They need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light

Revelation 22:1-5

Revelation, the last book of Scripture is about the victory of our Lord. This last chapter of Revelation shows the victory of God enjoyed by all creation. There is a picture of the River of Life, and reminds us that Jesus is the stream of living water.

There is also the Tree of Life on the side of the River. This reminds us of the Tree of Life in Genesis in the Garden of Eden. This is the tree people are meant to eat from. Its leaves heal the nations. There will be no more curse, suggesting no more disease, decay, degeneration and so on.

The throne of God will be the source of the river. The Lamb will sit on the throne and the people will see His face. The name of the Lamb, Yshua Ha Masiach, will on the foreheads of people. God Himself will provide the light for the world and there is no need for the sun.






Revelation 22
The River of Life

1 And he showed me a pure[a] river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb. 2 In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. 3 And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him. 4 They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads. 5 There shall be no night there: They need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light. And they shall reign forever and ever.

The Time Is Near

6 Then he said to me, “These words are faithful and true.” And the Lord God of the holy[b] prophets sent His angel to show His servants the things which must shortly take place.

7 “Behold, I am coming quickly! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.”

8 Now I, John, saw and heard[c] these things. And when I heard and saw, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel who showed me these things.

9 Then he said to me, “See that you do not do that. For[d] I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren the prophets, and of those who keep the words of this book. Worship God.” 10 And he said to me, “Do not seal the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is at hand. 11 He who is unjust, let him be unjust still; he who is filthy, let him be filthy still; he who is righteous, let him be righteous[e] still; he who is holy, let him be holy still.”

Jesus Testifies to the Churches

12 “And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work. 13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last.”[f]

14 Blessed are those who do His commandments,[g] that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city. 15 But[h] outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie.

16 “I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star.”

17 And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.

A Warning

18 For[i] I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add[j] to him the plagues that are written in this book; 19 and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away[k] his part from the Book[l] of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.

I Am Coming Quickly

20 He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming quickly.”

Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

21 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.[m] Amen.

If one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it

Paul addresses the issue of spiritual gifts, which include wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, prophecy, discernment, tongues and others. It is God's will in distributing different gifts to different people. Paul uses the body to illustrate the fact that there are many body parts. Each part has vital functions but their functions are different to other parts. No part can be said to be more important the another.

So the people in the church can have different gifts, but they should not be using these differences to place more importance on some people than others. Paul encourage us to develop our spiritual gifts and even ask for it. But the gifts should be used to compliment other gifts and serve the church.






1 Corinthians 12
Spiritual Gifts: Unity in Diversity

1 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be ignorant: 2 You know that[a] you were Gentiles, carried away to these dumb idols, however you were led. 3 Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed, and no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit.

4 There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. 6 And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all. 7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: 8 for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same[b] Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.

Unity and Diversity in One Body

12 For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. 13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into[c] one Spirit. 14 For in fact the body is not one member but many.

15 If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body? 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body? 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where would be the smelling? 18 But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased. 19 And if they were all one member, where would the body be?

20 But now indeed there are many members, yet one body. 21 And the eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you”; nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” 22 No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary. 23 And those members of the body which we think to be less honorable, on these we bestow greater honor; and our unpresentable parts have greater modesty, 24 but our presentable parts have no need. But God composed the body, having given greater honor to that part which lacks it, 25 that there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another. 26 And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.

27 Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually. 28 And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues. 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Are all workers of miracles? 30 Do all have gifts of healings? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? 31 But earnestly desire the best[d] gifts. And yet I show you a more excellent way.

And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken

Peter and John were having great influence from their teaching and the number of people who converted reached five thousand. The authorities including the priests, Sadducees and temple authorities arrested Peter and John as they preached the gospel and the resurrection of Jesus. When they were brought before the Sanhedrin to be judged, Peter again spoke boldly, filled with the Holy Spirit. His speech followed the same pattern as before, that the miracles such as healing were done in the name of Jesus. He reminded them that it was them who crucified Jesus, and that God resurrected Jesus and all this had been prophesied in the Scriptures before. Finally he declares that it is only through Jesus that salvation can be given.

The authorities were amazed that Peter and John spoke so well regarding Scriptures since they were also uneducated. They remembered that Peter and John had indeed been close followers of Jesus. They could not find a valid reason to arrest Peter and John because the evidence of the miracles such as the healed man can be seen by everyone. So they threatened Peter and John to not teach and preach about Jesus, but they both replied they would follow God, rather than the authorities.

Peter and John returned to their companions and they stood together in powerful prayer led by the Holy Spirit. This prayer could be an example to us. They asked for boldness to speak the Gospel, this is not because of their own shyness or embarrassment but rather their lives were in danger when they spoke about Jesus and the Gospel. They clearly asked for miraculous wonders to follow their preaching including healing. Such was the power of their prayer that the manifestation of the Holy Spirit was evidenced by the shaking of the room.

We are also given a glimpse of the lifestyle of these original believers. Those who had possessions sold them and gave them to the apostles for the church. The believers lived together in a community and there was no one lacking among them. Barnabas was also mentioned here as one of the early followers who sold his land and contributed to this early community.





Acts 4
Peter and John Arrested

1 Now as they spoke to the people, the priests, the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees came upon them, 2 being greatly disturbed that they taught the people and preached in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. 3 And they laid hands on them, and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening. 4 However, many of those who heard the word believed; and the number of the men came to be about five thousand.


Addressing the Sanhedrin

5 And it came to pass, on the next day, that their rulers, elders, and scribes, 6 as well as Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John, and Alexander, and as many as were of the family of the high priest, were gathered together at Jerusalem. 7 And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, “By what power or by what name have you done this?”

8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders of Israel: 9 If we this day are judged for a good deed done to a helpless man, by what means he has been made well, 10 let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole. 11 This is the ‘stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.’[a] 12 Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”


The Name of Jesus Forbidden

13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus. 14 And seeing the man who had been healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it. 15 But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves, 16 saying, “What shall we do to these men? For, indeed, that a notable miracle has been done through them is evident to all who dwell in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it. 17 But so that it spreads no further among the people, let us severely threaten them, that from now on they speak to no man in this name.”

18 So they called them and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. 19 But Peter and John answered and said to them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge. 20 For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.” 21 So when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding no way of punishing them, because of the people, since they all glorified God for what had been done. 22 For the man was over forty years old on whom this miracle of healing had been performed.


Prayer for Boldness

23 And being let go, they went to their own companions and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them. 24 So when they heard that, they raised their voice to God with one accord and said: “Lord, You are God, who made heaven and earth and the sea, and all that is in them, 25 who by the mouth of Your servant David[b] have said:

‘Why did the nations rage,
And the people plot vain things?
26 The kings of the earth took their stand,
And the rulers were gathered together
Against the Lord and against His Christ.’[c]
27 “For truly against Your holy Servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together 28 to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose determined before to be done. 29 Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word, 30 by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus.”

31 And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.


Sharing in All Things

32 Now the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul; neither did anyone say that any of the things he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common. 33 And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all. 34 Nor was there anyone among them who lacked; for all who were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of the things that were sold, 35 and laid them at the apostles’ feet; and they distributed to each as anyone had need.

36 And Joses,[d] who was also named Barnabas by the apostles (which is translated Son of Encouragement), a Levite of the country of Cyprus, 37 having land, sold it, and brought the money and laid it at the apostles’ feet.

For He is kind to the unthankful and evil

Jesus was questioned by the Pharisees when his disciples broke the law on the Sabbath. Jesus used David as an example and also declared His divinity by saying He is "Lord of the Sabbath". In another instance, The Pharisees was waiting for Jesus to break another Sabbath law by healing people on the Sabbath. It is amazing that they knew Jesus could heal people, yet did not genuinely investigate if this is God's work, instead they tried to trap and accuse Jesus. Knowing their plans, Jesus deliberately healed a man with a withered hand anyway.

Jesus called His twelve disciples. Jesus also healed (including casting out unclean spirits) a multitude of people from Jerusalem, Judea, Tyre and Sidon. Another amazing fact is how Scripture recorded the healing that, when people touched Him, power went out from Jesus and the people got healed. So the healing was spiritual, that is not physical, but somehow it is also tangible in a sense to be described as going out.

Many of Jesus important teachings are recorded here. They include:
- The Beatitudes - essentially those who are disadvantaged in this life will be blessed in heaven, presumably if they knew Jesus.
- The Woes - these are the opposites of the Beatitudes where those who enjoy life on earth, presumably without Jesus, will have no enjoyment in eternity.
- Jesus teaches about loving your enemies. In the same topic, He says about God "For He is kind to the unthankful and evil. Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful."
- Jesus teaches about not judging, about forgiveness and to be generous.
- Jesus teaches that good fruit comes from good trees. Hence to bear good fruit, we must ourselves be good. A well known saying here is "For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks".
- Jesus teaches that hearing His words is not enough. We must do according to His words so that our foundations will be as strong as rock foundations. Otherwise our house would fall.




Luke 6
Jesus Is Lord of the Sabbath

1 Now it happened on the second Sabbath after the first[a] that He went through the grainfields. And His disciples plucked the heads of grain and ate them, rubbing them in their hands. 2 And some of the Pharisees said to them, “Why are you doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath?”

3 But Jesus answering them said, “Have you not even read this, what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him: 4 how he went into the house of God, took and ate the showbread, and also gave some to those with him, which is not lawful for any but the priests to eat?” 5 And He said to them, “The Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath.”

Healing on the Sabbath

6 Now it happened on another Sabbath, also, that He entered the synagogue and taught. And a man was there whose right hand was withered. 7 So the scribes and Pharisees watched Him closely, whether He would heal on the Sabbath, that they might find an accusation against Him. 8 But He knew their thoughts, and said to the man who had the withered hand, “Arise and stand here.” And he arose and stood. 9 Then Jesus said to them, “I will ask you one thing: Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy?”[b] 10 And when He had looked around at them all, He said to the man,[c] “Stretch out your hand.” And he did so, and his hand was restored as whole as the other.[d] 11 But they were filled with rage, and discussed with one another what they might do to Jesus.

The Twelve Apostles

12 Now it came to pass in those days that He went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God. 13 And when it was day, He called His disciples to Himself; and from them He chose twelve whom He also named apostles: 14 Simon, whom He also named Peter, and Andrew his brother; James and John; Philip and Bartholomew; 15 Matthew and Thomas; James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon called the Zealot; 16 Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot who also became a traitor.

Jesus Heals a Great Multitude

17 And He came down with them and stood on a level place with a crowd of His disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem, and from the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear Him and be healed of their diseases, 18 as well as those who were tormented with unclean spirits. And they were healed. 19 And the whole multitude sought to touch Him, for power went out from Him and healed them all.



The Beatitudes

20 Then He lifted up His eyes toward His disciples, and said:

“Blessed are you poor,
    For yours is the kingdom of God.
21 Blessed are you who hunger now,
    For you shall be filled.
Blessed are you who weep now,
    For you shall laugh.
22 Blessed are you when men hate you,
    And when they exclude you,
    And revile you, and cast out your name as evil,
    For the Son of Man’s sake.
23 Rejoice in that day and leap for joy!
    For indeed your reward is great in heaven,
    For in like manner their fathers did to the prophets.


Jesus Pronounces Woes

24 “But woe to you who are rich,
    For you have received your consolation.
25 Woe to you who are full,
    For you shall hunger.
Woe to you who laugh now,
    For you shall mourn and weep.
26 Woe to you[e] when all[f] men speak well of you,
    For so did their fathers to the false prophets.


Love Your Enemies

27 “But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you. 29 To him who strikes you on the one cheek, offer the other also. And from him who takes away your cloak, do not withhold your tunic either. 30 Give to everyone who asks of you. And from him who takes away your goods do not ask them back. 31 And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise.

32 “But if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. 33 And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. 34 And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive back, what credit is that to you? For even sinners lend to sinners to receive as much back. 35 But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil. 36 Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.

Do Not Judge

37 “Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. 38 Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.”

39 And He spoke a parable to them: “Can the blind lead the blind? Will they not both fall into the ditch? 40 A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher. 41 And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the plank in your own eye? 42 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me remove the speck that is in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the plank that is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck that is in your brother’s eye.

A Tree Is Known by Its Fruit

43 “For a good tree does not bear bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. 44 For every tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush. 45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart[g] brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.

Build on the Rock

46 “But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say? 47 Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like: 48 He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock.[h] 49 But he who heard and did nothing is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream beat vehemently; and immediately it fell.[i] And the ruin of that house was great.”

Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing

After the baptism of Y'Shua, filled with the Holy Spirit, He was led into the desert and was tempted by the devil. We cannot fully understand how this can happen and why the devil won't just flee in Y'shua's presence. However, it is a good lesson for us in the way Y'shua responded to the devil's temptations. In all three instance, He used Scriptures as a weapon to defend against the temptations and attack the devil. Each of the three temptations can represent various things. One thought is that the temptation of bread is to tempt our fleshly desires, the second is about power and glory, the third is testing our faith in God.

After the temptations in the desert, Jesus began His Galilean Ministry, where He first taught in the synagogues. On one of these occasions, possibly in the beginning of His ministry, He read the passage in Isaiah in the synagogue which was referring to Messiah, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me...". At the end of the reading, He explained that this passage is fulfilled now because of Him, thus identifying Himself with the Messiah. After some more explanations that a prophet is not accepted in his own country and referring to Elijah and Elisha, the people wanted to destroy him by taking Him to a cliff to be thrown down. Then the miracle happened when Jesus simply walk through the middle of the crowd without anyone restraining Him.

Jesus began preaching elsewhere and a string of miracles followed. Here are some other events:
- People who heard Jesus preaching recognized His authority and wisdom.
- The demons recognize Jesus as the Holy One of God and were afraid.
- Jesus cast out demons.
- Jesus heals the sick, such as Peter's mother in law.
- His ministry often involve mass healing and mass deliverance from unclean spirits.
- He preached in many synagogues.



Luke 4
Satan Tempts Jesus

1 Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into[a] the wilderness, 2 being tempted for forty days by the devil. And in those days He ate nothing, and afterward, when they had ended, He was hungry.

3 And the devil said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.”

4 But Jesus answered him, saying,[b] “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.’”[c]

5 Then the devil, taking Him up on a high mountain, showed Him[d] all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. 6 And the devil said to Him, “All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. 7 Therefore, if You will worship before me, all will be Yours.”

8 And Jesus answered and said to him, “Get behind Me, Satan![e] For[f] it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’ ”[g]

9 Then he brought Him to Jerusalem, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here. 10 For it is written:

‘He shall give His angels charge over you,
To keep you,’
11 and,

‘In their hands they shall bear you up,
Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’”[h]
12 And Jesus answered and said to him, “It has been said, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’ ”[i]

13 Now when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from Him until an opportune time.

Jesus Begins His Galilean Ministry

14 Then Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and news of Him went out through all the surrounding region. 15 And He taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all.

Jesus Rejected at Nazareth

16 So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read. 17 And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written:

18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,
Because He has anointed Me
To preach the gospel to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,[j]
To proclaim liberty to the captives
And recovery of sight to the blind,
To set at liberty those who are oppressed;
19 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.”[k]
20 Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him. 21 And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” 22 So all bore witness to Him, and marveled at the gracious words which proceeded out of His mouth. And they said, “Is this not Joseph’s son?”

23 He said to them, “You will surely say this proverb to Me, ‘Physician, heal yourself! Whatever we have heard done in Capernaum,[l] do also here in Your country.’” 24 Then He said, “Assuredly, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own country. 25 But I tell you truly, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, and there was a great famine throughout all the land; 26 but to none of them was Elijah sent except to Zarephath,[m] in the region of Sidon

28 So all those in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath, 29 and rose up and thrust Him out of the city; and they led Him to the brow of the hill on which their city was built, that they might throw Him down over the cliff. 30 Then passing through the midst of them, He went His way.

Jesus Casts Out an Unclean Spirit

31 Then He went down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and was teaching them on the Sabbaths. 32 And they were astonished at His teaching, for His word was with authority. 33 Now in the synagogue there was a man who had a spirit of an unclean demon. And he cried out with a loud voice, 34 saying, “Let us alone! What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Did You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!”

35 But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be quiet, and come out of him!” And when the demon had thrown him in their midst, it came out of him and did not hurt him. 36 Then they were all amazed and spoke among themselves, saying, “What a word this is! For with authority and power He commands the unclean spirits, and they come out.” 37 And the report about Him went out into every place in the surrounding region.

Peter’s Mother-in-Law Healed

38 Now He arose from the synagogue and entered Simon’s house. But Simon’s wife’s mother was sick with a high fever, and they made request of Him concerning her. 39 So He stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her. And immediately she arose and served them.

Many Healed After Sabbath Sunset

40 When the sun was setting, all those who had any that were sick with various diseases brought them to Him; and He laid His hands on every one of them and healed them. 41 And demons also came out of many, crying out and saying, “You are the Christ,[n] the Son of God!”

And He, rebuking them, did not allow them to speak, for they knew that He was the Christ.

Jesus Preaches in Galilee

42 Now when it was day, He departed and went into a deserted place. And the crowd sought Him and came to Him, and tried to keep Him from leaving them; 43 but He said to them, “I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, because for this purpose I have been sent.” 44 And He was preaching in the synagogues of Galilee.[o]

For whoever does the will of God is My brother and My sister and mother

The Pharisees waited for Jesus to violate the Sabbath if He performed the healing. Knowing this, Jesus questioned them whether it is more important on the Sabbath to save a life. They were speechless but nevertheless plotted against Him. Jesus continued to heal many people and cast out demons. Also recorded here is the incident that the demon recognized Jesus but Jesus commanded it not to reveal Him.

In one incident, the scribes accussed Jesus of being part of the evil ones, when He cast out the demons. But Jesus challenged their logic saying that if He is with the Evil One, then he would not be casting out demons otherwise they are destroying themselves. This is followed by the warning of the unforgivable sin of blaspheming against the Holy Spirit by accusing someone who is of the Holy Spirit, to be evil.

The other incident is when people told Jesus that His mother and brothers were trying to see Him, Jesus responded that those who do God's will is His mother and brother. This is not to disown His own relations, but rather emphasize the importance of being in God's will.





Mark 3
Healing on the Sabbath

1 And He entered the synagogue again, and a man was there who had a withered hand. 2 So they watched Him closely, whether He would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse Him. 3 And He said to the man who had the withered hand, “Step forward.” 4 Then He said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they kept silent. 5 And when He had looked around at them with anger, being grieved by the hardness of their hearts, He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored as whole as the other.[a] 6 Then the Pharisees went out and immediately plotted with the Herodians against Him, how they might destroy Him.

A Great Multitude Follows Jesus

7 But Jesus withdrew with His disciples to the sea. And a great multitude from Galilee followed Him, and from Judea 8 and Jerusalem and Idumea and beyond the Jordan; and those from Tyre and Sidon, a great multitude, when they heard how many things He was doing, came to Him. 9 So He told His disciples that a small boat should be kept ready for Him because of the multitude, lest they should crush Him. 10 For He healed many, so that as many as had afflictions pressed about Him to touch Him. 11 And the unclean spirits, whenever they saw Him, fell down before Him and cried out, saying, “You are the Son of God.” 12 But He sternly warned them that they should not make Him known.

The Twelve Apostles

13 And He went up on the mountain and called to Him those He Himself wanted. And they came to Him. 14 Then He appointed twelve,[b] that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach, 15 and to have power to heal sicknesses and[c] to cast out demons: 16 Simon,[d] to whom He gave the name Peter; 17 James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James, to whom He gave the name Boanerges, that is, “Sons of Thunder”; 18 Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Cananite; 19 and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him. And they went into a house.

A House Divided Cannot Stand

20 Then the multitude came together again, so that they could not so much as eat bread. 21 But when His own people heard about this, they went out to lay hold of Him, for they said, “He is out of His mind.”

22 And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, “He has Beelzebub,” and, “By the ruler of the demons He casts out demons.”

23 So He called them to Himself and said to them in parables: “How can Satan cast out Satan? 24 If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25 And if a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. 26 And if Satan has risen up against himself, and is divided, he cannot stand, but has an end. 27 No one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man. And then he will plunder his house.

The Unpardonable Sin

28 “Assuredly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they may utter; 29 but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is subject to eternal condemnation”— 30 because they said, “He has an unclean spirit.”

Jesus’ Mother and Brothers Send for Him

31 Then His brothers and His mother came, and standing outside they sent to Him, calling Him. 32 And a multitude was sitting around Him; and they said to Him, “Look, Your mother and Your brothers[e] are outside seeking You.”

33 But He answered them, saying, “Who is My mother, or My brothers?” 34 And He looked around in a circle at those who sat about Him, and said, “Here are My mother and My brothers! 35 For whoever does the will of God is My brother and My sister and mother.”

O you of little faith, why did you doubt?

John the Baptist was beheaded by Herod, the tetrarch of the region, possibly a puppet ruler. Although Herod wanted John's life initially because John warned him of adultery with his brother's wife, but decided to put him in jail to avoid any uproar. Later John was tricked into an oath by his lover's daughter and beheaded John.

After the news of John's beheading, Jesus left the region but many people followed Him. The led to another well known miracle in which Jesus fed five thousand men and women with five loaves and two fish. Jesus had wanted to be alone at first, but was moved in compassion to heal them and feed them as they cling to Him. He also showed the an example of giving thanks as he blessed and broke the bread and prayed. There were 12 baskets of leftover.

Another well known miracle happened after the feeding. Jesus send his disciples on a boat to the other side while he dismissed the crowd and went to pray. It is interesting to see these details recorded especially about Jesus lifestyle of spending time alone and praying, despite his incredibly busy schedule. In the night as the boat tossed, Jesus walked on water towards the boat. The disciples thought He was a ghost. After Jesus identified Himself, Peter walked out on the water too until he doubted and sank and was saved by Jesus. Jesus' gentle rebuke was ".... why did you doubt." Also in this event, they acknowledged Jesus as the "Son of God".

Another healing miracle event took place when Jesus's boat party landed at Gennesaret. They recognized Jesus and the people believed to the extent that even if they touched the hem of His garment, they would be healed. And in fact, they were healed according to their belief when they touched His garment.




Matthew 14
John the Baptist Beheaded

1 At that time Herod the tetrarch heard the report about Jesus 2 and said to his servants, “This is John the Baptist; he is risen from the dead, and therefore these powers are at work in him.” 3 For Herod had laid hold of John and bound him, and put him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife. 4 Because John had said to him, “It is not lawful for you to have her.” 5 And although he wanted to put him to death, he feared the multitude, because they counted him as a prophet.

6 But when Herod’s birthday was celebrated, the daughter of Herodias danced before them and pleased Herod. 7 Therefore he promised with an oath to give her whatever she might ask.

8 So she, having been prompted by her mother, said, “Give me John the Baptist’s head here on a platter.”

9 And the king was sorry; nevertheless, because of the oaths and because of those who sat with him, he commanded it to be given to her. 10 So he sent and had John beheaded in prison. 11 And his head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, and she brought it to her mother. 12 Then his disciples came and took away the body and buried it, and went and told Jesus.

Feeding the Five Thousand

13 When Jesus heard it, He departed from there by boat to a deserted place by Himself. But when the multitudes heard it, they followed Him on foot from the cities. 14 And when Jesus went out He saw a great multitude; and He was moved with compassion for them, and healed their sick. 15 When it was evening, His disciples came to Him, saying, “This is a deserted place, and the hour is already late. Send the multitudes away, that they may go into the villages and buy themselves food.”

16 But Jesus said to them, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.”

17 And they said to Him, “We have here only five loaves and two fish.”

18 He said, “Bring them here to Me.” 19 Then He commanded the multitudes to sit down on the grass. And He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke and gave the loaves to the disciples; and the disciples gave to the multitudes. 20 So they all ate and were filled, and they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments that remained. 21 Now those who had eaten were about five thousand men, besides women and children.

Jesus Walks on the Sea

22 Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He sent the multitudes away. 23 And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. Now when evening came, He was alone there. 24 But the boat was now in the middle of the sea,[a] tossed by the waves, for the wind was contrary.

25 Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea. 26 And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out for fear.

27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.”

28 And Peter answered Him and said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.”

29 So He said, “Come.” And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. 30 But when he saw that the wind was boisterous,[b] he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!”

31 And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” 32 And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased.

33 Then those who were in the boat came and[c] worshiped Him, saying, “Truly You are the Son of God.”

Many Touch Him and Are Made Well

34 When they had crossed over, they came to the land of[d] Gennesaret. 35 And when the men of that place recognized Him, they sent out into all that surrounding region, brought to Him all who were sick, 36 and begged Him that they might only touch the hem of His garment. And as many as touched it were made perfectly well.

House Divided against itself will Not Stand

The Pharisees criticised Jesus' disciples for picking food from the field and eating in the Sabbath. Jesus used this occasion to reveal that He is the Lord of the Sabbath, thus revealing His divinity. He also quoted Scripture to show God values faith more than works: "I desire mercy and not sacrifice". A similar situation occurred when Jesus was about to heal a man with a withered hand. Again Jesus taught that it is lesser to follow religious laws than to save and heal others. At this point, the spiritually blinded Pharisees could not tolerate Jesus violation of their rules any longer and plotted against His life. Jesus knew about the plot and left; a lot of people followed Him and He healed them.

Jesus healed a demon-possessed man and was accused being a ruler of demons. Jesus used simple logic to rebuke them saying that if demon cast away other demons, they will not succeed. And Jesus warned them to consider that if His power is from God, then they should know that God's kingdom is coming soon.

A few other teachings include:
- Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit would never be forgiven.
- Good tree produces good fruit and bad tree cannot produce good fruit. Also those with evil heart cannot say good things. These things were directed at the Pharisees but also applicable as general teaching to everyone. He also warns against idle words, and that judgment will be made on our words.
- The Pharisees asked for a sign and Jesus denied them, calling them an adulterous and evil generation. The only sign Jesus told was that like Jonah spending 3 days and nights in a fish, Messiah will also spend 3 days and nights under the earth and return again.
- Jesus warns that an evil spirit cast out of human can return, and if it finds the human empty, he will bring in an extra seven more wicked spirits and the human will be worse off. The big question is perhaps what it means for a human to be empty and how to fill it - the answer is that empty probably means the human was devoid of the Spirit of God in him, so evil can easily possess him again. Jesus warns the present generations has lots of such empty humans.
- Jesus was attending to a crowd of people when someone told Him that His mother and brothers wanted to approach him. Jesus used this to teach that those He considers His brothers, sisters and mothers are those who do the will of His Father.






Matthew 12
Jesus Is Lord of the Sabbath

1 At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. And His disciples were hungry, and began to pluck heads of grain and to eat. 2 And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to Him, “Look, Your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath!”

3 But He said to them, “Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him: 4 how he entered the house of God and ate the showbread which was not lawful for him to eat, nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests? 5 Or have you not read in the law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath, and are blameless? 6 Yet I say to you that in this place there is One greater than the temple. 7 But if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice,’[a] you would not have condemned the guiltless. 8 For the Son of Man is Lord even[b] of the Sabbath.”

Healing on the Sabbath

9 Now when He had departed from there, He went into their synagogue. 10 And behold, there was a man who had a withered hand. And they asked Him, saying, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”—that they might accuse Him.

11 Then He said to them, “What man is there among you who has one sheep, and if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not lay hold of it and lift it out? 12 Of how much more value then is a man than a sheep? Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” 13 Then He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he stretched it out, and it was restored as whole as the other. 14 Then the Pharisees went out and plotted against Him, how they might destroy Him.

Behold, My Servant

15 But when Jesus knew it, He withdrew from there. And great multitudes[c] followed Him, and He healed them all. 16 Yet He warned them not to make Him known, 17 that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying:

18 “Behold! My Servant whom I have chosen,
My Beloved in whom My soul is well pleased!
I will put My Spirit upon Him,
And He will declare justice to the Gentiles.
19 He will not quarrel nor cry out,
Nor will anyone hear His voice in the streets.
20 A bruised reed He will not break,
And smoking flax He will not quench,
Till He sends forth justice to victory;
21 And in His name Gentiles will trust.”[d]


A House Divided Cannot Stand

22 Then one was brought to Him who was demon-possessed, blind and mute; and He healed him, so that the blind and[e] mute man both spoke and saw. 23 And all the multitudes were amazed and said, “Could this be the Son of David?”

24 Now when the Pharisees heard it they said, “This fellow does not cast out demons except by Beelzebub,[f] the ruler of the demons.”

25 But Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to them: “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand. 26 If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? 27 And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they shall be your judges. 28 But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you. 29 Or how can one enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will plunder his house. 30 He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad.

The Unpardonable Sin

31 “Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men. 32 Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come.

A Tree Known by Its Fruit

33 “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit. 34 Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. 35 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart[g] brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things. 36 But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. 37 For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

The Scribes and Pharisees Ask for a Sign

38 Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from You.”

39 But He answered and said to them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. 40 For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. 41 The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here. 42 The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here.

An Unclean Spirit Returns

43 “When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none. 44 Then he says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when he comes, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order. 45 Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first. So shall it also be with this wicked generation.”

Jesus’ Mother and Brothers Send for Him

46 While He was still talking to the multitudes, behold, His mother and brothers stood outside, seeking to speak with Him. 47 Then one said to Him, “Look, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, seeking to speak with You.”

48 But He answered and said to the one who told Him, “Who is My mother and who are My brothers?” 49 And He stretched out His hand toward His disciples and said, “Here are My mother and My brothers! 50 For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother.”

Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God

This is the account of the temptation of Jesus and how He overcame it with the Sword of the Spirit - that is God's Word. He was tempted at the weakest physical point, which is when He had finished a forty day and night fasting. The three temptations have been summarized and studied by many scholars and can be said to represent various teachings. Here we consider the temptations could be appealing to sin at three different levels i) physical - to satisfy hunger ii) intellectual - to challenge the Scripture in a twisted way iii) spiritual - to satisfy pride by taking God's glory.

As soon as the Enemy left, the angels attended to Jesus. So the angels were restricted from helping Jesus, even though they would have been ready at standby. At this time, John the Baptist had been captured - notice God's timing that John had performed the baptism of Jesus before his capture. So after the temptations, Jesus when to start His preaching ministry at Capernaum, which is in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali. His first message continued from John the Baptist which is "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."

His first disciples were four fisherman, two pairs of brothers: Peter and his brother Andrew and the Zebedee brothers James and John. It appeared that they supernaturally obeyed Jesus, abandoning their former lives and became Jesus' disciples straight away.

Jesus early ministry involved teaching in the synagogues, preaching the gospel, healing all kinds of sickness and disease and demon-possessed. News of Him reached Syria and people became His followers from Galilee, Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond Jordan.


Matthew 4
Satan Tempts Jesus

1 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry. 3 Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.”

4 But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’”[a]

5 Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, 6 and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written:

‘He shall give His angels charge over you,’
and,

‘In their hands they shall bear you up,
Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’”[b]
7 Jesus said to him, “It is written again, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’”[c]

8 Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 9 And he said to Him, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.”

10 Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you,[d] Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’”[e]

11 Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him.

Jesus Begins His Galilean Ministry

12 Now when Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, He departed to Galilee. 13 And leaving Nazareth, He came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the regions of Zebulun and Naphtali, 14 that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying:

15 “The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali,
By the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan,
Galilee of the Gentiles:
16 The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light,
And upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death
Light has dawned.”[f]
17 From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

Four Fishermen Called as Disciples

18 And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. 19 Then He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” 20 They immediately left their nets and followed Him.

21 Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets. He called them, 22 and immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him.

Jesus Heals a Great Multitude

23 And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people. 24 Then His fame went throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and He healed them. 25 Great multitudes followed Him—from Galilee, and from Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan.

Before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord

The Day which is coming is described as one that will burn the proud and the wicked. But those who fear God, they will be able to trample on the wicked ones. They will also be blessed and healed. The people are reminded of the Law of Moses, its statutes and judgments. God also mentioned that He will send Elijah just before those days to warn His people.



Malachi 4
The Great Day of God

1 “For behold, the day is coming,
Burning like an oven,
And all the proud, yes, all who do wickedly will be stubble.
And the day which is coming shall burn them up,”
Says the Lord of hosts,
“That will leave them neither root nor branch.
2 But to you who fear My name
The Sun of Righteousness shall arise
With healing in His wings;
And you shall go out
And grow fat like stall-fed calves.
3 You shall trample the wicked,
For they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet
On the day that I do this,”
Says the Lord of hosts.
4 “Remember the Law of Moses, My servant,
Which I commanded him in Horeb for all Israel,
With the statutes and judgments.
5 Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet
Before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.
6 And he will turn
The hearts of the fathers to the children,
And the hearts of the children to their fathers,
Lest I come and strike the earth with a curse.”

Healing Scriptures

This is a collection of links to Healing Ministry sites with Healing Scriptures.

Firstly a lot of links can be obtained simply from Google with these search words: Healing Scripture.

Joyce Meyer has this site instucting how to take hold of Healing Promises from the Scriptures. The site also contains a PDF document with specific scriptures and applications.

Many verses from this site by Dan Downey. The verses are categorised as follows:
Use Your Authority and Resist Fear!
You Are An Overcomer Through Jesus Christ!
Make Jesus The Lord Of Your Life, Reverence Him By Closing All Doors To The Enemy, Giving Him First Place!
Know That When You Ask The Lord For Healing, It Is Already His Will And He Hears You And He Agrees. Know He Has Already Settled It In The Atonement Of The Blood Of Jesus Christ - He Says "Yes"!
The Will Of God Is His Blessing Of Goodness That Is For You Now!
The Word Of God Brings Healing!
Healing Is A Good Gift From God!
We Have Been Redeemed Out From Under The Bondage Of Sickness & Disease!
Snap Out Of That Depression, Your Attitude Determines Your Altitude!
We Can Have Confidence In Him, For God Cannot Lie!
Long Life Belongs To You - Don't Give up!!! Base Your Faith On The Promises Of God.
Cast Down Those Thoughts and Imaginations That Don't Line Up With The Word Of God!
State Your Case To God!
Your Words Are Important!
Remember To Give Testimony Of Your Healing!
Hold On To Your Healing

Another site with healing scriptures."Dodie Olsteen was healed of terminal Liver cancer and she said these scriptures three times daily."

A blog with 40 scriptures used by "Dodie Olsteen"

Forty Scripture Memory Verses On Healing
"Romans 10 tells us that faith comes from hearing and hearing from the word of Christ. To help us believe God for healing ourselves, our friends and our families it helps to have a good grasp of the Scriptures concerning healing. These Scriptures are small enough to be written on a business card sized bit of paper, carried around and memorized."

Here are a few Scriptures that got my attention (they may or may not be in the lists above):

Galatians 3:
13 Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”[h]), 14 that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

Naaman Leprosy Healed by the LORD through Elisha

This is one of the accounts where a gentile become fully converted into a follower of the God of Israel. Naaman was a leper but was also a great commander of the army in Israel. In fact it was the LORD being so pleased with Naaman that He had given Syria victories.

An Israelite slave in Egypt suggested that Elisha the prophet may heal the leprosy of Naaman. So the King of Syria wrote to the King of Israel and send Naaman to Israel. The King of Israel was indignant about why the Syrians thought he could heal leprosy. The Elisha stepped up and invited the Syrians to him. Elisha's instructions were simply to go to the Jordan and wash seven times. Naaman was furious at this initially since he was expecting some incantations and calling of the name of God.

Such was the Spirit of God with Elisha that he did not need to explicitly called on the name of the Lord. The LORD would have been with him throughout, hearing about Naaman's problem and knowing what to do. The Lord decided to heal Naaman and Elisha responded to the Lord by asking Naaman to clean in the river. And the Lord may have been with Naaman's servant too who asked Naaman to reconsider and encouraged him to obey. Naaman obeyed and his leprosy was cleansed. He committed to serving the LORD from then.

Naaman's expressed his gratitude by insisting Elisha accept his gifts of silver and gold. Elisha refused. As Naaman travelled back, Gehazi caught up with Naaman and asked for a talent of silver but Naaman gave him two. Elisha found out about this and cursed Gehazi. So Gehazi had leprosy along with all his descendants.



2 Kings 5

Naaman’s Leprosy Healed

 1 Now Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Syria, was a great and honorable man in the eyes of his master, because by him the LORD had given victory to Syria. He was also a mighty man of valor, but a leper. 2 And the Syrians had gone out on raids, and had brought back captive a young girl from the land of Israel. She waited on Naaman’s wife. 3 Then she said to her mistress, “If only my master were with the prophet who is in Samaria! For he would heal him of his leprosy.” 4 And Naaman went in and told his master, saying, “Thus and thus said the girl who is from the land of Israel.”
5 Then the king of Syria said, “Go now, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel.”
So he departed and took with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold, and ten changes of clothing. 6 Then he brought the letter to the king of Israel, which said,
   Now be advised, when this letter comes to you, that I have sent Naaman my servant to you, that you may heal him of his leprosy.

 7 And it happened, when the king of Israel read the letter, that he tore his clothes and said, “Am I God, to kill and make alive, that this man sends a man to me to heal him of his leprosy? Therefore please consider, and see how he seeks a quarrel with me.”
8 So it was, when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, that he sent to the king, saying, “Why have you torn your clothes? Please let him come to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel.”
9 Then Naaman went with his horses and chariot, and he stood at the door of Elisha’s house. 10 And Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored to you, and you shall be clean.” 11 But Naaman became furious, and went away and said, “Indeed, I said to myself, ‘He will surely come out to me, and stand and call on the name of the LORD his God, and wave his hand over the place, and heal the leprosy.’ 12 Are not the Abanah[a] and the Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?” So he turned and went away in a rage. 13 And his servants came near and spoke to him, and said, “My father, if the prophet had told you to do something great, would you not have done it? How much more then, when he says to you, ‘Wash, and be clean’?” 14 So he went down and dipped seven times in the Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God; and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.
15 And he returned to the man of God, he and all his aides, and came and stood before him; and he said, “Indeed, now I know that there is no God in all the earth, except in Israel; now therefore, please take a gift from your servant.”
16 But he said, “As the LORD lives, before whom I stand, I will receive nothing.” And he urged him to take it, but he refused.
17 So Naaman said, “Then, if not, please let your servant be given two mule-loads of earth; for your servant will no longer offer either burnt offering or sacrifice to other gods, but to the LORD. 18 Yet in this thing may the LORD pardon your servant: when my master goes into the temple of RimmonRimmon, may the LORD please pardon your servant in this thing.”
19 Then he said to him, “Go in peace.” So he departed from him a short distance.

Gehazi’s Greed
 
20 But Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said, “Look, my master has spared Naaman this Syrian, while not receiving from his hands what he brought; but as the LORD lives, I will run after him and take something from him.” 21 So Gehazi pursued Naaman. When Naaman saw him running after him, he got down from the chariot to meet him, and said, “Is all well?”
22 And he said, “All is well. My master has sent me, saying, ‘Indeed, just now two young men of the sons of the prophets have come to me from the mountains of Ephraim. Please give them a talent of silver and two changes of garments.’”
23 So Naaman said, “Please, take two talents.” And he urged him, and bound two talents of silver in two bags, with two changes of garments, and handed them to two of his servants; and they carried them on ahead of him. 24 When he came to the citadel, he took them from their hand, and stored them away in the house; then he let the men go, and they departed. 25 Now he went in and stood before his master. Elisha said to him, “Where did you go, Gehazi?”
And he said, “Your servant did not go anywhere.”
26 Then he said to him, “Did not my heart go with you when the man turned back from his chariot to meet you? Is it time to receive money and to receive clothing, olive groves and vineyards, sheep and oxen, male and female servants? 27 Therefore the leprosy of Naaman shall cling to you and your descendants forever.” And he went out from his presence leprous, as white as snow.

God's Will to Heal vs Sickness to Glorify Himself

The issue of Christian healing has been in much controversy. Basically this arise from one view that Christians should get healed and another view is that God uses sickness to teach us something. The emotions from these two arguments can be as intense as the abortion vs anti-abortion issue.

Since my early days of accepting the Lord Jesus, I taken God's Word as the truth. But God's word itself can be twisted by some and misrepresented. I do not intend to go deep into academic debate here. But I will just state my understanding as I believe God leads me. Basically from much of Scripture and knowing the character of Jesus and God, I conclude that it is God's will to heal. Some of the passages showing this below are: Matthew 9, Matthew 8, Mark 10. There are many others including a sick (or was it blind) man that called to Jesus and asked "If you WILL, please heal me". Jesus answered "I will" (forgot what passage this was).

Why many Christians get sick? - there are many reasons. But one reason which I believe is a gross distortion of the truth is "God uses sickness to glorify Himself". This distortion comes from the truth in John 9, where the blind man was in fact blind not because of any sin of himself or his parents but so that the Glory of God can be revealed. I accept on this occassion God's purpose for letting the man be blind until Jesus came along is to glorify himself. God did various such things to glorify himself, such as the recent passages in this blog on Exodus including the 10 plagues and the crossing of the Red Sea and the Manna from heaven. God also appeared to Moses and Paul. However, it is not God's main mode of operation to appear to people (like Moses and Paul) - we accept this. It is also not God's main mode of operation to bring plagues and miracles on the scale of the Exodus in modern times which is no doubt a sinful time. Therefore the thought just hit me that although God used the sickness of the man to glorify himself in John 9, that is not God's main mode of operation.

As we know Jesus deeper, hopefully we will see that God's intention is for us to get healed and he sees no pleasure or purpose in our pain, except for certain circumstances which are rare. Jesus died for us, taking away our sins and our sickness so that we no longer have to bear it. Not only that, but health is part of the Abrahamic covenant that we Christians now can enjoy.


John 9

A Man Born Blind Receives Sight

 1 Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth. 2 And His disciples asked Him, saying, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”
3 Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him. 4 I[a] must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work. 5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”
6 When He had said these things, He spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva; and He anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay. 7 And He said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which is translated, Sent). So he went and washed, and came back seeing.
8 Therefore the neighbors and those who previously had seen that he was blind[b] said, “Is not this he who sat and begged?”
9 Some said, “This is he.” Others said, “He is like him.”[c]
He said, “I am he.”
10 Therefore they said to him, “How were your eyes opened?”
11 He answered and said, “A Man called Jesus made clay and anointed my eyes and said to me, ‘Go to the pool of[d] Siloam and wash.’ So I went and washed, and I received sight.”
12 Then they said to him, “Where is He?”
He said, “I do not know.”


Matthew 9
A Girl Restored to Life and a Woman Healed
  
18 While He spoke these things to them, behold, a ruler came and worshiped Him, saying, “My daughter has just died, but come and lay Your hand on her and she will live.” 19 So Jesus arose and followed him, and so did His disciples.
20 And suddenly, a woman who had a flow of blood for twelve years came from behind and touched the hem of His garment. 21 For she said to herself, “If only I may touch His garment, I shall be made well.” 22 But Jesus turned around, and when He saw her He said, “Be of good cheer, daughter; your faith has made you well.” And the woman was made well from that hour.
23 When Jesus came into the ruler’s house, and saw the flute players and the noisy crowd wailing, 24 He said to them, “Make room, for the girl is not dead, but sleeping.” And they ridiculed Him. 25 But when the crowd was put outside, He went in and took her by the hand, and the girl arose. 26 And the report of this went out into all that land.



Jesus Heals a Centurion’s Servant

Matthew 8   
5 Now when Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, pleading with Him, 6 saying, “Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, dreadfully tormented.”
7 And Jesus said to him, “I will come and heal him.”
8 The centurion answered and said, “Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed. 9 For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”
10 When Jesus heard it, He marveled, and said to those who followed, “Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel! 11 And I say to you that many will come from east and west, and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. 12 But the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” 13 Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go your way; and as you have believed, so let it be done for you.” And his servant was healed that same hour.


Jesus Heals Blind Bartimaeus

Mark 10
46 Now they came to Jericho. As He went out of Jericho with His disciples and a great multitude, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the road begging. 47 And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”
48 Then many warned him to be quiet; but he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”
49 So Jesus stood still and commanded him to be called.
Then they called the blind man, saying to him, “Be of good cheer. Rise, He is calling you.”
50 And throwing aside his garment, he rose and came to Jesus.
51 So Jesus answered and said to him, “What do you want Me to do for you?”
The blind man said to Him, “Rabboni, that I may receive my sight.”
52 Then Jesus said to him, “Go your way; your faith has made you well.” And immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus on the road