“The Blind Can See” “Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (which means “son of Timaeus”), was sitting by the roadside begging. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”” ~ Mark 10:46-47 NIV Wow! What a beautiful request, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” If you read Mark 10:46-52, Jesus did not ignore that request. He did not say something like we might say, “I’m sorry fellow; I am on my way to this big important meeting of CEO’s at the Convention Center and I don’t want to be late.” No! Jesus didn’t do anything like that. There is no question that we have many people in the world who are physically blind. Sometimes we know the reason they have lost their sight and other times it is unknown. On the other hand, there are people in the world who have perfect 20/20 vision as indicated by the eye chart, but are blind as to what is going on around them. They are so concerned about their own life and their own needs and wants that they are oblivious or unaware of the people around them. Both you and I know some of these people. Fortunately for us, Jesus is not like this. Jesus is not impressed with things of the world as some people are. He is not interested in what people possess, but He is interested in what they need. He is not interested in only the upper crust of society, but He is interested in all His children of this World regardless of whether they are rich or poor, believer or nonbeliever. Jesus reaches out to all those who have small or big concerns. He is not blind to what is going on in the world our Heavenly Father created. He is not blind to the sinful nature of all mankind. He sees what is going on in all our lives. He sees what we are going to do before we ever do it. Jesus is not blind but He will restore our site to see His and Gods unconditional love for each of us. Jesus Christ healed physical blindness and the spiritual restoration of sight, lifting the "veil" of unbelief. It represents moving from darkness to light so we may fully understand His purpose, often quoted as being "blind but now I see".

The LORD is a warrior; Yahweh is his name! (NLT) -Exodus 15:3 "Sometimes we are afraid to fight because we don't believe God wants any fighting to occur. However, there is a time and place to fight. A crucial role of a warrior is knowing when to fight, when not to, and who not to fight (such as fellow believers). The Lord is a warrior and we were designed to fight alongside Him against our fears, our addictions, protecting the poor and needy, bringing justice, or sharing freedom in Christ. What battles are you fighting? Are you bringing the Lord with you to fight your battles?"

“Our Intimate Relationship” “Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name.” ~ Psalms 103:1 NIV As human beings we are sometimes guilty of taking a more self interested approach and forgetting that our Heavenly Father, God is the rightful center of mankind and His creation. When we fully understand this we then head to church or into quiet time looking for something to inspire, motivate, or help us in trouble times. But God's purpose is to create intimacy with us by revealing Himself directly to us. Our lack of close spiritual intimacy problem is that we would like to practice our faith in the safest way possible. A quick bible study, prayer, and or a short visit to church are relatively easy compared to stepping out in faith or enduring a long term hardship. To know Gods intimately is not a purely intellectual pursuit. The truth about our Heavenly Father is not really ours until He works it into our life time experience. Take time today and read Psalm 103:1-14, then meditate on these words. The only way for us all to gain such knowledge of intimacy with God is by choosing to trust and follow Him daily when He is not needed. As we do, we will learn more about who He is. For example, we can read that the Holy Spirit is our Comforter, but we won't know this truth until we need and fully experience His comfort firsthand. Read John 14:17. “God is intimate with those who are intimate with Him. ~ Unknown” ““But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him.” ~ Jeremiah 17:7 NIV Amen…

“Who Are You Developing For?” “But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”” ~ 1 Samuel 16:7 NIV What do we as earthly humans live for each day? Basing our aspirations on "getting ahead" typically ends in sometime disappointment. Maybe you've already achieved a goal of saving for the future or moving up the corporate ladder. And you might be giving to charity and volunteering at church but somehow still feel unfulfilled. If so, there is a truth you need to hear, our Heavenly Father gives each of us life for a reason namely, to serve Him. No one finds inner peace without understanding this fact. Our society teaches us that pleasure, prosperity, and popularity will make us happy. But living in the service of self always leaves us running on empty. Developing for God's purpose involves aligning personal goals, career, and daily actions with a higher spiritual calling. Whatever we'll become in this life, we are in the process today of developing into that right now, one day at a time. Consider David: He was anointed king long before actually assuming the role of ruler, take sometime to read 1 Samuel 16:6-13. He spent many years serving the purpose of God in insignificant places while developing into a great human being. As his story shows, discovering God's purpose for one's life is the surest path to success. Our Father's purpose for us comes from His love, which is perfect. None of us can know the things He has in store for us, but we can trust His plan. Surrender to the Lord and say, "Not my will, but Yours be done" (Luke 22:42). “You were made by God and for God, and until you understand that, life will never make sense.” ~Rick Warren “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.” ~Colossians 3:23-24 NIV

“Our Fulfillment Of Perfect Peace” “You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord himself, is the Rock eternal.” Isaiah 26:3-4 NIV Fulfillment comes not from what we gain or accomplish in our lives, but from knowing and serving God our Heavenly Father through Jesus Christ our savior. Our world today is looking for peace. But peace can only come through Jesus. Yes, God wants His children to live in peace in this troubled world. We do not have to participate in the current troubles that this world faces. It is possible to enjoy a heavenly environment of earth which will bring blessings and stability to our current lives. We do not have to live as the world lives in a living cartoon of unrest and hatred for humanity. We can live in an apostolic environment whereby we live in a heavenly realm on earth which does not reflect the troubles of this world. The world is full of troubles and stress full of unknown dangers. But we do not have to participate in those negative things that are being forced fed to us all. When we have an apostolic heart, our mind is not distracted by the circumstances around us. It is constantly fixed on Gods written word and through our daily relationship which ensures perfect peace during this storm. Yes our Heavenly Father wants our undivided attention and He wants our heart. The Apostle Paul discovered this secret when he learned to ‘pray without ceasing”. That means his entire focus was on Jesus at all times. It did not matter if he was in prison, or suffering hunger or persecution. He never lost his hope because his mind was in a different place to his body. His mind was fixed on heaven and he could sing hymns while he was in chains and being beaten. We can rejoice in every situation when our hearts and minds are fixed on God and He will give us a place of peace that money cannot fulfill. This is the peace that the world is looking for but they cannot find it because they do not have Jesus in their heats and minds. In the last days, all politicians are going to seek peace treaties, but true peace can on ly come through the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ.