Healing Evil 5/16/17

Good Morning,

Now is the time for all good men and women  to rush to a cup of coffee. My choice for java today is a big cup of Door County Raspberry Sorbet. I won't run to the kitchen, but my steps will be lively.

I am re-reading a book by Philip Yancey, "The Question That Never Goes Away". I highly recommend it for those who are going through a tragedy or have gone through one.

One of the chapters is titled "Healing Evil". It just so happened that last night while watching the world news I just kept hearing about genocide in the Middle East, nuclear war heads in Asia, cyber attacks world wide, and murders at home. Although Mr. Yancey's chapter is about healing from evil after it strikes, I choose to write about the only thing that can actually heal evil before it strikes.

An encounter with Jesus is all it takes to change and heal evil.

Acts 9:1-22 New International Version (NIV)

Saul’s Conversion

9 Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest ² and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. ³ As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. ⁴ He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”

⁵ “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked.
“I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied. ⁶ “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”
⁷ The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone. ⁸ Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus. ⁹ For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything.
¹⁰ In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision, “Ananias!”
“Yes, Lord,” he answered.
¹¹ The Lord told him, “Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying. ¹² In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight.”
¹³ “Lord,” Ananias answered, “I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your holy people in Jerusalem. ¹⁴ And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name.”
¹⁵ But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel. ¹⁶ I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.”
¹⁷ Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here—has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” ¹⁸ Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized, ¹⁹ and after taking some food, he regained his strength.

Saul in Damascus and Jerusalem

Saul spent several days with the disciples in Damascus. ²⁰ At once he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God. ²¹ All those who heard him were astonished and asked, “Isn’t he the man who raised havoc in Jerusalem among those who call on this name? And hasn’t he come here to take them as prisoners to the chief priests?” ²² Yet Saul grew more and more powerful and baffled the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Messiah.

I believe in miracles and I believe Jesus changes hearts. I believe we can face each day because Jesus lives. I also believe we should pray for those wrapped in evil and warped by the thoughts of Satan. They too can be changed with an encounter with Jesus. I believe that some day the lion will lay down next to the lamb. I believe that even the smallest prayer is always heard.  I believe it can happen, but I believe in order to heal evil, we must pray and ask with faith. We need to pray specifically for anyone we know absorbed with evil.

Let's make this a point of prayer for today and every day for a month. Join me please.

Marty