Good Morning Friends,
Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel ceiling fresco portrays God reaching to touch Adam with his finger as an act of creation itself and indeed the giving of life. I do not know about you, but I feel happier when I am creating something. Countless modern paintings depict angels touching people. I think this made the artists feel happier and maybe even joyful. The point is that touching in a way that creates value has always been central to our spiritual life but has gotten more confusing of late. You see, the word touch conveys a lot of different meanings and in more recent years a negative one. To be touched can mean to be a bit crazy. Yes, it is a touchy subject in more than one way. But in the Bible, I think the connotation of touch is a bit saner and is one of healing and power and trust in a loving God that reduces our anxiety and leaves an impression of something holy in our mental clay molded into a fundamental pattern of our very being that witnesses that we are made in the image of God. In the Bible, touch brings a clarity of communication too. It is the universal language. When Jesus was touched by a woman washing his feet with her hair there was a clarity of communication. She did not have to utter a word. When Jesus was touched by a woman and power went out of him healing her, it was clear what had happened. When Jesus healed a leper, the communication was with a touch first then with words to back up the action. So, perhaps we are to hold each other’s hand on the subject. Perhaps we are to dream of a church that lays hands on our souls and sends us into the world to make disciples of Jesus Christ, having him speak through us while gently pressuring us to walk more closely. But maybe before we transform the world we first need to get in touch with our emotions. Friends, Jesus said he would never leave us. Being loved in spite of our flaws is really comforting. So, Have You Discovered You Are Healthier And More Productive When You Have Been Touched By God In A Way That Prompts Faith?
Scripture: and we receive from him whatever we ask, because we obey his commandments and do what pleases him.
1 John 3:22 (NRSV)
Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.
Hebrews 13:16 (NRSV)
And without faith it is impossible to please God, for whoever would approach him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
Hebrews 11:6 (NRSV)
When the ways of people please the Lord, he causes even their enemies to be at peace with them.
Proverbs 16:7 (NRSV)
make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves.
Philippians 2:2-3 (NRSV)
I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all. But each of us was given grace according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Therefore it is said, ‘When he ascended on high he made captivity itself a captive; he gave gifts to his people.’ (When it says, ‘He ascended’, what does it mean but that he had also descended* into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is the same one who ascended far above all the heavens, so that he might fill all things.) The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ.
Ephesians 4:1-13 (NRSV)
Now concerning spiritual gifts,* brothers and sisters,* I do not want you to be uninformed.
1 Corinthians 12:1 (NRSV)
If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.
1 Corinthians 13:1 (NRSV)
While he was saying these things to them, suddenly a leader of the synagogue came in and knelt before him, saying, “My daughter has just died; but come and lay your hand on her, and she will live.” And Jesus got up and followed him, with his disciples. Then suddenly a woman who had been suffering from hemorrhages for twelve years came up behind him and touched the fringe of his cloak, for she said to herself, “If I only touch his cloak, I will be made well.” Jesus turned, and seeing her he said, “Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well.” And instantly the woman was made well. When Jesus came to the leader’s house and saw the flute players and the crowd making a commotion, he said, “Go away; for the girl is not dead but sleeping.” And they laughed at him. But when the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took her by the hand, and the girl got up. And the report of this spread throughout that district.
Matthew 9:18-26 (NRSV)
And without faith it is impossible to please God, for whoever would approach him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
Hebrew 11:6 (NRSV)
if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, pray, seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.
2 Chronicles 7:14 (NRSV)
Jacob left Beer-sheba and went toward Haran. He came to a certain place and stayed there for the night, because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones of the place, he put it under his head and lay down in that place. And he dreamed that there was a ladder set up on the earth, the top of it reaching to heaven; and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. And the Lord stood beside him and said, “I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring; and your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south; and all the families of the earth shall be blessed in you and in your offspring. Know that I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” Then Jacob woke from his sleep and said, “Surely the Lord is in this place—and I did not know it!” And he was afraid, and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.” So Jacob rose early in the morning, and he took the stone that he had put under his head and set it up for a pillar and poured oil on the top of it. He called that place Bethel; but the name of the city was Luz at the first. Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat and clothing to wear, so that I come again to my father’s house in peace, then the Lord shall be my God, and this stone, which I have set up for a pillar, shall be God’s house; and of all that you give me I will surely give one tenth to you.”
Genesis 28:10-22a (NRSV)
Message: Discerning how to live in this world is a challenge for all of us that desire to demonstrate in definable ways the gifts of the Holy Spirit on behalf of those who are poor and vulnerable. Loving others in a spiritual way that has focus and brings glory to God and the Kingdom of God is more than just trying to meet a need. It is more than being nice or welcoming to others. Doing the work of Apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, teachers, doing works of service, providing healing and reconciliation, wisdom and knowledge and yes administration must meet both a societal and spiritual need. And to do this in collaboration requires consensus and permission and leadership and money and an opportunity to grow in the Good News of Christ making disciples in the power of the Holy Spirit. To do this we need to determine not just what to do and who is to do it, but how doing what appears right for society might also be what is right for the Kingdom. Israel is a prime example of a people, a nation, who believed that they could do things on their own. Ironically, they were unable to free themselves from Egyptian captivity. God had to do it. They were unable to provide food for themselves, so God provided manna and quail for them to eat. When they arrived at the Red Sea, they could not cross it, so God created a way for them to cross. And yet, poor Israel still believed they did not need God despite the many signs and signals along the way. The key to this message is found in the love of God for if people will humble themselves and pray and seek God and turn from their evil ways God will forgive and heal. This kind of fundamental spiritual knowledge put into skillful action is wisdom. It may take a lifetime of longing to gain but ultimately hinges on obedience to those things we know we must do…love. Here proper choices become the golden nuggets of wisdom…. gems for daily living that are pleasing to God.When we believe in God and believe what He says, we will also be pleasing to Him. When we are spiritually minded, we please God.But we must be transformed in our mind, keeping our hearts, actions and thoughts on things that are pleasing to God. We must realize that love put into action is the supreme truth. It is good to think about and even develop a personal plan on pleasing Jesus. And it all requires faith put into action. Friends, the life that pleases God is the one that yearns to know more about God so that they can experience God better. Friends, the key is not to work harder but to draw closer to the love of Jesus. Faith in this truth is real faith. Without faith we are without hope. Without faith we cannot please God. And we must see the necessity of faith asserted. Faith in a lie is death. And Faith in the Truth without action is of little value. For with faith asserted we progress toward and imagine our future selves achieving a moral and noble aim. We must have confidence in God. And when we do this, it pleases God. And to have this kind of faith sometimes we have to be broken enough to want to be saved. Here faith is a tool for our well-being. Faith allows us to test ideas and to learn from them. Having faith is very practical. Everything you experience is real. Without faith we drown in chaos. The beauty is that the pattern of our being is distilled in the words we share from the stories in the Bible. We take an abstraction and put it to the test where it is integrated into our physical and corporate bodies. Seeking truth is a way of life, not a season of life and faith is central to it all. There is no end of the journey in finding the truth, each scripture you read is just one more step toward discovering the truth about God. For the Bible is a book about faith, the first hyperlinked book with 65,000 cross references. If you are reading this, you are seeking God, and you have chosen to take a step in the right direction. You can call it faith if you want. There are many things in our world right now that are real but cannot be perceived with the senses. Microwaves cannot be seen, but they cook our food. Television and radio waves likewise cannot be perceived without specialized receivers. Even something as basic as love is impossible to touch, taste, see, smell, or hear – but no one denies love exists or that it is necessary to human survival. The tool that you need in order to be able to believe in and perceive God is faith.
And So, we are healthier when touched in a positive way so that we might do things together which would be impossible on our own. In marketing there is the goal of seven touches to engage people. And indeed, in the Bible there are many examples,but somehow Jesus only needed one touch. So, let us contemplate some of those instances of Jesus touching and healing against the backdrop of heaven opening into our world through the life of the Messiah and the necessity of faith. There are several instances in the Bible of healings and many where someone sees heaven open, and they all relate to Jesus. Healing and heaven are intertwined in prophecy as a sign of the Kingdom coming through the life of the Messiah. Today’s scriptures look at examples of each, one in the dream of Jacob and a couple in the healing of a young girl and an older woman. As with the baptism of Christ and the stoning of Stephen, the person describing the healing events has a vision that accords some greater divine reality and understanding of Jesus as Messiah and how Jesus goes about healing and opening the possibility of heaven for us all. In the story of Jacob, as with the stoning of Stephen and the Baptism of Christ and the transfiguration and resurrection we get glimpses of this new reality. Jacob says, “Surely the Lord is in this place—and I did not know it!” And he was afraid, and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.” Such is the nature of faith and of miraculous healings…a little bit of heaven on earth. Such is the nature of Jesus’ divine and human touch that brings unity. Such is the nature of dreams and faith in God.
Pray we fear God and are obedient to Christ’s example. Praywe be dedicated to God. Pray we be dependent on God. Pray we be delighted with God. Pray we be directed by God. Pray we be dynamic in the Holy Spirit. Pray we do not substitute facts for relationships. Pray that we provide Godly leadership. Pray we are witnesses to Christ’s Kingdom. Pray that we nurture, counsel, encourage and evangelize. Pray we train and mentor others in the faith.. Pray that we empower others by helping them face their addictions. Pray we coordinate and network in a way that brings unity to the Body of believers. Pray we administer in a way that lifts up the law of love. Pray that our attitude and motivation is pleasing to God. Pray that we claim the Holy Spirit’s power to help us live a life pleasing to God. Pray we accept God’s provision and invest in things pleasing to God. Pray we thank God. Pray we love what God loves. Praywe have an agenda that includes others. Pray we love with the heart of God. Pray we take refuge in God knowing that God’s love is always there, and that Jesus’ Spirit will never leave us alone. Pray we realize that it is God who will restore us if we are humble enough to ask. Praywe are cleaned by the touch of Jesus. Pray we keep in touch with the Great Physician of us all. Pray Jesus touches our hearts with the Glory of God and His purifying Spirit. Pray we are touched by the plight of others and moved to compassion to work collectively for a solution.Praythat we share the gift of touch with those who need a healing hand. Pray the Holy Spirit through the Word caress us with a comfort and hope of God’s love. Pray we are touched by grace and extend it to others. Pray we experience love’s touch through kindness both given and received. Pray we get the point that Jesus not only wants us to be touched but to stay in touch with the reality of heaven. Pray that we reach out and touch each other in love because we are divided and need to become whole and healed. Pray the fertility of God’s abundance creates in us a better way…. the way of God’s promise of love.
Blessings,
John Lawson
Daily Devotionals 