Luke
18:35-42
Luke and Mark talk about the same blind beggar whereas Matthew talks about 2 beggars.
In Lord Jesus time blind people end up begging.
Many third world countries we can see many blind people begging outside of Churches, Temples and Mosques.
Some are born blind and some become blind due to various factors.
We don’t know whether this guy is a born blind or lost his sight sometime.
Usually God gives extra sense of hearing to blind people.
BLIND BARTIMAEUS GETS HIS OPPORTUNITY verses 35-37
He must have heard from many people that Lord healed many people from all diseases.
From his partner he came to know that the Lord was passing by and he did not lose this opportunity.
Not only this blind beggar knew about the Lord but also acknowledged Him as the Son of David.
38 He called out,“Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”
The term “Son of David” was reserved for the coming Messiah, the King.
His approach was of total humility and submission.
BLIND BARTIMAEUS GETS HIS FIFTEEN MINUTES verses 39-41
He did not get discouraged because of the crowd.
He shouted even more to get the Lord’s attention.
He was still acknowledging the Lord as King.
He became the center focus of the crowd and the Lord.
Very interesting that the Lord knew what he wanted but still asks that question.
“What do you want ME to do for you?”
BLIND BARTIMAEUS GETS HIS PLACE versesn42-43
He was not discouraged by the crowds, he was not afraid to shout louder, he was seeing the Lord by hearing HIM.
His faith was helping him all the way to stand before the Lord.
This guy gets his sight because of his faith in the LORD.
Blind Bartimaeus gets his place in the list of people healed by the Lord.
Spiritual blindness is of two kinds. 
The spiritual blindness caused by sin.
These are the people who rejected the Gospel message.
But they never accepted salvation as a free gift from the Lord.
They rejected HIM, ridiculed HIM, and did not believe in HIM yet the Lord continues to provide opportunity to know HIM.
2 Cor 4:4 The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
This spiritual blindness would lead that person eventually to eternal hell.
Spiritual blindness caused by a calloused heart
Isaiah 6:9-10
“‘Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving.’
10 Make the heart of this people calloused; make their ears dull and close their eyes.
We become spiritually dried up and no signs of joy in the Lord.
Such Christians, believers, lead a life without zeal for the Lord.
Their time is wasted, their talent is wasted, and their treasure is wasted
This moment the Lord is passing by and noticed one of us and asks what do you want ME to do for you.
 What will be the response from us?


  


  

Hebrews 4:1-11 God’s Rest
The story of the Israelites is the base for God’s plan and purpose for all humanity and history.
Human redemption story is derived from the history of  Israel.
There are three kinds of REST mentioned in these few verses.
A. The Promised Land
B. Sabbath Rest
C. The Kingdom of God
A. THE PROMISED  LAND
It all begins with a promise to Abraham and fulfilled in Joshua’s time.
In the story of Israel, God’s rest was the Promise Land.
God was leading them into a Promise Land from their slavery of Egypt..
B. SABBATH REST
In Gen 2:2-3 God rested on 7th day after 6 days of creation.
2. By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work.
3 Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.
God has finished with creating business once for all.
For Israelites it was a fulfillment of the Promise of God is their Sabbath-Rest.
C. THE KINGDOM OF GOD
This theme runs thru almost all verses.
We will enter that Promise Land as the Israelites did.
We will enter the Sabbath-Rest as the people of Israel  did.
We will enter the Promise Land which is the Kingdom of  God.
The Kingdom of God begins with Lord Jesus.
When Lord Jesus died on the cross he cried out: IT IS FINISHED. 
The price for our salvation was paid in full.
Because of Lord Jesus, we do not have to work for salvation. 
God’s redemptive work is completely FINISHED.
We can now REST in the Saving Grace of our Lord Jesus  Christ.
We still have to live our lives as children of God.
For a believer it all started with Promise of God thru our Lord Jesus Christ.
Anyone who believes in that PROMISE, enter the Promise Land which is the Kingdom of God.
God Sabbath Rest is upon us but we keep living fighting our wars of temptations, wars of unbelief, and wars of backsliding.
The moment we accept our Lord Jesus into our hearts we step into Sabbath-Rest.
We will continue to live in this 7th day throughout our Christian life.
The most beautiful and glorious aspect of our believer’s life is that he/she will be still living in the 7th Day with the Lord Jesus Christ in the eternity.
 For a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, Promise Land, Sabbath-Rest and the Kingdom of God are our present and future.
We are the Kingdom people living out our lives on earth with the PROMISE of God that not only we live in HIS kingdom today but we will continue to live in ETERNITY with Lord Jesus in the Kingdom of God.  Amen

Hebrews 3:7-19
The author of Hebrews reminds us that what happens if our response is of rebellion and intentional disobedience when God is telling us something.
If God is telling us to go certain way, what will be our  response?
I. THE REBELLIOUS ATTITUDE
The rebellious attitude of a Christian is not to obey God or trust in Him. 
People of Israel refused to know God and acknowledge that He would provide for them.
Verse 7 is a quote from Psalms 95
Psalms 95:7b-8
Today, if only you would hear his voice, “Do not harden your hearts as you did at Meribah, as you did that day at Massah in the wilderness,”
Meribah means quarrelling and Massah means testing.
This is the place of rebellion recorded in Exodus 17th chapter where Moses struck the rock for water as the Israelites quarrelled and tested God.
Everyone gets a ‘Today’ every day before it becomes yesterday
II. THE CONSEQUENCE OF THE REBELLIOUS ATTITUDE (Verses 9-11)
God was patient with them for 40 years but their hearts were always leading them in a different direction and never tried to know what the Lord’s way was.
We call it today in simple word ‘backsliding’.
But their backsliding was intentional and not innocent action.
So the consequence of their rebelliousness was death in the wilderness for all those who came out of Egypt except Joshua and Caleb.
The main problem with them was their unbelief and distrust.
Consequence of a rebellious heart is ungratefulness, willful disobedience and ignoring God's presence.
When times are hard, we fail to exhibit faith, acknowledge God, and trust HIM.
III. THE WARNING TO THE BELIEVER (Verses 12-15)
How can believers have an unbelieving heart?
Yes believers do possess an unbelieving heart.
There is every possibility that we do go through such situations where we act like people of Israel.
The world we live in is full of temptations and influences that can easily harden our hearts and pull us away from the Lord.
The only way we can survive the devil’s deception is by holding on to our original conviction of a changed and transformed heart. 
As Paul says we have to live out salvation every day of our life.
We have to hold on to that salvation experience till the last breath of our life.
Today we are reminded that we are saved people by the grace of God through our faith in Lord Jesus Christ.
Today is the time to respond to HIS voice with a willing obedience and submission.
Today is the right time to repent and seek HIS forgiveness for possessing an unbelieving heart.