The Mantle of the Lord: Your Miracle is Waiting
As humans, we are frail. We may be feeling good one day, but the next a little virus gets us down. But, we do have a Healer, Someone who is interested in us. You too can have help. No matter what your need is today, Jesus is here. He is waiting on you and me to make the effort to say, ‘Yes, Lord, I need that.’
If you study the miracles that Jesus performed in His earthly ministry, every person came because they had a need, and they came worshiping.
What need do you have today? Will you take it to Jesus and trust Him to help?
Three men counted how many steps it would take to get them to the altar. Their results were 22, 23, and 18. By the steps that they take, no matter where you are today, that distance from where you are to the altar is where your miracle will take place. God will fulfill every need that you have.
We tend to look on the miraculous, on the wonders that God does. Those people that are around the world are just like you. Here in America, we rely too much on insurance and doctors, but they can only do so much. But, I know of the One called Jesus who can touch you totally today. If you will only take those few steps of faith, He will meet you at this altar.
Your miracle is only 22 steps, 23 steps, 18 steps away.
Mark 6:56 – “And whithersoever he entered, into villages, or cities, or country, they laid the sick in the streets, and besought him that they might touch if it were but the border of his garment: and as many as touched him were made whole.”
They brought the sick, the lame, the lepers, it didn’t matter. He healed them all.
In Mark 6, the Lord Jesus has just performed some miracles. He fed the 5000 the loaves and the fish. I like to believe that that little lad who gave his lunch went home with 12 baskets to his mother. Then, Jesus walked on the water, a miracle in which they thought He was a spirit. They were troubled, but Jesus said, ‘Be of good cheer, for it is I.’ Then, Peter asked if he could come too. As long as Peter’s eyes were on Jesus, he could walk on water.
It doesn’t matter what is going on either side of you, keep your eyes on the Lord.
Do you tend to get distracted by your storms? Do you see more of what’s on either side of you than Who is in front of you? Will you cry out to Jesus anyway?
There are many mantles of kings and prophets. The most famous is the mantle of Elijah given to Elisha. Elisha got Elijah’s mantle. Elisha performed double the miracles that Elijah did.
Isaiah 6:1 – “In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.”
In those days, a conquering king would cut off a piece of other kings’ mantles and sew them onto his own making it bigger and bigger. God’s mantle filled the temple! That’s how many victories He’s won. He’s never lost.
Today, you have an opportunity to tap into the mantle of the Lord Jesus Christ.
What victory(s) has Jesus won that you will meditate on to build up your own faith?
To the Jew, mantles represent something very special. The Jew understands that the mantle that is worn by the man rabbis represent God’s presence, provision, power, and anointing. It’s just a piece of cloth, but even the colors represent something. The tassels represent something.
The priest and rabbis put on the mantle, praying with it over their heads. On the very top, there is writing, ‘Blessed are You, Lord, our God, Sovereign of the universe who has sanctified us with His commandments.’ On the corners of the mantle are extensions, tassels, tzitzit on each of the four corners of the mantle. These represent the five books of Moses, the Law, each knot represents a book. The first knot represents Genesis, which is the beginning, He is the great I AM. He loves His creation, and it means relationship. The second knot represents Exodus, representing HIs covenant, provision, the 3rd knot is Levi, God’s instructions, covenant, holiness and separation unto the Lord, healing. The 4th knot is Numbers, and represents what happens when people rebel and God’s forgiveness. The fifth is Deut which represents His people’s obedience. The spaces represent God’s titles, Jesus is His name.
Mark 5:28-34 – “For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole. 29 And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague. 30 And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said, Who touched my clothes? 31 And his disciples said unto him, Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me? 32 And he looked round about to see her that had done this thing. 33 But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth. 34 And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague.”
The promises are there. The Master is waiting for you to reach out and you will receive your healing—in your body, your mind, your emotions, your relationships, your everything.
This woman was at the end of her rope. She was considered unclean and she couldn’t go into the House of God. She was outside of the glory of the Lord. So, Jesus came along the road. She had nothing to lose. So, she reached for Him. If she could just touch, she knew she’d be healed. It was only a few steps. She was willing to do whatever it took, run, crawl, whatever necessary. Only Jesus can meet those needs. Everything would be all right if she could just touch. Reach!
The situation doesn’t matter, God will deliver today! He is still in the miracle business.
You need to be like this little lady.
Everyone carries stuff. We wear heavy mantles of worry over finances, relationships, sickness, loneliness, depression, emotional heaviness, etc. Take that mantle off and say, ‘No more.’ Touch Jesus’ mantle instead. Get rid of those mantles which hold you back.
The first thing is to repent—die to self. When you’re dead, you get buried in water of baptism in Jesus’ Name, then, be filled with the Holy Ghost (born again). Jesus was the Law incarnate. He came to break that yoke, that mantle that all humanity has.
The mantle He wants you to wear is the mantle of deliverance and salvation.
What mantles are you wearing that you need to put down? What is holding you back from the miracle that God has for you?
If I could touch just the hem of His garment…There is healing there! There is restoration there! There is hope there!
That little lady swallowed her pride because it hadn’t helped her at all. Her money hadn’t helped her.
It doesn’t matter who you are or how big your need is, the Lord will fulfill it. All you have to do is get up from where you are and walk 22 steps or 18 steps or 23 steps. All that matters is you make that journey and the Lord will fulfill His promise.
No one has to touch you because you’re touching the Master. No one has to pray for you because you are praying to the Master. Virtue will flow and heal your body, your soul, your mind, your everything. Just believe.
All that was necessary was just the corner, the hem.
Jesus stopped because He felt virtue flow from Him. Someone touched Him that day. Off with the mantle of uncleanness and on with the mantle of cleanness and deliverance.
Every day, Blind Bartimaeus sat and begged. He sat at his special spot by the roadside. There was no sidewalk or grass, just a trail. He sat on dirt and rocks. He had been there for as long as he could remember. He was blind and begging was all he could do.
Do you have financial problems? You’re not blind physically, but you’re blind because those financial problems have taken over your life. It’s not easy. It’s extremely hard, especially for a man, the breadwinner, the provider for his family. All you can do is pray and go to the One who has all the answers. The one who does see. God knows all things, but ‘let me remind you, Lord, this house is your house. All that I have is Yours. If you want it back, take it.’
Those mantles of worry want to destroy you and your relationship with Jesus. Those mantles want you to give up. You’ve got to stand up and shake yourself and tell that enemy of your soul, ‘As for me and my house, we will live for the Lord. Greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world. I am a child of the King.’
Blind Bartimaeus heard a commotion. He sat day after day needing the people’s mercy. But, that day, he heard a commotion. Jesus was coming.
The Lord is making a commotion in your life today. Be like Blind Bartimaeus and get stirred up and shout. Go to Jesus! Don’t let the mantle of misery mess you up any longer. Bartimaeus got beside himself.
It’s okay to get beside yourself and be a little crazy for the Lord.
Who told Blind Bartimaeus who Jesus was? The people told him to quiet down, but he refused. Jesus called for him and he took off the old mantle of ‘blind beggar’ and went to get a new one from Jesus.
Get out of the generic. Jesus asked, ‘What would you have me to do?’ Blind Bartimaeus said, ‘I want to receive my sight.’ He was specific.
Have you suffered long enough in your situation? People wait on someone to pray for them, but will you make the effort to reach out for Jesus?
You need to be specific with Jesus. Tell Him you want calm and peace in your emotions. Tell Him you want help in your finances. Tell him you want healing from your sickness. Then, trust Him to work in your life.
Excerpted from a sermon preached by Pastor Holguin.
For the full YouTube audio/video, click here.