There are people all around the world doing what we are doing today...worshiping God. Some started earlier because the the day starts earlier some are still sleeping and will wake later to give praise to God and to serve God. Some will go to a house of worship, some will gather in house churches, others will gather as families around a dinner table and simply give God thanks. Some worshipers of God know very little of God's love, while others live knowing the very “height of God.” We all come as broken and imperfect vessels of God's presence, in need of healing.
God is going to heal you but it wont be easy. So don't distract God or yourself from the healing that is about to take place.
What is healing? Healing is your brokenness being mended so that you become whole again. Ultimately the brokenness we suffer from is our broken relationship with God. This brokenness has been addressed by God condescending; by becoming one of us, so that we can unite with Him in Jesus Christ, so that relationship can be restored and we can begin again living the abundant life that he intends for us.
I have a friend that is in a lot of physical pain on a daily basis. She has difficulty seeing the abundance that life has to offer her because she suffers greatly. We pray almost daily together for her physical healing. We call on God to repair her body so that she can focus on her love for Him and for her neighbors. It is a frustrating process at times because we would like for the pain to be gone now and forever. Its frustrating because the pain does not go away for long. However, in the process, of working toward a solution to her pain we have been working on the brokenness in our spirits. We draw nearer to God to find strength. We focus on the will of God to find the encouragement to keep on going. We call on God to open our eyes and to put us in a place where we can see clearly the path that we should go.
Day after day, the struggle to mend the brokenness goes on. The brokenness of her body may not be fully resolved until she enters into the next life but the brokenness of the human condition will certainly be resolved by the grace of Jesus Christ in her life.
Perhaps you are one of those that think you don't need healing. Imagine that unity with Jesus, a complete realization of Paul's statement in his letter to the church in Galatia when he says “It is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”
It is no longer I who live...but it is Christ who lives in me. Imagine living that way all the time. Imagine that in all circumstances it is the will of God that guides and directs all of your actions through the Power of the Holy Spirit because you have been united to God through the atoning grace of Jesus Christ. Imagine that life as the tip-top of the mountain. If that is the top of the mountain and belief in Jesus is the base of the mountain, Where are you on the climb to the top? You don't have to make the climb, you know. Perhaps you are comfortable at the base of the mountain. Scripture says that you need only believe in the Son of God, Jesus Christ as your Lord and profess this to others to enter into eternal life. When you stop your spiritual growth there, however, its like sitting at the base of the mountain. If the tip top is complete unity with God, life at the base is like this: I can see the top of the mountain (on clear days). On the not-so-clear days I still have faith that the top of the mountain is still there. When travelers come I am happy to point their attention t the top of the mountain.
Some hear the about this life with God. A life where there is forgiveness and freedom and love and they get really excited about it. And they sprint toward the mountain, but soon they get tired and discouraged because the way is not easy. So many many people find themselves at the base of the mountain, but there is more to this relationship with Christ than a distant hope. There is healing for today!
In the Gospel lesson today Jesus went into the synagogue to teach. And the people were astounded because this wasn't the usual stuff they heard when they went to the synagogue. Usually someone would get up and as accurately as possible they would give a lesson or a teaching on a particular part of Holy Scripture that some past teacher gave. But Jesus came in and didn't cite any past teachers he was teaching them by his own authority. He start telling them about the kingdom of heaven and about repentance and forgiveness and about the love of God.
This is something different. Folks may have expected to get in their usual “hamster wheel” routine but Jesus shook all that up!
No sleepin' in church that day!
The thing is... when you stir things up and when you wake people up they start paying attention. It was then that a man with an unclean spirit interrupted Jesus. I imagine the folk in the synagogue were really getting into what Jesus was saying. You know when someone is really hitting the nail on the head; when someone his speaking the truth, it's hard to get enough of it. But the man with the unclean spirit interrupts Jesus; tries to put the breaks on what it happening there.
And Jesus says, “Shut your mouth!” well scripture says “Be Silent”
You see Jesus immediately recognized the enemy in his midst. the enemies of God will show them selves when you start speaking His truths. When you proclaim that the kingdom of haven is near, when you talk about repentance and forgiveness. The enemy will show himself. When you talk about loving God and your neighbor. The enemy will show himself.
You know what really upsets the enemies of God? When you actually repent and and when you forgive; When you actually show love to God and demonstrate the love of God to your neighbor. When you heal wounds. When you unite with others rather than create more divisions.
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| The benefits of education can only be reaped if we are willing to go through the struggle to to get our kids off to school. |
The enemy put a stop to the good thing that was happening that day in the synagogue. The enemy even recognized Jesus as the Holy one of God. Jesus wasn't having any of it from him though. “come out of him” was the second part of Jesus command. “And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying with a loud voice, came out of him.” That man experienced healing that day. He didn't even know he was sick. He didn't even know he had a problem. He got up that morning was going to synagogue as usual. He went home a new man.
It wasn't an easy process. The unclean spirit convulsed him and made a loud cry before it came out. The spiritual life, the journey to the mountain top is not an easy one. It takes struggle. It takes effort. It takes a willingness to admit that we all need to be healed. It takes earnestly going to God in confession for all of our weaknesses, failures and apathy.
So how is it with you today?
Are you gong to struggle to reach God or are you gong to stay distant and distracted? Are you going to talk about the mountain top or are you going to climb the mountain?
Would you Pray with me?
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