Christ As Healer- Restoration

CHRIST AS HEALER 

Restoration 

Mark 3:1-6

Opening Prayer: Father, restore me.  I have been bought by the high price of the death and resurrection of Your only Son.  I am all Yours.  Restore me, make me white as snow before You, and use me for Your glory.  I am at Your mercy.  In Christ’s holy Name I pray.  Amen. 

FRONT AND CENTER 

Submission to the Lord can put you “front and center” in the spiritual battle.  As you are called on to stand firm in Christ amid your struggles, restoration comes by submitting to the will of the Father and abandoning all to Him.  Praise Him for the victory that He has already won through Jesus Christ, for His victory is assured in your life as you persevere in faith and follow where He leads.  You are more than a conqueror through Him and that means that you never have to give up.  

Although full submission to the Lord is always the Christian’s best choice, some chose alternatives.  Choosing to partially submit or reject the Lord’s plan for you opens doors for the enemy’s intrusion into your life and full rejection gives him free rein.  Why give the enemy a foothold that can become a stronghold?   Choose full submission and receive His best.  

Sometimes we choose partial submission or rejection and full rejection because we are apathetic, lazy, too tired or overwhelmed and we just don’t want to make the effort to walk in full submission to the Lord.  We would like to fully submit, but it is just too hard.  It is then that the deliberate choice to walk in full submission and faith must be made.  Walking in full submission to the Lord is always the best choice.

When given the opportunity to choose full submission, partial submission or rejection, or full rejection, what will you choose?

Consider these scriptures as you surrender your will to His:

I Corinthians 10:31 

James 4:7 

John 15:5 

I Peter 4:11

I Corinthians 6:20

John 14:15 

Joshua 24:15 

Matthew 5:16

OBEDIENCE

Restoration comes through obedience, for obedience reveals your heart attitude toward the Lord and is a loving, thankful, grateful, and praise-filled response to Who He is and all He has done in your life.  It flows from your love for Him and brings His blessings into your life.  

Above all we are to obey God rather than man.  He loves us with an unconditional, sacrificial love that towers above all earthly love.  He is perfect love and, when we obey Him, His love is made complete in us, for in Him we live and breathe and have our being. 

Obedience that brings restoration mirrors that of Christ Who humbly obeyed His Father and died on the cross for all mankind.  Through His sacrificial obedience, He brought the ultimate healing and restoration to us through salvation.  As living sacrifices for God, we, as well, are to obediently sacrifice our lives for God and for others.  This is the Christ-like way.  

Declare your willingness to become a living sacrifice for Him.  

What do these scriptures reveal about obedience and the Lord’s healing in restoration? 

II Kings 5:1-14

John 8:32 

John 14:21 

I Thessalonians 5:24 

Romans 8:32 

Psalm 62:8 

Romans 15:13

A TIME TO MEND

Restoration brings a fresh start, renewed hope and a fresh, godly perspective.  By submitting our ways to His, the Lord prepares us for the work He has prepared for us to do.  In our healing He will use us to comfort others with the comfort we have received from Him and all will be used for His greater glory. 

The Lord is willing to heal, mend, and restore, but are you willing to do whatever He tells you to do to receive it?  Follow wherever He leads you, be willing and obedient, and He will grant you His very best.  Will you choose God and His ways or your own will and desires?  When you choose Him, He will abundantly bless you and walk you through every step of the journey to your healing and restoration.  He is faithful and He will bring it to pass.  Declare your choice. 

Consider the following scriptures that tell you what you can do to be healed in God’s perfect timing and way:

John 5:6

I Peter 5:7 

Jeremiah 29:13 

Matthew 11:28-30

Psalm 46:10

Mark 12:30 

Matthew 6:33 

REFLECTING ON GOD’S WORD- What does each scripture say to you?

John 3:30 

John 8:12 

I John 1:5 

Mark 11:22-24

John 11:25-26

Matthew 5:8 

Closing Prayer: Lord Jesus, I praise You for Your gift of restoration.  When all appears hopeless, You are my Hope and You restore to me the joy of Your salvation.  May my healing and restoration lead others to Jesus and, in all things, may You be glorified through Him.  In Christ’s Name I pray.  Amen. 

Christ As Healer- Accountability

CHRIST AS HEALER 

Accountability 

Luke 14:1-6

Opening Prayer: Lord, make me accountable to You in a new way.  Search me and know my wicked ways.  As I look to You for Your wisdom, guidance and direction in my life, I will follow You all the days of my life.  In Christ’s Name I pray.  Amen. 

HEALING ON THE SABBATH

Although the controversy in this story is centered around Christ’s healing the man with dropsy on the Sabbath, the legalistic Pharisees condemned Jesus for this practice many times.  As Christ affirmed the doctrine of love over the Law and mercy over judgment,  the Pharisees were silenced or became angry and began to plot against Him.  Each time the law of love reigned supreme.  It always does with Him.  

Because the Pharisees followed the Deuteronomic Law concerning the Sabbath, healing was not allowed.  Since they knew that Jesus was a Jew, they saw Him as a radical and a troublemaker because He opposed the Law.  

However, Christ was interested in freedom for all through Himself.  That day He was pouring out His love again, seeking to draw others to Himself with a love that compelled Him to heal the man with dropsy - a supernatural love for all who were in bondage and separated from God the Father.  But, they did not recognize Him as their long expected Messiah, their Deliverer, Who had finally come.  

Consider the following scriptures say about the Sabbath: 

Exodus 20:8-11 

Matthew 12:1-14

John 5:1-15

I Peter 4:11 

Mark 2:23-28

John 7:23 

In Mark 2:23-28 Jesus proclaims that, as the Son of Man, He is the Lord of the Sabbath.  He declared that the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.  What does that mean to you and how is Jesus the Lord of your Sabbath?

ACCOUNTABILITY AND ASSURANCE

Accountability indicates relationship.   In order to be in relationship with God, we must confess with our mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord and believe in our heart that God raised Him from the dead following His death upon the cross for the forgiveness of our sins and the gift of eternal life.  Relationship with the Lord is then restored and nurtured through daily prayer and time in the Word.  It is then that the accountability relationship can flourish.

If you are reading this study and are unsure of your relationship with God, you may wish to repeat this simple prayer from your broken and contrite heart: 

Dear God, I am unsure of my salvation.  I know that I am a sinner and I have no hope apart from You.  I again confess Jesus Christ as my Savior and the One Who died on the cross for the gift of eternal life with You and the forgiveness of all my sins.  I thank You for dying for me and for saving me.  I thank You for the assurance of my salvation.  I love You, I need You, and I desire to grow more in You.  Show me how.  In Jesus’ Name I pray.  Amen. 

Once the gift of eternal life has been given, no one can snatch us from His hands.  You are forever eternally secure in Him, for when you have the Son, you have eternal life.  Bask in the assurance of your salvation and rest in His peace.  Praise Him for this blessed assurance.

Consider these scriptures concerning accountability to God:

Matthew 5:16

I Peter 3:1

Matthew 17:8 

John 3:30 

Mark 13:11 

Leviticus 11:44

YOUR ACCOUNTABILITY TO THE LORD 

Romans 14:12 says that each of us will give an account to God. We will answer to Him for all that we are and do, for He is the ultimate Accountability Partner.  

As He works in our lives to make us more like Jesus, we seek Him day by day to follow wherever He leads us.  He alone is our Perfect Standard Who goes before us as we walk in His light.  To Him and Him alone must we answer for all that we are or do.  

Describe your own accountability to God.  What will you do to begin or further your accountability to Him?  Praise Him for placing His hand on your life and for drawing you closer to Himself.  Praise Him for showing you greater ways of accountability to Him and for making you more like Jesus in the process.  Give Him thanks for your deepening intimacy through it all.

Consider these scriptures about accountability:

Romans 14:12 

Matthew 12:36 

Hebrews 4:13

I Peter 4:5 

Romans 3:19

REFLECTING ON GOD’S WORD- What does each scripture say to you?

Ephesians 2:10 

Philippians 4:6 

Hebrews 9:27 

Isaiah 42:5, 8

Exodus 3:14

Isaiah 44:6 

Ezekiel 20:20 

Closing Prayer: Abba Father, my life is an open book to You.  Purify me and make me more like Jesus.  I abandon myself to You and am fully accountable to You and You alone.  In Christ’s Name I pray.  Amen. 

Christ As Healer- Confession

CHRIST AS HEALER

Confession 

John 9

Opening Prayer: Abba Father, forgive me of my sins.  As I praise You for Your sacrifice through Jesus that grants me Your forgiveness, I thank You for Your perfect love at all times despite my faithlessness and disobedience to You.  Thank You for Your healing in my life because of Your forgiveness.  All praise, honor, and glory be unto You.  In Christ’s Name I pray.  Amen. 

FAITH OR DOUBTS?

Those in this story were confused.  The disciples were confused about the origin of the sin of the blind man.  The neighbors were confused about how the blind man came to see.  The blind man, now healed, was confused about Who healed him and Who Jesus was.  The Pharisees were confused about Jesus being a sinner and a man not from God.  They were all so confused.  

But Jesus set them straight.  He told the disciples that no sin caused the man’s blindness but that it was for the working of God in the blind man’s life.  He told the blind man to go wash off his eyes in the Pool of Siloam and later told him that He was the Son of Man and the man believed in Him.  Jesus told the Pharisees that they too were blind and that their guilt remained on them because they claimed to be guiltless.  Jesus had all the answers.  He always has all the answers.  

Jesus has all the answers to your questions too.  No matter how big or small they may be to you, Jesus has the answer because He IS the Answer.  He is before all things and in Him all things hold together.  

Take your questions to Him today.  He will answer them in His perfect timing and perfect way.  Humble yourself before Him, pray, wait, and believe.  His answer will be perfect for He is perfect and works all things together for your good because you love Him and are called according to His purpose.  You belong to Him.  He will do immeasurably more than all you can ask or imagine, things that you could not believe even if He told you, something that He has prepared for you that your eyes, ears, and mind cannot conceive.  

Consider these scriptures in light of this story:

Romans 8:28 

Psalm 62:8 

Jeremiah 31:3 

I John 1:7

Romans 10:17

II Corinthians 5:7 

Matthew 17:20 

Mark 9:24 

CONFESSION

Confession of sin to the Father restores fellowship with Him and brings healing.  Though the Lord knows and sees all things, we need to agree with Him that we have fallen short of His standard of perfection, asking Him to restore our fellowship and intimacy with Him again.  Bring Him your broken and contrite heart and be humbled before Him as He renews your fellowship with Him and makes the way for further growth in Him.  Unconfessed sin opens doors for the enemy’s entrance into your life and keeps you from hearing the Lord clearly.  Confess often to keep a short “sin account” with the Lord. 

In a quiet time with the Lord, go to Him with a repentant heart for whatever sins He might bring to your heart and mind.  Be quick to confess and thank Him for His forgiveness.  Forgive others, including God and/or yourself, if necessary, and clear your sin account with the Lord.  Praise Him and thank Him for His great love and forgiveness, but, most of all, for Jesus and His sacrifice that made your salvation and forgiveness possible.  Journal the changes in you as you walked through this time.  

Consider these scriptures in light of our need to confess our sins to our holy God:

Psalm 66:18 

Isaiah 1:15 

Isaiah 59:2 

James 5:16 

I John 1:8 

I Peter 5:6 

FORGIVENESS OF OTHERS

Ephesians 4:32 says “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”  Through no offering on our part, we are forgiven by God’s grace in His mercy and love.  Because we have been forgiven so much, we are to forgive others when they sin against us.  Just as God offers us His forgiveness, He offers it to others as well.   Since God forgives them, how can we hold anything against them?  His standard is perfection and our standard is man-made.  By laying our “rights” to be unforgiving of others, we can walk in the light of that forgiveness and truly love the one who offended us.  It is a choice that we make.  Choose forgiveness.  

Whom do you need to forgive in light of God’s forgiveness of you?  Seek the Lord for the grace to forgive rather than continuing in unforgiveness, anger, bitterness, resentment, and frustration.  By His grace, walk in the light of that forgiveness.   

Consider these scriptures about forgiveness:

I John 1:7 

Romans 3:23

Romans 5:8 

Luke 11:4 

Matthew 18:21-35

Luke 23:34 

Colossians 3:13

REFLECTING ON GOD’S WORD- What does each scripture say to you? 

Ephesians 4:27 

James 4:7-8 

Psalm 139:1-2

John 9:41 

Ezra 10:11a

Leviticus 26:40

Numbers 5:7 

Psalm 38:18 

Closing Prayer: Thank You, Lord, for the grace to forgive others as You have forgiven me.  May I keep a short “sin account” with You at all times.  I praise You for the healing that confession brings to my relationships with You and with others.  Through all of this I want to know You more, Lord.  Keep me close.  In Jesus’ precious Name I pray.  Amen. 

Christ As Healer- Obedience

Christ As Healer

Obedience 

Mark 1:40-45

Opening Prayer: Lord God, grant me grace to obey Your every command.  Fill me with a deep love, gratitude, and thanksgiving for Who You are and all that You have done or will do in my life.  May I seek You with all my heart, trust You at all times, obey Your will for me, and follow Your call upon my life.  In Christ’s holy Name I pray.  Amen. 

OBEDIENCE AND DISOBEDIENCE 

Willful obedience is pleasing to the Lord, but willful disobedience is not.  Throughout the Bible, the people of God have chosen both paths.  When they have chosen obedience, He has blessed them.  However, in their disobedience, they suffered the consequences of their actions. 

In obedience the leper came to Jesus for healing, but in disobedience that same leper contradicted Jesus’ strong warning to keep silent about his healing.  Rather than the leper suffering the consequences of his own disobedience, it was Jesus Who suffered because of it.  The suffering of others was seen as well when Jesus could no longer enter the town but had to stay in lonely places.  How graciously God redeemed the impact of the leper’s disobedience for others who would seek the healing of Christ. 

Just as Christ took the suffering for the leper when he sinned, so He took the power of sin over mankind when He died in their place on the cross.  Those who have received Christ as their personal Savior are no longer required to pay the price of eternal separation from God for their sins when they die, because Christ has already paid that price for them.  They are welcomed into His eternity through the shed blood of His sinless Son.  Because of Christ’s obedience to His Father to go to the cross on our behalf, the way was paved for this divine transaction.  What a loving heavenly Father!  

God specifically lists the blessings of obedience and the consequences of disobedience in His Word.  Examine these in the following scriptures and discover their impact on your own life.  Take these things to the Lord in prayer after you complete the readings.

Deuteronomy 28:1-14

Deuteronomy 28:15-68

Leviticus 26:1-13

Leviticus 26:14-46

YOUR PERSONAL OBEDIENCE 

As children of God, bought and paid for by the blood of Jesus, our answer to Him when He calls us should always be “YES!”, for He owns us completely through the sacrifice of His only Son.   He has paid for us in full.  We are HIS.  No one can snatch us out of His hand.  

What is He leading you to do now?  Have you said “yes” yet?  Write your prayer of commitment to Him to do all that He has called you to do, in spite of any potential problems you may see.  Remember, nothing will be impossible for God. 

Describe a time in your own life when you and/or others have suffered because of your disobedience to the Lord.  What lessons did you learn from your experience?  How did it change your attitude toward obedience to the Lord?  How will you counsel others because of your disobedience? 

Consider these scriptures concerning obedience and disobedience:

Leviticus 11:44

John 14:23 

Deuteronomy 34:7 

Acts 5:29

THE WOUNDS OF JESUS AND THE DISOBEDIENCE OF OTHERS 

Christ suffered at the hands of others. Although He was sinless, He was impacted by the sinfulness of others throughout His time on earth.  When we sin, we not only negatively impact our own lives but also the lives of others.  More importantly, we become distanced from the Lord because of our sin.  We become more distracted, less focused, less sensitive to His Spirit, and less likely to obey His commands.  Until we turn from our sin and seek the forgiveness that has already been given to us through His death on the cross, we suffer in our fellowship, relationship, and intimacy with Him.  He longs to restore us and gladly grants the forgiveness we seek for He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and, in the process, purify us from all unrighteousness.  

What do you need to take to the Lord for His forgiveness?  Take it to Him now, receive His forgiveness, walk in the light of His forgiveness, and be restored to Him fully.  

Consider these wounds that were inflicted upon Jesus because of the disobedience of those around Him: 

Matthew 18:15-18, 25-27

Matthew 26:44 

Mark 10:35-45

Matthew 9:10-12

John 6:60-66

Matthew 12:2, 12

Matthew 26:36-46

REFLECTING ON GOD’S WORD- What does each scripture say to you?

Luke 1:37

Lamentations 3:22-23

Exodus 34:7 

I John 1:9

Ephesians 5:14

Romans 8:32 

James 1:5

Matthew 7:11

Isaiah 53:5

Closing Prayer: Father, it is my desire to obey You in all things.  I praise You for Your grace that makes this possible.  Guide me and direct me according to Your sovereign will and receive my praise for Your glorious healing in my life through obedience.  I love You, Lord, and  I pray all these things in Christ’s holy and perfect Name.  Amen. 

Christ As Healer- Service

CHRIST AS HEALER 

Service 

Luke 4:38-39

Opening Prayer: Lord, teach me to be faithful in serving You wherever You place me.  Heal me of my self-centered ways.  As I persevere in serving You by serving others, may you receive all the praise, honor, and glory.  I abandon myself to You and pray these things in Christ’s Name.  Amen.  

JESUS’ FAITHFULNESS

The faithfulness of Christ endures forever, for Faithful and True is His Name.  Though men may fail us, Christ will always remain steadfast.  He stands beside us, makes His will possible, and receives all the glory.  As He serves us, so He calls us to serve Him through serving others.  He is our Servant Leader.  

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.  His love never fails.  When we reach out to serve others in His Name, He makes the way possible where there seems to be no way.  He gives us strength and stamina, compassion and love.  He showers His grace and blessing upon us as we strive to do His will in the care of others.  He fills us with His presence in bold, new ways and loves others through us.  In His faithfulness He changes our hearts as we step out in faith to do His will.  He is forever faithful. 

Consider the faithfulness of Christ in the following scriptures:

Hebrews 13:5

Matthew 28:20

II Thessalonians 3:3

II Timothy 2:13

Hebrews 3:6

Philippians 4:19

II Corinthians 9:8 

Revelation 19:11

SERVICE

Our response to our salvation and the Lord’s call on our life is service in His Name.  As we serve lovingly, willingly, and cheerfully, we become a blessing to others and our Lord is mightily glorified.  

We serve the least and the lowly, the high and the mighty as Christ makes the way.  We are to be available to Him at all times and to respond with a resounding “Yes, Lord!” when He calls us to serve, for we have been bought with a price, the price of His life and blood given in sacrifice on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins and the gift of eternal life.  We are not our own.  We are called to serve.

Ephesian 4:12 say that we are “to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the Body of Christ may be built up.”  In what ways is God preparing you for service and what is your response?  Have you said “Yes, Lord” yet?  How are you aiding the cause of Christ in preparing others?  Have you willingly offered your service to them?  Say YES to whatever the Lord is asking you to do.  By being obedient to His call, you will “eat the best from the land” (Is. 1:19).  You will become His servant.  

Consider the Lord’s words about service in the following scriptures:

Luke 22:27 

John 12:26

I Peter 4:11

Zechariah 4:14

Daniel 6:20 

Luke 4:8

Ephesians 6:7

HUMILITY

Humility and servanthood are woven together like cords of silver and gold.  With Jesus as our perfect example, read John 13 and discover the humble, servant’s heart of Christ in action.  What Truth pierces your heart as you read?  How are you changed by this portrayal of Christ as Servant? 

Will you emulate Christ and His service to His disciples?  Ponder His humble servanthood to Peter who would soon deny Him three times and to Judas Iscariot who would betray Him for 30 pieces of silver as He served them all.  Humbly surrender your will to His and ask the Lord to make you His servant.             

RELECTING ON GOD’S WORD- What does each scripture say to you?

Joshua 24:15 

Romans 1:19

Philippians 4:13 

I Corinthians 15:58

Colossians 3:17 

Ephesians 3:20-21

Psalm 37:5 

Galatians 6:9 

Luke 1:37 

Matthew 25:21 

Closing Prayer: Thank You, Lord, for serving as a ransom for me.  I praise You for Your continuing work in my life to make me Your servant.  Thank You for Your grace to lay down my will and take up Yours willingly to serve with my whole heart.  I praise You, I love You, and I abandon my life to You.  Use it for Your glory.  In Christ’s name I pray.  Amen.