“Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” – that’s what Jesus said to his disciples who were afraid, not knowing Jesus was approaching them or what was happening with a ghostly-like figure walking on water. They probably felt powerless in the unknown or not sure even what was going on – I mean Jesus was walking across the water, who would be ready to understand that! WOW!

And even in “normal” situations – we often don’t know how to deal with them best  – let alone get ourselves out of a strange situation. And we find ourselves not knowing that Jesus is coming with an answer or even coming AS the answer. 

Vacation bible school prep – day three of “TRUE NORTH” – finds us finding Jesus telling us to not be afraid, and to know He is here, there, EVERYWHERE! We need to find courage and know God’s support is constant – He can move mountains and He can help in many ways. In the Bible lesson, Jesus is being approached by an officer of Roman soldiers, a Centurion, in Capernaum about a sick servant, and Jesus demonstrated His healing power expanded to anywhere.  The centurion asked for healing and showed faith in Jesus’s power to heal. The Centurion also saw what so many didn’t see – that Jesus had a calling and a power authority to answer to – namely His Father – and to stay true to His Direction of mercy – and to His Mission. The Centurion said “for I myself am a man under authority” – meaning that a calling is like a command – and asking Jesus to be Jesus works wonders in the asking – that is faith – always remaining in contact with God. It was a faith focused understanding – and Jesus was AMAZED at his faith when He knew so many could have seen this LIGHT – but these others were stuck in the darkness – and would be forever.

The Centurion, and hopefully we, know Jesus has POWER – at least the Centurion knew that Jesus held power and had the ear of the powerful One in God Almighty. Power that was not used for magic or wealth – but for an elusive issue of health…  Power over life and death means power over and for health.

This is an earth shattering issue – not knowing the power the Lord has and not tapping into it. The power is not for moving mountains for fun – but moving the mountains of stress away – moving the mountains of issues – moving the mountains of doubt.  And moving us back to peace. Jesus’s POWER is all about PEACE…

Let us keep focusing on faith – it is our way to power our days – and heal our way.

Amen

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The Faith of the Centurion

When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help. “Lord,” he said, “my servant lies at home paralyzed, suffering terribly.”

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. 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 amazed and said to those following him, “Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith. I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go! Let it be done just as you believed it would.” And his servant was healed at that moment. Matthew 8:5-13