"And the same day, when the even was come, he saith unto them, Let us pass over unto the other side." Mark 4:35
If you recognized this story from the scripture above, you'll remember that this was the time when Jesus and His disciples were in the boat heading to Gadara and a storm came up that threatened to destroy them. When they got in the boat, Jesus told them that they were going to the other side. When He told them this, He was telling them what His plan was-- go to the other side. He also was giving them a command to take Him to the other side of the sea. This was the "mission" that Jesus had given them. It was their task to get Jesus to the other side so that He could fulfill the plan of the Father once He got there.
I said it was "their task to get Jesus there" because we all know that boats don't guide themselves. Some one has to be hoisting the sails and attending the oars. Boats don't just "drift" and happen to make their intended destination. Some one has to be piloting them.
Jesus had a plan to fulfill and the disciples were to take Him to the place where it could be fulfilled. Now, I have been very wordy to get to this point. We have a task- or assignment- to "take Jesus to the other side". It is our job to get Him from one place to another (Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and the uttermost parts of the world) so that God's plan might be fulfilled in the earth. He gave us the commission and He gave us the message-- Jesus.
Are you fulfilling the commission you have been given? Are you taking Jesus to the "other side"- to your family, friends, coworkers, neighbors, classmates, etc.? Are you letting the storms of life, the trying times or the fierce winds stop you? They will come, they did that evening to Jesus and His disciples. The enemy is always trying to kill and destroy us, but we can't let anything stop us. We have to keep going on in faith and rebuke the hindering circumstances.
When they got to the other side, a man who was possessed with a legion of demons was gloriously delivered, set free and restored to "life". People like him still exist today- the lost, the bound, the infirmed, the hopeless and so on. They need Jesus and someone needs to take Him to them.
Have a great day. You have been given the commission to "take Jesus to the other side"...are you?
For further reading:
Mark 4:35-39
Acts 1:8
Mark 16:15
Romans 10:14
Friday, January 22, 2010
Thursday, January 21, 2010
"A Prepared Place"
"But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him." 1 Corinthians 2:9
When we read this verse, we usually think about the place the Lord is preparing for us in heaven. Certainly, it is a place so beautiful, so glorious, so unlike this world that we can't define or describe it accurately. Who can imagine, without actually seeing it, what the streets of gold, gates of pearl, mansions and the rainbow around the throne of God really look like.
But this verse is also talking about the "here and now". God has prepared some things for us while we are still here in this world. (That's part of the abundant life that Jesus was talking about.) For one, He has prepared a place of peace and rest for us. When the plagues were falling on Egypt, God had prepared a place called Goshen for the Israelites to dwell in. The Bible records that while the Egyptians were suffering because of the plagues the Israelites were dwelling in safety. The plagues weren't touching them. They were in a place of peace and rest. They could relax in their homes with no fear that the plagues were going to destroy them.
Jesus showed us first hand what this place looked like one night when He and the disciples were in a boat crossing the sea and a violent storm came up. Where was this place? Was there a cabin on the boat and He was safely below deck? No, the place was a place of peace and rest that He found in the Father. The waves were beating upon the boat, the boat was being tossed on the sea, water was filling the boat, but Jesus was asleep through it all- until the disciples woke Him up. How could He sleep through a storm? Because He had found that place of peace and rest that God had prepared.
Have you found that place? Are you at peace when you see the "plagues of crisis" that are coming on the world? Are you resting in faith and confidence that the storm that is hitting your life will not drown you nor destroy you? That place of peace and rest that God has prepared for those that love Him is found in Him. He is our safe refuge- our place of peace and rest.
Have a great day. God has prepared a place for those who love Him here and now... and in heaven.
For further reading:
John 10:10
Exodus 8:21-23: 9:26
Mark 4:37-39
Psalm 4:8
Psalm 91
When we read this verse, we usually think about the place the Lord is preparing for us in heaven. Certainly, it is a place so beautiful, so glorious, so unlike this world that we can't define or describe it accurately. Who can imagine, without actually seeing it, what the streets of gold, gates of pearl, mansions and the rainbow around the throne of God really look like.
But this verse is also talking about the "here and now". God has prepared some things for us while we are still here in this world. (That's part of the abundant life that Jesus was talking about.) For one, He has prepared a place of peace and rest for us. When the plagues were falling on Egypt, God had prepared a place called Goshen for the Israelites to dwell in. The Bible records that while the Egyptians were suffering because of the plagues the Israelites were dwelling in safety. The plagues weren't touching them. They were in a place of peace and rest. They could relax in their homes with no fear that the plagues were going to destroy them.
Jesus showed us first hand what this place looked like one night when He and the disciples were in a boat crossing the sea and a violent storm came up. Where was this place? Was there a cabin on the boat and He was safely below deck? No, the place was a place of peace and rest that He found in the Father. The waves were beating upon the boat, the boat was being tossed on the sea, water was filling the boat, but Jesus was asleep through it all- until the disciples woke Him up. How could He sleep through a storm? Because He had found that place of peace and rest that God had prepared.
Have you found that place? Are you at peace when you see the "plagues of crisis" that are coming on the world? Are you resting in faith and confidence that the storm that is hitting your life will not drown you nor destroy you? That place of peace and rest that God has prepared for those that love Him is found in Him. He is our safe refuge- our place of peace and rest.
Have a great day. God has prepared a place for those who love Him here and now... and in heaven.
For further reading:
John 10:10
Exodus 8:21-23: 9:26
Mark 4:37-39
Psalm 4:8
Psalm 91
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
"Mending What's Broken- Part 3"
"She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more." John 8:11
Continuing on the subject of "broken things". I told you yesterday about a little tea cup which belongs to my mother in law that is at my house awaiting repair after my granddaughter broke it. When something gets broken, I either try to put it back together again or just discard it. When the tea cup got broke, I would have thrown it away and not given any more thought to it. But my mother in law wants to repair it. Evidently, it means something to her and she believes that it can be "saved".
We tend to do this with people. We look at them and are ready to "throw them away". We are quick to give up on people. We would have given up on the prodigal son. We would have given up on the prostitute that was caught in the act of adultery. We would have given up on Peter. We tend to look at people's lives and say, "There is no hope". We look at the drug addict or alcohol, the rebellious child, the criminal and say, "They will never change. What's the use?"
I am so glad that God doesn't look at us the same way. I am sure that many people thought that I was hopeless. I know that people had given up on me. I know that they thought I would never change. I know that I was broken and ready to be thrown on the trash heap. But you know, even though people wanted to "throw me away" because they didn't see any value in my life or anything worth trying to save, God didn't throw me away. Instead He saw my value and worth when no one else did. Then He provided the "glue" that it would take to put me back together again. That "glue" was the shed blood of His Dear Son Jesus. It has been said, you determine the value of something by the price that one is willing to pay for it. God paid the highest price possible, the life of His Son, because that was the value that He put on our lives.
I am of the firm belief that as long as there is breath in a person there is hope. And as long as there is hope we shouldn't give up on people. We shouldn't discard them and give up on them- God hasn't.
Have a great day. We tend to want to throw away things that are valuable to God.
For further reading:
Matthew 14:30
Luke 15:11-24
John 8:1-11
1 Corinthians 6:19,20
Romans 5:8
Continuing on the subject of "broken things". I told you yesterday about a little tea cup which belongs to my mother in law that is at my house awaiting repair after my granddaughter broke it. When something gets broken, I either try to put it back together again or just discard it. When the tea cup got broke, I would have thrown it away and not given any more thought to it. But my mother in law wants to repair it. Evidently, it means something to her and she believes that it can be "saved".
We tend to do this with people. We look at them and are ready to "throw them away". We are quick to give up on people. We would have given up on the prodigal son. We would have given up on the prostitute that was caught in the act of adultery. We would have given up on Peter. We tend to look at people's lives and say, "There is no hope". We look at the drug addict or alcohol, the rebellious child, the criminal and say, "They will never change. What's the use?"
I am so glad that God doesn't look at us the same way. I am sure that many people thought that I was hopeless. I know that people had given up on me. I know that they thought I would never change. I know that I was broken and ready to be thrown on the trash heap. But you know, even though people wanted to "throw me away" because they didn't see any value in my life or anything worth trying to save, God didn't throw me away. Instead He saw my value and worth when no one else did. Then He provided the "glue" that it would take to put me back together again. That "glue" was the shed blood of His Dear Son Jesus. It has been said, you determine the value of something by the price that one is willing to pay for it. God paid the highest price possible, the life of His Son, because that was the value that He put on our lives.
I am of the firm belief that as long as there is breath in a person there is hope. And as long as there is hope we shouldn't give up on people. We shouldn't discard them and give up on them- God hasn't.
Have a great day. We tend to want to throw away things that are valuable to God.
For further reading:
Matthew 14:30
Luke 15:11-24
John 8:1-11
1 Corinthians 6:19,20
Romans 5:8
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
"Mending What's Broken- Part 2"
"And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in." Isaiah 58:12
Yesterday we talked about God specializing in repairing that which is broken. He is the healer, He is the mender, He is the repairer, but He has also commissioned us to be His hands extended to repair what is broken.
We live in a world that is "broken". People all around us- on our jobs, in our families, in our schools, in the market place- have broken lives that need to be put back together again. You don't have to go very far before you see a broken life. You don't have to go very far to find someone who has a shattered life. You don't have to go very far to find someone who is hurting. May I ask you a question this morning? What are you doing about those that you come in contact with who are broken?
A while back my grand daughter was with me at my mother in law's home and she broke a little tea cup that was sitting on the table. My mother in law gave it to me to bring home and repair. That was over a month ago. Do you know where the broken tea cup is? Still broken. Sitting in my office, awaiting repair. As a matter of fact, I have looked at it numerous times. I have picked it up and thought about repairing it. I have even moved its pieces on several occasions to another spot because it was in my way at the moment. For some reason I haven't made the effort to repair it. For some reason when I think about doing it, it is inconvenient to do so.
Back to my question. What are you doing about those that you come in contact with who are broken? Are you doing the same thing I am doing with the broken tea cup? Are you just looking at them but not offering help in getting their lives put back together- like the priest and the Levite who saw the man who was left for dead on the Jericho Road? Are you "ignoring" them because you are unwilling to "get involved" because of what it might cost you, because it is inconvenient, because you just don't want to take the time, because you don't see it as important or because you have other priorities? What might your reason be? What if Jesus had used the same excuses and not gone to the cross? Where would our lives be? Still broken with no hope of repair.
We aren't the ones who bring the healing- only Jesus can do that- but we are the ones who are to reach down, pick them up and pour in the oil and the wine like the Good Samaritan did. If we aren't reaching out to the broken, then who is going to take them to Jesus so that He can bring healing and repair their broken lives?
Have a great day. Jesus' part is to heal them, our part is to bring them to Him so He can.
For further reading:
John 13:15
Luke 10:30-37
Yesterday we talked about God specializing in repairing that which is broken. He is the healer, He is the mender, He is the repairer, but He has also commissioned us to be His hands extended to repair what is broken.
We live in a world that is "broken". People all around us- on our jobs, in our families, in our schools, in the market place- have broken lives that need to be put back together again. You don't have to go very far before you see a broken life. You don't have to go very far to find someone who has a shattered life. You don't have to go very far to find someone who is hurting. May I ask you a question this morning? What are you doing about those that you come in contact with who are broken?
A while back my grand daughter was with me at my mother in law's home and she broke a little tea cup that was sitting on the table. My mother in law gave it to me to bring home and repair. That was over a month ago. Do you know where the broken tea cup is? Still broken. Sitting in my office, awaiting repair. As a matter of fact, I have looked at it numerous times. I have picked it up and thought about repairing it. I have even moved its pieces on several occasions to another spot because it was in my way at the moment. For some reason I haven't made the effort to repair it. For some reason when I think about doing it, it is inconvenient to do so.
Back to my question. What are you doing about those that you come in contact with who are broken? Are you doing the same thing I am doing with the broken tea cup? Are you just looking at them but not offering help in getting their lives put back together- like the priest and the Levite who saw the man who was left for dead on the Jericho Road? Are you "ignoring" them because you are unwilling to "get involved" because of what it might cost you, because it is inconvenient, because you just don't want to take the time, because you don't see it as important or because you have other priorities? What might your reason be? What if Jesus had used the same excuses and not gone to the cross? Where would our lives be? Still broken with no hope of repair.
We aren't the ones who bring the healing- only Jesus can do that- but we are the ones who are to reach down, pick them up and pour in the oil and the wine like the Good Samaritan did. If we aren't reaching out to the broken, then who is going to take them to Jesus so that He can bring healing and repair their broken lives?
Have a great day. Jesus' part is to heal them, our part is to bring them to Him so He can.
For further reading:
John 13:15
Luke 10:30-37
Monday, January 18, 2010
"Mending What's Broken"
"He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds." Psalm 147:3
God specializes in repairing that which is broken. He knows just how to mend it- He knows just how to put it back together. And He desires to put that which is broken back together again.
This fact about God was revealed through the cross. Mankind's relationship with God was broken through Adam's disobedience. God sent His Son Jesus into the world to repair our broken relationship with Him. Through the cross He also fixed our broken lives. He "put us back together again". He made us whole and complete.
When God puts it back together, He does it so perfectly that there is no scar, no seam line and no crack left as evidence that it was ever broken to begin with. That's because He has a way of making it completely brand new- just as if it had never been broken.
What's broken in your life this morning? Is it your relationship with the Lord? Is it a relationship with someone else? Is it your heart that is broken over a situation? Is your life shattered? Whatever it is, the cross is a place of mending. It's a place of repair. It's a place where whatever is broken can be put back together again and made whole. Turn to the cross- turn to its mending, healing, restoring power this morning. Turn to the wonderful Savior who was willing to go to the cross so that whatever in your life is broken could be put back together again.
Have a great day. The cross mended our broken relationship with God.. and everything else that is broken.
For further reading:
Isaiah 59:2
2 Corinthians 5:17,19
Colossians 1:20
Isaiah 42:3; Matthew 12:20
God specializes in repairing that which is broken. He knows just how to mend it- He knows just how to put it back together. And He desires to put that which is broken back together again.
This fact about God was revealed through the cross. Mankind's relationship with God was broken through Adam's disobedience. God sent His Son Jesus into the world to repair our broken relationship with Him. Through the cross He also fixed our broken lives. He "put us back together again". He made us whole and complete.
When God puts it back together, He does it so perfectly that there is no scar, no seam line and no crack left as evidence that it was ever broken to begin with. That's because He has a way of making it completely brand new- just as if it had never been broken.
What's broken in your life this morning? Is it your relationship with the Lord? Is it a relationship with someone else? Is it your heart that is broken over a situation? Is your life shattered? Whatever it is, the cross is a place of mending. It's a place of repair. It's a place where whatever is broken can be put back together again and made whole. Turn to the cross- turn to its mending, healing, restoring power this morning. Turn to the wonderful Savior who was willing to go to the cross so that whatever in your life is broken could be put back together again.
Have a great day. The cross mended our broken relationship with God.. and everything else that is broken.
For further reading:
Isaiah 59:2
2 Corinthians 5:17,19
Colossians 1:20
Isaiah 42:3; Matthew 12:20
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