Wednesday, April 27, 2016

Waters of Salvation that Heal


Naaman Thought This was Foolish, But - -  Why Not?




Waters of Salvation that Heal




Pastor Allan has asked me to give a short focus to the Prayer group that meet to pray over our city.  Today I spoke about two Biblical events and the living water that heals.
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The Bible speaks many times of “WATER.”  Jesus promises Living Water in us, springing up and flowing out. 

Today I would like us to look at two waters in the Scriptures.



2 Samuel chapter 5  Relates the story of the Israelite slave girl in the house of Naaman.  She told her mistress, “If only my master would go to the prophet in my land, God would heal him of his leprosy.” 

Naaman was told of her speech, so he asked his king to write a letter to the king of Israel to heal him.  The King of Israel upon receiving the letter, tore his robes and said, “Am I God to heal this man? Can I kill and bring back to life?”



The prophet heard of this and said, “Tell him to come to me.” Naaman went with his soldiers, his horses and chariots and stopped at the door of Elisha’s house. Elisha sent a messenger to say to him, “Go, wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored and you will be cleansed.”



11 But Naaman went away angry and said, “I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, wave his hand over the spot and cure me of my leprosy. 12 Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Couldn’t I wash in them and be cleansed?” So he turned and went off in a rage.



There are times we want God to answer our prayers the way we think they should be answered.  We want the Minister of God to anoint us with oil, and pronounce us healed.



Naaman’s soldiers convinced him to at least try what the prophet asked him to do.

Perhaps on the dip 3 or 4 he said to himself, “This isn’t working.”



When God tells us to pray for our city and I will save them, we often get angry and think God should punish them for their sin.  We think they do not deserve to be blessed. 

We even think after praying 3 of 4 times, God should turn our city upside down.  But Naaman continued to dip the entire 7 times and he was healed, (saved) body, soul and spirit.



Perhaps God sent you to Open Door Church, and you questioned to yourself, “These people are fanatics, and they are perhaps not as proper as the nice people at a church you once attended.”



But what happened to Naaman when he obeyed?   God saved him (healed him) body, spirit and soul, and he declared that the God of Israel was the true God.



The second incident is recorded in John chapter 5. 


On the Sabbath day in Jerusalem, Jesus visited the pool of Bethesda.  There lay a great multitude of sick people, blind, lame, paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the water.  At certain times an angel came down and stirred the water and who ever got in first was healed.



You might think these people were superstitious waiting for an “Angel to stir the water.”



No they truly believed, because they were witnesses to others who had been healed by leaping into the moving water.
Jesus asked a man who had been paralyzed 38 years, “Do you want to be made well?” The sick man answered Him, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool.”
How often do we come with our excuses?  Many sit in church and are never born again, as they wait for someone to tell them how to be saved. 


There are people in your neighborhood lamenting this same question.  I have NO person to put me in the living waters. 
This is why we pray over our city.  “Lord send workers to tell the people that Jesus is the answer and if they will kneel at his blood stained cross and ask him to come into their life they shall be healed (Saved.)” 
The paralyzed man said, “I have NO ONE.” 
You may be that ONE who needs to tell the lost person how to come to Jesus.  Be ready with the message of salvation.  Tell them to Believe and Receive.



What can we learn from these stories?




1.     Let God be God and allow him to answer in His own way, not the way we think He should.

2.     Obey the instructions given and do not question if you think they seem foolish.

3.     Understand that the messenger may be YOU. 

2 comments:

shortybear said...

such a wonderful post dear

Unknown said...

Love this!! And your summary (three points) are outstanding. I am big proponent of giving the Lord what we have, and living our lives in such a way that others see Christ in & through us :) Sharing the gospel in love, in light/service, and in words. Thanks for sharing Hazel!