4/25/13

From Mark Copeland... Who Was Afraid Of Jesus?

                          "THE GOSPEL OF MARK"

                   Who Was Afraid Of Jesus? (5:1-20)

INTRODUCTION

1. After calming the storm, Jesus and His disciples arrived in the
   country of the Gadarenes... - Mk 5:1
   a. A region on the east side of the Sea of Galilee
   b. Variously called Gadarenes, Gersasenes, and Gergesenes (after
      nearby cities)
   c. Also known as the Decapolis (a district of ten cities) - Mk 5:20

2. After taming a wild sea, Jesus now tames a wild man (Hendriksen)...
   a. A man possessed with unclean spirit - Mk 5:2
   b. Unable to be bound by chains, night and day crying and cutting
      himself - Mk 5:3-5
   c. Moved to worship Jesus by the legion of demons that possessed him
      - Mk 5:6-9
   d. The demons begged not to be tormented or sent out of the country
      - Mk 5:7,10
   e. Asking to be able to fill a herd of swine, they are allowed, only
      to drown them - Mk 5:11-13
   f. The swine feeders fled to tell others, who when seeing the
      demoniac in his right mind, begged for Jesus to leave their region
      - Mk 5:14-17
   g. As Jesus returns to his boat, the healed man pleads to join Him,
      but is sent home to tell others what the Lord has done - Mk 5:18-20

[In studying Mark's account of the healing of the demoniac and the
events which followed, I was struck by the fear of Jesus manifested in
this story.  So I ask, "Who Was Afraid Of Jesus?"  Was it...]

I. THE DEMONS WHO WERE LEGION?

   A. YES, AND JUSTIFIABLY SO...
      1. They begged Jesus not to torment them - Mk 5:7
      2. Note the similarity to the unclean spirit(s) in the synagogue
         - Mk 1:23-24
      3. Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil - 1Jn 3:8
      4. The demons (unclean spirits) knew the time was coming - Mt 8:29
      5. Indeed, everlasting fire is prepared for the devil and his
         angels - Mt 25:41
      6. Even now there are sinful angels bound by "chains of darkness"
         - 2Pe 2:4; Jude 9
      7. One day the devil himself will be cast into the lake of fire
         - Re 20:10
      -- Yes, the demons who were legion were terrified of Jesus!

   B. WE SHOULD BE AFRAID...
      1. If we are not ready for the coming of the Lord - 2Th 1:7-9
      2. We too will experience everlasting fire prepared for the devil
         and his angels - Mt 25:41,46
      3. Those not in the Book of life will not escape the lake of fire
         - Re 20:15; 21:8
      -- Yes, we should be terrified of Jesus if we are not ready!

[As we return to our text (Mk 5:1-20) with our question ("Who Was Afraid
Of Jesus?"), was it...]

II. THE DENIZENS OF THE REGION?

   A. YES, BUT UNJUSTIFIABLY SO...
      1. When they came to Jesus and saw the healed demoniac, they were
         afraid - Mk 5:14-15
      2. They pleaded with Jesus to depart from their region - Mk 5:17
      3. Their fear was the fear of the unknown, and they were unwilling
         to know
      4. Their fear deprived them of great blessings!
      -- Yes, the denizens of the region were foolishly afraid of
         learning more about Jesus!

   B. WE SHOULD NOT BE AFRAID...
      1. Of learning about Jesus, for He offers rest for our souls - Mt11:28-30
      2. Of coming to Jesus, for He is the source of every spiritual
         blessing - Ep 1:3
      3. Of obeying Jesus, for His words will free us from the bondage
         of sin - Jn 8:31-32,34-36
      4. Of following Jesus, for His words will provide safety in life's
         storms - Mt 7:24-27
      -- No, we should not be afraid to learn whatever we can about
         Jesus!

[Finally, as we consider "Who Was Afraid Of Jesus?", we ask if it
was...]

III. THE DEMONIAC WHO WAS HEALED?

   A. NO, AND JUSTIFIABLY NOT...
      1. He begged to be with Jesus, but Jesus had other plans for him
         - Mk 5:18-19
      2. He was not afraid of Jesus, nor afraid to tell others about
         Jesus - Mk 5:20
      3. Jesus had done great things for Him, and telling others led
         them to marvel - Mk 5:20
      -- No, he who was healed by Jesus was not afraid of Jesus!

   B. WE SHOULD NOT BE AFRAID...
      1. Of Jesus, for He loved us and washed us from our sins!- Re 1:5
      2. Of telling others about Jesus, who has given us great hope
         - 1Pe 3:15
      -- No, we who have been saved by Jesus should never be afraid of
         Jesus!

CONCLUSION

1. Who was afraid of Jesus...?
   a. Those unwilling to repent of their sins
   b. Those unwilling to learn about Jesus

2. Who was not afraid of Jesus...?
   a. The one who appreciated what Jesus had done for him
   b. The one who was willing to tell others what Jesus had done

3. Who are we more like in this story...?
   a. The demons who were legion?
   b. The denizens of the region?
   c. The demoniac who was healed?

The nature of our relationship with Jesus reveals the answer.  Do we
want to be with Jesus?  Are we willing to tell others about Jesus?  Or
are we afraid of Jesus...?

4/24/13

From Gary... Sunshine

A different sunshine

(click on the link to view)

Yesterday, my wife and I went to the hospital to see her sister Dorothy. She is in rehabilitation, trying to recover from a massive stroke. I must say, the time spent with her was a real eye-opener. Her determination to return to "normal life" coupled with the realization of what she had lost impressed me greatly!!! She was in excellent spirits when we left there and I pray she has a speedy recovery!!! All this made me think about the last couple of days. Two days ago, it was cloudy and the next one was better with the help of a little red bird and the God of Heaven. All this made me think of the things we take for granted each and every day. Simple things, like a morning "routine" or taking the dog for a walk. How about even more "basic" things, like being able to sit up in a chair, or feeding yourself, or even being able to see. So, when I checked facebook this morning, I saw this NPR video from NASA's Solar Dynamic Observatory and was fascinated by it. Imagine, being able to see how the sun shines over a three year period and at different angstrom wavelengths to boot!!!! Simply fascinating- well, I guess I sound a bit like Mr. Spock, but who cares; it is interesting. Consider what life would be like if you could not see, or worse yet, if you never had seen at all. And then you are given SIGHT!!! How would you react, what would you do? Here is one man's story...

John, Chapter 9

As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth.  2 His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”

  3 Jesus answered, “Neither did this man sin, nor his parents; but, that the works of God might be revealed in him.   4  I must work the works of him who sent me, while it is day. The night is coming, when no one can work.   5  While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”   6 When he had said this, he spat on the ground, made mud with the saliva, anointed the blind man’s eyes with the mud,  7 and said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means “Sent”). So he went away, washed, and came back seeing.  8 The neighbors therefore, and those who saw that he was blind before, said, “Isn’t this he who sat and begged?”  9 Others were saying, “It is he.” Still others were saying, “He looks like him.”

He said, “I am he.”  10 They therefore were asking him, “How were your eyes opened?”

11 He answered, “A man called Jesus made mud, anointed my eyes, and said to me, ‘Go to the pool of Siloam, and wash.’ So I went away and washed, and I received sight.”

12 Then they asked him, “Where is he?”

He said, “I don’t know.”

  13 They brought him who had been blind to the Pharisees.  14 It was a Sabbath when Jesus made the mud and opened his eyes.  15 Again therefore the Pharisees also asked him how he received his sight. He said to them, “He put mud on my eyes, I washed, and I see.”

  16 Some therefore of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, because he doesn’t keep the Sabbath.” Others said, “How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?” There was division among them.  17 Therefore they asked the blind man again, “What do you say about him, because he opened your eyes?”

He said, “He is a prophet.”

  18 The Jews therefore did not believe concerning him, that he had been blind, and had received his sight, until they called the parents of him who had received his sight,  19 and asked them, “Is this your son, whom you say was born blind? How then does he now see?”

  20 His parents answered them, “We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind;  21 but how he now sees, we don’t know; or who opened his eyes, we don’t know. He is of age. Ask him. He will speak for himself.”  22 His parents said these things because they feared the Jews; for the Jews had already agreed that if any man would confess him as Christ, he would be put out of the synagogue.  23 Therefore his parents said, “He is of age. Ask him.”

  24 So they called the man who was blind a second time, and said to him, “Give glory to God. We know that this man is a sinner.”

  25 He therefore answered, “I don’t know if he is a sinner. One thing I do know: that though I was blind, now I see.”

  26 They said to him again, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?”

  27 He answered them, “I told you already, and you didn’t listen. Why do you want to hear it again? You don’t also want to become his disciples, do you?”

  28 They insulted him and said, “You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses.  29 We know that God has spoken to Moses. But as for this man, we don’t know where he comes from.”

  30 The man answered them, “How amazing! You don’t know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes.  31 We know that God doesn’t listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshiper of God, and does his will, he listens to him.  32 Since the world began it has never been heard of that anyone opened the eyes of someone born blind.  33 If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.”

  34 They answered him, “You were altogether born in sins, and do you teach us?” They threw him out.

  35 Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and finding him, he said, “Do you believe in the Son of God?”

  36 He answered, “Who is he, Lord, that I may believe in him?”

  37 Jesus said to him, “You have both seen him, and it is he who speaks with you.”

  38 He said, “Lord, I believe!” and he worshiped him.

  39 Jesus said, “I came into this world for judgment, that those who don’t see may see; and that those who see may become blind.”

  40 Those of the Pharisees who were with him heard these things, and said to him, “Are we also blind?”

  41  Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you say, ‘We see.’ Therefore your sin remains.

I don't pretend to know why everything happens to us. I do know that God has transformed many terrible things in my life into blessings and that is enough for me!!! I don't need to know everything; just enough to have faith in God and do what I should to please him. When I do this, I can relate to the difficult things in life; the problems, the struggles, the disappointments with confidence because God loves me. However, I am not the center of the universe; others have problems, just like I do. The blind man in the above passage from John, my sister-in-law and countless others. What really matters in life is to seek out whatever goodness in you can find in life and seek God. Sooner or later tragedy besets us all and ultimately ends in our demise. Wouldn't it be nice if there if there was something better awaiting us after that? Truth is - there is!!! Begin by looking at your life; the simple things at first and then considering the more difficult as time goes by. How do I do this, you might ask. Well, I believe the Bible will give you the answers you seek, but you need to read it, believe it and do what it says. Keep looking- eventually you WILL SEE WHAT I MEAN!!! One more thing- look at the sun VERY, VERY CAREFULLY!!! Eyesight is a precious thing- just like your spiritual life!!!

ps. I was ready to post this and I remembered a former Bible Instructor of mine- John P. Bizzell and how he loved to sing...

I remember this as being his favorite hymn

There is sunshine in my soul today,
More glorious and bright
Than glows in any earthly sky,
For Jesus is my light.

O there’s sunshine, blessed sunshine,
While the peaceful, happy moments roll;
When Jesus shows His smiling face
There is sunshine in my soul.

There is music in my soul today,
A carol to my King;
And Jesus, listening, can hear
The song I cannot sing.

There is springtime in my soul today,
For when the Lord is near
The dove of peace sings in my heart,
The flowers of grace appear.

There is gladness in my soul today,
And hope, and praise, and love,
For blessings which He gives me now,
For joys laid up above.

Source: http://www.hymnal.net/hymn.php/h/343#ixzz2RObkJQnc

From Jim McGuiggan... Should she marry him?

Should she marry him?

If I read this piece later and think it sounds like some of the simplistic nonsense that we so often read in self-help books, I’ll shoot myself. Well...I’ll probably choose carefully where I put the bullet.

Whatever else they are Karl Popper, philosophy of science expert, says humans are problem-solvers. I don’t doubt it. Good thing too. But speaking as a Christian, I’m certain that whatever we are, if we sever ourselves from God our giftedness and purposes are railroaded. But worse than that—worse by far—our gifts can no longer function to bring about what it is that we ultimately need. The keys no longer fit the locks we feverishly try, and we pass by the doors that say, "I’m open."

The bulk of our entire problem solving work, I should think, would involve gaining knowledge. That makes sense, don’t you know. There must be knowledge!But the stockpiling of knowledge doesn’t appear to be bringing us any nearer to peace, peace within or peace with our neighbours. Even the obvious reasons for that are too many to follow right now.

Of course, you don’t need to be told that there are tens of millions that live contentedly and seem to be quite happy without God in their lives. I believe that’s the case and I think it’s very gracious of God to continue to bless us with so much (Acts 14:16-17 and 17:25) when we have no intention of acknowledging his generosity. No one lives without God in their life, whether they acknowledge it or not. To live only for ourselves is to miss the point of the cross (2 Corinthians 4:14-15). And then there are the millions that cannot live contented—they lack food, shelter, adequate political freedom and other basics without which a contented life is nearly impossible.

Like everything else, the quest for knowledge and the role of "problem-solver" can be over-rated and I think that is especially true in the lives of many sensitive believers who find themselves desperately trying to keep their heads above water. For whatever reasons, their lives are chaotic and they search their world over to find the solution. For some, their restless state is a chemical or hormonal or other imbalance or lack. Where that’s the case, wise and attentive doctors and medicine carefully used offer adequate control and we should thank God for them. But for a vast number, medicine only treats some of the symptoms and the underlying problem is barely—if at all—kept under control. The medicine doesn’t treat the problem!

Their ceaseless struggle with mental and emotional stress leads these hurting people to think things that aren’t true. Some of the religious rubbish you hear from self-serving preachers that are dolled up to the nineties, makes matters worse for the fragmenting people. Their illness, they’re told, is because they won’t believe. That goes along with what thesufferers tend to think. God must be terribly disappointed with them, must be angry with them and/or must be punishing them. It’s bad enough that they're feeling this agony—loss of health is bad—but to think that you’ve lost God or that he doesn’t want you must be unbearable. And because it’s unbearable the sufferers can’t allow themselves to fully believe it. There must be an answer somewhere! This is a problem that needs to be solved! The way to solve it is to gain more knowledge about God.

Ah, there it is: "more knowledge about God." So the answer is in knowing more verses, reciting more texts, being able to understand more complex theology? Somewhere there’s a point at which we have so much knowledge, and poof, a flash of blue smoke, and all the hurt vanishes? Don’t believe it; but don’t despise knowledge or think it useless. Not all knowing is knowing, and not all truths are of equal value though they are all equally true.

Where it’s the case that our hurts are plainly because of our selfishness, the direction we need to go is clear even if momentarily painful. Grow up or live with the consequences!

But for millions of people, their inner distress is so acute that they can’t take their eyes off themselves! And they’d love to be free to think of others! I have no comfort to offer those whose only wish is to serve themselves—it isn’t comfort Christ offers to such people. He looks at hosts in awful need and then at us who whine for "more" and for things we shouldn’t have and he speaks in holy strictness.

I know no guaranteed cures for hurt in this life. I don’t know that they exist. Dear God, I don’t know a guaranteed cure for my own needs, but I’m blessed enough where I don’t hurt like so many I know personally, and so many I know in other ways. But this I know—to "know" God is to have peace with him and to trust him (not ourselves!) eases pain and steadily dissolves it.

To trust God sets us free from having to trust ourselves!

Kierkegaard was over the top in his theological reasoning (the roots and nature of what I think is his error don't matter right now) but this brilliant man stressed a truth that we don't sufficiently take into account. He stressed that the search for knowledge, for answers, got in the way of our trusting. In fact, it was often a mark of our lack of trust.

Here's how it works. An utter stranger walks up to a woman and proposes marriage because, says he, "I am deeply in love with you and will love and cherish you forever." She quite sensibly says, "But, sir, I don't know you. Have a bit of sense, how can you expect me to commit myself to someone I don't know." But he persists, day after week after month. He isn't obnoxious about it, just persistent. She comes to think, "Hmmm, maybe he's the genuine article and maybe it would be a fine thing to commit to such a one. But how can I possibly trust him?" Still he comes, laying his love before her. "But, sir, you don't know me, how can you love me and how can say you will love me forever?" His reply satisfies him if not her. "I know me! I love you and will love you forever." She now thinks that maybe he's worth the effort but she wants to be sure. So like the sensible woman she is, she inquires of the local policeman in his neighbourhood. Has he ever been in trouble with the police? Does he have a criminal record of any sort? She inquires of the postman. Does he appear to be kind, gentle, someone who could be depended on? She checks with his old school-teachers. What does his history suggest? Did they ever know him to lie? She talks with his friends. Is he a patient person? Is he very demanding? What's he like if he's disappointed? She takes copious notes so that she can go over them, she might be able to find clues in there to some kind of pattern. It's all very sensible. Certainly nothing that sensible people would criticise her for. In fact, if she just up and married a perfect stranger, trusting her life to him simply because he said he loved her—they'd think she was mad. She wants to be sure and what could be wrong with that? However sensible and practical it is, every interview she conducted, every letter of enquiry she wrote, every note she took and scanned for clues demonstrated her lack of trust. However silly it would have been for her to do it, had she trusted the man completely and married him when he asked her, she never would have made all the enquiries. Her search for knowledge that would justify her committing herself to him was the proof that she didn't trust him. And her search for knowledge, believing that if she could "know," that she could be secure, what was this but placing her faith in her search, in herself, in her informants rather than in the man who said he loved her? And, as she reflects on it, she realises something else. She realises that part of her uncertainty lies in the fact that he doesn't know her. She is more than half-afraid that his love for her would be undermined if she disappointed him. If he got to know her, he might begin at disappointment, move to despising and finally to hating her. She realises she wasn’t only doubting him—she was also doubting herself! But that made her realise that she was subconsciously thinking that his relationship with her depended on how fine she was. This meant she didn’t understand the nature of his love for her. But whether she thought well or ill of herself, she wasn't trusting him. Maybe it made sense that she shouldn't! Maybe he should have to prove himself before she trusted him! Whatever. But if that’s the case, it’s clear she doesn't trust him!

Now: Does the man she can't trust, hate her because she can't completely trust him? Well, he comes every day proposing marriage and offering his forever kind of love. And maybe he knows her better than she knows he does. And maybe that doesn’t matter either.

Many thanks to brother Ed Healy for allowing me to post from his website, the abiding word.com.

From Mark Copeland... Jesus Calms The Storm

                          "THE GOSPEL OF MARK"

                    Jesus Calms The Storm (4:35-41)

INTRODUCTION

1. Following a day full of teaching activity...
   a. Jesus and His disciples got in a boat to sail across the Sea of
      Galilee - Mk 4:35-36
   b. A windstorm arose, beating waves into the boat - Mk 4:37
   c. Jesus was sleeping, but was wakened by His disciples fearing their
      lives - Mk 4:38
   d. Jesus rebuked the wind and calmed the seas - Mk 4:39
   e. He then reproached His disciples for their fear and lack of faith
      - Mk 4:40
   f. Filled with great fear, His disciples expressed their awe of Jesus
      to one another - Mk 4:41

2. The account of Jesus calming the storm is well-known...
   a. Popular in many children's Bible classes
   b. The setting for the song "Master, The Tempest Is Raging"

[Many sermons and lessons have been based on this amazing miracle of
Jesus.  In this sermon, we shall touch on just a few lessons that can be
gleaned from this event, beginning with the fact that...]

I. WE ARE NOT EXEMPT FROM STORMS

   A. WE FACE STORMS BECAUSE WE ARE HUMANS...
      1. Being Jesus' disciples did not protect them from storms
      2. We live in a world where there are many storms, both literal
         and figurative
      3. Christians experience literal tornados, hurricanes, just like
         everyone else
      4. Christians likewise face storms such as sickness, accidents,
         disappointments, death
      5. Paul certainly experience the perils of storms and shipwrecks
         - 2Co 11:25-26
      -- Jesus does not promise exemption from the normal storms of life

   B. WE FACE STORMS BECAUSE WE ARE CHRISTIANS...
      1. Jesus warned that we will experience tribulation as His
         disciples - Jn 16:33
      2. Paul did, and warned his fellow disciples - 2Co 11:24-25;

         Ac 14:22; 2Ti 3:12
      3. Peter wrote that we should not be surprised - 1Pe 4:12
      -- Jesus does not promise exemption from the storms of religious
         persecution

[So if we find ourselves in the midst of storms, whether literal or
figurative, whether its because we are simply humans or because we are
Christians, do not think it strange.  Instead take heart knowing
that...]

II. JESUS HELPS US DEAL WITH STORMS

   A. THROUGH FAITH...
      1. During storms, we are often afraid ("we are perishing!") - Mk 4:38
      2. Jesus teaches that fear is indicative of a lack of faith - Mk 4:40
      3. To overcome fear in storms, we need to grow in faith!
         a. Faith that God will protect us if it be His will - cf. Ps 46:1-3
         b. Faith that God will deliver us to His heavenly city even if
            we die - Ps 46:4-5,10-11
      -- Jesus reveals the role of faith in the midst of storms

   B. THROUGH HIS WORD...
      1. Jesus' words prepare us to withstand the storms of life - Mt 7:24-27
      2. How to pray in order to be heard by God - Mt 6:5-8
      3. To lay up treasure in heaven instead of on earth - Mt 6:19-21
      4. To seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness - Mt 6:31-34
      -- Jesus shares the secrets to standing strong against the storms
         of life

   C. THROUGH PRAYER...
      1. Jesus is key to receiving mercy and grace to help in time of
         need - He 4:14-16; 7:25
      2. In anxious times, God offers peace to guard our hearts and
         minds in Christ Jesus through prayer - Php 4:6-7
      -- Jesus stands ready to calm our hearts and minds when facing
         storms

   D. THROUGH HIS SACRIFICE...
      1. The greatest "storm" all of us will face will be the Day of
         Judgment - 2Pe 3:7,10-12
      2. A day in which we will all stand before the judgment seat of
         Christ - 2Co 5:10
      3. But Christ shed His blood to spare us on that Day - Ro 5:6-10
      4. By obeying the gospel, we can have our names added to the
         Lamb's book of life and escape condemnation for our sins - cf.
         Mk 16:15-16; Ac 2:38; Re 20:11-15
      -- Jesus stands ready to save us and protect us from the "perfect
         storm" to come

CONCLUSION

1. Everyone will face one or more storms in his or her life...
   a. Whether literally or metaphorically
   b. Whether atheist or believer

2. How shall we react when the time(s) come...?
   a. Shall we cry out like the disciples who were weak in faith ("we
      are perishing!")?
   b. Or shall we weather the storms with confident faith and calm
      repose?

3. And how shall we stand on when the final storm comes...?
   a. The "perfect storm", that is, the Day of Judgment?
   b. Shall we hear Jesus say, "Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit
      the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world"?
      - cf. Mt 25:34
   c. Or will we hear Him say, "Depart from Me, you cursed, into the
      everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels"? - cf. Mt 25:41

When Jesus rebuked the wind and spoke to the sea, "Peace, be still", the
wind ceased and there was a great calm.  The disciples, with fear and
amazement, said:

      "Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?"

The wind and the sea obeyed Jesus.  Shall we not obey Him who now has
all authority in heaven and on earth...? - cf. Mt 28:18-20

4/23/13

From Gary... A red bird, an old song and the light of life

One of the tasks I now do each day is taking Buddy for his early morning walk. On the way back home, I saw a red bird in a small tree and it perked me right up. Immediately, an old song came to mind and I couldn't help but sing what words of it I could remember...

Red, red Robin

Needless to say, it started the day on a good note (no pun intended, I am not that musical). So, a few hours later (around noon) when I took Buddy out again, I snapped a few more pictures. Yesterday is gone and today the sun is shining and there are only a few clouds in the sky. Somehow things just look "Better"!!! On days like today, I can imagine how someone who has just seen the world for the first time might feel...

John, Chapter 9

1 As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. 2 His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”

3 Jesus answered, “Neither did this man sin, nor his parents; but, that the works of God might be revealed in him. 4 I must work the works of him who sent me, while it is day. The night is coming, when no one can work. 5 While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” 6 When he had said this, he spat on the ground, made mud with the saliva, anointed the blind man’s eyes with the mud, 7 and said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means “Sent”). So he went away, washed, and came back seeing.

If just a little red bird can make big changes in your life, think of what Jesus can do!!! When the sun shines, it adds warmth and texture to everything we see, but when Jesus shines in your heart even the smallest little change around you (like a bird in a tree) can seem wonderful. And a little music from Al Jolson couldn't hurt either!!!

From Jim McGuiggan... CHECKMATED BUT WINNING

CHECKMATED BUT WINNING

Acts 16:7 tells us that Paul turned to go to Bithynia but the Spirit of God stopped him--wouldn't allow it!

How did the Spirit do that? Via a dream? Did a prophet speak a word to him? Did he become ill? More than one of these? All of them together? I mention this because Paul didn't enjoy being contradicted or thwarted or hindered and he didn't mind saying that when he was hindered it was Satan at work in the matter [see 1Thessalonians 2:18].

In Acts 21:10-14 a prophet warns Paul what would happen to him if he insisted on going to Jerusalem. The disciples begged Paul not to go there [how many "good reasons" did they give to win him over?] but in the end we're told he could not be persuaded. Again, I mention this to make the point that when the Spirit stopped Paul in Acts 16 the message must have been loud and clear and definitive because the only thing this man really cared for was that he be faithful to the task God had given him and that was to preach the gospel [Acts 20:24].

As God's story unfolds in Acts we learn that God's eternal purpose is greater than Paul, greater than Paul's faithful and driven heart. Paul was marvelous but God is more marvelous. Paul was committed but God is more committed. But it was because Paul had one thing in his heart, had one joy in his life that the Spirit said a definitive "no" to him. The Story was to go West!

Paul was never so wisely guided, said G.H. Morrison, than that time when he was thwarted, baffled more than once [Acts 16:6-7}. Paul said "yes" and God said "no". Incidents like this leave us with many questions and generate many others but they are questions for another time. Here on this occasion Paul dreamed a dream about a man in the West pleading for help and he concluded [16:10] that God was calling him Westward.

[Was God not making a "pet" out of the West? Hmmm. Was he not making a "servant" out of the West whether or not the West has refused or refuses to be? Has privilege no implied mission?]

God will not be domesticated! He will have what he will have and what he will haveexpresses his heart's desire to bless the entire human family. This means he will, when it suits his wise and loving purpose, say "no" even to his devoted servants! This means he will not always speak in such a way that he cannot be misunderstood--there will be times when the devoted servants will have to trust to their loving hearts' best construal. But it will be such people that God will trust himself to. As if he said, "They will work it out--they love me!"

In this person, Paul, the Spirit's "no" and his "yes" was rightly understood because he was so in tune with the Spirit, so driven to proclaim the gospel of God as it has come to us in the blessed Lord Jesus that he tried every door and when he found one left unlocked he hurled himself through it. If God checkmated him it was because he knew the heart of Paul--knew that he would think himself a "winner" despite the loss [compare 2 Corinthians 12:1-10 for the same spirit in Paul].

Paul would have seen himself a winner because he was free now to preach THE GOSPEL to the Western world. Had he gone east he would have turned his back on Athens and on the world's center of power, Rome. In truth, Paul was not beaten. If he was free to preach, if God had opened a door or shut one it made no difference to Paul. It was GOD who was God. It was GOD'S gospel about GOD'S Son and Paul was his willing servant. You can't beat such a man by helping him better to do his job. He'll turn and thank you for it!

But let Paul through a door and it's THE GOSPEL he'll preach! It's GOD he'll talk about! He won't educate, he won't inform, he won't entertain, he won't enthrall, he won't delight, he won't moralize, he won't impress or amaze--he will PREACH! He will preach the GOSPEL! He will go to many places and find himself in many differing situations and he will shape his presentation accordingly But he willl PREACH and he will preach one thing--THE GOSPEL.

God doesn't take the trouble to say "no" to Reader's Digest "preachers". God doesn't bother himself to shut and open doors to the clever "information pedlars". He marks well the journeys of PREACHERS who preach one thing--THE GOSPEL.

Many thanks to brother Ed Healy, for allowing me to post from his website, the abiding word.com.

From Mark Copeland... Private Teaching And Its Benefits

                          "THE GOSPEL OF MARK"

              Private Teaching And Its Benefits (4:33-34)

INTRODUCTION

1. Jesus was truly the Master Teacher...
   a. He preached often in the synagogues - Mk 1:39
   b. He taught large crowds by the sea shore - Mk 2:13; 4:1-2

2. He also taught in private...
   a. Especially regarding the parables, first told in public - Mk 4:33
   b. Which He later explained to His disciples - Mk 4:34

[The disciples of Jesus were blessed to have private instruction.  While
listening to the Word of God in a public setting is of great value, have
you considered the benefits of private teaching...?]

I. WHAT IS PRIVATE TEACHING?

   A. EXPLANATION...
      1. Simply put, it is teaching in a private setting (home, office,
         park bench)
      2. Just the teacher and the learner, or at the most a small group
         of learners
      3. Where the teaching is informal, usually a dialogue rather than
         a lecture
      -- Private teaching involves a more intimate, personal environment
         for learning

   B. EXAMPLES...
      1. Jesus and His disciples in our text - Mk 4:33-34
      2. Jesus and Nicodemus - Jn 3:1-3
      3. Jesus and the Samaritan woman - Jn 4:5-26
      4. Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch - Ac 8:26-40
      5. Peter and the household of Cornelius - Ac 10:24,33
      6. Aquila and Priscilla working with Apollos - Ac 18:24-26
      7. Paul as he taught in homes, including his own - Ac 20:20;
         28:30-31
      -- The Bible is filled with examples of private teaching

[Jesus and His followers made much use of private teaching in addition
to public instruction.  To appreciate why, consider the answer to the
question...]

II. WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS?

   A. INDIVIDUAL ATTENTION...
      1. Public teaching is at best a "shotgun" approach
         a. An audience has many people with different needs, levels of
            understanding
         b. No one subject or lesson meets the interests of every person
      2. Private teaching can address an individual's needs or interests
         a. The need might be basic ("What must I do to be saved?")
         b. The interest might be academic ("I ask you, of whom does the
            prophet say this...?)
         c. The desire might be to grow in understanding ("Explain this
            parable to us.")
         d. The student might want to act immediately ("What hinders me
            from being baptized?")
      -- Public instruction cannot provide such individual attention

   B. PERSONAL QUESTIONS...
      1. Public teaching does not lend itself to asking questions
         a. Some venues traditionally frown on asking questions (e.g.,
            during a sermon)
         b. Shy people are often are too intimidated to ask questions in
            public
         c. Personal questions are not always suitable for public
            discourse
      2. Private teaching is well suited for questions
         a. Related to one's interests or spiritual level
         b. Without fear of ridicule or interruption
      -- Private teaching allows for inquiry and follow-up questions

   C. SUPERIOR LEARNING...
      1. Successful people have their mentors and advisors
         a. Olympic athletes have personal coaches
         b. Serious fitness buffs have personal trainers
      2. The disciples benefited by their time with Jesus - cf. Ac 4:13
      3. Personal spiritual training is part of God's plan - cf. 2Ti 2:2
         a. Don't think you need a personal teacher?
         b. Then you need to be a teacher! - cf. He 5:12
      -- Private teaching provides opportunity for accelerated and
         advanced learning

CONCLUSION

1. Willingness to listen to public preaching and teaching is
   commendable...
   a. Do you listen to sermons in worship?  Good!
   b. Do you attend and participate in Bible classes at church?  Great!

2. But if you want to really get serious about your salvation and
   spiritual growth...
   a. Find a personal "spiritual fitness" trainer
   b. Attend a home Bible study, or start one in your home

After the two disciples walked with Jesus on the road to Emmaus, they
said to one another:

   "Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the
   road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?" - Lk 24:32

Their experience (hearts excited by learning) is often shared today by
many people who are willing to go beyond just attending church, to
become involved in the private teaching of the Word of God.

If you would like to experience the benefits of private teaching, please
let us know...