06 February 2014
Exodus 13; 14
Psalms 68
Mark 2
"WALK AMONG THEM"
While it is a true that a person's faith is an important element in healing [Matthew 9:22], we noticed in our Mark reading today [Mark 2] that it can be the faith of others that is a vital factor in a situation. We read of the four men who came to Jesus carrying a paralysed man and "when they could not get near him (Jesus) because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him and when they had made an opening, they let down the bed on which the paralytic lay. And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic: my son your sins are forgiven you … rise, pick up your bed and go home. And he rose and immediately picked up his bed" [Mark 2:4,5,11]
It was their faith that Jesus reacted to. We must be conscious of the importance of praying for others, it is a vital part of our efforts to serve God. James writes, "The prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he (or she) will be forgiven … pray for one another … the prayer of a righteous person has great power in its working" [James 5:15,16]
Prayer and faith go hand in hand. Sometimes people speak of having faith in themselves - and some of these only turn to God when all else fails! But we need a faith in the all seeing involvement of Jesus and the Father in our lives every day. It is often only when those with such an attitude look back that they see unexpected turns in the course of events that they perceive to be the hand of God, often these are events that cause their faith to grow - and often these were not seen to be good events at the time. Did the man who was paralysed and his 4 friends think it was a good event when he became paralysed?
Paul in reasoning with the believers in Corinth in his 2nd letter to them, quoted the words of God found in Leviticus, "I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Therefore … be separate … and I will be a father to you and you shall be my sons and daughters" [2 Corinthians 6:16-18] Let us become more conscious of the reality of God, through Jesus, walking among us.
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- DC
Thought for the Day
06 February 2014
"To "be like him" is our cherished hope. We have, moreover, the earnest desire to be able to work together both now and in the coming Kingdom of God upon the earth, bringing others to know the truth and saving grace of God’s Word as revealed in the Scriptures and in the teachings of Jesus Christ, for only in this way can mortal man come to "know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent." "This is life eternal." (John 17:3)"
- D.M. Elliott
And This Is Life Eternal (1998)
Exodus 13; 14
Psalms 68
Mark 2
"WALK AMONG THEM"
While it is a true that a person's faith is an important element in healing [Matthew 9:22], we noticed in our Mark reading today [Mark 2] that it can be the faith of others that is a vital factor in a situation. We read of the four men who came to Jesus carrying a paralysed man and "when they could not get near him (Jesus) because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him and when they had made an opening, they let down the bed on which the paralytic lay. And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic: my son your sins are forgiven you … rise, pick up your bed and go home. And he rose and immediately picked up his bed" [Mark 2:4,5,11]
It was their faith that Jesus reacted to. We must be conscious of the importance of praying for others, it is a vital part of our efforts to serve God. James writes, "The prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he (or she) will be forgiven … pray for one another … the prayer of a righteous person has great power in its working" [James 5:15,16]
Prayer and faith go hand in hand. Sometimes people speak of having faith in themselves - and some of these only turn to God when all else fails! But we need a faith in the all seeing involvement of Jesus and the Father in our lives every day. It is often only when those with such an attitude look back that they see unexpected turns in the course of events that they perceive to be the hand of God, often these are events that cause their faith to grow - and often these were not seen to be good events at the time. Did the man who was paralysed and his 4 friends think it was a good event when he became paralysed?
Paul in reasoning with the believers in Corinth in his 2nd letter to them, quoted the words of God found in Leviticus, "I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Therefore … be separate … and I will be a father to you and you shall be my sons and daughters" [2 Corinthians 6:16-18] Let us become more conscious of the reality of God, through Jesus, walking among us.
-------
- DC
Thought for the Day
06 February 2014
"To "be like him" is our cherished hope. We have, moreover, the earnest desire to be able to work together both now and in the coming Kingdom of God upon the earth, bringing others to know the truth and saving grace of God’s Word as revealed in the Scriptures and in the teachings of Jesus Christ, for only in this way can mortal man come to "know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent." "This is life eternal." (John 17:3)"
- D.M. Elliott
And This Is Life Eternal (1998)
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