He is Still the Same Healer

Mark 1:32-34 - And at evening, when the sun did set, they brought unto him all that were diseased, and them that were possessed with demons. And all the city was gathered together at the door. And he healed many that were sick of diverse diseases, and cast out many demons; and did not allow the demons to speak, because they knew him.

    The word about Jesus had begun to spread throughout the region. He had recently commanded a demon to come out of a man in the Synagogue and then He had healed Peter’s mother-in-law of a terrible fever. Good news always travels fast and the only thing that travelled faster that day was those who heard the good news and they came in droves to Peter’s house. Obviously what Jesus had said and done inspired a living faith in the hearts of those who were suffering under the ravages of disease and the torments of dark spirits. People brought other people until the whole community was outside the door. The simple and uncomplicated truth of Jesus attracted hurting humanity then, and it still draws people to Him today.

    Disease has never been the will of God for mankind. Just the simple breakdown of the word itself should illustrate that; dis-ease; anything that hinders the ease of operation that God created for the body. The original language goes further and reveals that this word and its relatives are rooted in the soil of evil. Miserable, wicked, harmful, and bad; these are the roots of the word translated disease; just ask a child if any of those words are good. Please friends, we must settle this issue forever; sickness and disease are not good gifts and they do not come from above; they do not come from our gracious Heavenly Father. Of course, there is much to say about this subject and still much that we do not know. We never make light of any beautiful child of God who has suffered and cried out for healing that did not come; we mourn along with all those who have prayed and yet lost a loved one; there are many unsolved mysteries which must be left with God. However, we have a responsibility to continue to preach and teach and seek God for what we do know is true. We eagerly preach salvation for all people even when we know that all people will not be saved. He is the Saviour, not because we are saved but because He said He is the Saviour, and He is the Healer, not because we are healed but because He said He is the Healer. One old preacher used to say it this way, ‘God said it, I believe it, and that settles it’. It is an established fact, as the Psalmist of old has said, ‘Forever, O Lord, your Word is settled in heaven’.

    It is interesting to note that right on the heels of the word ‘disease’ is the phrase, ‘possessed with demons’, perhaps suggesting their dark history and connection. In our day of science and civility there are many that think it is foolish and infantile to believe in the existence of evil spirits, and even among those who do believe in their reality, there is much misunderstanding and imbalance. History shows us that we tend to be in the ditch on one side of the road or another; very few seem to go down the middle of the road. We either do not believe in Satan’s existence at all, or we do believe and then give him way too much attention and emphasis. In order to steer safely on the highway of life, we have to listen to what my Dad used to say as we were leaving our parents house to drive a couple hours back home, ‘Keep her between the ditches’. It may help to gain a more balanced view if we realize that a better word than possessed may be demonized. The use of the word possessed depicts one who is completely controlled and taken over but the term demonized carries a much broader range of demonic activity, including oppressed and obsessed. However, it really does not matter to what degree people have been influenced or harassed by evil spirits, because Jesus’ power takes care of it all.

    Jesus is the Great Physician and He does what it takes to restore the patient to health; of course, He must have the patient’s cooperation. The original word for heal in this verse may imply the beginning of a process such as repeated visits to a therapist. Healing can be instantaneous but, more often than not, it is a process. This is a good thing because the time element and the experience gained, while submitting to the directions of the Physician and applying His prescription, brings about incremental but definite changes in the patient’s condition and outlook. Fred Bosworth wrote, ‘The process that brings the healing is a greater blessing than the healing itself’. We don’t just get our answer in the process; we, ourselves, change in the process and thus become stronger and more committed disciples.

    Jesus healed many of those who were held under the destructive control of disease and, at the same time and under the same anointing, He cast out many demons. The language is instructive because we only use these kinds of words when we are serious and mean business. We could say that He expelled the demons, which may be reminiscent of our experience at high school. To be expelled means you are ordered to leave and not allowed to come back. Only someone with legitimate authority can expel another and Jesus definitely had that authority. Get out and stay out, is how He would put it.

    The demon spirits knew who Jesus was; they recognized His authority. Ever since their future was foretold by God in the Garden of Eden, they knew that the Anointed One was coming who would break the power of their chief, Satan and overthrow his empire. They knew who He was because they saw in the realm of the spirit, but Jesus did not allow them to speak; He silenced the enemy at every turn. Sadly, even though the enemy knew who He was, the people of His own country did not see who he was because they saw only with the natural eyes and could not see that He was the Messiah; the long-promised Saviour and the long-awaited answer.

    Friends, I pray that we would have our eyes wide open and recognize Jesus when He comes to us, for you can be certain that He will come. God's desire for us to be blessed is greater than we can imagine. He is so faithful; He will give you and I ample opportunity to recognize Him and enable us to receive all that He has for us. Thank you, Lord Jesus!

God; the Generous Giver

Psalm 84:11 – For the Lord God is a sun and shield: the Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.

    We have all heard the old saying, ‘A picture is worth a thousand words’ and it is, of course, very true. However, if it were not for words there would be no way to describe the picture that you were seeing. Words paint pictures, and God’s Word paints pictures that only He, the Master Artist, could paint. In the verse above we are being given a vivid word-picture; the Lord God is a sun and a shield.

    The sun is an ever-radiating, never-diminishing, constantly shining, sphere of light. It is the very definition of faithfulness, which means it is entirely trustworthy and absolutely reliable and it will always be there. The sun never changes; it is predictable. We know exactly what it is going to do and so we can plan our lives accordingly. The Lord God is like the sun; He is steady and faithful and therefore, in one sense, He is predictable. We know what He is going to do because we know what He has said in His Word and so we can plan our lives accordingly. The sun is not erratic; it is not fickle, and it does not act in a random fashion. Of course, I am not saying that we know every method by which God will do certain things or the time frame within which He will do it; I am simply saying that by knowing his Word we can know His will and therefore we can have a measure of security and confidence in what He desires for us.

    The sun is our planet’s source of life; it is always generously lavish with its life-bringing rays. Our Father is likewise very generous; Jesus said that He makes His sun to rise on the evil and the good; He is no respecter of persons; He values all people. What He will do for one, He will do for all. Any parent knows that if you have more than one child you cannot, or at least, should not, show favouritism; what you do for one child you will do for all. Good parents love all their children equally and desire only the very best for them. The children, however, by their attitude, determine how they are dealt with by the parents. If your child is defiant and displaying a very bad attitude, then you may have to respond by dealing stronger than you would like to. Conversely, if your child has misbehaved and then accepts responsibility and is very sorry, then you, no doubt, will respond in a much more lenient fashion. Likewise, we also can determine the response of God toward us.

    The sun’s rays, while bringing much-needed heat and life, can also be very harmful. We must be careful not to gaze directly into the sun; our eyes can be damaged by the brilliance of its light. Likewise, our skin must be covered and protected or it, too, could be damaged by the sun’s penetrating rays. There must be a deep respect for the power of the sun; not a fear, but a wise reverence. Experienced electricians teach their apprentices that the first thing to learn is that this power is far greater than humans and it better be respected; one must not dare to have a cavalier or flippant attitude toward that power.

    Not only is the Lord God a sun but, He is also a shield. When we hear the word shield, we usually think of armour and warfare. The shield is that which stands between the weapon and the person against whom the weapon is aimed. The shield takes the blow for us, it absorbs the impact and protects us from harm. The thought of God being our shield gives us a lot of confidence to go out and face life bravely; as we walk closely with God, whatever comes our way must pass through the shield first.

    The shield represents the fatherly, protective aspect of God’s heart. He is a watchful and observant Father who guards the wellbeing of His children. Like any good parent, He wants no harm to come to the child; He issues warnings of impending danger; He teaches the child to wisely obey laws of safety and He provides an environment of security.

   Our God is both the sun and the sunscreen; He is the power source and the protection from that power; He is the burning fire and the containing fireplace; He gives both grace and glory.

    Grace is God’s ability to change any situation. He can make anything out of anybody. It does not matter where you or I may have been, or how sinful we may have been because there is no circumstance that can keep His grace from turning it into something good. Grace empowers us to release the hurt, forget the past and walk forward in the plan of God.

    Glory is that aspect of God that defies definition, it transcends our finite minds because it contains the fulness of God and His many attributes. One Hebrew scholar has said that the glory of God is every conceivable or possible good; it goes beyond our capacity to fully understand. The glory of God contains within it everything that we could ever need or desire; it represents ultimate fulfilment.

    Be encouraged, friends, there is within our Father God a deep longing to give. It is His nature to give; He is not withholding from us. In fact, He is so good that we could never fully describe His goodness. All we have to do is open our heart and bask in the sunlight of His grace and glory.

An Example of Proactive Faith

Mar 5:25-29 - And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years, And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse, When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment. For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole. And [immediately] the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague.

 The book of Mark is a historical document and an accurate record of actual people; there was indeed a certain woman. Possibly no other account in the New Testament so graphically describes such an ordeal as this dear lady suffered. Twelve long years she had this condition and no matter how she sought to be relieved, her situation only continued to deteriorate.

    In those days the medical knowledge and facilities were known to be less than par and sometimes the cure was worse than the disease. This is by no means a slander on the noble profession of those who have devoted themselves to the medical field; we are deeply grateful for doctors and any medical help. Truly, God partners with all who wish to bring relief from pain and suffering. Todays’ medicine and healthcare have advanced dramatically, and we have so much to be thankful for. However, those that have suffered with any kind of disease, especially a chronic and life-threatening one, know that the process of treatment can be arduous, painful and exhausting.

    This woman suffered from a continual loss of blood; twenty-four hours per day, seven days each week, fifty-two weeks every year, for twelve grueling years. Her physical strength was draining out of her moment by moment. We can only imagine that her emotional strength was likewise diminishing. The implication is that she was once a woman of social status and had financial means; she spent all that she had. It is likely that she was married and had a family but, her condition weakened her and prevented her from fulfilling her role as a wife and mother. She suffered in so many ways; physically, emotionally, financially and socially. She desperately looked for answers, but none came; the agony continued, and she only got worse.

    She had looked for possible solutions from many physicians, until at last, no doubt, she was at the point of despair, but then, someone told her of another Physician; a different Physician; one who was sent from God and had been anointed to heal the sick. Multitudes were flocking to Him and reaching out their hands to touch Him. He was kind and compassionate and He never turned anyone away; even the outcast lepers were being healed of their terrible and chronic condition. Like a poor, starving person, desperately needing a nutritious meal, her hungry heart must have devoured that good news and it produced within her an expectant and confident faith. Years ago, when a friend and I were launching into a ministry venture, a seasoned pastor prayed over us that our appetite would determine our meal; he knew that hunger is a powerful motivator.

    The Law of Moses, which governed the culture, had guidelines regarding women in her condition but, the interpreters of those guidelines had distorted them into harsh, condemning and judgmental rules; and as always when strict legalism is emphasized, people are devalued, and mercy is lost. This precious lady now belonged to a class of people who were considered outsiders by society; she was exiled through no fault of her own. That is why she wanted to slip up behind Jesus and simply touch the fringe of His clothing; get in, get healed, get out, was her plan. She had ample reason to be afraid of the crowd, but what she heard concerning Jesus displaced her fear and gave her the courage to act.

    As she reached out and made contact, the power of God flowed like electricity into her and, as His power always does, it went directly to the source of the problem and she was immediately healed. She knew that something came into her and Jesus knew that something went out of Him. For twelve years she had been plagued with this condition and in one moment she was set free. There is something so admirable about this lady; she has indeed inspired millions by her story. Jesus was not headed in her direction; she chose to go toward Him. Jesus did not have her on His agenda; she put Him on her agenda. Jesus did not hear anything about her; she heard something about Him. Jesus did not reach out and touch her; she reached out and touched Him. She is an example of how proactive faith in Jesus can radically change a person’s life.

    Isn’t it interesting how we refer to this lady as the woman with the issue of blood? However, that cannot be accurate any longer because she may have once been the woman with the issue of blood, but she is no longer that woman; she was healed. The Bible does not give us her name, it only says that there was a certain woman. She was a specific woman; a particular woman; a definite woman; an actual woman. She was a unique individual, like you and I, purposely created by God, not to struggle with a chronic ailment but, to live, love and enjoy, with all its ups and downs, the human experience that we call life.
     Take the initiative, stretch forth your hand and touch Him!

The Voice of God

Hebrews 3:7-19

Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice, Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness: When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years. Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in their heart; and they have not known my ways. So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.) 

   As the Holy Ghost saith – Verse seven through verse eleven is a quote from the ninety-fifth chapter of Psalms and by quoting it the New Testament writer divinely endorses the fact that it is the Holy Spirit who is speaking through Scripture. He inspired all of the writers of Scripture. Every Scripture is God-breathed and therefore not an ordinary document or book at all. It is a God-given revelation to us. When we hear the word of God read to us we must take the position that these are the very words of God speaking to me.

     Today if ye will hear His voice – Today. Do not procrastinate. He did not say, tomorrow if you will hear his voice. No! He said today. He did not say yesterday as you have heard his voice. No! He said today. The voice of God is the Word of God which we must hear today. Just as we cannot live on yesterday’s oxygen or store up tomorrow’s oxygen, we must have oxygen today, even so, we must have the word of God for today. Do not put off hearing the voice of God right now. Make sure that you don’t give in to the deception of thinking you are not capable of hearing his voice, or you are not worthy of hearing his voice. Maybe one day I will be spiritual enough to hear his voice. No!  This kind of thinking is a lie. It is not the truth. You are His sheep and as Jesus once stated, ‘My sheep hear My voice’. Believe that truth. Accept that fact. Say to yourself, ‘I do hear the voice of Jesus’. Do not relinquish the voice of God to the past only. He isn’t the God who once spoke; He is the God who currently speaks. He is the eternal and present speaking voice. ‘His name shall be called the Word of God’. Jesus said that Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. There is a word that is constantly proceeding from the mouth of God. He is always speaking a word to us.

     If ye will hear – The condition of whether or not we hear the voice of God rests with us. We are the deciding factor. God is constantly speaking, the question is will we listen? S. D. Gordon once wrote that a man hears God through his will. If the will is surrendered to God then the ear is opened, and once the ear is opened then the sound of God’s voice can be heard. A stubborn will inevitably makes for a deaf ear and God is silent to a deaf ear. His voice – God has a voice. If there is a voice, then there is a personality behind the voice. There is volition behind the voice. A voice is the medium of communication from person to person. God is a personal God. He loves to interact with us as His creation. 

     Harden not your hearts – We can choose to harden our hearts or we can choose to not allow our hearts to harden. Life alone cannot make us hard. No individual person or situation can make us hard, we decide to become hard or not. Harden could mean any number of things. It could mean to be stubborn, or maybe to become closed in your heart. A person with a hard heart could simply be someone who has become guarded and feels threatened because of negative past experiences, so they do not open themselves up to new possibilities and friendships. It is possible that we may have become hard due to disappointment or failure in life. The important thing to realize is that we are in charge of our hearts. It is our heart; it is not under the control of any other person or circumstance. We can decide to keep our heart soft and open to the voice of God.  

     When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years – We must be aware of the propensity to follow our fathers be they good or bad. Because we live in a fallen world, most of us typically, take on the undesirable characteristics of our fathers. Your father is the one who imprints your heart and mind from your youth. As young children in a family and as new believers in the family of God, we are very impressionable and we are easily swayed by the influence of those older and more mature than us. The Bible speaks of generational curses which are a basic tendency to follow the negative qualities of your father; however, I think it is important to not over-emphasize the concept of generational curses because in Christ we are delivered from the power of darkness. Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law; we are no longer under the power of any curse. We are now under the power of God and we are under His grace. In this case, their fathers’ negative qualities were issues of the heart. They were issues of attitude and posture before the Lord. They tempted God; they put Him under scrutiny in order to find a flaw. They proved God; they tested Him to see if He could stand up to the test. That generation of people was the one who experienced the Exodus from Egypt. By a mighty outstretched arm God miraculously delivered the Israelites from their slavery to Pharaoh, who was the most powerful dictator of the then known world. For forty long years God led them and fed them. He led them in the desert and He kept them safe from wildlife and poisonous snakes. He lovingly protected them from the elements and from enemies. He fed them with supernatural manna from Heaven. Forty years was plenty of time to know that God is faithful and completely trustworthy, however, that generation became hard and stubborn in their hearts and God responded to them accordingly.

     Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in their heart; and they have not known my ways. God is passionate and deeply committed to us, and because He loves us so intensely, He can also be intensely grieved. The word grieved is a word which suggests the sorrow of a lover. We grieve when we suffer loss. We grieve as parents when our children make choices which bring them destruction and harm. We grieve because we know that there is so much more for them, if only they would make the right choices. We grieve much only when we love much. God is the supreme lover and so therefore He grieves accordingly. Err in their heart. The error is always on our side not God’s. Remember that we said that generation had a heart issue. I am sure that every generation has opportunities to submit their hearts and serve God or to harden their hearts and serve themselves. The Greek word translated err is a word which means to roam, to go astray, to be seduced, or to be deceived. There are people who always roam in their hearts. They are never content with where they are or what they have in life. They might be married to a beautiful lady, have a wonderful family and an excellent career, but they are never really settled in their heart and they seem to always desire to be somewhere else. They are roamers and wanderers, never completely settling down and establishing roots. One obvious cure for roaming is to put down roots. We must become planted. For a plant to be healthy, strong and reproductive it can never be a roamer, it must remain covenanted to the soil, the place where it was sown and where it has grown. ‘Those that be planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God’.  That generation of Israelites which we are speaking of, never truly accepted God’s deliverance, some of them actually wanted to go back to Egypt. That is the deceptive aspect of roaming in your heart; you actually think that the former life of slavery was better than the hardship you inevitably face on your way to the Promised Land. If we are always roaming in our hearts then we are demonstrating that we are not thankful for what we have. Thankfulness to God for the fact that He has rescued us and saved us is one powerful trait that will drive our spiritual roots down deep into the soil of God’s love. If we are a thankful people we will never be a roaming people. 

     They have not known my ways. We are responsible to develop in faith, to grow up and to acquaint ourselves with God and His ways. Apparently, God has ways of operating; He is a God of pathways and patterns of procedure. In one sense, if we may say it reverently, God is predictable because He has given us His Word to reveal His patterns and modes of operation. He is not a capricious, erratic and arbitrary God.  I am the Lord, I change not. He functions according to His self-established ways and patterns. That wonderful man of God, Edwin Louis Cole used to say that everything God does He does according to a pattern and based on a principle. Psalm 103:7 tells us that though the children of Israel may have known God’s acts, Moses knew God’s ways. If you know someone’s ways you know the way they think, the way they act, and what makes them happy or sad. If we know their ways we know them closely.

     God, our Father, wants to make Himself known to us. He is not hiding from us, we simply have to listen and hear His voice and that voice will lead us, and that voice will show us things that we have not understood, that voice will give us answers to questions and solutions to problems.

A Turn of Events

Philippians 1:19 - For I know that this shall turn to my salvation through your prayer, and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ

    Paul is the supreme example of a confident believer. Upon becoming a Christian, his new life immediately became a white water ride of conflict and trouble, hence we have Paul writing this letter from a prison cell. Yet, in spite of the trouble, he is confident that God is with him and that nothing has taken God by surprise; he is right in the center of His will. ‘I know’, Paul says, ‘that this will turn’. He doesn’t use unclear language such as I hope this will turn, or it could possibly turn. No! He says, ‘I know’. ‘I am not upset. I know that God is working behind the scenes, he is influencing and coordinating circumstances and my life is in his hands. My life is not in the hands of my enemies or that of my guards; my life is in the Father’s hand and no man can pluck me out. It might look like I am a prisoner of Rome but in reality I am a prisoner of Jesus Christ, captivated by him. I am in the hands of God, being protected and directed accordingly’.

    Every circumstance that we find ourselves in, no matter how long it has persisted, is still temporary. It will change. Something will shift. It will turn around. Nothing this side of Heaven will last forever. The tides turn. The seasons turn. The weather turns. Even the Earth itself turns. Paul adds the power of his faith in God to that knowledge and confidently rests, knowing that this story is not over yet. ‘This shall turn’. What shall turn? This; this situation; this circumstance; this happening; this occurrence; this challenge; this tragedy; this; this shall turn.

    Salvation and deliverance is always the will of God. Jesus came to save us and that is not a one-time deal, no, he saves us daily. He saves us from sin. He saves us from harm. He saves us from our enemies. He saves us from deception. He saves us from ourselves. He doesn’t necessarily save us from trouble but he saves us out of trouble. The Psalmist tells us that, ‘Many are the afflictions of the righteous but the Lord delivers him out of them all’. Everything that we need is answered by the all-encompassing salvation of God. Paul knew the Lord so well that he did not question why he was in prison. He knew that God has ways of working out his will in our lives and he knew that he was there for a reason. The Gospel was actually being proclaimed even more because of Paul’s imprisonment. Some of the brothers had taken courage by Paul’s stand and were becoming bold and speaking the Word without fear. The whole Roman prison was being influenced for good by Paul’s presence there. God is in the salvation business because he is in the people business.

    There was another reason that Paul was so confident; he knew that others were praying for him. Oh,  how that knowledge can bolster our faith and keep us brimming with hope during the difficult times. This will turn around through your prayer. Paul recognized that he wasn’t in this alone but that there was a body of believers praying on his behalf. The word that is used for prayer in this verse is the word that means petition. It is legal terminology. We can petition the court of Heaven and argue, like a lawyer, on behalf of others. The church at Philippi was petitioning God for Paul. Someone has once said that argumentative prayer is the best kind of prayer. We argue our case before God; we present the facts and the logic and the reason for our petition. The story has been told about the lady whose child was about to be sold into slavery and she prayed in this argumentative way; ‘Lord, if you were in trouble like I am in trouble and I could help you like you could help me, I would do it’. The story as it is told, tells us that after that prayer, someone stepped forward and purchased the child and returned her to the praying mother. This kind of bold praying seems to be a lost art to the modern church, however, a closer look at scripture will reveal its abundant basis. Abraham prayed this way as he negotiated God down to at least ten righteous people in Sodom. Moses prayed this way as he stood in the gap, reasoning with God on behalf of the children of Israel. The Canaanite woman prayed this way when she found some logic to answer the words of Jesus, and used his very words to win her case for her daughter. The Centurion prayed this way when he equated his military authority and chain of command to the authority of God’s kingdom, thus, logic, reasoning and argument won the answer. All of us likewise must learn to pray this way, presenting our case before God, reminding him of his promises.

  Be encouraged, friends, the situation that you are in will turn around for your good. It is the will of God for you to experience his salvation in all of its fullness. God is for you, who can be against you? He is actively working on your behalf and others are fervently praying on your behalf. Get ready, do not despair. This will turn!

Reach Out and Touch Some One

Mar 5:25-29 - And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years, And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse, When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment. For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole. And [immediately] the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague.

    


The book of Mark is a historical document and an accurate record of actual people; there was indeed a certain woman. Possibly no other account in the New Testament so graphically describes such an ordeal as this dear lady suffered. Twelve long years she had this condition and no matter how she sought to be relieved, her situation only continued to deteriorate.

    In those days the medical knowledge and facilities were known to be less than par and sometimes the cure was worse than the disease. This is by no means a slander on the noble profession of those who have devoted themselves to the medical field; we are deeply grateful for doctors and any medical help. Truly, God partners with all who wish to bring relief from pain and suffering. Todays’ medicine and healthcare have advanced dramatically, and we have so much to be thankful for. However, those that have suffered with any kind of disease, especially a chronic and life-threatening one, know that the process of treatment can be arduous, painful and exhausting.

    This woman suffered from a continual loss of blood; twenty-four hours per day, seven days each week, fifty-two weeks every year, for twelve grueling years. Her physical strength was draining out of her moment by moment. We can only imagine that her emotional strength was likewise diminishing. The implication is that she was once a woman of social status and had financial means; she spent all that she had. It is likely that she was married and had a family but, her condition weakened her and prevented her from fulfilling her role as a wife and mother. She suffered in so many ways; physically, emotionally, financially and socially. She desperately looked for answers, but none came; the agony continued, and she only got worse.

    She had looked for possible solutions from many physicians, until at last, no doubt, she was at the point of despair, but then, someone told her of another Physician; a different Physician; one who was sent from God and had been anointed to heal the sick. Multitudes were flocking to Him and reaching out their hands to touch Him. He was kind and compassionate and He never turned anyone away; even the outcast lepers were being healed of their terrible and chronic condition. Like a poor, starving person, desperately needing a nutritious meal, her hungry heart must have devoured that good news and it produced within her an expectant and confident faith. Years ago, when a friend and I were launching into a ministry venture, a seasoned pastor prayed over us that our appetite would determine our meal; he knew that hunger is a powerful motivator.

    The Law of Moses, which governed the culture, had guidelines regarding women in her condition but, the interpreters of those guidelines had distorted them into harsh, condemning and judgmental rules; and as always when strict legalism is emphasized, people are devalued, and mercy is lost. This precious lady now belonged to a class of people who were considered outsiders by society; she was exiled through no fault of her own. That is why she wanted to slip up behind Jesus and simply touch the fringe of His clothing; get in, get healed, get out, was her plan. She had ample reason to be afraid of the crowd, but what she heard concerning Jesus displaced her fear and gave her the courage to act.

    As she reached out and made contact, the power of God flowed like electricity into her and, as His power always does, it went directly to the source of the problem and she was immediately healed. She knew that something came into her and Jesus knew that something went out of Him. For twelve years she had been plagued with this condition and in one moment she was set free. There is something so admirable about this lady; she has indeed inspired millions by her story. Jesus was not headed in her direction; she chose to go toward Him. Jesus did not have her on His agenda; she put Him on her agenda. Jesus did not hear anything about her; she heard something about Him. Jesus did not reach out and touch her; she reached out and touched Him. She is an example of how proactive faith in Jesus can radically change a person’s life.

    Isn’t it interesting how we refer to this lady as the woman with the issue of blood? However, that cannot be accurate any longer because she may have once been the woman with the issue of blood, but she is no longer that woman; she was healed. The Bible does not give us her name, it only says that there was a certain woman. She was a specific woman; a particular woman; a definite woman; an actual woman. She was a unique individual, like you and I, purposely created by God, not to struggle with a chronic ailment but, to live, love and enjoy, with all its ups and downs, the human experience that we call life.
     Reach out and touch some One!

Do You Need a Lift?

Mark 1:29-31 - And [immediately], when they were come out of the synagogue, they entered into the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. But Simon's wife's mother lay sick of a fever, and [immediately] they tell him of her. And he came and took her by the hand, and lifted her up; and immediately the fever left her, and she ministered unto them. 

    As we read through the book of Mark, we are struck with the fact that there is a repetitious use of the word immediately. Mark writes in such fashion that the reader is drawn in and becomes part of the story; there develops a sense of immediacy about it. Contrary to many people’s view, God is near; He is not disengaged, detached and watching from a distance; He is standing ready and in close proximity to us and Mark seems to always highlight that fact.

     Jesus had just been in the synagogue and had cast a demon out of a man, which caused quite a stir among the assembly. Jesus then left the roused up synagogue and entered into Peter’s house with a few of His close disciples. It is entirely possible that he was hoping for a rest, however, upon entering the home He is informed of a lady who is suffering terribly. A normal fever is the bodies’ way of fighting sickness but, the language used here seems to imply that Peter’s mother-in-law was held down under the power of an unusually strong and unnatural fever to the point that she was incapacitated by it. Knowing the ladies of our families as we do, we know that it is almost always a last resort for them to lie down. This was a life-threatening and extremely debilitating fever.

    Once Jesus had heard of this dear lady’s condition, He came to her right away, thus demonstrating His caring heart and His desire to be near. The description of how Jesus ministered to this lady is very interesting and grants us insight into the tact and bedside manner of the Great Physician. He took hold of her hand and lifted her up and, by so doing, we see an indication of the heart of God. We were not created to be held down under the power of sickness or any other force. We were created to stand upright and to walk straight and tall, with dignity and majesty as children of the King.

    What would it feel like to have the Master’s hand take firm hold of our hand? The purest heart reached out through the hands that had never done any harm to anyone. Those hands had only been used for dignified and noble purposes. They were a working man's hands. They were strong, yet, gentle hands. They were kind and compassionate hands. And without any contradiction; they were healing hands. The hand is the extension of the heart; if there is compassion and healing in the heart, then there is compassion and healing in the hand.

    The fever takes on personality and seems to have understood that it could not remain because the simple touch of the Master’s hand made a resounding statement; ‘She belongs to the Father and there is no place in this woman’s life for you’. Darkness always leaves at the presence of light for it will never be able to overpower it. We do not necessarily need to fight the darkness; we simply need to turn on the light and remove any obstacles that may be blocking it. God is the ever-shining light and in Him there is no darkness at all; not even one particle.

    Health is a gift that most of us take for granted and when we don’t have it, we go to great lengths to get it back, and rightly so. However, it is important to stress that health, although desirable and enjoyable, is not the goal in itself; it is simply a resource enabling us to achieve the goal; which is to fulfil the plan of God by walking out His will for our lives. Peter’s mother-in-law was a grateful recipient of the healing touch of God. While she was under the power of the fever, she was not able to give to others the way she normally would, but once she received healing ministry from Jesus she got up and ministered to the guests by serving them. Jesus elevated this type of service to humanity by declaring that if we simply give a cup of water in the name of the Lord that it will be rewarded, and we, too, must never undervalue the seemingly menial tasks that are done to serve and bless others. This beautiful lady has gone down in the record of history as a selfless and sincere servant of Christ and His body. She ministered then by her actions, and she ministers now as we read what she has done.

    The wonderful truth is that Jesus, the Great Physician, has never changed; He still makes house calls. He came to her bedside then, and He comes to the bedside of the afflicted today. He took her by the hand then, and He takes the sufferer by the hand today. He lifted her up then, and He lifts up all those who are brought low through sickness today. He lifts all of us up so that we are able to see Him face to face and have a noble relationship with Royalty. We are not lifted up by our own bootstraps but by His powerful hand. Indeed, He is, as the Psalmist of old has said, ‘My glory and the lifter of my head!’

The God Who Wipes Away all Tears

Rev. 21:4 - And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

    We are invited into the preview of a day that is coming in which everything will be perfectly new, being restored to God’s original plan. At that time one of the first things God will do is to wipe away all tears from our eyes. What a statement of the heart of God; He is indeed the ultimate Father. How intimate and tender; how personal and affectionate; that the Almighty God is attracted to the cry of His child; His heart yearns to bring comfort. When our young ones hurt themselves or are upset about something we hold them close and gently wipe their tears from their face. We whisper comforting things to them to fill their hearts with peace. We want our children to be reassured; we never wish upon them a sense of fear or uncertainty. We received all of these good qualities, as parents, from the example and the nature of our Heavenly Father. He was, at the beginning, He is now, and He always will be, the true essence of Fatherhood; protection, provision, security, and peace.

    The answer to our question of whether there will be tears in Heaven is settled here; there will indeed be tears. Tears might be shed for several different reasons; we know that there are tears of joy and gratitude, as well as tears of remorse and sorrow. Some tears come from the loss of someone special, and some come just as an emotional release from pressure. The tears mentioned in our verse seem to suggest that they are connected to the memory of death, sorrow, crying and pain. As we look back from Heaven’s perspective we will see the whole of life and how things interacted; we may see the missed opportunities, the neglect of priorities and the regret of poor choices, and tears will fall. Thankfully, though, that will be the end of our tears; they will be wiped away forever.

    The highest desire and will of God for His family has always been the same and we can see it plainly stated in this verse. No more death. No more sorrow. No more crying. No more pain. That is the will of God. However, we live in this fallen and imperfect world where these things are a present reality and must be dealt with accordingly, and thank God, we have been equipped to deal with them; we are not left powerless.

    Imagine a world where there was no death; where everything that was alive remained alive forever. We can hardly imagine it because we have only known death; in fact, all of humanity’s history is a story of death. They were born; they lived; they died. Death came into the world as a result of what we call the fall of man. When Adam chose to disobey the instructions of God he chose death; he chose to place distance between himself and God and take on a new, self-centred nature.

    Death is not necessarily the end of life; it is separation from life. When the rose is cut from the bush it is separated from its life source; the law of death has been set in motion and it will eventually overtake it. Spiritual death likewise is a separation, not cessation; the spirit of man has been separated from God our life source, just as Paul wrote to the Ephesians, ‘We were separated from the life of God’. Physical death is a separation of the body from the spirit and one day each of us will succumb to the unavoidable moment of our last breath.

    Sorrow is connected to loss and this life inevitably brings much loss in many ways. There is the loss of the innocence we once knew; there is the loss of dignity and self-worth; perhaps a loss of trust; loss of integrity; or, the loss of employment. Many of us have also experienced the loss of health; loss of relationship and the ultimate loss of a loved-one. Jesus came to seek and to save that which is lost, and all the sorrow and loss associated with it.

    The cry of mankind is one of instinct, not necessarily, intellect; we intuitively know that things are not as they should be. When we see the pictures of children suffering poverty and hunger, we know that could never be God’s plan for them. When we hear of disasters and calamities resulting in the loss of human life we know that God could never be the cause of it. The Book of Romans refers to the groaning that is resident throughout creation. The groan does not need to be articulated because it is a universally felt cry of the heart.

    Physical pain serves as an alarm that something is wrong in our body and that is a good thing, but, emotional and psychological pain that results from the abuse or, mistreatment from another human being, is a terrible thing. Unfortunately, there is no one who hasn’t felt the sting of heartbreak and agony which, in this current time, is inevitable.

    This precious verse is a word from God that fills our heart with hope. The good news is that one day everything will be okay. All wrongs will be made right. All relationships will be fully restored. All hurts will be healed. One day all these dreadful things will be a thing of the past and only a faint memory. They belong to a class of things called the former things and they will all pass away and come to an end. So why not get used to the idea of a God who wipes away the tears of His children? You are invited to come and snuggle up close in the arms of your Father and let Him be to you what he longs to be; the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort; the God who wipes away every tear.

Listen Close for the Whispering God

The Whispering God

1 Kings 19:11, 12 - And, behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains, and broke in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the LORD was not in the earthquake: And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire, a still small voice. 

    The still, small voice that we read about here was like a gentle breeze, it was soft words, in fact, it was a quiet, whispering voice. Let’s consider this thought today; the Almighty, All-Powerful God is also the Whispering God.

    A whisper implies relationship and intimacy. Lovers whisper. Close friends may whisper. A confidante may whisper secrets. A little girl and her mother might snuggle and whisper. For a whisper to be effective the one who whispers must be in close proximity. The one who is whispered to must also be close by; near enough to hear the soft breath.

    To hear the soft whisper, we must be able to tune out the noise and the clamour of this world. Remember that it is a still, small voice, so only those who slow down and become still and lower themselves will hear. We must clear out the other voices and external distractions. However, the voices on the inside may be louder and more difficult to silence than the voices on the outside. The voices within may be the voices of failure and regret, the voices of anxiety and fear, the voices of sorrow and pain, the voices of grief and loss, or the voices of despair and depression.

    A whisper is more closely related to the breath than it is to the vocal chords. A whisper from God carries within it His very breath. He breathed life into Adam, in the beginning, and He breathes life into us through the whisper. It a custom designed whisper. It is specifically crafted and intended to answer our every need. A whisper invites imagination. It is designed to stir the heart and excite the spirit to dream again. You can do it. You have what it takes. You are loved. You are capable. You are gifted. You have a purpose.

    Our Father is the Great I Am. He is everything that we could ever possibly need.  He is the whispering I Am. Listen and you will hear Him whisper to you. I am your Healer. I am your Physician. I am your caregiver. I am your strength. I am your nurse. I am your specialist. I am your treatment.  I am your diagnosis and your prognosis. I have taken care of this already. I am breathing life and strength into you now. Every cell of your body is receiving the life of God. Every fibre of your being is pulsating with divine life. Do not fear. I am with you. I am here on your behalf. I will never leave you nor forsake you. 

    He whispers peace to the troubled heart. He whispers strength to the ones who are fainting. He whispers His faith to the ones who may be questioning theirs. He is the whispering God; he is never taken by surprise. He is never caught off guard; He has foreseen every difficulty. He has planned for every contingency. When the heaviness of life comes and the weight of burdens unimaginable seems to be pressing the very life out of you, He whispers His strength. He whispers His power. He whispers grace and forgiveness, a fresh start, and mercy which is new every morning. He whispers wisdom and guidance; solutions to problems and answers to questions.

    As you whisper back to God, it is a whisper of gratitude. Thankful for who He is. Thankful for who you are. Thankful for what you have. Thankful for the experiences of life; the sights, the sounds, the emotions, the feelings, the people, the trust, even the betrayals and the losses, you are just simply grateful to be alive and to know God and to know others. I have loved, and I have been loved. I have hurt, and I have been hurt. I have forgiven, and I have been forgiven. I have trusted, and I have been trusted. I have kissed, and I have been kissed. I have lived, I have loved, I have gained, I have lost and through it all, I have grown, I have become more aware, I see, I hear, I touch, I smell, I taste; I am human.

   Thank you, Father, for these whispers from your heart; you are, indeed, the Whispering God.