John 9:1-7

            In this passage John communicates to his readers that Jesus is indeed the light of the world, not by the truth-claims that he has made about Himself thus far, but also in the actual demonstration of the miraculous. His deeds backed up His claims. He preached not only by words, but by what He actually did. How the church needs to pray today that our message will not only be conveyed in words but demonstrated in the most miraculous way.  May it go beyond just mere rhetoric, resulting in lives being transformed and the sick being gloriously healed and demons being cast out.
            The fact is, we are just plain tired of the devil usurping the authority that we are supposed to have and acting as it he is in charge. Maybe it is about time that we serve the devil notice and let the devil know, we have had enough of his reign of terror and madness. We the body of Christ are now taking over, taking our authority back! We are staging a spiritual coup, a holy insurrection, in Jesus’ name – in the name of the king. We rise up! We militantly rise up declaring who we are, refusing to back down in Jesus’ name.
            In John chapter 9, Jesus came on the scene declaring who He was and went into dynamic action on behalf of this man who was born blind and desperately in need of supernatural help and deliverance. In this passage Jesus makes it plain, as He declares “. . . I am the light of the world” (9:5). Knowing who you are, is most essential to how you function. It is about time for the church, for His church here in the Northeast Region and beyond to know who we are and whose we are. We come as His divinely sent representatives and ambassadors, sent by Him to shine the light in dark places and to speak words of healing and deliverance wherever we are. Satan had done enough in the life of this blind man and Jesus came to undo the chains of darkness by which this man was bound for so many years.
            When others were preoccupied with the cause of His blindness, Jesus was focused on his healing. Whether he had sinned, or his parents had sinned had very little to do with the business at hand. Here was a man in desperate need of a healing and Jesus graciously informed us that this happened to the man, so that the works of God might be displayed in his life (9:3). Instead of judging and condemning this man for the plight in which he found himself, Jesus speaks words of healing into this blind man’s darkness. As bearers of His name and image, we too must speak healing and deliverance to the many who walk in darkness all around us. No time to judge and condemn; now is the time to heal and speak the healing words of light and life. We serve the devil notice!
            I conclude my reflection with the thought of us knowing who we are, declaring it and taking action against all the evil forces of darkness all around us. We declare that the devil has done enough in our lives, in our communities, in our churches, in our government, in our families. We avow ourselves as opponents to all forces and alliances of evil. We stage a holy insurrection against the devil’s reign of terror!  We fully consent not only to speak the words, but to do the works in Jesus’ name (9:4).

Leroy V. Greenaway
Regional Bishop — Northeast Region
 

February 6, 2021
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

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                                                          PLEASE NOTE

          In collaboration with our District Overseers, the Church of God of Prophecy submits to the wisdom of continuing to ‘Shelter in Place’ for the safety and protection of the flock. This is to be observed until further notice and the present virus is better contained. Should the need arise to meet, we are advised to meet in groups of no more than 10, while we strictly observe the protocols of social distancing, wearing of masks and aggressive sanitizing of our hands and surfaces frequently touched.

          Please let us patiently observe these practices to keep each other safe and alive. We are reminded that we are indeed our brother’s keeper. Stay home! Stay Healthy! Stay Hopeful! We shall soon get through this! Premature re-openings of our churches seem not to be the wisest way to go at this point. Let us continue to pray, caring for each other and staying connected.

Leroy V. Greenaway
Regional Presiding Bishop — Northeast Region