Month: March 2026

The Healer’s Blessing

by Ms. Rita's Minute

James 5:15

“And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up.”

Imagine Jesus, in 2026, here in his physical body, healing someone from their illness. With joy, we can have expectancy of His help in such an event, as we see God’s desired results throughout the gospels. Perhaps sometimes we have not because we ask not. Or, maybe we believe we don’t deserve to be healed, or God doesn’t really want to heal us.

It is comforting to know that even though the Lord will sometimes take someone home to live with Him, He will, at many other times, allow others to be healed and remain a while longer. Of course, this may happen instantly or over time. Yet my point is Jesus is a healer, doesn’t want to see people sick, and demonstrated various types of healing when He walked the earth.

Jesus was a man of compassion, moved by the suffering of others, and being a man of great authority, he healed with a word, a touch, or even from a distance. He was a man who modeled Kingdom power, his miracles fulfilling prophecy, revealing who He was, the Son of God. He also highlighted the role of some people in instances where He told them their faith had healed them. Interestingly, in some places, He could do no great works because of their unbelief (Matthew 13:58 and Mark 6:5-6).

I thought to post about this topic today lest we forget God’s thoughts on sickness and healing. There is no sickness or disease in heaven, and Jesus told us the thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy, but Jesus came that we might have life, and life more abundantly (John 10:10). Hence, we should make no mistake who the thief is, satan, not God.

A few amazing accounts of Jesus healing in the Bible are:

  • Healing 10 lepers (Luke 17:11–19). This was a dreadful, contagious disease that people seriously avoided. As the lepers called out to Jesus from a distance for pity, Jesus told them to go and show themselves to the priests, and while on the way, they were cleansed. Unfortunately, only one leper, a Samaritan (a foreigner), returned to thank Jesus. But Jesus assured him his faith had made him well.
  • Healing the paralyzed man whose friends lowered him through a roof (Matthew 9:1–8; Mark 2:1–12; Luke 5:17–26). This was a bold act of persistence, which Jesus saw as faith shown in getting this man to Him.
  • Healing the woman with an issue of bleeding for 12 years (Matthew 9:20–22; Mark 5:25–34; Luke 8:43–48). This woman believed that if she only touched his clothes, she would be healed. She did, and she was, instantly!
  • Raising a man’s dead daughter to life (Matthew 9:18–26; Mark 5:21–43; Luke 8:40–56). Jesus came to the scene of people crying and wailing loudly about the death of Jairus’ daughter, and upon going in to see her with her parents and a few of his disciples, He took her by the hand and told her to get up, and she did, immediately. So many were blessed that day by this amazing act.
  • Healing a mute, demon-possessed man (Matthew 9:32-34). Seeing the man delivered and speaking, the crowd, astonished, said they’d never seen anything like it in Israel.
  • Healing a crippled woman bent over for 18 years (Luke 13:10–17). The Bible tells us this woman had been crippled, not being able to straighten up at all, by a spirit. He told her she was set free from her infirmity and placed his hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and praised God.

Jesus also performed mass healings where people were healed from every sickness and disease (Matthew 4:23–24; Matthew 9:35). Not to mention, there are so many more miracles that Jesus did that weren’t even recorded (John 21:25).

Jesus willingly and compassionately healed the lame, blind, cripplied and mute (Matthew 15:30). Yet I believe it’s also important to note that, in some instances, sin was related to a person’s need for healing or deliverance, and the Lord told them, once healed, to go and sin no more, or something worse would come upon them (John 5:14 and John 8:11).

Thankfully, “He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed” (1 Peter 2:24). Aren’t you glad about it? Now we may call for the elders of our churches, or for other believers to pray prayers of faith (James 5:14-16) that we’d be healed. Just another wonderful thing our heavenly Father has done for us through His marvelous Son, Jesus!

We see in scripture, Jesus shared the blessing in healing, telling his disciples in Matthew 10:8 to “heal the sick and raise the dead,” stating “freely you have received, freely give.” He echoed His desire again in Mark 16:18, just before ascending into heaven, that one of the signs of those who believed would be that they would place their hands on sick people and they would get well. Let us thank the Lord for these beautiful blessings!

Desired Authority

by Ms. Rita's Minute

Colossians 2:10

“…and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority.”

This is amazing news: We’re complete in Christ, the head over all authority! To be loved and connected to someone of such character and stature is in itself a major privilege. This tells us Jesus is no wimp! To be granted by His Father with such an honorable position, and yet to redeem us and call us His own people, is cause for great excitement. We can trust this person with our lives at all times!

Not only is Jesus positioned high above with great authority, but with all authority in heaven and on earth, as stated in Matthew 28:18. In addition, He gave us authority as His disciples in Luke 10:19 when he stated, “Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you.”

This delegation of authority was not just a blessing for the disciples of His day, but ours, today, as well. After all, in Matthew 28:19-20, Jesus commanded His disciples to go into all the world and make disciples, baptizing and teaching them to obey His commands. Whenever we obey someone, we are submitting to their leadership, recognizing them as an authority over us.

Over a great period of time, grafted in as Jesus’ family of disciples, we would eventually expand globally. Jesus knew He’d be leaving the earth, and while He was here, He demonstrated to His disciples, then and now, how to live and minister to others, providing His Holy Spirit of power to help us all. Regarding this gift of the Holy Spirit spoken of in Acts 2:39, Jesus stated, “this promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off–for all whom the Lord our God will call.”

As to the authority we’ve been given, Jesus shows us in Mark 16:17-18 that those who believed would be able to cast out demons and heal the sick in His name. In Luke 9:1-2, we see Jesus giving the twelve disciples power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases. Then He promises believers, in John 14:12, that they’d do the same works He’d done, and greater works because He was going to His Father.

Moreover, He’s reminded us that, as His children, we are overcomers because “greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world” (1 John 4:4). Hence, we should not forget that we are given “the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:57). We are “more than conquerors through him that loved us” (Romans 8:37).

It’s also important to remember that with the authority we’ve been given, “The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds” (2 Corinthians 10:4).

Walking in our God-given authority was never meant for us to accomplish alone. We have the Holy Spirit as our guide, who will lead us in various, unique ways suited to each encounter we may experience.

Angels Galore

by Ms. Rita's Minute

Psalm 91:11

“For He will give His angels charge over you,
to guard you in all your ways.”

We’re all familiar with human beings and what it’s like to relate to one another. However, there are other beings created by God of great significance to His people, and these are called angels.

Angels who work on God’s behalf are wonderful! They are spiritual beings that God created to serve Him through carrying out His will. They are powerful and intelligent beings who work with purpose. Revelation 5:11 numbers them as “thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand” encircling God’s throne. Hebrews 12:22 cites them as innumerable!

Though angels are spiritual beings, they can appear in human form. Hebrews 13:2 reminds us not to forget to show hospitality to strangers, “for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.”

The Bible mentions various types of angels: Archangels (e.g., Michael), Cherubim (guardians of God’s holiness), Seraphim (worshipers around God’s throne), and “hosts of heaven” (angelic armies).

As God’s messengers, angels deliver warnings, instructions, and revelations. The angel Gabriel delivered a message to Mary, the mother of Jesus, that she was highly favored, the Lord was with her, and she would conceive by the Holy Spirit to bear a son named Jesus (Luke 1:26–38).

In Genesis 18, angels visited Abraham and Sarah, delivering to them the message that Sarah would bear Abraham a son in their old age.

Daniel 10 reveals an intense, prolonged battle in the spiritual realm, with the delivery of messages influencing earthly events. A heavenly messenger is delayed for 21 days by a demonic “prince of Persia” until Michael arrives to help relay the messages to Daniel. 

Angels are also protectors who are known to rescue and guard people, as well as fight battles. In Genesis 19, two angels protected Lot from the violent men of Sodom by striking the mob with blindness, then forcefully escorted Lot, his wife, and their two daughters out of the city to save them from impending destruction. The angels, acting on behalf of God’s mercy, insisted that they leave quickly and helped them escape.

Interestingly, 2 Kings 6 describes Elisha’s servant having his eyes opened to see the hills filled with horses and chariots of fire (angelic warriors) protecting them. 2 Kings 19:35 and Isaiah 37:36 show just one angel of the Lord killing 185,000 soldiers in one night. In Joshua 5, an angel appears to Joshua as the “commander of the army of the Lord.” Psalm 91 speaks of God commanding His angels to guard His people.

Moreover, in the Bible, we see angels engaging in spiritual warfare. Scripture clarifies that this warfare is “against spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” rather than flesh and blood (Ephesians 6:12). Michael the archangel contends with evil powers and is specifically identified as a leader in a conflict battling against Satan and his fallen angels. Revelation 12 describes a war in heaven where Michael and his angels fight against the dragon (Satan) and his angels.

The Bible clearly shows us how angels interact with humanity. They appear to guide, protect, deliver messages, and strengthen believers. Yet the Bible also warns against worship of angels, as only God is worthy of worship.

There are countless stories, historically and even today, of people who have experienced angelic help or visitations. Thankfully, angels are “ministering spirits” (servants) sent by God to actively serve, protect, and assist believers (Hebrews 1:14).

Furthermore, angels worship God. They worship around His throne (Revelation 7:11) and celebrate God’s works, rejoicing when sinners repent (Luke 15:10). However, they also carry out God’s judgements by executing God’s justice. We see them carrying these out in the book of Revelation.

Not all angels are good. The Bible teaches that Satan was originally an angel who rebelled. Other angels followed him and became fallen angels (demons). This is part of an ongoing spiritual conflict Scripture describes.

In remembering angels and their awesome existence, we should always embrace that they are not to be feared or worshiped—but they remind us of God’s nearness, His protection, and His sovereignty.

Golden Rule Love

by Ms. Rita's Minute

Matthew 7:12

“So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.”

Ever think about how you’d like to be treated? My guess is the answer is yes, more often than we might want to admit. We all want to be treated well, but often, for whatever reason, we face challenges of the opposite. Nevertheless, the Bible gives us a simple method of getting along with others: In all things, doing to others as we would have them do to us.

Perhaps Matthew 7:12 is known as The Golden Rule of the Bible because it actually summarizes the fulfillment of the law and the prophets. This one rule flows into every area of the Christian life. By treating others the way we’d like to be treated, we show our best behavior toward someone else.

The chief attribute of this conduct is love. When we love others, we show we want the best for them, displaying care and concern for their well-being. This behavior could range from mild to more intense, depending on the circumstances of our experience with them. Yet, just by being cordial and polite, we make others’ experiences with us pleasant.

When we show respect toward others, we honor them as better than ourselves, as shown in Philippians 2:3, “in humility consider others more important than yourselves.” We are considerate of their feelings, worth, and boundaries. As believers, we see them as Christ sees them. So, despite their financial status, color, size, age, place of birth, etc., we treat them as valuable creations of God. Galatians 6:10 teaches us, “… as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.”

When we are disappointed or treated badly by others, our Bible teaches us to extend forgiveness, not holding a grudge, but releasing the offense against them, knowing in doing so, our heavenly Father forgives us, and we receive our reward from Him.

Moreover, we demonstrate Christ’s compassion for others by showing empathy, putting ourselves in their shoes, and having concern for their suffering or misfortunes. Considering this, the Bible tells us in Romans 12:15 to “Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.”

We’re reminded in Colossians 3:12, “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” This verse offers some wonderful ways we can treat one another honorably.

Honoring someone requires humility, not overvaluing one’s own importance at the expense of theirs. Showing a mild and tender temperament toward someone is not a mark of being “soft,” as in a debasing way, as is sometimes defined in today’s culture. But gentleness is actually a fruit of the Holy Spirit that Jesus attributes to himself in Matthew 11:29, “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”