May 3rd 2020
What Do You Want Jesus To Do For You?
Matthew 20:32-34 (NIV)
Jesus stopped and called them. "What do you want me to do for you?" he asked. "Lord," they answered, "we want our sight." Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes. Immediately they received their sight and followed him.
Will Jesus ever ask you, "What do you want me to do for you?" If He did, how would you reply? Please think of this question seriously, do not take it as a casual question, and just ignore it. The men in this account were blind, and it seemed obvious what their answer would be, but Jesus asked them, "What do you want me to do for you?" All of us reading this have likely heard a story about someone finding a lamp and rubbing it to clean it off, and a genie comes out and grants them three wishes! Our minds usually go to requesting worldly things to be given to us, but if you have some physical need, then we may ask for healing our physical need first, then ask for worldly wealth.
Remember, Jesus considered worldly wealth to not be the most important need His followers have. So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. (Matthew 6:31-34). So, with Jesus your first want must always be to “seek first his kingdom!” We all have some trouble in differentiating our wants from our needs! In this mortal world we desire to hold on to our life as the only real known truth there is! Do you, can you, consider the fact that this life is mortal, and we must all eventually forfeit it. We will all eventually die, and in effect, leave this mortal cursed world!
When you die your immortal soul must leave your mortal body! I believe I have an immortal piece of me that will never die! This is true of all of mankind! This is not true for any animal! What do you believe? This is the most important belief that God has made known to all of mankind! I also believe that when the soul departs the body it will go into another realm from which it will go to either hell or into a place awaiting the creation of the new earth! Only the souls that have chosen to follow “the God of heaven“ as defined in the Old Testament and/or those who have chosen to follow Jesus Christ since He came into this world as the Savior of the world. In the account of Jonah, he refers to the God of heaven as the God he worships. Then the sailors said to each other, "Come, let us cast lots to find out who is responsible for this calamity." They cast lots and the lot fell on Jonah. So they asked him, "Tell us, who is responsible for making all this trouble for us? What do you do? Where do you come from? What is your country? From what people are you?" He answered, "I am a Hebrew and I worship the LORD, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the land." (Jonah 1:7-9). Jonah here is describing the God he knows and who he believes is the Creator of heaven and earth.
Before Jesus Christ came into this cursed world as the Savior of the world, followers identified their Savior as “the God of heaven.” Of course, this God is the same as Jesus Christ, as He is One of the three persons of God! It seems that salvation could be obtained by the people following the laws given to them by “the God of heaven.” It is true the Bible of their day did contain prophecies describing the coming of a Savior, but until the future time of His arrival the Israelite's where chosen people and they were told to follow “the God of heaven.” When Jesus came into this world the rules changed from following “the God of heaven,” to begin following Jesus. Jesus told His disciples about this change, which shifted the worship direction from being from “the God of Heaven” to Him. Thus, those seeking salvation need now to look to Jesus Christ, as the entry point for worship and salvation. John wrote about this teaching from Jesus to all His disciples. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going." Thomas said to him, "Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?" Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No-one comes to the Father except through me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him." (John 14:3-7). Jesus said, “If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him."
As Christians we believe that Jesus is the Son of God, and He is one of the three persons of the One God! John wrote what Jesus said about how He was given to mankind to be our only Way to salvation, and that God the Father gave us Jesus as this wonderful gift as the means of salvation from this cursed world. For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. (John 3:16-18). Notice what Jesus says about why He came. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. No one should fear getting to know Jesus because He was sent for our salvation. He is the One and only Savior, as God says, “Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.” Salvation is available only through a belief in Jesus for He is “God’s one and only Son.”
It is particularly important that during these difficult times we need to try to pass this information along to anyone who may not currently believe it. In the selected verses Jesus stopped and called them. "What do you want me to do for you?" Now is a great time to ask Jesus to give you the ability to offer some assurance to people who may be suffering with feeling unsafe during this onslaught of the COVID-19 virus. Though we may all be suffering in some ways from not knowing what we can do to continue to be safe. Be assured that Jesus is willing to share in our suffering and grant us peace even in this stressful time. As Jesus has said, “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." (Matthew 11:29-30). Jesus is willing to share your troubles and complaints, and give you rest!
Your brother in life through Adam, your brother in eternity through Jesus,
Bob Moak
Matthew 20:32-34 (NIV)
Jesus stopped and called them. "What do you want me to do for you?" he asked. "Lord," they answered, "we want our sight." Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes. Immediately they received their sight and followed him.
Will Jesus ever ask you, "What do you want me to do for you?" If He did, how would you reply? Please think of this question seriously, do not take it as a casual question, and just ignore it. The men in this account were blind, and it seemed obvious what their answer would be, but Jesus asked them, "What do you want me to do for you?" All of us reading this have likely heard a story about someone finding a lamp and rubbing it to clean it off, and a genie comes out and grants them three wishes! Our minds usually go to requesting worldly things to be given to us, but if you have some physical need, then we may ask for healing our physical need first, then ask for worldly wealth.
Remember, Jesus considered worldly wealth to not be the most important need His followers have. So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. (Matthew 6:31-34). So, with Jesus your first want must always be to “seek first his kingdom!” We all have some trouble in differentiating our wants from our needs! In this mortal world we desire to hold on to our life as the only real known truth there is! Do you, can you, consider the fact that this life is mortal, and we must all eventually forfeit it. We will all eventually die, and in effect, leave this mortal cursed world!
When you die your immortal soul must leave your mortal body! I believe I have an immortal piece of me that will never die! This is true of all of mankind! This is not true for any animal! What do you believe? This is the most important belief that God has made known to all of mankind! I also believe that when the soul departs the body it will go into another realm from which it will go to either hell or into a place awaiting the creation of the new earth! Only the souls that have chosen to follow “the God of heaven“ as defined in the Old Testament and/or those who have chosen to follow Jesus Christ since He came into this world as the Savior of the world. In the account of Jonah, he refers to the God of heaven as the God he worships. Then the sailors said to each other, "Come, let us cast lots to find out who is responsible for this calamity." They cast lots and the lot fell on Jonah. So they asked him, "Tell us, who is responsible for making all this trouble for us? What do you do? Where do you come from? What is your country? From what people are you?" He answered, "I am a Hebrew and I worship the LORD, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the land." (Jonah 1:7-9). Jonah here is describing the God he knows and who he believes is the Creator of heaven and earth.
Before Jesus Christ came into this cursed world as the Savior of the world, followers identified their Savior as “the God of heaven.” Of course, this God is the same as Jesus Christ, as He is One of the three persons of God! It seems that salvation could be obtained by the people following the laws given to them by “the God of heaven.” It is true the Bible of their day did contain prophecies describing the coming of a Savior, but until the future time of His arrival the Israelite's where chosen people and they were told to follow “the God of heaven.” When Jesus came into this world the rules changed from following “the God of heaven,” to begin following Jesus. Jesus told His disciples about this change, which shifted the worship direction from being from “the God of Heaven” to Him. Thus, those seeking salvation need now to look to Jesus Christ, as the entry point for worship and salvation. John wrote about this teaching from Jesus to all His disciples. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going." Thomas said to him, "Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?" Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No-one comes to the Father except through me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him." (John 14:3-7). Jesus said, “If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him."
As Christians we believe that Jesus is the Son of God, and He is one of the three persons of the One God! John wrote what Jesus said about how He was given to mankind to be our only Way to salvation, and that God the Father gave us Jesus as this wonderful gift as the means of salvation from this cursed world. For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. (John 3:16-18). Notice what Jesus says about why He came. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. No one should fear getting to know Jesus because He was sent for our salvation. He is the One and only Savior, as God says, “Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.” Salvation is available only through a belief in Jesus for He is “God’s one and only Son.”
It is particularly important that during these difficult times we need to try to pass this information along to anyone who may not currently believe it. In the selected verses Jesus stopped and called them. "What do you want me to do for you?" Now is a great time to ask Jesus to give you the ability to offer some assurance to people who may be suffering with feeling unsafe during this onslaught of the COVID-19 virus. Though we may all be suffering in some ways from not knowing what we can do to continue to be safe. Be assured that Jesus is willing to share in our suffering and grant us peace even in this stressful time. As Jesus has said, “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." (Matthew 11:29-30). Jesus is willing to share your troubles and complaints, and give you rest!
Your brother in life through Adam, your brother in eternity through Jesus,
Bob Moak
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