Steps to Victory
Mark 1:40
1. REACH out to Him
2. REQUEST of Him
3. RECOGNIZE Him
4. REGARD it as done.
To believe is to be strong. Doubt cramps energy. Belief is power.
Frederick William Robertson
A few months ago I realized that my computer was getting old and did not have all of the latest goodies and was a little slow to boot. No pun intended. I started doing my research on getting another one and found that with all of the things I needed/wanted, those terms somehow are synonymous, that it was well more than $1500. Then I happened onto a web-site for, well for lack of a better term, computer experts who make their own computers. After lurking there for a few weeks, I found that the individual components for a computer are relatively inexpensive. You simply buy all of these parts and put them all together. I am not a technological genius. However, I am a fine-scale modeler and my son who is now 17 is a lego maniac. You know the kind. A kid who can go into his room with a few thousand legos and come out with an exact replica of the Taj Mahal. Well in any event we ordered our parts to the computer one at a time, and waited until they all arrived before actually doing anything. First the case, then the motherboard, then the CPU well you get the picture. After everything had arrived, we just stared at all of the boxes for three days, wondering if we could really do it. Then one day belief got the better of us and we painfully and deliberately opened all of the boxes and with help from the forum on that web-site for computer experts, we put everything together. Then the moment of truth came, we turned the thing on and all of the buzzers buzzed, and all of the fans turned and just everything went by the book. I now have a state of the art computer and saved at least a thousand dollars.
The key to that whole adventure is belief, and taking the right steps in the right order. It is the same with serving and knowing Jesus. The proper steps in the proper order and the belief is overwhelming, and the victory is assured.
Step one: REACH out to Him: "And there came a leper to him. . ."
No doubt this man had been to others to try to find some relief. But even though he more than likely got, a few "be well my sons," and perhaps more "go away you bother me’s," he persisted. As a leper he was totally dependant on others for everything. I recall the scene in "Ben Hur" where he found out about his mother and sister then he went to the leper’s colony. People had to bring food into the colony for the lepers. They were all dependent and had to reach out for whatever they could get. How about you today? Are you dependant? Are you practiced at reaching out?
Perhaps you are too proud for any such nonsense? Get into the habit of reaching out for Jesus. It is the only way to make contact with him.
Step two: REQUEST of Him. "Beseeching him. . ."
God has made it quite clear that we are to ask, seek and find. He longs to hear our requests. Sadly that is the only time that many communicate with Him. No wonder he encourages us to ask of Him, else He may never hear from us. Talk to God, tell him how you feel, tell him what you perceive that you need, tell him what you want. Don’t be shy. Talk, talk, talk. Listen, listen, listen. God wants more than anything to have a conversation with you. Make your request known to him and receive his answer with Thanksgiving.
Step three: RECOGNIZE Jesus for whom He really is: "kneeling down. . ."
Over the last one hundred years there has been a movement to relegate Jesus to the position of a great teacher, or great philosopher. Let me submit to you that he was none of those. C. S. Lewis put it best in answer to this question. "He is either a liar, a lunatic or lord." But the most burning question for us today is the very same question that Jesus asked his disciples 2000 years ago. "But whom do you say that I am?" You know Jesus is asking that very question of you today. And what is your answer. To you is Jesus just a really nice guy? Or perhaps he has some great truth to tell? Examine yourselves today. Who is Jesus to you? If he is not the Lord of your life, then you have missed this step on the road to victory. Recognize Jesus for whom he truly is.
Finally Step four: REGARD it as done. "Thou canst make me clean. . ."
We must believe that Jesus can do anything. Why? Well, simply because He can!!! Many over the centuries have tried to make this such a deep theological thing and it is not. This is not rocket science folks, Jesus can do anything. And Paul takes it a step further by saying that through him.."all things are possible." That means that if you have followed all of the steps, you can do anything as well. The greatest thing that Jesus can do is to take all of your cares and burdens. Take all of that rubbish and leave it at the foot of the cross, turn around and leave it. What many insist on doing is to lay their burdens down and then immediately go back and pick them up again. How absurd. Let Jesus deal with it and forget about it. Regard it as done.
What step are you on right now?
Are you reaching out?
Are you making requests?
Are you recognizing Jesus for who He really is?
Are you regarding it as done?
Take the steps to victory in Jesus.
