My husband and I were preaching in a small village in Mexico. At one of the meetings there was an elderly man who could not walk. He listened to the Word of God and heard that Jesus was still alive and that He loves and heals. Nobody prayed for that man; nobody touched him, and suddenly he jumped up and began to sing and dance, because God touched his body and healed him!

Dear friend, I want you to know that that precious old man from Mexico is not any different from you. Jesus loves you so much that He gave His life just for you to be healed! God loves each one of us so much that He Himself dwells among us and heals us. And if today you need healing, He will heal you. All you need to do is believe!

We wake up each morning with a world of possibilities before us. The morning news will reveal what went wrong while we were sleeping, but the good news is that there is more that has gone right! If you have found a right relationship with God, you had peace as you slept and a confidence when you woke up that He will be with you in your decisions and help you in your weaknesses.

In a world that is producing Pantheists with no framework for their faith except for the one they make up, you can be a shining witness of something solid to stand on. When you go into a grocery store, you never ask for the mush aisle where you can buy all the foods that require no teeth. That being true, why do people go into their spiritual life wanting a “mush” God, who has no definition, clarity, or voice other than the feelings they have during the day?

People are not interested in having mush on the menu for dinner, nor do they want mushy preachers sharing indefinite truths that are portrayed as opinions rather than guiding lights for us to hold before us!

I gather strength from my memory of watching Billy Graham stand before the leaders of nations and religions at a national meeting, and addressing all of them first by stating that He is a Christian minister and must therefore represent the One who has sent him. In our ministry we often have to address crowds of mixed religions, and they respect it when we identify who we are and why we must speak on behalf of the One we represent; just as they would represent their faith.

We are called to love people in their differences. People do not want to feel like you are tolerating them. It is a sign of disrespect to tolerate a person. We love people, and they recognize that love when we tell them from our heart why we are different, and what a difference Jesus has made in our life.

Our conviction is what draws people to Christ as it is expressed in sincerity. The truth that must be chewed on is what puts teeth in our mouth and strength in our bones!

As we approach Easter to celebrate the resurrection, let’s take a look at what happened afterward.

For 40 days Jesus stayed on the earth and taught in His resurrected body. What did He do and teach?  Here are a few things He did not do. He did not raise the dead. He did not heal the sick. He did not deliver anyone.

Why not? What was the first thing He did do?

He appeared to Mary.

John 20:16
“Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master.  Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.”

What does this mean? It means that Jesus is personal. I believe He makes Himself known to each of us in a personal way. He knows your name and He comes to each of us on a personal basis.

For example, at one of our meetings in Guntur, India, a young Muslim man and his mother were attending the night meetings for 5 nights.  On the 4th night he came forward and testified that he had seen a cross coming to people each night and when it got close to the people, it turned into a man. On the 4th night that cross came to this young man and turned into Jesus. He gave his life to Jesus and his mother was healed of tuberculosis. The extreme shyness left him and he boldly spoke of this new personal relationship with Jesus!

“I am the vine and you are the branches” is a familiar bible quote to those in Christian circles. The grapevine elicits warm thoughts for many. For the French it is the taste of the wine that is important. For many it is the taste of the grape whether it is red, green or purple. For others, it is savoring the taste of the juicy, yellow and red raisins that come from this most luscious of fruits.

For the Christian, this statement “I am the vine you are the branches,” speaks of an intimate relationship with God that produces a marvelous fruit for tasting by those who are near and those who are dear. The fruit that flows from the branch is either a sweet tasting savor of Christ, or a bitter flavor of a life devoid of good fruit. Regardless, the reality is that Christ tells us that this relationship of vine and branch produces a connection of such power that we can ask anything we desire of the Lord and He will grant it.

I encourage you today to spend time abiding in the Word of God. Let it infuse your life with energy and vision that will produce fruit worthy of the tasting!

 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.” John 15:5-8 NIV

Regardless of the state of the economy, I look to a different news report, one that is not tied to the stock market. It is God’s economy—one of listening and obeying.

Walk in his ways, and keep his decrees and commands, his laws and requirements, as written… so that you may prosper in all you do and wherever you go… (1 Kings 2:3 paraphrased).

First, we must walk. This indicates that regardless of how difficult the crisis is that you may be facing, continue! God will guide you in your everyday affairs. He is committed to you more than you could ever commit to Him!

Have you considered recently that He gave His Son to die on a cross so that you might be justified just as if you never sinned? This is amazing love.

Second, remember that you must keep His ways. God’s way is the LOVE way! What does love say? It does not remember a wrongful hurt. It does not seek its own. It is not easily provoked. It speaks no evil. Love does not envy. Love is kind. Love endures all things. Love is the force from which faith flows! No LOVE = no FAITH!

My faith works today because I have love. I do not have love because I have faith… I have faith because I love. I love because He first loved me!

Love is a much greater motivator for men and women than any dollar or any discipline.

Love inspires every creature to be more than just a creation.

Love believes—when all evidence says it should not.

Love sees a bright future, even when dark clouds suggest storms on the horizon.

Love is the power of God.

Love lays down its life for the unloved.

Love pays the price others will not pay.

Love—the weapon of God—has conquered armies, won nations and made disciples of the vilest of men.

Many years ago, my husband and I went to the Philippines where I preached to a large congregation. I remember how during the sermon the Holy Spirit urged me to repeat again and again, “Jesus saves! Jesus heals! Jesus saves! Jesus heals! Jesus saves! Jesus heals!” Then I suddenly stopped. My husband looked at me and whispered, “Leslie, say something else.”  I replied, “Kevin, Jesus saves! Jesus heals!”

Suddenly something started happening—the kind of things that Jesus did when He was here on earth, as it is written in the Scriptures: “And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people” (Matthew 9:35). Suddenly, a woman shouted, “I can see! Jesus heals! He healed my eyes! I was blind and now I can see!”

“My tumor has disappeared!” another woman shouted. Someone else cried out, “I can hear! God opened my ears! For the first time in my life I can hear my child’s voice!”

Nobody touched them! Nobody laid hands on them! But GOD was present at that place. HE was there. He touched people and healed every sickness and disease.

God does not play favorites, He loves everybody. Those people in the Philippines are the same as you. God healed them, and He wants to heal you!

How do you picture God? Do you envision Him as distant? Angry? Vengeful? Cruel? In truth, He is none of these. God is good. Our God is a God of joy, a God of love. He wants all people to know that He is alive and desires to heal everyone.

We have hosted tent festivals in many cities of Eurasia and Africa and have seen thousands of people being healed. God wants all people to be healthy and that is why He not only desires but also is ready to heal any sickness. God’s Word says, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:13). When you accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, God delivers you from sins and sickness. God loves all people equally and He does not have favorites. The Scriptures tell us that God so loved the world that He gave His only Son so that each person would be saved (John 3:16). This applies to every one of us.

No matter what your problem is or what it is that you need, God sent His Son Jesus so that you and I could receive life!

What is Jesus looking for?  When He returns will He find faith? (Luke 8:18)

Faith is what Jesus is looking for!

If we take scripture at face value, it is clear that faith is God’s expectation of humanity.  An active trust in God’s Word is based on the finished work that Jesus Himself accomplished. When a man with an epileptic son came to Jesus for a miracle, the man asked if Jesus could do anything.  Jesus immediately responded, “Everything is possible for one who believes”(Mark 9:23).

The problem is not with Jesus! He is able. He is willing, and He is ready, but He wants to know if you believe He will do it.

“For in Christ, neither our most conscientious religion nor disregard of religion amounts to anything. What matters is something far more interior: faith expressed in love” (Galatians 5:6, Message).

This faith works within the framework of love. Love is the foundation. GOD’S LOVE provides the motive for our confident belief. We trust God because we know He is a loving God.

Love was here long before contracts and covenants. Love is a selfless willingness to do good and right for all. The impossible can spring from this foundation!

“Listen carefully to my words; let your ears take in what I say…” Luke 9:44

This bible quote encourages us to find a place of tranquility where we can take in God’s Word and take out God’s strength!  In the hectic day to day race that most people find themselves in, it is good to remember that we must take in God’s Word so that we may take out the kind of life He desires for us. This morning I am praying that each one of you would find time to enjoy God’s presence.

Remember we can find His presence in the simple things of life. One fall after a number of weeks of outreach in the radiation red zone just North of Chernobyl, I stepped out of the hotel into this grey Soviet era landscape. In between two 20 story buildings in the far distance was a little tree not more than 6 feet tall. On its branches were bright red leaves. I remember blurting out, “Look everyone! Isn’t that beautiful!?” The crowd around me was strangely confused looking for anything of beauty, but there in the distance was that bright autumn tree.

I encourage you today in the midst of your busy life to make a moment that refreshes your heart and your spirit. Maybe it is gazing at a special picture, taking a walk on the beach, or even throwing a few snowballs. Regardless, remember—take in His life and take out His presence!  Special moments come when we stop and glance at the beautiful landscapes of life!