Hello, and welcome back to this lesson today. Great to have you here.
Today I want to talk about one of my favorite subjects; it’s the way to experience healing from Jesus through His touch and His Word which then enables us to put on “a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair” (Isaiah 61:3 NIV).
More than any other day in this course we will be listening to wonderful worship words and songs today, and I pray it touches your heart and lifts you straight up into the loving arms of Jesus. Let’s get right to it.
Please read through the following passage:
On a Sabbath Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues, (11) and a woman was there who had been crippled by a spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not straighten up at all. (12) When Jesus saw her, he called her forward and said to her, "Woman, you are set free from your infirmity." (13) Then he put his hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and praised God. Luke 13:10-13 NIV
This woman in this story had been crippled for 18 long years. It wasn't just a physical problem as she had been crippled "by a spirit". Her disability was both physical and spiritual. She was bent over and could not straighten up "at all."
Oh, how I identify with this poor lady. I was bent over in despair, crippled by self-focus and self-condemnation, bowed down under the weight of sadness and fear for so many years. I never thought I'd be free.
But then Jesus! He said, "You are set free from your infirmity." And then He touched this woman. He put His hands on her. He healed her with His Word and with His powerful touch.
My friend, do you really know what the cross of Jesus Christ is? It is Jesus both touching you and healing you, loving you and saving you, fixing you and freeing you. It is Jesus dying for you out of a heart of love, a broken heart of love! And by His wounds, we are healed!
Friend, it does not matter how many forms of help you've gone to or how hopeless you feel you are, it's Jesus’ touch that removed this crippling spirit, that saves and frees, but also cherishes and hugs and loves. Let yourself be touched by Jesus, hear His Word, His Word of healing and freedom, no matter how long you've been “bent over” under the weight and burden of depression.
And when Jesus healed and touched this woman she "straightened up and praised God." For He has saved you "that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light" (1 Peter 2:9).
You see true worship flows from what God has done for us, from the hearts of people as they see and experience what God has done for them. The crippled woman after she had been touched and healed by Jesus immediately began praising God. Her praise was a grateful and loving heart response to what God had done for her.
Could I ask you to listen to this short 8 min video by C.J. Mahaney, the author of the book The Cross Centered Life, on Why Sing So Many Cross Centered Songs? Question 1. The interviewer in this video asks why we should sing praise and worship songs about the Cross when there are so many other things we could be singing about. Could you please share your thoughts about the answer presented in this video?
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David writes, "Christ's death on the cross is central to why believe in God. I think more importantly is Christ resurrection because that is when He defeated everything. Death is the finality of everything. But Christ's suffering brings me to my knees and His resurrection gives me hope that what I believe is true."
Tori writes, "So humble, so beautiful, so true, to sing to Jesus. Beautiful, he enjoys it. I also did not realize how powerful singing is and I am ready now to incorporate more worship into my life."
Harris writes, "From the time God gave His Son to die in such a way to redeem us and give us understanding of His love then everything must be centered around the cross. It was such an expensive cost, so valuable sacrifice of the Father , it is the only way to approach God."
Carnell writes, "The Bible central focus is the Gospel of Christ, the death, burial, and resurrection. This is why we should be more of a gospel focused Christian. Christ death on the cross is what redeemed us back to God the Father and because of His resurrection we are raised in victory over the enemy."