Remember, Saul, who later changed his name to Paul to indicate his changed life, persecuted the followers of Jesus. Something that gets glossed over all the time is that he did so under the watchful eye of the religious institution. Even more, the religious leaders wrote a letter of authority so that Saul could go to other countries to persecute believers.

Saul even authorized, on at least one occasion, the murder of a believer (Stephen). Stephen’s crime was, well, that he didn’t believe the right thing. Stephen was not convicted of a criminal offense, a social abuse or failure to live up to his potential. The only “crime” Saul accused him of was believing in Jesus Christ as Saviour. Read more…

Living a spiritual life challenges you every day, every moment of everyday. On the one hand it’s very exciting, but on the other, it means stop being so human and start being perfect. What? Read more…

“O Lord, you have examined me, and you know me.
You alone know when I sit down and when I get up.
You read my thoughts from far away.
You watch me when I travel and when I rest.
You are familiar with all my ways.
Even before there is a {single} word on my tongue,
you know all about it, Lord” (Psalms 139:1-4 God’s Word).

If this is true, why pray at all, since God knows it before we ask it? Read more…

We pray, “Heal me”. We want God to take away this problem. “Fix it,” we demand.

But what would happen if we prayed like Job. “ ‘…We accept the good that God gives us. Shouldn’t we also accept the bad?’…” (Job 2:9-10 God’s Word). Job affirmed his loyalty to God.

Or consider Paul. A physical ailment stuck with him, which has been the explanation of Luke, the doctor, travelling with him. Paul’s explanation in 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 reads “…I am forced to deal with a recurring problem. That problem, Satan’s messenger, torments me to keep me from being conceited. I begged the Lord three times to take it away from me. But he told me: “My kindness is all you need. My power is strongest when you are weak.” …Therefore, I accept weakness, mistreatment, hardship, persecution, and difficulties suffered for Christ…” (God’s Word). Maybe your prayer should take you before God to examine your weak points or unconfessed sin.

So, before chasing faith healers or asking your church to pray for healing, check what God wants you to receive healing for! Maybe your attitude shames God, or you think too highly of yourself, or something really wrong hides inside you which the outside thing signals needing faced.

Or my usual observation, when we fail to visit the sick (Matthew 25:36, 39) God may just have to sicken you to get you into the hospital to do your job!

Healing feels good, but sick isn’t automatically bad.

Forgiveness stands as an extraordinary symptom of the presence of Jesus. Today, however, I began to think that human forgiveness differs from what God does.

When God forgives sins they vanish, Read more…