Recovering from Sickness-What Now? (2 Kings 20:1-6)

No one wants to be sick. Whether it is a minor cold with sniffles or the flu with a fever, aches, and pains-every sickness is at best a nuisance, and at worst, something life threatening. But sickness can be more than just a few days of inconvenience. Debilitating diseases such as diabetes mellitus, lupus, and cancers can cause many years of suffering. While some of these diseases may not lead to an immediate death, the quality of life is dramatically diminished for those who are afflicted.

In those days Hezekiah was sick and near death. And Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, went to him and said to him, “Thus says the Lord:‘Set your house in order, for you shall die, and not live. ’” Then he turned his face toward the wall, and prayed to the Lord, saying, “Remember now, O Lord, I pray, how I have walked before You in truth and with a loyal heart, and have done what was good in Your sight.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly. And it happened, before Isaiah had gone out into the middle court, that the word of the Lord came to him, saying, “Return and tell Hezekiah the leader of My people, ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of David your father:“I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; surely I will heal you. On the third day you shall go up to the house of the Lord. And I will add to your days fifteen years. I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city for My own sake, and for the sake of My servant David.’ “
2 Kings 20:1-6

Hezekiah was afflicted with a major disease. In fact, God, through the prophet Isaiah, informed Hezekiah that he was soon going to die. But Hezekiah prayed to God and because of his repentant heart and honest prayer, God heard him and answered his prayers by granting him healing and adding an additional 15 years of life!

Hezekiah learned that a sickness can be an opportunity to seek God’s mercy and to discover, for himself, how deep his own faith could be. But what did Hezekiah do with the additional years of life that were granted to him? Several years later, God tested what was truly in Hezekiah’s heart. Had he truly learned humility and the lessons of God’s mercy? Babylonian envoys visited Hezekiah and in an act of pride and foolishness, Hezekiah showed them all the riches of the kingdom. God was testing him.

However, regarding the ambassadors of the princes of Babylon, whom they sent to him to inquire about the wonder that was done in the land, God withdrew from him, in order to test him, that He might know all that was in his heart.
2 Chronicles 32:31

Because of his boasting and pride, God told Hezekiah, through Isaiah the prophet, that his future sons and the kingdom of Judah would be taken into captivity. In less than a hundred years later, this prophecy came true.

God does answer all prayers and sometimes He answers prayers the way that we wish. God can use sickness to bring us to our knees in faith. We need to understand that God can give mercy upon whom He choses. But if He does grant us mercy and heal us of our sickness, what will we do with this healing? Will we use our renewed strength to serve Him or will we become arrogant knowing that God answered our prayers exactly the way we wanted? In the case of Hezekiah, his arrogance led to the eventual downfall of his entire kingdom.

When you are sick, pray for God’s mercy to heal you. And if He does, pray that the healing in you will lead to even greater works that He will do through you, for His Kingdom.

Love and respect the Lord; seek His will in your life.

Draw What You Hear (Revelation 5:11)

When I was in grade school, the art teacher gave us an interesting assignment. She played a piece of classical music for the entire class. As she played it, she asked us to meditate upon the music and then draw whatever image the music evokes within us. The music was a beautiful orchestral piece with a full symphony performing. As I listened to the delicate interplay of harmonies, the only image that came to mind was an orchestra! So I drew a picture of an orchestra.  When the teacher came over and inspected my work, she chuckled and said, “Well yes, I suppose that is true. Couldn’t you think of anything else?”

I sheepishly replied that I could not.

I am usually not that concrete in my thoughts and interpretations, especially when it comes to music and art. But on that day, many years ago, all I could think about was the most unimaginative and basic image of music.

God has blessed man with a vivid imagination, one that has created countless numbers of amazing stories, movies, and musical compositions. But God’s reality is even more astounding than our wildest thoughts!

Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands.
Revelation 5:11

This is Heaven. There are countless numbers of angels worshipping God, for every moment of time, forever! The Apostle John cannot even begin to describe the immeasurable numbers of angels that are present, surrounding the throne of God. No metaphor or simile is needed. God’s Glory simply is!

The Bible does use imagery to convey the greatness and wonder of God. But sometimes, all that is needed is only the most concrete example of God’s greatness. Let your imagination grow from the reality of God’s Creation!

Amen!

Love and trust the Lord; seek His will in your life.

I Do Not Have to Live Like This Any Longer (John 8:11-12) )

...And Jesus said to her, “ Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.” Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “ I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”
John 8:11-12

The other night I had a comforting and yet perplexing dream. I was in a place surrounded with other believers and while I did not see Jesus, I was filled with tremendous peace knowing that the presence of God was there. Was I supposed to be in Heaven? I did not know. But somehow I realized that any sins I had, frustrations, behaviors that were prone to angry outbursts, were gone. God had recreated and resurrected me to a state where sin could no longer dwell within me. Sin was simply not an option any longer. I would sin no more.

I was confused, unsure whether this was truly happening to me. But then someone came up to me, agitated, demanding an explanation for what was happening. Instead of getting upset, I looked at this person and realized that I no longer needed to respond in anger or hurt because sin no longer existed in me.

I looked around and saw that everyone was earnestly studying and memorizing Bible verses. I knew that unless I truly understood and kept the Word of God at the tip of my lips and within my heart, I would not be able to truly experience the full blessings of God and Heaven.

I awoke with my heart pounding. I am really unsure why; perhaps it was fear of being so close to the presence of God, perhaps it was the fear that I have not done enough with my time on earth to learn God’s Word or to repent of my sins. I recounted the dream and analyzed it, holding it up to God’s Word. There was nothing in the dream that could be supported by the Bible’s description of Heaven. However, the dream was a vivid reminder that someday, sin will no longer an option because Jesus will give me a new body and new nature, like His. I do not have to live like this any longer.

I know my Savior lives and because of Him, all sins are wiped away. Because of Him, I can stand redeemed and reconciled to God.

AMEN!

Love and respect the Lord; seek His will in your life.

Adam-The First Scientist (Genesis 2:17-18)

And out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them:and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof. And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him.
Genesis 2:17-18

Adam was the first scientist. God gave him the task of naming all the animals. So Adam was also the first biologist, zoologist, and taxonomist. You name the scientific specialty and it could be applied to Adam! Adam’s knowledge was passed down through the ages. Who knows how close the original names that Adam gave to each animal resemble the names we currently use?

I will praise thee, O Lord, with my whole heart; I will shew forth all thy marvellous works.
Psalm 9:1

One need only look and observe God’s Creation to be compelled to share it with others. A scientist may delve deep into the mechanisms of life but with each descent, even more mysteries emerge. And with each profound discovery, the even greater layers of complexity and wonders that exist should direct one to the awesomeness of our Creator.

...for the Lord is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed.
1 Samuel 2:3

Knowledge is important and esteemed in God’s eyes. But knowledge for knowledge's sake is meaningless and futile unless it leads us to God, who is the source of all knowledge. Take a look at the world around you. Like Adam, you can marvel at the complexity of God’s creation and be thankful to a merciful and loving God who created a world with such diversity and wonder, all waiting for us to discover it!

Love and respect the Lord; seek His will in your life.

The Recital of Life (Luke 15:7)

Nearly every student who plays a musical instrument will face the inevitable..the recital.

Resplendently dressed, the students introduce themselves to the audience of teachers and parents and nervously announce their musical selection. After a few awkward seconds of positioning their instrument, the music begins. In a few minutes, applause, and it is over...until the next recital!

I have felt the nervousness and anxiety, as a performer and parent. The recital is a collective effort, one that will be repeated many times. And the purpose? Hopefully the student will progress and be thankful to their parents and teachers who reached out and encouraged them.

Our life on this earth is a recital, a preparation for the afterlife. We are the performers and the only audience member that matters is our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Throughout our life, God will reach out to us through events, through relationships, through every possible means to know that He is caring for us and loves us with a perfect and limitless love.

I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety- nine just persons who need no repentance.
Luke 15:7

The most important task we must perform at this recital of life is to accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior. And if we do so in this life, we will be greeted with His loving embrace the moment we pass from this life into eternity. It is then we will experience the applause and joy that occurred in heaven, the moment we repented from our sins and accepted Jesus into our life.

But we only have one chance, while we live in this life. There are no further rehearsals or recitals once we die.

Love and respect the Lord; seek His will in your life.

Daddy, I'm Scared (Luke 22:44)

A few weeks ago, my son contracted pink eye aka conjunctivitis. His left eye was bloodshot, irritated, and itchy and he was incessantly rubbing it. We stopped off at the drugstore and got some topical eye drops that contained a soothing anesthetic. When we got home, I had my son lie down and I positioned the bottle over his left eye. As I held his eyelids open, he looked at me and said, “Daddy, I’m scared.”

I was shocked by his statement. My son is effervescent, always happy with a broad smile on his face. To see him exhibit fear, an emotion I rarely ever see him express, disturbed me. I stopped what I was doing and reassured him over the next few minutes that it would only hurt a little and then he would feel better. After a few moments, his trust in me was reassured and he allowed me to put the medicine in his eye.

And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly. Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.
Luke 22:44

Sometimes I do not appreciate that Jesus was fully man and fully God. He was God. He taught and brought divine insight to Scripture like no other else who had ever lived. He performed miracles that only God could perform. And He conquered death through His resurrection.

But Jesus was also fully man and was not hindered in expressing His emotions. Although we see many different faces of Jesus in the Gospels, it is the times when He expresses His emotions that move us like no other experience. We feel the sadness that Jesus felt as He wept outside the tomb of His friend Lazarus. We sense the anger and disdain that He felt as He overturned the tables of the moneychangers and drove them out with a whip in the temple of Jerusalem. And in this passage, Dr. Luke records with intimate and raw detail, the agony and emotional intensity that Jesus Christ experienced just before His arrest and crucifixion. We share in the intense spiritual, emotional and physical agony that Jesus experienced before His betrayal.

Just as any unexpected emotion that I witness from my son disturbs me, seeing Jesus in such agony disturbs me far more. I cannot begin to imagine the horror that He felt as He was separated from God, the Father, for the first time in His life and experienced the full weight of our sin upon Himself as He hung on the Cross.

I would be scared. But Jesus accepted the suffering so that He could conquer death for all of us.

Praise to Jesus Christ, the Living and Loving God!

Exercising Metaphors (1 Corinthians 9:24-27)

“The only exercise some Christians get is jumping to conclusions, running down their friends, sidestepping responsibility, and pushing their luck.”

This anonymous quote bites hard, doesn’t it? As believing Christians, we are to live our lives as ambassadors of Jesus Christ. Our lives should be a beacon of light in an otherwise dark world. But sometimes, our best intentions go awry. We may become judgmental, overly critical, and narrow-minded of other’s viewpoints and lifestyles. Instead of love and compassion, we may paint an ugly and dark picture of the exact opposite of what we are attempting to achieve. And how do we respond? We think that if we read the Bible more or try just a bit harder, God will change us. But it is not at all about our efforts.

Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. Therefore I run thus:not with uncertainty. Thus I fight:not as one who beats the air. But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.
1 Corinthians 9:24-27

Spiritual exercise.

It is more than just reading the Bible, attending a Church fellowship, or participating in outreach activities. All of these are important. But it is the goal that is most important. Why do we do it? The Bible makes it very clear; the objective is to remain faithful to God until the very end of our lives on this earth. All of these exercises train us to completely yield ourselves to God’s will. It is difficult, yes, but we do not do it alone. If you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, the Holy Spirit indwells within you and empowers you to become more Christ-like.

Exercise your privilege to walk like Jesus Christ.

Love and trust the Lord; seek His will in your life.

Waiting for Advancement (Romans 8:15-17)

In martial arts, there is an interesting and practical rule. A Sensei (dojo master) can never promote one his students to a rank higher than he is.  For example, if the Sensei is a 3rd degree black belt, all other black belts must wait to advance and can never equal a 3rd degree until the Sensei is advanced to a 4th degree or higher grade. In this manner, every student, even if they are a black belt, will always be below the rank of their teacher in their respective dojos.

Jesus turns this system upside down.

For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.
Romans 8:15-17

Do you only consider Jesus a great teacher? Certainly many of the people who followed him around and listened to Him thought that. But Jesus’ teaching challenged anyone who listened to Him to go far beyond a student-teacher relationship. Jesus promised that when we accepted Him as our Lord and Savior, we would be in the same relationship with God, the Father, as He is. We would be adopted as a child of God. We would be able to receive the same blessings, equal to Him!

There is no waiting for advancement once we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior! Jesus brings everyone into an equal relationship with God. How awesome a God who does this for us!

Love and respect the Lord; seek His will in your life.

The First Death (Genesis 2:15-17)

And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it:for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.
Genesis 2:15-17

Did Adam truly understand what it meant to die?

If he didn’t, he soon learned of the horrible truth when his son, Abel, was killed by Cain. There are few things as tragic as seeing your child die. But for this to happen in the first family, where death was completely foreign, seems almost unimaginable.

Although we understand what it means to die and some of us have even seen loved ones or strangers die in front of us, none of us can truly understand what happens the moment we die. The Bible, however, is very explicit and clear about what happens and what to expect.

God extends His salvation, His saving Grace to all who call upon the name of His Son, Jesus Christ, as their Lord and Savior. And if you have accepted Jesus Christ, then the very instant you die, you will be transported into Heaven and into His presence. But if we refuse to accept Him, God allows us to chose our final resting place. And if it is not with Him, it is in eternal torment in hell, total separation from God’s love and mercy. God shows no partiality and He will have His will done, in spite of our worst efforts or lack of faith.

The first death may usher in an eternity of bliss and peace in God’s presence or it may lead to an eternity of suffering and torment. Adam may not have truly understood what it meant to die when God pronounced judgment upon him in the Garden of Eden.

Do you truly understand what it means to die?

Love and respect the Lord; seek His will your life.

Fighting An Uphill Battle (Acts 5:38-39)

Ever feel like you are fighting an uphill battle? Two steps forward, one step back. The harder you try, the “behinder” you get!

The early apostles were on fire for Jesus Christ! Largely uneducated and recruited from smaller cities outside Jerusalem, they were a diverse collection of men. But after the Resurrection of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit came upon them, they were all empowered and emboldened to preach and proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The Jewish authorities did not know what to do about this new threat! In fact none of them had ever seen the power of God working miracles as the Apostles now did. They commanded them to stop what they were doing. They imprisoned them. They beat them. But the the Word of God continued to spread!

Some of the wisest leaders recognized that there was a possibility that the Apostles were truly representing God and cautioned the others to leave the Apostles alone.

And now I say to you, keep away from these men and let them alone; for if this plan or this work is of men, it will come to nothing; but if it is of God, you cannot overthrow it— lest you even be found to fight against God.
Acts 5:38-39

The Jewish leaders were fighting an uphill battle, one they would never win or even come close to winning. Over two thousand years later, their prescient words still ring true!

Are you fighting an uphill battle? If you are living your life in disobedience to God, you will continue to flail and fail. Why do it the hard way? Do you really want to fight God?

Return to God with a humble heart. Confess your sins to Him and repent. He loves you with an all-consuming love!

Love and trust the Lord; seek His will in your life.

Take Time and Be Amazed What God Has Done (Ecclesiastes 3:11)

He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end.
Ecclesiastes 3:11

Of late, the sunsets have been particularly spectacular. We have not missed many opportunities to see the brilliant and dazzling spectrum of colors reflected off the clouds. And as we gaze, we cannot help but think that only God, who loves us so much, would design a world that can captivate us with a few moments before day becomes night.

But it is not only sunsets that turn our thoughts to God. Each moment of the day holds a special beauty. Take time to stop and rejoice in the simple and delicate beauty that God has created for us to share with Him and with each other.

Love and respect the Lord; seek His will in your life.

How Much is Enough for You? (Matthew 15:22-28)

A buffet creates excitement within some of us, especially those who want to gorge themselves on food. There is something irresistible to be presented with a spread of food, all for your taking, with no restrictions.

But what would happen if you saw all of your friends invited to a banquet buffet and all you could do was observe? Instead of partaking of this buffet, all you were allowed were the remnants? Instead of the succulent cut of prime rib, you would be given a bone that had most, if not all, of the meat sliced and torn away. A luscious pie would be reduced to crumbled crust. Would you be satisfied with that?

And behold, a woman of Canaan came from that region and cried out to Him, saying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon- possessed.” But He answered her not a word. And His disciples came and urged Him, saying, “Send her away, for she cries out after us.”  But He answered and said, “ I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” Then she came and worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, help me!” But He answered and said, “ It is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the little dogs.” And she said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.” Then Jesus answered and said to her, “ O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed from that very hour.
Matthew 15:22-28

This Canaanite woman was more than happy to accept the crumbs if it meant that Jesus would heal her daughter. The Canaanites were outsiders, separate from the Jews. She knew that Jesus was sent first to the Jews, as their King and Messiah. But she also knew that the entire world would be blessed by God’s Kingdom. Hence she persisted in asking Jesus for healing, willing to take any little bit of His blessing, even if meant the “crumbs”.

Our values have been turned upside down by the world. We think bigger is better. We need new and different activities to continue to stimulate our insatiable appetites. And once we partake, it only temporarily satisfies us, egging us on toward the next big or new thing. How much of God’s goodness, provision, and mercy is enough for you? Will you be grateful for any part of God’s mercy or will you be arrogant demanding that God give you everything you ask for? Do you demand the entire banquet buffet from God? Or can you accept any gift from God, no matter how seemingly small it seems?

God grants His mercy to those who follow Him, to those who call upon the name of His Son, Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. God has already given us more than enough by giving us His Son to die on the Cross so that He may be resurrected and bring us into right fellowship with God. How much is enough for you? God has exceeding abundantly given all we could have ever asked for and more.

Love and respect the Lord; seek His will in your life.

An Unlikely Hero (Joshua 2:11-13)

Sometimes, the most unlikely hero emerges to save the day. This harrowing video shows a tragic encounter between a child and a dog, averted before any serious harm could be inflicted upon the child.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6GQR3Ym5M8

And as soon as we heard these things, our hearts melted; neither did there remain any more courage in anyone because of you, for the Lord your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath. Now therefore, I beg you, swear to me by the Lord, since I have shown you kindness, that you also will show kindness to my father's house, and give me a true token, and spare my father, my mother, my brothers, my sisters, and all that they have, and deliver our lives from death.
Joshua 2:11-13

God used unlikely heroes throughout the Bible. When Joshua sent two men to spy out Jericho and the surrounding lands, the prostitute Rahab assisted them, hiding them in her home. Rahab was a foreigner and a social outcast because of her profession. Yet she knew and feared God and protected the spies because she knew what was right.  And how was her faithfulness rewarded? She was included in the earthly line of our Lord Jesus Christ, as the great, great grandmother of King David.

Salmon begot Boaz by Rahab, Boaz begot Obed by Ruth, Obed begot Jesse,
Matthew 1:5

What a wonderful reminder to know that God rescues and blesses His people, to those who are called His own. God does not look at the outward appearance but looks into our heart to see our true motives and intentions. Regardless of your past or current state, God will accept you as you are if you place your trust in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. And once you have accepted Him, He will use you in many circumstances, even to directly intervene within other people’s lives. In God’s eyes, we will not be an unlikely hero, but a blessed saint, serving God in His kingdom.

Love and respect the Lord; seek His will in your life.

The Gift of a Meal (John 12:1-3)

Then, six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was who had been dead, whom He had raised from the dead. There they made Him a supper; and Martha served, but Lazarus was one of those who sat at the table with Him. Then Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil.
John 12:1-3

Mary, Martha, and Lazarus were a family that Jesus loved. The Holy Spirit records in the Bible how Jesus spent much time in their home in Bethany, just outside of Jerusalem. In the passage above, Jesus had just raised Lazarus from the dead. It was now 6 days before Passover, when Jesus would be crucified. And Jesus chose to take one of his last meals with all of them.

Earlier in Luke’s Gospel, we learn how Martha was upset as she (Luke 10:38-42) was busy preparing a meal for Jesus when He visited but her sister, Mary, did not lift a hand to help her but sat at Jesus’ feet, listening to Him speak.

Martha may get a bad rap because of this first mention of her. But Jesus was not criticizing her because she was busy preparing him a meal, He was reminding her that all of us have special gifts and her gift of preparing a meal and serving Him allowed others in the room, including her sister Mary, to listen to His teaching. Some time later, the Holy Spirit records for us in this passage from the Gospel of John, how Martha is again serving Jesus. This time, there is no complaining on Martha’s part. The Bible simply records that Martha served. This was Martha’s gift! She prepared meals and served. The Bible does not record what kind of meals she served, but they were undoubtedly delicious! She was probably a wonderful hostess as well. But most importantly, by serving, Martha allowed her sister Mary to anoint Jesus with perfume, in preparation for His death. And the Holy Spirit records both Martha’s and Mary’s actions for eternity.

If you have the gift of preparing and serving meals, God has truly blessed you! Your gift provides enjoyment of food and fellowship and may enable others to exercise their spiritual gifts.

Thank God for the gift of preparing and serving a meal. You serve in God’s Kingdom!

Love and respect the Lord; seek His will in your life.

Let God Fight Your Battles (Joshua 10:12-14)

Then Joshua spoke to the Lord in the day when the Lord delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel: “Sun, stand still over Gibeon; And Moon, in the Valley of Aijalon.” So the sun stood still, And the moon stopped, Till the people had revenge upon their enemies. Is this not written in the Book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and did not hasten to go down for about a whole day. And there has been no day like that, before it or after it, that the Lord heeded the voice of a man; for the Lord fought for Israel.
Joshua 10:12-14

When you allow the Lord to fight your battles, you can be assured that the miraculous will occur! Too often, we rely upon our own knowledge, experience, or advice from well-meaning friends and associates. While all of these are important and God can speak through the wise counsel of others, to truly experience God's power, we must first let Him take over our problems. We must not think so hard about solutions but give the issues up to Him and allow Him to answer with the extraordinary, even if we are not seeking it.  God promises that His Word will prosper all who receive it by faith.

Love and respect the Lord; seek His will in your life.

Does God Heal Everyone? (2 Corinthians 12:7-10)

No, God does not heal everyone.

Even for the Apostle Paul, who had the gift of healing, God did not heal him and remove the thorn in his flesh.

And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And He said to me, “ My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
2 Corinthians 12:7-10

The miraculous acts of healing performed by servants of God in the Bible are recorded by the Holy Spirit for one reason, to cause us to turn to the Great Physician, Jesus Christ. When we experience a healing from God, praise Him! But if we do not, praise Him! God uses illness for many reasons. In some cases, it is to demonstrate the Glory of God in one’s life. In others, it may be because of sins. In still others, it is to teach us humility and for us to be more dependent upon God. Joni Eareckson Tada became a quadriplegic after a tragic swimming accident at the age of 17 years. The next years of her life were filled with bitterness and disappointment. But slowly, God reached her heart and showed her how this accident was for His glory and her eventual joy. Many years later, Joni could proclaim, “God permits what He hates to accomplish that which He loves.”

The ultimate answer for why God does not heal everyone will only be known when we are in His presence. If you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, God is preparing your life to serve Him, in this life and for eternity. If you have an illness, seek God’s will first and ask Him how He is using this illness to transform your life to make it more like Jesus.

Love and trust the Lord; seek His will in your life.

A Friend of Jesus (John 15:13-15)

What is your definition of a friend? Is it someone who sticks with you through life’s ups and downs? Perhaps it is someone who makes you laugh and makes you feel good to be around. Our friends are precious to us and the qualities that endear them to us are unique to each.

Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends. You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.
John 15:13-15

What is Jesus’ definition of a friend? He plainly explained it to His disciples.

1. Lays his life down for another

2. Obeys Jesus’ commands

3. Listens to the Word of God

This is a simple and profound definition. At the heart of the definition is love. There is no greater example of love than for one to lay their life down for another. Jesus did just that. Even if we have never heard of Him, Jesus went to the Cross and died a humiliating and painful death, taking the sins of the world upon Him. He did this so that we would not have to face God’s justifiable punishment for our sins. And now, if we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we have peace with God and eternal salvation.

What is Jesus’ definition of a friend? He proved it for us. All He asks in return is for us to trust Him with our lives.

Won’t you take that first step?

Love and trust the Lord; seek His will in your life.

Love and Respect (Hebrews 12:7)

Respect.

Aretha Franklin sang about it in her song..”R..E..S..P..E..C..T..Find out what that means to me!” We use it in everyday language and hardly a day passes when we do not exhibit some form of respect. It may be shown to a teacher, co-worker, parent, or friend. It may be shown to a member of the military or police. It may even be shown to an inanimate object such as a flag.

Like love, we know what respect is when we see it, but how does one define it? And most importantly what does it mean to respect God?

Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live?
Hebrews 12:7

When the Bible uses the word respect, it means to revere or regard. How is respect shown? As the Holy Spirit reminds us in this passage from Hebrews, if we respect our earthly and human fathers, how much more should we respect our Father God, in Heaven? To better understand how this respect can be given, we need to examine some ways that we can show respect to a person. Respect is a state or condition but it is often used as a verb. It implies a willful action or response as illustrated by the following examples:

1. Have confidence in the person, that what he says he will do, he will perform; it is a person who keeps their promises.

2. Esteem and admire the attributes and qualities of the person.

3. Honor and show deference to the person

Each of these ways that respect can be shown to another can be applied to God. Only He is worthy of our total respect.

1. Having confidence in God

...and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform.
Romans 4:21

2. Esteem and admire the attributes of God

I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works,
And that my soul knows very well.
Psalm 139:14

3. Honor and show deference to God

From the rising of the sun to its going down, The Lord's name is to be praised. The Lord is high above all nations, His glory above the heavens. Who is like the Lord our God, Who dwells on high..
Psalms 113:3-5

It is possible to respect a person but not necessarily love them. However, it is not possible to love a person and not respect them. But if we allow ourselves to be totally surrendered to God, anyone can be loved and respected with the agape love that God loves us. With God, love and respect cannot ever be separated. His promises to us, as revealed through the Bible, are explicit and demand a response. And if we accept His offer of salvation, it means we both love and respect Him. Jesus Christ is worthy of our love and respect because He is both Lord and Savior. He is our Lord who demands our respect and obedience and He is our Savior who, through the greatest act of love that this universe has ever seen, gave His life for us so that we may be reconciled to God because of our sins.

Love and respect the Lord; seek His will in your life.

Who is Your Master? (Ephesians 6:20)

Who is your master?

We love our freedom. We chafe under any suggestion that someone rules over us. Even in a democracy like the United States, the idea of big government looking over our shoulder gives most of us an uncomfortable paranoia. We love our free will and some will defiantly shake their fist at God saying that He cannot break their will, even at their last moment of life.

The Apostle Paul was imprisoned several times during his missionary travels. Some of his greatest letters were written while he was in prison. In one of these letters to the Ephesians, the Apostle Paul described himself with a number of phrases:

...the prisoner of Christ Jesus...
Ephesians 3:1

...the prisoner of the Lord...
Ephesians 4:1

...I am an ambassador in chains...
Ephesians 6:20

Although a prisoner in Roman prison, Paul did not acknowledge the Romans as his jail keeper or prison master. He turned the focus upon His Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. He willingly and gladly acknowledged that his imprisonment and chains were for the glory of Jesus. These apparent setbacks in his travels turned out for the greater advancement of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And this is all that mattered to Paul.

Who is your master?

Submitting to the Lordship and rule of Jesus Christ in your life is true freedom. When you do this, you will experience the life that God wants for you, not the life that you think you want to live.

Love and respect the Lord; seek His will in your life.

The Man in the Moon (Matthew 16:13-17)

Source-Wikipedia

“Don’t you see it, Dad?”

I stared at the full moon, desperately trying to identify the “man in the moon”. Even with my daughter painstakingly pointing out the features, I just could not see it. Even after looking at the illustration above, it didn’t emerge! What was wrong with me? Am I the only person who cannot see this “man”?

Turns out, I am not alone, thank goodness! Various cultures have visualized a wide variety of images ranging from a boy gathering sticks, rabbits, and a mouse. It seems that people will choose to see what they want to see.

When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?” So they said, “Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”
Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar- Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.”
Matthew 16:13-17

The people who gathered around and heard Jesus speaking and witnessed His miracles were blessed indeed! The living God in their presence! But even in His presence, the multitudes still had their varying opinions about who He really was. But there was no reason to assign other identities to Jesus. He may have appeared to have been a great prophet, a teacher, even a priest. Yes, He was all this, but so much more!

The man in the moon will always be open to interpretation, viewed by some people as obvious and others as obscure. But Jesus Christ did not leave that option for us. He is God Incarnate! He is our Lord and Savior! To assign any other lesser interpretation or description of Him is wrong.

Take the time to read the Bible and see for yourself that the claims of Jesus Christ are the truth. If you are truly seeking the truth, ask God to reveal it to you. The Bible reassures us that all who call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved!

Love and trust the Lord; seek His will in your life.