Who is in your boat?

  Life will take us down many roads and across many waters.  Those roads will at times be rocky, and those waters turbulent.  There is nothing new about this.  There will be storms.  It is going to get unpleasant, and sometimes scary. What we have to ask ourselves is one simple question.  "Who is in the boat with me?"

  The boat, of course, is metaphorical.  The question however is the same.  Either we are on board with Jesus Christ or we aren't.  If we are, in fact, on board with our Lord and Savior we have nothing to fear.  Remembering this isn't always easy.  The twelve disciples found it difficult, even with Jesus there in plain sight.

    Luke 8: 22-25

  One day Jesus said to his disciples, "Lets go over to the other side of the lake.". So they got into the boat and set out.  As they sailed, he fell asleep.  A squall came down on the lake, so that the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger.
  The disciples went and woke him, saying, "Master, we're going to drown!"
  He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm.  "Where is your faith?" he asked his disciples.
  In fear and amazement they asked one another, "Who is this?  He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him."

  They had, at this point, seen countless miracles by His hand.  They had every reason to stand firm in the knowledge that their master would save them.  Yet, despite all of this, they faltered.  Panic took them.  They cried out, "We are going to drown!" They did one thing right.  When all seemed lost, they called out to Jesus.  What they had failed to see, was that He was with them the whole time.

  I am reminded of the story of the footprints in the sand.  The individual is talking to Jesus.  The person points out that through most of his life there are two sets of footprints.  He is upset though, because there are portions of his life's path where only one set can be seen.  These are the times the man remembers being the hardest.  These are the times he thought he would never make it through.  He demands to know why.  He wants to know why he sees two sets of footprints where his life was easy, but the minute things got tough that second set seems to have disappeared.  He asks why, why wasn't Jesus there?  Why is there only one set of footprints when having the Lord there at his side would have really counted for something?   In this story, Jesus gives only one reply.  He says, "Where you see only one set of footprints, I carried you."

  This is a story (from a much debated source)told to  illustrate a point.  It is that same point that was missed by the disciples in the boat.  Do we know who we have with us?  Are we missing the gravity of WHO HE IS.  The creator of the universe is with us every step of the way.  What we must do when the world  around us slides into chaos, is take a deep breath and remember.  We have to trust in Him.  Nothing can compete with WHO HE IS.  "He commands even the winds and the water."  

  There is nothing wrong with crying out to the Lord.  There is everything right with doing exactly that.  Just remember, He already knows.  He is there with you.  Do not lose faith.  Do not fear.  Cry out to the Lord, but do not be reduced to panic and fear.  Do not forget who it is that you have in the boat.

Get going already!

Mark 16: 15-18
He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will pick up snakes with their bare hands, and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all, they will place their hands on sick people and they will get well.”

These words are both inspirational and terrifying. God has endowed all of His children with the authority and responsibility to do His will. It is not a request, but our duty and our joy as slaves to Christ. We have from Him, a comission. We have from Him, the power of the Holy Spirit. We have His protection. We must find within us the boldness that He requires.

He has not said to pray for them that perhaps they may be healed. Do this from the safety of your home, where none may hear.

Read again how our Lord said that his own will be known.

"...they will place their hands on sick people and they will get well."

This is a powerful thing that we are called to do in His name. This is a scary thing. We are called not to doubt but to faith. Every step is a challenge. We have to trust in the Lord. We have to be hungry for Him, hungry for the Spirit, hungry to see the spread of His kingdom. We have to stop trying to act secretly behind closed doors. We have to acknowledge him with our lips and in our actions.

Luke 6: 46-49
"Why do you call me 'Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? I will show you what he is like who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice. He is like a man building his house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete.”

What have we to fear when we stand firm upon the rock? Yes, the floods of the enemy will come against us. Yet, we will endure the storm in all its terror, for the Lord is with us. We must listen to His word, and follow it. We are to pray to God that we may see His will in all things, that we may hear His direction. Let us pray for those divine appointments, ones such as that of Philip, on the road to Gaza.

Acts 8: 26-39
Now and angel of the Lord said to Philip, “God south to the road-the desert road-that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, and important official in charge of all the treasury of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians. This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship, and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the book of Isaiah the prophet. The Spirit told Philip, “Go to that chariot and stay near it.” Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. “Do you understand what you are reading?” Philip asked. “How can I,” he said, “unless someone explains it to me?” So, he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. The eunuch was reading this passage of Scripture: “He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before the shearer is silent, so he did not open his mouth. In his humiliation he was deprived of justice. Who can speak of his descendants? For his life was taken from the earth.” The eunuch asked Philip, “Tell me please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?” Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the Good news about Jesus. As they traveled along the road, the came to some water and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water. Why shouldn’t I be baptized?” And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him. When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing.

I pray that all God's church will truly seek Him. I pray that we will hear His call and keep those appointments that will make all of the difference. Let us live in faith, and not in fear. Let us stand, even in the face of adversity and show the truth and power of our savior. May we be obedient to the Lord and serve Him in the sharing of the gospel and the blessings of the Lord that he pours out in abundance.

Where are your talents?

Read Matthew 25:14-30

In this parable, we see a master and his three servants. Each servant is granted responsibility over a portion of the master’s treasure. All three servants know that their master is one who demands results. While all three are in the same situation, we see two very different responses.

Two of the servants decide that they are going to put themselves out there and use this opportunity to further their master’s estate. They face personal risk in doing so, but they know what their master expects and want to deliver so that he will be pleased.

The third servant is focused on self preservation. He is determined that he will avoid the cost of failure by not venturing out at all. He chooses to hide his treasure that he may return it when called upon with no risk to his own hide due to loss.

The master returns and calls his servants to account for their actions. The first two are rewarded, for they have put forth an honest effort and increased the holdings of their master. The third has done nothing. He has hidden his treasure. It was too precious to him to risk. He kept it close. Even an investment without risk, such as a deposit to earn interest, is more than he is willing to do. This man is punished. He is ordered to give what he has to one who will do something with it and is ordered to leave his master’s presence.

How many of us are like this third servant? We have our treasure, be it in possession or ability, and we keep it hidden. It is something that has been given to us and we don’t want to let anyone else see it or touch it. We want to keep it safe where nobody can break it or lose it. We keep our talents hidden where nobody can laugh at us or tell us we aren’t good enough. We don’t want to put our treasures at risk. They are too precious for that. As a result, we sit stagnant, gaining nothing for our covetous nature.

Matthew 6:19-21
Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. For where you treasure is, there your heart will be also.

We need to break free of this stagnant pool where we have chosen to abide. Think on these words. For where you treasure is, there your heart will be also. I don’t want to bury my heart in the ground. We are called to be different. If you really care about something, you are willing to invest in it. We know that Jesus is Lord. His command to us is to go out and further the kingdom. It is His will that the gospel be preached to every living soul. We are to feed, clothe, and minister to the lost and the weary. We are to heal the sick, and share the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. This is where our treasure should be. Our time, talents, and resources have been given to us to further His kingdom. Are our hearts in His hands, in His kingdom, or are they buried in a hole in the ground?

Perhaps you say, “I have invested in the kingdom, and I have seen that investment make a good return. I am happy, and content with what I have gained.”

Revelation 3:15-18
I know your deeds, that you are neither cold or hot. I wish that you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm –neither hot nor cold- I am about to spit you out of my mouth. You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and a salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.

God calls us to constantly seek after Him. He calls us to take every opportunity to further His kingdom, not to push to the point where we are comfortable with our success. Every time we see our treasures multiplied from our investment, we are to sew them right back into the kingdom, and do our part to aide in making it truly “on earth as it is in heaven.” Are we so blind and pitiful to believe that we can ever afford to let this investment opportunity slip us by?

Yes, it costs us our time, money, energy, and pride. Yet think of what we gain. Think of who we have the privilege to serve. We serve the King of Kings, and His kingdom is eternal. That kingdom is the one where we will find our reward. That is the place where we will be called to come and give account for how we have handled our talents, our treasures.

2 Corinthians 4:8
So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Consider this for a moment. Where is the risk? We give up something temporary, something we are going to lose anyway in the end, and gain something eternal, something we can never lose. We were created to love and serve the Lord. Doing so is a win / win situation.

Think on it. Pray on it. Act on it.

The Rod of Correction

Someone at some point has said to you, “Spare the rod and spoil the child.” None of us liked hearing this as children, and some of us still aren’t all that fond of it as parents. What does the bible actually say about this topic?

Proverbs 29: 15-17

The rod of correction imparts wisdom, but a child left to himself disgraces his mother. When the wicked thrive, so does sin, but the righteous will see their downfall. Discipline your son, and he will give you peace.

There it is, right here in the bible. These are the proverbs of Solomon, the man who, when offered anything he desired from God, requested wisdom. God’s wisdom, through Solomon, gives us clear instruction in this matter. If simply knowing is not enough to motivate us in this area, take a look at the following.

1Samuel 3:11-14

And the Lord said to Samuel, “See, I am about to do something in Israel that will make the ears of everyone who hears of it tingle. At that time I will carry out against Eli everything I spoke against his family- from beginning to end. For I told him that I would judge his family forever because of the sin he knew about; his sons made themselves contemptible, and he failed to restrain them. Therefore I swore to the house of Eli, ‘The guilt of Eli’s house will never be atoned for by sacrifice or offering.’”

Now, we know that all sins are forgiven through the blood of Jesus Christ. This is good, as we all make mistakes from time to time and would rather not experience the pain of death or the eternity in hell that would follow. Praise the Lord, that the burden of this punishment has been taken from our shoulders through the death and resurrection of Jesus.

What this does not mean, is that we are excused from our responsibilities as parents. We have to stand firm on the principles laid out for us in the bible. This is the Word of God. We don’t get to change it, or pick and choose what we are going to follow. God said it, and we have to do it.

We are not to “pick” at our children and drive them to frustration. Read “Who’s the Boss?” for more, on that matter. What we are to do is keep our children in line according to His word. God’s direction to them is clear in the fifth commandment and is echoed in Colossians with a little something extra for the parents.

Colossians 3:20-21

Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. Fathers, do not embitter your children or they will become discouraged.

Parents, remember that it is our job to instruct and correct our children. We want them to grow up to be strong and upright. Our children are the arrows in our quiver that we have been given to shoot at the enemy. We want those arrows to be straight rather than bent and crooked. These are the children of the Lord and should be raised as such.

Who's the Boss?

Read Ephesians 6: 1-9

Verses 1-3 echo in the ears of children the world over. Parents have them committed to memory, ready to recite at a moments notice when their young ones need reminding. Yet the truth remains. We do need reminding, and often. It would also do the parents well to remember the other side of this coin.

Ephesians 6: 4

Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.

God designed the family according to His purpose. Children are called to honor and obey their parents. Parents are to love and nurture their children. They are to grow up with the same loving care and instruction that Christ gives the church. A child should know that in obeying their parents, they will be following rules set for their benefit and protection.

At first glance, Verses 5 – 9 seem a little out of date and easy to skip over. This is far from the truth. It is all in the wording. Take into account the time in which it was written. Men and women labored at their own household or estate. If they worked elsewhere it was as a servant or slave. The modern equivalent would be the employee / employer relationship. Read it now in this perspective.

Ephesians 6: 5-8

Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men, because you know that the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does, whether he is slave or free.

We are called to make every aspect of our lives a testimony to Christ. God places us in people’s lives. He puts us in situations that allow us to shine His light before those who are in need of it. It will not always be easy, but this is God’s will.

Ephesians 6: 9

And masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Do not threaten them, since you know that He who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with Him.

How many of us have had to deal with an impossible boss or supervisor? We know that we are called to be submissive, and do what is required of us, even in these situations. Those of us who find ourselves on the other side would do well to keep this in mind. God has made us the stewards of much. When we are called to lead, it is for the good of others, not just ourselves. In what way are we extending the love of the Lord to those who work for us? Are we being the type of masters that our own expects of us?

1 Corinthians 10: 31

So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God

We would do well to remember this. We are all God’s children. We are all His servants. No matter our place in the between, these things do not change. We are the citizens of heaven and should be conducting ourselves as such.