Today's Passage - Luke 7:18-23

River of Life Christian Church ︳www.rolcc.net/english Luke 7:18-23   "When the men came to Jesus, they said, 'John the Baptist sent us to you to ask, 'Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?'  At that very time Jesus cured many who had diseases, sicknesses and evil spirits, and gave sight to many who were blind.  So he replied to the messengers, 'Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor.   Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me.'"   John the Baptist was a prophet, for he was the forerunner for Jesus in the wilderness and he clearly knew that Jesus was the long-awaited Messiah.  When persecution came upon John, however, he couldn't see God's salvation coming, so he started to have doubts on everything he knew about Lord Jesus.  He wasn't sure whether Jesus was the Messiah that they had been waiting for, because he was expecting the Messiah Savior to rescue him from the prison.  Jesus didn't rescue him, so John sent someone to ask Jesus about it.   Jesus asked the two men sent by John to tell him the stories of "the blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised."  Although John the Baptist wasn't saved from the prison, Jesus was sitting on the throne and He was God who performed miracles and ruled the universe.  Jesus also asked the two men to tell John that "blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me."  When God's work is different from our own expectation, we could easily stumble.  John expected God to save him from the perils of the prison, but it was God's will to have him martyred in the prison for the Lord in order to achieve greater things.  This doesn't mean that God is not omnipotent or was not sitting on the throne.  We are often like John in that we develop doubts about God when God doesn't do what we wish for, and consequently we stumble.  Brothers and sisters, God has His purpose and will for our lives, so we must surrender our lives to God's hands, so that God will receive glory in our lives through His work in us.                Pray with Pastor Tong           Lord, we thank you because you are still sitting on the throne and you are still the God who performs miracles.  May God have mercy on our lack of faith; if we have doubts on you like John did, please forgive us and open our hearts so that we will see your will that is higher and more beautiful.  Let us surrender before you and follow your way.  I thank you and I pray in the victorious name of Jesus, amen!