Sundays Sermons: The Spirit of Healing & Priesthood Power

I frequently travel to North Wales on business. While driving along the A5 through Snowdonia there is a small town called Bethesda.  There is also a church in this town called Bethesda Chapel. I often park my car there, and have a walk around the shop, and ponder when Jesus visited Bethesda in the Holy Land. And the healings He performed there.

 

When the Saviour began His ministry at the age of thirty the general health at that time was very different to what has developed in today’s medicine. There were no x-ray machines, no ultrasonic scanners. No cross matching of blood groups for transfusions. No operations as we know them today. Life span was considerably shorter. The general health condition was poor in comparison.  With these thoughts in mind Jesus performed many healings.

 

In the book of John we read:

 

1  AFTER this there was a feast of the Jews; and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.

2  Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches.

3 In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water.

4  For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had.

5  And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years.

6  When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole?

7  The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me.

8  Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.

9  And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the Sabbath.

10  The Jews therefore said unto him that was cured, It is the Sabbath day: it is not lawful for thee to carry thy bed.

11  He answered them, He that made me whole, the same said unto me, Take up thy bed, and walk.

12  Then asked they him, What man is that which said unto thee, Take up thy bed, and walk?

13  And he that was healed wist not who it was: for Jesus had conveyed himself away, a multitude being in that place.

14  Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.

15  The man departed, and told the Jews that it was Jesus, which had made him whole.

16  And therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus, and sought to slay him, because he had done these things on the Sabbath day. (New Testament: John 5:1 - 16)

 

And again we read in Luke

10  And he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath.

11  And, behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself.

12  And when Jesus saw her, he called her to him, and said unto her, Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity.

13  And he laid his hands on her: and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.

14  And the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because that Jesus had healed on the Sabbath day, and said unto the people, There are six days in which men ought to work: in them therefore come and be healed, and not on the Sabbath day.

15  The Lord then answered him, and said, Thou hypocrite, doth not each one of you on the Sabbath loose his ox or his ass from the stall, and lead him away to watering?

16  And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath day?

17  And when he had said these things, all his adversaries were ashamed: and all the people rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by him.

(New Testament: Luke 13:10 - 17)

 

Men and women who are ordained to the Priesthood, and have sufficient faith to heal others is a gift of the spirit. Jesus possessed the power to heal others. He promised his followers would be able to perform great works. Through the priesthood, and the exercising of faith we can receive revelation to matters other then the immediate condition of the person, and the will of the Lord in connection with the gift of healing. In closing, we can read in the Book of Mormon:

 

And there were great and marvellous works wrought by the disciples of Jesus, insomuch that they did heal the sick, and raise the dead, and cause the lame to walk, and the blind to receive their sight, and the deaf to hear; and all manner of miracles did they work among the children of men; and in nothing did they work miracles save it were in the name of Jesus.(Book of Mormon: 4 Nephi 1:5)

In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Apostle Elder Peter C. Barber

The Power of The Priesthood

 

What is the power of the priesthood? For our younger members and younger ones reading this online lets liken the power of the priesthood to the power of the Jedi in Star Wars.  It is a force to be reckoned with.  God created the earth and the universe with the priesthood.  The scriptures tell us that faith can move mountains, but I think it is more than faith that moves mountains, it is the power of the priesthood.  The power of the priesthood is a live entity.  You have to feel the power in order to use it to its full extent.  Jesus used the priesthood to make the lame walk, the blind see, the deaf hear and the dumb to speak.  Likewise if we really had the faith and understood the power and felt it we could also make the lame walk, the blind to see, the deaf to hear and the dumb to speak.  We could move mountains.  But alas we are human with human traits and limitations so we need to be calm and at peace with ourselves and with God.  The priesthood we hold is a powerful friend, it is a power given us by God and we should use that power only for peace and good. Again  for our younger listeners and readers lets liken how we use the power of the priesthood to the Jedi fighting against the empire the good or the bad.  It would be a brilliant place if we used the priesthood  the way it was meant to be used and people would say “The force is strong with this one” . So I pray that we might magnify our callings and our priesthood, feel its power and use it for good.  That it might indeed be said “The force is strong with this one” .

 

I leave these thoughts with you in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Sister Annette Barber