Matthew 14:14 (NIV) When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick.
σπλαγχνίζομαι splagchnizomai; from 4698; to be moved in the inward parts, i.e. to feel compassion:—feel compassion(2), felt compassion(7), moved with compassion(2), take pity(1).
I’ve know many minister that desperately want the Gifts of Healing in their ministry. And either have had very few genuine healings along with many other “healings” that were questionable or fake. Yet they preach and act like God is doing healing at all their meeting. And when no healing happen they blame the sick for having no faith to be healed or that their sin is keeping them from being healed.
But I think the lack of genuine miraculous healings may have more to do with the hidden motives of the heart.
Just like I see many ministers claiming to be prophets all while giving out more false prophecy than any true prophecies, and sometimes no true prophecies at all.
I see a connection between these two types of ministries.
People are so desperate to hear the true voice of God or receive a healing touch from God for their terminal illness, that people will fill churches and stadiums, spend their last dime, just to listen to false prophets and fake healing ministries, in hopes that they were true messengers of God.
It seems to me many ministers unknowingly want healing and prophesy to be activate in their ministry because of the promotions that it brings for their platform ministries. And so they want bigger platforms, which means bigger donations, which means they can now be in “full time” ministry.
There is a unfortunate understanding in many american church circles, that if you are in full time ministry then you have arrived in your spiritual life. Being able to be fully funded come with many honors from fellow Christians and benefits.
I wonder where are the ministers that have lived among the sick and dying and have their “insides” broken over the pain and suffering that resides in individuals and their families that are crying out to God for mercies of healing.
Where are the ministers today that would move to a leper colony, knowing that once there they can never come back to society, just so they could bring the sick and dying the gospel message and Jesus fully present in body, blood, and Divinity in the eucharist?
You can learn about Father Damien or know as Saint Damien of Molokai, or Saint Damien De Veuster born 3 January 1840 and died 15 April 1889 from leprosy he contracted from his caring for the sick in the leper colony Molokai, Hawaii.
I wonder would there be more gifts of healings if there was more compassion that come from deep brokenness over other’s suffering from sickness than from the hidden desire for larger platforms, greater number of people attending ministry meetings, and larger donations?
Saint Damien of Molokai taken in 1889, either late February or March, weeks before his death by William Brigham at a side wall of the St. Philomena Catholic Church.
Here John the Baptist speaks to King Herod from a hill (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
I would suggest that the American citizens should remember that the President is the servant of the People, and he is an elected “citizen”. The problem is that many American politicians think that they are the “authorities that are appointed by God” and the American citizen is their servant. When the second _____ becomes reality, American will cease to exist.
Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. NIV (1 Pe 2:13–14)
Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. NIV (Ro 13:1–2)
Both of these verses are often quoted by well-meaning Christians as a Biblical mandate to blindly submit to church leaders or US government officials. I would suggest that the historical context of these passages is to be looked and which is form of government was present, the “Emperor”. Nobody voted for the emperor during this time, he was born divine or he killed the last emperor and claimed the power for himself. All of the emperor’s governors were to establish and exercise the will of the supreme authority, that of the Emperor. None of these forms of government that the Apostolic authors are writing about is the form of “government by will of the people”. No form was the American Constitutional form of government. If American Government is the will of the people, then the officials are the servants of the people, there to administer the people’s will. I would venture to say that if someone is still trying to say that we as Christians are to blindly submit to American elected officials because they were elected (even in times when the government is not governing accord to the will of the people), then they may want to consider renouncing their American citizenship and swear allegiance to the English crown. If that is Biblical thinking and of application of scripture they are promoting as current for our Republic form of Government then America should have never of rebelled against the Crown and the “authority that which God has established”. That would mean that America rebelled and was born as a country under judgment of God.
“Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.”
I would suggest that American civics needs to be taught again in schools and also to the current government officials, because we the people are the ones responsible for what our government does and we the people are accountable to God for how are government servants behave. Just like a business owner who has an employee that is doing illegal business, if the owner does nothing to fire or discipline the employee, then the owner is also guilty under the law.
For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames. NIV 1 Co 3:11–15
We will have to give an account for all of our words and deeds, and deeds include how we voted. The blood of Jesus covers our sins but that is not the same and “wood hay and stubble that have to go thru the fire of Judgment. I’m not saying we are not to respect and give honor where honor is due, but as American citizens we are the government and when our business employees or our government employees are acting like fools, we have to speak up and correct them or fire them. I would also disagree with the idea that Jesus was never political in his ministry. He blasted the government of that day, that is why they wanted to kill him. Israel’s main form of government at the time was a theocracy and the government of King Herod was only a puppet oversight government for the Roman Empire that was overseen by Pontius Pilot. Jesus publicly blasted the theocracy and their leaders on many occasions, and just one of many examples is Matt 23:13-36. He even calls them a “bunch of snakes” (that didn’t go over to well with the Jewish leaders). Even John the Baptist publicly blasted King Herod for marrying his brother’s wife, and that got John beheaded.
For John had been saying to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” Mk 6:18.
The meaning of Romans 13:1-2 and Peter 2:13-14 is not to remain silent and do what ever the government tells you, but not to be a criminal and break God’s law. It always has been a Christian duty to speak out against injustice and breaking of God’s law. As an example, if and when the US government makes and enforces the law that makes it illegal to say that homosexuality is a sin and that the church is required to perform same-sex marriage, then the church will have to break the “ungodly law” and continue to preach the truth. My main point is that well-meaning Christians that are American citizens misuse these and a few more verses to say that all Christians should not criticize or speak out against any officials of the US government, including the President. My argument to their misapplication of Scripture is that they are using Scripture as justification to neglect the responsibility of their American citizenship, which is to keep our government honest, God-fearing, and submitted to Gods will. It is Jesus that charged his disciples to “therefore go and make disciples of all nations,” (and that includes the USA) “teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” Mt 28:19-20 (NIV) Pray for the American citizens in government, and teach them to obey Jesus. That is our Christian and American duty. Grace and peace to you.
English: A sign promoting the saving of unborn children. The location is the Marlborough region on State Highway 1 in the South Island of New Zealand. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
As a male I cannot and do not claim to understand what any woman or girl who has been raped has gone through.
But for anyone to counsel her to kill the unborn child that came as a result of the rape is a monster who is as horrible as the rapist. They would be inflicting more pain and suffering on the rape victim, as she then would have a life long suffering of not only the rape(s) but of the guilt that she is the murderer of her innocent unborn child. The counselor would not relieve the victims grief and pain but would instead multiply it.
And this is what many are pushing as compassion? The real truth is that they can make money from the rape victim’s suffering by charging for the services of abortions. This is an outrage that someone is profiting from the horrors of rape! If this was not true then the abortionists would offer their service of murder for free, at no cost to victim nor the government. The doctors and clinics would cover the cost from their own pockets, and that will never happen in the abortion industry.
I would say compassionate counsel is to encourage “beauty for ashes,” to encourage the mother to choose to give the unborn child a chance at life. What if that child grows up to find the cure for cancer, becomes the next Billy Graham or Mother Theresa, or the first person to step on Mars. Jesus was an unwanted pregnancy (at least for Joseph), and if not for the Angel speaking to Joseph, he would have divorced Mary. If the religious leaders had found out, they would have stoned Mary to death with Jesus in the womb.
To encourage the victim to give new life a chance for something good, or even great, to come from a rape would bring healing and redemption from the evil. Choose life, not the taking of a life.
If a death is required to bring healing to a victim of rape, it should not be the death of the innocent child, but that of the guilty rapist.
In America, morality is no longer based on facts and truth but is based on what popular opinion polls say is the majority. Morality is now a vote.
“Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.” Acts 2:34 NKJV
Jesus is both Lord and Savior. The two can’t be separated. Jesus said;
John 14:15 (NIV) If you love me, you will obey what I command.
Again He says the same, leaving no wiggle room.
John 14:23-24 (NIV)Jesus replied, “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. He who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.”
The sad thing is most people live like, and some even believe, that the kingdom of God is a democracy, as if we can vote on what God has said and decreed. They think if they get enough people to agree with their opinion, or that their sin should no longer be in the “Unlawful” and “Against God” category, that they can change the mind of God by saying “According to the popular vote, everybody agrees with me, which makes you, God, a bigot and a hater of what the people agree to.” As if this would change God’s mind and cause Him to resend His law! Some are even in the mindset that after presenting their popular vote to God and He doesn’t agree with the masses, they will impeach Him, voting God off the island.
This is nothing new and is why the gospel of Christ is so offensive to the rebellious mind. Jesus as savior is great and every body likes a get out of jail free card, but to demand that people surrender their will and life in exchange for eternal life is a very offensive and very different gospel.
Psalms 2
Why do the nations rage,
And the people plot a vain thing?
The kings of the earth set themselves,
And the brulers take counsel together,
Against the Lord and against His Anointed, saying,
“Let us break
Their bonds in pieces
And cast away
Their cords from us.”
He who sits in the heavens shall laugh;
The Lord shall hold them in derision. Then He shall speak to them in His wrath,
And distress them in His deep displeasure:
“Yet I have set My King
On My holy hill of Zion.”
“I will declare the decree:
The Lord has said to Me,
‘You are My Son,
Today I have begotten You.
Ask of Me, and I will give You
The nations for Your inheritance,
And the ends of the earth for Your possession.
You shall break them with a rod of iron;
You shall dash them to pieces like a potter’s vessel.’ ”
Now therefore, be wise, O kings;
Be instructed, you judges of the earth.
Serve the Lord with fear,
And rejoice with trembling.
Kiss the Son, lest He be angry,
And you perish in the way,
When His wrath is kindled but a little.
Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him.
Tony Nobles Ministry 