Who can make a paralyzed man walk and who can forgive sins?

Mark 2:1-12 (ESV)

And when he returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home. And many were gathered together, so that there was no more room, not even at the door. And he was preaching the word to them. And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. And when they could not get near him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him, and when they had made an opening, they let down the bed on which the paralytic lay. And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, “Why does this man speak like that? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” And immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they thus questioned within themselves, said to them, “Why do you question these things in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, take up your bed and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the paralytic—“I say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home.” And he rose and immediately picked up his bed and went out before them all, so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!”

Am I loved?

Am I loved? In this world, this is a question we all ask many times. Lots of us have been hurt by those closest to us, by fathers or mothers or brothers or sisters or friends. We feel lonely and unloved. Sometimes we even feel that we aren’t good enough to be loved by anyone.

In The Book, God tells us that He loves us – yes, every single one of us! It doesn’t matter whether you are old or young, male or female, what people you are descended from, or even what mistakes you have made in your life. In fact, God says that He loves even sinners. We don’t have to do anything to earn this love – He gives it to us freely like a gift. He even promises to wipe away all our sins and make us completely clean.

The only thing we must do is receive this gift by believing in Jesus Christ.

Will you receive the love of God?

Read more in The Book

Am I loved?

Romans 5:7-9 (ESV)

 For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.

Who can calm the storm?

Mark 4:38-40  (ESV)

But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?”

Who can calm the storm?

Have you ever wished for the superpower of being able to control nature? Imagine being able to tell the wind where to go or being able to control the waves of the sea. Did you know there actually was someone who had the power to do this?

One day Jesus got into a boat with His disciples. He fell asleep while they rowed across the Sea of Galilee. A great storm came over the sea and the disciples were afraid their boat was going to sink. They went and woke Jesus. Jesus stood up and said to the wind and the waves, “Peace, be still!” And the wind and the waves stopped!

Jesus asked the disciples, “Where is your faith?” They had seen all His miracles, yet they still didn’t trust that He was able to keep them safe in the middle of a storm.

Maybe you are going through a storm in your life right now. Maybe the rain is pouring down on you and everything seems against you, like waves trying to sink your boat. Will you trust in Jesus, the One who is able to calm the storm?

Read more in The Book.

 

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