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In need of that second touch?

Mark 8:18

Having eyes, see ye not? and having ears, hear ye not? and do ye not remember?

I can’t figure Christians out. Even being one and knowing that I am seconds away from backsliding any day, I still don’t get it. A preacher preaches his heart out, pours himself out before the congregation of the Lord, there are shouts of acclamation and glories to God with hands being raised and then they walk out of the church and back into the world and they have faith amnesia. Somewhere between the a.m. and p.m. service they’ve forgotten what Jesus did, and something else takes priority in their minds. Yep, I needed to vent.

I don’t know why I am so surprised, the disciples were no different and they were face to face with the miracles of God. Christ had twice in their presence fed thousands with a few fish and a few loaves of bread, and yet just afterwards on a journey across the sea they’re worried about lunch. Christ ask them “Do ye not remember?” They had just seen him feed thousands with a little bit of nothing, what would it have been for him to take care of a few men in a boat! Let me put it on a more personal level, what about you? Do you remember what He’s brought you through? What do you now stand in need of that Christ cannot supply? There are days I too forget when I get in the midst of a struggle, but God is so faithful to bring me through in ways I’d never imagine.

Christ asked in verse 19-21 When I brake the five loaves among five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? They say unto him, Twelve.And when the seven among four thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? And they said, Seven.And he said unto them, How is it that ye do not understand?”

Why do we not understand? In this same chapter Jesus heals the blind man by twice touching his eyes. Verses 23-25 read:

 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.

You may be asking, why did it take God Himself touching him the second time before he was completely healed? And I lay to your charge the question “Why after God touched you do you not believe? Why do you fail to serve Him as you should? I asked myself the same question and I didn’t like the answer. A lack of faith, a heart not exactly right (which is wrong). In that same chapter Christ asks His disciples whom say ye that I am?”

The world says all kinds of crazy things on who Christ is, but if you’re saved you know! Do you not remember? I pray today God brings to remembrance the miracles He’s done in your life and that your faith will be stirred and renewed. That you once again will receive another touch from Christ that will allow you to see clearly what’s going on around you and the need to get busy telling others what Jesus means to you that too may be touched. STIR US UP LORD!

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Stirred & Shaken

Mark 1:27-28
And they were all amazed, insomuch that they questioned among themselves, saying, What thing is this? what new doctrine is this? for with authority commandeth he even the unclean spirits, and they do obey him.

Jesus had just called out a few of the disciples and then He heads to church. Imagine their surprise when Christ calls out the demon from the young man. The disciples had been on the job less than a day and already the excitement started. Jesus had stopped by the fishing villages and offered them the opportunity for a new direction in their lives, but I doubt they’d imagined that it would be like this. They knew He was different, else why would they have left the stable jobs they had as fisherman to follow Him. They’d surely felt their hearts stir within them He spoke, something drew them to Him; but they weren’t the only ones Jesus had stirred.

Jesus stirred the satanic forces. They knew who He was. They called Him by name in Mark 1:24 ~ “I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God.” Satan and his band of mayhem men know when God is moving in someone’s life. They know that their heyday is about to end and they rip and tear at everything they can get their teeth into to try and destroy the vessel that God is about to use. But it’s futile. Because when God takes over, the vessel is new! And when the religious leaders of the day seen Christ restore the young man to whole, they said… “This is new!”

Jesus stirred the sanctuary. They didn’t know who He was. They had been so used to dead religion, that they didn’t really know how to take the Live. Lively gospel bothers people, because they can’t control it. It’s easy to sit in a dead church, there’s nothing there to drive you up out of your seat. But get in a service where the Holy Spirit is moving and you’ll see people stand and testify, raise their hands and shout at unacceptable times, and glory to God… it makes people ask questions, like “Where did He get that authority?”

The new disciples had to have known life was about to change. When Jesus stirs up your life, it makes you and everyone else around you uncomfortable. Some will stand beside you and wait with anticipation to see what The Lord is going to do, and others will walk away. Possibly because they’re afraid they’ll get caught up in the moment and jump on the glory train, or because they’re satisfied with mediocrity.

I don’t want mediocre. I want heart thumping, soul stirring events in my life that leave people saying “By what authority did that happen?” And I can answer them with a grin on my chin… That’s God!

Is your soul stirring? Get up! and then let me know where you go…