Love you all, praying for you!
The story of Jesus is absolutely the best story ever written. Actually the whole Bible is His story, but especially the Gospels. Reading in John has been ridiculously amazing. We shared on a recent Daily Huddle – Don’t Miss It. About what a miracle is: Anytime God intervenes in the human experience. It will usually include a word and a time. But what’s the purpose of miracles? – a God moment – His intervention in the Human Experience? He doesn’t do miracles in people’s life cause He has nothing to do… He can always watch Netflix. God does miracles for a purpose. It’s so people believe! So they put their trust in him – for salvation, and put their trust in him – for obedience! So they trust him enough to obey – to follow Him – His plan for their life. That’s why PiVAT and PRISM are so important – PiVAT before dinner, so you know His plans for you for tomorrow – they are crazy good… and PRISM – so you start can recognize what those plans are, so you’re transformed to think like He does, which changes your life and perspective on life completely! I couldn’t help but notice the distinct difference between two men that God healed in John chapter 5, and John chapter 9. See the Daily Huddle – Seed and Soil. God’s miracles – His interventions in your life have a purpose – so you will believe. These two men - the lame man, and the blind since birth man, both were not seeking Jesus – they weren’t like Zacchaeus who was curious, or the woman with the issue of blood who was full of faith and fully believed that if she just touched the edge of his clothes, she would be healed... These two guys were just living their broken lives, when Jesus pursued them! He healed them both – the only requirement was obedience – to receive their healing. The lame man obeyed – “pick up your matt and walk.” He did, and he walked. The blind man obeyed - “Go wash in the pool of Siloam.” He washed, and he saw – for the first time ever. But The purpose was not for them to get healed, the purpose was or them to get healed and believe. They both faced immediate tests. It was from the enemy – in this case the Pharisees – first they didn’t believe that the miracle even happened. The devil will always bring doubt – that God even did anything, or this was God. Then he will try to make it appear as if something else thing occurred rather than a miracle. And he definitely doesn’t want you to talk about what God did! Because others might hear and believe. The first guy, the lame man – was a punk. When Jesus next saw him, he said stop sinning or something worse may happen, and the guy runs and tattles on Jesus to the Pharisees. His response wasn’t faith and belief. He never believed. He took for-granted what Jesus did for him. Jesus changed his body, but his mind and soul remained as dead as his legs once were. But the other guy. This guy was different. This was the guy when the disciples asked who sinned, him or his parents, Jesus said “Neither sinned, but this happened, so that the work of God might be displayed in his life." But the story doesn’t end with his healing. John 9:6 – having said this he spit on the ground, and 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. Verse 8 – 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 he was. Others said, “No, he only looks like him.” (there you go, it doesn’t matter what God does – no matter how big the miracle – some people don’t want to believe.) 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. They brought to the Pharisees the man who had been blind. Now the day on which Jesus had made the mud and opened the man’s eyes was a Sabbath. Therefore the Pharisees also asked him how he received his sight. “He put mud on my eyes,” the man replied, “and I washed, and now I see.” Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath.” (Wow, there are some people who refuse to believe, they don’t want to see or recognize the miracles of God big or small, in anyone’s life. Some people are even in the church… they are opposed to everything God does, in anyone’s life, they will even use religious reasons like the Sabbath to oppose Him.) But others asked, “How can a sinner do such miraculous signs? So they were divided. (Of course – every time Jesus does something – even today, even today in your life, there will be division, opposition.) Finally, they turned to the blind man, “What have you to say about him? It was your eyes he opened.” Wow, these people did not care one bit about the man, they couldn’t rejoice not even over a miracle. They wanted to disprove what God did, not believe and rejoice. And for this man - the moment of truth) The man replied, “He is a prophet.” The Jews still did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight so they sent for the man’s parents. “Is this your son? They asked? “Is this the one you say was born blind? How is it that now he can see? (These people are hard of hearing. Some people will come against your testimony – they are looking for another rational explanation – or someone to deny that it happened). “We know he is our son,” the parents answered, “and we know he was born blind. But how he can see now, or who opened his eyes, we don’t know. Ask him. He is of age; he will speak for himself. (Wow, what a couple of parents… they knew exactly how he can see now – their son told them). Verse 22 – His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews, for already the Jews had decided that anyone who acknowledged that Jesus was the Christ would be put out of the synagogue. That was why his parents said, “He is of age; ask him.” (Wow – so these parents are gutless, lacking any courage, they throw their own son under the bus, to avoid getting in trouble themselves. He couldn’t have been too old, or they couldn’t have said that. If he’s in his 40s it would be obvious that he was of age. So he must have been young, but over the age of 18. Verse 24 - A second time they summoned the man who had been blind. “Give glory to God,” they said. “We know this man is a sinner.” (Funny how people will tell you – even how to give glory to God. He just gave glory to God! He just said Jesus healed him! That’s what you should do when Jesus does a miracle in your life! – but these guys want to accuse, instead of seeing and believing the miracles God does! But check out this young man’s answer – He was definitely not cut from the same cloth as his parents – this young man had some kahunas – you gotta love this…) He replied, “Whether he is a sinner or not, I don’t know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!” (Wow! You have to understand something. This young man was a begger, an invalid since birth – he begged for alms, no one even cared about him, or bothered to even notice him, much less hear what he had to say. And the first audience he gets, the first public speaking engagement he has ever had – in his entire life - is in front of the Pharisees – in a hostile environment) One Thing I Do Know. Wow. There might be a lot of things you don’t know… but what’s the One Thing You Do Know? Speak that! There’s power in that testimony - The devil wants to shut you up, so you don’t share the good news about Jesus, so you don’t even share the testimony of what He did in your life. So you haven’t been blind since birth – but that job you just got - that wasn’t you – there are people far more qualified than you… That provision that God gave – that wasn’t you – that was God. The peace He gave you, the clear direction when you heard Him speak - and His confirmation in PRISM by His Word – that wasn’t you! That’s God – and every time He intervenes in your life – that’s a miracle! And He’s worthy of your testimony. This young man was on it. Bold, not intimidated, the first time on the big stage and he killed it! “Whether he is a sinner or not, I don’t know, but one thing I do know – I was blind, but now I see!” Then they asked him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes? He answered, “I have told you already and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples too? (What??? I love this kid… Are you kidding me – that was more than a testimony. Unlike his weak parents, or the lame man who tattled. This young man was standing up and defending the one who set him free. He saw through their deception and called them on it!) Verse 8 Then they hurled insults at him and said. “You are this fellow’s disciple!” We are disciples of Moses! We know that God spoke to Moses, but as for this fellow, we don’t even know where he comes from.” The man answered, “Now that is remarkable! You don’t know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes. We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly man who does his will. Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind. If this man were not from God, he could do nothing. To this they replied, “You were steeped in sin at birth; how dare you lecture us! And they threw him out. (Oh no he didn't - Oh yes he did. He spoke truth to power. Real truth, to false power. Notice how the devil always exposes himself: Pride, arrogance, unbelief, and accusation, then name calling. Everything the devil says is a lie – and it’s easy to tell who believes what he’s pushing - by what they say. What an impressive young man. When challenged, He doubles down on his testimony, and speaks truth. He’s more worried about what God thinks, than what man thinks. The last part of the story may be the best. Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and when he found him, he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man? “Who is he, sir?” the man asked, “Tell me so that I may believe in him.” (Wow – what a difference! What kind of question-asker are you? Some people ask questions so they may believe, others ask questions to justify their unbelief. Which one are you? Jesus said, ‘You have now seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you.” Then the man said, “Lord, I believe, and he worshiped him. Wow, this was the belief that Jesus did the miracle for in the first place! V 39 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?” (Wow – what a bunch of haters – why are those Pharisees trolling Jesus – they will never believe in Him, they are only tagging along - looking to take offense.) Jesus said, ‘If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin, but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains.” Praying for you, that you will first - see - every miracle that God does in your life. That you will tell somebody, and that your testimony will open the door to the deeper things God has for you. Your Daily Call will help greatly. It's testimony practice. He’s worth it. It’s how you overcome. This young man’s testimony led to increase in his life – the next thing God had for him. Your testimony unlocks even more that Jesus has waiting for you! Praying that your questions will always be questions - to believe. Praying that God will always reveal to you – the One Thing I Do Know! I was blind, and now I see. Praying that God will increase your sight, in every way - and that your overcoming testimony will bring you to every next good thing that God has for you. Love you all, dad
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