Saturday, May 12, 2012
Super Saturday to ya today! Jesus, the author of today’s story has a large following after He leaves Tyre and goes through Sidon down to the sea of Galilee and into the city of Decapolis. There some people brought to Him a man that was deaf and could hardly talk and they begged Him to place His hand on the man. After He took Him aside, away from the crowd, Jesus put His fingers into the man’s ears. Then He spit (We’re talking holy living water here!) and touched the man’s tongue. He looked up to Heaven and with a deep sigh said to Him “Ephphatha!” which means “be opened”. At this point, the man’s ears were opened, His tongue was loosened and He began to speak plainly. Jesus commanded them not to tell anyone. But the more He did so, the more they kept talking about it. People were overwhelmed with amazement. “He has done everything well” they said. “He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.” It is a good thing that the people in this story had the faith it took to step out to help their friend by taking Him to Jesus. They must have greatly cared for him. Jesus looked to His Father when He looked up to Heaven, knowing that apart from His Father, He could do nothing and it would take the power of His Father to do the work needed in this man’s life. His Father honored His prayer in faith and healed the deaf and mute man. Jesus told the people not to talk about it as He wanted to control His fame. This was important to eternity as Satan would have loved to have Jesus become an earthly king and give up on the work on the cross that saved us all from death and sin. The people ignored His request and sinned by talking about it much. Jesus knew the work done in the deaf and mute man’s life was the work of His Father, but I can see how it could have been easy for the people that took the man to Jesus to be tempted to become prideful and take the credit for their friend’s healing and walk about boasting of how God used them in the life of their friend. The truth is, they could do nothing without Jesus. Our Father wants us to be vessels of obedience in stepping out as He asks us to and use what He gives to us to help others, but the glory must always go back to Him. He is the author and finisher of everyone’s faith and the writer of each person’s story. Amazed at the work of Jesus, the people said “He does everything well. He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak!” A great response to seeing His work is worship – tell Him how wonderful we think He is. As Christians, if Jesus tells us to be quiet, we do not want to cross over the line into gossip in talking about God’s work in someone’s life and yet sometimes Jesus has told people to go and tell others what He has done. We must be led by His voice that also says keep partnering with Him – that’s an honor and sweet amazing work to me! Well, bye and hugs to ya! Mk 7:31-37; 2 Co 12:20; He 12:2; Jn 10: 1-5; Ps 66
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Left Behind
>It’s morning again and Jesus and His disciples made it through the storm and arrived ashore at the region of the Geresenes. This is an area that had several cavern tombs that were often used as dwellings. As soon as Jesus climbed out of the boat, a man with an evil spirit came from the tombs to meet him. This man was possessed by a legion (many) demons and had become so strong that nobody could subdue him. Day and night he cried out and cut himself with stones. The demons in him knew who Jesus was and shouted at Him not to torture them, begging him time and time again because Jesus told the evil spirit to come out of the man. The demons begged to enter a herd of 2,000 pigs nearby and Jesus gave them permission to come out of the man and enter into the pigs, but then the pigs rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned. Those tending the pigs ran into the town and countryside and told the people what happened. When the people came and saw the man formerly demon possessed and now in his right mind, they were afraid. The people who witnessed it told about the man and the pigs and then the people began to plead with Jesus to leave their region. When Jesus went to get into the boat, the formerly demon-possessed man wanted to go with Him, but Jesus did not let him. He told him to go home to his family and tell them how much the Lord had done for him and how he had mercy on him. So the man did as Jesus said and people were amazed. When I think of the man in this story, separated from his family and society and so tormented by the army of demons within him that he could be heard crying out and he cut himself (destructive habits) and was so overpowered that nobody could restrain him, I don’t know about you, but I agree with Jesus, the man’s old life needed to go! Jesus can definitely take a life and change it for the better. My heart is so touched by how the man wanted to go and be with Jesus his rescuer. I relate to him ‘cuz once you experience the love of Jesus, you can’t help but want more. But like this man, the Lord has plans for each of us – plans to go and tell others what the Lord has done for us. Paul understood this when he said “To live is Christ, and to die is gain (departing to be with Jesus). If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far, but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body.” The changed man in Mark’s story chose as Paul did, to not depart to be with Jesus, but to go and tell others what the Lord had done for him and in so doing, the ones he told were amazed. Jesus’ grace – it’s too amazing not to share. Jesus has given each of us new life and though left behind to go tell others, He is with us in Spirit always to the very end. So, gotta go! My heart is with ya’s! Mk 5:1-20; Php 1:21-26; Mt 28:18-20; Jn 3:16, 15:1-17; Heb 13:15; 2 Co 5:11-21