In Luke's Gospel we are given a story of a blind man who can see more clearly than those with sight! You know the story in Luke 18:35-43. The blind man heard that Jesus was passing by. The people who were around Jesus only knew Him as Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph the local carpenter. They were aware of the miracles, and teaching but still only "saw" Him as the local preacher.
The blind man asked who was causing the commotion, and they told him "Jesus of Nazareth was passing by." and he cried "JESUS, SON OF DAVID have MERCY on me!" (v. 38) The term Son of David is a Messianic reference to the person of Christ. Blind though he was in the physical, his spiritual eyes recognized Jesus for who He was and is. Now the religious people who wanted to everything to stay as it was tried to shush him. He simply cried all the louder again using the term Son of David, and again asking for mercy. I want you to notice that Jesus was there as the Messiah, and could have healed and ministered to everyone in attendance, but only one blind man saw Jesus as the ONLY ONE who could give him mercy in the very midst of his need.
Jesus heard his cry, aren't you glad He always hears our cries to him?? Jesus heard him and asked him to be brought to Him. Jesus then asked the very question that we long to hear Him ask us. "What do you want Me to do for you?" Do you see the blank check Christ was offering, "What do YOU want me to do for you?" I realize that this man could have asked for anything, some in the prosperity gospel being preached today would have asked for riches that they would never need to work again. Some would have asked for things that in the grand scale of eternity may or may not have made a difference. This man, said simply, "Master, I want to see again!" He asked for healing, and in the eyes of man, this was impossible, probably improbable, YET he asked Christ for what his heart desired.
Notice Christ's response, "Receive your sight, your FAITH has made you well." Notice its faith in the person and power of Jesus Christ that activated the miracle in his life. Faith is believing that Christ as the Son of God, can do exactly what He says He can do in every situation, in spite of what our eyes tell us.
Jesus could have healed and met the need of every person in that crowd, yet only one person gets his miracle, and the key here is faith. He believed that Jesus was/is the Messiah, and was there to heal, save, deliver, and establish the Kingdom of God. He accepted that and received a miracle. Now the people around began praising God, because you can't help but get happy when you see the power of God manifested!!
What is your need today? If Jesus came down to you physically and asked you that same question, what would you say? Before you answer, can I just say, that as His child, He is asking you that question, I guess the think to ask yourself is do you have the faith of a blind man to receive? Jesus wants to minister in your life in this same way today. Just cry out to Him in faith, believing that He is the Messiah, and King of Kings, and let Him work in you today.
He is asking you today, "What do you want Me to do for you?" Don't ask as a slave but ask as a child and see what He does in and through your life today!
Grace and peace be multiplied to you.
Eric
Friday, November 17, 2017
Wednesday, November 15, 2017
Taking Prayer Seriously!!!
The disciples made a very important request of Jesus in Luke 11. They asked Jesus to teach them to pray! Why did they want Him to teach them to pray? They had seen the power Jesus demonstrated in each and every miracle and they knew about His prayer life, so the request seems natural.
In our hustle, dog eat dog world, people often forget to pray or see it as a simple religious exercise, and the enemy has absolutely no desire to change that perspective. However, as we live in this world we need a connection to the power of God like never before. Any military force depends on communication with the Commanders to be successful, and victorious in the battle. 2 Corinthians 10 tells us that "We are human, but we don't wage war as humans do. We use God's might weapons, not worldly weapons." (NLT) We need instructions on their use, the plans of our leaders, and daily "briefings" from the Home Office. This is accomplished in prayer. Not just muttering the same words we use as a matter of habit, but really opening up our hearts, and allowing the Holy Spirit to help us pray as we need to.
Prayer is serious business, not convinced, in Daniel they passed a law against it, our society frowns on or wants it scrubbed of mention of Jesus. The least attended things in church after Sunday School or Bible Study, is prayer meetings. I heard a pastor jokingly say once that we have went from the "Sweet Hour of Prayer" to "Just a little Talk with Jesus" as a matter of prayer. When Jesus was teaching the disciples he gave three things he expected believers to do as a matter of lifestyle. One was fasting, the other was giving, and the third was praying. Many believers are living lives beneath the place God wants for them as they never pray, or even have regular conversations with their Father.
As I struggled with the loss of my earthly father a year ago, I made mention to my wife that I missed being able to call and just talk, and get his advice on things. Later that night the Spirit reminded me that I can still do that with my Heavenly Father on a daily basis, just like I did my dad! Suddenly I saw prayer in a new light, I'm not talking just to the most powerful person in the universe, I'm talking to my DAD! He wants to talk, listen to my problems, offer advice and solutions, and most importantly be a part of my life in a real and daily basis. My prayer time, is a conversation I keep everyday, and in the process, I can tell you that I have had spiritual healing in areas I struggled with my entire life, He has been opening the word to me in new ways, and I feel closer to Him that I ever have in my entire life.
These things happened when I learned to pray, and had a better understanding of who I was praying to. I feel as if I am now really apart of His Kingdom, and I'm praying to see His Glory in my life, so that others will come to know Him, and He will help me do this through His power that is at work in my life.
Today why don't you take a moment and focus on WHO God is to you. Have you been adopted into His family, and can you call Him "Dad"? Are you ashamed to come to Him because of your past, there is forgiveness, are you scared because you have failed in areas, there is strength to be given. Do you feel unworthy because of things in your life you wanted to clean up before going to God? Just ask Him for forgiveness, ask Him to help you walk in His power, and let Him do the cleaning. He can do things if you will let Him in your life that will simply amaze you, I'm a witness.
If you need help growing or in finding Christ, email me at pastorstansberry@gmail.com
Grace and peace be multiplied to you.
Eric
In our hustle, dog eat dog world, people often forget to pray or see it as a simple religious exercise, and the enemy has absolutely no desire to change that perspective. However, as we live in this world we need a connection to the power of God like never before. Any military force depends on communication with the Commanders to be successful, and victorious in the battle. 2 Corinthians 10 tells us that "We are human, but we don't wage war as humans do. We use God's might weapons, not worldly weapons." (NLT) We need instructions on their use, the plans of our leaders, and daily "briefings" from the Home Office. This is accomplished in prayer. Not just muttering the same words we use as a matter of habit, but really opening up our hearts, and allowing the Holy Spirit to help us pray as we need to.
Prayer is serious business, not convinced, in Daniel they passed a law against it, our society frowns on or wants it scrubbed of mention of Jesus. The least attended things in church after Sunday School or Bible Study, is prayer meetings. I heard a pastor jokingly say once that we have went from the "Sweet Hour of Prayer" to "Just a little Talk with Jesus" as a matter of prayer. When Jesus was teaching the disciples he gave three things he expected believers to do as a matter of lifestyle. One was fasting, the other was giving, and the third was praying. Many believers are living lives beneath the place God wants for them as they never pray, or even have regular conversations with their Father.
As I struggled with the loss of my earthly father a year ago, I made mention to my wife that I missed being able to call and just talk, and get his advice on things. Later that night the Spirit reminded me that I can still do that with my Heavenly Father on a daily basis, just like I did my dad! Suddenly I saw prayer in a new light, I'm not talking just to the most powerful person in the universe, I'm talking to my DAD! He wants to talk, listen to my problems, offer advice and solutions, and most importantly be a part of my life in a real and daily basis. My prayer time, is a conversation I keep everyday, and in the process, I can tell you that I have had spiritual healing in areas I struggled with my entire life, He has been opening the word to me in new ways, and I feel closer to Him that I ever have in my entire life.
These things happened when I learned to pray, and had a better understanding of who I was praying to. I feel as if I am now really apart of His Kingdom, and I'm praying to see His Glory in my life, so that others will come to know Him, and He will help me do this through His power that is at work in my life.
Today why don't you take a moment and focus on WHO God is to you. Have you been adopted into His family, and can you call Him "Dad"? Are you ashamed to come to Him because of your past, there is forgiveness, are you scared because you have failed in areas, there is strength to be given. Do you feel unworthy because of things in your life you wanted to clean up before going to God? Just ask Him for forgiveness, ask Him to help you walk in His power, and let Him do the cleaning. He can do things if you will let Him in your life that will simply amaze you, I'm a witness.
If you need help growing or in finding Christ, email me at pastorstansberry@gmail.com
Grace and peace be multiplied to you.
Eric
Monday, November 13, 2017
Chosen?
Jeremiah 1:5
"Before I shaped you in the womb, I knew all about you. Before you saw the light of day, I had holy plans for you: A prophet to the nations-that's what I had in mind for you." (The Message)
Wow, God told Jeremiah, that he had a plan for him from the very moment of his conception. Imagine growing up and realizing that God had big plans for your life, a plan for you to be significant, and change the world you live in. Have you ever thought about your life, what God's plan for you is? I can honestly say that I have more than once, and I can honestly say, I don't feel like a Jeremiah, actually I don't feel like any Biblical hero, I feel inadequate on all counts.
I have made so many missteps, fallen, and not lived the way I should have earlier on in my life, and made decisions based on the stronghold that was in my life, that I can't see how God can still use me as broken as I am. Yet His word says He knew me before I was conceived, and knew all about me! Why am I saying all this? To let you know that none of us ever feel as if we are on a path to change the world, but we are on a path to change the corner of it we live in. Our families, friends and acquaintances, we can impact them, and by extension the world that they live and work in.
Don't let your past failures, dictate your current situation, give all that to God, and live for Him, and grow. I can say that the person I have been, God has healed, torn down the strongholds in my life and made me a different person, the best version of me I have ever been. I only wished I had had this version earlier, so that I would not have hurt the people in my past and in my family. I am grateful, for what God is doing in my life and I am going to reach those I can until my life on this earth comes to a close.
Grace and peace be multiplied to you.
Eric
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)