The Fantastic Faith of a Leper

 

 

 "And it happened that while He was in one of the cities, behold, there was a man covered with leprosy; and when he saw Jesus, he fell on his face and begged Him, saying, "Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean." And He stretched out His hand and touched him, saying, "I am willing; be cleansed." And immediately the leprosy left him. And He directed him to tell no one, "But go and show yourself to the priest and make an offering for your cleansing, just as Moses commanded, as a testimony to them." But the news about Him was spreading even farther, and large crowds were gathering to hear Him and to be healed of their sicknesses."

Luke 5:12-15

Good Morning my beloved,
 
We welcome you to worship today in the name of God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. It is a great privilege to have you here with us today. I am beyond grateful to those of you that have been faithfully praying for me, for this ministry, sharing the website with their friends, neighbors and loved ones. It's through your faithful prayers I find the unwavering strength to continue in the midst of this ongoing battle, standing firm against the forces of darkness that surround me, including many professing Christians who fail to exhibit Christ-like behavior God desires, choosing to ignore the passages that contradict their immoral lifestyles.

 

I humbly thank God for every opportunity that He allowed me to preach the Gospel to those are deceived by false religion, misled by false beliefs, a privilege and responsibility that I do not take lightly. If God is using this ministry to impact your life, or the lives of those around you, please reach out to us and share your story. We would be delighted to hear from you.

 

Throughout my years in ministry, I have obviously tried to consistently confront the issues that the church faces in the world in which we live, without being dissuaded, while remaining steadfast in my commitment to do what I've been called to do despite any obstacles that may arise and that is preach and teach the Gospel of Jesus Christ without hesitation, in a straightforward manner, that is essential to equip ourselves with the Truth that dispels fear and strengthens our faith. The church, and I want to be very clear, I am referring to the true church, the authentic church, the teachings of Christ, not conforming to the cultural influences, or even the government pressures or government mandates telling us what to do, as we experienced during the Covid-19 lockdowns. And, I believe it is evident that God put the Church to the test, and it is apparent that many church leaders fell short in their responsibilities, and ultimately failed the test, and I mention this because I foresee that we're going to experience a similar situation again, at a much more aggressive level in the near future, probably in my lifetime, but definitely for those who are part of the younger generation. 

 

When the government operates in alignment with God’s design, the role of the government is to restrain evil, to justly penalize those who practice evil; instilling fear in those who engage in doing evil deeds to curb wicked and evil actions, while protecting what is good. However, once the government begins to operate outside of God's intended purpose, no longer doing what God designed it to do, and its leaders refuse to obey the will of God, creating laws to protect what God has condemned as sinful and immoral, the government relinquishes its power, and its leaders forfeit their authority and control over the people they govern. History has repeatedly demonstrated that when sinful, corrupt individuals attempt to govern a society of sinful, corrupt people, the downfall of its people is unavoidable and the eventual collapse of that society is inevitable. It's crucial to understand, this is not a political battle, this is an all out spiritual war, a battle between what is good against what is evil, and the government and its elected officials, who are incapable of restraining themselves under the influence of Satan, are certainly no exception. It is as Paul says in Ephesians 6:12, "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places." 

 

All of human history is rapidly progressing toward a one-world, global government, under the leadership of the Antichrist, which is why the world consistently continues to become worse and worse, this is all part of Satan's last-ditch effort to undermine God's sovereignty and ultimately be worshiped as god. Now, let me remind you of something, just to jog your memory a bit, those of us who have read the Bible to the end, already know Christ ultimately wins, right? So, as bleak as everything may look for the people of God, there is a sense of hope as we look forward to the arrival of His everlasting kingdom. But, in the meantime, if the church refuses to accept the controversial slaughtering millions of unborn infants, all these bazaar LGBTQ ideologies such as validating the identity of individuals who are obviously in a state of confusion, gender reassignment surgery and the inappropriate sexualization of preadolescent children, which are now considered the only acceptable moral standards, we can anticipate an escalation in Christian persecution, as the government seeks to ultimately to gain total control over every aspect of our lives and society, because Christianity poses the biggest threat to Satan's deception, Christians are rapidly becoming the primary adversary of the government, leading to the eventual eradication of the Bible which contradicts man's laws. The church exists and operates under the authority of God, not under the approval of the government, therefore, if the government orders us to do something that is in direct opposition to God, there is certain point where is not only right, but it is our duty to respectfully refuse to obey, even at the risk of our own lives. 

 

As Peter so eloquently asserted as he stood before the ruling authorities of Sanhedrin, who strictly forbid them to preach Christ, spreading the Gospel in Acts 5, "We must obey God rather than men." Even as Satan persecutes the church working through the evil powers of corrupt authorities of corrupt governments, we can remain confident in the imminent return of our King, Who is coming to conquer our adversaries and crush the opposition.

Would you please pray with me?

Heavenly Father,

Father, we are so thankful for Your precious Word, thank You for providing us with everything that we need to understand what’s coming and reminding us that even during chaos, You are in control, so that we won't become discouraged. Lord, I pray that You would encourage the hearts of Your people to avoid becoming entangled in the politics of the day and what's happening in the world but instead view the current events of the day through the Holy Scripture, a perspective that is so often overlooked. We are grateful for the confidence that everything in happening in perfect alignment with Your divine plan, a blueprint that You have Masterfully conceived and flawlessly implemented, and cannot be hindered or disrupted by the kingdom of darkness. Lord, we pray for mercy on those who are still awaiting reconciliation, even within our own families, may today be the turning point, that glorious day that You would work in every heart of those receiving this message, so that they would humbly come to Christ and look to Him alone for their salvation. I pray that You would deliver any here in our midst from the illusion that their self-generated righteousness is sufficient, may today be the day they come to know they need to be saved, to be cleansed through relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ and maintained by the power of the Holy Spirit. Oh Father, we pray these things in Christ's precious Name.  

Amen

Today's Message: The Fantastic Faith of a Leper

Among the plethora of illnesses in existence today, I don't believe any have evoked as much fear or carried as much social stigma as HIV/AIDS, an immunodeficiency disease that has profoundly impacted our society since it's inception in the 1980's, primarily due to the virus's prolonged period of incubation, in which no symptoms are present until the latter stages. However, while there is still no vaccine or cure for HIV/AIDS,  today, through the advancements in modern medicine's ability to suppress the viral load in the body with effective treatment, rendering it "undetectable," making it possible for an HIV infected person to live while still carrying the virus, rather than dying from it. As a pastor, it is a deeply humbling realization to consider the vast number of  people have died without ever coming to know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, a burden for which I feel a tremendous weight of responsibility. After all, that's the reason the church exists in the world, is to point people to Jesus Christ for salvation and the forgiveness of sin. 

In the ancient world leprosy was the most feared disease that ravaged the lives of people, impacting them both socially and religiously by forcing them to remain in permanent isolation, not only due to its highly contagious nature but also because it was disabling and disfiguring and was believed to be impossible to cure, except in some rare circumstances, where they could be introduced back into society. Otherwise, it was strictly forbidden to interact with anyone afflicted with leprosy because of its contagion. Yet, Luke introduces us to a man, somewhere in Galilee, stricken with leprosy having lost all sense of shame, couldn't have cared less about what anybody thinks, who wasn't just wandering, but in desperation, purposefully comes into town looking for Jesus, Who offered the only source of hope available to him to make him clean. We aren't told how he might have gotten his information about Jesus, but we can assume the news of His numerous miraculous healings started to circulate and spread rapidly throughout the area.

Just a little background on leprosy, also called Hansen's disease as we know it today, we won't delve into it in great detail today, since it's rather lengthy and we've discussed previously back in Matthew chapter 8 and Mark chapter 1. But, in biblical days, leprosy was a visible despicable, highly contagious skin disease that affects the nerves and internal organs, which was pretty common in Israel in those days. It is said to have originated in Egypt, as the bacteria was discovered in a mummy. When the Israelites left Egypt, they carried this disease with them. Upon reaching Israel, God, in Leviticus chapter 13, provided very clear instructions on how to manage leprosy to protect the people. Today, according to the World Health Organization, there are two kinds one called lepromatous, which is more severe, and the other is called tuberculoid leprosy, which is harmless and typically gone within a few years. Then, there is a third type called Borderline, which is unstable and appears to be the most common form. It's interesting that according to the Center for Disease Control, this is still a pretty common disease, with up to 225 new cases in the U.S. each year and around 250,000 in the world are diagnosed with Hansen's disease. However, being afflicted with leprosy during biblical times was considered the most severe disease imaginable one could suffer from, being completely isolated from friends and family, left with no job or any form of livelihood, and worst of all, devoid of any sense of hope for the future.

Open you Bibles with me and turn with me to Luke chapter 5, verses twelve through fifteen. Luke 5:12-15. I trust that you will follow along with me as I read, to get our minds set on God's Word as we open up our hearts and listen for what the Spirit of God has to say to each of us today.

 "And it happened that while He was in one of the cities, behold, there was a man covered with leprosy; and when he saw Jesus, he fell on his face and begged Him, saying, "Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean." And He stretched out His hand and touched him, saying, "I am willing; be cleansed." And immediately the leprosy left him. And He directed him to tell no one, "But go and show yourself to the priest and make an offering for your cleansing, just as Moses commanded, as a testimony to them." But the news about Him was spreading even farther, and large crowds were gathering to hear Him and to be healed of their sicknesses."

 

Let's begin by looking at verse 12, "And it happened that while He was in one of the cities, behold, there was a man covered with leprosy; and when he saw Jesus, he fell on his face and begged Him, saying, "Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean." And it happened that while He was in one of the cities, The first thing I'd like you to notice is that none of the gospel writers tell us when or where this was, just "that while He was in one of the cities," then "behold, there was a man covered with leprosy." The next thing I'd like you to notice is that this man was in a state of desperation that surpassed any feelings of shame or humiliation, past the sense of embarrassment, what he did was bold having been rejected, shunned by all of society, which tells me he had nothing left to lose and had reached the point where he no longer cared about what anybody thinks, he was desperate to get to Jesus. He was unstoppable, confident of His ability to make him clean, determined to seek His help no matter what. Notice his humility, he approached Jesus with the reverence of a worshiping heart, we don't whether he believed Jesus was God, just that he called Him "Lord."

 

Next, notice he didn't come to Jesus with a laundry list of reasons why Jesus should heal him, he never once complains about his suffering or the shame he has endured, for who knows how many years, he didn’t come demanding his right to be healed, he didn't even ask, he just cried out, begging, "Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean." This man came in utter humility, recognizing he's not in a position to demand anything, acknowledging his own unworthiness to be healed. Beloved, while it is not the point of the passage, it is certainly serves as a striking illustration of the manner in which every penitent sinner is to approach Christ, in humility and desperation, with a sense of urgency, begging the Lord to be merciful. This sharply contrasts today's prevalent "name it and claim it" or "decree and declare" doctrine which teaches that people are to command healing from the Lord, asserting their entitlement by divine right, expecting His willing compliance. This perfectly reflects the beatitude attitude Jesus is describing  during His Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5 when He says, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, Blessed are those who mourn, Blessed are the lowly, Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness."

Scripture teaches, "God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble."

Verse 13, "And He stretched out His hand and touched him, saying, "I am willing; be cleansed." And immediately the leprosy left him." I absolutely love this vivid picture of our compassionate Lord and Savior, He didn't need to make physical contact with this man to heal Him, as evidenced by the next miracle He performs, where He heals with only a mere word, but sensing the authenticity of his brokenness, his profound need to feel human compassion, Jesus chose to reach out and touch this man who desperately craved to be touched. Something you just didn't do in that day according Leviticus 5:3, which prohibited contact with lepers, because you were never permitted to touch the uncleanness of a man. Jesus healed this man with a touch and with a word, saying, "I am willing; be cleansed." And, just like that, he was immediately healed. Let me tell you something,  never was there one instance of delayed miracle healing, whatever was wrong was always healed instantaneously. That's not to say that God can't or doesn't work through modern medicine, but that's completely different from divine healing. I'll tell something else, this world lacks empathy and compassion towards those who are suffering, even many Christians have become noticeably absent in caring for those who are hurting, offering little more than an insincere prayer. Paul reminds us in Galatians 6:9, that we are not to "lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary."

Verse 14, "And He directed him to tell no one, "But go and show yourself to the priest and make an offering for your cleansing, just as Moses commanded, as a testimony to them." Notice that once the leper had been cleansed, sternly warned him to tell no one, then, immediately instructs him to follow His command, "Before you just go running off telling everybody, go, and show yourself to the priest and make an offering for your cleansing, just as Moses commanded, as a testimony to them," demonstrating obedience, and emphasizing the importance of following Jesus' teachings. We know from the Old Testament teaching, in Leviticus chapter 14, Moses, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit,   prescribed way for lepers to reenter society and restore those lost relationships with family and friends, now that he was cleansed, he could even go and meet new people. I believe Jesus wanted this man to follow His instructions to reflect the essence of John 14:15, "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments." Highlighting the connection between our transformation after being cleanses of sin and our love for Him in a personal way, as well as our willingness to adhere to His commands. When you become a Christian, Christ commands obedience, let's be honest, the testimony coming from a disobedient life is worthless. And second, let the world observe by their own examination the evidence of your transformed life, your changed life is the greatest proof that Jesus Christ cleansed you from the uncleanliness of sin. We don't know whether or not he did what Jesus told him to do, but, we do know that Mark tells us that "he went out and began to proclaim it freely and to spread the news around, to such an extent that Jesus could no longer publicly enter a city, but stayed out in desolate areas; and they were coming to Him from everywhere." I believe it could easily be argued that this is a fairly accurate representation of a modern-day Christian, it's quite remarkable how quickly we can stray from the path of obedience after experiencing a spiritual transformation, and begin to fall back into our old ways, behaving disobediently. It's almost unbelievable, wouldn't you agree? Perhaps some of you have even uttered such things yourself, rest assured, you're certainly not alone, many others have found themselves in the same predicament, having fallen into the same dangerous trap.

By the way, this isn't the first time Jesus instructed someone not to tell anybody. In Matthew 16:20, He warned the disciples that they should tell no one that He was the Christ. In Luke 8, after He raised the little girl from the dead, He instructed her parents to tell no one what had happened. In Mark 7, when He healed the man who was deaf and spoke with difficulty, "and He gave them orders not to tell anyone; but the more He ordered them, the more widely they continued to proclaim it." And, in Matthew 17, after His transfiguration, He commanded them to "Tell the vision to no one until the Son of Man has risen from the dead."

 

That brings us to verse 15, "But the news about Him was spreading even farther, and large crowds were gathering to hear Him and to be healed of their sicknesses." There were over 200 towns and villages around Galilee and Jesus wanted to go to all of them, but this man's disobedience drove Jesus into the wilderness, the unpopulated areas because the crowds were so massive, so they could gather around Him and hear Him preach the Good News, and also be healed from their debilitating illnesses. Keep in mind that the main focus of ministry should always be on spreading the Gospel message, proclaiming the Good News to all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to keep all that He commanded. If you don't know Christ, if you haven't confessed Him as your personal Lord and Savior, I would just encourage you to open your heart to Christ and put your trust in Him right now and receive the precious gift of salvation given to all unworthy, undeserving sinners such as we are.

 

May it be so..

And now may the Lord bless you and keep you;

the Lord make His face shine upon you,

And be gracious to you;

The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,

And give you peace.

Now and forever, in Jesus' name

Amen


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