Stand Your Ground :: By Nathele Graham

Published on: September 2, 2018September 20, 2018 by RR7

Stand Your Ground
There’s no doubt that we are in the final days before God’s judgment is poured out on the unbelieving world. The blindness of so many people is astounding. Especially astounding is the blindness of many who claim to be Christians but follow the satanic world rather than our Lord, Jesus Christ. This is a sign of the times; but as we live through this time in history, it takes a greater resolve to stand firmly on the solid Rock rather than sink in the devil’s quicksand.

There has always been persecution against Christians, but that persecution is becoming more open as Christians deny their power through Christ and stand with the world rather than stand with Christ. We can learn much about standing our ground from a certain blind man who received sight from Jesus.

The man had been born blind and was doing what he could to make his way in life. Because of his blindness he couldn’t work to earn a living, so he begged. Everyone around him accepted his plight and some dropped change into his cup or gave him a bit of food. One day he was sitting outside of the Temple, and his life was changed forever. Jesus saw him and blessed him with sight in order that God would be seen in the miracle. Jesus chose a seemingly odd method to heal this man.

“When he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay, and said unto him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam, (which is by interpretation, Sent.). He went his way therefore, and washed, and came seeing“ (John 9:6-7).

There’s always a reason behind Jesus’ methods, and we learn later in the chapter that this event took place on the Sabbath when no work was to be done. The Law said that the Sabbath was a Jewish day of rest, but the Pharisees had gone far beyond God’s directive and defined what things they considered to be work.

Jesus spit, made clay and healed, which were all things the Pharisees said were work. When Jesus told the man to wash in the pool of Siloam, he was quick to obey. He had nothing to lose and everything to gain, so he made his way to the pool of Siloam, washed, and received his sight. Can you imagine the astonishment he felt as the clay fell away and he saw things for the first time in his life? He must have been thrilled.

When people noticed him and became aware that he was able to see, they didn’t share his joy but began debating the matter. “Isn’t this the beggar” they asked, and others said it was just someone who looked like him. They were confused, but this gave the man an opportunity to give his testimony.

“He answered and said, A man that is called Jesus made clay, and anointed mine eyes, and said unto me, Go to the pool of Siloam and wash: and I went and washed, and I received sight” (John 9:11).

Sometimes we try to complicate things, but this man was honest and straightforward. He stated the facts, and it was up to others to come to grips with the truth. This was a new situation for him to be in, but he spoke boldly. He wasn’t a scholar, but he stood his ground and told them what he could. They should have been happy for him, but they just couldn’t understand how this man had been healed.

People can react to good news in remarkable ways. When the man wasn’t able to tell them where Jesus was, they took him to the Pharisees. Rather than seeking Jesus, they sought after religion. Big mistake. Religious leaders can sometimes be blind to the works of God, and so it was with this miracle. Instead of praising God, they judged this situation by the rules of their religion. They questioned the man, and he clearly stated his testimony, but the Pharisees were the ones who truly were blind.

“Therefore said some of the Pharisees, This man is not of God, because he keepeth not the sabbath day. Others said, How can a man that is a sinner do such miracles? And there was a division among them“ (John 9:16).

Things haven’t changed much over time, and miracles are still denied if they don’t fit religious rules. Had it been any other day of the week they wouldn’t have questioned it, but they also declared that Jesus was a sinner so he shouldn’t be able to do miracles. The fact that the blind man could see was completely beside the point…all they cared about were the rules.

Today many denominations claim that the gifts of the Spirit have stopped, and some even think that the Sabbath has to be kept, but these people miss out on the freedom we have in Christ. By denying the gifts, the power of the Holy Spirit is stifled. When people tell God what He can and cannot do, or how He can and cannot work, there’s a big problem.

These religious fanatics didn’t stop grilling the man and refused to believe what he said. So, they called his parents in and questioned them. These Pharisees had no desire for truth and were trying to disprove the testimony in every way they could. The parents were questioned as to the blindness of their son; and they were honest, but wary. Yes, the man was their son and was born blind. No, they didn’t know how his blindness had been cured, but they told the Pharisees that their son was an adult and he should speak for himself.

“These words spake his parents, because they feared the Jews: for the Jews had agreed already, that if any man did confess that he was Christ, he should be put out of the synagogue“ (John 9:22).

For a Jewish person, life centered around the synagogue; and if they couldn’t participate in life there, they would have been cut off from friends, business deals, etc. The parents had to be cautious in what they said because of the Pharisees, but the man would not change his story. He spoke the truth and stuck by it. Still, the Pharisees wouldn’t give up. They chose to remain blind and wanted everyone else to remain blind also.

Once again they called the man on the carpet and tried to prove him wrong. They told him to give God the glory, but that Jesus was a sinner. That’s willful blindness. Jesus was God in the flesh, but the Pharisees did everything they could to prove Him to be just a man. They refused to believe the truth. They met their match with this man who Jesus touched and was no longer blind. He received his sight, and he wasn’t going to allow the disbelief of others to convince him of a lie. His conviction of the truth gave him confidence, and he wasn’t shy about how he answered the questions.

“He answered them, I have told you already, and ye did not hear: wherefore would ye hear it again? will ye also be his disciples?” (John 9:27).

I can just imagine the anger that was building in the Pharisees. Did they want to be Jesus’ disciples? No, they wanted to kill Him.

The Pharisees continued to try to get the man to believe their lies. This man was just a regular guy and not trained in religion. Instead of rules and rituals, he knew the truth and had faith.

“The man answered and said unto them, Why herein is a marvellous thing, that ye know not from whence he is, and yet he hath opened mine eyes. Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth. Since the world began was it not heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was born blind. If this man were not of God, he could do nothing“ (John 9:30-33).

Brothers and sisters, do you have the confidence to speak the truth and defend your faith? If you don’t, you’d better do some studying and find out who Jesus is and what He has done for you. You never know when you’ll be asked to defend your faith.

Persecution of Christians has been happening for nearly 2,000 years. The first followers of Christ were Jewish men who had their eyes and hearts opened to the truth, and their lives were changed forever. That didn’t mean their life would be easy, and most of them would be martyred because of their faith. They would lose friends, and their families would turn on them, but they would not deny Christ. Jesus never said that following Him would be trouble free.

“These things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be offended. They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service. And these things will they do unto you, because they have not known the Father nor me“ (John 16:1-3).

Jesus warned His disciples, and in warning them He warns us. The persecution then was great; but because they stood their ground, they were able to open the eyes of many people to Christ. Because they wouldn’t change their testimony, they were able to spread the Gospel; and their witness comes to us through Scripture. Life on earth is temporary, but life through Jesus is eternal. Stand your ground and don’t let anyone badger you into denying the truth.

Every Christian today is standing in the place of that man who once was blind. We have been touched by Jesus, and our eyes are opened. That means we should put Him first in our life, even if that means people we love turning on us.

A very bad attitude held by many Christians is an attitude of keeping one foot in the world while claiming to follow Christ. It isn’t judging if you use Scripture to guide your ways and turn away from those lifestyles and attitudes that God’s word says is sin. It isn’t judgment but discernment. That means to deny your own ways and selfish desires and follow Christ.

“Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me“(Matthew 16:24).

He never said it would be easy to stand your ground.

Be assured that life on earth is temporary, but life through Jesus is eternal. Peter and John faced prison when they taught in the name of Jesus. They had healed a man and angered the Pharisees by giving glory to Jesus.

“And they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all or teach in the name of Jesus” (Acts 4:18).

Does that sound familiar in today’s world? Our schools and colleges have become cesspools of satanic lies.

“But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:19-20).

Peter and John stood their ground. Today, Satan is controlling many people in government, education, entertainment, and the media. The liberal agenda is growing stronger; and if Christians don’t stand our ground, we will be silenced.

Brothers and sisters, don’t compromise. Remember to speak in love as you speak out for your faith in Jesus. Stand in love, but stand your ground.

God bless you all,

Nathele Graham

twotug@embarqmail.com

www.straitandnarrowministry.com

ron@straitandnarrowministry.com

Ron and Nathele Graham’s previous commentaries archived at https://www.raptureready.com/featured/graham/graham.html

All original scripture is “theopneustos,” God breathed.

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We Have Work to Do While There’s Still Light :: By Nathele Graham

Published on: August 26, 2018September 8, 2018 by RR7

Salvation is a gift from God; and no matter how many good works you do, they won’t save you. We try to fit God into human ways rather than changing ourselves to conform to His ways. That means that we think we can be good enough to make it to Heaven, or we do good deeds in order to work our way there. That’s not the way salvation works.

When we finally understand that salvation is a free gift from God that we can’t earn by works, we tend to stop trying to avoid sin as well as stopping the good deeds. We can’t earn salvation, but that doesn’t mean we should stop working for God. Jesus is our example of what our attitude should be.

“I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work“ (John 9:4).

Jesus never stopped His mission to spread the Good News, and He never missed an opportunity to help someone in need. He’s the example that every Christian needs to follow.

It’s always a good idea to look at the context of a particular Scripture in order to gain a better understanding of the meaning. In the Gospel of John chapter 9, we read of a blind man who was healed by Jesus, but looking back into chapter 8 tells what had happened before this healing. A woman was caught in adultery and brought to Jesus for Him to condemn her. Instead of condemnation He forgave her, but it was her accusers who were convicted of their own sins.

This led to a confrontation with the Pharisees as to who Jesus really was; and in that conversation, Jesus made it clear that He was God in the flesh. This caused the Pharisees to pick up stones to stone Him for blasphemy.

“…but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by“ (John 8:59).

Jesus certainly wasn’t committing blasphemy by declaring He was God, because He is God. It wasn’t time yet for Him to die for our sins, so He hid Himself and just went right through them, and they didn’t see Him. Were the Pharisees blinded to Him, or did He use some other means to get through His accusers? Whatever means He used, He and the disciples were unharmed.

Jesus left the Temple where the confrontation had taken place, and that’s where they encountered a blind man.

“And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from birth“ (John 9:1).

Sin must have been fresh on the minds of the disciples, having just watched Jesus forgive the adulterous woman; but convicting her accusers of their own sin, and the ensuing confrontation, must have left an impression. When they saw this man who was in need, they only thought of placing blame.

“And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?“ (John 9:2).

The question they put to Jesus wasn’t about how they could help the man, but whose fault it was that he was blind. This was an intellectual question, not one from the heart. We are all a part of this fallen world, and sin is part of our nature; but if a parent sins, that doesn’t mean their child will be born blind.

There are some sins that a parent can commit that will affect the health of their children; many babies today are born addicted to drugs because of the mother’s addiction. That wasn’t the case with this man. His blindness had nothing to do with his parents actions. The question regarding the parents sinning was somewhat understandable, but they also questioned if it had been the man’s own sin that caused the blindness.

He had been blind from birth, so it isn’t logical that he could have committed a sin that would have caused a birth defect. There was a belief held by some that a baby could sin prior to birth. The example of this is the battle between Jacob and Esau in their mother’s womb. It’s true that a baby is born with a sin nature, but he cannot choose to sin until he’s aware of what sin really is. This man had a birth defect and he had learned to live with it.

After just coming from a confrontation with the Pharisees, it would have been understandable by human terms if Jesus would have still been fuming over that incident, but Jesus didn’t rebuke them for their question. Instead He demonstrated His love.

“Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him“ (John 9:3).

That’s something we all need to remember. Life can become hard sometimes, but whatever challenges we face, whether health problems, financial problems, or any other trouble in life, God can use these things to His glory if we allow it. His timing is perfect; and when we least expect it, God will work all things for good.

It’s easy to get discouraged when troubles come our way, but it could be that, if you hold on just a little bit longer, the works of God will be manifest in your life. Like us, this blind man was just trying to make it through each day in spite of his blindness. When he woke up that morning, he had no idea of the blessing that he would soon receive, and that’s true for us also.

Nothing could distract Jesus from the work He had to do while He walked among men. He often had confrontations with the religious men, but He always shared the Good News that the Light had come into the world with anyone in need. His work was never done. As Christians, our attitude should be the same as that of Jesus, because His work continues through us.

“I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world“ (John 9:4-5).

What is the work that must be done? Are we to find blind people and heal them? Basically, yes. Worldly people live in darkness of sin and death because they are blind to the Light of Jesus. Our mission in life is to share the Gospel with those who walk in darkness. Every Christian has a testimony that can be shared with someone who is blind to God’s Truth. Jesus said that He’s the light as long as He’s in the world. Satan thought he won at the cross when Jesus was crucified, but as always he was wrong. That Light wasn’t removed when Jesus was crucified because His light shines through those of us who follow Him.

When we think of light, we usually think in human terms. We think of sunlight, moonlight, and starlight, but there was light before they were created. At first there was darkness permeating everything. Before any other act of creation, God allowed light.

“And God said, Let there be light: and there was light“ (Genesis 1:3).

Those were the first words of creation. Notice that the sun, moon, and stars weren’t yet created, but there was light. Plants were created on the third day, but the sun, moon, and stars weren’t created until the fourth day. The animals and Adam were created after that. The light that was in the beginning was the same light that will illuminate the New Jerusalem after the sun, moon, and stars are gone. That Light is from Jesus. Darkness in this world comes from Satan, but the Light of the world is Jesus Christ. His Light is eternal.

“Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life“ (John 8:12).

Don’t stumble around in the dark. Turn away from the darkness of sin and despair and turn to the Light of Jesus.

Christians need to choose to let His light shine through us. We are no longer blind to His truth and must come away from the darkness of sin. We know that the only way to eternal life is through faith in what Jesus accomplished on the cross. Our sins are forgiven, but if we don’t turn from the darkness of sin, we hide His light.

“The light of the body is the eye: therefore when thine eye is single, thy whole body also is full of light; but when thine eye is evil, thy body also is full of darkness. Take heed therefore that the light which is in thee be not darkness“ (Luke 11:34-35).

If we continually pursue activities that are sinful, we can change the light in us from the light of God to the light of darkness. That seems to be an oxymoron, but Satan’s darkness will shine through our actions and words as surely as the light of Jesus will shine through in love.

“If thy whole body therefore be full of light, having no part dark, the whole shall be full of light, as when the bright shining of a candle doth give thee light“ (Luke 11:36).

Walk in His light and dispel the darkness of Satan. Don’t give the Devil a toehold in your life because that will begin to obscure the light of God.

As long as we’re in the world we’re the lamps that His light shines through. A day is coming very soon when that Light will be taken away. When the Rapture happens, all Christians will immediately be taken to Heaven. When we stand before His throne, we will finally see His pure light and glory…our faith will be sight. Until then we must keep on working. Not working to gain salvation, but working to share the Light with those in darkness.

“No man, when he hath lighted a candle, putteth it in a secret place, neither under a bushel, but on a candlestick, that they which come in may see the light“ (Luke 11:33).

Don’t hide the light within you, but let it shine as a beacon to the lost world around you. The Holy Spirit will continue His work during Daniel’s 70th week, but the darkness will be devastating; and if you don’t share the Gospel now, your grandmother, husband, children, or friends will be left in the darkness of Satan’s evil works.

“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven“ (Matthew 5:16).

Like the blind man outside the Temple, we are all blind from birth. Blind to the Light of the world. Only faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ can lift that blindness. We have work to do while there’s still Light.