Only Jesus Can do Jesus Stuff

Only Jesus Can do Jesus Stuff

Wherefore he [Jesus] is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. (Hebrews 7:25 – AKJV)

Marsha Horn, one of my followers on Twitter posted the following on her Twitter page:

Eat, Pray and Be Happy! (Only Jesus can do Jesus stuff)

I applaud this; it is a joy to find new ways to restate eternal truths in a way that may capture peoples’ attention, and help them see how truly amazing Jesus is.

Only Jesus can do Jesus stuff

So, what is this “stuff” Jesus can do, that no one else can do?

The first, and perhaps the one dearest to our hearts is:

FORGIVENESS

There is a very real reason only Jesus can dispense forgiveness to a lost world. You see forgiveness comes at a great cost; sin is a horrible reality, and must be paid for. In the moral universe forgiveness is not a cheap commodity that can be casually given to anyone who asks for it.

There are only two ways of paying for the sin you and I have committed – either we must pay for it ourselves, which will cost separation from God for all eternity – or Someone Else must pay for it. Forgiveness for our sins can only come at the price of the shedding of blood:

And according to the Law, [one may] almost [say], all things are cleansed with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. (Hebrews 9:22 – NASB)

Jesus shed His own blood on the cross to pay for our sins, and therefore becomes the only One through Whom God can forgives us our sins:

He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed. (1 Peter 2:24 – NASB)

The next “stuff” only Jesus can do is:

CLEANSING

…if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. ⁸ If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. ⁹ If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us [our] sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:7-9 – AKJV)

Not only did Jesus shed His own blood to procure forgiveness for us, but he goes a step further and grants cleansing. We are not just forgiven sinners, condemned to continue our sinful lifestyle; by confessing our sins we have forgiveness and cleansing from all unrighteousness.

If that were not enough, Jesus is also the only One Who can assure us a place in:

HEAVEN

Because Jesus has paid for all that can keep us out of Heaven, He is the only One Who can a place in Heaven:

Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. ² In my Father’s house are many mansions: if [it were] not [so], I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. ³ And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, [there] ye may be also. (John 14:1-3 – AKJV)

There is a whole lot more “stuff” only Jesus can do, and it will take us the rest of our lives to explore it all. Indeed, we will never get to the end of it in this life; we will need all of eternity to gain even a small appreciation of all has done for us.

So Much More

(© Wednesday 18^th November 2015 – by Christopher Shennan)

There is so much more Jesus can give,

To those hungry hearts who seek Him,

If only they give Him their wills,

And dare each day to believe Him.

There are many go only so far,

As is needed to just make do;

The treasures of Grace are so vast –

Always available to you.

There’s so much more you can still claim,

On the grounds of mount Calvary;

Don’t starve- a treasure awaits you –

For all of God’s blessings are free.

So much more if you’ll only seek them,

Christ’s opened so many new doors;

Just hunger and thirst to find Him,

All treasures of Heaven are yours.

Please visit My website: www.christophershennan.ca
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Forgiven by unknown. Shared on flickr by “Lynn ~ Off and On.” Copyright. Used under the CC by ND 2.0 license: please note the Disclaimer at this link. We have made no changes to this photo as found on the flickr link, above.

How Willing is Jesus?

How Willing is Jesus?

” And it came to pass, when he was in a certain city, behold a man full of leprosy: who seeing Jesus fell on [his] face, and besought him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.”(Luke 5:12 – AKJV)

Are there times in your life and mine when we doubt Jesus is willing to cleanse us, perhaps of a habit, a sin, or an addiction?

I am sure we do not doubt Jesus can cleanse us, but will He when we have sunk into the depths and failed Him multiple times?

The man in our text was full of leprosy. In other words, he was in an incurable state and had given up any hope the leprosy would pass away naturally. He had however, a glimmer of hope. He had faith Jesus could cleanse him from his leprosy. The only question was, would He? Was Jesus willing to cleanse him? So his approach to Jesus was tentative, but hopeful: “Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.”

I do not believe this incident is included in Scripture for lepers alone. I believe He wanted to give you and me a pattern to follow when somehow we have sunk so low cleansing appears as an impossible dream. We have failed Jesus so often, and we have been a slave to our passions for so long we doubt His willingness to cleanse us and set us free. Surely He has grown tired of our constant failures and will withdraw Himself from us? How could he not? We cannot forgive ourselves, how could He not feel the same?

I believe the leper’s experience was included in Scripture as an object lesson. Jesus wants us to follow the leper’s example and approach Him with sincerity and truth. He wants us to come to Him with the leper’s plea: ”Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.”

And you know what? I believe His answer to you and me will be the same as the answer he gave to the leper: “I will: be thou clean… “

If You Are Willing, Lord!

(c) 1992 – by Christopher Shennan))

” And it came to pass, when he was in a certain city, behold a man full of leprosy: who seeing Jesus fell on [his] face, and besought him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.”(Luke 5:12 – AKJV)

If you are willing, Lord,

You can make me more clean,

In fact or in theory,

Than I have ever been.

Much more, indeed,

Than man conceives;

But wholly in line

With what he believes.

I have no doubt, Lord,

You can set free,

But I doubt you will

Have mercy on me.

For I seem so small

In the scheme of things;

And my guilt so real

That hope takes wings.

So I come to you, Lord,

With a plaintive cry;

Though I’m not worthy

Don’t pass me by.

I know you can cleanse

The filthiest kind:

In spirit and body,

As well as in mind.

You are willing, Lord,

You can make me whole;

In thinking, in attitude,

As well as in soul.

With no great effort

In word or deed,

You are able and willing

To meet my need.

“Healing of the Leper” by Niels Larsen Stevns. 1913. This image is in the public domain.

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Truth’s Cutting Edge

Truth’s Cutting Edge

When Stephen finished declaring the truth to his accusers, the reaction he got was anything but mild:

When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with [their] teeth. (Acts 7:54 – NASB)

They were so cut to the heart by the truth he declared that it led to his stoning.

The writer to the Hebrews confirms the sharp penetrating power of God’s Word, and how it can expose the very intentions (motives) of the heart.

 For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12 – NASB)

It is because the sharp cutting edge of truth that people try to blunt it.

When I am shaving I don’t want to use a razor that is blunt; doing so could be quite painful, besides being ineffectual. I don’t want to use a blunt scissors, or a scalpel when a doctor is about to perform an operation.

The healing of the soul requires a very sharp instrument, but we often choose to save ourselves from the cutting edge of God’s Word, rather than allow it to do its full work in us. Why? Because the pain of confessing the sin and shame is too painful to endure. We choose comfort over character, ease rather than the courage it takes to please God.

There are preachers who shrink from declaring the whole counsel of God lest they offend the sensibilities of their hearers. They would rather risk the displeasure of Heaven, than the censure of a few prominent board members.

God help us if we don’t allow God’s Word to do its perfect work.

Come, and let us return unto the Lord:
for he hath torn, and he will heal us;
he hath smitten, and he will bind us up. (Hosea 6:1 – AKJV)

I Won’t

(Wednesday 1^st October 2003)

I won’t soften it up

Or water it down,

Or change the message because

Of a frown that comes my way.

The Truth is as sharp as a doctor’s

Scalpel, and is meant to heal, not harm —

To blunt its edge is a cruel invention,

Revealing an evil, base intention.

So, I won’t soften it up

Or water it down:

I’ll preach it straight and

Make it plain,

Regardless of whether it

Administers pain, or pleasure,

Or ecstatic joy. I’ll spread

God’s truth — without alloy.

I’ll serve it up in the spirit of Love,

With the help of Heaven and the

Host of Light:

I’m not alone as I stand my ground:

By the mercy of God

In His truth I’m found.

I won’t soften it up

Or water it down,

Or change the message because

Of a frown that comes my way,

But I need the prayers of

God’s people each day,

To keep me walking the straight,

Narrow way.

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Seeing People as Trees – CORRECTING it

Seeing People as Trees – CORRECTING it

(Picture credits at end of post)

Then again He laid His hands on his eyes; and he looked intently and was restored, and began to see everything clearly.  (Mark 8:25 – NASB)

First we must see that it took a miracle to make the correction

Secondly, the correction made a difference in how the man lived his life.

Imagine what would have happened if Jesus had not completed the miracle; if the man had only partial sight and continued to see people only as trees. In one sense it would have been better for him to have remained blind. At least then he could focus on the reality of their voices and come to a fairly accurate assessment of the character of those around him. With only partial sight, and seeing people as trees, he may have judged them as insignificant, and of little value. But once the miracle was completed, he would have related to them in a completely different manner

The correction changed the way other people related to him. Before people may have seen him only as an object of pity, not as a real person. There was no shortage of those blind and lame on the roadsides begging. He was just part of the scenery.

So, too, is our spiritual condition when we only see people as trees.

First. It influences how we see others. Without Christ’s second touch we may see them as mere objects to be ignored, or circumvented, or used. A second touch from the Master can enhanced our spiritual vision, so we can see them as he sees them – so precious we would be willing to die for them.

Secondly, once Jesus has corrected our spiritual vision, it will change how others see us; they will recognize the love and compassion with which we relate to the world around us.  They may not be able to put a name to it, but they will know instinctively that something has happened to us to make us different.

Has this vision correction been wrought in your life?

A Radical Change

(© Monday 19^th January 2025 – by Christopher Shennan)

Then again He laid His hands on his eyes; and he looked intently and was restored, and began to see everything clearly.  (Mark 8:25 – NASB)

A radical change came to me,

When my half-blinded eyes were healed;

I no longer saw men as trees –

My hardness of heart not concealed.

Christ’s second touch opened my eyes

To the value of each one who’s born;

To anguish and heart-ache they feel

When they suffer from hatred and scorn.

When my eyes were opened I saw,

And I felt their pain as my own;

I found that my heart could well bleed,

And my hardness of heart had flown.

I found I could labour from dawn

To dusk to relieve someone’s pain;

The cost did not matter as all,

As I loved them again and again.

Now all of this came from His touch,

And not from aught merit of mine;

It happened when His love came min –

It came like a flood of new wine.

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Photo by Joe Mabel. Copyright. Used under the CC BY-SA 3.0 license; please note the Disclaimer at this final link. This photo was cropped at the bottom to allow the viewer to focus more on the image. Photo also used under the GNU Free Documentation License, version 1.2

Seeing People as Trees – CONFESSING to it

(Picture credits at end of post)

Taking the blind man by the hand, He brought him out of the village; and after spitting on his eyes and laying His hands on him, He asked him, “Do you see anything?” ²⁴ And he looked up and said, “I see men, for I see them like trees, walking around.”  (Mark 8:23-24 – NASB)

Jesus waited to complete the miracle of full sight until the man told him what he saw after the first touch.  He had to tell Jesus exactly what he saw. Likewise, the miracle of full sight will only happen to us after we admit that when we look at people they don`t appear more important to us than trees.

Once we come to that place of total honesty, Christ will take us to the next level  and cause us to see people as they are, living, breathing creatures of God, with real needs and desires.

As a result our hearts will, like the heart of Jesus, be moved with compassion, seeing them as sheep without a shepherd.

What do you really see when you look at people? Are they simply part of the scenery, part of the background to the life that is really important to you – your own? Sure, Jesus has touched your life, but still, you can relate to your own loved ones, your own children, your own kin, but the rest of humanity is of no real concern to you. Perhaps it is time for you to come to Jesus for a second touch and admit to Him you see people merely as trees.

Ask Jesus to give you the ability to see people as He sees them – as sheep without a Shepherd and as precious souls upon whom God longs to bestow His Love and Grace.

I had to Confess

(© Monday 19^th January 2025 – by Christopher Shennan)

And he looked up and said, “I see men, for I see them like trees, walking around.”

                                                                                        (Mark 8:24 – NASB)

I had to confess what I saw:

I saw people merely as trees,

To be used and admired and then,

Forgotten or not as I pleased.

Before I confessed what I saw,

No hope of correction was there;

My blindness continued to be,

Until I confessed it in prayer.

Once it was out in the open,

My Lord, in His mercy and love,

Touched my blind eyes with compassion,

And full sight came down from above.

So, if you see people as trees,

And are blind to what they are worth,

Just tell God and ask Him to grant

His power to correct your soul’s dearth.

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Photo by Joe Mabel. Copyright. Used under the CC BY-SA 3.0 license; please note the Disclaimer at this final link. No changes were made to this photo. Photo also used under the GNU Free Documentation License, version 1.2

The Wounded Heart

(Picture credits at end of post)

The Wounded Heart

                The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, ¹⁹ to preach the acceptable year of the Lord. (Luke 4:18-19 – AKJV)

I sustained a blow recently (a spiritual shock to my soul and spirit) that caused me to understand the prophetical utterance Jesus made where he mentions healing the brokenhearted.

Having a broken heart is a figure of speech and not an actual splintering of our physical heart. It is, however, an apt description of what one feels like when sustaining an emotional or psychological blow to one’s mind and spirit. When you’ve been severely hurt by life and circumstance, being heartbroken seems the best way to describe it.

In my own experience I feel more like I have been wounded. Like an open wound needs time and medication to bring healing, and to prevent it from festering, so does a wounded heart.

Mercifully, wounds of this nature have been few and far between in my own life. Since coming to Christ almost fifty years ago I have always had His healing touch to restore me.

I have thought, however, of those who have been wounded, not once or twice, as has been my own case, but many times. I have seen men and women, and children too, with their spirits broken, bearing open wounds that refuse to heal.

There are people out there with hard hearts and sharp tongues who inflict wounds on others without even thinking about it. I have seen abuse laid upon children and spouses that has broken their spirit. I have seen anger and Unforgiveness rip marriages apart, bestowing a heritage of despair upon the children.

To these I can only refer to the One who heals the brokenhearted. As many wounded hearts as I seen, I have also seen countless others whose wounds have been healed by a touch from the Master’s Hand.

None but the poor brokenhearted

(© 29^th December 2014 – by Christopher Shennan)

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me… to heal the brokenhearted… (Luke 4:18 – AKJV)

None but the poor brokenhearted

Can come to really understand

How a touch from Christ the Saviour

Can meet the battered soul’s demand.

Only the poor brokenhearted

Can appreciate Christ’s true touch;

Only the wounded in spirit

Can exult in His love, so much.

When open wounds are still bleeding,

And the heart has tasted despair,

Only the poor brokenhearted

Can exult in His Presence there.

For, friend, when the heart is bleeding,

And the wounds are many and deep,

Only the touch of my Saviour

Has power to heal those who weep.

 Please check out my books at My website: http://www.christophershennan.ca
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Photo used under CC0 Public Domain license. Please note the Disclaimer at the final link. This photo is in the public domain.

The Father’s Business – Restoration

The Father’s Business – Restoration

He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake. (Psalm 23:3 – NASB)

The Father and the Son are in the business of restoring in us what damage sin and Satan has worked upon us.

“A few years ago, an angry man rushed through the Rijks Museum in Amsterdam until he reached Rembrandt’s famous painting ‘Nightwatch.’ Then he took out a knife and slashed it repeatedly before he could be stopped. A short time later, a distraught, hostile man slipped into St. Peter’s Cathedral in Rome with a hammer and began to smash Michelangelo’s beautiful sculpture The Pieta. Two cherished works of art were severely damaged. But what did officials do? Throw them out and forget about them? Absolutely not! Using the best experts, who worked with the utmost care and precision, they made every effort to restore the treasures. (From SermonIllustrations.com)

No matter how slashed, and smashed and damaged you may feel you can be restored. God the Father is in the restoration business, and His Chief Restorer is Jesus Christ, working in the power of the Holy Spirit. Satan is the Destroyer; Jesus is the Restorer.

Soul Restoration

(© Thursday 11^th December 2014 – by Christopher Shennan)

He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake. (Psalm 23:3 – NASB)

The journey was long and the pilgrim walked

Over paths that were both rugged and steep;

His spirit was weary and danger stalked –

Trials appeared that oft caused him to weep.

His face was set to follow the true course

Of righteousness and of a godly sort;

He’d chosen his path for better or worse,

And thought of the battles he often had fought.

Though weary of soul his spirit will rise

As the restoring breath of God he breathes.

Though his strengths diminish and almost dies,

His weariness of soul just bows – and leaves.

No matter how far you are from your goal,

You can trust in Jesus to restore your soul.

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Photograph by Philipp178. Copyright. Used under the CC BY-SA 3.0 license (note the disclaimer at this link.) No changes were made to this photograph.

Call the Doctor!

Call the Doctor!

(Picture Credits at end of post)

Reading: Mark 2:13-17

And hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick; I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” (Mark 2:17 – NASB)

Religion can be a terrible thing; it has the ability to create hardness of heart and strangle compassion before it has a chance to take a breath. The Pharisees were not concerned for the healing of souls, only for the maintenance of their religious code.

I use the word `religion“ to describe those religious devotees who see Christianity as a kind of obstacle course in which some are good at it, some not so good, and some very bad.  Those who are good at it can then gloat upon those who struggle, or who come in last. That kind of religion is a terrible thing.

For one thing it is not good news, and the Gospel, if it is anything at all, is good news. If Christianity were an obstacle course, then most of us would not make it; indeed, I think none of us would make it, for God`s standards are so high only perfection is good enough. And perfection is so far from the human condition, to think we can reach it and so attain salvation is more like a cruel joke.

What`s more, religion places the responsibility upon the sinner to cleanse himself from his own sin, which is an impossible thing.

What has been largely lost in the church is the understanding of sin as a bondage.  Men and women bound with chains cannot free themselves; they have to be freed by Someone who Himself is not bound.  And since we are bound by chains of supernatural power, only the supernatural power of the risen Christ can free us.

We need to call the only Physician (doctor) who can heal our sinful condition.

The Great Physician

(© Monday 29^th September 2014 – by Christopher Shennan)

The Great Physician: He healed me

From the disease of sin and shame;

While religious folks despised me –

They had nothing for me, but blame.

Sure, I was a poor, lost sinner;

The wrack and ruin I caused was vast,

But my Lord, he came and rescued

Me, and wiped my guilty past.

Yet those who worship religion,

And not the sweet Giver of life,

Seek only to point their fingers

And stir up envy and strife.

No matter, the Great Physician,

Though knowing my sinful disease,

Chose rather to give me compassion,

And the weight of my sin to ease.

So take my advice and cling to

The Great Physician’s healing art;

Though religious folks may strike you,

He will heal your wounded heart.

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Doctor Consults with Patient” This image was released by the National Cancer Institute, an agency part of the National Institutes of Health, with the ID 2528. Photograph is in the public domain. No changes were made to this photograph. Find this photo at http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Doctor_consults_with_patient_%287%29.jpg.

Withered Priorities

Withered Priorities

Reading: Mark 3:1-6

Then He said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they kept silent. (Mark 3:4 – NKJV)

The question Jesus asked was a masterful one, and could be applied to a variety of situations.

It was a question that cut to the root of the Pharisees’ disposition: “What are your priorities. They were so in love with the letter of the law, that they had forgotten the purpose of the law. The law of the Sabbath was given for the benefit of God’s people, not their enslavement.

The Pharisees used the law in a manner that brought death, whereas the purpose of God’s Word is to minister life. They wielded it as a weapon, whereas it was meant through the Spirit to bring healing and blessing to the soul.

Such confidence we have through Christ toward God. ⁵ Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God, ⁶ who also made us adequate as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. (2 Corinthians 3:4-6 – NASB)

I am afraid there are some preachers today who use God’s Word more like a weapon than a balm to the soul. It is true that there are some hard words that need to be spoken, but the hardness must come from the Word itself, and not from the hearts of those who administer it.

The question Jesus asked is as valid for us today as it was for the Pharisees then: “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?”  The answer is obvious, “Whatever rules, or statutes, or laws we find in the Scriptures, are always meant for the good of those who hear.”

Be true to the Scriptures, but never use them as a whip, or a sword to get people in line; use them under the direction of the Holy Spirit to bring healing and life to their souls.

A Weapon or a Balm?

(© 4^th June, 2014 – by Christopher Shennan)

Teach me, O Lord, to use the Law,

And the Word that You have given

In a manner and in a way

That exalts true hearts to Heaven

 

May the Holy Spirit alter

Every Attitude of mine,

So that the reading of the Law

Gives all my hearers life – divine.

 

May I never use Truth, dear Lord.

As a weapon to strike and harm;

Let me use it with compassion

And apply it like healing balm.

 

The Word does have a cutting edge,

But it is not for me to wield;

God has called me to be faithful,

Till every sin-sick soul is healed.

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Withered Hands

Withered Hands

Reading: Mark 3:1-6 – NKJV)

 After looking around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored. (Mark 3:5 – NASB)

When Jesus saw the condition of the man with the withered hand, and no doubt perceived all he has suffered as a result, it stirred compassion in Him

The CONDITION the Man Struggled with

He entered again into a synagogue; and a man was there whose hand was withered. (Mark 3:1 – NASB)

What were the difficulties that the man with the withered hand suffered?

Because of his withered hand there things he could not do, and duties he could not perform.

He probably had difficulty dressing himself.

Luke tells us that it was his right hand that was withered. If he was right handed, as most people are, or in performing detailed tasks that require accuracy he would have had difficulty doing some things his fellow workers could perform without any difficulty at all. There would be some occupations that would have been closed to him because of their physical requirements.

He would not have been able to lift heavy boxes and certain games he could not play.

I think there may be some among us who also have withered hands. Physically your hands are not withered, but spiritually there are things you may want to do, but find yourself unable to do. You may want to witness to friends and family, but find your spiritual gifts are withered. You can`t seem to get motivated, or get the words out of your mouth at the appropriate time. You may want to do a kindness to someone, but find yourself putting it off until it is too late.

You may have a gift of song or of speaking, but shyness or fear of what people may think has withered your ability to perform.

The Greek word translated `withered` indicates that his hand had been withered at some time in the past, perhaps by accident or disease. He had not been born with this affliction.  Perhaps you have been able to function well in some area of spiritual ministry, but that ability seems to have left you. The spiritual gift God gave you has been withered by disuse.

It is time for you to stretch out your hand so Jesus can restore it as it was before.