The Cross Piercing the Darkness
We all have those moments of despair, sadness, pain, and suffering. Oftentimes we feel we are in the darkness alone of our situation. How often are we drawn deeper into the abyss feeling captured by the very circumstances of life that just come for whatever reason. That thing or circumstance that alters our thought process and ultimately puts us in a state of darkness that borders on mental, physical emotional and spiritual stresses.
In the gospel reading of John 9:1-7, we read of a blind beggar whose only source of income was the alms collected while begging at the roadside, where travelers came and went. As Jesus approached, He paused and engaged this beggar. His traveling companions (His disciples) immediately asked Jesus, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” (v 2) Jesus answered: “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.” (v 3) Jesus then spit on the ground and made mud from the saliva and clay. He put the mud on the man’s eyes and told him, go wash in the Pool of Siloam.” So, we understand, the beggar was not going to receive his sight until he went down to the Pool of Siloam and washed. In other words, he accepted a wonderful, powerful gift but if he were to choose to accept the gift there was an act of obedience that needed to occur. Again, God created us with a free will. God also makes it noticeably clear that He seeks our obedience. How often do we struggle with that one?
This beggar was born physically blind. However, we are all born “spiritually blind.” Whatever knowledge and or experience we receive early in life is a lesson taught. So, if we are born spiritually blind, we are born into spiritual darkness. If we are in spiritual darkness, where does the Light of Knowledge and Salvation come from?
The same exact source that granted the beggar his sight: Jesus the Christ!
The beggar knew he was blind and knew he wanted vision. But all he could ever do was sit at the roadside begging for alms. What else could he do? Then Jesus comes along and engages him and offers him sight (LIGHT). Why did Jesus stop and minister to this one man? That becomes obvious. It was a divine appointment. God the Father compelled Jesus to engage this one man in the same manner that Jesus was compelled to minister to the Samaritan woman at the well. It was a divine appointment. The writer (John) does not say that this beggar was the only person that Jesus ministered to; so, it is fair to say that in all probability Jesus did more ministry while in this town.
What we see is the omniscience and omnipotence of God at work. He knows the physical and spiritual condition of every person all the time and every time. Just as when Zacchaeus was up in that Sycamore tree when Jesus passed by, Jesus knew he was there and knew Zacchaeus had a fervent desire to see Jesus. We might feel dismayed, or simply feel inadequate and unable to see over life crowding circumstances, however Jesus sees every one of us no matter what.
We all are born and exists in a state of darkness (sin), We cannot know the Spirit of Truth and Love which comes from God. In a state of darkness, we do however fall prey to false teachings and false pathways of life which lead to death, when we are defiant from the source of light
I am a great fan of the scripture and enjoy reading and listening to people speaking. The last twenty-five years, I find myself really paying attention to the still voice of the spirit that is extremely critical in understanding and discerning the world around us. What it says to me is: we get fixed on a path that leads to an unknown with no regards to the circumstances, you would think at some point it become obvious that it leads to an end, we must go back and notice another clue or two and follow its path. The important thing to remember is not to follow a false lead that have many pitfalls along the way. I would venture to say that is the reason John is on the Isle of Patmos. The warning is to go back and do the first work over again.
God is so good, that He provides us with a safety net when we get off track. All we need do is ask HIM and He will put us back on the right path. The paths that lead to dark spiritual places are all paved with temptations. Many powerful allures lurk all along the way. Like the following: sex – money – power – pride – fear – shame – etc. God is more concerned with the return of the lost than the whys and wherefores.
As we approach, the day, I am in awe by the three hours of total darkness that God cast upon all His creation. Three hours of darkness with NO light of any kind, No ambient light from sun, moon, or stars. Certainly, no artificial light! People had no idea whether they were dying in that darkness. And the in a grand and powerful display the curtain at the temple was rent, torn open from top to bottom. This is the very essence of the message of Christ His life journey from birth, to teaching in the temple and to the cross. No longer was there a need a priest to represent them before God. When Jesus died on the cross as a sacrifice for the sins of all humanity for all time, Christ created a means for direct access to God, in His name.
Currently when spiritual darkness is so prevalent, the Lord has led me to start a blog. My writing is to simply give what God is giving me. It is important for the world to see what was foretold in scripture is occurring in these end times.
What makes Jesus so interesting and powerful
Just before his hour had come, On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no more wine.”
Pay Close Attention
Exceptional wine takes a long time to ferment. Jesus bypassed the entire timeframe in moments, which only God can do. God knew the glory that would be revealed in that moment, marking the beginning of Jesus’ ministry.
The Power
At a molecular level, the water, hydrogen, and oxygen, was changed into wine that contains sugars, yeast, and water, which contain carbon and nitrogen along with oxygen and hydrogen. Thus, by changing water into wine Jesus demonstrated his authority over even the atomic structure of atoms by commanding oxygen and hydrogen atoms to disassemble and reform into other atoms of different configurations. The amount of energy it would take to perform this atomic deconstruction and reconstruction is staggering.
This intermolecular energy being released is the source of the explosive energy from an atomic bomb. However, since Jesus caused the wine atoms to come back together, he would have to put this astronomical amount of energy into the atoms to have them reconstruct. To do so without any visible energy transformation of the liquid (John does not say anything about people noticing the transformation) indicates an understanding of natural law far beyond our current comprehension. And he accomplished it with no physical exertion.
We See Power over the process
Changing water into wine requires demonstrating power over time and space. Wine requires many processes that cover an extended period. The growth of the plant. The maturation of the grape. Harvesting the grape. Treading the grapes into juice. The aging time required for fermentation. Exceptional wine takes a long time to ferment. Jesus bypassed the entire timeframe in moments, which only God can do.
We See Counterculture
Jesus had the servants fill the ceremonial washing jars, which were used for washing the outside of the body according to the law and refilled them with something inside the body. This demonstration is just the beginning of his counterculture teaching. Over and over, he would come to challenge the ways of the religious leaders, and the thinking of the people.
Matthew 9.17 "Neither do men pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst, the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.
How do we get the most value out of our lives?
Getting the most value depends on not making the New Wine in Old Wineskins mistake. Old, mature wine is the most valuable, most expensive wine. It tastes best. But to get there, new wine must mature. The container used is critical. The wrong vessel to house maturing wine will burst. Wine lost. Value gone. Therefore, you lose both the wineskin and the wine.
Powerful depiction to our walk in Christ.
Parables are powerful "word-pictures" that are meant to be grafted into our thinking...as mental pictures do control our thought-life. That is where the "imagination" gets involved. The imagination allows mental exploration of the past, present, future. It is the ability to see pictures and images in the "movie theater" of the mind.
The imagination is the "workshop" of the human mind. It is the only thing in the world we have complete control over. That is why GOD takes great interest of what goes on there, and judges what we allow to grow there - Genesis 6.5
Romans 12:2. Do not conform to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. …
Pay Close Attention to Matthew 15:11
However, whatever comes out of the mouth comes from the heart, and those things defile a man. For example, out of the heart come wicked reasonings, murders, adulteries, sexual immorality, thefts, false testimonies, blasphemies. These are the things that defile a man.
Scripture References
Proverbs 18:21…The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.
St. Mark 11:23…I tell you the truth, you can say to this mountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen. But you must really believe it will happen and have no doubt in your heart.
James 3:5…Even so the tongue is a little member and boasted great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindled!”
What does the mind and heart have in common?
The heart contains neurons like those in the brain, and these fire in conjunction with the brain. The heart and the brain are therefore connected: When your heart receives signals from the brain via the sympathetic nerves, it pumps faster. And when it receives signals through the parasympathetic nerves, it slows down, so out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. When evil resides in the heart, it will be exposed in perverse speech, language contrary to the truth of God and to love. James 3:8 declares that "no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison...” For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil. As in water face reflects face, so the heart of man reflects the man.
What comes from your Heart? It will take you to your destination.