Do You Believe?

 

Are there any blind-spots in your life that keep you from recognizing God's power and mercy? When two blind men heard that Jesus was passing their way, they followed him and begged for his mercy. The word mercy literally means "sorrowful at heart". But mercy is something more than compassion, or heartfelt sorrow at another person's misfortune. Compassion empathizes with the sufferer. But mercy goes further; it removes suffering. A merciful person shares in another person's misfortune and suffering as if it were their own.

God shows mercy to those who recognize their need for his forgiveness and healing
When two blind men approached Jesus, he questioned their earnestness. "Do you believe that I am able to do this?" Jesus put them to the test, not to rebuff them, but to strengthen their faith and trust in God's mercy. He touched their eyes, both to identify with their affliction and to awaken faith in them. Their faith grew as they responded to his word with confident hope. Jesus restored their sight - both physically and spiritually to the reality of God's kingdom. Faith opens the way for us to see the power of God's kingdom and to experience his healing presence in our lives.

In Jesus we see the fullness of God's mercy and the power of his kingdom - power to save from death and destruction, to forgive sins and lift the burden of guilt, and to heal infirmities and release the oppressed. Jesus never refused to bring God's mercy to those who earnestly sought it. How can we seek and obtain God's mercy? God gives mercy to the lowly in heart - to those who recognize their need for God and for his forgiveness and healing power.

God transforms those who put their hope and trust in him
God wants to change and transform our lives to set us free to live as his sons and daughters and citizens of his kingdom. Faith is key to this transformation. How can we grow in faith? Faith is a gift freely given by God to help us know God personally, to understand his truth, and to live in the power of his love. For faith to be effective it must be linked with trust and obedience - an active submission to God and a willingness to do whatever he commands. The Lord Jesus wants us to live in the confident expectation that he will fulfill his promises to us and bring us into the fullness of his kingdom - a kingdom of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit (Romans 14:17). Do you know the peace and joy of God's kingdom?

Prayer
Lord Jesus, help me to draw near to you with faith and trust in your saving power and mercy. Free me from doubt and unbelief that I may approach you confidently and pray boldly with expectant faith. Let your kingdom come and may your will be done in me.

source: From the desk of Don Schwager,

hosted by Kairos Europe and the Middle East

Lazarus was carried to Abraham's bosom

What sustains you when trials and affliction come your way?

The prophet Jeremiah tells us that whoever relies on God will not be disappointed or be in want when everything around them dries up or disappears (Jeremiah 17:7-8). God will not only be their consolation, but their inexhaustible source of hope and joy as well.

We lose what we hold on to - we gain what we give away

Jesus' parable about the afflictions of the poor man Lazarus brings home a similar point. In this story Jesus paints a dramatic scene of contrasts - riches and poverty, heaven and hell, compassion and indifference, inclusion and exclusion. We also see an abrupt and dramatic reversal of fortune. Lazarus was not only poor, but sick and unable to fend for himself. He was "laid" at the gates of the rich man's house. The dogs which licked his sores probably also stole the little bread he got for himself. Dogs in the ancient world symbolised contempt. Enduring the torment of these savage dogs only added to the poor man's miseries and sufferings. 

The rich man treated the beggar with contempt and indifference, until he found his fortunes reversed at the end of his life! In God's economy, those who hold on possessively to what they have, lose it all in the end, while those who share generously receive back many times more than they gave away.

Do not lose hope - God rewards those who trust in him

The name Lazarus means God is my help. Despite a life of misfortune and suffering, Lazarus did not lose hope in God. His eyes were set on a treasure stored up for him in heaven. The rich man, however, could not see beyond his material wealth and possessions. He not only had every thing he needed, he selfishly spent all he had on himself. He was too absorbed in what he possessed to notice the needs of those around him. He lost sight of God and the treasure of heaven because he was preoccupied with seeking happiness in material things. He served wealth rather than God. In the end the rich man became a beggar!

Do you know the joy and freedom of possessing God as your true and lasting treasure? Those who put their hope and security in heaven will not be disappointed (see Hebrews 6:19)

"Lord Jesus, you are my joy and my treasure. Make me rich in the things of heaven and give me a generous heart that I may freely share with others the spiritual and material treasures you have given to me."

source: From the desk of Don Schwager, 

hosted by Kairos Europe and the Middle East

Never listen or be tempted by the serpent, be obedient to God's law, only trust God

Our obedience to God and His laws is the question. The serpent symbolizes the fallen angel whom has rebel against God, and now known and called the devil or Satan, and is seeking the ruin of souls in this world. Therefore, we we should abide and be obedient to God and His Son our Saviour, JESUS CHRIST (Jesus has said in John 14:6, I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me). Jesus Christ to was tempted, suffered, died, conquered Satan vicariously for our salvation. Jesus trusted and believe in His Father words in His Father, that is why he said in Matthew 4:7, "You shall not put the Lord, your God, to the test." God is found by those who do not tempt him, and he manifests himself to those who trust him. It would have been arrogance and insolence, and not trust, if Jesus had thrown Himself down from the parapet of the temple in acceptance of Satan's challenge. Therefore, we too should not listen nor accept the temptation by Satan in our daily lives and we should turn to God in prayer. Apply the sign of the Cross, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen and tell Satan to go away taking with him his evil intentions. To be tempted is not sinful but in accepting or giving in, then we have committed sin. Jesus Christ is our Light of Faith, and by the Word of God (the will of God is in his Words) we will be able to resist all the temptations and works of the dark side (finding shelter under the wings of God), and by this we will be able to avoid being sinful. Often, it is only after going through sore temptations and trials, by the faith. believe and trust in Him at those times, we will experience the sweet communion with God, experiencing the fullness of His great and unending love for us.

Ephesians 5:10-17
Try to find out what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. For it is shameful even to mention what such people do secretly; but everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for everything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says,
“Sleeper, awake!
Rise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you.”
Be careful then how you live, not as unwise people but as wise, making the most of the time, because the days are evil. So do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

Glory to Christ! 

Glory be to the Father, 

and to the Son, 

and Holy Spirit, 

now and ever. Amen.

Know God's WORD

Trust God's WORD

Obey God's WORD

The WORD of God alone causes and sustains life,

is not absolutely dependent on ordinary food.

Genesis 2:7-9; 3:1-7
The LORD God formed man out of the clay of the ground
and blew into his nostrils the breath of life,
and so man became a living being.

Then the LORD God planted a garden in Eden, in the east,
and placed there the man whom he had formed.
Out of the ground the LORD God made various trees grow
that were delightful to look at and good for food,
with the tree of life in the middle of the garden
and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

Now the serpent was the most cunning of all the animals
that the LORD God had made.
The serpent asked the woman,
“Did God really tell you not to eat
from any of the trees in the garden?”
The woman answered the serpent:
“We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden;
it is only about the fruit of the tree
in the middle of the garden that God said,
‘You shall not eat it or even touch it, lest you die.’”
But the serpent said to the woman:
“You certainly will not die!
No, God knows well that the moment you eat of it
your eyes will be opened and you will be like gods
who know what is good and what is evil.”
The woman saw that the tree was good for food,
pleasing to the eyes, and desirable for gaining wisdom.
So she took some of its fruit and ate it;
and she also gave some to her husband, who was with her,
and he ate it.
Then the eyes of both of them were opened,
and they realized that they were naked;
so they sewed fig leaves together
and made loincloths for themselves.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Matthew 4:1-11
At that time Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert
to be tempted by the devil.
He fasted for forty days and forty nights,
and afterwards he was hungry.
The tempter approached and said to him,
“If you are the Son of God,
command that these stones become loaves of bread.”
He said in reply,
“It is written:
One does not live on bread alone,
but on every word that comes forth
from the mouth of God.”

Then the devil took him to the holy city,
and made him stand on the parapet of the temple,
and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down.
For it is written:
He will command his angels concerning you
and with their hands they will support you,
lest you dash your foot against a stone.”
Jesus answered him,
“Again it is written,
You shall not put the Lord, your God, to the test.”
Then the devil took him up to a very high mountain,
and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in their magnificence,
and he said to him, "All these I shall give to you,
if you will prostrate yourself and worship me.”
At this, Jesus said to him,
“Get away, Satan!
It is written:
The Lord, your God, shall you worship
and him alone shall you serve.”

Then the devil left him and, behold,
angels came and ministered to him.