what once was dead

 

About four years ago, we bought two small sapling apple trees and planted them.  They grew leaves and looked good all that year. The next year, they began to put on leaves and started off looking good, but then a late frost hit, and all the leaves withered and died. That year, those tiny trees stood bare. We figured they were dead but left them in the ground. Then the next spring we went out to dig them up so we could replace them, and when I got down to dig them up, I realized there were buds on the branches. Those two trees were not dead after all, and both came back that year and grew. This spring they grew again. And got much taller this year. One of them isn’t doing as well. But God showed me something. Sometimes we write things off as dead when there is actually life. And not only life, but eventually, fruit will come forth.

Let’s take a look at Sarah. Abraham was given a promise in Genesis 17. Verse 15-19

¹⁵ And God said unto Abraham, As for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall her name be.

¹⁶ And I will bless her, and give thee a son also of her: yea, I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of people shall be of her.

¹⁷ Then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall a child be born unto him that is an hundred years old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear?

¹⁸ And Abraham said unto God, O that Ishmael might live before thee!

¹⁹ And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him.

 

We see God change her name Sarai -my princess to Sarah -mother of nations. She was barren. Abraham laughed at the idea of her bearing a child. How could it happen? He knew her womb was not only barren, but she was past the age of bearing a child. Her womb was considered dead. She was beyond the physical ability to bear a child. But God had a miracle ready.

In Genesis 18 we see the visit of the two angels who reminded Abraha of the promise.

Genesis 18:11-14

¹¹ Now Abraham and Sarah were old and well stricken in age; and it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women.

¹² Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?

¹³ And the Lord said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, which am old?

¹⁴ Is any thing too hard for the Lord? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.

 

Sarah heard this for herself, from the tent and laughed as well. How would this even be possible? The angels quickly pointed out that nothing is too hard for the Lord. The promise was real to her at last. Did hope spring up in her heart at that moment? Did faith arise and grow? There are other examples of barren women given a child when it looked impossible.  Rachel, Hannah, the widow who helped Elijah, and Elizabeth.  Each of these women should not have been able to have a child. In each of these we see they bore a child. And there was a restoration of life and bringing forth fruit. In most of these cases, that womb that was dead, brought forth life and that life bore fruit beyond expectation.

Sarah was truly blessed. She is the only women in the Bible whose age was mentioned and she was listed as a hero of faith. She became an example of what God can do with impossible situations.

Genesis 23:1

And Sarah was an hundred and seven and twenty years old: these were the years of the life of Sarah.

Hebrews 11:11-12

¹¹ Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised.

¹² Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand which is by the sea shore innumerable.

 

Sarah bore Isaac because she chose to believe in the Word of the Lord. I think in that moment, God had strengthened her, and a spark of hope became real faith. She knew Abraham had been told she would have a child, but when the angels spoke it and reminded her that nothing was impossible for God, Hope became faith. Not only did she bear Isaac, but she also became the mother of nations. Her child became the many nations.

Hebrews 11:1-3

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

² For by it the elders obtained a good report.

³ Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.

 

Faith in God for what seems impossible. That is what is needed. We all have situations or things that seem dead. It may be someone who has lost their way, a job or financial situation. It may be spiritual. It may even be a church. But what may appear dead and impossible to me and you, God says will be alive and bear fruit.  God has a promise for what many would see as dead.

In Ezekiel chapter 37 God lead Ezekiel into a valley of dry bones and told him to speak and prophesy over these bones. What happened?  Life came back into these dry bones. God used Ezekiel to speak life into the dry bones and declare prophesy over the people of Israel. Read those last verses again.

 

Ezekiel 37:11-14

¹¹ Then he said unto me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel: behold, they say, Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost: we are cut off for our parts.

¹² Therefore prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel.

¹³ And ye shall know that I am the Lord, when I have opened your graves, O my people, and brought you up out of your graves,

¹⁴ And shall put my spirit in you, and ye shall live, and I shall place you in your own land: then shall ye know that I the Lord have spoken it, and performed it, saith the Lord.

 

God told Ezekiel to speak his word over the things that appear dead. We too need to speak the Word over what may appear dead. Call forth the life and spirit to revive in those lost souls and situations that only God can solve. I know a great example of a family member that most had written off. He was addicted to drugs for years and headed to an early grave. He literally died on an emergency room table in one of his worst moments. But God answered his parents’ prayers and called him forth. He was set free by the blood of Jesus, life restored and he became a worker for the kingdom. What was dead came to life and bore fruit in the Kingdom of God.

Proverbs 18:21

²¹ Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.

What we speak matters. When we speak the word of the Lord, it matters. God has a plan for all things. We can read many instances of God’s word being spoken and things change. When the disciples stood and spoke the word of the Lord, lives were changed, people were delivered and healed. Souls were saved. And yes, the enemy was angered. But God says power of death and life is in our tongue.

Isaiah spoke about speaking a word in season. We have the ability to speak Word to those in need and in the right season.

Isaiah 50:4

The Lord God hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: he wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned.

He has given us a tongue to use to speak encouragement and life into the weary soul. We need to know His word and be ready to speak into the brokenhearted, the lost and the hurt. We need to be ready in season with the Word of the Lord.

Peter and John had been questioned and threatened after healing the man at the gate of the temple. The high priests and threatened them not to speak of Jesus and let them go. They went back to the people and told them what had happened. This is their response.

Acts 4:24-29

²⁴ And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, Lord, thou art God, which hast made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is:

²⁵ Who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things?

²⁶ The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ.

²⁷ For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together,

²⁸ For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done.

²⁹ And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word,

 

The people prayed over Peter and John to be given boldness to speak the word of God in the face of every threat and attack. They went forth and reached souls for the kingdom of God. They boldly proclaimed Jesus into the dead lives around them. Those souls came to life and bore fruit. May we understand that we can speak life into situations. When we pray and speak the word of God into and over the situations, God will bring forth life and bring forth fruit. What once was dead, will be made alive and fruitful.

Psalm 119:172

My tongue shall speak of thy word: for all thy commandments are righteousness.

When we pray over what seems dead, let us speak life. Let us have hope that grows into faith. And see what God will do. I pray that my tongue will speak His word boldly into the situations that most would proclaim as dead. I pray to honor the commandments of God because they are righteousness. What may appear dead will come to life and bring forth good fruit. Speak life.

 

ministry matters

 When we hear the word ministry, we immediately think of a preacher, someone standing before a congregation sharing the Word of God. But ministry is more than preaching. Ministry should be a part of our everyday lives as a Christians.  Jesus spoke to the crowd in Mark 16:15 “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” Then he ascended.  The disciples went and preached the gospel to the world. But was it just preaching?  In Acts we see that there was also other types of ministry. There was daily prayer, daily sharing of meals. In Acts chapter 7, we can read that the twelve chose seven men to minister to the needs of people, serving tables in the daily ministration so they could just pray and minister the word. They appointed those men to minister to needs.

We walk daily among people who have needs. We can daily be a light and meet a need. We can be the one to minister to those needs. We can be used to meet the needs of people one on one. Do you know a family who needs prayer or a meal?  Do you know of a senior who just needs someone to check on them or talk with them? Do you know a young mother that may need reassurance that she is doing a good job or someone to hold her baby for a moment so she can eat and shower? These are all moments of ministry. When often think of ministry as big acts that have immediate results of souls being saved, but there are also small acts of ministry that are often overlooked. We cannot overlook those small things that minister to people and often show them that God loves them even in the mundane and overwhelming parts of life. I know for myself, I remember those small things people have spoken to me or have done for me that really mattered in the moment. As a young mom, I needed to hear that lady in the store who came by and gently said, “You are doing a great job. You got this.” That meant the world to me. I also remember those who have called or prayed with me when I needed it. It may have been a small thing, but it mattered to me.

John 15:12 says “This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.”  We are commanded to love one another. That includes caring about each other enough to notice we need encouragement, we need support, we need to hear about God’s love for us and feel his love from one another. There is a saying that no one will care what you have to say until they know you care about them. If we are to reach a soul, we need to care for them and show them the love of God in action. Souls are won by caring for them. Souls are kept by continual care. 

Jesus often used shepherds to show and describe ministry. A shepherd continually watches and cares for the herd. He doesn’t just see a lamb born and then leave it to figure out how to survive. He cares for it. He makes sure it is in the right places to eat, and ensures it’s safety. There is a daily, continual interaction between the shepherd and the sheep that provides for the sheep. The sheep are protected, provided for and cared for. We need to consider that as part of ministry. We are  called into the body. We are all a part of the Body of Christ. Each member with a purpose. Each of us have a calling to unity in the body. We are all able to care for one another, pray for one another, and reach out to one another.

Ministry should be our lifestyle.  In this world, we have distractions. Even good things can distract us from opportunities to minister. We need to be diligent to be ready always in season and out of season, to minister to a needy soul. It may be praying for someone or bringing a meal. It may be a phone call to check on their wellbeing. It may be visiting someone in the hospital. It may be sitting with someone and just being there. It is all ministry. That is the gospel being lived out. Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”  Let us walk in the good works he has for us. Don’t be afraid to care and share. Be willing to minister to the needs of those around you. It doesn’t have to be big, it will matter to the one who needs it.

I am a Part of the Kingdom of God

 

Kingdom is defined as the spiritual reign or authority of God. God has all authority to give orders, make decisions, and exercise his power. 

 

In the study of biology, there are rules that govern classification. These rules are used to determine what kingdom plants and animals are a part of. There have been several theories and ideas in biology that now have five kingdoms of classification. This classification was based upon certain characteristics like mode of nutrition, cell structure, relationships and reproduction. These rules are the determining factor. 

What does this have to do with the Kingdom of God? We are supposed to be a part of the kingdom of God when take on His name. We are to fit within the rules that govern the Kingdom of God. We are given the characteristics of His Kingdom. We are to have a mode of nutrition. We are to take in His Word, His spirit, prayer life. We are to have a cell structure or make up that reflects God. We are to be filled with his spirit. We are made new creatures. We become spiritual beings reflective of God's authority over us. We are to have relationships that reflect God. We become part of his family. part of the body of Christ. We are to relate to the body, care for the body, be a part of the body. We are to have reproduction. We produce the fruit of the spirit as He works in us and through us. We are to share the gospel and bring others into the Kingdom of God. 

 

1 Corinthians 15:50

Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.

 

Do I carry the characteristics of the Kingdom of God?  Does God rule and reign over me and my life?  Would I be classified as a member of His Kingdom? Am I a representative of His Kingdom?

. Do others recognize my citizenship of the Kingdom?  My life should reflect the characteristics of the Kingdom of God. I am no longer of this world, I am now a representative of the Kingdom of God. A representative is defined as typical of a class, group, or body of opinion; an example of a class or group; a person chosen or appointed to act or speak for another or others. I have been bought by the blood of Jesus. I have been made a new creature in Christ. I am no longer my own. I am His.

 

 1 Thessalonians 2:10-12

10 Ye are witnesses, and God also, how holily and justly and unblameably we behaved ourselves among you that believe:

11 As ye know how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you, as a father doth his children,

12That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory.

 

 I find my nutrition in his Word. I feast on HIs Word and am fed by the Word. I have a prayer life that is effective and fervent. I reflect Jesus Christ in how I live, act, respond and treat others. My relationships are fruitful. The Spirit should produce life around me. My life should be fruitful and produce the fruit of the spirit so that others can taste and see that God is good. New creatures are produced because God works through me to reach others. 

 

Matthew 6:33

But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

We are to walk worthy of the Kingdom of God, seeking God first and pursuing the righteousness of God. When we focus on living in the Kingdom of God, rather than the nature of this world, Our characteristics will reflect Jesus to those around us. We will walk and talk like him. We will act like him. Those around us will feel His presence, see him actively working through us, and will want to be like Him as well. Represent the Kingdom of God. That is who you are supposed to be and who you are called to be. He has chosen us. We are a chosen people, a royal priesthood.

1 Peter 2:9

But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light;

 

Know who you are. Know the Kingdom to which you belong. Live as a citizen of this Kingdom representing the King of Kings. He is Lord of all. He is in complete authority and we have access the King.

The is Power in Praise

 There is power in praise. Praise is defined as 1.  to express a favorable judgment of : Commend; 2.  to glorify (a god or saint) especially by the attribution of perfections (Merriam Webster)

 

Praise invites the presence of God into your life. Psalm 22:3 But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.  He comes and lives in our praise. He hears our worship. He is pleased when we praise. He responds to praise.  God's presence will change the atmosphere and change you. He is able to give us a peace and a joy that the world cannot understand.  I know God works through our praise. He deserves all praise. He is worthy of all praise. He has praise woven throughout the Word.  When we go to the temple built by Moses, we see that God wanted to dwell with his people. The temple was there not only for worship, but as a way for God to dwell with his people. In Exodus 25:8 And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them. This verse explains that he wanted to be with them. He travelled with them when they moved and had a place to dwell. He wants to be with his people. He now comes in and fills each of us with his Spirit. We are now the temple. 1 Corinthians 6:19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? We are now the vessel meant for him to live and be praised. The temple had the outer court, the inner court and the holy of holies. When Jesus became the sacrifice, the veil was torn so we have access to the Lord himself. We go to the holy of holies. He wants relationship with each and every one of us. We enter the holy of holies by proceeding from the outer courts of praise to the inner court of consecration, to the very throne room of righteousness. There is one gate to enter.  Psalm 11:4 Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.  Praise ushers in the peace and joy in his presence.

Praise can change our mindset. Part of praise is being thankful. Thankfulness is very powerful in how we view our lives and our situations.  Being thankful will change a mindset, change your hope, change how you handle the situation in which you find yourself. When I begin to recount the goodness of God, the blessings, and thank him, I stop dwelling on the problem and give him the glory and worship.  He deserves all our praise. If we focus on the problem, the storm, we get our eyes off of Jesus. We begin to sink, just as Peter did.  We can keep our eyes on Jesus by praising him. Hebrews 12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Praise brings joy.  Even when I do not feel like praising God, I can start with that sacrifice of praise. Just take that step to worship God. His presence enters and he can work on our hearts and minds. He can take what we worry about and turn it to praise. His peace can wipe our the worry, His joy can heal the hurting.  Isaiah 61:3 O appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified.  Philippians 4:7  And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Praise is also a way of defeating the enemy.  When we praise God, The enemy cannot stand. He may try to imitate God by posing as a lion.   1Peter 5:8  ]Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.  But God is the Lion of Judah. Judah means 'praise'  Jesus was born in the tribe of Judah. He is the Lion of Judah. Revelation 5:5 And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof. Jesus is the One with the power we need to defeat the enemy.  Praise ushers in our victory.  The enemy cannot win if we are praising God through all circumstances. He cannot gain a foothold as we worship God Almighty. In 2 Chronicle 20 we can read about King Jehoshaphat leading the tribe of Judah (praise) to send the praise up first. The singers entered the battle field first.  They found the enemy already defeated.  v. 21 And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the Lord, and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the Lord; for his mercy endureth for ever. If you need victory, start praising God. He will fight the battle for you and bring the victory you need. 

Praise is powerful. Praise brings his presence. Praise changes you inside out. Praise brings you victory. Praise brings us before the feet of Jesus. Praise Him!

Psalm 150 Praise ye the Lord. Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the firmament of his power. Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness. Praise him with the sound of the trumpet: praise him with the psaltery and harp. Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs. Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding cymbals. Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord.

exceeding mercy

I was thinking the other day about how growing up, we could always run to mom or dad and present them our concerns and our accomplishments. We were not afraid to run to them to ask for help, to tell them our latest joy, or to even present them a problem.  My own kids call out for mom or dad when they have trouble or when they are excited. When that phone rings and it is my kid, I will not hesitate to answer that phone. I want to know what they need. I want to rush to help or to rejoice about whatever they are doing. I want to do for them sometimes more than they expect, not because they worked and earned it, because they are mine and I love them. We have that same effect on our heavenly Father. He loves us even more than the best parent. He is a God of love and the One who extended grace, unmerited favor to a broken people. He sent his son to die for our sins. He reached out to a fallen world to not only give salvation, but to extend grace beyond what we could ask or think.

We all have sinned and have a great need of a Savior. Paul wrote in his letter to the Ephesians about the great gift we received from Jesus. In chapter two of Ephesians, Paul wrote: 4, But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 5, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) 6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: 7. That in ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. These verses give us hope and understanding that because of Jesus we are raised up in Christ Jesus and dead to sin.  We are no longer the sinful man, but we are recipients of the great gift of mercy and grace. We are no longer who we were. Verse seven says he will shew the exceeding riches of his grace. Because of his kindness and goodness, we receive exceeding riches of grace. Exceeding means: very great, extreme. His grace goes beyond what we can think or believe. It is more than; it is expansive. It goes beyond just rescue and setting us free but continues to flow and bless throughout our lives. 

Grace is what gives us access to the throne of God and covers us. He died so we might have life. In verse fourteen of chapter 2, it says: For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us.  When Jesus died on that cross, the vail in the temple was torn through revealing the Holy of Holies to those who had had no access to it in the past. This proclaimed that everyone was able to walk into the presence of God because of Jesus' sacrifice. We can approach the throne of God with our petition and our praise. We are robed in the righteousness of Jesus Christ and when we approach the holy presence of God, the righteousness of Jesus grants us the right to be there as stated in chapter two. 18. For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. 19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God. We are now a part of the family. Grace covers us, changes us, and causes us to be new. We become the habitation of God through the Spirit. His spirit lives in us, granting us peace, joy, and guidance. His presence dwells in us. We cannot earn this, but it is given to us in unmerited favor. 

Paul explained that because of the mercy and grace of Jesus Christ, we are saved. Because of Jesus, we are made a part of the family of God. Because of him, we are able to access the Holy One. We were never able to do that on our own. His grace and mercy are a gift that provides great access. We are now able to make our petitions known to God. We are able to bow before him in worship. We are able to speak with him for ourselves. We are able to know him and learn his voice. We can go directly to God and He will respond in great love for us. He sees our needs, he hears our prayers, and he blesses us. We can have a relationship with God because we are now part of his family. We can sit at his table and feast on the good things of God. We can call on Him and his grace and mercy come running. He loves us and cares about our needs. He will answer with his exceeding riches of grace. He is rich in mercy; His love is great and poured out on us. His exceeding grace has saved us. Walk in the full understanding that God's exceeding grace is covering you today. Walk in the confidence of knowing the grace Giver.

What is my issue?

There is a beautiful story of faith and healing recorded in three of the four gospels about a woman with an issue of blood. Luke recorded as follows:

Luke 8:43-48 

43 And a woman having an issue of blood twelve years, which had spent all her living upon physicians, neither could be healed of any, 44 Came behind him, and touched the border of his garment: and immediately her issue of blood stanched. 45 And Jesus said, Who touched me? When all denied, Peter and they that were with him said, Master, the multitude throng thee and press thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me? 46 And Jesus said, Somebody hath touched me: for I perceive that virtue is gone out of me. 47 And when the woman saw that she was not hid, she came trembling, and falling down before him, she declared unto him before all the people for what cause she had touched him, and how she was healed immediately. 48 And he said unto her, Daughter, be of good comfort: thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace.

When we look at what is recorded about her, we don't get a lot of her life's story but we know a few things. She had spent all she had trying to get help for an issue of blood. She could not be healed by any. This issue of blood, according to the Law of Moses, required her to be deemed unclean. This meant several things. No one could touch her. She wasn't supposed to go out in public. She could not attend services at the temple or synagogue. She was to be untouchable and alone. She had no money and maybe shunned by her loved ones at this point. She was without any hope, until she heard about Jesus. Jesus was healing people; he was delivering people. She heard the stories, maybe even saw from a window. She knew he could help her. 

She risked a lot of things to go out into public in her condition. She had reached a point of desperation. She knew only Jesus could give what she needed. She was at that point that if this didn't work, she would be left completely without any other way to be healed. No one could help her. It said in Matthew's account "She said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole."  She believed he could do this miracle and made up her mind that nothing would stop her. She was driven by desperate hope to get to Jesus. She had to push through the throngs of people, breaking the Law. She reached for him and maybe even had to crawl through, but she reached and found the hem of his garment. Healing immediately flowed through. She was made whole. 

The next part of her story could have terrified her. Jesus stopped and spoke. He asked who had touched him. She knew she could be punished for being out in public. She had suffered for years and knew the risk she had taken. She had no idea how he would respond and what he would say about her touching him. She was unclean. No one wanted her to be around them much less touch them. She had to declare it. She knew she was the one who had received a great miracle. She spoke out in front of all the people trembling in fear, but she spoke. 

She then received a greater blessing. Jesus spoke words of life and love to her. "Daughter, be of good comfort: thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace."  What powerful words. She could have been condemned for breaking the law, instead, she was called Daughter. She was comforted, She received peace. She had healing not only for the physical need, but the spiritual need as well.

Do we have an issue within us that only Jesus can heal?  I think sometimes we carry around burdens, physical or spiritual burdens, thinking no one can help us. We may even wallow in the trouble. It can even become our identity. How many people thought about that woman as that unclean woman. How often had she heard the word spoken to her, "UNCLEAN!"  That may have become an identity. But then, Jesus called her "Daughter!"  We can become so bound in a burden, disease, struggle, or a sin, that it becomes who we think we are. We are stuck. We may even lose hope that no one can do anything about it. But Jesus can. 

We have to reach a point of desperation. This will drive us to begin to reach and seek for the ONE who can save, deliver and heal. Reach for Jesus with such desperation that it no longer matters who sees us, what they may think, or what it may take to get to Him. We may even crawl to that place of prayer and reach out to find the hem of his garment. In that instant, his might power can rush into our need and heal. He can make whole what was once broken. He can restore what is lost. He can do whatever it takes to bring us to the place that we are called by a new name. Our identity is changed. Our healing is done. We will hear him say, "Be of good comfort, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace."  

How blessed we can be when we lay down the burdens at the feet of Jesus. Place it all before him and let him do the work in us that we need. Reach for Jesus and you find he is ready to lift you out of the struggle and sin. He is ready to give you what you need. 

seek Jesus

 I have really been thinking about Nicodemus these past few days. I have really begun to identify with him. If you go to John chapter three you can read about Nicodemus coming to Jesus at night. Nicodemus was of the religious sect, the Pharisees, and he was a member of the Sanhedrin court.  He had been taught the scriptures and had studied them. He lived what he believed to be a holy life. He had always believed and had put his faith in God. He believed the promises of God. He was probably seen as a faithful man. Yet, when presented with what he thought was impossible, he asked, "How can these things be?"  Nicodemus appeared to be truly seeking for truth and he wanted to believe. He had questions and sought out Jesus for answers. He had the privilege of hearing Jesus say the very words we love in John 3:16. We do not get to read much more about Nicodemus, but we can find that he boldly urged the leaders not to take innocent blood and to give Jesus a fair trial in John chapter 7. We also find that he loveingly helped Joseph of Arimathea take Jesus' body down from the cross and place it in the tomb. He was probably a wealthy man and provided the costly myrrh for the burial. Nicodemus took the message of Jesus to heart and became a follower of Jesus. What he did for Jesus took courage and went against the Pharisee traditions. He loved Jesus enough to seek him and to follow him.

I think about many of us who have been raised in church. We have been taught the Word, studied the word and participated in worship. We have read the Bible and sought after what we know to be right. But, like Nicodemus, I want to know what is possible through Christ.  As I read the promises to the church and the believers for the last days, I ask, "How can these things be?"  I want to believe and see what Jesus promised. Yet, this world is appearing to become more Godless by the day. That too, was prophesied in the Bible. 

Peter stood on the Day of Pentecost and spoke these words in Acts chapter 2: 16-21

¹⁶ But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; ¹⁷ And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: ¹⁸ And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy: ¹⁹ And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke: ²⁰ The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and notable day of the Lord come: ²¹ And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

He was speaking of what we are promised today. Mark 16:17 speaks of the signs that will follow them that believe. I believe we should be seeing the signs following us as well for today, yet my flesh struggles to truly believe we can see that happen. I ask: what am I still missing when it comes to faith? Nicodemus went to Jesus with questions. He sought answers and appears to have taken the words of Jesus to heart. I can go to Jesus as well with my questions. He has all the answers, I only need to listen, and put faith into action. I may have been raised in church, but that does not mean I know all I need to know. I need to seek Jesus just as Nicodemus sought Jesus. When Jesus promised the comforter, that promise came to pass. We have the Spirit of God to lead us. We can take to heart the promises found in the Word of God. We need to have the courage and boldness of Nicodemus to seek Jesus, stand for Jesus, and love Jesus above whatever this world offers. We can stand boldly for Christ and he will stand with us. As Hebrews 13:6 says, So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me. I want to boldly stand for speak up in faith knowing I have a Savior who has given me power over the enemy. I have promises that miracles are within the realm of possibility. That revival in the last days is a possibility. That what appears to be hopeless, can come to life!  We know a God who created all things by the power of His Word. What have we to fear and what have we to doubt?  Come boldly to him with your fears and questions, He will respond and as the disciples asked, Lord, increase my faith. (Luke 17:5) I don't want to just continue in what has always been done as the traditions of the current church, I want to boldly follow God in whatever direction he plans to take me. Nicodemus recognized that the traditions were not enough, but that Jesus held the answers. May we seek Jesus and find out what he really wants us to do. May we be bold and full of courage in the face of adversity and may we stand for Christ like never before.