The bible has many fun and funny stories. I have heard many wild fish stories in my life. The story in Luke 5 tops them all.
"Name it and Claim it"… "If You Can Imagine it, You can Do it"… And the list of positive new thought philosophies continue. Do I agree? Yes and No!
The thought center of man is a creative force. I can not deny the affects of positive thoughts. I too have seen the disastrous affect of a pessimistic mentality producing its own reality.
The law of attraction is the belief that "like attracts like" and that by focusing on positive or negative thoughts, one can bring about likened reality. The placebo pill has been used for centuries as a tool to engage this attractive force contained in the mind. I read a story about a patient of Dr. Charles Henderson.
Dr. Henderson, tells of one suffered from depression for 30 years whom responded to an ad for help. She applied to be a participant and was accepted into the research program.
The woman was prepared for participation with interviews and a 45 minute session on an special machine to record her brain activity. When she left she had a bottle of pills she was to take. She was excited and couldn't wait to get started taking them.
The woman, who was at that time a 46-year-old interior designer, got dramatically better within a couple of weeks. Her bouts of depression had disappeared and she no longer felt worthless (she had at one time seriously considered suicide). She was functioning at a higher level, and feeling better, than she had in years. For two months she went to the institute weekly for interviews, tests, and EEGs to record her progress. At the end of the study she was a different person. She attributed her nearly miraculous recovery to the new antidepressant drug which was the subject of the study. It was venlafaxine, better known as Effexor.
But on her final visit she received a stunning shock: She was told that she had not been taking medicine at all, but a placebo… She had been taking nothing but sugar pills." The pills could not be the result of her amazing improvement because sugar pills do not have any pharmacological drug ingredient or chemical compounds.
The woman thought she was sick. So those thoughts began to attract the symptoms and conditions of illness. Then she thought there was a blessing from God in the form of this great pill with healing powers, so she then began to exhibit the power of attracting healing and health. This reminds me of the words of Larry Dossey in Reinventing Medicine
"Eventually it became clear that our emotions, attitudes, and thoughts profoundly affect our bodies, sometimes to the degree of life or death. Soon mind-body effects were recognized to have positive as well as negative impacts on the body. This realization came largely from research on the placebo effect--the beneficial results of suggestion, expectation, and positive thinking."
The mind is a powerful force in producing reality. I agree with "like attract likes" to an extent. There are moments and occasions when the greatest thoughts produce negative results as a kind of reality "nocebo". I remember a Fox news story reported about 11 year of Madeline Neumann of Weston, Wisconsin whom died from a treatable form of diabetes.
Madeline's parents refused medical treatment and trusted belief and prayer as sources attracting healing. The parents believed the key to healing their daughter was to remain steadfast in prayer, so they ask more and more believers to stand with them in belief. I do not know these parents, yet I choose to assume they love their child deeply. I also believe they have a strong belief in health, yet there was a nocebo effect.
Then there is the story of the Rhawnhurst, Pennsylvania couple on probation for the 2009 death of their toddler son from pneumonia allowing a second child die of a treatable illness, opting to pray rather than take the child to a doctor. I simple condition of diarrhea and breathing problems were neglected because they believed God would heal the boy. I do not know the faith tenets of Herbert and Catherine Schaible, yet I am assuming they love each of their children. I am assuming their belief and hope was higher than ever during the second child's sickness, yet there was a nocebo affect.
As I continue, I wish all parents in the above illustrations God Speed and may each of the children be with Jesus in paradise. Jesus' attraction force extends from life beyond the grave into eternity. If Jesus desires for us to be with him in paradise, it will always happen.
I am convinced, the singular attracting source of success is Jesus Christ. The mind rooted and grounded in Jesus will attract success. When words flow from Jesus to you and I, those words leap with life.
Today, I offer a case study from the scriptures to support the hypothesis "Jesus is an attracting force of success."
Today's miracle is studied under the theme "The Power of Attraction." Who desires to fail? Not many. The word of God is program to open doors. It's sort of like the sliding door at the grocery store, they open upon movement. The doors do not open for good people, bad people nor is it a prerequisite for you to be a person. Any movement similar in fashion to that made by a person will open the door- it is automatic. The universe is designed programmed to open to Jesus. Jesus as God has a word that commands all to listen and respond in like manner. Get this truth! Then get a word from Jesus for your life. The door will always open.
In this article, we study the miracle of The Great Catch. The life application theme for this lesson is "Jesus is Your Answer".
We will study the back story, the life significance and then be guided in the art of prayer.
First, The Back Story-
Jesus, started with another wonderful teaching lesson. As had become the norm, the crowds swelled. Stepping in Simon's boat, Jesus asked Simon to launch out from the bank, so the crowd upon the shore could fully experience his teaching. After the group lesson, Jesus gave demonstration of the lesson.
When He finished speaking He told Peter to go out in the deeper water and let down his nets. Peter replied, "We worked hard all last night and didn't catch a thing. But if You say so, we will try again."
They not only caught fish, but the haul was so extensive until the nets broke. Another boat rushed in to give assistance and soon both boats were struggling as they were consumed with fish.
The miracle is singularly recorded in Luke.
Second, The Life Application:
As a child of the Most High God, you are destined for greatness. You are surrounded in His divine favor and because of this, God will cause good things to be attracted to you. All God things come from the Lord. Whether it is being in the right place at the right time to receive His blessings, or an unexplained opportunity that is presented before you, He loves to bless His children. As you face obstacles, remember, you are blessed! God has great things in store for you. Keep moving forward.
Today, you are a radiating force. You are a great spiritual magnate clinging spiritual goodness and holistic advancement in your life. It's not you! It's the attracting agent that lives inside of you. It's Jesus attracting the right places, the right people and the right things in your life. Today you have a divine appointment with opportunity.
Only believe in Jesus
Memory Verse
Mark 11:23 KJV
Today's Miracle Prayer:
I love you Jesus. You are my alpha and omega, without You I have nothing. I know that regardless of what I see around me, I have blessings in store for me! In Jesus' name. Amen.
To Your Success!
- Pastor Sabra
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Pastor Sabra Johnson is lead pastor of City of Faith Church in Houston Texas offering a spiritual formation process consisting of small groups, life class, worship and an assortment of online teaching resources for personal spiritual development and inspiration, go to get connected to http://cityoffaithhouston.info
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