Misplaced Faith

From our childhood, we have heard the story of Adam and Eve. They were the first two humans created by God and lived in the garden of Eden.  When God made them, he declared that they were very good. By these words, he was describing the wonder and magnificence of his creating act. As they lived together, they were sinless and acted according to the will of him who created them. You would think that because they were sinless, they would just continue to live a sinless life. However if you know the story, you know that they failed terribly and plummeted the entire human race into sin.

Why didn't Adam and Eve stay sinless? What was the core problem or cause for their failure? This may come as a surprise to you, but their core problem was their faith. Stop and think for a moment. At one point in time, Adam only knew God. He did not recognize he had a need, but he did and the need was that of a companion.  Adam saw God meet that need and present woman to him. His life in the garden of Eden was complete and fulfilling.

But then the serpent came using alluring words: words that promised an even better existence then they were already experiencing. At that point, Adam and Eve had a major decision to make. Would they believe the serpent or would they believe God.

As you know, they believed the serpent, ate the fruit and became sinners. The goodness of their creation and being could not prevent it, because the action which led to the fall first began in the heart. 

Because man fell in this matter, God made his redemption and way back to him to be in the same way. Man fell because of misplaced faith, man will be rescued from sin by right faith.  God will not require a man to be faithful for salvation, but instead he requires man to put his faith in the only person whoever was faithful: Jesus Christ. God is not looking for goodness because there is not anyone who is good: Matthew 19:17 ...there is none good but one, that is God. Romans 3:10 There is none righteous, no not one.

God is looking for people who will believe and trust in his promise of salvation through the work of Jesus Christ.  Ask yourself this question, "Do I have faith?" If your answer is yes, ask yourself, "Am I placing my faith in me or in Jesus Christ?"  It can only be one way or the other.

Why Do People Come to Jesus?

 

Why do people come to Jesus? Most people in society believe that it is the result from someone scaring them to death about hell. But is that really the reason? Surprisingly, it is not.

In Matthew 5 and Luke 6, Jesus speaks of certain conditions in life that are considered blessings to man. Blessed are you that are poor; blessed are you that are hungry;blessed are you that weep: these doesn't sound too promising to me. I don't see people lining up to be poor, hungry or sorrowful, but still Jesus says that these people are blessed.

Blessed be ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God.

Blessed are ye that hunger now: for ye shall be filled.

Blessed are ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh. (Luke 6:20-21)

The reason these are blessings is because when people find themselves in these types of situations, they are unable to deliver themselves and are forced to look outside of themselves for hope.

Before coming to Christ, I had everything that I have ever wanted, but I was miserable and sorrowful inside. That sorrow moved me to seek Christ. Renowned apologetist, Ravi Zacharias, was in a hospital bed after a failed suicide attempt and soon afterwards trusted Christ. I have met many successful businessman with cash just flowing through their hands, but their hearts were dry and the dry emptiness turned them to Jesus.

Surprisingly, most people do not come to Christ out of fear, but they come to him because they recognize the need for God to be in their lives. God wants to be in people's lives so that he may do his miraculous work, but in order for that to occur, he first must conquer the sin that separates us from him.  The message of Christ is still true. He died on the cross to make a complete payment for your complete lifetime committing sins.  His life for yours. When we trust him to do this, the sin debt is gone, but he does much more than that.  The poor become kingdom rich, the hungry souls are fed and the sorrowful laugh with joy.

Think about it. Why did you come to Christ? Or haven't you yet? You can today by simply calling upon him to save you from sin and do this miraculous work in your life too.

Religion Still Doesn't Work

Since nearly the beginning, sin has separated man from God and with it has brought sorrow, sickness, and emptiness in the heart of man. Throughout time, man has sought to overcome these troubles in his life and to accomplish it created religious acts or rituals, which were intended to appease God of his wrath or at the least turn away the consequences of sin that he faced.

These acts involved offering to God everything from crops to human sacrifices, the punishment of sinners or the punishment of themselves.  Always, the results were unsuccessful.  David described it best when he spoke to the Lord concerning his own condition.

For mine iniquities are gone over mine head: as an heavy burden they are too heavy for me. (Psalms 38:4)

The load of sin that looms over the head of every man is so great that  no religious act could ever remove the effect or its debt.

Several decades ago, a teenaged girl attended a local carnival. When she failed to return home, a search was made and eventually her lifeless body was found. For more than 30 years, law-enforcement searched for the suspected killer: who was eventually found. Should he be held for trial? Of course he should! Regardless of how long ago the event occurred, he should still be held accountable.

But what if he was found living a respectable life? What if he, for the last 20 years, had been doing a great humanitarian work? Should he still be held for trial? Should he still be charged even if he has been so sorry for his crime? The answer is a resounding, Yes! He committed a crime and the penalty for that crime must be paid.

For the last 6,000 years, man has been trying to avoid paying the penalty for his sin. But regardless of what he does, the holy righteous God still requires complete payment for sins committed. The only hope for all men would be for God to determine a way for someone else to pay the debt that man owed.  God did and that person was himself.  He came to earth as human.  Born of a virgin, he live a lonely life and yet did not sin. Throughout his entire life he did not commit one sin. For the remaining three years of his life, he taught and performed miracles to declare who it was and the purpose for his coming to earth. Then as foretold by God, he was rejected by his people, judged by the government and punished on the cross.

However God's purpose for allowing all this to occur was so that he could place all the sin of humanity upon himself as he hung on the cross. The beatings and torture done to Jesus were extremely grave, but nothing in comparison to the punishment that God, while still yet also in heaven, punished himself as he lived as a human hanging on the cross.

Only until Jesus cried, "It is finished!"  was mankind given any hope.  When Jesus finished, he was finished paying the wages for our sins – yours and mine.

For those, who continue striving to pay for their own sins or are relying on religious acts to appease God's wrath for sin will continue to fall short and carry the burden of their sin debt. Those who call upon Christ to bear there sin, will find the relief that they need.  No longer is the burden of sin going over their head or too much to bear, the burden has been removed and the payment has been made. None of their sins committed have gone unpunished. Instead of them paying the debt, someone  else paid the debt for them.

In America, we have discovered that countless people have been falsely charged, found guilty and sentenced for crimes that they had never committed. Society, unknowing of their wrong, was still satisfied because the penalty of the crime was being paid.  

In your case, Jesus willingly took the charge, allowed himself to be found guilty and then paid your complete payment for sin.  So that your salvation could take place when you call out to Jesus and trust that he will save you.

For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. (Romans 10:13)

Fearing God vs Being Afraid of God

There is a difference between fearing the Lord and being afraid of the Lord. The former recognizes the greatness of God and his ability to do whatever he chooses. Therefore, he submits himself to the one that he recognizes as sovereign. Those who are afraid of the Lord, do not submit themselves to a sovereign God to rule over them. They instead perform actions in an attempt to keep God from exercising his anger upon them.  The former will have a love relationship with God: the latter will struggle with love and acceptance.

How did Job respond when his world caved in upon him?  He continued to fear the Lord. He remained steadfast in trusting God's sovereignty and continued to submit himself to him. (Job 1:21) Had Job been afraid of God, would his actions have been the same? Most likely not. His actions would have more been in line with those of his accuser.  If a person lives in fear and governs his actions to keep God from punishing him, how would he react when God does exercise wrath? As the accuser stated, "He will curse thee to thy face."  It would be in that manner that he would act.

God wants you to fear him, but not be afraid of him. Fearing God is respecting God for who he is and the power that he possesses. Those who fear the Lord will recognize God's ability to raise up and to put down, to love and admonish or to rebuke and chasten, and to exercise his will because what he desires is for the benefit of those he created.

When you are afraid of God, you have a difficult time accepting his love.  Being afraid and accepting love cannot cohabit because perfect love casts out fear. (1 John 4:18). Recognize that God loves you and that any actions that he has towards you will be motivated by his love.  As we seek him for our lives, blessings will flow to us from his love, but if our steps begin to slip, he by love will take whatever actions are necessary to keep us from ruining our lives.

Living a life of fearing the Lord is a joy and blessing, but living a life afraid of God is a struggle and burden.

Loving the God We Cannot See (1 Peter 1:8)

Love: a word used so freely today, but what does it mean?  True love is the desire that a person has to meet the needs of another without expecting to receive anything in return. With that, a great question arises. Can you love someone with whom you have never met face-to-face?

Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: (1 Peter 1:8)

The answer is simple. You can love someone that you have never seen, but only if you have had the opportunity to interact with them.

In the early 20th century, a man in America, named Charles, began to correspond with the young woman, named Minnie, who lived on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean. Their many letters shared the events of their lives: their likes, dislikes, problems and struggles. The letters also contained hopes, dreams and passions. All the time as the letters were shared something began to happen. Each began to be concerned for the other and desired to be with them so that they may experience life together: to share, help, care and love.  They fell in love and one day, decided to marry. They never met face-to-face until the day that she came off of the ship on America's shore.  To them, it didn't matter what the other person looked like: they knew each other and recognized the beauty that each possessed within. Several decades later, I met them and marveled at their story of love.

We too can love someone that we have never met face-to-face. Through our interactions with the Lord, we can experience him in times of trials and testing. The words that he has recorded for us speak to our hearts and encourage us in the deepest of struggles. When sorrow comes, only his words bring comfort. When others have rejected and cast us out, his words of love and the promise to always be with us draw our hearts close to him. When nobody understands or cares, he does and he tells us to cast our cares on him. (1 Peter 5:7). When we are confused and searching for direction, he sheds light on our path to brighten the way. Each of these interactions bring us into a greater understanding of the person who saved us and through it all we begin to love him.

One day, we will embark off of the ship on eternities shore and will take part in the marriage between Jesus and his church. But until then, our hearts rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory all because we know and love this person that we have never seen.

He Touched Him (Matthew 8:3)

Many times, there are behaviors that people do that are overlooked by most.  Some people wring their hands as they think about something that disturbs them.  Others may brush their hair from their face when they are nervous.  The behavior isn't really important, but what is important is the motivation behind the behavior.


And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, ... Matthew 8:3

As I consider the passage recording Jesus healing the leper, I cannot help but ask my self questions in regard to Jesus' behavior.  One question is why did Jesus touch the leper?  He didn't need to touch him in order to heal because the next few verses record Jesus healing the centurion's servant who was some distance away.

Consider this.  When do you think was the last time the leper was touched.  I don't mean being pushed as he fought for food or random interaction among lepers, but when was the last time the leper experienced a tender affectionate hand rest upon the side of his face?  When did he last feel a grasp on his should like that of a loving father who rests his hand upon the shoulder of his son?  It had probably been an extremely long time.  I believe that after years of rejection from society and solitude living, the touch was God's display of affection to the leper.  It seems that as Jesus's hand gently rested on the leper, a part of the leper revived and his heart filled with the experience of God's love.

Did you know that God wants you to have that same experience of his love.  Regardless of whatever is in your past, God wants to have a relationship with you.  He loves you dearly and has done--through Jesus' work on the cross--everything that is necessary for that relationship to occur.  Come before and ask as the leper did and ask.  The relationship is greater than you can imagine.

What a Loser (Psalm 146:7-9)

We all know them and have worked with at least one person that the world would label as a loser.  The world labels them this way for many reasons.  Some get this label because of their looks.  Others because of their lack of intellect get called loser.  Others who don't seem to fit in with the norm are cast out as losers.  If we are honest with ourselves, we may have viewed some people that way.  The bad news is, we may be viewed that way by some select group of people.  With all that said, a very important question needs to be asked.  What does God think?

Which executeth judgment for the oppressed: which giveth food to the hungry. The Lord looseth the prisoners: The Lord openeth the eyes of the blind: the Lord raiseth them that are bowed down: the Lord loveth the righteous: The Lord preserveth the strangers; he relieveth the fatherless and widow: but the way of the wicked he turneth upside down. (Psalms 146:7-9)

God is for the oppressed, the hungry, the blind, the depressed, strangers, the fatherless and widows.  In fact, you could label God as "The God of the Losers".  Stop and think about it.  Isn't that what you were when Christ found you?  When you cried out to Jesus for salvation, you were poor in spirit recognizing that you had nothing to offer God, your life was a mess and unless he would reach down from heaven and do a miracle, your life would be totally lost.  It was at that point that God came into your life and changed it forever.  What made it happen was a very simple formula: loser + God = fantastic salvation and a wonderful life.

Our society--many Christians included--has cast off the "losers" of this world.  They are so stuck on themselves and their agenda and could care less about the "loser" people who are hurting.  We need to make a difference and reach out to the cast aways.  We must demonstrate God's love so that they can believe in God's love.  Only then can they recognize that the Savior Jesus wants and accepts all that will come to him: especially those the world sees as losers.

So that servant came, and shewed his lord these things. Then the master of the house being angry said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind. (Luke 14:21)

The Big Choice (Hebrews 12:2)

Each of us make an unnumbered amount of choices each day.  Some of the choices are big while others are somewhat insignificant.  When it comes to major decisions, we greatly desire to make the right decision, because if we don't, the consequences are unpleasant and usually long lasting.  Some decisions are easily made and others may be very difficult.

The scriptures record two major decisions that Jesus made: one being when he faced Satan and was tempted.  We love the account of how he refused to bow down to Satan in exchange for all of the kingdoms and the glory associated with them.  For us, we know that his decision was a major one, but most people do not know that it was not the first recorded time that he made the decision to deny granting pleasure to himself.

Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:2)

This passage records that at some time, Jesus had the option of granting himself joy or redeeming man.  It is my opinion that the decision occurred in Heaven.  Can you imagine Jesus experiencing the joy of a heaven and all that he was entitled to as God and then being offered a choice of having that joy which was was set before him or going to earth and redeeming mankind?  And what does he choose?  He chooses you.  Think about it.  You were more desirable and important to him than the joy that he was having in heaven.  You the struggling sinner away from God or you the person who would trust Christ and still struggle with sin.  You the person that would continually fall short or fail God.  He chose you.  This definitely would not be the right choice if he focused on self love, but with his love focused on others, it would be a different story.  For God, it is the right choice.  It is the best choice.  For a God who is love, it is the only choice.

Rejoice is the decision that Christ made. Praise him for his unending love for you.  Live a life of thanksgiving.  It is the least that you could do for him choosing you.

Deceiving Yourself (1 John 1:8)

How can a person deceive themselves?  Do they purposefully lead themselves away from what they know to be the right way?  Some may think so, but that is not exactly the case.

A person leads themselves astray when they do not agree with or recognize truth, but instead create their own ideas and acknowledge them as truth.  The result is that they actually believe they are doing or believing what they should.

The Holy Spirit convicts all men of sin.  In order for a person to believe that they do not have sin, they first must disagree with the Holy Spirit's conviction and then speak falseness to themselves.  When they walk in light of this falseness, they have deceived themselves.

If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. (1 John 1:8)

Each of us have this tendency.  We do it when we resist conviction for sin and explain it away with circumstances or justify our actions with motives or results from our acts.  We also deceive ourselves when we resist God's leading.  We respond with excuses as to why we cannot do as he leads and then accept those excuses as truth.

Am I deceiving myself?  Are you deceiving yourself?  God knows the answer.  What we must do is submit ourselves to God and allow him to lead us with truth.  We may not like how he leads, but the results will definitely be better than living in deceit.

Darkness or Light (1 John 1:5-7)

I remember when each of my children were born.  Each day was a high mark in my life.  As I held each child, my mind dreamed of plans for them.  I tried to imagine what they would become and what type of future God had prepared for them.

In a similar fashion, God has birthed us into his family and with that has given us gifts, abilities and a path for our lives.  Although each of us are different and have a different course set before us, we do have a common plan set by God.  One aspect of that plan is for us to have joy in our lives.  As we live in this fallen world, it may seem difficult to experience joy, but nonetheless God has ordained it.

And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full. (1 John 1:4)

The contents of John's first epistle is intended to bring us to the point of experiencing the fullness of God's joy.  Experiencing the fullness of God's joy is not a matter of how to obtain it, but more so how to overcome obstacles that keep us from having it.  For you and me to have joy has been set forth by God.  However there are situations that may rob people from experiencing it.

The first is light versus darkness.  God is light and in him is no darkness.  For us to experience joy, we must live in the light.  People who live in the light are those who have experienced salvation and the new birth that is associated with it.

Ye are children of the light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.  (1 Thessalonians 5:5)

God clearly marks the obstacle that robs his creation from experiencing joy and that is salvation.  He contrasts light and darkness: the recognition of our sinfulness and need of salvation contrasted with self righteousness or sinlessness. (1 John 1:8)

We do not get joy by being sinless.  We get joy by recognizing our sin and calling out to a savior.  We must not get confused and think that it is a matter of staying in the light.  It is not staying in the light, but being in the light.  Those in the light are cleansed from sin--hence they sinned while in the light. (1 John 1:7)

God plans for you and me to have joy.  Hopefully, you have recognized your need for salvation and have experienced his Holy Spirit transformation from darkness to light.

Knowledge of Salvation (Luke1:77)

As believers in Christ, we know that salvation is something that has already been accomplished for us.  We know that the complete debt for our lifetime of sin was paid by Jesus Christ and he accomplished this by becoming our substitute or sin bearer before God, but is that action of redemption all there is to salvation?  

There is much more to salvation than just the act of payment for sin.  What people fail to recognize is that salvation is more than an act performed by God, but that it is also a condition of life that he places us in.  In Luke 1:77, God records, "To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins."  The knowledge of salvation comes after and because of the action of salvation.

People know salvation when their sins are remitted or removed.  The action of salvation occurs when the debt of sin is reckoned to Jesus's account and the sinner is redeemed or bought back into a relationship with God.  Much more occurs such as adoption into God's family, God's righteousness imputed to us and being joint errors with Christ, but what also occurs is that we begin to live in the realm of salvation.  Salvation is not only an act, but also a condition of life.  Just as having cancer causes a person to live in the realm of illness and great wealth causes a person to experience the "rich" life, having the debt of sin removed by the work of salvation ushers believers into experiencing salvation.  One of the greatest things about salvation is the life that you experience after the act was completed.

When you live in salvation, there is nothing worth going back to. Oh don't be confused.  There have been many who have fallen to deceitfulness and made decisions to walk away from God, but they are like ships tossed in the sea.  Their lives again are shallow and empty.  They are not lost, just empty.  What brings hope is that God continues reaching out to them and if they so choose, they can return and again experience the wonderful life of salvation.

The Soul Recall (Luke 12:20)

Man and his soul was made for fellowship with God.  Fellowship with God was possible because man's soul was sinless.  However man fell into sin and because of it fellowship and man's soul condition had been affected.  Through Christ, God has provided a way back to him.  Man now has the responsibility to respond back to God's work and be a proper steward or manager of what God has given to him: that is his soul.

But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: (Luke 12:20)

The term required means "to demand back".  Upon man's death, his soul will be required or demanded back by God.  When the soul returns back to God, if acceptable it will remain with him.  However, unacceptable souls will be cast out.

If the soul of man remains the same as it was at his birth, it will be unacceptable to God.  The scriptures state that the soul of man that sins shall surely die (Ezekiel 18:20).  It dies because the soul had become sinful.  Regardless of whatever actions this soul may do throughout life, the soul will still be sinful.  Good and mighty works will not change man's soul nor will they cancel out the effects his sin upon others.

But if this same soul calls out to the savior of the world, his sinful soul will be cleansed: it will be changed from scarlet and crimson to whiteness (Isaiah 1:18).  The debt that his soul owes God will be paid.  It will be paid with the precious blood of Christ (1 Peter 1:18-19; Revelation 5:9; Hebrews 9:12, 10:14).  Jesus's life and the life of his blood were offered as a substitute for all mankind.  When man calls upon this savior, he shall be saved (Romans 10:13) and he becomes a new creature (2 Corinthians 5:17).  His condition is changed.  When God calls back unto himself the soul of this man, it will be found acceptable and pleasing to God.  However if man refuses solely to trust the work of Jesus Christ, his soul will continue to remain unacceptable to God and will be rejected when called back.  Refused souls will be rejected and sinful debts will determined by a holy God.  The great sinful debt upon these souls will be paid in the Lake of Fire (Revelation 20:15).

Before death, we must be prepared to give an account for the condition of our soul.  If it has been redeemed and changed by Christ, our account will be to the praise of Jesus and his wonderful work.  But if the soul has not been changed, peril and doom will await souls who stand before God without excuse.

Thanks be to Jesus Christ who has given himself to save us from the wrath to come.  

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)

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More Than Just A Miracle (Luke 5:17)

The man with palsy had been lame for some time.  He was dependent upon others for his livelihood as well as caring for many of his basic needs.  Because of his infirmity, he could not engage in most activities as others and enjoy life to the fullest.  Emotionally he more than likely felt less than a man: a burden on society with no sense of purpose and accomplishment.  Many people in this state had become filled with anger and bitterness.  However, when he heard of Jesus and the miracles that he performed, he cooperated with those who sought to aid him in his plight.  The purpose for his illness may never have been know to him, but his life and testimony were about to change anyway.

The miracle account begins by stating who was in the house and that the power of The Lord was present to heal them.  

And it came to pass on a certain day, as he was teaching, that there were Pharisees and doctors of the law sitting by, which were come out of every town of Galilee, and Judaea, and Jerusalem: and the power of the Lord was present to heal them. (Luke 5:17).  

The question is, who needed healing?  At this point there were not any blind, halt, lame and diseased individuals yet in the house, but only Pharisees and doctors of the law.  It were these people that The Lord intended to heal.  The healing that they needed was not physical but spiritual.  The very reason that Jesus' first statement to the man with palsy was that his sins were forgiven him was so that the hearts of the doctors and Pharisees would be moved to seek that healing as well.  Then to give validity to his promises of spiritual healing, Jesus healed the man of his palsy.  You would think that after witnessing such a great miracle those present would beg for their sins to be forgiven, but it did not occur.  

This then makes me wonder and ask myself, "How many of my trials are intended to be a testimony to others of what The Lord wants to do in their lives?"  If it were the case, then God would continue to try my faith with trials so that my life would be a continual living testament of his power and grace.  In this manner, your life and mine as well can accomplish more to move people to trust The Lord than preaching and teaching.  Did not Paul say that our lives are epistles of Christ?  

Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart. (2 Corinthians 3:3)

Because I cannot always understand why trials are permitted to come into my life, I must yield to God, who always works in righteousness and love, and trust his divine plan to work what is best for me and of need for those around me.

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Casting Away To Get (Mark 10:50)

The day started as many others.  He awoke in darkness, arose from his bedding and began another day of begging.  Staggered in the dark through the city, he found his spot by the gate.  With his garments wrapped around him, he sat and waited.  As the city stirred, he began to cry the same humbling words that he had for many years.  In discouragement, he probably said to himself, "How much longer can I live like this?  I can't wait to die."  These may be words that filled his heart until he heard about Jesus and the miracles that he performed.

One day, which started the same as every other, was about to change when he heard that Jesus was in the city.  As he cried out to Jesus, others tried to get him to stop.  Because this was his only hope, he continued to cry out, Jesus thou Son of David, have mercy on me!  Jesus heard his cry and gave Bartimaeus his sight.

My favorite part of this miracle account was when Bartimaeus cast off his garment.  And he, casting away his garment, rose, and came to Jesus. (Mark 10:50). By this act, he abandoned any expectation of returning to his begging post and the location of the garment was unimportant, because he would for the first time be able to look for it with his own eyes.

For those who had the opportunity to come to Jesus, they dropped everything so that they could cling to him.  Nothing else was important because they found him or he who is the most important in the universe.  Many have come to him from all walks of life and he disappoints none.  No longer do they hope for a better life, but instead possess it.

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Satisfied In The Wilderness (Mark 8:4)

I remember several years back when I was on one of those high protein-low carbohydrate diets.  My diet consisted of items such as meat, nuts, eggs, cheese and protein drinks with very little bread, potatoes and pasta.  I endured for a while until my Italian urges kicked in.  For days, I began to crave nothing but spaghetti.  All I could think about was a large plate of pasta, covered with the family sauce and some sliced white bread.  One day, I just couldn't stand it any longer.  I came home from work and began preparing the long desired meal.  My daughter asked what I was doing and in a pasta withdraw tone I snapped, "I'm making spaghetti!"  In just a short time, I was stuffing myself with several pieces of bread and two large plates of pasta.  Finally, I was satisfied.

After three days in the wilderness, the people hungered and longed for food.  With compassion, Jesus fed them with bread and they too were satisfied.  They were not satisfied in the towns, but were satisfied where they were which was in the wilderness.

And his disciples answered him, From whence can a man satisfy these men with bread here in the wilderness? (Mark 8:4)

Remember your life before coming to Christ.  You too were in the wilderness.  You aimlessly wandered to and fro looking for something in life to satisfy.  You found that nothing the world had to offer could fill and satisfy the longing in your soul.  Then one wonderful day, the truth of the gospel came into your heart.  You saw Jesus for who he is and trusted him as Savior.  Immediately he satisfied you in the midst of your wilderness.  Fountains of water sprung up in your desert heart and your parched soul was quenched.  You too were finally satisfied.

Today, you still experience trials and they too seem like wilderness experiences.  Praise be to God that his presence with us in trials is as pools of water in the desert.  The trials may put your soul into extremely undesirable circumstances which try your faith, but as Jesus did with those in the wilderness and for you many times in your past, he with compassion will again satisfy your soul's needs.  Look to him, the supply is coming.

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Second Class To Stateliness (Mark 7:27)

Years ago, there was a song entitled Second Hand Rose.  It was a song about a woman whose life consisted of always getting things second hand.  From her clothes to her husband, somebody came before her and used them first.

This story of the Syrophenician woman is much the same.  When it came to the things of God, she was second in line because she had no right to what was being offered.  The nation of Israel came first and she, as a lowly dog, could only receive what was left over that is until she met Jesus.  When she humbly recognized her state and beseeched his help by faith, a miracle took place in her life and the life of her daughter.

But Jesus said unto her, Let the children first be filled: for it is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it unto the dogs. (Mark 7:27)

Sometime ago, you came to Jesus in the same manner as the Syrophenician woman.  You had nothing to offer him, but sought his mercy and forgiveness as a person who was even less than second class.  When he heard your humble plea, he lifted you up and performed a miracle in your life.  

As long as you remember your lowly estate and walk humanly before him, God can continue to work and perform miracles in your life.

I Say Unto Thee, Arise (Mark 5:41)

As far as people could tell, the little girl was dead.  There wasn't any hope and the parents just needed to accept it.  Little did they know or understand, but Jesus had the power to meet every need and could perform whatever miracle was needed in order to change the circumstances for the little girl and her parents.  The scorners were put out of the house and the parents witnessed Jesus perform a radical change in their daughter.

And straightway the damsel arose, and walked; for she was of the age of twelve years. And they were astonished with a great astonishment. (Mark 5:42)

Some time ago, you were in the same condition.  You were dead in your sins.  Your life was ruined and no hope was to be found.  This was how your life was going to be and it was best for you to just accept it.  But then you met Jesus.  Before the eyes of the scorners, he raised you up from a life dead in trespasses and sins and gave you a new life in Christ.  As with the little girl, your life too was radically changed and those who witnessed it were astonished.  The old things in your life were passed away and all things became new.

Even today, Jesus continues to do miraculous works in the lives of lost sinners.  With some of these people, we had the opportunity to share the wonderful story of our changed life in Christ and others are yet to hear of the news.  Share your story of salvation and victory in Christ.  Not everybody will want to know, but somebody will be listening.

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Healed By His Touch (Mark 5:34)

My condition was helpless.  I sought for aid, but nobody could help me.  Isaiah described it best as...the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint. (Isaiah 1:5). All my efforts were in vain.  Religious duty, devotion and penance did not change my condition.  The more that I sought relief, the more I recognized my helpless estate and experienced the hurtful fruit of my actions.  Worse than any disease, sin consumed my thoughts, actions and heart.  I needed to be healed and it could only come about by a physician greater than any man has known.

And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague. (Mark 5:34)

Like the woman with the issue of blood, I eventually was convinced in the power of Jesus Christ and the hope that only he could bring.  By faith, I reached out, touched him and was immediately healed.  I was cleansed from the inside out with the first part being cleaned was my heart.  I thought differently, felt differently and began to speak differently.  All of this happened when virtue came out from him and touched my life.

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Like The Maniac (Mark 5:1-15)

I remember the 1992 USA Olympic basketball team called "The Dream Team".  Whenever they entered the court, they played circles around their opponents.  They easily executed plays with minimal resistance from the other team and on some occasions had their opponents dumbfounded.  They simply dominated the court.  This type of domination could not compare to what was experienced by the maniac of Gadera.

Mark 5:1-15 is a very familiar passage of scripture on the account of this man.  How this man came to be possessed with devils is unknown, but the bondage and control that he experienced was described.  These fallen spirit beings had a heyday.  They did to him whatever they wanted with minimal resistance and completely dominated his life.

And always, night and day, he was in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with stones. (Mark 5:5)

This too was your life before salvation.  You may not have been possessed by a demon, but your life was under the dominating control of sin, your flesh and the fallen spiritual influences upon your life.  No matter how hard you tried, you were unable to break free from their grips.  Your life was crushed under their domination and spiraling out of control.  Then you met Jesus.  His love and power shattered the grip that was upon you and set you free.  He clothed you in with his righteousness and gave you a new right mind.

Jesus's miracle was great when he set the maniac free, but even greater when he set you and me free.

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Peace In The Storms (Mark 4:37, 39)

The waves were rolling high and every effort to prepared for them was useless.  They pounded upon the sides of the vessel, flooded over into the boat and lowered it deeper into the grips of the sea.  Frantically the disciples tried to bail out the water, but their efforts were met with the dismal blows of the storm.  Unless help would arise, the ship would go down and all would be lost. 

And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full...

And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.  (Mark 4:37, 39)

Some 30 odd years ago, my life was in a similar state.  As life pounded upon my empty heart, the swirling sea began swallowing it into despair.  All my efforts towards happiness, were useless.  Pales of success, possessions, and ways of escape were unable to remove the water from my vessel.  Unless help would arise, I would have gone down and been lost.

And then, I finally heard Jesus calling me.  He had been working all the while, but I didn't recognize him.  My sinful heart and religious efforts drowned out the soft tender voice of his calling.  It was only when I fell broken and hopeless that I heard him.  I responded to his call and immediately he was at my side.  He lifted me from the storm and placed me upon a solid rock in the midst of the waves.  No longer could they flood my upon heart.  As they dashed upon the rock upon which I was placed, I experienced no fear.  The storm clouds parted and rays of God's shining love brought warmth to my heart.  The storms of life were still all around me, but as peace and calm are in the eye of the storm, I enjoyed a similar peace and calm in the eye of his care.  For over 30 years , he still brings peace in the midst of my storms.

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