Rise He Calleth Thee,
When the call of faith rises up to God, his call of faith
reaches down to us. Where the call of faith and grace meets, miracles takes
place. Desperate deserves desperate outcry for succor and desperate remedy.
This was the situation in this 2015 conference theme. This son of Timaeus case
had lasted and extended so wide that he has become stigmatized. He lost his
real identity and became identified by his ugly situation. When I was younger
and had little knowledge of the scriptures, I thought the man’s name was
‘blind’ and his surname ‘bartimeus’. Bar(Grk) means ‘son of’ while Timaeus was the surname, meaning ‘son of
Timaeus. He was identified with his blindness and people began to refer to him
as the blind son of Timaeus.But, his condition was to change by not only having
Jesus pass his way but by also responding to the Lord’s presence and call.
Every move of the master is purposeful. He came to seek and save, he came to
set the captive free, he came to comfort the mourners, he came to give sight to
the blind to restore hearing to the deaf and heal the broken hearted, he came
to announce the acceptable year(time, period) of divine grace.
He came to change your story, he came to re-write your
history. Jesus the same yesterday, today and forever (Heb 13:8). He passed the
needy son of Timaeus way yesterday, today he is passing your way, never miss
the moment by religiosity. Shift away the crowd and their noise and gain his
attention.
This man did not go about blaming God for his blindness, he
was focused. One thing is paramount to him – to regain his sight. He had heard
of Jesus Christ the son of david in the Sunday school, that when he comes he
would deliver the bound, show mercy and heal the sick. How long he must have
waited for the scriptures to be fulfilled on his behalf. The day came and he
was not going to let anything, the crowd, the devils whisper of impossibility,
the past disappointment from priests or doctors, anything within or without –
to hinder him from receiving God’s mercy and grace. He cried out to him “who in
the days of his flesh…. Offered prayers and supplications with strong crying
and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard..” – Heb
5:7. He too like Jesus in mk 14:33-34 was sorrowful and very heavy hearted.
Therefore, He cried out to Jesus and said “ Jesus, thou son of David, have
mercy on me”. When charged by many to stop embarrassing himself and the Lord,
he cried the more a great deal. Thou son of David, have mercy on me”.
And Jesus, who could not, cannot and never will resist the
cry of faith, for mercy for his creatures, “stood still and commanded him to
come”.
No, he was never embarrassed. Our desperate cry for mercy
never embarrasses him. It’s only our proud hearts that is embarrassed. It is
our needless ego that is uncomfortable. No! Never the caring master and lover
of our soul. How long he’s been waiting for our response to his call of grace,
“come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden, I will give you rest” Mat
11:38. The opposers became the messengers of good news, hear them, “be of good
comfort, rise: he calleth thee”, “And he, casting away his garment, rose and
came to Jesus”
This is your season to rise up from your predicament. Can’t
you hear the sweet sound of his voice calling you up? You’ve sat down too long
in penury, pain, poverty and stagnation. Rise! He calleth thee. Rise in faith!
Accept his mercy and grace by faith.
His upward call is reverberating around the atmosphere. As
the blind Bartimaeous did not allow his long, hopeless condition to deafen him
from the loving voice of the master, do not allow yours to block your ears from
his call. In the kingdom, the process of recovery begins from the ears. Isaiah
said “Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live” Ish
55:3. Jesus himself said in John 5:25, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, the
hour is coming and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the son of
God. And they that hear shall live” faith receives from grace. This faith
cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God” Rom 10:17
Make this season a season of listening, God still speaks.
The word of God is quick and (life-giving) and powerful (dynamic). It has the
potency to bring life to any dead or dying situation. Jesus will change your
situation and identity today if only you can listen and respond in faith to his
call.
He has sent me and the team of ministers to you. Our message
is simple, “Rise, he calleth thee”. We have vowed to be faithful to him in
disseminating this message primarily to you for your good. In Matthews account,
which differs slightly from Luke’s and Marks, they were two blind folks and their cry was “ have mercy
on us O lord, thou son of david” mt 20:30. In verse 31 the multitude rebuked
them because they should hold their peace: but they cried the more, have mercy
on us son of david”.
They should hold their peace? Who said so? Religion? The law
of decency? Gentility? Where were they all these years that these folks were
held down from light, peace and what others have been enjoying? Desperate
situation needs desperate remedy. “The kingdom of heaven suffereth violence and
the violent takes it by force” Mtt 11:12 – Dare to be violent after th order of
the kingdom of heaven. Dare to be violent after the order of the kingdom of
heaven. Dare to take what belongs to you!
I believe that Matthews account is never contradictory but
explanatory. The blind son of Emaeus is the historical patient of Jesus day in
the flesh while the second is anyone of any age and generation who will hear
his voice and Rise up in response – You and I.
“AND JESUS STOOD STILL”
Arrested by the faith of the needy, Jesus stood still.
Arrested by the cry of a desperate man, Jesus stood still. Paralyzed by love,
in response to cry for mercy, Jesus stood still. In defiance of the multitude
Jesus stood still. In pursuit of his purpose on earth, Jesus stood still. “And
Jesus stood still and called them and said, what will ye that I shall do unto
you? They said unto him, Lord, that our eyes may be opened, so, Jesus had
compassion on them and touched their eyes and immediately their eyes received
sight and they followed him”. Mtt 20:32 – 34
