Dancing with Joy and Singing

Reading Scripture: Mark 2:3-12 

Reading Scripture: Mark 7:31-37 

Verse to Memorize: Ephesians 4:13 Reference: Hebrews 13:8 Goal: to cause believers to act in the Light so that they may not only prosper in everything and enjoy good health but also dance and sing with joy Jesus taught the Word of God and preached the gospel of kingdom during His public ministry. While preaching the gospel, He healed people of many kinds of diseases and infirmities. By doing so, He engraved His message on their hearts.

 It is just as recorded in Matthew 4:23-24, "Jesus was going throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness among the people. The news about Him spread throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all who were ill, those suffering with various diseases and pains, demoniacs, epileptics, paralytics; and He healed them."

• 1. Jesus healed a man who was deaf and spoke with a speech impediment

It happened after Jesus healed the daughter of Syrophoenician woman in Tyre and returned to Galilee. Some people brought to Him one who was deaf and spoke with difficulty, and they implored Him to lay His hand on him for healing. Jesus took him aside from the crowd, by himself, and put His fingers into his ears, and after spitting, He touched his tongue with the saliva, and looking up to heaven with a deep sigh, He said to him, "Ephphatha!" that is, "Be opened!" And his ears were opened, and the impediment of his tongue was removed. He began speaking plainly by command of Jesus' original voice of creation. But why did Jesus put His fingers into his ears before He said, "Ephphatha!"? This is because He helped the man have faith through the sensation of touch. 

Romans 10:17 says, "So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ." But the deaf who cannot hear are not able to hear the Word of God, so it is not easy for them to have faith. In the same way, the person who was deaf and spoke with difficulty could not hear the Word of Jesus and he could not have faith. Furthermore, it was not he who came before Jesus, but other people brought him to Jesus. Jesus put His fingers into his ears so that he could have faith through touch. For Jesus, who had existed in the form of God and came to the earth in flesh, nothing was impossible. Even today, we also can manifest the biblical works when we believe Jesus, attain to the unity of the faith of a mature man, and receive the power of God the Creator. 

This is because Hebrews 13:8 says, "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever" and Ephesians 4:13 reads, "Until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ." We have to receive the power of God the Creator since the gift of healing alone cannot bring down the works of reviving degenerated body functions and dead cells. Such signs can occur only when those who attain to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ receive the power from God and pray in His will with faith

• 2. Healing cases that have happened even today

In Manmin Central Church, many people have been healed of hearing impairments. Moreover, many who were born deaf have come to hear. A person who had not been able to hear for more than 50 years was healed and came to hear after receiving the prayer. At the Nagoya Miracle Convention held from September 14 to 15 in 2000, thirteen hearing-impaired people had their hearing completely restored all at once by Dr. Jaerock Lee's prayer. Such an amazing work was made known to other people with hearing impairments in South Korea, so many of them attended the 9th Two-week Special Revival Meeting in May, 2001. Many of them also received healing, which glorified God. As years have passed, the powerful works have increasingly become greater. 

Many people who were deaf have now come to hear. Countless people with hearing impairments have received healing in every overseas crusade. In the Honduras Miracle Healing Crusade 2002, many of the deaf and mute came to hear and speak. Among them, a daughter of the chief bodyguard in charge of security during the crusade was healed of a hearing impairment that had been troublesome for her throughout her entire life. She came to hear well. A woman named Beatrix Muhrmann was suffering from deafness of the left ear. But she heard a popped sound when she was in Germany Healing Festival 2004 and from then on she came to hear. The test results said that her thin eardrum had become thickened, which allowed for her to hear well. The doctor also acknowledged that it was by the power of God. A senior deaconess in Manmin Central Church could not hear for four to five years because her acoustic nerves were dead. But after receiving Dr. Lee's prayer, she came to hear. 

A member could barely hear only the words spoken loudly near his ears, but he came to hear ordinary level sounds well even without the use of hearing aids after receiving Dr. Lee's prayer. An old woman had her both eardrums ruptured when she was 16 years old due to severe abuse she had undergone. She could not hear so she had to read others' lips and understand the situation to communicate with others. However, she came to clearly hear after receiving Dr. Lee's prayer. Such astounding works have been happening even today through Dr. Jaerock Lee. Not only was congenital hearing disability restored but also hearing impairments and ringing in the ears were healed, which gave glory to God.

• 3. How to experience the power of God and receive answers to prayer

1) We have to come before God with faith 

Some people possess faith just by hearing the Word of God preached by someone while others must see evidences that cause them to have faith. It was not easy for a deaf person with the speech impediment whom people brought to Jesus to have faith because he could not hear. Jesus gave consideration to his situation by putting His fingers into his ears so that he could have faith. This is because such people usually find it easier to have faith through receiving the sensation of touch That is, it is very important for the people who are sick to have faith themselves. 

Unlike the time of Jesus, today's technologies have been highly developed so there are many ways for those with difficulty in hearing to hear the gospel. They can learn the Word of God through sign language or with videos and books. Such technical advances in the media help them have faith and are available anywhere as long as they want to hear about the gospel. Thus, everyone can experience the power of God as long as they have faith. 

2) We need to receive forgiveness of sins 

Jesus put His fingers into the ears of the man who was deaf and spoke with difficulty, and after spitting, He touched his tongue with the saliva. But why did He do this? It spiritually represents the baptism of water to give the grace of forgiveness of sins. To be baptized with water is for our sins to be washed away with the Word of God which is like pure water. In order to experience the power of God, the problem of sins must be solved, and for the deaf man, Jesus used saliva instead of water so that it might give the man the meaning of the forgiveness of sins because there was no water. Isaiah 59:1-2 reads, "Behold, the LORD's hand is not so short that it cannot save; nor is His ear so dull that it cannot hear. 

But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear." As written, sins and evil create walls against God so He does not listen to those who have these walls and He even turns His face away from them. 1 John 1:9 says, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." To confess our sins does not mean to speak just with words but it signifies that we have to turn away from sins. After repentance, we should not commit sins anymore and we should pull out even sinful natures. If we repent but sin again, it is like a dog that returns to its own vomit and a sow, after washing, returns to wallowing in the mire. The confession of sins must be followed by the rendering of the hearts with mourning in repentance. I hope you will act completely in the Light and become a source of joy to God.

Kucheza na Kuimba kwa Furaha

Soma: Marko 2:3-12; Marko 7:31-37

Mstari wa kukariri: Waefeso 4:13

Marejeo: Waebrania 13:8. Lengo: kuwasaidia waumini kuishi katika nuru, kufanikiwa katika mambo yote, kuwa na afya njema, na kucheza na kuimba kwa furaha. Wakati wa huduma yake, Yesu alifundisha Neno la Mungu, akahubiri Injili ya ufalme na kuponya magonjwa mengi. Kwa njia hiyo alitia ujumbe wake mioyoni mwa watu. Mathayo 4:23-24 inasema Yesu alizunguka Galilaya akifundisha, akihubiri Injili na kuponya kila ugonjwa na kila aina ya maradhi.

• 1. Yesu alimponya mtu aliyekuwa kiziwi na mwenye shida ya kusema

Yesu aliporudi Galilaya kutoka Tiro baada ya kumponya binti wa mwanamke Msirofoinike, watu wakamletea mtu kiziwi aliyekuwa na shida ya kusema, wakamsihi amweke mikono. Yesu akamchukua kando, akaweka vidole vyake masikioni mwake, akatema mate na kugusa ulimi wake. Akatazama mbinguni, akapumua kwa nguvu na kusema, “Efatha,” yaani, “Funguka!” Masikio yake yakafunguka na ulimi wake ukafunguka, naye akaanza kusema vizuri. Yesu aligusa masikio yake ili amsaidie mtu huyo kupata imani kupitia hisia ya kuguswa.

Warumi 10:17 inasema imani huja kwa kusikia, na kusikia kwa neno la Kristo. Mtu asiyeweza kusikia hawezi kulisikia Neno kwa urahisi wala kupata imani. Yesu alijali hali yake na akatumia mguso kumsaidia. Kwa Yesu, aliyekuwapo katika umbo la Mungu na kuja duniani akiwa mwanadamu, hakuna lisilowezekana. Hata leo tunaweza kuona kazi za Biblia tunapomwamini Yesu, kufikia umoja wa imani na kukomaa katika Kristo, na kupokea nguvu za Mungu Muumba.

Waebrania 13:8 husema Yesu Kristo ni yeye yule jana, leo na hata milele. Waefeso 4:13 hufundisha kwamba tukue hadi umoja wa imani na kumjua Mwana wa Mungu, tukafikie ukomavu na kimo cha utimilifu wa Kristo. Kipawa cha kuponya pekee hakiwezi kufufua viungo vilivyodhoofika na seli zilizokufa; ishara hizo hutokea watu wanapopokea nguvu za Mungu na kuomba kwa imani kulingana na mapenzi yake.

• 2. Uponyaji unaoendelea kutokea hata leo

Watu wengi katika Kanisa la Manmin Central wameponywa matatizo ya kusikia, wakiwemo waliozaliwa viziwi. Mtu aliyekuwa hasikii kwa zaidi ya miaka 50 aliponywa baada ya kuombewa. Katika Mkutano wa Miujiza wa Nagoya, Septemba 14-15, 2000, watu 13 wenye matatizo ya kusikia walipata uwezo wao wa kusikia mara moja kwa maombi ya Daktari Jaerock Lee. Habari hizo zilienea Korea Kusini, na watu wengi wakahudhuria Mkutano wa Uamsho wa Wiki Mbili mwaka 2001; wengi wao waliponywa na kumtukuza Mungu.

Katika mikutano ya Injili ya ng’ambo, watu wengi viziwi walipata kusikia. Katika Mkutano wa Miujiza na Uponyaji wa Honduras wa 2002, viziwi na mabubu wengi walianza kusikia na kusema. Binti wa mkuu wa walinzi aliondolewa tatizo la kusikia alilokuwa nalo tangu kuzaliwa. Beatrix Muhrmann, aliyekuwa kiziwi katika sikio la kushoto, alisikia mlio katika Mkutano wa Uponyaji wa Ujerumani wa 2004 na akaanza kusikia; vipimo vilionyesha kwamba ngoma yake ya sikio ilikuwa imeimarika, na daktari akakiri kuwa ni kwa nguvu za Mungu. Mhudumu mkuu wa kanisa alikuwa amepoteza uwezo wa kusikia kwa miaka minne au mitano kutokana na mishipa ya kusikia kufa, lakini alipata kusikia baada ya maombi.

Mwanachama mwingine aliyekuwa akisikia tu mtu anapopiga kelele karibu na sikio lake alianza kusikia sauti za kawaida bila kifaa cha kusaidia kusikia. Mwanamke mzee aliyepasuka ngoma zote mbili za masikio akiwa na miaka 16 kutokana na kudhulumiwa, na ambaye alikuwa akisoma midomo ya watu ili kuelewa, alipata kusikia vizuri baada ya kuombewa. Hata leo, watu wameponywa uziwi wa kuzaliwa, matatizo mbalimbali ya kusikia na milio masikioni, na kumtukuza Mungu.

• 3. Jinsi ya kuona nguvu za Mungu na kupokea majibu ya maombi

1) Tumwendee Mungu kwa imani. Wengine hupata imani kwa kusikia Neno, na wengine huhitaji kuona ushahidi. Yule kiziwi aliyeletwa kwa Yesu hangeweza kulisikia Neno, hivyo Yesu aligusa masikio yake ili amsaidie kuamini. Hii inaonyesha umuhimu wa mgonjwa mwenyewe kuwa na imani. Leo teknolojia imerahisisha watu wenye shida ya kusikia kujifunza Injili kupitia lugha ya ishara, video na vitabu. Kwa hiyo, kila mtu anaweza kuona nguvu za Mungu akiwa na imani.

2) Tunahitaji kusamehewa dhambi. Yesu aliweka vidole masikioni mwa mtu huyo, akatema mate na kugusa ulimi wake. Kiroho, hili linaashiria ubatizo wa maji na neema ya kusamehewa dhambi; maji safi yanafananishwa na Neno la Mungu linalotuosha. Ili kuona nguvu za Mungu, tatizo la dhambi lazima litatuliwe. Isaya 59:1-2 husema maovu yetu yametutenga na Mungu na dhambi zetu zimemficha uso wake asitusikie. 1 Yohana 1:9 husema tukiziungama dhambi zetu, Mungu hutusamehe na kutusafisha na udhalimu wote. Kuungama si kusema maneno tu; kunamaanisha kuziacha dhambi. Baada ya kutubu, tusizirudie bali tuondoe hata asili ya dhambi mioyoni mwetu. Tukiungama kisha tukatenda tena dhambi, ni kama mbwa kurudia matapishi yake au nguruwe aliyeoshwa kurudi matopeni. Tubu kwa moyo uliovunjika na uishi kikamilifu katika nuru, uwe furaha kwa Mungu.