Salvogesis

The other weekend we celebrated Easter. What is the main point of Easter? Jesus defeated sin and death. He died and rose from the grave; so I thought I would look into resurrection in general a little bit today. First, I have my only story of someone raising from the dead: from when we were serving in Toronto. In one of the corps we were responsible for – the Warehouse Mission – they had very many great outreaches into the Inner City community. We had talent nights once a month that were amazing – everything from absolutely top-of-the-line professional musicians to people signing their hearts out (and our ears!) or playing instruments that they didn’t necessarily know how to work. It was so much fun! Everyone was so encouraging too. We also had regular meals and did so much more. One thing we had on the wall when you entered our space was a bulletin board where we would place funeral cards and notifications of people’s deaths and memorial services - so we could pay our respects and let...

  CONCLUSION I have seen people who have really been healed of cancer. I have seen people who have really been healed of HIV and who really have been healed of AIDS. I do know people who have been healed of diabetes. There are people in our congregation here today who have been really healed and really delivered from many different infirmities and illnesses. The power of God is real. But I want to bring this to your attention: There are fake healers out there. We have probably all seen them, heard them, or heard about them. There are people who fake the power of God for their own gain or glory or to try to make us forget about the very real healings that Christ has performed in many of our lives. Don’t fall for them. Don’t fall for the devil’s traps. There are people too who will take Scripture out of context and wrongly say that God will only heal you if you have enough faith; there are people too who will take Scripture out of context and wrongly say that God will only heal you i...

  A MUTE DEMON-POSSESSED MAN Matthew 9:32-38:   While they were going out, a man who was demon-possessed and could not talk was brought to Jesus. And when the demon was driven out, the man who had been mute spoke. The crowd was amazed and said, “Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel.”           But the Pharisees said, “It is by the prince of demons that he drives out demons.”           Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.  Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” Infirmity:  Demon-possession and muteness Patient:  a man Initiation:...

  TWO BLIND MEN Matthew 9:27-31:  As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed him, calling out, “Have mercy on us, Son of David!”           When he had gone indoors, the blind men came to him, and he asked them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?”           “Yes, Lord,” they replied.           Then he touched their eyes and said, “According to your faith let it be done to you”; and their sight was restored. Jesus warned them sternly, “See that no one knows about this.” But they went out and spread the news about him all over that region. Infirmity:  Blindness Patient:  Two men Initiation:  The blind men followed Jesus calling out “have mercy on us, Son of David!” They then followed Jesus inside the building. Response:  Jesus asked them, Verse 28-30, “‘Do you believe that I am able to do this?’          ‘Yes, Lord,’ they replied.     ...

  A BLEEDING WOMAN Infirmity:  Continual or frequently repeated bleeding Patient:  a woman (an unclean outcast) Initiation:  Verse 20-21: “…a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak. She said to herself, “‘If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed.’” Response:  Jesus spoke and she was healed. Directive:  “Take heart, daughter” (v.22) This lady barges upon the scene. She doesn’t have any of the requisite deference of the synagogue leader in our story who is kneeling before the Lord. She doesn’t have the humility and overtly displayed respect of the leper or the Centurion mentioned in Chapter 8. This lady just sneaks up to Jesus and touches His clothes almost as if she is trying to steal a healing. Jesus notices her –of course- and tells her not to be afraid; He tells her to “Take heart, daughter … your faith has healed you.” This woman is seemingly afraid of Jesus but she knows He can hea...

  A DECEASED GIRL    Infirmity:  Death Patient:  A girl Initiation:  Verse 18: “…a synagogue leader came and knelt before him and said, ‘My daughter has just died. But come and put your hand on her, and she will live.’” Response:  1) …Jesus and his disciples went with the man, arrived at the house, threw out the mourners saying, Verse 24, “Go away, the girl is not dead but asleep.” 2) The crowd laughed at him. They were put outside then Jesus raised her from the dead Directive:  None. Here we have two stories intertwined about healing bleeding and resurrecting the dead. We don’t really have time to address the full significance of the juxtaposition here;[4] so first we will look at the girl. After the religious teachers have just provoked Jesus, a religious synagogue leader is shown as coming to Jesus in desperation as his own daughter has just passed away. Here the leader is faithful in beseeching Jesus upon his knees - even as his relatives seem...

  A PARALYZED MAN Matthew 9:1-8:  Jesus stepped into a boat, crossed over and came to his own town. Some men brought to him a paralyzed man, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the man, “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.”          At this, some of the teachers of the law said to themselves, “This fellow is blaspheming!”          Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said, “Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts? Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the paralyzed man, “Get up, take your mat and go home.” Then the man got up and went home. When the crowd saw this, they were filled with awe; and they praised God, who had given such authority to man. Infirmity:  Paralysis Patient:  A man Initiation:  Some friends brought him to Jesus Response: ...

  TWO VIOLENT DEMON-POSSESSED MEN Matthew 8:28-34:  When he arrived at the other side in the region of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men coming from the tombs met him. They were so violent that no one could pass that way. “What do you want with us, Son of God?” they shouted. “Have you come here to torture us before the appointed time?”           Some distance from them a large herd of pigs was feeding. The demons begged Jesus, “If you drive us out, send us into the herd of pigs.”           He said to them, “Go!” So they came out and went into the pigs, and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and died in the water.  Those tending the pigs ran off, went into the town and reported all this, including what had happened to the demon-possessed men. Then the whole town went out to meet Jesus. And when they saw him, they pleaded with him to leave their region. Infirmity:  Demon-possession Patients:...

  MANY DEMON-POSSESSED PEOPLE Matthew 8:16:   When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to him, and he drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick. This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: “He took up our infirmities and bore our diseases.” Infirmity:  Demon-possession Patient:  Many Initiation : They were brought to him Response:  Jesus “drove out the spirits with a word and healed the sick” (v.16) Directive:  None specified This verse mentions neither the heart of those coming before the Lord nor their actions or beliefs after being healed but merely that Jesus “drove out the spirits with a word and healed the sick” (v.16). This is passage is pointing out that these miracles Jesus is performing fulfill the prophesy of Isaiah 53:4. Jesus is the Messiah.    More blogs at https://salvogesis.blogspot.ca/ and www.sheepspeak.com ---

  PETER'S FEVERISH MOTHER-IN-LAW Matthew 8:14-15:   When Jesus came into Peter’s house, he saw Peter’s mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever. He touched her hand and the fever left her, and she got up and began to wait on him. Infirmity:  Fever Patient:  Peter’s mother-in-law Initiation:  None specified: “When Jesus came to Peter’s house, he saw Peter’s mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever” (Matthew 8:14) Response:  1) Jesus touched her hand, healed her 2) She waited on her Lord Directive:  None recorded. What makes this healing stand out from the others? First, the others show very humble people coming before the Lord with much intention, deference, and respect on behalf of others or themselves. They approach Jesus quite humbly and they ask Him to please heal them or their loved ones. In this episode it even seems that Jesus initiates the healing: He goes to Peter’s house; He notices Peter’s mother-in-law and He heals her on the spot. Now even if...

  A ROMAN'S PARALYZED SERVANT Matthew 8:5-13:   When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help. “Lord,” he said, “my servant lies at home paralyzed, suffering terribly.” Jesus said to him, “Shall I come and heal him?”           The centurion replied, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”           When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, “Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith. I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside,...

  A MAN WITH LEPROSY Matthew 8:1-4:   When Jesus came down from the mountainside, large crowds followed him. A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.”          Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” Immediately he was cleansed of his leprosy. Then Jesus said to him, “See that you don’t tell anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.” Infirmity:  Leprosy (any skin disease) Patient:  Leper (social outcast) Initiation:  “A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, “Lord, if you are willing you can make me clean” (Matthew 8:2) Response:  “I am willing”, “Be clean” – Immediately the man was healed (v.3) Directive:  1) Tell no one 2) Show yourself to the priest and offer sacrifices as a testimony (v.4) This healing miracle is initiated by a man suffering ...