Thursday, December 25, 2008 | By: What

The woman with the issue of blood




"As Jesus was on his way, the crowds almost crushed him. And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years,but no one could heal her. She came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped." - Luke 8:42b-44

In other manuscripts, it was written that she spent all she had on doctors. Here was a poor and sick woman. For twelve years she was unclean, and according to Jewish law she could not touch anyone, and everything she touched was unclean and not touchable as well. If she was walking in public she needed to inform the people and consciously avoid having close contact with others.


"When a woman has her regular flow of blood, the impurity of her monthly period will last seven days, and anyone who touches her will be unclean till evening. Anything she lies on during her period will be unclean, and anything she sits on will be unclean. Whoever touches her bed must wash his clothes and bathe with water, and he will be unclean till evening. Whoever touches anything she sits on must wash his clothes and bathe with water, and he will be unclean till evening. Whether it is the bed or anything she was sitting on, when anyone touches it, he will be unclean till evening." - Lev 15:19-23

In fact, the Scriptures recorded that she only touched the edge of his garment, not Jesus himself, probably fearing of being stoned.

Imagine doing that for twelve years. Imagine the guilt and shame that were binding her. She dared not approach Jesus but that was the only hope. Desperation.

There was another reason why she touched the edge of the cloak, or tassels. In Hebrew, the garment is known as "tallit" and its edge is known as "tzitzit" - or wings. It is the same reference used in Malachi 4:2

"But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings. And you will go out and leap like calves released from the stall." - Mal 4:2

The sun of righteousness meant here is really the Son of righteousness, the Messiah. The tzitzit in Leviticus actually represented the 613 laws of Torah which would be fulfilled completely by the Messiah. Hence by faith in our Saviour, we will be made clean because the curse of the law was nailed at the cross. The woman believed that by touching the cloak of the Messiah, she will be made clean. True enough, the bleeding immediately stopped. Jesus commended that indeed "Your faith has healed you". In essence, it was not the tzitzit that healed her, but her faith in God.

Maybe you need to touch Jesus today. You need not touch just the edge of His cloak, but you can embrace Him today. The bleeding of sin will be stopped and you will be healed from the inside out.

Jesus did another thing.

"Then the woman, seeing that she could not go unnoticed, came trembling and fell at his feet. In the presence of all the people, she told why she had touched him and how she had been instantly healed. Then he said to her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace." - Luke 8:47-48

The Scriptures pointed out that she wanted to slip away - quietly. Why? Because she was afraid to be caught. Although the bleeding was stopped, but the shame remained dripping from her heart. She felt guilty of touching Jesus because she was unclean. She didn't want anyone to know.

But Jesus gave her an opportunity to testify in front of the crowd, how she was healed. As a result she was vindicated, and everyone then knew she was no longer unclean. She was set free from shame! Then Jesus said "Go in peace" Indeed it is such a peace to be free from guilt and shame.

Maybe today, you need to be free from shame as well and experience of God. Shame has pierced your heart, and you felt dirty and unworthy of love. Jesus came to die so that you may be set free to experience the forgiveness of God and abundance of life. Come and touch Him and let Him clean you from the inside out.
Saturday, December 6, 2008 | By: What

Let your heart live again


"Some time later, Jesus went up to Jerusalem for a feast of the Jews. Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool, which in Aramaic is called Bethesda and which is surrounded by five covered colonnades. Here a great number of disabled people used to lie—the blind, the lame, the paralyzed. One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, 'Do you want to get well?'" - John 5:1-6

38 years. 38 years of being immobilized, living by the pool of his hope, begging everyday of his life. 38 years of waiting, hoping and longing. Ironically, Bethesda meant the House of Mercy - but he received none.

Then Jesus asked a poignant question, "Do you want to get well?" It seemed like a merciless question to ask an invalid for 38 years. For 38 years he has been dissapointed by hope, and ridiculed by life. His heart probably grew very cold and very tired seeing people around him healed except him. Questions like these probably haunted his mind -


"Have I have sinned too much?"
"Does God hate me?"

He was becoming hopeless of any change and resigned himself to fate. Instead of saying a resounding "Yes, I want to get healed!", he answered :

"'Sir,' the invalid replied, 'I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me.'" - v7

In Jerusalem, there was a belief that an angel would come at certain times of the year and stir up the waters in the pool. The first person to jump in would be healed of whatever diseases they had. So people would stand by the pool - the lame, they blind, the paralyzed, all hoping to get healed. So you see the man's answer was valid, but it hinted on a sickness deeper.

He said, "I have no one to help me". He was so resigned, that he did not even ask Jesus to help him to the pool, let alone asking Him for healing.

"Hope deferred makes the heart sick" - Prov 3:12

Have you had similar excuses when your hopes were dashed? Sometimes, it feels better to blame the situation than to seek God earnestly. That is a spirit of resignation. We do not inherit a spirit of resignation but a spirit of resurrection. You need to resurrect your hope and place it on the right Person, not persons.

"Then Jesus said to him, 'Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.' At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked." - v8-9

I believe when God gave the command, it shifted his focus from other persons to taking ownership of his situation. No one was still here to help him get up. Jesus didn't. He got up purely by the word of God. Now his hope was placed at the right pillar - the Word of God and healing power was instantly released. He was able to get up, take up his mat and walk. He took up his mat where he had eaten, slept and begged for 38 years. What he was dependant upon was rolled away and overcome.

Maybe your heart has been sick because of hope that was deferred. You lost hope, and depressed that things would not change. As a result you lost the zest of life, and fell ill. You need to be healed from the inside out, by claiming the Spirit of resurrection right now to lift you up from the paralysis of your situation, take up your problem and walk in victory!
Thursday, December 4, 2008 | By: What

Touching the untouchable


"Now a leper came to Him, imploring Him, kneeling down to Him and saying to Him, 'If You are willing, You can make me clean.'
Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, 'I am willing; be cleansed.' As soon as He had spoken, immediately the leprosy left him, and he was cleansed." - Mark 1:40-42

In the first of the series on Healing from the Inside Out, we come to the account of a leper. When the leper met Jesus, he began with the words "If you are willing,.." He probably felt Jesus would somehow decline his request - just like how others have rejected him over the years. Then Jesus did something to him that might not mean much to others, but it meant a world to this leper.

He touched him.

To appreciate the depth of this act, you need to know that leprosy is considered a curse among the Jews. It is reckoned together with sin. The lepers were confined to leper community far away from the main city. Whenever a leper passed by anyone, he was supposed to shout "Unclean, unclean" or else he would be stoned. He was unclean and no one was supposed to touch him.

But Jesus did.

"The person with such an infectious disease must wear torn clothes, let his hair be unkempt, cover the lower part of his face and cry out, 'Unclean! Unclean!' As long as he has the infection he remains unclean. He must live alone; he must live outside the camp." - Lev 13:45-46

The extent of His touch reached beyond stigma of society into the deep recesses of his heart. It touched his soul. It touched his wound. It touched his desire to be loved and accepted like a child.

You need to know Jesus can touch the untouchable, the sin, the failures and the pain. Nothing is beyond the reach of God's compassion.

When God heals, He heals inside out. He touches your heart, forgives your sins and heals your wounds of rejection.

Maybe today, you had nursed some wounds of rejection over many years. It is time to let the Hand touch you and bring deep healing to bring back your worth as a person. I'm not talking about exalting the self above God; I'm talking about a portion of glory that is imparted to man and woman when they were created. It is God's pleasure to give that glory because we were created to reflect Him. We are His children. No one has the right to step on you like a mat. His glory covers you as His children, beloved and accepted. Anyone who touches you touches the apple of His eye (Zech 2:8)

When the heart is healed, a physical miracle ensued. Leprosy immediately left him. He was clean again - from the inside out. If you want God to touch you inside, cry out to Him now in your words, just as you are. Masks don't really work in the consuming fire - they melt like wax.
Tuesday, December 2, 2008 | By: What

Healing from the inside out

The LORD heals in ways beyond human logic. He is interested in the healing both the heart as well as the body. In the accounts of Jesus' healing, every story reveals a beautiful picture of healing the whole person. In the Hebrew understanding, the person is not divided in spirit, soul and body but rather one whole man. Each faculty of the mind, heart and body are related and affects one another.

"Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones." - Prov 16:24

"A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones." - Prov 17:22

These Scripture verses reveal that the emotions and words do affect our physical health. Have you heard of the doctor's advice for people with heart attacks to control their temper? Do you know that fear and anxiety can be causes of asthma and allergies? How about yourself? Do you see your own emotions affecting your appetite lately? How about hurtful words that run deep in your soul - Did that affect your health?

By His grace, you can break free and be healed from the inside out.

In the coming days, I will share about how Jesus ministered healing - from the inside out and how you can apply that into your life. If you know people who are sick, please share this website and encourage them to subscribe for these insights. I am trusting that miracles will take place when the truth shall set them free!

I AM

God said to Moses, "I am who I am . This is what you are to say to the Israelites: 'I AM has sent me to you.' " - Exo 3:14

I AM is the foundation of all revelation of God. The Hebrew word is YHWH. YHWH cannot be pronounced but was later added the vowels from the word Adonai to form what we know today as Jehovah.

YHWH means I AM who is the everlasting God, who is the same yesterday, today and forever. It also means TODAY or NOW. I AM is not I was and not I will be. God is an ever present help in times of need, and His promises are for you today. The promises He gave to Abraham thousands of years ago is valid for you today through Jesus Christ.

When understood, it becomes the foundation of all other names of God. When you declare God as Jehovah Rapha (our Healer), He says I AM the Healer, not I was or going to be. God is the Healer today!

When God says He is Jehovah Jireh (our Provider), he is telling you I AM your Provision today, not sometime in the future or a fact of the past.

When God says He is Jehovah Shalom, He is your Peace today, tomorrow and forever!

You see YHWH is foundation of all knowledge of God.

Before you call upon the name of God, know this that YHWH desires to manifest Himself to you now, at this very moment.