Jesus Cleans Up Peter's Mess!

When they which were about him saw what would follow, they said unto him, Lord, shall we smite with the sword? And one of them smote the servant of the high priest, and cut off his right ear. And Jesus answered, and said, Suffer ye thus far. And he touched his ear, and healed him.
-- Luke 22:49-51

Have you ever had a time when it nearly broke your heart to see what a mess a friend had made of his life? Because you loved your friend so much, you were willing to do anything necessary to assist him in getting his life back in order again. Although you knew it would be difficult, you were nonetheless willing to step into his disorder, chaos, and confusion to help him because you knew he'd never get out of his mess by himself. 

Let's see what Jesus did for Peter that night in the Garden of Gethsemane after Peter chopped off the ear of Malchus, the servant of the high priest. There is something we can learn from the example Jesus gave us that night. 

TOUCHED BY LOVE

Mark 1:41, "And Jesus, moved with compassion, put forth his hand, and touched him.... and he was cleansed."

MATTHEW 8:1-4, MARK 1:40-45, LUKE 5:12-15

Only Mark records this important statement that Jesus was "moved with compassion" in the healing of this leper. 

There are three other instances in the gospels when Jesus was moved with compassion which resulted in healing (Mt. 14:14; 20:34; Lk. 7:13; and once in deliverance - Mk.5:19). The difference between seeing a person healed or not healed many times is this all-important ingredient of love.

All three of the Gospel accounts record Jesus touching this leper. This not only illustrates the doctrine of "laying on of hands", but was probably included because according to Numbers 19:22, this action would have made Jesus unclean. This illustrates the New Testament ministry of the Spirit versus the Old Testament ministry of the letter of the law (2 Cor. 3:6).

The Touch of the Master's Hand

"Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving; make music to our God on the harp." Psalm 147:7

My favorite classical guitar piece is called "Recuerdos del Alhambra." And nobody plays it like Christopher Parkening, probably the greatest classical guitarist in the world. My husband, Ken, is friends with Christopher. They both like to fish; so whenever we're together, the subject is trout and tuna.

Recently, the three of us were at our home, and Ken left the room to get an fishing rod to show Christopher. I said, "Chris, I'm sorry to sound like such a fan, but one day I would love it if you would play for me 'Recuerdos del Alhambra.'" Then Ken was back in the room, and the subject turned to fish.

Later that night, as Christopher was about to leave, Ken said, "Hey, I want to show you my high school guitar and see what you think of it." Ken brought out that old, beat-up clunker that had never played much more than "Michael, Row the Boat Ashore." It was cracked, and its strings, fossilized.

Observe: You are Better Than Your Wife

Written by Neal Black

 “Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good.” (Romans 12:9, NLT)

It’s true, you are better than your wife… in one particular area. Overall, as a man, are better at observation than she is. (For more information see Secrets of Happily Married Men by Scott Haltzman) Now before you go trotting off to locate her in the house and read that line to her, let’s talk about using this special talent to blow her mind!

You’re better at observation; your wife likes to be observed by you. This is good but it’s not just a matter of watching her wiggle (although perfectly good use of your amazing observation abilities!) There is more. By observation you can learn some great intel that will change your relationship.

Romans 12:9 says, “Don’t pretend to love others. Really love them.” So, this week watch your wife till you see her respond to something in a very positive way. Maybe someone complimented her cooking, her hair or maybe it was someone emptying the dishwasher, or buying her a small gift or giving her a hug. You may observe one of your kids playing a game with her that brought lots of smiles and fun interaction.

A Small Breakthrough in the Mystery of Touch

By Belinda Luscombe

The sense of touch is more of a mystery than that of hearing, smell, sight or taste. Perhaps that’s why more songs have been written about it (“Smell Me in the Morning” just doesn’t have the same ring.)

 But now scientists have unlocked one secret about how it works using only a fruit fly and an eyelash.

The Chemical Symphony of Attraction

Attraction results from the unique information gathered by all our senses.

Did you ever wonder what attracts you to one sort of person over another? What causes that feeling of alluring familiarity with someone you have just met...someone to whom you are inexorably drawn? Why can someone have everything you think you want, yet leave you feeling flat? 

5 Secrets to Aging Well

How to be happier and healthier for the rest of your life

By Paula Spencer Scott, Caring.com senior editor

We'd all like to make it to 100 -- but let's face it, some people age a lot more gracefully than others. What's the difference between someone who looks and feels vibrant in midlife and beyond -- and someone who's sick, sad, and already old?

Scientists are turning up some surprising key factors: approaches to attitude and lifestyle that not only add years to your life but add a better quality of life to your years.

"Studies on successful aging have shown that only one third of what predicts how well we age is controlled by genetics. About two thirds is based on our personal lifestyle choices -- and is therefore under our control," says psychiatrist Gary Small, director of the UCLA Center on Agingand author of The Longevity Bible (Hyperion).

Here are five longevity factors you can do something about.

Why Men Like Pregnant Women

10 reasons why he wants sex during pregnancy.

By Dara Pettinelli 1

If any of you watched Bethenny Getting Married? on Bravo, there’s no way you missed how horny Bethenny’s pregnancy made her husband, Jason. But Jason isn’t the only guy out there who thinks pregnant women are the equivalent of love potion #9.

A lot of men find their knocked-up partner to have a certain je ne sais quoi. Here are 10 reasons why:

1. He feels like a man

He shot, he scored! His woman is carrying his child, and he’s damn proud. 

It's Complicated: He's Never in the Mood

By Karen Karbo, REDBOOK

Q. My husband and I started going to strip clubs, just to add fun to our already-hot sex life. Then that turned into the only thing that would get him in the mood. I finally blew up and told him I'd had enough of that scene, and now he never wants sex. He says he's old and things don't work like they used to. What is wrong with us? I miss his touch terribly. -R.L., 44, SOUTH CAROLINA

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A. Unless he's simply withholding sex to punish you for putting an end to the strip-club action (if so, I think he may be the first man in recorded history to resort to a sex strike), it sounds to me like you two need professional help. I ran your predicament past my friend who's a couples therapist, and she suspects that your husband may have become a little addicted to the stripper thing, or that it has distorted his sex drive to the point where he's no longer able to perform sexually without it.