Tag Archive for 'miracles'

Jesus’ Confident Arrest

Published on 7/17/2010 in Bible Study. Closed Tags: , , , , , , .
[4] Then Jesus, knowing all that would happen to him, came forward and said to them, “Whom do you seek?” [5] They answered him, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus said to them, “I am he.” Judas, who betrayed him, was standing with them. [6] When Jesus said to them, “I am he,” they drew back and fell to the ground. [7] So he asked them again, “Whom do you seek?” And they said, “Jesus of Nazareth.” [8] Jesus answered, “I told you that I am he. So, if you seek me, let these men go.”
(John 18:4-8 ESV)
Jesus is ready to go. He didn’t send Peter, James, and John to stall or slow down the army. He didn’t ask these questions to buy more time. He was ready to separate Himself from the 11 so that they could go free.
When Jesus says “I am He.” and all of the guys fall backward, I do too. That just blows me away. Some people use that verse to explain/justify being ‘slain in the Spirit’ I don’t even want to go there. It wasn’t the disciples, it was the army coming to kill Jesus. I don’t want to be grouped with them. This army wasn’t bowing down and worshiping, they were getting punked by the Lord of the Burning Bush and the power plant behind their heartbeat.
<added 7/17>
I was talking to Eric Youngblood last night and he said he thinks that Jesus just said “I Am” right there.
Think on that: <my narrative>
“Who are you seeking?” Jesus asked them over the sizzle of torches and the clanging of swords, shields and armor.
“Jesus of Nazareth” The commander of the legion shouted.
Jesus stepped forward, “The name [pause] is I Am.”
Nobody was sure if it was a strong wind, an earthquake, or a thunderclap that knocked the army backwards and onto their backs, but it was a full minute of confused, fowl-mouthed, scrambling before they had all gotten back up and approached Jesus again.
I wonder if any of the priest’s men thought about 2 Kings 1:10, when Elijah said, “If I am a man of God, then let fire come down…” as they were getting knocked backward.
Jesus WANTS to reveal the fullness of the Father in ALL of His glory to all men. He gives these guys a chance to recognize who they are messing with.
Who do you want?
Jesus of Nazareth (just a man)
“I Am?” Jesus pronounces His title with the power veil up just a little bit, like pulling the curtain back just a tad to wake someone up that has slept in on a Saturday morning. In 2 Kings 1 the power veil was pulled up a little too far and the 50 soldiers were cooked.
Here is their chance to reconcile who this guy is. Who exactly are they messing with?
Whom do you want? What did you call me?
Jesus of Nazareth (still considering Him just a man)
“I am he.” Jesus fully veils the power of God and goes with them. They didn’t want to see it and so He didn’t force it on them. He could call down legions of angels for their destruction, or walk right through the crowd without getting touched, but that was not the Father’s plan that night, and Jesus knew it.

If You Haven’t Gotten It Yet, It’s All About God’s Glory!

Published on 10/2/2009 in Bible Study. 1 Comment Tags: , , , , .

- John 11. 41 – Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42 I knew
  that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people
  standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.

Previously some of the leaders had said that Jesus had a demon,
      and others asked, “Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?” Now
      Jesus does something that they all know, no matter how hard
      hearted they may be, that no demon could ever do. And they know
      that for something of this magnitude, God would never listen to a
      sinner.
Jesus showed a lot of humility in calling on the Father. I don’t
      want to say that though, because there is an arrogant or prideful
      tone to saying someone “showed a lot of humility”. He deferred to
      the Father for the Father to get Glory from this event. When
      Moses got angry and struck the rock, he said, “Shall I bring
      water for you out of this rock?” and God was upset with him
      because he did not “Bring glory to God.”
      Jesus brings God glory by showing to everyone around that this
      miracle is at the request of a man to God. It is not luck,
      chance, fate, God’s unstoppable do-what-He-pleases will, or the
      work of demons.
I was in a class once and the prof was talking about praying for
      people and then afterwards asking if they felt anything when he
      prayed for them. A student in the class asked, “Weren’t you
      afraid of God looking bad when they said, no, they didn’t feel
      anything and your prayer wasn’t answered?”
      The teacher answered something about how he left God’s reputation
      up to God and that he thought he’d be lying if the made the
      person think that God answered every single prayer we pray
      instantly. I think another aspect of it is what happens here with
      Lazarus. There are many times that I tell people that I’m praying
      for this or that, and I really am, because I don’t want God to
      answer my prayer and them give credit anywhere else.
The Father wants us to know that He listens to us. He wants us to
      know that He deserves glory and credit and attention for the
      things He does, and that we do not benefit in any way by trying
      to skim some of it off for ourselves.
There are a lot of situations and events that I think people are
      afraid to ask God about. They may be afraid to be honest with Him
      or afraid that if they get what they ask for, it may require
      opening a tomb that stinks. The fact is, that’s underestimating
      Him and selling Him short. How much better to be over the top in
      our confidence and dependance on Him, so that when He does more
      than we ask He will get even more glory?

God Helps Those Who Help Themselves – Not

Published on 7/31/2009 in Bible Study. 1 Comment Tags: , , .

Deut. 32:36 The LORD will judge his people and have compassion on his servants when he sees their strength is gone and no one is left, slave or free.

He will have compassion on his servants when their strength is gone. gone. not that hell help them just before its gone. gone.

If Jesus came and helped Lazarus when he was *almost* dead, then Lazarus could have gotten a little credit for having a little life in himself that Jesus could help along.

Nope. He was dead.

Colossians 2:13And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, Godmade alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses,

You werent a a little bit alive and God healed you. If youve been saved, you were saved, not helped. And if you havent been saved, then youre dead, not just sick. I usually dont play the Binary Christian that sees everything in black and white, but in this context it fits.

He will give His servants compassion when He sees their strength is gone.

Jesus was about 25 miles away when he heard that Lazarus was sick. He could have easily made that trip in two days, but when he would have arrived, Lazarus would have STILL already been dead for 2 days. On the one hand, Jesus knew to rush would be hopeless. On the other hand, Jesus knew to delay would show the disciples, Mary, Martha, Lazarus, and the rest so much more.

God really is the hope for the hopeless. He thought that was important to tell us. Important enough that he painfully let His friend die and other friends cry their eyes out. Can you believe that He would let so much pain happen to people He loved, to show His glory?!

I can. I can only imagine that nobody ever felt the joy and amazement that Mary and Martha felt that day that Lazarus got unwrapped. I can only imagine how much Peter must have trembled after seeing this Guy boss storms around and make food come out of nowhere for thousands.

God is the hopeless seeker, the hopeless blaster, and the hope bringer. He is an expert at compassion and power mixed, and He brings it whenever His servants run out.

Singular Experience and The Patient Power to Heal

Published on 3/6/2009 in Bible Study. 2 Comments Tags: , , , , .

John 9 (ESV) As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. 2 And his disciples asked him, c Rabbi, d who sinned, e this man or f his parents, that he was born blind? 3 Jesus answered, It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but g that the works of God might be displayed in him. 4 We must h work the works of him who sent me i while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work. 5 As long as I am in the world, j I am the light of the world. 6 Having said these things, k he spat on the ground and made mud with the saliva. l Then he anointed the man’s eyes with the mud 7 and said to him, Go, wash in m the pool of Siloam (which means Sent). So he went and washed and n came back seeing.

Last night I told this story to the boys for their bedtime story and I realized that this man was blind for YEARS and lived a hard life for YEARS just so that the glory of God could be displayed in his life at this moment. We talk in our culture about Experiencing God and all sorts of feelings and events, but what if only one thing happened in your whole lifetime? Would you still follow Him? Our relationship with God should not be one like a dad trying to take a picture of his baby son. The dad makes a million noises and jumps around just to keep the baby looking at the camera, and the minute the dad is silent, the baby turns and crawls away. We should not be so with God.

This man had struggled through life as a blind beggar and God knew every moment of it. He knew the pain frustration of the blind mans parents, and every blaming conversation they had with each other as all the other kids learned to read the Torah and help their parents with housework. Regardless of cause or origin, God saw all of that and on this day when the man was of age as his bitter parents say later, God made His Son walk past Him with the power to heal.

One note that I saw mentioned a man in recent time that was born blind and had an operation as an adult that restored his sight. He had great difficulty for a while, because had to be taught a lot about color and vocabulary, since all his life he had heard, touched, smelled, and tasted things without seeing them. The note said that Jesus did even more than give the man sight, but did something to his mind to comprehend everything that he could suddenly see. That would fit right with the lame people being able to instantly walk and dance without a slow rehab process. It just goes to show that when Jesus heals, He does it completely.

Two Quotes Worth Repeating

Published on 6/6/2008 in Bible Study, Bookstore and Short Quotes. Closed Tags: , .

These both appear earlier in my blog from a talk at the Well, but I just came across them on a search and thought they were so good it was worth repeating. They are from

Considering what I represent to that city, it would be wrong for me to focus on the darkness. I don’t ever what to be impressed with the devil’s work. I come as a house of God.
from p. 140 When Heaven Invades Earth

I don’t care what the devil plans to do. the Great Commission puts me onthe offensive. I’ve got the ball. And if I carry the ball effectively, his plans won’t matter.
Picture a football team in a huddle on the playing field. The coach sends in the play,and the quarterback communicates with his offensive teammates. On the sidelines is the opposing team’s offense. Their quarterback linesup out of bounds with his offensive team, but they don’t have the game ball, nor are they on the actual playing field. Now imagine the real offense getting distracted by the intimidating actions of the other offense. Caught up in their antics, they quarterback runs off the field in a panic, informing the coach tha tthey better put the defense on the field because the other team is about to use a surprise play. – p153