The God of Last Resort, Part 8

Blind Bartimaeus has gotten the attention of Jesus and is being escorted to an encounter with Him.  We witnessed Bartimaeus seizing his moment to receive his healing as he learned that Jesus was passing by.  He made known his determination with his persistent shouting of, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me" in spite of opposition from the crowd (and probably the disciples with Jesus.)  Be reminded again, this is where many fall by the wayside and do not receive from God, and then say that this "faith stuff doesn't work," or, "See, I told you that God doesn't heal anymore!"  No.  It is simply that receiving from God often requires us to step outside of our comfort zone.  In other words, your healing will come the way God wants to get it to you, not necessarily the way you told God to do it.
Remember the risks that the woman with the issue of blood took, and that Jairus took?  Bartimaeus took a huge risk as well.  Watch this.
Mark 10:50-51  "Throwing aside his cloak, he jumped up and came to Jesus.  And answering him, Jesus said, 'What do you want me to do for you?'  And the blind man said to Him, 'Master, I want to regain my sight!' " So where is the risk?  You may think his persistent shouting for mercy was it, and perhaps it was part of it.  But look more closely at what the scripture says:  "Throwing aside his cloak..."  Bartimaeus was a beggar.  Even in those days the government was into regulating and issuing licenses, and one of those permits they issued was a license to beg.  That permit was issued in the form of a cloak, which was to be worn by the beggar when he was "at work."
Jesus called, and what did Bartimaeus do?  He threw down on the ground his license to work as a beggar.  Ask yourself, did he already have a copy of the Bible?  Had he already read Mark 10:52?  Let's read it now:  "And Jesus said to him, 'Go; your faith has made you well.'  Immediately he regained his sight and began following Him on the road."
Once more:  Did Bartimaeus exercise his faith by saying, "If Jesus can heal me and restore my sight, I will turn in my beggars cloak?"  What did he do?  His action, by throwing aside his cloak, said more loudly than the shouting he had just been doing to get the ear of Jesus, that he had no "Plan B."  From personal experience over more than 30 years, I have seen Plan B cheat hundreds, perhaps thousands of people from receiving what God had already done for them.  But not Bartimaeus!  What if he had not received his sight whole again?  Read the verse again.  Did "what if" even occur to him?  This testimony of Bartimaeus receiving his sight is evidence of God's willingness to do it again.  And He does every time that, "but what if" do not come along for the ride.
One other quick, but important point, and we will move on.  Jesus said in verse 52, "...your faith has made you well."  In the KJV, it says "whole," and in the Amplified, "healed you."  Remember the word, "sozo" back a few chapters?  "Sozo" is that word from Romans 10:9 that is translated "saved." But, as a reminder, it also means, "healed," "made whole," "delivered" and "protected."  When God saves (redeems from the power of sin) someone, He goes all out, doesn't He?

The God of Last Resort, Part 7

When a person loses one of his five senses, somehow his mind and body find a way to heighten the sensitivity of the remaining physical senses.  Certainly this would have been so for the blind beggar, Bartimaeus.  For a moment, imagine that you are there beside the road with him.  Your increased senses let you know what the people may be eating, if they have any animals with them, and the last time they had a bath!  You hear the birds chirping and even their wings beating as they fly by.  Even the conversations of the insects are heard by you, and, for that matter, the things that passersby might be saying in secret to one another.  Suddenly, there is a greater presence of people along the road, the earth seems to tremble with the force of their feet as they walk by, and the dust they are kicking up is almost enough to choke you on this hot afternoon.  All of them seem to be talking excitably about a prophet, a healer called Jesus.  Suddenly the beggar calls out to someone passing by, "Excuse me!  Excuse me!  But can you tell me what all the commotion is about, and who is this Jesus the people are saying wonderful things about...!?"
Look at Mark 10:46-49.  "Then they came to Jericho.  And as He was leaving Jericho with His disciples and a large crowd, a blind beggar named Bartimaeus...was sitting by the road.  When he heard that it was Jesus the Nazarene, he began to cry out and say, 'Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!'  Many were sternly telling him to be quiet, but he kept on crying out all the more, 'Son of David, have mercy on me!'  And Jesus stopped and said, 'Call him here.'  So they called the blind man saying to him, 'Take courage, stand up!  He is calling for you.' "  In the Amplified Bible, where it says he was told to be quiet, it says, "...but he kept on shouting all the more..."
Are you seeing the pattern here?  The woman with the issue of blood, Jairus the temple official, and now blind Bartimaeus all have things in common, but most of all, they boldly do everything they can to get the attention of the Lord.  Isn't it wonderful that we always have His attention?  Yes, we do!  The scripture is clear about that in Hebrews 7:25 when it says, "...He always lives to make intercession for (us) them."  We are, you are, always on His mind!
Do you find it amusing, as I do, that when Jesus called for him, the attitude of the people changed from, "Be quiet!"  to, "take courage!"  Sometimes it is fun just to put yourself in the moment.  When Jesus calls for him, suddenly everyone puts on their best Sunday-go-to-meeting-face and their "No, we were not fussing while we were riding on the camel on the way to church" look.  Can't you hear them saying, "Yes! Amen! The Loooorrrrd has called for you brootther!  Halleleiujah!  Glory to God!  I knew all along He would heal you, brother"  Am I mocking?  Yes.  Is there truth in it?  Do I behave that way sometimes...?

We will continue this visit with blind Bartimaeus in Part 8.

The God of Last Resort, Part 6

It is time to take a break to ponder a few things.
First, it is important to pay attention to the environment in which the healing events for the woman and for Jairus occurred. The scripture describes a "multitude" of people. What was a multitude then? Surely it was hundreds, possibly thousands of people. The passage also speaks of the "press behind." People were crowded into the area that Jesus was passing through, thronging and reaching out to Him to touch Him. But why were they pressing in on Him? What did they want? It seems that most of them just wanted to say that they had touched the Prophet, just as people today get excited if they get to touch a famous entertainer or sports star. Bottom line, nothing comes of that. All of those people were in the vicinity of Jesus Who had "God's Super on His natural," and only two of them are recorded in the Bible as having made positive contact with that anointing and come away with a lasting God-event in their lives.
Second, note that the only persons on record that made any impression on Jesus were willing to risk it all to receive their God-event. This was no casual accident of God that brought healing to the woman, or life back to Jairus' daughter. Ask the person you know the best: "Is there a situation in my life right now in which I need to "take a risk" and make Jesus first?"
Third, they came to Jesus, regardless of their approach, expecting to receive what they came for, and they came unwilling to be denied by circumstances or delay. Jairus was given at least two opportunities to give up his daughter's healing after Jesus started off with him to his house. The first was the report of his servant who came bearing bad news saying, "...your daughter has died...." and the second was when the woman with the issue of blood touched Jesus' garment and Jesus stopped to talk with her. If you think it through, didn't his prayer seem answered when Jesus left to go with him to heal his daughter? Have you ever had that happen to you...you thought God was moving to answer your prayer, and then everything turned and went the other way? How did you respond? Wouldn't it have been nice in those times to have Jesus standing there with you to say, "Do not be afraid, only believe!?" Well, now we are without excuse. You do have Jesus here telling you that! You see, these instances are written down for us to testify as to what the will of the Lord is, how His economy works, and what He will do. Did you realize that the word, "testimony" means, "the power to do it again!?" What am I saying? When distraction and disappointment come, keep your eyes and your heart focused on the desired end, and you will have it. Speak what the Word says about it, not what the doctors or bankers might say about it. These are prayers that change things, and your lips are the tools that fashion the words that determine your future. If fear wells up great, as it must have for Jairus, it might be best to just keep your mouth shut and your heart focused in on the desired end of the prayer you have spoken.
There is much more to know about prayer. What you have prayed must line up with the will fo God. That is another book.
And, Fourth, only the woman and Jairus accessed the power of God on purpose that day. That was especially true of the woman. She was determined to take her healing from Jesus, and she did. Her approach to Jesus was with intense desire in an earnest expectation of acheiving the goal: Her healing. If she had let Jesus get away with Jairus without touching Him, we would not have had this incident to read about today. Keep this word in your heart: If you are going to receive your miracle from God, it is up to you to take it. Jesus is not leaving the throne room to come down and do it for you--He has already done it. That miracle is waiting for you to get involved. When I post it, be sure to read my book, "Grace Through Faith" for a much more in-depth understanding of that principle.

The God of Last Resort, Part 5

The woman with the issue of blood had interrupted someone else who had petitioned Jesus. That someone else was a Synagogue Official. Look carefully and notice the significance of how Jairus interacts with Jesus:

Luke 8:41-42 "And behold there came a man named Jairus, and he was an official of the synagogue; and he fell at Jesus' feet, and began to entreat Him to come to his house; for he had an only daughter, about twelve years old, and she was dying. But as He went, the multitudes were pressing against Him."

In Mark 5:23b-24a the account reads, "...'come and lay Your hands on her, that she may get well and live...' And He went off with him;..."

Consider Jairus' plight. He works for the synagogue. His bosses, the Pharisees, are not fans of Jesus. But Jairus' daughter is dying. He has to decide which is more important--his job and his station in the community, or his daughter. Please understand: Jairus didn't have the New Testament to read in advance to see how this turned out before he went to Jesus! He put everything on the line for the outcome he believed he would get. But as a temple official, an employee of the enemies of Jesus, what would lead him to believe that the Prophet Jesus would help him? In his case, being Mr. Big in the synagogue was not a trump card for him, was it? What about you and me? There was a multitude of people pressing in on Jesus to get His attention. Why would He pay any attention to us?

There is an answer.

Jairus "fell at Jesus' feet," and began to worship Him and "entreat" Him. The "entreat" was Jairus' request of Jesus. To say it another way, it was his prayer and expectation. He said what he wanted Jesus to come and do, and what he expected the outcome to be, didn't he? "...lay your hands on her that she may get well and live." One more time: Jairus worshipped Jesus, asked Jesus to come and lay His hands on his daughter, and then declared that if Jesus would do that, his daughter would live.

Let's see if this can be more clear:

Jairus was seen worshipping Jesus.
He did not care if he lost his job, his position, or the pride his station in life could give him.
He did not care if he was criticized for being seen with Jesus.
He was clear about what he wanted Jesus to do.
He was convinced what the outcome would be for him and his family and considered no other.
But wait, there's more...

Luke 8:49-50 "While He was still speaking, someone came from the house of the synagogue official, saying, 'Your daughter has died; do not trouble the Teacher anymore.' But when Jesus heard this, He answered him, 'Do not be afraid any longer, only believe, and she shall be made well.'

This all occurred while Jesus was distracted by the woman with the issue of blood. Wouldn't it have been easy for Jairus to take on the grief of his dauhter's death and blame it on that woman? Couldn't the spirits of arrogance, pride and position have spoken out self-righteously and ordered her stoned for being out in public in her medical condition? Notice how Jesus injected peace into the situation. He immediately spoke life into the situation by telling Jairus not to allow fear in his heart, to remain steadfast in faith believing that his daughter would be healed. Also notice the absolute brilliance of Jairus' response: He was smart enough to keep his mouth shut. If he had opened his mouth at that instance, in the pain his heart must have been in, nothing good would have fallen out of it. Many times I have wished that I had kept my mouth shut, have you?

We know the outcome. It was as Jairus had originally entreated Jesus, and as Jesus had promised, she was (as in verse 50), "made well." Incidentally, in the original Greek, "made well" is spelled sozo. Another way to say it would be, "...she was 'made whole'."

So I wonder. Considering what Jairus did, how he approached Jesus, and the risk he took to rely on Jesus only, I wonder if there are things in your life today that those same principles could be applied to in order to obtain a "God result?"

The God of Last Resort, Part 4

Imagine that you are in a very difficult life situation and have been for many years. You can't go out in public, and people don't come to see you. The only ones who do come around mean well and try to help while emptying your bank account. You are desparate, but there is no help anywhere to be had. What would you do? What could you do? But then, when hope is all but gone, you hear of a miraculous remedy for your situation. The only problem is that you will have to compete with hundreds, maybe thousands of people to get the attention of the one person who can help. Are you desparate enough to try, or have you given up? Welcome to the challenges faced by the woman with the issue of blood.

Mark 5:25-26 "And a woman who had had a hemorrhage for twelve years

and had endured much at the hands of many physicians, and had spent all

that she had and was not helped at all, but rather had grown worse,"

She has tried everything. But now she is out of options. She is also out of money, so probably the doctors are no longer coming around....but

Mark 5:27-28 "after hearing about Jesus, came up in the crowd behind

Him and touched His outer garment, for she was saying, 'If I just touch

His garments, I shall get well.' "

I wonder how much physical strength this poor lady had after her twelve year ordeal? How do you suppose she heard about Jesus? In vs. 27 in the KJV it says she came up in "...the press behind," which means that there were people all around Jesus trying to get close to Him and touch Him. She probably heard the commotion from her home and asked someone what it was all about, and whoever that was probably told her that it was the healing prophet Jesus. She made up her mind that she was going to get her healing from this Jesus. The crowd had to be like a brutal gauntlet for her to run, walk, crawl and claw her way through. But she knew that she was finished if she didn't get her healing. She was determined to take it for herself. Let me say that again: She was determined to take it for herself. Jesus had no clue that she was coming for her healing. He was busy with the Temple official, Jairus, and was on His way off the Jairus' house when she touched him. She could have said, "Well, maybe there will be a better time...I don't want to bother Him... I wouldn't want to make a scene"......all the normal socially acceptable reasons we don't receive from God.

Consider this: This woman was taking a huge risk. Jewish law required a woman with an issue of blood who went out in public to be stoned to death. How badly do you want your healing? Would you take such a risk to get what you needed? And, remember who Jesus was walking off with when she touched his garment? Jairus, the Temple official. Jairus had the authority to order her stoned. Sometimes the risk we have to take is judgement and criticism from those we care about and love, even people in our own church. Sometimes it is our own pride that is the obstacle.

See this reason why she got her healing: She was determined to get

it and didn't care what anyone else thought about it.

Because Jesus had turned to walk away to the home of Jairus, in my imagination it seems that she must have had to dive to grab ahold of the hem of His garment. Literally, she had to almost tackle Him! Here's what happened next:

Mark 5:29 And immediately the flow of her blood was dried up;

and she felt in her body that she was healed of her affliction.

She was healed! She knew it! And you might find this interesting: It is possible that this miracle was prophesied in Malachi 4:2. It reads, "But for you who revere My name, the Sun of Righteousness will rise with healing in its wings;" Jesus was wearing a Rabbi's robe. Supposedly the bottom of the garment was finished off with four distinct corners at the bottom. From the corners, the garment curved down toward the earth at the center and rose back up to meet the next corner. Each of the four curved parts of the base of the garment were called "wings." But I digress.

Mark 5:30-34 And immediately Jesus, perceiving in Himself

that the power proceeding from Him had gone forth, turned

around in the crowd and said, "Who touched My garments?"

And His disciples said to Him, you see the multitude pressing in

on You, and You say, 'Who touched Me?' " And He looked around

to see the woman who had done this. But the woman fearing and

trembling, aware of what had happened to her, and and fell down

before Him, and told Him the whole truth.

And He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well;

go in peace and be healed of your affliction."

The word she used in verse 28 to describe her healing, and the word Jesus used in verse 34 were the same word, "sozo." There are many different words for "healed" or "healing" in the New Testament, and some of them describe different levels of healing, some better than others. This word describes what would be considered to be the highest level, or best result imaginable, for healing. Interestingly enough, it is also used to describe redemption in Romans 10:9: "that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be sozo. This word is translated "saved" (which means in the church, "redeemed from sin"), and also means "made complete" and "healed." Amazing isn't it? And Romans 10:9 says you have to "confess (it) with your mouth." That is exactly what the woman with the issue of blood was doing, and exactly what you did when you received Jesus as your Lord and Saviour--and by extension--Completor and Healer.

If you took Jesus as your saviour, you have your healing.

Be as bold and determined as this woman, and take what belongs to you!

And then, learn how to give it away!

The God of Last Resort, Part 3

Ask yourself: Do I believe what Jesus said? Do I believe the Bible? Following is a quick test you can give yourself. In Mark 9:23b Jesus remarked: "...All things are possible to him who believes." Do I believe that? Do I still believe it when I am the "him" who is to do the "believing?"

How about an easier one? Mark 10:27 reads: "Looking upon them Jesus said, 'With men it is impossible, but not with God; for all things are possible with God.'" Of course. God can do anything! But we aren't off the hook, are we? Read it again. "With men it is impossible..." Who is it impossible with...? Continue reading: "...but not with God;" Here's the question: Who am I, who are you, "with"? Jesus was "with God" as a man while He was on the earth. If He had not done His works on the earth as a man, He could not have legally (in the spirit realm) prayed to the Father "As Thou didst send Me into the world, I have also sent them into the world." (John 17:19) because we are in the man-class of being. To clarify, if there is any question, God sent Jesus into the world to bring the kingdom of God to man, and along the way, He worked signs, wonders and miracles. Jesus is saying we are to do the same.

Let me take one more pass at this to make sure the point comes across. Jesus the man operated in the earth under the anointing of God. (Luke 4:18) In most of the New Testament the word "anointed" in that verse is left as a derivative of the Greek "Christos" which we say as "Christ." It is Father God's "Super" on Jesus' "natural." That anointing to redeem, set free and heal was His to operate in while He was in the earth, and comes to us when we become a "Christ-ian." The word "Christian" means, "little anointed one." Without apology, that means that, as a Christian, we have available to us God's "Super" on our "natural!" Now we have discovered another reason we don't see many miracles where we live: The church does not know, does not believe, or is offended at the concept that we are "with God." (Mark 10:27 again.)



Is this too much to bear, too hard to swallow? Is it too great a thing for God to have arranged His economy to work through His people who would be silly enough to just take Him at His Word? Certainly, it is something to ponder. Some have said, preached, yes, demanded, that we believe that such things only happened in the early church. If that is so, then God does not remain the same yesterday, today and forever. NOW we can go on to Biblical examples of the "God of Last Resort" in operation.

The God of Last Resort, Part 2

My favorite (and only) daughter and her best friend in high school, Kelanie, [you can follow Kelanie's music ministry on Kelanie.com] used to enjoy contriving "random ponderments." Often there was no point to them, they just wrote down questions about things that seemed to have no logical answer. Are you a "ponder-er?" I am. I have wondered out loud (prepare to roll your eyes and sigh loudly) why braille is used at drive-up ATM's? Or why do businesses get upset with thieves who come in their establishment with guns drawn and rob them? Weren't the robbers obeying the "No Concealed Handguns" sign posted on the door when they came in showing their guns....? And one more question about braille--it's about braille on elevators. How does a person that can't see even know that there is an elevator, let alone how to find it?



The same goes for miracles. The Bible records them, they are inspiring to read about, they happen in those third world countries we go to as missionaries, but are they real and do they happen today where I live? This may challenge your belief system, and if so, perhaps it needs challenging: Christianity today seems to be more interested in talking about Jesus than it is in the go therefore and do likewise command of Jesus. Could we ponder that a moment? Why is it that way? Could it be that--your church and mine excepted, of course-- it is a pride thing in some churches? Why would it be pride, you ask? Don't we all want to be accepted? The miracles that Jesus performed even got Him called out by His family: They thought He had gone mad. See Matthew 12:46-47 and Mark 3:21-31. Consider that in Jesus' day the Pharisees did not get upset with His performing of miracles (except on the Sabbath--go figure!), but they got really upset if He told someone their sins were forgiven! Today, it is the opposite--you can preach the forgiveness of sins all day, but it is not "spiritually socially acceptable in church" to suggest that God will perform a miracle today for you, through you or in you on purpose. That is one primary reason the "third world country" miracles don't happen where you live today. We have been taught that God isn't doing that anymore, or, perhaps we have been around people who prayed and nothing happened, and we don't want to look foolish like them. Could it be pride?

In the next part, let's examine another key reason that miracles don't happen in the church today. Over the next several parts, we will examine some of the incidents in the ministry of Jesus and see a common thread in each miracle that we can take away and live out in our own lives and the lives of those we come in contact with. By now you may think that I am a religious nut. However, I am neither religious nor a nut...but I am "...addicted to the ministry of the (believers) saints." (I Corin. 15:16) After nearly 35 years of being involved in watching and participating in the present day ministry of Jesus, blessing His people on purpose, it is my hope that you, too, will see that there is more to learn and do in this life called "Christian."

The God of Last Resort Part 1.

God always acts on purpose according to His Word. That is the way He set up His economy. It is an economy fueled by the Word of His power. That economy performs whenever we are ready to let it, even if we insist upon making Him the...

God of Last Resort.

"The God of Last Resort." What a strange title to a discussion about God. This is actually a discussion about the relationship that we have with Him. We are the ones who decide about the depth of any relationship we choose to make.

Have you ever wondered why miracles occur in third world countries but you don't hear much about them happening where you live? As we move through this conversation together we'll talk about why that is the case, and what you can do to change it in your life if you want to see miracles at your house. As a teaser on that, one thing that has to happen is that we have to "rebelieve" that God still does miracles on purpose. More about that later. But first, let's begin with a story.

I don't know if it is true, but I think I have met these guys. Maybe you know them too. A deacon and an usher are out on the front steps of the church one Sunday morning taking a smoking break during the sermon. It is a mystery why they smoke during the sermon, but perhaps the sermons at their church aren't all that good. The usher began the conversation by saying, "I had a tough week this week." "Really?" answers the deacon. "Yeah," says the usher, "I lost my job down at the factory." "Oh no!" chimes the deacon. "I know, but that ain't all," the usher responds, between puffs on his cigarette, "my wife left me, too!" "That's terrible!" the deacon sympathizes, "it couldn't get worse than that...!" "But it did," the usher responds, "I ran over my favorite huntin' dog with my pickup!" "No!" mourns the deacon, "I loved that dog!" "Yeah, me too!" answers the usher. "But after that my house burned down and--worst of all--the repo man done come and took my pickup truck!" The deacon, shaken by his friend's misfortune, dropped his cigarette on the step and ground it out with his shoe, put a somber look on his face and declared, "Perhaps we should pray about this!" The usher, completely taken off guard by the deacon's suggestion replied in a confused, but hushed voice, "Has it come to that?"

Funny.

Or is it?

Or is it the way we all respond to the suggestion of injecting God into the situations present in everyday life?

More importantly, if I get so casual with my relationship with God that I have to "inject" Him into a life event, what does that say about my relationship with Him?

We'll talk more together about this the next time we visit in Part 2.

About the name, "God...on purpose." This blog was established for me by my favorite son and daughter-in-law to help me record the books based on God's Word that have been rolling around on the inside of my spirit for years. The hope is that then, those revelations would help us both. They had to set it up for me because my concept of technology when writing stops at a yellow pad and a ballpoint pen. The high-tech part is that the pen has gel ink. The name comes from the cause of my dismissal from many chuches that I have attended over the years, all of which believed "every word of the Bible." Sometimes, when being exposed to someone who believes that God is still doing exactly what that Word says, well, it can cause the "faith" we have experienced to clash uncomfortably with the Truth of that Word. You see, it is a simple-minded belief, I know, but I believe that the God Who said that He is the same yesterday, today and forever, the God Who said, "Light be!" and light was, the God Who spoke to Jesus every thing He said and showed Jesus everything He subsequently did--and He did it all on purpose--I believe He's still doing it ON PURPOSE!

Of course, this writer's faith is full of gaps and holes. I have seen, and often participated in, the miracle action of the Word, yet still limit Him in His "on-purpose-ing" by the smallness of my ability to "see Him perform it," just as Jesus did. So when you measure what you read here, measure it as watered down and weak when it comes to the "Truth of that Word" as mentioned above. Perhaps, together, we'll approach His Word with more boldness, confidence and an abandonment of pride-killing faith as we learn together. For He is indeed the

God Who does everything He does and has promised

ON PURPOSE!