EVER TELL GOD NO?

Christians are sometimes the most disobedient people around and even some of the Old Testament Bible heroes demonstrated it vividly for us. Who can forget the "Big Fish" story of Jonah, the Wayward Prophet who said "NO" when God said "GO"?  Another Bible hero - Peter - had the same kind of mind of his own, forgetting for Whom he worked. 

The story picks up in Acts 10, from verse 9:The next day, as they went on their journey and drew near the city, Peter went up on the housetop to pray, about the sixth hour. 10 Then he became very hungry and wanted to eat; but while they made ready, he fell into a trance 11 and saw heaven opened and an object like a great sheet bound at the four corners, descending to him and let down to the earth. 12 In it were all kinds of four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, creeping things, and birds of the air. 13 And a voice came to him, “Rise, Peter; kill and eat.”

14 But Peter said, “Not so, Lord! For I have never eaten anything common or unclean.” 15 And a voice spoke to him again the second time, “What God has cleansed you must not call common.” 16 This was done three times. And the object was taken up into heaven again.

Here is the man whom Christ told He was going to build the church open. Here was the man who said "YES" when Christ asked if he (Peter) loved Him. Here was the man told to go feed "the sheep"...thereby fulfilling the Great Commission and more...here was this man, and he flat out told the Lord Jesus, Adonai - NO!

Then note what verse 16 says "This was done three times", before the Lord took the sheet back up into heaven. Sometimes God has to hit us upside the head in order that we pay attention to His directives and commands! Sometimes we say YES when it is the most convenient and inside our own box, but when if we are asked to do something outside our comfort zone...well, if it is not an outright NO, it is hemming and hawing. I know first hand what saying NO does. Almost two decades ago, just a few years into ministry, my heart was not set on something I thought was too elementary for me to do. It was soon made clear to me, during a severe rainstorm, when my wipers suddenly went out and my first taste of Godly discipline pulled me back into alignment with the Will of Abba Father. We know the rest of this story with Peter from Acts 10- he obeyed, went to a Gentile's home (something forbidden by Jewish law); preached the Gospel to the Roman Centurion, his entire family and friend group - and they were all saved.

Jonah not only went to Nineveh and preached repentance so that over 100,000 (including the King) were saved after repentance, but he stayed and lived in that area, teaching and mentoring them in the Ways of Yahweh - the Great God of Heaven! When Jonah's grave was desecrated this past summer by islamic hordes in Mosul (Iraq), it proved yet another 3000 year old plus portion of the Bible.  Jonah even made it into a sermon by the Lord Jesus Himself. 

These two examples serves as perfect illustrations for the woman or man of God who is sometimes scared or unsure of their calling. It serves as examples of how initial knee-jerk reaction leading to outright disobedience can lead first to discipline, and even worse, before things eventually work out. In Jonah's case, he actually died because he said in Jonah 2 that the bars of death had closed around him. Fortunately God had other plans for Jonah and after gentle rebuke, Peter came around.  After my initial disobedience, I never looked back and now serve with gladness and gratitude at the Grace and Goodness of God. When we do this, much fruit and many will be brought into the Kingdom. All we need to do is to trust Him, even when He says something we absolutely do not wish to hear! The results will be out of this world and truly divine!

DAY 24/40 DAYS OF PRAYER FOR AMERICA

         AMERICA OFF BALANCE, PART 5

BIG GOD - SIMPLE FAITH 

Now when Jesus heard this, He marveled at him, and turned and said to the crowd that was following Him, "I say to you, not even in Israel have I found such great faith." (Luke 7:9)

This is quite an amazing story for the believer. Jesus had just encountered a Roman centurion, who would have been one of the most hated men in occupied Israel of 2000 years ago. The Romans were known worshippers of pagan and non-existent gods, but the mere fact that this centurion knew the Power and Possibilities of the great Jewish "rabbi: - Jesus, and proceeded to practice it, is stunning in an of itself!

America once had that kind of Faith. Historian David Barton can come up with all kinds of quotes of famous people who saw the goodness and success of the United States, and attributed all of it to our faith in God and His Son Jesus. We had the simple Faith and Trust of a child seeking the guidance and Hand of his/her master. Yet, somewhere in the last 50 years of decadent moral and social decay, we have forgotten the sincere spontaneity and simplicity of having the same kind of Trust which the Roman captain had as he stood before our Christ.

So Father, in the Name of Jesus, we stand before You right now, chastened for having hastened a falling away from Your Truth and Your Peace which passeth all understanding. Father, in years gone by, we depended on You for direction and even our very lives in hope and the confidence that, You, my God and King, will hear us from heaven and shine Your Face upon us. We have not only gone off the rails but too many of our people serve other gods and idols and are now teaching Your younger children, that all paths lead to the same place - when You said differently in Your Word!!!!

Yes, Lord, I pray for a major correction in such evil pluralistic thinking and a return to righteousness through the realization among us that we need to be more like the Roman Centurion, who saw Your Power! No doubt, this man had seen the miracles and works of Christ and knew not just the Power in His Word and action, but the possibility of being in His Presence. He knew it is not only possible for Jesus to heal in Person, but the Roman captain had simple and complete trust that Jesus just had to say so - and it came into being!  Lord, we know that VERY SAME power is available today. We ask, in Faith and Trust, and belief in its happen, that Jesus will once again say the Word, and this country will be healed. We ask in humility and with not a bit of doubt, that He can do what He once did....and has done for almost 2000 years now - heal. We asking for healing in the troubled soul of America right now, to become right with You in all things, in the Name of Christ our Lord, amen.

(image by google)

THREE UNLIKELY MEN

#2 CLAUDIUS LONGINUS - the first Christian!

This is NOT a Gladiator movie title! This name may not sound familiar to most these days. But in the decades after the Crucifixion and Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, Longinus' name became known in Christian circles as the Roman Centurion who became the first Christian. The incredible thing is that it happened right at the foot of the Cross, just seconds after the Lord said "IT IS FINISHED, FATHER, INTO YOUR HANDS I COMMEND MY SPIRIT"!

His name is not mentioned in the Bible, but discovered later in apocryphal literature which never made into the Canon of Scripture or the Bible! He is called the Centurion in Luke 23:47 "Now when the centurion saw what had taken place, he praised God, saying, “Certainly this man was innocent!”

Combine this account with the fuller description here from Matthew and we get a very scary, yet vivid preview of Future Events! Here is that passage: "And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split. The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised, and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many. When the centurion and those who were with him, keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were filled with awe and said, “Truly this was the Son of God!” (Matthew 27:51-54 ESV)

Just briefly, we need to know who this Centurion actually was! He was the pagan Roman captain of 100 soldiers. Centurions were close to being the elite or the Marines of Caesar's army. Apart from Pilate, the Roman prefect of Jerusalem, Centurion had the most power. He was watching while Jesus rode into town on a donkey on Palm Sunday and saw the crowds hail Him as King.

He was there when the Temple Guard brought the arrested Jesus in after the Agonizing Prayers of Gethsemane, late on Thursday night. He and his men escorted Jesus to and from the perverted and corrupt Herod after Pilot declared Jesus to be innocent, several times. On the Day of the Passover or Good Friday, Centurion was there when he and his men mocked, kicked, spit on, blasphemed and criminally brutalized the Son of God.

They whipped Him so badly with the cat-o-nine tails with nails and bone chips at the end of the leather straps, that Isaiah 52 said He was barely recognizable as a man. Centurion was one of those persecutors. He and his men dragged Jesus through the Streets of the Old City up to Golgotha (The Place of The Skull), where he then oversaw his soldiers nail Jesus to the Cross.

All through this, Longinus saw a man who never said a harsh word or complained. In fact, He saw the Gentle Savior forgive his brutal Roman goons who were nailing Him to the Cross. Longinus saw a thief on the Cross repent, get saved and was told by Jesus that "today he will be with Me in Paradise". However, the clincher was what happened after Jesus actually died on the Cross.

Centurion saw the sky suddenly go black for hours. He saw earthquakes splitting rocks, just as will happen when Jesus returns. The Wrath of God was rained down on the Temple back in the City where not just the Veil was torn from top to bottom, but a now defunct religion was being buried - the one of the Law. Tombs were open and dead people were seen walking through the streets!

Fear and Trembling was the order of the moment. The reaction of the religious leaders who killed Christ and the prophets were to rally around their religious lifestyle, until Rome finally destroyed their Temple in AD 70, for good. But for Centurion, it was the Beginning! Combining both Luke's and Matthew's Gospel, let's note:

Because he (Centurion) was with Jesus, after seeing the Fury of God on those who killed His Son, he said "Certainly, this man was innocent" (Luke).

He was filled with awe (Matthew).

He praised God (Luke).

What does this mean for us? The most important thing is to note the progression of this powerful man - Centurion.

He observed.

He sinned horribly against God by brutalizing Him.

He observed the Suffering Savior.

He saw what repentance was (The Thief).

He saw the Wrath of God.

He reacted in awe at a man who never said a bad word about His killers.

HE PRAISED GOD! (Luke)....THIS ROMAN PAGAN, NOW SAVED AND COVERED BY THE BLOOD AND WATER WHICH FLEW OUT OF JESUS WHEN ONE OF HIS MEN SPEARED JESUS' RIBS, PRAISED GOD!

The Bible uses the same word for the Centurion praising God as we do for the DOXOLOGY (Praise God from Whom all blessings flow)! Longinus basically fulfilled what we know the chief end of man to be - "To Glorify Him and enjoy Him forever"! This gentile was the first Sinner saved and washed by the Blood and the first Christian in recorded history, at the death of our Savior. We would do well to live in awe and fear of the Lord, as he came to do! 

Amen.

(Image courtesy Bing)