Heal and Point

In Luke 10 we read how Jesus commissioned 70 followers to go ahead of Him; He supplied them with instructions about hospitality and decorum in regards to how to deal with those who would house them and provide food for them, as well as what to do when they were rejected. In verse 9 we find the reason for the mission.

Heal the sick, and tell them, ‘The Kingdom of God is near you now.’                            Luke 10:9 NLT

Truly, this wasn’t a new practice for those who had followed Jesus; practically everytime Jesus encountered someone He would address their physical need first then deal with the spiritual need.

As we continue reading the New Testament, we see the disciples and apostles followed this pattern as well – heal them then point to God.

In Luke 10, this is the model Jesus gave them to follow. Which gave me pause as I read this scripture today.

Is this the model I follow? Is there a model which I follow, or do I simply do my best to not be a mean person and hope for the best? Could it be that we’ve missed a very simple method of leading people to God? Heal and point.

When I was a pre-teen (before that term even existed lol) and while I was a teenager we would force Christian tracks on people and go door to door; oddly, I never questioned our techniques against scripture. I never though to ask, “Could someone show me where to find what we’re doing in the Bible?”, instead I assumed that this was the proven “new” method for reaching people.

Since then, my wife and I have found that relational evangelism (building a relationship with someone and sharing Jesus as you go) works so much better than those experiences I had in my early years.

However, as I’m typing this I’m imagining what kind of results I could expect to see if I allowed Holy Spirit to guide me, if I would be a conduit for God’s healing, and then point them to the Kingdom of God. Scripturally speaking, I can only assume that I would see an overwhelming increase in people following God, which is ultimately the goal of every believer, in theory.

I’m certain that some could argue that Jesus didn’t speak directly to us and tell us to do the same thing as these followers in Luke 10 but I do find something that describes what followers of Jesus should look like in the book of Mark;

“These miraculous signs will accompany those who believe: They will cast out demons in my name, and they will speak in new tongues. They will be able to handle snakes with safety, and if they drink anything poisonous, it won’t hurt them. They will be able to place their hands on the sick, and they will be healed.”                                                 Mark 16:17-18 NLT

Did you see it? Right at the end of all those other amazing things which believers should be seen doing are these words, “They will be able to place their hands on the sick, and they will be healed.” Pretty interesting, right?

I think this could be classified under the category of “Expectations Jesus Has of His Followers”.

In conclusion, if we are to use the model given in our text for today we should constantly be on the lookout for those who are in need of healing and resting in God’s ability to use us to heal them so that they may know Him.

 

How’s Your Bow?

For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ               Ephesians 3:14

It’s not an unusual scene in our church to see a member of my family bowing in worship on any given Sunday. We’ve been asked why we bow in worship during service on numerous occasions; it seems that bowing in many churches is considered a strange thing. I find it interesting that people seem genuinely amazed that bowing during prayer or worship is a normal part of our daily worship of God; this isn’t something we do only on Sunday during the worship services.

There are dozens of scriptures which support bowing in worship or prayer, privately and publicly, so I don’t feel that it needs to be addressed as biblical matter. The real reasons most people don’t find bowing to be a comfortable form of worship or prayer are usually one of two: 1.) they haven’t been educated 2.) pride.

Sadly, even after some people have been educated, the second reason stated above kicks in and they still refuse to bow down to God. There are multiple “reasons” (also recognized as excuses) that are given, but they always boil down to pride.

“What will other people think?”, “No one else is doing it!”, and in regards to private worship, “That’s just weird to me” are common phrases that roll off the tongue and the cuff of someone who is adamantly opposed to being obedient to scripture.

In reality, we know from scripture that every knee will bow, so no matter how full of pride you are, regardless of your denomination or religion, you too will bow before God.

So why do we bow? Bowing is a sign of submission, subordination, and humility. It physically displays your heart’s loyalty and fealty towards the one to whom you are bowing.

In ancient tradition, when in the presence of royalty, it was expected that you should bow, unless you were in open rebellion towards the reigning King or his family. No one was exempt; all were expected to show their allegiance and submission to the king; why is it any different amongst we who are children of the Almighty King of Glory?

If someone is elderly or disabled, they should seek other methods of expressing their humility, submission, and fealty. If they are unable to bow their knee, perhaps bowing of the head or an expression of devotion with the hands, or a closing of the eyes would illustrate the posture of the heart.

At the end of the day, we should be more concerned with pleasing God in our public and private worship, than doing what is comfortable to us.

Wake Up!

Peter and the others had fallen asleep. When they woke up, they saw Jesus’ glory and the two men standing with him. Luke 9:32

In chapter 9 of the Gospel of Luke, we find the story of the Transfiguration. Jesus had chosen three of His disciples to join Him on the mountaintop as He revealed His nature and identity as King of Glory. Most of us would consider this an honor of epic proportions; we would make certain that we had our phone/camera charged and ready to go.

This was a life-changing moment where the power and glory of God were revealed, this was a glimpse into eternity and the Kingdom of God was being displayed as Jesus spoke with Moses and Elijah. There is no end to the importance of this moment, the symbolism alone is unimaginably powerful! One could easily write a book about this incredible, miraculous event. 

Indeed, most of us would clamor to find a place to watch this, even if from only a distance! But, alas, where do we find Peter, John, and James? These men were sleeping.

Sleeping? Really?!

Did they struggle with sleep apnea and frequently fall asleep at all the wrong times?! How could they have possibly fallen asleep in this moment of ALL moments? 

But before we vilify these saints, let’s take a moment to assess our own level of awareness; many believers are spiritually asleep as Jesus is doing some incredible and amazing things in their lives.

Jesus is revealing His name and His nature to believers all over the world as they spiritually snore their lives away, totally unaware of the power and majesty of the King of Glory who is revealing kingdom authority right in front of them.

Oh, that we would wake up and see what Jesus is doing today! Begin today! Wake up by reading, praying, and worshiping Jesus. Spend time with Him and watch as your awareness of His presence all around increases! Don’t be caught off-guard as the disciples were, wondering what their next step should be, be ready to see Him as the all-powerful King of Glory and respond with worship.