrowful removed, Joyful granted

 Carrying the light of Your loving kindness and mercy in the brume

Since I met you,

 Longing to Spread God’s love among the animosity; share God’s peace between anxieties.

Burden to proclaim Your forgiveness and salvation among the perverse.

Being a body of Christ, bear and spread the fruit of Spirit, and send out the light of life in the comfort of Holy Spirit.

Since I met You, I am Yours!

Karina, August ,2009

Make Me Always Thirsty

Dear God in Heaven,

Make me always thirsty for Your greatness and truth

  thirsty for Your divine thoughts

  thirsty for Your Holy Spirit fulfillment

Make me always thirsty for Your Wisdom words and promises

  thirsty for your love and compassion

 thirsty for Your abundance blessing and grace

Make me always thirsty for Your Heavenly comfort

 thirsty to always praise You endlessly into the universe

 thirsty to always become the light among the darkness

Make me thirsty to always bring the tidings of joy and salvation

 thirsty to always bring to You weary and burdened soul

As the deer pants for the water my soul thirsts for God, for the living God. Amen

 

Karina (Inspired from Psalm 42:2-3)

Photo credit: flickr.com

 

Lord, Teach Us

Dear Lord  Jesus Christ in Heaven,

Teach us to always being humble, as you have humbled yourself on the cross.

Let the arrogances become our biggest enemy, wipe it, turn it into the lowliness,

so that through our  humility, people can see the light of Your love and mercy

Teach us to not standing on our own greatness and pride,

so we always walk on you mightiness ,not on our conceitedness.

Dear Lord in Heaven,

make us to become the light of Your humility, so that people can see how great You are.

Let only Your name be glorified and exalted upon the universe.

Teach us so that our lives are full of lowliness; lift all of our conceit and vanity.

Dear Lord, with Your loving kindness, teach us always… Amen

Karina

Photo credit: wikimedia

Great is Thy Faithfulness

 

This time I would like to share one of my favorite Christian song called ” Great is Thy Faithfulness ”  It song talk about Faithfulness of God almighty to all of us. I also have to share a short story about the composer of it song. Here it is….

Thomas Obadiah Chisolm (1866-1960) had a difficult early adult life. His health was so fragile that there were periods of time when he was confined to bed, unable to work. Between bouts of illness he would have to push himself to put in extra hours at various jobs in order to make ends meet.

After coming to Christ at age 27, Thomas found great comfort in the Scriptures, and in the fact that God was faithful to be his strength in time of illness and weakness, and to provide his needs. Lamentations 3:22-23 was one of his favorite scriptures: “It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is Thy faithfulness.”

While away from home on a missions trip, Thomas often wrote to one of his good friends, William Runyan, a relatively unknown musician. Several poems were exchanged in these letters. Runyan found one of Williams’ poems so moving that he decided to compose a musical score to accompany the lyrics. Great is Thy Faithfulness was published in 1923.

For several years ,the hymn got very little recognition, until it was discovered by a Moody Bible Institute professor who loved it so much and requested it sung so often at chapel services, that the song became the unofficial theme song of the college.

It was not until 1945 when George Beverly Shea began to sing Great is Thy Faithfulness at the Billy Graham evangelistic crusades, that the hymn was heard around the world.

Thomas Chisolm died in 1960 at age 94. During his lifetime, he wrote more than 1,200 poems and hymns including O To Be Like Thee and Living for Jesus

Great is Thy Faithfulness

   Great is Thy faithfulness,” O God my Father,
   There is no shadow of turning with Thee;
   Thou changes’ not, Thy compassions, they fail not
   As Thou hast been Thou forever wilt be.

• “Great is Thy faithfulness!” “Great is Thy faithfulness!“
  Morning by morning new mercies I see;
  All I have needed Thy hand hath provided—
  “Great is Thy faithfulness,” Lord, unto me!

·   Summer and winter, and springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon and stars in their courses above,
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.

 ·  Pardon for sin and a peace that endures,
Thy own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!

“I will sing of the mercies of the Lord for ever: with my mouth will I make known Thy faithfulness to all generations.” (Psalm 89:1)

Click at the link below to hear or download Great is Thy Faithfulness

https://www.box.com/s/4haqj1718lvdadu72ubb