LizChatter

I wonder what it would have been like for Christ to look down from the Cross to see his followers holding the coat of the soldier who had pierced his side or passing out beverages to the one who had scourged Him. What would it have been like if He would have looked down to see that the soldier nailing his feet was a man who had followed Him for a time? I know I’m walking a fine line here and some of you have already been lost at the opening of this blog. I totally understand – after all, we are commanded to love our enemies and do well to those who despitefully use us. While this writing gets into some nitty-gritty areas, I know that the powerful love of Christ is greater than any sin ever committed - there is no one beyond His reach. My thought today is along the lines of love versus enabling. Where is the boundary between the two? What does one look like as opposed to the other? I’m sure the heart of Christ could not have been more broken as He hung on the Cross dying for the human r...

You may know the story of ‘The Women with an Issue of Blood’. Out of this story, found in Luke 8, Mark 5 and Matthew 9 have come powerful sermons on healing, faith, touching the hem of His garment, etc. This week a visiting speaker made reference to her and my mind was drawn back into this interesting story. After looking at this story again a few things came to mind: #1 – this woman was a survivor. I mean, hemorrhaging for 12 years … wow. #2 – in addition to staying alive she had to cope with being pitied and being served (receiving charity from neighbors & friends) #3 - she had to deal with being studied by the physicians of her day. No doubt, there were lots o f questions and tests of sorts; none of which provided relief. The reference in Mark 5 reads “… endured much at the hands of many physicians, and had spent all that she had and was not helped at all, but rather had grown worse” I’m sure that after so many years she simply adjusted physically, mentally and spiritually to he...