So You Will Know

On Sunday at Crossroads we'll begin a short series of messages, worship and prayer focused on the subject of healing.  We'll be following our partners at North Heights in this.  They have a long tradition of healing and healing prayer.  We have been walking step by step into this in our area for many years too, but we have not had consistent teaching in this area of Christian life.  We'll begin this starting Sunday.

My first message on healing tomorrow will restore the connection between the physical and the spiritual.  I've been meditating this morning on the story of the paralyzed man who was healed that we find in Matthew 9, Mark 2 and Luke 5.  Up to this point Jesus has been healing people without a lot of explanation.  But in these verses Jesus speaks to religious people who are watching and says "So you will know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins..." and then he turns to the paralyzed man and says "Get up...!"  The man does just that.  He got up, picked up the mat he had been lying on, and went home as Jesus had instructed.  Then we have this verse in Matthew 9:8

When the crowd saw this, they were filled with awe; and they praised God, who had given such authority to men.

Though we pray for people to be healed every day, and though so many have experienced God's healing touch, it's good for us to gain confidence in this so we don't artificially separate the spiritual from the physical.  That's what Jesus was teaching the religious people and the crowds.  You can't put God in a spiritual box, nor can you put limits on what God can do through those who trust him and who are empowered by the Holy Spirit.  The truth Jesus wants to demonstrate is that God's heaven has invaded our broken world and God desires that we trust Him not only spiritually but also in every other way.

As of now I'm planning that we'll do some teaching on this subject, share some stories of healing, and then practice praying for those who are in need of healing in any way.  God has, amazingly, given such authority, through the Holy Spirit, to men and women who trust in him.

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