Immerse: Messiah - Flipbook - Page 408
396
IMMERSE
•
MESSIAH
5:8-20
spring. They eagerly look for the valuable harvest to ripen. You, too, must
be patient. Take courage, for the coming of the Lord is near.
Don’t grumble about each other, brothers and sisters, or you will be
judged. For look—the Judge is standing at the door!
For examples of patience in suffering, dear brothers and sisters, look at the
prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. We give great honor to those
who endure under suffering. For instance, you know about Job, a man of
great endurance. You can see how the Lord was kind to him at the end, for
the Lord is full of tenderness and mercy.
But most of all, my brothers and sisters, never take an oath, by heaven or
earth or anything else. Just say a simple yes or no, so that you will not sin
and be condemned.
Are any of you suffering hardships? You should pray. Are any of you happy?
You should sing praises. Are any of you sick? You should call for the elders
of the church to come and pray over you, anointing you with oil in the
name of the Lord. Such a prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the
Lord will make you well. And if you have committed any sins, you will be
forgiven.
Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may
be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and
produces wonderful results. Elijah was as human as we are, and yet when
he prayed earnestly that no rain would fall, none fell for three and a half
years! Then, when he prayed again, the sky sent down rain and the earth
began to yield its crops.
My dear brothers and sisters, if someone among you wanders away from
the truth and is brought back, you can be sure that whoever brings the
sinner back from wandering will save that person from death and bring
about the forgiveness of many sins.
