John 9
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As [Jesus] went along, He saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked Him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”
“Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. As long as it is day, we must do the works of Him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” After saying this, He spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. “Go,” He told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (this word means “Sent”). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing. — John 9:1-7 |
 Costi Hinn
This story is an incredible lesson to all of us that what we might think is the reason for sickness isn’t always the reason. Our finite human wisdom gets us only so far. Jesus makes it clear that God’s purposes and ways are far above our pay grade and that we do not control His plan and schedule. Sometimes God allows certain things or determines how long a circumstance will last so He can showcase His infinite power and wisdom and reveal more of Himself to us. We wouldn’t praise Him for His mercy if we weren’t aware of His wrath. We wouldn’t appreciate His love for sinners if we didn’t realize His hatred of sin. In the same way, we couldn’t begin to glorify Him for His healing hand if we didn’t experience (or see) sickness. -Costi Hinn
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Derek Prince
Jesus declared, “As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world” (John 9:5). But now that He is not physically in the world, we are His representatives. Therefore, in His place, we are the light of the world. If we do not give light, there is no other source to which the world can turn or look for light. This means that the world is totally dependent upon Christians for light. There is a simple illustration in the Old Testament that teaches us how significant we are as
the light of the world. In the tabernacle that God commanded Moses to build, there were two compartments. The first was called the Holy Place, and the second was called the Holiest of All, or the Holy of Holies. In the Holy Place, there were only three objects of furniture. One of them was the golden altar of incense, and it was placed immediately in front of the second veil, which was the way into the Holiest of All. No one could go into the Holiest of All unless he held a censer filled with incense from the golden altar. That leaves two other items of furniture in the Holy Place. On the left-hand side was a seven- branched candlestick. On the right-hand side, opposite the candlestick, was the table of showbread. The writer of Hebrews told us that these items were symbolic—they contained a message to the church of Jesus Christ. (See Hebrews 9.) Let’s look first at what the candlestick says to us. In Scripture, the candlestick always typifies the church. It had seven branches, typifying the sevenfold nature of the church, begotten by the Spirit of God. (The same sevenfold message is represented by the seven churches of Asia referred to in chapters 2 and 3 of the book of Revelation.) We would be wrong to picture this candlestick as the same kind we have today—wax candles standing firmly in some kind of base. In the tabernacle, the “candles” were bowls with channels filled with oil. Little wicks were dipped in the oil, and the light was produced by igniting the wick, which set the oil in the wick on fire. Unless there was oil in the candles, and unless that oil was ignited, the candles gave no light. And, in the Holy Place, the candlestick was the only source of light. If there was no light coming from the candlestick, there was no light at all. Do you see how this is true of the church? We, too, are the only light. There is no other light. We are the seven-branched candlestick. We give light only when we are filled with oil and when the oil in us is set on fire. --Derek Prince; Living as Salt and Light
the light of the world. In the tabernacle that God commanded Moses to build, there were two compartments. The first was called the Holy Place, and the second was called the Holiest of All, or the Holy of Holies. In the Holy Place, there were only three objects of furniture. One of them was the golden altar of incense, and it was placed immediately in front of the second veil, which was the way into the Holiest of All. No one could go into the Holiest of All unless he held a censer filled with incense from the golden altar. That leaves two other items of furniture in the Holy Place. On the left-hand side was a seven- branched candlestick. On the right-hand side, opposite the candlestick, was the table of showbread. The writer of Hebrews told us that these items were symbolic—they contained a message to the church of Jesus Christ. (See Hebrews 9.) Let’s look first at what the candlestick says to us. In Scripture, the candlestick always typifies the church. It had seven branches, typifying the sevenfold nature of the church, begotten by the Spirit of God. (The same sevenfold message is represented by the seven churches of Asia referred to in chapters 2 and 3 of the book of Revelation.) We would be wrong to picture this candlestick as the same kind we have today—wax candles standing firmly in some kind of base. In the tabernacle, the “candles” were bowls with channels filled with oil. Little wicks were dipped in the oil, and the light was produced by igniting the wick, which set the oil in the wick on fire. Unless there was oil in the candles, and unless that oil was ignited, the candles gave no light. And, in the Holy Place, the candlestick was the only source of light. If there was no light coming from the candlestick, there was no light at all. Do you see how this is true of the church? We, too, are the only light. There is no other light. We are the seven-branched candlestick. We give light only when we are filled with oil and when the oil in us is set on fire. --Derek Prince; Living as Salt and Light
John 9:31:
We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does his will, God listens to him
We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does his will, God listens to him