"Dead or Alive?", Journey #99A

[Maggie]

"Dead or Alive?"
Journey #99a----Mark 5:25-34

This very important passage of Scripture in Mark 5:25-34 about a woman with a horrific illness is right in the section where Jesus raised the little girl from the dead. (Journey #98b)

"A large crowd followed and pressed around Him.
And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years.
She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, but instead of getting better she grew worse.
When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind Him in the crowd and touched His cloak
because she thought, "If I just touch His clothes I will be healed."
Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering" Mark 5:24-29.
When you read this story about this woman, it's almost embarrassing.
You almost have too much information. You may wonder why the Holy Spirit preserved this story for us with so much information about her.
Why did we have to know all these details about her?
Why was the Bible so particular about her condition?

When you read the Old Testament laws, you see that women were to leave and go outside the camp for a temporary condition.
But in this woman's case, it was for twelve years.
The laws of God in the Old Testament related to either life or death and God is calling His people into a relationship with Him---the Living God.
He gave them instructions to only associate with life and not to have any association or relationship with death in any form.
The particular condition of this woman was evidence of no life.
Anyone in this condition was to go outside the camp for that period.
They were outside the camp so that they would not have any relationship with the people of God because there was evidence of death.
In the Old Testament, there were dietary laws about foods that could be eaten and not eaten.
The foods that were not to be eaten were animals that ate dead things.
God was saying to them that they should not associate with death in any form.
The reason was that God wants His people to reveal to the watching world that He is the Living God, the God of abundant life that He gives life to all people.

This poor woman had to be like a leper. She wasn't allowed to be near anyone.
For twelve years she had this condition that was associated with death.
It is one of the clearest pictures in the New Testament of our condition of sin.
Sin is death and we all have the same kind of condition that this woman had.
Her condition was so serious that no one could do anything about it.
She had spent all she had to try to get help and could not get help.
Her condition was evidence of death and was leading to death.
That is the exact kind of condition all of us are in because of sin.

Sin is unbelief. The word sin in the Bible is singular.
Sins (plural) deal with disobedience, which is the fruit of unbelief.
When Adam and Eve were in the Garden of Eden, they sinned (singular) when they did not trust God and what God had said.
God said to Adam and Eve, "You may eat freely from all the trees in the garden, but do not eat of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil of the tree that is in the midst of the garden for in the day that you eat of it you will surely die."
When Satan came to Adam and Eve, he lied to them.
The first lie was: "You will not really die. God has said you will really die, but you will not really die."
The second lie was: "And God knows that the day you eat it you will become like God knowing good from evil.
The second lie was you don't need God to rule your life. You can be your own judge, your own authority and your own god.
You don't have to give an account to anybody except yourself.
You can have a happy life without answering to anyone except yourself.

Those two lies are still prevalent today.
When a person believes that lie rather than God---they have sinned.
The Bible says that all of us have sinned.
We have all believed that lie at sometime or another.
Disobedience is the fruit of believing that lie.
When Adam and Eve reached out and took that fruit that was an act of disobedience because they believed the lie. They did not trust God.
It is the same kind of condition we see this woman having physically.
No one could help this woman who was suffering this serious condition for twelve years.
We see and read about what is going on in our nation with things growing worse and worse.
All the education, strength, helps, and counseling will not keep you from the power of sin in your life. That's not to say all those things are bad.
They just will not help you with this condition of sin that we are infected by.

As we spend more and more and more, everything is getting worse and worse.
The reason is that we are not going to the right Person for help.
Jesus Christ is the only One who can help our nation.
Jesus Christ is the only One who can personally help you and your family today.

He is the only One who can give any direction or light to you today because without Him we are dead...dead in sin.
Some people mistakenly think that going to church and Christianity relates to not being bad---- but being good.
NO! It doesn't have anything to do with being bad or being good.
It has to do with being dead or being alive! Without Jesus Christ you are already dead.
You need to come alive in Him then grow in the life of Jesus Christ.
Many people are confused about this issue.
Their thoughts are along the lines of needing more information about how to have a better family.
They seek out more instruction on how to have a better financial situation or more Bible knowledge to live a better life.
No... It is a question of being dead or being alive and it centers upon Jesus Christ and Him alone.

[Jane]

This reminds me of my neice Sue, God is her only hope, the Drs have throwed up both hands and give up hope for her, She is kinda nervous but trying to rest all she can to regain some strength back but getting weaker and weaker all the time . I dont know if she even realizes that something is wrong and they cant help her
This scripture made me relate to her and what was happening to this woman, God can work miracles but sometimes he calls them on home instead , You just got to put all your trust and faith in him in all things

Thanks Maggie this was exactly what I needed this evening

[Maggie]

The timing of the Holy Spirit is always so perfect. He uses God's Word to give us His encouragment and offers assurance that He cares.