Wednesday, December 21, 2016

Exhortations For The Church: Vol. 1


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Vol. 1 ... #13
It was Jesus that made him whole 


John 5 … 1 After this there was a feast of the Jews; and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 2 Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches. 3 In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water. 4 For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had.

5 And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years. 6 When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole?

7 The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me.

8 Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk. 9 And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the sabbath.

10 The Jews therefore said unto him that was cured, It is the sabbath day: it is not lawful for thee to carry thy bed. 11 He answered them, He that made me whole, the same said unto me, Take up thy bed, and walk.

12 Then asked they him, What man is that which said unto thee, Take up thy bed, and walk? 13 And he that was healed wist not who it was: for Jesus had conveyed himself away, a multitude being in that place. 14 Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee. 15 The man departed, and told the Jews that it was Jesus, which had made him whole.

It is Jesus who makes each of us whole.

Can’t we remember what we used to be? How we used to live before we were “touched” by God through Jesus through the Holy Spirit?

Paul says it in following:

I Cor. 6 … 9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, 10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.

When God communicates with us, we are changed immediately and made whole immediately.

God has made us into a “new creature” … old things are over now, passed away.

II Cor. 5 … 17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ,

God gives us the Spirit of Jesus, The Holy Spirit, to dwell in us and show us the way of God as we continue on this present earth.

The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of TRUTH. The Holy Spirit calls to our mind things of God, of scripture, of dreams given by God, of words given by God so that we can know the way God wants us to go when we deal with the specific issues of this present life.

Jn. 14:26 … (Jesus says) … 26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

Jn. 16:13 …13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear (from God), that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.

The Holy Spirit dwells inside each child of God.

After we are born again and have the Spirit of Jesus inside us, we have many experiences along this lifetime where the Holy Spirit reminds us of something to show us the way to go when we are dealing with an issue of this present life.

One morning I awoke after having a difficult dream. My whole countenance was disturbed by this dream.

Then I turned to God in prayer asking for help.

All of a sudden, I began thinking of Jesus.

Jesus came to earth in the flesh and died for our sins.

Jesus was placed in tomb with opening of tomb sealed with big stone. There was an earthquake and angel of the Lord moved the stone blocking the entrance to the tomb. When the women came to the tomb, two angels were there to witness to the women that Jesus was not in tomb but was raised by God from the dead.

Mt. 28 ... 1 In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre. 2 And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. 3 His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow: 4 And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men. 5 And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. 6 He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. 7 And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead; and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: lo, I have told you. 8 And they departed quickly from the sepulchre with fear and great joy; and did run to bring his disciples word. 

After Jesus was raised from dead, HE appeared to more than 500 people before ascending into heaven.

Now Jesus sits at right hand of God and intercedes for us.

God will send Jesus back to get us. Those who are dead in Christ will arise from graves and meet Jesus in the air.

Those who are alive on this earth will then be changed in bodily form and given a new body which cannot be harmed. They will be changed in a blinking of the eye and arise to meet Jesus and the others who have been raised from the dead. (I Thess. 4 & I Cor. 15)

By thinking on these truths, I was made whole again from being disturbed by the dream. Like the man at the pool, it was Jesus who made me whole.

We are continually made whole by Jesus through the Holy Spirit as we dwell on this present earth.


Another example:

My neighbor was robbed. He came to tell me how thieves had broken into his house and had stolen his flat screen TV.

A day or two after hearing this story, I decided to disconnect my front doorbell. People often come to my house to try to sell me things I don’t want to buy and when they ring the doorbell, if I am asleep, it awakens me. I need a certain amount of sleep to be able to do my work assigned me by God in the church.

After I disconnected my doorbell, the following thought came to my mind: “They will ring your doorbell and when you do not answer they will think no one is home and they will break into your house and steal your TV.”

I cried out to God … “Help me, please”

And into my mind the Holy Spirit said: “You have insurance.”

I rejoiced, saying, “That’s right.”

It was Jesus who made me whole …


Another example:

It was the time of my birthday. A woman sent me a birthday card. She placed a note in the card telling about the recent wedding of her grandson. (I have no grandson.)

She told of their recent holiday and all the people who came to dinner with her and husband. (I have no husband.)

She told of future plans with her daughter. (I have no daughter.)

Immediately, the following came to my mind by Holy Spirit: “You are dead and your life is hid in Christ.”

“That’s right,” I shouted! I was so happy. I rejoiced in Christ, in the Word of God on this subject. 

Col. 3 … 1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. 2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. 3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.

If it had not been for the Holy Spirit reminding me of this truth, I would have been pulled down by the words of the note in the birthday card. Instead of this, I rejoiced.

Nehemiah 8:10 … Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the Lord is your strength.

My strength is that WORD given me by God in the various troubles that come in this present life. The joy of that WORD given me by God is my strength which overcomes that which would trouble me on this earth.

Thus the apostle instructs us to do the following:

I Peter 5:7 … Casting all your care upon HIM; for HE careth for you.