FRIDAY JANUARY 31 Further Study: Read Luke 18:35–43, 13:10–17, 14:1–6; John 6:1, 2; Mark 6:5–7, 6:54–56, 7:31–37, 8:22–26; Matthew 8:1–17, 12:15–23. Ellen G. White, “Our Example,” pp. 17–21; “Healing of the Soul,” pp. 73–85, in The Ministry of Healing; “The Divine Plan in the Medical Missionary Work,” pp. 25–29, in Medical Ministry. “The paralytic found in Christ healing for both the soul and the body. He needed health of soul before he could appreciate health of body. Before the physical malady could be healed, Christ must bring relief to the mind, and cleanse the soul from sin. This lesson should not be overlooked. There are today thousands suffering from physical disease who, like the paralytic, are longing for the message, ‘Thy sins are for-given.’ The burden of sin, with its unrest and unsatisfied desires, is the foundation of their maladies. They can find no relief until they come to the Healer of the soul. The peace which He alone can impart would restore vigor to the mind and health to the body. . . . “In the home of the paralytic there was great rejoicing when he returned to his family, carrying with ease the couch upon which he had been slowly borne from their presence but a short time before. . . . Glad thanksgiving went up from that home, and God was glorified through His Son, who had restored hope to the hopeless and strength to the stricken one. This man and his family were ready to lay down their lives for Jesus.”—Ellen G. White, The Ministry of Healing, pp. 77, 79. Discussion Questions: How can healing ministries open hearts and minds otherwise closed to the gospel? How can Christians guard themselves against the error of thinking that healing is an end in itself? How can churches that are not connected with hospitals par-ticipate in healing ministry? How can Christians involved with healing ministry avoid association in the public’s mind with so-called faith healers? What do we say to those potential disciples who, reading about the healings in the Bible, come to our churches or hospitals in search of a healing that does not happen? What answers do we have for them? What answers do we have for ourselves as we seek to understand these situations? What answers are found in the Bible that can help us at times like these? i n s i dSe tory Claiming God’s Promise Mama Nerea lay on her thin mattress in her humble home in west-ern Kenya. Her family suspected that her suffering was the result of witchcraft—a curse that someone had put on her. They visited several witchdoctors, seeking to have the curse removed, but Mama Nerea continued to languish. The illness had left her unable to stand or walk and had taken her voice, as well. Even she was sure she would die. Mama Nerea’s life had been filled with trouble. Her husband had gone to seek work in a nearby town, leaving her to care for her chil-dren alone. Desperate to make money, she began brewing and selling local beer. Soon she was addicted to her own brew. When her husband returned from town, he drank with her. Then she became ill. One day as Mama Nerea lay on her bed, she saw three men surround it. One man wore a white robe. He spoke her name and comforted her. Then he told her that she would be saved the next day. “Koa kanye, koa kuom ng’a?” Mama Nerea asked. “Saved from what and where?” The man in the white robe told her that the next day she would meet two men who would lead her out of her bondage and pain and into the light of Jesus. “You must never go back into the darkness again,” he said. Mama Nerea nodded. Mama Nerea’s daughter was startled to hear her mother’s voice. “Who are you talking to?” she asked her mother. “Jesus has visited me,” Mama Nerea said.The next day, two young men came to visit Mama Nerea. They told her that God had told them to come and pray with her. The young men were holding evangelistic meetings. They came regularly to pray with Mama Nerea and her family. Soon after this, Mama Nerea’s daughter found her mother standing in the door of the hut. Over the next few months, Mama Nerea’s health returned, and she began visiting the small Seventh-day Adventist group in their settlement. Her husband, Johana, stopped smoking and drink-ing and gave his heart to the Lord. Mama Nerea and Johana became strong supporters of God’s work and led many to Christ in their village. Recently, Johana died, and Mama Nerea is getting old. But their testimony and their example live on in the lives of many who have found Christ in a small town in western Kenya. Our mission offerings help support the work of Global Mission pio-neers and lay evangelists throughout the world. Vicki Nakabayashi met Moses, the son of Mama Nerea, on a mission trip to Kenya. Produced by the General Conference Office of Adventist Mission. Web site: AdventistMission.org
Posted on: Fri, 31 Jan 2014 10:21:20 +0000
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