Your sins are forgiven

Prayers by Ludvig Karlsen

«Which is easier: to say to the paralytic, `Your sins are forgiven,` or to say,`Get up, take your mat and walk`?» (Mark 2,9).
This verse from our Bible, is dealing with the very sayings of our Lord in reference to a special situation - namely the spiritual phenomenon of salvation in contrast to the spiritual phenomenon of deliverance. By virtue of a parable, Jesus wants to teach the people of old Palestine.

During my period of service, I have - quite often - had the opportunity of preaching the doctrine of forgiveness of sins in the post-meeting sessions. Even if I haven`t experienced that many healings, there were times when those blessed, divine phenomenons really occured and I will always be grateful to the Lord for His mercy.

By way of His introductory remarks Jesus clearly emphasizes the most simple thing to say, and we understand that this is the phrase, «Your sins are forgiven». In my opinion we should - as true believers - also include the heavier part.

Even if we are not entrusted with the power of healing and delivering man, we might still be able to do something for those concerned.

We are constantly experiencing the very fact that whatever didn`t occur during a chapel meeting, will happen - sooner or later - during our efforts of rehabilitation. In other words, persons could be saved through - or at least as a result of - our close, spiritual relationship with each other and with the Lord. Naturally, mention could be made of the great number of physical healings which also follow in the footsteps of divine salvation. Anyway, whatever happens, the girls and boys at the Gospel Center would spontaneously make a circle around the individual alcohol misuser or dope ad dict, when life in itself is getting too tough. As Jesus cared for the whole of man - His spirit as well as His soul and body - He wants His congregation to do exactly the same. And who knows, perhaps there is someone who needs you strongly today, you in particular?

The same, old power

«.....because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes:.....» (Rom 1, 16).

The old gospel is of just the same interest today, as it was at its time of writing. According to a great many persons, the gospel only had its true legitimacy among the very first Christians - i.e. for about 2000 years ago. However, we know better! Alternatively, we may compare the gospel of the Lord with the burning sun: The sun has been functioning at all times without any changes in its power, incessantly radiating its light and warmth. Today, as previously it is sending out its wonderful sunbeams.

In the Holy Scripture Jesus is referred to as «The Morning Star» - i.e. the star which exsistence is of an everlasting, eternal character. Consequently, God`s Holy Words are just as powerful today as they were in the Ancient time. When Jesus came to the earth, He was soon busy, engaged with the task of preaching the gospel of our Lord. The Christians of today are obliged to do the same. To us, it is rather an essential thing to proclaim the powerful strength of God - a power which was so dramatically released at the death of Jesus on Cavalry Cross. By His glorious death in disgrace He managed to disarm the Devil, fully displaying his powerlessness and inadequacy.

Jesus won an everlasting victory, conquering the key to the Kingdom of Darkness - to the Land of Death. Spiritually, He made His way into that land, releasing those who were being kept in custody - thus Jesus really opened up the gates of Paradise!

Don`t believe that the old gospel has lost its power. I will tell you a story about a man - whom I happen to know - who is serving a sentence of many years of imprisonment. One night he rose from his bed, firmly determined to take his own life. Then, all of a sudden, he heard the unmistakable sound of a loud voice calling from his cell: «Just call on the name of Jesus; then you will get saved and survive. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full».

At these words, the prisoner knelt down in prayer asking Jesus for His help and salvation and truly - he got saved! Later on, he had the opportunity of serving as a helpful instrument for other, desperate prisoners. And in an almost miraculous way, his many efforts of trying to improve his own conditions of atonement have been crowned with success. Today, he is almost «freer» than an ordinary citizen, living a so-called «normal» life!

Call on the name of Jesus today, for none knows the certainty of tomorrow. The Lord wants to save you today!

Choosing the right thing

«....., but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her» (Luke 10, 42).

According to many Christians, there are a lot of important and necessary things to be done in order to live a «perfect» and good Christian life. We are all rather busy occupied with the thought of serving Jesus and our fellow-men in the best possible way. Yet, the art of listening to His very voice and Words - preferably in a rather silent and quiet manner - should constitute a true, Christian virtue. As to the story of Martha and Mary in the Gospel of St. Luke, this is also what Jesus would like to tell us.

Once, our blessed Saviour visited a home where there were two sisters, Martha and Mary. In contrast to Martha who was walking to and fro, busy engaged with the task of waiting on Jesus, Mary was just sitting at His feet listening carefully to the Lord`s sayings. This situation could easily be transfered to the situation of many Christians today: We are inclined to make a lot of fuss about rather unimportant things - stressing and bothering with a great many details many true believers are «working themselves to death». Just in order to comply with the wishes of the Lord! And by the time of the announced Christian meeting, we simply don`t have time to go and listen to the Word of God. Yet, a rather bad conscience could be the best reason for our presence at that very meeting. But, alas!, what happens if we go to the meeting for that very reason? Many of us will be «sleeping» during the pastor`s sermon just because we are so dreadfully tired and worn out - in advance! Not as a result of the sermon in itself, but simply beacause we - all day long - have been so worried and upset about many unimportant things.

Let us look to Mary, who chose what was better. Let us just sit down in silence, listening to God`s inner talk.

And let us start today!

The prayer of the simple-minded

«Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a pharisee and the other a tax collector. The pharisee stood up and prayed about himself, `God, I thank you that I am not like other men - robbers, evildoers and adulterers - or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get`.

But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, `God, have mercy on me, a sinner`.

I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted`.»

(Luke 18, 10-14)

In these verses from the Holy Scripture, Jesus draws our attention to two different persons who are both praying - one of them with an extreme sense of self-confidence, the other with a humble attitude in front of his heavenly Father.

The pharisee - who belonged to the upper-class in the old, Jewish society - was talking about His own splendidness in highly, self-righteous terms, whilst the tax collector - a rather under-privileged and most dishonoured man in Israel at that time - is praying in desparation much ashamed of his own misery and human powerlessness. Not even daring to raise his head, he finishes his prayer as follows: «God, have mercy on me, a sinner».

The above-mentioned parable, could also - to a great extent - be applicable for man in the 20th century. Everybody has - at least once in his life - listened to a prayer where the praying man or woman actually has been praising himself or herself in high terms - instead of their heavenly Father - by rattling off their own, splendid acts. At times, these prayers might remind us of the prayer of the pharisee. You will excuse me for my blunt way of expressing myself, but I would not hesitate to call it «self-promoting».

Even if the other one - the simple-minded tax collector - would have preferred talking loudly in the temple, he had not enough courage to do so. Yet, I would like to draw your attention to the very fact that it was his prayer, not the prayer of the pharisee which was being answered by the Lord:

The tax-collector went home justified before God, the pharisee not. We should always be aware of one thing; that praying is the praise of God alone and - in accordance with this. He is the one to be praised and honoured. In any case: We are all sinful and imperfect creatures - no matter what glorious deeds we might have done. Just think about everything which He has done to us; facing His work of salvation on Cavalry Cross there is nothing more to worry about.

The Lord`s parable of the pharisee and the tax collector is concluded by His own Words: «For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted».

Let us therefore pray like the tax collector did.

Jesus wants to help you

«and call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honour me» (Psalms 50, 15).

God, who rules the heaven and the earth, is addressing himself to us, today. He stretches out His hand to you offering His help and guidance not only when you are living according to His will, but also when you have sinned, or you - for some reason or another - experiences sorrows, depressions and other bad things. Just have in mind that there is always somone who cares - namely your heavenly Father - who wants to meet you in your very situation, no matter what.

Maybe you are feeling rather lonesome, or maybe you are sick.

Perhaps your children are suffering from deep problems, and so with your wife/husband. There is the situation of your complicated housing-situation, adding to your strained economy. No matter what kind of problem you have - great or small - the Lord wants to deal with it all! Even if the solution of your problems is not immediately at hand, a process starts to work as soon as you are making inquiries to Jesus as for His help and wisdom.

Sometimes, He might use other persons as His expressed messagers or He may simply use our misery and disconsolation to the benefit of ourselves - within a shorter or longer period. Furthermore, there is every reason to believe that He uses our miserable situation of depressions and sorrows just to remind us of the power of prayer. Although He is the Almighty, Supreme Creator with unlimited power in heaven and on earth, He is also our loving Father who wishes to guide us in His smooth and mild manner - not least through a clean and «structured» life of prayer!

A statement commonly overheard is the following phrase: «Times of misery is a time for God». The Holy Scripture tells us that he who prays shall be answered, and prophesies the answering of every prayer less there is an element of weariness.

I know a woman who was praying for her son`s salvation for more than 40 years, and one day - miracle by miracle - her prayers were answered by our Almighty Father! As she was getting older and her memory started to fail her, one should have expected that her prayer life also became a more sporadic phenomenon. But as she had grown into the habit of regular prayers - on every occasion - she never omitted any opportunity to pray for her son. In whichever meeting she attended, she was praying for him! Just call on him today displaying all your problems and inadequacy, and He will take care of you in the best possible way!