Faith vs. Sight

Walking Through The New Testament

  • Jesus Heals A Man Born Blind

    I was blind, but now I see…

    John 9:1-12
    As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. 2 His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”

    3 “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. 4 As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. 5 While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

    6 After saying this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. 7 “Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (this word means “Sent”). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.

    8 His neighbors and those who had formerly seen him begging asked, “Isn’t this the same man who used to sit and beg?” 9 Some claimed that he was.

    Others said, “No, he only looks like him.”

    But he himself insisted, “I am the man.”

    10 “How then were your eyes opened?” they asked.

    11 He replied, “The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed, and then I could see.”

    12 “Where is this man?” they asked him.

    “I don’t know,” he said.

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    The man was blind so that the good works of God could be witnessed by others. Affliction for advancement of the kingdom of God. To be fortified and galvanized through trial. Once handed to Him, the trial becomes a blessing. Miracles happen everyday, and this blind man could now see because of his faith and belief in Jesus.

    Look back on your life and spot that affliction that hit you pretty hard. If it was physical, emotional, or spiritual, remember the trial. Now remember the blessing that was produced through that blessing. Got it? Now share it. That is your testimony. 

    A few weeks ago, an older coach who I have known for quite some time came by the gym. He has been fighting Leukemia for years and look downcast and beaten down. He was on his way to see his doctor and needed something. His eyes searched for healing. We prayed together in my office for healing. As he keft, he said he felt something. He felt lifted up. At hid appointment the doctor ran the tests and was dumbfounded by the results. They were the best readings he had in a long time. How? All Jesus.

    Activate my friends. The power will flow through you like Living Waters. The power of the Holy Spirit is in you. Just as it was in Jesus. #JesusSaves

    Amen
    DK

  • Fresh Manna – 2/9/2015

    Good morning.

    Galatians 3:2-4 (MSG)
    2-4 Let me put this question to you: How did your new life begin? Was it by working your heads off to please God? Or was it by responding to God’s Message to you? Are you going to continue this craziness? For only crazy people would think they could complete by their own efforts what was begun by God. If you weren’t smart enough or strong enough to begin it, how do you suppose you could perfect it? Did you go through this whole painful learning process for nothing? It is not yet a total loss, but it certainly will be if you keep this up!

    It isn’t too late…yet. There is still time. Fight back to where you were just a short time ago. He will certainly continue His work in you. #JesusSaves

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    Amen
    DK

  • Jesus’ Claims About Himself

    John 8:48-59
    48 The Jews answered him, “Aren’t we right in saying that you are a Samaritan and demon-possessed?”

    49 “I am not possessed by a demon,” said Jesus, “but I honor my Father and you dishonor me. 50 I am not seeking glory for myself; but there is one who seeks it, and he is the judge. 51 Very truly I tell you, whoever obeys my word will never see death.”

    52 At this they exclaimed, “Now we know that you are demon-possessed! Abraham died and so did the prophets, yet you say that whoever obeys your word will never taste death. 53 Are you greater than our father Abraham? He died, and so did the prophets. Who do you think you are?”

    54 Jesus replied, “If I glorify myself, my glory means nothing. My Father, whom you claim as your God, is the one who glorifies me. 55 Though you do not know him, I know him. If I said I did not, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and obey his word. 56 Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad.”

    57 “You are not yet fifty years old,” they said to him, “and you have seen Abraham!”

    58 “Very truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!” 59 At this, they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds.

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    The revelation almost killed the them. He had just revealed to them exactly who He was and they were ready to destroy Him. In front of them stands The Messiah and they are flat out rejecting Him, calling Him a demon, a liar, and a phony.

    At any moment, Jesus could have leveled the entire earth. He could have called on His divine powers and lashed out at all of them. He could’ve…but He did not. Why not? Because the Son of Man, Jesus Christ, came not to destroy, but to save. This was what the ordeal required, and He did it. He saved us.

    One very important lesson in these verses is that there are times in your own walk with Christ, that you may have to turn and walk away in order to allow God’s work to be done in others. We have been called to plant seeds through our words and our actions. It is not our job to try and force growth on others. We must allow God’s Word and His Will to do the work. We are called to plant and tend, not grow the seed. That is God’s job.

    Pray for Discernment. Pray to know what move to make next as you plant His seed in others. He will reveal your next move to you and move will be perfect. Be blessed in knowing that the sowing you do now, will one day reap a mighty harvest in the name of Jesus Christ. #JesusSaves

    Amen
    DK

  • Fresh Manna – 2/8/2015

    Good morning.

    Hebrews 12:1-3 (MSG )
    1-3 Do you see what this means—all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we’d better get on with it. Strip down, start running—and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever. And now he’s there, in the place of honor, right alongside God. When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls!

    He never said it would be easy. We have help though. We have those that planted the seed in us. Do you remember who they were? Do you remember the people that planted the seed of faith in you? Chances are there are more than just one. God loves you! #JesusSaves

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    Amen
    DK

  • Dispute Over Who Jesus’ Opponents Are

    I AM THE RIGHTEOUSSNESS OF GOD THROUGH JESUS CHRIST…

    John 8:31-47
    31 To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. 32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

    33 They answered him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?”

    34 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. 35 Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. 37 I know that you are Abraham’s descendants. Yet you are looking for a way to kill me, because you have no room for my word. 38 I am telling you what I have seen in the Father’s presence, and you are doing what you have heard from your father.[b]”

    39 “Abraham is our father,” they answered.

    “If you were Abraham’s children,” said Jesus, “then you would[c] do what Abraham did. 40 As it is, you are looking for a way to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. Abraham did not do such things. 41 You are doing the works of your own father.”

    “We are not illegitimate children,” they protested. “The only Father we have is God himself.”

    42 Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I have come here from God. I have not come on my own; God sent me. 43 Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say. 44 You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. 45 Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me! 46 Can any of you prove me guilty of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don’t you believe me? 47 Whoever belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.”

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    Absolute emotion and fortitude . In these verses Jesus is crying out to us. He is God in human form, and He cries out to tell us who He is. He is begging us to see Him. It is His appeal to us to accept Him, and at that moment…many did not. Guess what…He still loves us. He still forgave us. He still REDEEMED us. All of us. He even saved the Gentiles like you and I.

    Hallelujah! I have read Matthew, Mark, and Luke all the way through, and shared every step of the way. I thought Matthew was emotional…John is a beast of emotion. He captured everything. And he captured from the perspective of a universal man. Not one swayed by religion. I implore you, read the Gospels. Start in Matthew and make your way through them all. It is beautiful.

    I do not belong to the devil. There are times I fail and sin, daily, but God has forgiven me by sending His son to die on the cross and carry away the very sin I just committed 2 minutes ago. Yes…even the one I will commit in 2 minutes. Yes! Yes! Yes! I know…Wow!

    Your are the Righteousness of God through His son Jesus Christ. Let me repeat…You are the Righteousness of God!!!! You are. Yes, you are. I am His Righteousness because of Jesus Christ!!!! How??? Jesus Christ…that’s how. #JesusSaves

    Amen
    DK

  • Fresh Manna – 2/7/2015

    Happy Birthday to my Twins…Callie and Gavin. They turn 10 today.

    1 Corinthians 9:26-27 (MSG)
    26-27 I don’t know about you, but I’m running hard for the finish line. I’m giving it everything I’ve got. No sloppy living for me! I’m staying alert and in top condition. I’m not going to get caught napping, telling everyone else all about it and then missing out myself.

    Take care of yourselves friends. Keep His temple ready to receive the blessings. Be prepared to do His work, be it manual or spiritual or both. Eat well, exercise, laugh, and above all…Pray and read the Bible. He is coming. #JesusSaves

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    Amen
    DK

  • Dispute Over Who Jesus Is

    We must look past our own eyes to see Him…

    John 8:21-30
    21 Once more Jesus said to them, “I am going away, and you will look for me, and you will die in your sin. Where I go, you cannot come.”

    22 This made the Jews ask, “Will he kill himself? Is that why he says, ‘Where I go, you cannot come’?”

    23 But he continued, “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. 24 I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am he, you will indeed die in your sins.”

    25 “Who are you?” they asked.

    “Just what I have been telling you from the beginning,” Jesus replied. 26 “I have much to say in judgment of you. But he who sent me is trustworthy, and what I have heard from him I tell the world.”

    27 They did not understand that he was telling them about his Father. 28 So Jesus said, “When you have lifted up[a] the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me. 29 The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him.” 30 Even as he spoke, many believed in him.

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    I do not doubt who Jesus is. But I often wonder if I would have if I were alive then. Would I have followed the crowd? Would I have fearful of persecution and retribution? Many men were. Many great men were. Those that stuck with Him. The Disciples of Jesus were marked and died horrible deaths, yet they persevered. They spread the Gospel and were killed because of it.

    So here I stand, alive and blessed. God knows what I would have done, He wants me to learn about myself. This happens through reading the Bible. As I read, I see so much of myself in so many of the people that He loved and taught. So many, that even though they did not believe in Him, He loved them and without fail He taught them. So many times He would speak and be questioned and doubted, but He spoke and taught anyway. Thank God for the unbelievers, for they give us the chance to learn of Him.

    Throughout the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, Jesus teaches the doubters, the sinners, the lovers of this earth what it means to believe. He is speaking to us. He is teaching us. As He does, as he speaks, new believers are joining the Kingdom of God. He came and got me. He pulled the wool from my eyes and showed me TRUTH. He showed me love and forgiveness. He cane and got me. Just the way He has come for you.

    So, with that, let us move past the doubt and speculation. He died for us and forgave all of us. We are now cloaked in His righteousness. Forever free of sin. Hallelujah! #JesusSaves

    Amen
    DK

  • Fresh Manna – 2/6/2015

    Good morning. A word from Paul…

    Romans 12:1-2 (MSG)
    1-2 So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.

    Respond to what He wants from you. You know what you want, right? OK now, what does God want from you? Ask Him, then respond. #JesusSaves

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    Amen
    DK

  • Dispute Over Jesus’ Testimony

    His own witness…

    John 8:12-20
    12 When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

    13 The Pharisees challenged him, “Here you are, appearing as your own witness; your testimony is not valid.”

    14 Jesus answered, “Even if I testify on my own behalf, my testimony is valid, for I know where I came from and where I am going. But you have no idea where I come from or where I am going. 15 You judge by human standards; I pass judgment on no one. 16 But if I do judge, my decisions are true, because I am not alone. I stand with the Father, who sent me. 17 In your own Law it is written that the testimony of two witnesses is true. 18 I am one who testifies for myself; my other witness is the Father, who sent me.”

    19 Then they asked him, “Where is your father?”

    “You do not know me or my Father,” Jesus replied. “If you knew me, you would know my Father also.” 20 He spoke these words while teaching in the temple courts near the place where the offerings were put. Yet no one seized him, because his hour had not yet come.

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    If all we do is search in the perceived light of this world for verification, we will remain blind. However, if we look to His light, the light of the Creator, we will find understanding, acceptance, and love.

    This is another example of the “learned” not being able to see Him. They could not tell who He was. They were searching this world for answers as to who he was. They would not be found here. The are only found in faith and belief, both of which were lacking. They were lost.

    The testimony of two witnesses is true. Words spoken by Jesus Himself. Stand with a friend today, and both of you go forth and witness for Jesus. Just as He said it would, your truth will be believed.
    #JesusSaves

    Amen
    DK

  • Fresh Manna – 2/5/2015

    Good morning.

    2 Peter 3:8-9 (MSG)
    8-9 Don’t overlook the obvious here, friends. With God, one day is as good as a thousand years, a thousand years as a day. God isn’t late with his promise as some measure lateness. He is restraining himself on account of you, holding back the End because he doesn’t want anyone lost. He’s giving everyone space and time to change.

    Learning that God’s Will is perfect is a lifelong lesson, and requires an ongoing and growing relationship with the Holy Spirit. How? Read the Bible. He will come and get you. #JesusSaves

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    Amen
    DK