Tag Archives: miracles

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.

It’s tough at home (Mark 6:4) July 27, 2016

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Psalms 87-89

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

Today’s Devotional

Mark 6:4
Jesus (seeing this): A prophet can find honor anywhere except in his hometown, among his own people, and in his own household.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

Do you really want to test your faith? Do you really want to know if what you’ve found in Christ is real and can stand up to the test of the world and the ridicule of those you ran around with as an enemy of God and His kingdom? Then live Christ in front of your family. Day in and day out live the life God wants you to live. Share what God puts on your mind. Do the tasks He calls you to do. Love the way He wants you to love within your family.

When you live your life in front of your family, they know if you are real. You can’t put on a façade in front of them, at least not very long. They know your past. They know your habits. They know the things you’ve started and quit. They know the resolutions you’ve made through the years and failed in keeping. They know the buttons to push to get you riled up and send your emotions flaring. Your family knows you better than anyone else.

When Jesus came back to His hometown to share the message that the kingdom of heaven was at hand, He shared it in the synagogue where He grew up as a boy. The rabbi and the elders in around the facility probably told Him and His brothers more than once that they needed to stop running on the property when they were growing up. The scribes sitting around the synagogue remembered Him sitting in their classes just learning the scriptures. Yes, He had an uncanning interest and skill in learning them, but Jesus was still just a kid in the class and played and sang and rough-housed with all the other boys. The scribes watched Him grow up around them.

The people of Nazareth watched Jesus in His father’s carpenter shop. He cut wood, hauled scraps, sanded rough planks, delivered finished products to customers. He learned His father’s trade and became a carpenter Himself. Somewhere along the line, Jesus’ father died and Jesus took up His father’s work to provide for the rest of the family. But everyone in the town knew Him. It was a small town and there were few secrets. They all even knew that Jesus was too old for Mary and Joseph to have been married when He was conceived.

Everyone knew everything about Jesus. So now, He was preaching in their synagogue. This illegitimate son of Mary and Joseph that grew up in their village. How could He talk to them about the scriptures? How could this carpenter school them in how God thinks we should live and act? What makes this laborer think He can challenge the teachings of the scribes and interpret the scriptures better than the rabbis who studied in Jerusalem?

It was tough for Jesus, the thirty-year-old man, the Son of God, to be heard in the town where His mother raised Him as a toddler, a teenager, and a young adult. Those older adults, those scribes and rabbis just couldn’t see past the teenager that grew up in their town. They couldn’t see the wisdom and knowledge Jesus gained over those last twenty years because they didn’t want to consider that He really was the Son of God. Why would God live in Nazareth? Surely He would live in Jerusalem and learn in the Temple if He were to come in the form of man, right? Jesus couldn’t be the Son of God. They watched Him grow up in their town. They knew nothing good came out of Nazareth…because they lived there.

Doesn’t say much for what their chamber of commerce put on their city advertisements, does it?

So what does that tell us about living for Him in our own homes? What do we learn from this short exchange in which Jesus declares that prophets receive honor everywhere except in their own hometown? I think He tells us we still need to witness to our lost family members, but expect them to question your faith. Don’t be surprised when they ridicule your newfound relationship with God. Don’t be surprised when they don’t believe you have been changed by the power of God’s Spirit living in you.

Like those living in Nazareth, family and close friends that have known you all your life, will always be the most skeptical of your changed life in Christ. They have seen you try those fad diets, New Year’s resolutions, organization trials, exercise programs, and all those other things that lasted a month or two before you fell into your old habits. They will think the same of your life in Christ. And even when the see the change over time, they will not recognize the change because they will test it over months and years to see if it sticks and by then they will put blinders on and forget the old you. Satan will put a veil over their eyes and try to hide the truth from them. It is hard to share the gospel with family. Not impossible, but hard.

What are we to do? Keep doing exactly what Jesus did. He still taught in the synagogue even though many didn’t listen. He still healed even though many didn’t come to Him. He performed a few miracles even though many didn’t believe and limited the usefulness of God living in their town. Jesus still did exactly what His Father asked Him to do. And that’s what Jesus expects us to do. Listen to Him and carry out His will, even in our families.

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.

Do you believe Him? (Matthew 21:19-22) May 15, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – 2 Corinthians 9-10

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

Today’s Devotional

Matthew 21:19-22
Jesus: May you never bear fruit again!
Immediately the tree shriveled up. The disciples were amazed.
Disciples: How did that fig tree wither so quickly?
Jesus: I tell you this: if you have faith and do not doubt, then you will be able to wither a fig tree with one glance. You will be able to tell mountains to throw themselves into the ocean, and they will obey. If you believe, whatever you ask for in prayer will be granted.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

We hear the story of Jesus’ power over the fig tree and we stand in awe of Him. We hear the story of His power of the storms at sea and wonder at what He can do. The power He demonstrates, the command He has over nature, disease, demons, when we hear those stories, if we believe they are true there can be no doubt about His divinity. No one can have that kind of authority over creation except God.

But then the disciples ask Jesus a question that we sometimes forget when we recall this story of the withered fig tree. “How did that fig tree wither so quickly?” And Jesus answer, we totally ignore when we tell the story to our children. “If you have faith and do not doubt, then you will be able to wither a fig tree with one glance. You will be able to tell mountains to throw themselves into the ocean, and they will obey.”

Do you have that kind of faith?

I am pretty good at making plants wither. But I’ll have to admit, I’ve never looked at plant and have it wither at a glance. It takes me a little longer than that. I’m just terrible at keeping plants alive. When I plant things they die. But to wither a thriving tree in a single glance? I haven’t done that. Or even a bush or a blade of grass. Do I have enough faith?

But then again…maybe I do. What does it mean to have the kind of faith Jesus talks about. Could I do something or let God teach me something that could wither a fig tree? Over the years I’ve learned about different chemical, poisons, mechanical reactions, that God allowed me to learn over the course of my education and career that in a pretty short time could wither a fig tree. Does that count? Well, God put me through the right training and experiences to enable me to do it.

And how about moving mountains? Can I tell a mountain to throw itself into the sea and it happen? We certainly have the equipment, explosives, moving capability to do that today. Does that count? Some would say you can’t move a mountain. I know you can because of what I’ve seen happen in large construction projects. It might take some time, but I know we can move a mountain from where it sits today and put it into the ocean. Is that faith? It is. Is it faith in God’s ability? Yes.

God doesn’t tell us how He will get a task done when it’s in His plan. Sometimes He does things in God-like ways. Sometimes He will cause something to happen that makes that mountain move almost instantaneously. He could send one of those car-sized meteors to hit a mountain and blow it away letting the debris fall into the oceans around the world. He could split the crust under one of those mountains and let the molten core melt the rock until it flows out into the sea and cools there forming a new land mass. God could just pick it up and put it in a new location if He wanted to. He’s God.

He could also tell us to get our hands dirty and do the work to move it one shovel at a time. We can’t presume to tell God how to accomplish His plan, but we can have faith that God works His miracles. He answers our prayers. Sometimes instantaneously, sometimes through the knowledge, skill, and effort of His children. But God does answer our prayers.

The faith we exercise in our belief in God and His will for us is not different than the faith we exercise in our belief that our car will start when we turn the key. Faith is faith, the question is what and who do we put our faith in? Do we believe God will do what He says He will or help us get done the tasks He gives us to do? Sometimes He works His plans instantly. In my experience, more often He works His plans through the people who have given their lives to Him. He uses us to help those around us. He builds relationships between us to enhance our relationship with Him. He wants us to show His love by doing God-like things for others through the resurrection power available to us through His holy Spirit in us.

Jesus said, “If you have faith and do not doubt, then you will be able to wither a fig tree with one glance. You will be able to tell mountains to throw themselves into the ocean, and they will obey.” Do you believe Him? 

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 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.

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.

Exercise some faith (Matthew 12:39-42) March 19, 2016

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Mark 3-4

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

Today’s Devotional

Matthew 12:39-42
Jesus: You wicked and promiscuous generation—you are looking for signs, are you? The only sign you will be given is the sign of the prophet Jonah. Jonah spent three days and three nights in the belly of a great fish, as the Son of Man will spend three days and three nights in the belly of the earth. One day, the people of Nineveh will rise up in judgment and will condemn your present generation—for the Ninevites turned from sin to God when they heard Jonah preach, and now One far greater than Jonah is here. The Queen of the South will also stand in judgment and condemn this generation—for she came from the ends of the earth to listen to Solomon’s wisdom. And today One greater and wiser than Solomon is among you.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

Sometimes I hear people say, “It would be easier to believe if Jesus were here.” Or, “If I could just see Him I could believe.” But you know what? That is a real cop out. I’ll tell you why. If anyone should have a hard time believing it was those who saw Him in the flesh. Jesus came at the right time and lived among us. He showed Himself to be God incarnate, the perfect sacrifice for our sins. But He preached a radical message. If you really listen to His words, He said some things that really upset the apple carts of His day.

Jesus came on the heels of a rebellion that Rome just quelled in Judah. The reason they had such a large army there was because these Jews revolted against Rome and tried to govern themselves…again. Another of their number declared he was their Messiah, their deliverer and had come to free them from the oppression of the Roman government. This Messiah and his followers died a horrible death as the Roman soldiers crushed the rebellion and stationed their cohorts across the countryside.

Now Jesus comes. But instead of revolt against Rome, He preaches love and something of a revolt against the religious rules and regulations that the Sanhedrin put in place for decades. He disrupted the religious norm, not the political norm. He came to bring peace to men’s hearts, not war in the nation. Yet Jesus let His followers declare Him to be the long awaited Messiah. He didn’t make the proclamation Himself, but let His works and His words point to the prophecies fulfilled by His coming.

To many of those who lived when Jesus came, He was just another prophet. Just another rebel making a name for Himself. Jesus was just another man doing things around the countryside. Until they stopped and listened to His words and looked back at the scriptures and put together words of the prophets with the actions of Jesus, no one saw in Him the fulfillment of the prophecies that pointed to the long awaited Messiah. Until the scribes, Pharisees, and Saducees could lay aside their hatred and compare their readings with Jesus’ actions, they would not see Him as anyone other than another rebel about to upset the delicate balance they tried to hold between their frail theocracy and the domaneering dictatorship of the Romans.

But what about us? We live on this side of the cross. We have at our fingertips 2,000 years of history. Unless you’ve studied the history of the Jewish people, you probably can’t name the eight or ten rebels who claimed their Messiahship. In fact, you probably can’t name the rebels that grew up to try to overthrow their shackles during the 400 silent years of the Bible. But they are there. Over and over, the nation tried to rebuild itself but failed. They remained under the rule of the Persians, the Greeks, then the Romans. They could not shake their chains.

But we have that history if we care to look. We know Jesus is a history fact. We have the scriptures that tell us who He is and what He did. We have the record of Pentecost. We have over 5,000 pieces of the New Testament that date back to within a hundred years of His birth that tell us the same thing. All those manuscripts lasted through the centuries and each copy is the same. The scribes meticulously copied them to ensure the letters and gospels were handed down from generation to generation. What a miracle!

So we have all of the evidence of who Jesus is. We have the stories. We have the testimonies of the disciples and the early church leaders. We have the faith of those early Christians who even suffered martyrdom for Christ. Would they do that if all of it were not true? Would they suffer the kinds of death they faced if Jesus were a farce? I don’t think so.

So we have 2,000 years of historic facts behind us. The Pharisees Jesus spoke to had only His words at the time and the gossip they heard from the uneducated masses that told them about this man who could perform miracles and must be God. We know. We have the evidence. We have the witnesses. We have God’s words handed down to us. What more do we need to believe Jesus is the Son of God? If you don’t believe Him now, like the Pharisees, you probably wouldn’t believe if He stood in front of you. What do you need to do about it? Exercise a little faith in Him. That’s all. Stop doubting and 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.

Quit talking, start doing (Matthew 12:25-28) March 15, 2016

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – 1 Samuel 1-5

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

Today’s Devotional

Matthew 12:25-28
Jesus knew what the Pharisees were thinking.
Jesus: That would be like a father splitting his own household down the middle or a king cutting his kingdom in half—the household and the kingdom would fall apart. So, too, if Satan imbued people with the power to drive out demons, Satan’s kingdom would collapse. And you should think about this too: you have friends who drive out demons. If I am working as a tool of Beelzebul, whom are your people working for? When I come to you and drive out demons by the Spirit of your Father in heaven—for the glory of your Father in heaven—you should recognize and rejoice that the kingdom of God has come to you.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

Have you ever been guilty of the Pharisees’ crime, trying to give credit to the wrong spiritual side? They tried to give credit to Satan for the work Jesus did. Particularly His work in driving out demons from the possessed. They just couldn’t come to grips with Jesus being the Son of God as many claimed. He kept fulfilling the prophecies they kept reading to the people. But surely, this carpenter’s son from Nazareth could not be the Messiah they looked for. Surely, the Messiah would come from the priestly line and would be born in their capital among the priests. After all, they were the leaders of Israel. Everyone expected their Messiah to come from the proud lineage of Levi.

So the Pharisees disregarded what they saw in front of them and declared Jesus’ miracles must be a product of Satan’s work. But they didn’t use their head and think it through. Just like we too often make rash statements without thinking them through. Jesus’ retort put them in their place, still they plotted to kill Him because He disrupted their system of religious rules. He made them introduce love and mercy and hope into their religious equation, characteristics they were not ready to adopt as the harbingers of justice, not mercy.

So what about you? I’m pretty sure you haven’t told anyone lately that their exorcism is done by means of Satan’s power. We don’t hear much about demon possession in our enlightened society today. But what about other things. Do you call other Christian faiths into question? Do you denounce your brothers and sisters in Christ because they worship in a different way than you? Do you hold Christians in other countries in a lesser light than those in your church or your denomination?

What do you action show that equate to same thing the Pharisees did with Jesus?

You might not even invoke Satan’s name when you degrade someone’s actions, but you denounce them as Christian because they don’t fit your mold, nonetheless. Isn’t that about the same thing? There are only two camps we can belong to after all. We can work for Christ or we can work for self and Satan. That’s it. Those are the only two choices. No others exist, so if we think people do something outside the will of God, then aren’t we saying they do them as part of Satan’s camp?

Jesus will determine if someone is doing things in His name out of selfish motive or for God’s glory, but that is not for us to decide. We cannot look at a person’s heart. So if someone is doing good things in Christ name, like Jesus told His disciples, let God have the glory. God will sort out the selfish from the unselfish, those who want rewards here versus those who only want glory for God. It should be a pretty simple solution for us. Just give God glory when we see someone working miracles in Christ’s name. Period.

I think in these days if we think about Jesus’ words, He would tell us to respect everyone who worships Him. He would tell us to be careful in condemning anyone who did things in His name. It’s His job to judge the good people do. Certainly, we know when bad behavior is taking place and His word tells us to police the members of His church to keep His name and reputation clean, but when His people perform good works in His name, we should be praising Him, not condemning them.

It is amazing how often we see that getting mixed up in our world. We talk about this church or that denomination. We hold this preacher in contempt or gossip about that worship leader. We thing poorly of this televangelist or assume everything that one does is fake. Can we just stop and give God the glory for what we see and let Him sort out the rest? Can we thank Him that someone is bold enough to proclaim His name and do something for Him that others can see?

Maybe we do something really remarkable this week and peek inside ourselves and ask ourselves why we are not boldly proclaiming His name to others. Maybe we can ask ourselves why we need to talk about those who do things whose validity we question and instead ask why we are not doing those things in Jesus’ name. Maybe we can begin to realize Jesus told us we would do more than He did when He went back to His Father. Then, just maybe we can start doing it instead of talking about others. 

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.

Which side will you take? (Matthew 12:11-13) March 14, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Genesis 40-43

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

Today’s Devotional

Matthew 12:11-13
Jesus: Look, imagine that one of you has a sheep that falls into a ditch on the Sabbath—what would you do?
(to the Pharisees) You would dive in and rescue your sheep. Now what is more valuable, a person or a sheep? So what do you think—should I heal this man on the Sabbath? Isn’t it lawful to do good deeds on the Sabbath? (to the man with the shriveled hand) Stretch out your hand.
As the man did so, his hand was completely healed, as good as new.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

Do we get mixed up in what is really right and wrong? The Pharisees did. Jesus used this opportunity with their condemnation of His disciples for their gathering a handful of wheat to teach them a lesson about God’s goodness. What is really important? Doing good or setting and keeping stupid rules? Granted, the rules help to keep us in line most of the time, but sometimes, the rules just don’t make sense. That’s what He was trying to tell these holier-than-thou leaders. People are more important than rules. Relationships are more important than rituals.

Jesus caught these busy bodies at their own game. If one of your sheep falls in a ditch on the Sabbath, wouldn’t you rescue it? Of course you would. It’s important to you. It provides wool. It will provide meat on your table. Sometimes it becomes almost a pet. You would rescue that poor fallen sheep from the ditch despite the fact that it violates the letter of the law of the Sabbath. You wouldn’t let it lay there and die!

But these religious leaders were so lost in their rules they didn’t see that they forgot the people they were supposed to minister to. They forgot their mission was to share God’s word and His love to the lost in Israel and in the surrounding nations. They just played ‘gotcha’ with their rules whenever they saw someone putting a toe across the line.

It’s interesting that in this Sabbath day miracle, the Pharisees plot to kill Jesus because of His terrible violation of their law, but read carefully and you’ll find that Jesus did nothing to break the Sabbath. He didn’t lift a load. He didn’t walk farther than the law allowed. He went to the synagogue to worship on the Sabbath as He was accustomed. And there Jesus met a man with a shriveled hand.

What does Jesus do? He speaks to the man these words. “Stretch out your hand.” That’s it. Jesus didn’t touch him. He didn’t have any of his disciple touch him. Jesus didn’t bring in any salve or balm or medical instruments. All He did was give the man one simple direction. “Stretch out your hand.” Nothing more. Does that sound like He broke the Sabbath rules? It doesn’t to me. What did Jesus do that was so grievous? The man with the shriveled hand did all the work. He’s the one that stretched out his hand. Jesus just said four words to the man.

The Pharisees from this point on plotted to kill Jesus because of his healing on the Sabbath. Wow! They said He broke their rules. But did He? I’m not so sure. And even so, Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath. He can do what He wants on that day. He’s the one that put in place. He’s the one that declared it a day of rest, but also the one who told the priests to minister to the rest of the tribes of Israel on that day. They could work without punishment, why not Him?

So what does all this mean for us? A great deal of things are wrong with our society today. We could go down a long list of pet pieves Christians have against different segments that our government ignores or even promotes that we know from God’s word are just not right. We see the degradation and disintegration of families, abortion, unemployment often encouraged by the way our welfare system operates, misuse of basic rights such as separation of church and state resulting in the discrimination of Christians in a world sliding further and further into the clutches of evil.

And we see some who call themselves Christian standing up against these injustices. But the way they do so, is equally wrong. When anti-abortion groups bomb abortion clinics or the homes of workers in those clinics, they are just as guilty of wrong doing as the abortionists? They are just like the Pharisees Jesus condemned that day. Just like those Pharisees, they forgot that people are more important than the rules. That doesn’t make abortion right and we should still stand against it, but not by protesting with equally sinful, illegal, wrongs against others.

Should we protest the disintegration of families? Absolutely! But not in ways that tarnish the name of our Savior. Two wrongs do not make a right. Jesus conquered with love. Jesus didn’t break the law to bring real justice to those who suffered. He didn’t strike out against the leaders in ways that negated the law. Remember, Jesus came to fulfill the law and to teach others what the law means in relation to our interface with God and with others.

Jesus came to leave a legacy of real peace between us, our fellow man, and God. That doesn’t happen by breaking laws. It happens through extending God’s love to everyone we meet. It happens by remembering that every person is someone God created and deserves our respect and attention. It happens when we make people more important than the law and God more important than anything else in our lives.

Which side will you take? The Pharisees’ or Jesus’?

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.