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The scripture goes on to say.....Jesus put his fingers into the man’s ears. Then he spit and touched the man’s tongue. Here we learn that Jesus dealt with this man PERSONALLY. Which is the way he dealt with people then and still deals with people today - one on one. No one knows the needs in our life like Jesus does. He not only knows the needs, but also knows how to fulfill those needs. He took this man aside and met the needs in his life - PERSONALLY!
Verse 34 goes on to tell us that He (Jesus) looked up to heaven and with a deep sigh said to him Ephphatha! (which means ‘Be healed') At this, the man’s ears were opened, his tongue was loosened and he began to speak plainly. Jesus dealt with this man POWERFULLY! Jesus took all the afflictions this man had suffered and in a matter of moments healed him. Just as Jesus still deals with us today he has the ability and power to heal us today and He exercises that power in our lives when we allow Him. He can take away the pain and guilt of our past and transform us into wholeness and completeness. Jesus continues today to deal with each of us -- POWERFULLY.
Continuing in verses 36 & 37 it goes on to say.....Jesus commanded them not to tell anyone. But the more he did so, the more they kept talking about it. People were overwhelmed with amazement. ‘He (Jesus) has done everything well,’ they said. ‘He even makes the deaf to hear and the dumb speak.’ Jesus dealt with this man PERMANENTLY! You won’t find an account in the bible where this man lost his sight and that his healing was only temporary, it was forever. Just as our healing and our relationship with Jesus remains once we are abiding in His steadfast love. Jesus does all things in our lives PERMANENTLY!
So.......if Jesus deals with each of us today -- PRIVATELY, PERSONALLY, POWERFULLY, and PERMANENTLY doesn’t it only stand to reason, as it says in verse 37 that JESUS DOES ALL THINGS WELL? Say it with me again........."JESUS DOES ALL THINGS WELL!"
I’d like to take the opportunity to tell you how this particular scripture has applied to my life. I was fortunate to have been raised in a family that not only attended church, but was also actively involved in ministry. So, I feel I had the advantage of learning by example from the people I was around the most. My family attended Southern Baptist churches throughout my entire life time. Some times I think my Mother gave birth to me in the crying room! Now if you don’t know what a crying room is that was the glassed-in, sound proof room built into the back of most Baptist sanctuaries where mothers would take their kids if they were crying or misbehaving during service. But the mothers never had to worry about missing out on part of the service because the sound was brought into the room through speakers what a concept!
Even with the examples set before me from the people in my life who had a relationship with Jesus there was still a point in my life where I had to decide if this Jesus was right for me. I remember the evening well when I entered into a personal relationship with Him. For you former Southern Baptists out there, you will remember the two week revivals - that seemed to go on forever???!!!! Well, it was one evening after one of those services that I had remained behind in the sanctuary until everyone had left and in that quietness and privacy I invited Jesus into my life. It was at that point that I now know that Jesus dealt with me PRIVATELY and PERSONALLY. It was that night that I began my journey with the Lord.
It was 4 years later, when I was 16, in a Sunday morning service that I realized that my relationship with Jesus meant that I was called to serve to be involved in ministry. I was so moved in that service by the Holy Spirit, and came to realize that God had equipped me with certain gifts and wanted me to use those gifts to serve others. It was that night in June.....many years ago that I committed myself to full time ministry. Jesus had dealt with me POWERFULLY! And, by committing myself to ministry, God began to open the doors of opportunity to me.
Throughout junior high and high school I had been actively involved in music. I loved to sing and I’d had the opportunity to sing in church as well as in special groups in high school. It was in September of that same year that I had committed myself to serve God that the pastor of our church approached me and asked me if I would consider directing the choir until the music search committee could find someone to take the former music director’s place. Do you know how frightening that was for a 16 year old especially one who had never directed a choir? Well, in a word, very!!! Rather reluctantly I agreed and found myself enjoying the opportunity of ministry that God had equipped me for. Do you know it took the music search committee 3 years to find a music director imagine that!!!
It was after my freshman year in college that I resigned my position at the church to allow more time for my studies and college life and what do you think happened? God opened another door of ministry for me. In the fall of my sophomore year I was approached by the director of the Baptist Student Union on campus to consider directing the traveling concert choir for them. I agreed, and for the next three years directed and traveled with the choir. I found myself even busier than ever before, but knew that I was doing what God had called me to do - serve! When I thought I could do no more Jesus was always there to deal with me POWERFULLY! He was always there to give me the energy and strength to serve and still keep up with my education.
It was also during my sophomore year that I began dealing with my sexual orientation, but managed to successfully suppress those feelings and desires. Knowing that I had been called to serve God I felt compelled to keep those feelings locked away and convinced myself that it was only a "phase" I was going through. I met a young lady that year who I dated for the next three years then married right out of college. We were together for 17 years.
Right out of college I was offered my first full time position as Minister of Music and Youth. I was delighted! Finally I could use all my time, energy and resources to serve God on a full time basis. It was during my time at that church that I was ordained into the Gospel ministry. For the next 17 years I had the "perfect" life. I was doing exactly what I knew God had planned for me growing personally with Jesus and helping to equip others to serve. I spent those 17 years serving in the capacity of full time staff in three different churches. And, for 15 or those 17 years I had successfully locked away my sexual orientation. Each time those desires surfaced during those 15 years I convinced myself that if I surrendered to those desires that my ministry would be over. Full time ministry was all I had done all my life. I was equipped to do nothing else. Besides, I knew all too well, being in the ministry that "you can’t be gay and be a Christian!"
It was during those last two years of my ministry that God managed to deal with me in a miraculous way. It was during that time I came to the realization and confidence that Jesus had dealt with me PERMANENTLY! That I could be gay and still be a Christian. That I could be gay and still serve God. Perhaps not in the way that I was used to, but serving God has many avenues of opportunity. Was it tough leaving the security of the only career I’d known? Was it tough walking out on the only relationship I had been involved in? Was it tough starting my life all over? Absolutely! But I had enough confidence in Jesus to know that all my needs would be met. The permanency of my relationship with Jesus was intact and as strong as ever.
It was after a couple of years had passed after coming out and starting my life over that I stumbled into MCC of Greater St. Louis - nine years ago. I was at a point in my life where I had no real desire to be "involved" in church, but knew that I needed to attending. That I needed to be fed and that I needed to worship God. I attended MCC for over a year managing to keep myself just a face in the crowd. I would come to service late and leave early. Can you imagine that??!! I could get what I needed and not have to give anything in return!!! It’s rather amazing though isn’t it how God will always continue opening doors of opportunity to serve? Through the course of my life Jesus had dealt with me PRIVATELY, PERSONALLY, POWERFULLY and PERMANENTLY and continues to do so. My call to serve God has not changed I just needed to walk through a new door. I had to make the decision to be willing to walk through a new door of opportunity.
During my nine years here at MCC I have had the privilege to serve God and this church as Director of Celebration, as a member of the ministry of Promised Light and Promised Light Productions, the Pride team, sound technician, and as a member of the Board of Directors. My involvement in ministry over the course of my life has changed from a full time minister to lay minister, but the call to serve has always remained the same. In my life I can definitely say that "JESUS DOES ALL THINGS WELL!"
Let me ask all of you a few questions this morning. Has Jesus dealt with you PRIVATELY in the past or is He dealing PRIVATELY with you now? Are you away from the crowd with Jesus? How about PERSONALLY, has or is Jesus dealing with you Personally - one on one? Are you growing in your personal relationship with Jesus? What about POWERFULLY? Are you experiencing the power of Jesus in your life? Can you feel the power of Jesus in you everyday living? Are you depending and trusting in the greatest source of power in the world today? And how about PERMANENTLY? Do you believe your relationship with Jesus is PERMANENT? A relationship that can weaken only if we walk away, but a relationship that will never end. The permanency of Jesus in our life will always remain a constant! So, wouldn’t you agree then that JESUS DOES ALL THINGS WELL?
Will you say it with me one more time....... "JESUS DOES ALL THINGS WELL!:
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