Thursday, August 22, 2013
I've moved!!!
I've moved. Please come visit me on my new blog host at http://brianwheeler01.wordpress.com. I'd love to hear your feedback.
Sunday, July 15, 2012
Peter's Declaration of Faith
Matthew 16:13 (NLT)
Jesus asked his disciples, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?"
Only one was willing to offer an answer, Peter. "John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah or one of the other prophets," he responded.
"Great answer!" Jesus responded (paraphrased). "But who do YOU say that I am?"
His answer changed his destiny and set ours. His declaration of faith, (Matthew 16:16 NLT) "You are the Messiah, the Son of the Living God!" was recognized by Jesus as the answer of answers. His response had not been revealed to him by a friend, fellow disciple, preacher, priest, minister or teacher. Peter had come this realization in his spirit. He knew the answer, having been revealed to him by God deep down inside his being. His opinion was not swayed by the opinion of others. He had seen the miracles. He had witnessed the teaching and instruction of this great man. God revealed himself to Peter through this man, Jesus.
This passage of Scripture contains the same power for us as it did for Peter and those gathered around him that day. It is a question we must ask ourselves. Everything hinges on OUR answer to the question, "Who is Jesus to YOU?" Every ethereal philosophy. Every religious belief. Every sacred notion. Every divine inquiry.
There are many things about which we, as believers, can disagree. There are areas of scripture left open to debate. What day of the week do we worship? What about baptism? Is healing for today? How many times a week do we go to church? Which translation of the Bible is the "right" one? Can I do this or this? Can I go here or here? But there is one question on which we must agree: Who is Jesus?
HE is the crux of the equation. HE is the fulcrum on which everything balances.
Few would disagree that He was a good man. Others would acknowledge that he was a spiritual leader or teacher. Many would concur that He was even a prophet. But the answer He was looking for and for which he recognized Peter was, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the Living God!"
It was upon that statement of faith, Jesus is the Messiah (chosen one, deliverer, conqueror, holy One), the Son of the living God, that Jesus said he would build His church. He even went on to proclaim that, "the powers of Hell would not conquer [the church that was founded on that declaration]."
What an awesome declaration! What a statement of faith!
Who is Jesus to you? Is he a teacher? A good man? A prophet from thousands of years ago? Can you say that He is the Messiah, the Son of the living God? Has God revealed this to you? If so, praise God you got it! If not...if you cannot declare that Jesus is your savior...if your eyes have not been opened to Jesus as more than a good man, a prophet, a teacher I encourage you to pray. Ask God to show you Jesus as Savior and accept Him as such and be born again!
It's all that matters! Start a walk with Him today. Enjoy the blessings of following the Messiah!
Prayer:
God, show me Jesus as my savior. Let me see that He is more than a good man and a prophet from thousands of years ago. He's more than a story we read about at Easter and Christmas. He's a right-now savior. He's present with me now, today, right where I am. Like Peter I accept Him as Messiah. I believe He died for my sins; paid the penalty that I could not pay. I confess Him as Lord now and accept His finished work and what He accomplished on the cross. Thank you Jesus that upon this confession I am born again. Amen!
Jesus asked his disciples, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?"
Only one was willing to offer an answer, Peter. "John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah or one of the other prophets," he responded.
"Great answer!" Jesus responded (paraphrased). "But who do YOU say that I am?"
His answer changed his destiny and set ours. His declaration of faith, (Matthew 16:16 NLT) "You are the Messiah, the Son of the Living God!" was recognized by Jesus as the answer of answers. His response had not been revealed to him by a friend, fellow disciple, preacher, priest, minister or teacher. Peter had come this realization in his spirit. He knew the answer, having been revealed to him by God deep down inside his being. His opinion was not swayed by the opinion of others. He had seen the miracles. He had witnessed the teaching and instruction of this great man. God revealed himself to Peter through this man, Jesus.
This passage of Scripture contains the same power for us as it did for Peter and those gathered around him that day. It is a question we must ask ourselves. Everything hinges on OUR answer to the question, "Who is Jesus to YOU?" Every ethereal philosophy. Every religious belief. Every sacred notion. Every divine inquiry.
There are many things about which we, as believers, can disagree. There are areas of scripture left open to debate. What day of the week do we worship? What about baptism? Is healing for today? How many times a week do we go to church? Which translation of the Bible is the "right" one? Can I do this or this? Can I go here or here? But there is one question on which we must agree: Who is Jesus?
HE is the crux of the equation. HE is the fulcrum on which everything balances.
Few would disagree that He was a good man. Others would acknowledge that he was a spiritual leader or teacher. Many would concur that He was even a prophet. But the answer He was looking for and for which he recognized Peter was, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the Living God!"
It was upon that statement of faith, Jesus is the Messiah (chosen one, deliverer, conqueror, holy One), the Son of the living God, that Jesus said he would build His church. He even went on to proclaim that, "the powers of Hell would not conquer [the church that was founded on that declaration]."
What an awesome declaration! What a statement of faith!
Who is Jesus to you? Is he a teacher? A good man? A prophet from thousands of years ago? Can you say that He is the Messiah, the Son of the living God? Has God revealed this to you? If so, praise God you got it! If not...if you cannot declare that Jesus is your savior...if your eyes have not been opened to Jesus as more than a good man, a prophet, a teacher I encourage you to pray. Ask God to show you Jesus as Savior and accept Him as such and be born again!
It's all that matters! Start a walk with Him today. Enjoy the blessings of following the Messiah!
Prayer:
God, show me Jesus as my savior. Let me see that He is more than a good man and a prophet from thousands of years ago. He's more than a story we read about at Easter and Christmas. He's a right-now savior. He's present with me now, today, right where I am. Like Peter I accept Him as Messiah. I believe He died for my sins; paid the penalty that I could not pay. I confess Him as Lord now and accept His finished work and what He accomplished on the cross. Thank you Jesus that upon this confession I am born again. Amen!
Sunday, January 29, 2012
What A Deal!!
Isaiah 1:18 “Come now, let’s settle this,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, I will make them as white as wool."
What a deal! Thanks to Jesus Christ, we bring all of our junk to God and in exchange He gives us eternal life. I bring my rusted out bucket of bolts and in exchange I get gold. I bring my sickness and pain and He gives me health and relief.
Galatians 5 says that Christ has set us free. Paul goes on in the chapter to write that since our freedom is based on Christ and what He did for us and it is not based on us or what we can do for ourselves it is up to Him to KEEP us free! Further, he writes that when we try to add our own works or other men's regulations to what Christ already did we only muck it up...even saying in verse 4 that when we try to make ourselves right with God by keeping the law, we fall from God's grace!
What's more, the apostle goes on to right in verse 6 that when we place our faith in Christ, the rite of circumcision (which represents the Law and other regulations) are of NO BENEFIT.
Read Galatians 5 and tell me it can be read any other way! It's so plain...right there in black and white...the words of the great Apostle Paul there for us to see. No interpretation needed. To see it any other way is to spin it into something that was not intended.
It's all about Him. Not about us! What a relief! My encouragement for you is to stop trying to please God by the acts of your own righteousness which are as filthy rags in his sight (Isaiah 64:6). Live out your freedom in Christ, without fear that He is out to get you. You cannot EARN His love by doing good. He cannot love you more than He does right now. He loved you enough to die for you while you were in sin (Romans 5:8). Let your works flow out of your love for Him rather than an effort to gain his forgiveness.
Thank you Jesus for loving me. Thank you for taking my badness and exchanging it for YOUR goodness. Thank you for giving me LIFE for the death I deserved. Thank you for demolishing the death grip that slavery to sin and the law that held me in bondage. Thank you for freedom in Christ!!
What a deal! Thanks to Jesus Christ, we bring all of our junk to God and in exchange He gives us eternal life. I bring my rusted out bucket of bolts and in exchange I get gold. I bring my sickness and pain and He gives me health and relief.
Galatians 5 says that Christ has set us free. Paul goes on in the chapter to write that since our freedom is based on Christ and what He did for us and it is not based on us or what we can do for ourselves it is up to Him to KEEP us free! Further, he writes that when we try to add our own works or other men's regulations to what Christ already did we only muck it up...even saying in verse 4 that when we try to make ourselves right with God by keeping the law, we fall from God's grace!
What's more, the apostle goes on to right in verse 6 that when we place our faith in Christ, the rite of circumcision (which represents the Law and other regulations) are of NO BENEFIT.
Read Galatians 5 and tell me it can be read any other way! It's so plain...right there in black and white...the words of the great Apostle Paul there for us to see. No interpretation needed. To see it any other way is to spin it into something that was not intended.
It's all about Him. Not about us! What a relief! My encouragement for you is to stop trying to please God by the acts of your own righteousness which are as filthy rags in his sight (Isaiah 64:6). Live out your freedom in Christ, without fear that He is out to get you. You cannot EARN His love by doing good. He cannot love you more than He does right now. He loved you enough to die for you while you were in sin (Romans 5:8). Let your works flow out of your love for Him rather than an effort to gain his forgiveness.
Thank you Jesus for loving me. Thank you for taking my badness and exchanging it for YOUR goodness. Thank you for giving me LIFE for the death I deserved. Thank you for demolishing the death grip that slavery to sin and the law that held me in bondage. Thank you for freedom in Christ!!
Monday, December 19, 2011
You Shall Call His Name Jesus
I was watching a live internet broadcast the Christmas production The Story this week. While it is a production performed during the Christmas season, it is not particularly a "Christmas production". It is a musical production performed by multiple big-name Christian artists telling the story of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. I joined the broadcast during the second half which depicted the New Testament. While the entire portion of the production that I saw was AMAZING, one particular segment struck me and inspired this blog post.
The story is recounted in all of the Gospels. An unnamed man condemned to die. Guilty of an unknown crime against an innocent, unnamed victim. A criminal. A transgressor. Scourge of the earth. Robber? Thief? Rapist? Murder? We are not told for sure. Matthew 27:38 and Mark 15:27 refer to him as a "robber". Luke 23:39 describes him only as a "criminal." John 19:18 does not describe the nature of his crime, only referring to him as "a man." What we do know, by his own admission, that he is guilty. He did it. He confessed. He was tried, sentenced and convicted.
Whatever he did must have been pretty serious; he was sentenced to death. No opportunity for parole. No chance at early release for good behavior...DEATH. And not just any death. Death by crucifixion. THE most painful and, you might say, inhumane way to be executed. Slow, agonizing, painful death.
Guilt, condemnation and death. That was to be his epitaph. "Here lies a guilty man. Condemned and executed for crimes against his fellow man."
But hanging beside him was another man. This man was guilty of nothing. He had done nothing wrong. He did not steal. He did not kill. He did not rape. He did not murder. He committed no crime. But there he hung between two convicted criminals. The same sentence. The same punishment. Death. And with eyes of compassion and love, Jesus looked on the unnamed convicted, guilty man and declared, "...today you will be with me in Paradise."
While watching that production of The Story, I was reminded (and this is the key of this post): that unnamed thief could be you and me. We were born into the sins of Adam and Eve. Death was our future. Guilty. No hope. No future. Destined to die. BUT Jesus took upon Himself the punishment and death that were rightfully ours. He paid the penalty to redeem us from our sins.
Thank God for Jesus and his willingness to obey...even to death. Born of a virgin in a stable. Wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger. Thank God for this season when we celebrate the birth of our Deliverer, our Emmanuel which means "God with us", our Comforter, our Savior.
Remember the whole reason for the season. Had He not been born, He could not have died and that unnamed man on the cross...and you and I...could not have been saved.
The story is recounted in all of the Gospels. An unnamed man condemned to die. Guilty of an unknown crime against an innocent, unnamed victim. A criminal. A transgressor. Scourge of the earth. Robber? Thief? Rapist? Murder? We are not told for sure. Matthew 27:38 and Mark 15:27 refer to him as a "robber". Luke 23:39 describes him only as a "criminal." John 19:18 does not describe the nature of his crime, only referring to him as "a man." What we do know, by his own admission, that he is guilty. He did it. He confessed. He was tried, sentenced and convicted.
Whatever he did must have been pretty serious; he was sentenced to death. No opportunity for parole. No chance at early release for good behavior...DEATH. And not just any death. Death by crucifixion. THE most painful and, you might say, inhumane way to be executed. Slow, agonizing, painful death.
Guilt, condemnation and death. That was to be his epitaph. "Here lies a guilty man. Condemned and executed for crimes against his fellow man."
But hanging beside him was another man. This man was guilty of nothing. He had done nothing wrong. He did not steal. He did not kill. He did not rape. He did not murder. He committed no crime. But there he hung between two convicted criminals. The same sentence. The same punishment. Death. And with eyes of compassion and love, Jesus looked on the unnamed convicted, guilty man and declared, "...today you will be with me in Paradise."
While watching that production of The Story, I was reminded (and this is the key of this post): that unnamed thief could be you and me. We were born into the sins of Adam and Eve. Death was our future. Guilty. No hope. No future. Destined to die. BUT Jesus took upon Himself the punishment and death that were rightfully ours. He paid the penalty to redeem us from our sins.
Thank God for Jesus and his willingness to obey...even to death. Born of a virgin in a stable. Wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger. Thank God for this season when we celebrate the birth of our Deliverer, our Emmanuel which means "God with us", our Comforter, our Savior.
Remember the whole reason for the season. Had He not been born, He could not have died and that unnamed man on the cross...and you and I...could not have been saved.
Sunday, December 4, 2011
Haunted by the Past
Philippians 3:12-14 "I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us."
I was reminded of a message I preached some time ago about people who are haunted by their past. Past mistakes...past failures...past hurts...past disappointments...past "insert noun here". In that message I referred to the account in Genesis 19 where God had vowed to destroy the city of Sodom because of its evil ways. In His mercy, God had promised that a godly man named Lot and his family would escape the judgement. They were simply instructed to leave the city and, very specifically, not look back. The evil and destruction that was to come upon the city were to be put behind Lot and his family. It was to be left in their past.
However, Lot's wife was unable to resist the temptation to look back and, as the Bible depicts, she was turned into a pillar of salt. She, too, was destroyed. You could say that her demise was caused by her looking back into her past.
What conclusions can we draw from this? A very simple truth. There is nothing in your past that can help you. Focusing on past hurts and disappointments and failures can only lead one to destruction. The way I like to put it...focusing on one's past brings it back into the present and affects the future.
Perhaps you have been hurt by a close friend or family member...disappointed by a circumstance or situation...disillusioned by past failures and mistakes...Paul's words of encouragement are for you. Ask God to separate you from your past. Resist the temptation to look back. Focus on God who is your future. Keep your eyes on Him and allow Him to rescue you from the destruction of your past.
I was reminded of a message I preached some time ago about people who are haunted by their past. Past mistakes...past failures...past hurts...past disappointments...past "insert noun here". In that message I referred to the account in Genesis 19 where God had vowed to destroy the city of Sodom because of its evil ways. In His mercy, God had promised that a godly man named Lot and his family would escape the judgement. They were simply instructed to leave the city and, very specifically, not look back. The evil and destruction that was to come upon the city were to be put behind Lot and his family. It was to be left in their past.
However, Lot's wife was unable to resist the temptation to look back and, as the Bible depicts, she was turned into a pillar of salt. She, too, was destroyed. You could say that her demise was caused by her looking back into her past.
What conclusions can we draw from this? A very simple truth. There is nothing in your past that can help you. Focusing on past hurts and disappointments and failures can only lead one to destruction. The way I like to put it...focusing on one's past brings it back into the present and affects the future.
Perhaps you have been hurt by a close friend or family member...disappointed by a circumstance or situation...disillusioned by past failures and mistakes...Paul's words of encouragement are for you. Ask God to separate you from your past. Resist the temptation to look back. Focus on God who is your future. Keep your eyes on Him and allow Him to rescue you from the destruction of your past.
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Day of Atonement
I've been gone a while. Vacation and family business have kept me away from the keyboard for a while. But I'm back, inspired by something I read while driving down the highway. Recently, while traveling a highway I use frequently, I passed a church's billboard just as I have hundreds of times before. Past billboards announced youth camps, guest speakers, special services and other usual, non-nondescript events that sparked no particular interest in me. However, this particular advertisement, for some reason, stuck out to me. All it said was, "Day of Atonement" followed by a date that I can only assume is a date this congregation was going to observe this Jewish holy day.
Not being particular familiar with Jewish tradition, I went to the internet for some research. What I found, according to Wikipedia, is that "the Day of Atonement, also know as,Yom Kippur, is the holiest and most solemn day of the year for the Jews. Its central themes are atonement and repentance. Jews traditionally observe this holy day with a 25-hour period of fasting and intensive prayer, often spending most of the day in synagogue services. Yom Kippur completes the annual period known in Judaism as the High Holy Days or Yamim Nora'im ("Days of Awe")."
Further reading reveals that, according to Wikipedia, "Leviticus 16:29 mandates establishment of this holy day on the 10th day of the 7th month as the day of atonement for sins. It calls it the Sabbath of Sabbaths and a day upon which one must afflict one's soul.
It's time the true church of Christ come out of the bondage of religion be set free by the knowledge that Christ paid the FULL price for our salvation. We are FREE if we accept His gift by faith for that is how we are saved, Ephesians 2:8 KJV "For by grace are you saved through faith; and not of yourselves: it is the gift of God."
Not being particular familiar with Jewish tradition, I went to the internet for some research. What I found, according to Wikipedia, is that "the Day of Atonement, also know as,Yom Kippur, is the holiest and most solemn day of the year for the Jews. Its central themes are atonement and repentance. Jews traditionally observe this holy day with a 25-hour period of fasting and intensive prayer, often spending most of the day in synagogue services. Yom Kippur completes the annual period known in Judaism as the High Holy Days or Yamim Nora'im ("Days of Awe")."
Further reading reveals that, according to Wikipedia, "Leviticus 16:29 mandates establishment of this holy day on the 10th day of the 7th month as the day of atonement for sins. It calls it the Sabbath of Sabbaths and a day upon which one must afflict one's soul.
Leviticus 23:27 decrees that Yom Kippur is a strict day of rest.
Five additional prohibitions are traditionally observed, as detailed in the Jewish oral tradition.
- No eating and drinking
- No wearing of leather shoes
- No bathing or washing
- No anointing oneself with perfumes or lotions
- No marital relations"
WOW! "...one must afflict one's soul..."? Really? The enemy of our souls doesn't do a good enough job afflicting us? We have to assist him? Really? After researching the day a bit, I must express pity for this congregation of believers if they, as New Testament believers, feel that for some reason feel they need to "afflict their soul" to earn God's approval. Didn't Jesus Himself teach that, "Your are not defiled by what you eat, you are defiled by what you say and do."? Mark 7:15 I encourage you to read all of Mark 7. Isn't this exactly the type of behavior that Jesus was teaching against? In this chapter, Jesus was teaching that it is not outward expressions that determine a man's relationship or right standing with God, but rather his inner commitment and acceptance of what Christ did for us. In fact, He referred to the ones who focused on the outward acts of "obedience" as hypocrites! Mark 7:6
As New Testament believers we must realize that we are saved not by our own works, but by the work of Christ on the cross. There is no sacrifice we can give, no work we can concoct that can give us salvation. That GIFT was purchased for us on the cross by Christ. Self-affliction is not a God-mandated practice. It earns an individual nothing but physical pain and false security. God does not look at acts of self-affliction and say, "Oh, there's a person who truly loves me!"
Romans 4:16 NLT "So the promise is received by faith. It is given as a free gift. And we are all certain to receive it, whether or not we live according to the law of Moses, if we have faith like Abraham's. For Abraham is the father of all who believe."
Romans 5:16 NLT "...For Adam's sin led to condemnation, but God's free gift leads to our being made right with Bod, even though we are guilt of many sins."
Romans 6:23 NLT "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord."
Thank you God for salvation, your free gift. Thank you Jesus for paying the price that I could not pay. Thank you for life and freedom in Christ that lasts for eternity and not just until I mess up. Thank you that your blood covers ALL of my sins!
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Worthy
I shared this during worship in church this morning and though it would be appropriate to share the thought here, too.
Matthew 9:18 records the account of Jesus when he was ministering to the people. A "ruler" came to Jesus and requested that Jesus come lay His hand on the ruler's deceased daughter so that she could live again. The ruler came wanting a touch from Jesus.
In the same account, there was a woman. Scripture tells us that she had had a blood disorder for 12 years and had spent all of her money on doctors who could not help her. Her thought was that, "If I only touch His garment, I will be made well." Matthew 9:20. She wanted to touch Jesus.
To fully understand the story, we need to understand some of the background. This woman, by right, should not have been out in public. She was considered "unclean" by Jewish law. Anyone she came in contact with would also be declared unclean. She was "unworthy" to be among people. She should have locked herself away, separating herself from all human contact. But she didn't. Rather,her faith told her that if she could just get to Jesus and just touch the fringe of His garment (Matthew 9:20) she would be made well.
What meaning is in this for us? There are times when we need a touch from Jesus. We need Him to reach out and deliver a miracle with His touch. There are, however, also times when it is not Him touching us that we need, but rather, us touching Him. We need to reach out to Him, touch Him, and receive our miracle.
We may, at times, feel "unworthy". After all, we know what we did last month, last week, last night. We know how wretched we are. We know how unworthy we are. We should remain locked away, separated from Him. We feel like we need to make ourselves "clean" before we can come to Him.
NOT TRUE!! This story is a perfect example. This woman, in order to touch the fringe (hem in some translations) she had to crawl...on hands and knees...through the crowd that had gathered around Jesus. She crawled, not only through the physical obstacles, but also the social stigmas that were attached to her condition. But she pressed through and touched Jesus.
As soon as she did so, the Scripture tells us that Jesus felt "that power had gone out from Him" (same story except in Mark's account in Mark 5:30) and he asked, "Who touched me?" (Mark 5:30) Upon finding the little old woman who touched Him, He graciously declared her healed. Matthew 9:22 and Mark 5:34.
Worship offers us the perfect opportunity to reach out and touch Jesus. Are we "worthy"? Not on our own merit. But we can crawl through our own preconceived notions, our own despair, our own depression, our own sickness, even our own sin, reach out and touch Him in worship. When we do...when we reach out and touch Him, that could be the moment when He looks at us and says, "Who touched me? Was it you? Your faith has made you well. Be free. Be healed. Be forgiven. Be........"
Wow! Do you need something from God? Are you in need of a miracle...physical, spiritual, financial, mental? Do you find yourself separated from God? Are there things standing between you and Him? Friends? Family? Acquaintances? Traditions? Rules? Regulations? Self'doubt? A feeling of "unworthiness"? Anything?
I encourage you to press through. Press through the situations and circumstances, reach out and touch Him. Find a way to worship Him. Sing a song. Speak some words. Any words from you heart will work. It's your faith that does the work. Quality of speech is not important. You need not be an eloquent orator to touch Him. Just reach out in your own way. Reach out in worship. Touch Him and let Him touch you!
Matthew 9:18 records the account of Jesus when he was ministering to the people. A "ruler" came to Jesus and requested that Jesus come lay His hand on the ruler's deceased daughter so that she could live again. The ruler came wanting a touch from Jesus.
In the same account, there was a woman. Scripture tells us that she had had a blood disorder for 12 years and had spent all of her money on doctors who could not help her. Her thought was that, "If I only touch His garment, I will be made well." Matthew 9:20. She wanted to touch Jesus.
To fully understand the story, we need to understand some of the background. This woman, by right, should not have been out in public. She was considered "unclean" by Jewish law. Anyone she came in contact with would also be declared unclean. She was "unworthy" to be among people. She should have locked herself away, separating herself from all human contact. But she didn't. Rather,her faith told her that if she could just get to Jesus and just touch the fringe of His garment (Matthew 9:20) she would be made well.
What meaning is in this for us? There are times when we need a touch from Jesus. We need Him to reach out and deliver a miracle with His touch. There are, however, also times when it is not Him touching us that we need, but rather, us touching Him. We need to reach out to Him, touch Him, and receive our miracle.
We may, at times, feel "unworthy". After all, we know what we did last month, last week, last night. We know how wretched we are. We know how unworthy we are. We should remain locked away, separated from Him. We feel like we need to make ourselves "clean" before we can come to Him.
NOT TRUE!! This story is a perfect example. This woman, in order to touch the fringe (hem in some translations) she had to crawl...on hands and knees...through the crowd that had gathered around Jesus. She crawled, not only through the physical obstacles, but also the social stigmas that were attached to her condition. But she pressed through and touched Jesus.
As soon as she did so, the Scripture tells us that Jesus felt "that power had gone out from Him" (same story except in Mark's account in Mark 5:30) and he asked, "Who touched me?" (Mark 5:30) Upon finding the little old woman who touched Him, He graciously declared her healed. Matthew 9:22 and Mark 5:34.
Worship offers us the perfect opportunity to reach out and touch Jesus. Are we "worthy"? Not on our own merit. But we can crawl through our own preconceived notions, our own despair, our own depression, our own sickness, even our own sin, reach out and touch Him in worship. When we do...when we reach out and touch Him, that could be the moment when He looks at us and says, "Who touched me? Was it you? Your faith has made you well. Be free. Be healed. Be forgiven. Be........"
Wow! Do you need something from God? Are you in need of a miracle...physical, spiritual, financial, mental? Do you find yourself separated from God? Are there things standing between you and Him? Friends? Family? Acquaintances? Traditions? Rules? Regulations? Self'doubt? A feeling of "unworthiness"? Anything?
I encourage you to press through. Press through the situations and circumstances, reach out and touch Him. Find a way to worship Him. Sing a song. Speak some words. Any words from you heart will work. It's your faith that does the work. Quality of speech is not important. You need not be an eloquent orator to touch Him. Just reach out in your own way. Reach out in worship. Touch Him and let Him touch you!
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