Fall Study

My Aching Bones - Psalm 6

11:00 AM

 


Today’s reading - Psalm 6, Hebrews 10:19-22  


One of the things I love most about the Psalms is the way they convey the hurts, joys, hopes, and sorrows of every Christian. And in Psalm 6, the pain David feels resonates deep inside my heart. Because I too know the anguish of sinning against God. The brokenness of realizing what a mess I’ve made, and the despair of the consequences that are sure to follow.


Like David, I have felt the wretchedness that comes from disobedience to God. How the shame literally manifests into physical pain, from deep in my heart to deep in my bones. And the bottomless groaning of exhaustion that comes from crying too many tears to count. For me there is no greater pain then being out of fellowship with God. To be separated, if only temporary, from His presence is agony for my soul. 


But also like David, I trust in the mercy, promises, and love of God. I know that even though I’m not, God is good all of the time. The Lord knows my heart. And when I come bowed before Him in humility, He sees my sorrow. And in my repentance, He graciously welcomes me back to a place I don’t deserve; into His loving arms. Restoring me with all joy and peace, and abounding me in hope! (Rom. 15:13)


Pause and Reflect - Are in you in a place of being separated from God? Have you come before Him in humility and honesty? There’s nothing more that God loves than a repentant and humble heart. And when we acknowledge our wrongs before Him, God is faithful to forgive and restore. (1 John 1:9)


During periods of fear and despair, do you believe in your heart that God will come to your rescue? Hebrews 11:1 tells us that true faith is assurance of things hoped for. No matter the circumstance, are you filled with assurance of God’s delivery? 


Finally, let’s pray together, 


Dearest Father, O how great are you, God? Even though we are fallen beings who fail you daily, You remain steadfast. When we falter, Your love and mercy rescues us from the world, the Enemy, and most of all, ourselves. Father help us to come before You each day with hearts and minds that are humble and repentant. May we approach You with the confidence of David, who knew You love to answer the prayers of Your humble, obedient, children. And may we walk this and every day in fellowship with You. In Jesus’ precious name we pray, Amen!

Don't' forget to head over to our Facebook group at, https://www.facebook.com/groups/womenintheword2 to join in on the discussion. Also check out our public Facebook page at, https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100083156569388 and give us a like!

I can’t wait to hear your thoughts, and I pray your day overflows with love and blessings.


💕 Lisa

29

WALKING IN WISDOM- JESUS CALMS OUR STORMS (MATTHEW 8)

8:00 PM

 
Today´s scripture: Matthew 8

Wow, in this chapter Matthew writes about many miraculous events! I was a bit overwhelmed as I was getting ready to write today´s post, because each one these are so unique! Jesus not only poured His loving healing power over the lives of those He healed, but over the lives of those who heard of these miracles, too!

-The healing of the leper  (8:1-4 )

-The healing of the centurion's servant (8:5-13)

-The healing of Peter's wife's mother (8:14-15)

-The healing of all the sick who were brought to the doors at evening time (8:16-17).

-The miracle of calming the storm which threatened their lives on the Sea of Galilee. (8:23-27)

-There is the healing of the two demon possessed men. (8:28-34)

What grabbed my attention is that the disciples had witnessed all of Jesus´ first miracles, since they decided to follow Him (4:23-24), and before they experienced the storm they were in and I wondered: why were they so afraid? I mean they had seen Jesus perform all those healings… such miracles they had never thought to witness or experience!  Shouldn’t  they  have felt confident nothing would happen to them, if Jesus was with them? But no, they were actually afraid to die!

“ 24 And suddenly a violent storm arose on the sea, so that the boat was being covered by the waves; but Jesus was sleeping. 25 And the disciples went and woke Him, saying, “Lord, save us, we are going to die!” 26 He said to them, “Why are you afraid, you men of little faith?”  Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was [at once] a great and wonderful calm [a perfect peacefulness]. “ (8:24-26)

As I tried to put myself in their place, I sadly realized I would have probably reacted the same way, especially as I look back at all the difficulties and the struggles I´ve experienced throughout this year! I knew Jesus was with me all this time, but there were moments when my faith waivered!

I like how C. H. Spurgeon explains this:

“They did not know their Lord yet; nor do we. Perhaps we have to go to sea to learn more of him, I mean that troubles and trials of a greater sort than we have known before may yet have to come to be our schoolmasters to teach us what Jesus is. “They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters, these see the works of the Lord, and his wonders in the deep.” You landsmen are thankful for your quiet, but you do not see so much of Jesus as others of his disciples do, you must go to sea to be able to cry, “What manner of man is this?” C. H. Spurgeon

Yes, this is so true! Each one of the people who were healed in this chapter, were going through a terrible storm themselves, too! They needed a miracle, they heard about Jesus and they came to Him, believing He would heal them, and He did!

In the presence of Jesus our storms will turn to peace! And if He rebuked the winds and the sea for the sake of the disciples then, He can do it again in our lives, too for:

”Jesus Christ is [eternally changeless, always] the same yesterday and today and forever.” (Hebrews 13:8 Amp)

Mari

(I am including this link. I hope thus song blesses you - Famous For-)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=USorGnKamks




Demoniac

Set Free {Mark 5}

11:00 AM





Monday May 18, “Walking In Wisdom”


To many the story of Jesus healing the demoniac is one showing His authority as the Son of God, and an example of the many miracles He performed. But to me, it’s a story showing the great love the Lord has for us, and the depths He will go to set us free. 

There was a man from the country of Gerasenes who was possessed by demons. Unable to be bound by chains, “constantly, night and day, he was screaming among the tombs, and in the mountains, and bashing himself with stones.” (vs. 5) Can you imagine a life filled with such pain? He was shunned by society, forced into isolation, and mentally tormented 24 hours a day, to the point of cutting himself. He must have felt so lost and alone, with a heart surely empty of any hope of ever being saved. That was until from a distance he saw a boat land on the shore carrying his Savior, who had come at great lengths to rescue him. 

Jesus overcame obstacles and broke the rules to save this man. First Christ, the Jewish Messiah alone, sailed to a country mostly inhabited by Gentile’s. Next He calmed a fierce storm, not letting anything stand in the way of His rescue mission. After landing, Jesus looked upon the naked man bowing before Him, disregarding that Jews are forbidden from observing the nakedness of another person. And finally He healed the man who, according to Jewish tradition, had desecrated burial grounds which are considered holy and sacred sites, and not to be disturbed.

Jesus isn’t big on rules. Instead, He’s big on mercy. And when it comes to rescuing one of His own, He’ll pull out all the stops. The Lord knew beforehand that the healing He was about to perform would be met with anger and fear, and that the people of the land would beg Him to leave. Yet out of His great love, He freed the demoniac anyway sending the “unclean spirits” who tormented him relentlessly, into a herd of pigs who then ran down a steep bank to be drowned in the sea. Healed and thankful, under the command of the Lord the man, “went away and began to proclaim what great things Jesus had done for him; and everyone was amazed.” (vs. 20)  

Jesus tells us, “[For the Son of Man has come to save that which is lost.] What do you think? If any man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go search for the one that is straying? “ (Matt. 18:11-12) Christ is our mighty Shepherd. And as part of His flock, just as He did with the demoniac, He will do whatever it takes to rescue us and set us free. For there is no one the Lord cannot find, no chain He cannot break, no stronghold He cannot conquer, and no sin His blood cannot cover. So if you are lost and hurting, call out to Jesus. Receive His amazing grace, and when He rescues you, proclaim throughout the world the “great things the Lord has done for you, and how He had mercy on you.” (vs. 19)



Bethesda

Do You Wish To Get Well? {John 5}

12:00 AM


Monday Sept. 21

A feast of the Jews was happening in the City of David. And as the Jewish law required all men to attend, Jesus traveled to Jerusalem, coming upon a pool located near the sheep gate called Bethesda; meaning “house of mercy”, or “house of grace”.  It consisted of two pools surrounded by covered walkways in which laid, “a multitude of those who were sick, blind, lame, and withered”. (vs. 5:3) At certain times an angel of the Lord would go into the pool and stir up the water. The first person to enter the water after it was stirred, would receive healing from their affliction. Now as you can imagine people came from all around to play this "healing lottery", each vying to be the first one in. It was there that the Lord encountered a man who had been suffering with an illness for 38 years. “When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he had already been a long time in that condition, He said to him, ‘Do you wish to get well’?”

At first I thought, “What a silly thing for Jesus to ask. Of course the man wished to get well!" But after reading the man's response, I began to understand why Jesus asked the seemingly odd question. He tells the Lord, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, but while I am coming, another steps down before me.” (vs. 5:7) Think about that for a minute. Like clockwork for almost four decades, this sick man kept returning to the pool on his own, with no chance of being the first one in. Now wouldn't you think that after awhile it would occur to him to try something new? Maybe get there a little earlier, or pay someone for help. How could he honestly expect different results from doing the same thing over and over? So as Jesus asked, did he really wish to get well after all? And I have to tell you as soon as that question popped into my mind, God put in my heart how that man and myself have more in common then I care to admit.

I can’t tell you the countless times the words, “I wish” have passed over my lips. 'I wish I was healthier. I wish I was more organized. I wish I was more intentional. I wish, I wish, I wish." And like the man at Bethesda, instead of taking action to change my circumstances, I keep doing the same things while expecting different results. Whether it be through repeating destructive patterns, wallowing in self pity, or lack of personal accountability, I too have found myself by the edge of the pool waiting for healing. 

In my case, the paralysis I feel isn't a body problem but rather a heart problem. I've never done well with change. It's painful and causes me fear. It's more comfortable to stay stuck on my mat, making my troubles part of my identity rather than to let them go. For letting go means letting go of control over my life. It means setting aside the excuses, becoming accountable, and working hand in hand with the Lord for the healing I desperately desire. And it means having complete faith in God and His ability to get me off that mat, and freed from my afflictions; including those self induced.

No matter who we are, each of us at different times in our lives need the healing that only God can provide. The man at the pool of Bethesda was just one of many hoping for a miracle that day. And he received it through the compassion of Jesus. Christ offered this man grace and mercy, and He offers it to us as well. Our Lord wants no one to suffer in sickness and so He shed His precious blood to become our perfect path to healing. “He Himself took our infirmities and carried away our diseases.” (Matt. 8:17) Whether the healing we need is  physical, emotional, spiritual, or all three, Jesus not only provides deliverance from our troubles, but also peace, hope, and joy. So if you find yourself, like me, at the edge of the pool lying on your mat wondering when your healing will come, be proactive. Pray, trust, believe, and be ready to put in the work for change when Jesus asks, "Do you wish to be well?'



2 Chronicles

Scripture Saturday ~ Humble Ourselves

12:00 AM

Saturday, March 31, 2018


Welcome to Scripture Saturday!

This coming week's memory verse is 2 Chronicles 7:14...

 "Then if my people who are called by My name will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and heal their land." (NLT)

Happy Easter!  Have a blessed and precious day and week everyone!

Faith

Ten Lepers Cleansed {Luke 17}

12:00 AM



By Lisa Moore

We begin this chapter with Jesus and the disciples traveling to Jerusalem.  They are passing between Samaria and Galilee, and stop to enter a village.  There is a group of ten leprous men made up of both Jews and Samaritans.  They see Jesus from a distance and call out to Him.  Verse 14-17 tells us , "When He saw them, He said to them, 'Go and show yourselves to the priests.'  And as they were going they were cleansed.  Now one of them, when he saw that he had been healed, turned back, glorifying God with a loud voice, and he fell on his face at His feet, giving thanks to Him.  And he was a Samaritan.  Then Jesus answered and said, 'Were there not ten cleansed?  But the nine-where are they?  Was no one found to give glory to God, except this foreigner?" 



Many times I've found myself skimming over this miracle Jesus performed because I'm more focused on what is about to happen once Jesus enters Jerusalem.  But when I actually slowed down and spent some time digging in deeper, I discovered the importance of having a faith filled with gratitude.



How wretched those men were.  Because of their leprosy the only people they could associate with was other lepers.  They were shunned.  They could go nowhere near their friends, their loved ones, or even their synagogue.  When people looked at them they were automatically assumed to have been cursed by God.  What a miserable, painful, and lonely existence.  Imagine their hope and excitement when into their village comes Jesus!  The One who they have heard performs great miracles, and who is their only chance for healing.  Now imagine their confusion when they cry out to Jesus for mercy and He simply responds by telling them to go and show themselves to the priests.  



In that time the priests had the final say when it came to diagnosing leprosy.  Only they could declare someone as being "clean" and free of the disease thereby allowing them back into society.  I'm sure these men, looking down at their still infected bodies, wondered why Jesus would tell them to do such a thing.  But it was in that moment that they had a decision to make.  Stay where they were ravished with disease and hopeless, or to put their faith in Jesus and follow His command.  They chose Jesus.  And as they stepped forward in trust and left to find their priests, they were cleansed.  End of story right?  Not exactly.  The Bible goes on to tell us that after realizing they had received their healing, only one of the ten, a Samaritan, returns to thank Jesus.  This causes Jesus to ask why it was only him, this foreigner who returned.  But why was Jesus upset?  After all didn't the other nine do as He commanded and leave to find the priests?  







All ten men had faith.  But it was only this Samaritan who understood who Jesus truly was.  Unlike his Jewish counterparts, He recognized Jesus not only as a divine Healer, but also as his Redeemer and his Savior.  It is this realization that causes him to return glorifying God. He then falls at the feet of Jesus in praise and thankfulness knowing he is need of salvation.  In turn Jesus tells him to, "Stand up and go; your faith has made you well." (v. 19).  



All ten of the leprous men received physical healing based on their faith.  But it was only the Samaritan who came to God in dependence and thankfulness.  Because of this, he also received spiritual healing.  Jesus expects us to show gratitude.  Gratitude, giving thanks, and a grateful heart are all a part of God's will for our lives.  And as important as it is to dedicating ourselves to following Christ in faith, it is just as important to remember to thank Him for all that He is, all that He does, and all that He blesses us with each and every day.  

Faith

Free from your disability {Luke 13}

4:29 AM




By Lisa Thayer

Are you ashamed of something or many things from your past?  Have you always been nit-picky?  Maybe some people describe you as particular.   Do you hold a longtime grudge against someone?  Do you put your husband or children down?  Do you put down a coworker or boss?  Do you look at hypocrisy around you in anger or disgust?  

Do you recognize the crippling effects of these?

Are you like this woman who has been crippled by some life circumstance and even the people around you don't realize it?   Yet, Jesus, stoops all the way down to her, and calls her forward in front of everyone, and tells her she is free!  (v. 12)  Free from this bondage!  The synagogue leader hadn't even noticed her!  She'd been coming for 18 years and he hadn't seen the crippling effects of what held her hostage.  Satan is so clever!  He disguises sin from all of us.

Have you ever wondered why the synagogue leader was so upset?  Is this Jarius the synagogue leader we read about back in chapter 8?  It says here in verse 17 that the people were humbled and they glorified God.  What happens to humble people?  Have we judged these people ourselves and thought they were not worthy because they didn't treat this woman ‘right’?  Have we judged this woman? Are we being hypocritical?  Are we like this synagogue leader and have not recognized what a sabbath rest truly is?  Jesus is our rest from works now, just as He is the gate to heaven, where we will rest in Him forever.  There is no sabbath rest besides Jesus.  He alone satisfies the requirements of the law, and He alone provides the sacrifice that atones for sin.  He is God's plan for us to cease from the labor of our own works.

Last week I received an email from Sylvia Gunter and it happened to arrive a day after I began researching for my post.  I could not have said it better…

Isaiah 42:3. "A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out. In faithfulness he will bring forth justice."   Psalm 147:3. "He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds to the promises of God for healing. In His humanity Jesus knew all your griefs, your rejection, your shame and guilt, your infirmities, your wounding, your suffering, your  tendencies to go astray (Isa. 53:1-6). He identified with you in every respect, because He was made like you in every way. Therefore He is able to come to your help (Heb. 2:17-18). He understands feeling bruised, broken, wounded, and barren. He turns them to shouts of joy (Isa. 54:1). He is your healing sacrifice.
Healing prayer is about applying God's healing words to wounded, helpless, and hopeless places of life. Isaiah said that God takes our wounds as an opportunity to display His glory (Isa. 61:3). That's how God can be glorified in the broken places. In the end He "will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away" (Rev. 21:4). God can restore what the enemy plundered. He said, "I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten" (Joel 2:25).

Let the Holy Spirit of truth touch those things He wants to touch, and be blessed to partner with Him to do His work. Give Him all blocks to healing, especially unforgiveness, inner vows, judgments, and hopelessness. Be blessed with the healing love and compassion of Jesus touching everything from the past. Be blessed as Jesus lifts from you the scar tissue of past wounds, be they physical, verbal, emotional, or mental.

Let your spirit lead the way. Choose release, choose to open the doors of the prison of fear.  Ask the Holy Spirit of truth to minister truth, and let Him bring you into His light. Be blessed as He heals deeply at the root, not just put a band-aid to cover over the injury.

Be blessed with the comfort of the Lord for all negative emotions. Look into the face of your tender Abba to heal them all. Allow Him to minister His healing. He feeds you with gentleness and kindness, nourishing you with hope in him, drawing you deeper into His grace.

God told Hezekiah, "I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears, I will heal you." It is as true today as when it was spoken then. He responds to our tears with healing. Jeremiah said, "Heal me, and I shall be healed indeed." God remains faithful to you. Rest in those words. Breathe in the love and healing of God.

Your Comforter indwells you. He administers comfort and healing in every area of hurt. Be blessed in the peace of God with His joy and strength. Be blessed in the courage of the Holy Spirit. The risen Jesus living in you is bringing you resurrection power. Align yourself with the Spirit of Christ Jesus every moment of every day. Be blessed as He washes those areas that were tender and raw. He brings back to life those parts of your being long denied or buried. Be blessed that He is everything that you need.

Your heavenly Father honors your tears that seek Him, your patience to wait for Him, your eyes to behold Him, your heart to meditate on Him, and your life to show Him forth in the power of the Spirit of Jesus your Lord.




Angie Benjamin

Jesus Heals a Paralyzed Man {Mark 2}

4:51 AM





By Angie Benjamin

Today's Reading: 
Mark 2:1-12

2 A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home. 2 They gathered in such large numbers that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them. 3 Some men came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. 4 Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus by digging through it and then lowered the mat the man was lying on. 5 When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”

6 Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, 7 “Why does this fellow talk like that? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?”

8 Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, “Why are you thinking these things? 9 Which is easier: to say to this paralyzed man, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, take your mat and walk’? 10 But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the man, 11 “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” 12 He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”

Afternoon sisters, I'll try to make some points on the story of the Paralyzed man whom Jesus healed in this passage. I'm considering and expounding Matthew Henry's commentary.

In this passage we see a group of men, probably friends who were having a hard time getting by Jesus side, they were coming to him, but couldn't get close because of the big crowd.

Isn't this scene a bit similar to what happens in successful or busy churches, where we can be so oblivious to the needy people who want to see Jesus? We should not be  the people in a church that we are so preoccupied with our own relationships and agendas that we don't see those who are trying to get in...Are we letting them in? Are we making a way to reach Jesus? Are we being an obstacle on their way??

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary
2:1-12 It was this man's misery that he needed to be so carried, and shows the suffering state of human life; -

Some people have a hard time coming to Jesus, just as the man mention in this portion of Scripture. They may be paralyzed by their doubts, their questions, or even the fears... Sin also paralyzes. It doesn't allow us to go through life with the freedom God intended us to live with. 

  - it was kind of those who so carried him, and teaches the compassion that should be in men, toward their fellow-creatures in distress.- 

When we recognize someone's needs you can meet, either by yourself or with others who are also concern, how do you act?

Let us make a commitment to do whatever in our power to help them to see Jesus.

 True faith and strong faith may work in various ways; but it shall be accepted and approved by Jesus Christ. Sin is the cause of all our pains and sicknesses. The way to remove the effect, is to take away the cause. Pardon of sin strikes at the root of all diseases. 

Christ proved his power to forgive sin, by showing his power to cure the man sick of the palsy. And his curing diseases was a figure of his pardoning sin, for sin is the disease of the soul; when it is pardoned, it is healed.

*Before saying to the paralytic "get up", Jesus said "Son, your sins are forgiven". To the Jewish leaders must have been such an aggravation...such a blasphemous statement. But Jesus proved them wrong. By forgiving this man's sins, He was made whole. Isn't this beautiful? Jesus dealt with the root of every evil, every disease and in exchange He makes everything right and whole...to those who accept to trade their sins and receive His forgiveness.

 When we see what Christ does in healing souls, we must own that we never saw the like. Most men think themselves whole; they feel no need of a physician, therefore despise or neglect Christ and his gospel. But the convinced, humbled sinner, who despairs of all help, excepting from the Saviour, will show his faith by applying to him without delay.


We are all completely spiritually paralyzed before we are set free by Jesus. The Bible says that we are dead in our trespasses, and that we need to have our spirits revived to live a life that is meaningful and connected to the life-giving grace of God.  And until we are healed of our spiritual paralysis, and only then, can we really deal with all the other paralyses we may have.

Now, physical, emotional, relational, and spiritual paralysis are not modern phenomena.  These issues are often addressed in Scripture, and I believe those myriad stories are there to help us to see our need for Christ and His healing touch. 

Jesus is the only One who can break the chains of spiritual paralysis.   Jesus said, I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.  No one comes to the Father, except by Me!
But if you are still dealing with your own issues, go to Jesus so you can be set free, and then be enabled to go to others.

Have a beautiful Weekend! x