Pastor Barry's  "Chapter & Verse"  Day 318

November 14, 2019;   Matthew 8:3;   8/260(I);   ‘I Am Willing’

Matthew 8:3   “Then Jesus put out His hand and touched him, saying, "I am willing; be cleansed." Immediately his leprosy was cleansed.”

A leper came to Jesus knowing full well that Jesus could heal him. But he was not sure if Jesus would heal him.  Why would a loving God withhold something that is good when someone else needs what is good so badly?  That is surely not our Lord Jesus.  As soon as the leper got those words out of his mouth, the Lord Jesus said. “I am willing” and healed him. The Lord used this encounter with the leper to prove once and for all that He is willing to heal everyone. When the Lord Jesus was baptized in the Jordon River, the power of the Holy Spirit came upon Him, and this is when His ministry began. It would make no sense for the Lord to have the power to heal someone and not want to heal them.  He was willing to go to the Cross for us!! So many people today know that the Lord can heal, since He is the Lord, but they do not know if He wants to heal. ‘Religion’ sometimes teaches people that the Lord allows the sickness to teach us  something. The only thing sickness teaches is that you do not want to be sick!! The Bible says that God is love (I John 4:8), and God’s Word clearly teaches that it is the Lord’s will always to heal us.  3 John 2 says “Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health…..” Time and again, we see throughout the gospels, Jesus healing those who were sick and afflicted.  Jesus said the truth (God’s Word) that we know (we have to know it’s His will to heal) will make us free.  Stay with the Word!  Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is our Healer……. know that, and continue to grow and walk in that.  Jesus still does heal by the power of the Holy Spirit in us.