One afternoon, you are walking down a road and you see the man called Jesus. There is a small crowd gathering around him. He was not preaching, but rather he was speaking to each individual and helping them as they had need. You stand in the back and watch as he ministers to each person.

At first, you see an elderly woman bringing her husband to Jesus. The man cannot see and has bandages on his eyes. Jesus unwraps the bandages and places his thumbs over the man's eyes. His hands wrap around each side of the man's head and you see him speak, but you are not close enough to hear his words.

The former blind man stumbles back and his wife watches in amazement as he opens his eyes. He first looks at Jesus and then at the woman beside him. The man cries out in a loud voice, "I can see!" and then he gasps as he sees his wife for the first time in years. He rushes to hug her and he lifts her up in the air. You watch as Jesus smiles and laughs at their joy.

The miracle worker then turns his eyes to the right and sees the group of lepers that are away from the crowd at a distance. In your astonishment, he calls to them to come closer. Slowly at first, they begin to walk forward in fear of the crowd and then they grow in confidence as they see his face. Everyone, including yourself, back away from the outcasts.

To your horror, Jesus approaches them with open hands. "Friends! Come here," he shouts. He embraces the first one and whispers into the man's ear. Immediately the color of the man's face begins to change. It is no longer covered in white from the disease but has regained its full color. The man then begins to remove the bandages on his hands. All the other lepers rush closer to see the man's hands that had been completely healed. Then one by one, Jesus begins to heal them by touching their foreheads and speaking, "Be cleansed!" All of the lepers stand in a line waiting to be touched by this strange man, but now they were all removing the bandages.

You are astonished not only by the man's brazenness to touch a leper but to see them cleaned was yet another sign and wonder. The small crowd parts like the Red Sea as the men rejoice and then begin to run toward the city gates while jumping and leaping for joy.

Jesus simply smiles again and laughs. Then he turns toward a young couple standing nearby. You overhear their conversation. The woman was barren and they could not produce children. He speaks with them and then Jesus touches her womb. And again, the crowd is astonished.

You watch as a man who is not her husband touches her womb. This man, this Jesus, commands her body to obey saying, "Be healed!" The young woman stumbles under the power of his words but remains standing by the strength of her husband. Looking at the husband, Jesus says "Go and be fruitful. Multiply." The man nods and escorts his wife away from the crowd.

Suddenly, a young boy runs past you and bumps your arm on his way to Jesus. Other boys and girls run to him and call him, "Rabbi" and "Master." Jesus rubs some of them on their heads and squats down to talk to them. He then stands and looks at you.

You look away from his glance but you are not sure why. Perhaps it is shame. Or perhaps fear that turns your gaze. Or maybe it was the fire in his eyes. You feel as if the eyes of God are on you. He begins walking your way.

You look back at him and everyone around you takes a step back. This time you are captivated by his eyes. You can't look away. The children are still near him, following him, but now the man is right in front of you.

The man called Jesus reaches up and puts his hands on your head like he did the blind man, but instead of your eyes, he places his thumbs on your forehead. You close your eyes and Jesus says, "Be healed."

Suddenly, you fall to the ground heaving. You see flashes of memories long forgotten. You see memories that you have tried to forget but have tormented you. You realize you are no longer tormented. All the pain is gone and in an instant, your emotional traumas have been healed. The fog of your memory has been swept away. Your anxieties are gone. You feel peace for the first time since you were abused.

You open your eyes and Jesus is still standing before you. You stretch out your arms and grab him by his feet. You pull yourself to him and begin to cry over his dirty feet. He does not back away. He does not stop you.

After you can cry no longer, you sit on your knees before him and look up. He squats down in front of you.

Looking him in his eyes, you say one word. "Master."

Jesus smiles at you and helps lift you up onto your feet. He looks around at the crowd but then looks at you saying, "Follow me."

"Follow me."

There are many men who claim to know Jesus, but few are those who actually follow him. It requires a dying to oneself, a killing of the dreams, the aspirations, the long-held desires of your heart. It is costly to lay down one's own life. It costs everything you have ever known. What he has planned for you is better.

But he is still asking the question, "Will you choose me?"

Each man, woman, and child must answer the question. It takes a consideration of Jesus and everything else. Is he worth it?

You must make the decision for yourself.

Spending time with him in quiet will answer that question in a heartbeat. Meeting him in person will change your life.

The reason he is not worshipped is that people have not met him. They exchange the encounter with the living God with the picture of a church. The belief that going to church is how you encounter God has led men to their everlasting destruction for millennia.

It's time for a generation to understand the difference between going to church and calling yourself a Christian, and truly meeting the Christ and becoming like him.

Following after Christ and his Spirit will cause you to lose friends, lose family, lose relationships. Christ came to divide and separate those who follow him from those who don’t.

Which will you choose: Jesus or religion?

There is a place where God dwells and it is not in a building. It is not in a coffee house or a cafe or a church. He dwells in the secret place where no one can reach you. There are no phones. No smart watches. No pets. No children. No husband and no wife.

God dwells in the closets. He is in the hidden rooms and behind closed doors. This is where the God of the Bible dwells. He is in the wilderness with no distractions. It is time for men to find him there. When are you going to go find him?

Is his presence and voice worth more than your vices?

Only you can decide.

#maranatha