MY NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTION

MY  NEW  YEAR’S  RESOLUTION

Do you remember the children’s song The Wise Man Built His House Upon a Rock?  Well I want to build 2016 on that rock. And just how do you do that? (a) Come to Jesus (b) listen to what He says, and  (c) go and do what he says.  It says so in Luke 6:46-40. That is my prayer. May we dig deep into the Word to lay the foundation on the rock. 

Go read Luke 6:27-45 and you tell me how is it possible to do this?  (“Without Me you can do nothing.” and “… but with God all things are possible.”)

 

“Teach me how to live, O LORD.

Lead me along the right path” Psalm 27:11

Psalm 86:11-12

Teach me your ways, O LORD,

That I may live according to your truth!

Grant me purity of heart,

so that I may honour you.

With all my heart I will praise

You, O Lord my God.

I will give glory to your name

forever.

For your love for me is very

great.

 

 

 

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Retirement

Retirement day! The last day of a lifetime of work! Who? My husband.  A bundle of emotional feelings as the roller coaster ride comes to a stop. Which is the next ride; the swings or the carousel?  No, my darling, it is a dance!  The song is determined by the movement of our feet, so we will always be in tune.  With God, this is only the beginning, we have eternity ahead of us.  Let’s dance!

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JOHN 3 My thoughts on John 3.

JOHN 3 

My thoughts on John 3

Be Nicodemus or hide behind a piece of furniture in the room and listen in on this conversation in John 3. It will blow your mind.

Nicodemus got much more than he bargained for.  Nicodemus could never be the same again.

Imagine a stage. Dark. Then dim light from a candle. Only Jesus by the candle.  Silence.  Then a knock on the door.² “After dark one evening, he came to speak with Jesus.” I know how he felt. So much on his heart. So much to clear up. I want to talk to You, Jesus. I really need You. MARK 3:34  WHILE HE WAS ALONE WITH HIS DISCIPLES HE EXPLAINED EVERYTHING TO THEM. Let me always make time to be alone with you, Lord.

 

 JOHN 3 

THE NEW BIRTH   John 3:1-21 (Read through John 3:1-21 before answering the questions.)  The red writing is directly from the Bible.

¹There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.

 

1.      What do we know about the Pharisees’ attitude to Jesus?  (Matthew 12:14)

 

²This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.”

 

2.      With what attitude did Nicodemus come to Jesus?  What did he say about Jesus? (Also read Matthew 11:4-5)

 

3.      Why do you think he came to see Jesus in the night? Why do you think he came to see Jesus? Would you say that Nicodemus was a secret believer?  Give a reason for your answer. (John 19:39; John 7:45-52).

 

³Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

 

4.      Look at what Nicodemus had said to Jesus and then look at Jesus’ reply to Nicodemus.  How do you understand this?  Do you think that Nicodemus as a Pharisee should have understood this? Why or why not?  (Read Joel 2:28-32 …I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh…)  Did Nicodemus know the facts that are found in 1 Peter 1:3 “It is by His great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead?”

 

5.      Let us stop for a while and look at some Kingdom verses: “Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel’(Mark 1:14,15).  “Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10). “The kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say, ‘See here!’ or ‘See there!’ For indeed the kingdom of God is within you” (Luke 17:20-21). Let us read Matthew 13:44-52.

 

⁴Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” 

 

6.      How does this answer of Nicodemus relate to John 3:31?

 

7.       Is it right for us to ask if we don’t understand things?  Who should we go to for help if we still do not understand what we read and we have asked God?  What should we do if we still don’t understand and something just does not make sense to us? Read Deuteronomy 29:29 and Proverbs 3:5. (Pray that God will help you understand or be at peace with the situation.)

 

⁵ Jesus replied, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit.  Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life. ⁷ So don’t be surprised when I say, ‘You must be born again.’  (NLT) Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. ⁶ That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.”

 

8.      What do you understand under this answer? It sounds as if we need to be born of two things. We should all have two births; name them? Which birth allows us to receive the Spirit and to enter the Kingdom? When did we lose our right to the Kingdom? Genesis 3:23

 

9.      Read 1 Corinthians 15:50. What cannot inherit the Kingdom of God? Let us never forget John 14:6!

 

⁸ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

 

10.   If the Holy Spirit is like the wind and we are under its control; then who is in control of our lives?  Read 2 Corinthians 5: 14-15 “Either way, Christ’s love controls us…  He died for everyone so that those who receive His new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them.”

 

⁹ Nicodemus answered and said to Him, “How can these things be?”

 

11.   Do you find that people who are not Christians have this same attitude of “How can these things be? Have they come up to you with questions that are just so irrelevant to Christianity? Have they said that Christianity is just a crutch for weak people? What other things have you heard that make Christianity ‘not true’ or makes them angry?  Why can’t they understand? Read 1 Corinthians 2:13-14 “When we tell you these things, we do not use words that come from human wisdom. Instead, we speak words given to us by the Spirit, using the Spirit’s words to explain spiritual truths. ¹⁴ But people who aren’t spiritual can’t receive the truths from God’s Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them and they can’t understand it, for only those who are spiritual can understand what the Spirit means.” (Read up to verse 16) People must be born again to receive the Spirit and to understand the Kingdom things.

 

12.   Have you ever felt like saying to God; “How can this be?” Discuss. (I know when my sister lost her daughter and granddaughter she asked this question. (I know I have aske it of God.) Read Daniel 2:22; Psalm 135:6; Psalm 119:91 and Psalm 103:19.

 

¹⁰ Jesus, answered and said to him, “Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things? ¹¹ Most assuredly, I say to you, We speak what We know and testify what We have seen, and you do not receive Our witness.

 

13.   Do you expect your pastor or cell leaders to have all the answers? As a Christian, do you think you should have all the answers? If you do not have all the answers what should you be sharing with others?  Acts 22:15 For you shall be His witness to all men of what you have seen and heard. James 4:8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. If this section of John 3:1-10 was the only passage you had ever read in the Bible, what could you go out and tell people now?

 

 

 

14.   Notice the plural words ‘We’ and ‘Our’. Who is Jesus referring to? Read John 10:30;  John 1:1; Genesis 1:2.  (Do realize that as we read here or anywhere in the Word of God, We have God, Jesus and Holy Spirit speaking to us of what They know and of what They have seen. May God help us to receive His witness.)

 

¹² If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?    ¹³ No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven.   (Thinking of Luke 16:10 "Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. “No one has ever gone to heaven and returned. But the Son of man has come down from heaven” (John 3: 13 NLT).

 

15.   Can you think of some earthly things Jesus had taught us? (James 4:11; Luke 6:29; 2Cor. 6:14.k) Is it enough to believe them?

 

16.   What is Jesus saying here in verse 13? How do you understand this? Do you feel the holiness surrounding the Son of God? ‘Ascended’, ‘came down’, ‘is in’. ? Who is this whom we must lift up?  (I can’t help thinking of Jacobs ladder Genesis 28:10. It’s top in heaven, its body providing steps to come down and up.) Why do we believe that Jesus is from Heaven?

¹⁴ And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up,

 

17.   Why did Moses lift up the serpent?  Who was helped by this serpent that Moses lifted up? What did they need to have removed? Numbers 21:9.

 

How can you lift up the Son of Man?

 

¹⁵ That whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.

 

18.   Why was Jesus lifted up on a cross and crucified? Who is helped by this? What do we need to have removed?  What is the result for those who believe?  How long is this life if fully lived? How long is eternity?

 

¹⁶ For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting Life.

 

19.   This must be one of the most quoted and important messages Christians like to hand out. Why do you think this is so important?  Who loved the world? What did He give? Why? Who should have everlasting life? Is there any exception here? Who is ‘whoever’?

 

¹⁷ For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

 

20.   What is God’s desire?  Are we allowed to condemn the world?  What is expected of us?

 

¹⁸ “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

 

21.   If someone is condemned, who is to blame? (God died for everyone without exception).

 

22.   What is the sin we are condemned for in verse 18? Also read John 16:9 and : “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit” (Romans 8:1).

 

¹⁹ And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. ²⁰ For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed

 

23.   Why do people hate the light? 

 

24.   What happens to people’s evil deeds when they come to believe and accept Jesus? “He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of His Son and forgave out sins. He has showered His kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding” (Ephesians 1:7-8)NLT.

 

25.   Does the exposing process also happen to those who are reborn and believe in Jesus?  “I love God’s law with all my heart. But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me” (Romans 7:22-23).

 

26.    If we sin, what must we do?  “But if we confess our sins to Him He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness” (1 John 1:8).  “Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord (Romans 7:25). Read Romans 8:1 again. Also remember: “But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace. For the sinful nature is always hostile to God (Romans 8:6).  (Do yourself a favour and read all of Romans in your free time – just for a God blessing.)

 

²¹ But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.”

 

27.   Matthew 5:16 says: “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”  How does this verse agree with the above verse 21? (What light will you be shining? Who will see the good works? How will you know that the deeds have been done in God?  Who will be glorified?

 

28.   What do the following verses have to do with being reborn?

 

Turn Acts 26:18 and Col. 1:13 (the verses below) in to a prayer for someone you know who is not reborn:

 

 

 

Acts 26: 16-18  But rise and stand on your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to make you a minister and a witness both of the things which you have seen and the things which I will yet reveal to you. I will deliver you from the Jewish people, as well as from the Gentiles, to whom I now send you, ¹⁸to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.’

 

 

 

Colossians 1:13  He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.

 

 

 

 

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Speak, you emotional, forceful ocean.

Speak, you emotional, forceful ocean with your exclamation waves!

 

This is what I want. I want to break out from the deep and push and pull and roar to wash loose souls for God.

Jesus power that brings life and love in such truth that there is no resistance!  

The miracles and wonders of God in movement! Unsuppressed!

 

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But we continue to preach because we have the same kind of faith the psalmist had when he said, "I believed in God, so I spoke." 2 Corinthians 4:13

 

Depression; what I do.

This is what I do when I am depressed:

1. Read my Bible and talk to God.

     If I find myself too far in darkness I take a chapter in the new Testament and write down word for

     word.  Before long I am exposing my ‘foxes’ to God.

 

2. I make a conscious decision to keep following Jesus, no matter how unworthy I feel and am.  If I have ‘leprosy’ then He is the one to follow.  I will not, not turn my back on Him because that is the only hope there is. He will never ever turn His back on anyone who seeks Him.

 

3. I open all the curtains and let light in.

 

4. (a) I go for a long walk in nature; in my case the beach.

    (b) I recite the Lord’s Prayer all the way there up to where my breath is walked up.

 

5. I play with the dog. It is impossible not to have a laugh with this activity.

 

6. Last; I reach out to someone and focus on something outside of me where I 

     can be of some use. Preferably a deed I can do anonymously.

 

All glory to God, who loved me so much that He gave His only Son to die for me, so that I can live forever with him.  Jesus is the way the truth and the life. If this is the only truth there is then that is enough for me. When I am weak, then He is strong.

Other actions during depression:

*I take my little book in which I had collected lots of praise verses from the Bible, and I walk up and down through the house reading these praises out aloud. This is also part of my prayer to God into a situation where I need God to go while I praise Him.

*Another winner: Music! Praise and worship music! Play it and sing it.

AND THEN when the last straw comes and trips you up and the entire house of cards comes tumbling down on you, and you wonder how you could possibly be a Christian then remember Luke 15:11-32 and Luke 15:1-7 and ROMANS 8:35-39!  1 John 1:9 

 

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).

“The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:22-33).

(Don’t be surprised if something great is happening in the spiritual realm because of something God is doing with your willingness to be a vessel for Him.)

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It's not what it seems

She doesn’t understand why I had to take horsey away

from her and dip horsey in water, over and over again

and then hang him in a place where she cannot get hold

of him. All she sees is a dripping hanging beloved horsey

of hers… so out of reach.

So it is Lord, that I don’t understand why you do things

as you do. In my human brain, Father, give me faith and

trust and thanks.

NOT FOR SENSITIVE VIEWERS

Not for sensitive viewers.

 

I want you to know that when I watch the news and they say that the following material might be offensive to sensitive viewers and we ask them not to watch, I immediately close my eyes or walk out the room. I cannot look at violence. I am a sensitive viewer.

 

This week someone blatantly put the most horrific stuff on my fb. There was no warning because it just was in my face as I scrolled down.  It stayed in my face and went into my process room where God was waiting for me. I was a disturbed person.

 

The pictures have now changed.  Yes, to the human eye they are horrific. But I could see a new picture over the horrific picture and my view lifted my spirit and send me into rejoicing and then mourning and pleading for those who thought they were causing the horrific deeds to others, but that which was horrific,  was actually on them. The others were bathed in light and beauty and joy so bright and so intense that the human mind cannot describe it. (Please read to the end to understand what I am saying.)

 

Here are the pictures I saw.

The first ones were on children. Here you can see a cage. The many children inside are so tight together they cannot lift up their finger.

Here is another picture: Here the children are thrown on a heap on the ground.  Parts of their bodies have been shot away and some faces were not there anymore.

Here is a third picture. A young woman is bent sideways with some men holding her legs and one her head. They had slit her throat and the blood coming from her throat was pouring out into a bucket.

Here is one with a little child of 1 year old with 3 guns held to his head.

 

This is what the eye sees.

Now the Bible says:  2 Corinthians 4:18

NIV

So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
New Living Translation
So we don't look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.

 

NIV

Mark 8:18

Do you have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear? And don't you remember?
New Living Translation
'You have eyes--can't you see? You have ears--can't you hear?' Don't you remember anything at all?

NIV

Now I want to show you a picture of someone in the Bible.  Now this picture could actually show you how the rough stones are ripping open his body and revealing his flesh that was dying in this horrific way as he was stoned.  But look at this picture, it does not show that, look what it shows!

 

Acts 7:15

At this point everyone in the high council stared at Stephen, because his face became as bright as an angel’s.

Acts 7:55-56

55But being full of the Holy Spirit, he gazed intently into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God; 56 and he said, "Behold, I see the heavens opened up and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God."…

:59 As they stoned him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60 He fell to his knees, shouting, “Lord, don’t charge them with this sin! And with that, he died.

Amen This my dear fellow brothers and sisters in Christ is the true picture over the pictures I showed you here.  These children are rejoicing in heaven! There is joy and activity and celebration so intense you would fall down if you could but glance at a portion of it. It would be too much for you in this earthly body to take in.

 

Now you tell me, what could the last words of these children have been? And this lady who’s blood is pouring into a bucket?  “Lord, don’t charge them with this sin!

And what were they seeing? Look again, was Jesus sitting at the right side of God? No He was standing! He was standing up to receive these privileged children of God.  They were home!!!

New Living Translation
"Don't be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell.

 

So, looking at these pictures, who are the people who are in horrific trouble? Who are the ones we must concentrate on and sob deep sorrowful tears for? Yes, it is the souls that belong to these feet which are seen on the photo. It is the soul who carries and uses this gun. Oh God, have mercy on them. Give them Jesus and so give them life.

 

“All glory to Him who alone is God, our Saviour through Jesus Christ our Lord. All glory, majesty, power, and authority are His before all time, and in the present and beyond all time. Amen” (Jude :25).

 

 

 

 

 

 

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PRAYING EXODUS 34:1-9

Praying Exodus 34:1-9

King James version (The black writing is directly from the Bible. The red writing is my prayers. Bible writing in italics.)

 

1. And the Lord said unto Moses ‘Hew (chisel out) thee two tables of stone like the first and I will write upon these tables the words that were in the first tables, which thou brakest.

 

My God, you are truly merciful. I broke the tablets and you enable me to chisel out new ones and to start afresh with You.

 

2.And be ready in the morning, and come up in the morning unto mount Sinai, and present thyself there to me in the top of the mount.

 

Here in my quiet time! Just you and me in Your holy sanctuary. (Hebrew 12:22-24.) Here where you write on my empty tablets I prepared for You. Then, and only then can I go back to the people and share the words You wrote on my blank tablets. I am blank, it is my God that lives through me!

 

3. and no man shall come up with thee, neither let any man be seen throughout all the mount, neither let the flocks or herd feed before that mount.

 

Just You and me Father. No interruption, not even with our beloved animals.

 

4. And he hewed (chiselled out) two tables of stone like unto the first, and Moses rose up early in the morning, and went up into mount Sinai, as the Lord had commanded him, and took in his hand the two tables of stone.

 

(always the best time with You, when everyone is sleeping and no interruption. Thank you for sleepless nights in which you call us to bless us in Your word.)  (…empty for God to write on me. [ex 34:21 “No man may appear before me without an offering] Coming to you with Jesus. In the white righteousness of Jesus.

 

5. And the LORD descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the LORD.

 

“…in the cloud” Just like Jesus is coming back to us!

You Jesus! Is this You Jesus? Jesus the visible image of the invisible God? “The Father and I are one”? You, Jesus, proclaimed the name of the LORD! You lived the name of the LORD! If we know you we know the Father. If we have seen you, we have seen the Father.

 

6. And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed.

The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth.

 

Today I have a winner sunrise photo taken in the word of God. No sunrise (created by the Creator) can capture who this God is as His word does; although, if you know His word, His creation can speak just as loud. Without knowing Him, creation is only pretty, with Him it is His hand you witness. His moving hand you witness at whatever you look at. O God (If I may dare to say Your name. YHWH, how great You are. Oh Jesus, how great You are.

 

7. Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty, (What is wrong is wrong!) visiting the iniquity of the Fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, unto the third and fourth generation.

(for those who do not repent. Turn! Believe in Jesus and you and your household will be saved. Jesus takes your iniquity and sins away and says: “sin no more”. [Ezekiel 18:20: The one who sins is the one who will die. Romans 6:6: … will repay each person according to what … Also Galatians 6:5.] Choose today who you will serve!

 

8. And Moses made haste (waste no time) and bowed his head toward the earth and worshipped.

 

Yes, speak LORD, I fall on my face and worship and I am allowed to speak to You! Now I can even come boldly through Christ, but still I bow down and worship You, my holy YHWH. (Read Hebrews 12:22-24.)

 

(My Lord and my God, I take the following words of Moses (verse 9) and pray them for me and my loved ones and all I pray for.)

9. And he said, “If now I have found grace in Thy sight, O Lord, let my LORD, I pray Thee, go among us, for it is a stiffnecked people, and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for thine inheritance.

 

I look at Ex 34:13 and I run back to Colossians 1:9 “We ask God to give you complete knowledge of His will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding.” The other day terrorist smashed art work … terrorist destroyed twin towers … and… They believe they are obedient to God and following verse 13. Jesus, You are the visible image of the invisible God. You came and showed us to break down pagan altars through prayer and by giving them Jesus. (Col. 1:6 changing lives). Our warfare is not carnal but spiritual in breaking down strongholds.

Joy Magazine of March 2015 page 24 says: “Adopt a spiritual plan of attack. Redeemed hearts saved souls and cleansed motives in the heart of men and woman … tactical ongoing prayer for nations, leaders and against terrorism. Revival among the youth and the disenchanted is critical. Support missionaries and evangelist working in these lands.”

 

 

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MY WORLD

"The one thing I ask of the LORD - the thing I seek most - is to live in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, delighting in the LORD'S perfections and meditating in His Temple" (Psalm 27:4)

M Y   W O R L D
How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news! (Romans 10:14-15).

Searing. A gift from the ocean.

Cinderella’s slippers. Today’s find on the deserted beach, together with many footprints left behind from the weekend.

Needless to say, I prayed Jesus and all the fruits of the Spirit in to the owner of the feet that fit into these sandals.

Some days are hot.

BIBLE STUDY LUKE5:15-26 Jesus Heals a Paralyzed Man.

LUKE  5:17-26  Pray God’s Holy Spirit be with you. Now read through all of John 5:17-26.  Underline what stands out for you and the thoughts and feelings you have on the events; then answer the questions.

 

(The red writing is directly from The New Living Bible and covers the work we are studying today. The blue writing is also directly from the Bible but covers verses that serve to make a point in answering the questions.)

 

Jesus heals a Paralyzed Man

¹⁷One day while Jesus was teaching, some Pharisees and teachers of religious law were sitting nearby. (It seemed that these men showed up from every village in all Galilee and Judea, as well as from Jerusalem.) And the Lord’s healing power was strongly with Jesus.

1. How must you conduct your life as a Christian? Why?

    “Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than

      for  people” (Colossians 4:23).

     “Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord

      is ever useless” (1 Corinthians 15:58). 

     “I try to find common ground with everyone, doing everything I can to spread the good

      news and share in its blessings”(1Cor. 9:22).

2. Were these Pharisees familiar with God?

    “I know what enthusiasm they have for God, but it is misdirected zeal. ³For they don’t

     understand Gods way of making people right with Himself…. They cling to their own way

     of getting right with God by trying to keep the law” (Romans 10:1-3).

3. So what was their problem?

    “Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe.

    They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this

     message about the  glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God” (2 Cor.4:4).

4. What must your attitude be in the midst of being judged and watched? What was Jesus’ position in this? “And the Lord’s healing power was strongly with Jesus”

     “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you … “(Acts 1:8).

    “Be not afraid of them: for the LORD your God is with you… “(Deuteronomy

     20:1).

    “But if you are careful to obey him, following all my instructions, then I will  be an enemy to your enemies, and I will oppose those who oppose you”

    (Exodus 23:22). Read Exodus 23 from verse 20-23; Psalm 138:7; 1 Peter 3:9;

 

5. What should your main desire be for all people?

    “…The longing of my heart and my prayer to God is for the people of Israel to

    be saved” (Romans 10:1).  Also read 1 Corinthians 9:22 and Acts 20:24

 

¹⁸Some men came carrying a paralyzed man on a sleeping mat. They tried to take him inside to Jesus, ¹⁹But they couldn’t reach Him because of the crowd. So they went up to the roof and took off some tiles.

 

6 ‘Some men’ and ‘a paralyzed man’; can you imagine the story behind these ‘men’ and the ‘sick man’?

7. I want you to rewrite this sentence and put your own name in the first opening and someone whom you want to bring to Jesus in the second opening: “___________ came carrying ________ on a sleeping mat.” Now think what is preventing this person from reaching Jesus and ask Jesus to set this person free.

8. Now turn to yourself. What do you have to remove to get closer to Jesus? Pray this:

    “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious

    thoughts. ²⁴Point out anything in me that offends You, and lead me along the

    path of everlasting life” (Psalm 139:23-24).

What is it that prevents me from having a breakthrough?

What is it that hardens my heart?

What is it that makes my actions and words not speak of Jesus’ love?

What is it that makes me unloving? Unforgiving?  Angry?

What is it that makes me talk bad about others?

What is it that makes me think bad thoughts?

Pray: “Jesus, please set me free so that I can be truly free. I hand it all over to You. Be glorified in my life. Give me Your power to live in such a way that people will see You and not me.” Read Philippians 4:8!

 

Then they lowered the sick man on his mat down into the crowd, right in front of Jesus.

²⁰Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the man, “Young man, your sins are forgiven.”

 

9. Here you have it! What and where is the place to be?

   [ The word ‘lower’ reminds me of being humble.  “The humble will be filled with fresh joy from the LORD” (Isaiah 29:19).]

10. What did Jesus see? Who did Jesus talk to? Who’s faith did Jesus see?

11. What was the reward for the men who brought the sick man?

12. Did the men bring this man to Jesus to forgive his sins?

 

²¹But the Pharisees and teachers of religious law said to themselves, “Who does He think He is? That’s blasphemy! Only God can forgive sins!”

 

13. Is it true that only God can forgive sins?

      “I – yes, I alone - will blot out your sins for my own sake and will never think

       of them again” (Isaiah  43:25).

14. Then who is Jesus?

       “… and they will call Him Immanuel, which means ‘God is with us”

       (Matthew 1:23).

       “The Father and I are one” (John 10:30).

       John 1:1, 3, 14; Isaiah 9:6; 2 Peter 1:1; John 8:24, 48.

15. What is more important, to have your sins forgiven or to be healed physically? Can we enter heaven in our sinful state, without Jesus?

       “But He was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten

        so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed. ⁶All of us,

        like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our

        own. Yet the LORD laid on Him the sins of us all” (Isaiah 53:5-6). It is for our sins that Jesus had died. 

        “Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may

         be healed” (James 5:16).

16. Was Paul healed when he asked for healing? Read 2 Corinthians 12:7-9

 

²²Jesus knew what they were thinking so He asked them, “Why do you question this in your hearts?

 

17. Why is Jesus concerned about their hearts?

       “… What you say flows from what is in your heart” (Luke 6:45).

        “Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life”

        (Proverbs 4:23).

18. Why is Philippians 4:8 so important? 

      “⁸And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on

       what is true, and honourable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and

       admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.

      ⁹Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me –

       everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace

       will be with you.”

 

²³Is it easier to say ‘Your sins are forgiven, ‘or’ Stand up and walk’? ²⁴So I will prove to you that the Son of Man has the authority on earth to forgive sins.” Then Jesus turned to the paralyzed man and said, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!”

²⁵And immediately, as everyone watched, the man jumped up, picked up his mat, and went home praising God.

 

19. How does Jesus prove that forgiveness and healing go hand in hand in Mark 3:17 and in the above verses?

      “When Jesus heard this, he told them, “Healthy people don’t need a

       doctor- sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are

       righteous, but those who know they are sinners” (Mark 3:17).

 

20. How does Jesus prove His authority on earth to forgive sins?

 

²⁶Everyone was gripped with great wonder and awe, and they praised God, exclaiming, “We have seen amazing things today!”

 

21. What was the outcome of this healing? Who was praised?

22. Have you seen amazing things and praised God for it? Tell us about it.

 

 

2 Cor. 10:5    Isaiah 26:3

 

 

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