Forgiveness Of Sins And Physical Healing Are Connected

Some things just seem to go together. Peanut butter and Jelly, milk and cookies. When things go together they usually make the other better. The is nothing better than a crisp chocolate chip cookie dunked in a big glass of cold milk.

At my weekly Monday prayer meeting this morning we were praying for some people in our community who have been sick for a long time. We were talking about how throughout the Old and New Testaments in the Bible forgiveness of sins and healing of the body. Where you see one, you always see the other. They go together better than cookies and milk and are a part of our redemption in Christ.

Matthew 5:24 tells us to “leave your gift there before the altar and go your way. First, be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.” We cannot expect to be healed of anything if we have forgiveness in our hearts. We can’t expect God to give us a gift if we have bitterness in our hearts.

Today we have a hard time believing in healing because we rarely see it. Or figure the doctors did it. Not too many people believe in healing. I’ve seen too many people around me die because of a disease they though wasn’t curable. But God is the great physician. He can heal any ailment at anytime.

Jesus binds together forgiveness and healing. Both are easy, because both include Jesus and His desire to heal us. When this connection is made, and it goes from knowledge to belief, healing comes easy.

When we have no Unforgiveness or bitterness in our hearts we can become forgiven and physical healing comes.

“As for the days of our years, in them are seventy years; and if men should be in strength, eighty years; and the greater part of them would be labor and trouble; for weakness overtakes us, and we shall be chastened”

This means God promises us 70-80 years of good life, if we obey Him.

Jesus Jesus Jesus

He received 39 stripes because 40 was known to kill a man. They wanted Him alive. They held handfuls of His beard, and hair and pulled it out by the roots. They wanted Him alive. They kicked, punched, and spit on Him for hours. Until there wasn’t a single spot on His body not covered in blood. They wanted Him alive.

They shoved a crown of thorns down on His head as harshly as it stuck in His skin. They wanted Him alive. After hours of being beaten, mocked, whipped, flogged, and tortured they made Him walk with a cross. They made Him carry it. A rough piece of wood with splinters digging into His flesh wounds. They wanted Him alive.

They wanted Him to feel every ounce if pain they could bring. He had to feel it in order to heal us. Crucifixion was and still it one of the cruelest most tortured deaths a human could face. Hours upon hours of torture. Torture most of us cannot mentally comprehend.

We celebrate Easter with pastel colors, happy children hunting eggs and chocolate. The truth is there was absolutely nothing happy about the way Jesus died. It was cruel, bloody, and nasty.

He could have stopped all of it. He could have called every angel in heaven to demolish every person standing and shouting “Crucify Him! He didn’t. He knew in order to have a Sunday you have to have a Friday. He knew in order to have joy you have to carry your cross. He felt everything that day. He felt how your heart broke wide open when you had to watch your baby die. He felt how heavy your life was when hot were staring down the barrel of a gun wondering if the man you called husband was going to shoot you. He carried the weight of the burden you have felt since your spouse died and life just doesn’t seem right since.

On that cross, He held the rapist and the murderers, the sinner and the Saint. He leveled every playing field and said all of you are with it. He knew He had to carry the cross. He never promised the cross you had to carry in this life would not be heavy. His wasn’t. He promised that Sunday is coming.

No matter how heavy Friday is. Financially, emotionally, mentally or physically. Friday is heavy. That cross is weighing you down and you are about go crumble under its weight. His promise was simply this. He won’t make you carry it alone. What kind of King would step down from His throne for this?

Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of God did it for you.

Be did every bit of it for you and me. Yes. It is heavy. So heavy sometimes you do not think you can take one more step. But look up, because Sunday is coming.

I ask that if you have children, please tell them about Jesus and what He did for all who walk this earth. Then you can celebrate that Sunday is coming.

God’s Major Objective

Our world has become a large, impersonal, busy institutions.

We are alienated from each other. Although crowded, we are lonely. Pushed together but were uninvolved. No longer do most neighbors visit across the backyard fence. The well-manicured front lawns are a modern most that keeps barbarians at bay. Hoarding and flaunting have replaced sharing and caring. It’s like we are occupying a common space but have no common interests as if we’re on an elevator with rules such as “no talking, smiling, or eye contact allowed without the written consent of the management.

Painful though it may be for us to admit, we’re losing touch with one another. The motivation to help, encourage, and yes serve our fellow human beings is waning. People observed crimes in progress but refused to help so they wouldn’t be involved. Our fundamental values are getting lost in these confusing days. And yet, it is these things that form the essentials of a happy and fulfilled life.

Our grand declaration of biblical assurance is etched in the rock-like truth of Romans 8 says,

“And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren” – Romans 8:28-29

Maybe you’ve never stopped to consider that God is committed to one major objective in the lives of all His people to conform to the image of His son.

Something Most People Don’t Understand

What’s something most people don’t understand?

Most people don’t understand that every choice is a decision and with every decision there are consequences. A consequence that can make our lives easier or more difficult. We live the consequences of our actions. We live the consequences of our actions and other people’s actions every day.

Most people don’t think about the consequences before they make a decision or choice. For example, if I drink too much alcohol. I know I will get drunk. Yet, many people don’t think about the consequences of then driving and killing someone.

We are free to make whatever choice we want. But we are not free from the consequences of the choice. Sometimes our flesh days I want something if taken we have do deal with the consequences.

Standing In Heaven’s Judgement Line

Everyone is going to be nudged by God. Commonly. People say we are going to wait in line to see the Lord. In that line, you will be full of emotions, but these emotions will either be positive or negative. The emotion that you feel will depend on you.

What is going to be our emotion when we are standing in that line? Imagine being in that line tomorrow waiting to be judged. Imagine the line moving slowly as you begin to look around at the other faces. People from all over the world. We will see familiar faces as well as unfamiliar faces. Everyone is nervous and excited to meet the Lord for the first time on judgment day,

As we look up the line we see Frank. We all know Frank he was a man who had no food, or friends and his clothes were worn and raggy. Maybe we’ve laughed at him or made jokes about him and maybe felt a little sorry for him at times, but we never stopped to help or talk to him. All of the sudden we start to feel bad. We remember the scriptures that told us to love our neighbor and feed and clothe the poor. But we never really cared until now. Now we are in line and it’s too late.

And then we see Jack, we all know Jack. He was a great guy. He was well-known in town and everyone loved him. We would stop and talk to him. He had great kids and a wonderful wife. He was a local representative and seemed to have everything. He drove a nice car and lived in a huge house. But the problem was that we knew that Jack didn’t believe in God. We start talking to each other in line. Someone asks did he ever go to church. No, no no, is all that is said. Did anyone invite him to church, I thought you would have asked him. Everyone in line says they never did. We all started to feel bad because we never did. We all started to feel bad because we all knew he was going to hell and we passed him every day and said nothing.

Then we start worrying. Is God going to hold us accountable for never mentioning Jesus to him? Will his life be on our hands?

In Matthew 28: 19-20 Jesus says, Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you, I am always with you always, even to the end of the age,

Mark 16:15-18 says, “He who believes and in baptized will be saved, but he who does not believe will be condemned. We all knew the Bible, but too bad we never told him. No one can look him in the eye because of what we have done. We let him go to hell with a slap on the back and a firm handshake. We are ashamed of ourselves for never mentioning Jesus or inviting him to church.

There’s a guy that comes to talk to me every time he sees me. I bought his wife’s Jeep from a dealership, who recently passed away. I know he doesn’t know Jesus. Yet, I have never invited him to church or talked to him about Jesus. I think now about if I was standing in line on judgment day.

This sparked a reflection of how faithful we are to the Lord. Do we truly serve Him to the best of our ability? Do we not no to church because of lame excuses are plain lack of serious commitment? How about reading our Bible or our prayer life? Do we serve God’s people or do we expect everyone to serve us? It’s easy to take our belief in God for granted on earth. There are always other tasks to accomplish and sometimes television is just to good that night, or our mornings too busy.

It’s sad because we all want to go to heaven but on judgment day we wonder if we will be going. Maybe you never made friends in church when we did go because we were not involved in God’s work. In my church about 10% do God’s work and attend weekly Bible studies or prayer meetings. They are just to busy or tired with earthly life to wonder seriously if they are going to heaven.

Mark 8:36 says, “For what shall it profit a man, to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul.”

What will we exchange our souls?

Luke 9:26 says, “For whoever is ashamed of me and my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed, when He comes in His glory, and the glory of the Father, and the Holy angels.”

It’s easy to make up reasons why it is just not possible to live up to this verse. And brainstorming to come up with reasons why we still should go to heaven. But the excuses will seem so little when we are standing in line on judgment day,

The scariest words in the Bible to me are in Luke 6:46:

“Why do you call Me Lord Lord and not do not do the things I say.”

The Abundance Of Life With God

“There is a strange melancholy that haunts the inhabitants. Amidst abundance, the incomplete joys of this world will never satisfy the human heart” – Alexis De Tocqueville

In America, we are showered with an abundance of earthly wealth and blessings, but why is it that we are still constantly searching for more never satisfied with the many blessings all around us? What are we missing? There’s an infinite abyss in our lives and it affects our actions as we live in constant vain efforts to fill it.

What else does this craving, and this helplessness, proclaim? We search to fill it with everything around us, seeking things that are not there and help we cannot find. This infinite abyss can be filled only with an infinite and immutable object, yet we reject the word we need from God Himself.

We seek the answers to fill the abyss, yet reject the one thing that can fill us. He gives us the desires of our hearts when we choose Him.

There is one answer to fill this hole and that is letting Christ into our hearts. And start having an abundance of blessings He offers us.

Technology

How has technology changed your job?

How does technology affect my job? I work for God, so technology really hasn’t changed my job.

There is no surprise that technology has changed our lives. But I do with people would research things before they become addicted.

Studies by the National Library of Medicine have shown that for some people being connected can cause psychological issues such as distractions, narcissism, sleep issues, depression and anxiety. And is addictive because it gives us instant gratification.

I have nothing bad to say about technology. But as with everything else there should be in moderation.

Waiting On God Is Worth It

I think there are two types of people waiting on the Lord. One that’s waiting for His promises to be fulfilled, and one that waiting for God to speak to them. Either way, it’s important that whichever group of people we belong to we hang in there and wait for Him.

Abraham was one of those people who waited for God to fulfill a promise, I suppose he would have been content to keep waiting, but Sarah came along with a plan to make the Lord’s promise happen for them. Instead of telling Sarah, “Let me check with the Lord to see if that is what we’re supposed to do,” he went along with Sarah. God had promised Abraham a son and told him that he was going to have children as much as the stars in the sky and as much as the sand in the sea. The Bible tells us Abraham believed God, but when put to the test, he failed. Or maybe he thought this might be God’s answer for them. But the fact that he went along with Sarah’s plan to make her maid his second wife, leaves me to think he wanted it too. Maybe he figured why argue? He loved Sarah and wanted to make her happy. I mean what was so wrong with having Sarah’s maid as his wife, since that was the practice at that time and Sarah thought it was the only way? Especially if you belong to a culture where having a child is the most important thing in the world. In Abraham and Sarah’s time, it was everything.

Imagine the wait that Abraham and Sarah went through to see God fulfilling His promise. Abraham was 86 years old when Ishmael, Sarah’s maid’s son was born. God told him he would have a son and now a son is here. The Bible tells us that God didn’t tell Abraham that it was going to be through Sarah until after Ishmael was born. After Ishmael, they still waited for 14 more years for Isaac. It must have brought amazement and relief at the same time that God finally gave them what they waited for. He came through for them when Sarah was 90 years old. Nothing is too hard for the Lord.

Here’s the thing, it doesn’t matter if it seems like God’s promise is never going go happen. We need to stay faithful and hang in there because He will come through.

Numbers 23:19 says,

“God is not a man, that He should lie; neither the son of man, that He that He should repent. Has He said, and He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?”

God will never lie. It is not in Him to lie to us. He hates lying. God will not forget what He tells us He’s going to do for us. If He said it, He is going to bring it to pass, just hang in there and don’t come up with another plan. If you’re itching to get going, it’s better to make your plans known to Him so that you can see if it’s a good idea or not. Chances are that by talking to God He will encourage you to wait some more. Don’t rush into things that you think will get you God’s promise fulfilled. When I feel like waiting another minute is going to kill me, I talk to God about it, and feel like I can wait longer.

We will never go wrong to wait on God, no matter how long it takes. Even if it feels like forever since we’ve heard from Him, it pays again and again to seek the Lord for answers and be ready to hear His voice.

“Without faith, it is impossible to please Him, for He who comes to God must believe that He exists and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him“ – Hebrews 11:6

Saying No To Things That Interfere With Your Goals

How often do you say “no” to things that would interfere with your goals?

The key lies in understanding your priorities. I used to say yes to every person in my life, because I wanted to be liked and respected. But it is draining when I did this. So I just stopped. Yes I will help people if they ask and are really in a bind.

While no can be overpowering, I still think first of my goals. I recently had a friend ask me to go out of time with her. She has medical problems and cannot be driving long distances alone. So I canceled my plans to go with her. She had a local emergency and had to cancel, which would be fine, except she forgot to inform me. I showed up at her house and no one was there. I called her and she said she called and canceled her appointment, but forgot to call me. I call that disrespect, especially since she has done this to me before and I forgave her.

My daddy always told me “Fool me once shame on them, fool me twice share on me.”

To truly succeed in life, there are certain things we need to say no to.

A Secret Skill Or Ability I Wish I Had

What’s a secret skill or ability you have or wish you had?

A secret skill I wish I wish I had would be playing a harmonica or any other musical instrument.

My father was an amazing harmonica player, I don’t have a musical bone in my body. When I was young I would ask my father to teach me how to play, but I just was unable to learn.