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He Touched Me

 He Touched Me

Matthew 8:1-4 – When he came down from the mountain, large crowds followed him. Right away a man with leprosy came up and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.”Reaching out his hand, Jesus touched him, saying, “I am willing; be made clean.” Immediately his leprosy was cleansed. Then Jesus told him, “See that you don’t tell anyone; but go, show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”
 
Matthew 8:1-4 is a powerful story, for it is my own. I too heard of this Jesus, I too followed him and listened to his teachings, and I too knew I was sick and unable to be well save for his will in my life. Then Jesus did more and abundantly more for me than I was worthy of: he touched me.
 
He did not have to do that, for I was unclean. He gently caressed my soul and at that very moment, I was made clean. Not of my ability, but by submission to His. And like the leper, I too have desired to speak and tell of that experience since Jesus did touch me- and I have not been silent since.
 
Written by: Bill Crawford
June 2022


The Power of Forgiveness

The Power of Forgiveness – Bill Crawford
 
Honestly, I’ve always struggled with forgiveness. It is alien to me. Yet as I grow a little older and realize just how little I deserve grace, it compels me to imitate Christ and forgive others. Holding a grudge means saying long after an offense, “I am hurt.” But forgiveness allows you to say, “I was hurt”. There is a huge difference.
 
Everyone has been burned, cut, bruised, or injured. But imagine never allowing a wound to heal to spite the one who dealt it to you. That’s what a grudge is. It’s refusing to heal until you get to inflict an injury on someone else. When I refuse to forgive others, I am condemning myself to re-live that pain every day until I forgive them.
 
Don’t delay! Don’t waste time and energy on a grudge that only hurts you. Forgive and be healed because Christ forgave you and is willing to heal you.