God always, always comes to my defense. He always, always meets my needs. He will always, always rescue me.

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Finding a Way to Restoration

Sometimes Jesus would go aside to pray. But for the most part He was often healing. In Mark chapter 2, Jesus is in Capernaum where Peter’s home was. Word got out that Jesus was there. Telling as many as possible that Jesus is available for whatever is wrong is how we get the word out that Jesus “is in the house”. God still does great things when His word is preached.

Like the people in this recounting, we should go to whatever lengths necessary to be with Jesus. This man and his friends were finding a way to restoration. Jesus first told this man who broke up the roof just to get to Him that his sins were forgiven. In this case, before healing this man of the obvious, He forgave his sins.

*Mark 2:1-12

Jesus was a Revolutionary

There were those who questioned among themselves how could He say such things as his sins are forgiven. Jesus knew how they doubted His authority and confronted them. We should be careful how you act around God. He knows the real you.

Pharisees chastised the man at the pool of Bethesda about carrying his mat after being healed by Jesus. He responded that the same man Who healed him also told him to take his bed home. Sometimes your greatest ability is your adaptability. You may have to do things like you’ve never done them before. If you’re going to grow you might have to change.

** John 5:1-13

Microscopes vs. Mirrors

This world needs a church. Our world is in a crisis. People need to come to God rather than away as it looks is happening today. The Bible is very clear about what happens to nations that turn away from Him. We can do without a lot of things. We cannot do without the church that is the pillar of truth. The church is where we get the truth. We need to get better with mirrors than we are with microscopes. If we’ll stand up for God, He will stand up for us. The gates of hell will not prevail against the church that God has built.

 

* Mark 2:1-12

• And again He entered Capernaum after some days, and it was heard that He was in the house.
• ² Immediately many gathered together, so that there was no longer room to receive them, not even near the door. And He preached the word to them.
• ³ Then they came to Him, bringing a paralytic who was carried by four men.
• ⁴ And when they could not come near Him because of the crowd, they uncovered the roof where He was. So when they had broken through, they let down the bed on which the paralytic was lying. 
• ⁵ When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven you.”
• ⁶ And some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts,
• ⁷ “Why does this Man speak blasphemies like this? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” 
• ⁸ But immediately, when Jesus perceived in His spirit that they reasoned thus within themselves, He said to them, “Why do you reason about these things in your hearts?
• ⁹ Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Arise, take up your bed and walk’?
• ¹⁰ But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”—He said to the paralytic,
• ¹¹ “I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.” ¹² Immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went out in the presence of them all, so that all were amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!”

** John 5:1-13

• After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
• ² Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew, Bethesda, having five porches.
• ³ In these lay a great multitude of sick people, blind, lame, paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the water.
• ⁴ For an angel went down at a certain time into the pool and stirred up the water; then whoever stepped in first, after the stirring of the water, was made well of whatever disease he had.
• ⁵ Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years.
• ⁶ When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, “Do you want to be made well?” 
• ⁷ The sick man answered Him, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me.” 
• ⁸ Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up your bed and walk.”
• ⁹ And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked. And that day was the Sabbath.
• ¹⁰ The Jews therefore said to him who was cured, “It is the Sabbath; it is not lawful for you to carry your bed.” 
• ¹¹ He answered them, “He who made me well said to me, ‘Take up your bed and walk.’ ” 
• ¹² Then they asked him, “Who is the Man who said to you, ‘Take up your bed and walk’?”
• ¹³ But the one who was healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, a multitude being in that place.

published 8/11/21