Time with Jesus - Thursday, 03 January 2013
Hi all,
For those of us who have lived our lives being able to
see, blindness is a frightful prospect. For most of us, when we turn off the
light to go to sleep, the darkness seems impenetrable. About ten minutes later,
when our eyes have adjusted to the darkness, we realise that it’s not quite as
dark as we thought! To be born blind is another matter. The man Jesus healed in
Luke 18 was such a man. Whether he was totally blind or severely partially
sighted is not certain. Not that it matters. He received his sight. This was
not blind Bartimaeus. This man was healed while Jesus was on His way to
Jericho. Bartimaeus received a reconstructive healing when Jesus was leaving
Jericho. Matthew 20 contains the story of two other blind men whom Jesus
healed. Were there others? There may well have been. These four are sufficient
evidence for me to believe that Jesus Christ could restore sight to blind eyes.
It’s today’s meditation.
Blessings,
Jim & Phyllida Strickland
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Matt 10:8
Freely you received, Freely give |
Time with Jesus – Thursday, 03 January 2013
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Matt 10:8
Freely you received, Freely give |
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©
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These
devotionals are the intellectual property of Jim Strickland and copyright
protected. You are welcome to copy and distribute them to anyone provided it
is for non-commercial Christian purposes
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©
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INTRODUCTION
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DAILY LIGHT EVENING SCRIPTURES
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Sight for the blind
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Miracles: There was a time when men and women
believed that the miracles of Jesus actually took place. This is not true
today. Rationalism has made significant inroads into the faith of many. They
have discarded miracles on the basis that the laws of nature cannot be
overridden. Rationalists, if they have any connection with Christianity, deal
with miracles in a convenient manner. They believe in God. However they have
a different view of creation. They see it something like a huge clock that
has been designed by God. He “wound” it up and set it in motion. Now it is
running and even God can’t change it. Therefore the miraculous is impossible.
This “type” of believer is classified as a “Deist”. God exists but He can no
longer do anything about what He has designed. Believers of this sort would
never pray and ask God to change anything because He cannot. Don’t ask Him to
change the weather because He no longer is able to do so. One wonders exactly
what such people pray for? They are one step “higher” than “Atheists”. An
“Atheist” states that there is no such “person”. God is an illusion. A crutch
for religious men and women to lean on. Phyllida and I are “Theists”. We
believe God is active in this world. He can and will change situations as He
wills.
As a Theist, I have no difficulty believing the
miracles of the Bible are true. He is able to change anything He wishes.
Furthermore He responds to the prayers of His people. We believe He always
answers prayer. The answers are “Yes”; “No” or “Wait”! If I’ve missed out any
other answer, please let me know.
We see Jesus in action this way in Luke 18:41. The
blind man called out to Him. Jesus asked him what he wanted. The man told
Him. Jesus answered by healing him. These steps are important. We cry out to
God for some reason. He knows very well the details of the problem. But He
wants us to tell Him. He could act without us, but He has chosen to include
us in this way.
Having heard us, He decides what He is going to
answer. He may say “No”! This happens when someone dies in spite of what we
would regard as “oceans” of prayer. He could say “Yes”! And we could have an
instant miracle. He may say, “Wait”! This may be to achieve some purpose we
know nothing about. Perhaps the timing isn’t right? I’m sure those who were
taken captive by the Babylonians would have prayed for deliverance. Likewise
the slaves in Egypt must have prayed on many occasions for deliverance from
their oppressors. Deliverance would come. However, many would die before it
happened. Why? If I could answer that, I would be God. Thank God I’m not!
Jim & Phyllida Strickland
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41 "What do you
want me to do for you?" Jesus asked. "Lord, I want to be able to
see," the blind man replied.
Luke 18:41 NIrV
18 Open my eyes so
that I can see the wonderful truths in your law.
Psalm 119:18 NIrV
44 Jesus said to them, "This is what I told
you while I was still with you. Everything written about me must happen.
Everything written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms
must come true." 45 Then he
opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures
Luke 24:44-45 NIrV
26 But when the Father sends the Advocate as My representative--that is, the Holy
Spirit--He will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have
told you.
John 14:26 NLT
17 Every desirable
and beneficial gift comes out of heaven. The gifts are rivers of light
cascading down from the Father of Light. There is nothing deceitful in God,
nothing two-faced, nothing fickle.
James 1:17 MSG
17 asking God, the
glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and
insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God. 18 I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so
that you can understand the confident hope He has given to those He
called--His holy people who are His rich and glorious inheritance. 19
I also pray that you will understand the
incredible greatness of God's power for us who believe Him. This is the same
mighty power 20 that raised Christ from the dead and seated
Him in the place of honour at God's right hand in the heavenly realms.
Eph. 1:17-20 NLT
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What is it you are wanting the Lord to do for you?
The blind man wanted vision, to see the way we do.
It seems he had been blind from birth, so couldn’t comprehend,
The things that he would look at, when his blindness reached its end.
But Jesus had compassion and told him he could see.
His faith had made the difference from the way he used to be.
And when the Saviour left him, he followed on behind,
Praising God for giving sight to someone who was blind.
This story is recorded in the gospel of Saint Luke.
There in chapter eighteen we see it was no fluke.
For Jesus was in “business” to give the people sight,
When all that they had ever seen was never-ending night!
But Jesus also shed His light on what is in His Word.
And He will end our darkness, by the words that we have heard.
He opens up our minds so that each one of us can see,
The Scriptures that were written for the likes of you and me.
The Lord God has been doing this for some two thousand years.
He’s brought His understanding to mollify our fears.
His Word is never changing, so what He did back then,
Is what He’s made available for ordinary men.
Now Jesus has ascended and sent the paraclete;
His precious Holy Spirit so that Satan can be beat.
He said that He would do it and so it’s guaranteed,
That everything He did back then still could be done indeed.
His brother James has told us, that all gifts from above,
Come down to us from heaven, from the God of light and love.
His gifts are not deceitful when they’re cascading down.
They’re not two-faced or fickle; the very best in town.
So if we ask the Father for wisdom and insight,
He will not disappoint us and we’ll receive His light!
We’ll grow in Godly knowledge. He’ll flood our hearts with hope,
To better understand all things and show us how to cope.
We’ll be His Holy People and know His mighty power.
Our glorious inheritance, that’s bigger every hour.
Then, as we honour Jesus, His Spirit will ensure,
That while all of our motives are good and clean and pure,
Our eyes indeed He’ll open, so that we all can see,
Far better than that blind man He healed in Galilee.
Jim Strickland
Written Wednesday
3rd
Jan 2012
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