Tell Him What You Want

And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Mark 10:47

Bartimaeus was a blind beggar sitting by the road hoping that someone with compassion would come by and put a little money in his hand so that he could buy the things he needed. He was at the mercy of the passer-by, as he could do nothing as a blind man in the first century to support himself. His poverty must have been intense, for most had their own needs and those of their family’s to worry about. The hope was that a wealthy person might take notice of him and care enough or want to make a show of his kindness in sharing a few coins with him.

To be a beggar indeed is a difficult occupation. Relying on the consideration of strangers, and taxing the patience of family and friends causes a person to have a very low view of themselves. To be helpless in any situation is an intense burden on the mind, but to be in that position almost every waking moment must have been unbearable to Bartimaeus.

I Imagine as Bartimaeus sat by the road at Jericho some stopped to talk to him, especially children. They must have told him the stories of Jesus healing people all over Galilee and Judea. He must have been excited to hear how he turned over the tables in the temple and healed the lame man that was lowered through a roof into the room where Jesus was speaking. How his heart must have imagined that if he ever had a chance to meet Jesus just maybe he would gain his sight. “I would be a complete person. I would no longer be a burden and shame to my family.”

Is it any wonder then that when he heard the noise of a crowd and found out that Jesus was about that he began to call His name? “And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"” (Mark 10:47)

An interesting thing happens next. The people around Jesus try to discourage the man. “Be quiet” they say. “Don’t bother the Master. He has more important things to do and people to see than you.” How many of us when we are in need hear the voice of negativity and doubt and stop believing that God cares about us? We look around at the suffering of others and conclude, “There’s no hope for me. I’m a nobody? I’m worthless.”

When CT Studd, the 19th century English missionary to China, India and Central Africa decided to leave for his last mission to Africa as an old man, friends, family, his doctors and even mission agencies told him that he was crazy and that he would not succeed. He didn’t listen. He, as Bartimaeus had, cried out more in faith to Jesus.

Don’t listen to the naysayers who have no idea about your needs. Remember, there is a reward for those who trust in the Lord. There is a future that’s unseen, yet lies just beyond the curtain of doubt asking, “Do you believe?”

No one was going to keep Bartimaeus quiet. Jesus was close. This might be his only chance to meet the master and ask him for his sight, so the more they told him to be quiet, the louder he shouted. Unashamed, bold, and confident, he got the Savior’s attention. When Jesus asked him what he wanted he didn’t hesitate in his response. “So Jesus answered and said to him, "What do you want Me to do for you?" The blind man said to Him, "Rabboni, that I may receive my sight."” (Mark 10:51)

One might say about Bartimaeus, “Of course he would do anything to get what he wanted, he was a hopeless wretch.” That is the point. He was a wretch who would take anything he was offered, be it a piece of bread or a small coin, and he knew it. Do we see ourselves as Bartimaeus saw himself? Are we wretches or can we get along just fine without Jesus? If he does pass by in a sermon, while reading the Bible, praying, or in a moment when we are contemplating life, will we cry out? Will we see Him in our children’s funny questions? Will we notice His work in the lives of those around us? Are we needy enough to make fools of ourselves in the eyes of people we know because we want our hopeless lives to change?

Jesus is here and He is asking, “What do you want me to do for you?”
Tell Him what you want.

Overcoming the Impossible

.

“Hear my cry, O God; Attend to my prayer. From the end of the earth I will cry to You, When my heart is overwhelmed; Lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For You have been a shelter for me, A strong tower from the enemy. I will abide in Your tabernacle forever; I will trust in the shelter of Your wings”

David knew where to go when he was in trouble. He went to pray to the One who had always saved him from past predicaments, the Lord his God. No matter where he was on the earth, the psalmist knew that he could cry out and that God would hear him. He then admits something that I think many of us don’t have the courage to do at times. David admits that he gets overwhelmed, like we get overwhelmed. That’s an admission that we can learn from. The answers to life’s difficulties are not always evident from our view point, nor are those struggles easy to overcome. The foundation that we have built our lives upon can be shifting and weak and not able to endure the stress that accompanies it. It presses down on us. Sometimes these things are like hurricane winds. We would like to think we were Atlas, able to hold the world on our shoulders, and sometimes we are. But inevitably as the weight gets heavier, our knees buckle and we need additional support to carry the load. David asks God for two things, a solid foundation and a different vantage point from where he can see more clearly the scope of the battle. How difficult it is to see clearly what to do when you are surrounded by problems with no way to see beyond them. I can resemble driving in heavy fog. This is spoken of by the writer of the book of Hebrews in the New Testament, where he writes, “ For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

Why? How? Who? These are three one-word questions that come into our minds when we are being crunched by circumstances. Those are questions that can be asked, but not in the midst of the battle when flaming arrows are coming over the walls of your castle and setting everything around you on fire. This conflict is the time when you need vision, a vantage point that allows a view of the war from above. Looking down may not show us the way to victory, or even an escape route, rather it may reveal that the situation is hopeless and the forces of the enemy surround us. We are not Superman, able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. When the evil villain has us trapped we can’t always find a way to defeat him. We don't need to. As the apostle Paul said, "And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me." What we can do is take shelter in Jesus. We can draw near to God and His people to find protection in the midst of the struggle, trusting that the wings of grace are wide enough and strong enough to protect us from anything.

You Love Me, Jesus

By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us.  

A while ago during the congregational singing in a worship service, the worship leader exhorted everyone, “Tell Jesus you love Him.” This was a perfectly good thing to encourage people to do in a service where Jesus was the focus of our praise. For me though, it was one of those times where I just didn’t feel like participating. I don’t think I really wanted to be there. I had had a rough day, and I didn’t want to tell anyone I loved them, including Jesus

As the singing progressed I began to ponder the promises in the Bible about the love of God for me. I thought about the verse that says, “I have loved thee with an everlasting love, therefore with loving kindness I have drawn thee.” Wow, I thought, “He loves me.”

The next thing that rocked me was where the Apostle Paul writes, “God demonstrates His love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Then bam! “We love Him, because He first loved us.” This was confirmation to my spirit.

At that point the thought was complete. Though I couldn't say to Jesus right then that I loved Him, I gladly began proclaiming out loud, “Jesus, You love me!” I repeated this many times that evening during the service. Over the next few weeks I began to understand in a fresh way that my feelings did not change God’s divine love and care for me. He is love, and that love is centered, and always will be, on me.

Now when I don’t feel like loving Him, I am comforted by the knowledge that no matter how hard my day may have been, or how inadequate I might feel in the face of the challenges that confront me, or how horribly I may have failed, He still loves me. That’s my comfort. That’s my assurance That’s my peace.

Scripture References 1 John 3:16, Jeremiah 31:3, Romans 5:8, John 4:19

Fill // Draw // Take

Jesus said to them, "Fill the water-pots with water." And they filled them up to the brim. And He said to them, "Draw some out now, and take it to the master of the feast." And they took it. 

The servants at the wedding in Cana where Jesus was were told to do three things. They were
to fill the water pots, then draw it, and take it to the master of the wedding feast. These were
simple tasks of obedience, and they were done as Jesus commanded. The result of what the
servants did was both pleasure and surprise. They participated in a miracle! The master of the
feast had no idea that it was Jesus who had turned water into wine instantly by His Word with
seemingly no effort, but the two servants knew it was God’s work and they were honored to be
part of it.

The servants’ task was not a hard one. It only required ears to hear, hands to draw, and feet to
go. Though life can be difficult, responding to Jesus is not. He says “Put some water in the
pot.” That’s easy. I can do that. Paul says, we are vessels “for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work.” We are the water pots. This pot needs to be filled with the life of Christ.

When we are being filled with His life through meditation on the Word and communion with
God then there is life inside of us to draw out. We can then use what God has given us: His
abundant life, and take it to others who are in need. They in turn are blessed in ways that only
heaven can measure and it is all because we were filled, we drew that life out, and we took it to
others.

Bible study is one of the most important things in the life of a Christian because it keeps us
filled with God’s thoughts. The world around us is constantly attempting to drain us and keep
us from being refilled by presenting us with options to fill our time. Television, sports, yard
work, chatting on the phone, etc. are all very innocent and normal activities. But if we are not
careful to place priority on the things of God, then these things can deplete our reservoir of life
and drag us down to a place where we feel empty and have nothing to draw and nothing to
take.

Our task, as the servants’ was, is not a difficult one, but one that requires only being willing to
serve the Lord in filling, drawing, and taking His life to ourselves and others. In this way we
remain vessels of honor, serving not from what we ca produce, but from the abundant life
given to us by God.

No Condemnation

God did not send his Son into the world to condemn it, but to save it. 

This sentence, written by Jesus's disciple John, speaks of two things: death and life.

Condemnation came about very early in the history of mankind. Adam and Eve, who were given free choice, decided to disobey God This resulted in their spiritual, and ultimately physical deaths. God said to Adam, “but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die."  Adam died that day spiritually in that his fellowship with God was broken. He would have experienced separation from the Almighty forever, had he not accepted His offer of salvation.

This is the condemnation that humans find themselves under. The Bible says, “All have sinned.” No one is spared.

Sin keeps us from a relationship with God, and keeps us from abiding with God for eternity. None of us are immune from its effects. It not only causes physical death but it also affects our relationships. To deny it would be to ignore history. Condemnation is not widespread, it is TOTAL! God did not have to send Jesus into the world to condemn it. It was already condemned.

The understanding of condemnation is what gives real meaning to salvation. Good news! You must be a sinner to be saved, and it just so happens that you, along with every other member of the human race, are just that, a sinner. Though you can’t save yourself through good deeds and apologies, you can be saved through believing,. The Word of God teaches, “For God so loved the world that he gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him would not perish but have everlasting life” 

Though we are condemned by sin, we are saved by God’s grace. “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” This has been termed “Unconditional love.” He said whoever would believe would receive eternal life. So though it is unconditional on God’s end, it is conditional upon us believing, and thereby removing the curse that came upon us through Adam’s disobedience.

It is God’s intention to save. He risked everything to rescue us from sin and eternal death by sending Jesus to die in our place. Though salvation is provided for all, not all believe. That is terribly sad. Jesus died not just for our sins, (those who believe), but for the sins of the whole world. Condemnation is removed for all who believe in Jesus.