Daniel Whyte III's Blog, page 9
December 23, 2018
LISTEN: The Story of Jesus and the Depressed and Defeated Paralytic, Part 5 (Just Jesus Evangelistic Campaign, Day 639 since Jan. 20, 2017 / Day 1,006 since Jan. 1, 2016 with Daniel Whyte III)
Daniel Whyte IIITEXT: Matthew 9:1-8
1 And he entered into a ship, and passed over, and came into his own city.
2 And, behold, they brought to him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed: and Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee.
3 And, behold, certain of the scribes said within themselves, This man blasphemeth.
4 And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts?
5 For whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and walk?
6 But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick of the palsy,) Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house.
7 And he arose, and departed to his house.
8 But when the multitudes saw it, they marvelled, and glorified God, which had given such power unto men.
——-
Adam Clarke said, “In telling them what the thoughts of their hearts were, (for they had expressed nothing publicly), Jesus gave them the fullest proof of his power to forgive sins; because only God can forgive sins, and only God can search and know the heart.”
While four men sought the healing of their paralyzed friend from Jesus, there were some who stood around disapproving of Jesus’ methods and words. The scribes and Pharisees who were present already didn’t like Jesus because of how he did not fit neatly into their narrowly constructed religious worldview. They didn’t like how he distracted the masses of people with his authoritative way of teaching. It is likely that the only reason why they were there at that house in Capernaum was so that they could spy on him and perhaps catch him in some violation of the Law that they could then use to discredit Him. So, when they heard Him say, “They sins be forgiven thee,” they thought, “Oh, we’ve got him now! He’s out here talking like he’s God.”
John MacArthur sheds some light on the mentality of the scribes and Pharisees who were present: “Unlike the paralytic, those men saw no need for forgiveness, because they considered themselves already to be righteous. They resented Jesus’ offering of forgiveness, not only because they did not believe He was God but also because they considered it unjust for a person to be forgiven simply by asking for it—instead of by earning it, as they thought they had done. The two great barriers to salvation have always been refusal to recognize the need for it and the belief that it can be earned or deserved. These scribes had probably seen many miracles of Jesus and heard the testimony of others who had been healed of disease and cleansed of demons. But they refused to recognize His power as coming from God, much less that He Himself was God. Their hearts were so hardened against Christ that every miraculous evidence of His divinity and messiahship drove them to deeper unbelief rather than to repentance. Even His most gracious and loving words and actions drove them to greater fury against Him.”
We ought to strive not to be like the scribes and Pharisees in this passage — rejecting a good gift ourselves, resenting when that gift is offered to others, and rejecting the One who offers that gift to all. If Jesus had not healed him, the paralytic could have chosen to reject the gift of forgiveness and wallow in the misery of his illness. Very often, that is what people do — the ones who need forgiveness the most reject it, either because they are blind to their own sin (like the scribes and Pharisees), or because their sin has grown too large in their own sight that they think they cannot be forgiven. But Jesus can soften the hardest hearts, and His boundless love can cover sin of any size. To all, He says, “Be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee.
Isaac Watts wrote:
Happy the man to whom his God
No more imputes his sin,
But, washed in the Redeemer’s blood,
Hath made his garments clean!
Happy beyond expression he
Whose debts are thus discharged;
And from the guilty bondage free,
He feels his soul enlarged.
This shall invite Thy saints to pray;
When like a raging flood
Temptations rise, our strength and stay
Is a forgiving God.
——-
Now, if you are with us today and you do not know Jesus Christ as your Savior, allow me to show you how you can place your faith and trust in Him for Salvation from sin and Hell.
First, accept the fact that you are a sinner, and that you have broken God’s law. The Bible says in Romans 3:23: “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”
Second, accept the fact that there is a penalty for sin. The Bible states in Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death…”
Third, accept the fact that you are on the road to hell. Jesus Christ said in Matthew 10:28: “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” Also, the Bible states in Revelation 21:8: “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”
Now that is bad news, but here’s the good news. Jesus Christ said in John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Just believe in your heart that Jesus Christ died for your sins, was buried, and rose from the dead by the power of God for you so that you can live eternally with Him. Pray and ask Him to come into your heart today, and He will.
Romans 10:9 & 13 says, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved… For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
If you believe that Jesus Christ died on the Cross for your sins, was buried, and rose from the dead, and you want to trust Him for your Salvation today, please pray with me this simple prayer: Holy Father God, I realize that I am a sinner and that I have done some bad things in my life. I am sorry for my sins, and today I choose to turn from my sins. For Jesus Christ sake, please forgive me of my sins. I believe with all of my heart that Jesus Christ died for me, was buried, and rose again. I trust Jesus Christ as my Savior and I choose to follow Him as Lord from this day forward. Lord Jesus, please come into my heart and save my soul and change my life today. Amen.
If you believed in your heart that Jesus Christ died on the Cross, was buried, and rose again, allow me to say, congratulations on doing the most important thing in life and that is accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour! For more information to help you grow in your newfound faith in Christ, go to Gospel Light Society.com and read “What To Do After You Enter Through the Door”. Jesus Christ said in John 10:9, “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.”
If you accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior today, please email me at dw3@gospellightsociety.com and let us know. There is some free material that we want to send you. If you have a prayer request, please e-mail that to us as well, and we will pray for you until you tell us to stop.
God loves you. We love you. And may God bless you.
Daniel Whyte III has spoken in meetings across the United States and in over twenty-five foreign countries. He is the author of over forty books including the Essence Magazine, Dallas Morning News, and Amazon.com national bestseller, Letters to Young Black Men. He is also the president of Gospel Light Society International, a worldwide evangelistic ministry that reaches thousands with the Gospel each week, as well as president of Torch Ministries International, a Christian literature ministry.
He is heard by thousands each week on his radio broadcasts/podcasts, which include: The Prayer Motivator Devotional, The Prayer Motivator Minute, as well as Gospel Light Minute X, the Gospel Light Minute, the Sunday Evening Evangelistic Message, the Prophet Daniel’s Report, the Second Coming Watch Update and the Soul-Winning Motivator, among others.
He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Theology from Bethany Divinity College, a Bachelor’s degree in Religion from Texas Wesleyan University, a Master’s degree in Religion, a Master of Divinity degree, and a Master of Theology degree from Liberty University’s Rawlings School of Divinity (formerly Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary). He is currently a candidate for the Doctor of Ministry degree.
He has been married to the former Meriqua Althea Dixon, of Christiana, Jamaica since 1987. God has blessed their union with seven children.
LISTEN: The Scripture & the Sense: Jeremiah 33 (with Daniel Whyte III)
Daniel Whyte III reads the Word of God on a daily basis and give the sense of it based on an authoritative commentary source such as Matthew Henry’s Commentary On the Bible. This podcast is based upon Nehemiah 8:8 where it says Ezra and the Levites “read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading.” The aim of this podcast is that through the simple reading of the Word of God and the giving of the sense of it, the church would be revived and the world would be awakened.
Today we are reading Jeremiah 33.
December 20, 2018
LISTEN: The Story of Jesus and the Depressed and Defeated Paralytic, Part 3 (Just Jesus Evangelistic Campaign, Day 636 since Jan. 20, 2017 / Day 1,003 since Jan. 1, 2016 with Daniel Whyte III)
Daniel Whyte IIITEXT: Matthew 9:1-8
1 And he entered into a ship, and passed over, and came into his own city.
2 And, behold, they brought to him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed: and Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee.
3 And, behold, certain of the scribes said within themselves, This man blasphemeth.
4 And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts?
5 For whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and walk?
6 But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick of the palsy,) Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house.
7 And he arose, and departed to his house.
8 But when the multitudes saw it, they marvelled, and glorified God, which had given such power unto men.
——-
Adam Clarke said, “Moral evil has been the cause of all the natural evil in the world. Christ goes to the source of the malady, which is sin; and to that as the procuring cause we should refer in all our afflictions.”
On the heels of the encouragement to “be of good cheer,” Jesus tells the paralyzed man, “Thy sins be forgiven thee.” The forgiveness of sins is indeed a reason to be of good cheer. But, perhaps, it may have seemed out of place from the perspective of a man who saw his main problem in life as being paralyzed, so much so that he had given up hope that he could ever be healed.
When he heard Jesus say, “Be of good cheer,” he likely thought (like any of us would), “Be of good cheer about what?” He did not think he had any reason to be cheerful. He was paralyzed and bedridden. If he wanted to go somewhere, he had to be carried by his friends. Yet, the command remains: “Be of good cheer.” Jesus gives him a reason to be of good cheer when he tells him that his sins are forgiven. Surely, this paralyzed man had sinned. In the common interpretation of spiritual principles of that day, the man likely saw his paralysis as a a result of some sin in his past. So, the news that God had forgiven his sin was undoubtedly good.
Dr. Warren Wiersbe comments, “We do not know if the man’s physical condition was the result of his sin. But we do know that Jesus dealt with the sin problem first, for this is always the greatest need. We must not conclude from this miracle that all sickness is caused by sin, or that forgiveness automatically means physical healing. More important than the healing of this man’s body was the cleansing of his heart. He went home with both a sound body and a heart at peace with God.”
Jesus knew that this man needed more than physical healing. He needed spiritual healing as well. He needed the good news that God had forgiven him of his sin. What would have been worse than his paralysis would have been if this man had gone home with a healed body but a broken heart and a broken soul. While his healed body would have been cause for great celebration with his friends, the man would have soon found out that a sin-sick soul is more damaging and more detrimental than any sickness of the body. And that is what each of us will find when we come before the Lord seeking healing of any kind.
Anne Steele wrote:
Deep are the wounds that sin has made;
Where shall the sinner find a cure?
In vain, alas, is nature’s aid,
The work exceeds all nature’s power.
Sin like a raging fever reigns,
With fatal strength in every part;
The dire contagion fills the veins,
And spreads its poison to the heart.
There is a great Physician near;
Look up, O fainting soul, and live;
See, in His heav’nly smiles appear
Such ease as nature cannot give!
See, in the dying Savior’s blood,
Life, health, and bliss, abundant flow!
‘Tis only this dear, sacred flood
Can ease thy pain, and heal thy woe.
——-
Now, if you are with us today and you do not know Jesus Christ as your Savior, allow me to show you how you can place your faith and trust in Him for Salvation from sin and Hell.
First, accept the fact that you are a sinner, and that you have broken God’s law. The Bible says in Romans 3:23: “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”
Second, accept the fact that there is a penalty for sin. The Bible states in Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death…”
Third, accept the fact that you are on the road to hell. Jesus Christ said in Matthew 10:28: “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” Also, the Bible states in Revelation 21:8: “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”
Now that is bad news, but here’s the good news. Jesus Christ said in John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Just believe in your heart that Jesus Christ died for your sins, was buried, and rose from the dead by the power of God for you so that you can live eternally with Him. Pray and ask Him to come into your heart today, and He will.
Romans 10:9 & 13 says, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved… For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
If you believe that Jesus Christ died on the Cross for your sins, was buried, and rose from the dead, and you want to trust Him for your Salvation today, please pray with me this simple prayer: Holy Father God, I realize that I am a sinner and that I have done some bad things in my life. I am sorry for my sins, and today I choose to turn from my sins. For Jesus Christ sake, please forgive me of my sins. I believe with all of my heart that Jesus Christ died for me, was buried, and rose again. I trust Jesus Christ as my Savior and I choose to follow Him as Lord from this day forward. Lord Jesus, please come into my heart and save my soul and change my life today. Amen.
If you believed in your heart that Jesus Christ died on the Cross, was buried, and rose again, allow me to say, congratulations on doing the most important thing in life and that is accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour! For more information to help you grow in your newfound faith in Christ, go to Gospel Light Society.com and read “What To Do After You Enter Through the Door”. Jesus Christ said in John 10:9, “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.”
If you accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior today, please email me at dw3@gospellightsociety.com and let us know. There is some free material that we want to send you. If you have a prayer request, please e-mail that to us as well, and we will pray for you until you tell us to stop.
God loves you. We love you. And may God bless you.
Daniel Whyte III has spoken in meetings across the United States and in over twenty-five foreign countries. He is the author of over forty books including the Essence Magazine, Dallas Morning News, and Amazon.com national bestseller, Letters to Young Black Men. He is also the president of Gospel Light Society International, a worldwide evangelistic ministry that reaches thousands with the Gospel each week, as well as president of Torch Ministries International, a Christian literature ministry.
He is heard by thousands each week on his radio broadcasts/podcasts, which include: The Prayer Motivator Devotional, The Prayer Motivator Minute, as well as Gospel Light Minute X, the Gospel Light Minute, the Sunday Evening Evangelistic Message, the Prophet Daniel’s Report, the Second Coming Watch Update and the Soul-Winning Motivator, among others.
He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Theology from Bethany Divinity College, a Bachelor’s degree in Religion from Texas Wesleyan University, a Master’s degree in Religion, a Master of Divinity degree, and a Master of Theology degree from Liberty University’s Rawlings School of Divinity (formerly Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary). He is currently a candidate for the Doctor of Ministry degree.
He has been married to the former Meriqua Althea Dixon, of Christiana, Jamaica since 1987. God has blessed their union with seven children.
December 19, 2018
LISTEN: How to Pray for the Good and Faithful Saints That You Don’t Know, Part 11 (Praying Through the Bible #330 with Daniel Whyte III)
Daniel Whyte IIITEXT: Colossians 1:1-14
1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timotheus our brother,
2 To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ which are at Colosse: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
3 We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you,
4 Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which ye have to all the saints,
5 For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel;
6 Which is come unto you, as it is in all the world; and bringeth forth fruit, as it doth also in you, since the day ye heard of it, and knew the grace of God in truth:
7 As ye also learned of Epaphras our dear fellowservant, who is for you a faithful minister of Christ;
8 Who also declared unto us your love in the Spirit.
9 For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;
10 That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;
11 Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness;
12 Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:
13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:
14 In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:
— PRAYER —
We are in a series of messages titled “Praying Through the Bible: A Series on Every Passage and Verse Regarding Prayer in the Bible.” The purpose of this series is to encourage and motivate you to pray to the God of the Bible. We highlighted each of these over 500 verses and passages in the Prayer Motivator Devotional Bible. So far, we have completed 329 messages in this series.
This is message #330 titled, How to Pray for the Good and Faithful Saints That You Don’t Know, Part 11.
Arthur Hall said, “Learn the lesson of thanksgiving. It is due to God, it is due to ourselves. Thanksgiving for the past makes us trustful in the present and hopeful for the future. What He has done is the pledge of what He will do.”
Over the past few messages, we have looked at the specific prayer requests that Paul made for the believers in Colosse. He prayed for them: (1) to have the “knowledge of God’s will”; (2) to walk worthy of their salvation; (3) to be “fruitful in every good work”; (4) to ‘increase in the knowledge of God’; (5) that they would be ‘strengthened with all might according to God’s glorious power’; and (6) that they would use God’s strength to live with patience, long-suffering, and joy.
Another way in which the Colossians ought to live is with thanksgiving. Verse 12 says, “Giving thanks unto the Father…” We should not settle for going through life like Ebenezer Scrooge — only seeing the utilitarian value of people and things, and never pausing to give thanks for life, its blessings, its struggles, its joys, its sorrows, and the people we walk through it with. Truly, life is not worth living if it’s not with thanksgiving.
Those of us who are in the household of faith have great reason to give thanks unto the Father, and Paul details several of those reasons in the next few verses. First, we give thanks the Father because he has “made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light.” The word “meet” means qualified. We would not be qualified to take part of the inheritance spoken of if it had not been a result of the good will of the Father. What is this inheritance?
Albert Barnes writes, “[The inheritance is also called ‘the kingdom of his dear Son.’ This is a kingdom of light, as opposed to the kingdom of darkness in which [we] formerly were. In the East, and particularly in Persia, there prevailed early the belief that there were two great kingdoms in the universe — that of light, and that of darkness. We find traces of this belief in the Scriptures, where the kingdom of God is called ‘light,’ and that of Satan is called ‘darkness.’ These are, of course, figurative expressions, but they convey important truth. Light, in the Scriptures, is the emblem of holiness, knowledge, and happiness; and all these are found in the kingdom over which God presides, and of which Christians are the heirs. Accordingly, we find the word ‘light’ often used to describe this kingdom.”
We, the saints, live in the light, and it is a privilege to do so. It is a residence that we could not have achieved on our own. The Father made it possible for us to obtain this inheritance by sacrificing His own Son, the Light of the world. In this world, we still wrestle with darkness — we have tribulation, but we have torches lit by the everlasting flame of Heaven. With the Light inside of us, we beat back the shadows, knowing that our eternal home is in Heaven, the Kingdom of Light. And, for that, we should give thanks to the Father.
Philip Paul Bliss wrote:
The whole world was lost in the darkness of sin;
The light of the world is Jesus;
Like sunshine at noonday His glory shone in,
The light of the world is Jesus.
Ye dwellers in darkness with sin-blinded eyes,
The light of the world is Jesus;
Go, wash, at His bidding, and light will arise;
The light of the world is Jesus.
No darkness have we who in Jesus abide,
The light of the world is Jesus;
We walk in the light when we follow our Guide,
The light of the world is Jesus.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
Now, if you are with us today, and you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ as your Saviour, your first prayer needs to be what we call the Sinner’s Prayer. First, please understand that you are a sinner, just as I am, and that you have broken God’s laws. The Bible says in Romans 3:23: “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”
Second, accept the fact that there is a penalty for sin. The Bible states in Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death…”
Third, accept the fact that you are on the road to hell. Jesus Christ said in Matthew 10:28: “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” Also, the Bible states in Revelation 21:8: “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”
Now this is bad news, but here’s the good news. Jesus Christ said in John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
Just believe in your heart that Jesus Christ died for your sins, was buried, and rose from the dead by the power of God for you so that you can live eternally with Him. Pray and ask Him to come into your heart today, and He will.
Romans 10:9 & 13 says, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved… For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
If you believe that Jesus Christ died on the Cross for your sins, was buried, and rose from the dead, and you want to trust Him for your Salvation today, please pray with me this simple prayer: Holy Father God, I realize that I am a sinner and that I have done some bad things in my life. For Jesus Christ sake, please forgive me of my sins. I now believe with all of my heart that Jesus Christ died for me, was buried, and rose again. Lord Jesus, please come into my heart and save my soul and change my life today. Amen.
If you just trusted Jesus Christ as your Saviour, and you prayed that prayer and meant it from your heart, I declare to you that based upon the Word of God, you are now saved from Hell and you are on your way to Heaven. Welcome to the family of God! Congratulations on trusting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour. You have done the most important thing in life. For more information to help you grow in your newfound faith in Christ, go to Gospel Light Society.com and read “What To Do After You Enter Through the Door”. Jesus Christ said in John 10:9, “I am the door, by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.”
God loves you. We love you. And may God bless you.
Daniel Whyte III has spoken in meetings across the United States and in over twenty-five foreign countries. He is the author of over forty books including the Essence Magazine, Dallas Morning News, and Amazon.com national bestseller, Letters to Young Black Men. He is also the president of Gospel Light Society International, a worldwide evangelistic ministry that reaches thousands with the Gospel each week, as well as president of Torch Ministries International, a Christian literature ministry.
He is heard by thousands each week on his radio broadcasts/podcasts, which include: The Prayer Motivator Devotional, The Prayer Motivator Minute, as well as Gospel Light Minute X, the Gospel Light Minute, the Sunday Evening Evangelistic Message, the Prophet Daniel’s Report, the Second Coming Watch Update and the Soul-Winning Motivator, among others.
He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Theology from Bethany Divinity College, a Bachelor’s degree in Religion from Texas Wesleyan University, a Master’s degree in Religion, a Master of Divinity degree, and a Master of Theology degree from Liberty University’s Rawlings School of Divinity (formerly Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary). He is currently a candidate for the Doctor of Ministry degree.
He has been married to the former Meriqua Althea Dixon, of Christiana, Jamaica since 1987. God has blessed their union with seven children.
LISTEN: The Scripture & the Sense: Jeremiah 29 (with Daniel Whyte III)
Daniel Whyte III reads the Word of God on a daily basis and give the sense of it based on an authoritative commentary source such as Matthew Henry’s Commentary On the Bible. This podcast is based upon Nehemiah 8:8 where it says Ezra and the Levites “read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading.” The aim of this podcast is that through the simple reading of the Word of God and the giving of the sense of it, the church would be revived and the world would be awakened.
Today we are reading Jeremiah 29.
December 18, 2018
LISTEN: The Story of Jesus and the Depressed and Defeated Paralytic, Part 2 (Just Jesus Evangelistic Campaign, Day 634 since Jan. 20, 2017 / Day 1,001 since Jan. 1, 2016 with Daniel Whyte III)
Daniel Whyte IIITEXT: Matthew 9:1-8
1 And he entered into a ship, and passed over, and came into his own city.
2 And, behold, they brought to him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed: and Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee.
3 And, behold, certain of the scribes said within themselves, This man blasphemeth.
4 And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts?
5 For whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and walk?
6 But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick of the palsy,) Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house.
7 And he arose, and departed to his house.
8 But when the multitudes saw it, they marvelled, and glorified God, which had given such power unto men.
——-
Someone once said, “True faith does not contradict its words by its actions.”
In the gospels, the one thing that Jesus complimented people on the most is their faith. He applauded great faith and expressed dismay over a lack of faith. We see in this passage that faith ought to lead to action. When four men broke through a roof to bring their paralyzed friend to Jesus, Jesus saw their faith. They believed that Jesus could heal their friend, and that belief led them to act. In turn, this display of faith, prompted Jesus to act on their behalf.
We do not know if the sick man had any faith of his own. Perhaps, he had given up on believing that he could be healed of his condition. Jesus’ statement to this man indicates that this might very well be the case. He “said unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be of good cheer.” F.F. Bruce writes in his commentary: “With swift sure diagnosis, Jesus sees in the man not faith, but deep depression, associated probably with sad memories of misconduct, and uttering first a kindly hope-inspiring word, such as a physician might address to a patient: cheer up, child! He deals first with the disease of the soul.”
Many, today, are experiencing paralysis — not necessarily paralysis of the body, but paralysis of heart, mind, soul, spirit, and life. Do you feel like your life is going nowhere? Do you feel like you can’t get out of bed in the morning because your vision of life is devoid of faith and hope? As though your feet are stuck in quickly-drying cement? This passage shows us that when we bring not just our problems, but our very selves to Jesus, he has a word of comfort and healing: “Son, daughter, be of good cheer!”
There is no rationale given for this “good cheer” except that one is in the presence of the Son of God. Jesus didn’t heal the man first and then tell him to be of good cheer. He told him to be of good cheer first simply on the basis that he was now in the presence of the Great Physician, the divine Problem Solver, the Heart Healer, the Soul Saver. If we are to be of good cheer, we must get in the habit of bringing our problems to the Lord. And, if you already possess this good cheer, be like the friends of the paralyzed man and help your friends bring their problems to Jesus.
One hymnist wrote:
Rejoice in the Lord! Oh, let His mercy cheer;
He sunders the bands that enthrall;
Redeemed by His blood, why should we ever fear,
Since Jesus is our all in all?
Be strong in the Lord! rejoicing in His might,
Be loyal and true day by day;
When evils assail, be valiant for the right,
And He will be our strength and stay.
Confide in His Word, His promises so sure;
In Christ they are yea and amen;
Though earth pass away, they ever shall endure,
‘Tis written over and over again.
——-
Now, if you are with us today and you do not know Jesus Christ as your Savior, allow me to show you how you can place your faith and trust in Him for Salvation from sin and Hell.
First, accept the fact that you are a sinner, and that you have broken God’s law. The Bible says in Romans 3:23: “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”
Second, accept the fact that there is a penalty for sin. The Bible states in Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death…”
Third, accept the fact that you are on the road to hell. Jesus Christ said in Matthew 10:28: “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” Also, the Bible states in Revelation 21:8: “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”
Now that is bad news, but here’s the good news. Jesus Christ said in John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Just believe in your heart that Jesus Christ died for your sins, was buried, and rose from the dead by the power of God for you so that you can live eternally with Him. Pray and ask Him to come into your heart today, and He will.
Romans 10:9 & 13 says, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved… For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
If you believe that Jesus Christ died on the Cross for your sins, was buried, and rose from the dead, and you want to trust Him for your Salvation today, please pray with me this simple prayer: Holy Father God, I realize that I am a sinner and that I have done some bad things in my life. I am sorry for my sins, and today I choose to turn from my sins. For Jesus Christ sake, please forgive me of my sins. I believe with all of my heart that Jesus Christ died for me, was buried, and rose again. I trust Jesus Christ as my Savior and I choose to follow Him as Lord from this day forward. Lord Jesus, please come into my heart and save my soul and change my life today. Amen.
If you believed in your heart that Jesus Christ died on the Cross, was buried, and rose again, allow me to say, congratulations on doing the most important thing in life and that is accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour! For more information to help you grow in your newfound faith in Christ, go to Gospel Light Society.com and read “What To Do After You Enter Through the Door”. Jesus Christ said in John 10:9, “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.”
If you accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior today, please email me at dw3@gospellightsociety.com and let us know. There is some free material that we want to send you. If you have a prayer request, please e-mail that to us as well, and we will pray for you until you tell us to stop.
God loves you. We love you. And may God bless you.
Daniel Whyte III has spoken in meetings across the United States and in over twenty-five foreign countries. He is the author of over forty books including the Essence Magazine, Dallas Morning News, and Amazon.com national bestseller, Letters to Young Black Men. He is also the president of Gospel Light Society International, a worldwide evangelistic ministry that reaches thousands with the Gospel each week, as well as president of Torch Ministries International, a Christian literature ministry.
He is heard by thousands each week on his radio broadcasts/podcasts, which include: The Prayer Motivator Devotional, The Prayer Motivator Minute, as well as Gospel Light Minute X, the Gospel Light Minute, the Sunday Evening Evangelistic Message, the Prophet Daniel’s Report, the Second Coming Watch Update and the Soul-Winning Motivator, among others.
He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Theology from Bethany Divinity College, a Bachelor’s degree in Religion from Texas Wesleyan University, a Master’s degree in Religion, a Master of Divinity degree, and a Master of Theology degree from Liberty University’s Rawlings School of Divinity (formerly Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary). He is currently a candidate for the Doctor of Ministry degree.
He has been married to the former Meriqua Althea Dixon, of Christiana, Jamaica since 1987. God has blessed their union with seven children.
LISTEN: The Scripture & the Sense: Jeremiah 28 (with Daniel Whyte III)
Daniel Whyte III reads the Word of God on a daily basis and give the sense of it based on an authoritative commentary source such as Matthew Henry’s Commentary On the Bible. This podcast is based upon Nehemiah 8:8 where it says Ezra and the Levites “read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading.” The aim of this podcast is that through the simple reading of the Word of God and the giving of the sense of it, the church would be revived and the world would be awakened.
Today we are reading Jeremiah 28.
Daniel Whyte III Preached the 1,000th Message in the Just Jesus Evangelistic Campaign Which Began On January 1, 2016
After preaching the Gospel every day for 367 days straight throughout the 2016 presidential campaign season, Daniel Whyte III is preaching the Gospel for 1,000 days during the Trump presidency. If you think a new president being in office is the only thing needed to save America and ‘make America great again; you are woefully deceived. The church must follow through and “keep the main thing the main thing: and that is reaching unbelievers with the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ and praying for their salvation, for the problem in America is not only disobedient presidents, politicians, and people, but disobedient pastors, preachers, and parishioners who have refused to obey the Lord’s Great Commission which is to, ‘Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature,’ and who have refused to obey God’s repeated commands to ‘pray without ceasing’ for unbelievers, believers, and political leaders.” So, we encourage you to pray for the new president, but not to get caught up in the political happenings like the world does. Nothing much is going to change until people get saved and get their hearts right with the Lord. And that is what this campaign is all about.
Daniel Whyte IIITEXT: Matthew 9:1-8
1 And he entered into a ship, and passed over, and came into his own city.
2 And, behold, they brought to him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed: and Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee.
3 And, behold, certain of the scribes said within themselves, This man blasphemeth.
4 And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts?
5 For whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and walk?
6 But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick of the palsy,) Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house.
7 And he arose, and departed to his house.
8 But when the multitudes saw it, they marvelled, and glorified God, which had given such power unto men.
——-
Joni Eareckson Tada said, “Many people in the throes of suffering, disappointment, and despair, feel utterly stuck in their circumstances. They see no hope beyond their day-to-day drudgery of disability routines; but when hurting families place themselves under the shower of God’s mercy, suddenly the clouds part. They realize there’s hope, life, and even joy beyond their suffering.”
By way of introduction, the Bible Knowledge Commentary reads, “Returning from the eastern side of the Sea of Galilee, Jesus went to His own town, Capernaum. There the faith of some men was evident when a paralytic, lying on a mat was brought to Jesus. Mark explained that four men lowered him through the roof. Several religious leaders were present and heard Jesus tell this man, Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven. Apparently the illness had resulted from his sin. Jesus was claiming divine authority, for only God can forgive sins. The leaders stumbled over this and said to themselves, Jesus is blaspheming! This was the first opposition of the religious leaders to Jesus. Knowing their thoughts, Jesus asked them whether it is easier to say one’s sins are forgiven, or to tell him to arise and walk. While either statement could be spoken with ease, the first would be “easier” in that it could not be disproved by onlookers. If, however, Jesus had first said, Get up and walk, and the man remained paralyzed on his mat, it would be clear Jesus was not who He claimed to be. Jesus therefore spoke not only the easier words, but He also spoke of healing, thereby proving He has power to perform both acts, healing and forgiving sin. As a result the crowd was filled with awe. They recognized the authority behind such actions, and they praised God.”
Warren Wiersbe said, “The Lord had shown Himself powerful over sickness and storms, but what could He do about sin? Palsy was a gradual paralysis. This man was unable to help himself, but fortunately he had four friends with love, faith, and hope. They brought him to Jesus and permitted nothing to stand in their way. Was the man’s physical condition the result of his sin? We do not know. But we do know that Jesus dealt with the sin problem first, for this is always the greatest need. We must not conclude from this miracle that all sickness is caused by sin, or that forgiveness automatically means physical healing. A pastor of mine often says, “God can heal every sickness except the last one.” More important than the healing of this man’s body was the cleansing of his heart. He went home with both a sound body and a heart at peace with God. “ ‘There is no peace,’ saith my God, ‘to the wicked’ ”.
After dealing with the demon-possessed men of the Gadarene (gad-a-reen) coast, Jesus, heeding the wishes of the people of that town, “entered into a ship and came into his own city.” We assume this to be Capernaum (ka-per-num), the place where, a day earlier, he had resided at Peter’s house. As Jesus returns to the city, He is met by men bringing their friend who is “sick of the palsy.” Palsy is a kind of paralysis and weakening of the muscles that is often accompanied by involuntary tremors. In keeping with His other encounters with the sick, Jesus immediately notes the faith of the people involved.
The Bible says, “Jesus seeing their faith.” How did Jesus “see” their faith? Of course, Jesus could look into these men’s hearts and minds and know that they had faith in Him. But, Jesus saw their faith by their actions. They expended the energy to pick up their friend and carry him on his bed to this Man whom they believed could heal him. The parallel account in Luke tells us that there was a crowd gathered to hear Jesus teaching, and these friends took the paralyzed man to the roof of the house, tore the roof apart, and lowered the sick man into the house. That is what their faith led them to do. Jesus saw that faith; and it moved him to act on behalf of their friend.
We do not know if the sick man had any faith of his own. Perhaps, he had given up on believing that he could be healed of his condition. Jesus’ statement to this man indicates that this might very well be the case. He “said unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be of good cheer.” F.F. Bruce writes in his commentary: “With swift sure diagnosis, Jesus sees in the man not faith, but deep depression, associated probably with sad memories of misconduct, and uttering first a kindly hope-inspiring word, such as a physician might address to a patient: cheer up, child! He deals first with the disease of the soul.”
Many, today, are experiencing paralysis — not necessarily paralysis of the body, but paralysis of heart, mind, soul, spirit, and life. Do you feel like your life is going nowhere? Do you feel like you can’t get out of bed in the morning because your vision of life is devoid of faith and hope? As though your feet are stuck in quickly-drying cement? This passage shows us that when we bring not just our problems, but our very selves to Jesus, he has a word of comfort and healing: “Son, daughter, be of good cheer!” There is no rationale given for this “good cheer” except that one is in the presence of the Son of God. Jesus didn’t heal the man first and then tell him to be of good cheer. He told him to be of good cheer first simply on the basis that he was now in the presence of the Great Physician, the divine Problem Solver, the Heart Healer, the Soul Saver. If we are to be of good cheer, we must get in the habit of bringing our problems to the Lord. And, if you already possess this good cheer, be like the friends of the paralyzed man and help your friends bring their problems to Jesus.
One hymnist wrote:
Rejoice in the Lord! Oh, let His mercy cheer;
He sunders the bands that enthrall;
Redeemed by His blood, why should we ever fear,
Since Jesus is our all in all?
Be strong in the Lord! rejoicing in His might,
Be loyal and true day by day;
When evils assail, be valiant for the right,
And He will be our strength and stay.
Confide in His Word, His promises so sure;
In Christ they are yea and amen;
Though earth pass away, they ever shall endure,
‘Tis written over and over again.
——-
Now, if you are with us today and you do not know Jesus Christ as your Savior, allow me to show you how you can place your faith and trust in Him for Salvation from sin and Hell.
First, accept the fact that you are a sinner, and that you have broken God’s law. The Bible says in Romans 3:23: “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”
Second, accept the fact that there is a penalty for sin. The Bible states in Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death…”
Third, accept the fact that you are on the road to hell. Jesus Christ said in Matthew 10:28: “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” Also, the Bible states in Revelation 21:8: “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”
Now that is bad news, but here’s the good news. Jesus Christ said in John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Just believe in your heart that Jesus Christ died for your sins, was buried, and rose from the dead by the power of God for you so that you can live eternally with Him. Pray and ask Him to come into your heart today, and He will.
Romans 10:9 & 13 says, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved… For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
If you believe that Jesus Christ died on the Cross for your sins, was buried, and rose from the dead, and you want to trust Him for your Salvation today, please pray with me this simple prayer: Holy Father God, I realize that I am a sinner and that I have done some bad things in my life. I am sorry for my sins, and today I choose to turn from my sins. For Jesus Christ sake, please forgive me of my sins. I believe with all of my heart that Jesus Christ died for me, was buried, and rose again. I trust Jesus Christ as my Savior and I choose to follow Him as Lord from this day forward. Lord Jesus, please come into my heart and save my soul and change my life today. Amen.
If you believed in your heart that Jesus Christ died on the Cross, was buried, and rose again, allow me to say, congratulations on doing the most important thing in life and that is accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour! For more information to help you grow in your newfound faith in Christ, go to Gospel Light Society.com and read “What To Do After You Enter Through the Door”. Jesus Christ said in John 10:9, “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.”
If you accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior today, please email me at dw3@gospellightsociety.com and let us know. There is some free material that we want to send you. If you have a prayer request, please e-mail that to us as well, and we will pray for you until you tell us to stop.
God loves you. We love you. And may God bless you.
Daniel Whyte III has spoken in meetings across the United States and in over twenty-five foreign countries. He is the author of over forty books including the Essence Magazine, Dallas Morning News, and Amazon.com national bestseller, Letters to Young Black Men. He is also the president of Gospel Light Society International, a worldwide evangelistic ministry that reaches thousands with the Gospel each week, as well as president of Torch Ministries International, a Christian literature ministry.
He is heard by thousands each week on his radio broadcasts/podcasts, which include: The Prayer Motivator Devotional, The Prayer Motivator Minute, as well as Gospel Light Minute X, the Gospel Light Minute, the Sunday Evening Evangelistic Message, the Prophet Daniel’s Report, the Second Coming Watch Update and the Soul-Winning Motivator, among others.
He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Theology from Bethany Divinity College, a Bachelor’s degree in Religion from Texas Wesleyan University, a Master’s degree in Religion, a Master of Divinity degree, and a Master of Theology degree from Liberty University’s Rawlings School of Divinity (formerly Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary). He is currently a candidate for the Doctor of Ministry degree.
He has been married to the former Meriqua Althea Dixon, of Christiana, Jamaica since 1987. God has blessed their union with seven children.
