Jesus on Board 11/19/2015

"And there arose a fierce gale of wind, and the waves were breaking over the boat so much that the boat was already filling up.  Jesus Himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke Him and said to Him, 'Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?' And He got up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, 'Hush, be still.'  And the wind died down and it became perfectly calm."  Mark 4:37-39

Though it was an actual event (as opposed to one of the many parables Jesus had just spent a day preaching), there are arguable more profound lessons to be gleaned from this famous passage of scripture than the parables he so recently shared near the shore.

First, it is no revelation to know and understand that storms come into all of our lives.  Being a Christian neither guarantees nor implies a life free of concerns, difficulties and unfortunate circumstances.  In fact, Christ often said that the way would be perilous and fraught with challenges.

Second, when these storms come, take note of your surroundings.  No one has to tell you that you are in a storm when it arrives.  In fact, you may have to tell others.  Two important things should be noticed, however.  The first, as was the case with the apostles, is that you are in a boat.  While it is true that the storm sometimes threatens to overtake the boat,  the alternative here is that we could be in the midst of the sea without a boat, a situation that would be exponentially worse.  Second, note that the storm does not overtake the boat but that the boat is afloat.  The lesson here is that though our circumstances may rage around us and though we may feel in peril of our very lives, at that moment, we are not consumed but sustained.

Most important of all, Jesus was on board throughout the storm.  Yes he was asleep but I submit to you that it was because he was tired from doing the Father's work of caring for us all day.  More worthy of note, however, is the fact that he had no concern or fear about a storm that was raging on the earth that he made!  There was zero chance that Jesus would perish and if it was true for him in that circumstance, it was true of all of those who were with him.

Beloved, our storms can be awfully fearsome things.  We often panic, lose faith, give up hope and sometimes even want to jump out of a perfectly good floating boat.  Let us be reminded that with Jesus on board, we simply need to exchange our fear for faith.  It is Jesus and only Jesus that has truthfully said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you" Heb 13:5.  Further, know that faith conquers fear but only in proportion to its strength.  We just need to make sure that we have invited Jesus aboard the boat of our lives.

Increasing in faith,

Lee

Tear the Roof Off-7/12/2011

"Being unable to get to Him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above Him; and when they had dug an opening, they let down the pallet on which the paralytic was lying." Mark 2:4

Human beings are amazingly resourceful and resilient. There are ways found to do just about anything. We investigate, analyze, solve, plan, execute and evaluate. Most every problem that faces us is eventually solved. We then pass along the solution to others and set ourselves to tackle the next obstacle.

As Jesus was in a home sharing wisdom and knowledge, a few friends desired to see him in order to obtain healing for one of their number who was afflicted with a palsy. He was unable to get himself to Jesus. When they arrived and could not gain entrance because of the crowd, they put their heads together and found a way to get to the Lord.

Beloved, we should all use the resourcefulness that God gave us to get to Him. It was all to easy for humankind to leave Him. From that very time He has been making ways for us to be returned, reconciled and reunited. Having been advised that there is a way, we must overcome all obstacles to get to Him. We find ways to accomplish so many things that do not contribute to our salvation. Why not do similarly for that which does?

It also seen in this passage that there was an effort to deliver someone who could not deliver himself. The Christian must be willing to overcome obstacles to getting others to Christ as well. Once we have been saved, it becomes a priority to conduct others to salvation as well. Through their own circumstances, they may be hindered from seeking and gaining him on their own...perhaps as some of us may have been.

Let us tear the roof off if we must, but let nothing stand between us, our duty and our Lord.

Loving Like Jesus,

Lee

Keeping the Habit Kicked-DD 3/2/2011

"Now when the unclean spirit goes out of a man, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and does not find it. "Then it says, 'I will return to my house from which I came'; and when it comes, it finds it unoccupied, swept, and put in order. "Then it goes and takes along with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there; and the last state of that man becomes worse than the first." Matt 12:43-45

Most of us know what it is like to overcome something. Some come to the faith by leaving a bottle or drugs, others bad relationships, others still, a life of crime or some other bad and destructive habit. We were saved from ourselves and our own bad decisions by the grace of God.

Many of us likewise know what it is like to continue to struggle with our past. Some, unfortunately, are overtaken and captured by that past and made to be worse off than they ever were before.

Beloved, when our lives are swept clean and we are given a fresh start, a recipe for failure is neglecting to fill the holes that were left by the destructive elements' departure. We must replace the negative with the positive, the dirty with the clean, the bad with the good. Study of the word, prayer, fellowship, worship attendance and even acting as a sponsor or mentor to someone who is going through what you have been delivered from are all great things to fill those spaces. It is those who have been tested that have the greatest testimony. Let us not allow Satan back into our lives once he has been successfully evicted.

Loving Like Jesus,

Lee