Fight For It

Has God made you a promise? Fight for it. If it is not worth having, then it is not worth fighting for. But if you are determined to have everything God promised you, then you are going to have to roll up your sanctified sleeves and go after his word with everything inside you. Be aggressive. God will not disappoint your faith.  

A Divine Visitation

Blind Bartimaeus was a man of stubborn faith. He was like the widow woman before the unjust judge. He refused to take “no” for an answer. The Bible says as Jesus and his disciples were leaving Jericho, a great crowd of people followed them. And “blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the highway side begging” (Mark 10:46 KJV).

Jericho was the promised land. But even though Bartimaeus was in the promised land, he could not even enjoy it because of his handicap.

“And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out, and say, Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy on me” (Mark 10:47). Bartimaeus realized he was in a divine visitation. This was his moment, the moment he had waited for all his life, and he was not going to let it pass him by. It was now or never.

Radical Determination

So, Bartimaeus began to cry out in desperation. “And many charged him that he should hold his peace: but he cried the more a great deal, Thou son of David, have mercy on me” (Mark 10:48).

Your faith is going to stir up opposition. Every time you are close to your breakthrough, the enemy will work through people to try to get you to calm down and slow down. But the people telling Bartimaeus to be quiet were not blind. They did not understand his desperation, so Bartimaeus ignored them. He was the one with the need, so he cried out even louder. “Jesus, have mercy on me!”  

Act On Your Faith
     
The Lord cannot ignore faith. The Bible says, “Jesus stood still, and commanded him to be called” (Mark 10:49a). Bartimaeus’ cry gripped Jesus’ attention, and he called the blind man to him.

Suddenly the people telling Bartimaeus to be quiet changed their talk. “And they call the blind man, saying unto him, Be of good comfort, rise; he calleth thee” (Mark 10:49b). Do you know anyone like these people? They had double personalities. One moment they were telling him to shut up. The next moment they were telling him to be comforted. That is why it is important to follow the cloud, not the crowd. You must have enough discernment to recognize when God is visiting you.

When Bartimaeus heard Jesus was calling him, he rose up and cast off his beggar’s garment (Mark 10:50). The government issued this special garment as a license to beg. When Bartimaeus cast it off, he was taking a step of faith. He knew he was going to receive his sight and would no longer need that garment. The Bible says, “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1).

Stay Focused

“And Jesus answered and said unto him, What wilt thou that I should do unto thee?” (Mark 10:51a). What do you want God to do for you? Blind Bartimaeus was focused. He didn’t have a thousand requests. He got to the root of his problem. “The blind man said unto him, Lord, that I might receive my sight” (Mark 10:51b).

And Jesus said unto him, Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole. And immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way” (Mark 10:52). In that instant, Bartimaeus received the answer to his prayer. He could see! One encounter with God turned his life completely around.

Fight For It

What is it that you are believing God for? Don’t give up. You are too close to your miracle. If you must cry out a little louder, pray a little harder, rip open the roof, or push through the crowd and grab onto the hem of his garment, do whatever it takes to get his attention. Ignore the doubters. God will not disappoint your determination. He will reward your faith and give you your heart’s desire.

Attempt Great Things For God

Have you ever wanted to do something great for God but felt that you didn’t have anything worthwhile to offer Him? I want to encourage you today that whatever you do for God, He sees it as great!

Remember the widow who gave two mites? She gave her very best. That’s all God wants to see from us – our best! Let that encourage you today. As missionary William Carey is famous for saying, “Expect great things from God, attempt great things for God.” Know that when you do, God will be pleased and He will bless you for it!

If you enjoy receiving messages of encouragement like this week’s email, consider sowing a seed so we can continue sharing the life-giving truths of the gospel with you and others. Give your best here:
God Bless,
Pastors Sean and Aimee Pinder

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