SNAKES!!

     In Religion we have been discussing healing and snake handling.  Snake handling is actually found in certain parts of the bible, just maybe not described the way some people seem to take it.  So, what does healing and faith have to do with one another.  As long as you are faithful to God, He will protect you from anything, whether it be bodily or heavenly.  This is only if it is in God's will to do so though.  
     The people in the video, obviously misinterpreted the scriptures.  They took these verses too literally and did not find the deeper meaning.  These scriptures describe how if you are about God's work, He will protect you and keep you from harm.
     I think God tests us by giving us ailments.  Some people get well and some do not.  God has a plan for each of us and we have to have faith that He knows best.  I believe everyone should pray and ask to be healed or pray for strength to endure whatever it may be.  If this does not occur though, they should not lose faith, but just know this is not how God plans to test them. 

Acts 22-28

Acts 22-28 is the passage we were assigned to read this week.  In the beginning, Paul tells of his conversion.  The Lord appears to Paul at night.  Felix is touched by Paul's anointed speech.  Paul witnesses to Agrippa.  Agrippa perceives that Paul is innocent.
Paul warns shipmates of dangerous trip, but is ignored.  An angel then appears to Paul telling him about the trip. Paul survives vipers bite.  Paul heals someone with fever and dysentery.  Paul preached another anointed sermon and more believe the gospel.

Beginning of the Church

It is not very often one witnesses the complete change of a person.  This is show however in the book of Acts.  Just as the church starts from pretty much nothing and grows, so does the faith of one man.  This man was Saul, who later was named Paul.  In Acts 8, Saul is first introduced.  At this time the church is just beginning and Peter and the other disciples through patience, hard work and diligence are trying to grow it.  Saul is finally blinded, healed and is baptized.  This is how it is for many Christians.  Figuratively, of course, but in a way many of us are blind to God and Christ and are finally healed by Him and later decide to live for Him. 

Peter continues his efforts to grow the church by taking the gospel to the Gentiles.  The Gentiles receive the Holy Ghost.  God grants the Gentiles repentance.  The disciples are the first to be called Christians.  Later in our reading James is martyred and Peter is freed from prison.  Saul’s name is changed to Paul. 

The church continues to grow.  The disciples continue to preach.  They continue to be persecuted, but still stay strong and do the work the Lord has for them to do.

The Afterlife

A Messiah's Death

        Jesus was the only perfect individual to walk on the earth.  He dedicated His life to others.  He taught the people, He ate with the sinners, He made the lame to walk, the blind to see, and He healed the leper.  Despite all of this He was rejected of men.  He was persecuted and hated and eventually was betrayed and killed.  Even His disciples, who by definition, are suppose to follow Him, betrayed and denied Him. 

  The Jews hated Jesus because they feared His influence over the people.  They plotted His demise and eventually found a way through Judas.  Judas was supposed to be Jesus’ disciple.  He had seen the miracles Jesus had performed and heard the lessons Jesus taught and yet was willing to sell Jesus out for literally a few pence.  He even betrayed Jesus with a kiss. 

   What could cause such animosity towards someone as loving and good as Jesus?  Even towards the end of the days He was preaching love towards one another.  John’s gospel does a good job depicting this.  In John 15:13 Jesus says “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”  Jesus is the ultimate friend.  He offers His love freely and only asks for one thing in return- that we keep His commandments. 

       It brings great comfort to know that even this perfect individual had enemies.  Jesus says “If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.”  Jesus was perfect.  He is the Son of God.  He is the Messiah.  He is the savior of the world.  And yet He died between two thieves.  Jesus died the death of a common criminal.  There is no justice on earth, but Jesus did not bring justice- He brought hope. 

By Faith

            Jesus, by all appearances, was a normal man.  He was made of flesh and blood.  People knew His mother and father.  Believing that He was anything more was difficult for many people.  Even nowadays people struggle with the concept of Jesus.  At the same time, those people saw Jesus heal the sick, give sight to the blind, feed the multitudes, and even raise the dead.  So, why was it so hard for them to believe?
           In Matthew 8-20 and Luke 8-19, it tells of many things Jesus did.  It tells of how Jesus healed a leper, a Centurion's servant, Peter's mother-in-law, and many other people.  What did all these people have in common?  They believed in Jesus.  They had faith that He could heal them.  These were people who had not seen all of Jesus's miracles and yet believed in Him.  His disciples, who had witnessed all of His miracles, still had trouble having complete trust in Him.  They were fearful of the tempest, and Peter could not walk on water because of fear.
         Throughout the passages, Jesus kept talking about how it is what comes out of a man that determines what kind of man he is.  It is our words and actions, not what we hear or see, that determines if we are worthy to one day be in God's presence.  Through these passages, Jesus teaches how we can live our lives to where we are speaking and acting the way we should.

Luke 4:16-7

         At the beginning of our reading Jesus is giving a sermon in the church.  The people there get very angry with him and run him off.  The way the people viewed him was as Joseph's son.  They did not see him as the Savior of the world.  Jesus even says that no prophet is accepted by his own people.  This is because when you know someone well it makes it hard to believe they are anything, but a normal person.  
       Next Jesus goes out and heals and gets disciples.  He tells these men that they will be fishers of men.  They will not literally catch men, but they will be missionaries and disciples of Jesus to lead men to the path of truth and righteousness.  Jesus gives many parables along the way as well.   
       At the end a women who has sinned greatly washes Jesus's feet.  Jesus forgives this woman her sins.  This can be interpreted to mean that if we are willing to humble ourselves and do service for Jesus that we too may be forgiven of our sins.