SCRIPTURE:
"As soon as they left the
synagogue, they went with James and John to the home of Simon and
Andrew. Simon's mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told
Jesus about her. So he went to her, took her hand and helped her up. The
fever left her and she began to wait on them." (Mark 1:29-31, NIV)
Observations:
I asked myself what were
the actions and the results of Jesus’ actions?
There were five points I saw:
1. Jesus had just taught at the synagogue
previously and healed a man who was demon-possessed (Mark 1:21-28)
2. Jesus went with James and John to the home of Peter and Andrew
after they left the synagogue.
3. The disciples found out that Peter's
mother-in-law was sick with a fever and told Jesus about her.
4. Jesus goes to her, takes her by the hand and
helps her.
5. The fever left her and she waits upon them.
Observations/Interpretations:
I asked myself the significance of each point?
Points
1& 2: Jesus went with James and John to the home of Peter and Andrew after they left the
synagogue.
It is interesting that after teaching at the synagogue and healing a
person there, Jesus decides to spend time at one of the disciple's
homes. You could call today an
after-church activity that builds more unity and bonding. The unity and
bonding does not end there but can be inferred at Peter's home. The
importance of community is emphasized here.
Let us look at Peter's family life.
We know Peter, Peter's brother Andrew, Peter's wife, and Peter's wife's
mother were living under the same roof. This brings the concept of nuclear
families into perspective. There must have been a lot of bonding and
hopefully no in-law troubles. The importance of family life is
emphasized here.
Point 3:
The disciples found out that Peter's mother-in-law was sick with a fever
and told Jesus about her.
When the disciples saw Peter's mother-in-law was
sick, they knew exactly what had to be done and went to Jesus to ask His
help with the situation they were faced with. I found it
interesting that the disciples and not just Peter alone intervened
regarding Peter's mother-in-law. They wanted to help Peter's
mother-in-law. It shows again the emphasis of community and bearing one
another's burdens. Jesus was more than ready
to help out. They did not talk to Jesus as a last resort but talked to
Jesus as a first resort.
Point 4:
Jesus goes to her, takes her by the hand and helps her.
Jesus could have just said to Peter's
mother-in-law, 'get up and be healed' and she would have been healed but
He did something more loving and personal:
1. Jesus went to her,
2.
Took her
by the hand,
3.
Helped her up.
Jesus made it more personal by taking
her by the hand and helping her up.
Imagine you were there on the bed being sick and
the Lord comes all the way from the other room just to take you by the
hand and help you off the bed bringing healing into your life. This is
exactly what Jesus did there showing His love.
Point 5:
The fever left her and she waits upon them.
A fever is not something to be taken lightly.
When I have had a fever I would not eat anything lest it becomes worse.
What this causes is a weakness in our body because we have had no food.
This results in a chain reaction making us just stay on the bed until we
finally get over the fever and eat to regain our strength.
When Jesus healed her of her fever, we learn
that she went and waited upon them. What she did is very important
because it tells us about Jesus' healing too. She had fever and the next
moment, she began to wait on them. Talk about a quick recovery.
If we lean on to our own understanding, it is easy to think, 'I cannot
believe they are allowing her to wait on them right after she gets over
the fever.' This is where Jesus' healing comes into perspective again. When Jesus took her by the hand and helped her up, he
was restoring her to complete health and strength. It would have been
like she never was sick in the first place.
Implications:
I saw important implications for my own life.
When Jesus heals, I can be healed completely. It will be in His timing
though. His healing power can reach the darkest corners of my life.
Where there has been sapped strength whether it is spiritually,
physically, emotionally, or mentally, when I am touched by the Master’s
healing touch, I will never be the same again. I will be transformed by
the touch of Jesus! Jesus
can still touch us with His healing touch today!
I ask you now dear friend,
where do you need healing in life?
Dear friend, there are so many areas in our
lives that only the Lord’s healing touch can completely heal especially
if those areas are scarred. The Good News is that Jesus wants to be
there for you. He wants to take you by the hand and lift you up. He does
not want you to be where you are in sickness but He wants to give you
renewed vitality. Yes, He does! I do know that the Lord’s timing is not
our timing. He brings healing in His perfect timing. Until then, He
gives us the strength and willingness to endure. Let us not give up.
You know exactly where you wish for healing.
It is not always physical healing that is needed, for some need emotional
healing, others need healing from addictions, etc but know that Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow.
Jesus who
healed Peter’s mother-in-law has the power to heal you. Yes, He does
friend! Come to Him as you are! Let Him take care of you! Yes, He will!
I know He will! He will carry you!
Openly share with Jesus the struggles you are going through laying it
out. Let Jesus know you cannot handle it on your own and need His touch
in your life. For He alone can take away the scars that many times keep
us far.
Some will still be dealing with the grief of losing a loved one from
the Sept 11 attacks or even recently due to different reasons that only
Christ can heal the wounds and bring restoration. We know our family
needs that after our beloved dad of 37 years went to be with the Lord.
It is still hard especially for my mom but we pray for God's healing in
all of our lives for only in Christ can we find true wholeness. Lord
help us please!
Peter’s mother-in-law invited Jesus into her
life to help her with it. Let us do the same. Let us invite Jesus into
every area of our life. Let Him be part of it and let Him heal the areas
where there is an aching for healing.
I used to have severe asthma and it would get
the better of me! There were times I felt I was going to die and it
would have been less painful to die. There were a lot of things I could
not enjoy. One day, I was watching the 700 Club years ago and the
speaker was talking about 'accepting Jesus into your heart'. I knew
about Jesus and his love for us but I had never read the Bible or
accepted Jesus as my Lord and Personal Savior. I did not also know what
accepting Jesus into our hearts meant. But, I did know about the
miracles Jesus did in the times of old because our mommy used to read us
Bible stories when we were young.
I said to myself I heard, 'the Bible
says that Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow' and if that
is the case whatever Jesus did then, He can do now. I knew Jesus could
heal me if I turn to Him. So after my mommy explained to me about what
it means to accept Jesus into my heart, I gave my life to Jesus making
Him my Lord and Personal Savior. By the Lord's divine intervention, I
was healed of my asthma. To this day, I can do things I was never able
to do. I thank the Lord for His healing!
The Lord has used my mommy's counsel to heal
different areas of my life with His healing touch using my mommy and
others as an instrument of His intervention.
In these days, Jesus
can still heal through His divine intervention personally
or heals others through His faithful, available, involved, teachable,
and humble servants. I know there are areas in my life that have been
scarred but I also know Jesus gives the strength and endurance to move
on and can take us to better places and situations that we would not
have dreamed of.
Take your physical, emotional, spiritual, and
mental wounds to the Lord in prayer. Be open with the Lord and know He
loves you as you are and died for your sin. His blood was shed for you.
He came back to life to save you. He wants to be part of your life. Yes,
He does!
There was a time, I had terrible
pain in my right knee and asked the Lord for His healing and knew He
could heal me. The pain continued but I continued in prayer not holding
back from my work. One day, I could slowly feel the Lord's healing in
my right knee. Interestingly, the Lord used a new pair of shoes to help
in that recovery!
There are areas in my life, I am waiting for the
Lord’s healing and I know He will send it in His timing. We need to ask
the Lord to reign in our lives each day so He can take care of each
dimension of our life. He wants to friend! Yes, He does! His strength is
perfect and He will help us in our weaknesses.
More than anything we all need healing spiritually. We can get healed
physically or emotionally of all our ailments but most sicknesses are a
result of sin in our lives. If we overcome the sin that is prevalent in
our lives, I believe we will also be free from various sicknesses.
But to overcome the sin in our lives, we need the healing touch of
Jesus to intervene once again. This time only His precious cleansing
blood can heal us where we are at.
Friend, all of us have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.
Because of our sin, we have been separated from God. There has been a
big chasm separating man from God. No matter what good works man does to
try to reach God, he cannot reach God but remains sick in sin.
All the good works we think we do are filthy rags to the Lord because
99.9% of good works cannot take away the sin in us. The sin is what
pollutes us and makes us unrighteous before God.
God in His Holiness cannot ever allow sin to enter into His presence
so we are trapped. But friend, the Good News is Jesus! God knew the
predicament we are in and on our own we could never be healed from the
bondage of sin so God sent His only begotten Son Jesus Christ into this
world to die for our sin that whosoever believes in Him will not perish
but have Everlasting Life.
Jesus died on the cross at Calvary shedding His precious blood for
you to produce the antidote for your healing. Yes, friend while we were
yet sinners Jesus died for us. It did not stop there but after Jesus was
buried, Jesus came back to life on the third day to save all those that
would receive the antidote.
You see friend for our healing, only the reddest purest antidote
produced by Jesus' death can cleanse us all of the deadly virus in us
known as sin when we accept what Jesus offers.
Jesus offers His blood to wipe away and wash us clean from this
deadly virus so we can be healed. We need to accept what Jesus offers
acknowledging that we are sinners in need of a Savior. Jesus went to the
cross to become our Savior so we can CROSS the bridge to reach God.
Jesus became our bridge for us to bring healing into our lives.
Jesus cares more for our soul than anything else. Yes, Jesus loves to
heal us physically, mentally, emotionally, but most of all to heal us
spiritually. Jesus wants to heal you my friend.
If you have never asked Jesus to heal you spiritually start with that
my friend and then come to the other aspects for He will heal my friend.
Yes, He will. Jesus will not turn anyone away who comes to Him. No one
will be put to shame.
When it comes to Salvation, there is 100% healing that is guaranteed
for each of us who turn to Him. We need to turn to Him because He alone
can save us by His grace.
If we do not turn to Him, we will be lost and that is not a good
place to be at. No matter where you have been or what you have done,
come to Jesus as you are. If you know Jesus as your Lord and Personal
Savior, as the disciples there did, take others to Jesus that they may
experience the power of His love and He can reign in their lives.
To those that wonder why healing does not always come as we expect,
the Lord has His own plans that we cannot comprehend. I speak from
experience because I have seen so many healings in my beloved dad's life
before he went to be with the Lord. We live in a world where life is not
immortal forever here on earth but we can have Eternal Life forever with
Jesus. My daddy is with Jesus right now.
We know Jesus can heal if He chooses to so we should never give up
and keep asking and waiting for the answer. May you know the Lord Jesus who wants to heal
you and be your Jehovah Rophe, the Lord our Healer. May you let Him be
your Lord and Personal Savior of your life! Amen!
Jehovah-Rophe, my Healer
By Ramesh C. Reddy
Jehovah-Rophe, my healer
Your guided healing, I can seek
You give me strength when I am weak
Picking me up at my lowest peak
Jehovah-Rophe, my healer
Your guided healing, I can seek
Your healing power awesomely heals me
Your healing touch in my life, I can see
Jehovah-Rophe, my healer
Your guided healing, I can seek
Thank you Lord, you heal
Amazingly this I can feel
Humbly before you I kneel
Jehovah-Rophe, my healer
Your guided healing, I can seek
AMEN!
"Healing Everyday Almighty
Lord Is Nurturing God! (H.E.A.L.I.N.G)"/”Where
do you need healing in life?”
May the Lord Jesus Christ bring healing into your life each day with
His healing presence knowing His strength is perfect when our strength
is gone! Amen!
Prayer:
Dear Jesus, it means a lot
to know that you went to Peter’s mother-in-law and were personally
involved in her healing. I love you Jesus. I need you in my life. You
know the areas of our lives where we need your healing touch. You know
the scars and pains that only your healing touch can completely remove.
So, Lord we come to you as we are and ask you for your healing. I thank
you Jesus for your healing. You can go into the darkest corners of our
lives and bring us healing. Thank you for your healing! Thank you for
hearing and answering our prayers. Thank you for the after fellowship
activities, you bring to our attention. Thank you Jesus your ministry
did not end at the steps of the synagogue but followed even after the
service. Help us not to just be Sunday people for your Kingdom but live
for you each day. I thank you Jesus! Right now Lord, I bring before you
those who are in pain and have scars only you can heal. You Oh Lord know
their hopes and dreams, you Oh Lord know the pain they are in! Please
Jesus come and touch their lives with your healing power and help them
to experience your divine intervention. Please take their wounds and
heal them by your stripes you took for us. Thank you Jesus for your
cleansing blood. We entrust our lives to thee Oh Lord and depend on thee
for help. Most of all we ask you to heal people spiritually that they
may come to know you as their Lord and Personal Savior being delivered
from the bondage of sin and death. Thank you so much Jesus. Give us the strength and patience to wait on you. Whatever the
outcome, help us to know your love and take the strength you give us.
Thank you Jesus! In Your Name I Pray Jesus! Amen!
"May my spoken words and
unspoken thoughts be pleasing even to you, O Lord my Rock and my
Redeemer." (Psalm 19:14)
If you would like to invite Jesus Christ into your heart and make Him a
daily part of your life, you can this very moment. You will never be
alone. You can claim God's promises for you in the Bible and see them
come true, before your eyes, in His wonderful timing. You don't have to
wait for a special time to come to the Lord. You can come right now as
you pray the prayer below, meaning it in your heart.
Prayer:
God I am a sinner. I am invaded by this deadliest virus. Many times I
feel so guilty and yucky inside. I need forgiveness. I am so sorry for
my sins. I have not obeyed you with my whole heart! I have gone my own
way and done my own things. I still struggle with sin. I need you Jesus
in my life so I can receive forgiveness and a new beginning. In the
process, I can forgive others as you help me to. Thank you so much
Jesus. I accept the antidote you have sent me. I believe Jesus you died
for me and your cleansing blood will cleanse me from all my sins. You
came back to life to save me. Thank you God I am set free, free from the
bondage of sin. Hear my cry Oh Lord. I accept you Jesus into my heart. I
make you my Lord and Personal Savior of my life. Thank you Father God
for giving me Salvation. Thank you Jesus for coming into my heart and
making my heart your home. Thank you for living in me Jesus and I will
live for you and serve you the rest of the days of my life. Thank you
for being my Lord and personal Savior! I can live a life of peace with
you on my side. Thank you that you have heard my prayer and answered me!
In your Name I Pray Jesus! AMEN!
