“From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.”
Matthew 16:21 (RSV)
Jesus warned His disciples about everything that was going to happen, in advance. They heard Him say that He would be killed and rise again on the third day. It doesn’t get much clearer than that, but it’s obvious that they didn’t comprehend what He was saying.
We know Peter didn’t understand it, from the way he fought to prevent His arrest. We know by the disciples’ skeptical response to Mary’s news that she saw the risen Jesus. Thomas’ reaction proved that in his mind, a resurrection was never even anticipated. We know from the events on the road to Emmaus, that the disciples never expected something as incredible as a bodily resurrection from the dead, after they watched how much the body of Jesus suffered, before death.
So everything Jesus told them was basically forgotten. While He was in a sealed tomb, completely absent from all of them during those days, hope was shattered. Not one disciple stood up and said,
“Hey, remember what Jesus told us about rising on the third day?”
If they had remembered what Jesus foretold about His resurrection, they would have camped out on the second night at His tomb, waiting for Him to rise the next morning.
Instead, their reaction was more as the prophet foretold, “Strike the shepherd, that the sheep may be scattered.” (Zechariah 13:7)
The disciples had scattered hopes and shattered dreams, after the joyful excitement of Palm Sunday, and then witnessing His cruel suffering and death. They had hoped that Jesus would bring about righteousness on the earth and destroy all evil. They didn’t understand that He is doing it, by changing one heart at a time.
We also can become discouraged by looking at the world around us. To summarize everything that Jesus has been saying to the world since He first came, it might sound like,
“I came for so much more than this, and I made you for so much more than this.”
He wants us to know how much we are loved and we can put our hope in His promises. The apostles were depressed because they forgot His promises and His purpose.
Just like the disciples, we have been blessed to have Jesus in our lives, but we have gone through many Fridays, filled with disappointments and sorrows. At times, it may feel like Jesus is sealed away in a tomb somewhere, but feelings are deceptive. His words are truth.
His words and promises assure us that because of Sunday, He is risen and alive today. He will never leave us and He invites us to keep coming to Him, in good times as well as bad. When we are heavily burdened, He invites us closer, promising to give us rest.
Just as God had a plan and purpose for that first Good Friday, He has a purpose for all those Fridays in our lives. Sunday is the promise of resurrection fulfilled, which makes all Fridays worthwhile. Sunday is coming for everyone who believes. Whatever challenges we are facing, we can be sure that Friday really is good, because Sunday is coming.
Lord, thank you for your truth and the power you left us through your resurrection. Lift up our hearts today with faith and hope to know that the Fridays in our lives will soon pass and Sunday is coming. Amen
“So they went and made the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone and posting the guard.”
Matthew 27:66 (NIV)
The Pharisees feared rumors of resurrection and asked Pilate to help secure Jesus’ tomb, so Pilate granted their request to seal the tomb and appoint an armed guard at the entrance. After studying to learn what this seal on the tomb actually entailed, I learned the following:
They stretched a cord across the large stone which blocked the entrance to the tomb. They packed clay over each end of the cord, and then pressed a wax seal over the clay, which was the seal of Roman government authority. Finally, they posted an armed guard in front of the tomb.
All these measures to keep the tomb untouched, appeared to work until the third day, just as Jesus predicted. On that Jerusalem spring morning, the earth quaked, the stone was rolled away, the cord was broken and the wax seals crumbled. That armed guard was helpless, since he was put into a deep anesthetized sleep.
Inside the open tomb lay nothing but the grave clothes. A separate cloth that covered the head, (sudarium) that held the jaw closed, was lying apart from the 14 foot cloth (shroud) that covered both head and body. (John 20:7)
There is no power known to man like the blast of resurrection power that raised Jesus from the dead. No government seals of authority, armed guard or massive stone could prevent Almighty God from finishing His plan of salvation for us. A split second surge of power resurrected the body of His son, leaving only the grave clothes lying behind in the tomb.
The analysis of the shroud of Turin by forensic scientists, gives us a hint of that powerful surge, that we Christians call, resurrection power. Other bodies wrapped in grave clothes never left an image on the burial cloth from the inside out, as the shroud of Turin has.
It’s been determined that the image was not a painted one, since there is no pigment on the shroud. Original carbon dating done in the 70’s has been proven wrong, since that first sample was taken from a frequently handled patch, instead of from original sections of the cloth. Recent testing proved it to be from the exact time of Jesus.
There is AB positive blood on the cloth but the image was not made from the blood. The bloodstains all match the type of death and scourging that Jesus suffered.
In the documentary, scientists found that the mysterious image was made after the blood stained the linen cloth.
The image is from an ultraviolet light of a single wavelength, similar but not equal to a an Xray, photographic negative and a hologram, all combined. The technology to cause an image of this type from a single wavelength of ultraviolet light, cannot even be duplicated today.
The more recent documentary about the shroud is fascinating. We don’t have to agree on the credibility of the shroud, but we can agree that His resurrection came from the same power Source who said, “Let there be light” and there was light.
This weekend we will celebrate the resurrection that changed the world. As the news of Jesus spread throughout the world, forgiveness and new life became available to every person, race, and nation. Lives are still being changed as a result of that empty tomb, 2,000 years ago.
Every breakthrough in our personal journey of faith comes from that same source of resurrection power.
The cord of fear that held us back is broken. The clay seals of doubt crumble into dust. No previous powers or principalities have any control over us. The healing power of Jesus’ cross and resurrection is upon all who believe in Him, and there is more power in His blood, than any power or authority in the world.
His resurrection power is for all who believe in Him, and His mercy is endless. Only through Him, we have a total cleansing forgiveness, and a chance for new beginnings. His Spirit helps us to become all we were meant to be. We can rise up to become new in Christ, and like Him, never look back again at our grave clothes. That is resurrection power.
Heavenly Father, we thank you for the promise of your resurrection power that raised Jesus from the dead. Help us to rise up and become all that you called us to be, as we give all the glory to Jesus, our risen Savior. Amen
(If interested, the following link is the most up to date video on the Shroud of Turin, with findings by seven forensic scientists. 48 minutes long)
“I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some.”
1 Corinthians 9:22 (NIV)
Yesterday was Palm Sunday, the start of the holiest week on the Christian calendar. It’s also still Ramadan, the month long holiest Muslim holiday. Yesterday was also a Jewish holiday called Purim. Since I serve as one of volunteers for the chaplain department at the hospital, they occasionally ask me if I would escort a rabbi on a Jewish holiday, helping him to find the patient rooms on his list of people to visit. The Purim holiday comes from the Bible story, about Queen Esther and how she was in the right place at the right time to save her people from genocide.
I was scheduled to meet a Rabbi at the hospital yesterday, but instead of meeting one Rabbi, I met two nice young men in their early twenties, who were in training to become Rabbis. Their visitation in hospitals and Nursing Homes is all part of their clinical training. It was an honor to help two young men who have dedicated their careers to serve God through their faith.
They both had beards and wore black hats. I could see the Tzitzit, extending below their shirts, which are the fringes or tassels worn by observant males, in Orthodox Judaism. The laws of Moses required that every male wear those tassels at the corners of his garments as a reminder of the bond between God and Israel. As I glanced at the tassels, I thought of the woman in the gospel who touched the fringe of Jesus’ garment and was healed.
For the Purim holiday, their patient visits consisted of briefly telling each patient the story of Esther, singing a few Jewish songs and then giving them a gift of chocolates and other items.
I showed them how to put on the protective equipment, including masks and gloves if required, in order to enter each patient room on their list. I waited in the hallway outside each room, until they were ready to be taken to the next patient. Each patient enjoyed their visit and all that they did for them.
The two men carried with them a big rolled up parchment scroll, that contained the whole Bible story of Queen Esther, hand written in Hebrew. If anyone wanted, they would read the entire scroll to them in Hebrew. No one wanted the scroll read to them, but they all welcomed the prayers, the songs and the chocolates.
I enjoyed seeing how the Purim customs are observed. I’m probably a little extreme compared to most, in my interest in the Jewish culture. In the 1980’s I learned the Hebrew alphabet and taught myself how to read it, prior to my trip to the Holy land.
After the young men finished visiting all the people on their list, they wanted to show me the rare scroll with the hand written story of Esther. They had carried it around all day, but never opened it. On a table in the chaplain office, they unrolled the scroll to show it to me. It was about 4 feet long, all hand written in Hebrew, by a professional Hebrew scribe.
There are expert scribes today, whose only job is to write Hebrew scriptures on a scroll. They allowed me to touch it as they told me how rare the parchment of that quality was. They said that the value of that sacred scroll was about $1,500. I thought of the gospel account where Jesus opened up a scroll in the temple, read it and then proclaimed Himself to be the Messiah, the one mentioned in that scripture.
I decided to have a little fun with the students, so I began sounding out the Hebrew words starting from right to left, and I was able to read out loud the first line of the scroll. It blew their minds, and they looked at each other in amazement. I laughed, telling them I can read Hebrew but I don’t always know what I’m reading. They were impressed that I knew enough Hebrew to read their sacred Hebrew scroll. We then thanked each other for a great day together and said our good byes.
I talked to God about it afterward saying, “Lord, I wasn’t trying to brag, but you know how much I love the language of your people, and I just couldn’t resist reading that scroll.”
The words that came to my mind were, “We become all things to all people, that by all means, we might save some.” I knew in that moment, that it was to be the scripture for today’s meditation.
Paul wrote those inspiring words, because he became all things to all people, by embracing other cultures. People will be more open to honor our faith in Jesus, when we first honor theirs. Everyone wants respect, and there is more than enough hatred and division in the world today. I hope and pray that those “Rabbis to be”, will understand that there are Christian people who respect their faith, language and culture, because it also belongs to our Lord and Savior.
Lord, show us how we can become all things to all people, so that we may leave an impression of you, so that by any means possible, you will save some. Amen
“For God speaks in one way, and in two, though man does not perceive it.
In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falls upon men, while they slumber on their beds,
then he opens the ears of men…”
Job 33:14-16 (RSV)
God is infinitely powerful, all knowing and omnipresent, yet He enters time and space, just to communicate with us. He chooses how to speak to us, sometimes through our thoughts, or through scripture, or through other people, and sometimes through the dreams in our sleep.
I don’t always remember my dreams, but I wrote down the details of one mysterious and colorful dream I had over a year ago. While it seems more meaningful to me today, it also has meaning and inspiration for anyone, because this dream is an allegory of the Christian life.
I dreamed that a mysterious male being, with an aura of authority, was telling me to leave my home and come with him to a hiding place.
I didn’t know the man but I trusted him, and we set out to travel together on foot.
We ran together through various landscapes, across fields and forests, and when he held my hand, I was able to run as fast as him, and keep up. When I let go of his hand and ran at my own pace, I lagged far behind him. He was faster, stronger and taller than me, and I finally called out, “Hold my hand so I can run faster !” When he held my hand, I ran like a gazelle.
We stopped at a pond to drink water, but we saw that the pond was all dried up. Without saying a word, he helped me to leap over it, and we kept running. I never felt tired or thirsty.
We finally arrived at a street, filled with a row of colorful stucco homes. Each home was a different color and there were men on ladders, still working on the finishing touches outside of each one. On the front of every house was a big cross and colorful banners containing scripture verses.
Then he led me to the particular home where I was to stay. The man called it my “hiding place.” I was about to go inside, when I suddenly woke up.
Looking back at that colorful and mysterious adventure, here is the meaning that I found in it:
The man in my dream was a heavenly being, super powered, like an angel, probably my guardian angel. We each have the help of a guardian angel, who has been assigned to us from birth, to keep us moving toward a higher purpose that leads to our heavenly destination. The Christian journey was intended to be an active one, we were not meant to remain stagnant. The angel who led me in my dream, did it all with action, but few words.
I was able to keep up and run faster, only when I held his hand. All of our hope comes from God, and as we stay connected to Him, keeping our hand in His, He upholds us, just as He promised us, saying,
“I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”(Isaiah 41:10)
I thought about that dried up pond and realized we encounter many dried up ponds in our lifetime. They represent the disappointments and sorrows that we face in our lives, along our journey. The angel held my hand and we leaped over the dried pond, in order to keep running forward. We will always do better in our walk of faith, when we look ahead, instead of looking back, “forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead.”(Philippians 3:13)
I never felt thirsty in my dream, but Jesus gives us His living water, promising that whoever drinks it, will never thirst again.
The most important truth I take away is that we will never run alone. God is always with us as we progress on our journey. When we grow tired, He promises to renew our strength,
“We will run and not grow weary, and walk but not faint.” (Isaiah 40:31)
The multi colored hiding place homes were not to hide away in, but contained the hidden treasures of wisdom and knowledge, for us to discover along the way. They contained all the lessons we were meant to learn through every dried up pond we have passed through in our lives.
Every house had a cross on it, with workmen on ladders, making the finishing touches to the outside. We belong to Christ, and are sealed in His cross, but we are still under renovation as long as we live. God is making His finishing touches on our lives, through all that we go through. In every trial we suffer, He is producing new fruit in us, while uniting each person on a deeper level with the suffering of Jesus.
We expect prayers to be answered in a certain way, but God is trying to give us the wisdom to understand some of His answers.
Instead of moving the mountain, maybe He wants us to run across it, with Him, holding our hand.
Instead of calming the storm, He may be inviting us to walk on the stormy waters with Him, as He is holding our hand.
In asking for His healing, He might be waiting to feel us reach far enough to touch the fringe of His garment.
Whatever trial we go through, the hand we keep holding on to, in our journey, is the nail pierced, scarred hand of Jesus. We can do all things when we keep our hand in His.
I woke up from that dream, before seeing what was inside of that home, but took away the main message for all of us. To keep our hand in His and open our heart to the treasures of God’s wisdom that are hidden in Christ.
Lord, thank you for holding our hand and giving us strength to run with endurance. Help us to seek the treasures hidden in you, and continue to reveal the depths of your love to us today and always. Amen
“So Jesus said to them, “Untie him and let him go.”
John 11:44 (NAB)
These were the first words of Jesus after Lazarus rose from the dead and walked out of his tomb. When the Lord transforms us from death to life, He not only gives us new life in Him, but He unties all that ever once bound us.
I was once bound, not physically to grave clothes, but to a powerful demonic grip over me. I was bound spiritually, to an obsessive pattern of thinking, both day and night. Every area of fortune telling was my constant obsession for about three straight years of my teenage life. If Jesus had not stepped in and unbound me, it probably would have affected my mind, at some point.
Demonic oppression is real, and there were some forces that had a powerful hold over me. Yet, I know now, that all during those years, the Holy Spirit and heavenly forces of angels were working overtime to keep me from going off the deep end. I am convinced that those same heavenly forces are also working on every person’s behalf.
In my senior year of high school, a work study program was available, which prepped students for a future career of their interest. Being interested in the advertising arts at the time, I had the opportunity to work in a major department store in downtown Chicago. I rode public transportation after school each day to that department store and then took an elevator to the top floor, where the advertising department was.
Working with artists and copywriters every day after school was a dream job for me at the time. I learned the stages of preparing the ads for publication, but my main duty was to model the clothing that was being advertised in the weekly ads. The artists would sketch me as I posed in each outfit that was selected for that day. It was an easy job, just putting on clothes and posing while the artists made their sketches for the newspaper.
The Art Director, who was over the entire department, was a witch, and I do mean a real witch, a practicing member of a witches’ coven. Since we both shared a zeal for the occult and fortune telling, we got along very well.
Many people who I worked with at that department store, knew about my involvement with fortune telling, card reading, palm reading and astrology. I remember many of them asking me to read their palms, and before long, one after another was coming to me for their palm reading. I was doing it for the love of fortune telling, not even to make any money from it.
One thing I had never done was to attend a seance, and the Art Director once invited me to one that was taking place in her home that same evening. I had every intention of going, but various circumstances during the day, kept getting in the way of my plan, and I never could make it to that seance. In looking back, I attribute all the day’s hindrances to my guardian angel’s protection, for which I am thankful.
There were two women who worked in that advertising department, who were very different from all the rest, and had no interest in fortune telling. Ruth, one of the artists, had a very peaceful, gentle spirit about her, and I remember that she was very active in her church. The other woman was an art manager, whose name I don’t remember, but she had a very cheerful demeanor and a genuinely kind aura about her. I have no doubt that those two ladies were Christians and probably were praying for me and the Art Director, at the time.
In those days, although I never told anyone, I was having frequent nightmares and constantly felt a strange presence following me everywhere. I know now that I was experiencing demonic oppression. In one nightmare, I dreamed of running to catch a train and once I jumped on board, I realized I was in a coffin, connected to a train of coffins all moving toward some unknown destination. All the oppression and dreams just gave me a greater hunger for true peace.
I randomly heard about a book about Bible prophecies and the end times, so I went to the occult book store to buy it. When I learned that the book was not sold there, I gave up and headed home. While waiting for a bus, I looked in the window of a small storefront selling magazines and snacks. To my surprise, I saw that exact book in the window, so I walked in and bought it. There was a strange flow of events that day, with much evidence that an invisible spiritual battle was actively being fought for my soul.
After going home that same day, while reading the book, I was alone in my house. My cats began racing through the house frantically, as if something was startling them. I was repeatedly interrupted by their odd behavior, as well as sounds I heard in other parts of the house, even though I was the only one home at the time.
I kept reading until I finally came to a page in the book inviting me to pray a prayer asking Jesus to forgive my sins. For the first time I was actually conscious of my own sinfulness, with a heightened awareness that Jesus died for me on the cross. I wanted to pray, and be free of all oppression in my life.
When I bowed my head and prayed to Jesus, I immediately felt a sensation of warm oil slowly pouring over my head. I had a peace that I had never known before and was completely changed in that moment. I knew I was forgiven and delivered, never having another nightmare or any further desire for involvement in the occult. I threw out every book I owned on the subject.
As Jesus walked into my life, I walked out of my tomb, and then He said, “Untie her and let her go!” Not only did I find a resurrected new life in Christ, but I was also delivered from the powers that once had me bound.
My obsession for fortune telling was replaced with an obsessive love for Him and His word. On that day, I felt like Lazarus, walking out of a tomb, unbound from my grave clothes.
I know now that whatever binds anyone can be loosed in Jesus’ name. I have heard many different people share their own stories of how He delivered them from drugs, alcohol, pornography or any other addiction or obsession that controls of a person.
Nothing has more power than the words and presence of Jesus. When He speaks, He unleashes divine power and His presence comes into the lives of all who call upon Him.
Jesus did it all with His words. He woke up dead people saying “Come forth!” He cast out demons, saying, “Be quiet-come out!” He healed the sick saying, “Be it done according to your faith.”
His words have divine authority, and today, He is still breaking the strongholds of demonic bondage, illness, and addictions, setting people free. He is still saying about each of us who believe in Him, “Untie them and let them go!”
I’ve come to learn that demons tremble at His words, which is why I love Him and His words so much. As His words fill our minds and His Spirit transforms our hearts, the power of His truth will keep us set free.
Lord, we praise you for the way you work the flow of events in our lives to reach every person and draw us all nearer to you. As we approach the celebration of Easter, we thank you for unleashing your resurrection power in us, that sets us free and raises us to new life in Christ. Amen
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ.”
2 Corinthians 1:3-5 (NAB)
More than ever, this world needs the comfort of the Father, and scripture describes Him as the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort.
Everyone, whether they know God or not, needs reminding that He is a God of comfort, and is filled with compassion for us. It says that as we receive encouragement from Him in our affliction, we can comfort others with the comfort we have received. That’s how it works, we receive from God and then share it with others.
Every person has a unique gift and calling which was born in them. We are not expected to imitate or be like someone else. To share the comfort we have received, we need to find our own way of expressing it. We are all on a mission to find out how to be what God made us to be. The Lord is teaching me to learn to listen more, instead of being quick to give the answers.
The world is made up of diverse personalities, uniquely different individuals, and it seems that most people do not know God at all, and also express no interest in knowing Him. We are here to share with them the comfort and compassion that we have received from God.
There are diverse personalities at the Nursing Facility, and I’ve learned that some residents despise one another. Occasionally, there is a clash, which makes it very awkward to be caught in the middle, between two residents who are in a heated argument.
Then I stop and think about each one’s story, and how I can listen, be kind and speak only when it’s necessary. Some residents have long been abandoned by their families, because of substance addiction. When we look at people in perspective of their background, it’s obvious that they are struggling for their identity, not knowing they are still loved by God, as they are.
It is through the lens of listening in silence, that I can see them through eyes of mercy. When the time is right, I find a way to share the comfort and compassion that God once showed me.
Sitting at the table with others, one of those residents, whose heroin addiction alienated her from her family years ago. Her own daughters never visit her. She wanted all of us to know what she was like before her life was messed up by heroin.
She told us that when she was a young girl, she was very devoted to God and used to pray fervently, all the time, until drugs changed everything. Now she claims that she cannot pray at all.
All I said to her was that God wants her back, and she can start by praying the simplest prayer like “Jesus help me.” Tawana was at my side supporting everything I said and together, we both encouraged her to take a baby step back to Jesus.
It’s a blessing to have the unity of faith with Tawana. Together, we encouraged her to return to the God of comfort and compassion. There is a time to talk and a time to listen, as God has been quietly listening to all of us throughout our lives.
I’m still honing the gift to know when to speak and when to listen. I think of how many times in my life, I was angry about something and directed it all toward God. In response to my complaining, God quietly listened, and after all the ranting, He was nothing but kind towards me.
(I attached a song called Kind, that says it all, more than any picture.)
Lord, thank you for the irrevocable gift given to share your comfort and compassion, expressed differently in each of us. Help us to comfort others as you have comforted us, and reveal your unending love and kindness to those who don’t know you. Amen
“Call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.”
Psalm 50:15 (RSV)
A man in my church, named Tom, often shares his amazing testimony of divine healing. While this is not the typical meditation, and some of the readers already know his story, it reminds us that God is still doing miracles today. I pray it encourages everyone to trust Him for their own miracle.
Keep an open mind as you read, because the true details of this story are literally “out of this world”.
Tom’s story began with a tumor in his brachial plexus, a bundle of nerves between the neck and shoulder. During surgery to remove the tumor, some important nerves were severed and Tom became paralyzed in his left arm, living with horrible pain for over eight months. His pain was excruciating despite using pain medication, and he could never sleep well, and even the muscles of his shoulder and back were weakening.
He received physical therapy at four different hospitals, but was given little or no hope. He also had an experimental surgery in an attempt to repair the nerves, without success. Being a man of prayer, he prayed asking God to at least give him some comfort, while expecting to live the rest of his life with pain and paralysis.
One day he opened his Bible to the Psalms. As he was reading Psalm 50, a light kept shining over verse 15. He wondered how a light could shine on one verse alone, so he moved the Bible around, at various angles, but that verse remained highlighted by a mysterious light. It was as if God’s own highlighter was getting Tom’s attention. The words in verse 15,
“Call upon Me in the day of trouble and I will deliver you,” are not just for Tom, but are God’s invitation to every believer.
That Sunday, he was talking to a friend at church about his health problem. The man told him about a charismatic Priest, who lived in Brooklyn and had the gift of healing. His name was Fr. Dennis Kelleher, and Tom found out that he was coming to Chicago that week to conduct a healing service at a local church.
Tom and his family went to that church service and as all the sick people were called to the front of the church, the priest prayed for each person, one at a time, laying his hands on them.
When he prayed for Tom, he fell to the floor for 8-10 minutes, under the power of the Holy Spirit. Tom said it felt like electricity was going through his body, yet with an incredible sense of peace.
When he stood back up, he no longer had pain in his neck or shoulder, but his arm was still paralyzed. That night he had the best sleep in years, without any pain.
A week later, while he was sleeping, he was awakened by a male voice, who told him that he was sent to heal him. Although he saw no one, he felt someone touch the area where the tumor used to be, with the severed nerves. The voice then told him to get up and move his arm. He got out of bed and was able to move his arm to full capacity.
Tom’s total healing happened over a week’s time. His pain was healed when the priest prayed for him, and a week later the paralysis was healed by an invisible angelic being. Severed nerves were supernaturally regenerated and he had full use of his arm since that day. Afterward, he returned to see all his doctors and therapists.
His physical therapist, who had known him from many therapy sessions, took one look at the full use of his arm and wept. His doctors admitted that they’ve never seen anything like it and had no other explanation.
What I love about this miracle is how it began with the word of God, in a highlighted scripture verse. God speaks to us through His word.
I also love that God sent an angel, who touched Tom’s brachial plexus and regenerated those severed nerves. God knows our bodies because He made us, and when conventional medicine can do nothing more for us, why not look to God for healing?
Miracles happen in the sacred moments when heaven comes to earth in some way. It happened when a supernatural light highlighted a Bible verse, or when a heavenly spirit was sent to physically touch a human’s body. This all happened thirty years ago, and that priest has since passed away, but to this day, God is still receiving all the glory and praise through everything that took place.
Lord, we thank you that by sharing stories like this, we bring glory to you and encourage others to keep hoping and trusting in you for the miracles in their lives as well. Amen
“My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose.”
Isaiah 46:10 (RSV)
“This is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up at the last day.”
John 6:39 (RSV)
Jesus said He will lose none of those that the Father gave Him, and He will raise up every soul that His Father entrusted to Him. God’s purpose will stand and His will shall be done, and He works through us and among us, in spite of our shortcomings. We always hear that we should trust in God, but this message is about how God trusts in us, even when we make mistakes or lose our way.
Moses had a bad temper when he was young. One day he saw an Egyptian taskmaster beating a slave, and in a moment of anger, he killed that taskmaster. After that, he fled and became a fugitive, living a quiet life as a shepherd for many years.
Then one day, God called Moses from a burning bush, and sent him back to Egypt, to lead his people out of slavery. Despite his history of killing a man, and being unfamiliar with the faith of his Hebrew culture, God trusted Moses to be the man who could best deliver His people.
Joseph was a righteous man, but his engagement to Mary was as binding as marriage in their culture. When he learned that she was pregnant, he was too kind to expose her to shame, so he decided to divorce her quietly. In spite of his doubts, God came to Joseph in a dream, assuring him to proceed with the marriage, telling him that Mary was pregnant with the Son of God. Joseph obeyed and became the husband and father that God trusted him to be.
Jesus chose twelve special men to invest His love, trust and time in, and yet they were the least likely twelve men to choose as disciples. Some of them had temperament problems, some had ego problems, and one had an unethical reputation. All of them were slow to learn what Jesus taught, but He still trusted them.
Matthew was a Jewish tax collector, whose job was to collect taxes and levies under Roman jurisdiction. It was common for tax collectors of that day, to take extra money and keep it for themselves, which is why he was so despised. In spite of these issues, Jesus called Matthew, trusting him to be one of His chosen disciples.
The brothers, James and John, were nicknamed “sons of thunder”, because in the beginning, they were zealous for Jesus to punish people. They also argued about which of them would be the greatest in heaven.
Peter had an impulsive temperament and cut off a man’s ear, when they came to arrest Jesus. Later, he caved under pressure, denying that he ever knew Him. Just knowing about these men and their flaws could create a lot of doubt, but Jesus still trusted them to become His disciples.
God is not turned off by anyone’s past or imperfections. He trusts in us, not based on our merit, but because we are loved and love never gives up hope. He sees in each of us, what we can become, and trusts us to cooperate with His grace and His plans. He trusts that we will grow in His grace, and become stronger in spite of the tests and trials we go through.
God sees in us what we cannot see in ourselves, and He believes in our future, even when we are hung up on our past. Whenever I strayed away from Him, He trusted that I would repent and return to seek a deeper intimacy with Him, and God is always right in the end. When we realize how much He trusts us, we also become more aware of how He is trusting others.
Lord, thank you for your love and trust in us. Thank you for helping us to overcome our failures and return to your throne of grace. Help us to always trust in you as you trust in us. Amen
“Dogs surround me; a pack of evildoers closes in on me.
They have pierced my hands and my feet.”
Psalm 22:17 (NAB)
This Psalm describes the details of crucifixion at least 500 years before it was even thought of. God was dropping hints to us through all the centuries that He had a plan for our redemption. Isaiah also predicted this type of death, in 700 BC. as did Zechariah, in 500 B.C. Here’s what they wrote:
“But he was pierced for our sins,
crushed for our iniquity.
He bore the punishment that makes us whole,
by his wounds we were healed.”
Isaiah 53:5
“They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son.”
Zechariah 12:10
These scriptures are prophetic, yet heart wrenching, since we know that they accurately describe Jesus as being the one who was pierced.
The book of Revelation tells us that the blood of the Lamb is how all believers will conquer evil in the end, “They conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony.” (Revelation 12:11)
The blood flowed from His pierced hands and feet, and from His thorn pierced brow. It flowed down the hill of Calvary and is still flowing to all people everywhere. God’s timeless atonement is for everyone, all races and all faith backgrounds.
Moses wrote that there can be no atonement for sin without shedding blood. I often wondered how that message got lost over the centuries.
When I was in my twenties, I once met a friendly young orthodox Jewish woman, sitting next to me on a Chicago subway train. We talked about her faith and I learned about her many customs and religious practices.
Then I asked her how sin is atoned for, according to her faith. She said through fasting and prayer. I asked her about Moses’ words in the Torah that say,
“The life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves, it is the blood that makes atonement.” (Leviticus 17:11)
She acknowledged the truth of the scripture, but went on to say that fasting and prayer is an acceptable way of atonement – nowadays.
The method of blood atonement doesn’t evolve or change over the centuries. Blood is needed, and God gave us the final provision through the blood of His beloved son.
Before Jesus died, He said “It is finished.” He meant more than to say He was breathing His last breath. He was saying that He completed the final blood atonement for all people. He fulfilled the Mosaic requirements of the law, once and forever.
As we journey towards Easter, before celebrating the resurrection, it’s good to meditate on the wounds of Jesus. We remember the three nails and the crown of thorns that pierced His hands, feet and brow.
His crucifixion changed the eternal destiny of the entire world, and yet it was only the beginning. There is an ever present power in the blood of Jesus, that today, still silences demons, heals bodies, washes away sin, renews our minds and grants us peace. The piercing of Jesus gave us the blood which is ever present and still flowing.
Lord, thank you for your mercy and the plan of salvation, made long ago, whereby we are cleansed, healed and conquer all forever, because of the blood flowing from the wounds of your pierced body. Amen
“Jesus said to him, “‘Everything is possible to one who has faith.”Then the boy’s father cried out, “I do believe, help my unbelief!”
Mark 9:23-24 (NAB)
Faith is knowing that everything is in God’s hands, and even when things seem to be getting worse, and our faith is minimal, it’s okay to come honestly to Him and say, “Lord help me in my unbelief.”
Those were the words of the father of a demon possessed boy who could barely find faith to believe. He had enough faith to come to Jesus, but his faith was small, like a tiny mustard seed. Jesus said all we need is faith as a tiny mustard seed, and it would move mountains. That father saw a mountain moved that day, when Jesus delivered and healed his son from demon possession.
I can relate to that father. I have surrendered my son, Jon, into God’s hands, but I cannot always believe for his total healing. I am always praying, sorry I don’t have more faith, Lord.
I feel that God wants us all to believe in miracles, but He is never angry with us for being like that father of the demon possessed boy. Jesus never rebuked him for lack of faith. He continued to deliver the boy, even after the father asked for help with his own unbelief.
That gives us all hope, that God still does what He plans to do, even if our faith is minimal. We say honestly, “Help me in my unbelief,” and He does the miracle anyway.
Jesus is patient with us, He went out of His way to encourage those who were weak in faith and who had doubts. After His resurrection, He took steps to prove to His disciples that He was physically risen, and not a spirit. He told them to “look at my hands and my feet, touch me.” He went as far as was necessary to remove all their doubts that He was physically raised from the dead, by eating food in front of them.
Jesus knew that the disciples were looking at Him with some unbelief, and that’s what prompted Him to say, “Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself. Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.”
(Luke 24:39) Jesus offered to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side….” Thomas had less than a little faith, and Jesus still gave him tangible proof.
I think we learn through these examples, that God is patient with us and He passionately pursues us in whatever state of belief we are in.
God’s love is, and we can be sure that Jesus is not looking down, scoffing at our lack of faith, He is reaching out His nail scarred hands and saying, “Touch Me and see how much I love you.”
Lord, we ask you to help us in our unbelief today, for whatever area we struggle most in our faith. Thank you for reaching out to us with your nail scarred hands, offering us to touch you and believe. Amen
