CREDENTIALS OF THE KING - part 1

                  Matthew 8

TO PROVE HE WAS THE PROMISED KING
AND MASTER OVER EVERYTHING
TEN POWER SIGNS WERE USED TO SHOW
GOD'S CHOICE FOR ISRAEL HERE BELOW.

THE FIRST ENCOUNTER JESUS HAD
WAS WITH A LEPER LONE AND SAD
WHOSE LIFE WAS MARKED BY HOPELESSNESS
UNTILL HE FACED GOD'S HOLINESS.

SO WHEN THIS HEALING POWER TOOK PLACE
ALL THOSE AROUND COULD SEE HIS FACE
AS JESUS TOUCHED HIS ROTTING SKIN
HE WAS MADE WHOLE AND FREED WITHIN.

A ROMAN CAPTAIN THEN APPEARED
ONE HUNDRED SOLDIERS WERE HIS CHARGE
BUT ONE OF HIS MOST TRUSTED MEN
HAD PARALYZING WOUNDS TO MEND.

YET AS THEY STARTED TOWARD HIS HOME
THE CAPTAIN URGED: "JUST SPEAK THE WORD!"
AND THERE IN SIMPLE FAITH HE FOUND
HIS SERVANT HEALED AND WHOLLY SOUND.

THAT NIGHT THEY STAYED AT PETER'S HOUSE
BUT FOUND HIS MOTHER-IN-LAW WAS SICK
THE FEVER LEFT AS ALL COULD SEE
ALONG WITH THOSE POSSESSED SET FREE.

THEN NEXT WE FIND THEM IN A BOAT
WITH JESUS RESTING AT THE STERN
WHEN SUDDENLY A GAIL FORCE WIND
WITH THREATENING WAVES CAME CRASHING IN.

FEAR GRIPPED THE BAND OF MEN THAT CAME
SO WOKE THE MASTER WITHOUT SHAME
WHO STOOD TO CALM THE RAGING SEA
THUS PROVED TO THEM HIS DEITY.

WHEN LANDING AT THE GADARENES
TWO MEN POSSESSED FELL TREMBLING
THEIR VIOLENT ACTIONS COULD NOT TAME
TWO THOUSAND DEMONS WERE TO BLAME.

BEFORE THE MASTER CAST THEM OUT
THEY PLED TO HAVE THEM ENTER SWINE
SO WHEN THEY LEFT, THESE MEN WERE FREE
BUT ALL THE PIGS DROWNED IN THE SEA.

THE CHAPTER LEAVES YOU WITH A CHOICE
TO FOLLOW CHRIST AND HEED HIS VOICE
OR ONLY SEEK TO PAD YOUR NEST
AND FAIL TO CHOOSE GOD'S VERY BEST.
--B. Pent