Today, Sunday, November 26, 2017 is the twenty-ninth message in a series of forty chapters in Russell Board's book entitled, 40 Days With Jesus.
You will not be the same after reading each of these inspiring and informative chapters. They are concise and comprehensive chapters and you will be captivated by each one, and blessings untold will be yours.
Russell Board has wisely chosen just one word to give each chapter a title. Amazing. Effective. Profitable. Satisfying. Fruitful. Uplifting.
Stand by for the twenty-ninth chapter entitled, "Blind":
BLIND
John 9:1-41
The disciples’ question about the man born blind reflects a common human impulse. As Job’s three friends did in the case of the horrendous calamities that befell him, our first reflex is often to affix blame when tragedy strikes.
In the case of a birth defect, it is certainly not unusual for parents to wonder if the fault may be theirs. Could this malady be divine punishment for some offense or disobedience on their part? Is it the result of a genetic defect passed on to their offspring? Might it stem from a pernicious addiction or practice (e. g., drinking, smoking, drug abuse) that produced detrimental effects on the child in the womb?
The disciples also speculate that it might be the man’s own sin that brought about this congenital blindness. How is this possible? What are they thinking? Perhaps they are wondering if God foresaw that the man would commit a certain sin, and determined to punish him before the fact. Perhaps they are wondering if the man sinned as a preborn infant in the womb. Or perhaps they have in mind a sin committed by the spirit or soul of the man before it entered his body.
While not orthodox Jewish teaching, these kinds of speculations were not unknown in rabbinical writings. Counting Hindus, Buddhists, animists, and New Age enthusiasts, a large portion of humanity today believe in the doctrines of reincarnation and karma, whereby souls migrate at death and are reborn in a state that reflects the good or bad deeds done in a previous life.
The Bible rejects the notion of reincarnation, and presents a more nuanced view of the relationship between sin and suffering. Scripture affirms that sin is the ultimate cause of the bad things that happen in the world: the rebellion and disobedience of Satan and of humanity ruined the paradise God had created, and spawned all the miseries we observe today. But Scripture denies that there is always a direct one-to-one correspondence between each calamity and some particular sin. Unless God offers specific revelation, our efforts to find and identify such a connection usually only make matters worse.
Jesus dismisses the disciples’ speculation about this man’s condition. Nothing this man or his parents have done is a direct cause of his blindness. But both he and his parents, like us, are sinners living in a fallen world where evil is an unpleasant and unavoidable reality.
In contrast to the disciples’ attempt to come up with an explanation for the man’s condition in order to assign blame, Jesus’ concern is how to respond to the man’s need. His focus is not on how the man got to be this way, but on what to do now. And as always, His primary goal is to find a way to glorify God in the situation. Indeed, that is the ultimate purpose for every circumstance in our lives, good or bad: to serve as a setting in which God’s glory can be displayed.
Jesus heals the blind man in an unusual way, making clay from saliva and applying it to his eyes, then sending him to wash in a particular pool. We see that Jesus varies the methods and practices in His healing ministry, encouraging us not to focus on these non-essentials. No doubt He chooses the best method to accomplish His purpose in the moment, appropriate for both the patient and the circumstances.
The miracle causes a stir among the folks who used to see the man begging, and soon the Pharisees as well as the man’s parents are embroiled in controversy. As usual, Jesus is at the center of the dispute.
Jesus’ miracle of healing is intended not only as an act of mercy for the blind man, but also as a sign pointing to His identity as the Messiah who opens eyes to the reality of God’s Kingdom. But this is just what the Pharisees cannot accept.
You see, Jesus is not one of them. He refuses to ratify their claims to self-righteousness, and He does not conform to their expectations of what the Christ should do. So they are forced to look for some other explanation for what happened rather than accept the plain fact that Jesus has healed the man through the power of God.
Ironically, the formerly blind man sees this clearly, and can only marvel at the hard-headedness of the Pharisees. They interrogate him sharply, and try to browbeat him into slandering Jesus. But the man is not intimidated. He is not moved by their claims to superior knowledge and piety, nor by their threats of excommunication. His personal encounter with Jesus outweighs all of their blustering words. Showing steadfast courage and loyalty, he stands up to the Pharisees even at the cost of expulsion from the synagogue.
Jesus goes looking for the outcast, identifies Himself, and asks for an explicit commitment of faith. The man’s physical healing leads to his spiritual healing. His eyes are opened to see the truth about Jesus, and he responds in trust and worship.
Jesus describes His mission in paradoxical terms. He brings sight to the blind, both physically and spiritually. By His grace and in His light, even the ignorant and unlearned can come to see the glory of God, and open their hearts to salvation and healing. Sadly, some fail to see Who Jesus is or their need for Him. But theirs is a culpable blindness, a result of cultivating a self-righteous image and closing their eyes to the truth.
Meditation: How has Jesus enabled you to see the truth about God, and about yourself?
Prayer: Lord, open my eyes to see Your glory, and my need of Your grace. Help me always to look to You, and to walk in Your light.
You will not be the same after reading each of these inspiring and informative chapters. They are concise and comprehensive chapters and you will be captivated by each one, and blessings untold will be yours.
Russell Board has wisely chosen just one word to give each chapter a title. Amazing. Effective. Profitable. Satisfying. Fruitful. Uplifting.
Stand by for the twenty-ninth chapter entitled, "Blind":
BLIND
John 9:1-41
The disciples’ question about the man born blind reflects a common human impulse. As Job’s three friends did in the case of the horrendous calamities that befell him, our first reflex is often to affix blame when tragedy strikes.
In the case of a birth defect, it is certainly not unusual for parents to wonder if the fault may be theirs. Could this malady be divine punishment for some offense or disobedience on their part? Is it the result of a genetic defect passed on to their offspring? Might it stem from a pernicious addiction or practice (e. g., drinking, smoking, drug abuse) that produced detrimental effects on the child in the womb?
The disciples also speculate that it might be the man’s own sin that brought about this congenital blindness. How is this possible? What are they thinking? Perhaps they are wondering if God foresaw that the man would commit a certain sin, and determined to punish him before the fact. Perhaps they are wondering if the man sinned as a preborn infant in the womb. Or perhaps they have in mind a sin committed by the spirit or soul of the man before it entered his body.
While not orthodox Jewish teaching, these kinds of speculations were not unknown in rabbinical writings. Counting Hindus, Buddhists, animists, and New Age enthusiasts, a large portion of humanity today believe in the doctrines of reincarnation and karma, whereby souls migrate at death and are reborn in a state that reflects the good or bad deeds done in a previous life.
The Bible rejects the notion of reincarnation, and presents a more nuanced view of the relationship between sin and suffering. Scripture affirms that sin is the ultimate cause of the bad things that happen in the world: the rebellion and disobedience of Satan and of humanity ruined the paradise God had created, and spawned all the miseries we observe today. But Scripture denies that there is always a direct one-to-one correspondence between each calamity and some particular sin. Unless God offers specific revelation, our efforts to find and identify such a connection usually only make matters worse.
Jesus dismisses the disciples’ speculation about this man’s condition. Nothing this man or his parents have done is a direct cause of his blindness. But both he and his parents, like us, are sinners living in a fallen world where evil is an unpleasant and unavoidable reality.
In contrast to the disciples’ attempt to come up with an explanation for the man’s condition in order to assign blame, Jesus’ concern is how to respond to the man’s need. His focus is not on how the man got to be this way, but on what to do now. And as always, His primary goal is to find a way to glorify God in the situation. Indeed, that is the ultimate purpose for every circumstance in our lives, good or bad: to serve as a setting in which God’s glory can be displayed.
Jesus heals the blind man in an unusual way, making clay from saliva and applying it to his eyes, then sending him to wash in a particular pool. We see that Jesus varies the methods and practices in His healing ministry, encouraging us not to focus on these non-essentials. No doubt He chooses the best method to accomplish His purpose in the moment, appropriate for both the patient and the circumstances.
The miracle causes a stir among the folks who used to see the man begging, and soon the Pharisees as well as the man’s parents are embroiled in controversy. As usual, Jesus is at the center of the dispute.
Jesus’ miracle of healing is intended not only as an act of mercy for the blind man, but also as a sign pointing to His identity as the Messiah who opens eyes to the reality of God’s Kingdom. But this is just what the Pharisees cannot accept.
You see, Jesus is not one of them. He refuses to ratify their claims to self-righteousness, and He does not conform to their expectations of what the Christ should do. So they are forced to look for some other explanation for what happened rather than accept the plain fact that Jesus has healed the man through the power of God.
Ironically, the formerly blind man sees this clearly, and can only marvel at the hard-headedness of the Pharisees. They interrogate him sharply, and try to browbeat him into slandering Jesus. But the man is not intimidated. He is not moved by their claims to superior knowledge and piety, nor by their threats of excommunication. His personal encounter with Jesus outweighs all of their blustering words. Showing steadfast courage and loyalty, he stands up to the Pharisees even at the cost of expulsion from the synagogue.
Jesus goes looking for the outcast, identifies Himself, and asks for an explicit commitment of faith. The man’s physical healing leads to his spiritual healing. His eyes are opened to see the truth about Jesus, and he responds in trust and worship.
Jesus describes His mission in paradoxical terms. He brings sight to the blind, both physically and spiritually. By His grace and in His light, even the ignorant and unlearned can come to see the glory of God, and open their hearts to salvation and healing. Sadly, some fail to see Who Jesus is or their need for Him. But theirs is a culpable blindness, a result of cultivating a self-righteous image and closing their eyes to the truth.
Meditation: How has Jesus enabled you to see the truth about God, and about yourself?
Prayer: Lord, open my eyes to see Your glory, and my need of Your grace. Help me always to look to You, and to walk in Your light.
Russell and Sandra Board are career IPHC missionaries. They are currently serving in Asia, and living in Saitama, Japan. Russell serves as the Director of Missions for Asia/Pacific IPHC World Missions Ministries.
Russell is as prolific writer and is no stranger to IPHC church members.
Russell wrote Sunday school Adult Student curriculum for One Accord Resources for use by IPHC and other Pentecostal denominations for 15 years. He also wrote Adult Teacher curriculum from time to time.
The book he wrote for new believers was revised in 2012 and reprinted in a new format under the title GROW. It is available here:
http://lifespringsresources.com/grow-maturing-believers-through-the-truths-of-the-christian-faith
Presiding Bishop Doug Beacham and Russell Board co-wrote an e-book called CHRISTMAS BEFORE AND AFTER, where Russell penned 25 readings for Advent and Doug wrote 12 reading for the Twelve Days of Christmas. It is available on Amazon here:
https://www.amazon.com/Christmas-Before-After-Doug-Beacham-ebook/dp/B00A7XJ3LC/ref=sr_1_5?
40 Days with Jesus is available through LifeSprings here: http://lifespringsresources.com/40-days-with-jesus-encountering-jesus-in-the-gospels
Also, the Kindle version is available from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/40-Days-Jesus-Encountering-Gospels-ebook/dp/B074G2NFDZ/ref=sr_1_3
If these messages of Russell Board are meaningful to you, please let me know. I need to hear from someone who has read them and has found meaning and enlightenment. Write me at: hugh@hughsnews.com
Russell is as prolific writer and is no stranger to IPHC church members.
Russell wrote Sunday school Adult Student curriculum for One Accord Resources for use by IPHC and other Pentecostal denominations for 15 years. He also wrote Adult Teacher curriculum from time to time.
The book he wrote for new believers was revised in 2012 and reprinted in a new format under the title GROW. It is available here:
http://lifespringsresources.com/grow-maturing-believers-through-the-truths-of-the-christian-faith
Presiding Bishop Doug Beacham and Russell Board co-wrote an e-book called CHRISTMAS BEFORE AND AFTER, where Russell penned 25 readings for Advent and Doug wrote 12 reading for the Twelve Days of Christmas. It is available on Amazon here:
https://www.amazon.com/Christmas-Before-After-Doug-Beacham-ebook/dp/B00A7XJ3LC/ref=sr_1_5?
40 Days with Jesus is available through LifeSprings here: http://lifespringsresources.com/40-days-with-jesus-encountering-jesus-in-the-gospels
Also, the Kindle version is available from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/40-Days-Jesus-Encountering-Gospels-ebook/dp/B074G2NFDZ/ref=sr_1_3
If these messages of Russell Board are meaningful to you, please let me know. I need to hear from someone who has read them and has found meaning and enlightenment. Write me at: hugh@hughsnews.com