Editors Note: The devotional has a background song by called which can be heard if you use Internet
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SCRIPTURE:
"They
came to Bethsaida, and some people brought a blind man and begged Jesus
to touch him. He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the
village. When he had spit on the man's eyes and put his hands on him,
Jesus asked, "Do you see anything?" He
looked up and said, "I see people; they look like trees walking around."
Once more Jesus put his hands on the man's eyes. Then his eyes were
opened, his sight was RESTORED, and he saw everything clearly. Jesus
sent him home, saying, "Don't go into the village." (Mark 8:22-26, NIV)
OBSERVATION:
I asked myself what did Jesus do after healing the
blind man completely?Jesus
sent him home.
Jesus told him, "Don't go into the village."
INTERPRETATION:
I asked myself the
significance of Jesus sending him home?
Jesus had taken the man by the hand and led
him outside the village after some people brought him to Jesus. Later,
Jesus began the healing in his life. Now, the
blind man is completely healed and can see everything clearly. It would
have been only natural for the man to go sightseeing after regaining his
sight to experience the things he had missed but Jesus was not only
about RESTORATION of his sight but also RESTORATION to his family.
When Jesus sent him home
and commanded him not to go into the village, it was because Jesus
wanted him RESTORED to his family. Another version specifically uses the
word 'family' instead of just 'home'. Jesus also cared so much for the
blind man's family and what they were going through because of his
blindness. We do not even know what his family was going through but we
do know it was a patriarchal society and if the man did not work, the
children and the wife suffered too. It is very well possible that the
man was begging in the village for money to support him and his family.
Some people saw that and decided to help him out by bringing him to
Jesus. Now he can go home fully RESTORED. Jesus wanted him to go back
and take care of his family and be completely RESTORED to them too! I
was so touched while I thought about that.
IMPLICATIONS:
I saw important implications for my own life. I
learned how much Jesus cared not only for the blind man's RESTORATION of
his eyes but also wanted to RESTORE him completely to his family.
Jesus wanted family to be put first over the people of the village too.
Jesus knew what was going on in his family more than the man did and
sent him home. I believe Jesus wanted the family to experience
RESTORATION in the areas they were in and wanted the man to be an
example of what Jesus did in his life and what Jesus can do for his
family.
HOW GOSPEL GIVES TESTIMONY REGARDING R.E.S.T.O.R.A.T.I.O.N:
Years ago, Jesus gave me a mission: Counseling Broken
Hearts with the Love of Christ. With that in mind I wrote "Downing
Depression" which saved a young man from SUICIDE. It was a
problem-solution poem. This young man had found my poem on the floor in
Giant Eagle and knew who I was. He came up to me and thanked me, telling
me that he was planning to commit suicide but reading the poem and
prayer he found on the floor stopped him from doing that. He told me
after reading the poem and prayer, he now had hope. I saw him recently
few months ago and he was a jolly bus driver for PAT.
Years ago, there was a time I was depressed for some time. Jesus knew
what I was going through and how it was affecting my family too. Jesus
slowly brought RESTORATION into my life and made me remember the
experiences I went through. When Jesus brought RESTORATION into my own
life, I wanted to be a vessel for Jesus to use to bring RESTORATION into
the lives of others I come across.
Just as Jesus RESTORED the blind man and asked him to go back to his
family to bring RESTORATION there, I knew when Jesus brought RESTORATION
into my life, I had to use that opportunity to bring RESTORATION to
others. Little did I know that it would impact this young man immensely.
I thank Jesus for the opportunity to use my own life experiences to
speak to him. I thank Jesus for helping me to use my RESTORATION PROCESS
to start writing problem-solution poems for 31 issues to help others
even though I did not experience all issues.
The poem and prayer that saved the young man from suicide will be
posted here with Bible verses added now.
Downing Depression (Read Psalm 69)
You want to always do Right?
But many times do what's not White? ( PURE )
Feeling you are on an uncontrollable Diet?
Getting yourself a stinging Bite?
Where is the answer, you search with your
Might.
You are now in a depressed Mode.
Travelling on the wrong Road.
Carrying your troublesome Load.
Hurrying to find life's secret Code.
Your life seems to be going down the Drain.
Your problems are covered with stinky Stain.
Cannot wash them away with the rushing Rain
Causing you pinching Pain.
Problems exist with the ticking of Time?
Your money's becoming small as a Dime?
For you problems are becoming a sticky Slime.
You feel Blue.
What to do you have no Clue.
JESUS IS THE ANSWER FOR YOU!!! (Isaiah 43:1-4)
For your problems Too. (Matt 11:28-30)
Your therapy, can be His Word. (Psalm 119:50)
Which everyone can Afford. (James 1:21)
To overcome your problems, He gives His Promise
(Prov 3:5-6)
Which when you search God's Word, you cannot
Miss. (John 5:39)
For you, Jesus will find a way Out. (John 10:9)
Surely there is no Doubt (Psalm 34:4)
His presence and love will take you on the best
Route.
Jesus will your depression Heal. (Psalm 32:8 &
Psalm 147:3)
And your problems Seal. (John 14:1)
This you will soon Feel. (2 Cor 4:8)
As you come to with your problems Deal. (1
Peter 5:6-7)
PRAYER:
Lord Jesus thank you for knowing everything
about me. I trust in you Lord with all my heart. I love you so much
Lord. Thanks Lord for loving me beyond words. Lord Jesus, my Personal
Savior and therapist, I feel so depressed because of situations I am
facing. I will lean not on my own understanding but turn to you. Thank
you Jesus for dying for me and coming back to save me. Thank you Jesus
you will fix my problems. I give my heart to you. I yield everything to
you. IN YOUR NAME I PRAY THANKING YOU. Amen
I share this with you because when Jesus brings RESTORATION in our
lives, He will also make a way for us to bring RESTORATION in the lives
of those around us. We should take those opportunities. Jesus can use
different people in our own lives to start that RESTORATION so we can be
a blessing to others later. Jesus has used my mom, Paul, Chloe, Tom,
Pastor Hugo, Pastor Bucknell, Pastor Ed, Keng, Edwin, Marie, etc to
bring areas of RESTORATION in my own life.
More than that the best RESTORATION is the RESTORATION of our soul
that only Jesus can make happen. He will do that when we turn our lives
over to Him. When we do that our own lives will be transformed and
changed making us do things we would not have done but now have the joy
to do.
I ask you now dear friend, what does
RESTORATION make you do?
Dear friend, RESTORATION makes us be RESTORED to our HEAVENLY FATHER
first and foremost in our lives. Then it can make us become closer to our
family. Jesus is all about bringing
RESTORATION in our lives not just for our sake but for our families sake
too so they can see the RESTORATION Christ brings and want it
themselves. Jesus cared deeply about a family's RESTORATION to each
other and to Himself.
When the blind man was RESTORED, he could have wanted to do so many
things after getting back his sight completely but Jesus wanted him to
go home and spend with family.
When Jesus RESTOREs us whether it is a physical RESTORATION, a
emotional RESTORATION, or a spiritual RESTORATION, He wants us to be
RESTORED to Him first and than to our family. I strongly believe that.
The man could have been a great witness to those around him in the
village but Jesus did not want him in the village but at home. Jesus
wanted his witnessing to start first at home with his family. We see
this principle even in Mark 5 when Jesus healed the demon-possessed man
at the tombs.
We need to do the same and when Jesus RESTOREs us in areas of our
lives, our first gratitude should be to Christ and wanting to always be
RESTORED to Him and then we need to go to our family and share what
Christ's RESTORATION has done in our lives.
There is a reason that the Word of God says,
"Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you and your entire household will
be saved!"
RESTORATION's effect should start at home with family. We cannot do
it on our own but need Jesus' help as we witness to our family. Remember
the man could not save himself from being blind but others had to
intervene and bring him to Jesus and Jesus worked in the man's life to
save him from blindness.
In the same way, we are to bring our families before Jesus to ask
Jesus to RESTORE them in whatever they are facing because Jesus alone
can do that. But before that we need to be RESTORED. The way to bring
our families to Jesus is through prayer.
I believe when Jesus RESTOREs a person, He RESTOREs them spiritually
too. I think that happened to the blind man too. This is very
significant because RESTORATION in our lives by Jesus should make us
want to let our family experience that RESTORATION.
It starts with witnessing about Jesus by our actions even if it is
not by our words. Our family needs to see that there is something
different about us and it has nothing to do with just physical or
emotional aspects but the heart aspect. Jesus alone can deal with the
RESTORATION of our lives when it comes
to the heart.
The heart is wicked and who can know it.
Only God knows the wickedness of our heart and its inclination to do
evil and wrong. But thanks be to God that God did not leave us in our
wickedness but sent Jesus Christ to bring about change in our lives and
transform our lives so we can be RESTORED to Him.
This specifically started when Jesus went to the cross and shed His
precious cleansing blood on the cross that His precious blood can
RESTORE us to Him when we turn to Him.
Friend, the precious blood of Jesus is the best medication to save us
from our sin. It is hard to explain but when Jesus died on the cross and
His blood was shed, He took all the sin of humanity upon Himself which
also means the wickedness of humanity's heart upon Himself.
By dying on the cross for us and coming back to life to save us,
Jesus gave us the opportunity to turn to Him to be RESTORED. In our
sins, we cannot save ourselves but only Christ can save us when we turn
to Him.
Friend, everyone needs RESTORATION that only Christ can provide. All
humanity can only be RESTORED by Christ and no one else. When I realized
what Jesus did for me and only His antidote could free me from the
bondage of sin, I turned to Jesus for RESTORATION and He has RESTORED me
which is so exciting to know.
Jesus can do the same for you. When you come to Jesus it is because
Jesus is drawing you to Him by what Jesus already did on the cross. On
the cross, Jesus took the sins of humanity absorbing it and let His
blood flow, to cover all those who are doomed for destruction such as
you and meNow we are covered by the blood of the Lamb to be RESTORED if
we turn to Him. That is exciting to know.
It is by His grace we have been saved through
faith and not of works that any of us can boast.
It also means anyone can come to Jesus Christ and receive His
forgiveness and RESTORATION no matter what kind of life they have been
living or lived. No matter how blind they have been physically or
spiritually, Jesus is there to become the Light of the world for all who
turn to Him.
Jesus says, "I am the Light of the world, He
who follows me will not be stumbling through the darkness but living
light will flood their path."
Now Christ's cleansing blood washes and wipes away all our sin to
bring RESTORATION in our lives to RESTORE us to Father God. That is
exciting to know. It started with Jesus and Jesus became the Initiator
upon the cross and has given humanity an invitation to come to Him.
May you come to Jesus as you are allowing Him to make RESTORATION a
witnessing opportunity in your life.
"Redeemer Emancipates Souls Triumphantly
Offering RESTORATION As Trustworthy Immanuel, Omnipotently Now!" (R.E.S.T.O.R.A.T.I.O.N)/"What does R.E.S.T.O.R.A.T.I.O.N make you do?"
Prayer:
Dear Lord Jesus, thank you so much for bringing RESTORATION to the blind
man's life. You Oh Lord loved him so much that you RESTORED him when
some people brought him to you. After restoring him completely you sent
him home and not to the village because you wanted his family to
experience your RESTORATION in his life and wanted him to become a
witness for them too. Oh Lord, thank you for the RESTORATION you have
brought in our lives. Help us to use the RESTORATION you brought for
your honor and glory putting you first and family second and everything
else third. Thank you for choosing to use me to RESTORE this young man's
life by your power. Thank you Jesus for dying for our sin and coming back to
life to save us on the third day. We don't always understand everything
but this I am so thankful for that when you died on the cross to save
humanity shedding your precious cleansing blood to provide the antidote
for the virus known as sin, you became the Initiator of man's Salvation
when man accepts the invitation to come to you. I have accepted it Lord
because you chose us first and I pray others will come to know you as
their Lord and Personal Savior knowing that you have already chosen them
by your grace to deliver them. It is not anything they can do to earn
your Salvation because it is by your wonderful grace. Thank you so much
Jesus! In Your Name I Pray Jesus! Thank you for hearing my prayer and
answering me! Amen!
May you experience the POWER OF
CHRIST'S RESURRECTION this day, and give Him the LOCKED areas of your
life too so you can experience His PEACE as you become an ACTOR in the
film called LIFE being directed by your DIRECTOR, JESUS CHRIST who comes
to give JOY and PEACE.
You
don't have to be locked away anymore for Christ is here to free you and
give you peace to live out your actions.
How do you look at GODISNOWHERE?
One
of my pastors, Pastor Hugo shared this example this past Sunday at the
RESURRECTION DAY SERVICE in the combined worship service of Pittsburgh
Chinese Church-Oakland & Oakland International Fellowship:
If
you look at it as GOD IS NO WHERE, you will still be lost in your sin
and be in bondage locked away in your sins and problems finding no
peace.
But
as my pastor spoke to the congregation and spoke to me, I am here to
tell you that GOD IS NOW HERE.
Yes,
friend God is alive and wants to bring a transformation in your life
through the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ for He paid the penalty on
the cross to rescue you and me and came back to life to save us and live
with us.
Yes,
friend that is exciting to know that we can experience HIS SAVING GRACE
& LIVING GRACE.
When
we mess up, we can go to Jesus with our shortcomings and He will forgive
us and RESTORE us to Him and we will find peace in Him.
"Therefore, if
anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has
come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ
and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the
world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he
has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore
Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us.
We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him
who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the
righteousness of God." (Colossians 5:17-21, NIV)
"For the wages
of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our
Lord." (Romans 6:23, NIV)
"But if we walk in the light, as he is in the
light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his
Son, purifies us from all sin. If we claim to be without sin, we deceive
ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is
faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all
unrighteousness." (1 John 1:7-9, NIV)
Friend, we need Jesus because we have been separated from God due to our
sin. Because of our sin, Jesus had to pay the price to become our bridge
so we can reach God now not of our own good works but because of the
finished work of Christ, the Lord on the cross.
"For it is by grace you have been saved,
through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not
by works, so that no one can boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9, NIV)
Come to Jesus as you are and pray this prayer to accept Jesus as your
Lord and Personal Savior. He will transform your life around! Praise the
Lord! You don't have to have all the answers! You can come as you are!
Prayer:
Jesus, I thank you for being the BREAD of Life. You are the Living BREAD
of my life. Thank you for coming from Heaven and giving your life for
the life of the world. You sacrificed yourself for humanity. Thank you
Lord when we eat of you symbolically making you part of our life,
digesting what you teach us by following you, we can be living
Eternally, and the fruit that comes will reflect and resemble your life.
I want that Father God. I want that Lord Jesus! I want that Holy Spirit!
I know of a lot of people who partake of Holy Communion where the BREAD
represents your body broken for their sin and the juice represents your
blood shed for their sin. When we partake of Holy Communion, we are
reminded that we are remembering you. I want to remember you always Lord
Jesus. But for me to remember you always, I need to know you and
acknowledge everything you said you are. So right now I acknowledge that
you are my Lord and Personal Savior who died and rose again to give me
life from sin. So right now, I come to you and say how sorry I am for my
sin and living a life on my own. I repent of my sin and ask you to
forgive me of my sin with your cleansing blood which I accept. Wash me
and I will be clean from this infection of sin. Come Lord Jesus and
please become part of my life as you live in me and I will live for you.
I thank you Jesus for coming into my heart and making my heart your
home. Thank you for living in me Jesus and I will live for you and serve
you the rest of the days of my life. I do need your Spirit to reside in
me and work in me and through me so I surrender all that I am and will
be to you. Whatever your will is for me, please give me the strength and
willingness to bear it and rejoice in you. Thank you so much Jesus. I
thank you Jesus for becoming my Lord and Personal Savior. I thank you
Jesus you have heard my prayer and have answered me. I thank you that I
am your child Oh God. I thank you for becoming my only Way to Eternal
Life. In Your Name I Pray Jesus! Amen!
