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The Best Kept Secret
by David T. Simmons In Mark 7:31-35, it tells the story of a man who was deaf and who could not speak. When Jesus had reached the coasts of Decapolis, the multitudes brought this man to Jesus to be healed from his affliction. Jesus proceeds to heal the man by placing His fingers in the man's ears, then spit and touches the man's tongue and says, "Be opened". Immediately the man could both hear and speak. But Jesus then does something strange. He charges the man and those with him to tell no man what had occurred. Verse 36 states that "the more He charged them, so much more a great deal they published it". In other words, it appears that when He first charged them not to tell, they went on to tell, so He continually had to charge them and each time He did, they persisted in doing otherwise. To charge someone is to give responsibility or instruction to. It also can be seen as a responsibility or obligation. Clearly, they were not obedient to the charge given them. They were publicly broadcasting what was supposed to be held in secret. Today, Jesus is the best kept secret in many churches and with many believers. Had the Church lived in that period, Jesus would only have to charge us one time not to tell. Today there is no such command given to the believer, we are told to go to all nations with the good news. We will broadcast everything, except Jesus. We will talk about everybody else, except Jesus. It is ironic that, what He tells us not to speak, we speak and what He tells us to speak, we keep silent. It is equally ironic that the miracle surrounding this charge was a "hearing-speaking" miracle. Could it be that the charge is both deaf and mute? The inability to speak, results from the inability to hear. When the Spirit of God says "speak", because you're deaf, you can't speak due to your deafness and you are deaf because you are marching to a different eardrum, either that or the wax of fear, the lack of love for everyone deaf has clogged your ears. There is an answer for the ills of our society, Jesus. There is a way out of bondage to lust, drugs, alcohol and perversion, Jesus. There is a cure for cancer, diabetes and even AIDS, Jesus. There is a way for abused women and sexually molested children and hurting men to receive wholeness and find closure, its Jesus. But how will they know unless we speak? Jesus should never and can never be the Church's best-kept secret. Let every believer as the 37th verse states, "And were beyond measure astonished saying. He hath done ALL things well." Simply, Jesus can do anything, just come to Him. What He's done for me, He will do for you! Open your mouth everyday and be a witness. David T. Simmons is the senior pastor of Ambassador Pentecostal Churches In Christ Intl. and the founder of Living in The Word Ministries, a dynamic multimedia teaching ministry. You can contact him at [email protected]. Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com |