On the road with Bartimaeus

I woke up during the night and in the stillness of the night, I realized He was there. My whole being knew it. Many times when I'm aware of His presence I cannot ignore Him. Even if I am half asleep. So, I whispered a prayer for help to take the time to search for Him in the morning. And here I am. He answered and I obeyed.

A full night of sleep renewed my spirit & my mind and strengthened my aching body to a new day.

Coffee was ready thanks to the gentleness of my dear sweet husband. I have a choice: caffeinated or decaf. I took both. One to alert my senses to a sunny morning and the other one to enjoy it.

Throughout the week I have been thinking about Bartimeous (Mark 10: 46-52) and also about Romans chapter six. Sometimes my mind grasps a slight understanding of something new and wants to squeeze that idea until I hit a wall. So, many times I continue ruminating on it and oh man! God in His Faithfulness reveals so many hidden pearls.

I like to read my Bible with an explorer's mind, open and ready to grasp, observe and delight in a new discovery; going by the less traveled road and find the treasure waiting to be found.

So, my journey began at Romans chapter six and I arrived to Mark 10: 46-52.

In a sense I ended where it started. With Bartimaeus, son of Timaeus, In Jericho.

Thirty Two plus years ago, I heard about Bartimaeus. That's when a new life started for me. I did not know how but, it was evident that something totally new was created within me and it changed my perspective and purpose in life.

So, you see I was a beggar, poor and blind. Like Bartimaeus. Read it (Mark 10:46-52) He was by the road outside Jericho and it seems that he followed Jesus since he entered until he was leaving Jericho.

Luke chapter eighteen verse thirty five said it this way: (oh yes, another road, a parallel road)

35“Then it happened , as He (the Lord Jesus) was coming near Jericho, that a certain blind man sat by the road begging. 36 And hearing a multitude passing by, he asked what it meant. 37 So they told him that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by.

38 And he cry out saying, “ Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

I was that “certain” blind person and I recognized that someone important was passing by at that time of my life and I was crying out for mercy as I was going through such a tumultuous time inside of me...

Then Luke continues ...

39 Then those who went before warned him (Bartimaeus) that he should be quiet; but he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

I was warned to keep it quiet and keep on the rituals of my religious life but inside I knew that all of this was probed to fall short of my expectations of the God I knew existed but somehow He was far away of me. My soul was thirsty and I cried out even louder. Somehow I found the audacity to ask for what I knew I do not deserved.

40 So Jesus stood still and commanded him to be brought to Him. And when he had come near, He asked him.

Did he stop in his tracks because of Bartimaeus crying out to Him? I believe so. I want to believe that when the Lord Jesus heard him crying out even louder despite the warning, he was moved to compassion and He could no longer continue without giving attention to Bartimaeus' cry.

Listen to this !!!

41 saying, “What do you want Me to do for you?” He said “Lord that I may receive my sight.”

Bartimaeus answer was to the point and the Lord Jesus did what God said He would do.

Isaiah said it long before the Lord came in human flesh...

Then you shall call and the Lord will answer;

You shall cry and He will say “ Here I am”

Isaiah 58: 9

So, Luke continues ...

42 Then Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight; your faith have made you well.”

43 And immediately he received his sight ...

How did I arrived to Romans six?

Spiritual blindness sets limitations on your understanding and many times it even, distorts your reality and as a consequence the way you confront issues on your life makes you miserable.

Let's say that the Bible is your GPS and the chapter and verses are the coordinates that you need to go to...Let's go to Romans chapter six verse .. you read it Romans 6 - the whole chapter.

And now let me ask you, did you noticed verse seven, verse ten, eleven, twelve, well let me share with you some of the pearls I found.

5 ...we have been united together in the in the likeness of His death

7 ... he who have died have been freed from sin.

9 ...having been raised from the dead, dies no more. (eternal life!!!)

10 ..the death that He died,He died to sin to sin once for all; but (dead is not the end of it, it's just the beginning !!!) the life that He lives, He lives to God.

11 Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

13 ... present yourselves to God as being alive ... and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.

Many times we cry out by the road, the Lord responds and we receive sight and we go on our way again by the old road, slaves to sin instead of presenting ourselves as instruments of righteousness, dead to sin and ready to live to God.

16 Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one's slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness.

Obedience is by faith. Faith is a gift from God (Ephesians 2: 8)

The account of Mark about Bartimaeus gives you some extra pearls for you to take with you.

Mark 10: 50

And throwing aside his garment, he rose and came to Jesus.

And the chapter finishes with the account in verse 52

... and followed Jesus on the road.

So, your begging by the road has ended but, following Him continues and believe me in this life you still have some “crying out” to do but, now is in the presence of the King. Who knows you may hear our Lord answering to you as He did to Bartimaeus:

“What do you want Me to do for you?” ( Luke 18:41& Mark 10:51)

or a more simple:

Here I am (Isaiah 58:9)

Michael Card in his song “Paradigm” which is about Bartimaeus says:

“ So, come all you beggar, up on your feet

take courage He is calling to you

surrender your striving and find the nerve

to boldly ask for what you don't deserve”.

Boldly. In prayer,

Rain in the mirror

On Life and Death

Dear friend,

I'm here in the sun room in a Saturday afternoon and life seems to make a pause for me to give me the chance to write to you.

It is a perfect early afternoon... If you can see one in such an imperfect world we inherited.

There still beauty to behold despise the curse impose on this earth. As an act of Grace and Mercy, God brought some of that beauty to my own backyard for me to enjoy. How about that?

The sun awoke the day and the birds joined in to have a peek at what nature have to offer for breakfast today. After yesterday's rain the grass is beaming with a brand new green, shining bright and bold at the touch of the sun. Even the weeds dared to bloom into shy flowers almost like challenging their own standards that they do have something to amaze us as well.

Like a sign of hope our two birdhouses have been occupied and there are reasons to believe that there is a truce between man and nature to cohabit and live together. A chickadee pioneered the way for a bluebird and we just watch and wait ...

I visited my plants in the morning and they faithfully remain in the pots where I put them but even when they are silent, they are talking all over and I could not agree with them more! I happen to believe that God not only created the world but He is also the sustainer and they cannot be silent so they shout that He did it!

I wonder why man's existence was initiated in the garden, were every breathing thing honor Him with abandon and we, proudly in sin said: NO !

I imagine Eden full of wonders and mysteries like God Himself so, how could that happened? Why?

I never ceases to amaze me how out of a seed that dies in the darkness beneath the soil, comes out a tiny leaf that, at due time will bloom, flourish and die again and, as a last of a survival attempts gives birth to more seeds to perpetuate the cycle of life:

Something have to die so, life would be possible.

Easter is a mayor mystery of life and death.

Paul said in the book of Romans chapter six verse ten:

For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God.

Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

And concludes the chapter in verse twenty three...

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Do you believe Him ? I do.

In amazement,

Rain in the Mirror