February 26, 2012

The Touch Of His Hand Healed Every One 

 Luke 4: 38 - 41 

Luke

After leaving the synagogue that day, Jesus went to Simon's home, where he found Simon's mother-in-law very sick with a high fever.  "Please heal her," everyone begged.  Standing at her bedside, he spoke to the fever, rebuking it, and immediately her temperature returned to normal.  She got up at once and prepared a meal for them.

As the sun went down that evening, people throughout the village brought sick family members to Jesus.  No matter what their diseases were, the touch of his hand healed every one.  Some were possessed by demons; and the demons came out at his command, shouting, "You are the Son of God."  But because the knew he was the Messiah, he stopped them and told them to be silent.  

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Thoughts.....

Wow.  What would you think, if this happened in your home?  Would you just 'praise the Lord'?  I might have said, "Dude....Dudette.....did you see that?!  Whoa.......!"  But how cool.  And for the record, I would have indeed praised the Lord. 

Here's a man who spoke of Isaiah's words in the synagogue in Nazareth, telling everyone that those words had come true before the very eyes of those present.....that the Spirit of the Lord was upon him, he'd been appointed to preach Good News to the poor, to proclaim the captives would be released, the blind would see, the downtrodden would be freed from their oppressors and that the time of the Lord's favor had come. 

Then he went to Capernaum, a town in Galilee.  He taught in the synagogue every Sabbath speaking with authority.  On one of those days, a man possessed by a demon began shouting at Jesus.  Jesus shouted back, "Be silent!"  "Come out of the man!"  Poof!  The demon was gone and the man was healed. The people were amazed and commented, "What authority and power this man's words possess!  Even evil spirits obey him and flee at his command?"

And now, he speaks to a fever.  Not to the woman, but to the fever.  Hmmmm.  But hey, he went forth.  He did what God called him to do, and, as a result of his baptism, what he knew was right to do.....go forth with God for God in thanksgiving.

Here's what I've learned.  Those things that occur that are not of the Lord are of Satan....the Devil.  When you are speaking to God or his assigns, you call them by name.  When you speak to Satan or his assigns, you call them by name.  So, he spoke to the fever and rebuked it.  It really is very simple.  When someone is a liar, you call them a liar.  You might say they have a lying spirit.  Same holds true for a fever, any named illness.  Some churches teach it is the spirit of something....and they might say, 'Spirit of fever come out of so and so."  I'm thinking at this moment.....why just ask the spirit of something to come out, why not the whole thing?  So if you call out the fever, you are calling out the whole guacamole.  So to speak.  That seems to be what Jesus did here.  He called the whole thing out. 

When you tell someone to leave you alone.....you don't say, 'Spirit of so and so, leave me alone'.  You say the name of the person....the whole person.  So it stands to reason that in the case of Simon's mother-in-law, Jesus would say 'fever' rather than 'spirit of fever' begone.  Make sense?  Gee, I hope so.  Because this is important.  We are to do as he has done and more.  If you don't get this, you're in trouble, because it is pretty basic to the essence of all we are called to do in his name.

So, Jesus rebuked the fever, her temperature returned to normal and she got up at once and prepared a meal for them.  That is a miracle by our standards.  But should it be?  Nope.  It should be a common occurrence of the ministry we are all called to, if we have accepted Jesus as Lord of our life.  If you have faith as a grain of mustard seed........Matt 17:20 (mountain)  Luke 17:6 (mulberry tree).

I went to a Bible study a few times with an organization that was set apart to learn and to walk in healing for and with the Lord.  I had a hek of a time.  You know how I've mentioned that as we read more we learn more, even from the same scriptures, because we start with milk and grow to meat....and learn about dessert?   Well, here I was, in this study, li'l ol' me, causing conflict.  They were saying it was the dead person that wanted to be healed.  'How can a dead person want to be healed?' was my comment.  It was the person who was alive....a loved one....in this case Jesus.....AND God....who wanted the person healed.  Whoa did I create havoc, anger, disruption because I went against what the leader was saying....how dare I?!!?  Yup, well, I seem to do that to people.  NOT because I act as a know it all....there is SOOOOOOO much I do not know.   But because I dared to speak something other than that of the leader, which was sad, because what I said was truth.  Read about Lazarus in John 11:38-44  Or maybe it was about the little girl who had a demon...a Gentile....it was her mother who wanted her to be healed.  Matthew 15:21-28.  Either way, or whatever healing story is/was invoked, it is not always the person with the problem who is seeking healing.  We learn from this, that the desires of OUR hearts WITH God's is the impetus for healing....whoever we are.  Hence, also, why we pray for others.

In this story, everyone begged Jesus to heal the mother-in-law.  We don't know specifically if this included the woman who had the fever.  Does it matter?  We now know it does not.  ANYONE who calls on the name of the Lord can be healed.....or obtain healing for others.  AND, we now know, that we, too, in the name of the Lord, can do the same as he has done.  And not just CAN, but are called to do so.  It is how we can show God that we are serious about thanksgiving for our salvation.  It is how we can enter in, enact, embrace the fullness of all he has given us.  Remember, we received Holy Spirit as the first installment of all he has to give us.....that is if you have accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior and received Holy Spirit.  Please don't think for any reason if you have a belief that you can't heal, that it should be a stopping point to keep you from receiving God, Jesus, and Holy Spirit into your heart.  Sometimes, for whatever reason, God chooses not to heal.  Sometimes our faith....lack of it....can get in the way.  Sometimes the faith of others.  If you believe you can, you can. If you believe you can't, you can't.  And sometimes God will choose to override it all.  But don't let your wee faith, or fear, or results other than what you have asked, get in the way of your salvation. 

The next paragraph....yes, that was a long explanation for a little bitty paragraph....tells us others were then brought to Jesus and the touch of his hand healed them.  Please note, it is not the touch of OUR hand that will heal others, it will be the presence of God, Jesus, Holy Spirit THROUGH our hand that will heal others.  Sometimes we may have to speak to the spirits, sometimes not.  Sometimes it will be merely a touch, no words will be needed.  Sometimes, a healing prayer, as comfort for the one being touched, will be needed.  BUT.....very large but.....make no mistake.....YOU are not the miracle worker.  You are the vessel through which God heals.  Do NOT ever....EVER mistake this.  You have no grounds for arrogance.  You may not allow power and authority to overcome you, other than from God's power and authority working through you.  This is not a moment for you to be puffed up.  This is a moment to be humbled....because God would choose to use you.  You will have merely answered his call.  The glory should go to God, not you.  Conversely, it's his choice, not fault, if someone is not healed immediately.....or at all.  Sometimes the healing is for them, sometimes for you.  Sometimes it's a test for either.       

Let's look at the very last sentence of the second paragraph.  "But because they knew he was the Messiah, he stopped them and told them to be silent."  Why would he say this?  Could it be because he healed for God's glory and not to receive credit for who he was in humility?  Yes.  Despite the fact he was the child of God, despite being the Messiah?  Yes.  Why would it matter that the demons knew and were spewing forth the info?  It was not time for the world to understand.   

But it IS time for you to understand.  DO you?  I hope you do.  And I hope and pray you will accept God, Jesus and Holy Spirit into your heart....your life today.  I pray as Paul said, 'that your roots will go down deep into the soil of God's marvelous love'.  Please continue to read todays prayer and the Benediction below.  Thanks for joining me today.  May your day be blessed by the fullness of God's marvelous love.          

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Let Us Pray

Dear God, Jesus, Holy Spirit....please forgive me of my sins.....heal me and make me whole.  Rebuke whatever is in me out of me that is not of you.  Now fill me to overflowing with everything you have to give me, filling those areas now left void by Satan's leaving, so he can never enter those areas again.  And please do the same for all my family members as well.  I wish to be surrounded only by those who love me as you do, who love you as I do, so as to not be tempted to be drawn away from you.  I know I have to be in the world, but please keep me safe from being OF the world.  I want to live only for and with you.  Am I perfect?  HEK no....you know that very well.  Will I ever be perfect?  Hek no....I know this.  As long as you are in me, your perfection is all I need.  Now, help me hear your voice....always.  So I know where to walk, and when to walk, and what to do, and how to do.  And for whom in your name.  I do not even need to know their why....only YOUR why.... because you love.  I have a great deal to learn and some of it is 'out there', but it's YOUR way, not the world's way, that I choose to learn.  I know the world sees finitely, where you and your ways are infinite.  So, I'm ready to take on all you want me to do for you.  I'm ready to do for you to the best of my ability.....mostly that ability is needing to get out of YOUR way, so you can just use me as a vessel by which you live, work, breathe, and have your being.  Help me to live up to your expectations and not bring you down to mine.  Big task.  Big honor.  Huge humility.  I bow down to you, O Lord.  Thank you for putting your hand into my heaped up heart and finding me worthy.  Clean out the muck and mire, while you are in there, Lord, so there is infinite room for you.....eternal room.  I feel like I want to say, 'off I go into the wild blue yonder', but really, you and I have been in this relationship for years now, so there is not much new, I wouldn't think. But then again, sometimes my Mom would say I was sitting on my brain, so I guess I am better not thinking and just accepting you and doing for you.  Maybe it's when I think that I move away from you, instead of nearer to you.  Keep me close.....oh, keep me close.  Thank you for loving me all these years, for giving me life, for carrying me when I've needed you to do so, for dying and forgiving me of my sins, for offering me eternal life.  May I always live with you.  In Jesus' name I pray to dear Heavenly Father, God, by and with the power and authority of THE Holy Spirit, I pray.  Thank you for being you.  Thank you for loving me.  Amen.                 

Lord,LordJesJeJeJJjEJJJ     JJThe LORD is king!  Let the nations tremble!  T***

More love.... 

  Benediction....Blessing

Let us hear from Paul as he prays:  

When I think of the wisdom and scope of God's plan, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth.  I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will give you mighty inner strength through his Holy Spirit.  And I pray that Christ will be more and more at home in your hearts as you trust in him.  May your roots go down deep into the soil of God's marvelous love.  And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love really is.  May you experience the love of Christ, though it is so great you will never fully understand it.  Then you will be filled with the fullness of life and power that comes from God.

Now glory be to God!  By his mighty power at work within us, he is able to accomplish infinitely more than we would ever dare to ask or hope.  May he be given glory in the church and in Christ Jesus forever and ever through endless ages.  Amen.  Ephesians 3:14-21 NLT         

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Scroll down to read Jesus' Prayer of Thanksgiving...'The Unforced Rhythms of Grace'.

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Definition of a Christian:  Anyone who believes in God, Jesus and Holy Spirit, and accepts Jesus as Lord and Savior.  Regardless of church name or religious affiliation. 

It is not how we worship, but that we worship....the Trinity!   

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If you feel that the Church of the Holy Spirit has inspired or helped you, we'd like you to prayerfully consider tithing regularly to us or gifting us, so that we can further the work and carry out the will of the Father as proclaimed in Matthew 28:19-20 NLT

 to

 "Go and make disciples out of all the nations

baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you.  And be sure of this:

I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

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  Our Current Cause

It is time to reach into the community and the world around you to see wherein lies the greatest need.  As you choose to focus on these areas, do so with a servant's heart.  Whether the need is for children, adults, or animals, or any cause in between that will help those in need, ask God how you can best serve his needs, what path you must take, and how long you should persevere.  Sometimes we are to be in the lives of others merely as stepping stones.  Sometimes we are to touch those lives forever.  Whatever journey you are called to take, whatever team you will be a member, know this:  God is with you always...even til the end of time.  He loves you, is grateful for you, and will help you along life's way, especially if you are helping others along theirs, persevering with a servant's heart. 

Please accept my sincerest thanks....and God's....and may God richly bless you!   

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    One last thing....

 Jesus' Prayer of Thanksgiving

'The Unforced Rhythms of Grace'

"Abruptly Jesus broke into prayer:  "Thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth.  You've concealed your ways from sophisticates and know-it-alls, but spelled them out clearly to ordinary people.  Yes, Father, that's the way you like to work."

Jesus resumed talking to the people, but now tenderly.  "The Father has given me all these things to do and say.  This is a unique Father - Son operation, coming out of Father and Son intimacies and knowledge.  No one knows the Son the way the Father does, nor the Father the way the Son does.  But I'm not keeping it to myself; I'm ready to go over it line by line with anyone willing to listen."

"Are you tired?  Worn out?  Burned out on religion?  Come to me.  Get away with me and you'll recover your life.  I'll show you how to take a real rest.  Walk with me and work with me - watch how I do it.  Learn the unforced rhythms of grace.  I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn how to live freely and lightly.

   Matthew 11:  25-30

  The Message

And the people said,

"Amen."

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I now write most prayers in the position of ' I ' (first person) because most people are sitting at their computer alone, not in groups, and it allows those reading and praying to personalize the prayer as coming from them going to God.  Variations may appear on holidays when families may wish to use the prayer provided. 

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  Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996.  Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189.  All rights reserved.

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