Jesus is both the door to the sheep and the door to salvation. Anybody who comes in by any other way is a thief. And the thief is only there to steal, kill, and destroy. But praise God that His sheep hear His voice!
This is one of those strange and confusingly ambiguous narratives that one plain read-through does not do justice. However, if we read the circumcision stuff in light of the New Testament, we start to understand the eternal disctinction between those who have Christ and those who do not. Let's go back to the Cross!
The difference between true spiritual leaders (shepherds) and the Pharisees who preyed upon the lost people (thieves) is the Door: Jesus. Pay attention to your shepherds and flee from those who climb over the wall!
The time of Judges greatly resembles our current world: a cycle of sin, suffering, and deliverance. We desparately need deliverers! An unlikely one arose in Judges, Shamgar. Let's learn some major lessons from this minor judge.
Being well is not a feeling, but a state of being. That does not mean that everything is "well" as we might want it to be. But it certainly means that it is well with my soul: I am at peace with God!
We reach the culmination of this journey to spiritual sight - a declaration of belief. In order to see Christ, we must become blind to ourselves. This is what the formerly blind man understood and what the Jews missed.
Although the mighty men we read about in 2 Samuel lived in different times and different circumstances, we can make comparissons when we consider the spiritual battles we fight. Let's see what lessons we can learn from them and how they might help us stand firm in this modern age!
The blind beggar was probably not the most educated guy around; certainly not the most high-status. Yet, his response to the Jews is one of clarity, precision, and boldness. He can stand up to those who rule his world and convincingly defend Christ.
Justified by faith alone: sola fide! But what does biblical faith look like? Let' have a quick look!
Today we had Pastor Paul's daughter, Dr Danica Smit, sharing her testimony with the church. She shares a story of thanksgiving in troubled times, a sovereign God working all things for good, and the power of the Word to carry us through every situation.
The Gospel is Christ; not social oppression, or prosperity, or living like a Jew. Let us strive to preserve that Gospel purity delivered to us in God's Word and be careful not to add anything extra!
The Jews continue their questioning of the blind man, demonstrating their unwillingess to believe and intense hatred for Jesus. They were too busy being disciples of a "Moses" that they had created.
What do we learn from this story? Do not go to sleep in church! Well, that would be decent message. But let us dive a little bit deeper. Sleeping Eutychus teaches us about the dangers of falling asleep spiritually, but also about the generous grace of God to wake us up and keep us going!
So often, we find it far too easy to complain about things going wrong in church and far too difficult to remain in a consistent structure. Let's seek to hold fast to hungering for the Word, to what is already in place in terms of where and when we meet, to our leaders, and ultimately to God's grace!
In the situation, the parents of the blind man give the right answers to the Jews' questions. However, when we have to stand before God one day and give an account for what we did with the person of Jesus, it will not be sufficient to simply say "ask someone else"!
Last time, we had a look at what the Bible really has to say about the Rapture. This week, we get into some more mechanics. But let's keep the main thing the main thing. Whatever your eschatological conviction, do you know Christ and are you waiting for Him alone?
The "Rapture" is quite the buzzword in theology. Many, many people have come up with weird and wonderful explanations of how and when it will happen - the most recent being sometime this very month! Let's take a brief expedition into this topic and what the Bible really says.
A public healing of a public figure means the formerly blind man was on the Pharisees' radar. What we see is a remarkable display of faith and courage. He did not change the account of his healing for those who could have made his life difficult.
Ugly things are happening by wicked people all around. There is a deep rot in society - this is not something new. But we are still called to live faithfully, each one of us, by trusting in God, His faithfulness, and delighting in Him!
What we see in this section is the beginning of the blind man's spiritual healing process. Yes, he received his sight, but at this stage he does not know Jesus beyond His name. However, he can give the specifics of how he was healed - this is a man who by the end of the chapter will declare "I believe"!