Who Saw What?

Jesus was the Messiah and miracles were His stock n’ trade. They were His credentials for those wondering who exactly this man was. They weren’t His only credentials, but for those who only believed what they saw, the miracles were reason enough to be persuaded.

Once in the town of Bethsaida, where Jesus had done many miracles, some people brought a blind man to Jesus for healing. Jesus took the blind man by the hand and walked him out of the city. Then Jesus put some spittle on the man’s eyes and placed His hands on him and then asked the man if he saw anything. The man said, “I see men like trees, walking.” (Mark 8 ) Jesus put His hands on the man’s eyes again and the man saw every man clearly.

Why would Jesus put His hands on the man twice? And why didn’t he do the miracles in the town of Bethsaida? Matthew 13:58 answers why, “And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief.”

Jesus chose to do this miracle in stages, possibly to show the disciples that some healing would be gradual instead of instantly or to demonstrate that spiritual truth is not always perceived clearly at first. Regardless, before Jesus left, the man was healed completely. The probation of Bethsaida as a community was ended. Jesus would still show mercy and love to individuals! Many still ask is this so? When you “see” Jesus face-to-face, then you can ask Him to “clear” things up!

Bottom Line

Lack of faith blinds people to the truth and robs them of hope.

I'll Take tweets and Twitters for $1,000, Alex!

Could This Be the Very First Rainbow?

Do you know exactly what a brain cell looks like? Yeah… approximately. Do you know exactly what the very first brain cell looked like? Well…no. When Adam and Eve were skipping through the Garden of Eden, everything was pure and perfect. The air, the ground, the animals, all the vegetation, the birds of the air; all perfect. Absolutely perfect! Then that wily serpent approached Eve and after a brief discussion, sin entered into Paradise. Then everything changed.

God saw his creation contaminated in the blink of an eye. All the work that went into planning, layout, and creating—it was all gone in a moment. Was God a little upset you think? It was probably just day one and suddenly it was ‘switch to Plan B’! Immediately God made some changes. Genesis chapter 3 tells us that the serpent (who started the ball rolling) was cursed ‘above’ all the other animals. The woman was told she would experience much greater pain in childbearing. Adam didn’t escape any wrath either. The ground he tended while in the Garden would change drastically. From now on it would produce thorns and thistles. Ouch! Everyone will now eat plants from the field brought on by the sweat of his brow. And, as an added bonus, the very dust of the ground Adam and Eve came from; to that very dust they would return!

The Winning Word

Scrabble is one of the most popular board games of all times! Suitable for everyone, young and old, it’s a ‘play on words’. Selecting letters at random, one creates words by using what’s available to achieve a higher score. Webster’s dictionary defines the word scrabble to scratch or grope about with the hands. It’s similar to a disorderly haste. You take what you already know, and whatever others have provided, and within a short time frame, you attempt to achieve more than your competitors, before the game ends.

One might look at the above description and draw a parallel between the game of scrabble and the game of life. Playing by the rules, working with totally random events, building on your past experiences, learning and taking advantage of others work, and slowly accumulate enough good to be placed in a winning position. There’s pressure, uncertainty, the opponent’s skills, and opportunity working for, and against, your efforts. You become intensely focused, looking to increase your luck or skill, looking to reach the point when your opponent is no longer a threat.

One tiny difference we tend to overlook. One’s a game and one’s for real.

We’ve been given a life to do with as we please. We’ve also been given an afterlife. The first is similar to a game, preparing us for a position of comfort or suffering in the afterlife. You may think you have played by the rules, and gained every advantage and figured out the winning word. You’re on notice now—the winning word isn’t ADDICTION. It’s salvation! These two words have the same number of letters but a big difference in meaning. One’s a winner and one’s a loser. How are you playing the game?

“I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, [that] I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live.” Deuteronomy 30:19

A Whale's Tail Tells a Tale

Everybody in America’s book of “Who’s Who” has heard the tale of Jonah in the Bible being swallowed by a whale. And if they haven’t – how can you tell Who’s Who? A synopsis of the most prominent Americans should tell us who’s Biblically illiterate and who’s not. Tell us no tales!

The Bible shows us the character of people that God has to deal with. In God’s Book of, Who’s Who, some are humble, some are belligerent, some are social climbers, and some are self-preservationists! In the Old Testament, the prophet Jonah is told by God to go to the city of Nineveh, about 500 miles northeast of Israel, and preach to them (the last place Jonah wanted to go). Remember your history? Nineveh was the capital of Assyria, Israel’s brutal and longtime enemy! Jonah took a boat going the opposite direction! But he could not run from God. Running got him into worse trouble. He was to warn Assyria of judgment and to declare that the people could receive mercy and forgiveness if they repented.

The Bible tells us God prepared a “great fish” to swallow Jonah (Jonah 1:17). God’s fish did his job, and after three days and three nights in the great fish, Jonah did his job! One could tell, by the direction of the great fish’s tail, that Jonah’s tale would be a whale of a sell. Sound fishy to you? Smell fishy?

Jonah’s hatred was so strong that he didn’t want Nineveh to receive God’s mercy…but, everyone is entitled to God’s favor. Jonah’s disobedience to God endangered the lives of the ship’s crew. His refusal to obey God put others in harm’s way and jeopardized their lives. The crew knew someone was responsible for their troubled weather and they cast lots to find the guilty person and the lot fell on him. Jonah submitted. What happened? God spared the sailor’s when they pleaded for mercy. God saved Jonah when he prayed from inside the fish. God saved the people of Nineveh when they responded to Jonah’s preaching. Once again, it’s a God win-win-win situation.

Some say it’s just a tall tale; no one lives after being swallowed by a whale! Right?! Turn your computer on and search for Mr. James Bartley, a whale hunter on the ship; Star of East. Both he and the prophet Jonah had a fish tale to tell.

Welcome Please Take A Seat!

Ever get the feeling you’re walking into a trap? That the game is rigged and you’re the mark being roped in to be fleeced? That tingling sensation may be your conscience telling you to prepare for that ‘fight or flight’ response they talk about in psychology. Chances are, its past experiences warning you.

This experience happens to many people. It often takes place on a car lot, in a casino, any governmental office, and during interviews. It may feel like you’re on the “hot seat”, but take heart, you’re not the first one there. There was one before you, and he not only endured, but triumphed! Because of his experience, we don’t have to be afraid of our common enemy.

Who was the man who came before us? He was Elijah; an Old Testament prophet. He was harassed, threatened, and pursued and yet persevered to do great things for the kingdom. God was so proud of his life, and how he lived his faith, that he called Elijah to come home personally. God sent a chariot of fire and horses of fire and a whirlwind took Elijah up to heaven! (2 Kings 2). Elijah was taken to heaven without dying. He is the second person mentioned in Scripture to do so. Enoch was the first (Genesis 5). The only other person taken to heaven in bodily form was Jesus after his resurrection from the dead (Acts 1:9).

Don’t be afraid of the unusual, that’s how God works. If, you’re going to be afraid of anything, be afraid of that other everlasting tormenting fire. Now that’s a real hot seat. Revelation 20:15 says plainly...