But Now I See

John‬ ‭9:25‬ ‭- He answered and said, “Whether He is a sinner or not I do not know. One thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see.”

I began reading a book called Jewish Culture and Customs by Steve Herzig. He a Messianic Jew meaning He has become a believer in Jesus Christ! While the book is about customs and culture the first chapter explains how Herzig became a believer after a life of Judaism and "kosherness." 

He questioned his believing sister one day after giving his life to the Lord, How do you know that you are born again? He questioned because he didn't feel any different. Her answer was that God would make HIM the best person HE could be and not to compare himself with others. And he stated that he now understood what the scripture above meant.

The blind man from John 9 is a wonderful story of healing, not just physical but spiritual. Only one who is born again will fully understand it.

Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth. And His disciples asked Him, saying, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him.” ‭‭(John‬ ‭9:1-3‬)

Like this man, we are all born spiritually blind. We did not ask for this. We are blind until God reveals Himself to us. It's a personal thing. It can happen at any time, anywhere. But it comes only through an encounter with the Lord Jesus Christ. Somehow He starts poking at your spirit. He might send a person or persons into your life who agitate! They press spiritual things on you, like attending church, or talking about their church and Bible studies they attend. This happened to me and I was agitated.

Then one day you completely fall apart. You can no longer resist His urgings. And He walks into your life and you don't know at first what hit you. With that the scripture above becomes reality.

I can't say I was fully aware immediately that my sight had come to me but I saw things differently. I had a desire to know things. I understood when I studied the Bible. I understood, in time, what being born again meant. The eyes of my heart were open to the things of God. And it was addicting.

Like I said, until we have this type of encounter with Christ we will continue to be blind. We will read what God's Word has to say and for the most part get it from one level. In Christ, with His Spirit in us we will begin to understand more, but we will never understand everything. The more we want to learn, however, the more He will reveal. A pastor can help but we are not to rely on just a man for our spiritual understanding. We go directly, humbly, to our God and His Word and He will show us.

I am so thankful for God's relentless bugging me! It took years and I remember the day before how I so strongly resisted only to receive Him the next morning. I feel ashamed at times for the resistance but I know I had to go through it to realize where I had been and where I am now.

It's not good to resist. We are to resist the devil and flee from him...but not resist and flee from God. Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. (James 4:7)

Then our sermon in church yesterday was about the parable of the sower. The Word of God is preached and it can fall on four types of ground: the wayside, hard and impenetrable; stony places with little earth; thorny places where the growth of the seed is choked out; good ground where the seed will be nourished. Which soil has the Word fallen on in your life? Listen to what Jesus said: In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: "You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. For this people's heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them" But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. (Matthew‬ ‭13:14-16‬)

This is the miracle of new birth. Once blind, we see. We are all born blind sinners until we have an encounter with Jesus and become healed. Then others will see and know what God has done. He gets the glory. I'd love to hear testimonies!!!

April 18, 1999   (my testimony)

John‬ ‭9:26-27‬ ‭- Then they [religious leaders] said to him again, “What did He do to you? How did He open your eyes?” He answered them, “I told you already, and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become His disciples?”
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All One Needs

Isaiah 61:1-3 - “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me, 

Because the LORD has anointed Me 

To preach good tidings to the poor; 

He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, 

To proclaim liberty to the captives, 

And the opening of the prison to those who are bound; 

To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, 

And the day of vengeance of our God; 

To comfort all who mourn, 

To console those who mourn in Zion, 

To give them beauty for ashes, 

The oil of joy for mourning, 

The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; 

That they may be called trees of righteousness, 

The planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified."

Who is Me in the above prophetic word? A prophetic word about Himself that Jesus

repeated to the anger and offense of some men when He preached them in a synagogue as His ministry first began. He did all the things listed. Go over them one by one. He did them all.

Our God, high and lifted up, watches from His throne of righteousness as men go their own way, do their own thing, apart from Him. He watches as they destroy life as it was intended to be. He knows His judgment must come to them. Yet He hopes they will turn and regard Him once again as Creator, Redeemer, Provider...their God. He desires their affection over the temporal things of this world. He desires they seek wisdom over folly. He desires obedience over sacrifice and humility over pride.

Why do some go against the things of God? How do they not see their Creator, the name above all names, in all that surrounds them? How do they take all of life into their own hands? How do they not see that they contribute to evil, which can be blatant or no more than turning God aside? How do they not see what is true, pure and just? How is pride of life so much greater than the things God has given us? Pride comes before the fall, we are told. (Proverbs 16:18)

Only God offers life abundantly. Only He gives eternal life. Man, in general, seeks only the things they find satisfy them in the here and now. When what today isn't enough, what about tomorrow? What will they seek then? What more will satisfy? 

Even the Church has sought their own ways seeking entertainment and soft words that leave one unprepared for tomorrow. They find no value in the simplicity, comforting and sometimes hard words of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The Word is not enough. Their senses have to be heightened. You know who does that? For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. (Ephesians 6:12)  His name does not need to be spoken. 

This is what is in the world. All about me, my feelings, my dreams, my desires...apart from God. Life in Christ is all one needs. Search for all the riches in the world but they won't preserve a life. Seek prominence in the world; when all is said and done that prominence, after death, will eventually be forgotten. All things come to an end...unless one knows Christ. He brings eternal life. 

What good is having it all in this life when one does not first have the Lord? What does one cling to when all else is taken away, when sickness invades? When riches diminish, when life gets dicey, when evil surrounds and destroys? What hope does one cling to then? Life in Christ is all one needs. He supplies all riches in glory. But one must know Him to receive the glorious things He has for all.

But there is an evil one who has blinded the eyes of many. They cannot see the cliff they are headed for. They do not see the wisdom in Christ. They do not believe the promises of God. They do not see. They are blind. Like the song says, I once was blind but now I see... Like Jesus when He healed the blind man: One thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see. (John 9:25) 

I was blind more than half my life. I was born that way. We all are. Oh, we see in the natural, but we do not see spiritually until Jesus opens our eyes to the miraculous things of God. Nothing looks the same. The evils of the world become visible and disheartening. The things of God become clearer and comforting. We see that the Lord has more for us than the world. 

It's hard living in this world when others don't "see" like you. When there's opposition to all good things and you see God, His name, His truths, His Word denied. And the days are growing darker. Blindness enlarges while truth fades. I'm so thankful, despite "seeing" all this happen in the world, that I know the Lord. I'm so thankful that I can say the same as the blind man, "One thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see." I did nothing on my own to receive my sight. There is a darkness that has been pervading our world. It is rapidly taking over. The blind will not be able to have the chance to see some day. God is turning them over to their own lustful desires (Romans 1:24).

While there is still a glimmer of light, I pray many will take advantage of it. That they will seek Jesus, seek the truth and allow their blind eyes to be opened. There is still time individually and corporately. But the days are dwindling. The light in this world is fading. Evil is taking over. But there is One who still holds out for the last few, to open their eyes.

John 9:3-5 - Jesus answered, "Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him. I must work the works of 

Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world."

For Judgment I Have Come

John 9:34-41

They answered and said to him, "You [the blind man] were completely born in sins, and are you teaching us?" And they cast him out.

Jesus heard that they cast him out; and when He had found him, He said to him, "Do you believe in the Son of God?" He answered and said, "Who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him?" And Jesus said to him, "You have both seen Him and it is He who is talking with you." Then he said, " Lord, I believe!" And he worshipped Him.

And Jesus said, "For judgment I have come into this world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may be made blind." 

Then some of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these words and said to Him, "Are we blind also?" Jesus said to them, "If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you say, 'We see.' Therefore your sin remains."


The Pharisees now began to berate the blind man for the truth he told...that they could not believe: He was blind but now he saw. They cast him out of the temple for this statement. And what about those who are in a relationship with Christ today and say the same thing, I once was blind but now I see? 

Hmm, they were pretty much trying to cast Jesus out also for what they believed to be blasphemy. The Truth stood before them; they heard Him speak, saw Him do miracles, but they could not get beyond what they had always known. The Truth stood before them!

As stated, Jesus found the man and wanted him to know for a fact who He was and who had healed him. Oh, Lord, that people would ask, "Who is He, that I may believe in Him?" That they might begin to see like the blind man because you have opened their spiritual yes and the eyes of their hearts to the knowledge of You. That they might shout, "Lord, I believe!" And worship You.

Jesus makes an odd statement, that those who are blind might see but those who can might be made blind. Think about it. The man was blind, healed and now could see. He knew a miracle had occurred and was willing to believe. Those who are able to see, in the natural, who have seen or heard how others changed yet believe it's something "those people" needed but not themselves will be judged by Jesus and forever made blind. We all need Jesus.

It is God's desire that all should believe and be saved, but that will not happen. There will always be some who just can't or won't do it. And for that reason they will be judged. When one is determined not to believe in God or not to believe a relationship with Christ is necessary, nor believe in the power of the Holy Spirit to change lives, one remains spiritually blind. ...with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved, ...for this reason God will send them a strong delusion that they should believe the lie... (2Thessalonians 2:10-11)

As was testified in church yesterday, God will open doors for us to witness to others. Even those hard-hearted who do not want to hear might come to a place in their lives when they "give in." Their hearts are finally willing to hear and believe the truth of Christ. We must never give up in prayer. We must always be aware of God's leading, His guidance. The timing will be perfect if in His will. God would rather not judge against. Do not say you see, yet see not, by forsaking Christ.

Ezra 8:22 - ..."The hand of our God is upon all them for good who seek Him, but His power and His wrath are against all those those who forsake Him.” 

A Division Among Them

John 9:14-16

Now it was a Sabbath when Jesus made the clay and opened his eyes. Then the Pharisees also asked him again how he had received his sight. He said to them, "He put clay on my eyes, and I washed, and I see."

Therefore some of the Pharisees said, "This Man is not from God, because He does not keep the Sabbath." Others said, "How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?" And there was a division among them.


Wow. Here we go again. More division. Jesus had a knack for this! And Jesus a sinner?

The Pharisees again needed to hear, perhaps to be sure they had ample argument against Jesus, how this blind man was healed by Him.

Jesus wanted people to know Him. He wanted them to know that He was the Son of God. He wanted them to know that He was greater than all the sacrifices that had been made for the sins of the people. That He was going to become the once-for-all-sacrifice for our sins. He was willing to endure the comments, untruths. He hoped to open the eyes of these men, too.

What happens when others attempt to show what Jesus has done in their lives? Not all respond favorably. That's good enough for you, but not me. I don't need God. My life is fine the way it is. The world is tangible; I can see, touch, smell everything. I will put my trust in what I can put my finger on. We can't even see God.

Jesus came to turn the world upside down. He came to show the world if we trust in what is unseen (Jesus), our lives are more secure. Isn't that an upside down statement?  ...while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal. (2Corinthians 4:18)

The issue here was that Jesus did a miracle on the Sabbath, their holy day, a day of rest.That was unheard of in Jewish tradition. Jesus was not part of their tradition but a new way! This was a bone of contention for these men. He was upsetting their ways. How could this Man who claimed to be the Son of God, who knew the laws, do this? Isn't that a sin? They could not see that a new way (Way) was before them. We are called to all have teachable spirits...

While God took a day of rest after creating all things, I'm certain in Jesus' day He did not mean not to heal...or be about the Father's business if He so commanded. The day of rest then, and now, is to be a day devoted to God. A day of rest from work. We can still devote every day to God through our lives and our prayers, our communication with Him. If He urges us to do something, we do it, even if it's on that day of "rest."

All the Jewish religious leaders were challenged because they only knew what they had been required to do generation after generation. They might have felt their responsibilities would be in jeopardy because of this one Man. Their power was at stake. Who would listen to them, who would abide by their rules if this Man changed people's way of thinking? All Jesus wanted was for them to understand. I wonder how their lives might have changed had they believed? What changes might we have seen?

Rules and works...legalism. Today as then we need to realize we cannot do works to please God or enter His kingdom. We cannot buy our way or work our way to heaven. We must believe and have faith in God alone. Not a man, nor his ideas. Then our works are deemed good. Jesus was upsetting the Pharisees' apple cart. Part of what they had always adhered to was looking like it was about over. The laws, however, were still intact; God wouldn't change the commands. But He was about to change the means of entering the kingdom through one Sacrifice instead of endless ones which never achieved permanent forgiveness of sins.

But Jesus would and still does be that end-all sacrifice. By Christ alone. No works, no being good enough. A way made that even the most hardened criminal can enter the kingdom if he, with all his heart, turns to Christ and allows Him to transform his life. Imagine that. The person(s) one might so never want to forgive, God will. That's His job! (We ARE called to forgive...even our enemy.)

Like the blind man, we must "see." We must put our faith and trust into Jesus alone. The world nor the traditions of man have anything eternal to offer. If we think like a Pharisee we will stay lost. If we allow Jesus to transform our mind, we will be saved. In Christ alone.

I "saw" fifteen years ago. He touched my life and I knew it. I'm so thankful for Jesus allowing me, a blind person, to see.

Colossians 2:8-10 - Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.