Tag: Healing

Second Sunday of Lent, 2025 Righteousness His and Mine

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Today my focus of thankfulness is on Christ’s righteousness. Last Sunday we considered our salvation but today let’s expand this to look at how we now look to God. Because of Christ’s death on the cross and resurrection from the dead, I am considered righteous before God. When God looks at me, He sees the blood of Christ covering my sins. Praise God! Thank you Jesus.

The Bible tells us in 2 Corinthians 5:21 that Jesus, the perfect Son of God died so through faith we could be righteous. “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” All the sins of mankind were put upon Christ at the cross, so that we might be freed from the penalty of sin which is death. 2 Peter 3:18 “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit,” Isaiah 53:5 explains “But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.” Our healing is from sin and the penalty of sin which is death. We are reminded of this in Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Romans 5:19 tells how we got in this state of sinfulness, though the sins of Adam and Eve and how Christ restored us. “For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous.” Our restoration is dependent upon our acceptance of Jesus and faith in His work on the cross. 1 John 1:7 “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.”

Take some time today and thank Jesus for his sacrifice on the cross that allows you to be forgiven, cleansed by His blood and made clean before God. Thank you Jesus!

Linda

God Protects the Gospel Message

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If you want to be encouraged in your witness, especially when times are difficult and you are facing opposition, the story in Acts 5 will uplift your spirit and re-energized you! Acts 5:12-16 tell us that the apostles were continuing to spread the good news that Jesus is the Christ! As evidence of the power of the Holy Spirit within them through faith in Jesus, they were able to heal many and drive out evil spirits in the name of Jesus. Just as in Jesus’ day, this brought people seeking healing, peace, and wonder at the works they performed. The high priest and his associates did not like this. They were jealous of the attention the apostles were receiving and worried about their power with the people. Acts 5:17-18 “ But the high priest rose up, and all who were with him (that is, the party of the Sadducees), and filled with jealousy 18 they arrested the apostles and put them in the public prison.” They thought that putting them in jail would be a public humiliation and would ‘get rid’ of them for awhile until the figured out what to do.

Acts 5:19-20 was God’s response to their actions. “But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out, and said, 20 “Go and stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this Life.” 21 And when they heard this, they entered the temple at daybreak and began to teach.” When the council met in the morning, they sent messengers to the jail to have the prisoners brought out. To their great surprise the men were no longer in prison but in the temple speaking about Jesus. They had the apostles brought to them and said, verse 28, “We strictly charged you not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.”

Peter and the other apostles replied, verse 29, “We must obey God rather than men. 30 The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. 31 God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. 32 And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”

Now the leaders were furious and wanted them put to death. However, a Pharisee named Gamaliel, reasoned with the council in private. He wisely said if these men are of man, their efforts will pass away. We have seen this happen often enough before. If these men are of God, you will not be able to stop them. The council listened to him and the apostles were flogged and released.

Why does this story encourage me so much? I see the love and devotion, the fiery spirit of witnessing for Jesus in the apostles. They believed what they were doing was commissioned by God and ordered by Jesus. They knew that God would look out for them- in life and in death. I also see the hand of God protecting the ministry of these men as they speak out in Jesus’ name. God provided Gamaliel at the right place and the right time to reason with the council and the apostles were spared. God is always working behind the scene to move His Word and ministry forward. Isaiah 55:11 promises, “so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;     it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,  and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.” We can be assured that God protects his Word and the message of Jesus will not be thwarted. Besides all of the above, I love that the apostles were let out of prison by angels. They did not ask for rescue but God provided!

Be encouraged by this story in Acts and let it assure you that God protects His gospel and will see that the name of Jesus is proclaimed.

Linda

The Snowball Effect of the Power of Jesus

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Acts 4 shows the continuing effect of Peter’s healing of the crippled man and Peter’s testimony giving Jesus the credit for this miracle from Acts 3. This healing had a reverberating effect in all levels of society. Acts 4 begins with the Sadducees being upset about Peter and John’s talk of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead. They did not believe in resurrection. They seized them and put them in jail and then the next day conferred with the rulers, elders and teachers of the law. They brought Peter and John before them and questioned them, Acts 4:7 “And when they had set them in the midst, they inquired, “By what power or by what name did you do this?” Their simple question opened the door for Peter to expound on the miracle and in who’s name they performed it. Acts 4:8-12 “Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders, 9 if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed, 10 let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by him this man is standing before you well. 11 This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. 12 And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

They reaction to Peter and John is described in Acts 4:13-14 “Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus. 14 But seeing the man who was healed standing beside them, they had nothing to say in opposition.”

After conferring amongst themselves, they decided to tell Peter and John to not speak about Jesus anymore. Here is their reply, Acts 4:19-20  “But Peter and John answered them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, 20 for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.” The officials had no response to this and could not make any further threats as so many of the people were listening, believing and praising God.

What do we learn from this encounter with unbelievers? God used a miracle to lead many towards Himself. He gave Peter the words and power to speak the truth about Jesus and show the power of His name. Verse 4 tells us that about 5,000 men heard and believed. Only God can produce such growth and bring about such faith. God empowers his believers to share the truth of the gospel with others. It is not a matter of learning, eloquence or training, but faith in Jesus and the power of His name that made it possible. The leaders could see that these men had been with Jesus. Lastly, we see Peter and John being unable to keep quiet about Jesus. Their faith compelled them to speak the truth of Jesus. There is no way they could have kept silent.

When God provides for us in a miraculous way, do we speak to others courageously? Can others tell that you have been with Jesus? Praising God flows from the believer’s heart and bubbles out and up from our souls. When we love Jesus, we can not stop it anymore than Peter or John could. When was the last time you leaned into Jesus and depended upon the Holy Spirit to empower you to tell others about Him? Step out in faith and feel the joy.

Linda

Praise and Credit Go to JESUS!

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Acts 3 relates the event surrounding a crippled man who would beg each day at the temple gate called the ‘Beautiful’. Peter and John were on their way to say prayers at the temple when the encountered this man. He asked them for money. Acts 3:4-8 “ And Peter directed his gaze at him, as did John, and said, “Look at us.” 5 And he fixed his attention on them, expecting to receive something from them. 6 But Peter said, “I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!” 7 And he took him by the right hand and raised him up, and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong. 8 And leaping up, he stood and began to walk, and entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God.” The man did not get what he asked for but got something of far greater value- the ability to walk again. The man realized that the power for his healing came from God as he immediately praised God.

As he was interacting with people in the temple, sharing his amazing story, they turned their attentions to Peter and John. Acts 3:11-13 “While he clung to Peter and John, all the people, utterly astounded, ran together to them in the portico called Solomon’s. 12 And when Peter saw it he addressed the people: “Men of Israel, why do you wonder at this, or why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we have made him walk? 13 The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified his servant Jesus, whom you delivered over and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to release him.  Peter and John were quick to point the people to the true source of the man’s miraculous healing = Jesus. Peter then began to explain who Jesus was and what had been done to him at the hand of the Jews. Acting in ignorance of who Jesus was they had killed him. But, hope is not lost as Jesus has been raised from the dead and is alive and present among them through the Holy Spirit.

Peter and John refused to take credit for the work and power of Jesus in this man’s life. They wanted to point people to the source of true power which was the resurrected Christ. How quick are you to point others to Christ? Do you want to wait and take some of the credit for His work yourself? The people didn not know where the power came from and wanted to deified Peter and John. However, Peter and John knew all the power they had to heal was directly from Jesus. What about the man who received the healing? He also needed to know it was not Peter and John, but Jesus in who’s name he had been healed. He was quick to praise and give glory to God but the Apostles did not want him to attempt to worship them for what they had done in Jesus’ name. A good lesson for us today is to be quick to praise God when he works among us and be quick to praise His name as the source of the power and healing. God deserves all the glory. Seek to Glorify Him!

Linda

Christ Did It All for Me

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As I near the end of this Lenten season and my journey through the Psalms, it seems appropriate to conclude with one of my favorite psalms. Psalm 103 had always held a special place in my heart as the messages contained within are so encouraging to my faith.

Psalm 103:1-5 Bless the Lord, O my soul,
    and all that is within me,
    bless his holy name!
2 Bless the Lord, O my soul,
    and forget not all his benefits,
3 who forgives all your iniquity,
    who heals all your diseases,
4 who redeems your life from the pit,
    who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
5 who satisfies you with good
    so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

Because Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead, I can claim the benefits of knowing and trusting in God without any reservations.

God promises the benefits of faith: healing, forgiveness, redemption, love, mercy, goodness and renewal! That is why without reservation, I can praise His name and call Him blessed. He has healed my broken heart, forgiven my sins and restored me on more than one occasion. He has treated me with love and tender mercy and renewed my life when I thought all was lost. I think this is why this psalm resonates so with me. It seems a picture of my spiritual journey and shows the hope and redemption I have found in Christ. I pray the words of this psalm speak to you today and remind you of how blessed with are to know and live in Christ.

Linda

Choices-when you Know you’re wrong! Can you live with it?

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What do you do when you know you’ve done wrong? You can deny it. You can wallow and continue doing wrong. You can stop doing wrong and turn over a new leaf, so to speak, on you own. OR You can stop, repent- be sorry for your wrong doing- and turn from doing what is wrong, seeking God’s help to go in a new way away. In Isaiah 57, God is confronting the people of Israel through the prophet Isaiah. In verses 1-13, Isaiah points out their sins towards God. They were worshiping other gods as they made offerings to stone idols, put up pagan symbols in their homes, and burned incense to the wicked god Molech. God questions the Israelites and asks, who will you turn to when you are in trouble? Your collection of idols will not answer and no help will be found in them. God ends this confrontation with challenge and hope. Isaiah 57:11-13 “Are you afraid of these idols?
    Do they terrify you?
Is that why you have lied to me
    and forgotten me and my words?
Is it because of my long silence
    that you no longer fear me?
12 Now I will expose your so-called good deeds.
    None of them will help you.
13 Let’s see if your idols can save you
    when you cry to them for help.
Why, a puff of wind can knock them down!
    If you just breathe on them, they fall over!
But whoever trusts in me will inherit the land
    and possess my holy mountain.”

What are you doing now or have done in the past that God is confronting you about it? Where are you putting your hope and trust? Are you placing your hope in man-made things or people instead of God? God says the idols you so hopefully worship and put your trust in can be knocked over by the wind, they will not answer you or support you when you ask for help. God alone promises help and restoration with an inheritance!

I love God’s promise in Isaiah 57:15 “The high and lofty one who lives in eternity,    the Holy One, says this:
“I live in the high and holy place
    with those whose spirits are contrite and humble.
I restore the crushed spirit of the humble
    and revive the courage of those with repentant hearts.” God says He dwells with the one who is contrite in spirit and humble. Contrite is an old-fashioned word that means one who shows sincere remorse, and has a sense of guilt and desires atonement. God seeks those who have a repentant heart and desire to turn to Him for help. He promises restoration and revived courage to live rightly. In verse 19 He promises peace, “I will comfort those who mourn,
19     bringing words of praise to their lips.
May they have abundant peace, both near and far,”
    says the Lord, who heals them.”

Restoration, peace and healing are to be found with God! Praise God! In Him we will find hope and forgiveness. If we do not make the choice to come to Him with a contrite and humble heart, verse 20-21 tell of the consequences that await us. “But those who still reject me are like the restless sea,
    which is never still
    but continually churns up mud and dirt.
21 There is no peace for the wicked,”
    says my God.“

Again, I ask, what do you do when you know you’ve done wrong? The Isarelites who turned back to God and recieved His forgiveness that was filled with grace, mercy and hope. Those who did not turn back to God were rejected and found no peace. Consider the power of repentance and the cost of being unrepentant. Which will you choose?

Linda

Hezekiah Turns What He Learns from God into Praise!

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Isaiah was called to Hezekiah’s deathbed and gave him the news that he would not recover. Hezekiah pleaded with the Lord for his life and God answered. Isaiah 38:5  “Go and tell Hezekiah, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of your father David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will add fifteen years to your life.” After his recovery, Hezekiah wrote about his experience and how he felt about the Lord.

Isaiah 38:15-20 But what can I say?
    He has spoken to me, and he himself has done this. Hezekiah acknowledges his healing was all God.
I will walk humbly all my years
    because of this anguish of my soul. Hezekiah pledges to walk with God the reminder of his life.
16 Lord, by such things people live;
    and my spirit finds life in them too.
You restored me to health
    and let me live. Hezekiah thanks God for saving his life.


17 Surely it was for my benefit
    that I suffered such anguish. Hezekiah humbly admits his suffering was for his own benefit.
In your love you kept me
    from the pit of destruction;
you have put all my sins Hezekiah is encouraged as God has taken away his sins
    behind your back. and hidden them.
18 For the grave cannot praise you,
    death cannot sing your praise;
those who go down to the pit
    cannot hope for your faithfulness.
19 The living, the living—they praise you, Hezekiah reminds us it is the job of the living to praise God.
    as I am doing today;
parents tell their children Hezekiah proclaims it is the job of the parent to teach their
    about your faithfulness. children about God’s faithfulness. 20 The Lord will save me,
    and we will sing with stringed instruments
all the days of our lives Hezekiah reminds the Israelites it is their privilege
    in the temple of the Lord. to praise their God all their lives.

Hezekiah came to some profound conclusions that we can learn from and incorporate into our lives. He also challenges us to live each day with God in mind. When God rescues you from some circumstance or illness, are you quick to give Him the praise? Do you allow your healing or change of circumstances to be life altering and point you to God? Do you thank God for healing/rescuing you and then seek to see what benefits your received from the suffering? Hezekiah remembered the biblical truth that God allows things to happen in our lives to teach and grow us. James puts it this way in James 1:2-4 “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. Hezekiah knew he was a sinner and had perhaps added to his own difficulties. He praised and thanked God for removing and hiding his sin behind his back. Micah 7:18-19 gives us the same principle, Who is a God like you,
    who pardons sin and forgives the transgression
    of the remnant of his inheritance?
You do not stay angry forever
    but delight to show mercy.
19 You will again have compassion on us;
    you will tread our sins underfoot
    and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea. Micah encourages all of us with the fact that God has removed our sins and has buried them in the depths of the sea. Both analogies tell us that God deals with our sin and then removes it. It is gone out of our sight and will be remembered by God no more. If you are constantly plagued by old sins you have confessed before God, then be assured God has removed them and they are gone. That guilt memory is from Satan as he wants us to wallow in defeat and be burdened by past sins. God has given us a clean slate through Jesus’ work on the cross so use it and put those sins away. God has.

Hezekiah also reminds us that it is a privilege in life to praise God and to teach our children about His faithfulness. How are you doing with that? Do you count it a privilege to worship and praise God? Do you seek to teach your children about God? As Hezekiah reminds us, praising and teaching is a privilege God has given to the living. We are to be about His work and continually give Him praise with thanksgiving in our hearts.

Let me end today with Psalm 150. Praise the Lord. Praise God in his sanctuary;
    praise him in his mighty heavens.
2 Praise him for his acts of power;
    praise him for his surpassing greatness.
3 Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet,
    praise him with the harp and lyre,
4 praise him with timbrel and dancing,
    praise him with the strings and pipe,
5 praise him with the clash of cymbals,
    praise him with resounding cymbals.

6 Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord.

May it be a praise on your lips.

Linda

Ancient Problems are Here and Now, Too!

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November 17, 2022

Psalm 107:16-22 Some became fools through their rebellious ways
    and suffered affliction because of their iniquities.
18 They loathed all food
    and drew near the gates of death.
19 Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,
    and he saved them from their distress.
20 He sent out his word and healed them;
    he rescued them from the grave.
21 Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love
    and his wonderful deeds for mankind.
22 Let them sacrifice thank offerings
    and tell of his works with songs of joy.

When you read this portion of the psalm you see the Israelites suffered from illnesses cause by eating disorders and from their own afflictions caused by sin. I was pondering this and the first thing that came to mind was addictions we have today for drugs and alcohol. The eating disorders and the wasting away reminded me of anorexia and bulimia. That these disease and afflictions would be in our present day but addressed in this ancient text shows the depth and applicability of God’s Word. What the psalmist is saying is that God can and does address these problems. If the sufferer cries out to Him, he will be heard. God can and does save people out of addiction each and every day. God can rescue them from the grave so to speak as He breaths life and hope into the individual through faith in Christ. Verse 20 says that God sent out His Word. Jesus is the Word and faith in Jesus will heal and save both physically and spiritually. Those who have been rescued out of these conditions along with their loved ones live lives fill with praise for God’s powerful healing in their lives. Why does God do this? He heals and rescues because He loves us. His love is unfailing unlike human love His is eternal and always full. His is a faithful love that is unconditional and unending. Praise God!

A truth to claim with thanksgiving: I can find grace and mercy in a time of need. This truth is so wonderful. You can claim it with hope in your heart day and night. God is accessible and we can come to him any time or any place. He promises in Deuteronomy 31:6 to never leave us. “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” We can have courage for living each day and assurance of His presence with us. Knowing we can come to God in prayer, what can we be assured we will find there in His presence? First of all we can find peace and relief from fear. John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” We are also assured in Hebrews 14:6 of grace and mercy. “Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” God would not have told us that He has peace, grace and mercy unless He means it! God does not lie. God is truth. You can count upon Him to always be with you, give you peace, grace and mercy exactly when you need it most. Come into His presence today and ask Him for these things. He is faithful and will answer just as He promises.

Are you facing difficulties right now in your life? Do you suffer from an addiction or are you stressed out from the pressures of life? Call upon Him. Come into His presence today and feel His love and support. He has what you need in abundance.

Linda

What Christ endured for me, I’m Humbled by His Love

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Today’s ‘put on verse’ will cause you to consider the cost of our sins to our Savior Jesus.

John 19:2 says “The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head. They clothed him in a purple robe.” and 1 Peter 2:24 ““He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.”

Lent is a time of reflection about our sinfulness and how we can best emulate His character thought the power of the Holy Spirit. Consider what Jesus suffered: the beatings, the trials, the ridicule, the unbelief that what he said was true, the placement with thieves and robbers, and the hanging on the cross with its torture, pain and humiliation. He suffered all of that and in so doing took on the sins of the world- past, present and future. He suffered so we can know Him, be in a relationship with Him, live with Him eternally and have His Holy Spirit living within us. There is nothing we can ever do to earn or deserve that kind of love, devotion and sacrifice. John 3:16 reminds us of Jesus’ motive for going to the cross, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” God loved us so much; He sent Jesus to bring us into a right relationship with Him and experience eternal life. Through Christ we can be righteous, holy and pure in God’s eyes because when God looks at us, He sees Jesus’ blood covering our sins. I am amazed and humbled by God’s love and Jesus’ sacrifice. He put on the crown of thorns for me and went to the cross. Because Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead, I can live forgiven and restored to a right relationship with Him.

What can I ever do for Him? Remember Jesus saying the greatest commandment and then #2. Matthew 22:34-39 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” 37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ When we love God and love others with His love, we honor Him=He is glorified.

Also consider Micah 6:8 “And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
    and to walk humbly with your God.” We cannot act with justice, love, mercy and humility without the power of the Holy Spirit within us. So lean into Him, ask His help through prayer, learn about Him from His Word, join other believers in worship and fellowship and seek to show others your love for Jesus.

Linda

A Hole in the Roof leads to Blessings

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And the journey continues…. into the gospel of Mark. One of the stories I love from the book of Mark is also found in Matthew 9 and Luke 5. Mark 2:1-12 shows a scene where Jesus is preaching to a packed house and some friends bring their paralyzed friend to see Jesus. “When Jesus returned to Capernaum several days later, the news spread quickly that he was back home. 2 Soon the house where he was staying was so packed with visitors that there was no more room, even outside the door. While he was preaching God’s word to them, 3 four men arrived carrying a paralyzed man on a mat. 4 They couldn’t bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, so they dug a hole through the roof above his head. Then they lowered the man on his mat, right down in front of Jesus. 5 Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, “My child, your sins are forgiven.” 6 But some of the teachers of religious law who were sitting there thought to themselves, 7 “What is he saying? This is blasphemy! Only God can forgive sins!” 8 Jesus knew immediately what they were thinking, so he asked them, “Why do you question this in your hearts? 9 Is it easier to say to the paralyzed man ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or ‘Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk’? 10 So I will prove to you that the Son of Man has the authority on earth to forgive sins.” Then Jesus turned to the paralyzed man and said, 11 “Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!” 12 And the man jumped up, grabbed his mat, and walked out through the stunned onlookers. They were all amazed and praised God, exclaiming, “We’ve never seen anything like this before!”

There are several things I love about this story. First, the friends moved heaven and earth, so to speak, to get their friend to Jesus. They knew that Jesus had the power to heal him. They went above and beyond to get their friend into the meeting place. They were creative and resourceful by digging through the roof and lowering the man through the hole they had created. It was not an easy task I’m sure. Who do you know that needs Jesus’ healing power? Are you persistent in trying to ‘get’ them somewhere to hear the gospel message? I am reminded of Romans 10:17 “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” Are you like the friends in this story? You know Jesus and what He has to offer. Are you desperately trying to share it with your unsaved friends? God desires that we share the wonderful benefits provided by Jesus, as everyone needs Jesus!

Secondly, the group of religious naysayers took objection at Jesus telling the man ‘his sins are forgiven’. Jesus countered with the words he could just as easily have said ‘take up your mat and walk’. When you think about it, both are things only God can do! Only God can forgive sins and only God can heal a paralyzed man so that he can immediately jump up and walk out carrying his mat! It seems they were offended by Jesus’ words declaring them to be blasphemous. They were upset as forgiveness was God’s to grant, not his. However, they failed to see that He was God and was doing things that only God could do!

Lastly, Mark observed that all were stunned as they watched the events unfold and were amazed. Their amazement led to worship and praise of God. What has been your reaction to God’s hand in your life? Is your response one of praise and thanksgiving?

May you see with fresh eyes today the amazing riches you have in Christ. May you seek with persistence to bring others to Jesus. May you marvel anew at the power of Christ to heal and forgive.

Linda