Forgiving Sins, Healing the Lame

Here is another passage where Jesus’ words (and actions) demonstrated that He is truly God in the flesh. It involves His teaching ministry and the religious leaders of His day learned more than they could handle.

And it came to pass on a certain day, as he was teaching, that there were Pharisees and doctors of the law sitting by, which were come out of every town of Galilee, and Judaea, and Jerusalem: and the power of the Lord was present to heal them. 18 And, behold, men brought in a bed a man which was taken with a palsy: and they sought means to bring him in, and to lay him before him. 19 And when they could not find by what way they might bring him in because of the multitude, they went upon the housetop, and let him down through the tiling with his couch into the midst before Jesus. 20 And when he saw their faith, he said unto him, Man, thy sins are forgiven thee. 21 And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, Who is this which speaketh blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone? 22 But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, he answering said unto them, What reason ye in your hearts? 23 Whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Rise up and walk? 24 But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power upon earth to forgive sins, (he said unto the sick of the palsy,) I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy couch, and go into thine house. 25 And immediately he rose up before them, and took up that whereon he lay, and departed to his own house, glorifying God. (Luke 5:17-25)

First, notice the priority of the lame man’s friends. They had to get him to Jesus! And they weren’t above destroying the roof of the house to do it! This prompted an immediate response from Jesus.

Coronavirus: The True Christian Response

Coronavirus?  Don’t worry.  Kenneth Copeland’s got this.  He pronounced it “destroyed forever”.  Is this the true Christian response to a pandemic?

https://www.christianpost.com/news/televangelist-kenneth-copeland-calls-forth-supernatural-heatwave-to-kill-coronavirus-in-nyc.html

In March, he claimed to heal people of COVID-19 while he prayed for them as they laid their hand on their TVs.  (One wonders why he doesn’t visit hospitals.)  Then he told those who lost their jobs due to the pandemic to continue paying tithes.  (Since 10% of 0 is 0, I guess that wouldn’t be a problem for them.)  Then he said he would continue to have church services even if he had to pass out thermometers to everyone, and if someone had a fever, that he would “get it healed right there.”  (Hard to argue with that.)

Why do people listen to this guy??

The true Christian does not call down the “wind of God” upon the coronavirus and pronounce it “destroyed”. Kenneth Copeland is a charlatan who is just interested in money which he extracts from people by acting like he has special powers imbued upon him by God. Suffice it to say, he does not.