Christianity Oasis Forum

[cimi]

September 30
Tuesday


A FRESH START

READ:
Luke 5:17-26
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Those who are well
have no need of a
physician, but those
who are sick.
__Luke 5:31
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In many countries, health laws prohibit reselling or reusing old mattresses. Only landfills will take them. Tim Keenan tackled the problem and today his business employs a dozen people to extract the individual components of metal, fabric, and foam in old mattresses for recycling. But that's only part of the story. Journalist Bill Vogrin wrote, "Of all the items Keenan recycles....it's the people that may be his biggest success" (The gazette, Colorado Springs). Keenan hires men from halfway houses and homeless shelters, giving them a job and a second chance. He says, "We take guys nobody else wants."

Luke 5:17-26 tells how Jesus healed the body and the soul of a paralyzed man. Following that miraculous event, Levi answered Jesus' call to follow Him and then invited his fellow tax collectors and friends to a banquet in honor of the Lord (vv.27-29). When some people accused Jesus of associating with undesirables (v.30), He reminded them that healthy people don't need a doctor__adding, "I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance" (v.32).

To everyone who feels like a "throwaway" headed for the landfill of life, Jesus opens His arms of love and offers a fresh beginning. That's why He came! __David McCasland

`````````````````````````The power of God can turn a heart````````````````````````
```````````````````````````From evil and the power of sin;````````````````````````
`````````````````````````The love of God can change a life````````````````````````
````````````````````And make it new and cleansed within. __Fasick`````````````````
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Salvation is receiving a new life.

***************************************Today's Bible Reading __ Luke 5:17-26*************************************

17 Now it happened...as
He was teaching, that there
were Pharisees and teachers
of the law sitting by, who had
come out of every town of
Galilee, Judea, and
Jerusalem. And the power of
the Lord was present to heal
them. 18 Then behold, men
brought on a bed a man who
was paralyzed, whom they
sought to bring in and lay
before Him. 19 And when
they could not find how they
might bring him in, because
of the crowd, they went up
on the housetop and let him
down with his bed through
the tiling into the midst
before Jesus.

20 When He saw their faith,
he said to him, "man, your
sins are forgiven you."

21 And the scribes and the
Pharisees began to reason,
saying, "Who is this who
speaks blasphemies? Who
can forgive sins but God
alone?"

22 But when Jesus perceived
their thoughts, He answered
and said to them, "Why are
you reasoning in your hearts?

23 Which is easier, to say,
'Your sins are forgiven you,'
or to say, 'Rise up and
walk'? 24 But that you may
know that the son of Man
has power on earth to forgive
sins"__he said to the man
who was paralyzed, "I say to
you, arise, take up your bed,
and go to your house."

25 Immediately he rose up
before them, took up what he
had been lying on, and
departed to his own house,
glorifying God. 26 And they
were all amazed, and they
glorified God and were filled
with fear, saying, "we have
seen strange things today!"

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>INSIGHT<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

The religious leaders accused Jesus of blasphemy for claiming divine
attributes for Himself (Luke 5:21). Blasphemy is showing contempt or
a lack of reverence for God or something sacred (v.20). A violation of
the third commandment, it was punishable by death (Lev. 24:15-16).