Centurio Sempronius & the Martyrs of Sabaste

In the winter of 320 AD, the Emperor Licinius ordered all Roman soldiers to offer a sacrifice to the Roman gods. Licinius was persecuting Christians at this time. His edict reached the Thundering Legion at Sabaste, and the order was passed down to the legionaries. Forty Christians in the legion refused to obey the edict, choosing instead to obey a higher authority: "You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or worship them"

In retaliation, the legion marched the men to a frozen lake where they were ordered to remove their armour and clothing and stand naked, as a form of torture to death, on a frozen lake. The legion lit a large fire on the shore with a warm bath and food to tempt the Christians to make the pagan sacrifice, renounce their Christian faith, and save their lives. The men began to pray,

"O Lord, 40 wrestlers have come forth to fight for Thee.
Grant that 40 wrestlers may gain the victory!"

One legionary eventually did succumb to the temptation and left the ice for the warm house that was guarded by a centurion named Sempronius. On the ice, the remaining Christian legionaries continued to cry out, "O Lord, 40 wrestlers have come forth to fight for thee. Grant that 40 wrestlers may gain the victory!" In response, Centurion Sempronius confessed Jesus as Christ, removed his armor, weapons, and clothing, and joined the 39 remaining Christians on the lake. The next morning the Forty Martyrs of Sabaste were found on the ice and forever recorded their faithful resistance in the annals of history.

Almighty God, Commander of the Host, who strengthened the Martyrs of Sabaste to keep the faith, and inspired the Centurion Sempronius to join the Christians in their trial of faith; strengthen us to resist evil and the false gods of our day, while ever proclaiming your sovereignty; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Sprit, one God, for ever and ever, Amen.

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Ash Wednesday
Joel 2:1-2, 12-17 , Psalm 51:1-17, 2 Corinthians 5:20b-6:10, Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21

Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the liturgical season of Lent in which there has traditionally been an emphasis on confession, contrition, and penance for our sinfulness. In the coming days, the Church asks you to closely examine yourself, and to exercise self-discipline as a form of preparation for the Feast of The Resurrection on Easter Morning – the feast that reminds us that Christ died for us for the remission of our sins.

Fasting has been a part of God’s plan from the beginning. The reading tonight from Joel reminds us of that, for the prophet says: “turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning: And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil." Note that along with the physical fasting, the Lord calls us to “rend our hearts, and not our garments” How can we tear apart our hearts? Only by opening up to the Lord, by pulling down all the barriers, by tearing away every vanity and pretence, by acknowledging and feeling the pain of our sin.

God is not satisfied with a mere show of piety. Coming before the altar and receiving ashes is merely a symbol of what must be a much deeper spiritual remorse and devotion. Do you recall the story of the Priest and the Sinner praying in the temple from the Gospel of Luke?
“The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted [Lu 18:12]. The striking of the chest, over the heart, is a symbol of the rending of heart and penitence. This custom is still observed today as you will see many Christians strike their chest as the say the words: “Lamb of God who taketh away the sin of the world….have mercy on us …”

Our Lord Jesus also told us there would be a time of fasting. In Matthew (9:15) when asked by the Pharisees why his disciples did not fast he said: “Can the children of the bridechamber mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them? but the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken from them, and then shall they fast.”

In Ecclesiastes, the teacher tells us To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance. The days of fasting and contrition are upon us now.

This day, Ash Wednesday, marks the beginning of the Lenten season. It lasts 40 days, and we are called to remember the 40 days our Lord fasted in the wilderness after his baptism, when he was tempted of Satan and prepared himself for his ministry. (The season actually has 46 days, with the six Sundays being feast days) During this period, the Church has traditionally fasted by abstaining from certain foods and by reducing the amount of food consumed. This period has also been one of special devotion, sometimes marked by special teachings to help us in our period of preparation and contrition.

And what are we to do? Again the scriptures give us an indication of what God desires. When David’s sin had been exposed by the prophet Nathan, he confessed his sin, and we have available his confession in the form of Psalm 51. In it King David admits that he has sinned against God, and says that God’s desire is for a broken spirit and a broken and contrite heart. Before we celebrate that wonderful Feast of the Resurrection, we have the opportunity to address the sin and mistakes in our lives, but that can only occur when we have humbly confessed our sin before God, repented, and asked for God’s forgiveness. Repentance has three elements: Contrition – or sorrow for sin, Confession of all known sin, and Satisfaction and Amendment of life. The satisfaction may be something you do because of the sin, such as apologizing to one you have hurt, or restitution for some loss you have caused another, or some act of devotion and discipline. Amendment is the cessation of doing what is evil – sin. One cannot continue to indulge in sin and expect forgiveness.

Tonight then, let us look at the sins that the Church has considered to be mortal sins.

1. PRIDE: This is putting yourself before God. When you become self-centered rather than God centered. Jesus’ admonition in the Gopsel clearly pointed to the pride of the Pharisees who paraded their piousness before men. Pride is closely related to the First Commandment: Thou shalt have none other gods but me. Pride is the most dangerous of all of these sins, and the most prevalent in our society. In a culture that worships Secular Humanism, and believes that we are not created by an all-powerful God, but are the result of some accidents in chemistry and biology, pride in man’s ability and science are leading us down a very precarious pathway. St John wrote in his first epistle: “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.” Pride may include:

 Irreverence (failure to recognize and observe the sacredness of God)
 Sentimentality (being satisfied with merely coming on Sundays and singing the hymns without really following God),
 Presumption (that is depending on yourself rather than on God)
 Distrust (refusal to recognize God’s Wisdom, Providence, and Love)
 Disobedience
 Impenitence (refusal to admit our sins – self justification)
 Vanity
 Arrogance
 Snobbery

2. ANGER: This is open rebellion against God or our fellow creature including retaliation and revenge. Remember in the Sermon on the Mount -- when Jesus expanded on the Sixth Commandment – Thou shalt do no murder - and told his listeners that if they harbored hate for their neighbor they had committed murder in their hearts. Anger includes:

 Resentment - which includes transference of our dissatsifaction, cynicism, and annoynace.
 Pugnacity – that is an attack upon others – combativeness – argumentative and rudeness.
 Retaliation – getting even for a perceived wrong.

3. ENVY – this comes from the Latin word “invidere” meaning “to look at askance” or with disdain. In the Gospel of Mark it is written that Jesus knew the chief priests had stirred the crowds against him before Pilot for “envy”. Envy includes:

 Jealousy – offence at the good fortune of others
 Malice – slander, gossip, reading false motives into others actions
 Contempt – Scorn of another, prejudice.

4. COVETOUSNESS – inordinate accumulation of material things, using people for one’s personal advantage. In the 12th chapter of Luke Jesus said, “Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.”

 Inordinate Ambition
 Domination
 Prodigality – Extravagance, waste,


5. GLUTTONY – i.e., overindulgence. Jesus spoke of this in the false accusations against him by the Pharisees when he said in the 7th chapter of Luke, ‘The Son of man is come eating and drinking; and ye say, Behold a gluttonous man, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners’

 Intemperance – Overindulgence in food and drink. Fastidiousness. Excessively high standards. The condemnation of some natural things, like alcohol, and attempting to prohibit their use rather than abuse.
 Lack of Discipline – Failure to keep ourselves in shape

6. LUST – the misuse of sex for personal gratification. In Matthew Jesus says, “But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.”

 Unchastity - Violation of the Church’s marriage laws – this was the sin of David that related to his prayer in Psalm 51, and which led to so many consequences in his house.
 Immodesty - attire, actions, words, and reading – consider our society today and its love of the sensual sensation .
 Prudery - the fear of sex – the repression of sex
 Cruelty – deliberate infliction of pain – in this I am reminded of the Reality shows which I find repulsive, where we are asked to watch as peoples emotions are seemingly, and really, torn and placed on display for our entertainment, and Hollywood’s enrichment.

7. SLOTH is the refusal to respond to our opportunities for growth and service. In the 25th chapter of the Gospel of St. Matthew, Jesus tells the parable of the Good and Faithful Servant, and condemns he who buried his master’s coin by saying: Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strowed”: Sloth, next to pride, is perhaps the most dangerous of the mortal sins. Jesus gave us the Summary of the Law where he said, “ Love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and soul and mind, and love thy neighbor as thyself.” Sloth directly relates to the latter command, while Pride relates to the former includes:

 Laziness – indolence in performing spiritual, mental, and physical duties; neglect of obligations, procrastination of tasks we don’t like.
 Indifference – unconcern, neglect, ignoring social injustice, the needy

You are invited to self-examination, confession, repentance, and throughout the Lenten season to a period of discipline and self-denial. The imposition of ashes is a sign of your contrition and repentance. Consider your sins through self examination this night and in the weeks of Lent ahead, and remember the words of St Paul as he said, “If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.” [1 Jo 9-10]

and of St Paul how he said, “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.” [1 Cor 2:12]
.
Let us pray:

Almighty and everlasting God, you hate nothing you have made and forgive the sins of all who are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we, worthily lamenting our sins and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of you, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen [BCP]

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David - God’s Anointed Warrior

In the 16th Chapter of 1st Samuel, begins the remarkable story of David - God’s Anointed Warrior. David was the youngest of the family of Jesse. He was a handsome, ruddy, lad; hardly the image of a king. Unlike King Saul who stood head and shoulders above the Israelites, David was not remarkable for his bearing. Samuel, in obedience to God’s will, anointed David and from that day on the Spirit of the LORD came upon David in power. This was the first recorded instance in the Scriptures where God’s spirit was given to a man and remained with him permanently.


Not long after, David went to visit his brothers who had joined King Saul’s army to defend against the Philistines. The champion of the Philistines, a giant called Goliath, had defied and challenged any man of Israel to meet him in combat. The entire Israelite army was terrified. David, however, was not impressed, and rebuked the men for their fear of the pagan warrior who threatened the Army of the LORD. Saul heard of David and called him to his headquarters. David, full of the Spirit of the LORD, assured Saul that he would dispatch the Philistine as he had the lion and the bear that attacked his flocks.


David went out to meet Goliath in the Valley of Elah. Goliath ridiculed the handsome young man armed only with his shepherd's staff and sling. He cursed David and swore to kill him that day. David responded that he came in the name of the LORD, and that:

THIS DAY WILL THE LORD DELIVER THEE INTO MINE HAND

Now David had with him his sling and five smooth stones. As a shepherd, he was charged with protecting his flock from wild animals. The sling of that day was capable of delivering a projectile 180 yards at a maximum velocity of 160 miles per hour. That is quite a lethal weapon in the hands of a marksman. As the Philistine approached, David ran toward him, took the stone from his shepherd’s bag, loaded his sling, and cast the stone square between the eyes of the giant. The stone was buried in the Goliath's forehead and he fell. David took Goliath’s sword and severed his head. The Philistines fled the field in terror, and the Israelites pursued and slew them.


David continued in the service of Saul as his servant and companion. Saul, possessed by an evil spirit, resented David’s success in all things, and tried to kill him on several occasions. Eventually Saul took his own life in battle, and David became king. He brought Israel from a loose group of tribes to a mighty nation. He, however, broke God’s Commandments by his adultery with Bathsheba, and by the murder of Bathsheba's husband Uriah. When confronted by the prophet Nathan, David confessed his sins. God removed David’s sin from him; however, David suffered the consequences of his actions. God struck the illegitimate son of David and Bathsheba, and David was faced with strife from within his house from that day forth.


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Gideon – Reluctant Warrior

Gideon, whom the Angle of God called a Valiant Warrior, was reluctant to act on God’s calling. Once convinced that the Lord had chosen him to lead the Army in the valley of Jezreel, he obeyed his charge and the Lord delivered Israel from their oppressors.

The story begins in the 6th Chapter of the Book of Judges. The Israelites had taken up worship of Baal and were living sinful lives. They pushed God out of their lives for the false gods of the land. The Midianites came up and ruled over them for seven years. The Israelites lost all and withdrew to the mountains to live in caves and crags – and they called out to the Lord for salvation. The Lord sent a prophet to convict the Israelites of their apostasy, and call them into repentance.

Then the Lord sent his angle to Gideon, who was a poor farmer, the least of his kin. After giving a sure sign as requested by Gideon, the Lord commanded him to destroy his father’s altar to Baal and Ashterah. Gideon did so, and the Lord sent his Spirit upon Gideon to strengthen him.

A massive army (135,000) of the Midianites, along with the Amalekites, gathered in the valley of the Jezreel to wage war on Israel. Gideon gathered a large army (32,000) from the tribes to meet the Midianites, but he was still not confident in his ability. He called upon the Lord for two more signs before he accepted his charge. Finally, Gideon was ready, but the Lord ordered Gideon to reduce his assault force. First he discharged all those who feared the Midianites and 10,000 remained. Then the Lord selected by trail only 300 men for the assault force in order to show His strength and sovereignty. Armed with horns, torches, and vases to hide the torches he sent Gideon to surround the Midianites in their camp at night. In order to embolden Gideon; he gave him yet another sign. He sent Gideon and Purah into the Midianite camp where they heard of a dream that Israel would prevail.

As the Lord had instructed, Gideon leading his 300 men in three companies surrounded the camp. On Gideon’s command, they blew the horns, broke open the vases, and waved the torches shouting:


FOR THE SWORD OF THE LORD AND OF GIDEON


The Lord so confused and terrorized the Midianites that they panicked and slew one another in their fear and confusion, and those that were left fled the field. Gideon pursued and slew them, and rid the land of the oppressor.

Gideon, the Reluctant Warrior was indeed Valiant. The Israelites called him to rule over them, but he refused saying that the Lord would rule Israel. After his death, Israel again played the harlot and prostituted herself with false gods.

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Sergeant Elijah P. Marrs – Artillery NCO, Educator & Minister

Elijah P Marrs was born into slavery in 1840 in Kentucky. His mother was a slave and his father a free man. He grew up in Simpsonville on the Robinson Farm near Louisville. In his youth he worked as a house servant and a field hand. At a young age he took it upon himself to learn to read, and got his master and the white boys to teach him. He began to learn too about Christianity. At the age of eleven, after a series of encounters, Marrs began to seek God earnestly. He and his young master went into the fields to work and spent the whole day discussing Christianity and prayer. The next Sunday he went to Church and accepted Christ as his Lord and Savior and was baptized in 1851. It was against the law in Kentucky in those days to teach a slave to read and write, but the Robinsons ignored that law and encouraged every boy on their farm to learn how to read the Bible. Marrs became active in the Church from that day forth.

At the beginning of the war, Marrs remained on the Robinson farm. He acted as clerk for all those slaves who had enlisted in the Union forces before him. Rebels in the community had threatened to take action. Marrs decided to join the Army and invited his comrades to join him. They elected him their Captain and 27 strong they marched to the Union lines around Louisville. Once there, it wasn’t long before the officers heard that Marrs could write and appointed him as Third Duty Sergeant, Co. L. 12th U. S. Heavy Artillery. His brother was appointed as a Sergeant Major. While stationed at Camp Nelson, he and Sergeant Major George Thomas started a choir for the men. During his service he was involved in several minor engagements. A regiment of Confederates once surrounded his company . His officers surrendered on terms that they would be directly paroled. Marrs' service as an NCO was excellent, and was appointed to the position of the Regimental Quartermaster Sergeant.

After the war Marrs taught elementary school and Sunday school. He was often accosted by the local KKK and in his autobiography tells of the many incidents where the KKK raided his home. He was the first president of the local Republican Party. He was active in fighting for the rights of freedmen against laws like the “Whipping Post Bill”. On the 9th of June 1873, he preached his first Sermon, and from that point on dedicated his life to Christ in preaching the Gospel. He entered into Seminary in 1874, and was ordained a Baptist preacher in 1875. He was the first pastor at the Beargrass Baptist Church and continued to teach school. He was active with other ministers in his community in promoting temperance. He joined with his brother to establish the Baptist Normal and Theological Institute in Louisville in 1879. In 1883 he was examined by the Jefferson County Board of Education and given a four-year teaching certificate, causing quite a sensation in the city of Louisville. He continued to work for his people’s education and salvation until his death on August 30, 1910.

Elijah P. Marrs, b. 1840 ; Life and History of the Rev. Elijah P. Marrs, First Pastor of Beargrass Baptist Church, and Author. Louisville, Ky.: Bradley & Gilbert, 1885. http://docsouth.unc.edu/neh/marrs/marrs.html

Elijah P: Marrs Camp, Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War: http://www.geocities.com/campfive/Camp5.html

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About the Order of Centurions

The Order of Centurions is a non-denominational fellowship open to all baptized Christians. The motto is "Fear God and do what is right” In Acts, Peter’s said, “Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him. [Acts 10:34-35]

The purpose of the order to emulate the devout life of Cornelius, the faith of the Centurion of Capernaum, and the witness of the Centurion of Calvary. The Order seeks to encourage a belief and practice of worship that was held in the primitive Church - like that which the early centurions would have encountered. The Order’s objectives are reflected in its Rule and Vow and include:

 Encouragement of regular reading of and meditation on Holy Scripture [2Tim 3:16],
 Prayer [1Thes 5:16-18],
 A fear and love of God [Rev 14:17],
 Right and just acts as Jesus commanded in the Summary of the Law [Matt 22:34], and
 Witness of the Faith in words and deeds [Matt 5:16].

The beliefs of the order are what the One Church under Jesus Christ has always held, and are summarized in the passage: "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness" [2Tim 3:16]. The Order recognizes a statement of beliefs that was used by the Early Church before 340AD: the Forma Romana Vetus. It is likely that this form, or a very similar statement of belief, was held by centurions of the Early Church as a prerequisite to baptism. However, any Christian confession of faith or creed that contains the essential elements of the beliefs of the Universal Church is acceptable.

There are two symbols of the Order. One is the Labarum with the CHI-RHO at the top of a spear and the initials IHSV for “Under this Sign Conquer”. St. Constantine ordered the Labraum to be fabricated and carried before his legions when he marched against and defeated a much larger force under the pagan Emperor Maxentius at the battle at Saxa Rubra a few miles north of Rome. Another symbol is the Gladius-Vitis, containing two Roman short swords (Gladius) and a vine staff (Vitis). These appear as centurion’s stacked arms under the Crown of Thorns and the initials INRI (Jesus of Nazareth King of the Jews) [John 19:19]. Below the arms is the motto of the Order, Timet Deus et Operatur Iustitiam meaning Fear God and do what is Right.

The Order seeks to highlight the lives of faithful Christian soldiers throughout the ages – including this era. Today many of the heroes of our culture are products of the marketing efforts of Madison Avenue, Hollywood and the music industry. By focusing our attention on our Brothers in Arms who have fought the good fight and succeeded, we may learn from their walk. The Prayer of the Order reflects this objective:

Almighty God, our Sovereign LORD, who called Cornelius the Centurion to be the first Christian among the Gentiles, who healed the servant at Capernaum in accordance with the Centurion's great faith, and who inspired the Centurion at Calvary to glorify Jesus; strengthen us in our faith that we might follow their example to love, serve, and glorify you as faithful members of the Church Militant, through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Anyone who is interested in more information about the Order of Centurions should visit its web site at www.orderofcenturions.org

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Alvin C. York – Christian Hero of the Great War

Alvin Cullum York of Tennessee was the most famous American Soldier of WWI. His accomplishments as an infantryman in the 82nd All American Division are astounding. Virtually single-handedly he captured 132 German soldiers, eliminated 28 machine guns, and killed 25 of the enemy. He was a recipient of the Distinguished Service Cross, Croix de Guerre, and The Congressional Medal of Honor.

A most remarkable aspect of this Centurion’s story is his coming to Christ. His movie shows that he had an Epiphany experience not unlike St. Paul’s. He credits his mother’s urging with the motivation that brought him from a carousing ruffian to a leader in his local church. When called to active duty he had to struggle with his beliefs about the Bible and the Six Commandment, vis-à-vis his service to his country as a patriot combatant. After the war he refused to have his name used for commercial purposes and returned to his native hills to continue his work for the Lord. He farmed a nice piece of land donated by the people of Tennessee. He was a leader in his church, a started a school in his community to help the mountain children to prepare for life and to open up their eyes to the outside world, and did many other good works. He returned to the service of his country in WWII and traveled around the country to rally support for democracy. One of his major contributions was his technical assistance in the movie Sgt. York released in 1941.

The most entertaining way to become familiar with this great soldier and Christian is by watching the Sergeant York movie staring Gary Cooper. I’d also recommend this site published by the York Institute where you’ll find a short biography and his diary. I enjoyed reading Sgt. York, His Life and Legacy or read this Sgt. York and His People online. If you are down around Pall Mall, Tennessee be sure to stop in and see the Alvin C. York Historic Park.

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CS Lewis, 20th Century Centurion

Clive Staples Lewis is truly a 20th Century Centurion and the most popular and influential Christian apologist of our times. Today, in the 21st Century, his legacy continues and millions of people are influenced toward orthodox Christianity through his works and those of his companions, JRR Tolkien and Dorothy Sayers.

CS "Jack" Lewis attended University College, Oxford and there joined the Officer Training Corps. He was commissioned a second lieutenant of infantry. After four weeks of training he was sent to the front under fire in France at the age of 18. Shortly thereafter he came down sick with trench fever and was hospitalized for a short time and then sent up to the front again. This time however he was wounded and again evacuated from the front after he received three shrapnel wounds (the round killed a man next to him.) While convalescing the war ended. Lewis returned to Oxford and completed his studies eventually becoming a Professor and Fellow at Magdalen College in Oxford.

His "conversion to Christianity occurred over a period of several years – from 1926, the year Dymer was published, when he began to believe in a nebulous power outside of himself, to 1931, when he became a believer in Christ". The writings of GK Chesterton had a great influence on him, as did his conversations with Tolkien and Hugo Dyson. It was during a late evening conversation with these men on September 19, 1931 that planted the seed. Three days later, while Lewis was riding in the sidecar of his brother’s motorcycle, he accepted Christ

His first Christian publication was Pilgrims Regress in 1932. He continued to write Christian works throughout his life. In 1941, with England at war with Germany, C.S. Lewis was engaged by the BBC to give four broadcasts concerning the "Law of Nature", "Objective Right and Wrong" specifically addressed to the British military. His popularity was remarkable, and he was soon thereafter engaged again to broadcast talks on "What Christians Believe." His style of lecture and succinct lectures appealed to all Christians regardless of denomination. His last three broadcasts were entitled "Beyond Personality: The Christian View of God." During this period, he started the Oxford Socratic Club where atheist, agnostics, and Christians would gather to discuss the hard questions of faith. Here, he refined his method of counter-attack to become the Century’s foremost Christian apologist.

There are many resources concerning Lewis available on the internet, one of the best that I’ve found is Into the Wardrobe, another is 20th Century Christian Knight; I heartily recommend it and the books Mere Christianity, the Abolition of Man, and God in the Dock to all (available on the website).

msc

Sayer, George; Jack, CS Lewis and His Times; 1988, Harper & Row, San Francisco
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Joshua – Faithful Warrior
Fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth

In the 24th Chapter of the Book of Joshua, Joshua calls all the people together and recounts their history from the time of Abraham until their conquering of Canaan. He calls upon them to “fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth.” He then challenges them to choose between the True God and the false gods.

Joshua was the first great battle commander-in-chief of the Hebrew nation. His armies took the land of Canaan in accordance with God’s promise in a series of stunning victories. However, during his campaigns, the people fell away and began to assimilate with those they conquered. Joshua’s admonition to “fear God, and serve Him in sincerity and truth,” is like the statement of Peter concerning Cornelius when Peter said, “he who fears God and does what is right is acceptable to Him.” Both statements place the fear of God before all else. This is essential and proceeds the second part of this formula. It is necessarily so, because unless one has a fear of the Lord, it is impossible to do what is right and true, and anyone who fears God and does what is right, surely does serve God in truth and sincerity.

In the late 1800’s there was a German philosopher by the name of Nietzsche's. He was a nihilist who proclaimed “God is dead” and taught that old values were continually being replaced by new correct ways of thought. Many Nazis who were affected by Nietzsche’s philosophy could easily adjust to the killing of millions of innocent people and the invasion of their neighbor's land, for Hitler and the Party would tell them what was right and wrong. Stalin and his atheist empire had a very similar situation in Russia with the Communist Party. It established the new good, the new right and wrong, for the workers of the world, thereby replacing God and Church.

Our situation today is not far different. There are many people in America who are very much concerned with those whom they call “Fundamentalist" - those who believe the Bible is true. There is a new standard of what is right and wrong emerging. For instance, if the Bible says that homosexuals are an abomination and have no place in the Kingdom of God, and if Christians believe that and act accordingly concerning homosexuality, they are labeled “homophobes.” The new "goods" include: Homosexuality, Abortion on Demand (the most dangerous place for a child is its mother’s womb), one-parent families, illegitimacy, the denial of any Evil or Satan or Hell, pornography, violence, sloth, reality TV with Machiavellian types of behavior, and other hedonistic types of behaviors – along with the denial of personal accountability (let's blame it on "society"). If they can discredit or discount the Word, they can do away with the fear of the Lord, and then all of these behaviors are not Evil, but “wholesome and good” (as many the Episcopal Church labeled their homosexual Bishop who left his children and wife and took up a partnership with a man).

This is not the example we see in Joshua. Joshua is the Faithful Warrior. He puts his whole trust in the Lord and boldly implements tactics and strategies to accomplish what God has ordained. He loves, fears, reveres, and obeys the Lord. He holds his people accountable for their actions and deeds and calls on them to turn from their false gods and follow the True God, to turn from their sin and serve God in truth and sincerity.

Joshua’s words are as true today as they were 3,700 years ago. His challenge is with us today. Will you follow the Lord and serve him, or will your follow the false gods set up by the world? “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord”

Mark

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Noahide


The Noahide is law that proceeds the Ten Commandments. Ben Shapiro wrote about this code in two articles http://www.townhall.com/columnists/benshapiro/bs20031231.shtml His summary of these laws reminded me of the stories of Cornelius and the Centurion of Capernaum.

The motto of the Order is based on the words St. Peter, as he spoke of Cornelius the Centurion... Fear God and do what is Right” -- anyone who does so regardless of nationality is acceptable to God. Mr. Shapiro points out that Jews are not evangelical. A Gentile like Cornelius and the Centurion of Capernaum could hardly become Jews, especially as Roman officers. Yet they observed a way of life that was respected by the Jewish people. They were Godly men who supported the efforts of the local Jews in their worship, and as they were able, worshipped God also and contributed to the worship of God materially.

I believe that these two centurions may well have been regarded by the Jews of old as men who observed the laws of the Noahide, and both were recognized and saluted by Jesus and Peter, as well as the Jewish leaders of the Synagogue, as being devout and faithful.

CS Lewis in his book the Abolition of Man wrote that those who followed a code from God would see God in the end. I believe that too, for as Jesus said, many will come from the East and the West to sit with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. In the parable of sorting the sheep and goats, it was clear that God accepts those who do right and show mercy regardless of whether they believed they had served Him. How can we expect less?

God’s ways are not man’s, and his mercy is not bounded by what we do or fail to do. We witness this great mystery on Calvary when Jesus spoke from the cross and asked God to forgive those who mocked, beat, and crucified him saying, “Forgive them, for they know not what they do.” The centurion who had guarded Jesus from the time of his arrest, through His trials and tribulations, glorified God that day on Calvary and said, Certainly this was a righteous man [Luke 23:47] He too was accepted for Jesus said,

Also I say unto you, Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God:

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Centurion – Thomas Jonathan (Stonewall) Jackson

I had the opportunity to watch “God’s and Generals” this Christmas season. I’d read the book previously, but the movie focused its attention on General Jackson – one of Armerica's most successful battle commanders. As I watched, it occurred to me that General Jackson’s life as a Christian Soldier is an outstanding example for the Order. I’ve added his name to the list of Centurions in the Church Expectant that we recognize. A letter that General Jackson wrote during the Civil War clearly shows he was a man who Feared God and did what he believed was right – a man of integrity, honor and humility.


TJJ to Rev. (Dr.) Francis McFarland, Augusta Co., Virginia
Date: 1862 July 3
July 31st, 1862
My dear Doctor,
I am very grateful to you for your prayers to God for the success of the operation which God has entrusted to me. Please continue to pray for me and for the success of the troops entrusted to me. It cheers my heart to think that many of God's people are praying to our very kind Heavenly Father for the success of the army to which I belong. Without God's blessing I look for no success, and for every success my prayer is, that all the glory may be given unto Him to whom it is properly due. If people would but give all the glory to God, and regard his creatures as but unworthy instruments, my heart would rejoice. Alas too frequently the praise is bestowed upon the creature. Whilst we must not forget the superior importance of spiritual victories, yet I trust that you will under God's direction do what you can in securing the prayers of His people for the success of our arms, especially for the success of them which are entrusted to me, an unworthy servant, but who desires to glorify His name even in my present military calling. My trust is in God for success. Praying for a continuation of your usefulness I remain your much attached friend
T. J. Jackson



http://www.vmi.edu/archives/jackson/tj620731.html

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Christmas under Siege

Also I say unto you, Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God: But he that denieth me before men shall be denied before the angels of God. Luke 12:8


Fox News has recently highlighted this seasons assaults on Christmas. Anyone concerned about this attack on Christmas and our Freedom of Speech and Expression of Religion as a people should visit the article featured today on Town Hall, Foiling Those Evil Grinches. There is good news there with a list of successful actions countering the anti-Christmas campaign. If you are concerned, as we are, please take a look at this article. Consider the right thing to do, perhaps an email to your Congressmen to replace the 'Holiday Tree' at the Capitol with a 'Christmas Tree', and put Christ back in Christmas.

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No Evil in this World?

The LORD loves those who hate evil; he guards the lives of his faithful; he rescues them from the hand of the wicked. Psalm 97:10

I watched Bill O’Reilly as he read a letter from a viewer who claimed that neither Saddam Hussein or any man was Evil, but men only had a different viewpoints (not verbatim, but what I gathered from the letter). O’Reilly didn’t think much of this and flashed up a photo of Hitler and Pol Pot.

That sort of thought has pervaded our modern society. At Syracuse University I took and Ethics Course conducted by a self-declared Secular Humanist. His hero was a man by the name of B.F. Skinner. Skinner, as I recall, maintained that people don’t do evil, they are simply a product of their environment and behave accordingly. Skinner trained pigeons to fly messages during the war, and afterwards generalized his observations of the behavior of pigeons to men. An argument follows from this belief that therefore we should not punish anyone, but incarcerate them while we rehabilitate them to return them to society. Furthermore, these people are not evil, they are actually victims themselves. We ought to place them in an Adjustment Center where we can talk to them about how society caused them to act the way they did. Then we offer them a college education to get a new start.

President Bush said that he thought Saddam should receive the ultimate sentence. Let’s see, for those who follow Skinner’s theory that might be translated into five years of house “arrest” with a concurrent degree in Nuclear Engineering, all the while receiving periodic counseling from an enlightened psychologist who could declare to the world that Saddam was cured.

Make no mistake about it, Saddam Hussein is an EVIL man on the caliber of Stalin, Hitler, and Pol Pot. His sickness is from Evil and there is but one cure… Jesus who is able to cast out evil – The Real Cure has a formula, (Confess + Repent + Accept = Forgiven) + (Abide) = Cured. (BTW: Being cured does not erase temporal consequences, remember David?)

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Joe Lieberman, --- ‘Praise the Lord”

“Joe Lieberamn the most consistently anti-Saddam of the Dems, was also the most enthusiastic. "Praise the Lord," he said. "This is something that I have been working on with a lot of other people, advocating and praying for, for more than 12 years since the Gulf War of '91."” [WSJ Opinion] .

Amen We praise the Lord for men like Mr. Lieberman for their integrity. He seems to be a wise man of conviction; and his words and deeds appear to be honorable, true, and pure; and represent the best of our nation.

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We Got Him Alleluia. Thanks be to God.

For he that is mighty hath done … great things; and holy is his name. And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation. He hath showed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. He hath put down the mighty from their seats -- Luke 1:49

Almighty God, Commander of the Host, protect and guide our troops and strengthen the good people in Iraq in rebuilding their nation so that the dignity of every human being may be honored and freedom and justice may prevail; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

A toast to the men and women of the Fourth Infantry Division!

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Bush – Did the right thing

George W. Bush decided that contracts to rebuild Iraq would go to those who participated in and supported the Liberation -- opponents would be barred. Bush said that it was the right thing to do. Bush is right.

European and American critics think Bush should open the contracts to all – not just those who supported Operation Iraqi Freedom. Bush said at the beginning, if you aren’t with us, you are against us -- Fair Warning. Evidence gathered during the war indicates that some of those countries complaining may actually have been dealing with Iraq against UN resolutions and selling Iraq military items.

In the Order of the Centurions, part of the motto is “Do What is Right”. A close look at the original Greek in the scriptures uses the word “Dikaiosune” for “right.” Strong defines it as “1. state of him who is as he ought to be, righteous, the condition acceptable to God: a. The doctrine concerning the way in which a man may attain a state approved by God b. integrity, virtue, purity of life, rightness, correctness of thinking, feeling, and acting. 2. In a narrower sense, justice or the virtue which gives each his due.” It is, of course, the secondary sense that so applicable in this situation.

I cannot imagine taking an army into harm’s way with my men under fire while a group of people hurl insults at me, condemn me, and comfort the enemy; and then expect that I have some obligation to include them in the reconstruction of the vanquished to their financial benefit. There would be nothing “Just” about that – it might be politically wise, it might be benevolent, but not right.

Take it out of the political realm for a moment and look at it as one would in business. Let’s say you make a very risky investment. Your competition does all it can to obstruct you in your purpose while your associates also place themselves at physical and fiscal risk in joining with you. When you have succeeded you announce that you intend to share a good portion of the financial rewards of the hard-earned victory with your competition. Why? Do you think they will like you and join you in future endeavors? Your cohorts will think you are nuts – that you lack “correctness of thinking.” Your competition would no doubt celebrate, but would not think you any more “Just” than would your heretofore associates. Your competitors would have no economic motivation to place anything at risk for you in the future. You seem to be willing to bear all of the risks and their insults as well, and then treat them as if they had all along supported you.

Ironically, the Democrats have historically supported this “rule” as “right”. According to the Random House Dictionary of Quotes, in 1832 Senator William Learned Marcy (1786-1857) of New York was the first man on record to quote this obviously older rule when he said in Congress that, “they (the Democrats) see nothing wrong in the rule that to the victor belong the spoils…" 

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Do What is Right – The Creeds

[2Tim 4:3-5 For the time is coming when people will not put up with sound doctrine, but having itching ears, they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own desires and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander away to myths. As for you, always be sober, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, carry out your ministry fully. NRSV]

Centurions are committed to always seeking to do the right thing. The question then is, What is right – how shall we know? The early Christians were trained before baptism in a creed (from the Latin verb “credere”, to believe.) A great site to learn more about the creeds and to compare them is to be found at Christian Classics Ethereal Library. This particular link provides a chart where on can compare and contrast the various creeds: http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/creeds2.iii.i.xiv.html.

[An example of this contrast is the use of the word “Apostolic.” According to the chart, it had never been used in any of the historic creeds when it was added by the 2nd Council in AD 381]

In one place an article on this web site asserts, ” The creeds … were not to be written on paper, but to be engraved on the memory, and to serve to the baptized Christian as a viaticum for his journey through life, by which he might test the doctrine of any other teacher.

When a Centurion hears of a teaching that departs from the creeds, he should be very wary of the teaching and the teachers. Many clergy present false teachings about the Virgin Birth, Resurrection, Evolution, End Times, etc., which are in conflict with the creeds. Centurions should reject and denounce those teachings and rebuke the teachers. Defend the Faith -- That is the right thing to do.

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Endorsement The Order of Centurions heartily commends Martin Roth Christian Commentary to all. His insightful commentary is a sterling witness to the Right application of Christian principles in assessing current issues and events. Of particular interest to Centurions - see the Christians & War section

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Welcome Centurions. Centurions is a forum intended for members of the Order of Centurions and visitors with an interest in considering the deeds and words of Brothers in Arms from the past and the issues of the day. A beginning is to visit the Order of Centurions site. It will provide the reader with a good understanding of this order and the purposes of this forum.