An Eye-Opening Experience

 "Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind. If this man were not from God, he could do nothing." – John 9:32-33

A man who was blind from birth had been healed, but no one seemed too happy about it.

In John 9, Jesus took mercy on a blind beggar … in sort of an unusual way. On a certain Sabbath day, Jesus spat on the ground, made some mud pies out of the wet dirt, placed them on the blind man’s eyes and told him to go and wash his eyes. According to verse 7, the man “went and washed, and came home seeing.” The formerly-blind beggar was beyond excited! And you would think that everyone who knew him would be beyond excited. But instead, he was met with skepticism and unbelief.

First, the healed man was interrogated by the Pharisees to find out what had happened. In verse 16, some of them objected, “This man [Jesus] is not from God, for He does not keep the Sabbath.” According to Jewish tradition, all kinds of everyday activities were forbidden on the Sabbath—including kneading wet dirt into mud pies and using spit to heal.

Next, the Pharisees spoke to the man’s parents, but Mom and Dad were too afraid of these powerful religious leaders to take any chances. They simply admitted he was their son, he had been born blind, and now he could see. But as for anything else, they said, “Ask him. He is of age; he will speak for himself” (v. 21).

So the Pharisees returned to the man and tried to trick him into admitting that Jesus was a sinner. But he stuck to the facts: “One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see” (v. 25). In frustration, the Pharisees finally snapped: “You are this fellow’s disciple! We are disciples of Moses! We know that God spoke to Moses, but as for this fellow, we don’t even know where He comes from!” (vs. 28-29). But the healed man pointed out, “We know that God does not listen to sinners…. If this man were not from God, He could do nothing” (vs. 31-33). Well, the Pharisees didn’t want to hear any more from HIM, so they tossed him out of the synagogue.

But for the healed man, the story has a happy ending. He met Jesus again, who told him that He was the Son of Man—the promised Savior of the World. Immediately, the formerly-blind beggar believed that Jesus is the Christ and the Son of the living God. He was saved.

And here are two Life Lessons that we can draw from this inspiring account. First, because Jesus is your light and your salvation, be courageous when you’re under attack. And second, when man kicks you out, Jesus will take you in. And once Jesus takes you in, you will see the goodness of the Lord.

Dane Davis is the pastor of Impact Christian Church. Join us for the Christmas season, on Sunday at 8:30 a.m. or 10 a.m. at 16209 Kamana Road in Apple Valley, or livestream us on Facebook or YouTube. For more information, visit www.GreaterImpact.cc.

Jesus Can Do a Lot With Your “Little”

 “Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish.” – John 6:11

Over the years, I’ve seen my share of dumb movies. And I’ve got to admit … I do have a few favorites. One of my favorite dumb movies of all time is the Steve Martin and Chevy Chase comedy, “The Three Amigos.”

The year is 1916. Three bumbling silent movie stars, the Three Amigos, are called upon to rescue the people of a small Mexican town from the infamous El Guapo. This villain and his ruthless banditos have been terrorizing the people of Santo Poco. Late in the movie, El Guapo and his men mount their horses and ride toward Santo Poco to unleash their fury on the town one last time. And the Three Amigos rally the townspeople to do something they’d never done before: stand up and fight.

In a rousing speech, one of the Amigos asks the townspeople: “What is it that this town really does well?” Most of the people stand with baffled looks on their faces. But after a few seconds, one of the senoras speaks up: “We can sew.” Well, it wasn’t much to work with, but it was better than nothing. So, the people of Santo Poco begin sewing like the wind, making Three Amigos costumes for everyone in the village. And when El Guapo and his banditos roll into town, instead of fighting three amigos, it looks like they’re facing 100 amigos. El Guapo is defeated, the Three Amigos ride off into the sunset, and the people of Santo Poco live happily ever after.

Well, in John 6, Jesus demonstrates his amazing ability to multiply what we bring to Him. Jesus stands in front of a crowd of over 10,000 people who are facing their own El Guapo: Hunger. And Jesus saves the day by taking one boy’s measly lunch and multiplying it to meet the need.

Jesus had traveled to the town of Bethaisda to find a “great crowd” of people had followed Him (v. 2). We learn a few verses later that there were around 5,000 men; from Matthew’s gospel account, we know that there were also women and children. So, this crowd had to have totaled over 10,000 people. As mealtime approached, Jesus asked His disciples to help figure out how to feed so many people. At last Andrew brought a boy to Jesus and said, “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?” (v. 9).

But Jesus told his 12 apostles to get the crowd ready for lunch by asking them to sit down. Then Jesus took the loaves and gave thanks (v. 11). Once Jesus had broken the bread and fish into smaller pieces, He gave the pieces to the apostles, who in turn gave them to the people in the crowd. And the sight must have been amazing. One loaf became two, two became four, and four became eight, until over 10,000 people were completely full – with twelve baskets of leftovers.

Here are three Life Lessons we can draw from these passages:

1. A Lesson from the Disciples: When God places someone in your path who needs something that Christ wants to give them through you, don’t send them away empty-handed. I don’t believe God expects us to meet the needs of every person who crosses our path. But if you are a believer and follower of Jesus Christ, you’d better believe that on a regular basis, God is going to place people in your path—people who need something that God wants you to give them. It might just be a kind word to a lady in line at the Dollar Tree. Maybe it’s your coworker who needs someone to invite him to church, or the homeless guy on the sidewalk in front of McDonald’s who just needs a burger. How do you know if the person in your path has been placed there by God to receive something from you? You pray without ceasing. Every day, go to God and pray: “Use me today, God. I don’t want everyone who crosses my path today to leave empty-handed. So, show me who You want me to bless.”

2. A Lesson from the Boy: “Whenever there is a need, give all that you have to Jesus and let Him do the rest” (Warren Wiersbe).  What a loss it would have been to that crowd of 10,000—and to the hundreds of millions of people who have heard this story over the past 2,000 years—if Andrew hadn’t brought the boy to Jesus. The boy didn’t have much, but what he had, he brought to Jesus. You might not think you have much to give. That’s okay. Bring ALL that you have to Jesus, and let Him take care of the rest.

A Lesson from Jesus: Jesus says, in effect, “You do the addition. I’ll take care of the multiplication” (Chuck Swindoll). Each miraculous sign in the Book of John reveals something about Jesus: who He is and what He came to earth to do. This miraculous sign reveals that He is the Great Need-Meeter, the one the Jews had prayed to for centuries. He is the Lord our God, King of the universe, who brings forth bread from the earth. There’s not a problem that Jesus can’t solve. There’s not a need that Jesus can’t meet. There’s not a shortage that Jesus can’t turn into a surplus. But nine times out of 10, Jesus will NOT meet our needs out of thin air. You and I must put in ALL that we have on the table and trust Him to multiply it. And this applies to all areas of your faith. You must surrender your WHOLE life to Christ – your time, your talents, your treasures – if you truly want Him to work through you and accomplish things beyond all you could ask or think.

Dane Davis is the pastor of Impact Christian Church. Join us tomorrow for Back to Church Sunday! Our worship services are at 8:30 a.m. and 10 a.m. at 16209 Kamana Road in Apple Valley, or livestream us on Facebook or YouTube. For more information, visit www.GreaterImpact.cc.

When You’re Running on Fumes

“He welcomed them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who needed healing.” – Luke 9:17

A football fan went to the Super Bowl one year. To his great surprise, the seat next to him was empty. At halftime, curiosity got the better of him, and he asked the man on the other side of the empty seat if it belonged to him. The stranger replied, “It was my wife’s seat, but she died.” The first man responded, “Oh! I’m so sorry to hear that. But I’m surprised one of your family members or friends didn’t jump at the chance to come to the game and sit in your wife’s seat.” “Yeah,” the other man said, “I thought it was strange too. But they all insisted on going to her funeral today.”

If we see an empty seat in the stadium on Super Bowl Sunday, we’re pretty surprised. But if we see an empty seat at a Sunday morning worship service … well, that doesn’t surprise us at all. It’s just a reality in our nation today that people get more excited about watching a bunch of men chase after a pigskin than they do about spending time with Jesus.

But in Luke 9, we see a crowd of over 5,000 people go chasing after Jesus to have him minister to them on a hillside. These people went out of their way to be with Jesus. On that day, on that hillside, it was standing room only. Thousands of people came hungry for Jesus, even if it wasn’t necessarily for all the right reasons. But by the end of that day, everyone in that crowd would come to one conclusion: Jesus Christ really satisfies.

It all started soon after Jesus’ disciples returned from carrying out his marching orders. He’d sent them to heal the sick, cast out demons and spread the gospel, and they’d probably been gone for weeks if not months. Now the disciples needed some 12-on-1 time alone with Jesus to recharge their batteries. They were on a green hillside, the perfect spot for some R & R. But soon their retreat was interrupted by a tiny little crowd … of several thousand people. The disciples were probably dismayed. But verse 11 tells us, “[Jesus] welcomed them, and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who needed healing.”

Mark says that when Jesus saw the large crowd, “he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd” (Mark 6:34). Jesus and his disciples were physically tired, emotionally drained and badly in need of some spiritual refreshment—but when Jesus saw thousands of needy people coming his way, his heart broke for them. So he put aside his own tiredness and tapped his spiritual reserves as he spent hours loving on these people.

As evening approached, the disciples asked Jesus to send the people away so the crowd could get back to town and find food and lodging. Jesus replied with a command: “You give them something to eat” (v. 13). That was a tall order. In verse 14, Luke tells us that there were about 5,000 men in the crowd. But Matthew tells us that there were also women and children, so probably between 10,000 and 15,000 people had gathered there. Then Andrew stepped forward and said, “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?” (John 6:9).

The apostles’ feelings of helplessness are understandable, but remember, they’d just spent the last month or so healing diseases, curing sicknesses and driving out demons left and right. These disciples had been doing the impossible on a daily basis. But on this day, during their interrupted retreat, they froze up.

But Jesus took the little boy’s lunch, lifted it up to heaven and prayed. Then he began breaking the bread and handing it out to the disciples. And as the bread and fish were passed out, the disciples looked down in their baskets and saw more. So, they handed out that new bread and fish. No matter how many times they reached into the basket and removed bread and fish, bread and fish were still there! Everyone in the crowd of 10,000 ate. And when the leftovers were picked up, there were still 12 basketfuls of bread and fish.

It’s one of Jesus’ best-known miracles. What can it teach us today?

Well, sooner or later, needy people will interrupt your R & R. When that happens, Jesus calls you to tap your physical and spiritual reserves and serve them with compassion. Most parents of newborn babies have to learn this lesson immediately. A newborn baby has to be the most needy creature on the planet. If a baby has a dirty diaper, he screams. If a baby is hungry, she screams. If a baby has nothing better to do, he screams! Parents, by giving us babies, Jesus has taught us a lot about having compassion, hasn’t he? And he has called you and me to share that same kind of compassion with other needy people who come our way at the most inconvenient times.

Also, notice that the disciples’ power to do the impossible could never be separated from their ongoing dependence upon their Master. Both for them and for us, Jesus is the supply, and we are his conduits. And through him, we have the spiritual reserves we need in order to do his work. Remember, you and I are powerless to heal or save anyone. But Jesus desires to heal and to save through you and me—even when we need a break. Even when we’re running on fumes.

Dane Davis is the Lead Pastor of First Christian Church in Victorville. For more information,

visit www.YourVictorvilleChurch.com  and join us for worship Sundays at 10 a.m.

Compassion Isn’t Just for Pigs

“Then all the people of the region of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them, because they were overcome with fear.” – Luke  8:37

One day an antique collector was walking through a strip mall parking lot. In front of one of the stores, he saw a mangy, skinny cat lapping milk from a saucer. When he got a little closer, his face lit up. You see, he was an antique expert, and he had a strong hunch that that saucer was very old and worth at least a thousand dollars. So, he decided he was going to play it cool and get himself a great deal on that saucer. He casually walked into the store and asked the owner if he could buy the cat for $5. The store owner replied, “I’m sorry, but the cat isn’t for sale.” The collector said, “Please, I need a hungry cat around the house to catch mice. Tell you what…I’ll pay you $50.” The owner said, “Sold!”

As the collector headed for the door, he turned and said, “Hey, since I paid you $50, I wonder if you could throw in that old saucer. The cat’s used to it and it’ll save me having to buy a new one.” The owner replied, “Sorry, buddy, but that’s my lucky saucer. So far this week it’s help me sell 17 stray cats.”

It’s kind of sad when someone has more interest in a profitable saucer than compassion for a suffering animal. But it’s a full-on tragedy when people have more compassion for pigs than for people. And Luke 8 shows a sad example of a whole town that told Jesus to take a hike, because their priorities were all out of whack.

In Luke 8:27, Jesus’ disciples had just survived a terrifying storm as they crossed the Sea of Galilee with their Lord. And as soon as their boat reached dry land, a crazy, naked man came running up the beach toward Jesus, screaming and carrying on. The disciples must have thought, “Out of the frying pan, into the fire!” Luke tells us in verses 27-29 that the man hadn’t worn clothes for a long time. In all likelihood, he had been running around naked for years. The man hadn’t lived in a house for a long time. Instead he lived in the tombs, surrounded by decaying corpses. The demon had seized this man many times and driven him into solitary places. And at times, he would have superhuman strength and break the chains that the townspeople had put on his hands and feet to restrain him.

But at the sight of Jesus, this wildman flung himself at Jesus’ feet, begging not to be tortured. Jesus knew he was dealing with a demon-possessed man, and as it turned out, many demons lived in him (v. 30). The demons “begged [Jesus] repeatedly not to order them to go into the Abyss” (v. 31). The Abyss is just a taste of the eternal Lake of Fire described in Revelation 20, and even Satan’s demons didn’t want to go there. If you have any doubts that Hell isn’t a nice place, that should convince you.

The demons asked to go into a herd of pigs nearby, knowing that even living inside a pig’s brain was much better than living in the Abyss. So, Jesus gave them permission to enter the pigs, and they left the man and entered the swine. For the first time in years, the man was freed from his suffering! The pigs, meanwhile, rushed into the Sea of Galilee and drowned. And for the people of the town, THAT was the big headline—NOT the amazing salvation of the demon-possessed man, whom they found “sitting at Jesus’ feet, dressed and in his right mind” (v. 35). Instead, they were afraid of Jesus’ power … and upset about the waste of a herd of livestock. And verse 37 is one of the saddest verses in the Book of Luke: “Then all the people of the region of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them, because they were overcome with fear. So [Jesus] got into the boat and left.”

Think about it: The people in the town loved their pigs more than they valued the soul of a man. Money was more important to them than mercy. And, most tragically, they’d rather have Jesus leave than stay. Some might excuse them for their actions, because—after all—they were really, really scared. But that’s no excuse for being really, really stupid. Being scared is no excuse for having no compassion. It’s no excuse for grieving for your pigs more than you grieve for a man who’s experiencing hell on earth. And being scared is no excuse for rejecting Jesus Christ.

But there is a silver lining. The healed man was now a believer and follower of Jesus Christ. He asked to go with Jesus, but instead, Jesus told him to do something very important: “Return home and tell how much God has done for you” (v. 39). So, Jesus’ work wasn’t over when he sailed away from Gerasenes. This new follower of Jesus Christ with his amazing testimony returned home and shared the good news of salvation. It’s likely that hundreds of people were introduced to Jesus through this one man whose life had been radically transformed by Christ.

When Jesus’ disciples first saw the demon-possessed wildman, they probably wondered if there had even been any point in surviving the storm they’d come through to get there. The same is true of us today. We may not be able to see what awaits us on the other side of our present storm. But if we trust in Jesus, we can be confident that what he does next is going to be amazing. So, hang in there, Christian. And walk by faith.

Dane Davis is the Lead Pastor of First Christian Church in Victorville. For more information, visit www.YourVictorvilleChurch.com  and join us for worship Sundays at 10 a.m.