CCFCHURCHSIDE CHAT IX

THE HALF MIRACLE

CCFCHURCHSIDE CHAT IX

THE HALF MIRACLE

Mk 8:22-26 And he cometh to Bethsaida; and they bring a blind man unto him, and besought him to touch him. And he took the blind man by the hand, and led him out of the town; and when he had spit on his eyes, and put his hands upon him, he asked him if he saw ought. And he looked up, and said, I see men as trees, walking. After that he put his hands AGAIN upon his eyes, and made him look up: and he was restored, and saw every man clearly. And he sent him away to his house, saying, Neither go into the town, nor tell it to any in the town.

Proper understanding of miracles includes the principle that I believe is established in this passage. This is one of many miracles that Jesus performs but it is ONLY found in Mark. This is the last of the Galilean miracles.

What is of interest in our study today is a take off from the word found in vs 25 “AGAIN”. Please remember that word.

A blind man is brought to Jesus to be healed and he doesn’t receive the full miracle of sight instantly. In Vs 24 he only had THE HALF MIRACLE. So Jesus puts his hands on his eyes “AGAIN”. Why? So he could receive the other half miracle and see clearly. God never does only Half Miracles. Why the dissection? Note what preceded this miracle:

VS 21 And he said unto them, How is it that ye do not understand?

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/385620786820853036

Upon entering ministry officially his life commonly performed daily miracles. Beginning with the wedding at Cana in John 2.

Walking on the water from different bubble perspectivesStorm Fishes Peter

Is God the God of miracles? Half Miracles or Whole?

Mk 8:16-18 And he charged them, saying, Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, and of the leaven of Herod. And they reasoned among themselves, saying, It is because we have no bread. And when Jesus knew it, he saith unto them, Why reason ye, because ye have no bread? PERCEIVE ye not yet, neither UNDERSTAND? have ye your heart yet hardened? HAVING EYES SEE YE NOT? and having ears, hear ye not? and do ye not remember?

Every day Jesus taught, fed , and healed them.

Mal 4:2 But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings;

(The most common healing miracle in the bible is blindness)

Isa 35:5 Then the eyes of the BLIND shall be opened,

and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.

Then shall the lame man leap as an hart,

and the tongue of the dumb sing:

Blind B--------- Blind from B----Jesus uses Spit 3 times to heal, twice for blindness. John 9

And so it is in the con-text of our text in Mark 8

Ps 148 Which executeth judgment for the oppressed: which giveth food to the hungry. The Lord looseth the prisoners: The Lord openeth the eyes of the BLIND: the Lord raiseththem that are bowed down: the Lord loveth the righteous:

***When John the Baptist was in prison…Luke 7 Then Jesus answering said unto them, Go your way, and tell John what things ye have SEEN and heard; how that the BLIND see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, to the poor the gospel is preached. And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.

May God open the eyes of our understanding to the two profound and salient points of half miracles. May we see clearly the perception of perfection in the middle of

The Half Miracle.

Hab 2:2And the Lord answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it. ***Half Miracles do not perceive correctly!***

PASTORS AND CHURCHES MUST BALANCE THE SCRIPTURAL CALLS TO CONTINUE TO MEET TOGETHER FOR WORSHIP (AS SEEN IN HEBREWS 10:25), TO SUBMIT TO GOVERNING AUTHORITIES (ROMANS 13:1-5), TO LOVE THEIR NEIGHBORS AS THEMSELVES (MATTHEW 22:37-39) AND TO PUT THE INTERESTS OF OTHERS AHEAD OF THEIR OWN (PHILIPPIANS 2:3-4). THIS BIBLICAL GUIDANCE IS AN AID FOR CHURCH LEADERS AS THEY COOPERATE WITH PUBLIC OFFICIALS WHO ARE WORKING TO STOP THE SPREAD OF THIS VIRUS TO SAVE LIVES

SEEK YE OUT OF THE BOOK OF THE LORD AND READ

Acts5:27-29 And when they had brought them, they set them before the council: and the high priest asked them, Saying, Did not we straitly command you that ye should not teach in this name?... Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.

The God of Half Miracles is The God of Whole Miracles

PERCEIVE ye not yet, neither UNDERSTAND?

The author of life is the AUTHORITY of life. Of course every individual must make their own decision on worship. But to help see it “clearly”, government does NOT tell the Christian, the CHRISTIAN, the CHRIST-IN believers---where, when, or how to worship the God of

MIRACLES!

BRETHREN, WE HAVE MET TO WORSHIP AND ADORE THE LORD OUR GOD; WILL YOU PRAY WITH ALL YOUR POWER, WHILE WE TRY TO PREACH THE WORD? ALL IS VAIN UNLESS THE SPIRIT OF THE HOLY ONE COMES DOWN; BRETHREN, PRAY, AND HOLY MANNA WILL BE SHOWERED ALL AROUND.

BRETHREN, SEE POOR SINNERS ROUND YOU SLUMB’RING ON THE BRINK OF WOE; DEATH IS COMING, HELL IS MOVING, CAN YOU BEAR TO LET THEM GO? SEE OUR FATHERS AND OUR MOTHERS, AND OUR CHILDREN SINKING DOWN; BRETHREN, PRAY, AND HOLY MANNA WILL BE SHOWERED ALL AROUND.

THE PASTOR OF A LOUISIANA CHURCH WHO SAYS HE BELIEVES THE NOVEL CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19) IS “POLITICALLY MOTIVATED” DEFIED GOVERNMENT ORDERS AND WELCOMED HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE INTO HIS CHURCH SERVICE

The Miracle of Life is only a Half Miracle

What precedes this half miracle in ch 8?

Mk 7:24-8:11/Mt 15 And from thence he arose, and went into the borders of Tyre and Sidon…O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou WILT... And great multitudes came unto him, having with them those that were lame, blind, dumb, MAIMED, and many others, and cast them down at Jesus' feet; and he healed them…I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now been with me three days, and have nothing to eat: A 150 mile miracle ministry to the Gentiles

PERCEIVE ye not yet, neither UNDERSTAND?

The miracle of life is only a Half Miracle. Eternal Life is the other half of the miracle. GOD NEVER does just

Half Miracles

The apostles needed to understand the Miracle of Life is to all who have life, both Jew and Gentile. So too is the Miracle of Eternal Life to all who “wilt” believe.

There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these MIRACLES that thou doest, except God be WITH HIM. Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born “AGAIN”, he cannot SEE the kingdom of God. (REMEMBER THAT WORD “AGAIN”)

DO YE NOT YET UNDERSTAND

The common misconception of Miracles is that they are centered on individuals instead of God. EVERY miracle is intended to convey a message. The Miracle of Life is ONLY a Half Miracle. God never does just half a miracle. When someone has corrective eye surgery due to a form of blindness, the most common problem needing correction is depth perception.

The Miracle of Life begins at egg-seed conception.Depth perception doesn’t begin until around 3-7 months later.The Miracle of Eternal Life begins at word-seed conception.

Depth perception involves a single eye focus-a continual test of faith

The Jewish perception of the God and the Messiah only saw

Half Miracles

So, 150 miles walking with Jesus to discover the correct depth perception of God’s grace and love. Single eye FOCUS on JESUS.

Acts13:39,47,48 And by HIM all that BELIEVE are justified from all things...For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth. And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed.

Please note: NOBODY WAS ORDAINED TO BELIEVE-but-all were ORDAINED TO ETERNAL LIFE because they believed

Mark 8 And he took the blind man by the hand, and led him out of the town; and when he had SPIT on his eyes, and put his hands upon him, he asked him if he saw ought. ***Why did Jesus spit on his eyes*** Job 30 They ABHOR me, they flee far from me, and spare not to SPIT in my face. Nu 12 And the Lord said unto Moses, If her father had but SPIT in her face, should she not be ASHAMED seven days? The First Half Miracle shows God’s abhorrence at their shameful BLINDness of hearts. Only one miracle is greater than the Miracle of Life!

All the miracles of life are only shadows and reflections pointing to the greatest of all miracles-eternal life.

Do you only see and pray for The Half Miracle?

The Kingdom of Heaven but knot the Kingdom of God

The good paying job but knot the money for God’s work

The beautiful home but knot the neighbor’s soul

The healthy children but knot the spiritual need to grow

The church membership but knot the church commitment

The virtuous woman but knot the godly care she needs

The healing of a marriage but knot the fellowship in Christ

The desire for a man but knot a Christ centered man of God

The healing of a sick body but knot the dead spirit

The longing for a true friend but knot a Christ honoring one

The forgiving miracle but knot the forgetting miracle

The rewards of success but knot glory to God in the highest

The bread to feed your belly but knot the bread of life

The Jew but knot the Gentile, The saved but knot the unsaved

The Half Miracles of Life but knot the Half Miracle of

ETERNAL LIFE

Rev 3 Jesus spits on the eyes of the Laodicean Church “So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will SPUE thee out of my mouth.”

Miracles to Christians in the last days will become pulpitizedwith the shameFULL Half Miracles that God abhors. Beware of the physical-carnal-financial, healing-stealing-feeling Half Miracle Ministries of the Prosperity Gospel, the Mega Church, and Music Chanting Shallow Depth Perception of Worship in the last days!“knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and BLIND, and naked…and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest SEE.

Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed… after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,

Why did Jesus spit on the blind man’s eyes?

“I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire”

Christ’s faith has already been tried.

Half Miracles only see the physical and knot the spiritual

The Miracle of Life but knot the Miracle of Eternal LIFE

The Jews SPIT on Jesus-He is guilty of death. Then did they SPIT in his face, and buffeted him; and others smote him with the palms of their hands, Saying, Prophesy unto us, thou Christ, Who is he that smote thee?

The Gentiles SPIT on Jesus-And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews! And they SPITupon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head.

Jesus was beaten and SPIT upon and bore the shame and dishonor of our unbelief. Faith has the righteous right to The God of Miracles.

1 John5:13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

The Miracle of Life is Only Half Miracle-that’s why he spit upon his blind eyes. But so too, The Miracle of Eternal Life is Only Half Miracle. Is this why the healing of blindness initially saw men as trees? He was led out gently by Jesus’ touch, “touched” with our infirmities. He only saw Jesus and the 12 apostles., and they looked like they were walking as trees!

What immediately preceded Mark 8 was important and what immediately follows Mark 8 is equally as important!

“And he saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Peter answereth and saith unto him, Thou art the Christ… Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and TAKE UP HIS CROSS, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it.”

CHRISTIAN who understands the Half Miracle has the Righteous Right to BOTH Halves. The blind man saw what discipleship really was. “men as trees walking”. The Miracle of Eternal Life walking in The Miracle of Life.

Your cross will always only lead you to his cross

Brothers and sisters. Whatever your cross is you have the bold right to pray for a miracle to bear it,

A husband-a wife-a job-a debt-a wayward child-a bad marriage-a need a Need a NEED that only a Miracle can answer.

Gal 4:19 My little children, of whom I travail in birth “AGAIN” until Christ be formed in you,

Rev 4 “And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald.”

The center of the rainbow is

EMERALD