God himself has a love song to sing. It’s a love song about his people. Like many love songs, there are desires and heartbreak. 

God sang a love song about his people and began with his desires for them. In the first two verses of Isaiah chapter 5, the love song begins with how God planted them like a vineyard with all the provisions for them to be fruitful. 

But instead of fruitfulness, he found wild grapes. God wanted the fruits of justice and righteousness, but he saw bloodshed and heard an outcry. 

Like many love songs, heartbreak seems to be the dominant theme. God’s desires were crushed with heartbreak. He tried to bring restoration, but there was no response. 

Finally, God had to do the unthinkable. He called for the nations to come. He opened them up to their enemies to come and take them away as exiles. God determined that this “separation” was necessary to restore their love and relationship. 

NOTE: Did you like this post? Be sure to like, comment, and share.

When life became tough, I remember hearing a young mother of two children express her situation by saying “Since following Christ, what have I gained?” Recently, I heard a similar response from a person who has walked away from the Church. “Once I have enough money to finish constructing my house, I’ll go back to church.”

So, what did we get? If we are unsure of the benefits of following Christ, we will be confused about the purpose of our salvation. On the top of our list should be the benefit of having our sins forgiven by the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, ratified by the fact that he rose from the dead and continues to live and rule. 

We have also been given the privilege of being adopted as children of God. The Bible seems to be clear that this includes all the privileges of inheriting God’s kingdom here, and in the age to come. 

It’s a sad reality, but so many have missed the point. Pastors teach, instruct, and guide, but for some, the message never gets into their hearts. What a loss!

NOTE: Did you like this post? Be sure to like, comment, and share.

 Sometimes, when I pray for people who are terribly sick, I wonder if anything will happen. Yes, I have seen God’s power work to heal many, but questions do come up. I believe that God can heal, but through me? How is it that I can heal the sick? 

In Luke 9:1-2, Jesus’ words give us a clear picture of what He intended: “Then He called His twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases. He sent them to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.” First, He gave them some things to use and then He gave them some things to do. 

Things to use: Power and Authority 

Power is the ability to carry out what you speak, and Authority is the actual right to do it. God’s unlimited power is available to us as we heal the sick. It is His divine power that actually brings healing to the sick person. He has the power to supernaturally change the condition of the body from its “out-of -order” condition back to the order that God created. God’s power literally flows through the person’s body and restores the body to a normal condition.

Along with power, we have been given authority to use. Authority is the right to do something. When someone is authorized to do a task, that person has been given the right to carry out that job. Although the typical idea of “asking” for healing is not a bad idea, Jesus’ words seem to afford us direct authority. We are told to heal the sick in Jesus’ name. So, better than “asking,” we can heal the sick person with words of authority in the name of Jesus. 

Authority is based on our relationship with God. Near the pool of Bethesda, there were many sick people, but jesus healed one man. When he was questioned about this, “Jesus said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise.  For the Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing. And greater works than these will he show him, so that you may marvel’” (John 5:19-20). Thus Jesus based his authority on His relationship with his Father. 

Things to Do: Preach the Kingdom and Heal the Sick

For a people who struggled with their lives in a region under the authority of a foreign nation, the teaching on the Kingdom of God was quite attractive. He wanted them to know that there is a Kingdom beyond this worldly kingdom, and that they are invited. 

The healing and miraculous acts he performed were all simply a foretaste of what his Kingdom is really like.

NOTE: Did you like this post? Be sure to like, comment, and share.

When Jesus came and began to preach, he proclaimed that the Kingdom of God had come. That proclamation is factual, but another kingdom already existed here. The Kingdom of Darkness ruled here on this earth and continues to wreak havoc even today. Thus we have two kingdoms coexisting, and these two kingdoms are forever in conflict. 

Every day, we see the evidence of the kingdom of Darkness. The front page of any newspaper displays the way the kingdom of Darkness continues to hold it’s grip on society. That is an undeniable fact. 

But Jesus declared that the Kingdom of God has come. And the evidence of the kingdom is the works performed by the children of the kingdom. Jesus told his disciples to teach that the Kingdom of God has come and to heal diseases and cast out demons. 

In the last chapter of Mark’s Gospel, we are told that signs and wonders confirmed the words that the disciples preached. Jesus also said that if he drives out demons by the “finger” of God, that is evidence that the Kingdom has come. 

So, the evidence of the kingdom of Darkness is all around us. But the children of the Kingdom of God are to do the works of the Kingdom and reveal the King and provide evidence of His Kingdom to this world. The works of miracles that we do are to be the evidence of the Kingdom of God on earth today. 

NOTE: Did you like this post? Be sure to like, comment, and share.

Who wants humility? It’s not a trait that’s of value anymore. There is a nice “definition” of humility in the Bible:

“Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive” (Colossians 3:12-13).

Example
The example given in this verse is a tough act to follow. The words “as the Lord has forgiven you” brings up thoughts of our own sins and failures. But Christ is our benchmark.

Training
We’ve got to train ourselves to Forgive since that is not the natural human inclination. Whenever someone offends you, remind yourself of Christ’s example. Though you may not always react as Christ did, continue reminding yourself at the moment of offense.

You’ll struggle with your responses, but persist anyway. Allow the example of Christ to gradually change your thoughts, emotions, and actions.

NOTE: Did you like this post? Be sure to like, comment, and share.