Arise
Mark 2:3-12
“Then they came to Him, bringing a paralytic who was carried by four men. And when they could not come near Him because of the crowd, they uncovered the roof where He was. So when they had broken through, they let down the bed on which the paralytic was lying. When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven you.” And some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, “Why does this Man speak blasphemies like this? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” But immediately, when Jesus perceived in His spirit that they reasoned thus within themselves, He said to them, “Why do you reason about these things in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Arise, take up your bed and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”—He said to the paralytic, “I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.” Immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went out in the presence of them all, so that all were amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!”
Have you ever been so paralyzed by the grief of rejection or being unloved and unwanted by the very ones you love the most?
Has the grief so crippled you that you couldn’t get anywhere near Jesus for the press of the emotions that seek to take you down? The crowd of emotions are so great and so dark that Jesus is eclipsed from your sight? It seems impossible to reach Him?
Have you ever needed someone to carry you in their heart and prayers straight to Jesus when you couldn’t take yourself?
Have you ever just laid at His feet basking in His forgiveness while all that comes your way from the lips of others is condemnation?
God brings into our lives friends...friends who, when we are in times of darkness and we can’t get through to Jesus, will carry us to His feet. Those friends will in prayer and encouragement press through the crowd of our emotions...they will pray and break through the roof of your pain to lower you into the arms of Jesus.
Friendship in Christ is a precious divine and holy gift of the pure love of one who loves you with other centred love. I am the grateful recipient of such love. It is a reflection and the bright radiance of the face of Jesus to me.
What kind of friend am I? What does Jesus call me to be? Do I prayerfully push through the crowd and break through strongholds in the name of Jesus and His power to place my friends at Jesus feet? Do I have complete other centred love? Am I a reflection of His love?
Ecclesiastes 4:9-12
Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken.
Proverbs 17:17
A friend loves at all times...
1 Thessalonians 5:11
Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.
Proverbs 27:9
Oil and perfume make the heart glad, and the sweetness of a friend comes from his earnest counsel.
Hebrews 10:24-25
And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.
John 15:12,13
“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.
Romans 1:12
That is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith, both yours and mine.
1 Samuel 18:1
As soon as he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.
God calls me to love the way He loved. To love so selflessly that my own life of self is laid down.
True friendship in Christ encourages and lifts one another up through each other’s faith, to be there for each other, spending time in fellowship with Jesus together. The true sweetness of a friend is found in their godly counsel and words of wisdom. God wants my friend and I to be a like three fold cord...my friend, myself and Jesus...that cord is strong and cannot be broken. God wants to knit our souls together.
When I can bring my friend in prayer and in love and in wise counsel to the feet of Jesus despite the obstacles crushing them into emotional paralysis Jesus will take their hand and speak the words “ I say to you, arise....”
Today God is saying to me... “Arise” Today I am grateful for the godly and pure love of my soul mate whose heart is knitted close to mine, one who is willing to press through every obstacle to lay me at Jesus’s feet. Thank you Lord Jesus for such a gift of friendship.
“Then they came to Him, bringing a paralytic who was carried by four men. And when they could not come near Him because of the crowd, they uncovered the roof where He was. So when they had broken through, they let down the bed on which the paralytic was lying. When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven you.” And some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, “Why does this Man speak blasphemies like this? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” But immediately, when Jesus perceived in His spirit that they reasoned thus within themselves, He said to them, “Why do you reason about these things in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Arise, take up your bed and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”—He said to the paralytic, “I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.” Immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went out in the presence of them all, so that all were amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!”
Have you ever been so paralyzed by the grief of rejection or being unloved and unwanted by the very ones you love the most?
Has the grief so crippled you that you couldn’t get anywhere near Jesus for the press of the emotions that seek to take you down? The crowd of emotions are so great and so dark that Jesus is eclipsed from your sight? It seems impossible to reach Him?
Have you ever needed someone to carry you in their heart and prayers straight to Jesus when you couldn’t take yourself?
Have you ever just laid at His feet basking in His forgiveness while all that comes your way from the lips of others is condemnation?
God brings into our lives friends...friends who, when we are in times of darkness and we can’t get through to Jesus, will carry us to His feet. Those friends will in prayer and encouragement press through the crowd of our emotions...they will pray and break through the roof of your pain to lower you into the arms of Jesus.
Friendship in Christ is a precious divine and holy gift of the pure love of one who loves you with other centred love. I am the grateful recipient of such love. It is a reflection and the bright radiance of the face of Jesus to me.
What kind of friend am I? What does Jesus call me to be? Do I prayerfully push through the crowd and break through strongholds in the name of Jesus and His power to place my friends at Jesus feet? Do I have complete other centred love? Am I a reflection of His love?
Ecclesiastes 4:9-12
Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken.
Proverbs 17:17
A friend loves at all times...
1 Thessalonians 5:11
Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.
Proverbs 27:9
Oil and perfume make the heart glad, and the sweetness of a friend comes from his earnest counsel.
Hebrews 10:24-25
And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.
John 15:12,13
“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.
Romans 1:12
That is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith, both yours and mine.
1 Samuel 18:1
As soon as he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.
God calls me to love the way He loved. To love so selflessly that my own life of self is laid down.
True friendship in Christ encourages and lifts one another up through each other’s faith, to be there for each other, spending time in fellowship with Jesus together. The true sweetness of a friend is found in their godly counsel and words of wisdom. God wants my friend and I to be a like three fold cord...my friend, myself and Jesus...that cord is strong and cannot be broken. God wants to knit our souls together.
When I can bring my friend in prayer and in love and in wise counsel to the feet of Jesus despite the obstacles crushing them into emotional paralysis Jesus will take their hand and speak the words “ I say to you, arise....”
Today God is saying to me... “Arise” Today I am grateful for the godly and pure love of my soul mate whose heart is knitted close to mine, one who is willing to press through every obstacle to lay me at Jesus’s feet. Thank you Lord Jesus for such a gift of friendship.
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