Posted on 1 Comment on Blocked

Blocked

I missed it! They said this lunar eclipse would be the first of its type in 600 years and would not occur again in 600 years, and I missed it! I had all intentions of waking up and viewing it, perhaps even get a photo, but I missed it. Early morning, cold temperature, and fatigue did not make for a good viewing combination, at least for me. Along with colleagues some years ago, I witnessed a solar eclipse. A lunar eclipse is a flipped view of the same phenomenon in which the Earth casts a shadow or obscures the sun shining on the moon, blocked if you would. Both events involve the two great lights as described in Genesis 1:14-18.

That was only one disappointing highlight for the week, however.

They warned me, so I should have known better. While working on Facebook, I clicked on a link from a “trusted” friend. My “friend” later claimed someone hacked her account. In short, I ended up being blocked out of Facebook despite following their instructions for regaining access.

There was good news during that week for which I am grateful. A dear sister penned a wonderful discourse on the Holy Spirit. In it, she described the personal dwelling in the lives of believers, which occurred after Christ’s ascension (Acts 2:32,33). She used one of my favorite scriptures, “…when He the Spirit is come, He will guide you into all truth….” (John 16:13). This shows the active involvement in each of our lives that the third Person of the Godhead would relish–if we would allow Him to have the opportunity.

Indeed, the work of the Holy Spirit has been present before the beginning of time as portrayed in the Genesis creation account (Genesis 1:2), as well as vividly displayed throughout both the Old and New Testaments. There are also the unfortunate occurrences where individuals did not allow the Holy Spirit to be involved in their personal affairs and refused His counsel. A case in point is Pharaoh, the same Pharaoh mentioned in the Exodus account. The Bible points him out as having his heart hardened by God. We know, however, that God does not force the will, though He wants every individual to be saved (1 Timothy 2:3, 4). So what happened in Pharaoh’s case?

Pharaoh, as each of us, had the power of choice or free will, as ordained by God. However, he refused the truth as they presented it to him. Perhaps initially it was because of disbelief, pride, or incredulity. As the saying goes, one turn begets another. The result was a hardened heart. He had grieved the Holy Spirit; the work of the Holy Spirit was blocked.

We still have opportunities to be still and know that He is God (Psalm 46:10). Recognize and respond to the wooing of the Holy Spirit. The Bible admonishes us not to harden our hearts and block the working of the Holy Spirit (Hebrews 3:7,8).

I would like to say that my Facebook account has been restored, but it remains blocked. A word to the wise, delete or ignore, but certainly do not click on suspicious links.

For the next major lunar eclipse, let’s catch it together next time! (Revelation 22:5). 

Posted on 3 Comments on Blood

Blood

There are memories from childhood that stay with you forever. Examples are your first pet, first school day, first kiss, pet’s death, or loved one’s death. You may even have remembrance of a particular event, whether good or bad. You may relate them to the seasons and relive the moments each year. For me, that season was summer.

As a boy growing up in the South, things triggered summer. School was out—hooray! Summer church meetings took place. The fireflies appeared at night—first, an occasional flicker that I chased to predetermine its next signal. I gathered as many as I could into the glass jar I carried. To my dismay, I never achieved the lantern effect I expected in my room later that night.

The primary indicator that summer arrived was that it got hot! It became hot enough to drain every drop of liquid from every pore of my body. This required incessant, often futile hydration with water or any available drink, popsicles, and other frozen treats. One drank from the garden hose and did not worry. Those days were carefree, at least for kids. Helmets or pads for riding bicycles or any other wheeled objects were unheard of, as bumps, bruises, cuts, and sometimes breaks became the unfortunate “normal” parts of growing older.

One such summer day, my most memorable event occurred. My family lived in Nashville for the summer, as my parents attended school. As we drove on our usual route, we stopped at the traffic light. A man walking on the sidewalk teetered and fell straight backwards and we watched with disbelief as the back of his skull burst on the sidewalk! Blood splattered, and he shook uncontrollably. Bystanders rushed to him, one cradling his head while applying pressure with a white handkerchief, which became saturated.

Why did that man fall? Was he sick, drunk, or overheated? I did not have any medical science to even parlay a guess. A man fell and broke his head, which was abnormal. Even now, I remember the scene and the aroma of the restaurant nearby. Every time we drove past the site, being our usual route, I saw the blood-soaked sidewalk; a vivid reminder of what took place, which then triggered an instant multisensory recall.

One day, as we drove past, the scene changed. I could not see the blood stain on the sidewalk! The site was unmistakable, but the blood was not there, gone—clean! As I reflected on this in the recent past, it reminded me of the spiritual correlation of blood.

The theme of blood as a redemptive source ripples through the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. The story is told in the Old Testament book of Leviticus that blood served as the symbolic means of cleansing the Israelites from their sins. In the sanctuary service, each station represented an attribute of Christ as Redeemer. This included blood transferred from the sinner’s animal sacrifice in progressive steps to the veil that shielded God’s presence after confession of sins. Each year on the Day of Atonement, or Yom Kippur, the sanctuary became cleansed of accumulated sins after being transferred to a scapegoat. The blood no longer remained as a silent witness of one’s sins, but gone! The sinner, the guilty sinner, stood guiltless—he was clean!

Jesus Christ today offers each one of us pardon, not based on symbolic animal blood, but on the merits of His shed blood over two thousand years ago (Hebrews 9:28; I John 4:10). The Bible says that we all have sinned (Romans 3:23) and deserve to die (Romans 6:23). But if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and make us clean (1 John 1:9).

Posted on 1 Comment on Forgiveness

Forgiveness

Forgive and forget. It is a familiar saying that rolls off the tongue to pacify another’s anger or use it as a colloquial phrase. Does it have merit for the Christian? Can one forgive and forget? Do the terms contradict or are the concepts mutually exclusive? Must I forget to forgive, or am I able to forget unless I forgive? Is it possible or is it cliché?

Each of us experiences hurt at least once in our lives. Even the posing of the scenario may bring back painful memories of emotional, spiritual, and, yes, even physical wounds. The scars are literal evidence of a life one hoped to put behind them. Believe me, as I write, a torrent of memories come to mind of my misfortunes, both received and afflicted on others. This is to become more aware of our fallacies and show humility, realizing we are far from perfect. How we wish we could undo this or that event, this or that relationship. The reality is we can’t. We cannot rewind the screenplay, but we are each given a most powerful opportunity to at least bring the resolve to our minds.

Each of us can forgive. Yes, it’s easy to say, but more difficult to carry out. I have forgiven each of my assailants until I get a Facebook request. Decline! I’ve forgiven, but not forgotten. I do not write my posts from an easy chair of complacency, with the air of having arrived. No, I live a daily struggle with the themes I write and by sharing them, hope to encourage a fellow pilgrim along the way.

So how does one forget? Well, you don’t forget, at least in my experience. What you end up doing is learning how to cope with the lingering, pervasive memories of hurt. Jesus’s sayings and Paul’s writings are replete with forgiveness themes. The apostle Paul encourages us to replace negative thoughts with positive alternatives. Philippians 4:8 and 2 Corinthians 10:5 portray this, where he counsels us to fortify our minds with things that look heavenward and build our trust in God. Build faith and don’t dwell on the mundane things of life. What results from continued wallowing in the mire of self-pity? By beholding you can become changed if you bask in the atmosphere of grace and embrace forgiveness. For God “is able to do exceeding, abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us” (Ephesians 3:20).

Consider the powerful and inspiring testimonies of Corrie Ten Boom in her best-selling account “The Hiding Place” (Ten Boom, 1971) or Elisabeth Elliot’s “Shadow of the Almighty” (Elliot, 1958). For each of them, forgiveness embraces an added dimension that is unachievable. Sometimes “forgive and forget” may not apply if the offense recurs or is occurring. Consider those that have the fortitude to show forgiveness amid a crisis. The families of Christian Aid hostages in Haiti extended forgiveness to the abductors. These families raise the point that forgiveness not only pertains to the transgressors’ salvation, but yours.

Jesus states that if you cannot forgive your brother, how do you expect your Father in heaven to forgive you? How could any discourse on forgiveness finish without Jesus’s counsel to the apostle, Peter? Peter, wanting to score points with Jesus or show himself as nearing perfection, retorted to Jesus’ challenge with his response of seven times. Jesus countered with “seventy times seven” as a numerical expression of as many times as necessary.

The examples are pertinent and stem from the vivid example of Christ, our ultimate role model. Affixed to a cross, Christ had blood oozing from pores and orifices while experiencing not only the agony of physical pain, but the potential eternal separation from His Father. He looked at those who had pierced Him and interceded on their behalf. “Father”, He requested, “forgive them, for they know no what they do”. Amid dying, He paused long enough to offer forgiveness. There is no greater challenge. We seek to live, love, and forgive as Christ did.

The Bible never said it was easy, just possible.

Posted on 1 Comment on Delay

Delay

“God answers all prayers”, my mother used to tell me. “Sometimes He answers yes, sometimes no, and sometimes wait”. Although I’ve seen Him answer in the affirmative many times, I’ve often experienced the wait, and sometimes even more vividly the “no”.

Pre-COVID I traveled and served in other parts of the United States and the world. A few of those trips subsequently ended in disaster! I don’t believe my prior presence there was a causative factor, but it is curious to me.

During a medical mission trip to Jamaica one summer, I found myself in the middle of a hurricane. As I ran down a Kingston street towards my hotel, my umbrella inverted, which I immediately released and kept running towards shelter—or so I thought. To this day, I can’t comprehend how my hotel bed became soaked with the windows closed!

In Haiti, one October, I lived in an orphanage with approximately 200 children. It was a remarkable experience where I, along with a team of various health professionals, rendered care to them and local villagers. Some of those same children nursed me back to health after I became ill from a parasitic infection. A few years later, the now infamous earthquake destroyed their village and none of the children survived.

Antigua, Guatemala, was where I lived with a local family to immerse myself in the Spanish language and culture. I enjoyed walking the ancient cobblestone streets and conversing with the locals. My school was in view of Mount Fuego—“fire mountain”, a supposedly dormant volcano. I would gaze for extended periods of time at its striking, yet ominous, allure. Only once do I recall viewing its peak, as clouds otherwise obscured it. Imagine my utter dismay as some years later, I learned of its eruption and destruction of the beautiful city in its wake.

Obviously, not all of my stories ended in peril. One such adventure hinted of disappointment, but God, in His wisdom, had other plans. It blessed me to serve with a sizable group as a lay evangelist in a country I had only read about as a child. They assigned me to a church in a small farming village. For approximately three weeks, mostly every night and twice on Saturdays, I presented a series of health lectures and preached the gospel of Jesus Christ. My host pastor translated for me. My vocabulary was rapidly expanding and I could converse in brief bouts of colloquial phrases! Yes, I had prayed and still pray for the gift of tongues.

One night, as I waited for my transport back to my hotel, I received a text from a young man who apparently had been attending the meetings. He expressed an interest in the messages and asked very pointed and probing questions. “Here is a seeker”, I thought to myself, and obliged him in our ongoing text dialogue. Though motivated, he did not commit at that point.

During my last sermon, I made a heartfelt and tearful appeal for those that had heard the messages and felt convicted by them through the Holy Spirit, to make a public declaration to continue their spiritual journey with Christ in their newfound truth. A handful of people came forward. This young gentleman did not. As I glimpsed him in the audience, I made a few targeted and prolonged appeals, doing all but calling him by name. He did not respond. A different young man came. I finally ended the sermon and sat down.

As I returned to the United States, I often prayed for my friend and kept in contact with him via social media. Eventually, he shared with me news and photos of his subsequent marriage and the birth of his children. Interestingly, he often asked when I would return to his country. Unfortunately, as customary with the passing of time and distance, my contact and prayers diminished, but God’s interest and love did not.

To my surprise, recently I received a text message from my young friend. It was now almost five years since my visit. The picture he sent showed a group of people who stood in a church sanctuary. I recognized the scene. It was the church where I had preached. However, something was different and very special about this photo. There he was, smiling and standing next to his wife, both about to be baptized by immersion as per Christ’s example (Matthew 3:16; Mark 1:10)! In amazement and almost disbelief, I had to re-read his message and enlarge the picture. “Praise the Lord!”, I exclaimed.

I shared the picture and good news with my host pastor. He reminded me of the apostle Paul’s injunction found in I Corinthians 3:6. I knew and had recently read the passage. Now I understood it in a new light. “I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.”

All glory be to God—I’m a “farmer”!

Posted on 2 Comments on Autumn

Autumn

In the cool stillness of the early morning under an illumined crescent moon, I heard the nearby hair-raising shriek of a barn owl. In one sweeping glance of the moonlit sky, I spied Cassiopeia, the Pleiades, the Big and Little Dippers. It is autumn.

This was the highlight of my week, not to mention my encounter with my autistic 4-year-old patient who I heard speak for the first time. “What is that?” she queried in a soft and pleasant voice. As I was now dumbfounded and speechless, she immediately answered her own question, “Stethoscope”, in an equally ever-so-faint, yet distinctive pronunciation. Never underestimate the power of God and His interest in children, especially those with special needs!

The year has flown by quickly and autumn, or fall, my favorite season, is here. I enjoy the change of the foliage from vibrant green to the hues of reds, oranges, and yellows. For some, autumn means football. I can certainly relate to that, as my favorite team used to be the Green Bay Packers. You may ask why. It is simple. My uncle gave me a book when I was a kid. I can tell you more about Packers history than you ever want to know!

I also relish autumn because the stars become more resplendent at night. Yes, they have always been there in summer and even in the daytime. However, the viewing is actually best in winter, though being cold is not my forte, notwithstanding my passion for Lambeau field and the fact that I wintered in Romania four years ago.

In high school, I took part in a summer program at the local National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) branch during the building of the Hubble telescope. I actually saw the massive mirrors used to reflect the incredible images for terrestrial viewing. The photos of celestial bodies still fascinate me, as they are beyond stunning and prompt pause. If you have a chance, visit esahubble.org and experience a breathtaking journey for yourself. God’s creative and sustaining power never ceases to amaze me!

Posted on 1 Comment on Hope

Hope

The apostle Paul uses a seamless theme throughout his discourses. Hope, he describes, is not an abstract, groundless concept based in fanciful dreams and wishes. It has grit. It has substance. It is rooted in basic Christian tenets beginning with the fact that Jesus Christ is Lord, God the Son. It is based further that Jesus has creative power and created the worlds and all their inhabitants via the spoken word.

It is based on the fact that Christ came as a baby and a lived a sinless life demonstrating our way of overcoming sin. By conquering our innate tendencies, it demonstrates the power of God in our lives. It is rooted in the fact that Christ died and rose again.

Paul culminates this concept of hope in Titus 2:13 as he further qualifies it as the blessed hope. This reference pertains to the soon return of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Hope is listed as one of the three anchors in 1 Corinthians 13:13 along with faith and charity. Are we looking for a new home and to be reunited with our loved ones?

This theme of hope was proclaimed even in the Old Testament by the patriarchs and prophets of that period. The psalmist admonished us in Psalm 42:8. “Why are you cast down, oh my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise Him, Who is the health of my countenance, and my God”. Do our lives exemplify a daily connection with Christ as we experience the trials of each day?

Hope is heralded in the 1861 patriotic hymn by Julia Ward Howe “Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord”. How can we allow each day to resonate with this theme? How can our lives better reflect that we look expectantly for that day? Deep down we possess the knowledge of the coming of Christ. As we have entered this autumn season and look towards the weekend, pray that God will not only give you blessings for today, but ask Him also to fill your life with expectancy.

In the midst of a world falling apart there is still hope, there is still God. There is hope in God.

Posted on 4 Comments on Katrina

Katrina

Life experiences are unplanned. It is not as simple as plotting a course, establishing a starting point, and then reaching one’s destination. This may be one person’s experience, but it certainly has not been mine. Sometime ago, I came upon a passage in the second chapter of the book of Daniel, which stated “And he (God) changeth the times and the seasons: He removeth kings, and setteth up kings: He giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding” (verse 21).

As I reflected on the passage, it reminded me of two additional verses that have been my life’s beacons. Lamps, if you would, to my feet and lights for my path. These are Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; And lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, And he shall direct thy paths,” and Jeremiah 29:11-12 “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.”

Hard as I have tried to determine my own life’s course, I have found that letting God lead me has always yielded the best outcomes. I reflect on a course change that, in retrospect, significantly altered my life for the better. As a first-time young medical executive for a small specialty hospital, I took part in negotiations for the restructure and merger of the medical staff with a nationally known tertiary hospital. Towards the end, they offered me a lucrative salary, high-level position, and an opportunity for even further advancement at the larger institution. After much prayer, I not only turned down the offer, but subsequently resigned from my post. Although I did not know, this was to be a most pivotal move for me personally, professionally, and even spiritually.

My first new assignment was a staff position with a different specialty hospital, during which I embraced an opportunity to train in emergency preparedness. No sooner had I completed my training, when I joined a conglomerate of medical and military personnel to provide relief efforts during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

Katrina. There are not too many words that evoke the depth and latitude of emotions like this one. For some it is literally a visceral response, which engenders heart wrenching anxiety. For others, it reeks of a politicized disaster. Taking part at ground level, I witnessed firsthand the superiority of nature and the power of the United States military. As I escorted displaced families and cared for their children, it reminded me of how blessed I was at that moment, but also how fragile was the element of time.

We are all one catastrophe, one disaster away from life-altering circumstances. Displacement, disease, and death lurk at the periphery of each person’s life, yet often unbeknownst to them. These post-disaster experiences have engendered a resilience not otherwise thought possible. The camaraderie of people from different backgrounds fostered this resilience in part, walks of life, goals and aspirations who step forward and shoulder the responsibility of assisting others not as fortunate as themselves.

Last week, 16 years to the day, Hurricane Ida struck with almost as much ire in New Orleans, Louisiana. For me, it brings back bittersweet memories of the time I spent serving with total strangers, who became friends, more than friends. How these events simultaneously divided a nation and banded others together is unclear. I was fortunately on the latter side of that coin.

I invite you to consider your opportunity for service during the current Hurricane Ida relief efforts. You may not provide “boots on the ground”, but your tangible contributions to any of the relief organizations would speak volumes.

Of course, your prayers for the residents are immeasurable.

Posted on 1 Comment on Happiness

Happiness

The words “Happiness is free!” emblazoned in bold black letters on a brilliant green-yellow T-shirt, spoke volumes. As I spoke with the woman who wore this shirt about her son, she expressed the stress she was under with his current illness. Her demeanor, however, exuded a contagious giddiness. Though discussing a serious matter, we both were at ease as we bantered and mirrored each other’s positivity. By the time our visit concluded, we both were on an emotional high!

Enter COVID-19, known henceforth simply as COVID, as it has been the “gift” that keeps on giving. Like an infestation of lice or scabies, it continues to rear its ugly head. Economically, it has cost many their jobs, careers, or ability to make a living. Physically, it has maimed and most notoriously killed. Psychologically, it has devastated even the most endearing relationships. Spiritually it threatens to disrupt even the heart of one’s connection to God. Emotionally, many no longer experience happiness. It has depleted their innate, God-given joy.

One illness, yet myriad result!

Some have even implicated God as standing idly by, as if to fulfill a prophetic utterance. Where is God they exclaim? Does He not see or care? Yet, this current saga is not unique to some Christians’ walk as they analogize their experience with other so-called Christians who have “disappointed” them.

Let nothing or anyone jade your Christian experience! Guard your personal walk with Jesus as if your life depended on it. Only He can give you true and lasting peace, love, and joy. A favorite text of the beloved pastor, Dr. Mark Finley, is John 10:10–“The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I have come that they might have life, and that they may have it more abundantly”. My understanding of this verse is that it applies to today, as well as to the next life.

Although I don’t remember the woman’s name or her masked face, I remember the T-shirt and how our encounter changed me emotionally for the better.

Not only is happiness free, it is contagious! Try a dose today.

Posted on 1 Comment on Galaxy

Galaxy

“Knowest thou the ordinances of heaven?” Job 38:33.

“My God is so big and so strong and so mighty there’s nothing my God cannot do.” (Statema, 2012)

There is a lot of press about the cosmos these days, as three of the biggest names in entrepreneurship conduct a modern-day race to outer space. Genesis 1:16 describes the fourth day, one of my favorite creation days. “And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: He made the stars also.” On a cool, tranquil, and dark early morning, go outside, close your eyes for a minute; then look up into the sky. Wow! David apparently had a similar, life-altering experience that he related in Psalms 8:3, 4, “When I consider Thy heavens, the work of Thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which Thou hast ordained; What is man, that Thou art mindful of him? And the son of man, that Thou visitest him?” 

I have several friends who are space enthusiasts and many of them could put me to shame on a starry night. They and other scientific observers relate that we have not even scratched the surface of what we know of the universe. As a planet, we are minuscule compared to our sun, not to mention the even larger stars within our own Milky Way galaxy. When one thinks about the innumerable stellar bodies within our galaxy, then to think that our galaxy is but one of an innumerable number of galaxies, it is truly a mind-boggling exercise. 

Some have even ventured to compare the number of heavenly bodies to the number of grains of sand on the seashore! There is support for this analogy in scripture as God Himself challenged Abraham to stretch his vision and think beyond the obvious and venture into the realm of faith. “That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore…” (Genesis 22:17).

Years ago, one such friend related to me a story he had heard, which left me awestruck. Allow me to share it with you. Imagine yourself for a moment as one period (a dot), on a page, in the largest book, within the biggest library of the world. Compare this dot to the countless number of galaxies in the universe. It makes you think less of yourself, doesn’t it? The point is not to make you appear worthless, for the Bible says God made us in His image (Genesis 1:26, 27).  

So instead, consider yourself through God’s eyes. The same God who created the universe, created you—that one dot, on a page, in the largest book, within the biggest library of the world! This certainly should change your view of yourself, but especially your view of God. Who you are in the eyes of the universe helps to keep you humble; but who you are in the eyes of God helps to keep you hopeful.  

Reread this familiar verse in a new light. “For God so loved me, that He gave His only Son, that if I believe in Him, I will not have eternal death, but instead I will have eternal life (John 3:16)”.

Posted on 2 Comments on Testimony: Humanity’s Greatest Sermon

Testimony: Humanity’s Greatest Sermon

“Hark! The herald angels sing, Jesus the Light of the world; Glory to the newborn King, Jesus, the Light of the world. We’ll walk in the light, beautiful light, Come where the dewdrops of mercy are bright, Shine all around us by day and by night, Jesus, the Light of the world.” (Elderkin, 1890)

Jesus said, “As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world” (John 1:5).

Jesus, the Light of the world. 

We’ve read this sentiment expressed in song; we’ve read it again as originally expressed in Scripture. When we read and study the Bible, there are at least three things that should occur:

• We should prayerfully read or hear the Word;

• We should understand its meaning then and now;

• We should apply that meaning to our own lives.

Let’s give particular attention to the third point—application. In fact, there are at least three applications from this story to bring out.

Jesus. The Light of the world. 

The context of this beautiful phrase comes from a mixed setting of conflicting circumstances on the Sabbath day. The drama actually begins in John 8 with scene one, a woman caught in adultery and dragged before Jesus during a Bible study. After Jesus dispersed the congregants, He forgave the woman and proclaimed of Himself in verse twelve, “I am the light of the world”. He then exited one scene and immediately entered the next, beginning in chapter nine.

Here we find a man—blind from birth. He had never seen, whether it was the face of his parents or any other of God’s handiwork. He could only hear the birds sing, but could not even imagine, perhaps, their kaleidoscopic array, shapes and sizes. He could feel and hear the cool wind blow through the leaves of majestic sycamore trees and smell the beautiful fragrance of the cedars of Lebanon, but could not visualize the verdure of the green deciduous leaves in springtime or the multicolored hues in autumn. Neither could he fathom the splendid expanse of the mountains that they grew on, nor the cattle upon their thousand hills. He could bask in the warm embrace of the sun at noonday; however, he could not relish its cascading course through the skies as it showed a spectrum of colors before it finally set for the evening. He could not even see the lovely face of Jesus. To make it quite clear—the man was blind and could not see.

Jesus’ disciples asked Jesus—who sinned, this man or his parents, to which Jesus replied—neither. But then He continued and explained the purpose of the man’s lack of sight. Jesus, God the Son, had work to do.

Application 1

We often experience challenges in our lives that at first blush can be quite confusing and pointedly discouraging. We go to a multitude of people and receive a multitude of solutions. We even plead with God to reveal Himself in our period of stress.

• Sometimes our life’s situation results from sin, whether commission—doing what we ought not to do or omission—not doing what we ought to do.

• Sometimes we find ourselves in situation because of poor choices we have made or even because of presumption.

• Other times, we experience a Job-like scenario in which God didn’t bring the trial, but allowed it for our good. “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing” (James 1:2-4). “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28).

• In this man’s case and ultimately in ours, it is for the glory of God “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby” (John 11:4).

After Jesus applied the clay to his eyes, He instructed the man to go and wash. He went, washed and came back seeing. He didn’t go seeing, thus he could not recognize who had healed him!

There are many miracles shown in the Bible; all involved an element of faith in someone present, either the one being healed or the intercessor. Some involved an action by the recipient:

• Naaman;

• The lepers of Luke 17 (v. 14, “as they went”);

• This man—came back seeing. Again, he did not go seeing; he had to be obedient in order to accomplish the task.

Application 2

• We have to cooperate with God. 

• We pray for deliverance, but sometimes we have not been fully obedient.

• We suffer from many ailments, but do not follow health counsel.

• We pray for souls, but do not work.

• We pray, but do not study the Word.

• We study the Word, but do not pray.

“Character building is the work, not of a day, nor of a year, but of a lifetime. The struggle for conquest over self, for holiness and heaven, is a lifelong struggle. Without continual effort and constant activity, there can be no advancement in the divine life, no attainment of the victor’s crown. The Christian life is a battle and a march. In this warfare there is no release; the effort must be continuous and persevering. It is by unceasing endeavor that we maintain the victory over the temptations of Satan. Christian integrity must be sought with resistless energy and maintained with a resolute fixedness of purpose. No one will be borne upward without stern, persevering effort in his own behalf. All must engage in this warfare for themselves; no one else can fight our battles….”1

Jesus told His Father, “I have glorified Thee on earth. I have finished the work which Thou gavest me to do” (John 17:4).

This brings us to our next sub-plot.

As one of Jesus’ customs was, He taught on the Sabbath day in the temple.

As their custom was, there were leaders and members of the church that came not only to listen, but were present with the intent of hindering His message and His ministry. 

Application 3

As members of the body of Christ, each of us has a ministry—certain talents and personalities in order to share the message of Christ, to edify the body of Christ, and in turn to become more like Him. We read about these Holy Spirit-endowed gifts in Romans 12, I Corinthians 12, and Ephesians 4.

There are many people that you will encounter in life whose sole purpose appears to be to hinder your ministry. These people are even within the church. Paul speaks of wolves among the flock (Acts 20:29; Philippians 3:2). Do not get caught up in these distractions; stay in the Word! God has called each of us to present a message to a starving, dying, and sin-laden world. Don’t get sidetracked! Can’t you see the signs of the times?! The coming King is at the door! (Belden, 1886)

Jesus said in Luke 19:40, “If these keep silent, the rocks would immediately cry out!”. I am determined that I don’t want a rock crying out for me. Jesus is coming soon—stay faithful to His calling! There are souls to be saved.

Immediately after his healing, the man in the story went to work to save souls. In verse 25 he states “… one thing I know, that though I was blind, now I see”. 

This was a testimony!

He then turned the table on his interrogators in verse 27, “… will you also be His disciples?”

This was an invitation!

This is one of the shortest and most potent sermons in the Bible.

As Christians, we are here for many reasons, one of which is to share Jesus, the Light of the world. Shout like the Samaritan woman — “Come see a Man!” (John 4:29)

So I extend a multifaceted invitation:

• Accept the gift of God, which is eternal life through Jesus Christ (Romans 6:23);

• Prayerfully study and explore Bible truths for yourself, which include the seventh-day Sabbath, as well as the visible and literal second return of Jesus Christ;

• If you previously believed and wandered off course, it is time to come home from the far country (Luke 15:13);

• Remain faithful to His calling and keep the rocks silent.

1 White, E.G. (1905) The Ministry of Healing. Mountain View, CA: Pacific Press Publishing Association, pp. 451, 452.