Today's Passage - Matthew 8:14-17

Matthew 8:14-17   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.  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."   When the Lord was on earth, He saw many people in need and had mercy on them.  The Lord's healing power came upon each patient through His mercy.  When we pray for healing, we never emphasize on power, but rather God's love and mercy.  Healing is not a cold hard release of power, but rather the outflow of God's love in many forms.   First, healing originated from the love from the cross.  We are often concerned whether we will be healed, but Isaiah clearly says that "by his wounds we are healed."  This passage means the Lord has taken on all our weaknesses and diseases.  When we seek for healing, we must learn to focus on Jesus Christ who loves us dearly, and contemplate about His love and salvation on the cross.  The process of waiting to be healed might cause anxiety, so we need to quiet down and think about the Lord, because only the Lord's love is the source of healing.  We need to come before the Lord, pray to be touched by His mercy.  Just like when the Lord was in Jericho, and the blind Bartimaeus heard that Jesus was passing through, and he shouted: "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"  Jesus heard him and stopped, as such pleading touched his merciful heart.  Only the Lord mercy can bring forth true power of healing.   Next, it's the love of the church.  Each time brothers and sisters get sick in the church, they need to be surrounded by other brothers and sisters who'll pray for them.  Not only would the prayer allow the Lord's love flow through the patients, it also lets the love among the body of Christ flow through the patients.  When we are face to face with God and people, the faith inside us will be revived, and in the love of Christ all of us are brought before God.  James 5:16 says that "Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective."  We don't have any power to heal, but because of the Lord's love on the cross, the stream of healing will flow out to all those in need through brothers and sisters.  Jesus took up our infirmities and bore our diseases, so if you bring your infirmities and diseases to the Lord today, He will surely take care of you!   Pray with Pastor Tong   Lord, please pour down the Holy Spirit on all brothers and sisters, and let them deliver all their infirmities and diseases to your hands.  You said that you will take up our infirmities and bear our diseases, and we ask that you save us from the hands of the enemy and let us once again be made perfect.  I thank you and I pray in the victorious name of Jesus, amen!           Shekinah Glory - ROLCC Building Expansion Project - Follow us on our Facebook page!