Effortless Change Part 2

The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul.

Psalm 19:7 In Hebrew, this word rendered "converting" here means to turn back. Many people have experienced tragedy in their life. Their soul has been bruised, battered, and damaged. The average person just continues to carry this pain. They don't seem able to break free. Therefore, most people have just embraced their pain as just the way that life is supposed to be.

One of the reasons they accept this is because that's the way the world-apart from access to G.o.d's supernatural power-looks at life. In the natural realm, without G.o.d, that's true. You are a product of your environment. If you were verbally, physically, or s.e.xually abused, that's going to scar you. If you were beat down, condemned, and told you could do nothing and would amount to nothing; that could very well influence you for the rest of your life.

However, G.o.d doesn't intend to just give you the ability to cope. He can totally change you so that it's just like those things never even happened. Through His Word, He wants to convert your soul-turn you back to the condition you were in before the cares of life pushed in on you. (Psalm 19:7.) If you were damaged by something or someone, you don't have to bear that for five, ten, twenty, or thirty years. You can get over it. The Word of G.o.d will convert your soul and turn it back to what G.o.d meant it to be.

WISDOM.

Since Adam and Eve's fall, our existence and surroundings have been so negative and different than what G.o.d originally intended them to be. By the time an average child graduates from high school, they've seen tens of thousands of brutal murders on television. They've been exposed to s.e.xual immorality and unG.o.dliness that the Lord never intended for mankind to be burdened with. How do you overcome all that? The law of the Lord is perfect-it's not just good. It's not just better than anything else that's out there. It's perfect; and it will convert-restore-your soul to its original condition. By the time an average child graduates from high school, they've seen tens of thousands of brutal murders on television. They've been exposed to s.e.xual immorality and unG.o.dliness that the Lord never intended for mankind to be burdened with. How do you overcome all that? The law of the Lord is perfect-it's not just good. It's not just better than anything else that's out there. It's perfect; and it will convert-restore-your soul to its original condition.

So many people carry around baggage-hurts and pains from years before-from all kinds of things like previous marriages, losses, disappointments, and broken relationships. They just never seem to recover. That's because they aren't taking the Word of G.o.d and properly using it in their life. Psalm 19:7 tells us that G.o.d's Word is perfect. It will convert your soul. It will restore you to your original G.o.d-intended condition.

Psalm 19:7 continues, saying: The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.

G.o.d's Word makes wise the stupid-people who don't think properly and make mistakes.

I've heard all kinds of stories from people who made stupid decisions and suffered from it. They committed adultery and then wound up with shame and disgrace. They lost their job, their church, and their friends. They ended up with physical problems, like AIDS. On and on the list of repercussions go from the stupid things that we have done. Every once in a while I just want to ask folks, "How dumb can you get and still breathe?" It's amazing what some people do.

You may be thinking, I've done some of those same things. I just don't seem to be able to help it. Right here in Psalm 19:7, G.o.d's Word promises to give wisdom to the simple. G.o.d's Word will make you wise even if you have been stupid in the past. You don't have to submit to the lie that says, "Well, my mind just isn't as bright as somebody else's."The Word of G.o.d will quicken your thinking and give you understanding.

GET HAPPY.

So many people are just depressed and defeated. They can't seem to find any reason to rejoice. They're struggling, and they give this reason and that excuse saying, "This and that happened to me." Do you know what G.o.d's Word says about those who are depressed and defeated?

The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart. Psalm 19:8 If you aren't full of joy, peace, and rejoicing, the problem isn't your circ.u.mstances (1 Peter 1:8.) If you have ashes, mourning, and a spirit of heaviness instead of the oil of joy and the garment of praise, it's due to the fact that there's a vacuum on the inside seeking to be filled. (Isaiah 61:3.) You don't know the truth of G.o.d's Word. The statutes of the Lord are right, and they will rejoice your heart. If you're discouraged, take the Word of G.o.d. Start speaking the promises of G.o.d to yourself. You can get happy in a hurry!

Psalm 19:8 continues, saying: The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes.

Is it worth the effort of meditating on G.o.d's Word to be able to see clearly instead of having a negative perception that always makes every cup look half empty? What a benefit it is to be able to see the positive side and to see a way through everything. That's what the Word of G.o.d does.

GREAT REWARD.

The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.

Psalm 19:9-10 G.o.d's Word is worth far more to me than gold, even much fine gold. To me, the Word of G.o.d is better than honey. How would you treat G.o.d's Word if you truly desired it more than money-even large amounts of it-and more than your favorite food? You'd be able to say along with Job: I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food.

Job 23:12 If you were to seek G.o.d through His Word like that, your life would be transformed.

Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward. Psalm 19:11 How much benefit would it be to your life if you could be warned before you get into a problem, pursue an unG.o.dly relationship, take the wrong job, buy the wrong car, do something that damages your health, or take a wrong turn? How much would it be worth to you if you could see problems before they came so that you could take evasive action? That's exactly what the Word of G.o.d will do. In keeping G.o.d's Word there is great reward!

KEEP ON PLANTING.

I encourage you to take the Word of G.o.d and center your life around it. Meditate on the Word day and night. As you do, the Word will cause change to come in your life effortlessly. It will be automatic. As you renew your mind to G.o.d's Word, you too will begin to prove-make manifest to your physical senses-G.o.d's good, acceptable, and perfect will.

If you aren't experiencing the abundance and victory that the Lord has promised, it's not G.o.d who has failed. Praying longer and pet.i.tioning harder won't change anything. You must take the incorruptible seed of G.o.d's Word and keep on planting it in the garden of your heart.

Chapter 6.

Subject To Doubt.

You will become as you think. (Proverbs 23:7.) The reason most people have the problems they do is because they aren't controlling their thinking. Unless you do something specifically to keep your mind on the Lord, it will naturally go somewhere else. There just aren't very many things outside of G.o.d's Word that reflect G.o.d-pointing us toward and drawing us closer to Him. However, the Word of G.o.d is pure light. (Psalm 19:8.) When you study and meditate on G.o.d's Word, it changes the way you think. As our thinking changes, so does our life. That's why we must get to where we're dominated by the Word of G.o.d.

When John the Baptist had doubts, Jesus pointed him to the Word of G.o.d to overcome them. (See Luke 7:18-23.) This is simple, but so profound. And yet, not many people believe this truth.

PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY.

I'm not one of those ministers who sneaks in and walks up to the stage after the praise and worship is nearly over. I talk to lots of people before and after the meetings. At our meetings, I'll spend two or three hours in personal ministry to people on a one-to-one basis, outside of my preaching in the service. I know by dealing firsthand with hundreds of people on a regular basis that many folks are struggling. They have doubt and fear. The doctor told them they're going to die, and they want me to help them overcome. They want me to wave my hand over them to take away their fears. They're looking to me to impart healing to them. I'm not saying that I can't help people. However, it's wrong for us to look to another human being for our help.

When John the Baptist had doubts, Jesus didn't just say, "Oh, John. I know how you feel. I'm going to take care of this for you. I'll handle it from here." The Lord didn't just wave His hand and then John was free of doubt and guilt. That's not at all what happened. Jesus referred John back to the Word of G.o.d.

If you would just take G.o.d's Word and use it yourself, you wouldn't have to follow people around from meeting to meeting begging others to pray for you. Don't take what I'm saying out of context. I'm not against you having someone else pray for you. It takes time to get into the Word of G.o.d and start seeing the life that's in the Word released into your life. During that period of time, when you're sowing the seed and waiting for it to increase and grow to the point that it will bring liberty in your life, don't be so stubborn or proud that you won't go to someone for help and ask them to pray for you.

But don't be one of those people who just refuse to take personal responsibility. These people don't get into the Word of G.o.d for themselves and let it transform them, nor do they have any plans for doing so in the future. Their life is just occupied with work, pleasures, or other distractions. They have no intention of making the Word of G.o.d a central part of their life. Like many others, they try, instead, to allow someone like me or another pastor to do their seeking of the Lord for them. That's just not going to work.

Now, while you're in the process of seeking the Lord, growing to maturity, and getting the Word of G.o.d working in you, don't be too proud to ask for help if you come into a problem. But don't be someone who isn't even trying, who doesn't even have a desire to try to get into the Word for themselves. If your life is too busy to be in the Word of G.o.d, and you're just trying to bootleg the Gospel off of me or someone else, it's not going to work.

If you like to watch my television program or listen to my radio show, I'm glad. I'm not against anybody else's program, or Christian programming in general. It has been a real blessing from the Lord in many people's lives. However, if all you're doing is receiving your nourishment from G.o.d after it's already been digested by someone else, you aren't going to grow much. If you aren't going to take the Word firsthand, then you aren't going to mature.

ABSOLUTELY COMMITTED.

The Lord dealt with John the Baptist when he had doubt by referring him back to the Word of G.o.d. He didn't just take care of it for him. He didn't wave His hand and solve the problem. Jesus told John to go back to the Word of G.o.d.

Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples, And said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another?

Matthew 11:2-3 John the Baptist was a man who was mightily used of G.o.d. He is the only person in the Bible-Old or New Testament -who was baptized in the Holy Spirit while he was still in his mother's womb. (Luke 1:15.) Before he was physically born, he was filled with the Holy Spirit. John was a unique character, mightily anointed and blessed by G.o.d.

John spent thirty years in the desert preparing for his ministry. He never experienced the normal things that people go through. He was totally focused on his calling. Then he burst upon the scene, and in six months' time he turned not only the Jewish nation, but also all of the nations surrounding Israel to an expectancy of the Messiah's coming. John saw the greatest revival that had ever happened in history up until that time, possibly the greatest revival that's ever taken place anywhere. This was the man who began it.

At one time, John was absolutely certain that Jesus was the Messiah. He sent his own disciples off after Christ saying, "He must increase, but I must decrease" (John 3:30). The Pharisees came out to John and tried to make him envious of Jesus by saying, "Don't you realize that Jesus now has more disciples than you? He's baptized more people than you."Instead of becoming envious, John responded by saying, "I'm not even worthy to stoop over and undo His sandals." (See John 1:24-27.) John knew his place. John knew who Jesus was, and he was absolutely committed to Him.

FIREBALL ON ICE.

But John's confidence began to waiver after being in prison for an unspecified amount of time. He had been in prison a minimum of six months-possibly as long as two years-this fireball for G.o.d had been put on ice. John had been forbidden to communicate with his followers or influence people. After such a long period of time, this hardship began to wear on him.

So when John the Baptist sent two of his remaining disciples to inquire if Jesus was the Messiah or if he should look for another, keep in mind this wasn't some newcomer to the Lord who was asking this question. This was someone who had this question answered before.

This was the man who knew beyond a shadow of a doubt at one time that Jesus was the Christ. Yet in the midst of these struggles, here he was doubting that Jesus was the Messiah.

Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another'?

Matthew 11:3 This is nothing but pure doubt! This was a major problem on John the Baptist's part because at one time he had been absolutely certain of who Jesus was. He had even been given a sign from G.o.d confirming that Jesus was the promised Messiah.

Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of G.o.d descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

Matthew 3:16-17 And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased. Luke 3:22 G.o.d told John that the one upon whom he saw the Spirit of G.o.d descend in the shape of a dove and remain on Him would be the Messiah. (See John 1:33.) John the Baptist received this visible sign when he baptized Jesus in water and the Holy Spirit descended in the form of a dove. He also heard an audible voice from heaven saying, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased" (Matthew 3:17). John not only had the scriptures and the witness in his own heart, but he also had an audible and visible sign.

HOPE DEFERRED.

What do you need to be able to believe? That's a really good question. Some people think, If I was one of Jesus' twelve disciples, I wouldn't struggle with doubt. If I could see a vision, if I had a tangible tingling in my hands, if I could hear an audible voice from G.o.d-then I would believe. John had every one of those things and yet, here he was doubting.

It doesn't matter who you are or how strong your faith has been, every one of us is capable of doubt. When you get put in a negative situation over a long period of time, the tendency is to doubt. Negative circ.u.mstances tend to just beat faith out of you and cause doubt to come.

That's exactly what happened with John the Baptist. He had been in prison for at least six months, possibly as long as two years by this time. John had been a stark raving mad fanatic of G.o.d. He was bold, wild, and fearless. John p.r.o.nounced judgment against Herod because he had taken his brother's wife while his brother was still alive and made her his wife. (Sec Matthew 14:3-4.) It was an unG.o.dly alliance, and John risked everything speaking the truth about it. In time, his boldness cost him his life. He was imprisoned because of it, and then killed. about it. In time, his boldness cost him his life. He was imprisoned because of it, and then killed.

John was fearless in proclaiming what was right and wrong. He lived to speak G.o.d's truth and see people change. Once he came on the scene, his preaching changed an entire nation in six months' time. John was a high-energy guy who just loved to be in the center of it all speaking forth G.o.d's Word. He was a bony-fingered prophet. That's the way John was. Yet now we see him silenced and put in prison. Sure, he probably talked to the prison guards about G.o.d, but he was kept physically restrained from being able to continue to fulfill his ministry.

Proverbs 13:12 reveals that: Hope deferred maketh the heart sick.

John the Baptist's hope was to be out there preaching the Gospel, preparing the way for the Lord, and turning people to Him. Yet, it just wasn't coming to pa.s.s. So this began to wear on him.

THE CHURCH AGE.

Another important factor that contributed to John the Baptist's doubt was the misunderstanding of what Messiah would do when He came. During the time of Jesus, the people didn't have a clear understanding that the coming of the Lord would take place in two Advents, as we call it. The first coming of Jesus culminated in His crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension. Since then, there's been this intervening period of time of more than 2,000 years which we call the "Church Age." Today, believers everywhere continue to look forward to the second coming of the Lord. (Revelation 22:20.) All of this was prophesied in the Old Testament, but it all ran together in the people's minds. Take for instance Isaiah 61:1-2, which Jesus quoted in Luke 4, saying: The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

Luke 4:18-19 This was definitely a prophecy of the Messiah that was fulfilled when Jesus came to this earth in His first Advent. Jesus did, was doing, and would later do all of these things. He Himself declared: This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.

Luke 4:21 Yet in comparing Luke 4:18-19 with Isaiah 61:1-2, notice how the Lord stopped right before completing verse 2, which says: To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our G.o.d.

Why did Jesus stop before proclaiming the day of vengeance of our G.o.d? Because that portion of the prophecy about Him will come to pa.s.s at His second coming, when He brings judgment to the earth. You can see that if you just read the Old Testament scripture without the benefit of the New Testament commentary, it would be easy to run these things together.

HEARTSICK.

All of these Old Testament prophecies concerning the Messiah gave the impression that the first and second comings of Jesus would take place as one event. People didn't clearly understand that there would be two Advents. Due to this, the people of Jesus' time eagerly antic.i.p.ated that the Lord would not only come and reconcile us back to G.o.d, but that He would also put down Roman rule, inst.i.tute the kingdom of G.o.d, judge the unG.o.dly, and physically rule on the earth. That's what they were expecting.

Personally, I believe that John the Baptist was of the same opinion, which was one of the reasons that he began to doubt that Jesus was indeed the Christ. At one time, John had no doubt. He'd heard an audible voice and seen a visible sign, but things weren't playing out the way he thought they would. He thought that if Jesus truly was the promised Messiah, He would have come and destroyed the Romans. He thought Jesus would have come and taken him out of prison. He thought Jesus would have ushered in the kingdom of G.o.d and begun to physically rule upon this earth. Those things weren't happening. It could have been up to two or two and a half years' time since John had baptized Him, but Jesus still hadn't yet made a political statement. He hadn't tried to reform society.

Jesus was simply speaking to individuals about their personal relationship to G.o.d.

"Hope deferred maketh the heart sick" (Proverbs 13:12). If John the Baptist's hope wasn't right on, this negative experience could have caused his heart to sink. If he was like almost everybody else in scripture, he too was wondering: Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? Acts 1:6 If John the Baptist didn't have a clear understanding that there was going to be this Church Age intervening between the first and second comings of the Lord, then these negative circ.u.mstances could have caused his heart to become sick.

John wasn't seeing his hope for the kingdom of G.o.d coming to pa.s.s. He was locked up in prison and couldn't minister anymore. Prisons in those days were horrible places. Yet not being able to fulfill your G.o.d-given calling can be even more frustrating and discouraging than physical imprisonment. It's obvious that all of these negative circ.u.mstances worked together to cause John the Baptist to go back and reconsider, "Have I heard from G.o.d correctly? Did I miss Him?"

If you're in negative circ.u.mstances, if your hope has been deferred and you aren't seeing things come to pa.s.s the way you thought you should, you could also fall into this same trap. Jesus Himself said that John the Baptist was the greatest man that had ever lived on the face of the earth up until this time. (See Matthew 11:11; Luke 7:28.) John the Baptist was the greatest man who had ever lived, yet even he was subject to doubt. When he got into a high-pressure situation, he began to doubt even the things that had been so emphatically confirmed to him. This just shows us that anybody is capable of doubt.

MAINTAIN THRUST.

In your Christian life, you must maintain your seeking of the Lord. You can't just mm off the engine and coast. Like an airplane, you must maintain that thrust in order to be able to maintain your lift. A helicopter has the aerodynamics of a rock if you turn the engine off and the blades quit turning. It's going to fall. You must maintain that power and lift in order to overcome gravity and fly.

All of us are subject to doubt. John the Baptist was a man who had been filled with the Holy Spirit before he was even born. He was a man who walked with G.o.d constantly, who caused the greatest revival in the history of the world. John had an audible and visible sign from G.o.d and at one time had no doubt whatsoever about who Jesus truly was. If negative pressures and circ.u.mstances could make someone like that,over a period of time, doubt, it can happen to you.

Are you someone who only seeks G.o.d every once in awhile? Do you just seek Him when your back is against the wall so that you can receive deliverance and then go back to your carnal ways? We need to be on guard and watchful. We need to recognize that unbelief is like gravity-it's always pulling. It never turns off. You can rise above unbelief by applying the power of G.o.d in your life, but you can't just mm your faith engine off and coast. The moment you start coasting, you're coming down. You may float and go further than someone else, but the moment you switch off that power of faith, you're headed down.

If John the Baptist could doubt, you can doubt. You need to maintain your focus on the Lord, and resist-actively fight against-doubt. (James 4:7.)

Chapter 7.

A Crisis Situation.

As John the Baptist wrestled with doubt, he sent two of his disciples to Jesus to ask if He really was the Christ. (Matthew 11:2-3.) Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see: The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.

Matthew 11:4-6 Luke's account of this same event, found in Luke 7:18-23, adds a minor detail that makes all the difference in the world, but before we look into this further, I'd like to encourage you to check out my Life for Today Study Bible and Commentary - Gospels Edition. This hardbound book has over six hundred pages containing all four Gospels in their entirety, commentary, cross-references, footnotes, and other great study tools. In addition to all this, one unique and very important feature is that the four Gospel accounts are organized chronologically, event by event. This means that all the scriptures in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John concerning each Gospel incident have been conveniently laid out together on one page.

This allows you to gain a comparative understanding of the Gospels and see the slight differences of recorded details that shed important additional light on certain events that you wouldn't normally see by just reading them apart from each other. By putting the exact same story, as recorded by the different Gospel authors, together side by side, you can see noticeable differences. Nothing contradicts. They just add new information to paint a fuller picture of what actually happened. Whether you use the Life for Today Study Bible and Commentary - Gospels Edition for devotional and/or study purposes, it would be a worthwhile investment and powerful addition to your spiritual tool belt.

A FULLER PICTURE.

After John the Baptist's disciples asked Jesus John's question, Luke's account paints a fuller picture of the scene and Christ's response by saying: And in that same hour he cured many of their infirmities and plagues, and of evil spirits; and unto many that were blind he gave sight. Then Jesus answering said unto them, Go your way, and tell John what things ye have seen and heard; how that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, to the poor the gospel is preached.

Luke 7:21-22 Matthew's account of this instance simply recorded John's disciples asking their question and Jesus' answer to them. (Matthew 11:2-6.) However, here in Luke's account we see that before Jesus answered John the Baptist's disciples: In that same hour he cured many of their infirmities and plagues, and of evil spirits; and unto many that were blind he gave sight. Luke 7:21 "In that same hour" implies that for nearly an hour after the question had been asked, Jesus didn't answer John the Baptist's disciples, but He performed all of these healings and miracles. Then He told these disciples to go back and tell John the Baptist what they had just seen and heard. That's a major difference from Matthew's account where it seems like Jesus immediately answered their question with the words, "Go back and tell him what you have seen and heard." "In that same hour" implies that for nearly an hour after the question had been asked, Jesus didn't answer John the Baptist's disciples, but He performed all of these healings and miracles. Then He told these disciples to go back and tell John the Baptist what they had just seen and heard. That's a major difference from Matthew's account where it seems like Jesus immediately answered their question with the words, "Go back and tell him what you have seen and heard."

Notice how specific Luke was in mentioning each type of miracle Jesus performed. Later on we'll see just how important this was. But for now, just recognize that Jesus spent about an hour performing all these miracles before telling John's disciples to go back and tell him all that they'd seen and heard.

OUT OF EARSHOT And as they [John's disciples] departed, Jesus began to say unto the mult.i.tudes concerning John... Matthew 11:7 (brackets mine) Luke's account records this scene slightly differently, saying: And when the messengers of John were [past tense] departed, he began to speak unto the people concerning John...

Luke 7:24 (brackets mine) Instead of "as they departed," Jesus actually waited until after John the Baptist's disciples had already departed before He started saying all these complimentary things about him.

By comparing both Matthew and Luke's two accounts of this one incidence, we can see that Jesus didn't even answer John the Baptist's disciples for about an hour's period of time. Instead of giving them a straight answer right away, what He did was go out and open up blind eyes, raise people from the dead, cast demons out of folks, and cause the lame to walk and the deaf to hear. He did all of these miracles in the period of one hour!

I've seen blind eyes opened, people raised from the dead, and folks come out of wheelchairs. I've seen many miracles happen, but I've never seen all of that happen in the period of one hour. I've seen multiple miracles within a short period of time, but the Lord crammed raising people from the dead, blind eyes opening, deaf ears hearing, and the lame walking all in one hour. Imagine the impact this would have had on you!

Then, after John the Baptist's disciples were out of earshot so they couldn't bring back to him what Jesus was about to say because they were already gone, the Lord began to say these things that-at least to my way of thinking-would have actually been more beneficial to John than the answer Jesus gave John's disciples.

IN JOHN'S SHOES Put yourself in John's shoes. You are one of the central figures in the nation. People looked to you for leadership. At one time, hundreds of thousands of people said that you were the most important figure in the entire nation. You had that kind of a following. Now here you are, in your darkest crisis hour, doubting the very truths that made you the instrument that G.o.d had used in such a mighty way. You're at your lowest. In prison, it looks like you are going to be executed at any time. (As it turned out, John the Baptist was beheaded - see Matthew 14:3-12.) During this low period of time, you send word to the person who has taken your place and succeeded you. This is the same person whom you promoted and actually pushed to the forefront. You're the one who drew all of the crowds, but then you told them to follow Him. You drew all the people together and then turned them over to Him. In your crisis moment, you send to Jesus asking for help, but it didn't even seem like the Lord helped your disciples at first. He ignored them and performed these miracles. Then He told them: Go your way, and tell John what things ye have seen and heard; how that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, to the poor the gospel is preached. And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.

Luke 7:22-23 When I first read these pa.s.sages of scripture, I actually felt sorry for John. I thought, Jesus didn't really do much to help John the Baptist here. Think about it. John the Baptist had been separated to the Gospel from his mother's womb. He didn't have a normal childhood. He didn't have a wife or children. The Word says that he was in the deserts until the day that he began his ministry. (Luke 1:80.) This means that he had been separated unto G.o.d. There was no Plan B or Plan C. He had never had any other enjoyments outside of his calling. This man was just totally separated and completely focused on this mission from his mother's womb.

A HUGE MISTAKE?.

If Jesus wasn't the Christ, then John the Baptist had squandered this anointing that was on his life. He had said of Jesus: Behold the Lamb of G.o.d, which taketh away the sin of the world.

John 1:29 John's own disciples had come and wanted to follow Jesus, but they were torn because of their allegiance to John. John said: He must increase, but I must decrease.

John 3:30 John the Baptist sent his own disciples to follow after Jesus. If Jesus wasn't the Messiah, then John had made a huge personal mistake that rendered his whole life a failure and a waste. Not only that, but he had taken this anointing that was upon him that n.o.body else in the history of the world had ever had, and sent his disciples, the entire nation and multiple neighboring nations, after the wrong man. He could have been an instrument of the devil instead of the instrument of G.o.d that he was separated to be. This wasn't just a flippant doubt that John the Baptist had. This was a crisis situation unlike any other in John's life.

How did Jesus respond to John's question, posed by his disciples? The Lord didn't answer John's messengers at first, but told them after an hour of curing people, "Go tell him what you've seen and heard." Then, after John's disciples had departed, Jesus...