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A woman who had had a hemorrhage for twelve years, 26and had endured much at the hands of many physicians, and had spent all that she had and was not helped at all, but rather had grown worse— 27after hearing about Jesus, she came up in the crowd behind Him and touched His cloak. 28For she thought, “If I just touch His garments, I will get well.” 29Immediately the flow of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of her affliction. Mark 5:25-29 NASB
Scripture tells us that she thought to herself "If I just touch His garments, I will get well." Where had she heard that this was possible? We do not see anywhere before this time where people were healed by touching Jesus' clothes. We also do not see people sharing stories of this taking place. Where did this revelation come from? This thought must have come to this woman as a whisper from the Spirit of God. This was an amazing revelation from God which seems to only be given to this suffering woman who had lost everything and had endured much from the works of men. But what would have happened if she received this revelation and then never reached out to touch Christ? This revelation (as awesome as it was) would have remained a revelation but would have never manifested in reality. Her faith and obedience took the revelation from remaining a spiritual truth into becoming a reality that touched the physical world. Specifically in the American the church today, we have a tendency to receive new revelations but never see those revelations manifest. On a weekly or even daily basis, most of us receive numerous new revelations from God's word, or through His people. This can be a great blessing but it can also become what we constantly seek instead of seeing those revelations come into reality. Paul addressed this exact issue when discussing the last days in his letter written to Timothy. Paul says that in the last days there will be people who are: always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. 2 Timothy 3:7 NASB What Paul is addressing here is people who are constantly learning new things about God but are never coming to know those things through experiential knowledge. The word that Paul uses for knowledge here means: contact-knowledge; first-hand, experiential knowing. So Paul is letting us know that in the last days there will be many people learning new things but everything they are learning is only head knowledge. They never come to the point of actually experiencing what they are learning. This woman in Mark 5 was faced with the same decision: "take what I heard and reach out and experience healing or learn something new but never receive healing." She could have remained a suffering woman who possibly knew something that others didn't; but what good would that have been? Our steps of faith and obedience are the conduit that bring the revelations from God down to earth. In these last days in which we are living we must not become the people that Paul warns us about in 2 Timothy 3:7. We must be people who are doers of the word and not just hearers. People who take risky steps of faith like this woman did and see God move in ways we have never seen before. Questions to Consider: 1. What are some areas in your life where God is asking you to take a step of faith? 2. What are some new things you are learning about God today? How do those things relate to your everyday life?
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 Scripture Reading: Psalm 1:1a-3
How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, [2] But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night. [3] He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, Which yields its fruit in its season And its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he does, he prospers. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 NASB95 All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; [17] so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work. How profitable is meditating on God's Word? It is profitable in preparing us for "every" good work. Knowing and living according to the truth revealed in God's Word brings great stability to the life of a Believer. Digging deep into God's Word should not be an occasional effort, it should be an ongoing day and night effort. Knowing God's Word prepares us so that we can give a credible defense for what we believe. It allow us to be prepared to share the hope the dwells in us. The Word gives us understanding of the difference between right and wrong. In the words of King David, the knowledge of God's Word helps a young man keep his path pure. Unlike the malleable nature of American Pop Culture, the Word of God is not a fad. The truths and wisdom of God's Word are fixed and eternal. It lays a solid foundation upon which to build. It is said that ignorance is bliss. Of course, this is not true! Spiritual ignorance can get you in trouble. A lack of knowledge or understanding of God's Word leaves us vulnerable to the attacks of the enemy and whims of culture. Time to dig in...day and night! Questions to Consider:
 Scripture Reading: Psalm 34:1-3 NASB95
I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. [2] My soul will make its boast in the LORD; The humble will hear it and rejoice. [3] O magnify the LORD with me, And let us exalt His name together. Philippians 4:4-7 NASB95 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! [5] Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near. [6] Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. [7] And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. I have spent an enormous amount of energy focusing on the issues that plague America. Moral issues, political issues, spiritual issues. Our country is a wreck. A moral and spiritual wreck. And I have been preoccupied by focusing in on the wreck. It finally dawned on me this last week, that my focus on what is wrong with America has undermined my ability to bless the Lord at all times. It has caused me to stop rejoicing in the Lord. I decided that I was going to stop complaining about the state of our country and allow the praise of God to be continually in my mouth. I had the first challenge to my new resolve when I filled up my pickup with gas. (Let us just say that the prices are higher than what I like) As I was pumping the gas I began to sing songs of worship. The price of gas does not take away from the fact that our God is worthy to be praised. A.W. Tozer said, "If Bible Christianity is to survive the present world upheaval, we shall need to have a fresh revelation of the greatness and the beauty of Jesus.... He alone can raise our cold hearts to rapture and restore again the art of true worship.” A.W. Tozer If Bible Christianity is to survive the present world upheaval, we shall need to have a fresh revelation of the greatness and the beauty of Jesus.... He alone can raise our cold hearts to rapture and restore again the art of true worship.” If we desire God's Kingdom to come to earth as it is in heaven, then there must be continual worship flowing forth from God's people. We must "be" a people who worship God in spirit and in truth. We must "be" a people who praise the Lord regardless of life's challenges. Questions to Consider:
 Scripture Reading: Isaiah 40:28-31 NASB95
Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth Does not become weary or tired. His understanding is inscrutable. [29] He gives strength to the weary, And to him who lacks might He increases power. [30] Though youths grow weary and tired, And vigorous young men stumble badly, [31] Yet those who wait for the LORD Will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary. I have a confessions to make: I am by nature a "fixer." Which means that I use my intellect, my power of persuasion, and my physical assets to fix problems. I manipulate situations. I mitigate conversations. I put my hand to the task. Even so, I have found problems that exceed my ability to solve. I cannot solve all of my own problems much less the problems of others. I often deal with people's problems and personal issues that are far beyond my ability to fix. Sometimes, when I hear about the situation that a person is going through, not only do I lack a solution, I am often at loss for words that might be encouraging. "OK," I'll admit it... "I'm not very good at fixing people!" That said, I know someone who is an expert at fixing people. Someone who loves people more than they love themselves. Someone who knows people more than they know themselves. His name is Jesus. What is the lesson in this? Simply this, I need to learn how to wait upon the Lord. Jesus is the solution for what ails me. Jesus is the answer to what people need. Jesus is the author and the finisher of my faith. I want this to be my new approach to life. I am waiting on the Lord... Questions to Consider:
“And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write: The Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and His feet are like burnished bronze, says this: 19‘I know your deeds, and your love and faith and service and perseverance, and that your deeds of late are greater than at first. 20‘But I have this against you, that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, and she teaches and leads My bond-servants astray so that they commit acts of immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols. 21‘I gave her time to repent, and she does not want to repent of her immorality. 22‘Behold, I will throw her on a bed of sickness, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of her deeds. 23‘And I will kill her children with pestilence, and all the churches will know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts; and I will give to each one of you according to your deeds. 24‘But I say to you, the rest who are in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not known the deep things of Satan, as they call them—I place no other burden on you. 25‘Nevertheless what you have, hold fast until I come. Revelation 2:18-25 NASB
Jesus speaking to the church at Thyatira, had some great & encouraging words for the church. He recognized their deeds, their love, their faith, their service, and their perseverance. Jesus recognizes their growth as He points out that their deeds of late are greater than their former deeds. But Jesus had one rebuke for His church: ‘But I have this against you, that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, and she teaches and leads My bond-servants astray so that they commit acts of immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols. The church of Thyatira was persevering and growing but they were allowing and tolerating the voice of someone else that was leading God's people to commit sexual immorality and idol worship. The rebuke that Jesus gave to His church was not that they were allowing Jezebel to have full leadership and dominion but they were simply tolerating her practices in their midst. To tolerate means to "permit just now"; to allow something to happen or remain for a specific amount of time. The church had either not seen the dangers of Jezebel's influence or they had minimized her effect. Who is this Jezebel in the church of Thyatira? At this point in history, the notorious Jezebel from the Old Testament has been dead for over 1,000 years. What Jesus is addressing here is a "spirit" of Jezebel that was in operation in His church through a person or persons that had influence over God's people. This Jezebel's teachings and prophecies were leading God's people astray. In the midst of all of the good that they were doing as a church, why did they tolerate this Jezebel spirits influence? Were they trying to be inclusive? Were they trying to not be judgmental? Did they think that these influences were not that bad? The teachings and influences that this Jezebel spirit was bringing was labeled by Christ as the "deep things of Satan" in verse 24. Yet, the church allowed this spirit to remain. This leads me to ask the same questions of our churches today. What are some of the spirits that we may be tolerating in the church that are leading God's people to sin? What are some influences that we are allowing that are actually connected to the 'deep things of Satan'? Are we allowing Satanic influences into the church that are leading God's people to commit sexual immorality and idol worship? We live in a world today where we can become more afraid of offending people than we are of offending God. But we must understand that the gospel of Christ being preached is bigger than any single person or cause; it is His church in fact. Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 1 Peter 5:8 NASB Peter's words here are not for unbelievers but for the saints. A snake may pick and poke and cause some harm to his prey from outside of the fence but once he gets inside of the coop, he can cause catastrophic damage. The same applies once the devil gets inside of the church; and believe me that is his desire. We must be vigilant to see the false teachings of Satan, we must be vigilant to see the sinful influences of Satan, we must be vigilant to see the results produces by the spirit of Satan. Let us be a part of the remnant in the church of Thyatira that had not given into the false, satanic teachings of this Jezebel spirit. Hold fast to Christ until we see Him riding on the clouds of glory. 24‘But I say to you, the rest who are in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not known the deep things of Satan, as they call them—I place no other burden on you. 25‘Nevertheless what you have, hold fast until I come. Questions to Consider: 1. What are some of the ways that you see the devil trying to infiltrate the church today? 2. What are some of the good things that Jesus would speak over our church? What are some negative things that He would bring to our attention? 3. What are some teachings of convictions of Christ that you are finding difficult to keep holding on to in the midst of the temptations of Satan? A woman who had had a hemorrhage for twelve years, 26and had endured much at the hands of many physicians, and had spent all that she had and was not helped at all, but rather had grown worse— 27after hearing about Jesus, she came up in the crowd behind Him and touched His cloak. 28For she thought, “If I just touch His garments, I will get well.” Immediately the flow of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of her affliction. 30Immediately Jesus, perceiving in Himself that the power proceeding from Him had gone forth, turned around in the crowd and said, “Who touched My garments?” 31And His disciples said to Him, “You see the crowd pressing in on You, and You say, ‘Who touched Me?’” Mark 5:25-31 NASB
There was a large crowd following Jesus when He stepped foot on the other side of the sea of Galilee. In that crowd was people who had seen Jesus' miracles while others had just heard the stories. But everyone in that crowd had a sense of awe and expectation while they were following Jesus. They would ask one another: "Who is this Man and how is He able to do these things; What is He going to do next?" But in the midst of the crowd was one individual who was not content to remain a spectator. There was a woman that had a hemorrhage for twelve years that had endured much at the hands of doctors and spent every bit of money she had to find healing from her affliction. Scripture tells us that she thought to herself "If I just touch His garments, I will get well." Where did this thought come from? How did she have that type of faith to believe that simply touching the cloak of Jesus would bring about complete healing? Anything that encourages us to press in and touch Christ originates from the Holy Spirit. This thought came to her as a whisper to her spirit from the Spirit of God. The healing result came about because of her obedience to that word. Jesus knowing what had happened asked "Who touched My garments?" The disciples are confused because there are possibly hundreds of people pressing in on Jesus and Jesus wants to know who touched Him. Here is one of the keys to this passage: "There are many who draw close to Christ and many who press in on Him but very few have the faith to reach out and touch Him". We live in a time today like what we see in this passage. A time where following Jesus is popular and the cool thing to do but could easily be replaced by something more exciting. We are living in the midst of an epidemic of nominal Christianity where "pressing in" on Jesus once a week may make us feel good but doesn't bring about lasting or noticeable transformation. A time when being lukewarm is labeled as "hot" and being truly hot causes you to be labeled as "fanatical". "By the time the average Christian get his temperature up to normal, everybody thinks he has a fever!"- Watchman Nee What did this woman have to overcome internally and externally to reach out and touch Jesus? She had to overcome the fear of man and doubts on the inside and the potential judgments from others on the outside. She had to overcome the fear of having the reputation of being the only one to touch this "celebrity" figure. She had to overcome her doubts that said "He may not be able to heal you". She had to lay down her pride and dignity to experience Christ the way that she did. Do you desire to experience Christ at a greater level? Are you in need of a touch from Christ? The one thing that must be crucified within all of us is the desire to look dignified. No man or woman of God has ever done anything great for the kingdom while carrying the desire to look good for men. Those are polar opposites and one must, and will be crucified for the other. This woman laid everything down and was the only one from the crowd that we see receiving a healing touch. Press in and draw close to Jesus every chance you get; but don't stop there. Take a risk like this woman did and go beyond everyone else to reach out and touch Christ. Faith is always risky but the reward is even greater. Questions to Consider: 1. What are the things holding you back from experiencing more of Christ? 2. How would you honestly and truthfully describe your relationship with Christ at this moment? How can we as a church come alongside of you to help you grow?  Scripture Reading: Job 1:20-22
Then Job arose, tore his robe, and shaved his head; and he fell to the ground and worshiped. And he said: "Naked I came from my mother's womb, And naked shall I return there. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; Blessed be the name of the LORD." In all this Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong. Job 1:20-22 I am about 99.9% sure that if everything that I care for on this earth was suddenly ripped away from me that I would not react with the righteous understanding of Job. I am not a hot tempered person, but if my children and grandchildren were all killed for no discernible reason, I think that I would probably punch a couple holes in the wall. Would my relationship with the Lord be enough to sustain me through the season of grief and inner turmoil? I don't have the answer to that question, but I would think that the emotional pain would be overwhelming. If there is a deficiency in my character, it is probably that I lack in the area of empathy. I have enjoyed a good life and haven't experienced the hits and hardships that would cause me to be more empathetic. From my easy seat it is a temptation to look at what Job suffered through and as a armchair quarterback not empathize or understand the magnitude of the impact of the multiple tragedies that landed on Job all at once. It had to be crushing. Job, tore his robe--shaved his head--fell to the ground... (I think I understand Job's reaction up to this point) Then Job...worshiped? He what? He worshiped? Why?????? This is certainly not the reaction that Satan was counting on. We know from the rest of the story that it was not the reaction that Job's "friends" were expecting. And if I'm perfectly transparent--I'm not sure that I would have been inclined to worship under the circumstances! The Apostle Paul cast a demon out of a girl that was disrupting the missionary work that he and Silas were undertaking. This angered the people who were making money off the girl's demonic abilities, and so they took their case to the governing authorities, who in turn, arrested Paul and Silas. Paul and Silas were then beaten, stripped and thrown into prison, where they were put into a cell and chained to the wall. (You can ask my wife and my kids the following question: "Have you ever heard RJ utter a swear word?" And they will tell you that they have never heard me curse, because, I do not use such language to express myself...ever) I think that if I suffered the indignities and injustice that Paul and Silas experienced--I might be tempted to just "go off" verbally. What was Paul and Silas' reaction? They worshiped. "Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening." Acts 16:25 (NLT) What did they sing? Probably a song that expressed something like this: (Lyrics by Matt Redman) Blessed be Your Name, in the land that is plentiful, where Your streams of abundance flow, Blessed be Your name. Blessed be Your name, when I'm found in the desert place Though I walk through the wilderness, Blessed be Your name. Blessed be Your name, when the sun's shining down on me, When the world's 'all as it should be, Blessed be Your name. Blessed be Your name, on the road marked with suffering, Though there's pain in the offering, Blessed be Your name. Every blessing You pour out, I'll turn back to praise, When the darkness closes in, Lord, Still I will say. "Blessed be the name of the Lord, Blessed be Your name, Blessed be the name of the Lord, Blessed be Your glorious name!" You give and take away, You give and take away, My heart will choose to say, "Lord, Blessed be Your name!" Questions to Consider:
 Scripture Reading: Mark 5:35-43 NASB95
While He was still speaking, they came from the house of the synagogue official, saying, “Your daughter has died; why trouble the Teacher anymore?” [36] But Jesus, overhearing what was being spoken, said to the synagogue official, “Do not be afraid any longer, only believe.” [37] And He allowed no one to accompany Him, except Peter and James and John the brother of James. [38] They came to the house of the synagogue official; and He saw a commotion, and people loudly weeping and wailing. [39] And entering in, He said to them, “Why make a commotion and weep? The child has not died, but is asleep.” [40] They began laughing at Him. But putting them all out, He took along the child’s father and mother and His own companions, and entered the room where the child was. [41] Taking the child by the hand, He said to her, “Talitha kum!” (which translated means, “Little girl, I say to you, get up!”). [42] Immediately the girl got up and began to walk, for she was twelve years old. And immediately they were completely astounded. [43] And He gave them strict orders that no one should know about this, and He said that something should be given her to eat. There will always be people who will call your faith into question. Jesus faced a crowd of skeptics when he entered Jairus' home. Jesus responded with a word of encouragement to Jairus. ("Do not be afraid any longer, only believe.") Then Jesus kicked all the skeptics out of the room where Jairus' daughter was "sleeping." Jesus made sure that the only people left in the room either believed in him, or were hoping against hope that Jesus would do a miracle. Jesus did challenge the hysterics of the skeptics who were weeping loudly. He let them know that the child was not dead; just sleeping. They responded to Jesus' words by mocking Him with laughter. (Boorish behavior) Jesus did not allow the crowd to influence the events that were to come. One of the things that we can learn from this is that God is not intimidated by the unbelief of the crowds. God does whatever He wills to do. Jesus took the 12-year-old girl by the hand; spoke a few words over her; and "woke" her up. I'm sure that this miracle brought a smile to Jesus' face. At the end of the day, Jesus had the last laugh. That seems rather rude, but it takes faith to please God. Skeptics will always feel hopeless, because they do not believe; and generally they will not admit to being wrong when proven wrong. Questions to Consider:
 Scripture Reading: Mark 5:21-24 NASB95
When Jesus had crossed over again in the boat to the other side, a large crowd gathered around Him; and so He stayed by the seashore. [22] One of the synagogue officials named Jairus came up, and on seeing Him, fell at His feet [23] and implored Him earnestly, saying, “My little daughter is at the point of death; please come and lay Your hands on her, so that she will get well and live.” [24] And He went off with him; and a large crowd was following Him and pressing in on Him. Jairus was a religious person, an official of the synagogue. He was facing a desperate situation. His 12-year-old daughter was sick to the point of death. If this story took place in the Post-Modern world of today, this young girl would have been in intensive care at the local hospital. Jairus was facing an impossible situation. No doubt, push had come to shove in Jairus' life. Jesus' fame had been spreading throughout the country. (Which is what happens to the person who is healing the sick, casting out demons, and performing miracles) Jairus was convinced that Jesus could make the difference between life and death. He spoke a word of faith to Jesus. "My little daughter is at the point of death; please come and lay your hands on her, so that she will get well and live." Have you ever faced an impossible situation where you needed a miracle? That is where Jairus was at...he needed a miracle. Notice that he did not consult with the religious rulers of the synagogue. He went to the source of life and salvation. He was not disappointed! Questions to Consider:
 “Now faith is the [a]assurance of things [b]hoped for, the [c]conviction of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1
The concept of faith can be explained but the act of living it out, of walking by faith, abiding in faith, surviving on faith alone is a more elusive concept. A lot of times we simplify faith by calling it believing and yet we see in James 2:19 “You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder.” So if simply believing in God, that He exists, and knowing His omnipotence, and shuddering at His power is not authentic faith…then what is authentic faith. “Authentic faith is not merely believing in God. It is believing God. Taking God at his word. Living in obedience to His revelation whatever the cost, because you know down deep in your bones that God will always do what he says. That His speaking is His doing. It is an abiding assurance in God, in His promises, that animates you to persevere in your obedience to Him. Do you wish to be a more consistently obedient, steadily persevering Christian? A stronger Christian? A more courageous and outspoken Christian? Then you need to strengthen your faith! Your faith instinctively strengthens in direct proportion to the expansion of the object of your faith. You expand your understanding of the object of your faith and faith itself will obediently follow. The object of your faith—if indeed you are a Christian—is Jesus Christ and all of His promises. Is your faith weak? It is owing to the fact you don’t know the object of your faith well enough. But when Jesus Christ becomes progressively bigger, or better yet, your understanding of who He is progressively conforms to reality, your faith will become increasingly stronger. But how does that happen? By immersing yourself in the Faith-arousing Word of God. Read of Jesus Christ. The same powerful Word that long ago brought the universe to life is the same Word that can bring you to life and furnish you with a faith that is truly and authentically Christian” Devotion – Beautiful Eulogy, Art Azurdia As we saw in Mark 4 after Jesus calmed the storm He asked His disciples where their faith was? But as we continue through the book of Mark we have a front row seat to the faithfulness of the character of Jesus. We see the miracles performed. We see the powerful teaching. We see His love for those around Him. Eventually we see His promise fulfilled…”I came that you might have life, and have it abundantly!” As He gave himself for us upon the cross. He is faithful and just to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9) May we have faith in the most faithful and loving one, Christ Jesus. Question to consider:
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