Kristi Gaultiere is the co-author of the new book Journey of the Soul: A Practical Guide to Emotional and Spiri tual Growth. Kristi and her husband of 35 years are doctors of psychology who have dedicated their lives to serving Jesus and are the founders of a non-profit ministry called Soul Shepherding. As therapists and spiritual directors, they have spent over 70,000 hours in the pool of pain with people and share their learnings to strengthen others in their intimacy with Jesus and emotional, relational, and spiritual health. Kristi is also the mother of 3 adult children, two of whom are married, and a grandmother of 3.
Katie Meadows is an Australian author, passionate about seeing others grow and devel op. Her debut book, Meat Pots, Manna, and a Merciful God: Exchanging the Wilder ness for Promise, contains snippets of her own journey from religion to relationship. When Katie isn’t work ing as an HR profession al or on her latest project, you may find her enjoying a coffee with friends or writing and producing God-spots for her local Christian radio station. She loves her new season as a grand mother, which she suspects will add more fodder to her writing file. Connect with Katie on Facebook or Insta gram @katiemeadows author or at www.kati emeadows.life.
Michele Marie Weisman writes before dawn of the day and homes chools in the light of day. She has been published in the Inspire Anthology, Inspire Kindness, and in an upcoming Inspire Anthology, Inspire Courage. With here passion for writing, she wants to inspire others to have a closer walk with God.
Michelle Martino is a teacher, writer, and speaker. She believes a personal relationship with Jesus is central to all other aspects of life. Michelle passionate about learning languages and understanding other cultures, as they are foundational to connect ing with others. Her goal is to help others discover and activate God’s joy in every season of life. Connect with her on her blog at considerthe joy.com or Instagram @michelle_martino_.
All Bible references are from New International Version, English Standard Version, New Living Translation, King James Version. EGM Times is published by Elohim Gospel Ministries, USA & India. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. EGM Times has no subscription price and is supported through contributions worldwide. Because all EGM Times editions are preplanned, we are unable to accept unsolicited manuscripts. For more information or to subscribe, visit: elohimgospelminis tries.com
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Its been a beautiful time where i live because of the autumn season. To those of you living in a place where autumn season is happening, enjoy the creation of God, the colorful trees.
As a team, we have been trying to make changes to the magazine this year and I am excited that this edition has one more update. We are partnering with SAFT apologetics to start a new series Confident Answers to answer YOUR questions related to Christian living and the word of God. SAFT apologetics is founded in India and the ministry is focused on seeking answers to find the truth. While we know that not all questions have answers in this life (some answers will be revealed in eternity only!), the new series is our best attempt to answer questions depending on the word of God and seeking divine wisdom. If you have any questions in mind, feel free to write to us at egmtimes@elohimgospelministries.com
We also have four articles focused on important topics by writers with experience on different areas in life, with a passion to share their faith in Jesus with others. I am sure you will be blessed by these writings.
Every year, October 31st is celebrated as the Reformation Day. Reformation Day is the anniversary of the day Martin Luther posted his Ninety-five Theses on the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany (October 31, 1517).
A few years ago, my husband Bill and I set out on a hike to a waterfall with great anticipation and enthusiasm.
But after a couple of hours in the heat, running out of water, getting wet shoes from crossing a creek several times, navigat ing through fallen tree branches and climbing over huge boulders, I wanted to quit.
Bill is a “Run the ball to the goal and don’t let anything stop you!” kind of guy. But thankfully, he agreed to turn back. One year later, we did this hike with another couple, and at that same spot, my friend stepped back and said, “Oh my! I can’t get over these boulders! How about we head back to the car?”
Recently, we tried the hike for the third time. When we got to the wall of boul ders, I wanted to quit — for the third time! We just stood there on the trail. Was there really a waterfall? Had we lost the trail?
Just then, a hiker approached. I called out, “Is this the train to the waterfall? He said yes. I asked, “How much further is it? Is it worth it?”
“You’re almost there and it’s worth it!” He told us. He was the trail guide I needed to provide knowledge and hope to press on.
I’m so glad we did! The spray and sound of water cascading off the cliff was delightful. God’s grace refreshed my soul as each drop of cool water descended and splashed into the clear blue pool at the bottom.
Our journey with Jesus is like that. Eventually, we get tired, lost or discour aged. We can’t feel God’s love anymore. We hit a Wall, and our emotions cry out to turn back to the part of the train that’s familiar and easier. When we do, we miss the waterfall of grace just ahead!
In my late 30s, I collapsed at the Wall with compassion fatigue from caring for many hurting people in my ministry. Unable to shake my doubts and discour agements, I lost my trust that God was really good and loving.
Have you ever felt like you can’t keep going? Or lost hope that there is really more for you in the Christian life? In these times of pandemic and worldwide stress, I’ve talked with many people who feel like they’re at a Wall in their faith journey.
In Psalm 23, this Wall is called the valley of the shadow of death. (v. 4). Here, the shepherd’s blessings are a thing of the past(v. 1-3). The cheerful green pastures have gone brown. The still waters have dried up. Frost has wilted our flowers. What was once fruitful in our service to God now looks barren. What had been working in our Bible study and in prayer now seems to fail us.
To get through the Wall, we need to try some new spiritual practices, such as quietly meditating on Scripture, being emotionally honest about our faith questions and distress with a Spiritual friend, Pastor, spiritual director or coun selor. We need to practice spiritual disciplines like praying psalms of lament to receive God’s empathy and cultivate a longing for God.
“We need to practice spiritual disciplines like praying psalms of lament to receive God’s empathy and cultivate A longing for God.”
Psalm 23:4 reveals the secret to making it past the Wall: “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me” (ESV).
In the shepherding analogy, throughout the six verses of Psalm 23, the rod and staff are symbols of God’s protec tion and guidance. Shepherds would use these tools to fend off wild animals that threatened the sheep and guide them back onto the right paths. No matter what we go through, His presence, guidance and protection as our Good Shepherd are what ultimately get us past the Wall and to the waterfall of grace.
When we look to Jesus as our trail guide on the journey of the soul, He helps us resist the temptation to turn back. Our Good Shepherd wants to lead us through the dark valley to bless us with a spiritual feast, fresh anointing and an overflowing cup. (v. 5)
There is a waterfall of grace ahead! In this place of abundance, we come to know God’s goodness and mercy have been pursuing us all the days of our lives. (Psalm 23:6).
Dear Lord, strengthen me not to give up at the Wall or in any trial. Help me to know that You are with me, love me and You love others through me. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
“There is a waterfall of grace ahead! In this place of abundance, we come to know God’s goodness and mercy have been pursuing us all the days of our lives.”
Every year, October is celebrated as Missions month in my church (I attend an Assembly of God church in the USA). Throughout the month, the whole church and the members are focused on mission work. All the Sunday services will have a guest preacher sharing the word of God with an emphasis on mission work locally and internationally. The last Sunday of the month will have a missions challenge and everyone is encouraged to commit an amount that will be dedicated to supporting the missionaries as a church for the upcoming year. The official name of this commitment by AG church is called Faith Promise. By faith, I am promising to support the missionaries for the upcoming year (my church support missionaries around the globe). This will be on top of the tithe.
When I first learned about Faith Promise, I was not fully convinced (I am already giving tithe, why should I give more for missions!). But over the past five years, my perspectives and understanding changed as i understood more about the importance of evangelism. Faith Promise (or any other name you want to call it) shows our commitment to going the extra mile to reach the unreached. Some of us may not be able to GO and reach people. So we can SEND people to reach people with the love of God. By supporting the missionaries, you are also getting involved indirectly. It’s a great way to invest for eternal rewards.
I want to conclude with a thought from a sermon by Pr. Donna Barrot (Gen Secretary of AG Church, USA) while she visited our church three years ago. By being part of the mission work, we are getting involved in God’s dream come true. God's dream is explained in Revelation 7:9,10 (NIV), “After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. 1And they cried out in a loud voice: “Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.”
Let's strive to go the extra mile to be part of the mission work for God. To reach every tribe, every nation with the love of God.
Let's strive to be part of realizing the dream of Godevery nation, tribe, people and language,every nation...worshipping the lamb of God in heaven.
FOREVER!
Recently, the Spirit’s whisper moved through my mind, 'Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good'. It was almost an impression, but I latched on. We choose to engage with the Spirit when He speaks in the stillness of our minds and hearts. What did He want to show me through this well-known verse?
When David penned Psalm 34, he was on the run from King Saul and had just fled the courts of King Achish of Gath, where he had hoped to hide out. But his presence caused unrest amongst the officers, so David faked insanity to prove he was no threat. Psalm 34 expresses David's thankfulness to God for His protection and provision. If I'd just fled from two kings and faked insanity, I might write a different psalm!
But David's first thought was to engage in worship and to declare to future generations that the Lord is good.
David’s ancestors discovered the Lord was good with a literal taste! During their wilderness journey, God provided food for the Israelites in the form of quails and manna. Each morning, the manna fell like a delicate, frosted blanket around the camp, making it easy to collect their daily supply and prepare it. It had the appearance of pale coriander seed and tasted like honeyed wafers. The people could grind it and make it into bread. This sweet, heavenly bread sustained and nourished the people for four decades of wilderness wanderings. Not a single person went hungry.
When Jesus referred to Himself in John’s gospel as the true bread from heaven, He spoke to the descendants of those who had been fed heavenly manna in the wilderness. I love how God provided a literal picture of a spiritual provision. The heavenly manna represented the sweet provision of God’s own Son. Nothing He does is accidental. God reveals Himself in big and small ways through His creation.
I wonder if David was thinking about this special heavenly bread when he penned the psalm. He knew the generational stories well. He also knew firsthand, the God who provided for him and his men as he ran from King Saul through a rugged wilder ness. This story of provision from Israel's journey helped David to know God as a physical provider. But David also knew the goodness of God from the relationship. He encouraged others to 'taste and see' the goodness of the God He served and loved.
When my children were small, I introduced new food to them. First, I gave them a taste. They would choose whether to open their mouths for the next bite! The invitation to taste comes from a man who knew the taste was good! He wanted to share the joy and fullness of tasting the physical and spiritual bounty our great God has prepared for us.
It is our choice to take up this invitation. If we do, David tells us from his own experi ence what we can expect. Verse by verse, David documents God’s goodness in tangi ble ways we can grab hold of and apply our faith to. The writer displays joy and urgen cy. While praising and giving thanks to God, David is enticing us to come to the table of bounty and taste for ourselves.
David describes God as the One who hears our cries, just like He heard the cry of His people in captivity in Egypt. He doesn't just hear; He acts to deliver us from our fears and circumstances. The Lord removes our shame, saving us from our troubles and redeeming our souls. Just like He dwelt with Israel in the wilderness, He will dwell with us. As Comforter, He is near to the broken-hearted. As a Protector, He guards us when we walk in humility. He is a forgiving Father, ever-present and attentive. He does not condemn us when we trust in Him.
Each waking moment we have an opportunity to discover a new aspect or attribute of God and to hold an expectation for His goodness toward us. After a wilderness journey of my own, I experienced the goodness of God when I finally yielded my life and circumstances to His strength and faithfulness. I also discovered there is a fresh taste every day when we come to Him expectantly. The Bread of Life renews us daily.
Psalm 34’s premise is that God will always come through for the righ teous. Being a 'good person' is not enough. We must also have a relation ship with our Heavenly Father. David knew God as Father and Provider. He was an accomplished man, but when he found himself on Saul’s most wanted list, David needed to rely completely on his Father’s provision. This was the perfect training for his long reign over Israel.
David’s fugitive years were long and hard. In caves and the wilderness, David chose daily to taste and see God’s goodness. He tasted his way into his kingly destiny, refusing to succumb to the trials he faced. David made a great king because the taste of God’s goodness ruined him for anything less. Because the Lord hasn’t changed, we are assured of the same goodness David experienced.
Come, taste and see for yourself!
Thank you Christina for sending in the question. I don’t think there could've been a more holistic question to initiate our new series answering the pressingly relevant questions of the ardent readers of the magazine. I hope that as I attempt to unpack the answer, this article series will cause more reflection on your end about the various facets of Christian living in the intellectual sphere, both privately and publicly, and subsequently move you to probe them using what Rick Warren calls our “greatest asset” the enemy is after - our mind.(1)
So, what is this question about? Is it about a ‘why’, ‘what’, ‘when’, ‘how’, or ‘who’? The question is a ‘who’ question. Did ‘God’? That's the question. Pretty straightforward right? Hence the answer for a Christian immediately comes off as a resounding yes! God has not, for the smallest fraction of a second, relinquished His authority as Lord over all creation. There is nothing that can overturn or overrule His unassailable, sovereign dominance over reality. Isaiah most unambiguously proclaimed this when he said,
“I form the light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and create disaster; I, the Lord, do all these things.” (Isaiah 45:7, NIV)
Lamentations underwrites this proclamation saying, “Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that both calamities and good things come?” (Lamentations 3:38, NIV)
Both these verses, in addition to affirming God’s Kingship authority, most clearly spell out in case we harboured any doubt - He can and does create disaster and calamities. Having this spelled out in like manner hits the point home for us. We knew from the Egyptian Escapade that God delivered the Israelites through the Red Sea while He drowned the Egyptian army. We also saw that He gave light to the Israelites but darkness to the Egyptians. But we often turn to verses in Psalms to affirm God's role as deliverer, Saviour, light, fortress, shield etc. because seeing these traits spelled out brings a unique sense of affirmation. Likewise, God wants us to absorb as clearly as possible that He is the sovereign God who can and does bring about destruction at His own discretion.
1 Warren, R. (2021, November 29). Your Thoughts Control Your Life - Pastor Rick’s Daily Hope. Pastor Rick’s Daily Hope. Retrieved August 30, 2022, from https://pastorrick.com/your-thoughts-control-your-life-2/
Since the pandemic happened we can easily affirm that He allowed the pandemic to happen because there isn’t any force within or beyond the universe that can even muster up to make God do something at gunpoint against His will. But what more does it mean here? Did He push a massive snowball down the mountain towards the village or did He merely step out of the way of the rolling behemoth, letting nature take its course?
Despite the lack of a conclusive answer to the question on the origin of the SARS-Cov-2 virus, investigations lean towards two possible explanations(2): a species leap from animals to humans or the result of a botched (dare I say successful) experimentation in a lab(3). If the former is substantiated, then the blame is upon humans. Animals, that otherwise wouldn’t have naturally been together, came in contact with each other in the open-air wet markets in China(4) and enabled the virus to make species leap from (possibly) bats, pangolins and palm civets to humans. If the latter is substantiated then humans are still to be blamed. Lack of ample precautions gave way for the virus to infect humans and spread beyond the lab.
Though speculations about the origin of the virus as a biological weapon have subsided, they still remain to some degree. However, in either case the responsibility upon humans cannot be negated. It doesn't seem either, from an inspection of the data and reports at hand, that a solely supernatural intervention brought about the virus(5). So God did move out of the way of the snowball. But why?
2 Roberts, A. (2021, May 13). COVID Pandemic: God’s Fault or Ours? Reasons to Believe. Retrieved August 30, 2022, from https://reasons.org/explore/blogs/theorems-theology/covid-pandemic-god-s-fault-or-ours
3 Hassanin, A. (2020, June 25). How did the COVID-19 coronavirus originate? World Economic Forum. Retrieved August 30, 2022, from https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/03/coronavirus-origins-genome-analysis-covid19-data-science-bat s-pangolins/; John Hopkins Medicine. (2022, July 29). What Is Coronavirus? Retrieved August 30, 2022, from https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/coronavirus; Kandola, A. (2020, June 30).
Coronavirus cause: Origin and how it spreads. Medical News Today. Retrieved August 30, 2022, from https://www. medicalnewstoday.com/articles/coronavirus-causes#transmission; Rath, L. (2020, March 24). Coronavirus History. WebMD. Retrieved August 30, 2022, from https://www.webmd.com/lung/coronavirus-history; Sandoiu, A. (2020, February 11). Coronavirus: Pangolins may have spread the disease to humans. Medical News Today. Retrieved August 30, 2022, from https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/coronavirus-pangolins-may-have-spread-the-disease-to-hum ans#A-99%-DNA-match;
4 “How Wildlife Trade Is Linked to Coronavirus,” VOX video, March 6, 2020, youtube.com/watch?v=TPpoJGYlW54& feature=youtu.be.
5 Denison, J. (2020, April 21). COVID-19 Is Not God’s Judgment. Christianity Today. Retrieved August 30, 2022, from https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2020/april-web-only/covid-19-is-not-gods-judgment.html
Well wouldn’t we all like to know! But I don’t think we can in the here and now. Let me close off with two pointers that can help us navigate this question in the midst of our ignorance. Firstly, we can continue to trust God’s good and holy nature because of what we know through Christ’s words, His deeds, the Cross and how He has moved in our lives. Secondly, the Butterfly Effect. It is said in chaos theory that minute changes in a local area can have large effects in the remainder of that com plex system. Translation: the wing flaps of a butterfly in Europe can reverberate through the air and contribute towards a hurricane in South America. Consider for a moment how our world has changed post-pandemic. The global north and global south are now on a radically different path than they were before. Government structures, administrations, economies, job markets, personal career paths, number of family members alive - all have changed. Couldn’t God have been weaving together His grand plan through these overhauled events of history? Dare we say we can trace it all down?
Biochemist Fuz Rana(6) remarks about the providential coincidence in timing of the development of mRNA technology and the outbreak of COVID such that, as Harvard medical doctor Anthony Komaroff too noted(7), research spanning over three decades came to humanity’s aid at the proverbial 11th hour. Just like Yahweh planted the tree in the wilderness in anticipation of the Israelites’ plea for drinkable water at Marah (Exodus 15:25) years in advance, He had providentially ordered the course of human scientific exploration to deliver us in our time of need. So we say, rest assured, come what may we take courage in our good and just God; our knowledge of Him shines ever so bright in our darkest times.
By, Jacob Varghese, Founder-Director , SAFT Apologetics
SAFT Apologetics is a web-based Christian initiative that aims to equip the believer defend their faith so that they may effectively evangelise. We incessantly work towards fulfilling our God-given Vision to break the language and accessibility barrier and make apologetics resources within easy reach for all communities in India and beyond. This strive towards apologetics-driven evangelism that began through the bi-weekly SAFT Podcast has expanded into a dedicated conference wing (The Areopagus Project) and extended in-depth ministry partnerships within and beyond India. From dialoguing with the world's leading scholars to producing original content, we are creating an online library for the sceptic, believer, expert, and layman with an invitation to all to seek answers so that they find the truth.'
6 Rana, F. (2021, June 4). The COVID-19 Vaccines and God’s Providence. Reasons to Believe. Retrieved August 30, 2022, from https://reasons.org/explore/blogs/the-cells-design/the-covid-19-vaccines-and-god-s-providence
7 Anthony Komaroff, “Why Are MRNA Vaccines So Exciting?,” Harvard Health Blog (December 18, 2020) health.harvard.edu/blog/why-are-mrna-vaccines-so-exciting-2020121021599, accessed August 30, 2022.
In the book of Luke, we meet Zacchaeus, a well-known and disliked wealthy tax collector. He wasn’t just any taxman; he was the chief who over saw all the collectors. In biblical times, it was common for tax collectors to take more than the law required of the people. Zacchaeus seems to have benefited the most from stealing the people’s money.
Before you met Christ, do you have a past that you are not proud of? Many of us do.
Healing that Jesus had come to town, Zacchaeus was curious to see him.
He was compelled to be near him. Similarly, a crowd formed, also wanting to interact with Jesus. Where did a shift begin to happen in his heart? Had he known for a while that his way of living was missing something?
When you first heard about Jesus, did hope stir within you that he could change everything?
Drawn to Jesus, Zacchaeus discovered he could not see him. He was too short to see over the crowd of people walking with Jesus. Running ahead of the public gathering, Scripture says he went further up the path, climbed a tree, and waited for Jesus to come near.
When you heard about Jesus, what steps did you have to take to approach him?
Jesus saw Zacchaeus on the tree and called out to him by name. By name! And then he gave a direct order to the small man amongst the branches: “Quick! Come down!” (Luke 19:5 NLT)
“I have called you by name; you are mine.” (Isaiah 43:1 NLT). Did you feel known when you received Jesus into your life?
How thrilled and overwhelmed he must have been to be noticed by Jesus. Separated and called out from the crowd of people he had burdened and profited from financially. The people began grum bling, asking why Jesus wanted to spend time with someone like this tax collector, the chief over all the others. Zacchaeus was responsible for so much misery; didn’t this matter to Jesus?
Our past life affected people, but if we keep our gaze upon Jesus, he will direct our thoughts and actions so God can use us and our situations for good. (Romans 8:28)
Next, we see Jesus inviting himself to the short man’s home. Zacchaeus, Scripture tells us, was filled with “great excitement and joy” that Jesus wanted to be a guest in his house. (Luke 19:6)
When you invited Jesus into your heart to live and rule, did a new joy and peace bubble within you? A new life started that very day, changing forever how you would see the world around you.
Standing in his home surrounded by all his riches, Zacchaeus no longer saw them with the selfish value he once had. In fact, he desired to get rid of them.
He was looking at Jesus, his new plumb line, bringing correction to the wrong motives and actions of his past.
Zacchaeus saw that only he could make amends to the people he had harmed. To Christ, he vowed to give to the poor and reimburse with interest those from too much tax had been taken, allowing Jesus to take care of the eternal debt to God.
Is there or was there something you need(ed) to do to make right? We all created a debt before we walked with Jesus. Looking at him will reveal how to amend the past. The results are in his grace-filled hands.
Zacchaeus, a tiny man with a large bank account, got face to face with Jesus. He saw the truth of Jesus and the truthful way to live. Everyone Zacchaeus had taken too much from would now be better off finan cially than before he had stolen from them.
Who are the people who are better off because of your life with Christ?
This story ends with Jesus saying, “Salvation has come to this home today…For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.” (Luke 19:9,10) Jesus was seeking Zacchaeus. Jesus found Zacchaeus. Jesus’ love drew Zacchaeus to him.
Jesus’ love draws you to him, perfecting your perspective and correcting your wrongs. He sought you out, giving you the richest gift, anyone can receive. Salvation.
“How thrilled and overwhelmed he must have been to be noticed by Jesus.”
I vividly remember the day when the life I once knew abruptly fell apart. The unexpected news of deception and heartbreak shocked my system. I began to lose my senses. My body grew numb. I could barely breathe, let alone call for help. But the thing that stood out to me the most was the loss of my eyesight.
Upon hearing the devastating news, my vision became fuzzy. A blurry land scape with faint colors swirled around as I attempted to view my surroundings. I didn’t realize it then, but my physical impairment also reflected a much deeper issue. I had lost my spiritual sight.
Even though I sought to glorify God with everything I had, my affec tions were not aligned properly. My relationships and routines had gradually taken priority over my time with God. I did not recognize the impact or the damage it cost until the world I built came crum bling down.
I found myself disoriented in a cloud of confusion. I was stuck in a fog, blindly searching for the answers and solutions I thought I needed. No matter how much I tried, I couldn’t make sense of the unexpected hurts and painful offenses. I became consumed with unknowns, bowing to the belief that I needed to know all the details to experience victory. But my attempts to find healing only left me more confused than when I started.
While my physical sight recovered that day, my spiritual sight was still unclear for weeks. The weeks turned into months and I was depleted. I was exhausted from striving to gain a crystal clear perspective. What I deeply needed, however, was an enhanced view of who God was in the midst of my suffering. I needed to trust God, despite not having all the answers. I needed to strengthen my faith, fully believing He would carry me, even when I couldn’t see through the fog.
When I opened my Bible, I read the story of Jesus healing a blind man in Bethsaida. I instantly envisioned myself as the one being led to the Savior of the world. I was the one desperate for the miracle of new a vision.
“And he took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village, and when he had spit on his eyes and laid his hands on him, he asked him, “Do you see anything?” And he looked up and said, “I see people, but they look like trees, walking.” Then Jesus laid his hands on his eyes again; and he opened his eyes, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly.” (Mark 8:23-25 ESV).
Jesus was intentional but not immediate in this act of healing. The first step in this process was relocation. Jesus took the man from a familiar environment to separate him from all distractions. If the miracle were to take place, his undivided attention needed to be on Jesus. There was no opportunity for the man to look to temporary remedies or past comforts to resolve his blindness.
Next, Jesus laid his hands on the man’s eyes. At first, the man only saw in part. He acknowledged his surroundings but did not have an accurate view. To him, people appeared as trees. The miracle was incomplete. Instead of doubting the healing power of Jesus, the man trusted and stayed with his Savior until the work was done. Jesus laid his hand on the man’s eyes once again. This time, his sight was fully restored.
Sometimes healing is a process, even when we long for immediate miracles. Just like vision loss, restoration of our spiritual sight takes time. When God doesn’t work in the ways we expect, we must simply trust His plans and His path for us.
The clarity this man longed for didn’t come from anything but an encounter with Jesus. In the waiting process, we must continue to seek Jesus. He is our only source of physical and spiritual vision. We must take a daily dive into Scripture, persevere in prayer, and silence the noise of our environment. We will find that God is compas sionate, abounding in His perfect love, peace, joy, and grace. He is our Defender, our Protector, our Provider. When we shift our focus from question ing the details of our circumstances to confirming God’s character, we will find that He is flawlessly faithful every time.
When we know Jesus, we don't need to make sense of the world to experience victory. He gives us the confidence to move forward and the hope we need to press on in faith. Jesus does the mira cle of restoring our sight when the world tries to cloud us in confusion. His presence carries us through difficult and disorienting times with a peace like no other.
Rather than searching for answers, we can choose to surrender our worldly confusion to our God, who will exchange it for new sight. He will give us the clarity we need as we continue walking with Him and seeking Him. One day we’ll see the greater purpose in a crisp, high-definition picture. For today, we can rest assured in knowing we have a perfect vision when we look to Jesus.
“My relationships and routines had gradually taken priority over my time with God. I did not recognize the impact or the damage it cost until the world I built came crumbling down.“
Daya Raja
A few years ago, I was travelling home from Chen nai, India. Usually, I take the train from Chennai to Kotta yam, my hometown. It is roughly a 12-hour journey. This time I bought a few kilos of shallots as they are cheap er in Chennai and taste better than the ones we get at home. But by the time I got to the railway station, the announcement of train departure had already been made, and I barely had about two-three minutes to make it to my compartment.
Daya RajaI started to run frantically, but carrying a backpack and two handbags full of shallots, was very challenging. A few seconds into running, I realized that the chances of making it to my seat with the weight of three bags were bleak. Yet, I convinced myself to gather all the strength in my body to continue running. It was exhausting!
I had to be smarter if I were to make it. Keep ing the shallots meant losing the train. So, I threw the handbags on the platform in the next stride. It fell with a thud. My heart sank, but I also felt relieved that I was now running faster. Thank God, after a bit of hardcore stretch, I was able to board the train that day. I definitely do not advise throwing bags in a public place, but I shared this instance because I think our faith journey is synonymous to my attempt to catch the train. Hebrews 12: 1-2 says ‘Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with persever ance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.’
There are things that hinder us, and there are sins that tangle us. These could be cares of life, worries about the future, affection towards things that aren’t Godly, habits that cling to our souls and the likes. Often, the case is that we know what weighs us down. But possibili ties are, sometimes we let ourselves reside in a make-believe world where we externalise factors, make ourselves feel powerless and make peace with losing the battle. But Bible clearly points out that we have the agency to make a decision here and in fact it is our responsibility to do away with things that hamper our race.
The good news here is, in our walk with Jesus, we do not have to do anything by ourselves. When we recognize the sinful patterns in ourselves or the unnecessary weight of life, we can depend on the Holy Spirit to help us get rid of it. In fact, it is the Spirit himself that throws light on our sins. The beauty also is, as we abide in Jesus and his word, He initiates pruning in our lives so that we produce much fruit. (John 15: 1-2)
As we run this race marked out for us by God, I pray that we would welcome Holy Spirit into every realm of our life and stay yielded as He asks some difficult questions or uses a blade to do a bit of pruning. God bless.
“But possibilities are, sometimes we let ourselves reside in a make-believe world where we externalise factors, make ourselves feel powerless and make peace with losing the battle. But Bible clearly points out that we have the agency to make a decision here and in fact it is our responsibility to do away with things that hamper our race. “
Daya Raja, Bangalore Daya thinks it’s absolutely cool to be known by Jesus. She deeply appreciates nature, art and silence. Her dream is to fall in love with Jesus and humanity every day. Daya can be reached at dayaraja95@gmail.com
Thank you for making it to the end of this edition. We believe you were encouraged by reading this edition. It’s our prayer that this edition will help you to have a closer walk with God.
If you are reading this and have not experi enced the love and power of God, we encour age you to embrace His love – offered as salvation through Jesus Christ. In His unending affection for us, God has a lot in store for your life and longs to have you as part of His family. We also encourage you to rededicate your life to God if you were born again but drifted away from the call. Make the following prayer and accept Jesus as your savior:
“Lord Jesus, I come before you today. I acknowledge that I am a sinner, and my sins have separated me from you. Today, I believe that you are the son of God and that you had me in mind when you got crucified and died. I believe that you are resurrected and seated at the right hand of the Father. I accept you today as my Lord and savior.
Thank you for paying the price for my eternal redemption. I am now the righteousness of God in Christ. I now ask you to fill me with your spirit. Amen.”
Congratulations on surrendering or rededi cating your life to God. You are now a new creation in Christ. We encourage you to join a family of believers (church) in your area, and we pray that you get established in your faith through studying the word by the grace of God.
We love you and would like to hear from you. Send your feedback, comments, and constructive criticism to egmtimes@elo himgospelministries.com. See you in the next edition.
God bless you!!! Team EGM TimesFor the first time, EGM Times was printed and published in February 2016. It was challenging to send the magazine to different parts of the world.
Below is a photo of the first print version of the magazine.
