36Alreadythe one who reaps is receiving wages and gathering fruit for eternal life, so thatsower and reapermay rejoice together. The Cross And Our Response to Trials (1 Peter 4:12-19), 8. However, Zacchaeus promised to give half his belongings to the poor and pay back four times as much to anyone he had . I might expect Him to guide me to a specific route He wants me to take in my life, but instead He reminds me to just seek Him first and everything else will follow. I picked the Woman at the Well in John 4 because I think its maybe my favorite example of this. When you perceive the heart and the character and the nature of the Son of God you never will worship another God but the Lord Jesus Christ. We will not lose our memory. This is my favorite part of this story. All rights reserved. ThatJesus forgives all, and not according to our human understanding of who deserves it. But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay.. Jesus asked questions in more than half of the conversations He had. Apparent feelings of aloneness and helplessness, Jesus asked if he wanted to get well, ignored mans excuses; told him to stand, take up mat, walk. What results can we expect to see when a person is set free from Satan's power? Jesus was interested in establishing common ground with others. In fact, there are no descriptions at all of what He looked like herejust that He appeared as just another person on their journey together toward Jerusalem! Till this day we use his name as a synonym for people who deceive us in this way. Women In first-century Palestine, a woman's social sphere was only as large as her family. You will become the object of sharp words. So since Hes a prophet, she now brings up a question thats been bothering her for a long time. You will recall your meeting Jesus with such clarity that it would appear to others like it recently happened. I might expect Him to teach me one thing, but He teaches me another instead. If you are not completely satisfied with the product you purchase, please. I must utilize a medium to share the Word of God thats in my heart. So whats your story? Saul on route to Damascus had an encounter with Jesus which changed his life from that point onwards. Crowd amazed Pharisees skeptical, Blind, mute demoniac Mt 12:22; Lk 11:14, Patient could speak and see. In these studies you will examine the stories of eight peopleamong them a scholar, a failure, a blind man, and an adultererwho found their lives changed forever when they met Jesus Christ. When we truly have an encounter with Jesus, Hell do this with us, too! Pilate is easy to relate to because so many of us are just like him. But He also doesnt say to Himself, I know shes got a lot of sin issues, but I dont want to offend her or go through the awkwardness of having a hard conversation, so Ill just ignore it. That wouldve been wrong as well! So its about noon and Jesus is tired so He takes a rest at Jacobs well. Thats what He begins to do with the woman here. But then He gets even deeper. But then He gets even deeper. People, I think, that tell us a lot about not only the story of the passion, and the incredible intensity of the mood and emotions; but I think encounters in Jesus passion is a story about humanity. Hes revealed her sin to her and shes understood that Hes a prophet. My wife will testify to that! So shes coming up against a lot of unexpected things! She doesnt know to look for it or hope for it. It means cooperating with whatever Gods Spirit may be doing with them and leaving the results to Him. Picture this the woman who just a few hours ago was going to the well in the middle of the day to avoid seeing people comes back into town running around, gathering up as many people as she can find. To me, Pilate has always represented a certain kind of coward in society. Jesus responded to other peoples inquiries. Here are five cast-off groups that Jesus loved: 1. Leprosy cleansed; man restored to community, told others about Jesus (against Jesus orders), Believed Jesus could heal, but no cause/effect noted by Jesus, Centurions servant Mt 8:5-13; Lk 7:1-10, Paralysis and terrible distress; close to death, Peters mother-in- law Mt 8:14-15; Mk 1:30-31; Lk 4:38-39, Jesus touched (took) her hand and lifted her up, Fever gone. When we truly encounter Jesus, we can be certain that He will get to the heart of the issue, no matter what we do to try to distract from it. There have been plenty of times when Ive come to Him wanting Him to help me maybe deal with someone whos being annoying or frustrating to me. In this act, he shows what it means to really be a friend by deed, and not just by words. An object for wickedness and evil. John 21:1-19, What can you conclude fom this passage about the physical, emotional and spiritual oppression that a person under demonic influence experiences? 19 Jesus did not let him, but said, "Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you." 20 So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis[ b] how much Jesus had done for him. Based on the example of this woman, how can you demonstrate gratitude to Jesus for forgiving you? And everyone who comes face to face with the Lord will have this report. If you happen to overhear my ramblings you may think that Im going koo-koos. Another benefit of meeting with Jesus Christ is the fact that it instantly changes your life. As a ministry we value meeting in Home Groups to build community. In fact, most of them wouldve gone the long way around so they could avoid Samaria completely. Now were going to see what happens when a Samaritan woman has an encounter with Jesus. Most Jews wouldnt have interacted at all with her because they wouldve thought it would make them unclean. When she gets back to town, the woman tells everyone she can find that shes met the Messiah! Similarly, recall Matthew (the Tax Collector) and his encounter. Jesus knows exactly what this womans biggest struggle is. Lazarus came out, still wrapped in strips of cloth. Unable to stand, Jesus called to her that she was healed, then laid his hands on her. In what ways are you not believing that the gospel applies to this person? Jesus said to her,Give me a drink.8(For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food. The first is recorded in Luke 24:13-35 and briefly in Mark 16:12-13. Examples: Few were in religious settings. She doesnt know to ask for it. Here are just a few examples of such encounters: Saul was on the road to Damascus when he was blinded by a light, fell to the ground and heard a voice saying: Saul, Saul! This is my favorite part of this story. Of course the interesting thing is that Jesus appears to forgive them both, even while one asks him to use his powers to relieve them all from their suffering. Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see thatthe fields are white for harvest. Its forever etched into your memory. The story begins with Jesus meeting a paralytic at the Pool of Bethesda, who had been lying there for 38 years (John 5:1-9). However, because of Sauls reputation with Christians, the disciples of Jesus didnt believe that he had an encounter with Jesus. What a change! 22You worship what you do not know;we worship what we know, forsalvation isfrom the Jews. Similar to the above point, we now see that Jesus will always get to the true heart of the issue, whatever it is were dealing with. John 4:1-30, Based on what Jesus says to Nicodemus in verses 5-8, how would you define the phrase "born again" to someone who had never heard it or who had a misconception about it? *Every the 3rd Wednesday of the month, West campus meets at Worship Center. But as well learn when we see more about her character in a few verses, she probably had reason to want to avoid being there at busy times. I might expect Him to take certain sorrows or troubles out of my life, but He instead just tells me to trust Him and wait patiently. Instead, He understood that time is required for ideas to simmer and for people to own them before they act on them. . Shes been amazed by Him and believes Him when He says that Hes the Messiah. It's a story about us. She tells them that He knew everything about her, Hes a prophet, and her enthusiasm for Him makes them want to meet Him themselves. You can experience an encounter with God through Christ our Lord. Recently, I wanted to remember someones name, but I couldnt. The pool had five porches around it and people would often sit on those porches waiting for an angel to come down from heaven and stir up the waters. 390 N. Burleson Blvd.Burleson, TX 76028817-546-0822. This website is dedicated to life-changing encounters with Jesus. As we examine Sauls personal encounters with Jesus three things will stand out. And in front of many witnesses too! Then a young man appeared at his side with clothes as white as snow and told him not to be afraid because Jesus wanted to reveal himself again (Luke 24:5-7). If you are a college student, weve got worship, solid community and more for you! This is important because it shows that Jesus not only knows us by our names, but also cares about what kind of names we have and wants to give us a new name if he feels that the one we have isnt right. We should at all times be cautious in our reaction to any one individual who seems to be the latest enemy of a community. Do you provide an RSS feed? Jewish writings made it clear that "It is the way of a woman to stay at home and it is the way of a man to go out into the marketplace." (Bereshit Rabbah) Jesus encounters individuals in unique ways that will allow them to recognize him as the risen Lord. For example, not because unsaved and Christian people you may know have Alzheimers, as they grow older, that doesnt mean that you should too. Like Jesus original followers, believers today are sent into the world to be His witnesses (v. 48 [Luke 24]; compare Matt. When he finally decides to go and see Lazarus thoughwellyou can imagine how that all went down: Jesus raised him from the dead! Now His disciples come back, surprised to see Jesus talking to a strange Samaritan woman, and she takes the opportunity to slip away. Herod to me represents a busy-body and silent coward. Of course Jesus reminds him that his power is not absolute and only limited to time and space. She's been amazed by Him and believes Him when He says that He's the Messiah. 36Alreadythe one who reaps is receiving wages and gathering fruit for eternal life, so thatsower and reapermay rejoice together. No. Sometimes, even when Im not praying I would talk with the Lord. So since Hes a prophet, she now brings up a question thats been bothering her for a long time. What is an Encounter With Jesus? 31Meanwhile the disciples were urging Him, saying,Rabbi, eat.32But He said to them,I have food to eat that you do not know about.33So the disciples said to one another,Has anyone brought Him something to eat?34Jesus said to them,My food isto do the will of Him who sent Me andto accomplish His work. Jesus took parents, Peter, James, John into girls room; took her by hand, told her to get up. He knows things He couldnt have known by any natural means. Be sure to check out everything happening online. New York Times bestselling author of The Prodigal Prophet Timothy Keller explores how people are changed by meeting Jesus personallyand how we can be changed encountering him today. Your encounter with Christ is not about you coming in contact with his presence. Please remember that one of the ways Jesus speaks to us is through others. And it is a rare personthat would keep the company of someone who they know is going to betray them. 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