Scriptures: 
Genesis 3:24; 2 Kings 5:10; 2 Kings 5; Matthew 8:1-13; Matthew 6:25-34; Matthew 14:25-33; Matthew 16:5-12; Mark 4:35-40; Matthew 27:54; Acts 10:1-8; Acts 22:25-28; Revelation 22:12-14; Luke 13:22-27; Proverbs 11:27; Matthew 7:7; Matthew 25:1-13; 

Scriptures Bible Gateway (NKJV & NIV):

Audio Message: 

Text of Message:

Adam was shut out because of one bad act.
Genesis 3:24
So He drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life.

If you ever have an unction of something good God wants you to do, DO IT!

The Ark Invitation
Genesis 7:1
Then the LORD said to Noah, “Come into the ark, you and all your household, because I have seen that you are righteous before Me in this generation.  

Genesis 7:16
So those that entered, male and female of all flesh, went in as God had commanded him; and the LORD shut him in.

Moses Placed in an Ark
Exodus 2:1-6
1 And a man of the house of Levi went and took as wife a daughter of Levi.

2 So the woman conceived and bore a son. And when she saw that he was a beautiful child, she hid him three months.

3 But when she could no longer hide him, she took an ark of bulrushes for him, daubed it with asphalt and pitch, put the child in it, and laid it in the reeds by the river’s bank.

4 And his sister stood afar off, to know what would be done to him.

5 Then the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river. And her maidens walked along the riverside; and when she saw the ark among the reeds, she sent her maid to get it. 6 And when she opened it, she saw the child, and behold, the baby wept. So she had compassion on him, and said, “This is one of the Hebrews’ children.”

John 1:17
For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

2 Kings 5:10
And Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored to you, and you shall be clean.”

2 Kings 5  NKJV
Naaman’s Leprosy Healed
1 Now Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Syria, was a great and honorable man in the eyes of his master, because by him the LORD had given victory to Syria. He was also a mighty man of valor, but a leper.

2 And the Syrians had gone out on[a] raids, and had brought back captive a young girl from the land of Israel. She [b]waited on Naaman’s wife.

3 Then she said to her mistress, “If only my master were with the prophet who is in Samaria! For he would heal him of his leprosy.”

4 And Naaman went in and told his master, saying, “Thus and thus said the girl who is from the land of Israel.”

5 Then the king of Syria said, “Go now, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel.”  So he departed and took with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold, and ten changes of clothing.

6 Then he brought the letter to the king of Israel, which said, Now be advised, when this letter comes to you, that I have sent Naaman my servant to you, that you may heal him of his leprosy.

7 And it happened, when the king of Israel read the letter, that he tore his clothes and said, “Am I God, to kill and make alive, that this man sends a man to me to heal him of his leprosy? Therefore please consider, and see how he seeks a quarrel with me.”

8 So it was, when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, that he sent to the king, saying, “Why have you torn your clothes? Please let him come to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel.”

9 Then Naaman went with his horses and chariot, and he stood at the door of Elisha’s house.

10 And Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored to you, and you shall be clean.”

11 But Naaman became furious, and went away and said, “Indeed, I said to myself, ‘He will surely come out to me, and stand and call on the name of the LORD his God, and wave his hand over the place, and heal the leprosy.’

12 Are not the [c]Abanah and the Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?” So he turned and went away in a rage.

13 And his servants came near and spoke to him, and said, “My father, if the prophet had told you to do something great, would you not have done it? How much more then, when he says to you, ‘Wash, and be clean’?”

14 So he went down and dipped seven times in the Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God; and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.

15 And he returned to the man of God, he and all his aides, and came and stood before him; and he said, “Indeed, now I know that there is no God in all the earth, except in Israel; now therefore, please take a gift from your servant.”

16 But he said, “As the LORD lives, before whom I stand, I will receive nothing.” And he urged him to take it, but he refused.

17 So Naaman said, “Then, if not, please let your servant be given two mule-loads of earth; for your servant will no longer offer either burnt offering or sacrifice to other gods, but to the LORD.

18 Yet in this thing may the LORD pardon your servant: when my master goes into the temple of Rimmon to worship there, and he leans on my hand, and I bow down in the temple of Rimmon—when I bow down in the temple of Rimmon, may the LORD please pardon your servant in this thing.”

19 Then he said to him, “Go in peace.” So he departed from him a short distance.

Matthew 8:1-13
Jesus Cleanses a Leper
1 When He had come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed Him.

2 And behold, a leper came and worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.”

3 Then Jesus put out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” Immediately his leprosy was cleansed.

4 And Jesus said to him, “See that you tell no one; but go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”
Jesus Heals a Centurion’s Servant

5 Now when Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, pleading with Him,

6 saying, “Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, dreadfully tormented.”

7 And Jesus said to him, “I will come and heal him.”

8 The centurion answered and said, “Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed.

9 For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”

10 When Jesus heard it, He marveled, and said to those who followed, “Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!

11 And I say to you that many will come from east and west, and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.

12 But the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

13 Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go your way; and as you have believed, so let it be done for you.” And his servant was healed that same hour.

Chain of command
The definition of a chain of command is an official hierarchy of authority that dictates who is in charge of whom and of whom permission must be asked. An example of chain of command is when an employee reports to a manager who reports to a senior manager who reports to the vice president who reports to the CEO.

Matthew 6:25-34
Do Not Worry
25 “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?

26 Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?

27 Which of you by worrying can add one [j]cubit to his [k]stature?

28 “So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin;

29 and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not [l]arrayed like one of these.

30 Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

31 “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’

32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.

33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

j. Matthew 6:27 About 18 inches
k. Matthew 6:27 height
l. Matthew 6:29 dressed

Jesus Walks on the Sea
Matthew 14:25-33
25 Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea.

26 And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out for fear.

27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, [c]“Be of good cheer! [d]It is I; do not be afraid.”

28 And Peter answered Him and said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.”

29 So He said, “Come.” And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus.

30 But when he saw [e]that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!”

31 And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”

32 And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased.

33 Then those who were in the boat [f]came and worshiped Him, saying, “Truly You are the Son of God.”

c. Matthew 14:27 Take courage
d. Matthew 14:27 Lit. I am
e. NU brackets that and boisterous as disputed.
f. Matthew 14:33 NU omits came and

Matthew 16:5-12
The Leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees
5 Now when His disciples had come to the other side, they had forgotten to take bread.

6 Then Jesus said to them, “Take heed and beware of the [c]leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees.”

7 And they reasoned among themselves, saying, “It is because we have taken no bread.”

8 But Jesus, being aware of it, said to them, “O you of little faith, why do you reason among yourselves because you [d]have brought no bread?

9 Do you not yet understand, or remember the five loaves of the five thousand and how many baskets you took up?

10 Nor the seven loaves of the four thousand and how many large baskets you took up?

11 How is it you do not understand that I did not speak to you concerning bread?—but to beware of the [e]leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”

12 Then they understood that He did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the [f]doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

c. Matthew 16:6 yeast
d. Matthew 16:8 NU have no bread
e. Matthew 16:11 yeast
f. Matthew 16:12 teaching

Mark 4:35-40
Wind and Wave Obey Jesus
35 On the same day, when evening had come, He said to them, “Let us cross over to the other side.”

36 Now when they had left the multitude, they took Him along in the boat as He was. And other little boats were also with Him.

37 And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling.

38 But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?”

39 Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace,[g] be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm.

40 But He said to them, “Why are you so fearful? How[h] is it that you have no faith?”

41 And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, “Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!”

g. Mark 4:39 Lit. Be quiet
h. Mark 4:40 NU Have you still no faith?

SCOTUS example of the consequences of a bad decision:
In Stone v. Graham, 449 U.S. 39 (1980), the Supreme Court of the United States ruled (5-4) that a Kentucky statute was unconstitutional and in violation of the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment, because it lacked a nonreligious, legislative purpose.

In this decision, the justices stated:
“Posting of the religious texts on the wall serves no such educational function. If the posted copies of the Ten commandments are to have any effect at all, it will be to induce the schoolchildren to read, medicate upon, perhaps to venerate and obey, the Commandments. However desirable this might be as a matter of private devotion, it not a permissible state objective under the Establishment Clause.”

NOTE: The Establishment Clause and the Free Exercise Clause together read: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.”

Matthew 27:54
So when the centurion and those with him, who were guarding Jesus, saw the earthquake and the things that had happened, they feared greatly, saying, “Truly this was the Son of God!”

Acts 10:1-8
Cornelius Sends a Delegation
1 There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of what was called the Italian [a]Regiment,

2 a devout man and one who feared God with all his household, who gave [b]alms generously to the people, and prayed to God always.

3 About [c]the ninth hour of the day he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God coming in and saying to him, “Cornelius!”

4 And when he observed him, he was afraid, and said, “What is it, lord?”
So he said to him, “Your prayers and your alms have come up for a memorial before God.

5 Now send men to Joppa, and send for Simon whose surname is Peter.

6 He is lodging with Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the sea. He[d] will tell you what you must do.”

7 And when the angel who spoke to him had departed, Cornelius called two of his household servants and a devout soldier from among those who waited on him continually.

8 So when he had explained all these things to them, he sent them to Joppa.

a. Acts 10:1 Cohort
b. Acts 10:2 charitable gifts
c. Acts 10:3 3 p.m.
d. Acts 10:6 NU, M omit the rest of v. 6.

Acts 22:25-28
25 And as they bound him with thongs, Paul said to the centurion who stood by, “Is it lawful for you to scourge a man who is a Roman, and uncondemned?”

26 When the centurion heard that, he went and told the commander, saying, “Take care what you do, for this man is a Roman.”

27 Then the commander came and said to him, “Tell me, are you a Roman?” He said, “Yes.”

28 The commander answered, “With a large sum I obtained this citizenship.”
And Paul said, “But I was born a citizen.”

Jesus Testifies to the Churches
Revelations 22:12-14
12 “And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work.

13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last.”
Be aware of the CLOCK. Before it is too late, get inside the gate; let JESUS IN.

Luke 13:22-27
22 And He went through the cities and villages, teaching, and journeying toward Jerusalem.

23 Then one said to Him, “Lord, are there few who are saved?”  And He said to them,

24 “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able.

25 When once the Master of the house has risen up and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open for us,’ and He will answer and say to you, ‘I do not know you, where you are from,’

26 then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets.’

27 But He will say, ‘I tell you I do not know you, where you are from. Depart from Me, all you workers of iniquity.’  

Proverbs 11:27
He who earnestly seeks good finds favor, But trouble will come to him who seeks evil.

Keep Asking, Seeking, Knocking, Until...
Matthew 7:7
 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.”

The Parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins
Matthew 25:1-13
1 “Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.

2 Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish.

3 Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them,

4 but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.

5 But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept.
6 “And at midnight a cry was heard: ‘Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!’

7 Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps.

8 And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’

9 But the wise answered, saying, ‘No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.’

10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut.

11 “Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’

12 But he answered and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.’

13 “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.”

The Time Is Near
Jesus Testifies to the Churches
Revelations 22:12-14
“And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last.”

14 Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city.
 

12 Ranks of Roman Military Officers and What They Did

The Roman Empire saw one of the first truly professional armies in history, and became the inspiration for European armies that followed it. Though its officers didn’t have the same titles as their modern counterparts, many of the same duties still needed to be fulfilled. There were distinct levels, including equivalents of modern NCOs. Each had their role to play.

Tribunus laticlavius
The senior officers were drawn from Rome’s senatorial class. Though the senate lost most of its political power under the empire, families of senatorial rank were still the elite. Like the nineteenth century aristocracy, they expected senior military positions to go to them.

The tribunus laticlavius was the second-in-command of a legion, the most junior officer role of the senatorial class. It was here that most sons of senators began their military service in their late teens or early twenties. They stayed in this mid-ranking command post for a minimum of a year, with most leaving once that year was up, returning to civilian life. It was common for these officers to be stationed to legions commanded by family members or friends.

Legatus legionis
The legatus legionis commanded a legion, a force of just under 5000 men divided into ten cohorts. He was a senator, usually in his early 30s – a man who had chosen a military career.

Legatus Augusti proparetore
The highest rank an officer could reach was the legatus Augusti proparetore, the military governor of a province of the empire. The careers of most senators combined military and political duties, so they were prepared for such a role, but with so few posts only a minority reached such heights.  The legatus commanded an entire province such as Syria or Britain, and led the army occupying that province. He held the post for an average of three years, but it could be a much longer or shorter period, so some armies lacked consistent leadership.

Praefecti
The next social class down from the senators were the equestrians, roughly equivalent to medieval knights, and they had their own ranks in the military. The usual career path followed three steps – praefecti of an auxiliary infantry cohort, tribunus anticlavius, and then praefecti of a cavalry unit.  Commanding an auxiliary unit did not have the same status as commanding a unit in the legions.  Auxiliaries were recruited from the provinces rather than Roman citizens. They were not equipped to the same standards, and were seen as lower quality troops. Service as a praefecti, or prefect, still created opportunities for these officers to advance their careers. They often garrisoned regions with no
other Roman forces for miles around and acted independently, giving them freedom to show their initiative.

Tribunus angusticlavii
In between their two praefecti positions, equestrian officers served in the legions as tribune angusticlavii. These were staff officers, and there were five of them in each legion. Though much of their work involved carrying out the orders of senatorial officers, there were also opportunities for independent command. Detachments of soldiers were often separated off from a legion into a group known as a vexillation, sent to join an army on campaign elsewhere in the empire or to carry out a specific project. Tribuni angusticlavii were sometimes appointed to command vexillations, giving them a chance to lead not just auxiliaries but legionaries.

Praefectus castrorum
The third in command of a legion was the praefectus castrorum, the camp prefect. Unusually for such a senior position, this was usually an experienced soldier who had been in the army for most of his adult life. A former chief centurion, he dealt with much of the administration and with command tasks that required technical knowledge of how the legion worked.  As a result, the legatus legionis was supported by two very different men – one an inexperienced youth from the upper class, looking to forward his career, the other a grizzled veteran of great experience but low social standing.

Centurion
The lowest position an equestrian might hold was also the highest an ordinary soldier could expect to achieve – centurion. These men commanded centuries in the legions or the auxiliary – in the legions, these usually consisted of 80 men. These were the officers who commanded men on a day to day basis, both in war and in camp.  Some men started their careers as centurions, either because they were wealthy or because they were equestrians who could not find a praefecti role. Others were experienced soldiers, usually having served for 15-20 years, who had proved themselves in a more junior position of authority. For an ordinary but hard working citizen soldier, this was the path to wealth, status and even a role in local administration.

Primi ordines
The most senior centurions were the primi ordines, centurions in the first cohort of a legion. Centurions might work their way up to this prestigious role through posts in other centuries.  

Pilus prior
The century was the unit men most identified themselves with, but the cohort of six centuries was the basic battlefield unit of a legion. Someone must have commanded the cohort in battle, and though we don’t know for certain, it is likely that this task fell to the pilus prior, the commander of the senior century in the legion.  As these different roles show, the term centurion covered a range of different ranks in today’s terms, rather than being what we would recognise as a single role.

Optio
The optio was a centurion’s second in command, supporting him in organising and commanding 80 men. This was one of three posts collectively known as the principales.

Signifer
The second of the principales was the signifer – the standard bearer. He carried the century’s eagle standard, creating a clear point for men to form up around and follow into battle. This was a prestigious post.

Tesserarius
The third of the principales was the tesserarius, the guard commander for the century.