JMD Devotional 132 John 9:34-39 Outcast into Good Company
When Jesus healed a man born blind; the Pharisees grilled him, then his parents, and refusing to believe his testimony, grilled him again. Apparently the Holy Spirit inspired him, because he challenged the court with the evidence of God's favor on Jesus, how no one has ever cured a man BORN BLIND before, and that God doesn't listen to 'sinners'; and only God could have performed this miracle. This enraged the Pharisees!
John 9:34-39 (AMP) They retorted, You were wholly born in sin [from head to foot]; and do you [presume to] teach us? So they cast him out [threw him clear outside the synagogue]. Jesus heard that they had put him out, and meeting him He said, Do you believe in and adhere to the Son of Man (or the Son of God) ? He answered, Who is He, Sir? Tell me, that I may believe in and adhere to Him. Jesus said to him, You have seen Him; [in fact] He is talking to you right now. He called out, Lord, I believe! [I rely on, I trust, I cleave to You!] And he worshiped Him. Then Jesus said, I came into this world for judgment [as a Separator, in order that there may be separation between those who believe on Me and those who reject Me], to make the sightless see and to make those who see become blind.
Many things tend to divide people: age, sex, national identity, wealth; but from God's perspective these distinctions that seem so great to us pale with insignificance compared to our relationship with His Son. Jesus is offensive to the duplicity of mankind. He won't let you sit on the fence. He will shake your branches looking for signs of fruit that agree with repentance and a changed life. He meddles in the middle of your personal matters; His terms are 100% access to and Lordship over your life! He has purposely not left any middle ground open; you are either for Him or against Him; you are either helping Him gather or are scattering; hot or cold. It is all about Jesus, and He is your only hope.
Dear God,
I had to sit on this meditation for 24 hours; because I've been accused of fanaticism, of 'foaming at the mouth' on certain subjects. I could have said a lot more about those trying to straddle the fence; I could have blasted the liberal mind-set with both barrels; but I will leave conviction to your Holy Spirit. I don't want to misrepresent you, I don't want to undo your work in my zeal. Every trial you bring me through validates my heart-held conviction that it is all about You; you are Lord alone; the ultimate cause behind everything; God Almighty. I can and have done a lot of things to qualify for being an outcast; help me to not be one for shameful reasons but for my allegiance to and association with You. Give me a winsome countenance so that the only thing driving people away is the unadulterated truth and righteousness of God in me.
Amen
All (but*) quotes are from The Amplified Bible, published by
the Lockman Foundation. (AMP)
Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation
*New International Version (NIV)
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society
**Scripture taken from The Message. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. (Eugene Peterson's easy-to-read, contemporary Scripture translation)
If you know of someone who would like to subscribe to
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John 9:34-39 (AMP) They retorted, You were wholly born in sin [from head to foot]; and do you [presume to] teach us? So they cast him out [threw him clear outside the synagogue]. Jesus heard that they had put him out, and meeting him He said, Do you believe in and adhere to the Son of Man (or the Son of God) ? He answered, Who is He, Sir? Tell me, that I may believe in and adhere to Him. Jesus said to him, You have seen Him; [in fact] He is talking to you right now. He called out, Lord, I believe! [I rely on, I trust, I cleave to You!] And he worshiped Him. Then Jesus said, I came into this world for judgment [as a Separator, in order that there may be separation between those who believe on Me and those who reject Me], to make the sightless see and to make those who see become blind.
Many things tend to divide people: age, sex, national identity, wealth; but from God's perspective these distinctions that seem so great to us pale with insignificance compared to our relationship with His Son. Jesus is offensive to the duplicity of mankind. He won't let you sit on the fence. He will shake your branches looking for signs of fruit that agree with repentance and a changed life. He meddles in the middle of your personal matters; His terms are 100% access to and Lordship over your life! He has purposely not left any middle ground open; you are either for Him or against Him; you are either helping Him gather or are scattering; hot or cold. It is all about Jesus, and He is your only hope.
Dear God,
I had to sit on this meditation for 24 hours; because I've been accused of fanaticism, of 'foaming at the mouth' on certain subjects. I could have said a lot more about those trying to straddle the fence; I could have blasted the liberal mind-set with both barrels; but I will leave conviction to your Holy Spirit. I don't want to misrepresent you, I don't want to undo your work in my zeal. Every trial you bring me through validates my heart-held conviction that it is all about You; you are Lord alone; the ultimate cause behind everything; God Almighty. I can and have done a lot of things to qualify for being an outcast; help me to not be one for shameful reasons but for my allegiance to and association with You. Give me a winsome countenance so that the only thing driving people away is the unadulterated truth and righteousness of God in me.
Amen
All (but*) quotes are from The Amplified Bible, published by
the Lockman Foundation. (AMP)
Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation
*New International Version (NIV)
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society
**Scripture taken from The Message. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. (Eugene Peterson's easy-to-read, contemporary Scripture translation)
If you know of someone who would like to subscribe to
my daily devotional, please forward.
jamesdinsmore_32907@yahoo.com
Short, concise, thought-provoking.
More features:
My Poetry
http://saintjamespoetry.blog.com/
(Some) of my Devotionals
http://recoverydevotional.blogspot.com/
posted by James M. Dinsmore at 7:37 AM
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