Psalms of thanks: Thanks for healing

Focus passage: Psalm 30

Are unspoken thanks really any thanks at all? Each year my mother told me to write thank-you notes to the people who had given me gifts. Back then it seemed like a waste. Now, when people don’t send thank-you letters to me, I wonder if they even got my gift. Yet, thankfulness is a way to celebrate before others the blessings that we have. It is a way to tell those people how important they are. It can also be a chance to pause and think about our blessings. The background for this text appears to be forgiveness and restoration for David after a great sin. Many think that this psalm was penned after David had foolishly numbered his people when God had told him specifically not to do so. On the spot where the new temple would be built, David saw the face of the angel of God and did not die. He saw the mercy of God for himself and his people as a reason to give thanks.

Recovery v. 2 O Lord my God, I called to you for help and you healed me. David had destroyed the relationship that he had with God. Like Moses in the desert, he had claimed that the great things God had done were his own. He feared that he would be punished as Moses was or even be banished from the sight of this almighty God. Yet, there on the mountain top, he bowed before the angel of God who had a sword in his hand and was forgiven. He confessed his sin and offered his life for that sin. God then restored David. God’s love is greater than his anger.

Remembrance v.4 Sing to the Lord, you saints of his; praise his holy name. David celebrates publically what God has done. He builds an altar on the spot and offers burnt offerings to God. The Lord answers David by sending fire from heaven to consume the sacrifice like God would later do for Elijah on Mount Carmel. In this psalm of dedication, David calls upon the people to celebrate with him. God’s love is greater than his anger. God will forgive the penitent person who bows before him. For David, this is a time of mercy after a time of suffering and pain.

Refocus v.6 When I felt secure, I said, "I will never be shaken." There is another blessing in thanks. It helps us to focus on God and to learn from him. David had caused this great calamity with his pride. He had felt that he was so great that he could never be shaken. No army dared come against the mighty David. The punishment of God and the mercy of God had reminded David of who really was the great one. In so many ways, David was still just a shepherd boy. It was the almighty God who had made the nation great. Times of thanks should also be times of learning.

Response The response for mercy is praise. David speaks of what the gracious hand of God has done. Even God’s punishment of David was an expression of his great love for David and for the people. When he was forgiven, he could not help but dance and celebrate. David in this psalm pledges to praise the Lord forever. David will spend the rest of his life preparing for the temple that will be built on this spot. He will live a life of thanks devoting his fortune and his time so that there will be a place for everyone to give glory to God and to meet him on this holy mountain as David did on that special day. Lives change when we focus on thanking God for the wonderful gifts that He has brought into our lives. Thanks can be a time of celebration and learning. It is a time to see how truly merciful our God is for us all. 

Could you give a reason for your hope?

Focus: Luke 2:21-35

I recently saw an article about how our world wants Christians to be silent. They will grudgingly allow you to have your Christian beliefs, but don’t share them and don’t inconvenience them with those beliefs because they have the right to be non-Christian. It begs the question for all of us about how comfortable we are with speaking or living our faith. Most Christians are silent. They are careful not to offend people with their views. They will participate in a Sunday activity event even if it means missing church or do something shady in business. Yet what is the cost of keeping silent about our savior? What does Jesus really mean to you and to your future? Today, we will look at a man who could not keep silent. As he holds the baby Jesus in his arms, the whole world must know the reason for his hope and faith.

Simeon knows the reason for hope and so should we. For 400 years, the people of Israel have been waiting for God to act on their behalf. During that time, they have been overrun by Persians, Egyptians, Greeks and Romans. They have had to fight to keep their faith in a world where Zeus is king. Now God has acted and there is hope. God has not forgotten them. The child is that hope for he is the messiah that has been promised from the beginning of time. Simeon holds God’s answer to all the problems that they face as people. It is a day of hope realized and hope gained.

What is your hope? In our country, I think hope is often about technology and money. If we have enough gadgets or if we get smarter we can conquer all the woes of the world. If we have enough money saved, we can live comfortably and retire with a life of ease. Yet, we look for hope in all the wrong places. With all our technology we cannot stop the war or world hunger. With all our money, we cannot make a better place. The reason is that none of that changes the hearts of men. We just have bigger bombs and more greed.

Can you give the reason for your hope? Simeon had no trouble giving the reason for his hope. Jesus was the hope of Israel, the salvation of Israel and the light of the world. He was the answer to man’s need and the only way of hope and salvation. It was what he had been waiting for and he proclaimed it loudly. Could we tell people why our faith is in Jesus? If a microphone was given to you to tell the people around you what you believe about Jesus, could you tell them? Maybe, the question is would you tell them even if you know?

There are a lot of people out there who want to know why you are a Christian and why you believe the things that you do. They are tired of the false hope and salvation that the world has to offer. It hasn’t worked and they are looking for something different. Hold the child in your arms and give them your response. You don’t have to picket or change the laws. Just tell people what you know and believe about the child. Invite them to worship or to Sunday school or small group. Stop being a silent Christian and give people a reason for your hope. Amen. 

What does the future hold?

December 20, 2016

Can we be confident of the future? Yes, God has given us a sign. 

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. Isaiah 7:14

The year was 735 BC. It was a difficult time with a wicked king named Ahaz. Three of the neighboring nations around Judah were attacking and the nation was suffering. Instead of trusting in the Lord, he made an alliance with Assyria. Isaiah was sent to this king to encourage him to turn to the Lord. God would even give a sign. A virgin would conceive and bear a child as a sign that God was working behind the scenes to protect his people and keep His promises to David. The king did not want a sign, but the Lord gave one anyway and the enemies of Judah were destroyed as well.

 The year was 4/5 BC. It was a tough time with the Romans in charge and Herod in Jerusalem. God sent a sign that year as well. A child was born of a virgin and laid in a manger. It was a sign that God was bringing deliverance to His people. This would not be deliverance that would last for only a few years. It was a deliverance that would last and change the future of mankind. It was a sign that God would touch the lives of people healing their illness and comforting their pain. The Messiah had come. Not everyone wants Him, but God loves His people enough to change history.

 The year is 2016. We have had a divisive presidential campaign. We live in an era with violence in our streets and terrorism in our cities. Many do not want the child. They want to ban manger scenes and Christmas carols from public places. Yet, God still gives the sign of the child. As we look at the manger we see that God still cares and that God is in control of the future. America may be in for some hard times, but God’s church and His people will not be destroyed.

 Many look at the decline of churches across America and figure that God is dead or has forgotten us. I see the sign and I have hope. For those who bow their knee in prayer and find comfort and power in God’s word, there will be a bright future. God Himself will protect them and provide for them. He is their savior from sin and He will be their savior in the times of crisis. The virgin has conceived and born a son. His name is Immanuel – God is with us and I plan to never let Him go. He is our only hope in life and the future. 

The Prophets - People, Come Home

Focus passages - 1 Kings 1-11, 2 Chronicles 1-9

It was a Father’s heartache. Tom had been the apple of his father Jim’s eye. Tom was smart and very athletic. Father and son had been so close throughout his high school years. When he got to college, Tom got caught up in a bad crowd and soon he had dropped out and Jim didn’t hear from Tom for a while. Jim finally heard that Tom was out west somewhere and had run on hard times. His friends had deserted him and he was on drugs. Jim called the cell phone that he had given his son in college, but no one ever answered. He finally heard from a friend where Tom was living and went to see him. In the days of David and Solomon, Israel had been the envy of the world. It was powerful and had enormous wealth. It showed the greatness of God to a world that wished they could belong to Yahweh. In the last days of Solomon, the nation ran away from God and worshiped others. God would send prophets to them to demonstrate His power through miracles. He called them and prophets spoke of His great love for them. The message was always the same. Return to me and I will restore you. Here is the story of God’s heartache with His wayward son.

I will show them my power 1 kings 18:38 Fifty years have passed since the days of Solomon and the wicked King Ahab sits on the throne of the Northern Kingdom. Elijah calls a meeting with Ahab and proposes a challenge between the true God and Ahab’s false gods to see who the true God is. 450 prophets of Baal called on their god for hours with no response. God sends fire down from heaven that consumes the water, the sacrifice, and the wood. The people cry out that Yahweh is the true God, but sadly their faith doesn’t last.

I will show them the depth of my love Hosea 3:1 Now, 180 years have passed since Solomon and God calls the prophet Hosea to marry a prostitute. It is a visual message showing how much the Lord loves the nation of Israel which has prostituted itself to the false gods around it. Sadly, Hosea would love this woman and have children with her, but she would run away. Hosea was commanded to buy his wife out of the prostitution that she was now enslaved in. It was a visual message about how God had bought Israel out of slavery and sin again and again.

I will give them one last warning Amos 9:8 The end is near. Israel is on the verge of destruction and so the Lord sends the prophet Amos. His message is a message of punishment for Israel and Judah. If Hosea shows gospel love, then Amos shows law justice. Israel is within a generation of being destroyed. It is time to repent before it is too late. Yet, the people see no reason to repent. In the end, their rejection of the Lord will put them out of God’s protection and their evil living will bring its own destruction.

This is the story of a God who stuck with His people for over 200 years. It would have been easy to have just destroyed Israel or to have allowed it to fall quickly to its neighbors. Yet God loved them and sent prophets to them with demonstrations of power and a visual demonstration of love. Neither worked. Our God does not give up on His people. He shows them His power and His love. He is a heavenly father who loves his children even when they are in the midst of sin. It is never too late to cry out to the Lord and seek His mercy and His help. His love never ends and never fails. The message of the prophets is still the message of God today. God is calling His people to return to Him so that He might restore them. He loves His church and will not give up on it. Regardless of how far you have strayed, come home! It is the message that God says to us and that we have to be saying to others. It is the message that can change America as it builds families, ends violence and gives people lives that work.

David - The man who had God's heart

Focus: 1 Samuel 16 – 2 Samuel 7

When we consider who to hire as our doctor or mechanic, we often consider their skill and knowledge. We want a doctor who has done this procedure dozens of times and was at the top of their class. We want a mechanic who has worked on this model car with years of experience. They need to get it right. When God looks at a person, he is not impressed with their skill or knowledge. He can give both to any fool. What he cares about is the heart. Is this a person who will be honest and have values? Is this a person who will follow God and believe in God? What stood out with David was his heart. He was a man of character who loved the Lord more than anything else. His early life was dedicated to the Lord.

David is chosen by God for his heart 1 Sam. 16:7 Saul has been rejected by God for his stubbornness and unwillingness to follow God or repent of his sins. When Samuel sees David, God says this is the one. Anoint him to be the next king. He has the heart that I am looking for. He is the one who has what is needed to lead my people. I will be like a father to him and will nurture him and make him the greatest king that the world has seen. David has God’s heart, but what is that?

Those with God’s heart fight for God’s Honor 1 Sam 17:45 It is about a year later and David is still too young for the army so his father sends him with food for his older brothers as they battle the Philistines. There in the valley, Goliath is shouting curses against the true God. David is incensed that this giant would defile the name of the true God. He is willing to fight Goliath for the honor of God. He is willing to lay his life on the line rather than have the world and the Israelites think that their God is weak and ineffective.

Those with God’s heart keep themselves pure 1 Sam 24:10 Advance about ten years and we find David hiding in the desert from Saul who wants to kill him. A rare opportunity comes when Saul relieves himself in a dark cave. David’s men who are tired of running and see this as an opportunity from God want David to kill Saul and be done with it. Yet, David will not kill the king of God’s people. David will keep himself pure. The Lord stands behind the righteous and not the evil. How can David expect the Lord to protect him if he is no better than Saul?

Those with God’s heart accept God’s Will 2 Sam 7:2 David has now been king for about twenty years and the Lord has brought his wealth and power. He wants to use this time of peace to build a temple to the Lord so that all the world will honor God and worship Him. Surprisingly, God says no. You must continue to lead these people with your example of godliness so that they truly become a godly nation. Saddened, David accepts the Lord’s will. It was a plan that came from a Godly heart, but it was not God’s plan.

Never underestimate the heart. God’s people do not need strength or great resources, God will provide those. They need to be dedicated to the Lord and be open to being His tool in the world. Those who have His heart are the ones that God can use to work in the lives of the community and the nation. God will choose them because their open heart is willing to follow Him and to do His will. It is something that we can develop in our children as well if we want their happiness. God’s heart is the greatest assets that a person can have. Imagine how it would change your life if you were more like David. Think of the mistakes you would not make because you had God’s values. Think of the help and blessings that God could bring into your life because you are now open to following Him and building a relationship with Him. God is looking for people with His heart whom He can love and help all the days of their lives.

Ruth - When you feel like God gave up on you

Focus: Book of Ruth

We have all met people like Tina. In her freshman year of college, she was free of her parents and free to make a lot of bad decisions. There were the parties filled with alcohol and there was the wild boyfriend. She was having the time of her life. Then suddenly she was pregnant and the boyfriend dropped her. All the promise of a great life seemed gone. Seeing no place to go but home, she packed her things and hoped they would accept her. Her parents cried, but they embraced her and welcomed her home. Life could be rebuilt with their love. Ruth is the story of a heavenly Father who embraces a lost family and gives them a future. It shows that our loving Father is always ready to help repair and renew lives.

A series of mistakes Ruth 1:1 - Our story begins with a famine. A man decides to go to a heathen nation with his wife and two children rather than trust that God. He goes to a place where God is not worshiped. This was the first mistake for they abandon God and seek to make things work in their own way. The second mistake is that the sons both take pagan wives. Here was a family that wasn’t just going to live for a little while in this pagan land, but was settling in and living without God.

The courage to return to God Ruth 1:6 God comes to the aid of His people in Judah, but not to the disobedient family in Moab. Those who have left the Lord behind only hear of his blessings but never experience them. The answer is to repent and return. Sadly, Naomi goes home but really doesn’t get it. Her desire was to go home for food and not for God. She will be in the right place for blessing, but she has much to learn and sins to confess.

Giving God the opportunity to help Ruth 2:2 Oddly, it is a pagan woman Ruth who throws herself on God’s mercy. Jewish law said that the poor could glean fields already harvested. It was one of God’s programs for the feeding of the poor. She took the promise of God at His word and gave God an opportunity to work in her life by living in His law and trusting in His mercy. She was not lazy nor proud. She was hardworking and humble and God was more than ready to act.

A new future Ruth 4:17 A son was born named Obed. The child would be able to claim the farmland of Naomi’s husband and would provide food and shelter for Naomi and Ruth. The child would be part of God’s plan to change the world as Obed would have a grandson named King David and a descendant named Jesus. There is no limit to what God can do if people will live with faith. God can take people whose lives are shattered and lift them to places of honor and great joy.

The bible is filled with people who would seem beyond help. There is the thief on the cross, Saul who imprisons Christians and even a tax collector named Matthew. Every one of them seems beyond reclamation, but God lifts them all up because all of them called on Him in faith and changed their lives. We all know people who think that they cannot be reclaimed. They think that God is against them and that the roof would cave in if they walked through these doors. Yet, the story of Ruth shows that God can and would like to reclaim them all. As we read this story, we can get all caught up in the love story of Ruth and Boaz, but that is not the point of the book of Ruth. It is a story of the lost being remade by a loving Father. There is no reason for people to live without hope. 

Book of Judges - Downward Spiral

Focus – book of Judges

There are times that we are doomed to repeat failure again and again. You work out, eat better, and lose 25 pounds. Yet, little by little it came back. Now you have to work at it all over again. The same is true with other behaviors like getting up early, stopping smoking, or cutting back on television. It is easy ot commit to something drastic when there is a crisis, but when things start going well, we fall back in the old habits. Doomed to repeat our failures is the theme of the book of Judges. Over this 330 year period, the people fell away from God, were conquered by a neighboring people, and helped by God only to do it all over again. They just couldn’t remain loyal to God.

Everyone does their own thing - Judges 6:10 Judges begins in the days after Joshua. The conquest of the Promised Land and the miracles that God had done seem long forgotten. The people had shown enormous faith in Joshua’s day. Now, their children had forgotten God and started worshipping the sensuous false gods around them. God rescues them from their enemies and they had believed in Him for a while only to return to their wicked ways. You would have thought that they had learned, but the people were fickle and wanted to do their own thing.

God chooses the weakest to show His greatness Judges 6:15 Yet, when the people cried out, God sent help. God picks a man who is the least in a very weak clan in the nation to save them. He is not the man anyone would have picked, but God did it for a purpose. He wanted everyone to see that salvation would come by God’s power and not because some great warrior came out of the woodwork. Amazingly God is patient and slowly builds Gideon’s faith so that the people can be rescued.

God demonstrates He is worth following Judges 7:7 So Gideon calls for an army and amazingly 32K men showed up to fight the Midian army that had over 200K. God begins to pare down the army to only 300 men. He doesn’t want anyone to say that the army saved them. It was time for them to see what the Lord could do so that they might trust Him. God would defeat this mighty army with just a few men. He would do a miracle so that people might remember what God had done.

Doing their own thing again Judges 8:33 Yet, the death of Gideon brought an end to Godly faith and found the people worshipping Baal again. The people forgot what God had done for them. They went back to their old ways and worshipped gods of clay and wood that they could see instead of the almighty God who had saved them. They wanted gods who would do whatever the people thought was best. The spiral continued and an opportunity for revival is missed.

Judges is the story of a people destined to repeat their pain. They remember God only long enough to call out in their pain. As soon as times get nice, they want to do their own thing. They wanted the pleasures of life and the easy way. God was soon forgotten. And so the cycle will repeat for them. Wanting to live without God, they will live outside His protection. They will live without His wisdom and stuff will just happen. They will find themselves in trouble and wonder why God didn’t protect them. They are fools and doomed to repeat disasters through life. The wise will build a lasting relationship with the Lord that carries through good and bad times. They will let the Lord guide and protect them. They will lean on Him and learn from Him. God’s dream for His people still has this same struggle today. 

Joseph - Put down the selfie stick

Focus: Genesis 37-50

Athletes have them. Politicians have them. Even high school graduates sometimes have them. They all have dreams. It may be to win the World Series or to make lots of money as a doctor. Yet the problem with many of those pictures is that they are all about the dreamer. Great dreams include others. It is the person who wants to find a spouse and have a family. It is the person who wants to find a cure for cancer or feed the hungry in a third world country. These require surrendering something of ourselves for the good of others. Joseph starts with a dream that is all about him like a picture taken with a selfie stick. God gives him a big picture dream that will change the history of the world. His life is a lesson in why we need to stop focusing on ourselves and look at God’s big dreams for us. 

Taking a kingly selfie Gen. 37:9 He is the arrogant seventeen year old son of Jacob. He is not afraid to snitch on his brothers because he is a teenager who thinks he knows it all. He has two self-centered dreams picturing his family bowing down to him as if he is the king.  He shows his immaturity by rubbing his brother’s faces in this self-portrait instead of keeping the dreams to himself. His pride shows that he is not yet ready to be a leader in the family.

In a prison photo Gen. 37: 27 His brothers hate him for his arrogant dreams. When Jacob sends Joseph to report about his brothers, the brothers bind him and sell him as a slave to traders in a caravan bound for Egypt. So much for the self-proclaimed king. In Egypt, he is falsely accused, thrown in prison and forgotten. His conceit has taken him from prince to dungeon. Thirteen years of hardship will mold him and refine him into a useful tool for the Lord.

The big picture Gen 41:25 God sends Pharaoh a dream of warning. Seven healthy cows are eaten by seven sickly cows. No one is able to interpret the dream. Suddenly, someone remembers Joseph. A humble Joseph gives God the credit and offers to give God’s message to Pharaoh. He tells the Pharaoh that there will be seven good years and seven years of famine. His words will save the Egyptian people from starvation. Because of the importance of the task, Pharaoh gives him the assignment of putting God’s dream into practice.

A family photo Gen 45:7 For seven years, the harvest is abundant, but then the years of famine come. Jacob and his sons need food or they will die. Now, fifteen years after they last saw Joseph, the brothers bow before him and ask for food just like his dream of long ago. On the second visit, Joseph reveals himself and forgives them. Hardship has changed Joseph into a humble servant. He feeds them all and makes them a home in the best part of Egypt. Joseph has given up his dream for God’s dream.

Joseph’s original dreams were like selfie stick photos taken at the expense of others. God used hardship to refine Joseph so that the arrogant young man matured into a meek servant who would save his people and the nation of Egypt from famine. God will break into our dreams of self glory. He will let those dreams crumble and blow like dust in the wind. Those who listen to the Lord will become people whom the Lord can use for greater dreams. Put down your selfie stick for God has something better. He will make us part of the big picture so we can impact the world in which we live. If you swap your dreams for His, you can see a brighter picture develop around you.

Jesus' miracles: Failure begins with "we"

Focus passage: Mark 9:14-29

Joe began the men’s club meeting with a sigh. Only three people had shown up again. What was the use of even trying to hold the meeting? There weren’t enough people to get anything done. He remembered just a few years ago when the group numbered twenty each month. Now look at it. Some had suggested that the whole group disband, but Joe enjoyed the fellowship with the few who still came. This was a good group of men. There just weren’t many of them. What should they do to make it better? Why can’t we succeed like we did before? It was in such chaos that Jesus miraculously triumphed.

·         Disciples are overwhelmed v. 14. Not that long ago, the disciples had cast out demons easily. Now they were overwhelmed with the father screaming at them to do something, the son out of control and the teachers of the law-mocking their failed attempts. It was chaos as their ministry failed and they wondered what to do next.

·         Child’s father is lost in doubt v.22. The father has his own demons inside to deal with. Disappointed and defeated, he is angry at the disciples and at God. Can anyone please help my son? He pleads with Jesus but is unsure that Jesus can do anything against such a powerful demon. He longs for help, but doubts that help is coming for his son’s condition. His mind is in conflict as he wonders what to do next.

·         Jesus flexes His muscles v. 25. Jesus takes control before things get out of hand. Withdrawing from the crowd, Jesus issues a simple command forcing the demon out of the boy. It is hardly a fair fight. The Lord of the Universe speaks and everyone must obey. Jesus does not argue with their frustrations or fears. He demonstrates why they should have relied on Him.

There are times many of us feel like our lives are shattered and lying on the floor. The “demons” in your life are getting the best of you. Our first question is often “What are we going to do?” Sadly, that is the wrong question. The turning point for the father was when he believed in the power and promise of Jesus.

Frustrated with the low attendance, Joe began to cry and then he began to pray. He prayed for the men’s group. He prayed that the group would be blessed by the Holy Spirit so that they touched the hearts of people who were missing and their friends who were going through difficult times. God began to do miracles and the group slowly grew. It was all a matter of what “God” could do and not what “we” can do.  

Jesus' miracles: Seeing Clearly

Focus passage: Mark 8:19-30

Jesus had used five loaves to feed 5000 people and seven loaves to feed 4000 people. Yet, it was clear that the disciples did not understand what Jesus had done. He is frustrated at the limits of their faith. Sadly, people still experience such immature faith today. Weak faith must grow to grasp what it means to be a disciple of Jesus. You grow in knowledge, but more important you have to grow in your ability to serve and to witness to others. Jesus heals a blind man in stages paralleling the disciple’s statements of faith in the verses following the miracle. 

Faith begins with fuzzy sight v.24. The first time that the man is touched, he can see with unclearly. He can see people, but they look indistinct like trees walking around. When Jesus asks later in the text who people say that He is, the answer is again fuzzy sight. People see Jesus as a man from God, but none of those see Him clearly as Savior or Messiah. Their vision is still unclear.

Faith can become clearer v.25 Jesus touches the man’s eyes once more and the man can now see clearly. His sight is fully restored. He is a living object lesson for the disciples. Later, when Jesus asks Peter about His identity, Peter says clearly that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah. His faith has grown by watching Jesus heal the blind and by listening to His teaching. He now has a vision of Jesus as the special one of God.

Yet not everyone is ready to see v.26 The man who was blind was sent home so he could go to his own village and show them what Jesus had done. The village of Bethsaida was not ready, but his family would be touched by this healing and grow in their faith. Later, Peter is also told to tell no one that Jesus was the Christ. The people were not ready. People were looking for a Messiah who would be king and not a savior. The crowds would have to grow in their faith before their sight could be clear.

The more time we spend with Jesus, the clearer our faith and sight becomes. Faith comes in stages so that we will never see it all. The joy of being a Christian is in the journey. It is in learning more about your Lord each day and seeing things that God has revealed just to you. It is the close fellowship that you have with this Lord who will teach you and work with you to help others. In the end, you will be different just as the disciples became different. They could sing when life was a struggle. They could lead others and people would follow. Clear vision impacted their lives and the lives of all the people close to them.

Jesus' miracles: Great Provider

Focus passage: Mark 8:1-9

It sent a shudder down his back. Steve had been in this waiting room’s padded chair before looking at his reflection in the buffed floor. He even remembered the people’s footsteps in the hallway to his left. His wife had woken with chest pains. Here in the hospital waiting room, he was terrified. Would it be a heart attack like last time? Would she need surgery again? The memories flooded back over him. He began to pray and a different kind of memory surrounded his fears. Last time when there was little chance of recovery, the Lord had worked a miracle. Suddenly, he could feel God’s presence. He was not alone. God was there at his side. There is power in remembering what God can do. Sadly, the disciples did not remember what Jesus was capable of. 

Jesus was filled with compassion v.2 The number of people was large and the options for food were small. He felt their need and wanted to show compassion. The eyes of a lame beggar or the cry of the leper in the distance always made Jesus stop. His heart went out to them and gave them hope. The first thing we should always remember when we face a crisis is the love and compassion of Jesus.

The disciples focused on the problem and not on Jesus v. 4 The place was remote. The crowd was large. The disciples forgot Jesus’ power and repeated the wrong answers they had given at the feeding of the 5000. Standing in front of the answer to the problem, they failed to remember what Jesus had done before. They forgot that there was nothing Jesus couldn’t do. 

Jesus again showed them what God can do v.8 He must have been saddened by their response. Once again, Jesus told the disciples to pass out the seven loaves and a few fish to the people as they had done before. Once again, everyone had more food than they needed. God was generous. Every person was satisfied and their basketfuls of leftovers. God exceeded their expectations.

There is power in remembering. As we look at our hands and wallets, there is never enough. As we look at the hands of Jesus, even a little is more than enough. Miracles depend on Him and not us. God doesn’t want our resources to be adequate. He wants us to lean on Him and depend on Him to do miracles in our lives. He wants us to see that it is not what is in our hands that matters, but what His hands can do. When Steve’s grown daughters joined him at the hospital, they were all in tears. He embraced each of them and felt their pain. He prayed with them and began to recount the story of their mother’s earlier heart attack. Then he asked them to remember how God had healed their mom and to trust that God could do the same this time. The family bowed their head and prayed. Now there were four waiting in padded chairs for a miracle.

Jesus' miracles: Simply Amazing

Focus passage: Mark 6:45-56

Bob sat and just stared out the window. He wanted to be anywhere but sitting at the kitchen table this morning. The hospital bills were piled high and he wasn’t sure how to pay them all. The doctor said Bob’s wife Judy was doing better, but Bob couldn’t see it. With his head in his hands, he felt helpless. He began to cry as he prayed to Jesus. Why Lord? Don’t you care about us? Give me a sign so that I know what to do. As he prayed, he opened up the Bible and came to the story of the disciples helpless in the boat. In the margin of his bible, he had written “Helplessness can teach us to lean on Jesus. He began to pray for Jesus’ help.  

·         They were straining and getting nowhere v.48a It had been a long day watching Jesus teach the people along the remote eastern shore of the lake. His miracle of feeding the 5000 had excited the people and so Jesus had sent the disciples away because he feared the crowds. It had seemed like a good idea, but the seas had become rough and they strained at the oars. They had rowed for hours in the darkness and made no progress. Why did you leave us Lord? We are so tired.

·         Everything has turned against them v.48b It had been going so well. The disciples had successfully healed the sick and cast out demons. The time on the eastern shore was to be a time of rest and teaching. The quiet was destroyed with 5000 men and their families coming to this remote place to see Jesus. Now the sea had turned against them. With the wind in their face, the experienced fishermen began to wonder if they would live to see the other side. They had felt so powerful working at Jesus’ side, now they were helpless scared.

·         They felt like Jesus didn’t care v.48c Sometime after 3 AM, Jesus passed in front of the boat so that they could see Him and take comfort. Jesus had seen how desperate they where and had come to help. Sadly, it never occurred to them that it was Jesus. They were not expecting Him to have power over the seas. In the darkness with the first light over the horizon, they thought that they had seen a ghost. Perhaps it was the grim reaper ready to take them to death. Instead reaching out, they were afraid and cried out for their lives.

Sometimes, we have to recognize our helplessness so that we will turn to the only one who can give us real help – Jesus. It was in the boat that the disciples learned to trust Jesus. In their time of helplessness, Jesus called to them from the water letting them hear his familiar voice and calming their fears. The overconfident disciples had become helpless enough to need Jesus. His presence encouraged them and helped them to see that everything was not lost. The moment that Bob opened his bible and saw the words “Helplessness can teach us to lean on Jesus”, his mood began to change. It was the familiar voice of the savior crying out to him that he was not alone. It was time to trust Jesus and to ask Jesus to help instead of just trying to push the oars by himself. Jesus could calm any storm.

Jesus' miracles: Desperate to Daughter

Focus passage: Mark 5:25-34

We bow our head in anguish. We are desperate and nothing is turning out right. Life seems overwhelmed with problems that just don’t seem to have any answers. Illness, job loss, or divorce break us till we despair that life might as well be over. We are angry with the world and can be angry with God. This shouldn’t happen to me. Why is it so easy for everyone else and so hard for me? We can live in our self-pity or we can turn to the Lord. Desperation is like the desert. The heat of life takes away all your strength. You can either turn toward God and let Him guide you through your troubles or you can turn from Him and wander till the troubles dry up your soul. Jesus wants to turn the "desperate" into "daughters and sons" of God. 

She didn’t feel good enough to talk to Jesus v. 28:  She was a woman with lots of problems and no answers. She had spent all she had and was left broken and in pain. She couldn’t ask him for healing like thousands of others because she was unclean according to Mosaic Law. Yet, she believed that she would be healed if she could just touch Jesus. He could help her where others had not been able. 

Jesus wants to lift her soul v. 32: Jesus could have just let her slip away. While there was an important ministry to do with Jairus since his daughter was dying, Jesus would not let her go. He wanted to be more than just a healer. He wanted to be her savior and her friend. He stopped the crowd so He could heal her doubts and pain as well as her body. He wanted everyone to know that she had been healed so she could lead a normal life.

A new relationship is born v. 34: She had faith in a healer. Jesus wants her to have faith in a friend. This is the only place Jesus calls someone daughter in the gospels. A new relationship had been born. She had fallen at His feet in fear afraid He would be mad at what she had done. He instead calls her daughter and tells her to go in peace. You were an outcast and now people will call you blessed. You were an unknown, but now your story will be told for centuries to come. He didn’t just heal her, he gave her a new life. 

The question in life is whether we are desperate enough to turn to Jesus. Do we believe that He can and will help us when life overwhelms us and sucks all the energy out of us? A stroll through the gospels tells us how eager Jesus was to heal people. He healed their bodies from illness and He healed their souls so that they could live a full life again. The woman reached out in faith and Jesus reached back in love. There is no reason for anyone to in bondage to their problems. Our Lord will never turn away the desperate who come to Him in faith. He will heal them inside and out. 

Jesus' miracles: Giving a Greater Gift

Sometimes the greatest gift you can give a person is to lift them up and not just to solve their problems. Jesus was always in tune with both the body and the soul. As we come to Him we find full healing for all our needs.

Focus passage: Mark 2:1-12

The ministry of Jesus had grown as he traveled the countryside healing people of various diseases and casting out demons. As His popularity grew, people had begun to push and shove to see Him. The house was packed with people who wanted to see this miracle worker and hoped to see a marvelous healing firsthand. Yet, there was a greater need than just healing bodies wracked with pain. He had come to heal the soul with His message. When people opened up the roof and dropped a paralyzed man into the midst of the crowd, Jesus had a chance to do more than just heal the body.

 Jesus looked up (v.4). Jesus’ teaching was interrupted as everyone watched the man being lowered into the room. The crowd saw an interruption. What Jesus saw was extraordinary faith from four friends who were certain that Jesus could heal their friend and who were letting nothing stop their friend from coming before Jesus.

Jesus looked down (v.5). The crowd saw a broken body. Jesus saw a broken spirit. Here was a man who needed the soul healed before the body would find the healing that it needed. Jesus began by forgiving the man’s sins. The man needed to be at peace with God before any physical healing could be lasting. Jesus began with the deeper need that only He could see.

Jesus looked around (v.8). As Jesus looked around, He saw only doubt. The crowd rejected His ability to forgive the man and heal the soul. As a demonstration of His almighty power, He addressed their doubt by healing the man before their eyes. They could not see the forgiveness, but they could see the miraculous healing. He wanted them all to know that He could heal the soul as well as the body.

The greatest miracle that day was not the healing of the body, but the healing of the soul. Any doctor can help the body, but only Jesus could save the soul with the forgiveness He would win from the cross. Sometimes the body is wracked with pain because the mind and soul are not healthy. As Christians, we should help others with their bodily needs like food or shelter, but the greatest gift we often can give is to share the Bible with them or pray with them so that they can have the healing power of Jesus for their soul. That is the greater gift and is the gift that only Christians can offer.  

Abraham: 12 A Great God Deserves Great People

How Christians live reflect on the reputation of God. If we do not believe in God, how can we expect others to believe in Him? If we do not live lives of value and character, why would anyone want to be a Christian? Abraham is honored because he did show the greatness of God in his life. Below is a summary of a devotion from 32 days with Abraham by Mark Etter. You can have the full devotion by clicking here. You can have a sample of three full devotions from the book and one of the Bible studies by clicking here. The whole book is available on Amazon.com as a softcover book or for kindle.

Focus Passage: Genesis 17: 1-14

There can be no doubt that we have an Almighty God. Yet, our world often doesn’t see Him that way. They see His church and it seems to them lifeless and empty. A great God will be shown to the world by great people. God reveals Himself to us as the one who is all sufficient and calls His children to show His greatness to the world. “I am the Lord Almighty, walk before me and be blameless.” (v.1)  Thirteen years before this, Abram and Sarai had tried to make God’s promises come true by their own hand. The time had come for God to show the world through Abram and Sarai exactly how great He really was.

God begins the revelation by reaffirming the promises made almost twenty-five years before. “As for me, this is my covenant with you. You will be the father of many nations.” (v.4) Abram may have begun to give up on ever seeing the promises come true, but God had not forgotten them. God reaffirms the promise of a great host of descendants. Nothing that Abram or his descendants can do will change those promises. God has spoken. It will happen.

The promise of land was based solely on the grace and love of God. Yet, Abraham and the Jews would enjoy the land only if they were faithful to the Lord. “As for you, you must keep my covenant, you and your descendants after you for the generations to come.” (v.9)  A great God deserved a people willing to worship Him and show Him to the world. If they did this, they would enjoy the blessings that God had in store for them as His people. 

A great God deserves great people. Most of us can think of at least one Christian whose faith shines with character and love. These were people who reflected God. We admired them and wanted to be like them. What would your world be like if the majority of Christians you knew lived with values, character, and love? How would that impact the level of joy in the church, in their families and in their communities? How would it change the world’s view of God? Abraham is beloved in his day and in ours because he shows the character of the Lord. As you and I walk with the Lord and live with His character, we can show Him to the world and let them see why we believe in and love our God. We can let our world know just how great our God really is.

     What is one thing that you can do today or this week to strengthen your walk with the Lord?

Abraham: 10 Waiting For Heaven

How long would you wait for God to keep His promises? When do you give up and just feel that “God must not want this or that to happen?” Often times we give up when God doesn’t answer or prayers in a few days. Abraham gives up after 10 years and finds his own solution. It is a solution that brought him a lot of problems. Below is a summary of a devotion from 32 days with Abraham by Mark Etter. You can have the full devotion by clicking here. You can have a sample of three full devotions from the book and one of the Bible studies by clicking here. The whole book is available on Amazon.com as a softcover book or for kindle.

Focus Passage: Genesis 16: 1-4

Waiting can be one of the hardest things that we have to do as a Christian. We believe that the Lord has a plan for us, but it is hard to see an unseen God at work. It is hard to wait for a God who thinks in centuries when we think in hours or days. It has been ten years since Abram first came to Palestine. Yet, at the age of 85, we are told, “Now Sarai, Abram’s wife had borne him no children.” (v.1)  I picture Abram praying and pleading with God for the promise to be fulfilled.

Sarai hatched a plan that would solve their dilemma. She makes the sacrifice and takes ‘her Egyptian maidservant Hagar and gave her to her husband to be his wife.” (v.3). Hagar would bear the child that would fulfill the promises. All the promises that God had made to Abram could now come true. She will step aside in order that her husband may have his heir. Sadly, solutions that do not include God are often a formula for disaster.

Her plan has unintended consequences. The maid who has now become the second wife has an attitude. “When she knew she was pregnant, she began to despise her mistress.” (v.4) As the mother of the heir, Hagar felt like she deserved special treatment. She, not Sarai, would be the mistress of the household. Sarai, however, would not tolerate such feelings and pushed back.

Patience and trust are interlocked. Our struggle in life comes when we don’t believe that God is still at work on our behalf. We are waiting “at the gate” so to speak and the answer doesn’t seem to be coming. The household will be the place of an uneasy truce for years with bitterness as a constant companion. As you think of short-circuiting God’s plans because they don’t come soon enough, ask yourself what heartache you are creating for yourself in the years to come. 

·         As you look back on your life and ministry, when have you been tempted to make God promises happen faster?  What was the result?

Abraham: 8 Fear Can Follow Success

Have you ever waited for things to fail? Ministry is humming and life can’t get better and yet you just are afraid that things are going to fall apart. If so, meet Abram. He just won a major battle to save Lot and now he is afraid of what may happen. Below is a summary of a devotion from 32 days with Abraham by Mark Etter. You can have the full devotion by clicking here. You can have a sample of three full devotions from the book and one of the Bible studies by clicking here. The whole book is available on Amazon.com as a softcover book or for kindle.

Focus Passage: Gen. 15:1-6

  We used to call it “waiting for the other shoe to drop”. Things were going so well that we were just waiting for something bad to happen. Many of the biblical characters like David in the Psalms or Jeremiah in his prophecy shared honestly with God how they felt. Abram had those feelings. His heart was torn with fear and so God came to comfort him. The armies that he defeated were big, but God is bigger. “Don’t be afraid, Abram. I am your shield” (v.1) was God’s comfort. The world around you is big and dangerous, Abram, but you can trust your God to protect you.

As Lot went back to Sodom, it became apparent that Lot would never be the heir that God had promised. Abram confesses to the Lord his second fear “I remain childless” (v.2). Abram was getting old and the child had not yet come. How would the promises be fulfilled? How would his descendants inherit this land or make him a blessing to the whole world if there was not even a single son? In an act of love, God does not rebuke His servant. He simply reminds Abram that the promise is still intact

What is the key to defeating Satan when he wants failure to follow success? “Abram believed the Lord and he credited it to him as righteousness.”(v.6)  Open yourself up to the Lord as Abram did and believe the promises that God has made to you in His word. We are not saved by making promises to God, but by believing the promises that He has made to us.

How would life change if your fears changed to faith? You would spend less time worrying after a great success about what could go wrong. The joy of the Lord is stronger than the worries of the evil one. Like Abram, our weapon against worry is to listen to God. Read your Bible and let your loving God speak to your fears. Pray about them like Nehemiah, David or others have done so that your Lord can comfort you and push Satan’s worries away. It is natural to fear. It is harder to have faith.

·         What are you worrying about right now? What help could seek from God for those worries? 

Abraham: 6 Who controls your Fate?

One of the greatest determiners of your future is who you associate with. We often think that we can live a wild life and never pay the penalty for it. Abraham’s nephew lot shows us the folly of such ideas. Abraham has to rescue him from himself. Below is a summary of a devotion from 32 days with Abraham by Mark Etter. You can have the full devotion by clicking here. You can have a sample of three full devotions from the book and one of the Bible studies by clicking here. The whole book is available on Amazon.com as a softcover book or for kindle.

Focus Passage: Gen. 14:1-13

Your friends determine your fate. If you don’t believe it, look at your kids. The friends that your children choose determine their future. Let a child get in with the wrong group and you will have nothing but trouble. It really is no different for adults. Adults who frequent the bars or hang around with people who have trouble holding down a job will be pulled down by their friends. This is the first battle mentioned in the Bible. Its importance is its strong connection to Abram and Lot. The five cities of the plains rebel against their masters, the four cities of the east. “the king of Sodom . . . marched out and drew up their battle lines.” (v.8) The conquering army takes the goods and food of Sodom and Gomorrah as they depart. Such bounty was used to pay for and feed their troops.

Lot had moved from outside the city (13:12) to moving into the city (14:12). Now he would share their fate. “They also carried off Abram’s nephew Lot and his possessions.” (v.12) He would pay the price for their loss because he had now become one of them. He had thrown his portion in with Sodom and now was reaping the fruit of his choices. The capture of Lot demonstrates that you will share the fate of those who you call friends.

At first, while the battle is raging in the valley below, Abram is living safely up in the hills of Palestine. “Now Abram was living near the great trees of Mamre the Amorite.”(v.13) The battle never threatens his flocks or his people. Having never allied himself with the people of Sodom, he and his people were safe up on the hill and were unaffected by the battle below. He had cast his portion with the Lord.

Who do you associate with? No one can enter the house of the worldly and not be untouched. Their fate will affect your work, your family, and your life. They may lure you in with their riches or excitement, but you will also share in their destiny. We cannot expect God to protect us from harm when we try to live in the wild animal’s den. We do have a choice. We can live safely in the hills with God or dare to live in the midst of evil. As you think of your own life, consider how it would be blessed if you sought out Godly friends who could nurture you and help you draw closer to the Lord. 

• ·         Which of your friends tend to bring out the best in you? How could you develop those relationships so that they lift you even higher?

Abraham: 4 Humble choices

How do you keep money from dividing friends and family? How do you counter a family member’s greed and selfishness? The costs can be great when a family divides over money. Abraham shows us how to overcome disaster by making humble choices. Below is a summary of a devotion from 32 days with Abraham by Mark Etter. You can have the full devotion by clicking here. You can have a sample of three full devotions from the book and one of the Bible studies by clicking here. The whole book is available on Amazon.com as a softcover book or for kindle. For more information on the book, click here. 

Focus Passage: Genesis 13: 1-13

Money can wreck a family. I have watched children fight over their parent’s inheritance even before the funeral is over. I have seen husbands and wives fight over the checkbook. All of us have seen a child pout when he can’t have a toy he saw on television or in the store. It is all about selfishness. Abram and Lot left Egypt as wealthy men. The pharaoh had given them flocks, servants, and camels. When they returned, their success caused a new problem; “the land would not support them.” (v.6) The land simply could no longer handle their combined wealth. The great wealth has caused a rift in the family and a dispute that just won’t go away.

1. Abram is determined to be a peacemaker. The family was obviously important to Abram and Lot was his only family member. He tells Lot, “Let’s not have any quarreling between you and me.”(v.8)  . Instead of dividing the land and ordering Lot and his men to take the share he gives them, he humbly lets Lot make the choice of how the land will be divided.

2. Lot seized the opportunity and grabbed what he considered to be the better land. The text says that “Lot looked up and saw that the plain of the Jordan was well watered . . . like the land of Egypt.” (v.10) His heart was centered on wealth and the prospect of a better life. In his eyes, the valley looked like the Nile valley of Egypt that he had left behind.

3. Abram thinks of the family, but Lot thinks of himself. When anyone thinks like Lot, it leaves everyone broken. Lawsuits are threatened and relationships are damaged for a long time. The miracle of our Lord is that it takes just one person, like Abram, to live humbly and diffuse the situation. What if we change the future of our families by sharing instead of fighting? Family unity would be preserved and the others would be amazed at the love shown by this Christian family. God would be honored and the family would be stronger. Godly humility can change the future.

• Who have you quarreled with recently?  If you could ask God to change one thing in that relationship, what would it be?

Parables of Jesus: Are You Prepared?

Focus passage: Matthew 25:1-13

John just lost his job and sees no future. He wants to pray and ask God for help, but it has been a long time since he was in church. What would you do if a crisis hit you? Are you spiritually prepared for the tough times?

Tom and Jerry were two brothers that owned a wildly successful dot com company. They were both members of the local Lutheran church and were serving as elders together. The only difference between the brothers was that Jerry was in Bible study and Tom was not. Then the bubble burst. The company that they owned was in danger of folding. Tom began to worry. Jerry began to pray. Tom’s marriage started falling apart. Jerry’s marriage seemed stronger than ever. What was the difference between the two brothers? It was all about faith. How would you respond if God took too long to help you in your crisis?

The foolish aren’t prepared when answers take too long v.8 The foolish virgins would have been ok if the bridegroom had come quickly. They had enough oil at first, but it started failing them as the bridegroom delayed. They were not prepared to wait. A crisis will show how strong your relationship with God really is. If you have weak faith, you may have a false idea of what God will do in your life.

Foolish hearts grow dim and the flame goes out v.10a The waiting had let the flames grow dim and the oil run out. They tried to beg oil off the others, but you can’t borrow another’s oil. They tried to run for more oil, but time run out. When troubles come, shallow faith can’t endure the troubles. You ask others to pray for you, but you have not built your own relationship with God and so the crisis overcomes you and leaves you without hope.

The wise have prepared and are sustained by the Holy Spirit v.7 The wise virgins had brought extra oil with them. They had known that it sometimes takes longer than you want for the bridegroom to come. It was not a problem; they were ready. A wise Christian with a deep reservoir of faith knows that you can’t and don’t want to leave the Lord. You trust him to help you in the crisis. Faith tells you that God is near and that things will be OK.

The wise wait for the Lord and receive his blessings v. 10b The wise virgins relit their lamps and continued to wait. When the bridegroom came, they were ready to follow him and enjoy the celebration of his love. The wise build a close relationship with the Lord by bible study and prayer They will cling to the Lord and know that he alone can help them with all their needs and help them. through every problem. They will wait and trust for they know their Lord will not let them down.

It doesn’t take much faith when times are good All ten virgins are excited about the coming wedding. It is easy to love the Lord when everything seems good. Troubles can come at any time or any hour. If our faith is shallow when trials come, we will doubt God and grow angry with him and may lose our faith. If our faith is deep and our reservoir of Holy Spirit Oil is full, we will grow and thrive in tough times for the faith is part of the armor of God which we are to all have. The call is to have a reservoir of faith to give us strength while we wait for the Lord’s answers. When you know the Lord and have the power of the cross and the oil of the Holy Spirit, even the worst crisis can not destroy you.