-Miracle Inception-

Upon studying this morning I heard a commentary state that,

“the woman’s faith healed her” as well as “faith opens the door for the miracles.”

I love what they are saying here, however we have to understand that Jesus’ miracle was more than just the miracle. It was about the heart of the individual needing forgiveness from the sin. This time as I was studying this part of Matthew, it dawned on me that these miracles are two part miracles. We have the external miracle that heals the flesh. That which we can see and physically understand and then the internal miracle that heals the heart which we can only see from a Spiritual understanding upon being redeemed by Christ.

Jesus in Jesus fashion never misses an opportunity to show us something on a deeper level. Jesus doesn’t want us to live on the surface level but on a deeper level with deeper understanding of what he has truly healed or saved us from. Sin.

Often time we ask God for a miracle in our lives and I’m not saying that’s a bad thing. However, if we are like so much of the “crowd” the Bible references and showing up for the outward miracle and not the inward miracle of soul restoration and salvation from our sins so that we are made just and right in the eyes of God so we may have eternal life instead of eternal death, then we are missing the target.

Christ getting the death penalty for our sins so that we may have eternal life. Grafted into the vine known as Jesus. Adopted into his Kingdom. Saving Grace poured out onto your life.

That’s the true miracle in our lives.

You just need faith in Jesus to open the door to this miracle.

If you have anything you want me to pray about be sure to fill the comments up below or DM me. Let’s be in prayer together.

-Hansen’s Disease?-

Do you know what Hansen’s Disease is? If you look in Matthew 8 you’ll find Jesus healing a man who has Hansen’s Disease. We all know it by its other name. Leprosy.

“Hansen’s disease (also known as leprosy) is an infection caused by slow-growing bacteria called Mycobacterium leprae. It can affect the nerves, skin, eyes, and lining of the nose (nasal mucosa).”

-CDC-

The Mycobacterium leprae; the slow growing bacteria mentioned above is like sin that enters our lives. Sometimes if not often sin is slow growing as well.

Leprosy would consume peoples flesh and eventually destroy them. They were considered unclean and couldn’t come into 6 feet of someone according to Jewish law. They were considered unclean and outcast. They were never to be touched. However, Jesus did just that. He reached out and healed this man that the world had rejected and considered unclean filth. A stain on their society.

This paints a great picture here regarding the sin in our lives. Sin consumes and destroys our lives. Just as leprosy does. Often when we live in that sin for so long we become isolated and feel as an outcast. We eventually feel as if we don’t belong. We feel just like this leper in Matthew 8 and Jesus knows that.

The beautiful thing displayed in Matthew 8 is his Power. Jesus doesn’t heal people just to flex. He does it to teach the ones being healed and the ones witnessing it something valuable. That he came to bring True healing to us. To heal hearts that are poisoned with sin. To cleanse the disease (sin) of our hearts like he cleansed the disease of the leper’s flesh. Just as this man wasn’t too unclean for Jesus to heal, neither are you. You may feel like you are too deep into sin and too filthy to be clean but you’re not. Jesus wants to purify your heart and make it clean. (Psalm 51:10) Jesus wants to bring you from the depths of destruction that sin has led you to. To do so you only need to believe he died for those sins on the cross. You only need to believe that he was buried and resurrected. Believe that he is the living Christ and make him lord of your life. God loves you so much and he wants a relationship with you. He’s already offered the gift of salvation. You only need to accept it.

If you have any prayer request make sure to comment so we can be in prayer together.

Our Denial and His Grace

John 13:38:

Jesus answered him, will you lay down your life for my sake? Most assuredly, I say to you, the rooster shall not crow till you have denied me three times.

Lately I have been studying in John for the past month or so. I came across the verse above. A verse I have read and heard many times over the years. This time I felt compelled to share on it. I feel we have all come to this point in our lives as christians. A point where we live for Christ and follow after him as Peter did and still manage to deny our relationship with our one true friend. Our Lord and saviour.

The thing is sometimes we deny Christ in the smallest of ways. It isn’t always a big situation like the one Peter was confronted with. Sometimes its not praying over our food in public because it isn’t the social norm. Sometimes its deciding not to talk to a co-worker or friend about Christ and his love for them because the fear of rejection or making them uncomfortable despite the call to do so. Sometimes its denying the ones we share this life and planet with. (Matthew 25:40-And the king will answer and say to them, Assuredly, I say to you inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these my bretheren, you did it to me.)

Now you might be reading this and feeling convicted and terrible because you have done the things above in the past. I have and still do from time to time… but now time for the good news. I’m gonna chase a rabbit for a second.

To start with Christ himself is considered the word of God, and has been since the beginning. (Read John 1:1 and John 1:14) We have heard the word or scripture called the “Gospel” which many say means the Good news. I recently read that the actual Greek translation is reward for bringing good news. Which I find the word “reward” interesting. If Christ himself is the word and we share the word (Christ) we then gain the reward of Christ and Christ is the good news. That being said we can move on to my point.

Yes we feel convicted and terrible but the good news is Christ and his unfailing grace. Later on after Peter denied Christ three times he came to Peter and called him by name. That being said the same happens to us. No matter how many times we fail Christ or turn away and deny, he will always call us back by name. His grace and love covers all of our sins. The point of this isn’t to just tell you a story from the Bible. Its about what Peter did after grace covered him. After the denial was all over and the ultimate act of grace was shown, Peter continued to follow after Christ and spread the Good news and reap the reward (Christ) for doing so. And with that, so should we. Grace already covers us so we should accept that and all the holy spirit to change us and spread the word, spread Christ and gain him as our reward. Christ and his kingdom is the only reward worth obtaining afterall.

We are the Painting and God is the Painter

We have all thought it or said it, whether it is directly related to us. We wanna know why “bad” things happen to “good” people.

Well to start off with, Jesus tell us in Mark 10:18, “why  do you call me good? No one is good but one, that is, God” and we are told again in Luke 18:19. So we learn from these two verses that our man kind mentality has brought to fruition a phrase that goes against scripture. We must realize we are not good. We are broken and sinful. But that still leaves us to beg the question as to why God allows bad things to happen. Notice I said allows and not causes. Our God is not an evil, wicked, and vile God. He is a God built on love, grace, mercy, and compassion. 

Sometimes our human minds can’t see the “big picture” of things. We don’t see the end game, but God sees all aspect of the picture. We are the Painting and God is the Painter.

Here are some cool verses:

Romans Ch. 5:3-4

“And not only that but we also Glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perserverance, and perserverance, character, and character hope.”

This one passage speaks to me so clearly as to why bad things happen. Not to good people, but to broken unclean people who give their lives to the only good one, God. Tragedy and tribulations happens because God wants us to reach out to him. Tragedy happens because their is spiritual growth involved. We need to practice and form a habit of lifting our burdens and struggles up to the Lord. In doing so we feel his love and compassion and gain insight. We learn to perserver and we build upon our character, and ultimately through this we end up in a position or circumstance where God needs us and has destined us to be. 

This is a not so extreme example, but it paints the picture.

About three years ago I worked at Blockbuster. Until as we all know they closed down. I was in a position where I needed Gods help and Guidance. So I gave my troubles up to the lord and laid my burdens of this place down at the cross. Over the next few months I had begun to work at another movie store. I strongly believe God had brought me to this place for one major reason. Not to be a hopeless romantic, but I feel I was brought here to meet the woman I would one day marry. God had prepared me and brought me to my future wife. After working at the movie store for a few months I decided to start applying for a bank job. A decision I believe the Lord put on me. The Lord has blessed me by placing me in this bank job. A job that involves a beautiful Christian work Enviroment where I can freely express my love of God with my co-workers and customers. I’ve no doubt that the Lord allowed the doors to close on Blockbuster (literally and figuritively) and allowed me to struggle because he sees the big picture and where He intends for me to be. I am the Painting and God is the Painter.

My prayer for you is one of perseverance through your struggles. For growth and understanding of who God is and how his love really works. In Jesus Mighty name. Amen

Do I Matter? (Do We Matter?)

Today I read a devotional (Daily Bread) and the topic was “DO I MATTER?” The individual talked about how they were in a Grocery store. They were looking around noticing all the different people, and thought, “Do all these people really matter to God?

Being a christian since sixteen and being fortunate to have parents who showed me who God was as a child, I have never given it any real thought about this question. And then a revelation hit me. There are about 7.5 billion people in the world. That’s no small number. A revelation that my God not only cares so much for me but also the 7.5 billion other people who make up our planet. All at the same time. The beautiful thing is, even if God doesn’t matter to us, we will always matter to him. I know this all seems like basic knowledge and very logical thinking, but take a second, step back and really think about it. 7.5 billion people and how important every single person is just as important to God as the next. Now lets look at our society for a moment. We have a whole society turning away from God. God doesn’t matter to them but they will always matter to God. I debated on using this example where as I don’t want to step on toes but I feel God compeling me to share. We have many protesting in the streets. People going crazy. Losing their minds. Being violent to our fellow man and woman alike. Our initial reaction, including me, is to get angry and upset. God on the other hand looks at them with a broken heart and sadness. But through all the sadness and broken heartedness they are still just as important to God as the pastor in church on Sunday morning. The missionaries out in the third world countries. Just as important as you and me. So that brings me to a question of my own that I think we should keep close.

Shouldn’t they be just as important to us?

This put myself in check. I gained perspective. I’m learning, instead of a christian being agnry and grumpy, I need to be a christian who loves and prays for those who are so important and precious to my God.