As a follower of Jesus, have you ever stopped serving Him long enough to ask yourself, “Who is this man?” Before you roll your eyes, keep in mind even the twelve disciples questioned. They saw with their own eyes everything He did and heard firsthand what He taught. Yet, they still asked that question…often.
Although the following passages may be familiar, stay with me. My hope is that the truth at the end will (at least in part) provide a fresh understanding as to who Jesus is, based on what He did.
In Luke 7:12-15, Jesus approached a village gate as large funeral procession was coming out. In the procession was a widow who was about to bury her only son. With His heart overflowing with compassion, Jesus said to her, “Don’t cry!” He then walked over and touched the coffin, stopping the pallbearers in their tracks. “Young man,” He said, “I tell you, get up.” To the amazement of everyone there, the widow’s son sat up in his coffin and began to talk! Jesus turned back toward the widow and gave him back to her.
In Luke 8:43-48, there was a woman in a crowd who had suffered for years with constant bleeding. Her only success in looking for a cure was that she exhausted all of her earthly resources. One day she heard that Jesus would be passing by. She resolved that if she could push through the crowd and just touch the fringe of his robe, her healing would come. The Bible records that as Jesus passed by; the woman did push through and did touch His hem. It goes on the say, “Immediately, her bleeding stopped.”
Both in Luke 8:53-55 and Matthew 9:23-25, Jesus is on His way to the house of a religious leader who had a very sick daughter. By the time Jesus arrived though, the girl had already died. He could hear the noise of the mourners and funeral music that had already begun even before entering the house. Eventually, Jesus dismissed the crowd, because they were all convinced it was too late. Once they were put out, Jesus went in and took the girl by the hand, and she stood up!
There may be times when we may face seemingly hopeless situations.
Be encouraged and hold fast to the Word of God. It reveals Jesus as the one who can stop the “funeral procession” and raise us to new life (while others still have us in a coffin). He is the one who has, even in the hem of His garment, the power to stop years of constant “bleeding” ( sorrow, depression and pain). He is the one who dismisses the crowd that would have us dismiss any hope of healing, restoration and life.
“Who is this Man?” He is Jesus, Son of the Living God; the one who takes us by the hand and says, “My child, get up,” and returns us to life again.
November 9, 2010 | Categories: Uncategorized | Tags: alive, faith, fear, jesus, knowledge, life, past, understanding | 1 Comment »
On August 6, 2009 a father sat quietly by a hotel pool in Orlando, FL watching his children play. After several minutes he noticed a 3-4 year old girl had climbed out of the pool and began playing along its edge. She smiled and laughed as she made her way toward the deep end. Unfortunately, her parents were distracted over in the shallower water.
Becoming increasingly nervous, the man panned to his right, then to his left. He saw people talking quietly among themselves as they sat in the warm sun, while others just enjoyed themselves in the water. He looked back to the little girl in time to see her slip off the edge and fall head first back into the water. As she was falling, everything seemed to go into slow motion. So much so, that the man was able to see the terrified look on her face before she hit the water. There was even time to ask the question, “Is this really happening?!”
When the man jumped in to help, he could see the girl’s arms thrashing under the water just as wildly as her legs were kicking above it. You see, she had been wearing a small tube around her waist to keep her floating upright as she played. Instead, the tube was now holding her upside-down under the water! She was doing all she could to save herself, but simply did not have the knowledge or power to do so. Once the man was able to get her upright she gasped and began to cry. Thankfully, she had breathed deep enough before going in that she kept from taking in any water.
After passing the girl safely to her parents, the man swam down to where his own kids were still playing. With them having no idea what had just happened, he just grabbed each them and held them tightly. Truthfully, he was at a loss as to what to do with himself. It was all so surreal. “Did that really just happen?!” he thought. He even said a prayer, “Lord thank you for saving that little girl! Please touch her so she is not traumatized by what she just went through!”
That is when the Lord began to speak to his heart, “There are so many people who are in trouble just as that little girl had been. They too felt safe as they played on the edge of disaster. Now, they are caught upside-down without the knowledge or power to save themselves. Do not look to the right or the left. YOU get them right-side up! Remember how all seemed lost for you just a short while ago? This is why you are here now. You needed to see this. Get them right-side up!”
“Lord, help!” they cried in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress.
He sent out his word and healed them, snatching them from the door of death.
Let them praise the Lord for his great love and for the wonderful things he has done for them. – Psalm 107:19-21 (NLT)
March 8, 2010 | Categories: Uncategorized | Tags: alive, baptism, captive, captivity, distracted, distress, fear, forgive, help, jesus, knowledge, life, lost, past, pool, rescue, saved, shallow, shout, tired, trouble, water | 1 Comment »
Father, thank You that before I was born, You saw me. Every day of my life was recorded in Your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had past. (Psalm 139:16) The fact is, You knew me and set me apart before I was formed. (Jeremiah 1:5) You did not wait for me to choose You, You choose me and appointed me to go and produce lasting fruit. (John 15:16)
Thank you that You teach me and make me to walk along the path of Your Word, for that is where happiness is found. You have given me an eagerness for Your Word and have given me life through that Word. You turn my eyes from worthless things and help me abandon my shameful ways. I long to obey Your commands. (Psalm 119:33-40) By Your grace, I will walk in freedom for I have devoted myself to Your Word. (Psalm 119:45)
Again today, You have given me the choice between life and death, between blessing and curses. And again today, I choose life and reject death, I walk in blessing and no longer in curses. Everyday, I make this choice by loving You Lord, obeying You, and committing myself firmly to You. (Deuteronomy 30:19-20) For You are able to keep me from falling away and will bring me with great joy into Your presence without finding a single fault. (Jude 1:24)
You have reassured me of Your plans for good, for hope and a future. You ended my captivity. You are restoring what I allowed the enemy to take. (Jeremiah 29:11-14) You have breathed into these bones and brought my family to life again. Because You have raised us up and put Your spirit within us, our hope is in You. We know that You are the Lord, You have spoken and have done what You said You would do! (Ezekiel 37:5-6,9,14) Because Your call and Your spirit are upon us, we will see other captives released, blind made to see, and many oppressed set free! In the name of Jesus! The time of the Lord’s favor has indeed come. (Luke 4:18-19)
You have brought me to the place where I understand the Word for what it is… it is alive and active. I come to you, praying the very Word of God, in the name of Jesus. You said regarding Your Word, “I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it.” (Isaiah 55:11) As You lead me I will speak the Word.
January 10, 2010 | Categories: Uncategorized | Tags: alive, captive, cross, faith, free, Freedom, jesus, knowledge, life, listen, past, righteous, sacrifices, scripture, sin, slave, slavery, sovereign, understanding | Leave A Comment »
The other day I was reading in Proverbs and was struck by 5:1-2, “Pay attention” and “Listen carefully to the Father’s instruction and wise counsel.” Not knowing what was coming, I grabbed my pen and journal. Here’s what the Father had for me that day…
“Pay attention” and “Listen carefully” to the Father’s instruction and wise counsel. “THEN you will show discernment, and will express with your mouth what you have learned. ” The Lord sees clearly what a man or woman does; whether it is holy or evil. He also examines each of their paths; whether it is Godly or fleshly.
Because of God’s wonderful grace and glorious power, we are NO LONGER…
- Captive to our sins (Prv 5:22)
- Lacking in self-control (Prv 5:23)
- Lost because of our great foolishness (Prv 5:23)
I then recalled Romans 6 that had explained that when I was a slave to sin, I was consumed by it. “And what was the result? You are now ashamed of the things you used to do, things that end in destruction. ” However, the Lord reminded me that I have been ransomed, because of the grace of God through the blood of Jesus. I am now FREE from the power of sin and have become a slave to His righteousness. Now, I do those things that lead to holiness and result in eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but…BUT…the free gift of God is eternal LIFE through Christ Jesus our Lord. (v20-23)
Due to Jesus work on the cross, we are no longer bound by sinful desires. Those desires the enemy once used to hold us back from being the individuals God originally designed us to be. Proverbs 5:22 speaks of a man’s sins as ropes that catch and hold him captive. Those ropes have been severed in Jesus name! When Jesus died, He died to break the power of sin. Now that He lives…it’s for the glory of God. We too must consider yourselves dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus.
The unshakable Word of God exhorts us, in Hebrews 6, to keep “moving forward to further understanding.” (v3) By the grace of God, we will “NOT be spiritually dull or indifferent” any longer. God bound Himself with an oath that we can be sure His calling, His election, His promises are SET! “He will NEVER change His mind” (v17) about us. He has given His promise and His oath, which are unchangeable.
I used to (…USED to…) ask God why He would even bother with a guy like me; a guy who would treat His love, mercy and grace (as well as some of His people) with such treachery and disregard. One day recently He became tired of being asked that question. I’m telling you it was almost audible. In my spirit I heard the Father say, “Enough. Do not ask that again. You know why.” I sat there for a few seconds then said out loud, “Because You love me.” Boom. I got it. An even greater freedom was realized at that moment.
Hopefully, I have been obedient to the Word today. As written in Proverbs 5:1-2, I pray that I have shown discernment in expressing what I have learned.
July 21, 2009 | Categories: Uncategorized | Tags: alive, attention, captive, christ, cross, fail, failures, faith, fear, forgive, free, Freedom, jesus, knowledge, lacking, life, listen, lost, past, proverbs, righteous, sacrifices, scripture, sin, sins, sovereign, tired, wisdom | 2 Comments »
