Then it happened, as He was coming near Jericho, that a certain blind man sat by the road begging. And hearing a multitude passing by, he asked what it meant. So they told him that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by. And he cried out, saying, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Then those who went before warned him that he should be quiet; but he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” So Jesus stood still and commanded him to be brought to Him. And when he had come near, He asked him, saying, “What do you want Me to do for you?” He said, “Lord, that I may receive my sight.” Then Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight; your faith has made you well.” And immediately he received his sight, and followed Him, glorifying God. And all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God,” Luke 18:35-39. Think and Grow “Go Teach All Nations,” p. 823, 824, The Desire of Ages,* by Ellen G. White Christ feels the woes of every sufferer. When evil spirits rend a human frame, Christ feels the curse. When fever is burning up the life current, He feels the agony. And He is just as willing to heal the sick now as when He was personally on earth. Christ’s servants are His representatives, the channels for His working. He desires through them to exercise His healing power. These lessons are for us. There are conditions to be observed by all who would preserve health. All should learn what these conditions are. The Lord is not pleased with ignorance in regard to His laws, either natural or spiritual. We are to be workers together with God for the restoration of health to the body as well as to the soul. And we should teach others how to preserve and to recover health. For the sick we should use the remedies which God has provided in nature, and we should point them to Him who alone can restore. It is our work to present the sick and suffering to Christ in the arms of our faith. We should teach them to believe in the Great Healer. We should lay hold on His promise, and pray for the manifestation of His power. The very essence of the gospel is restoration, and the Saviour would have us bid the sick, the hopeless, and the afflicted take hold upon His strength. The power of love was in all Christ’s healing, and only by partaking of that love, through faith, can we be instruments for His work. If we neglect to link ourselves in divine connection with Christ, the current of life-giving energy cannot flow in rich streams from us to the people. There were places where the Saviour Himself could not do many mighty works because of their unbelief. So now unbelief separates the church from her divine Helper. Her hold upon eternal realities is weak. By her lack of faith, God is disappointed, and robbed of His glory. It is in doing Christ’s work that the church has the promise of His presence. Go teach all nations, He said; “and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.” To take His yoke is one of the first conditions of receiving His power. The very life of the church depends upon her faithfulness in fulfilling the Lord’s commission. To neglect this work is surely to invite spiritual feebleness and decay. Where there is no active labor for others, love wanes, and faith grows dim. …......………………………….
…......………………………………………….. ELLEN G. WHITE (1827-1915), one of the most published authors in the world, named one of the “100 Most Significant Americans of All Time” by the Smithsonian Institution in 2014, was a co-founder of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. _________________ *You can read The Desire of Ages in its entirety online at www.whiteestate.org/onlineboks.
Read Luke 18:35, Luke 4:18, Isaiah 61:1 Jesus is walking with a group toward Jericho and there was blind man begging. Have you ever asked the question as to why the blind man was sitting there? Someone, more than likely, had to bring him to that place. Have you ever wondered who it was? Do you ever look around and wonder about the stories of the people around you? Take some time today to say a short prayer for those that catch your attention. Read Luke 18:35-38 This man obviously needs help. Good thing for him that on this day that Jesus was walking by. But what about all the other days that he was dropped off in this spot to beg? How many weeks, months, or years had he been brought to the same spot with little progress in his life? What if the people who brought him could have done more? Can we do more? Do we have to do more? Let us know what you think about these questions on social media using #MessageMag. Read Luke 18:39; 1 Corinthians 9:19 Can you imagine being this man? He’s dropped off daily by people who, though they are doing him a service, could do more. Do we do the same? Maybe we have weakened what it means to be a servant. Maybe we’re more like the people who try to silence those who could use a little more assistance. Have we gotten to the point like Paul that we are willing to sacrifice our freedom for the lives of others? I haven’t. What about you? Talk to us using #MessageMag on Social Media. Read Luke 18:39-40; Psalm 18:6; Psalm 34:19 The Bible promises that God will deliver. When I survey the stories and happenings of Biblical History I see that, more often than not, God uses people to carry out His deliverance. Jesus has the same people who were hushing the man to carry him over. The grace in this is that even if you haven’t been bringing people to Jesus, it’s never too late to start. Maybe God wants you to carry someone to Him. It’s a big responsibility, but I know that if God asked you, He’ll empower you to do so. Is there someone for whom God wants you to be responsible? If so I’d love to personally call their name out with you in prayer. You can call and pray with me at 614-266-9568. Read Luke 18:41-42; Isaiah 59:1-2 This man could have asked for anything. He wasn’t going to waste being in the presence of Jesus with a misguided request. I expect he had been through enough for him to realize that his problem had nothing to do with anyone other than himself. That is the challenge of serving people—being able to stick with them until they realize their issues, and we see ours. When problems arise, do you check yourself before assigning blame on others? Is that hard or easy? Why? Share on Social Media using #MessageMag. Luke 18:43; 2 Corinthians 4:8-10; 1 Corinthains 3:6-9 When the blind man receives his sight he immediately follows Jesus. Shouldn’t our servanthood cause us to lead people to the place where they no longer need our service, but are able to stop worrying about themselves and focus on others? It takes time, patience, and sacrifice for many. Some don’t get to that point in our time with them. The cost doesn’t exempt us. Luke 18:31-43 Jesus had just told His disciples for the third time that He must die for the world to be saved. Immediately, He goes towards Jerusalem by way of Jericho. He did’t have to go this way because there was an alternate route, but He did because there was someone that God wanted for Him to serve. In other words, Jesus went the extra mile for one person. Are we willing to do the same? …......………………………………………………………………. Rashad Burden is the pastor of the Mount Olive and Shiloh Seventh-day Adventist Churches in Southern Alabama.
This article is part of our 2019 March / April
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Helping people the way they need to be helped can be challenging. Many know what it feels like to try to help someone and realize later on that you were only enabling them. Some have put effort into assisting others only to end up feeling used and abused. How did Jesus do so much for so many when He knew there would be those who wouldn’t do for others? Join us as we are challenged like Jesus to go The Extra Mile.
This article is part of our 2019 March / April
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Our Part in The Healing
