Saturday, June 23,
2012, 7:41 a.m. – The Lord woke me this morning with this song:
Now Abiding / An
Original Work / January 31, 2012
Walking with Him; have
Him near me,
Brings me comfort, joy
and healing.
Now abiding in His
presence;
His words speaking,
oh, how gently:
Speak conviction,
inspiration,
And instruction in
right living.
Hope and comfort Jesus
brings you,
When you’re walking
with Him daily.
Be His servant; share
the gospel;
Be His witness of
salvation.
Love your brothers and
your sisters.
Share with them that
Jesus loves them.
Talking daily with my
Savior;
List’ning to Him while
He teaches,
Draws me closer; get
to know Him,
So that I can now obey
Him.
Follow Him where’er He
leads me.
Worship only Jesus,
Savior.
Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. I read John 9 (NIV 1984):
As he went along, he
saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this
man or his parents, that he was born blind?”
“Neither this man nor
his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the work of God
might be displayed in his life. As long as it is day, we must do the work of
him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. While I am in the
world, I am the light of the world.”
Having said this, he
spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s
eyes. “Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (this word means Sent).
So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.
His neighbors and
those who had formerly seen him begging asked, “Isn’t this the same man who
used to sit and beg?” Some claimed that he was.
Others said, “No, he
only looks like him.”
But he himself
insisted, “I am the man.”
“How then were your
eyes opened?” they demanded.
He replied, “The man
they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam
and wash. So I went and washed, and then I could see.”
“Where is this man?”
they asked him.
“I don’t know,” he
said… (For the rest of the passage, see link):
My Understanding: We
do know that when sin entered the world, death, pain, suffering, illness,
disease, birth disorders, etc. also were part of the sin curse. Yet, some
people, including Jesus’ disciples, were under the mistaken notion that all
such ailments such as being born blind were the direct result of sin in a
person’s life or in the lives of his or her parents. Jesus dispelled that
notion when he told his disciples that the man was born blind, not because of
his sin or the sin of his parents, but so God could do a miracle of his grace
in the man’s life by healing him physically and spiritually.
Yet, the work of God that was to be displayed in the man’s
life was much more than just for him alone. He was to give testimony, even
against great opposition, to God’s healing work in his heart, mind, and in his
body. As well, the miracle of healing of the man born blind receiving his sight
had a parallel message in how we, by God’s grace, through faith in Jesus
Christ, can be turned from darkness (sin) to light (Jesus Christ; the truth of
the gospel) and from the power of Satan to God, so that we might receive
forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are being sanctified by faith
in Christ (see Acts 26:16-18).
Then, Jesus spoke more of this work of God that was to be
displayed in this man’s life. He said that as long as it is day, we (all of us)
must do the work of him who sent Jesus to die for our sins. I believe Jesus was
speaking, not of physical night and day, but of spiritual day and night,
coupled with day meaning time allotted to us, and night symbolizing a time when
we no longer have that opportunity to do the work of the Father on this earth. As
long as the light of Christ has the freedom on this earth to shine to all men,
we must be about the master’s business in sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ to
all who will listen.
A time is coming and has come, to some extent for many throughout
history already, when spiritual darkness will rule this earth, when true
followers of Christ will be severely persecuted and put to death for their
testimony for Christ, and the gospel of Jesus Christ and the word of God will
be under fire. So, while we are able, and we have the time allotted to us,
and/or while we still have the freedom to do so, we need to be about the work
of God in spreading the gospel - the light of our salvation - with a world
walking in darkness.
Awesome Testimony!
Jesus healed the man who was born blind. This healing
astounded and puzzled those who knew him or who had previously seen him begging.
They wanted to know how his eyes were opened. I love his reply! Jesus made mud,
put it on his eyes, told him to go wash, he went, he washed, and he came home
seeing. Great testimony! And, great faith, too! He didn’t question Jesus. He
just did what he told him to do. He didn’t have to do what Jesus said. Jesus
had no authority over him that I am aware of. Yet, at the word of Jesus Christ,
the man did what he said, he was cured of his blindness, and he came home
seeing! Wow! That is awesome! And, it gets better!!
The people who were questioning the man took him to see the
Pharisees. Jesus had healed the man on the Sabbath. The Pharisees were already
up-in-arms against Jesus because he healed a lame man on the Sabbath. The
healing of the man born blind was just another “stick in the craw” of the
Pharisees. They questioned the man. He told them the same thing he had told the
other people. They asked the man what he thought about Jesus. He thought he was
a prophet. The Jews did not believe the man’s testimony. So, they called for
his parents. His parents were afraid of the Jews, so they deferred back to
their son.
So, the man was summoned again. The Jews said, “Give glory
to God. We know this man is a sinner.” Again, I love the man’s reply. He said: “Whether
he is a sinner or not, I don’t know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I
see!” I love it! I think this is an awesome testimony! If you are a new
believer in Christ Jesus, and you feel intimidated because you don’t know a lot
of scripture, or you lack the maturity of other believers, follow this man’s
example. He didn’t know much about Jesus Christ, but what he did know he
shared. What he knew was that once he was blind but now he could see. So
simple, and yet so profound!
We don’t need a degree in theology to share the gospel,
because, although this man was speaking about his physical blindness and his physical
sight, this is the simplicity of the gospel, too. By God’s grace via Jesus’
shed blood for us on the cross for our sins, we, by faith in Jesus Christ, can
have our lives transformed from spiritual darkness (a life of sin) to spiritual
light (Jesus Christ and his gospel).
The man did not merely believe that Jesus was capable of
healing him. He acted upon his faith, he obeyed what Jesus told him to do, and
he came home seeing. The same principle applies spiritually. Jesus said that if
anyone would come after him he must deny himself (his selfish way of living),
he must take up his cross daily (die daily to sin and the flesh nature), and he
must follow (obey) Jesus. We must turn from our sins and turn to walk in
faithful obedience to Christ, and then we can come home seeing, i.e. then we
can have the hope and promise of eternal life with God forever.
Spiritual Blindness
Some amount of dialogue occurred between the man and the
Jews. They still didn’t believe him, or, let’s say they didn’t want to believe
him so they tried intimidating him, but it didn’t work. When the man told them
that God doesn’t listen to sinners, that he listens to the godly man who does
his will, and that if Jesus was not from God he could do nothing, they responded
in pride, “How dare you lecture us!” and they threw him out of their presence.
Jesus was treated the same way, and much worse, and he said
that we, as his followers, would be treated just like he was, so it should come
as no surprise to us if our testimony for Jesus Christ is rejected, even by
church leadership, and if we are “thrown out,” too.
When Jesus heard that the man had been thrown out, he went
and found the man. He asked him if he believed in the “Son of Man,” i.e. in
Jesus Christ, God the Son. The man asked who he was so that he could believe in
him. Jesus said, “You have now seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with
you.” At that the man believed, he professed his belief to Jesus, and he
worshiped him, too. Awesome! This man had such simple faith like that of a
child. Jesus said that unless we change and become like little children, in
their innocent trust and unquestioning faith (like this of the man born blind),
we will not see the kingdom of heaven (see Matt 18).
Jesus said, “For
judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who
see will become blind.” Some Pharisees who were with him heard him say this and
asked, “What? Are we blind too?” Jesus said, “If you were blind, you would not
be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains.
Jesus was basically telling the Pharisees that the man who
was born blind realized his blindness, he listened to Jesus’ voice, he obeyed,
and because he believed he was healed of his blindness. Yet, on a spiritual
level, the Pharisees were not like the blind man, for they did not recognize
their own spiritual blindness but thought they had spiritual insight. Because
they were self-deceived and self-righteous and could not see their own
sinfulness, they lacked the simple faith of a child and that of the blind man,
and therefore would not believe in Jesus Christ and thus be healed.
We need to come to Jesus Christ in simple faith, believing
in him and in all that he said, turning from our lives of sin, obeying what he
tells us to do, and then we will experience his healing power in our souls in
saving us from sin and in turning us to the light of Christ. Then, we should
answer the call of God to tell others what Jesus Christ did for us in cleansing
us from sin, and in giving us new lives in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Our
testimony does not have to be elaborate but can be as simple as the man’s: “Once
I was blind, but now I see!” Awesome!
He Touched My Mouth
/ An Original Work / June 13, 2012
Based off Isaiah 6:1-8; Jeremiah 1:4-9
Oh, I saw the Lord
Seated on His throne,
High and lifted up;
Holy is the Lord!
The earth is full
of His glory.
“Woe to me,” I cried,
“I’m of unclean lips.”
My Lord touched my
mouth
With His cleansing
pow’r;
Removed all my guilt,
Paid for by His blood.
He asked, “Whom shall I
send;
Who will go for us?”
I said, “Here am I.
Send me!”
Before I was born,
God set me apart;
He appointed me
To His servant be.
I said, “I don’t know
How to speak.
I am but a child.”
Then, the Lord
replied:
“Do not say to me,
‘I am but a child.’
You must go to all,
And do what I say.
Do not fear them,
For I’m with you.”
My Lord touched my
mouth;
Gave me words to say.
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