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  Jesus used an insightful word picture to convey why He was even here to begin with; and if you are not careful, you’ll miss some very significant ‘dots that need to be connected’. He said: “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.” (Luke 5:31) No ‘earth-shaking revelation’ there now, is there? But read on: “I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners...to repentance.” (32). Did you catch it? Jesus used those two words in the same statement that many, if not most church members would be highly offended to hear from a pulpit- ‘sin’ and ‘sickness’. Why...what connection do those two words have, preacher? Are you saying...that my sickness is a result of ‘sin’? Admittedly, ...there is a willingness, at best, for most to concede that there is ‘sickness’ in this ‘fallen world’ which was the result of ‘sin’. But how dare we even suggest that a well-known, beloved church deacon or choir member might be sick as a result of ‘sin’ in their life. This
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  We ‘Christians’ can be pretty quick to let others know we are most definitely ‘saved’; but then can easily 'balk' in explaining what it is we are actually ‘saved’ from. So, on Day 7 of our study dealing with sickness and disease... let’s review: It is the ‘wrath of God’ that Jesus came to save us from. (John 3:17; Rom. 5:9; John 3:36). We know that Satan is the tool or force God uses to carry out His wrath which explains the role of this entity of wickedness who comes to ‘steal, kill, and destroy’. (John 10:10). But we can escape that IF...we turn...and follow Jesus. There is no other name under heaven given through which men can be saved’. (Acts 4:12). Consider this: If...you are trapped in a high-rise office building that is going up in flames, and a fireman shows up on your floor and finds you hunkered down under your desk, he will most likely comfort you and then reassure you that everything is going to be okay; but...it’s important that you follow his instructions so tha
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  Most people, when asked by a doctor, after their test results have come back, ‘do they want to hear the good news or the bad news first’...usually opt for the bad news first. I think we understand why that is. So, Day 6 may continue sounding like more ‘bad news’; but hang with me if you would, ‘good news’ is on the way. (And please catch up on reading if you are just jumping on board here with Day 6) All this talk of ‘wrath and sin and sickness and disease and punishment’ can be unnerving, especially when we have all seen or known someone who suffered greatly through some illness, perhaps even dying from it. And they were such ‘good people who loved God and had great faith’. Perhaps some of you who are reading here today are battling some serious illness, and these posts the past week are really confusing you, disturbing you, if not outright offending you. You might even want to ask if I am suggesting that anyone who has, or even dies from cancer, for example...is not ‘saved’. I a
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  We are on Day 5 as we wade further in looking at where, how, and why sickness and diseases have been with us for so long. This beloved Bible of ours has an awful lot to say about it, and even offers ‘solutions’ on how to find healing. And I’ll be the first one to tell you that many will not like what they read here. But I cannot apologize when all I am offering up for you to read is straight from God’s word. Last week, we spent a few days looking at the first two chapters of Job as a means to better understand how the ‘wrath of God’ is applied or ‘poured out’, and who exactly God uses... to administer His wrath...and curses. Yes, my friends...the God we all claim to love and worship and believe in as being all good and loving (which He most certainly is) ... has ‘another side’ that we hear very little taught on. Remember, it was Paul who admonished us to “consider the goodness and the severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness...IF....you continue in
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  Day 4 – Sickness and disease, and what does the Bible have to say about these things that nobody ever wants to talk about, let alone experience, but sadly...do. How often do we hear today about a growing ‘health-care crisis’ in our country? Man certainly has not come up with a solution or ‘fix’ for it so why not go back and re-examine scriptures with the hopes we might learn some new truths that maybe we skipped over and missed the first time around? I mean, how often do we start ‘googling’ symptoms that pop up in our bodies, or those of our loved ones, and begin doing intensive ‘research’ to investigate? Why not examine scripture with the same fervency while we are at it?  And don’t forget the agreement we made on day 1 of this series: We need not fear what God’s word has to say, and... we are going to lay aside (for the time being) things we may have been taught previously on this subject, accompanied by our own personal experiences with sickness and disease. And as usual, I’m
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  Welcome back to Day 3 of a Bible study where we are examining scriptures that deal with an unpleasant topic that has affected all of us at some point in time: ‘sickness and disease’. We finished up yesterday with an interesting promise God made to the several million folks whom He had just delivered from the bondage of Egypt, using Moses to lead them out and towards a better place He had reserved for them; a.k.a. ‘The Promise Land’. You can read Ex. 15:26 and please note the ‘condition’ that followed the word ‘if’. Not long after that promise was made, God led them to Mt. Sinai where He gave them the Ten Commandments (the Law) to which He wanted them to live by. When the people were informed of this law and taught what was expected of them, they all affirmed that they would “do and be obedient to the words God had spoken to them.’ (Ex. 24:3-7) If you would now, please look at Exodus, chapter 23 and take a moment as you read vs. 20-33. God is filling them in on some more details as
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  A question we use to hear whispered frequently among ‘faith-filled-believers’ after people we prayed for did not show signs of improvement...was: “Why did they not get healed after we prayed for them?” (and if it wasn’t actually asked aloud, we all certainly thought it.) But the question you rarely ever hear asked is: “Why is there so much sickness?” Welcome back to Day 2 of exploring further the subject of sickness and disease from a Biblical point of view; so if you missed yesterday’s post, may I encourage you to read it first? (3 John 2) The first recorded instance of the word sickness in the Bible is found in Gen. 48:1 where Joseph is told his father, Jacob, is sick. We read in 47:29 that the ‘time drew near that Jacob (Israel) must die.” The Hebrew word there means “to become weak, ill, or sick”. We would later learn that the prophet, Elisha, would expire from a sickness when it was his time to die. (2 Kings 13:14). King Hezekiah faced a similar fate but then begged God for
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