Month: December 2019

Healing

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“And He came down with them, and stood in the plain, and the company of His disciples, and a great multitude of people out of all Judaea and Jerusalem, and from the sea coast of Tyre and Sidon, which came to hear Him, and to be healed of their diseases; and they that were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed. And the whole multitude sought to touch Him: for there went virtue out of Him, and healed all.” Luke 6:17-19 (KJB)

“…And they that were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed” (Luke 6:17) is the verse that we look at in particular in today’s  study.  Why that one.

I do not believe it to be a new thing that there are troubled souls, troubled individuals in our day of 2019. There has always been vexed souls of men, women, even boys and girls. Ever since the fall of Adam in the garden of Eden there have been vexed souls and minds.

That vexing; that troubling; is from the realm of evil spirits, or demons. It all begins with a person by filling their minds with that which is self oriented, and always turning away from anything that is holy, right, and godly. In essence those demons have been virtually invited into the heart and mind of the afflicted party.

The gospels include these afflictions along with all the diseases of mankind. So I must as well.  However, there is no doctor, specialist, or medicine to rid one’s self of a demon presence.

The only way to be rid of the devil/demons is to call on the name of Jesus Christ, believing that He died on the cross for your sins, was buried, that He rose again; and that evil rascal must flee.

There is peace in Jesus Christ alone. Peace with God, and peace within.

He Touched Me

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“And He put forth His hand, and touched him, saying, ‘I will: be thou clean.’ And immediately the leprosy departed from him.” Luke 5:13 (KJB)

When I was a much younger man there was a song by that title; “He Touched Me”.  It is still sung in some churches  and musical circles. I wonder if we give much thought to what Jesus actually did though, in touching, yes touching those whom the law, and society of the time called “Unclean”.

Speaking of Jesus Christ the Son of God, God the Son; Matthew’s gospel tells us this,

“That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, ‘Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses.’ ” Matthew 8:17

And that is a quote from the prophet Isaiah,

 “Surely He hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed.” Isaiah 53:4-5

Now I hope you can see a little clearer what Jesus did for all of us who will repent of our sins, and call out to Him in faith believing Him.

Paul the apostle said in 2 Corinthians,

“For He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.” 2 Corinthians 5:21

He touched me; the unclean; and made me wholly clean. Has He touched you?

This Scripture Is Fulfilled

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“And He began to say unto them, This day is this Scripture fulfilled in your ears.” Luke 4:21 (KJB)

Jesus had been given the opportunity to read the Scriptures in synagogue that day, and He opened to the prophet Isaiah and read:

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He hath anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He hath sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord.” Luke 4:18-19

If you will take note; Jesus stopped before completing the reading of the whole prophecy. Why? It would be because He had come to fulfill only this portion for this time; the other would come later.

The following is more of Isaiah’s prophecy from Isaiah 61. If  you want to read it in it entirety pick up your Bible and read it.  Jesus is coming again.

“The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me; because the LORD hath anointed Me to preach good tidings unto the meek; He hath sent Me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD,…”
“…and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; to appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified…” Isaiah 61:1-3ff

We can be sure that since He came to fulfill the first portion of this prophecy; He will definitely return to fulfill the latter part of it as well.

GOD IN THREE PERSONS

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“Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened, and the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art My beloved Son; in Thee I am well pleased.” Luke 3:21-22 (KJB)

The belief in one God is standard among those who believe in God among Christians, Jews, and Muslims; and there could be others. We begin to part in our beliefs when we as Christians believe that God is revealed in Scriptures as three in One God.

I am not going to try and explain it. It is only fully understood by God Himself, but the answer is the Scripture clearly shows us in the text above, the presence of the Triune Godhead (Romans 1:20; Colossians 2:9), at work on the day of our Lord’s baptism.

Jesus the Son of God, God the Son coming up out of the water, the Holy Spirit descending, the voice of the Father speaking, “Thou art My beloved Son; in Thee I am well pleased.”

You can believe what the Bible says, or you can choose not to believe, but there it is.

The words of the blessed old Hymn came to my mind as I thought of these Scripture verses this morning. The following are verses 1 and 4 of Holy, Holy, Holy:

Holy, Holy, Holy! Lord God Almighty!
Early in the morning our song shall rise to Thee;
Holy, Holy, Holy; Merciful and Mighty!
God in three Persons, blessed Trinity!

Holy, Holy, Holy! Lord God Almighty!
All Thy works shall praise Thy name, in earth, and sky, and sea;
Holy, Holy, Holy; Merciful and Mighty!
God in three Persons, blessed Trinity!

 

…To All People

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“And the angel said unto them, ‘Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people…” Luke 2:10 (KJB)

I find it somewhat odd that the scholars, the priest, the religionist of the day in Jerusalem missed the obvious signs. The signs that the Messiah was on the way. I will not get into what those signs were. Others saw them from further away.

The shepherds in the field were not the first. They are the first mentioned in our text, but in the totality of the text of the gospel it includes the wise men from the east (Matthew 2:1-12). The wise men would have began most likely weeks before when they saw the “star”, and they traveled together and found the new born King, not in a manger, but a house.

In the birth of Jesus the LORD of Creation is declaring that His Son’s birth is a gift to all who will come to Him and believe in the gift of His grace. The grace that will be displayed by His death on the cross, His burial not only proving He died, but that He also carried all our sin, condemnation, guilt, and shame away, and then He arose leaving all of that behind and He eternally lives.  Because He lives all from every nation, every tongue, and every tribe of people who believe in Him have eternal life.

“Fear not” the angel said. The great good tidings to all the earth. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.

NOTHING IMPOSSIBLE WITH GOD

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“For with God nothing shall be impossible.” Luke 1:37 (KJB)

That is nothing that is inconsistent with His character, or Person. There is nothing too hard for God to accomplish.

The prophet Jeremiah stated that “…there is nothing too hard for Thee…” (Jeremiah 32:17) and the the LORD Himself asks the prophet; and not for information; “…is anything too hard for Me?” (Jeremiah 32:27). It is just to make it clear for the reader’s observation that there is nothing too hard for the LORD. With God nothing shall be impossible.

When a priest named Zechariah entered the temple too old to have children and with a wife too old to have children and is told he will have son who will be the herald who will usher in the Messiah “Nothing shall be impossible with God”.  When Zechariah does not believe and he is told he will be mute until his son is born “Nothing shall be impossible with God”.

When the virgin Mary is told she will have a son without a man, then “Nothing shall be impossible with God”.

When God sets out to save the Nation of Israel “Nothing shall be impossible with God”.  When God sets out to save the Gentile world “Nothing shall be impossible with God”.

When God set out to save you, “Nothing shall be impossible with God”.

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16