11 Nov 10
           Greetings, special people.
           Thankfully, my mill job yesterday only held a bit of sprinkle—not rain.  I’ll do other urgent work today, then return to finish up that mill job tomorrow.
           On with it!  Be blessed as you get on with your “it.”
                       Love, Dad/Ray
 
11 November 2010
Passage: John 9
Focus: “Then the man said, ‘Lord, I believe,’ and he worshiped him.” John 9:38.
           I like this guy who was selected by Jesus to receive the miracle of sight (after being born blind).  He was not intimidated by or submissive to the nonsense thinking and bias of the Jewish leaders.  He may have been blind before, but there was nothing wrong with his gray matter (his God-given gift of reason).  When the Jews tossed him out because he stood up to their nonsense, Jesus found him and disclosed to him in no uncertain terms that He (Jesus) was the Messiah.  That’s when the man responded, “Lord, I believe.”  Notice there is not a period there.  After the comma it says, “and he worshiped him.”
           I sense that there is an important spiritual principle here as it relates to Jesus Christ: BELIEF DEMANDS WORSHIP.  Let’s get it straight. If we really believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, the King of kings, the Lord of lords, and our only hope of glory (salvation, eternal life), how can we NOT worship?!?!  In fact, I’m thinking it would be correct to say THERE CAN BE NO BELIEF WITHOUT WORSHIP.
           When the angry and arrogant Jewish leaders wanted to insult this man who had been healed of blindness, the worst condemnation they could come up with was, “You are this fellow’s disciple!” (v. 28).  Oh my—what a terrible thing to say!  Would to God we could all be insulted in this way!  This man may not have been a full disciple at that point, but I would like to believe that he went on to be one—a very devout one.
           I draw this conclusion: Only those who BELIEVE in Jesus and WORSHIP Jesus are appropriately called DISCIPLES of Jesus.
 
“You cannot become a saint by comparing yourself with a sinner.”