Category Archives: Christian

How much do you have? (Matthew 15:34) April 11, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Exodus 5-8

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Matthew 15:34
Jesus: How much bread do you have?

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

Have you ever wondered about this second set of questions from Jesus’ disciples? We read in chapter thirteen about the feeding of the 5,000 men and all the women and children with them. When Jesus told them to feed the crowd they doubted their ability and asked where they would get food to feed so many. Jesus asked what they had. Remember?

So here we are again. A crowd has gathered around Jesus to hear His teachings, to see His miracles, to bring their problems to Him for resolution. They’ve been on the hillside with Him for three days without food and Jesus says, feed them. They touch My heart, I want to take care of their physical needs, so disciples, go feed these people.

I expect the disciples Matthew writes about are not the twelve hand-picked disciples. Some of those might have been among those who questioned His feeding miracle the first time, but I expect this batch was another group of disciples. Why do I say that? Because there were hundreds at His ascension. Those gathered at His ascension were in danger of losing their lives for being there. Those were His disciples and I’m sure many of them were among this crowd of onlookers and early believers.

I expect these disciples were new to the teachings and miracles of Jesus. But when they came in contact with the incarnate God, they believed and followed Him. Now they became part of His entourage and did everything they could to assist the twelve. Perhaps the twelve were moving among the crowd assisting as Jesus had instructed them when they went to the cities and villages in the area. Perhaps they were in the cities and villages and this crowd was a result of their spreading the word about Jesus’ coming and announcing His ministry on the hillside.

We don’t know who spoke the words to Jesus recorded by Matthew other than His disciples. Someone who longed to be like Him and wished to study under His tutelage. Like many other disciples of many other rabbis of the day, they followed their teacher. They listened to His teaching. They paid attention to His interpretation of the scriptures. They tried their best to mimic His actions and lifestyle. But Jesus was different.

How could they possibly be like Him? How could they do the things He asked them to do? How could they understand the lessons He taught? They were so different from the messages of the other rabbis, the other teachers. The religious leaders of the day hated this Man who did so much good and performed acts that surely belonged in the realm of God. They wanted to be like Him but couldn’t begin to understand how.

So that brings us to Jesus’ words to these new disciples. “How much bread do you have?” Kind of sounds like that discount suit salesman, doesn’t it? How much does this suit cost? Well, that depends on how much you have. Or the loan officer at the car dealership. How much can you afford for a car payment? Well, do I have a deal for you! Only Jesus has a slightly different motive. Well, slightly different isn’t the right description. Jesus is about to feed the multitude again. His motive is just the reverse of the shady deals you might have fallen into in the past.

But there is one thing that’s alike. Jesus wants it all. How much bread do you have? Give it all to me. Don’t save any for yourself. Don’t hoard any of it away. Don’t think you can save a few crumbs and do okay for yourself. Jesus wants it all. Every last morsel. He wants even the smell of the bread to be given to Him if you could. Because He is about to do something miraculous with it.

Jesus asks the same of us. Paul describes it as being living sacrifices for Him. Giving Him every morsel of who we are. Giving up all we possess, all our ambitions and dreams, giving up everything to His governance. The amazing thing is that many times, in fact, in my experience, most of the time, when we really give Him everything, He gives it right back to us multiplied many times over. I don’t know how He does it except that He is God and we are not.

See I don’t want to let God control just My tithe. I live better on 9/10ths of my income than I do 10/10ths. I don’t understand the math, but I’ve found it to be true over the years. But I don’t want God just to control that 10%. Because if He can make 90% work better than 100%, don’t you think He can make 100% work better than 100%. It’s His math, not mine. I’m stuck with only the math that the world teaches. Two plus two equals four. But God makes two plus two so much more than four. He fed a multitude with seven rounds of bread and a few small fish probably about the size of a sardine. Now you figure out the math if you can.

All I know is that when Jesus asks, “How much do you have?” Get ready for the next comment. “Give it to Me, I want to do God-sized things with it.” But remember, it has to be in His hands for it to happen. Our hands can’t do it. Our math doesn’t work. Our skills fall short. But in God’s hands miracles happen. 

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Is it time to calibrate your heart’s desire? (Matthew 15:32) April 10, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – 1 Corinthians 13-14

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Matthew 15:32
Jesus (to His disciples): We must take pity on these people for they have touched My heart; they have been with Me for three days, and they don’t have any food. I don’t want to send them home this hungry—they might collapse on the way!

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

Here we are on the mountainside once more. Jesus is doing His thing. He makes the lame walk, the blind see, the deaf hear, the mute speak. Everyone who comes to him for healing is healed. People come from everywhere to receive a touch from the Master. And a lot of them stick around just to be in His presence. Thousands have gathered on that remote hillside above the Sea of Galilee to watch His compassionate hand and hear His teaching.

Jesus turns to His disciples. I love these words. “We must take pity on these people for they have touched My heart…”

I’m about to say something that will probably make a few of you really upset, but that’s okay. Here goes. Do you remember how we were bombarded with Humane Society commercials around Christmas? The videos showed poor little abused puppies and sitting in cages waiting for some gentle soul to take pity on them and take them home. Every dog they chose for their video had the saddest looking face. And in the background you could hear “Amazing Grace” softly playing.

Wait a minute! Animals only have one expression. I watch my dogs. They jump up and lick my face and spin around excitedly when I come home or play with them, but their expression never changes. It’s always the same. They don’t get droopy eyes or sad faces. They just have faces. They know when I scold them for doing something wrong. They know when I praise them for doing something good. But their expressions are always the same. And “Amazing Grace” in the background? These guys are obviously trying to pull at our heartstrings! And they do. That annual campaign provides most of the money to operate their organization every year because it works.

Unfortunately, we don’t get as excited about the people in Cameroon facing genocide. Or the ongoing battles in Uganda. Or the fight that keeps killing thousands in the Sudan. Or the kids still dying of hunger in the Congo and Ethiopia. Or the thousands of young girls being sold into the sex slave market from Central and South America, Asia, and India. We don’t hear much about the plight of the thousands of homeless in our own country. We see them, but we don’t. They stand on our street corners with signs that say something like “Please, help” or “God bless you” or “Anything will help”. We assume it’s their own fault for being there in the first place. Or we hear about the number of panhandlers that make a sizable, tax-free living that way and so we just ignore the problem in our cities.

We see the hurting around our world, but what do we do? I know we can’t feed everyone. I know we can’t take in everyone. I know some of those on the streets will just continue to live that way no matter how much you try to do for them. I know there are evil men and women that will continue to take advantage of our young boys and girls as long as there are other men and women willing to pay for their services. But can’t we have at least as much pity on them as we do for those puppies in the cages we see in videos at Christmas?

Have we become so callous that we no longer see the people around us that are desperately in need of our help and the cleansing that Jesus can bring into their lives? Jesus looked at the crowd scattered across that hillside that came seeking relief from the various maladies in their lives. They had been with Him for three days. They went without food and water just to be near Him. If you have never fasted for three days, try it some time. They were hungry and thirsty. He looked across that sea of people and they touched His heart.

I’m glad God doesn’t act the way we do most of the time. I’m glad He isn’t callous to the needs of the people on the street corner or the invalid whose kids just quit visiting all together. I’m glad He’s not insensitive to the needs of the masses or even to the single individual. No, He reaches out to each person. He wants every single person He created to know His saving grace. He wants all of us to come to Him and enjoy eternity with Him.

Will all of us choose Him? Unfortunately, no. But, like Jesus, we can have His heart if He lives in us. We can begin to see people the way He sees people. We can let them touch our heart and do what we can to share the resurrection power of Jesus in us with those He lets us touch. We can introduce those who have not met Him to the One who can make all the difference in their life. Because Jesus had pity on us and took us into His care, we can do the same for others and demonstrate God’s love, grace, and mercy in a world that needs it desperately.

So which touches your heart more, the video of the puppies at Christmas or the beggar on the corner? Is it time to calibrate your heart’s desire?

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Her faith paid off (Matthew 15:24-28) April 9, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Mark 9-10

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Matthew 15:24,26,28
Jesus: I was sent here only to gather up the lost sheep of Israel.
The woman came up to Jesus and knelt before Him.
Canaanite Woman: Lord, help me!
Jesus: It is not right to waste the children’s bread by feeding dogs.
Canaanite Woman: But, Lord, even dogs eat the crumbs that fall by the table as their master is eating.
Jesus—whose ancestors included Ruth and Rahab—spoke with kindness and insight.
Jesus: Woman, you have great faith. And your request is done.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

Jesus’ words at first seem pretty harsh, don’t they? Here’s a women in desperate need for her daughter. The girl is possessed by a demon and she can do nothing to help her. She comes to the Master hoping that He can do something to relieve her of the plight she suffers. And what does Jesus do? He snubs her. “I was sent here only to gather up the lost sheep of Israel.”

And it gets worse!

The woman cries and pleads, falls on her face at His feet and cries out, “Lord, help me!” What was the reply of the only One who could help her? “It is not right to waste the children’s bread by feeding dogs.”

Did Jesus just call her a dog? Did He insult her in the most vile way and cast her aside as so much garbage?

I don’t think so. I think we have to look at the rest of the story as Paul Harvey used to say. Sometimes we get so use to God answering our prayers that we forget who does those miraculous things for us. We forget that it really is God answering and we just walk away after He has done some incredible thing for us without even thanking Him. Sometimes we are really ungrateful, snobbish little brats. And I think Jesus in some ways wanted those around Him to understand we sometimes need to get desperate in our asking.

When you really think about it, none of us deserve to have God answer our requests. What have we really done to deserve His grace, mercy, and kindness? What have we done that merits His expenditure of power on our behalf? Nothing. We were His enemies. Lost. Rebellious. Disobedient. Sinful. Still He pours out His favor on us. Pretty remarkable, isn’t it?

So one thing Jesus wants to show us in this story is to be grateful for what we get from God, because we really don’t deserve anything.

Another point that comes out clearly in this story is that sometimes we need to be persistent in our desperate petitioning. Jesus will give us more examples of being persistent in our prayers and petitions later. I think it’s a hard lesson for us to learn, but one that is so important for us in the United States where we live under a philosophy of instant gratification. I want what I want…and I want it NOW! I even get frustrated with the little hour glass on my computer when it takes more than five seconds for a website to load. Can you imagine? What have we come to? Where is our patience, our persistence? We sometimes need to be like this woman who came back to Jesus and said, but Lord, even the dogs get crumbs from the table.

And that’s the next point. God gives even us dogs His grace and mercy. We don’t deserve it, but He gives it to us. In fact, He pours out His love lavishly on us. He loves us so much that He gave His only Son to die for us. We can not begin to imagine the love the Father has for us. Compared to God, we are so far below the level of a dog or a rat or a worm, how could He be mindful of us, David asks in the Psalms. Yet, God gave us His very best. And Paul tells us, if God gave us His Son, would He withhold anything else from us? We gives us everything. He makes us heirs as He adopts us into His family. Just stop and think about that. We are not worthy to receive the crumbs from His table, yet He adopts us and sits us in chairs at the banquet feast.

But it takes something on our part. It takes faith. The woman in our story had enough faith to come back to Jesus and plead for her daughter. She had enough faith to believe He could do something for her that no one else could do. She had enough faith that she was not going to go away until Jesus did something for her. She knew He might tell her no, but she had to try. She had to exercise her faith in Him. She had to plead for her daughter. And she was willing to break all the social norms to do so. She was a Canaanite. Even worse than a Samaritan. She lived among the worst of the pagans. And she was a woman. How in the world could she dare to approach Jesus with such boldness? But she did because He was her hope.

Do you have the gratitude, the persistence, the faith to approach Jesus? This lady did. And it really paid off.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

How’s your heart? (Matthew 15:13-20) April 8, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Jeremiah 12-16

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Matthew 15:13-20
Jesus: Every plant planted by someone other than My heavenly Father will be plucked up by the roots. So let them be. They are blind guides. What happens when one blind person leads another? Both of them fall into a ditch.
Peter: Explain that riddle to us.
Jesus: Do you still not see? Don’t you understand that whatever you take in through your mouth makes its way to your stomach and eventually out of the bowels of your body? But the things that come out of your mouth—your curses, your fears, your denunciations—these come from your heart, and it is the stirrings of your heart that can make you unclean. For your heart harbors evil thoughts—fantasies of murder, adultery, and whoring; fantasies of stealing, lying, and slandering. These make you unclean—not eating with a hand you’ve not ritually purified with a splash of water and a prayer.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

Don’t you just want to shake the disciples sometimes? They seem so dense when we look back and listen to the questions they have for Jesus. Explain your riddle. Tell us what your parable means. Why do you make your sermons so hard to understand. And Jesus spends time slowly going over what He’s just told the crowd. He puts things in terms kindergarteners can understand. Still they ask their questions and we sit back and shake our heads at them.

But…should we be so quick to chastise them for their ignorance? We live on this side of the cross. We have heard Jesus’ explanation of all those parables. We know the answers to the questions the disciples raised. We have centuries of writings from the apostles, early disciples, and theologians that tell us the meaning of Jesus’ words. These guys heard these words for the first time with no other background except His words.

So we have all this knowledge about this information Jesus shares with the people who listened to Him talk about those rituals and the difference between what went into a person and what came out of a person. Which one makes you clean? The rituals didn’t do it Jesus says. He made it pretty clear to the folks who listened to Him. We know that on this side of the cross. We know that what you eat or drink doesn’t make you righteous. Neither does the physical act of washing a certain way, sitting in certain places, following certain practices. None of these outward acts makes one righteous.

We know these things from the lessons Jesus gives the crowds on the hillsides of Judea and the interpretations He gives to His disciples as they ask for deeper explanations of His stories. So, if we know all these things, why do we continue to do the very things Jesus preaches against? Why do we keep acting like going to church makes us okay? Why do we act like putting a few dollars in an offering plate buys our ticket into heaven? When every other day except Sunday we look like, talk like, and act like every other person around us?

Why can’t we understand on this side of the cross that Jesus expects us to live the way He lived? Why can’t we see that just walking through religious activities isn’t good enough to make you right with God? Why can’t we read His word and see that He wants more from us?

I’ve mentioned before the survey the Barna Group did several years ago that compared those who call themselves Christian with those who are unchurched. The difference between the two groups in his study – those who call themselves Christian didn’t curse as much. Every other marker was statistically the same – lying, cheating, adultery, pornography, petty theft, embezzlement, you name the vice and those who call themselves Christian are involved in it. We just don’t curse as often. Hmmm!!

Is that how God wants us to live? Is that why He died on the cross, for us to live the same way everyone else does? I don’t think so. Jesus calls us to a higher standard. He calls us to a higher plane of life. He calls us to live a righteous, holy life. And He gave us His holy Spirit to live in us with His resurrection power to help us do just that. He cleanses us from all unrighteousness, John tells us, so that we can choose not to fall prey to the wiles of Satan, our adversary.

We are not strong enough to stand against him, but Jesus in us is. He has resurrection power and has already defeated sin and death. And His resurrection power in us can keep us if we focus on His Spirit in us, God’s indwelling presence that He sent to live in us. That’s the message He had for the disciples. What lives inside us determines whether we are clean or unclean, good or evil, obedient or disobedient. The one who has control of our mind determines which we focus on. Do we give control to God or do we keep it for ourselves?

Jesus said, it’s what’s inside that counts. How’s your heart?

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Is your worship ordinary? (Matthew 15:3-11) April 7, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Job 27-28

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Matthew 15:3-11
Jesus: Why do you violate God’s command because of your tradition? God said, “Honor your father and mother. Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.” But you say that one need no longer honor his parents so long as he says to them, “What you might have gained from me, I now give to the glory of God.” Haven’t you let your tradition trump the word of God? You hypocrites! Isaiah must have had you in mind when he prophesied,
People honor Me with their lips,
but their hearts are nowhere near Me.
Because they elevate mere human ritual to the status of law,
their worship of Me is a meaningless sham.
(to the multitude) Hear and understand this: What you put into your mouth cannot make you clean or unclean; it is what comes out of your mouth that can make you unclean.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

How do Jesus’ words sound to you today? You might look at the Pharisees and wag your finger and say, “He really put you in your place, didn’t He?” But be careful. When you point your finger at someone, remember three are pointing back at you. Look at His last words to the Pharisees. “You hypocrites! Isaiah must have had you in mind when he prophesied, People honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are nowhere near Me. Because they elevate mere human ritual to the status of law, their worship of me is a meaningless sham.”

I think about what we do in our services sometimes and wonder if we have reduced our worship routine to just a ritual. We used to talk about the service being three hymns and a sermon with an offering thrown in there somewhere. We’ve gotten rid of the hymns, but most churches have a pretty set routine for that hour and a half people spend inside their walls. You can probably recite your routine for me without much trouble.

And so it goes. We come to church, spend our time in mindless rote without even thinking about the words we sing or the scripture we read. We listen to the pastor pray a few words and give a nice sermon. Then we walk out the doors and do the same thing we did last week. We don’t let God intervene in our lives. We just go on day after day assuming we are okay with the Creator.

Did you listen to Jesus’ words? He called the Pharisees hypocrites for doing just that. God isn’t interested in our routines in worship. He wants our real worship. He wants to touch our spirit with His Spirit. He wants to lead us to a life of righteousness, holiness. We have become callous in our familiarity with God. He tells us we are His children, but we have lost sight of the command Jesus quotes when we don’t honor Him as our heavenly Father. Jesus says to honor our Father.

How is just going through the motions of worship honoring Him? See, He wants a relationship with us. He wants to talk to us. He wants to listen to our prayers. He wants to hear our praise. He wants us to set aside anything we have between each other and anything we have between us and Him so we have open communication. He doesn’t want anything to block the transparency between us so His Spirit in us can work as He wants to work.

Have you ever noticed in the books of the Law, especially as laid out in Leviticus that God gives no remedy for those who intentially disobey Him? He talks about punishments and sacrifices for those who do things accidentally. Those who injury or kill by misfortune, not by plotting to do so. For those who intentionally commit sin, God gives one punishment. Death. Because the wages of sin. Is death, eternal separation from the Creator of Life, God.

So what do we do about it? Do we change the order of our services? Unless you’re the pastor or worship leader, probably not. Do we refuse to go to worship services? That won’t help, we need to worship in community with others. So, what’s the answer? The answer lies in examining Jesus’ worship. He went to the synagogue or temple every Sabbath. He participated in all those rituals He just condemned those Pharisees about performing.

So, what’s the difference? The difference rests in why and how He participated. First, He always stayed connected to His Father. He didn’t wait until He got to the synagogue to pray or meditate on God’s word. He spent time in prayer, fasting, study. He communed with His Father regularly and frequently.

Second, He recognized the significance of each ritual and symbol within the worship service and each time He participated in any of the rituals, I imagine He let them envelop Him. He let them sink into His heart and mind. He didn’t allow Himself to just go through the motions, but instead focused on each action, each word, each symbol and let them become a part of His individual worship of His Father.

Finally, He let those rituals enrich His life throughout the days ahead until He could come back and renew them again the next time He came into the synagogue or temple. He made them a part of His thought process and used those symbols and actions as teaching points, sermon prompts, exits from temptations, means and methods to draw closer to the Father.

How can you use the services you attend help you draw closer to God? How can you use the routine to take you to the extraordinary? Remember, when we worship, it’s never about routine, it’s about God, and He can never be described as ordinary.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Step out of the boat (Matthew 14:29, 31)April 6, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Psalms 39-41

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Matthew 14:29, 31
Jesus: Indeed, come.
Peter stepped out of the boat onto the water and began walking toward Jesus. But when he remembered how strong the wind was, his courage caught in his throat and he began to sink.
Peter: Master, save me!
Immediately Jesus reached for Peter and caught him.
Jesus: O you of little faith. Why did you doubt and dance back and forth between following Me and heeding fear?

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

This is the rest of one of my favorite stories in the New Testament. Jesus walking on the water. The disciples think He is a ghost or some apparition, then Peter calls out to Him, and the Master confirms it is really Him in the flesh. But then Peter does something few of us would have the courage to do. He’s still not quite sure, so He makes a request of this dim figure in the mist. “If it’s really you, tell me to join you out there.”

There’s something most of us don’t understand about the culture of that day that makes those words really important. And Jesus next words equally important. You see, these men in the boat were becoming disciples. In Jesus day, that carried certain characteristics. Everyone understood wht it meant to be a disciple. Jesus wasn’t the only person with disciples, every rabbi with any smarts had disciples.

A disciple gave up what he had to follow his rabbi. He lived with him, and watched him carefully. He ate what he ate, drank what he drank, slept where he slept, wore what he wore. He studied what the rabbi studies. He became like his rabbi in every way possible. The mark of a good rabbi was the mimicry of his disciples. How much like the rabbi were his disciples?

We sometimes decry Peter for his lack of faith and taking his eyes off Jesus. We preach sermons about his looking at the storm around him and failing to keep his eyes on the prize. We talk bad about Peter’s faith sometimes. But if you really stop and think about it, there were at least twelve disciples in the boat. All of them saw Jesus out there. All of them heard the conversation. The boat wasn’t that big that they could avoid what was going on. All of them heard Peter’s request and Jesus’ reply.

All twelve of the disciples had an opportunity to step out of the boat that night and do something no one else had done. All of them had an invitation to come out and see what it was like to walk on the surface of the sea. But only one really acted like a disciple that night. Only Peter decided he would be like his Master and stepped out of the boat. He longed to be like Jesus so much he dared to put his foot over the side and onto the stormy sea.

Peter was rewarded for his action. He began to walk to Jesus…on the water. The Bible doesn’t tell us how far he walked. We don’t know if it was two feet, ten feet, or a hundred feet, but we know it was far enough that everyone in that boat knew Peter walked on top of the Sea of Galilee. They also watched him long enough to see him take his eyes off of Jesus and look at the storm around him. When he did, he began to sink.

Two things happened then, Peter cried out, “Master, save me.” And immediately Jesus reached out His hand and rescued him. Peter knew who could help him and cried out to Him. He knew he was in over his head and needed help fast. There was only One who could rescue him and Peter sought that One, Jesus. And Jesus did.

We can learn a lot from this story. Jesus talks to them when He gets into the boat about their faith, and so we must exercise our faith in Him. But we do that by remembering this story. If we are to be a true disciple of Jesus, we must do what He did. We need to be willing to step out of our comfort zone into the unknown inexplicable areas of life sometimes when He tells us to come. Recognize that when we do, if we keep our eyes on Him we do not need to sink under the waves. We can do miraculous things through His power in us. We just need to remember Who to focus on, not the circumstances around us.

We don’t need to worry about the storms around us. Jesus is here. If we belong to Him, we have nothing to fear. He tells us that over and over, but we just don’t seem to get it sometimes. We fret over unimportant things and wonder why our faith falters. He says lift up your eyes and look at Him. It will be okay. He will rescue you from the storm.

When the storms do seem to swallow you up, remember you have One who can rescue you from what seems like an ocean of problems, distress, frustration, or fear. When we call on Him, He is ready to reach out His hand and pull us free from the things that keep us from our peace. His legacy is peace. He may not take us out of the storm, but He gives us the assurance of His presence and His peace.

I pray that I will be like Peter and step out of the boat when Jesus calls. 

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

You have nothing to fear (Matthew 14:27) April 5, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – 1 Samuel 16-20

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Matthew 14:27
Jesus: Be still. It is I. You have nothing to fear.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

I love this story. Many of you probably know it well. Jesus sends His disciples ahead of Him across the Sea of Galilee in a boat while He goes up the mountain to pray. That’s what He came to this secluded area to do in the first place. Then one of those sudden storms come up on the sea and the disciples are rowing with all their might to get to the other side. Suddenly, they look up and they see something in the distance that looks like a man.

But they’re in the middle of the Sea of Galilee. The water is deep. It’s not possible for anyone to walk on the water. This must be a ghost. Then one of them says, “It looks like the Master!” The debate goes on as the figure gets closer. It’s a ghost. It’s the Master. It’s some creature from the sea. It can’t be a ghost. I’m telling you, I think it’s Jesus. It can’t be, how can He walk on the water. I know it must be a ghost. No, look, He walks just like Jesus and the storm doesn’t bother Him at all.

Then out from across the water they hear a voice, “Be still. It is I. You have nothing to fear.”

Really? There’s this storm all around us and we might sink in the waves, there’s this figure of a man coming closer to us that seems to be walking on the water. Don’t be afraid. Are you kidding me?

Life does that to sometimes, doesn’t it? The waves crash around us. We don’t see any way out of the predicament we’re in. The enemy seems to hem us in on every side. We don’t know how we will win the battle. And then it gets worse. We don’t seem to get through to God, instead we seem to just see shadows moving in the distance.

But then from those shadows we hear a voice calling, “Be still. It is I. You have nothing to fear.”

It is so hard sometimes to stop and be still. It is hard to stop churning and doing and fretting and working to just look out into the fog and see who it is that is coming through all that mist and spray that seems to surround us. With everything pouring in, it’s hard to stop and take the time to look over the bow and focus on the figure blurred by all the commotion and noise and lightning and thunder to see that He is walking toward our rescue.

That’s what He tells us to do, though. When we are in the middle of our greatest storm, it’s sometimes best to stop and focus on Him. I’ve been part of a good many disaster operations in the last forty years both in and out of the military. One of the first things I learned from a great operations officer by the name of then Major David Bramlett was combat patience. He later became the Commander of United States Army Forces Command.

Combat patience says that the first thing you hear or see about the development of a battlefield situation is probably not true or at best a half truth. It’s not that people purpose try to misinform, but in the excitement and rush of those first few moments of battle, confusion reigns. It isn’t until the battle is fully engaged that good, solid information comes out from those on the line. That’s what Jesus is telling His disciples. Don’t get too excited about the situation. This might look bad, but it’s not. Just be still and look around. Take inventory of what you have and the directions you’ve been given.

If they had stopped to think a few minutes. They all believed Jesus was the Son of God. God incarnate. He told them to meet Him on the other side of the lake. They didn’t know how He was going to get there, but if He said He was going to meet them, well… How could they possible not make it to the other side? He was God walking around in human clothes. They would make it to meet Him. He’d see to it. Just be still. Stop and collect your wits about you. Remember what I told you to do, and do it.

Then He came out of the shadow. The mist cleared a little. They began to focus on the figure in front of them and Jesus said, “It is I. You don’t have anything to fear.” You see, when Jesus is around, the world can’t hurt us. He has already defeated sin and death and the grave. If He lives in us, the only things that can hurt us have been defeated. What do we have to fear? The answer is, Absolutely nothing. Paul explains it well in Romans. We die to the flesh and live according to the Spirit. When we do, the only authority who can condemn us is Jesus, but He sits at the right hand of the Father pleading for us. So who can condemn us? No one! Nothing! Not any created thing! We have nothing in this world to fear when He is Lord of our life.

Are you in the middle of a storm? Be still. Jesus is in the mist and fog walking your way. You have nothing to fear, if He lives in you. 

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Give it up, God things are about to happen (Matthew 14:18) April 4, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Exodus 1-4

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Matthew 14:18
Jesus: Bring the bread and the fish to Me.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

Simple words, but they pack a powerful punch if you really stop and think about them.

The disciples had come to Jesus with a problem. Five thousand men and the women and children that accompanied them gathered on the hillside to listen to Jesus one day. He had preached, healed, taught from the scriptures, ministered to their needs, blessed them. It had been an extraordinary day. But now it late and the people needed food. In yesterday’s podcast we talked about the expectations we should have we walk the path with Jesus. Expect the unexpected. Expect to work. Expect to help people. And expect miracles.

Easy, right? We’re His followers. We understand these expectations and we get to the task. We work hard for Him. We spend days and nights at church. We feed the poor. We give our tithe. We sing in the choir and teach Sunday School classes. We get really busy doing the right things for the kingdom. But we just don’t see many results. The altars are empty. We don’t see many seeking Christ. No one seems to see the necessity of following Christ, but instead walk away as broken and lost as when they came.

What went wrong?

I think the answer can often be found in these simple words. After Jesus told the disciples to feed the crowd, they admitted they just didn’t have what it takes. "All we have are five tortillas (I live in Texas) and two sardines. What is that going to do for such a big crowd? That’s a boy’s lunch, not a feast for 20,000.

Do we ever admit that we don’t have what it takes? Quite frankly, that’s part of the problem with the services’ PTSD problems. PTSD is real, but in the service, you’re taught to be tough. We’re a team and can’t let each other down. We have to stay tough and ready to fight. Surely this nightmare thing isn’t happening to me. PTSD is something that happens to someone else, so we slough it off. But the longer the problem persists the harder it is to treat. We have a hard time recognizing that about the same number of people that will get a cold in their lifetime will have a mental illness in their lifetime. I’m not talking about schizophrenia or manic-depressive disorder or things that will hospitalize you for weeks. Colds don’t hospitalize most people for weeks either. But most people will experience depression some time in their life. Out of control anger or grief. Mental and emotional issues that they need help fixing. Just like you need help with a cold or the flu.

So we don’t admit that we can’t handle the problem. We don’t admit that a task is too hard for us without God’s help. We plow in headstrong and find ourselves with mild concussions after beating our head against that wall that just won’t budge. Still we don’t come to the source of power. We keep trying to plow through.

Remember the story of Moses and the flaming bush that wasn’t consumed by the fire? Remember how Moses argued with God about his ability to lead the Israelites and convince Pharaoh and his counselors to let the Israelites leave the country? God asked Moses what he had in his hand. When Moses answered, “A staff.” God told him to throw it on the ground and it became a snake. That staff became a symbol of the presence of God to the people of Israel because Moses had given it to God and God changed it and gave it back to him.

Elijah did the same with the widow he ask to feed him. Elisha did it with the jar of oil. And now Jesus does the same with His disciples. Give me what you have. I know you don’t have what it takes to do the job I’ve asked you to do. I’ve done that on purpose. I want you to know you didn’t make this happen, I did. So give me what you have and then do the work with what you gave Me. I’ll make your inadequacy adequate. I’ll make your incapability capable. I’ll make your lack abundant.

So what roadblocks have you found in working for Jesus? Is it because you are trying to spread those five tortillas and two fish around all by yourself? You can’t do it. You’re not God. He has creative power. He can multiply them when you give them to Him. All you can do is deliver the pieces when He gives them back to you. You can’t do more than that, but you shouldn’t do less.

Jesus says to us today, take what you have and give it to Me. Then watch what I will help you do with it. You’ll be in awe and those around you will, too. Give what you have to Me then get ready to work because God things are about to happen.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Watch for His miracles (Matthew 14:16) April 3, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – 1 Corinthians 11-12

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Matthew 14:16
Jesus: They don’t need to go back to the villages in order to eat supper. Give them something to eat here.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

Jesus has preached all day to the crowds assembled to hear Him and see His miracles. He has met their needs. He has shared the good news of the kingdom of heaven being at hand. He has opened the scripture so their could understand God’s love for them. He shared how God wanted a relationship with them, not sacrifices and rituals and rules. He wanted obedience, but He wanted obedience in a relationship of love just as we give obedience to our spouse out of love.

So here they were. The hour was late. People were hunger. The crowd began to grow restless. Jesus preached on. The disciples slipped up next to Him and whispered in His ear. “Master, the people are hunger, why don’t we send them into the villages nearby so they can get something to eat.” Hey, boss. Time for a break. Let’s give everyone time to go to McDonalds and start again in 30 minutes. Sound good?

Jesus words astound His disciples. “Give them something to eat here.” Now I imagine the disciples stopped and looked around at the crowd, then looked at the hillsides, then looked at Jesus. I expect a few of them got big eyes and their eyebrows went sky-high in confusion. Some of them probably doubled over in laughter thinking He was pulling their leg. He must have been joking. Some got a little closer, “Excuse me? What did you say? I don’t think I heard you right. Did you say feed them here?”

"Uh, Jesus, there’s no cafeteria here. McDonald’s won’t be built here for another couple thousand years. We don’t have Long John Silvers or Captain D’s or Bill Millers or Denny’s or anything. We just have rocks and a few trees and grass. But Jesus, these people aren’t cows. They won’t eat grass and leaves and rocks.

Do what can we learn from Jesus’ words to His disciples?

First, expect the unexpected. Jesus’ response to His disciples shocked them. They didn’t know what to do with His response. They didn’t see any way out of the predicament He put them in. Feed this crowd here? It seemed ridiculous, but Jesus does things no one else can do. He does God-like things because He is God. If we are truly His, He will do God-like things through us. So expect the unexpected. Be ready for Him to use you in ways that just don’t make sense sometimes.

Second, expect to work. Jesus didn’t let the disciples off the hook. The people were hunger. They needed food. The disciples were about to work pretty hard as waiters for a crowd of 5,000 men plus all the women and children who were there. So we can assume there were well over 10,000 and probably closer to 20,000 people gathered together that day. So these disciples had their work cut out for them. Imagine waiting on 20,000 people to get enough food to them that their hunger is satisfied. Just think about the weight of food they will carry. If each person only eats 1/3 pound of food each, that’s still almost 3 1/2 tons of food they will carry one basket at a time until everyone is fed.

Third, expect to help people. Jesus wasn’t going to let this crowd go hungry. If the disciples released them into the villages to get food, they still wouldn’t be fed. Think about it. How much food do you think would have been available to feed those 20,000 people in the nearby villages? It would have wiped out the food sources. The villages couldn’t have supported such a request. These were small villages of maybe a few hundred people at the time. 20,000 people constituted the population of some of the larger cities of Jesus’ day. The local villages could not have fed the crowd anyway. So Jesus commanded His disciples to help these people satisfy their physical need.

Finally, expect a miracle. When Jesus directs us to do things in His name, He uses His resurrection power to get things done. Sometimes His miracles are extraordinary like the feeding of the 5,000 men and all the women and children accompanying them. Sometimes He heals in miraculous ways and there is almost instantaneous cure of some disease or illness. Sometimes He works through the hands of others. Sometimes His miracles are subtle, putting the right people at the right place at the right time so that their skills and talents can be put to work to make something happen. Sometimes He just lets us see that He is present with the miracle of His peace in our heart despite the circumstance we face. But we can look for the miracles around us and we will see His grace and mercy at work. We will see His mighty hand at work around us.

The disciples were astonished at Jesus’ words. On this side of the cross, we can learn from them and listen for Jesus’ words expectantly. Listen for Him to speak to you and watch His miracles work around you.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Give some praise (Matthew 13:57) April 2, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Mark 7-8

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Matthew 13:57
Jesus: Prophets are respected—except in their hometowns and in their own households. There the prophet is dishonored.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

What do you think about your siblings? Do you honor the members of your family? I remember growing up as the second child, I always felt I had to be as good as my older brother. I knew in my head my parents didn’t expect that. I think they recognized, like all parents that every kid is different. We all have our unique personalities, talents, and skills, but there was always that one upsmanship between us when growing up.

And it was really hard for me following my older brother in school. You see, my brother is really smart. I mean bordering on genius smart, well not really. I mean genius smart. He never opened a book in school, but made A’s in every class. He could look at a page of material and in about a minute he could tell you everything on the page. If you called him right now, he could probably tell you the license plate number of the first car he ever owned and maybe the VIN number of that car.

I mean the guy is brilliant with numbers and science and facts. So I had to follow two grades behind him and got a lot of his former teachers. Not fun! I had to work a lot harder than he did to make those A’s. I had to study a lot more, spend a lot more time in the book, figure out ways to keep the information in my brain and organized so I could retrieve it.

The funny thing was, he didn’t care about any of that stuff. He ended up as salutatorian of his high school class because he goofed off all the time and ended up about two point below the valedictorian. I worked hard to beat him in school and was valedictorian. But now, I don’t care. So what. What does it get me. Nothing really. But my genius brother? Wow! Dropped out of college because he was bored. He finished later, but out of high school his professors couldn’t challenge him and he just quit.

So I could tell all kinds of stories about my siblings. I picked on my brother, because he is probably the one most off the scale on all the intelligence tests. But we all picked at each other, called each other names, knew none of us would amount to anything. Told tales on each other. But let me tell you where they are today.

My older brother, retired from the navy and is an independent consultant after spending several years in quality assurance in the manufacture of medications for infants with respiratory problems. He’s called on by companies all over the US and Europe to problem solve issues in pharmaceutical manufacturing, especially for medical gases.

My oldest sister owns her own business with her husband providing care to individuals in the midwest. Their appointment books are full enough that they have a six month waiting list to get in. My youngest sister is vice president in one of the large banks near the town where she grew up. I say she grew up, because we’re eleven years apart and since my dad was a pastor, I moved a lot growing up, but when I went into the Army he took a church where he stayed for 26 years. So my youngest brother and sister spent most of their growing up years in the same place, unlike the rest of us.

My youngest brother? He spent time in the Navy and has done several things after that, working to finish a degree in psychology to help veterans with PTSD. I’d say they all did pretty well for themselves.

But when we all get together, we’re just brothers and sisters again. Nothing special about any of us. We have a hard time seeing past our family relationships to see the successes each have accomplished to be able to listen to what each says in their own field of expertise. It’s funny that way isn’t it. But with every family I’ve counseled through the years, it seems to be the same. We have a hard time seeing past family to see the accomplishments of the person buried inside that mother or father, brother or sister, son or daughter.

Maybe today is a good time to just stop and think about what your siblings have accomplished in life. Maybe it’s time to give some praise to those who love you best even when things are tough. Maybe it’s time to take inventory of good that comes from your family and share it with the people outside your family circle and give some praise for the family that surrounds you. Maybe it’s also time to let your family know how much you admire them and the accomplishment, the successes they have.

Jesus couldn’t do much in his home town because his relatives, those who grew up around Him, couldn’t see past their family relationships to see what He had done. What a difference He could have made in their lives if they had just given Him a little credit for what He had done! How about giving some credit and some praise in your family?

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.