Saturday, September 6, 2014

Lesson from the battlefield, part 17: The way to prosper

 Every work which he began in the service of the house of God in law and in commandment, seeking his God, he did with all his heart and prospered. (2 Chronicles 31:21 NASB)


Hezekiah prospered, but it was not simply because of the terrific actions he took.  Hezekiah was obedient to the law and commands of God and he consistently sought God.  Every action was taken with a heart wholly devoted to God.  As a result of whole-hearted obedience, he prospered.


When we hear "prosper", we instantly think of money. Certainly Hezekiah had riches. There other ways of prospering, however. Peace, unity, and harmony in a nation is a form of prospering. Freedom from dangers without and within is another form of prospering. One way a family can prosper is through strong relationships and godly children.  


For our churches to "prosper" in this same way, lives must be changed. When churches prosper, people are drawn to Jesus and they become transformed by the Spirit of God. That is the prospering.  For that to happen, those of us who are leading by service must be obedient to the commands of our Lord and work with whole hearts.  We must offer whole-hearted obedient service.


Is there any area in which you are less than obedient?  Have you given your whole heart to the Lord? If you church, your family, your nation are going to prosper, whole-hearted devotion is necessary.  What better place for that to start than with you?  

 


Waiting for Jesus, part 19: Stay or Go?

Now they were all weeping and lamenting for her; but He said, "Stop weeping, for she has not died, but is asleep." And they began laughing at Him, knowing that she had died. He, however, took her by the hand and called, saying, "Child, arise!" (Luke 8:52-54 NASB)


At that moment when Jesus was thinning the crowd, Jairus and his wife could not know for sure what Jesus would do, nor how He would do it. The only thing they knew for sure was that He was likely to do something, and by their presence, they consented to His way. 

When He started talking about their dead daughter still being alive, they laughed along with everyone else. Just sleeping? No, they didn't believe that. On the other hand, Jesus was there and there was never any telling what He would do next. It was a crossroads of faith for Jairus and his wife. They could wait to see what Jesus would do, or join the other mourners. They stayed. 

That staying may not seem profound to us, but it was a very powerful statement of faith. We want to be in charge, make decisions, make things happen. As humans, we've been making decisions, and often bad ones, since the Garden of Eden. Jairus, however, made a wonderful and wise decision that day. When Jesus appeared to be speaking nonsense, when He made no sense at all, Jairus stood still and stayed to see what Jesus would do. In that staying, he was saying, "I believe He can. I believe Jesus will do something, and that something will be good."

At the intersection of utter hopelessness and the intervention of God, there should be a big red sign. Stop. Selah. Pause and consider. Hold right there until your next move is clear. Be still until you can clearly see which direction to go. 

When Jesus picked up that little girl's hand and started speaking, Jairus knew without a doubt he had made the right choice. When God's deliverance comes, the wisdom of staying is always clear. It is in those moments just before His intervention that we have the greatest risk and greatest likelihood of moving on our own, making a terrible decision, and missing the most exciting moment of our lives. 

Be still dear ones. Do not rush ahead. There is something to learn at that crossroads of faith, and it is something that will change your life and your faith forever. Can you trust Jesus?  Yes, you can. Can you wait for Him to move? Yes, you can. You can, that is, if you will, and if you wait for Jesus instead of taking matters into your own hands, you will find that it was the best decision of your life. 

Wait for Jesus. You will be so glad you did. 
-------
Here's the link to last night's post:  http://leannahollis.blogspot.com/2014/09/getting-ready-for-christmas.html

Waiting on Jesus, part 17: thinning the Crowd

When He came to the house, He did not allow anyone to enter with Him, except Peter and John and James, and the girl's father and mother. Now they were all weeping and lamenting for her; but He said, "Stop weeping, for she has not died, but is asleep." And they began laughing at Him, knowing that she had died. (Luke 8:51-53 NASB)

The girl was dead. Everyone knew it. They had seen dead people before, and she was dead. That's what the messenger had told Jairus, and he had no reason to doubt it. He was heartbroken. Poor Jairus had done everything he knew to do, but that woman with the hemorrhage had sneaked up from behind, waylaid Jesus, and kept Him from healing his daughter. If he hadn't been so sad, he'd have been furious. 

It was odd that the announcement of her death didn't slow Jesus down. He kept right on heading to Jairus' house, as if He could actually help. Well, maybe He could, Jairus must have thought. Maybe He would tell them about how to live with this grief. 

When they got to the house, Jesus did an odd thing. He narrowed down the participants. Peter, John, and James could go in with Him. Jairus and his wife could go in with Him. Everyone else, including the rest of the apostles, had to stay outside. They didn't like it much. After all, seeing Jesus work was always dramatic and fun. It was always good for a story that could be retold for years. No one wanted to stay outside, but He was firm. Five people and no more. 

Why? Why did He limit the number of people who could see the miracle in person? Scripture doesn't tell us, but maybe He limited the number of observers to increase the likelihood of getting the story straight. Jesus was about to do something amazing, and He had done it before. He was about to bring a dead child back to life. That story would be told over and over again for years. Every observer would tell their version of the story. The fewer observers, the fewer versions. Maybe what He wanted was for the story to be told exactly the way it happened. Perhaps, though, He not only wanted the story to be told accurately. Perhaps He wanted that story to "belong" to Jairus and his wife, rather than the crowd. Jairus had waited for Jesus, and Jesus was about to do something that would make the waiting worthwhile. 

Our very personal God often moves in our lives in very personal, intimate ways. He moves in ways few others can see, doesn't He? The paucity of observers does not make the move of God any less real. What it does is give us a testimony to God's power that no one else can tell. He entrusts us with our personal testimony of grace, just as we entrust Him with our utterly hopeless situation. It then becomes our responsibility, as well as our blessing, to tell our story of grace to all who will listen. 

We are not yet at the point where Jairus knows what Jesus will do. At this point, the crowd had thinned to five, and Jairus had less comfort and support from friends and family than he'd ever had. In a way, all He really had was a hopeless situation and Jesus. We will soon see that it was all he needed, and he will have a marvelous story to tell.  

Are you facing a hopeless situation in your personal life?  With your loved ones?  Has the crowd of supporters around you decreased to just a few?  Perhaps what you have is a miraculous move of God just beginning to unfold. When it does, you will have a testimony of grace that no one else can tell. 

Maybe you've already gone through that dark night of your soul, where hope is gone and the way seems filled with despair. Maybe you already have a personal testimony of private grace. If you do, remember that the testimony is not for you alone. Tell what God has done for you. Tell it and retell it. You will find that, in the telling, you will experience that flood of grace all over again. 

-------
Don't miss last night's Friday Night with Friends by Mamie the Apprentice Wonder Puppy, writing about the joy of kissing! Here's the link: http://leannahollis.blogspot.com/2014/09/friday-night-with-friends-joy-of.html

Friday, September 5, 2014

Friday Night With Friends: The Joy of Kissing by Mamie Hollis, apprentice wonder puppy



Kiss, kiss, kiss
I love to kiss!
I never want to miss 
A smooch for my sis!

My name is Mamie Hollis and I'm jus' a baby puppy but I am a appren'ice wonder puppy. That means that I'm learnin' to be a Wonder Dog like my big sister.  She is jus' won'erful. Maggie is already a wonder dog and she knows how to do 'bout ever'thing. She even learnt how to play sokker. Her friend Stella Hayden tolt her how and she taughted me. Sorry told and taught. (My mama could be a grammar natzi but I don' really know what that is. She's awful pa'ticular though)

Anyway, I'm not writing 'bout sokker. I'm writing 'bout kissing. I love kissing. I love, love, love kissing! My sister Maggie says, "Stop that, you silly puppy," but I just kiss her some more. I like to kiss ever'body. Ole Lou don't mind if I kiss him. And the mean cat that tries to bite my mama when she pets his belly don' mind neither. Either. I just tumble over him and kiss him all over. He's always nice to me after that. Maggie said it was no wonder. He was running for his life. Ha. If my mama tried kissin' the mean cat, he might not bite her. 

You prob'ly don't know this, but tumbling over and kissin' kinda go together. It sorta helps to run real fast to your friend and tumble over them. That way, you can get some good kissin' in while you're tumbling. And when you get through tumbling, you can lick and kiss some more. Yay!!!

I like to kiss my mama, too. You are s'post to kiss your mama. My sister tole me that. And your sister. Nobody tolt me 'bout kissing your sister, but I'm sure that's right. I kiss Maggie all the time. She  don' always like it all that much tho. But I still kiss her. You can never have too many kisses. 

Anyway, my sister was fussing at me yesterday 'bout kissing. She was trying to play sokker and I was trying to do kissing. Maggie said, "Mamie. This is too much kissing. Why are you kissing all the time?" Well, I will tell you what I tole my sister. "I am kissing everybody because I have love in my heart and I want to share it." My mama says Jesus is love and He loves every one of us. And Jesus wants us to love one another. It's in the Bible to say hello with a brotherly kiss. I hafta say hello with a sisterly kiss, but that still counts. 

Anyway, if you get a kiss from me, this is what it means. "Jesus loves me and I love you, and He loves you, too!" And what I say is there is not near enough kissing in this world, so if you get a chance, you should kiss your friends, and your sister, and your mama. Really, kiss everybody you see. Tha's what I do. It's fun! And every once in a while, somebody kisses me! 

I hafta write a 'prentice wonder puppy lesson of the day, and this is it:

Love everybody just like Jesus does. 
And kiss them. 

(And if you see me, be sure to kiss me.)

The end
By Mamie Hollis
A'prentice Wonder Puppy 

Waiting on Jesus, part 16: believing the unbelievable

While He was still speaking, someone came from the house of the synagogue official, saying, "Your daughter has died; do not trouble the Teacher anymore." But when Jesus heard this, He answered him, "Do not be afraid any longer; only believe, and she will be made well." (Luke 8:49-50 NASB)

"Only believe".  It sounds like it should be easy to do, doesn't it? "Don't  waste any more time being afraid, Jairus. Only believe and she will be made well," Jrsus told Jairus. The woman with the hemorrhage was told her faith was the vital part that brought healing. In this instance, the word used is a little different. The word used here is pisteuō. Translated as "believe", it is more than faith in Jesus as the Son of God. It requires entrusting our concern to Him. 

Until this point, Jairus was in charge of the daughter's healing. He had recruited Jesus and was on the way to a cure. Entrusting the daughter's illness to Jesus meant Jairus was no longer making the decisions. Jesus was in charge and Jairus was submitting to whatever Jesus decided. The girl had died. All hope was gone. Why not entrust the situation to Jesus?  

Why not, indeed? What Jairus found was that, at the end of all hope, Jesus was all he had. As it turned out, Jesus was all he needed. We will soon see the amazing way Jesus dealt with the little girl. At the end, it was worth it to trust Jesus. 

It is no less "worth it" to entrust our utterly hopeless situations to Jesus today. Jesus stands willing to help, willing to show Himself strong on our behalf. There is only one requirement. pisteuō. Entrust our situation to the only One who can intervene. 

Are you struggling with a difficult situation?  Is a loved one's predicament of great concern? Perhaps what is needed is pisteuō, entrusting that problem to Jesus. 

For the eyes of the LORD move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His." (2 Chronicles 16:9 NASB)
-------
Link to last night's post: http://leannahollis.blogspot.com/2014/09/lessons-from-battlefield-part-16.html

Thursday, September 4, 2014

Lessons from the battlefield, part 16 : Delayed Revival

2 Chronicles 30:15 b “The priests and Levites were ashamed of themselves and consecrated themselves, and brought burnt offerings…”

 

Verses 2 and 3 in this same chapter tell us that Passover had to be delayed because not enough priests were consecrated.  Revival was delayed because the God-appointed leaders were not faithful to keep the sin out of their own lives.  Once they saw the people racing to repentance, the priests were convicted about their delay and they, too, repented.  


It is not easy to stay faithful in the midst of our busy, over-extended lives.  The priests probably thought they were fine in comparison to the nation that had given itself over to idolatry.  Their standard of comparison, however, was not the world around them.  Their standard of comparison was the law, and they were sadly lacking.  


The standard by which we live is grace and our model is Jesus Christ.  Compared to the world in general our lives may look pretty good, but compared to Jesus we are all miserably failing.  Is there anything in your life that might delay revival?  Are you so faithful and clean before the Lord that your heart is prepared to serve at a moment’s notice?  


Revival is coming, dear ones, and God is going to move.  Don’t let your heart be the cause for delay.  You don’t want to miss a thing He has planned.  Let Him make your heart like His today.

Waiting on Jesus, part 15:

While He was still speaking, someone came from the house of the synagogue official, saying, "Your daughter has died; do not trouble the Teacher anymore." But when Jesus heard this, He answered him, "Do not be afraid any longer; only believe, and she will be made well." (Luke 8:49-50 NASB)

For the last several days, we have looked at the woman with the hemorrhage. What is easy to forget is that this passage began as a story about Jairus and his dying daughter. Jairus, you may remember, had approached Jesus and asked Him to accompany him to his house to see his only daughter who was near death.  Jesus had immediately started toward the girl. 

In the midst of His going, the woman with the hemorrhage had stopped Jesus by touching the fringe on His robe. She was instantly healed and Jesus had paused to chat with her. Just as He was about to resume His journey with Jairus, news came from the home of Jairus. "Your daughter has died. Stop bothering Jesus and come home."

Selah. Pause and consider this. 

Imagine how Jairus must have felt. He had humbled himself at the feet of Jesus before a crowd of people. He had almost gotten Jesus to his house. Help was so close, but not close enough. If only that woman with the hemorrhage had not stopped Jesus... If only Jesus hadn't stopped to talk to her... If only... Jairus had done all he could humanly do, but it wasn't quite enough, soon enough. If only... 

Just as Jairus was about to collapse with grief, Jesus said a surprising thing. "Do not be afraid any longer. Only believe." Just when it seemed like there was no more need for believing, nothing left to fear, that all hope was gone, Jesus was offering hope. In fact, He was offering an astounding promise. "Stop fearing, keep believing. She will be made well."  When all hope was seemingly gone, Jesus was still able to do more than Jairus could comprehend. 

The girl was dead. Nothing humanly possible could be done. There was not one thing Jairus could do for his daughter. There was nothing he could do, that is, except stop fearing and start trusting. In the midst of utter hopelessness, total failure, a situation beyond redemption, there was still Jesus, and Jesus was all that was needed. 

Do you face a situation of utter hopelessness, total failure, a situation beyond redemption?  When all your hope is gone, when there is no way you can "fix it", stop fearing and keep trusting. Trust Jesus, who can do exceeding abundantly beyond all you can hope or think, (Eph 3:20) and wait for Him to do what only He can do. 
-------
Link to last night's post: http://leannahollis.blogspot.com/2014/09/lessons-from-battlefield-part-15.html



Wednesday, September 3, 2014

Lessons from the Battlefield, part 15: struggle spots

The hand of God was also on Judah to give them one heart to do what the king and the princes commanded by the word of the LORD. Now many people were gathered at Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread in the second month, a very large assembly. They arose and removed the altars which were in Jerusalem; they also removed all the incense altars and cast them into the brook Kidron. (2 Chronicles 30:12-14 NASB)

 

The hand of God was on the people to obey.  As they gathered for the Passover, even before the feast began, they collectively began to cast away the altars on which they had worshipped idols.  Don’t misunderstand this principle.  Cleansing requires more than just confession.  They did not just confess that they had idols; they removed them from their land and destroyed them.

What are the places of idolatry in your life?  What are the things with which you struggle over and over again?  What are the areas in which true, lasting victory seems elusive?  Are you tired of dealing with the mess in your heart?  Are you sick of the distraction of sin (either wrong attitudes or wrong actions) that prevents you from truly worshipping with a whole heart?If so, today is a perfect day to do more than repent.  Ask our Lord to help you cast away that sin that has beset you so long and remove it completely from your life.  


Every Christian has some area or “struggle spot” that is a difficult one for them.  None of us are spared.  Even our Lord was tempted.  Victory comes only when we willingly allow our Lord to work in us to bring cleansing and lasting victory to our "struggle spots".  

Waiting on Jesus, part 14:

And He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace." (Luke 8:48 NASB)

"Go in peace," Jesus said to the woman who had been healed. Peace. What a beautiful thought! The woman had spent the last twelve years dealing with a hemorrhage, unclean as a result, isolated, alone. Her illness had changed her life, her relationships. It had been costly, and not just financially. She must have had twelve years of grief and inner turmoil. In an instant, she was made well. In an instant, Jesus replaced her turmoil with peace. 

The word translated as "peace" is not shalom, as you might expect. Shalom is usually used to indicate a state of "wholeness" or "at one".  The word used here is eirēnē. This word is more indicative of relationships, and signifies harmony in relationships with God and men. It indicates an inner quiet, free of turmoil, dissension, and strife. 

For a woman who had endured twelve very hard years, during which she had been isolated and become impoverished as a result of the disease, there must have been a tendency toward resentment and anger, if not toward God, then toward those around her. "Let it go," He was saying. Jesus was telling her to leave the resentment, anger, dissension behind. She was not only to go healed, she was to go forth in harmony with all around her. She was to go "in peace".  

His instruction to go in peace indicates a responsibility on her part for the peace. Her healing had come through a well-made choice of faith in Jesus and well-done action to reach out to Him. Her peace would come through an ongoing choice for harmony. 

Those three words, go in peace, sound lovely and simple, don't they? They are simple, but they are also filled with the challenge of a lifetime. How often are you tempted toward disharmony, either toward God or man? Choose peace. There may be disagreements with others, and there are times when standing up for right requires unavoidable conflict. Even in the midst of those difficulties, we can have inner peace. We should have inner peace. 

The words of Jesus for the woman who was healed are words we would do well to heed. Is there anger, dissension, resentment in your heart?  Let it go, and go in peace. 

Pray today that we and our loved ones would be so filled with the harmony of peace that it would spill over to all we meet. 

-------
Link to last night's post: http://leannahollis.blogspot.com/2014/09/nibbling-on-hay.html
-------
ISIS has been threatening to behead another journalist, and may well have already done it. Please pray for those in their captivity and their families, those in leadership who need to choose a response to this tyranny, as well as for divine intervention in this situation. 

Tuesday, September 2, 2014

Nibbling on Hay

The morning routine is almost always the same. Feed in the troughs, horses in the barn to eat, back to the house. Finish writing and quiet time, hay to the hay rack outside the barn, let the horses out. Same routine every day.  When the horses walk out of the barn, there is a big supply of fresh hay in their rack. 

Two of the horses realize the big supply is just outside the door, and they hurry out to start nibbling. Cali, however, moves a little slower. She is more deliberate. Cali has learned that the back right stall is the hay storeroom and that there is almost always a handful or two of fresh hay on the floor outside the door. There's generally a scattering of hay all the way to the hay rack. She wants her share of the hay in the rack, of course, but Cali also wants the little extras along the way. It's odd to me that the other horses seldom make the effort to get that extra hay. They only want the easy bites. Not Cali. She wants to get it all. 

Perhaps we are a little like those horses when it comes to Bible study and quiet time. Most of us want the easy pickings. We read a verse or two, maybe a devotional and a quick prayer, and go about our day. It takes considerably more time to actually study Scripture, make application to our own lives, and spend time in prayer, allowing our Lord to move in us as He sees fit. It takes more time and effort, but it is so much better to "get it all"!  

As you think about your morning routine, consider whether you might benefit from slowing down a bit and gathering a few extra "mouthfuls" of truth and direction. You might be glad you did. 

How sweet are Your words to my taste! Yes, sweeter than honey to my mouth! (Psalms 119:103 NASB)


Waiting on Jesus, part 13: Made Whole

And He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace." (Luke 8:48 NASB)

The phrase "has made you well" is a translation of the word sōzō.  This is a lovely term that could also be translated as "made you whole" or "saved you". "Your faith has made you whole." Indeed, that is what faith should do, isn't it? It should bring us to the One who can fix every broken part, every part that is imperfect. It should keep us near to Him until all is restored, made new, made whole.  

For the woman with the hemorrhage, "made whole" was more than a cessation  of her hemorrhage. It included a healing of the isolation of twelve years spent as "unclean".  All the years of loss, frustration, fear, and hurt had left a deep wound, but through her faith, they, too, were made whole. 

Isn't that what God would like to do through our faith?  Isn't that what He will do, if we allow it? Imagine your life "made whole".  What a change He could make if we reached out to Him with faith as the woman did and allowed His power to flow through us! Nothing held back. Nothing off-limits. 

Today, pray that we and our loved ones would stop holding back and give ourselves to the wholeness that only Christ can bring. 
------
Link to last night's post: http://leannahollis.blogspot.com/2014/09/lessons-from-battlefield-part-14-one.html
-------

Monday, September 1, 2014

Lessons from the Battlefield, part 14: One Heart

The hand of God was also on Judah to give them one heart to do what the king and the princes commanded by the word of the LORD. (2 Chronicles 30:12 NASB)

Obedience doesn’t always come easy, does it?  God’s chosen people had proved that truth over and over again.  Consistent obedience was impossible for them.  Impossible, that is, unless God Himself helped them.  Scripture tells us that God gave them a heart to obey the king. He gave them "one heart", a unified heart, so that they could not just obey, but obey together, as one. 

Oh, what a difference it would make if we had obedient hearts willing to do whatever our King required of us. 

Imagine what it would be like if the body of Christ had one heart, one unified heart, that was obedient to the Word of God. 

Imagine what our world would be like if those who claim to be Christians had a united, humble, obedient heart ready and willing to do whatever our Servant King commands.

May God give us one heart that beats with His...
To serve as He served
To love as He loved
To obey as He obeyed
So that we could live like the One we say we believe. 

Waiting on Jesus, part 12:

And He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace." (Luke 8:48 NASB)

"Your faith has made you well," He said to the woman. The word translated as "faith" is pistis and indicates a firm conviction of truth. For this woman, her pistis, her faith, in Jesus was so absolute that she could reach out and touch the fringe of His garment with confidence, certain that His power would flow through her, and it did. 

She was not trusting in the power of the fringe. She was trusting in Jesus as the Son of God, Messiah and Savior. In reaching out to Him, she was staking her life, her health, and her eternity on that belief. 

In our culture, there is a temptation to put our trust in ourselves and our ability to be productive.  We want to be "self-made".  Like toddlers, we want to "do it myself".  On the flip side, we also have a tendency to leave government in charge. When the poor have needs, our first thought is of what governmental agency should take responsibility. When we see injustice around the world, we ask not what we should do but what our government will do. 

The faith that transforms lives and brings healing and wholeness is not faith in ourselves nor faith in governmental entities. The faith that transforms is faith in Christ alone. When we reach out to Him in faith, we can be certain His power will flow through us. He will strengthen and empower us. He will make a difference in the world around us. 

In what or whom is our faith?  To what do we cling in times of trouble? In whom have we staked our life as well as our eternity? Be very certain that to which you cling has eternal significance. In Christ alone is our hope and our strength. Be sure He is your source of hope and strength as well. 
-------
Link to last night's post: http://leannahollis.blogspot.com/2014/08/lessons-from-battlefield-part-13.html
-------

Sunday, August 31, 2014

Lessons from the Battlefield, part 13: faithfulness

2 Chronicles 30:9 “If you return to the Lord, your brothers and your sons will find compassion before those who led them captive, and will return to this land.  For the Lord your God is gracious and compassionate, and will not turn His face away from you if you return to Him.”  

 

The temple doors were closed.  The utensils had been offered to idols.  There were no sacrifices and no worship.  The result was that the wrath of God had come against them.  The fathers had fallen by the sword, and the sons, daughters, and wives had been taken into captivity.  


God’s prescription for this mess was that the ones who were still in the land should repent and restore their own fellowship with the Lord.  The result would be that God’s Face of blessings would be turned toward them, and their loved ones in captivity would not only find compassion but be brought home.

It’s hard to believe that our faithfulness can impact captives who are miles away, but it can.  Not only can it lighten their burdenbut also our faithfulness can be instrumental in their deliverance.  Simply doing what we are supposed to do can change the world.  Nothing special or unusual is required, just faithful obedience.


We will have ample opportunity this week to draw close the Lord and we must choose whether to increase our faithfulness or continue in the status quo.  Some of the people we will encounter are struggling with their hurts, their sin, their pasts, and the grief of their hearts.  They are desperate for deliverance. Your faithful obedience and close relationship to Jesus can impact and help to bring about their deliverance. Your obedience may be a vital part of their deliverance.  How willing are you to sacrifice for the welfare of those people God brings your way?  

Waiting on Jesus, part 11: Stuck like glue

And a woman who had a hemorrhage for twelve years, and could not be healed by anyone, came up behind Him and touched the fringe of His cloak, and immediately her hemorrhage stopped. And Jesus said, "Who is the one who touched Me?" And while they were all denying it, Peter said, "Master, the people are crowding and pressing in on You." (Luke 8:43-45 NASB)

haptō. We've seen this word before. It Is translated here as "touched" but it literally means "to adhere to", "to fasten to", or "to kindle a fire".  It is the word used to describe Jesus' healing touch of the leper in Luke 5, the healing, resuscitative touch of Jesus for the boy who had died in Luke 7, and the touch of the woman with the alabaster vial. This is not just a passing brush on the shoulder. This is a life-changing touch that lights a flame in our hearts and connects us to Jesus, adheres us to Jesus, so that we remain with Him. It is a touch we never forget. 

It is how the woman with the hemmorhage touched Jesus.  haptō. It was a momentary touch, lasting just a few seconds, but it changed her life, and likely all in the crowd who heard her story, forever. For the woman, the fire of His power flowed through her and healed her, but that haptō also adhered her heart to Christ. It set her free to tell of the miraculous intervention of Jesus and the healing power of His touch. 

Have you experienced the haptō touch of Christ? Do you know the fire of His love in your heart? Have you encountered the cleansing and healing that haptō can bring? Are you adhered to Him because of that touch? Reach out to Jesus. In less time than you can imagine, that touch can bring healing, hope, and freedom, changing your life forever. Imagine that! The most amazing thing is that it starts with a single touch. 

Pray today that we and our loved ones would reach out and haptō Jesus, adhering our lives to His and allowing Him to do His work in us. 
-------
Here's the link to last night's post:  http://leannahollis.blogspot.com/2014/08/lessons-from-battlefield-part-12.html
-------
Here's the link to the radical obedience/terrorist prayers for the week: http://leannahollis.blogspot.com/2014/08/friday-night-with-friends-radical.html