Tag Archives: faith

So just believe (Luke 17:6) December 13, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Nehemiah 10-13

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

Today’s Devotional

Luke 17:6
Jesus (pointing to a nearby mulberry tree): It’s not like you need a huge amount of faith. If you just had faith the size of a single, tiny mustard seed, you could say to this huge tree, “Pull up your roots and replant yourself in the sea,” and it would fly through the sky and do what you said. So even a little faith can accomplish the seemingly impossible.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

Jesus talks about faith a lot. And He talks about how little faith it takes to have incredible miracles take place around you. So what is it about us that keeps us from exercising that kind of faith and seeing miracles happen today? Have we become so sophisticated in our understanding of science that we no longer believe in miracles? Do we not believe that God is still God and can twist and turn the laws of science to do what He wants the way He wants?

When you think about it, that’s really what miracles are all about. Miracles are things that seem to break the natural laws of chemistry and physics that we think govern the physical realm in which we live. God heals when doctors say there is no hope or heals faster than the medical profession says is possible. God creates assets or puts them in place in ways that seem to defy all the rules bankers and economists use in their profession.

At the beginning of creation, God put all those laws of science in place. Can’t He bend them if He wants? Can’t He set aside a rule He made or bend it to His will? He is God and existed before any of those rules came to be. He’s the One who put them in place. So if He put them in place, surely He can change them if He wants. He can use them to fit His needs. He can suspend them to make miracles happen for us. And what does it take? A little faith. Jesus says it takes faith the size of a mustard seed.

Some people tell me they just don’t have enough faith, but everyone has faith. We just don’t put it in the right thing. We have faith the sun will come up. We have faith the earth will still be spinning tomorrow. We have faith our car will start (usually). We have faith the lights will work when we flip the switch. We have faith we will get a paycheck from our employer. We have faith the government will still be in place tomorrow. We have a lot of faith.

Except for the first two about the sun coming up and the earth spinning, a lot of people around the world may not have much faith in those things. But in the United States we do. Why? Because we have experience that has shown us these things are true. But quite frankly, it’s not our experience, but the experience of thousands of others that stand together to help us have faith that these things will be true for us tomorrow.

The same is true for our faith in God. Countless have gone before us and experienced God’s goodness. They have watched Him perform miracles for His children. They have seen His faithfulness and know that He cares for us. Thousands can testify to His love and His hand at work in their lives in so many ways that can only be explained as the hand of God. That empiracle knowledge should give us confidence that translates into faith. We can believe that God will work on our behalf when we exercise faith in Him.

Faith is really that simple. It’s just a question of what we put our faith in. I’d rather put my faith in God than my car. He is certainly more reliable than my car. And my lights go out every once in a while in a storm. God never does. He’s always there in the storms of life. He never quits. He never rests. He listens to our prayers and cares for us as His dear children because we are.

Faith in Him is what He requires. Just believe. That’s all. From the deepest part of your heart believe He is who He says He is and will do what He says He will do. Believe He is God. Creator. Savior. Redeemer. Believe He came and lived with us for a time in an earthly body and died on a cross for your sins and mine. Believe He rose from the dead to demonstrate His power over death and the grave. Believe Jesus, God’s Son, lives forever, one with the Father and Spirit, interceding for us. Believe. Trust Him with your life. Thousands and thousands have gone before you trusting Him and believing in Him. Their testimonies join together and give us confidence that God will not fail us either. So just believe. 

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.

Just stop spending (Luke 12:22-30) November 16, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Psalms 131-133

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

Today’s Devotional

Luke 12:22-30
Jesus: (then, to His disciples) This is why I keep telling you not to worry about anything in life—about what you’ll eat, about how you’ll clothe your body. Life is more than food, and the body is more than fancy clothes. Think about those crows flying over there: do they plant and harvest crops? Do they own silos or barns? Look at them fly. It looks like God is taking pretty good care of them, doesn’t it? Remember that you are more precious to God than birds! Which one of you can add a single hour to your life or 18 inches to your height by worrying really hard? If worry can’t change anything, why do you do it so much?
Think about those beautiful wild lilies growing over there. They don’t work up a sweat toiling for needs or wants—they don’t worry about clothing. Yet the great King Solomon never had an outfit that was half as glorious as theirs!
Look at the grass growing over there. One day it’s thriving in the fields. The next day it’s being used as fuel. If God takes such good care of such transient things, how much more you can depend on God to care for you, weak in faith as you are. Don’t reduce your life to the pursuit of food and drink; don’t let your mind be filled with anxiety. People of the world who don’t know God pursue these things, but you have a Father caring for you, a Father who knows all your needs.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

We worry so much about material things in this country, don’t we? But we get caught up worrying about the wrong things. We worry about how to make car payments and house payments and how to pay for that next vacation or the one we had last year because we charged it on our credit cards. We worry about the debt we’ve accumulated because we wanted everything our parents had but we want it now so we bought it without the cash or the income to pay for it. Now we’re in terrible financial shape and worry how we will put food on the table.

The problem we have today is we spend $1.10 for every $1.00 we earn. Until we figure out that you can’t make ends meet until you spend less than you make, we’ll keep getting ourselves in trouble. That’s the problem with our government and has been for a lot of years. That’s why we have a $17 trillion deficit. Our elected officials don’t know how to stay within a budget. They keep spending more of our money than we give them. So my grandchildren have a government tax bill of $48,000 each.

So how do we get out of this state of worry that plagued the people around Jesus and drives so many of the people around us to ulcers and anti-depressants? It really is easy, you know. Two words fix the problem but it takes discipline that most of us in this generation just don’t have. We don’t like it because it doesn’t satisfy that selfish desire that eats at us and is the root of all sin. We want what we want and don’t want to listen to anything that doesn’t feed that selfish desire.

So what are those two words that fix the finance problem that most people have today? STOP SPENDING!

But how do we do that, you ask. I know, you still have to eat and clothe yourself and have a place to live. But let me ask you a few questions that you might not like.

Do you need the fast-food you eat three or four times a week or would a sandwich made from home and taken to work nourish you just as well if not better? You can buy a week’s worth of homemade sandwiches for the price of one fast-food meal. How about Starbucks or other specialty coffees? Do you frequent those places everyday or even once or twice a week? The average latte is $5. Even once a week is a car payment every year. And if you go every day, that’s a car payment a month spent on coffee.

Then where do you get your clothes? Did you know that many of the second hand stores have designer label clothes people donated or sold that have never been worn, that still have the tags on them with prices 10% or less of the original price? How would you like to get a $500 dress for $10? They are available if you look. And the last time I walk through Neiman-Marcus, the ‘in thing’ was for all the blue jeans and shirts to look like they had been worn-out and thrown in the trash then pulled out and put ridiculously high price tags on them anyway.

See, we get so hung up on fashion, cars, houses, just stuff, that we forget that God will take care of all that if we trust Him with ourselves. He never lets us down. We just have to get our eyes on the right prize. That doesn’t mean we can be frivolous and expect God to provide. I think He wants us to be good stewards of the things He provides including finances. Jesus talks about money five times as much as He talks about prayer. But He does so because we can become so enamored by the things of the world we can lose sight of what’s really important and it isn’t money. It isn’t stuff. The important thing is Him.

Focus on Him. Be disciplined in your approach to life. Read Proverbs and let the principles of life that Solomon and the Wise men who wrote those principles laid out for us soak into your life and live by them. If you do, you’ll find that life works so much better. You’ll find that you don’t need to worry about the stuff that most people worry about every day because you’ll know God will put the important things in place for you. You can focus on what’s really important and that is worshiping and serving Him and working through His plan for your life in service to those 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.

How will they find Him? (Luke 9:55-56) October 22, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Acts 9-10

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

Today’s Devotional

Luke 9:55-56
Jesus (turning toward them and shaking His head): You just don’t get it. The Son of Man didn’t come to ruin the lives of people, but He came to liberate them.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

Football season has started in earnest once again. It’s always interesting to watch the energy and enthusiasm displayed by fans. Some go a little over the top with their enthusiasm, though. When you paint your body green and then stand in sub-zero temperatures to root for your team with nothing on to cover you but that green paint, that’s going a little far. And if you start to say something about that fan’s favorite team, start looking for a fight. Don’t dare get in the way of a true fan and his love for the team. You might find yourself enjoying the services of one of the finest hospitals in your hometown. This sports fan stuff is serious business.

James and John were acting like those sports fans. “Jesus, these guys are not on our team! Should we do like Elijah did and pray for fire and brimstone to fall from the sky and destroy these people who don’t follow you? Don’t they understand that you are the Son of God. Don’t they understand that God has come to earth and you are here to save all of us? Jesus, just say the word and we will join you in prayer and get rid of all these folks that are on the wrong side of the aisle. What do you say?”

James and John were pretty adamant about folks choosing sides and then wiping out anyone that wasn’t sitting on their side of the field. But that wasn’t what Jesus came to do. He certainly wanted people to choose what side they would be on. He wanted everyone to make a choice about who they would follow. He wanted to see all come to the realization that God wanted salvation for everyone. That was His mission. He came to save the lost. But James and John didn’t understand the rules and let their enthusiasm turn their understanding into a game of follow the leader instead of true faith.

James and John wanted Jesus to ascend to the throne of David and free His people from the bondage they had suffered since Babylon enslaved them 600 years earlier. They didn’t understand that Jesus wanted to free everyone who would ever live from the bondage of sin that ensnares us. This was a battle to be fought in the spiritual realm, not on the political or military battlefields around Judea or Rome.

And oh, by the way, these same people that James and John wanted to destroy, God created in the same way He created James and John. He made everyone and everything in all creation. So how could God not want to do everything He could to call these back into His favor just as He was trying to call the Israelites back into His favor. You see, that was part of the problem that caused Him to come into our world in the human form in the first place.

God entrusted the message of salvation to a group of people descended from Abraham and gave Abraham a covenant that included instructions to bless all nations with that message. Share with the world the story of the God you serve. Let them know how Jehovah blesses and keeps and provides and protects when you serve Him with all your heart. But Abraham and his descendants failed to share that message. They failed to live the message and even those who understood the story God wanted them to share horded it instead of sharing it.

God wanted to use His chosen people as His emissaries to the rest of the world to spread His message of salvation. When they failed, He came to share the message Himself. When His people still didn’t listen, God sent messengers like Paul and Barnabas and Peter to evangelize the Gentiles to spread the good news that God could and would lift the guilt of sin from our shoulders if we would but repent and ask His Son, Jesus for forgiveness, through the washing of His the blood He shed for us on the cross as a sacrifice for our sins.

James and John didn’t understand. Too many of us today don’t understand, either. We act just like James and John pushing anyone that’s not like us, that’s not part of our team away. Hey, they don’t belong to our church or our denomination, so they can’t be part of the kingdom or God’s work. Hey, they don’t have the same color of skin, so they aren’t welcome in my church. Hey, they don’t speak the same language I speak, I don’t know what they’re saying behind my back, so they can’t come around here. They might be plotting some sinister threat against us. They come from one of those countries on the terrorist watch list. How do we know they aren’t here to gather information and kill us all? We can’t let them in.

You see, we can get just as bad as those rabid sports fans or as bad as James and John if we’re not careful. Jesus wants everyone to find Him. But how will they find Him if you and I don’t tell them? 

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.

The evidence tells it all (Luke 7:22-23) October 11, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – 2 Chronicles 16-20

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

Today’s Devotional

Luke 7:22-23
Jesus (to John’s disciples): Go and tell John what you’ve witnessed with your own eyes and ears: the blind are seeing again, the lame are walking again, the lepers are clean again, the deaf hear again, the dead live again, and good news is preached to the poor. Whoever is not offended by Me is blessed indeed.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

I don’t know if you are old enough to remember the days when we joked with each other about each other. All of us were the brunt of jokes. Every religion, every race, every socioeconomic group, every school, every age, both sexes (we didn’t talk about transgender, transsexual, gender identity, and such back then). We told funny stories and jokes about everyone. We laughed a lot at and with people, including ourselves. And we didn’t get upset about it. We all joined in and no one seemed offended by the stories. We enjoyed life.

I wonder what happened to those days? Now we get offended by just being titled American instead of African-American or Asian-American or Hispanic-American or Native-American. We get offended by not being recognized by a transgender or lesbian or gay title. We get offended if someone tells a joke about our school or our race. We get offended if someone doesn’t agree with our political views. We get offended if someone doesn’t agree with our religious views. We get offended about anything and everything.

I’ve just about come to the conclusion that in our society we’ve decided that we live for the opportunity to be offended and we look for ways to be offended. It’s almost like we want to be offended by something or someone so we go out of our way to find things to offend us so we can complain about it.

John’s disciples came to Jesus to find out if Jesus really was the Messiah. John had been telling everyone that He was, but now he found himself in Herod’s prison because of his preaching. He told everyone the Messiah had come and they needed to repent. He told Herod about the sins he committed and that even as king, Herod would be accountable for the wrongs he had done. His position and power would not stand against God. Herod in response to John’s accusations, imprisoned him.

Now, John asked the question, “Are you really the Messiah, as I have been telling everyone?” It’s a reasonable question considering the position he was in and the fact that everyone thought the Messiah would free them from Roman rule. John was Jesus’ herald. He proclaimed His coming. But now he found himself in jail with no prospects of escape or release.

Jesus didn’t answer John’s question directly, though. Just like He doesn’t answer directly for us. He says look at the evidence and make up your mind. He told John’s disciples to go back and report what they had see, the blind made to see, the lame made to walk, lepers cleansed, the deaf made to hear, the dead raised. Go tell John what they had seen and then let him make up his mind whether Jesus was the Messiah as John proclaimed.

Jesus asks us to do the same. Look at the evidence. Read His word. Let Him forgive your sins. Let Him act in your life and see how He acts in the world around you. Recognize His handiwork around you and weigh the evidence of what you see. Your heart will tell you the truth about Him. You can try to cover it up and say He is not divine. That’s what the Muslim religion does. They recognize Jesus as a great prophet who said good things and could perform great miracles, but they don’t recognize Him as divine, the son of God.

Many of those around Jesus didn’t accept Him for who He was. They saw the miracles, but didn’t believe. The Pharisees, Sadducees, and other church leaders didn’t accept Him as Lord. They looked at the evidence, but didn’t put it together. It’s all there. We must just exercise the faith necessary to know it to be true. How much faith does it take? As much as it takes to believe your light will come on when you turn on the light switch. As much as it takes to believe the car will start when you turn the key. A much as it takes to believe the sun will rise in the eastern sky in the morning. Just that much faith and you can know that Jesus is the Son of the living God.

When you know Him as Lord, you will be blessed beyond anything you can imagine. Not in this world, perhaps because this world doesn’t know Him or understand Him. But there is coming a day when everyone will bow to Him and those who live for Him now will continue to rejoice with Him forever.

So look around at the evidence. Do you know Jesus is the long awaited Messiah? It just takes a little faith to be sure. 

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.

God specializes in the impossible (Mark 10:27) August 21, 2016

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – 1 Timothy 4-6

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

Today’s Devotional

Mark 10:27
Jesus (smiling and shaking His head): For human beings it is impossible, but not for God: God makes everything possible.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

Jesus is nearing the end of His earthly ministry. He is heading toward Jerusalem where He will soon share His last meal with the disciples and be sacrificed for our sins. These last teachings He gives grow more difficult for those around Him to hear and understand. They sound more radical to the average listener of that day as He tries to make them understand the relationship the Father wants with His children. Jesus wants His disciples and those who will hear them later to realize that God wants to do incredible things in and through us if we will just trust Him to do so.

Jesus has already done incredible miracles in their presence. He has taught them many marvelous things. But as He shares with those around Him about the kingdom of heaven and tells them it is for children and it is better to enter it lame or blind if that is how you must get in, the people begin to fall away from Him. He no longer preaches the feel good sermons anymore. He preaches a pretty rugged life for those who will follow Him. Take up your cross and follow Me. Expect to lose your life for Me. Expect to be hated. Give up your wealth if it detracts you from worship.

His disciples look at Him with puzzles stares. They had looked up to these wealthy men Jesus talked about. These were the pillars of the community, or so they thought. These were the men who gave the most to the temple. These were the ones who were first to make pledges to special projects for new synagogues, new programs for the poor, new accoutrements for the worship services. These were the people who were always giving from their storehouses of gold to keep the religious business moving.

But Jesus said these people would only make it into the kingdom if God worked a miracle in their lives. But not just the lives of the wealthy, but everyone’s lives. Did you notice the questions and comments before this verse? If it’s hard for the rich to get into heaven with all the good things they do, then how are we ordinary, everyday, run of the mill folks supposed to get in. The truth is, we, too, need a miracle.

No one makes it into the kingdom without the miracle of God’s mercy and grace touching our lives. None of us meet the standard required to enter into His kingdom. None of us are good enough. Smart enough. Pretty enough. Rich enough. Poor enough. None of us have done enough. We haven’t prayed enough or sang enough praises to God. None of us come even close to getting into heaven by our own stength or power or on the merits from the lives we live. We are all sinners and fall very short of God’s glory.

Satan tries to tell us we can get there by any or all of those methods, but he’s a liar. None of those work. Jesus is the standard by which we are measured. The God/Man who lived alongside us as the perfect representation of both God and Man showed us how to live and please God in every way. None of us measure up. We fail on every front. We don’t measure up to His standards and cannot in our own power. Many have tried in as many ways as you can ever dream, but none meet the standard. It is impossible for us.

But listen to Jesus words again and understand the comfort they bring to our sinner’s heart. “For human beings it is impossible, but not for God; God makes everything possible.” Did you get that? God makes everything possible. There is nothing He cannot do. There are many things He will not do, but there is nothing He cannot do. If He had a business card, it would probably read, God, master of the impossible. I can do it all.

The question is, do you have faith enough to believe Him. Do you know that He can do what He says He will do? Sometimes, I must beg like the man with the demon possessed son, “Lord, I believe, but help me with my doubts.” God doesn’t always answer my prayers the way I think they should be answered. But I’m not God. I can’t see the big, god-sized picture. He can and I have learned to trust that in the end, His way is the right way even when I cannot see around the bend to know that He will use the outcome of some tragic incident for His glory and my good. I can’t always see it, but He can. And I can trust Him.

Nothing is impossible with God. And in the positive sense, anything is possible with God. What is it you want Him to do? What is His will and how can something you are praying about bring glory to Him? How can you become an instrument for Him in the time of testing you might be feeling at the moment so that others can see Jesus in you? Think it can’t happen? Anything is possible with God. Trust in Him. God specializes in the impossible. 

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.

Help my unbelief (Mark 9/16-29) August 12, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Daniel 7-12

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

Today’s Devotional

Mark 9:16-29
Jesus (to the scribes): What are you debating with My disciples? What would you like to know?
Father (in the crowd): Teacher, I have brought my son to You. He is filled with an unclean spirit. He cannot speak, and when the spirit takes control of him, he is thrown to the ground to wail and moan, to foam at the mouth, to grind his teeth, and to stiffen up. I brought him to Your followers, but they could do nothing with him. Can You help us?
Jesus: O faithless generation, how long must I be among you? How long do I have to put up with you? Bring the boy to Me.
They brought the boy toward Jesus; but as soon as He drew near, the spirit took control of the boy and threw him on the ground, where he rolled, foaming at the mouth.
Jesus (to the father): How long has he been like this?
Father: Since he was a baby. This spirit has thrown him often into the fire and sometimes into the water, trying to destroy him. I have run out of options; I have tried everything. But if there’s anything You can do, please, have pity on us and help us.
Jesus: What do you mean, “If there’s anything?” All things are possible, if you only believe.
Father (crying in desperation): I believe, Lord. Help me to believe!
Jesus noticed that a crowd had gathered around them now. He issued a command to the unclean spirit.
Jesus: Listen up, you no-talking, no-hearing demon. I Myself am ordering you to come out of him now. Come out, and don’t ever come back!
The spirit shrieked and caused the boy to thrash about; then it came out of the boy and left him lying as still as death. Many of those in the crowd whispered that he was dead. But Jesus took the boy by the hand and lifted him to his feet.
Later He and His disciples gathered privately in a house.
Disciples (to Jesus): Why couldn’t we cast out that unclean spirit?
Jesus: That sort of powerful spirit can only be conquered with much prayer [and fasting].

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

I don’t know about you, but it seems the older I get, the more I hear the word cancer. Maybe because the population is growing, there is just a greater number of cases. Maybe it is more prevalent in society. Maybe I’m more attuned to it because I am getting older and I know that if you live long enough you will get cancer of some sort. But it’s not just the word cancer I hear. It seems there is just more illness around than I remember 30 or 40 or 50 years ago. I’m amazed at the number of clinics, emergency rooms, and hospitals being built in San Antonio right now. It seems they go up almost at the speed of fast food restaurants. Every day it looks like a new one springs up on another corner somewhere in the city.

So what does this growing population of sick and ill people in San Antonio have to do with today’s scripture? Well, let me press a little further with my sickness story. With all these hospitals and emergency rooms and clinics going up, obviously I get to see a lot of sick people when I visit someone in one of those facilities. And most often when I visit, I get an opportunity to pray with the person I’m visiting and with the family that is there.

Many times people get better. Sometimes when they get better, even the doctors are amazed at how quickly and completely the patient recovers. Often these are Christian people who have prayed for God to intervene on behalf of their loved one who has suffered some injury or illness that seems out of control and almost beyond repair by the medical community. Then they are shocked at the recovery. They are surprised by what the medical world said was an unexpected disappearance of the disease. They are stunned at the outcome that science can’t explain.

Why? Didn’t they ask for God’s intervention? Didn’t they pray expecting results? Did they just mouth some words and expect nothing to happen when they lifted their prayers to heaven and ask for healing?

More often than not, astonishment is the reaction I see on the face of even Christians when God heals His children when they pray. Shouldn’t we expect God to do what we ask if we pray in His Name and in His will? If we pray, not expecting anything to happen, do we have faith to believe He can? Why would God answer our prayers if we don’t expect Him to? Why should we be astonished when God does what we ask? Why, when we go to Him in earnest prayer and He answers in tangible ways do we carry with us any emotions other than praise and thanksgiving?

Maybe we don’t see much physical healing in our churches today because we really don’t have faith to believe God can do what He says. Maybe we don’t see forgiveness in our church because we don’t have enough faith to know He really can forgive us of our sins. Maybe we don’t see revivals sweeping across our land today because we who call ourselves Christians have lost what it takes to call down God’s Spirit on us in true faith and know He will answer when we ask Him.

The man who came to Jesus with His demon possessed son got it right that day. Maybe we need to get on our knees and emulate Him today. Lord, I do believe. Help me with my unbelief.

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.

We don’t need signs (Mark 8:12) August 5, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Daniel 1-6

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

Today’s Devotional

Mark 8:12
Jesus (sighing with disappointment): Why does this generation ask for a sign before they will believe? Believe Me when I say that you will not see one.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

The Pharisees must have all been born and raised in Missouri. We know that state’s nickname as “the show me state” because of Missourian’s tendency to ask for evidence to support every statement. They want to statements followed up with verifiable facts before they believe it. “Show me.” The Pharisees would fit right in. This encounter with Jesus teaches us that about them. He had just fed thousands of people. He showed up on the opposite side of the Sea of Galilee after no boat was available to transport Him there. He healed every illness and disease they were unable to heal. He spoke about the scripture with an authority and understanding they could not match. And still they come to Jesus with this demand, “Give us some sign so we know your teaching is from God.”

Really? This guy is doing things that no one can dispute. What other sign do you need than feeding 4,000 people from one lunch? Who can do that? What other sign do you need than people watching Him climb up the hill to pray while all the boats leave the shore and then He shows up on the other side of the Sea of Galilee in the morning with all the people in those boats telling you about their experience with the storm and their seeing Him walking on the water in the early morning hours? What other sign do you need that watching hundreds of lame, deaf, blind, diseased, deformed, sick, healed of their various maladies with just a spoken word or a touch of His hand?

These guys are even worse than Missourians. We would probably call them nut jobs needing more evidence than what they had already seen and heard to this point. And it seems Jesus feels the same way. You get no more signs. His actions speak for themselves. The healing, the teaching, the feeding, the compassion, the preaching, the love He pours out all around Him is enough to show He is who He says He is and no other sign is necessary.

It wasn’t enough for the Pharisees. They still rejected Him. Why? Because they just didn’t want to believe that God would visit us from heaven. They couldn’t believe He would correct their thinking about the law He had given Moses and they had been interpreting for Him through the centuries. Surely they were right and God in the flesh was wrong. They just couldn’t believe they needed to adjust their way of thinking.

But then…

What about us? Do we need a sign to believe that Jesus is who He says He is? Do we ask Him to do one more thing before we believe? Do ask for one more miracle or one more piece of evidence. Do we need one more fact before we can give our life to Him? What one more would it take? That was Jesus point with the Pharisees. They were not going to believe no matter what He did. So what about you? Does it matter what sign you see? If you’re waiting for a sign, it really doesn’t matter what that sign is, you still won’t believe, because you’ll ask for one more.

You’re answer when you see it will be, “Well, maybe that was a fluke. Well, it might not have been God. It was probably going to happen anyway.” And you’ll ask for one more sign. Just like the Pharisees. You see, it’s not about signs, it’s about faith. Do you believe He is the Son of God, able to forgive your sins or not? It’s really that simple a question. And when you believe He can and ask Him to, He will and He does. It’s just that easy.

But He doesn’t deal in signs. He doesn’t deal in hocus-pocus. He doesn’t make deals. He works in issues of faith. You believe or you don’t. You love Him or you don’t. You obey His word or you don’t. You live for Him or you don’t. It’s pretty black and white. No signs. No flashes in the sky. No banner headlines. No great visions or spirits rising from the grave. Just faith in Him. That’s the deal.

He still cares. He shows us that by what He did for those who were with Him for those three days without food. He fed them all until they were full. Probably some of those in that crowd hadn’t eaten until they were full in a while. But they did that day with baskets of food left over. Jesus cares. He showed it to those crowds by sticking around and healing all those who came to Him for healing. He touched everyone of them and took away whatever was wrong with them. They didn’t ask for a sign, they just asked for help and believed He could do it.

That’s what He asks from us. Just believe. Just trust. Just know that Jesus is the Son of the Living God. He was there at creation, He loves us and cares about our needs. And when we meet Him with eyes of faith, we don’t need any signs, we know who He is without them.

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.

We have more than crumbs (Mark 7:27-29) August 2, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – 2 Kings 21-25

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

Today’s Devotional

Mark 7:27-29
Jesus (shaking His head): I must feed the children first. It would do no good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.
Syrophoenician Woman: Yes, Lord, but even the dogs under the table may eat of the children’s crumbs.
Jesus (smiling and nodding): This is a wise saying. Go back home. Your daughter is free of the spirit that troubled her.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

The Syrophoencian woman knew what she was talking about. My dogs love it when my grandkids visit. You see we make it a point not to feed the dogs from the table. They get dog food in their bowls and occasionally they get dog treats from us. We never feed them people food, though. Well, almost never. On rare occasion, we might slip them a piece of cheese if we’re fixing something in the kitchen, but it’s always separate from when and where we are eating.

It’s important to us to keep that habit with our dogs because we never wanted them to think they could eat our food or get into the habit of begging while we eat. We want them to know they will get plenty to eat, but it won’t be the same as our cuisine nor at the same time and place. That is unless the grandkids are visiting. Then all bets are off.

Why does that change things? Because my grandkids are still pretty messy when they eat. Food doesn’t always stay on the table. The dogs stay under the table when the grandkids eat because they know something will hit the floor and they will get there before my wife or I can get there. Then the dogs are not very discriminating either. Whatever falls goes into their bellies. And it’s not always pleasant later. Often, since they’re not use to eating our seasoned food, it upsets their stomach and I get to clean up after them from one or both ends. Needless to say, I’ll be much happier when the grandkids learn to eat with fewer crumbs hitting the floor.

But the Syrophoenician woman knew what she was talking about. Dogs will snap up whatever falls from the table with little or no discretion. If it was on the table they will eat it. We don’t give the children’s food to the dogs, but they get the crumbs that fall under the table, just like she says.

So what does that have to do with us today?

As I thought about her observation and Jesus’ words and how fortunate we are to have the volume of information we have today it made me stop and ask, how many of us refuse to even gather crumbs even though we have so much available to us? Most of us probably have not just one, but several Bibles in our homes, but do we read them consistently? Are the pages worn or do they sit pristine on the shelves gathering dust? Do we let God’s word speak to us, underline those special passages, and make notes in the margins? Or do we just let it sit on the table unread?

We have dozens of translations available to us today to help us understand His word better. We have commentaries and studies to help us dig deep into His word. We have sermons from a variety of great preachers both audio and written to give us insights into God’s word. We have books, video, audio, websites, incredible assets at our disposal to learn more about what God wants of us. But how much of it do we really use? If we are honest, probably not much. And as a society, we don’t use it at all. When most adults read less than one book a year after graduating, it’s no wonder we don’t know much about God’s word. We never read it.

Maybe you think it’s enough to just listen to a few scriptures the pastor reads when he begins his sermon on the Sundays you attend. It’s not. You see, most people go to worship services expecting to be fed, but never take a fork with them. Unless we are prepared to be fed by really getting into God’s word throughout the week, praying consistently, learning from Him, the worship service is just a time for entertainment. We won’t get much out of it spiritually. We might get a good feeling. Our emotions might be stirred by the music. But that’s not what God wants from us. He wants us to eat from His table. He wants us to devour His word. He wants us to go to His house of worship prepared for something spectacular to happen, but that only happens when we come prepared and expecting it.

Crumbs. That’s all the woman expected. That’s all she asked for. That’s all she wanted. She knew it would be enough. But Jesus gives us so much more when we put a little faith in Him. She used a wise saying to help us today understand just how much is available to us. We have much more than crumbs to help us know who Jesus is. All we have to do is believe it. He does the rest from there. 

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.

He feels our touch (Mark 5:30-34) July 25, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Leviticus 19-21

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

Today’s Devotional

Mark 5:30-34
Jesus: Who just touched My robe?
His disciples broke the uneasy silence.
Disciples: Jesus, the crowd is so thick that everyone is touching You. Why do You ask, “Who touched Me?”
But Jesus waited. His gaze swept across the crowd to see who had done it. At last, the woman—knowing He was talking about her—pushed forward and dropped to her knees. She was shaking with fear and amazement.
Woman: I touched You.
Then she told Him the reason why. Jesus listened to her story.
Jesus: Daughter, you are well because you dared to believe. Go in peace, and stay well.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

This is another one of those stories that the synoptic gospels, Matthew, Mark, and Luke, all record. I’ve used the story to talk about the determination of the woman who sought Jesus in that great throng of people that crowded around Him as He tried to walk through the street. Everyone wanted to get close to Him and this woman, in her weakened condition, had to push through all those people. She had to jostle her way through what could probably look like Times Square on New Years’ Eve on a smaller scale.

It took a lot of determination to push through that throng to get to Jesus and touch His cloak. She probably got a lot of those dirty looks you’ve seen in the grocery store when someone tries to cut in line. She probably got pushed around and maybe even knocked down a few times as she tried to squeeze through a tiny opening between two people only to find it close with someone’s elbow in her ribs. It took a lot of tenacity and determination for her to get to the Master. But I don’t want to talk about her determination.

I’ve also talked about her faith in the past. To think, this woman had enough faith that just the touch of the Master’s cloak was enough to heal her. She knew that all she needed to do was get close enough to get a finger on the hem of His garment and all would be well. That simple touch would do what all the physicians she had seen could not do. It would cost her no money, she just needed to believe. But I don’t want to talk about this woman’s faith as great as it was.

What struck me today as I read this story again was that in that whole throng of people pushing and shoving and jostling Him around as He made His way through the city streets, Jesus felt the brush of a single hand against the cloth or the tassles at the very bottom of His cloak. That’s pretty extraordinary to me. I don’t know anyone that can do that. I’m not sure I know very many people, if any, that can discern when someone touches the hem of their cloak or coat hanging on them when no one else is touching them. Just a touch by a passerby as you walk down the street is almost indiscernable. But now try to figure out a new touch among the dozens of hands and bodies that are pressed against you…Wow!

That’s important to this story. It tells me that God knows what I’m doing when no one else does. It tells me my prayers and my desires and my hurts and my questions are not lost in the cacophony of the crowd around me. Even in the noise of the world that seems to drown out my voice to others, God hears. The world may not care about what happens to me and in fact, might press me down in their rush to move along the street of life, but God cares. He won’t let me get lost in the crowd. He knows my touch among the throng of people that crowd around and might try to still my voice.

That’s one of the things I like most about this story. God hears me, even when others don’t. He listens, even when others try to crowd me out. He responds to my touch, even though it is so brief and so gentle that most would never notice a touch has been made. The story tells me God really cares about us individually. He picks us out of the crowd and meets us where we are and meets our specific individual need, not what the roar of the crowd suggests.

It’s easy to get caught up in the crowd. You’ve probably been in some of those at some sports event. The team scores and the crowd goes wild and you get caught up in the excitement. Or picture the crowd as it leaves the stadium. If you want to turn left from the center of the crowd moving forward, it’s an almost impossible task. You get caught up in the crowd and the ushers, the guards, those that try to keep order among the throng of people keep everyone moving in that same direction. One person trying to go the other way is quickly turned around to move along with the crowd. But not with Jesus. He takes us where we need to go. He does what we need, not what the crowd needs. He cares for us just that much. With Him, we are not one in a crowd, we are one. Singularly important to Him in His kingdom.

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 blasphemy? (Mark 2:5-11) July 9, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Luke 19-20

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

Today’s Devotional

Mark 2:5-11
5Jesus recognized the faith of these men.
Jesus (to the paralyzed man): Son, your sins are forgiven.
Some scribes were sitting in the crowd, and they didn’t like what they were hearing.
Scribes (reasoning to themselves): What does this Jesus think He is doing? This kind of talk is blasphemy, an offense against the Most High! Only God can forgive sins.
At once Jesus realized what they were thinking. He turned to them.
Jesus: Why do My words trouble you so? Think about this: is it easier to tell this paralyzed man, “Your sins are forgiven,” or to tell him, “Get up, pick up your mat, and walk”? Still, I want to show you that the Son of Man has been given the authority on earth to forgive sins. (to the paralytic) Get up, pick up your mat, and go home.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

The scribes were the authorities on scripture. They not only preserved them by coping them from one scroll to another, but they also spent years learning them. They learned what their forefathers thought about their interpretation and carried those interpretations from generation to generation. The scribes did the research on topics when the priests wanted to know something. They could find whatever subjects someone was looking for, which was a minor miracle in Jesus day. Remember, chapters and verses didn’t appear in scriptures until the Geneva Bible translation in 1599. So these guys were the PhDs of biblical knowledge.

Then Jesus comes on the scene. He’s pulling out information that confounds the scribes. They have to search deeper and find passages He quotes that they haven’t used because they’re not very familiar to them. His teaching doesn’t fit the normal pattern and they have to brush off their books and find what He’s talking about. But it’s there. He’s using scripture, but He’s using it in ways they’ve never heard before.

Now He’s talking to this paralytic who wants help with His disease and instead of healing him, this Man says his sins are forgiven. “Who do you think you are? What do you think you’re doing? No one can forgive sins but God and there’s a ritual you have to go through before that can happen. He has to make an offering in the temple. Payment must be made to the priest so a sacrifice can be made. It’s God’s way to ensure the priests make a living, after all. Why would He think He can side-step the temple and take away the priests’ livelihood? This is blasphemy!”

Now, maybe there’s the rest of the story. But maybe not. These scribes couldn’t see how God could come to earth in the likeness of sinful man. They couldn’t believe that God would wrap Himself in human flesh and live among us. So Jesus could not be the Son of God and so couldn’t forgive sins.

But the words are easy to say. Jesus knew that. The scribes knew that. Everyone in the room knew that. Even the paralytic knew that even though he immediately felt the guilt from his past lift from his heart as the words left Jesus’ lips. But to show Jesus had power over the hearts of men, He show those present He also had power over the physical bodies of men. He told the paralytic to get up, roll up the mat he was lying on and walk out the door. Then Jesus reached out His hand and help the man stand to his feet. I expect Jesus only watched as the man rolled up his mat and danced around the room on his way to the door, shouting praise and thanksgiving to the Lord of lords.

What do we need to learn from this scene?

Some have a hard time believing Jesus can forgive. They recognize Jesus as a good man, even a prophet connected to God and able to use that connection to do good things, even miraculous things for people. But God? Some have a hard time with that and so go through life like the scribes questioning His ability to rid them of the guilt that weighs them down. Some just can’t see past their own intellectual understanding of the universe, as finite as it is, to see that there are so many things that can only be explained by putting faith in God, the creator of all things. Some just can’t believe the Bible is not just a collection of stories, but the record of God’s love for humankind and His plan for our redemption.

Is the Bible accurate? Yes. Every time someone tries to prove something doesn’t fit historic facts, archeologists seem to uncover evidence that the Bible, not the historic facts are true. Is it scientific? No. It’s not meant to be. It’s the story of what God does for us and why, not how. Our finite minds can never wrap around the infinite wisdom of God. Just one simple thought to consider to boggle our finite mind: Scientists tell us everything is made of atoms. And atoms are mostly empty space. So much so that scientist tell us that if all the empty space in the universe could be removed and the solid mass of the universe condensed into a single object, some say it would take up the space of a house and some say as small as a basketball. So why can’t we just walk through walls? I know the quantum physics answer, but it does make you wonder about God’s design in it all, doesn’t it? After all, where did those, electrons and protons come from to repel each other in the first place to form those atoms we’re talking about?

So when the Bible tells us proves to be true, then when it says Jesus is God in the flesh, that must be true, too. And we exercise just a little faith in that truth, scripture opens up to us in incredible ways. Just try it. You’ll find He really can forgive sins. He forgave mine and He can forgive yours, too. 

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.