Their Faith

 There was a man in Capernaum. He was in dire need of healing. But not just any healing, but the kind that goes deep down into the heart and soul of a person. He needed forgiveness as well. This man was not only dealing with the physical consequences of his sins, but also the spiritual battle that came along with them. He has been to the Pharisees and the doctors to no avail. I would image he began to lose hope of ever being healed. He began hearing stories of others in similar condition that had been healed by Jesus. Despite the diagnosis of incurable sinner, he received hope from the healings of others. Not only had Jesus healed others, but He was right there in Capernaum. 

One problem. He couldn’t take himself to see Jesus. He was a paralytic. He immediately thought of his friends. He called on them to carry him to Jesus. There was no hesitation. They carried this man on his bed to the house where Jesus was. The crowd was thick in the house. No matter what the men tried to do, They could not get the man into the house to see Jesus. No amount of excuse me’s and pardon me’s were working. They could not enter the house. 

Twice now he could have lost all hope. And twice he refused to give up. Why not just go to the roof and drop him down? Without hesitation, the four friends climbed to the top of the roof and began breaking apart the roof. As each part of the roof was removed, I’m sure the excitement grew in the friends. Soon, they could see tops of people’s heads. Once there was enough space, the friends lowered the man, bed and all, down to the feet of Jesus. I’m not sure how the people were reacting. Maybe they were too busy listening to the words of Jesus to realize a hole was being formed in the roof. But there would be no way this could be ignored. A man being lowered on his bed from the roof to the feet of Jesus. 

All conversation ceased. All eyes were fixed on this man. Jesus could see true repentance in this man’s eyes. In Mark 9 verse 5, it says, “When Jesus saw THEIR faith, He said, ‘Son, your sins are forgiven you.’”  

Their faith. Whose faith? The faith of the four friends and the paralytic. The friends had to have faith to carry him from his house to this house. They had to have faith to climb to the roof of the house. They had to have faith to make the hole and let him down. Those four friends did not lack faith. The paralytic did not lack faith. The faith of our friends may be all that we need to receive a blessing from Jesus. If his friends lacked faith, they would have spoken doubt when he asked to be taken to Jesus. His faith would have wavered. If they lacked faith, the man would have lost hope when they couldn’t enter the house due to the crowd. If they lacked faith, he would have lost hope and not asked to go up to the roof. The fact that they had faith, strengthened his faith instead of weakened it. He was able to keep pushing forward because they believed. He received the forgiveness he so desperately desire because his friends had faith, too. 

Who you hang out with, who you associate with really matters. Your inner circle is important. The faith of the people you call your friends is vital to your spiritual walk. I notice it is easier for me to be faithful in difficult situations when my friends speak in faith instead of doubt. I’m stronger spiritually when my friends are expressing their faith. I’m not saying that I rely on my friends for my faith or my spiritual walk. But I am saying their influence on me will either strengthen me or weaken me. Are those around you lifting you up? Are they speaking words of faith? Or are they harvesting doubt? 

So how does the story end? Ministry of Healing Chapter 5 says:

“The burden of guilt rolls from the sick man’s soul. He cannot doubt. Christ’s words reveal His power to read the heart. Who can deny His power to forgive sins? Hope takes the place of despair, and joy of oppressive gloom. The man’s physical pain is gone, and his whole being is transformed. Making. O further request, he lay in peacefully silence, too happy for words.”

The forgiveness was more powerful than the physical healing. The man needed both but was desperate for the forgiveness of his sins. Jesus healed both his mind and his body. In verse 11 of Mark 9, Jesus told him to arise, take up his bed and go to his house. And the people were amazed and glorified God. 

Chose your friends wisely. Surround yourself with faithful friends. It might be because of their faith you receive an answer to your prayer. And be the friend that is found faithful. This is possible only By God’s Amazing Grace. 

Praise Him in the Storm

 The other day I was driving down the road when I noticed something wasn’t right with the car. I called the Hubs and described the issue to him. We both were worried about the situation. I called a friend who is also a mechanic and described the problem to him. He asked me to bring the car to him and He would check it out. The problem though was I was worried I wouldn’t be able to make it to his house. So I prayed and headed his way. And of course turned on my music. The first song that came on? Praise You in this Storm by Casting Crowns. Yes. Praise Him in this storm. Car issues are never fun. I could only praise Hi.  I knew He already had it worked out. I knew it was in His hands already. So praise Him. 

There were some men that praised God during their storm. Paul and Silas were on their way to pray when they were followed by a slave girl that was possessed with a spirit of divination. Her masters made their money off of the slave girl’s fortune telling. As she followed the men, the cried out, “These men are the servants of the most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation.” If someone is known for being possessed, saying this would actually do more harm than good to their ministry. Yes, she was speaking the truth. Sometimes the source of truth causes more problems than it does good. It almost becomes more mocking than helpful. And after a few days of this, Paul gets a little annoyed. Well, more than a little. The Bible says he was greatly annoyed. Understandable. Paul turned to the girl and said, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out if her.” And the spirit came out of her. Well, the girl’s masters were not pleased. They just lost a great deal of their income with her being freed of the spirit. The masters dragged Paul and Silas into the marketplace to the authorities. They were furious. They then told the magistrates that these men were troubling the city and teaching customs that were not lawful for the Romans to receive or observe. Paul and Silas were beaten with rods and thrown into prison. The jailer was commanded to keep them securely. Their feet were fastened with stocks. 

Paula no Silas were doing the work of God. They were not causing any trouble. Yet here they were beaten and in prison. But instead of moping around and throwing a hissy fit, they were praying and singing hymns to God. They were praising Him in this storm. 

It is not always easy to praise God in our difficulties. Sometimes it is much easier to whine, scream, yell, complain. God why is this happening?! Sometimes it honestly helps to feel better by yelling. Get the frustration out. But what kind of witness would Paul and Silas have been at that moment? 

At midnight, while they were praying and singing, there was an earthquake. All the doors were opened and all the chains were loosened. It was midnight, so the guard had been sleeping. But the earthquake awakened the jailer. He was scared for his life. What if al his prisoners escaped? He would have to pay for that with his life. So he was going to take matters into his own hands. But Paul called out, “Do yourself no harm, for we are all here.” What a relief. That night, the jailer was saved. From Paul and Silas’ testimony through prayer and song. 

Sometimes our best witness is how we respond to trials that come our way. Are you going to praise God or whine and complain? 

So how did our car situation turn out? Well, honestly it was a fairly simple fix for a problem that seemed catastrophic. The amazing thing? The Hubs got holiday pay on his check. The excess covered the parts we needed for the car. Praise the Lord.

So when you are in your storm, Praise Him. This is possible Only By God’s Amazing Grace. 

Knock

 The Hubs was standing in the backyard tending to our dog. The back door was closed. As I was in the living room I hear the back door rattling. But it wasn’t opening. I was confused as to what was going on. Then I hear him knocking on the door. I noticed that the door was unlocked, so I was confused as to why the Hubs couldn’t open the door. I turn the door knob, but nothing. The door knob barely moved. The latch wouldn’t move. He was trying. I was trying. But nothing.  Either one of us could get the door open. I kept praying, but there was no change. 

There are many times we face situations where we pray and ask God to open doors for us. We ask for His will to be done. And we come to doors that close out of nowhere. 

Many times the Hubs and I have prayed, “God, open doors that should be open and close doors that should not be open.” We especially did that when we were looking for a house. That is a pretty important decision. We asked God to lead and guide us in our house search. There was this one house we really wanted. We prayed over this house asking God if it was God’s will that He would enable us to make an offer they couldn’t refuse. Yet God did not open that door for us. He closed so many doors in the house search process. And we have found out it was for the best. 

About ten years ago, we were looking for a place to live. We prayed to God asking Him to open the door to where He wanted us to live and close all the other doors. After we said amen, we walked up to the office door. We reached for the door knob and low and behold the door was locked. God literally closed that door. 

Sometimes God works literally and sometimes He works more figuratively. 

Matthew 7-8 and verse 11 says, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in Heaven give good things to those who ask Him!” 

But here is the thing. It must go along with God’s will. If I ask for an Audi S8, I’m probably not going to get it. But if I ask God for a working car, that is more likely. It won’t be an Audi. Even though that is my desire. God says to “Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your ways to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass. Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him; do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass.” Psalm 37:5-7. 

So an Audi may be my desire, but it is not according to His will. If I delight myself in God, my desires will be His desires. 

What are you asking God for? What doors are you asking God to open or close? 

Is it for a job? A new house? A car? College or even Major? Or to literally open the back door of your house? Pray. Ask. Seek. Knock. Remember that God’s timing is perfect and His wisdom is beyond measure. Instead of opening the door, God gave me the idea to unscrew the door knob. We had to break off the latch. Funny thing is God lead us to buy a new lock for a different door about a month ago. He prepared us for this moment. God opened our door in a way we didn’t expect. 

Expect the unexpected when it comes to God’s answers to your prayers. Even if you haven’t received the answer to your prayer, keep seeking, keep asking, keep knocking. God will open the right door when it is according to His will. This is possible only By God’s Amazing Grace. 

Get Back Up

 About five years ago, a good friend bought Little Bit a bike with training wheels. She has ridden the bike on and off again over the years. One day, one of the training wheels started to come off. Instead of trying to fix it, I took them both off and we began trying to teach Little Bit how to ride her bike sans training wheels. It has not been easy. Her fear prevented her from actually trying. She wanted her training wheels back on but we insisted she continue to try. 

Well, she decided she wanted to try again. The Hubs and I are standing on the porch since it had just rained. We honestly didn’t expect too much. Mostly just some rolling around. But she surprised us. She would try to get her feet on the pedals. Only reason she moved forward is she kept pushing herself, not because she was pedaling. 

But then, all of a sudden, she was actually pedaling. Maybe just for a second or two, but she was doing it. And she kept trying. She didn’t give up. Until she was actually pedaling up and down the street. We were so amazed. She even said, “I bet you are so proud of me!” Why yes, we were very proud of her. We were shocked. Amazed. And immensely proud. She would fall over and she kept getting back up. She didn’t quit. After about an hour of riding, we finally had her come inside. 

She reminded me of a verse in Proverbs. Chapter 24 verse 16 says “For a just man falls seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief.” 

Let’s break this verse down. A just man. Righteous. Justified and vindicated by God. 

Falls. Fall short. Fail.

Seven times and riseth up again. To persist. 

But the wicked. Guilty of sin. 

Shall fall. To stumble or be feeble. 

Into mischief. Unpleasant evil. 

A righteous, justified and vindicated man may fail seven times but he persists. But a man guilty of sin will stumble into unpleasant evil. 

The key here? He persists. If he fails, he keeps going. If he falls, he gets back up again. He, like Little Bit, didn’t let a fall keep him down. He got up and tried again. Perfection of character isn’t expected today. Sanctification is a work of a lifetime. 

When I teach in class, I know my kids are going to make mistakes. But I expect them to keep trying and not to give up. And when the test comes, I still don’t expect perfection. But I see so much growth in them at this point. 

So when a little Bit gets on her bike again, do I expect her to ride her bike without falling over? Not at all. I know she will fall over again. Hey, I still fall over sometimes when I ride my bike.  It I expect her to get up and try again. 

Be the righteous man. Or woman. If you fall. If you fail.  If you make a mistake.  Get up. Try again. Don’t stay down. Pick yourself up. Dust yourself off. And move forward. Ask God for help.  I matter what, don’t stay down. Get up. This is possible only By God’s Amazing Grace. 

Signs and Wonders

 There are many miracles recorded in the Bible. Many different stories of Jesus healing the sick, bringing the dead back to life, giving sight to the blind, and helping the lame to walk. The thing I find interesting is Jesus didn’t use the same method for each miracle. Why do you think that is?

There are probably many reasons.  But one that stands out to me is that Jesus knows what each individual needs and how to provide those needs. Is it just healing that is needed. Or is there more to it? I want to look at two particular stories. A Jewish nobleman in John 4 and Jairus, a Rabbi in Mark 5. 

The Jewish nobleman specifically sought out Jesus to heal his son who was suffering from an incurable disease. He wanted to believe in Jesus. The condition of believing in Jesus rested on Jesus healing his son. The nobleman had enough faith to believe that Jesus could heal his son.  Otherwise he wouldn’t have sought out Jesus. But Jesus called him on his faith. “Unless you see signs and wonders...” I’m sure those words struck a cord with this nobleman. Jesus knew what the man wanted, but more importantly, what the man needed. I’m sure the man felt a twinge of guilt. How right Jesus was. The nobleman did not need Jesus to come to his house to heal his son. He only needed Jesus to say the words. Jesus told the man, “Go thy way, thy son liveth.” 

The nobleman did not rush home. No, he took his time. Why? Because he believed the words of Jesus. He believed his son was healed. He left with peace and joy. And a true belief in Jesus. That’s what this man needed. 

Jairus on the other hand was a ruler of the synagogue, an elder, rabbi. As a rabbi, he wouldn’t have gone to Jesus first because of how the rulers thought of Jesus. Jairus was described as a haughty rabbi. The position he held within the church skewed his view of who Jesus was. His daughter was sick and on the brink of death. But he was aware of Jesus’ healing power. He knew his daughter could be healed by Jesus. He had received word that his daughter had died. There was no need to bother Jesus anymore. But Jesus continued on. But unlike the nobleman, he needed to witness the healing power. No, the resurrection power of Jesus. The paid mourners were asked to leave. Only the parents of the girl, Jesus, and three of his disciples went in the room with the girl. And Jesus brought her back to life. 

The faith of Jairus was ignited. There is a difference between knowing and believing. I imagine his life was changed like that of Nicodemus. 

Jesus reaches us where we are. He meets our needs. We also receive our desires.  But the needs are of upmost importance. 

It is still true today. Many people are growing their faith day by day. But not everyone’s faith grows the same way. We may not have healing power, but we have witnessing power. We can witness to others. And God knows who to send where and how to reach others. Some people may need the one on one friendship to know Jesus. Some may need an evangelistic series. Others need the door to door experience. There are those that need to witness a miracle to have the faith ignited. Some may need to reach rock bottom before they can accept Jesus. Our job is to try. That is why God created each of us with different talents. So we can reach different people. Don’t give up on someone if you don’t see the evidence of their faith. God knows what they need and He knows how to reach them. It may not be you who ignited their faith. And that’s okay. 

How about you? Are you more like the nobleman and just need to know that God will take care of your needs or like Jairus and need to witness Him working in your life? Whichever one you are, God knows how to meet your every need. This is possible only By God’s Amazing Grace. 

Taste and See

 Little Bit doesn’t have food aversions, which we are very thankful for as this is prevalent with autistics. But she does have food she doesn’t like. 

For example, she doesn’t like cooked bell peppers, raw onions, and jalapeños. We have a rule in our house that she has to at least try it. Take a bite. Not a nibble, but a bite of the food. 

If she really doesn’t like it, then she doesn’t have to have it. Sometimes it is a good we know she likes but doesn’t want. She likes broccoli but for some reason she doesn’t want to eat it. There are times we make a new food with ingredients that she likes. Try it. Taste it. See if you like it. 

You know, God tells us the same thing. In Psalm 34 verse 8, we are told,  “O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in Him.”

But what is it that we need to taste? We can’t eat God. So what do we eat?

 In Revelation chapter 8 verses 8-10, John is told to take the little book and eat it up. The book was sweet as honey in his mouth and bitter oh his belly. What book did he eat?

In Ezekiel 3 verses 1-4, God tells Ezekiel to eat the roll and speak to the house of Israel. God told him to cause thy belly to eat and fill thy bowels with the roll.

 And it was in his mouth as honey for sweetness. What was this roll?

The book and the roll are the same thing. The Word of God. 

Both men were prophets and received prophecy. But they had to eat the word to see that it was good. 

Today, we are to eat the Word of God. 

We are to consume the Word of God and see that He is good. Just like we tell Little Bit to just try it, we, too, need to try the Word of God. Just taste and we will have no doubt that God is good. Isaiah 55 verse 1 even tells says, “everyone that thirsteth,  one ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. We are to eat for free. His Word is for everyone. No one is to go without. 

If a brother doesn’t have the Word of God, share it with him. If a sister doesn’t have access to the Bible, provide access. They should be allowed to come and eat for free. 

Take the time. Taste and see that the Lord is good. You won’t stop at just a few bites. You will come back for seconds and thirds. This is one time that is good to be gluttonous. 

Fill up on His Word. This is possible only By God’s Amazing Grace. 

Selfless Dandelion

Personification. Giving an inanimate object human characteristics. The lonely cloud. The waving tree. The dancing flowers. The selfless dandelion. 

Except, dandelions are kinda selfless if you think about it. A dandelion begins as a weed growing...everywhere pretty much. I will call it a flower because I want to. It starts as a yellow flower. The petals bright and fluffy.  It then something happens. The flower begins to die. It begins to lose its petals. In their place seeds are formed. Soon the dandelion is a full head of seeds. Then the wind blows, animals walk by, the rain falls, or little kids come along and soon all the seeds have taken off. They are carried away by the wind. Soon the plant, if it is still standing, is empty of all seeds. The seeds then begin to germinate and a new plant is formed. The process is repeated over and over again. 

So why did I call the dandelion selfless? Because it gave its life to give new life. For new dandelions to grow, the previous dandelions had to die to become seeds. 

I remember being a kid and finding out my aunt was pregnant. I wanted a girl cousin. So I grabbed a seeded dandelion, made a wish for my aunt to have a girl, and then blew as hard as I could. I blew every single one of those seeds off of the plant. And a few months later we found out my aunt was having a girl. I was so excited. Not only did my wish come true, but many more dandelions were born as well. Jesus talks about a plant like the dandelion In John 12:24, Jesus said, “verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abide the alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.”

Just like the dandelion and the corn, Paul tells us that we need to die to self. Galatians 2:20 says, “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.  And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”

When we die to self, other lives are born for Christ. More people can enter into eternal life. We must die daily to our sinful selves and live in Christ to bring others to Christ. We cannot bring someone to Jesus if we focus on ourselves. On our own works. We must focus on the life of Jesus. When others see us, they need to see Jesus. We must die to self and live for Him. It is possible only By God’s Amazing Grace.