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Luke 18:38-42 - And he called out, saying, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" 39 Those who led the way were sternly telling him to be quiet; but he kept crying out all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!" 40 And Jesus stopped and commanded that he be brought to Him; and when he came near, He questioned him, 41 "What do you want Me to do for you?" And he said, "Lord, I want to regain my sight!" 42 And Jesus said to him, "Receive your sight; your faith has made you well." NASU
His Faith Led Him To Try Something This blind man was led by his faith to yell out for Jesus to have mercy on him. Where has your faith been leading you? No, seriously, where has your faith been leading you? Have you ever met a person who walked by faith? They are the ones that will try things others would consider crazy. His Faith Was Opposed This man was crying out to Jesus and those who were leading him were sternly telling him to be quiet. Do you understand the ramifications of their advice? If, he had listened he would have remained blind. You cannot expect people who don't have the faith you do to support you or even understand what you are trying to accomplish. If your faith is leading you to try something out of the ordinary and others are telling you to "forget about it". You are probably on the right path. You need to know your faith will many times be opposed by others just like this blind man's faith was opposed. All great plans are opposed and many times from the ones you went to for support. The blind man was "STERNLY" told to be quiet by those who were leading him. The ones who were supposed to know what they were doing and where they were going were 100% wrong. We have probably all read the saying, "The Ark was built by amateurs and the Titanic by professionals." Where Has Your Faith Led You? His faith led him to being threatened and ridiculed. The blind man was ordered to "shut up" but that didn't stop him. In 1978 I wanted to go to Bible College and as I shared my idea with other people I received a lot of negative feedback. I was informed (as if I didn't know) that I had a family. How were we going to survive? I was reminded I had been out of high school for years and I wasn't that great of a student while I was in high school. Faith Is Always Rewarded My faith led me to Eastern Christian College in August 1979 and I graduated in 1983. My family and I survived and pretty much every negative thing that was said to me about going to college NEVER HAPPENED. His Faith Was Rewarded The blind man and Jesus have an encounter and Jesus asks him, "What do you want Me to do for you?" He says, "Lord, I want to receive my sight!" In other words, his faith has led him here to ask Jesus for help. Have you ever wondered why those who were leading the way wanted him to be quiet? What were they thinking? It really doesn't matter what they were thinking because whatever it was they were wrong. Did you see what Jesus said? "Receive your sight; YOUR FAITH has made you well. "His faith was rewarded because he would not listen to the naysayers. His faith was rewarded. Has your faith led you to your reward? What Reward Is Your Faith Going To Bring You? No, I am serious where is your faith going to lead you? We don't just read the Bible and say, "Oh that was nice, good for him or her." The Word of God is for us and it is to challenge us to Step Up and Step Out on Faith. So get your faith in gear and get going. Think About These: Mankind needs a faith that will not shrink when washed in the waters of adversity and affliction. Feed your faith and doubt will starve to death. Stay Pumped, Gary A. Serago Minister of God's Word
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Judges 6:12-13 – ”The angel of the Lord appeared to him and said to him, “The Lord is with you, O valiant warrior.” 13 Then Gideon said to him, “O my lord, if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all His miracles which our fathers told us about, saying, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the Lord has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian."
Gideon was anything but valiant at this time. In fact, he was just the opposite. He is hiding from the Midianites as he is threshing the wheat. You wouldn't expect a valiant person to be hiding. The Lord tells him to tear down his father's idols and because he was afraid he does it at night so that he can't be seen. Tearing down these idols under the shadow of darkness so you can't be seen doesn't sound like a valiant man.
When something has happened to you or is happening to you now that you don't understand. Be patient. Give God time to complete His plan. Gideon didn't understand why God had allowed the Midianites to conquer the Israelites and not just once but on numerous occasions. The Israelites were living in fear at this moment of the Midianites.
What is your Midianite? What keeps barging into your life and kicking down your strongholds? The angel of the Lord tells Gideon that God has allowed this to happen so that He can use Gideon in a mighty way. There it is. The answer to our question in a nutshell, "Why has all of this happened?". It has happened so that God can use Gideon in a mighty way. Whatever you're being challenged with today and you're not sure why God is allowing it to happen try thinking this way. God is using you to conquer this in a mighty way.
Excuses are the first things to come out of Gideon's mouth as to why God is wrong. What excuses do you use when telling God you are not ready for your trial? Are you too old for this? Do you lack the education? You are financially not able? Your spouse will kill you? You will get fired? Yes, too many times we are just like Gideon. God wants to use us and we want to give Him excuses. Whatever test God is allowing to happen to you right now know this: If God brings you to it, God will get you through it. Psalm 46:10 says, "Be Still and Know That I am God." In other words, He wants us to relax and trust Him no matter what situation challenges us.
Now what are you waiting for, stand up and tell God you are ready to be used by Him in a "mighty way". Let's go conquer our own modern day Midianites. Think About This: There are thousands of ways of pleasing God, but none without trusting Him. Stay Pumped, Gary A. Serago Minister of God's Word
Gideon was anything but valiant at this time. In fact, he was just the opposite. He is hiding from the Midianites as he is threshing the wheat. You wouldn't expect a valiant person to be hiding. Matt. 8:1-3 - When Jesus came down from the mountain, large crowds followed Him. 2 And a leper came to Him and bowed down before Him, and said, "Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean." 3 Jesus stretched out His hand and touched him, saying, "I am willing; be cleansed." And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. NASU
It is now time for Jesus not to preach anymore but to put into action what He has preached.
Below are some of the lessons that Jesus had just finished teaching His followers. They were to be the light of the world and to let their lights shine. Matt. 5:14-16 - "You are the light of the world.... Let your light shine,… and glorify your Father who is in heaven." NASU When Jesus heals this leper He will have displayed His good works and glorified His Heavenly Father exactly like He told His followers. The leper is asking, seeking and knocking on the Lord's door, and He has already said if you will do those three things, the door will be opened to you. Matt. 7:7-8 - Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 "For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. NASU You will notice Jesus teaches a lesson on how we are to treat people. We are to treat them the same way we want to be treated. Matt. 7:12 - "In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law and the Prophets." NASU Can you hear the followers murmuring in the background? What murmuring? The murmuring, "It's a leper. Is He going to help a leper?" It was believed by many that you were cursed with leprosy from God because of something evil you had done. Now a leper is coming to Jesus to be healed. Jesus taught them to treat people the way you want to be treated. He didn't say unless they are Babylonians, Moabites, or lepers. Jesus is close to the end of His message when He says, in Matt. 7:17-20 - "So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. "A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit …"So then, you will know them by their fruits." NASU When Jesus heals this leper He is letting them know He is a good tree and He will bear good fruit.
Yet, the leper knew enough to come to Jesus for help. When you pray you need to be like this leper. You need to come to Jesus and inform Him that He can heal you from whatever problem you are carrying in life, if He so desires. You don't want to miss what the leper said to Jesus. "Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean." The leper had faith that Jesus could heal him and he wasn't afraid to say it (Heb. 11:6). If you want results in your prayer life come with faith believing that if it is the Lord's will your prayer will be answered the way you desire. Think About These: Prayer doesn't need proof, it needs practice. If you are too busy to pray, you are too busy. Stay Pumped, Gary A. Serago Minister of God's Word Matt. 8:5-10 - And when Jesus entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, and saying, "Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, fearfully tormented." Jesus said to him, "I will come and heal him." But the centurion said, "Lord, I am not worthy for You to come under my roof, but just say the word, and my servant will be healed.
"For I also am a man under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to this one, 'Go!' and he goes, and to another, 'Come!' and he comes, and to my slave, 'Do this!' and he does it." Now when Jesus heard this, He marveled and said to those who were following, "Truly I say to you, I have not found such great faith with anyone in Israel."
A centurion worked for the hated Roman Empire. He was in charge of or had authority over 100 men and this is where his name "centurion" or "100" derives. He was one who had sworn allegiance to the Roman Empire and he would do exactly as he was commanded. He was given the authority to put down any type of uprising by any means necessary. If you have read anything about the Jewish people in Jesus' day they always had a plot in action to overthrow the hated Roman Government. One famous Jewish insurrectionist was Barabbas. Mark 15:7 - The man named Barabbas had been imprisoned with the insurrectionists who had committed murder in the insurrection. NASU He was the one who was released by Pilate and then they crucified Jesus.
But if you really want to talk about him may I suggest you talk about his GREAT faith. Jesus said, "Truly I say to you, I have not found such great faith with anyone in Israel." He didn't have faith, he had GREAT faith.
Second, he understood "his sinfulness". He said to Jesus, "Lord, I am not worthy for You to come under my roof,…" I am pretty sure some of the most horrific sins this man had committed came rushing into his guilty conscience. He was so moved with guilt he tells the Lord that he was not worthy to have him come to his house.
He does have all authority and it says this about Him in Matt.28:18 - And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth..." He doesn't possess some authority. He possesses all authority and not just here on earth but in Heaven as well. Secondly, we must comprehend our own sinfulness. The Israelites who stood there and couldn't understand how Jesus could heal a leper and help a centurion's servant didn't understand their own sins. They were focused on the sins of others. You will never have amazing faith until you understand what Jesus did for you in regard to your sinfulness. You will never have a great faith when all you do is look at others and how sinful they are. If we really want to look at a sinner all we have to do is look into a mirror. How will we arrive at having great faith? This will happen when we truly understand Jesus' authority and our sinfulness. Think About These: Faith doesn't demand miracles, but it often accomplishes them. Doubt makes mountains. Faith moves mountains. Faith helps us walk fearlessly, run confidently, and live victoriously. Stay Pumped, Gary A. Serago Minister of God's Word 1 Sam. 17:37 - And David said, "The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine." NASU
He now proclaims very emphatically his belief in God and God will deliver him from Goliath. I am pretty sure we all know the story's outcome. David goes out and he defeats Goliath, but it all started with David's faith in God's deliverance and protection.
King Saul becomes jealous of David and tries unsuccessfully to kill him. One night as David was being hunted by King Saul David sneaks into Saul's camp while the king was sleeping and stole his spear and water jug. Once he is safely outside the camp he yells and wakes up the king and his men. He lets Saul know if he had wanted to he could have killed him minutes ago. The reason David didn't kill the king was he highly valued his life. He finishes his communication with the king by saying, "…so may my life be highly valued in the sight of the Lord, and may He deliver me from all distress." It has been years since David killed Goliath and he is still displaying his faith and trust in God here in his communication with king Saul when he says, "and may He (The Lord) deliver me from all distress."
1 Sam. 27:1 - Then David said to himself, "Now I will perish one day by the hand of Saul. There is nothing better for me than to escape into the land of the Philistines. Saul then will despair of searching for me anymore in all the territory of Israel and I will escape from his hand." Really! Are you kidding me? Is this the same David that went after Goliath, killed him because he knew God would deliver him, and now he is afraid of King Saul? What is going on in David's life? David was losing his trust in God's protection and starting to fear for the safety of his life. He had grown weary from the trials of life. He forgot God had Samuel anoint him as the next king after Saul. This is a clear sign your faith is faltering when you are losing your trust in God's protection and you're forgetting His promises. What is the solution to this problem? The solution is doing what David did when going to fight Goliath remember what God has already done for you. David remembered the victories over the lion and the bear. David needed to remind himself of all the victories he had with God's help. You and I must remember the victories God has already given us and He will deliver us as He has done in the past. God is FAITHFUL. We must continue to read His Word and in so doing strengthen our faith. Think About This: God promises a safe landing but not a calm voyage. Stay Pumped, Gary A. Serago Minister of God's Word |
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