Matthew 9 - Pick Up Your Mat and Walk!

For whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and walk? But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick of the palsy,) Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house. And he arose, and departed to his house. But when the multitudes saw it, they marvelled, and glorified God, which had given such power unto men. Matthew 9:5-8

After Jesus was asked to leave the area of Gadera, He went back to His home town of Capernaum and healed all those who came to Him. Because the house where He was ministering was so packed, several men had to go to great lengths to get their paralytic friend before Jesus. We learn from the other Gospels that they actually cut a hole in the roof and lowered their afflicted friend down from the ceiling! When Jesus saw their faith (their extraordinary measures), He declared the man His "son," AND declared him forgiven of his sins!

Why was this so shocking? Because the scribes and teachers of the law knew full well that, under the Law, only God has the authority to forgive sin. Therefore, Jesus was declaring Himself God by making this proclamation--and He did it in a new way, without going to the temple and sacrificing an innocent animal before the priest, shedding its blood. God was issuing in a new order under a new covenant.

To prove this amazing authority to forgive sin, Jesus looked at the man, commanding him to rise, pick up his mat, and return home. While the scribes declared blasphemy in their evil hearts, the multitudes marveled that God had given this kind of power to men.

As born again children of God, IN Christ, we need to accept what the heavenly father has said about us, that our sin has been forgiven once and for all! As new creations in Christ, we likewise need to rise up from the bondage of denominationalism and false teaching, pick up our mats and return home, declaring the good news of ALL Jesus died to give us!

Matthew 4 - Fishers of Men

And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. And they straightway left their nets, and followed him. Matthew 4:18-20.

After Jesus was tested in the wilderness, He began His ministry. When John the Baptist was placed in prison, Jesus left His home town and went to Capernaum where He began warning people to repent for the Kingdom of heaven was at hand, i.e. that it was very close.

His first disciples chosen were four fishermen, Peter and Andrew, who were brothers, and James and John, the sons of Zebedee. We see from the prophecy in Ezekiel 47 that God prophesied that, in His kingdom, a large number of fish would swim in the river of life and that fishermen would line the banks, ready to bring in a haul. We know this a picture of the great harvest of souls upon the earth as the Gospel has gone forth for the past two thousand years!

Another signpost that Messiah has come!

Colossians 3 - Put Off the Old Man!

But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him: Colossians 3:8-10.

Now that we have become new creations IN Christ Jesus and are considered to be righteous children of God, we have the unique ability, authority, and power to mortify or deaden the fleshly desires of this mortal body. 

Before we were born again IN HIM, this would have been impossible, since we were natural men who could only rely on our will power - which is always short-lived, as every dieter knows! But when we go through the new birth, we attain the ability to put those things away, to figuratively kill them, to take control of our earthly bodies and not let them control us. We do this by keeping our thoughts on things above, where Christ Jesus dwells, and not on things below, the things that are here on earth.

We need to reject any teaching that tells us we are still pathetic sinners with no ability to control our raging hormones, earthly desires, and emotions. All of that is a lie from the enemy working through well-meaning men. We must remember that IN Christ Jesus we have authority and power over all of that. It may take some time for manifestation to come, but if we stand firm, contiuing in the faith, listening to the father and following the leading of the Holy Spirit, we will see results!

The Holy Spirit will lead and guide us into all truth, and the heavenly father will help us and show us what we need to do to overcome. He's a good God!