The Bible Speaks - Words of Inspiration - Who touched me?

[00:00:00] Let us pray, bread together on our knees

[00:00:07] Let us pray, bread together on our knees

[00:00:14] When I fall on my knees with my face to the rising sun

[00:00:21] Oh Lord, never see all the need

[00:00:27] Welcome to the Bible Speaks with Elgin Carelock

[00:00:30] The Bible Speaks is a weekly ministry of Harvest International

[00:00:33] Our prayer is that the Bible Speaks will encourage you in your study of God's word

[00:00:38] You will be able to contact Elgin at the address given at the end of this broadcast

[00:00:44] And now, here's Elgin

[00:00:46] Welcome, welcome, welcome to another episode of Words of Inspiration

[00:00:51] And today we are going to have a discussion on the topic of

[00:00:58] Who Touched Me?

[00:01:00] Our spiritual inspiration comes from Luke 8-43

[00:01:08] The story of the woman with the issue of blood is very familiar to us

[00:01:14] In my opinion, it has a twofold story

[00:01:19] One about how we try everything before coming to Jesus

[00:01:24] And the other being the benefit of humbling ourselves and trusting in the power of our risen Savior

[00:01:31] However, for our time together today, I want us to focus on Jesus' reaction when she touched the hymn of his garment

[00:01:40] Just to make sure we are all on the same page

[00:01:44] I'll give a brief overview of our inspirational text

[00:01:49] There was a woman who was not named but who had an issue of blood or bleeding for 12 years

[00:01:58] She had gone to see every specialist and spent all of her resources on finding a cure

[00:02:04] But the condition only got worse

[00:02:07] When she heard about Jesus, she was convinced that all she had to do was touch a part of him

[00:02:15] And she would be healed

[00:02:18] She pressed her way through the crowd and touched the hymn of Jesus' garment

[00:02:26] And that is when he asked the question, Who Touched Me?

[00:02:31] By asking who touched me, Jesus was not seeking information

[00:02:36] He already knew who touched him and why

[00:02:40] Instead, he wanted to bring attention to the woman's faith and publicly acknowledge her act

[00:02:48] This question provided an opportunity for the woman to come forward, testify about her healing, and be affirmed in her faith

[00:02:58] It also served to teach the onlookers about the importance of faith and the personal nature of Jesus' power and compassion

[00:03:07] Through this interaction, Jesus highlighted the genuine faith even in the midst of a pressing crowd

[00:03:16] She was recognized and rewarded by God through Jesus

[00:03:22] Do we have faith that is noticed by God?

[00:03:28] Are we willing to do whatever it takes to get into His presence with an earnest expectation that He can and will accomplish what we are plagued by?

[00:03:40] That He can accomplish healing what we are plagued by?

[00:03:46] James 1-6-7 tells us, But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt

[00:03:55] Because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea blown and tossed by the wind

[00:04:02] That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord

[00:04:10] So that is telling us that the faith that you have has to be undergirded by trust

[00:04:16] And that if you are doubting what God can do for you, then you should seek counsel with other members and pray to the Lord to give you the strength and to understand what He has done for you in the past and how He can do it for you again

[00:04:35] After the woman came forward in response to Jesus' question, Jesus told that woman that her faith made her whole

[00:04:44] By stating that, He is acknowledging that her healing was not just a cure for what was ailing her then, but a restoration to holiness in every aspect of her life

[00:04:56] The term whole here implies a complete restoration, physical, emotional and social

[00:05:05] She was not only healed of her physical ailment, but also restored to a full life within her community, no longer bound by the restrictions of her condition or the stigma associated with it

[00:05:19] Throughout the Gospels, Jesus frequently connects faith with the reception of God's blessings, including the healings

[00:05:27] In telling her that her faith has made her whole, He is reinforcing the message that spiritual vitality and access to God's transformative power are available to anyone who believes regardless of their past or present circumstances

[00:05:45] Brothers and sisters, Jesus' assurance to the woman that her faith has made her whole is a declaration of complete restoration, highlighting the transformative power of faith in Him

[00:05:58] It is a testament to how faith can bridge the gap between human desperation and divine provision, offering not just physical healing, but a comprehensive healing that touches all aspects of our lives

[00:06:15] I'd like to thank you once again for spending this time with us, no matter when you are listening, and I look forward to speaking with you again on tomorrow

[00:06:26] Until then, God bless

[00:07:01] Thank you