A Thought On Life And Ministry.

Hebrews 8:6 (NRSV)6 But Jesus has now obtained a more excellent ministry, and to that degree he is the mediator of a better covenant, which has been enacted through better promises.

Jesus attained a more excellent ministry. However, He didn't do it to the detriment of putting aside His personal time of devotion, relationships or lifestyle of faith that became a part of the outgrowth of his personal life.

Take time to smell the roses and sense the beauty of God and His creation, and to appreciate what God has given you. Even when you think you've lost it all, or things are not going well with you. Give God a chance to give you perspective, where perspective is due.

Prince And The Pauper.

Preached Sunday 3rd, 2016

Reverend Patrick Vossen

Matthew 2:1–12 (NRSV)

The Visit of the Wise Men

2 In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, 2 asking, “Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage.” 3 When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; 4 and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet:

6 ‘And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,

are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;

for from you shall come a ruler

who is to shepherd my people Israel.’ ”

7 Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. 8 Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage.” 9 When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. 11 On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.

Intro.

John Henry Jowett, the great English preacher, liked to tell about the time he attended the coronation of Edward VII. Westminster Abbey was filled with royalty. Jowett said, “Much bowing and respect was shown as nobility of high rank entered the cathedral.” When the king arrived, however, a hush came over the audience. Every eye was on him, and no longer did the dignitaries of lower status receive the gaze and interest of the people. All the subjects fixed their attention on their royal leader.

The King And I.

A King is to be respected, honored and feared. One whom people give allegiance to. However, our Lord chose a different path of Kingship than was the one humanity had become used to. He chose a sacrificial and servant’s heart to be the cornerstone of His Kingdom. No high Lord and non approachable King would he represent in his human form. When the God of Glory came down to earth to redeem mankind, it wouldn’t be as a King of political authority and power, but in sacrificial love he would pour out his life for us, even death on a cross.

Jesus does deserve to be worshipped and glorified as a King, but He became a little lower than the angels, and took on human flesh, so that he could be amongst us. Thereby revealing the love that God had for us, and choosing to show us that God was approachable. Jesus wanted to share his love each day with us. Allowing us to experience the love of God expressed in human form around about us. Demystifying what had become this concept of this terrifying ogre, or mean spirited high Lord of heaven, that the religious leaders of the day had made him out to be. Yes, in sharp contrast to the perception the religious leaders had painted him out to be, our loving Lord chose instead to reflect the Father's true love for humanity, representing himself as both Prince and Pauper. What a game changer!! God would now never be seen the same again, and this intimate portrait of infinite love would be painted upon the face of all humanity forevermore.

Through his servant's heart and remarkable liberating theology of hope. Jesus Christ changed for eternity the way God should be seen or understood. He should no longer be seen as only the holy God of justice, but through his humanity reflecting God's image in such away, that his agape love forever changes the landscape of our understanding of the Father's care for all creation. His death, burial and resurrection forever paved the way toward a path of redemption for us. Giving us hope where there was no hope, as the visible and wonderful Prince of Peace became a servant, a Pauper for us. Shedding aside the riches, wealth and power of a King in order that humanity's relationship to God could be healed by the power of Calvary's sacrificial love.

Summary of Matthew’s account.

The ancient world, innocent of streetlights, never forgot the night sky. Many people, particularly in the countries to the east of Palestine, had developed the study of the stars and the planets to a fine art, giving each one very particular meanings. They believed, after all, that the whole world was of a piece; everything was interconnected, and when something important was happening on earth you could expect to see it reflected in the heavens. Alternatively, a remarkable event among the stars and planets must mean, they thought, a remarkable event on earth.

Scholars have laboured to discover what Matthew’s ‘star’ might have been. Halley’s Comet appeared in 12–11 bc, but that would be very early for this story. Or it could have been some kind of supernova. More likely is the fact that the planets Jupiter and Saturn were in conjunction with each other three times in 7 bc. Since Jupiter was the ‘royal’ or kingly planet, and Saturn was sometimes thought to represent the Jews, the conclusion was obvious: a new king of the Jews was about to be born. We cannot be certain if this was why the ‘wise and learned men’ came from the East. But, even if it wasn’t, nothing is more likely than that thoughtful astronomers or astrologers (the two went together in the ancient world), noticing strange events in the heavens, would search out their earthly counterparts. If, as it appears, they were also wealthy, they would have no major difficulty in making the journey.

Matthew is not telling us all this simply to satisfy astronomical curiosity. Nor is he offering us the kind of cosy, picture-book story we have created for ourselves out of it, with strange but gentle oriental kings bringing gifts to a child in a stable. (Matthew says nothing about a stable; as far as we know from his gospel, Mary and Joseph were simply living in Bethlehem at the time, only moving to Nazareth later (2:23). Nor does he say the visitors were themselves royal.) The overtones of his story are quite different.

What he tells us is political dynamite. Jesus, Matthew is saying, is the true king of the Jews, and old Herod is the false one, a usurper, an impostor. As we shall see, this Herod died soon after Jesus’ birth; but his sons ruled on, and one of them, Herod Antipas, plays a significant role in the developing story of Jesus himself. The house of Herod did not take kindly to the idea of anyone else claiming to be ‘king of the Jews’.

Conclusion

Putting Christ first is the way it should be in the life of a Christian. Jesus is the King of kings, and He deserves the place of highest prominence. Naturally we love and respect our families, friends, associates, and those who serve the Lord. But the Lord Jesus must have the preeminence! Our devotion is always to be centered on Him. With all the activities that compete for our time—even the work and program of the church—it’s so easy to take our eyes off the Savior.

May we never lose sight of King Jesus who deserves our praise and worship. Let us join the heavenly voices and say, “You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor” (Rev. 4:11). Yes, Christ is the preeminent One!

Then let us adore and give Him His right—
All glory and power and wisdom and might,
All honor and blessing with angels above,
And thanks never ceasing, and infinite love. —Wesley

Focusing on Christ puts everything else in perspective. When we have the right picture of God, and His son.

Christ emptied Himself for our sake. What a wonderful act of love, which has made this Christmas morning of celebration possible. An act of love that was formulated from the beginning of time in the Father's mind. Recognizing that humanity fell short of His Glory, but that God Himself could make up the difference. Healing the divide that sin had caused between God and man, wherefore granting us a renewed relationship with our Lord. What a wonderful gift of God's Love, that which would sacrifice so much for His Creation, in order for us to have relationship with Him.

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5 Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus,

6 who, though he was in the form of God,

did not regard equality with God

as something to be exploited,

7 but emptied himself,

taking the form of a slave,

being born in human likeness.

And being found in human form,

8 he humbled himself

and became obedient to the point of death—

even death on a cross.

9 Therefore God also highly exalted him

and gave him the name

that is above every name,

10 so that at the name of Jesus

every knee should bend,

in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

11 and every tongue should confess

that Jesus Christ is Lord,

to the glory of God the Father.

Philippians 2:5-11 NRSV

Here are the final remastered audio files from our series on 3 John. One of them we were able to just do minor editing, and the other had to have a complete re-do. Other audios we are working with now that we hope to have finished within the next few days, sorry some of this has taken so long. Not always has the neighborhood groups had the best opportunity for quality recordings.

This is taught by our founding pastor Patrick Vossen

http://www.cgmfinc.com/uploads/6/2/1/4/6214888/3_john,_part_1.mp3

​http://www.cgmfinc.com/uploads/6/2/1/4/6214888/_3_john_3_part_2.mp3

From the pages of a book by Paul Avis I am studying from on Revisionist History and the English Reformation.

The revisionists have made their point. The Reformation in England was not the smooth, uninterrupted outworking of a coherent plan, conceived in the minds of Cranmer and Jewel. It was a complex, contingent, contradictory concatenation of incidents. As Haigh puts it: ‘The religious changes of sixteenth-century England were far too complex to be bound together as “the Reformation”, too complex even to be “a Reformation”. England had discontinuous Reformations and parallel Reformations … England had blundering Reformations, which most did not understand, which few wanted, and which no-one knew had come to stay’ (Haigh, 1993, p. 14).

How we respond to the work of the Holy Spirit in our daily life is so vitally important. Yet, how many times do we understand God's leading Spirit? Or, truly yield positively to God's humble calling? What is your normal response? Is it to run for cover like Adam and Eve responding to God's voice in the Garden, or to go the other direction as was Jonah's from the calling of God to Nineveh. Whatever it is, or however convicting it might be the positive response should be to listen, yield and allow God to accomplish the work in us He wants to do. For He sees the Big Picture, and sees our beginning as if it was the end. He has 20/20 vision when it comes to our future. It would be wise to respond in a positive fashion, and choose not to ignore or run from the Spirit of God's calling.

Meditate upon 1 Thessalonians 5:19 today. " Do Not Quench The Spirit ". I think it would add some simple but profound insight into your Christian life today. As well, give God a chance to work within your heart in a special way. Your prayer life will become more exciting, as well your every day living as God ministers to you through the ministry of the Holy Spirit. Give God a chance today, experience and embrace His presence in your life today. It will refresh you in a dynamic way, and draw you into ever greater intimacy with our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

We have posted a new message on the CGMF website. It will be part of a new series from the Word, that I hope will strengthen many in the body of Christ and encourage non Christians to consider Jesus in their life.

Here is a link to that message.

Water Of Life, Flow Through Me.

Love Is Externalized In Giving.

Ruth 3:1-5 NRSV

Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, “My daughter, I need to seek some security for you, so that it may be well with you. 2 Now here is our kinsman Boaz, with whose young women you have been working. See, he is winnowing barley tonight at the threshing floor. 3 Now wash and anoint yourself, and put on your best clothes and go down to the threshing floor; but do not make yourself known to the man until he has finished eating and drinking. 4 When he lies down, observe the place where he lies; then, go and uncover his feet and lie down; and he will tell you what to do.” 5 She said to her, “All that you tell me I will do.”

Ruth 4:13–17 NRSV

13 So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. When they came together, the Lord made her conceive, and she bore a son. 14 Then the women said to Naomi, “Blessed be the Lord, who has not left you this day without next-of-kin; and may his name be renowned in Israel! 15 He shall be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age; for your daughter-in-law who loves you, who is more to you than seven sons, has borne him.” 16 Then Naomi took the child and laid him in her bosom, and became his nurse. 17 The women of the neighborhood gave him a name, saying, “A son has been born to Naomi.” They named him Obed; he became the father of Jesse, the father of David.

Notes:

v. 1 should I not seek for you security In 1:9, Naomi wished that Yahweh would grant “rest” to Ruth and Orpah. Now that Ruth has stayed with her, Naomi hopes to secure rest for Ruth. Rest here refers to the safety and security that marriage would provide Ruth.
v. 3 wash anoint yourself Ruth was likely just removing her widow’s garments to mark the end of her mourning (Gen 38:14; 2 Sam 14:2).
v. 4 uncover his feet and lie down The purpose of this is unclear, but the other sexual innuendos in this passage may suggest that this is also one. Nonetheless, it seems unlikely that Naomi would put Ruth in a compromising position or endanger her reputation (v. 11)—especially considering Naomi’s intent to find “rest” for Ruth (v. 1). The uncovering of Boaz’s feet may have been merely to wake him by making his feet cold (see note on v. 8).
Boaz and Ruth would marry after Boaz made sure that a closer kinsman was not wanting to have her first. He took up his responsibility to honor and marry her. God blest their marriage and she had a son whom would be the one whose bloodline would lead to be of the household of David. Previously she had never had a child in her previous marriage. It was considered a miracle of God. God’s love for Boaz and Ruth produced a supernatural blessing for them, and generations to come.
v.9 Ruth identifies herself as a servant using the term 'amah rather than shiphchah (2:13). A shiphchah was used of the lowest social class, while an 'amah was used for someone eligible for marriage.

Mark 12:38–44 NRSV

38 As he taught, he said, “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces, 39 and to have the best seats in the synagogues and places of honor at banquets! 40 They devour widows’ houses and for the sake of appearance say long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.” 41 He sat down opposite the treasury, and watched the crowd putting money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums. 42 A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which are worth a penny. 43 Then he called his disciples and said to them, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury. 44 For all of them have contributed out of their abundance; but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.”

Notes:

Love's Extravagant Behaviour

Exaggerated, excessive or immoderate behaviour often linked with wastefulness which may result in personal harm. God’s people are called to be wise stewards of what has been entrusted to them. However, Scripture also points to a right kind of open-handedness and generosity of spirit which reflects love and worship towards God and concern for others.

Love sacrifices without anything expected in return. Yet, true love is reciprocal in so many ways. It brought for blessing for Ruth through Naomi’s faith. It brought honor for eternity for the poor widow of Mark 12. It brought forth a miracle child for Ruth. God’s love gave His only begotten son and many sons and daughters of faith have been birthed through that seed of love. We could go on and on meditating on so many examples in the Word of God.

The Blessing Of Giving, From Our Daily Bread

It is more blessed to give than to receive. —Acts 20:35

It made no sense for a widow to donate her last few coins to a corrupt institution in Jerusalem, where scribes who were dependent on those gifts “devour[ed] widows’ houses” (Mark 12:40). But in that woman’s act, Jesus saw a moving display of the proper attitude toward money (vv.41-44).
Gordon Cosby, while serving as pastor of the Church of the Saviour in Washington, DC, tells of a widow whose income was barely adequate to feed and clothe her six children. Yet every week she faithfully placed $4 in the offering plate. A deacon suggested that Cosby go to her and assure her that she could use the money instead for her family’s benefit.

Cosby followed the deacon’s advice—to his regret. “You are trying to take away the last thing that gives me dignity and meaning,” she said. She had learned a key to giving: It can benefit the giver more than the receiver. Yes, those in poverty need financial help. But the need to give may be as important as the need to receive.

The act of giving reminds us that we live by the grace of God—like the birds and the flowers. Those creations don’t worry about their future; neither should we. Giving offers us a way to express our confidence that God will care for us just as He cares for the sparrow and lily (Matt. 6:25-34).

Whatever, Lord, we lend to Thee,

Repaid a thousand-fold will be;

Then gladly will we give to Thee,

Who givest all—who givest all. —Wordsworth

We disarm the power of money by giving it away.

I really enjoyed the latest newsletter from some of my dear brethren. Good work on your articles my friends.

Here is a link to that newsletter:

Full Gospel Restoration Newsletter November

 

Cultural Tradition In Conflict With God’s Wisdom And Love.

( Alternative Title: Getting Rid Of Stinking Thinking )

Preached on October 25th, 2015

 

Perspective From The Clouds

(from Our Daily Bread )

 

I have heard of You . . . but now my eye sees You. —Job 42:5

 

In 1927 the silent film Wings, a World War I film about two American aviators, won the first Academy Award for Best Picture. When it was being filmed, production stopped for several days. Frustrated producers asked the director why. He responded: “All we have is blue sky. The conflict in the air will not be as visible without clouds. Clouds bring perspective.” He was right. Only by seeing aerial combat with clouds as a backdrop could the viewer see what was really going on.

We often wish for blue skies instead of storm clouds. But cloudy skies may reveal God’s faithfulness. We gain perspective on how God has been faithful in our trials as we look back on the clouds.

At the beginning of his terrible suffering, Job lamented: “May the day perish on which I was born . . . . May a cloud settle on it” (Job 3:3-5). His experience of despair continued for a long time until God spoke. Then Job exclaimed, “I have heard of You . . . but now my eye sees You” (42:5). Job had encountered the sovereign Creator, and that changed his perspective on God’s purposes.

Do clouds of trouble fill your skies today? Sooner than you think, God may use these clouds to help you gain perspective on His faithfulness.

God, give us wings to rise above

The clouds of trial that block the sun,

To soar above gray skies and see

The love and goodness of Your Son. —Sper

Often the clouds of sorrow reveal the sunshine of His face. —Jasper

 

Job 42:1-6, 10-17

Then Job answered the LORD: "I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted. `Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?' Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know. `Hear, and I will speak; I will question you, and you declare to me.' I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you; therefore I despise myself, and repent in dust and ashes." And the LORD restored the fortunes of Job when he had prayed for his friends; and the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before. Then there came to him all his brothers and sisters and all who had known him before, and they ate bread with him in his house; they showed him sympathy and comforted him for all the evil that the LORD had brought upon him; and each of them gave him a piece of money and a gold ring. The LORD blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning; and he had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand donkeys. He also had seven sons and three daughters. He named the first Jemimah, the second Keziah, and the third Keren-happuch. In all the land there were no women so beautiful as Job's daughters; and their father gave them an inheritance along with their brothers. After this Job lived one hundred and forty years, and saw his children, and his children's children, four generations. And Job died, old and full of days.

Mark 10:46-52

Jesus and his disciples came to Jericho. As he and his disciples and a large crowd were leaving Jericho, Bartimaeus son of Timaeus, a blind beggar, was sitting by the roadside. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout out and say, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" Many sternly ordered him to be quiet, but he cried out even more loudly, "Son of David, have mercy on me!" Jesus stood still and said, "Call him here." And they called the blind man, saying to him, "Take heart; get up, he is calling you." So throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. Then Jesus said to him, "What do you want me to do for you?" The blind man said to him, "My teacher, let me see again." Jesus said to him, "Go; your faith has made you well." Immediately he regained his sight and followed him on the way.

Both Job and Bartimaeus had to deal with the cultural prejudices of their time. Job’s was the understanding that because of what had befallen him, he, or someone in his family, must have sinned and brought this hurt upon him. Bartimaeus had grown up with the perception that to be blind basically meant there was sin in the family line, or something was wrong with him spiritually. Either way, both men felt that they had the deck stacked against them. Both men needed their eyes opened. Why?  In order to see God in the way He wanted to be perceived; as the God who will heal the whole person, body and soul; to be seen as the one who would show mercy when faith is found in one’s heart. He was the God who wanted to eradicate prejudice, doubt and fear from their lives.

There were two ways God wanted to free both Job and Bartimaeus from the misperceptions of the reasoning of their times. One, by ripping away the idea that the Lord was vengeful and merciless, seeking only to punish. Two, by replacing that false perception with the knowledge that the Lord is a God who wants to save and redeem the whole person, to save to the uttermost and that ultimately their faith should not reside in the understanding of man, but in the truth of God.

Specifically Bartimaeus faith was found in the confidence he had received from hearing about Jesus. Job’s was on the revelation he received in his dialogue with God during the trial he was going through. One asked for mercy and trusted Christ and Christ healed him. The other had to learn to forgive in order for the healing process to be revealed.

 

God’s Final Words: The Interpretive Crux

Caught up in the divine speeches, we too often ignore God’s final words. In Job 42:7, God addresses Job’s friends, declaring his wrath at how they, not Job, had spoken about him. He declares Job as the only one in the right: “My wrath is kindled against you and against your two friends; for you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has.” If there was any doubt, God repeats this pronouncement in Job 42:8. The way we often interpret Job makes little sense if Job is the only one who has spoken rightly.

Job speaks to God and about God with bold and daring questions. God’s final speech in the book does not demonize Job’s questions—nor does it answer them. But it does affirm them as a proper way to speak.

( Anderson, J. E. (2014). A Lesson in Not Leaving before It’s Over. In J. D. Barry & R. Van Noord (Eds.), Study Like a Pro: Explore Difficult Passages from Every Book of the Bible. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press. )

 

Differing on the Nature of God: Theology as Debate

The book also presents an implicit argument that theology—reflection on the nature of God—is not so much systematic thought as the diverse and often conflicting claims about God believers make as they grapple with a world beset by the dualities of joy and sorrow, wonder and dread, prosperity and poverty, war and peace. The book includes many claims about the true nature of God that compete vigorously with one another. Job’s wife is certain of God’s retributive justice and equally certain that her husband has brought this misery on himself. She also seems confident that God’s justice leaves no room for forgiveness. Job’s friends share his wife’s insistence on God’s commitment to retributive justice, but they reject her view that God does not accept repentance, arguing that God forgives those who are repentant. Elihu’s speech affirms his friends’ views, but he adds the notion that unjust suffering among human beings is only apparently unjust inasmuch as it may also be explained as God’s pedagogy and discipline. Job represents in alternating literary personalities a posture of unquestioning (Job 1:20–21; 2:10) and chastened (Job 40:4–5; 42:1–6) devotion to God in spite of all innocent suffering; he also represents the bold view that the principle of God’s divine retributive justice stands apart from God as a judgment on God’s actions (see especially Job 31:29–37). Together, these diverse theological views in the book of Job testify not only to the fundamentally diverse nature of theology as a product of lived experience, but also to the tensions between perspectives naturally attendant to theology done this way.

Bibliography

Andersen, Francis I. Job: An Introduction and Commentary. Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press Press, 2008.

Kugler, R. (2012, 2013, 2014, 2015). Job, Book of, Critical Issues. In J. D. Barry, D. Bomar, D. R. Brown, R. Klippenstein, D. Mangum, C. Sinclair Wolcott, … W. Widder (Eds.), The Lexham Bible Dictionary. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.

 

Thoughts On Mark

In the Synoptic Gospels, the language of faith relates to trust in God and in Jesus (Mark 4:40; 11:22–24; Luke 8:25; Matt 21:21–22), with some concern for its relationship to divine judgment (Luke 18:8). However, Jesus’ miracles are of greatest interest in regard to the subject of faith. The Synoptic Gospels record two particular phrases that connect healing with faith:

1.      “Let it [the requested miracle] be done for you according to your faith” (Matt 8:13; 9:29 NRSV).

 2.      “Your faith has healed you” (Matt 9:22; Mark 5:34; 10:52; Luke 7:50; 8:48; 17:19; 18:42 NRSV).

The potential for modern misunderstanding and misapplication of this material necessitates further discussion on the relationship between faith and healing and how it should be understood from a theological perspective. Four important points can be made:

1.      The miracle traditions in the Synoptic Gospels focus on the dynamic appearance of the good news and how it claims victory over evil and the damage of sin. The miracle stories point toward true faith in God through Jesus, not the joy and satisfaction of the person being healed.

 2.      While Jesus commends the faith of the ill (or his friends; see Matt 9:2; Mark 2:5), deeper faith does not guarantee physical health or security. For example, John the Baptist is portrayed as strong in faith, yet he was beheaded and remained dead despite Jesus’ approval of his ministry.

 3.      The faith of the person is not necessarily orthodox or complete, and sometimes even involves only a rudimentary understanding of the identity of Jesus. In most people He heals, Jesus observes and commends their resolve to seek Him in their darkest hour. The people Jesus heals recognize His power and authority, but many of them do not understand the bigger picture of what God has done in Jesus or what He will do through Jesus’ death and resurrection. Culpepper remarks that the Gospel of Mark “measures faith not by its orthodoxy but by its determination, courage, and persistence” (Mark, 77).

 4.      The Gospels should not be considered guidebooks for healing. While there is no reason to doubt that Jesus did perform healing miracles as the Gospels record, these stories seem to carry a symbolic meaning as well. Donald Hagner argues that they point to “the greatest healing experienced by the Church, the ‘healing’ of salvation” (Hagner, Matthew, 1.251). This association is more obvious, as the verb for “healed” (σῴζω, sōzō) is also used for “saved” in the spiritual and eternal sense.

Gupta, N. K. (2012, 2013, 2014, 2015). Faith. In J. D. Barry, D. Bomar, D. R. Brown, R. Klippenstein, D. Mangum, C. Sinclair Wolcott, … W. Widder (Eds.), The Lexham Bible Dictionary. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.
Remember These Three Things

 

      1. The Character of God.

 Galatians 5:22-26

 22 By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also be guided by the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, competing against one another, envying one another.

       2. Prejudice And Hatred will destroy your spiritual well being.

       3. Forgiveness And Building Bridges of Understanding brings about Healing and Peace.