Now as the vision of Isaiah continues to unfold, he is gripped by what is initially a very uncomfortable reality in verse 5…

When I was growing up music always filled the atmosphere of the house. And most often it was the kind of music that glorified Jesus Christ. This music had a way of ushering me into the presence of God and it wasn’t long before I learned how to worship.

But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, He answered and said to them, “Why are you reasoning in your hearts? Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Rise up and walk’?

So what made the difference between the Pharisees and friends of the paralytic? Both of them got close to Jesus. So it wasn't merely the proximity. So what was it? Faith! Jesus always responds to faith.

Jesus desires your complete health and wholeness in order to demonstrate His power to save us from sin. By healing people in response to their faith in His ability to save them from sickness, Jesus sought to teach and arouse people to His primary desire to save them from sin by grace through faith! We are called to continue the healing ministry of Jesus. We are to be a healing community bringing hope and wholeness to everyone.

“Not many days from now” were the words of Jesus to the disciples about the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Jesus is now concluding His earthly ministry and about to ascend to the Father. He has spent an extra 40 days on earth painstakingly explaining the Kingdom of God to His disciples and giving them the promise of the Holy Spirit.

Since I have been at Restoration Praise Center (RPC) I have gotten to know many people. Many of them are students and they know what it is like to prepare for that big final. Some of them have recently gotten married and they know what it’s like to prepare for the big wedding day.

There is another reason to get excited about making disciples. It is my favorite reason for making disciples. Luke tells us beginning in verse 21…

I can hear him now on a Sabbath morning. He or she is an Elder, Pastor or Personal Ministries Director. With a mixture of excitement and dread, they step forward to the pulpit and proceed to make an announcement to the entire congregation that in the next 3 months they are going to “do evangelism.”

Gideon still doesn’t get it yet. He still has some objections for God in verse 15…

Gideon is no different then us. He has his doubts and objections as to who God says he is. As a matter of fact, he even starts to get a little attitude with God in verse 13…

I gave my heart to Jesus and was baptized in November 1991. Yet I didn’t truly come to know Jesus, at a personal heart level, until about the year 2000 when I was In college. This was a spiritually deep time in my life.

Well it must be wedding season, because every time I go on Facebook I see one of my friends either getting married, participating in the marriage or officiating a marriage (if it's one of my pastor friends). So it got me thinking about when I proposed to Deedre.

The servants follow Jesus instructions and take the water to the master of the feast. Now listen carefully to what he says in verses 9 & 10…

Jesus and His disciples are there at the wedding. They’re having a good time. They're making conversation. Now to understand what's happening here you have to understand that first century Jewish weddings lasted for more than a week, sometimes up to nine days.