Examples and Warnings
Posted on May 31, 2016 by America's Keswick in Freedom Fighters
“Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. For our God is a consuming fire.” ~Hebrews 12:28-29 (NKJV)
Every so often I have it brought to my mind those times when I grew up in South Philly and went to church. I was raised within the Roman Catholic Church and saw some stuff that I now can call the apostasy of people. It set me up for a decision that I’ll make by the age of 16 and have a deep impact on my life until the age of 40 when Jesus Christ will say “Enough is enough…come to Me you are heavy laden”. I can’t put it all down as waste because there was a lesson to be learned from it, “It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man.” (Psalm 118:8) Had I known this sooner…ah who I am kidding? There is no woulda, shoulda, coulda excuse to give. Anyway…
During a recent sit down with friend and Pastor, John Mol, I heard something that gave me that “AH-HA” finger to the air, there it is, moment. Pastor John talked about how God has given us examples and warnings in our churches in the forms of actual people. He told us of few those stories of people in his life who have been examples and warnings to him. And since we have people in the Bible to talk about let’s see a different take on two of them.
Mark 5…After Jesus calms a storm and lands on the shores of Gerasa, He is approached by a man who was tortured by an evil spirit named Legion. This dude ran around a cemetery, charged through the wilderness and did some serious damage to himself. But his encounter with Jesus changed all that. Jesus sends out the thousands of demons within our friend and leaves him a free man. This man is so grateful for what Jesus has done that all he wants to be is with Jesus but he is given a different assignment and was sent off into Decapolis to share what was done for him through Jesus. So…off he went to spread the Good News of Jesus!! People were left amazed!!
John 5…For 38 years a man lived with a disability…he can’t walk too well. It’s a sunny day by the pool of Bethesda and everyone who needs a healing touch is waiting for the bubbles of the pool to start. These waters are said to heal by the magical intercession of a heavenly messenger who stirs the waters. Jesus sees this man from a distance and approaches him. “Are you here in this place hoping to be healed” asks Jesus. Then the disabled man goes about no one is interested in helping him be first to get into pool so he can be healed. Well Jesus took care of that and he was immediately challenged by those wacky Pharisees. But even after he tells them Jesus heals him we don’t see him go anywhere to anyone else to tell them anything. POOF!!! This dude is gone. People were left annoyed.
So what is to be gleaned here? Just like those of us who needed Jesus’ healing touch in our lives we are excited we’re even healed like these two guys but ya gotta notice what they did with what Jesus did for them. One goes out to share his joy with others and one keeps it to himself. One did everything he could for Jesus and one did nothing. One walks into a city and one just walk away. One is set as an example and one is set as a warning.
This is still happening in our churches today. We have folks that are so overjoyed by what Jesus has done for them they can’t singing His praises and we have those that barely lift a whisper to be heard. What I hope I am conveying to you today is that if Jesus has touched you deeply He needs to be shared by you deeply. If all you have in your heart is “Jesus saved me” and not “Jesus saved me and He can save you too” then you’ve missed the boat. Make this day the day you go out among the people and share what was done for you by the healing touch of Jesus Christ. Amen?
Written by Chris Hughes: Chris, a graduate of The Colony of Mercy (11-2003) is married with two adult children and serves on the Deacon Board at Trinity Alliance Church in Cologne NJ
The Daily Bible Reading: Psalm 149; Proverbs 31
Daily Quote: “We humans “do what we are.” It is a statement that cannot be refuted. In other words, if we let ourselves go, giving up all outward pretensions, and live just from the desires within us, what we really are will come out. Basically, what we are is revealed by what we do, and what we do reveals what we are within.” ~A.W. Tozer
This Week’s Verse to Memorize:
3 You will keep him in perfect peace,
Whose mind is stayed on You,
Because he trusts in You.
4 Trust in the Lord forever,
For in YAH, the Lord, is everlasting strength. ~Isaiah 26:3-4
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