The Opening

And (immediately) the man's ears were opened, his speech impediment was removed, and he spoke plainly. Mark 7:35

He wanted his ears opened. His friends wanted his ears opened.

But they couldn’t do it.

What they couldn’t do, Jesus did.

We wonder why his friends have to bring in the guy. The guy can walk. He can wave his hands to Jesus to get his attention. Instead, his friends brought him to him. Maybe frustration has caught him. Not hearing people and being able to communicate is a hard thing to do, a hard life to live. His father wants to tell him he is there for him, yet he does not hear it. His mother tells him how much she loves him, all falling on closed ears. Try one day without talking and avoiding sound waves pass your ears.

Frustration. And he is not alone.

You have traveled that dead end. You got nowhere to go. It’s closed.

A health issue is lingering in your body for several years now. Doctors have the answers but your body does not respond.

Or unemployment is blocking all your plans for your family and children’s future. You have the resume’ but employment does not resume soon.

You got a ministry which hit a great road block. You look at your resources, you look at what you can do, and deep inside you know Jesus what will do.

Don’t fret in your corner. Come to the Opener. If you can’t, allow your friends to bring you to him. Open whatever is closed to him. Let Jesus touch you.

Experience Jesus. Experience the opening.

Enduring His Coming

But who will endure the day of his coming? And who can stand when he appears? For he is like the refiner's fire, or like the fuller's lye. Malachi 3:2

So, who will endure his coming?

Simeon. A man of the Holy Spirit. Righteous. Devout. This man was righteous and devout, awaiting the consolation of Israel, and the holy Spirit was upon him (Luke 2:25). He came to the temple being led by the Holy Spirit to gaze upon his coming. Simeon's canticle still reverberates in the present times. His words to Mary prophesied the plan of salvation. And when he saw his coming, he blessed God.

Anna. She is 84 and she stays in the temple 24/7. She never left the temple, but worshiped night and day with fasting and prayer (Luke 2:37). She praises her God non-stop. She exalts his name each second. She sings songs of God's glory each minute. And when she saw his coming, she gave thanks to God.

Can we endure his coming?

Yes. By being Simeon and Anna.

Doctor Luke's prescription covers it all. Righteousness. Devoted. Allowing the Holy Spirit be upon you. Proclaim God's salvation. Worship night and day. Prayers. Fasting. Bless and thank God.

Resolute

He was amazed at their lack of faith. He went around to the villages in the vicinity teaching. Mark 6:6

Speaking about being resolute.

Jesus was amazed, not on how people believed in him, but in the way these people lacked faith.

People who knew where he was from questioned him. "Where did this man get all this? What kind of wisdom has been given him? What mighty deeds are wrought by his hands! Mark 6:2b.

People who may know him more believed less. People who know his roots did not believe in his fruits. "Is he not the carpenter, the son of Mary, and the brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?" And they took offense at him." Mark 6:3b.

And yet, Jesus did not waiver in his call to spread the word of God. He went around to the villages in the vicinity teaching. Mark 6:6b. After having an audience who are very discouraging, his courage to go around to teach is inspiring. For Jesus, no matter what happened in the past will not surely affect the present. For Jesus, the results of the past does not necessarily define the present. For Jesus, his response to the call is more important than the response of the people.

May we be like Jesus in being resolute.

After giving a talk to a classroom where students where inattentive and did not listen to you, you move on to the next. Even when the members of your church do not respond to the call to serve the poor, you still come and give your time. You are still in the race even when the persons who were with you from the beginning have stopped and bowed out. You continue to write and blog about Jesus and his offer of salvation even when the blog's hits are all time low.

Jesus is amazed at their lack of faith. You can amaze Jesus with your action of faith.

Keep on keeping on.

Be resolute.

Withered

Jesus entered the synagogue. There was a man there who had a withered hand. Mark 3:1

He did not see perfection.

He did not see strength.

He did not see freshness.

Jesus saw something withered. A withered hand. Dry. Shrunken. Wrinkled.

Yet, Jesus stayed. Jesus does not go because he saw what he needed to see -- imperfection. He knows people who goes to his church are not perfect. He stayed because he is there to revive the withered. He is there to stretch what is shortened. He is there to make new out of the wrinkled. He is there to refresh the dryness.

He still does today.

Enter your church. Go into your homes. Look at your offices. See your campus. Jesus enters and stays with those places. To stretch the faith of the challenged. To revive the life out of the lifeless. To bless freshness into the tired and battered. To smoothen the wrinkled and stressed hearts. To bring healing to the dry relationships.


Let him enter your heart today. If your soul is withered, ask Jesus to come in. Expose your withered life. Let him see what he suppose to see. Open your tired mind and invite him to stay.


He will enter and he will stay.

For the withered.

Filling

Jesus told them, "Fill the jars with water." So they filled them to the brim. John 2:7
The jars are for wine, but they filled them with water.

These servers knew they are doing it the wrong way. If you are in a restaurant, it's like putting milk into those glass wine. However, Jesus tells them so. He told them to put the wrong substance inside the jars. And they did. And the wrong inside became the right inside.

Jesus made the wrong right.

When I was laid off from my job last year, everything was just wrong. As the only person working for our family, I can't classify this event being right. All seems to be going the wrong way. How will I feed my family? How can we meet our financial obligations? Being in this wrong situation took us to our knees.

And Jesus made the wrong right.

A day after that forgettable day, my current employer called me to arrange an interview in the coming week, and the rest is history or employment. Today, me and my wife look back and say to each other, "We are in a better place!"

Most of the time, Jesus tells you to fill the wine jars with water. It does not makes sense. It's just not right. It does not taste just like before. Volunteering for a college missions after graduation when you should get a job which pays you. Working everyday for a company where you commute a total of four hours back and forth which opened your career.  Speaking to college students in campus which trained you to speak for God in prayer meetings. You do it because he tells you. You go through it. And he goes through it with you. Thus the wrong becomes right.

Fill yourself with water when Jesus tells you. Surely, he will fill you with wine.