But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”
Jesus Christ- Mark 2:10
Other Refences: Isaiah 43:25; Isaiah 1:18; John 17:23,29
Jesus healed a paralytic who was brought by his friends. We do not know why the man was born with paralysis. In that time in Israel, the people had the belief that a person is sick because of sin. Jesus wanted to release the blessing of God’s forgiveness and healing to the paralyzed man. “When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, ‘Son, your sins are forgiven you.’” (verse 5)
The religious leaders knew well their Scriptures, too.
“And some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, ‘Why does this Man speak blasphemies like this? Who can forgive sins but God alone?’” (v7)
In the Old Testament God spoke through the prophet Isaiah. “I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; And I will not remember your sins.” (Isaiah 43:25)
In the time past, the people of Israel knew that only the Lord God in heaven could forgive sins. There were men of God like the prophets Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Daniel, and great leaders like Moses and David, and priests who prayed for them. However, ultimately only God (Yahweh) could forgive sins. When Jesus came to Israel, many people saw Him as a normal Jewish man. However, Jesus was also fully God. The Father God in heaven gave Him authority to forgive sin because Jesus was His manifestation here on earth. God sent Jesus so the people of the world would know who God in heaven is – so that they might know His love, His mercy, His kindness, and His forgiveness. Jesus showed and demonstrated to the paralytic the heart of God to forgive sins and to show compassion.
As the man was healed, he also received forgiveness of his sins which was the healing of his soul. God’s heart to heal is not just physical healing of bodies from infirmity, but to heal their souls and spirits. And to be set free from the power of evil, to be whole, healing of body, soul, and spirit. This is the power and authority Jesus has from the heavenly Father.
Reflection:
God gave Jesus authority to heal and forgive. Jesus still heals today. The healing Jesus offers is not just healing of the physical body, but the healing of soul and spirit, and the forgiveness of sins.
Prayer: Dear Lord Jesus, thank you for coming to earth and forgiving me of my sins. Thank you for healing my body, soul, heart, and mind. Please help me to share your healing power and forgiveness with others, like the friends of the paralytic man who brought him to Jesus.
Your Thoughts:
Your Prayer:
All Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New King James
As we see turmoil and chaos around, it is easy to be fearful and worry. The other morning I felt God encouraged me from His Words in the Bible. Just in time, these Words have strengthened my spirit.
God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, Even though the earth be removed, And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; Though its waters roar and be troubled, Though the mountains shake with its swelling. Selah
…
Psalm 46: 1-3
The nations raged, the kingdoms were moved; He uttered His voice, the earth melted.
The Lord of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah
Come, behold the works of the Lord, Who has made desolations in the earth. He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two; He burns the chariot in the fire.
10 Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!
The Lord of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah – Psalm 46
The horse is prepared for the day of battle, But deliverance is of the Lord.
Proverbs 21: 31
Bible Scriptures taken from New King James Version, NKJV
“Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?
28 “So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; 29 and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
31 “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”
by: Jesus- Matthew 6: 25-34 NKJV- The Bible Gateway
Early one morning in September 2020, I had a vivid dream:
My husband and I were in a small room inside a big building. I was not sure, but perhaps it was a hotel. I know the building had many rooms. We were inside huddled together in a corner, sort of hiding. In the dream, I saw our room door was shut, and we looked at the glass window to the hallway to make sure no one could see us. Then suddenly the door opened. A woman came in, with short hair, maybe in her late 60’s. She went straight across the room and stood next to the window to the outside world. It was a small window, and she opened it a little for us to see. As she pointed at the window to the outside world, we could see that the sky was dark and bleak. It was supposed to be daytime, perhaps afternoon, but we could see stormy clouds. Then she pointed to a white stone that looked like a chair or throne which appeared like a vision or an invisible movie screen picture on the wall. It was like a marble stone chair with bits of clay. We saw the picture, like watching a movie scene. Then she said to us, “That’s Jesus, on the throne. He is the rock.” And then the dream ended.
After a couple of days or so, as I pondered and prayed about the dream, I felt that the Holy Spirit revealed to me a portion of the interpretation of the dream. The woman was an angel. The dark clouds outside, were the chaos and all the negative things happening in the world. (During that time in real life, there was chaos happening in the country such as the pandemic, protests, etc.) Then the Holy Spirit led me to Psalm 91:
He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.” (Psalm 91:1-2 NKJV)
This is what I felt led me to the meaning of the dream. The room we were in was like a secret room. There were other rooms in the building. The woman was an angel of God.
Despite all the bad things and chaos of those dark days, I was reminded that if Jesus is our Lord, He is our Rock. If Jesus is our Lord and Rock, then we stay in the secret place of the Lord, “He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High, shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.” We are safe and secure in the secret place of the Lord. He shall hide us in times of trouble under His mighty wings.
Angels
In the dream, as I mentioned, the woman who came to our room represents our angels whom the Lord God sends to guard and protect us in times of trouble. In the Bible we know that angels are also messengers and God’s ministering servants.
“Bless the Lord, you His angels, who excel in strength, who do His word, heeding the voice of His word.” (Psalm 103:20 NKJV)
We read in the Bible where angels delivered messages to Abraham (Genesis 18), Gideon (Judges 6:11), the parents of Samson (Judges 13:3), and others. In the New Testament, Mary was visited by an angel (Luke 1: 26), as was Zacharias (Luke 1:11), and others.
Let us look at the story of Mary and Zacharias when angels appeared and spoke to them at separate times:
An angel spoke to Mary and said, “And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son and shall call His name Jesus.” (Luke 1:31 NKJV)
Mary’s final response was: “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” (Luke 1:38 NKJV) Mary just agreed with the message of the angel as she believed in her heart that it was the will of God.
Let’s see the story of Zacharias when an angel told him that he and his wife would have a son, John the Baptist, also in Luke 1:
“Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John” (Luke 1:13 NKJV).
And Zacharias said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in years.” Because of unbelief, the angel said to Zacharias:
“I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and was sent to speak to you and bring you these glad tidings. But behold, you will be mute and not able to speak until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my words which will be fulfilled in their own time.” (Luke 1:20 NKJV)
The Power of Words
A few years ago, I read a book by Charles Capps with the title “Angels.”[i] According to Mr. Capps:
“Be careful what you say. Your Angels are listening! Don’t speak negative words before your angels.”
Capps explained further that angels are very much alive on earth. As they worked in the Old Testament and the New Testament times, they are still working now on behalf of God’s people.
According to Mr. Capps, one day the Spirit of God spoke to his spirit:
“One reason the words you speak are so important is because the angels are listening to what you say… I designed them as ministering spirits. They stand beside you daily, listening to words that come out of your mouth. If your words are in line with my Words, then the angels go to work immediately, causing the things you speak to come to pass. But if you speak things contrary to My word, you won’t get an audience with angels. They won’t operate on those words. Words spoken contrary to My Words will bind the angels. They will back off, fold their hands, and bow their heads… You should speak in line with My Word in order for my will to come to pass in your life. Man was designed to speak truth, to speak his will.”
He went on to say how detrimental it is when people say things like, “Nothing ever works” or “I never get healed,” etc.
The Words of God are powerful and very important, as Jesus said to His disciples:
“It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.” (John 6:63 NKJV)
“If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, youwill ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.” (John 15:7 NKJV)
Our words are important, too, as the Bible says:
“Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit.” (Proverbs 18:21 NKJV)
Of course, as Christians, we do not pray to angels, but to our Lord God. However, God sends His angels to minister, and to answer our petitions and requests. The angels get their instruction from God as they heed the voice of His words. (Psalm 103:20)
The apostle Paul warned:
“Let no one cheat you of your reward, taking delight in false humility and worship of angels, … (Colossians 2:18); and “But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed.” (Galatians 1:8 NKJV)
About prayer and intercession, we pray in faith as Jesus said:
“For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says…” (Mark 11:23 NKJV)
Notice Jesus said again, “believe that those things he says will be done…” The use of the words of our mouths is important. “For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.” (Luke 6:45 NKJV)
As we pray in faith, we also must watch what we say. Sometimes, I catch myself after praying for some situation saying something like, “I’m not sure if God listens to such prayers…”
As Christians who are familiar with the Bible, we should try to be careful about saying negative words. However, with some of the negative things going on, it is sometimes easier to paint the worst scenario. As Christians, God gave us the gift of faith. Jesus said His followers are supposed to be the salt and light of the earth.
Derek Prince said, “Christians are responsible for the government they live under, if you would take less time to criticize (which is the use of our mouths), and more time to pray, you would have less to criticize.[ii]”
[i] Capps, Charles, “Angels”, Tulsa, Oklahoma, Harrison House, 1984
[ii] IFA, Derek Prince, “Praying for Your Government”, p.18, Intercessors for America, Derek Prince Ministries
The Creels' Catch 