Shalom,

As we are nearing the end of yet another year, some would like to get it over with quickly because of bad memories while others lament the quick close of yet another blessed year. Whichever category you may fall into, I would encourage you to give thanks for your own life - that all-important breath of life, which the Lord God our Creator has blessed each one of us with.

I shared with you last week on the seven miracles of healing, which Jesus performed while on Earth, and I mentioned two of the miracles, which had numbers in the story. Interestingly enough, I titled last week's sharing as "True Rest in Jesus" and this week I would like to expand on those two miracles and call the subject of the sharing "True Freedom in Christ".

As I was pondering over what I sent you, the Lord impressed on me to share on the miracles found in Luke 13: 10-13 and in John 5: 1-15.

"18" - The Number used in the Bible to represent Bondage
If you read the text in Luke 13: 10-13, an evil spirit, which caused her to be bent over for 18 years, bound this lady. The only things she ever saw in those years were at ground level - legs, sandals, the hem of people's clothing, the stones on the ground, the weeds by the roadside and maybe an occasional flower. Imagine walking around the whole day and not being able to see the face of the person who talks with you - even loved ones. Now that was the state of the woman when she approached Jesus.

In the Book of Judges 3:14 we read: "the Israelites were subject to Eglon king of Moab for eighteen years."
And in Judges 10: 7 - 8 we read:

7 So the anger of the Lord was hot against Israel: and He sold them into the hands of the Philistines and into the hands of the people of Ammon.

8 From that year they harassed and oppressed the children of Israel for eighteen years - all the children of Israel who were on the other side of the Jordan in the land of the Amorites, in Gilead.

God instructed the Israelites, when they first came into the Promised Land after leaving Egypt, to drive out all the inhabitants of the land and to destroy all their idols. However, the children of Israel did not obey God and they left remnants behind. They even adopted the Philistine idols and worshipped these idols. Because of their disobedience, God allowed them to be punished and from our reading, they were subject to Moab and again later subject to the Philistines both for periods of eighteen years.

Paul in Galatians 5: 19 -21 listed 18 "acts of the sinful nature of man" in the New International Version (NIV) or "works of the flesh" in the New King James Version (NKJV). These are: -
(Not necessarily in corresponding order)

NIV NKJV
sexual immorality adultery
impurity fornication
debauchery uncleanness
idolatry lewdness
witchcraft idolatry
hatred sorcery
discord hatred
jealousy contentions
fits of rage jealousies
selfish ambition outbursts of wrath
dissensions selfish ambitions
factions dissensions
envy heresies
drunkenness envy
orgies murders
and the like drunkenness
revelries
and the like.

When Jesus healed the woman in the story in Luke, she began to straighten up and the first face she saw in such a long time was the beautiful and compassionate face of our Savior and the Bible recorded for us that she worshipped God. She was liberated from her bondage and was therefore free to worship Him who healed her. Jesus died on the cross for all of us and we are no longer under bondage. Because of His death on the cross, we can overcome the "works of the flesh"; they no longer have a hold on our lives. Instead, we are now free to worship Him and live our lives for Him.

"38" - The number for Judgement
God told Moses to send out spies to check out the land which the Israelites were about to enter and taken possession of. Moses chose 12 leaders from the midst - one to represent each tribe - and set them off from Kadesh Barnea. The 12 spies came back after about a month and ten of them gave such a bad report of the land that it brought fear on the people. Only two of them, Joshua and Caleb urged the people to go straight into the land and possess it since the Lord had commanded them. However, the people chose to listen to the ten who had the bad report and as a result, the Lord made them continue to walk in the wilderness for another 38 years until all those who were above the age of twenty when they first left Egypt had died.

Deuteronomy 2: 14 - "Thirty-eight years passed from the time we left Kadesh Barnea until we crossed the Zered Valley. By then, that entire generation of fighting men had perished from the camp, as the Lord had sworn to them."

So you see, the Israelites could have gone straight into the Promised Land after walking the wilderness for two years. Instead, because of their disobedience, they spent 40 years wandering until all those who sinned by believing that false report were judged and were dead.

In John 5: 1 -15, we read of Jesus going to this place called the Pool of Bethesda, in Jerusalem. For a long time, I used to wonder why, of all the people who were at the pool, did Jesus zero in on this man who had been lying there for the past 38 years and healed him. Why did he not choose an easier case for healing? Or why did He not healed all of the sick who were found there? Certainly there were people who were blind, lame or paralyzed. But John recorded for us that Jesus only healed one man - the man who was paralyzed for 38 years. Also we read that Jesus did not tell him immediately His Name but only revealed Himself to the man who is now healed later who He really was.

I submit to you that Jesus wanted to give a message here. His coming to this world was to signal that the penalty had been paid for; judgement had been satisfied. He came for the sole purpose of paying the price for our judgement. He took the judgement upon Himself on the Cross so that we will never be judged again. He Who is without sin took the punishment upon Himself and died so that we, through Him, can have life, even eternal life; a life that is never separated from the Eternal Source forever.

In fact John 5: 24 - "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgement, but has passed from death into life."

Indeed, by that one perfect death on the cross, Jesus released us all from our bondage and has taken on the punishment of God meant for us so that we are now free to worship the Lord and enjoy His presence. Have you believed in Jesus, the One who died for you? Start enjoying the life He has given you. There is true freedom in Jesus.

If you want to believe in Jesus and receive Him into your hearts, you can do so right away by praying this simple and yet powerful prayer: -

Thank You Jesus for loving me and coming into this world to die for us. Thank You that by Your one death on the cross, You took my place of punishment and freed me from all bondage so that I can be forever blessed.
Lord Jesus, come into my life; live inside of me to guide me and bless me. Thank You that I can be a child of God and that I can call You, Daddy God.
Thank You that I am greatly blessed, highly favored, deeply loved and completed protected. I thank You in Jesus Name. Amen.

The Lord blesses you and keeps you;
The Lord makes His face shine upon you and be gracious to you and all your loved ones;
The Lord lifts up His countenance upon you and gives you His shalom peace.

Shalom,
Andrew L W Lee

Dated : 1 December 2001