Real People

Love you all, praying for you,
 
I just love God’s Word.  It tells you about real people.  What they did, and what God did.  Have you ever noticed in the life of Jesus on earth, He did mind-blowing miracles.  But the ones who got them, were rarely the successful.  They were the ones who recognized their need for Him – for a miracle from Him.  They fully admitted they were powerless to do it on their own.  Successful people – in their own mind – rarely get to the point where they need Him more than anything else.  The ones who leave everything behind in search of Him were the ones who got the miracle.  Like the woman with the issue of blood, who grabbed onto his cloak in the crowd.  Like the Phoenician woman who didn’t care what He said, she just wanted Him to heal her child.  The successful people, didn’t come to him, they critiqued him.  The ones who did what they did and got what they got, had no need of Him.  They didn’t value anything He had, other than notoriety.  The only exception – was the Roman Centurion – a very successful guy.  But He was humble and He worshipped the one true God.  He knew how authority worked, and He knew Jesus had all authority on earth, over every disease.  He understood authority, that’s why he asked Jesus to heal his servant, and said, “You don’t even have to come to my house, I am not worthy to have you enter, just say the word and He will be healed.”  And Jesus was amazed.  He said it was more faith than he had seen in Israel.  I really like this next guy… Mark 10:46 – Then they came to Jericho.  As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (that is, the son of Timaeus), was sitting by the roadside begging.  When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!  Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”  This man had a need, he was powerless in himself to meet it, he needed a miracle.  And he believed that this Jesus could give him what he asked.  How many times was Jesus in Jericho? – maybe the first and last time.  And he was not missing his chance.  He didn’t care what he looked like, what he sounded like, he didn’t care what anybody thought of him, insults did not phase him, He was going after Jesus with everything he had.  He was desperate.  People who are curious don’t get the miracle, people who are desperate and who believe - do.  Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” So they called to the blind man, “Cheer up!  On your feet!  He’s calling you.  (They had no idea what was about to happen, perhaps they thought Jesus was just going to ask him to be quiet, or give him some alms.)  Throwing his cloak to the side, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus.  “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked him.  The blind man said, “Rabbi, I want to see.”  “Go,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.  Even Jesus response was unexpected.  He didn’t call attention to the scene, wave his arms around – call upon the Name of the Father in Heaven, He just issued an authoritative command, and gave the reason that authority could flow – which brings ‘out of order things’ into order.  Your faith has healed you.  Blind Bartimaeus got to the place where his desperation merged with His faith – and he cried out to Jesus, Son of David, fully believing if Jesus would just hear him, He would heal him.  He did.  His faith was activated by what He called Jesus.  He didn’t call him Jesus of Nazareth.  He called Him Jesus, Son of David - The Christ, The Messiah.  Offensive to the religious, but he called Jesus who He really was – whether he completely understood what He was saying or not.  Praying that your faith will bring heaven to bear on what you’re desperate for that which God has put in your heart to ask and believe.  That God would reveal who He is, and that you would seek Him and call on Him and believe Him like Bartimaeus - so your faith will bring His authority to flow through your life as a testimony of God’s great love and power.  
 
Love you all,
dad