Blessings to you, loved ones.  Here’s your weekly update.

I’m so blessed by all of you!  Things have changed and they’ll keep changing, but you have remained faithful.  That means more to me than I can say.  It gives me hope that we are ready for whatever God is going to do next.  It is often on the other side of the fire that the blessings come.

This heat does make it hard for some, including my beloved Linda.  So once again she did what she could and provided her lesson for us by recording.  We were blessed to here her personal application of the sanctification process.  I enjoyed sharing with you from 2 Peter as he gives us a quick start guide to the Christian life.

Now I have a question for you.  When you look at others, do you see what God sees?  This is an important question, especially in a church like ours.  You may have seen the commercials on TV for the drug to treat psoriasis.  They echo the poignant cry of so many with conditions that cause people to treat them differently.  The people say, “See me!”

Even those of us who deal with disability can fall into the same tendency to see others who we think are worse off than we as objects of pity.  We don’t look past the obvious.  But Jesus did.  He healed many people, but even among those He healed, he recognized that healing was not their greatest need.

We’re going to look at one of these accounts from Luke 5:17-26.  It’s the same story we find in Mark 2:1-12.  Jesus has become known for His power to heal, and he’s preaching to a packed house, literally!  When four very determined friends of a paralyzed man could not get anywhere near Jesus, they took extraordinary measures.  They got up on the roof and broke through to let the man down in front of Jesus.

Of all the responses Jesus might have made to this brash action, they probably were not expecting the one they got at first.  He said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven you.”  There’s a lot going on here and we’ll try to explore all of it, but what I want you to notice here is that Jesus first addressed the more serious problem.  Only then did he heal the man’s condition.

At Bartimaeus Baptist Temple, we’re on a mission to minister both to and through people affected by disability.  I believe God gave us that mission, but we can never forget the greater mission given to all of God’s people.  We are to become disciples and make more!  The biggest need humanity has regardless of physical condition is Jesus.  Before we submit ourselves to God and become new creations in Christ Jesus, our biggest problem is sin.  It dooms us to eternal separation from God, and there is nothing more tragic than that.  Our mission is to bring the lost to Jesus and to help them on their way with Him.  Our special calling is to those who face a few extra challenges in life, but the objective remains the same.  Let us see what God sees in each other and in all of those around us.

Do pray for each other and keep in touch throughout the week.  We’re all family, and you never know what a kind word and a little love might do for someone.  I got a text earlier today from Priscilla asking for prayer for Violet, apparently a cousin of Cathy, who fell today and was taken to ICU with bleeding in the brain.  We pray for comfort and for healing.  Remember Debra as she copes with multiple health challenges.

It was a delight to see Tim and the rest of the family  back with us last Sunday.  Keep praying for his recovery.  I’m still expecting the day when he’ll be standing up in front of the church giving God the glory for what He has done for him.

I can’t wait to see you on Sunday!

Love y’all,

Larry