Gleans from Monday Bible Study with Pastor (Dr) W.F Kumuyi.
DLBC Gbagada HQ
29th July 2019
Study 21 – DIVINE TRANSFORMATION THROUGH THE TOUCH OF FAITH
Text – Mark 5:25-34
This is a very familiar story but not so much familiar applications. It is one we have heard mostly during Revival services but tonight we want to approach it from the perspective of a Bible Study, so that the performance of every word and promise will register in every heart in Jesus Name. “For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole” (Mark 5:28). This is about a touch of faith with confidence, trust and expectation that the woman had on the garment of Jesus Christ. Whether we touch Him, or He touches us, there is always a demonstration of His power. And as we gather together all the instances where people touched the Lord, or when He, our Redeemer and Deliverer touches anyone, there is always a demonstration of His power, and He is going to touch you tonight. When the Lord touches us or we touch Him there will be; (i) Recovery – if you have been down, despondent, sickness in your life, there will be recovery; (ii) Restoration – as you return after going far away from Him; and whatever you have lost; (iii) Renewal – of any part of our system from the spirit to the soul and body, He renews our strength; (iv) Regeneration – of soul dead in sin and trespasses and He recreates your spirit; (v) Reassurance – of ability to live a confident and courageous life; (vi) Righteousness – a touch of righteousness; and (vii) Refreshing – when weak and weary.
Christ has not changed, still the same today as He was in the past, whether we touch Him or He touches us, transformation will take place in our body, soul and spirit because His touch is always supernatural, and things that are unthinkable, or impossible becomes possible and a reality in our lives. Supernatural things do happen when we touch Him by faith and He transforms us in His Faithfulness. You are not looking at Him in the physical, but as we gather in His Name, He is present with us according to His word. Christ Jesus has the power to manifest spiritually, physically, emotionally even in your life. So tonight, as we look at this story afresh we want to look at it from this perspective, there is a touch of faith, and the result of that touch is Divine Transformation. Connection between us and God, and transformation will take place in every one of our lives.
3 points:
Point 1. A DECISIVE, DEFINITE TOUCH FOR TOTAL RECOVERY
Mark 5:25-29
The touch was decisive, no doubt about this, and it was definite, no maybe or but about it. “And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years, And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse” (Mark 5:25-26). She had had this issue of blood disease for twelve years, and she was not just laying down unconcerned but had spent much money, all that she had, and yet there was no improvement but rather grew worse. But then she heard of Jesus; your salvation, healing, deliverance and victory is very near today. “For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole.” She felt the effect in her body and was healed of the plague.
Three lessons here:
(i) The Unclean and Incurable Woman – Mark 5:25,26; Jeremiah 30:12-13,15; Psalms 108:12; Acts 4:12. “And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years” (Mark 5:25). The plague made her unclean according to the Levitical order, and that was why she sneaked behind Christ. And tonight, anything that makes any of us unclean, tonight, all things are possible. The Lord will make you whole, you will see and feel it.. But a change came to the woman, healing came to her, and that healing is coming to you today, but we need to seek His help like the woman did, “Give us help from trouble: for vain is the help of man” (Psalms 108:12). We have tried, sought, gave them money but vain is the help of man. But Christ will help and heal you. He is the Answer to all the problems of your life, “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). And thank God the woman heard about Jesus, and you are hearing about Jesus tonight. He will help you.
(ii) The Unchangeable and Infallible Word – Mark 5:27-28; John 1:1-4,14; Romans 10:17; 1 Thessalonians 2:13. The word of God, of power, authority, healing and faith will not pass away. “When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment” (Mark 5:27). She heard the word, and testimonies about Jesus that brought faith in her. “All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made” (John 1:2). No wonder He healed everyone, and tonight anything missing in your life and body, the Lord will recreate it tonight in Jesus Name. This Christ, the Creator will recreate you, this Christ, the Healer will heal you; this Christ, the Saviour will save you. Christ is the Word, and He is the Unchanging, Immutable and Infallible Word. This woman heard of the word, of Christ, believed and a change took place in her life. “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17). Faith came up in her and as you are hearing, His word will give you power, healing and salvation, and turn your life around, in Jesus Name. “For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe” (1 Thessalonians 2:13). As you receive Jesus, and believe He is able to do what He did in the past, that Word, Saviour, Redeemer and Deliverer will work in every one of our lives and His Word will be fulfilled in Jesus Name.
(iii) The Undeniable and Irrefutable Wonder – Mark 5:27-29; 3:10; 6:54-56; Luke 6:17-19. “And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague” (Mark 5:29). The unclean and incurable woman heard the unchangeable and infallible Word, and she received and experienced the power of Christ that worked in her the undeniable and irrefutable wonder. Christ is still the same today. Straightway, instantaneously, that was how it happened for the woman and always, and today is not an exception. “And whithersoever he entered, into villages, or cities, or country, they laid the sick in the streets, and besought him that they might touch if it were but the border of his garment: and as many as touched him were made whole” (Mark 6:56). As many as touched Him were made whole. So, tonight everyone that touches Him by faith He will deliver and heal them. The healing of the woman with the plague was not an isolated case, many others touched Him in Bible days, and they were healed of their plagues and sicknesses (Mark 3:10; 6:56; Luke 6:19). What a healing, wonder, miracle and transformation! The touch produced a miracle, and as you touch the Lord tonight, a miracle will happen in your life in Jesus Name. You will receive – (i) Incomparable Miracle; (ii) Irresistible Miracle; (iii) Irreplaceable Miracle; (iv) Indisputable Miracle; (v) Irreversible Miracle – Satan, evil power, criticism of people cannot take it away; (vi) Incomprehensible Miracle; and (vii) Indispensable Miracle. This is how the miracle of Jesus is every time. The miracle of salvation, healing, deliverance, supernatural is the same. And this is the miracle you will get tonight. Welcome tonight to miracle center and the place of the power of God. He will do it in your life in Jesus Name.
Point 2. THE DISCERNED, DISCLOSED TOUCH BY HIS TRUTHFUL REVELATION
Mark 5:30-33; Hebrews 4:12-13; Jeremiah 23:24; Job 26:6; 34:21-22; Psalms 33:13-15; 90:8; 139:2,7,11-12; John 11:14-15; 16:30; Revelations 2:2a,9,13,19; 3:1,8,15
The woman would not have known that Christ will know this immediately. Even the disciples did not know, but He affirmed and reaffirmed that somebody touched Him, that was the discernment and disclosure by the Holy Spirit. When the miracle happened, only Christ and the woman knew about it. Peter and the other disciples with the people did not know but she knew because she felt it in her body. And now Christ discerned and disclosed it, “And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said, Who touched my clothes?” (Mark 5:30). Without being told, Jesus knew because He is God, He knows the depth of sorrows and sadness that you may have. Grateful to God that you have a Saviour and Redeemer who knows all things even before you know. He is Christ, He knows it all – the good and the bad; the upright and the ugly; the truth and the false; the hidden and the revealed; the secret and the open; Nothing can be kept hidden from the Lord. All your anxiety, care, thoughts, problems, unbelief, expectations, He knows it all. All hidden actions, attitudes, atrocities and abominations are known to our God. He knows our actions of faith, and our acts of faithfulness, and He will reveal and rewards. Actions and acts of filthiness and falsehood, He knows that too, and He will expose and punish everything. All unconfessed sins, unrighteous secrets, unclean habits, unlawful relationships, ungodly covenants, unfaithful transactions He knows, and they will be exposed and punished by Him. The very fact that we know that Christ knows everything should make us to live a life that is free, full and powerful. Whenever you are praying, you should understand that the Lord knows the origin and source of that problem you are praying about and has the solution. He knows everything in your life, desires, and if and when you are sincere, and nothing can be hidden away from Him (Hebrews 4:12-13). “Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the LORD. Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the LORD” (Jeremiah 23:24). Look at that woman, she came from behind to touch the Lord Jesus Christ, and Jesus knew because He is Supernatural, Sovereign and God. He knows you, so no point hiding anything from Him. So, if there is sin in your life, reveal everything to Him. He knows you, and He is the One to forgive. If there is sickness, tell Him if you know how it came, He knows it already. When your confession matches His revelation, deliverance will come in your life. “Hell is naked before him, and destruction hath no covering” (Job 26:6). No conspiracy against God, He knows all things. The eyes of the Lord are upon the ways of man, no matter how secretive that act might be, the Lord knows about it (Job 34:21-22). We are thankful that the God we serve and the Christ Who is our Saviour know everything. He knows your thoughts, mind, actions, where you have been, what you are doing, and the reason why you are doing what you are doing, your thoughts and actions of faith and dependence on Him, and you will not be disappointed in Jesus Name. Nothing escapes His view; He knows it all (Psalms 33:13). The woman came from behind, and didn’t know that Christ will see from behind. You might think that you are behind a wall, a curtain, smokescreen and do what you do, the Lord knows it all. All our actions are known to Him, hidden, public, revealed and nobody can hide anything from Him. So just come as you are, if you need forgiveness, He will forgive you; if you need healing, He will heal you; and if you need victory, He will give you the victory. That woman with her thoughts, Jesus already knew. And before you came here tonight, Jesus already knows your expectations and He is going to fulfil the expectations of faith in Jesus Name. You cannot cover yourself in darkness and think that the Lord will not see you, “If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me. Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee” (Psalms 139:11-12). When Lazarus was sick and died, Jesus knew afar off that he had died, so He told His disciples to go with Him and wake Lazarus up from the dead. He will revive you tonight (John 11:14-15). Even in that desperate situation of yours, the Lord knows and will do something about it. “Now are we sure that thou knowest all things, and needest not that any man should ask thee: by this we believe that thou camest forth from God” (John 16:30). He knows all about you, and He is going to fulfil His word in your life. “I know thy works………” (Revelations 2:2). Your words, works, thoughts, actions He knows it all (Revelations 3:1,8,15). It is very clear that Jesus knows everything about us – your concerns, desires, wants, and He will satisfy every longing soul in Jesus Name. Amen.