Good day dear friends. We have good news/bad news from Doug Carson. This is the way his wife shared it with me! Good news: The infection can be controlled and wasn't as severe as the family feared! Bad news: They found water in Doug's lungs and hospitalized him in hopes of stopping pnuemonia. That's not really bad news, other than to have him away from the family. Please continue to hold the Carson family in your prayers. I visited with Houston Marney and he's very alert and ready to return home. I visited with Virgil Swift and his next doctor's appointment is Wednesday of next week. Eric Brown's surgery went very well. And W. C. Newberry, former member, went home on Tuesday. The team from Mozambique reported yesterday that their evangelistic efforts are going great. They've been showing the "Jesus" movie twice a night to receptive crowds, who usually remain standing for the entire 2 hour, 15 minute movie. The team prays with those asking for prayer and lead them in singing. Tracts that have been passed out have been received with much enthusiasm. Our prayers are being answered.
We continue to affirm that science is not in conflict with Christianity. Here is our study guide for today:
Thursday: In 2 Kings 5:1-14, we find a story of one afflicted with an illness that is not easily healed, but the faith of his slave girl allows him to find the man of God who prescribed the perfect healing for him. Read the story and ask God to speak to your heart about illnesses you or a loved one is facing.
Here is the passage from 2 Kings 5:1 Now Naaman was commander of the army of the king of Aram. He was a great man in the sight of his master and highly regarded, because through him the Lord had given victory to Aram. He was a valiant soldier, but he had leprosy. 2 Now bands from Aram had gone out and had taken captive a young girl from Israel, and she served Naaman's wife. 3 She said to her mistress, "If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy." 4 Naaman went to his master and told him what the girl from Israel had said. 5 "By all means, go," the king of Aram replied. "I will send a letter to the king of Israel." So Naaman left, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold and ten sets of clothing. 6 The letter that he took to the king of Israel read: "With this letter I am sending my servant Naaman to you so that you may cure him of his leprosy." 7 As soon as the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his robes and said, "Am I God? Can I kill and bring back to life? Why does this fellow send someone to me to be cured of his leprosy? See how he is trying to pick a quarrel with me!" 8 When Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his robes, he sent him this message: "Why have you torn your robes? Have the man come to me and he will know that there is a prophet in Israel." 9 So Naaman went with his horses and chariots and stopped at the door of Elisha's house. 10 Elisha sent a messenger to say to him, "Go, wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored and you will be cleansed." 11 But Naaman went away angry and said, "I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, wave his hand over the spot and cure me of my leprosy. 12 Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than any of the waters of Israel? Couldn't I wash in them and be cleansed?" So he turned and went off in a rage. 13 Naaman's servants went to him and said, "My father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more, then, when he tells you, 'Wash and be cleansed'!" 14 So he went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, as the man of God had told him, and his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy.
This is a powerful story and as I have shared here before, strongly emphasized at a UMW meeting by a retired pastor's wife who said that the unnamed girl in this passage was perhaps one of the most powerful characters in the Bible because of her faith. She was carried off by enemy soldiers and forced into slave labor by this general. But that did not keep her from trusting God even in her situation and even for the healing of this man keeping her from being free. Her faith said that God could work things that cannot and do not need explanation. In this story the general finally gives in to the prescribed remedy and is healed. Did he need a scientific explanation? No! He needed a way to thank God!
Oh, if our faith were that strong! To say that God is with us and can and does heal us, sometimes not in ways that we want or life. Can we have a faith such as this?
PRAYER: Loving God come to my heart and mind and allow my faith to grow. Let my faith be that which allows me to share You with others. Make me an instrument of hope and joy and peace. In Christ Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Have a great and blessed day!
e.v.
