2008 04 April

      This miracle is followed by two references in (Luke 4:1 and 14) which record that Jesus was full of the Holy Spirit and empowered by the Holy Spirit. In the suggested reading Jesus stands to read the Scriptures in the Synagogue at Nazareth on the Sabbath. Isaiah 61:1-2 THE Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, Because the LORD has anointed me To bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to captives, And freedom to prisoners; To proclaim the favorable year of the LORD. He stopped in the middle of verse 2 and closed the book because the last portion of verse 2 will not be fulfilled until He returns to rule and reign for a thousand years.

      We are about to witness two miracles, the first was in the synagogue. There was a man who was possessed with a demon, or evil spirit, in the synagogue and the evil spirit recognized Jesus as the Holy One from God. Jesus commanded the demon to come out of the man. After throwing the man into the crowd the demon came out of the man and all those who were in the synagogue were amazed at the power Jesus had over the demon. Remember miracles are supernatural acts performed by people who are empowered with the Holy Spirit.

      The second miracle: Jesus goes immediately from the synagogue to Simon Peter's home and Peter's wife's mother is extremely ill with a fever. Jesus was asked if He could do something for her. This was His opportunity to rebuke the fever as He had rebuked the demon. Now, we all know that fever has a weakening effect on people, especially older folk. It must have been a (great fever vs. 38). Luke 4:39 And standing over her, He rebuked the fever, and it left her; and she immediately arose and waited on them. The miracle was that immediately the fever subsided and she arose and ministered to the people in the house. Elderly people, suffering from a high fever, are unable to go from the bed to being a servant in so short a time, (immediately). This was followed by people from the community bringing all manner of sick people to be healed, and He laid His hands on them and healed them.

      Turning the water to wine was the first recorded miracle of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. As you read this passage, you may notice that there was a need for more wine. With no way to meet that need, Mary turns to Jesus and has the men do exactly what He says. Although Jesus asked the men to do something that may seem totally illogical, they obeyed and witnessed the first miracle of Christ.

      This passage is loaded with spiritual lessons that ought to be applied to the life of every person. Let us think together for a moment. The greatest need for every person is the need for salvation. The only person who can meet that need is Jesus Christ. We must turn to Him, and obey what He says. Though it may seem too simple, all Jesus says we have to do in order to receive salvation is to believe.

      Once we have placed our faith and trust in Christ, we have become a new creature. 2 Corinthians 5:17 tells us Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. Just like the water being turned to wine, God transforms us into a new creature. Being transformed is one of God's greatest desires for mankind. As the water was useless at the marriage feast, so too are we, but God takes what seems to be useless, and transforms it into usefulness. Romans 12:1-2 gives us a great example of what God wants from each individual, I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

In today's text, we read about one who was troubled by an unclean spirit. I believe that these accounts of demon possession involve the work of fallen angels. In Revelation 12:7, we read that there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels; Later on in this book we read (Revelation 12:9) the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan; Most of the time, God works through His created order. He has given people and even angels certain power and responsibility. It is important that we not yield this freedom to the agents of evil. In Ephesians 4:27 we read, neither give place to the devil. The idea in the original Greek language is that of giving the devil a beachhead in our life to work evil.

This poor man had done just that. He was out of control, naked and destructive. He was even self-destructive, and had no power to help himself. Jesus demonstrated that He is the Lord of heaven and released this man from the power of these unclean spirits. Thank God that what we cannot do for ourselves, He is willing and able to do. The servants of God carry with them the very power of God, and this power is appropriated by faith. Luke 10:17-19 And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name. And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven. Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you. The child of God need not fear the powers of darkness. 1 John 4:4 greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. That is not to say that we can be arrogant and presumptuous in our faith, but we can be confident that good will triumph over all evil. If our faith is in our own strength, we will be arrogant and presumptuous. However, if our faith is in God, we can have the greatest confidence of victory over the most powerful forces of darkness.

      This miracle is recorded in all four Gospels. Mark 6:30-34; Luke 9:10-17; John 6:1-14 What constitutes a miracle? "In theology, an event or effect contrary to the established constitution and course of things, or a deviation from the known laws of nature; a supernatural event. Miracles can be wrought only by Almighty power."(Webster, 1828) "In general, the term miracles may be defined as supernatural manifestations of divine power in the external world, in themselves special revelations of the presence and power of God."(Unger) "A miracle has been defined as a work wrought by a divine power for a divine purpose by means beyond the reach of man."(H. Lockyer)

      The background for this miracle has to do with the retirement of the Lord to a desert place because of the pressure of circumstances over the death of John the Baptist, to privately retire for rest. For Himself, and for His disciples who had just returned from their first mission. They all needed bodily and spiritual refreshment. The period of relaxation was short-lived because the multitude who sought Him grew until it totaled 5000 men beside women and children. Matt. 14:21. We all know the story of how Jesus took the five loaves and 2 fish, and looking up to heaven, he blessed and brake, and gave the loaves to the disciples, and the disciples to the multitude. And they did all eat, and were filled. Matt. 14:19,20. And the 2 fishes divided He among them all. Mark 6:42

"The great lesson of the miracle is evident. Christ is the Bread of life to a perishing world, and as the Living Bread must be passed on to others by the eaters themselves."(Lockyer)

      Thought: The pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty. (The Lifeline)

      As Jesus left Jericho, there were a lot of other folks also on their way to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover feast, with estimates of up to 2-3 million people. We can see in our text, that there are many people who claim to follow Christ; some because they have great need and believe He can physically help them; some who only follow Christ for what they can get out of Him; some who follow Him just out of curiosity. But sadly, there were few that really follow Christ because they honestly believe that He is the true Messiah and has the words of eternal life.

      This story of the two blind men gives us clear insight of the mercy and compassion of Jesus for lost people. The blind men were needy and desperate and they acted together to cry out to the Lord as He walked by them. Isn't this a great picture of how spiritually lost, desperate and needy people can be saved? Literally by crying out, "Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou Son of David." And these two blind men were persistent, even when the crowd tried to quiet them, they cried out even louder. They had this golden opportunity, just as many have had opportunity to be spiritually saved. The blind men did not want to miss it, unlike the unsaved, who refuse Christ. Sadly, many folks only come to Christ when they are in physical trouble. Yet the real problem spiritual blindness and they don't know it and they can't see it.

      As these two blind men cried out the second time, Jesus asked them specifically what they wanted, even though He could see their plight, and as poor as they were, even being rejected by their own society, they asked the Lord specifically, "that our eyes may be opened." Next we see our Lord, out of His abundant compassion, touching these blind men's eyes and causing them to see. Christ will have mercy and compassion on those who truly come to Him with repentant hearts and will save them from their sin. And then as these "now seeing" blind men did, we too must follow Christ and become true disciples, learning of Him through our daily study of His Word, and witnessing to others of Him and of His power for a blind, lost, desperate, and dying world.

      O Lord Jesus, thank You for Your great salvation and for saving my soul. Help me to tell others of Your mercy and compassion. Amen.

      From the context, this seems to be the third Sabbath recorded in Luke and there is a healing in the Synagogue. It is so sad that when tradition takes over, truth and common sense goes out the window. The Pharisees were filled with indignation when our Lord asked the man to stand in the congregation. Luke 6:8-10 But Jesus knew what they were thinking, and He said to the man with the withered hand, "Rise and come forward!" And he rose and came forward. And Jesus said to the Pharisees, "I ask you, is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good, or to do harm, to save a life, or to destroy it?" And after looking around at them all, He said to him,"Stretch out your hand!" And he did so; and his hand was restored. Immediately, tradition took over and they sought to destroy the Lord, (vs. 11). All through the Gospels, the enemies of Jesus were seeking a reason to put Him to death.

      This man standing in the synagogue was, for reason not recorded, unable to stretch or use his right hand. This may have been because of an accident or it may have been arthritis, or a birth defect. The right hand is the hand of power and being unable to use it would have kept him from plying his trade, or making a living. It is axiomatic that sin disables, but Christ enables. Jesus came to earth to heal both the physical and the spiritual needs of mankind. In this healing of the withered hand, Jesus made it possible for this man to make a living for his family. When Jesus commanded the man to stretch forth his hand, the life giving blood began to flow and the nerves became sensitive. The joints began to function and strength flowed from the Lord to this unnamed man.

      When Jesus used the words, Come unto me, or Come and follow me, they were commands which lead to strength in the heart and soul. When we are obedient to that command and confess our sins, we are immediately healed in soul and spirit. We close with another look at the text. The Pharisees refused to see that hunger and helplessness on the Sabbath were reasons for the miracle of healing. They were of the opinion that idleness on the Sabbath was spirituality, and healing was secular work, but Christ was and is the Lord of the Sabbath.

      The Bible tells us in Mark 10:45, For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many. It's hard to imagine a person of great magnitude and importance humbling Himself to the position of a servant, but that is exactly what Jesus Christ did. He left heaven and all of it's glory to take on the form of a man, and not just any man, but a servant. Philippians 2:6-7 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men. We find this servant, Jesus Christ, all throughout scripture ministering to people's need. In several instances, He ministered miraculous healing of the sick. In Matthew 4:23, we find that Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people. Of all things, the All-Powerful, All-Knowing God sought to meet our needs, both physically and spiritually.

      When looking at the life of Jesus, it is clear to see that He had a love for obeying His heavenly Father first, and a love for ministering to others second. As others look at our life, will they be able to see what we see in Christ; a love to obey God and a love to help others?

      Mark 12:30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

      At one of the lowest points in Jesus ' life, He demonstrates a heart for others. The betrayal of Judas was a heavy blow to Jesus Christ. In the gospel record, it is hard to see all of the heart of our Lord. In one of David's psalms, we see a clearer picture of the unbearable pain our Lord felt at being betrayed by Judas. Psalm 55:12,13 For it was not an enemy that reproached me; then I could have borne it: neither was it he that hated me that did magnify himself against me; then I would have hid myself from him: But it was thou, a man mine equal, my guide, and mine acquaintance.

      However, Jesus ' heart was not so focused on his own pain that he was blind to the need of this innocent man Malchus. This miracle is great testimony to the grace and compassion of Jesus Christ. Sometimes in our experience, we fall victim to the forces of evil as Jesus did here. At times, there are those like Malchus who are just doing their job. I wonder, in these situations do we have compassion for people like Jesus, or are we ready to strike out immediately like Peter? Peter is ready to fight and die. He demonstrates his commitment, love, and loyalty to Jesus Christ; however, he is blind to God 's purpose. We read in the Bible that there is a time for every purpose under heaven. There is a time to fight, but this was not that time.

      The Bible speaks of these different paths of faith. Hebrews 11:35-36 Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection: And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment; For some, the path of faith means great victory and blessing. For others, it means great trial and suffering. In the life of Jesus Christ, it meant great trial and suffering. Yet, this great suffering did not harden his heart. Therefore, He could show compassion on one that did not understand --one who was contributing to His suffering and death. Some people have faith only for good things. Even though this is good, without a quality of faith that gives us peace and compassion come what may, I don 't think we have a Biblical faith.

      This miracle is recorded in three of the Gospels: Matt. 14:22-33; Mark 6:45-53; John 6:15-21. We need to keep in mind the definition of "a miracle." "A work wrought by a divine power for a divine purpose by means beyond the reach of man. The general idea is that it is something wonderful or unusual -- an event, experience, or discovery so singular and strange as to awaken in one the feeling of awe."(All The Miracles Of The Bible, Herbert Lockyer, p. 13)

      After the miracle of the loaves and the fishes, Jesus sent the disciples by ship across the Sea of Galilee while He went alone to the mountain to pray. Out on the sea the disciples were having a difficult time. But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with the waves: for the wind was contrary. Matthew 14:24. A sudden storm common to the area made it difficult to row the ship. "Three hours after midnight they were still in the midst of the lake, about halfway across, and, as the record says "distressed in rowing".Mark 6:48" (Lockyer) It was so difficult because Jesus was not with them. But Jesus on the mountain saw them and was fully aware of the trouble in which they found themselves. He went to them walking on the sea. The Bible says He walked on the sea and that is good enough for me. Peter also walked on the waves until his faith faltered.

      "The precious lesson of the miracle is instructive and comforting. Faith is tested by the storms of life: He is ever near. Tossed to and fro on the waves of a troublesome world, it may seem as though He has forgotten, but His eye is ever upon us, and suddenly in our extremity He undertakes for us in marvelous ways." (Lockyer)

      Thought: "The test of love is loyalty." (The Lifeline)

      What would you do, if you were in this man's shoes, who for 38 long years, sat by the pool, day after day, trying unsuccessfully to get in and be healed of lameness. It's really hard to imagine, isn't it? And yet this is the situation that Jesus saw as He looked in on those people sitting around the pool, waiting for the angel to stir the waters again. Here were people, who had different sicknesses and ailments, who hoped to be healed by some supernatural stirring of the waters, without realizing that Jesus, who was God Incarnate, God in the flesh, was right there before their very eyes, wanting to help them with their spiritual plights.

      Isn ’t it always interesting how Jesus uses the physical situations of people's lives to get their attention spiritually! And so Jesus asks this crippled man a seemingly obvious question. "Do you want to be made well?" The crippled man unknowingly replies, Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me. Jesus graciously says to him, Rise, take up your bed and walk. And just like that, the man is physically healed, even as Jesus then withdrew into the crowd of people. Later on Jesus found this healed man in the temple and gave him spiritually encouraging words. See, you have been made well. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you. Jesus is using the example that sin does have its inevitable consequences; and illnesses, at times, may be directly tied to the lifestyle that a person lives.

      Interestingly, even the unsaved church leaders and other unsaved Jews couldn't see the spiritual implications of mercy and compassion; what Jesus was trying to get across to them, because He had done these things on the Sabbath. They were very zealous for their religion, but were quite crippled spiritually in their ability to have mercy and compassion on those who didn't follow in their false ways.

      Dear God of Grace and Mercy, forgive us when we don't see Your working hand in our lives and when we don't obey and follow Your Word. Help us to have hearts of mercy and tender compassion, and attitudes of forgiveness, just as You have for us. Thank You for the spiritual healing of Your great salvation. In Jesus Name, Amen.

      From the context we can deduct that Jesus and His disciples were traveling from the western shore of Galilee to the eastern side or to the land of the Gadarenes.

      Just a little geography for your learning more about the Holy Land. The Sea of Galilee is from 13-14 miles north to south and 7-8 miles west to east. It is 32 miles in circumference and 686 feet below sea level. Four branches of the Jordan River flow from Mount Hermon in Lebanon into Galilee and only one flows from the southern end of the lake, the Jordan River. Mountains surround it on the north, east and west. Owing to the height of mountains surrounding the lake, different temperatures gave rise to sudden and violent storms.

      It was one of those sudden storms that brought fear to the disciples in the boat. Jesus was asleep and the disciples were fighting the wind that had dropped the sail, but now the waves were their concern. They were bailing water out the boat, but the waves were dumping more water over the gunnels than they could bail out, therefore, they were about to sink. In desperation they cried out to the Lord Mark 4:38 Master, carest Thou not that we perish? These men were new to following Jesus and they did not know that He was the Creator of the winds and the waves. And being awakened, He rebuked the wind and the surging waves, and they stopped, and it became calm. Then they began to reason among themselves, Luke 8:25 And they were fearful and amazed, saying to one another, Who then is this, that He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey Him?

      What a lesson they learned that night! We also must learn that Jesus is Master of everything. There is nothing that is not subject to Him. The hearts of mankind must learn that it is now or later. Yes, all nature is subject to Him. Phil. 2:9-11 Therefore also God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus, that every knee should bow of those who are in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

      Today we will notice the heart and humility of a centurion, which brought about the healing of a servant. Most of us have the idea that Roman soldiers were mean and ruthless, but that was not the case with this man. Luke 7:5 indicates that he loved the Jewish nation so much that he built them a synagogue. This man obviously had a heart for others. If he were the typical Roman soldier, would he have cared so much for a servant to bother with seeking out Jesus and asking Him to heal his servant?

      In seeing the heart of this man, we also see the humbleness as well. Matthew, chapter eight, indicates that the centurion himself went to see Jesus. The centurion tells Jesus of his servan's condition and Jesus says to him I will come and heal your servant. Notice his response to what Jesus said. Matthew 8:8 The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed. The first thing we see is that the centurion recognizes that he is not worthy and the second is that Jesus is a man of authority. A person with authority does not need to be present to accomplish a task. If Jesus would just say the word His order would be carried out even from a distance.

      As a result of the centurion's heart and humility, Jesus says I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel. Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the selfsame hour. What a challenge for each one of us! Do we have a heart for the less fortunate? Do we humble ourselves to help them, by praying to the Father on their behalf and because of our faith do we see God answer prayer?

      Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. Matthew 7:7

      This is the only record in the Bible of this miracle. It was performed at the gate of a small city, just one day after the healing of the centurion's servant. Some of the miracles of Jesus happened in presence of His disciples; others were done in the presence of Peter, James, and John. The apostles had special apostolic sign gifts and healing was one. Sometimes today, we hear of miraculous healing in the life of people. God heals in our experience, but not through any special individual. It is through the prayer of faith. Raising people from the dead, however, was rare even in the life of Jesus Christ.

      This is an example of a miracle that was done out of our Lord 's great compassion to meet a great need. Here, a young man had died as the only son of a widow. In those days, there was no welfare or social security; the family took care of these responsibilities. This woman was truly destitute, and it no doubt added greatly to the grief that she felt this day. Some time earlier, she lost her husband, and now she had lost her only son - while he was still young. I like what we read here. Jesus sees this need and is moved with compassion. He is compelled to comfort her and so says weep not. At the time of Christ, many Jews did not believe in life after death. Their faith was focused on God's law and the temporal blessings of obedience and the curses on those who would transgress God 's law.

      Therefore, an important part of Jesus ministry was the idea of life after death, and the resurrection of the body. We find as Paul preaches this doctrine in Athens that it was something strange and new. Jesus does not say come back to life but arise as if one were sleeping. The death of saints is often represented in the Bible as sleep. In sleep the person lives but in an altered state of consciousness. This is also a picture of salvation. The lost are described as being spiritually dead in sin. They need to be raised to new life in Christ. Just as this boy was helpless apart from the power of God, so too, sinners are helpless apart from the power of God, which is appropriated through faith. Just as Jesus raised this boy, He can save the worst sinner and make him fit for heaven. Thank God for His great love and grace.

This miracle is recorded only in two of the gospels. Mark 8:1-9 and Matthew 15:32-39. "In general terms, miracles may be defined as supernatural manifestations of divine power in the external world, in themselves special revelations of the presence and power of God." (Unger) There is sufficient evidence to show that this is a different miracle from the feeding of the 5000, but space does not permit us to go into showing that in this devotional. "All possible doubt regarding the matter is removed by the fact that our Lord recognized two distinct miracles" (Lockyer)

The miracle took place near the Sea of Galilee. A great crowd had gathered. Among them were the lame, blind, dumb, maimed and He healed them. They remained with Him for 3 days and Jesus was sending them away, but He was concerned about their physical needs. Any food they had brought with them was gone. He knew He must act and He said I have compassion on the multitude. Matt. 15:32 Here we see His compassion and consideration. This is "one of the great glories of the Godhead." (Lockyer) What was available? Seven loaves, and a few small fishes. He had them seated in an orderly fashion and then gave thanks showing His gratitude to God for material blessings. And they all did eat and were filled. Then He sent them away.

Lessons to be learned:

      We find Jesus in the place where He loved to be most, the house of the Lord. As He was teaching, He saw this woman, who had been sick for 18 years, doubled over with a curvature of the spine and could not stand up straight, yet, she was a true worshiper of God and regularly went to church. As Jesus noticed her faithfulness in being there, He called her to Him, already knowing her health situation. She obediently came to Him and immediately, she received His faithful Word and, His healing touch.

      As we look as this wonderful example of love and compassion from Jesus, let's take a moment to consider, and then evaluate, these important words for our own lives. First, we see Jesus, who from the very beginning of His earthly life, was found in the temple, so that He could Be about His Father's business. Are we about (doing) our Father's business? Next, we see a bent over lady, whom Jesus said Satan had bound, maybe a disease from the sin curse placed on the earth, since Adam and Eve's time. This lady was at church and worshipping, as was her habit. God was planning on healing her that day, but, what if she hadn't come? Praise God, she did! So, what is our "Habit" on the Lord's Day? - When Jesus called to her, she responded obediently, and He then healed her. When God has called unto us, whether for salvation, or unto obedience, how have we responded to Him? The picture here is that God alone, can heal those who are bowed down; whether they are bowed in humiliation and shame, bowed in sin, bowed from loss of everything physical, bowed from accident and disease, or bowed even in personality. Psalm 146:8 says, The Lord openeth the eyes of the blind: the Lord raiseth them that are bowed down: the Lord loveth the righteous. Note the response of worship from the lady. She glorified God immediately. Do we glorify God in our lives as she did?

      Dear Lord, how these words strike so close to home. We thank You for Your examples given to us in how You loved to be in church, about Your Father's business. We ask You to forgive us when many other things take the place of true daily worship in our lives. Help us this day, to place You first in our hearts and lives, that we too can receive the spiritual blessings of responding to Your Holy call. Amen

This particular miracle is also recorded for us in Matthew 20:29-34 and Luke 18:35-43. It is important to note that when the Jews were traveling between Jerusalem and Galilee they took the longer route because they had nothing to do with the Samaritans. This was an indirect road to travel and very dangerous, especially if traveling alone. The Jericho Road was known for robbers and unspeakable crimes against travelers.

Today we are interested in one man, Bartimaeus. We do not know if he was born blind, or was blinded by an accident. However, we do know he was a blind beggar. He also was well acquainted with the prophecies of the Old Testament, because Bartimaeus used an Old Testament term that identified the Messiah, Thou Son of David. Bartimaeus used this title twice according to Luke and Matthew. Also, he used the title, Lord or Rabboni or Rabbi. Bartimaeus was put down by Jesus fellow travelers, but he made such a commotion that Jesus stopped and commanded the blind man be brought before Him. If we want something, we are commanded to be persistent. Please take time to read the parable of the unjust judge and the widow that troubled him, Luke 18:1-8. Bartimaeus had a very simple request, That I might receive my sight. There were three things Bartimaeus knew and nothing could persuade him from believing these.

3. He was sent from God. Therefore, Jesus called this beggar to Him and before the lookie-loos, Jesus touched Bartimaeus and immediately he received his sight.

It has been said by many people, who know by experience, that when we lose our sight or hearing, our other senses are strengthened and we are more perceptive of our circumstances than people who have normal sight and hearing. We have spiritual insight by reading the Bible and living a life consistent with its teachings. Christians today are satisfied with mediocrity, unwilling to become as the Bereans who searched the Scriptures to see if these things were true (Acts 17:11).

      What an interesting and exciting passage! Here we have a nobleman (ruler), who probably exhausted all other resources for healing his son. And like many of us, he saw Jesus as a last resort. Since nothing else seemed to help, he went to Jesus as his only hope left. Unlike the centurion, whom we read about a few days ago, this man felt that Jesus had to come in order to help his son. Jesus says something interesting in John 4:48, Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe. This phrase gives us an indication of this man's faith. It was shallow. In the next verse, the nobleman again asks Jesus to come before his son dies. Then Jesus gave him a simple test. He told the man to go thy way; thy son liveth. The noble man passes the test because verse 50 tells us that the man believed the word that Jesus had spoken unto him, and he went his way.

      On the way home, the nobleman probably thought over and over the words of Christ. At times, he may have even questioned whether his son was well or not. But, all doubt was set aside when he met his servant. As they conversed, they realized that his son became well at the very moment that Jesus said so. The nobleman's faith grew even more at that moment and eventually the whole house believed.

      How many of us have this same shallow faith? We go to others for help. We try to do things in our own strength. What we fail to recognize is that God is the One who is able. And even when God gives us a promise, we find ourselves doubting He will really come through. Today let us go to Him first and trust in Him.

      Romans 4:20 He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.

      Here, Jesus Christ is in the synagogue. Jesus was in the habit of worshipping in the synagogue. Now the spiritual state in Israel was not good. Most of the synagogues he went to rejected His leadership. Sadly, today, most people would think that this is reason not to attend. Now if we choose corruption we have a problem, but if we choose to neglect public worship because of corruption, we also have a problem.

      The synagogue was still the place where those who professed to be God's people read the law and worshipped weekly. They only worshipped at the temple three times during the year. It is interesting that the forces of darkness knew that Jesus was God manifest in the form of human flesh. Most of those who professed to believe did not, but the spiritual forces of darkness did. Salvation is not a matter of knowledge. Sadly, there are those who think salvation is a matter of the head more than the heart. However, Jesus emphasized the heart. He taught that knowledge and experience is a hindrance more than help. He taught that the heart of a child is more helpful in finding salvation that the knowledge and experience of an adult.

      There needs to be a love for truth and right in our heart not just knowledge. In the book of James, we read (2:19) Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. That is even as we see here. The forces of darkness recognize the power and authority of Jesus Christ for He is God, and the word spreads in Israel. We read in John 1:11, that Jesus came unto his own, and his own received him not. The rejection was not a matter of understanding or clarity. It was a matter of sin and rebellion. The message was repeated, public and clear. John 3:18,19 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. Say, have you come to know the truth and love the truth. Both are essential to our redemption.

     "Luke, with his more classical style than the other evangelists, is the only one to describe the Sea of Galilee as "the Lake of Gennesaret," and he alone records the striking miracle which led to the fuller discipleship of Peter and his partners." (Lockyer) The others record the call to discipleship, but only Luke gives us the story of the catch of fish and events surrounding the event.

      Jesus stood by the Sea of Galilee and the people pressed upon Him to hear the Word of God. Luke 5:1 It would be great if people did the same today. The two ships, likely those of Peter, James and John, were by the lake. The fishermen were washing their nets. Jesus got into the ship of Peter and He asked Peter to thrust out a little from the land. "If experiences sanctify places, then Peter's ordinary boat became his most precious possession, because his Lord had made that boat His pulpit." (Lockyer) From it, Jesus taught the people. Then turning from the crowd, He told Peter to Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught. Peter's response was characteristic of Peter: Master, we have toiled all night, and have taken nothing. Nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net. Jesus said nets, Peter said I'll obey, but the result will be the same as last night. Was it partial obedience? The result: They enclosed a great multitude of fishes, and their net brake. They were all amazed at the catch of fish.

      This miracle gave Jesus the opportunity to call Peter, James and John to discipleship. From henceforth thou shalt catch men. They forsook all and followed Him. The miracle taught them to attempt great things for God, and expect great things from God.

      Thought: Plan with vision, proceed with optimism, and achieve with enthusiasm. (The Lifeline)

      He hath done all things well, is the statement made about Jesus as He had healed this man who was both deaf and couldn't speak. Today, we live in a technological age where people, who can't hear are being helped, and where people who can't speak are being helped, but nothing we have today, in all of man's technology can match what our Lord did on that special day. Nothing! Let's take a look.

      We, again, see Jesus looking with compassion on those who had physical ailments. He had an ongoing burden for spiritually lost people. He continually reached out to these folks and helped them with their physical infirmities, so that He could also speak to them about their spiritual infirmities. He truly had an eternal focus, filled with grace, compassion, and mercy as He dealt with people. This is a wonderful example to us all by itself. As He listened to the people's pleas for Him to help this man, He responded. In thinking about this, we, as believers, really need to learn to listen to the pleas of people for help. Listening is part of doing all things well and it demonstrates a Christ-centered heart, one that the Lord can use in His service.

      Jesus then took this man aside, away from the crowd and out of their presence. What a display of tenderness, as this man surely had suffered embarrassment most of his life. Jesus had considered this man's feelings. He then performed this miracle, that to this day, no other man has done, by simply healing him so that he could both hear and speak. By the use of His fingers and His saliva, Jesus showed that the power to heal comes from and through God and God alone. This is just another proof that Jesus is exactly who He said He is. John 14:6 I am The Way, The Truth, and The Life. No man comes to the Father, except through Me. This truly shows us that every person must be shown that the Source of eternal healing, Eternal Life, is through Jesus Christ alone. We, as believers, must use everything at our disposal to proclaim that Jesus is the only Source of man’s deliverance for salvation.

      Dear Lord and Savior, how we love You! You alone, in Your mercy and compassion for lost souls, have provided the way for all of mankind to be with you. May we proclaim this message faithfully. Amen.

From many Old Testament records, we find the Leper was spiritually and physically unclean. He could not associate with society, his family, or go into the place of worship. When others approached him on a road, the leper had to leave the roadway and cry out "Unclean, Unclean!" Leprosy was also used as a sign of sin. The leper was designated in the Law as "Untouchable." Please stop and take time to read Numbers 12:1-15. Aaron and Miriam were dissatisfied because Moses was getting all the credit. God put a curse on Miriam and she became leprous and was put out of the camp. Moses in his humble way approached the Lord and asked that she be forgiven. God answered Moses prayer, but Miriam was put out of the camp for seven days.

To touch a leper was to become infected and that person was under surveillance by the priest for a length of time and could only come back into the camp after a special offering of two birds were brought to the priest, please read Lev. 14:1-32. Mark 1:40-42 And there came a leper to him, beseeching him, and kneeling down to him, and saying unto him, If thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. And Jesus, moved with compassion, put forth his hand, and touched him, and said unto him, I will; be thou clean. And as soon as he had spoken, immediately the leprosy departed from him, and he was cleansed. Jesus reached out and touched this leper. Here is the miracle! Jesus was not contaminated, but the leprous man was clean. The finger of Jesus could not be infected by leprosy because he was God. When God reaches down and touches us, be it physical or spiritual, we are the ones who are changed. In this roadside experience, Jesus identified Himself with sinners and in so doing He always gives an illustration: no matter what our sin is, He is able to forgive and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. The leper was commanded not to talk about his healing, but he was just like we are. When we have met Jesus and He has changed our destiny, we can not keep quiet; we must go and tell others what Jesus has done for us. What a great Saviour we have! Never be ashamed to tell others what He has done for you.

      The raising of Lazarus is one of the better known miracles that Jesus performed, but sometimes the thing we often over look, is the timing of this miracle. The Bible tells us in John 11:5, Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus. So these were, obviously, very close friends of Jesus Christ, yet in the next verse it says, When he (Jesus) had heard therefore that he was sick, he abode two days still in the same place where he was. Now most people would argue that if you really love someone, and they are in need, you would drop what you are doing to go and help. So why did Jesus wait two whole days before He came to Mary, Martha and Lazarus? Is it because He really didn't love them? No. Remember Jesus' first priority was to please His Father.

      Needless to say, eventually Jesus did go to be with Mary, Martha and Lazarus, but only at the right time, God's time. When Jesus arrived, Lazarus had been in the grave for four days. Some may think, "Oh, it's too late for Jesus to do anything now." But is God any less God because a body has been dead for a day, or four days, or even four years? In verse 43, we find the awesome and powerful words of Jesus Christ, Lazarus come forth.

      Now, if Jesus had gone to Lazarus when he was still sick, Mary, Martha, the disciples, and many others would have missed out on the miracle that God wanted to show them. There are several lessons that we can learn from this passage. One is, we must always remember the power of God is not bound at all and another is, we must always wait for His timing. Just because your prayer is not answered, or answered the way you wanted, doesn't mean it wasn't heard. It may be that you simply need to wait for His timing

      This account gives us two important spiritual principles. First of all, if our faith is weak, we cannot effectively fight the forces of darkness. Then, too, some evil is stronger than others. In this case, our Lord's disciples had tried to help this boy and his father, but they were ineffective. Our Lord was discouraged with how slow the apostles were to learn. In our text, He says, Matthew 17:17 O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him hither to me. He was not speaking of the wicked, but His disciples. Sometimes evil is so strong it will overcome the best of us. Yet, we need to remember that whenever this happens, our faith is weak. This world has had such an influence on our hearts and minds that we cannot stand.

      In Romans 10:17 we read, faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. If we would stand against all evil, we must spend time in God's Word. If we would stand against all evil, we must trust the truth of God's Word. Our Lord did not rebuke his disciples for shallow thought. He rebuked them for a failure to trust what they understood. Our ability to stand for God is not a matter of our depth of understanding. It is a matter of simply believing what God has said. Some try to ignore or twist the plain teaching of the Bible. This is foolish. For the plain teaching is all we really need. If this were not true, the wise and the mature would have an advantage over the simple and young. The Bible teaches that the opposite is true.

      The problem was neglect of spiritual things. They needed to spend time in prayer and fasting. They lacked important spiritual focus. Many who serve God focus too much on the flesh. Foolishly, some will even say ministry ought to be just like business. You do not need prayer to succeed in business. Many have, without offering one word of prayer or gratitude to God. A child would have a disadvantage in business, but the simple faith of a child has an advantage when it comes to spiritual things. We can do nothing in ministry without God and prayer. Therefore, confidence in things like knowledge, experience, and ability is a handicap rather than a help.

      The healing of the ten lepers by Jesus is referred to as a miracle. We mean by that, it was miraculous. "Performed supernaturally, or by a power beyond the ordinary agency of natural laws; effected by the direct agency of Almighty power, and not by natural causes." (Webster, 1828) Only Luke records the story for us.

      "Ten lepers bound together in a common misery forgot their national differences. Although one was a Samaritan, and the other nine Jews, they were poor outcasts with one common need II Kings 7:3. Together they formed "a piteous group, with clothes rent, heads bowed, and hair disheveled, a cloth bound strangely on the lower face and upper lip." A common disease put them on all on one level, and they were only too conscious of their need." (Lockyer) As Jesus entered a certain village, He was met by 10 lepers, who, because of the disease, stood afar off. "Out of a deep sense of their misery and with the hope that the Healer would hear their cry and help, the lepers lifted up their voices and cried from a distance, Lord, have mercy on us." (Lockyer) Jesus heard their cry and responded. He did not touch them, but simply told them to go show yourselves unto the priests. Follow the commands regarding leprosy in Lev. 13. The priests could not heal, but only pronounce them clean. Jesus did the healing. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed.

      Only one, when he saw that he was healed, turned back and gave God the glory, fell down before Jesus and thanked Him. And he was a Samaritan. He also received another blessing. Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole. Are we thankful?

      Thought: No one can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending. (The Lifeline)

      Jesus, in His human form, felt all the things that we feel: sorrow, fear, rejection, and yes, even physical tiredness, too. Jesus was tired here, in vs. 24, and He needed rest to prepare for what was ahead at the cross, but as we see, He couldn't hide. This example though, gives us some insight in what we should be doing in our lives in the midst of our busy schedules. We need to be looking for some regular daily quiet time with our Lord and His Word so that we can be prepared for what lies ahead.

      Word of mouth travels quickly, and we see that this woman had heard of Him and had come to Him and had fallen at His feet. She and her family were rejected by their society because she had a daughter possessed by a demon, and she was also rejected because of her race: A Syrophenician or more commonly known as a Canaanite, who's ancestors were driven out when the Hebrews first inhabited the Promised land. Bitter enemies would be a clearer understanding. And yet, she came to Jesus for help, as she had probably come to the end of her rope and had no where else to turn. And Jesus responds to her by letting her interrupt Him of His important preparations. He not only let her interrupt, but He then listens to her cry, and then points out in vs. 27, that He is taking the bread of the gospel to true worshippers of God to show that the gospel was to come through the Jews. She responds in true humility and surrender as she herself realized that she was the lowly one (dog) that Jesus was referring to, and she then worshipped Him as Lord and reminded Him that even as a lowly person, (dog) she was able to eat of the children's crumbs.

      Jesus had led this rejected woman to persist and believe. He showed His loving care for all the rejected in their needs and He answered this lady's prayer by casting out the demon from her daughter. This lady had believed Jesus could meet her needs and her belief in Him was strong, as we see Jesus said to her, O woman, great is thy faith. But it wasn't just her faith that caused Jesus to answer her prayer. It was her personal humility (surrender) and worship of Him as Lord. We see that Jesus answers the prayers of people who will surrender themselves to Him and worship Him as Lord.

Dear Lord, help us to surrender our lives in true humility and help us daily to worship You. In Your name, Amen.

      In the New Testament, people believed that any type of deformity was brought about because the person or the parents were being punished because of some sin. Our Lord had to teach His disciples that this was not true. John 9:6 When he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay. It is interesting that Jesus used many things to illustrate His miracles. In the above verse we note, Jesus took clay or dust. Remember we are made of the dust of the earth, so it was only natural that the dust from the pathway was used by the Creator to do something that had never been done before. The Light of the World was about to open the eyes of a man born blind. That man would not only see things he had never seen before, but later He would see the Saviour and his spiritual eyes also would be opened.

      After those mudpacks were placed on the eyes of the blind man, he was sent to the pool of Siloam to wash his face. It was some distance from where the man met the Saviour to the pool and this unnamed man used his staff to probe along before each step was taken. No doubt several people made fun of him walking along with that mud on his face, but he was not daunted by their taunts. He obeyed the Lord without question. He washed and immediately he was able to see! We can only guess what went through his mind as he looked down into the pool and saw his face for the first time. Looking at his hands, the trees, the sky and other people must have been an experience that could only bring praise to God for his new found sight.

      Immediately, the story got around and the Jewish leaders were angry. When they questioned the man as to who put the mud on his eyes, he had never seen Jesus therefore he could not identify Him to them. After he was put out of the Synagogue he met Jesus for the second time and was asked this most important question, Do you believe on the Son of God? He responded, Who is He? Then Jesus revealed Himself to the man and the formerly blind man said, I believe. This was more than mental ascent, it was real faith. Do you have that kind of faith?

      In this passage, we find that Jesus will perform two miracles. The passage begins with a certain ruler coming to Jesus for help. Mark 5:22 gives us a more clear idea of who this ruler was And, behold, there cometh one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name; and when he saw him, he fell at his feet. Jairus sought out Jesus because his daughter was sick and close to death. When he found Jesus and explained his dilemma, Matthew 9:19 tells us Jesus arose, and followed him, and so did his disciples. Now as they were going with Jairus something happens. As the crowd pressed against them, the Bible tells us in verse 20, a woman, which was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him, and touched the hem of his garment. When this happened Jesus stopped to address the crowd and asked, Who touched my clothes? Then He took some time to talk with the woman.

      Something worth noting is the fact that Jesus was on His way to Jairus' home to help his daughter. Jairus was a ruler and his daughter was close to death, yet there is no indication that Jairus was impatient with Jesus for stopping to help a diseased old lady. As they approached the home of Jairus, someone came out to tell him that his daughter was dead. Now if this had happened to you what would your response have been? Would you have been angry because Jesus stopped to help someone else? And, because he stopped, your daughter died. Again, there is no indication that Jairus was upset, but Jesus goes into the home and heals the daughter.

      In this passage, we find a great example of patience on the part of Jairus, the ruler. Could it be that we find ourselves trying to hurry God into doing things for us, when we should be waiting patiently on Him? Today, let us not be afraid to sit second chair when God is working with someone else.

      Bethsaida is a town where Jesus performed many miracles. We read where Jesus condemned (Matthew 11:20,21) the cities wherein most of his mighty works were done, because they repented not: Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! However, in the account of our text, Jesus takes this man out of the city, and after he is healed Jesus (Mark 8:26) sent him away to his house, saying, Neither go into the town, nor tell it to any in the town. Our Lord did not hide his works, they were done in public. However, he did not satisfy all of his critics either. We read in John 7:3,4 where they said, go into Judaea, that thy disciples also may see the works that thou doest. For there is no man that doeth any thing in secret, and he himself seeketh to be known openly. If thou do these things, shew thyself to the world.

      In this case, Jesus is probably dealing with this man in a more private way because of the weakness of his faith. It seems that the things that he does here are designed to encourage weak faith. Note it is said that, Mark 8:23-25 when he had spit on his eyes, and put his hands upon him, he asked him if he saw ought. And he looked up, and said, I see men as trees, walking. After that he put his hands again upon his eyes, and made him look up: and he was restored, and saw every man clearly. We need to take not here that our Lord was careful not to satisfy skeptics and critics, but he was ever able to give time and attention to those whose faith was weak. It does not take great faith to find blessing, just genuine faith.

      Sight was a widely used metaphor for understanding. This miracle depicts the correct but incomplete understanding of the disciples. Walvoord, John F., and Zuck, Roy B., The Bible Knowledge Commentary, (Wheaton, Illinois: Scripture Press Publications, Inc.) 1983, 1985.

      If our faith and understanding is limited, our Lord will patiently bring us to maturity. Spiritual blindness is not a matter of knowledge or ability, but a matter of God's grace.

      In our devotional this month, we have been looking at miracles performed by Jesus. "Miracles are wonders, signs, types, powers, works of God: in the narrowest Biblical sense, miracles are events in the external world, wrought by the immediate power of God and intended as a sign of attestation. They are possible because God sustains, controls, and guides all things, and is personal and omnipotent." (Davis Dictionary Of the Bible) God is all-powerful. John is the only writer who records this miracle.

      This miracle was the last to be performed by Jesus before His ascension back to heaven. "It closes the series of symbolic acts of power by which Jesus, on earth, sealed His ministry. While His disciples, who had witnessed so many of those miracles, needed no further proof to convince them of His Godhead, they did need proof that He was really risen from the dead, and in this miracle He proved in a striking way that it was their own much-loved Jesus who was alive forevermore." (Lockyer) Peter and six of the other disciples were together, possibly waiting for Jesus to come. As usual Peter said I go a fishing. The others said, We also go with thee. They went and that night they caught nothing. When Jesus did arrive He did not rebuke them for fishing. He simply said children, have ye any meat? They answered him, No. And He said unto them, cast the net on the right side of the ship and ye shall find. They did and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes. It pays to follow the directions of the Lord. And Jesus already had a meal prepared for them. He gave them bread and fish. It is good to remember that it is the Lord Who provides all our needs. Phil. 4:19

      Thought: Initiative is the ability to do the right thing. Efficiency is the ability to do the right thing. Effectiveness is doing the right things. (Lifeline)

      Jesus is again faithfully teaching the Word of God to those who will listen and we see many folks gathered around, including teachers of the law who were only there to criticize and find fault. Unfortunately, even today, there are those kind of people everywhere. But Jesus continued His teaching, just as faithful preachers and teachers should too.

      We also see some faithful friends of a palsied man, who took 4 steps in seeking forgiveness and healing from Jesus. These same 4 steps can be used and followed by anyone. The first step was this: The palsied man had sought the help of his friends and they were all seeking the help of Jesus. They decided to carry and bring their friend to Jesus on his mat. As we think about this step, it is always necessary to seek Jesus' help and it is often necessary to seek the help of our friends, too. Secondly, we see that they believed in Christ and His power to forgive their sins and to heal their friend. They believed if they would come to Jesus that He would help them. What a statement of action, as they had to carry this friend through the streets, on his bed, to Jesus. Thirdly, we see that they persisted despite the great difficulty in getting through the crowd of people. They did not give up. They literally went up on the roof and cut a hole in it so that their friend could be lowered right in front of Jesus Himself. What a spirit of boldness and persistence! They were desperate. Their need was great and they realized they were helpless without Jesus. We must also wonder what the owner of the house must have been thinking. Fourthly, they sought forgiveness, and Jesus saw their great faith and not only healed the lame man, but also forgave his sin. This is a crucial fact! Jesus (Emmanuel) said, Man, I forgive your sins.

      Friend, have you sought after Jesus with such great faith that you, too, are assured that Christ has forgiven you? Rest assured that He is there, waiting for those who will place their faith and trust in Him for salvation, but the day of salvation is Today! Don't wait.

      Gracious Lord Jesus, what compassion You have on those who seek You with all their heart. Thank You for Your salvation that is so freely offered to all who will confess with their mouths that You are Lord and will believe in their heart that You were raised from the dead! Amen.

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