Friday, March 22, 2013

March 22

Luke 5:12-28

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

The Leper and the Paralytic

12 While He was in one of the cities, behold, there was a man covered with leprosy; and when he saw Jesus, he fell on his face and implored Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.” 13 And He stretched out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” And immediately the leprosy left him. 14 And He ordered him to tell no one, “But go and show yourself to the priest and make an offering for your cleansing, just as Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.” 15 But the news about Him was spreading even farther, and large crowds were gathering to hear Him and to be healed of their sicknesses. 16 But Jesus Himself would often slip away to the wilderness and pray.
17 One day He was teaching; and there were some Pharisees and teachers of the law sitting there, who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem; and the power of the Lord was present for Him to perform healing. 18 And some men were carrying on a bed a man who was paralyzed; and they were trying to bring him in and to set him down in front of Him. 19 But not finding any way to bring him in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down through the tiles with his stretcher, into the middle of the crowd, in front of Jesus. 20 Seeing their faith, He said, Friend, your sins are forgiven you.” 21 The scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, “Who is this man who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone?” 22 But Jesus, aware of their reasonings, answered and said to them, “Why are you reasoning in your hearts? 23 Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins have been forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? 24 But, so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins,”—He said to the paralytic—“I say to you, get up, and pick up your stretcher and go home.” 25 Immediately he got up before them, and picked up what he had been lying on, and went home glorifying God. 26 They were all struck with astonishment and began glorifying God; and they were filled with fear, saying, “We have seen remarkable things today.”

Call of Levi (Matthew)

27 After that He went out and noticed a tax collector named Levi sitting in the tax booth, and He said to him, “Follow Me.” 28 And he left everything behind, and got up and began to
follow Him.
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Ask yourself these questions:
(vs.16) Do I remember to withdraw from the busy-ness of life to pray regularly?

(vs. 19) Will I do whatever it takes; exert any effort, work with persistence, endure ridicule, increase my stamina.....to get to Jesus?

(vs.26) Can I give praise to God even when I don't understand what He is doing, or am thinking  things are not happening the way I planned.......Can I praise Him, believing that He always knows what is best in every situation for every person?

No matter what you do in your walk with the Lord, don't forget to pray every day!
When you stop to realize that even the Lord Jesus Christ, the One and Only Son of God, took time to pray on every occasion, can you think that you can get by without praying?
Prayer is our strong weapon against every enemy that would threaten us!
Prayer is our first line of defense!
Don't leave home without it! .......................
 

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