“Physician, heal yourself!”

Good morning! This is the day that the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it. I hope you will as well.

What a wonderful Resurrection Sunday weekend that we had. The folks that helped with our Illustrated Sermon did a remarkable job. I am so glad that we serve a Risen Savior! But I am also glad that the power of the Risen Savior is in each of us that have made Jesus Christ our Savior and Lord. Listen to what the Word of God says:

Romans 8:11 (AMP) And if the Spirit of Him Who raised up Jesus from the dead dwells in you, [then] He Who raised up Christ Jesus from the dead will also restore to life your mortal (short-lived, perishable) bodies through His Spirit Who dwells in you.

Thank God that "Resurrection Power" is living inside of me. I don't have to wait until Easter comes around to experience His power, right now, the day after Easter, God's power is at work within me. Thank God for that! His power can bring about healing, restoration of relationships, restoration of my soul, salvation and so many other things.

Did you know that in the Old Testament a priest could not serve in God's house if he had a scab, which is an unhealed wound or a bleeding sore? (Leviticus 21:20.) Why? Because when you have a scab you're not up to par. You can't get close to others in case they bump into you and knock the protective cover off it. You're not at your best because the pain-drain is sapping your strength. You're afraid to talk about your scab in case people reject you, so you wear a mask, live on two levels and become insecure and controlling. Worst of all, you're so busy working for God and taking care of others that you don't think you have time to stop and take care of yourself. The Bible says: "Physician, heal yourself!" (Luke 4:23 NKJV).

Does this mean people with 'issues' can't work for God? No, quite the opposite. It's the broken who become masters at mending. But first you must take time to be healed. Jesus said that when the blind lead the blind they both fall into a ditch (Matthew 15:14). It's hard to talk about victory to others when you yourself are living in defeat. It's hard to bring emotional healing to others when you're still battling the unresolved issues of your past. When you are still bleeding, you can't treat people's problems with the same kind of aggressive faith you'd have if you'd already worked through the problem.

Is it wrong to have a wounded heart? No, but it's wrong not to deal with it. So, spend time with God and let Him make you whole so that He can use you to minister more effectively to others. If you don't take the time to heal, then you will find Revelation 3:20 taking place in your life very soon. We will talk about that tomorrow!

Blessings!

Pastor Rusty