RUSSELL SANDERS

4-13-2023

THE SAME FAITH

Matthew 9:1-8 teaches us a valuable lesson about faith. Some men brought to Jesus a man sick of the palsy on his bed to be healed. Jesus saw the faith of these friends (Matt. 9:2.) He responded to their faith. He said to the sick man, “Son, be of good cheer. Thy sins be forgiven thee.”

After dealing with the objections of religious scribes who were present, Jesus then healed the man. Verse 7 says that he arose and was healed.

First, we can see that Jesus healed the man in response to the faith of his friends, and not necessarily just to the sick man himself. This shows us the effectiveness of the prayers of faith of other people. That is why we pray for healing of other people; God hears and responds to those prayers of faith.

Secondly, we also see that it is the same faith by which the sick man received forgiveness of his sins. It shows that the same faith that saves is also the same faith that heals.

As for the skeptical scribes, it was Jesus’ demonstration that as the Son of Man, he was Messiah, the Emmanuel, as deity (God). Despite the scribe’s’ unbelief that he was God in the flesh, the multitude of other people that witnessed it marveled at it. They believed.

We must never give up praying for others, both for their salvation and for their healing. Your prayers definitely do make a difference.

HELEN SANDERS

4-13-2023

THE SECRET THINGS OF GOD

In Deuteronomy 29:29 it says, “The secret things belong unto the LORD (Jehovah) our God (Elohim): but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of the law.”

There are secret things that only belong to God. Some secrets are none of

our business to know or try to figure out. God will reveal things when He knows he can trust the one to whom it is revealed.

In looking at Daniel, we find a young man that purposed in his heart to not defile himself with anything of the world. He chose the narrow way which was the right way. He constantly sought after God, praying three times a day. He refused to eat what the heathen ate, and because of his desire to please God, he was used by God in a mighty way.

In Daniel 2 we see King Nebuchadnezzar has a dream. It troubled him greatly. His magicians, astrologers, and sorcerers were called in to interpret the dream without him telling them anything about it. He kept that to himself. It was his secret. None of these pagans could interpret the dream. He was going to put all the “seers” to death, which would include Daniel. Daniel interceded on their behalf and his own and asked the king if he could seek his God who reveals secrets and to be given an opportunity to interpret the dream.

He did not try to figure it out himself. He told his three companions that they should desire mercies of the God of heaven concerning this secret. In Daniel 2:19 Daniel was given a vision, where the secret of the dream was given to him. Daniel blessed God for it and goes on to say in Daniel 2:22 (speaking of God), “He revealeth the deep secret things: he knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him. I thank thee, and praise thee, O thou God of my fathers, who hast made known unto me now what we desired of thee: for thou hast now made known unto us the king’s matter.”  He then goes to the king and shares the dream’s meaning.

The reason the secret was revealed to Daniel is his close walk with God. Secrets are not revealed unless we have a close, intimate relationship with the Lord. God has many secrets and wants to reveal to us, but they come to those that diligently seek him. (Hebrews 11:6.)