"Meeting with God Series Three."
Rev. Dr. Charles O. Osueke
Remember we are still talking about meeting God (Jesus) in one way and departing through another. We've earlier mentioned some of those who came or met him sorrowing, weeping, disgraced, humiliated by problems, sickness, death, sin, but were lifted and restored when they met this master of all situations.
There're still others. Look at Mary and Martha; who met Him (Jesus) weeping profusely. They left rejoicing because Jesus restored their dead brother to life.
You remember Saul of Tarsus (Paul). He was rebellious. He went about persecuting Christian; throwing them into jails. Closing places of worship belonging to Christians. Until he (Paul) met Jesus on his way to Damascus from being a persecutor of the gospel, he became a propagator of the same. That is Jesus! They met Him on a way and departed another. And that is exactly what God will do for you today in Jesus' name.
These transformations were possible because there is a dynamic virtue, power in Jesus that transforms any man that gets in touch with Him. You can never get in touch with Him and remain the same.
You can attend to church services and still remain the same. You can mix with Christian groups and be the same. But you can never meet with Jesus and still be your old self. There most be a change. They met Him and departed another way. You too will depart another way.
Quickly, I will like to tell the ways by which you must come to Him and depart another way. One of the examples we gave was the blind Bartimaeus. I hope you know about him. He was a miserable blind man. Living on alms. Whatever people gave him, he ate.
One day as he (Bartimaeus) was sitting on that same road, he sensed that the road was busier that very day, and that something unusual must be happening. He inquired and they told him that Jesus was passing-by. He must have asked, which Jesus - the one that have been raising the dead, healing the sick, feeding the poor? They told him, yes it's the same Jesus "and with him he must have declared 'Ok' today is my day.
Bartimaeus recognised that opportunity and seized it. That was actually the beginning of his miracle. He promptly began to shout "Jesus! Jesus! Son of David have mercy on me." The bible said that some people in the crowd began to hush him up. They told him, "This blind man shot up. Jesus will have no time for people like you." But he persisted. He didn't allow anything including their hushing to deter him. The more they tried to stop him, the louder he raised his voice.
Remember what we said earlier that Jesus will never pass-by any earnest seeker. It is never in His character. Jesus halted and asked for the blind man. Though Jesus knew that the man was blind, yet He asked him, 'what do you want me to do for you?"
Look at the way New living translation puts it:
The above shows us that we must always be specific when asking God for anything. You don't just go to God with vague requests. You must be specific. Jesus asked Bartimaeus, "what do you want me to do for you", and he promptly responded "I want to see" period.
Before you go to God always identify your needs, then specifically and systematically table them before God.
God bless you.