I am walking my way through the Gospel of John and there are times I find passages I’m familiar with a bit humorous. John 5 is one of them. Continue reading “How NOT to have a healing ministry”
Tag: healing
The enemy shows up when things are GOOD
As I keep moving prayerfully through Acts 5, I am struck by how I like to emphasize things in my preaching and teaching.
I love Acts 5:12-16. Peter’s shadow falling on people heals them and delivers them from demons! Who wouldn’t like that? Who couldn’t preach on that? Continue reading “The enemy shows up when things are GOOD”
Heal us of our blindness
Reading for today:
Psalm 51; 69:1-23
Lam. 1:1-12
2 Cor. 1:1-7
Mark 11:12-25
Lam. 1:5
Her foes have become her masters;
her enemies are at ease.
The Lord has brought her grief
because of her many sins…
Prayer:
Lord, we are blind and our blindness is simply stunning. All the advantages have been afforded us and we have become lost in our own comfort and abundance. We are desperately in trouble and do not see it. Heal us of our blindness. Tough us with your healing power so we can see before it’s too late and we wake up only to realize our enemy isn’t worried about us anymore. In this Holy Week, please favor us with a healing touch so our eyes are opened. Lead us to the cross.
Love without pretense
Reading for Saturday:
Psalm 102, 108, 33
Ex. 2:23-3:15
1 Cor. 13:1-13
Mark 9:14-29
Reading for Sunday:
Psalm 118, 145
Ex. 3:16-4:12
Rom. 12:1-12
John 8:46-59
Thoughts from Mark 9: Continue reading “Love without pretense”
Faith that risks
Reading for today:
Ps. 80, 77, 79
Gen. 44:18-34
1 Cor. 7:25-31
Mark 5:21-42
Jesus had his “reputation” put on the line several times, and people didn’t seem to care. Continue reading “Faith that risks”
Touching the leper
We have struggles with how to “be the church” in western Christianity. Do we invite people to come in? Do we just plunge ourselves “out there”? How much do we get “involved” in other peoples’ lives? Continue reading “Touching the leper”
Are we MOVED?
40 A man with leprosy came to him and begged him on his knees, “If you are willing, you can make me clean.”41 Jesus was indignant. He reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” (Mark 1:40-41)
Indignant. Other translations choose “moved with compassion.”
Early in Mark’s gospel we see the action of Jesus and it often attaches emotion. Jesus is moved by the human condition.
It’s not a matter of “staying mad” all the time, but it IS a matter of having our consciences moved. Pricked. Sliced and diced.
The human condition of our death culture. We are ready to snuff out life before it reaches full term. We are willing to cut life off once it’s here. There needs to be a moving in our spirits where we become indignant.
When we see people continually beat down by the enemy, would we allow the Spirit to cause a flame of rage to rise up in our spirit and we would declare in prayer, “NO MORE!”
Jesus felt the condition around him and acted. We need to feel again. To feel the racism. To feel the poverty. To feel the bondages thrown on people by the gods of this age. From the people in the gutter who are obviously “on the margins” to those in bondage in other ways and we won’t see it because they look secure… we need a new awareness of the bondage and activity of the Spirit all around us.
Let us feel once again. And then, as Jesus did, let us act.
