The Hospital of the Great Physician

The Hospital of the Great Physician

As you walk through the halls of a hospital or other health care facility, you will most likely pass by a vast variety of different lives, attitudes, illnesses and stories, all in varying and very differing stages of their existence. Some folks may have just been admitted, while others may be preparing for their departure. Some may have been acutely and accurately diagnosed, while others may be still anxiously awaiting their doctor’s determination. Some may be active and crying… while others may lie silent and somberly waiting. But one thing is certain: The patient’s rooms to either side are occupied by many hurting people whose bodies are in some sort and/or stage of affliction, and whose attitudes are probably as varied as their bodily diseases and diagnoses.

The Lord has the power to heal all our ailments.

The Lord has the power to heal all our ailments.

Take for example, the older gentleman in the room to the left. He has simply decided to stop trying. He knows that his doctor has the medication that could completely cure him – he just refuses to swallow it. He knows that his physical therapist has the plan to get him up, onto his feet, and moving forward to eventually going out of the door again – he just doesn’t want to put in the work, sweat, and effort necessary to accomplishing that. He has decided that it is oh so much easier to just lay there in bed; have hospice come in a couple or three times a week to help make him a bit more comfortable; request a morphine shot every so often just to deaden the pain of his suffering; and then to just eventually, slowly, and silently drift away and die – which is the inevitable end result of any and all such lazy and lackadaisical attitudes of disinterest in putting forth whatever effort is necessary in order to get better, stronger, and back to living life to the fullest once again.

Then, there is the lady in the room to the right. The doctors have done all they can. They say she may never walk again. The accident left both of her legs in a terrible, tangled up, and broken-boned mess. She, like the man in the room across the hall, knows what’s at stake. She knows that her doctors are holding back nothing in their diagnosis, and she appreciates their honesty in telling her the truth. Her physical therapist marvels every time he thinks of how intently she listens, how much pain she pushes through in order to make any progress, and just the sheer amount of effort she puts forth no matter how painful the exercise he promotes. There is no doubt in his mind or anyone else’s at the facility that this lady is absolutely going to do everything in her power to heal, walk, and live again. Just this morning the hospice nurse walked into her room by mistake, took one look at the look in her eyes, and quickly realized without a word that this lady would most likely one day soon be walking again – in the same manner in which she, the hospice nurse, then turned and walked out of this lady’s room and into the needlessly dying man’s across the hall.

Three weeks later, things would be far different. Both rooms would, by then, be occupied by different residents. This, because while the man who refused to put forth the effort to listen to those who knew, and to do what they said must be done in order for him to get better, was three weeks later being remembered and buried by his friends and family. The lady from across the hall was also surrounded by friends and family as well… only it was as she walked very slowly but determinedly down the aisle, to the absolute and teary-eyed delight, and side, of the love of her life.

The Lord’s church is His body (Eph. 1:22). Local bodies of His children are also referred to as “churches” (Rom. 16:16). The Great Physician has given them all the Great Prescription that will heal and help them… but which ones will take it and do it is the greatest of questions. Some of His local bodies are needlessly dying today because of their lack of desire to put forth whatever effort is necessary to truly get spiritually stronger. Others will exhaust any and every effort, no matter how painful, to one day walk with Him in white. Which one are we?

 

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He Had Nothing on Him

He Had Nothing on Him

The night of Jesus betrayal and arrest, he met with His disciples to give them final words of exhortation in the face of His impending death.  During the conversation with His disciples, Jesus said, “I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming, and he has nothing in Me. But that the world may know that I love the Father, and as the Father gave Me commandment, so I do. Arise, let us go from here” (John 14:30-31).  Jesus knew that Satan was behind all of the efforts to have Him killed.  Jesus also knew that there was no just reason for Him to be killed.  Satan didn’t have anything on Jesus because Jesus was innocent and had committed no sin.  Jesus was righteous.

In Christ, Satan has nothing on us, for Satan has nothing on Him.

In Christ, Satan has nothing on us, for Satan has nothing on Him.

There’s no doubt Satan has a big long list of things on me and everyone else in the world for that matter.  However, for those who faithfully trust and obey Jesus, God only sees what Satan has on Him, which is a big fat nothing.  Paul wrote, “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (1 Corinthians 5:21).  Even though Satan desired it, and caused it to happen, the Father had planned to use Jesus’ death to accomplish His redemptive purposes.  Satan’s greatest victory turned into his greatest defeat because he lost power over all who are in the body of Christ.  What does Satan have on you?  If you are not in Christ, Satan will use all of your sins against you to have you justly sentenced to death.  If you are in Christ, He has nothing on you, because He had nothing on Him.  God bless you, and I love you.

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Our Relationship with the Father

Our Relationship with the Father

I and the Father are one. – John 10:30

Jesus could say that about his relationship with his Father in heaven.  Can we?

One? Same thought. Same action.  Same love.

One? Same thought. Same action. Same love.

They are one in what they love.  They love humanity.  They love souls.  That’s why they are willing to do whatever they can to save souls (Rom. 5:6-11).  Can we say the same?  Do we have the same love for souls that our Father in heaven and his Son have?  Are we and our Father one?

They are one in what they hate.  They hate sin.  They hate evil.  They want nothing to do with darkness.  Can we say the same (Eph. 5:11)?  Do we have the same hate for sinful, evil darkness that our Father in heaven and his Son have?  Are we and the Father one?

They are one in purpose.  They did what it took to save man from hell due to their love for souls and hate of evil (John 3:16).  Can we say the same?  Do we have the same purpose in life, to bring the gospel to the whole creation (Matt. 28:19-20; Mark 16:15-16), that our Father in heaven and his Son have?  Are we and the Father one?

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Your Faith is Spoken of

Your Faith is Spoken of

What a wonderful acclamation of Paul to the Christians in Rome that their faith was spoken of throughout the whole world (1:8). How wonderful it would be if the faith of every Christian today was spoken of the same way.

What you say and do is watched and shared by others.

What you say and do is watched and shared by others.

Consider a few things Paul says in the opening chapters of this letter because, even though we all sin and fall short of His glory (3:23), there are a few things we must do in order for our faith to be commended.

  • Be not ashamed of the gospel of Christ (1:16)
  • Live by faith (1:17).
  • Glorify Him and be thankful for what he has done for you (1:21).
  • Be patient and steadfast in seeking eternal glory, honor, and immortality (2:7).
  • Do good in order to ensure His blessings (2:10).
  • Be doers of the law of Christ and love in order to be justified (2:13).

The faithful, however, do not do these things so that their faith may be spoken of by men. We do all we can to hear our faith spoken of by Christ in Judgment. “Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord” (Matthew 25:21).

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The Death of Hezekiah

You Shall Die and Not Live

Hezekiah had truly been one of the greatest kings of the Jews. After the vast army of Assyria overthrew the northern kingdom of Israel and scattered those ten tribes among all the nation, they then surrounded Jerusalem. The faith of Hezekiah and the record of his amazing prayer and what he did with the letter demanding immediate surrender is found in Second Kings chapter nineteen. Without a single arrow being shot, there were 185,000 Assyrian soldiers killed in one night. If you do not know this story, take time to read it and have your faith in God’s providence overwhelming increased.

Will today be your last ray of sunshine?

Will today be your last ray of sunshine?

Some time later, the prophet Isaiah came to Hezekiah and delivered this message from God. “Set your house in order, for you shall die, and not live” (2 Kings 20:1). Hezekiah’s response to this message is found in the rest of this chapter. It is at times like this that we can focus on the really important matters of life and death.

What would you do if you knew that you had just a few days, perhaps just a few hours, to live? What would you do if a doctor you trusted told you to call in Hospice for he had done all he could for you? What would you do if you knew that within a week’s time your life would end?

A failure to think about the certainty of death causes many to be like that rich farmer Jesus told us about. The farmer foolishly said, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink and be merry” (Luke 12:19). What he did not know was that he would die the same night he said these words. What would he have done differently had he known he was within hours of death? Had you been in his place, what would have done?

The truth is that while we have not heard the words of a prophet or even the message from a doctor, this could be the last day we would ever live. If this were true, how would you spend today?

Are there words you would say to others? Are there apologies you would make? Would you want to make sure that you had told your mate how precious they are to you? Are there messages you would give to your children to prepare them for what lies ahead? Are there incidences in your life where your angry words and harsh behavior demand apologies right now? Are there words of appreciation you would want to say to anyone? Are there prayers to God about sins in your life that you would pray?

What would you do if you absolutely knew this would be your last day to live? There is no way to know this, but whatever you might do in such a situation is what you ought to do today. Think about it. Someday will be your last day!

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