Text: ‘I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!’ – Matthew 8:10 Thought: Faith is what many Christians dream of having. Great faith is considered to be beyond the reach of most. In the Gospels two people are commended for having great faith. Both were Gentiles, outsiders of the nation of Israel. Many Christians stream forward for prayer for healing, yet end up going away disappointed as nothing happens. At the same time they’re amazed that the non-Christian who did the same, walks away healed. They can’t understand why! It’s all too easy to end up thinking that God has favourites. Let’s take a short study of what the Bible records about one of the two with great faith and see if something can help us get our miracle too. He was a Roman Centurion, an unlikely candidate to have great faith, who came to Jesus on behalf of his servant who was dying. The Intention of Jesus – ‘I will come and heal him’ Jesus’ clear and forthright way in which he responded to this request is exactly the same as how he replied to the leper who said, “‘Lord, if you are willing you can make me clean.’” “‘I am willing, be cleansed.’” Yet...
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Text: ‘Imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promise’ – Hebrews 6:12 Thought: It can be relatively easy to start something; harder to keep it going with the demands and disciplines required. This is why so many New Year Resolutions, exercise programmes and healthy diets are abandoned long before they can make any real difference. In door to door evangelism we come across many who used to go to church regularly, whether it was Sunday School or an adult service, but now never go. Something happened to cause them to stop! The Book of Hebrews was written to encourage Jewish Christians to continue in their faith in Jesus and not return to the Mosaic Law in order to avoid persecution by the religious authorities. Paul’s letter to the Galatians sought to address the same problem.1 So what can we do to keep on keeping on when we are tempted or pressurised to change course? The importance of Personal Faith – ‘who through faith’ Faith becomes our hope and focus. Faith was responsible for our becoming a Christian – ‘By grace are you saved through faith.’ 2 The Requirement for Patience – ‘and patience’ It’s all too easy to start off the Christian life full of excitement and...
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