Mar

12

Lord, Pass Me By?

By Julie B Cosgrove | 1 Comment 


Mark 6:47-48  And when evening came, the boat was out on the sea, and he was alone on the land.  And he saw that they were making headway painfully, for the wind was against them. And about the fourth watch of the night (about 3 AM) he came to them, walking on the sea. He meant to pass by them, . . . 

Why would Jesus mean to pass by his disciples?  Wouldn’t He want them to see Him so they would know He hadn’t abandoned them in their time of need? Perhaps because He knew what their reaction would be – they would be afraid instead of trusting in Him. That is exactly how they reacted.

” . . but when they saw him walking on the sea they thought it was a ghost, and cried out,  for they all saw him and were terrified.” (vs 49)

It wasn’t “Thank you, Lord, for hearing our cries and coming to our rescue.”  The disciples were already in an anxious state trying to battle the sea and the waves that were defeating them. It was three in the morning. They were worn out, tired, probably cranky. In other words, they were not in the mindset to receive peace. 

Have you ever been in a stew like that? I have. It seems like a magnetic tornado of bad is swirling around me. Everything else that could go wrong seems attracted to me and sucked into the situation. The stress grows and grows. It is “Really? What could possibly happen next?”  In my struggle, I am relying on my own strengths, and not God’s. Frustration sets in.

Perhaps it is those times that God chooses to come to my rescue even if I don’t ask Him to do that.  He goes ahead while my head is bent to the pressures and calms the situation. He knows I just can’t ask Him to help me with whatever storm I am facing because of my mindset, but He also knows I can’t deal with it on my own (even though I, like the disciples, do not yet realize it).  Instead He handles it, then reveals He was right there all along.

But immediately he spoke to them and said, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.” And he got into the boat with them, and the wind ceased. And they were utterly astounded. (vs 50-51)

Would I, like the disciples, be afraid and astounded by His mighty power if He revealed it to me? No. not so much now, because He has come to my rescue, over and over again. But early on in my walk with Christ, probably. God knows our hearts and the amount of faith we can muster. He is always finding ways to increase that faith in Him. He meets us where we are. Often, it is only after the storm that I can see the part He played in calming it down, or calming me down. Then, and only then, can I look up and see His mighty Hand was in it after all. That’s when I stop and fall to my knees in relieved thanks and praise.  Several years back, there was a Christian song that spoke to that – “Sometimes He calms the storm - other times, He calms His child.”

Trust and letting go of control is a learning curve. Perhaps, someday, I’ll ace that test.

Mar

12

Gift of Service

By Jan Ross | Leave a Comment 


Being a “servant” carries with it a negative impression–bondage, servitude, enslavement, burdens, etc.  By definition, that’s exactly what a servant is. But the context of today’s verse sheds a totally different light on the word “servant.” Actually, it is used in the context of a “gift.”

This verse explains four “gifts” which are given to those who have new life in Christ:

“But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.“  (Romans 6:22)

WE ARE FREE FROM SIN
WE BECOME A SERVANT OF GOD
WE ARE GIVEN FRUIT UNTO HOLINESS
WE ARE GIVEN EVERLASTING LIFE

These are all benefits, including the privilege of being a servant.

We are designed to be servants, either to sin or to righteousness.  There are no in-betweens.  There is no other way.  We either serve God or we serve sin.

The choice is ours as it was in Joshua’s day: “Choose you this day whom ye will serve” (Joshua 24:15).

Choose God and you choose life!  Being a servant then becomes a benefit, a privilege, and a blessing rather than a burden.

What is your choice?

Father, it is my choice to serve YOU above all else, not only for the benefits but simply because I love You! You have put in me a servant’s heart which makes me glad to serve You! I don’t count it a burden to serve you, as I am bonded together with You through Jesus Christ my Lord and Saviour. Thank you for freeing me from sin, allowing me the privilege of being Your servant, gifting me with fruits of holiness, and giving me everlasting life. Lord, for all this I cannot begin to thank You enough. Your blessings are truly without measure. Amen!

© Jan Ross
All Rights Reserved

Mar

11

Just Feed ‘em

By Julie B Cosgrove | Leave a Comment 


When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And he began to teach them many things.And when it grew late, his disciples came to him and said, “This is a desolate place, and the hour is now late. Send them away to go into the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.”  But he answered them, “You give them something to eat.”   Mark 6:34-37

The Feeding of the 5,000 is a familiar Bible story. With a peasant boy’s meager lunch, a multitude of people are fed with plenty left over.  Hundreds of thousands of sermons have been written on this miracle and thousands more have speculated how it happened. Some think that the boy was an example and that everyone began to follow his lead, producing food to share instead of horde from under their cloaks  – sort of a Biblical pay it forward. Whatever.

The point that struck me is what happened just before this miracle of the fish and loaves. Jesus had sent the disciples out two by two to do miraculous things. They cast out demons and healed people, spread the Gospel and probably baptized. That is why they attracted the multitude. Word got around. Now the people all converge upon them and after that wonderful series of sermons in Matthew’s recording, it is getting late.  What was the theme of a lot of those sermons? Serve and trust in God to provide because He loves each and every one of us. The disciples obviously were not listening. 

Aren’t we the same? Christ guides us, uses our hands and feet, and showers us with His grace. We absorb it all like a sponge. We can feel so useful and thankful to be used. We can even feel humbly empowered – for a while.  Then, another situation comes up and we run to Him. How can I handle this?His answer? “I have given you what you need. Don’t you think I will again. Just get out there and do it and trust in my provision. You feed them.”

I have to ask myself how many missed opportunities have I passed up while I questioned if I was capable of doing that for God?  How many times have I prayed for the strength, or the wisdom or the endurance that Christ has already given me?  I just need to tap into it again, realize He is the provider and get out there and serve, knowing He will never give me more than I can do with Him by my side.   I shouldn’t worry about where the fish and loaves will come from, or all the baskets to hold all of His abundance.  All I need to do is obey. Yes, easier said than done. 

Perhaps when Jesus told Peter before He ascended into Heaven to “feed my sheep”, Peter realized that He was alluding to that day on the mount when Christ provided for a multitude who were like sheep without a shepherd.  Maybe He was telling Peter, “I will provide all you need. You just get out there and do it.” And so Jesus would again, and again, and again for Peter.  Just as He will for you and for me.

Mar

11

Nothing But the Blood

By Jan Ross | Leave a Comment 


We are so keen to others faults but oblivious to our own most times. Judging others seems to be a favorite pastime for many of us while we neglect the more needful thing of judging our own motives and actions against the Word of God.

“So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.” (John 8:7)

Jesus knew that this woman was guilty, there was no doubt. Yet, her accusers were also guilty, maybe not of the same sin, but of other sinful acts and motives. He alone had the power to judge the intents of her accusers’ hearts, and He alone had the power to free her from the sentence of death dictated by the law.

We all deserve death, yet Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour, stills the voice of our accuser and has freed us from our death sentence. The wounds He bore, the bruises He received, the chastisement He endured, the price He paid, the blood He shed, and the death He died have washed away our sin and set us free from the sentence of death of which we are so very deserving. What can wash away our sin? Nothing—nothing but the blood of Jesus!

Dear Lord, nothing but the blood of Jesus can cleanse me and make me  whole; nothing but the blood of Jesus can purify my heart. Oh, how precious is the flow that makes me white as snow. No other fount I know… nothing but the blood of Jesus. I thank you for the cleansing, saving, healing, delivering blood, the blood shed on Calvary for me. Amen.

© Jan Ross
All Rights Reserved

Mar

10

I know He knows

By Julie B Cosgrove | Leave a Comment 


And they cast out many demons and anointed with oil many who were sick and healed them. . . But when Herod heard of it, he said, “John, whom I beheaded, has been raised.”  Mark 6:13, 16

In a way, Herod was right. His sin, lusting after his own niece, now his daughter and promising her anything, even the death of John, had caught up with him. He could no longer ignore it’s consequences in his conscience, try as he might. But, eventually the Truth would smack him in the face. Little did he know that in a few years, he’d make the most important decision of his life. He’d stand before Jesus and decide to acknowledge Him as Lord of All, or to condemn Him to death. Scared of the repercussions either way, he simply asked, “What is Truth?” and tried to wash his hands of the whole thing. But it haunted him. Deep down Herod knew that Jesus knew.

We are more like Herod than we care to admit. We think it is easier to ignore something we have done wrong, or perhaps said in the heat of a moment. We try to put it away in a box, hide it and just go on with our lives.Dealing with it is too painful or embarrassing. It will all smooth over. But it can still gnaw at our conscience. And sure enough, if we don’t confess and make amends, Jesus will bring it full circle and confront us with it.  Why?

For our own good. Like a splinter in our finger, that sin can irritate us.  Every time we tap our finger, it reminds us it is there. If we do not work to get it out, if we try to ignore it, it can fester.  Unconfessed sin blocks us from receiving God’s blessings in our lives. He loves us enough to bring us face to face with that sin and will help us dig it out so we can heal. Sure, it may be painful, but the alternative is more so. 

Let the Healer do His work in your life as we approach Easter. Then, His glorious death and resurrection will have new meaning. Unlke Herod, we will be able to embrace the Truth and be thankful.

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