| Author | Message | ||
| Goose Registered user Username: Goose Post Number: 105 Registered: 11-2011  |
In contrast to the perfectionism and spiritual abuse & anxiety in Adventism some of us suffered, the other day I received this Yahoo Group newsletter, "Living With the End in View," Steve Husting, Author. It was too good not to share. Enjoy! "2-Stage Healing" After that he put his hands again upon his eyes, and made him look up: and he was restored, and saw every man clearly (Mark 8:25). This is an unusual case where one of Jesus' "patients" was not healed fully in the first pass. Jesus had put His hands on a blind man and asked him if he saw anything. The man replied, "I see men like trees, walking." Jesus put His hands on him again and the healing was complete: the man saw everyone clearly. This two-stage healing reminds me of our salvation. When we first believed in Christ, the Lord's healing hands drew us into His church. However, our healing was not complete. Our feet of faith were arthritic. The cancer of sin had spread throughout the soul. Our wills had been weakened by bouts of temptation. Our minds were afflicted by tumors from the world, the flesh, and the Devil. The Master Physician didn't heal all our ills at once, did He? Even now our vision is weak "I see men like trees, walking." We dimly perceive God's glorious plan for our lives. Through cataracts of unbelief and inexperience, we can only just make out His wonderful love toward us, and respond in kind only with the aid of our resident Helper. This first stage gives us hope for the stage to come. Jesus is coming again for the second stage of healing where faith will become sight, hope will give way to the promise, and bodies will shine with light. God is not powerless in this first stage, as many seem to think. He is carefully crafting our hearts that we may enter into His presence with exceeding joy (Jude 25). He is training us in righteous obedience that we may wear a crown (2 Tim. 4:8). He's looking for servants who will gladly serve Him day and night (Rev. 22:3). Prayer: Father, thank you for all You've done for me in this first stage. I can hardly wait for the one to come. Come, Lord Jesus! Promise: He which testifieth these things saith, "Surely I come quickly." Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus (Rev. 22:20). Steve Husting, Author Doubt Busters http://www.stevehusting.com/doubtbusters |
