A Man with a Shriveled Hand (Mark 3:1-6)

How to show love, when you face opposition?

Again he entered the synagogue, and a man was there with a withered hand. And they watched Jesus, to see whether he would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse him. (3:1-2)

Sadly, some of those with whom I shared about the Sabbath took offense. They were more concerned with their theological system than with God. They did not try to please the Father and to seek him, they wanted first to maintain the rules they had enforced, with the hypocrisy of pretending that it was the will of God. Their hearts were cold and they began to look for occasions to trap me. 

This was no surprise for me. Some of the scribes and pharisees had been touched by the healing of the paralytic, what I said in the field, or the many other miracles that I performed through the power of the Holy Spirit. Others began to see me as a threat to their religious system and to their many rules. They were right in this: I came to lead people to the Father, not to human rules that keep people enslaved to sin and to human idols. They claimed that their rules would prevent people from idolatry, while their very system became an idol keeping people away from me. It was and still is today a sad reality, even in some parts of Christianity. I came to show the way, to be the way to the Father. I am the way, and it is not in splitting verses with precision, or in building theological cathedrals that people will receive the abundant life of the Spirit. It is only by grace, through faith in my words and faith in me that they will come to discover the blessed life of the Spirit. As it was the case in my days, many will be ready to persecute Christians who are more concerned about living in my presence than in maintaining sets of rules. This still touches many churches or groups of churches today. 

And he said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?” But they were silent. And he looked around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, and said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was restored. (3:3-5)

Even with this group that was bent on evil, planning to accuse me, the Father wanted me to show the way of life. He wanted me to give an example that my disciples could follow when they would sense opposition. He wanted me to show grace to this man in need of help. It is very important to always keep the focus on the Father, on the Holy Spirit, on me, rather than on the problems or opponents. When you focus on problems your faith drops and your relationship with us is weakened. 

I used their debating methods and the logic of their arguments to show them the incoherence of their system. What God wants more than any rule is for us to do good and to save life, rather than to do harm or to kill. This is true at any moment and in any situation, therefore also on the day of the Sabbath. they knew the answer to my question, but since it challenged their human system of rules, the Pharisees present did not respond and chose to stay silent. That was hypocrisy, that was a sign of a hardened heart. It was painful to me, to see these men pretending to show the way to God and yet hiding the incoherence of their rules behind their silent and angry hearts. 

I knew that by confronting the lie of these idolatrous rules, of these idolatrous persons, I would face violent opposition. Yet, I did not come on earth to be safe, but I came to love, and love has a price. I asked the man to stretch out his hand, and as he obeyed my word and stretched his hand, it was restored. It is through his obedient faith that he received healing in his hand. 

As you learn to obey my commands, as you learn to walk by faith in me, you will see my love pour into you and through you. Some people have a strange idea about love, as if it was separate from the power of the Spirit. The Love of God is poured into your heart through the Holy Spirit himself. Love is the foundation for the power of the Holy Spirit, for the works that the Father has prepared. Miracles are not an option for my disciples, they are the manifestation of their faithful obedience and of their love. Love for the Father and love for the neighbor are the foundations for the life in the Holy Spirit. 

As you learn to be my disciple, I want to show you the way of love that I opened, for you to experience the power of Holy love. A sign that your love is real is that it will transform the persons around you. Learn to listen to me during your days, to follow my directions of love through the presence of the Holy Spirit in you. Then you will see miracles of healing, repentance, conversion, forgiveness during all your life. Love was the foundation of my ministry, and it is because of this love that came from the Father that I could do miracles. Don’t separate holy love from the power or gifts of the Holy Spirit, it would be the opposite of the way that I showed during my whole life. It is out of love that you learn to be a channel of the power and gifts of the Holy Spirit. They are designed as ways to show the love of God to many. It was the case with me, it was the case with my disciples during my life and after Pentecost, it is still the case today and tomorrow for those who want to be my disciples. 

The Pharisees went out and immediately held counsel with the Herodians against him, how to destroy him. (3:6) 

This is another part of love that is painful yet important. When you decide to show the love of the Father in this world, some will feel that it threatens their human idols, and they will become violent toward you. Through my teaching and example, I threatened these Pharisees and their teaching, so they decided to discuss with the Herodians about how to destroy me. They tried to destroy my reputation, my disciples, and they ultimately tried to destroy me and condemned me to the cross. Yet, in all this the Father could lead me to shine of His love and to be victorious even through death. God’s love is the most powerful force in the universe. I demonstrated it through my life, my death and my resurrection. Learn this lesson, live this lesson and rejoice. 

Plucking Grain on the Sabbath (Mark 2:23-28)

What is the purpose and goal of the Sabbath?

One Sabbath he was going through the grain fields, and as they made their way, his disciples began to pluck heads of grain. And the Pharisees were saying to him, “Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?” (2:23-24)

This was a major concern for the Pharisees. The Sabbath was considered extremely important, and had become a key element of the Jewish identity in these days. It had expanded its biblical meaning to a long set of rules. One of them was that you should not pluck grain, since it was considered work. 

And he said to them, “Have you never read what David did, when he was in need and was hungry, he and those who were with him: how he entered the house of God, in the time of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and also gave it to those who were with him?” (2:25-26)

I first wanted to respond to them in a way they could accept, through the biblical example of David. He not only travelled on the Sabbath, but also ate bread from the temple, a bread that should be eaten only by priests. What I wanted to stress in this illustration is that in a time of need, this ‘rule’ of the Sabbath should not be more important than the care for humans. 

And he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. (2:27)

A rule should not be more important than love, even the rules of the Sabbath. This was shocking to the Pharisees, because in their system of rules the Sabbath was extremely important. They were more concerned with rules than with the love of the Father, or the love of their neighbor. As many times in the world, people build large sets of rules with the belief that this will keep people focused on the right things. This approach has never been very efficient. It is not in this way that people will enter in meaningful relationships. It is old wineskins and I came to bring new wine. I came to invite people to the relationship of love with the Father, to the joyful obedience that brings fruits of peace and love. 

So the son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath.”

This title “son of Man” is what I used during my life, as a description of who I was and what I was going to accomplish. It evoked an important text in Daniel, as well as the way God spoke to the prophet Ezekiel, both prophets in exile in Babylon. My people, the Jewish people, was still in exile during my life, in a spiritual exile. They were still in sin and not in holiness, they were still far away from God. They were still focused on things and not on the Father. Even when they spoke of what the Father wanted, it was sets of rules of men rather than a call to love God with all your heart, soul and strength. These rules became a hindrance to coming to God, since they had become goals in themselves. They should have been tools for the relationship, thus flexible and adaptable, but they were rather walls you should not touch. In doing so with religion, people erect barriers between men, and have people focus on human authorities who teach these rules instead of focusing on the love of God and on seeking His face. 

What I said, that the son of man was lord even of the Sabbath was shocking to them. This title of ‘son of man’ could apply to me but also to any human being, it was preparing the way for my disciples to follow. Stating, although indirectly, that I was lord even of the Sabbath was very important. The Sabbath was a time of rest sanctified for the relationship with God, to first and foremost meditate on the love of God manifested in the creation and in the deliverance of Israel from Egypt. It was a time that should be focused on God. Yet, for many this God was very abstract and very distant, it was more a distant memory than a present experience. I came to remove this distance, I came to bring back the presence of God in the midst of the human communities. 

Many humans want to localize God in a temple, a church or a ‘religious building’. This allows humans to distinguish the sacred spaces and the secular spaces, to distinguish between the places where man can rule and places where God can rule. I came to break this dividing wall, to remind people that the whole creation is full of the glory of God, that the relationship with God is possible everywhere and at any time. 

The Sabbath was supposed to be a time of rest with God, but for many it signified that the other days were times for men to use as they wanted - although with a set of rules to observe. My path was to prepare people to become continual temples of the Holy Spirit. This was a revolution both concerning the Sabbath and concerning the temple. Men build temples and rules, while the Father asked only for a moving tent and listening hearts. The Father has always wanted to show humans that he wanted to accompany them everywhere. It was the case with Abraham, to whom the Father said: Go to the land that I will show you. It was the case with Moses who spoke face to face with God. It was the case with me. I never left the presence of the Father, I always sought the Father and did what he showed me to do. I showed through my example how to be a temple of God, since the Holy Spirit and the Father remained in me during all my years of ministry on earth. Since I was this temple of the presence of God, the purpose of the Sabbath - to remember God and rest in the relationship with him - was accomplished in me. 

In some ways I am the Sabbath, since I manifested in me the restful presence of God. I came to expand the importance of the Sabbath to every day of the week, and to show that in me people could find rest all the time. In me people can indeed find rest, run and not be weary, walk and not faint. I invited people to come to me, so that I could give them rest, to take my yoke upon them, a light yoke. This obedience to me was not to be difficult, it was a yoke of fellowship with me and with the Holy Spirit. This yoke of love required the communion with God that I offered. I sent the Holy Spirit so that anyone who believes in me could become a temple of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of the Father. In this way the law would be written on their hearts, and God could do what he did in me - to teach how to love in any and every situation. In this way they could become living temple, walking tabernacles of the presence of God, and they could remain in the perfect Sabbath rest. 

I invite you to discover always more that in me you find the Sabbath, the rest in the presence of the Father, and that this presence can become a continual presence. Ask with faith for the Holy Spirit, to be filled with the love of God, with the love for God. Remain in my presence, I want to give you the peace of the Sabbath rest, the perfect peace that only I can give. Remain in me and allow me to remain in you. I want to help you learn to be this holy temple of the peace of God, this holy rest in the joyful communion with the Father. I am indeed the lord of the Sabbath. 

Question about Fasting (Mark 2:18-22)

From religious practices to communion with God

Now John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. And people came and said to him, “Why do John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?”

And Jesus said to them, “Can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast in that day. (2:18-20)

Fasting is to help come in communion with God. It helps to focus on spiritual realities instead of material realities. It has nothing magical, it is a tool for a purpose. The human bodies spend a lot of energy when they have to digest food. Through fasting for a time, you can concentrate your energy on God, rather than on digestion. 

John the Baptist was preparing people to welcome me - the Messiah, in purification and repentance. I was the announced Messiah. When I came I wanted people to rejoice while I was with them, not to fast. After I was crucified, my disciples did fast and mourn. Then, when I appeared to them after my resurrection, I had a breakfast with some of them, as I helped Peter to welcome my forgiveness and to focus on love. 

It is important that people don’t confuse the life of love to which they are called, love for God and love for your neighbor, with the practices that can be of some help to move toward this goal. Fasting is a practice that is of some help, but it should not be put at the same level as prayer. Prayer is learning to live in communion with me, to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Prayer is not limited to a few words spoken with the hope that we hear them, it is the art of entering and remaining in relationship with me, through the power of the Holy Spirit. 

Prayer, communion with us, is much more important than any means of grace, like reading the Bible or fasting for instance. As a matter of fact, all the means of grace should be practiced in a prayerful attitude, for them to be of some spiritual benefit. 

Humans have always sought methods to be closer to God.  if the purpose was to be close to God, when this becomes the case, then the methods become less important. This is what happened concerning fasting: when I was with my disciples they did not need to fast because through me they were close to God. 

When people read the Bible, sometimes they are tempted to think that the goal is the Bible itself, to get an insight or to connect biblical ideas together. Yet, the most important goal for reading and meditating the Bible is to come into communion with me, the Living Word of God. When you forget this, you can become proud of your intellectual knowledge, and this pride will bring divisions and tensions rather than unity in the Church. Look at how many Christians are fighting because they interpret differently a specific verse. Truth is important, yet truth is not only a concept but the way to come to God - I am the way, the truth and the life. As in the days of my coming on earth, people often read the Scriptures without welcoming me, they read the texts that speak about me but they don’t welcome my presence to rule in their hearts and lives. They can even make theories on why they continue to sin, in order to justify their way of life. That is not what I want and I came to enable people to live a holy life through a living communion with me, through the Holy Spirit. For believers, Bible reading or Bible meditation are very important tools that should help them to be focused on me. All Scriptures speak about me, about the way for humans to be united to God - I am this way, and I became the perfect example of this perfect unity between man and God. I am man and I am God. 

When you read the Bible, seek us first and foremost - the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. As you find us, rejoice with us of the love that is pouring in your life and that you can pour into others as a channel of our grace. Our message is not complicate, it is a message of love and holiness, of obedience and of joy. Remember what is the goal of your life: it is to be united to God’s love. Use all you do as a mean to this end, and don’t focus on any of these means as a goal in itself. The more you are loved, the more you learn to love, and the more you will be blessed and peaceful, happy and joyful. 

No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. If he does, the patch tears away from it, the new from the old, and a worse tear is made. And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the wine will burst the skins - and the wine is destroyed, and so are the skins. But new wine is for fresh wineskins.” (2:21-22)

So many practice religion as an end in itself, as a set of practices that are supposed to give them the peace of heart they long for. Yet, practices can at best give a superficial peace. I am Jesus, the prince of peace, and it is only in welcoming me and living in communion with me that the deep peace of the Father can come to dwell in you. 

The problem, during my years of ministry on earth, was that people did all these practices and naively thought that through them they could become righteous before God. All these practices, the sacrifices, fasts and petition prayers, were supposed to be ways to come to me and to the Father, but they could not by themselves give righteousness. They were not an end in themselves. To try to repair them by adding a new practice would have been useless, risking to even tear down and damage the old practices. The real and huge hole in this approach was that no practice could make someone righteous before God. Only by grace, through obedient faith in me, does it become possible for humans to become righteous and renew their relationship with God. This deliverance from darkness, from this huge hole in the garment of religion, could not come by adding a new patch to it. To welcome this deliverance, this grace of the communion with the Father, this new wine of the love of God, people needed to be renewed, to become new wineskins. The key element is that they could not do it on their own, they needed to come to me and ask for forgiveness in humility and in faith. It is not through human effort that the relationship with the Father is renewed, it is renewed through the gift of our love, through grace. If people want to welcome this new wine of love, let them repent of their sins, come to trust in my sacrifice on the cross and welcome me as their savior and Lord. Then I will make of them new wineskins, new creations. Then they will be able to welcome the new wine of God’s Spirit, the wine of the Father’s love. 

Jesus Calls Levi (Mark 2:13-17)

He (Jesus) went out again beside the sea, and all the crowd was coming to him, and he was teaching them. And as he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him. (2:13-14)

I ministered many days in Capernaum, teaching and doing miracles. Levi had seen me before and saw the impact on the community. He had a stable position, although he was despised by many. His work as tax collector was a work provided by the Romans, and he was therefore perceived as a traitor who would request the hated Roman taxes from the Jews of Capernaum. 

When I called him, he was surprised that I did not despise him - me a Jewish teacher. In his heart he was ready for more of God, for being released from this position that brought him both wealth and shame. He had tasted fully both the blessing of money and the rejection of the community that resulted. 

Levi followed me simply. I did not call people at random, but followed the lead of the Father in calling Levi. I knew his heart, and he didn’t need more than my invitation to come and follow me. 

And as he reclined at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners were reclining with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. And the scribes of the Pharisees, when they saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, said to his disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?” And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.” (2:15-17)

Calling Levi was already shocking to the population of Capernaum. Going to eat in his house with other tax collectors and sinners was much worse. Many saw that as condoning the sins of these people. Their religious spirit was built on the idea that you don’t enter into contact with impure and sinful persons. My Father was calling me to do the opposite, to come to call sinners out of darkness, into the love of the Father. I did not become impure by going to eat at Levi’s house, but I could instead be an example of light and acceptance. It was very important for me to go there, to show the other guests that I did not judge them, but invited them to the life of the kingdom, to the Father’s love. 

For believers, it is so easy to make the same mistakes that the Pharisees did, living with other believers and not bringing the light of the Gospel where it is the most needed. In doing so, the salt loses its saltiness, the light in the believers grows dim, and the power of transformation that I came to bring to this world is lost. You cannot please both men and God. If you learn to follow the Father, to follow me, you will have to trust me when I lead you to dark places. Don’t go to a place without my guidance, don’t make a rule of going to dangerous settings. What I ask from you is to let my love rule in you, and accept to take the risks the Spirit leads you to take, to eat with sinners for instance. 

Some people try to do my work, to do the Father’s will, with their own strength. This has led many to try to remove poverty or deliver women from prostitution without the Gospel and very often with frustrating results. They do a work praise-worthy before men, yet they lack the power of love. It is only through me that you will move into darkness and remain unscathed, a holy light that brings healing. Follow my example. I had first learned to have in me the Holy Spirit that could heal through me, I had the love of the Father in me that could touch hearts and transform lives. Only God can forgive sin, and what sinners need is not simply a good advice, they need holy love and the power of forgiveness. Follow my example, carry the love of God in you through constant prayer, remain in me as I remain in you, and then follow my guidance to bring my Gospel to the persons I want you to bless. 

Jesus Heals a Paralytic (Mark 2:1-12)

And when he returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home. And many were gathered together, so that there was no more room, not even at the door. And he was preaching the word to them. (2:1-2)

As you can see, my desire was to lead people in the ways of the kingdom, to preach to them the kingdom of the Father. Healing was one of the signs of His coming kingdom, yet it was very important that I could teach those who came. 

The deliverance that comes with the kingdom is not only physical, the Father wants to deliver from everything that oppresses humanity, at the level of their body as well as their souls and spirits. When people find deliverance and freedom at the spiritual level, this has a direct impact on their souls and bodies. This full deliverance is the center or my message, the Gospel or 'Good News.'

And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. And when they could not get near him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him, and when they had made an opening, they let down the bed on which the paralytic lay. (2:3-4)

What delighted me is to see how these men found a way to bring their friend to me, even when there seemed to be no way. they cared for him, they loved him, and were ready to look foolish for him; that is the kind of love I delight in. This love breeds faith and hope, this kind of love opens the doors of heaven. 

And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, you sins are forgiven.” Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, “Why does this man speak like that? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” (2:5-7)

The love of his friends brought them to believe and hope that I would heal him. They saw only the tip of the iceberg, they thought that the only problem of their friend was paralysis. They did not realize that his sins were at the root of his physical problem. This is not always the case, there is no magical formula to discern the origin of a disease. It is by learning to listen to the Father that I could discern that. In the same way, I want to teach each of the children of the Father to listen to me, to show them how to pray for people. It is only in communion with me, as you listen to my voice and to what I show you through the Holy Spirit that you will be able to learn how to pray efficiently for people and see the wonders of the Father’s grace unfold with simplicity and joy. 

Here, the Father helped me to discern that this man had sins that caused his sickness. I forgave him his sins, because of the faith of his friends. I did not come to judge, but to deliver all who came to believed in me, who came to trust the Father’s love in me. Out of love, I prayed for this man to have his greatest problem removed. With the authority that the Father gave me, I forgave this child of the Father. 

These simple words, “Your sins are forgiven” would become a foundation of my ministry, as well as the source of the opposition of many Jewish leaders of this time. You have to understand them before condemning them. They were trained to think that the only way to be forgiven was through the sacrifices at the temple. They did not understand that even the temple sacrifices were only a way to obey the love of the Father and to come through obedience and faith to receive forgiveness. The prophet Samuel already had stressed that the Father desires obedience more than sacrifices. If faith in the Father and obedience to His directions was key for receiving forgiveness, the temple sacrifices were not the only way to receive forgiveness. The scribes were right in stating that only God can forgive sins. They were wrong to think that God was not in me. The Father was in me, His Holy Spirit was in me. They thought that they knew, that God always works through the ways described in the Scriptures. It is true, God does not contradict himself, but he never said that forgiveness was only through the temple sacrifices. It is not the sacrifices that ensure forgiveness, it is the Father’s love. 

I came to open a new way, the perfect way to forgiveness, through the love of the Father in me. This way was opened during my ministry on earth, and was perfected through my sacrifice on the cross. This sacrifice was a sacrifice of love. God asked me to give my life out of love for the Father’s creation, for humanity. I not only obeyed my gracious Father, I chose to love with His love, to offer my life out of love for my disciples and for all humanity. Anyone who is trapped, oppressed in this life, can come to me in faith, and ask for forgiveness. As they welcome me as their guide, their Lord and savior, I rejoice to deliver them from any oppression or consequence of sin. My name itself, Jesus or Yeshoua, means ‘God delivers.’ I am the way to the Father, whoever believes in me will not perish but have eternal life. Notice here that what I mean by ‘believe’ is not theoretical, it means that people are invited to trust in me and to therefore follow my teachings. Faith is not only an abstract intellectual assent. Faith involves the heart and the will. This saving faith is powerful and shakes the very foundations of sin, as it did in the case of these four friends, and led me to forgive their friend for his sins. 

And immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they thus questioned within themselves, said to them, “Why do you question these things in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, take up your bed and walk?’ But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins’ - he said to the paralytic - “I say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home.” And he rose and immediately picked up his bed and went out before them all, so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!” (2:8-12)

I did not come to humiliate the scribes, but I loved them and shared with them in a way they could understand. My teaching was so new, this authority to forgive sins that was coming in me and would come through me, that I helped them see how real were my words. They tended, like many still today, to put all their emphasis on the visible world, so I decided to show them in this visible world the fact that my words did carry the authority of the Father. 

In healing this paralytic, I did not want to show love only to this man, but also to honor the faith of his friends and to teach the scribes. Do not imagine that I was angry or aggressive with the scribes, I also came for those like them who analyze and think. What I expected from them was honesty and humility in their observations. This is what these scribes showed, and they were amazed with all the others and glorified God for what they saw. 

In your world, some have thought that I came violently against Judaism, this is simply not true. I came first for the lost sheep of Israel, and this was the main focus of my ministry, although I opened the love of the Father to all humans. I taught all those who were open to the Father’s teaching, from children to leaders like Nicodemus. The Father’s love for my people, the Jews, has never been cancelled, and the time is coming for Israel to welcome me as the path to the love of the Father. Do not despise or judge them, take example from me and see my love pour through you. 

Notice that, to follow my example, you will need first to have a living faith in me, and to imitate me in all the works the Father wants you to do, from healing the sick to casting out demons. I did not convince these scribes only with words, I needed the testimony of the Father through His works, through miracles, to convince them. It is the same in your world, miracles are not an option, they are an integral part of my ministry and should be an integral part of the service of all the children of the Father. Ask for God’s direction, and allow us to lead you. 

Our Love is practical. I did not come to bring a nice theory but to bring healing and deliverance to humanity, deliverance from sin and all its consequences. As you follow me, learn to do likewise, let me teach you and lead you in this domain. As you welcome my holy love, as you welcome the Holy Spirit, it will flow out of you like mighty waters of grace, and will touch many. I did not come only for intellectual assent, but for transformed lives. Even with intellectuals - like the scribes - I knew that they needed to see miracles, the works of the Father, to be convinced. This has not changed today. Don’t hide your lack of faith behind theories, I want to use you to be the hands and feet of our love, to show love in all you do and to let the Father’s love bring the miracles I did and even greater ones. It is not to be a subject of pride for you, it is the Father who wants so much to show His love to this world - and the way he chose to manifest his love is through His children. Learn to open your heart to this practical faith, follow my teachings in all the areas of your life. As you enter in this life of prayer and love, you will see our love manifest itself in miraculous ways, just because I love you, just because the Father loves you and wants to communicate His love through you to many. 

Jesus Cleanses a Leper (Mark 1:40-45)

And a leper came to him, imploring him, and kneeling said to him, “If you will, you can make me clean.” Moved with compassion, he stretched out his hand and touched him and said to him, “I will; be clean.” And immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean. (1:40-42)

I came to deliver, to release humans for the slavery of sin. This slavery has many facets: it touches body, soul, spirit, and human relationships. Through the first healings I delivered from the physical impact of sin, and began to heal people. By casting out demons I could reach both the soul and spirit parts of the slavery of sin. In this case, I could help restore communion with others, the impact of sin on human relationships. 

Leprosy, in these days, was not only a disease. It had a major impact on all the social life. A leper could not come close to ‘healthy’ persons, could not eat with them, or worship with them. They were outcasts. It was forbidden to touch a leper, and if you did you were considered impure. Impurity would spread through touch. I came to reverse the curse of impurity, and to bring the blessed healing of the Father’s love. Before I came, it was impurity that was spreading. By allowing the Holy Spirit to dwell in me, I could no more become impure, and I was able to reverse the flow and spread purity and healing through touch. After touching a leper, I should have been considered impure. Instead, this leper became clean, cured from his leprosy. He came to me with faith, confident that since I could heal others, I could also heal him. He was right, and his faith was very important for him to receive this healing touch from me. 

And Jesus sternly charged him and sent him away at once, and said to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, for a proof to them.” (1:43-44)

I wanted to help him reintegrate his community. In order to do so, he needed to go to the priest and have the priest officially proclaim that he was pure. It was the process of reintegration in his community, and I wished that he could do that. Yet, I also could see how he thought that he did not need anything, he was clean, he was pure. He was so much rejoicing that I tried to calm him down and sternly told him to go the the priest. 

But he went out and began to talk freely about it, and to spread the news, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter a town, but was out in desolate places, and people are coming to him from every quarter. (1:45)

This healed leper did not obey my word, and directly began to share with all the persons he met what had just happened. It is true, people could witness that he was healed, even if they were not priests. Sadly, for me this was the start of the tension with the Jewish authorities. They did not see this man respect the official ‘procedure.’ I knew that a confrontation would come, but I was not eager to provoke it. This man had good intentions, but he did not follow my directions. For him, it was a joy and a way to have people see for themselves that he was indeed healed and clean. For me, it was not so good. This leper could now come in towns and be welcomed peacefully. On my side, the curiosity became so great that I had to remain in desolate places, away from towns. Here was one of the features of my ministry. I came to receive the consequences of sin, so that I could release other humans from this slavery. I would show that perfectly through the cross, but you can already see the seed of the cross in this event. I helped this man to be reunited with his Jewish community, and took the weight of having to stay away from communities. I became like an object, although an object of power, and people came mostly to take things from me (healings, release of problems) - not to learn from me or with me. This was the beginning of the path of the cross, becoming an object, a sacrifice, for the sake of all humans. It was a very important, yet painful path. 

People came to me from every quarter, and were attracted by the power of God at work through me. From then on, I knew that the fight with human authorities would just emerge and would bring a rapid end to my ministry. I needed to be very intentional, so that when I had the time, I could impart to my twelve disciples and others the Father’s teachings: the foundations of the life of the kingdom, of the loving and joyful communion with the Father. 

Jesus Prays and Preaches (Mark 1:35-39)

And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed. (1:35)

Yes, the communion with the Father was not automatic, I had to nourish this foundational relationship every day of my life on earth. Prayer is where the human pride can be broken, because it is where you depend on God and human efforts cannot accomplish anything. Prayer is the place where you discover the love of the Father and the presence of the Holy Spirit. Praying with others is good and important, yet it will never replace this heart to heart relationship with the Father, with the Holy Spirit and now with me. We want humans to learn the real dependance on us. I had to show the way. After a tiring day of ministry in Capernaum, I woke up very early and found a solitary place where I could speak peacefully with the Father. I could thank him for the wonders of his love for so many in Capernaum, I could rejoice with him of how his love was flowing freely through me. I could prepare the new day in his tender presence, it was so refreshing to me. 

It is true that man does not live by bread alone but by all the words that come from the mouth of God. It is also true that man does not find rest with physical sleep alone but needs the rest of the Spirit, a rest that you can only find in the sweet embrace of the Father, as you learn the wonder of prayer. It is through these numerous hours spent in the peaceful and restful presence of the Father that I could keep the pace of these years of ministry. Ministry is first of all service to the Father, and then service to humans, churches or communities. Don’t forget that if you don’t learn to worship, to speak and listen to God, there is no ministry. The intimacy of your communion with God is the heart of every Christian ministry. When this heart is cold, all you do will be cold. If you want to see the fire of love spread through communities of believers, start by allowing the Father to kindle His holy fire in your heart. Keep it burning through the presence of the Holy Spirit during your days, and you will become a torch that can light many fires of love around you. 

And Simon and those who were with him searched for him, and they found him and said to him, “Everyone is looking for you.” (1:36-37)

Simon and the other disciples were concerned with the people who wanted to see me. They were trying to respond to the requests and needs of the people coming to them. They did not seek the will of God, but tried to respond to the emergency. People wanted to see me, so the searched for me. They thought that responding to what the people wanted was the most important. 

Yet, the most important for me was to respond to what the Father wanted. As often, these two approaches did not match. I knew what was in men, and I did not need any more witness. There is so often a painful self-centeredness in men that makes of the other an object for their use. I love each human being, but I am not blind to what is in each unrestored heart. 

What the Father wanted was to bring the fire of His love to many. What many wanted was to get a part of this fire for their own purpose, even at the expense of extinguishing this fire. 

As it was the case for me, when you will manifest the power of the Father’s love, everyone will be looking for you. Yet, don’t forget where this power of love comes from, and how to keep it burning in your heart. It is only through a continual and strong communion with the Father that I could keep the Father’s love burning in me, I could not produce it myself. 

And he said to them, “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out.” And he went throughout all Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons. (1:38-39)

Humans tend to be concerned by their importance, many want to impress others. I did not come to impress others, but to do the will of the Father. He knew how to show love in a pure and efficient way. One key element was for me to continue with full trust in the Father to share the Gospel in the next towns. I continued to bring deliverance to the captives and to shine of the love of the Father. 

The Father knew what needed to be done, how to bring the fire of the Holy Spirit on earth, I simply followed His direction. In each town, the Father wanted to purify the people in the synagogues, these places where people expected to meet Him. Like what I did in Capernaum, I came to teach and cast out demons in each synagogue. People are often naive, relying on buildings to contain our holiness. This has never been efficient, and will never be. The temples we look for are not made with human hands, it is those made by the Father’s hands - first of all it is humans themselves. I did not come to purify religious buildings, but to purify the hearts of those seeking God in these buildings. The worshippers that the Father is seeking are those who worship him through the Holy Spirit, and through the truth that you can discover in the Scriptures and that I embody fully. The worshippers that the Father is seeking are those who discover that I am the path to this loving communion with Him. Don’t focus on buildings, but simply follow my example, learn to listen to my voice and I will lead you in the fields of the Father. I am the good shepherd, I love each of the Father’s sheep and gave my life for each of them. Follow me and learn to become a temple of the Holy Spirit. 

Jesus Heals Many (Mark 1:29-34)

And immediately he left the synagogue and entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. Now Simon’s mother-in-law lay ill with a fever, and immediately they told him about her. And he came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and the fever left her, and she began to serve. (1:29-31)

It is out of love that the Father touched bodies and healed many. I received fully the love of the Father, and communicated it to those who were sick or oppressed by demons. Healing was not first a technique or a power, but rather an expression of the Father’s love for humanity. It is true, power was flowing through me in order to heal, yet this power was guided by love and compassion. When I saw the concern of Peter and Andrew, and when I saw that they hoped that I could be of help, I was touched and asked the Father to touch her body, which he did. As she realized that she received this gift of healing in her body, she responded out of love and humility, and she began to serve us. It is not that I was looking for someone to serve me, since I came to serve others first, yet I rejoiced of the attitude of her heart, of her desire to give, and I wanted to encourage her. 

I did not do, here or in any other of the stories of the Gospels, anything that others who believe in me and the Father would not be able to do. In fact, I came to show the example, how a human person can joyfully live a life surrendered to the love of the Father. Since I am interceding now in heaven, humans who believe in me can ask in my name and it will be done, for the glory of the Father. If there are not more miracles, it is not that it is not possible, it is that the love of many is cold, they are not at ease to let the Holy Spirit fully rule in them with the love of the Father. We want to bless and transform the creation, but for a person to experience this life of love and miracles, they have to let our love rule in them. As the love of God grows in the hearts, it spreads to others and miracles flow. This is and has always been the case. We invited humans already through Moses to love God with all their heart, soul and strength. Yet, people tend to forget how radical this is, how important this is. Once you resolutely enter in this path of love, and fully welcome my love that flows from the cross, as you become a temple of the Holy Spirit, you will see healings flow through you. You should not marvel about that, it is what I promised for any of my disciples, it should be a part of the ‘normal’ Christian life. Yet, this requires to welcome our love with faith. Will I find faith in the world when I come back? That is the real question. Learn to love and to bless others with our love. Expect miracles, ask for miracles or our love, and learn through a close communion with me. 

That evening at sundown they brought to him all who were sick or oppressed by demons. And the whole city was gathered together at the door. And he healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons. And he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him. (1:32-34)

When the persons noticed what was happening, that what seemed desperate had an answer, that someone could help them, many ran an brought their people who were sick or oppressed by demons. This is the miracle of love. When people realize that there is hope, it breaks the cycle of shame that made people hide their sick or oppressed relatives. They came with hope and faith. As this faith grew, they became willing to receive the love I could pour into their lives, and the Father could do many works through me. Many were healed, many demons were cast out, and joy filled many hearts. 

Did they understand that it was the love of the Father that was touching them? Not clearly. Don’t forget that miracles where first and foremost an expression of love, not a lesson of theology. Did this fit well with the plan of the Father? Of course. Can you put the love of the Father in a bottle? No. Good theology is about describing the many expressions of the love of the Father, not about limiting what God can and wants to do. Once this is clarified, humans can use their brains to their full potential without making of them idols that harm others. The Father is always one step in advance, and you are not supposed to tell Him what to do but rather to recognize and follow His move with humility and faith. Learn to experience continually the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit, a continual communion with me - the Son of God, and the Father will lead you in the fields of His amazing love, for your greatest joy. 

Jesus’ Authority Over Men and Spirits (Mark 1:21-28)

And they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath he entered the synagogue and was teaching. And they were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes. (1:21-22)

I came to shine of the love of the Father in this world, and this impressed many. I did not try to rely on human authorities, but I simply came to do the will of the Father. In these days, the teachers and the scribes would often quote each other, a specific teacher, a specific Rabbi. They would spend so much time in this that they rarely sought God for His word and His direction. This is a problem that is also very present in the world today, for instance in Christian settings, where people write or speak and quote ‘respected Christians,’ and forget that before listening to ‘Christian authorities’ I would like for them to listen to me, to the Holy Spirit and to the Father. It is strange to me that so few learn to listen to my voice, and still claim to be my disciples and to be ‘christlike’. How can they be christlike, if they don’t follow my example? Some get used to say that they follow me although they don’t follow my example in deeds or words. My example was very simple, I listened to the voice of the Father, and did what he showed me or said to me. I never added, and faithfully followed His direction. Since the Father is in me and I am in the Father, since I am the way to life, I want to speak to all the children of the Father and help them to follow Him. When they do so, when their words are the words they receive from me, when their actions are what I ask or show them to do, they discover the same authority that I had when I spoke at this synagogue, and this authority is real and touches many. Learn from me, listen to me and do what I ask from you. This is the path of holiness, this is the path to the loving power of the Holy Spirit, this is the path to humble and real authority. 

I want to transform this world with the love of the Father, and in order to do so I want to guide many humans to hear my voice and do my will. Each human who learns to do so becomes a light in the darkness, tasty salt in communities, healing hands for broken men and women. 

And immediately there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit. And he cried out, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are - the Holy One of God.”

This man oppressed by an unclean spirit had been going to the synagogue for many years, and nobody noticed anything. Some people have this strange idea that by going to specific ‘holy places’ they are protected spiritually from evil spirits. That is simply not so, and has never been. The only protection is a real communion with God. You recognize that you are in such real communion with the Father when you sense the presence of the Holy Spirit in you, when you can speak with me and hear me guide you in your days. If not, then come to me and I will show you. To enter the Kingdom of heaven it is so simple, you need to come as a child to his heavenly Father and ask for His direction. I came to be a mediator, to guide all who want to come to the loving Father. I don’t speak out of myself, and with the Holy Spirit we have one purpose: to glorify the Father in you and in all the creation. 

This man did not have a real communion with God, like many who go to synagogues or churches still today, and he was following a set of rules that did not deliver him from the unclean spirit that harmed him. As Paul said, the letter kills, it is the Spirit - through a living communion with God - that gives life. 

When I came to this synagogue, the Spirit of the Father was ruling in me. Then, the unclean spirit had no choice but to flee. Unclean spirits cannot come close to God or stay close to Him. Either they pull away from God the people they are plaguing or they have to leave the persons. It is the presence of God, the presence of the Holy Spirit that casts out unclean spirits. This holy presence in me revealed what was going on inside this man, the unholy and ugly presence of an unclean spirit in him. 

The unclean spirits follow well their leader, the devil, who is the father of lies. They try to tell a truth in a wrong way, to lead people to think wrong, to believe a lie. They knew that I did not come to destroy the Roman empire, but to destroy the work of the devil and his minions. They said the truth when they asked if I was coming to destroy them, I was indeed. What they added then was to induce people in error, by saying that I was ’The Holy One of God’. I was indeed, but it was neither the time nor the place for such a declaration. Their hope was to lead people to quickly project on me their wrong ideas about the role of the Messiah. There were many self-centered ideas that people had developed in their hearts - a Messiah coming only for Israel, a Messiah coming for crushing the Roman empire. I did not come for that. I came to deliver first Israel and then all the peoples of the world from their real enemy, this insidious enemy that is the devil. I did not come for a surface deliverance, but for the deep and absolute deliverance of the Holy Spirit. I came to cast out any unclean spirit from the hearts of men and women and to bring the Holy Spirit’s presence in the hearts of all, for them to become fully the children of the Father, temples of the Holy Spirit. 

The unclean spirits did not want people to realize what I was doing and teaching, they wanted to encourage people to project their biased and self-centered desires on me so that they would not learn, so that they would later get angry with me. In fact, it is what happened, when the crowd later asked for my crucifixion, since I did not match their idea of what the Messiah - the Christ - was supposed to be, according to their biased minds. 

I did not come to hide my purpose, but neither did I want people to be confused and mistaken on my mission, by having people putting the name ‘Messiah’ on me too quickly. They needed first to see the works of the Father through my works. They needed first to hear the teachings of the Father through my words, and how I fulfilled all the teachings of the Holy Scriptures. 

But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent, and come out of him!” And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying out with a loud voice, came out of him. (1:25-26)

I did what I could to shut the mouth of the unclean spirits, although I knew well that their lies would still seep through the hearts of many and bring trouble for me. I knew my path and the cross I would have to carry. I also knew the Father had a way to counter these lies, a way that would transform the cross from a failure into the greatest victory of the Father’s love on earth. 

As I was carrying the Holy Spirit in me, the unclean spirit was no match for this spiritual authority, he had to leave this poor man. I commanded him and he had no choice but to leave, convulsing the man and crying out with a loud voice. The unclean spirits have no real power over men. The only power they get is a power wrought through lies and seductions. Once they are exposed, they have to leave. Through prayer, you can follow my path and learn to let the Holy Spirit dwell in you richly, and then you can experience how you can cast out impure spirits - not through your own power but simply through the power of the Holy spirit in you, through the power of my name - Yeshoua, which means ‘God delivers.’

And they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, “What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.” And at once his fame spread everywhere throughout all the surrounding region of Galilee. (1:27-28)

People were amazed about two things. The first thing is that they saw unclean spirits manifest themselves while in the past they could remain hidden even in the midst of ‘holy places’ like the synagogues. The second thing is that they realized that the authority they saw in me was not only attracting their attention in a new way, it was an authority that could command unclean spirits to leave people or places. 

People are always looking for power, for authority, this has always been the case. When they see an authority like the one I displayed, an authority both in the physical and in the spiritual world, then they become very interested. This interest is still often self-centered, but it is an important first step to lead people to the real love of the Father. 

My fame spread very quickly. It is true that I had hoped it would be a little slower, so that I could freely move and act a little longer, but it did not surprise me to see the crowds quickly building up, I was ready for this challenge. 

Calling Four Fishermen (Mark 1:16-20)

Passing alongside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” And immediately they left their nets and followed him. (vv. 16-18)

To call people to serve the Lord is not a matter of technique but of obedience. If Simon and Andrew followed my invitation, it is because the Father had prepared their hearts. There is no strange thing here, I came to perfectly fit in the plans of love that the Father was spreading around me. Simon and Andrew recognized, through my invitation, the longing in their hearts that the Father had ignited. They were ready to leave everything to follow God, and they could sense that I would facilitate this. 

And going on a little farther, he saw James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, who were in their boat mending the nets. And immediately he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants and followed him. (vv. 19-20)

Here, you can notice that James and John are not leaving simply nets, but they accept to leave their father with their family business, in order to follow me. 

For James and John, it was not easy to leave this good relationship with their human father, but they could sense clearly that this call was more than about human relationships, it was a call from the heavenly Father that was welling up in their hearts. They left and followed me. Life would never be the same for these first four of my disciples. I came to bring the kingdom of God in the hearts of men, and my disciples would be the first ones to prepare themselves for this divine transformation. Only after my death would they become fully temples of the Holy Spirit. Yet, as the stayed with me, through me the little community I formed with my disciples became a temple of the living Father, a holy communion. 

Jesus Begins to Preach (Mark 1:14-15)

Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” (vv. 14-15)

When I began to preach, my message was extremely simple and yet profound. It blessed many. 

John had prepared the people for the Day of the Lord, for the coming of the Messiah. People thought that it would mean they would be delivered from the external evil that they perceived in the Roman occupation of their land of Israel. From the teachings of the prophets, they knew that they had to prepare for this day through repentance. 

When I came, I did not only invite people to a baptism of repentance, but proclaimed that the kingdom of God is at hand. This meant that the Day of the Lord had come and that people could again be part of God’s kingdom. They thought that God’s kingdom was about a human king and a human territory. I knew that it is about the kingship of the Father and the hearts and bodies of people were to be the territories, the king’s domains. The kingdom was already in me, through the love of the Father and the presence of the Holy Spirit. Although people did not understand yet how this heavenly kingdom was coming, they still sensed strongly the presence of God in me and through me. They repented and received the gospel. This gospel or good news was simply that the kingdom had come near, that it was at hand and that they could enter into this kingdom. What people struggled to understand was that there would be no human king but simply the Father as the heavenly king, and that He could rule on earth through people who would become kingdom bearers, temples of the Holy Spirit. I was the first to be a kingdom bearer, a temple of the Holy Spirit and of the Father. It was only after my death and resurrection, for the forgiveness of sins, that others would be able to fully become temples of the Holy Spirit and imitate me completely. That is one of the reasons why my time on earth was short. I just demonstrated that a human could carry the Holy Spirit and again be a fully obedient and loving child of God - as Adam and Eve before the fall. 

This message is still valid today, the time is fulfilled, the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe in this good news. Lay hand on the Holy Spirit, invite him to rule in you so that you become a domain of the heavenly king, that you become fully part of the kingdom of God. This is the good news, and it is for every human on the earth, to become fully a child a God, full of the Father’s love through the Holy Spirit.

Temptation of Jesus (Mark 1:12-13)

The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. (v. 12)

As you welcome the Holy spirit, it is to be led by Him, like a child of the Father is led by the Spirit of the Father. One key element of this journey is that the Father wants his children to rely on him more than on anyone else. He really wants to be their Father. The wilderness is a place where I was alone, and where I spoke only with the Father. I was nourished by the presence and the words of my Father. For anyone who comes to follow us, to welcome God as their loving Father, they have to learn to not live by pleasing people but first by pleasing the Father. He is such an amazing Father, with a love that surpasses all human love. In order to welcome fully this love, you have to fully welcome Him as your heavenly Father, and to follow Him in the education he wants for each. This education often begins by getting weaned from the human habit of pleasing many persons. You have to learn to please Him first, because that is what will give you the precious joy and freedom that is for each in your journey on earth. Since the Father and I are one, when you fully follow my direction, you also fully follow the Father’s direction. It is a little like when a child follows the directions of an older brother who is fully obedient to his father. He then receives the protection, the love and the directions that he needs to grow and mature to become an adult. 

And he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. And he was with the wild animals, and the angels were ministering to him. (v. 13)

As I came to be humbly baptized, I was also tempted. In the wilderness - when there are no humans around you - you are able to experience both the strong presence of the Father and also the temptations of Satan. 

Satan has failed. He has decided to disobey God and has lost his place of authority in the heavenly realms, but he still deceives many on earth. He is the father of lies, because it is only through lies that he gets power over humans. His power is not coming from the Father, but from humans who relinquish their authority as children of God and let the devil steal from them both their birthright and their dignity. It is what satan tried to do with me, which is more detailed in the Gospels of Matthew or Luke. The key point here is that he tried to make me doubt or to force me to prove to him my identity. I did not owe him anything and I did not need to prove anything to him. I needed to stay secure in my identity of a child of the Father, as any believer is invited to. In the security of this identity, I was able not to fall into the traps of Satan, the devil, and remain secure in the love of the Father. The Father is a fortress for his children that keep their trust in Him, who rely on him more than on their autonomous strength. If I did not rely on the Father during this time, as a human I would not have been able to stand. Then, as during all my life on earth, I did not use my divinity but simply showed the way that other humans could follow, the path of victory for every child of God. 

One thing that is important to note here is that, when you remain under the loving protection of the Father, through your faithful obedience to His love, the Father’s creation is at your service. This is why I could peacefully stay with the wild animals and that angels were ministering to me. For each child of God that remains in me and I in him, the creation is not a threat but a servant, and they will experience the joy of seeing the holy angels come at their side and even serve them. Yet, this power is not for the proud, because pride rejects the fatherhood of God and loses all authority on the Father’s creation, thus facing dangers and threats that God never intended. It is in humble and loving obedience that this power can be wielded, and even Satan and his minions tremble before the words of a single child of God. It is in this way that from the mouth of children God has established both a power and a praise to His name. 

Baptism of Jesus (Mark 1:9-11)

In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. (1:9)

It surprised many to think that I, the Son of God, would come to go through this baptism of repentance. Yet, my task was not to come as a master but to serve, to show the way of the servant. I needed, in all that I did on earth, to show the way others would be able to follow. One key element was to remind people that they needed this water baptism. I did not teach only with words, but also with what I did - as it was the case here. John was uneasy when I came, but I simply asked him to baptize me, and he did. 

And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” (1:10-11)

In this key moment of my coming on earth, I received the witness of both the Holy spirit and of the Father. The Father expressed clearly His approval, and that he was well pleased with me in general - but also in particular concerning this step I took to be baptized. He rejoiced of the example of humility that I was setting before humans. I did not try to grasp my divinity and impress people, but I surrendered all my rights to the Father and followed fully his plan of love for all humanity and all His creation. 

The Holy Spirit came on me, which is an external expression of what was inside of me. Since my conception, the Spirit was in me. I could listen to the Father and follow His direction. Yet, I did not do any miracle or manifest myself in any special way, except perhaps that when I was twelve I did manifest my understanding of the Father at the temple. It was not a miracle but rather an expression of my intimacy with the Father. 

It is only at my baptism that the presence of the Holy Spirit in me and the approbation of the Father were manifested publicly. This is what the Father wants to do with every person who receives baptism now. We want them to follow my path of humility, and of receiving God as their Lord and Father. People discuss quite a bit about whether believers fully receive the Holy Spirit at the water baptism or later, at the baptism with the Holy Spirit. The key point for us is to show the way. It is true, most people will experience two different steps, a first one with the baptism of water, and a second one with the baptism with the Holy Spirit. Yet, people should focus more on the relationship with us than on perfect explanation. What we want is to teach people to become temples of the Holy Spirit. This requires a purification of the temple they are to be, before the Holy Spirit comes to fully dwell in them, yet the two are related. As they learn to become these temples of the Holy Spirit, of the Father’s love, they receive the approval and full love of the Father that proclaims to them and those with them: “This is my beloved child, in him/her I am well pleased”. The Father wants to see many learn to become temples of the perfect love of the Holy Spirit. It is not a technique, it is a grace and a blessing that is received in humility and in faith. Follow my path, enter in this joy of humility, this joy of the favor of the Father. 

What is a Revival?

Revival

Jesus’ Call for His Beloved Church

and the whole Creation

Online etymological dictionary: 

Revival: 1650s, "act of reviving;" 1660s, from revive + al. First in sense "general religious awakening in a community" by Cotton Mather, 1702. 

Revive: early 15th century, from Middle French revivre (10th century), from Latin revivere "to live again," from re- "again" + vivere "to live".

Revival is a word composed of two parts: “re” and “vival”:

- ‘re’ stresses a coming back (again), like in the words return or repent. This is why the term ‘revive’ in the Bible is sometimes a translation of the Hebrew verb shouv (שוב)  (to return from exile or to repent are also possible translations)[1]. This reminds us that we have often wandered away from God’s purpose and desire for us as humans, as children of God called to an eternal communion with our Heavenly Father. This touch of eternity is what makes our lives worth living, peaceful and joyful. 

- “vival” comes from the latin root vivere , to live - living (vital). The verb ‘revive’ in the Bible is also sometimes a translation of the Hebrew verb haiah (חָיָה) (often translated: to live)[2]. 

Therefore the meaning of the word “revival” is ‘re-living’, coming back to life.

This life, in most of the Christian uses of revival, is the life of God, the life in God, the life with God, the life for God. This is what God created us for, to live for him, to live with Him, to live in Him. It can therefore be called a ‘holiness’ revival, although the ‘holiness’ element (separation for God) is already present in the word ‘revival’.

Through sin, the vital union with God of the first human beings was damaged in a major way. It was not completely broken or we would have died and disappeared, cut from the source of life which is in God[3]. God left just enough of His life in us to search Him, to search our way back to our loving Father, to find again this life of peace and Joy that was initially experienced by Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden. 

The fundamental revival - when this life came again fully in a human being - was and is in Jesus. It had been prepared with much love and grace by God in Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and later in Moses, David and the prophets until John the Baptist. Yet the perfect revival was in Jesus or, to be more precise, it was and is Jesus. His name, Jesus, Yeshoua in Hebrew (most probably the way His disciples pronounced his name) means “God saves”. But God saves from what? From sin, from the suffering that leads to death, from the death[4] that we begin to experience when we drift away from the love of God, away from the faithful obedience to His love. 

Yeshoua came to deliver us from this evil downturn, and showed us how as humans we could experience a revival in the depth of our being. He exemplified and taught us how we can have the life of God return in us, renew us, rebirth us as children of God. We have indeed to be born again, revived in a very deep way that only God through His Holy Spirit can do. This is our only way to experience again this communion with the eternal God, the only way to receive eternal life in us. Eternal life is not first about a distant moment in the future when we will die, but a very practical experience of God living/reliving in us, reviving us, and continuing in this blessed union with God. 

Eternal life is to know Jesus and the Father[5]. Here we have to remind ourselves what is meant in our translation by “to know". It comes most probably from the Hebrew verb yada (יָדָע), often translated in Greek ginosko (γινώσκω), and means not an analytical “head-knowledge” but an experiential and practical knowledge - something that in our present culture is often stressed by the word “relationship”. It is not any kind of relationship but a loving relationship, a relationship of love. It is not an abstract relationship “in the head”, but a relationship in which there are words shared, smiles, emotions, joy, peace and tenderness. It is to this kind of relationship that we are called, this loving and true relationship with God that will lead us to have loving relationships with our neighbor. 

Our modern culture focuses often on love, but forgets that any real love implies obedience and trust. A mother who does not obey to the cry of her hungry baby is not a loving mother. It is true, she can delay her coming for a good reason sometimes, but in the end she will always come to give what her child needs. Love also implies trust, as Paul mentions in 1 Corinthians 13: love believes all things. This trusting love can be developed only in relationships where there is safety and security. This cannot be achieved in the fleeting moments of sexual encounter that the world depicts falsely as perfect love - thus confusing the fulfillment of a desire that can be very selfish with the perfect love that commits itself to the other not for a moment but for the long term. 

It is for this perfect love, faithful and obedient, that we are created, because that is the kind of love Jesus has come to reawaken in us so that we can relive it, revive it in us. We are indeed called to love, a love communion with God that embraces all our days, all our hours, a tender passion that we will then express in the love of a married couple (a couple which has decided to live a faithful and obedient relationship of love that represents the more perfect love of God), of a loving parent, of a faithful and obedient child that loves her/his parents, of friends that love each other and support each others when one is weak of sad, a love that speaks of eternity and of fulfillment, a love that calls many to their knees in humble gratefulness, a love that is both eternal and practical, a love that can only come from God and flow through His Spirit. 

To revive us, to bring us back to life, to eternal life, to a loving and eternal communion with God, Yeshoua came to show us the way, because He is the way, the truth and the life. He is the Way - he has lived all his life this constant love-relationship with the father. He is the Truth because he speaks to us of sin and how to really be delivered from this trap and enter into this eternal life that is a loving relationship with Him and with God. He is the Life because in Him was and is the life of God - the only long-lasting life, the eternal life that comes from God and is possible only with and in God. 

This miracle of love that took place in Yeshoua - that is Yeshoua - this is the origin, the foundation of the Church. The Holy Spirit, since Pentecost and up to now, has reproduced this miracle of love in the life of many believers in Jesus - in Yeshoua, because God saves from our darknesses, from our lacks of love for Him, faith in Him and obedience to Him. 

Thus, through the church, God began to revive humanity. New living and vibrant communities of believers in Jesus began to spread. Communities in which the life of God was ruling, so that this love was expressing itself in all the fruits and gifts of the Spirit, healing bodies, hearts and spirits, speaking words of love and eternity though prophecies, casting out darkness and demons from the hearts of people. 

If this community - the Church - began to experience the miracle that first happened in Jesus, many often slided back to sinful ways, so that some local churches - small expressions of the universal church of Jesus-Yeshoua, began to reflect more bickering and bitterness than the all-powerful and miraculous love of God showed in Jesus. This is why often churches have recognized their need to go back to the birth vocation of living the life of God, the life with God that the Holy Spirit still offers to us all today. 

To experience again fully the fruits and gifts of the Holy Spirit, manifestations of this real and shining love, churches have for centuries used the term revival. 

The original revival in Jesus is the best any church can hope, this revival of a loving, faithful and obedient relationship to God.

For this to happen, a few steps are needed:

- first, we have to recognize that we are not in a vibrant and constant loving communion with God. It is a time of confession. We stop looking at others and recognize our need of a holy transformation, of revival. 

- second, we have to express our desire of coming back to this foundational calling of every Christian[6], repentance, returning to God and asking for His help in humility and prayer. 

- third, we have to wait in trust for His love to be reignited in us as individuals. 

- fourth, as different individuals begin to experience this renewed communion of love and tender grace[7], this revival, out of love they pray and witness to others of this very revival – like ripples on the surface of water - in the loving hope that their communities of faith will experience this revived relationship with God. 

In my denomination, the Church of the Nazarene, as well as in many denominations and churches around the world, a few days are often dedicated to this important task of reviving churches. We call ‘revival', in a restricted sense, these few days of meeting, because their purpose and goal is to help reignite this love and stable communion with God that was in Christ. Like a match that will bring fire to dry wood. The hope and prayer is that the fruits of these few days of ‘revival’ will allow a church or community to spread the fire of Holy Love to many and that it will last weeks, months and years, thus touching even other churches and whole cities, regions or countries. This is a holy endeavor, that aims to light fires of God’s life and love that will last until the last breath of persons on this earth - as a bridge that leads beyond death to resurrection, because this eternal life has been burning in us - thus breaking the power of death and preparing us perfectly to continue to live this eternal love forever. 

Revival, as defined above, is not limited to Christians and churches, but goes deeper to all humans and the whole creation called by God in Jesus to come back to its original and perfect vocation to be full of the life of God, full of the Holy love of God. And this is accomplished through the revived Christians who live fully in the life of God – the children of God. Paul writes in Romans 8:19-21: For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God.²⁰ For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope ²¹ that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. (ESV)

Let us pray that each of us we shall experiment a personal ‘revival’ - a reawakening that kindle or rekindle the fire of God’s burning love in our hearts, through the power of the Holy Spirit, and that we dedicate our lives to live with the Living Word of God – Jesus – leading us with tenderness, and that we shall then spread this revival fire of love to all we meet. Thus, we will experiment corporate revivals of whole churches and communities and lead the creation to fulfill its calling to shine with God’s perfect love.

This is God’s passionate call for each of us in Jesus the Messiah. He wants to and will do it as we seek Him in humility and prayer. Then we will each become little burning fires of God’s love, and together we will be able to warm others, encourage others, and bring the shining light of God’s life and love in Jesus that this dying world desperately needs. 

Johannesburg

Saturday, September 13, 2014

In the Living Messiah

Stéphane Tibi

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[1] Revive is a translation of shouv (שוב) in the ESV for these verses: 1Sa 30:12, Ps 19:7, La 1:11,16,19

[2] Revive is a translation of hayah (חָיָה) in the ESV for these verses: Gen 45:27, Jdg 15:19, 1Ki 17:22, 2Ki 13:21, Neh 4:2, Ps 69:32, Ps 71:20, Ps 85:6, Is 57:15, Ho 6:2, Hab 3:2.

[3] Psalm 36:9 (v 10 in Hebrew): For with you is the fountain of life; in your light do we see light.

[4] Genesis 2:16b-17: “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” (ESV)

[5] John 17:3: “And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” (ESV)

[6] A Christian is a ‘little’ Christ, a Christ-like disciple of Jesus.

[7] This corresponds to what is described as Entire Sanctification in the Church of the Nazarene.