Words of Encouragement

We could see the mountains in the backdrop of the landscape.  What a wonderful sight.

He called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out evil[a] spirits and to heal every disease and sickness - Matthew 10:1

Discipleship. Bestows Power. I was once joking with someone (but yet I was serious) about the power of the disciples. What I said to this person was, I have not laid hands on anyone and they rose from the dead, so Jesus' got some more work to do in me.

What I was saying is this.  The scripture plainly states what Jesus was doing to his disciples.  He was giving them power and authority to drive out evil spirits, to heal diseases and sickness.  Now I believe there are individuals with the gift of healing.  Yet I also believe this scripture speaks to the ability of disciples to have the power of God in their lives.

We should be able to pray, fast and seek God to pray for those sick in sin and he change them.  We should be able to pray for individuals that have sickness in their body and they get well.

I think this is a scary thing for many to believe they can pray for someone and it really happen.  That is why I believe Jesus continually showed his disciples first what he could do so they could believe they would be able to do it likewise. I am radical enough to believe if Jesus said I can have power to pray and the sick get well, then I will continue to believe that is what he can do.

I had the opportunity to pray for someone that was bothered in their mind with voices.  When I was first asked to pray, I will admit fear first gripped me.  I said, I can't do that, who should we call?  God spoke to me and said, you call on me.  I am the power you need.  So that is what was done.  I later got a praise report from the person that as soon as I laid my hands on her and prayed, the voices went away and have not come back.

That is praises to our God that he is able to do in us what he first showed capable through his Son.  So today you and I as disciples of Christ can gain understanding and wisdom on how to follow after God.  We can grow through our storms that following Jesus will bring.  We can experience the miracles that others miss because they refuse to step out of the comfort zone.  We can have the power and authority of God because we belong to him.

Lord today we say thank you for this covenant relationship that brings us many benefits, protection and stability.  So when you go to worship this week, go seeking from God how you can be a stronger disciple for Christ.

Words of Encouragement

Just as quickly as the storm came, the light broke through the clouds and the sun shown.  It is a glimpse of what happens with us.  As quickly as the storms strike our lives, the "light of Christ" breaks through the clouds of doubt, the clouds of fear and Son shines bright.  Lord shine bright in our lives today.

The disciples went and woke him, saying, "Lord, save us! We're going to drown!" He replied, "You of little faith, why are you so afraid?" Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm. The men were amazed and asked, "What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!" - Matthew 8:26-27

Discipleship. Grows Your Understanding. The disciples went and woke Jesus because they were sure that he was not aware of what was happening outside and that he needed to come and save them.

Jesus' response when they woke him was, you have little faith, why are you afraid?  Then he rebuke the winds and everything was completely calm.  There was amazement at what Jesus could do.

Let's look at these few verses to see what Jesus was really saying to his disciples.  Why would he question their faith?  Well, they were afraid that the storm raging outside of the boat was more power than the one on the boat.  Isn't that how we are sometimes?  We look at our storms around us raging and we become afraid and say, Jesus are you sleep?  Wake up and come and see about me!

We then have to realize just as the disciples learned, that Jesus is far greater than any storm we face.  The winds that blow the storm are under his command.  The waters that fall are under his command.  The dark clouds are all under his command.

No matter what comes our way, it does not have more power than our savior. So just as Jesus asked his disciples, why are you afraid, Jesus asks us the same today. Why are you afraid of your sickness, or your lack of money or you relationship problems?  Then Jesus will take the time to teach us.  He will increase our understanding in that storm and let us know that he is the one that will calm it.  Jesus is going to calm the storms of our money problems, our relationship problems, our sickness problems and any other problems that rise up suddenly.

So today, Lord we thank you for giving us a greater understand as you bring us through our storms.  If we follow you from the comfortable shores you are going to teach us how to better trust you in our stormy situations.

Words of Encouragement

As the storm was coming, what must these individuals must have felt?  Could it be fear that the boat would not contain them?  God has a way of removing our fears and letting us know we can trust in him in every situation and circumstances. Do you?

Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. Without warning, a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. - Matthew 8:22-24

Discipleship. Calls for Sudden Storms. I have read this scripture like many of you before, but as I was reading it now, it struck me in a different way.  Jesus got into a boat and his disciples followed him.  When they did, a storm came without warning upon them.

What struck me was this, if the disciples had not been following Jesus, would they have entered this storm?  If they had decided to stay on the shore, they would have missed this experience of the storm on the water.  While you and I might say, that is a good thing, let's look at it differently.

There was something that the disciples had to experience and see that needed them to be in the midst of the storm.  Jesus needed to teach them something about themselves.  He was going to teach them something they would not have gotten if they were still standing on the "safe" shores.  Jesus needed them to leave the comfort of the shores and be on the boat in the midst of this storm.

They needed to be in this storm and Jesus needed to be "sleep".  These factors were all part of what God was going to use to teach as well as show his power to the disciples.

Did you know that is true for us today.  To be disciples of Christ we must be willing to follow him, even into the storms.  We cannot try to be safe by staying on the shores because we don't want to face the sudden things that hit our lives.

Jesus wants us to follow him so that he can teach us something about our hearts and where we are in him.  He want to use the "stormy" situations to grow us and help us to find just how sure our faith in him is.

Today Lord help us when we find ourselves in the midst of the sudden storms and you seem to be "sleep".  Help us to learn what you want us to learn so that we can grow as well as experience the miracles that we will only experience if we have left the shores and gone into the "storms".

Words of Encouragement

I am always amazed at what we can learn from animals.  A dog can learn to follow someone because they are the one in authority.  They will follow and know that at the end of their obedience they will be rewarded.  How much more then should we know this?  We can follow God's son Jesus, because he is the one in authority.  We can know at the end of our following we will be rewarded for our obedience.  Lord help us to obey you.

When Jesus saw the crowd around him, he gave orders to cross to the other side of the lake. Then a teacher of the law came to him and said, "Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go." Jesus replied, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head." Another disciple said to him, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father." But Jesus told him, "Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead." - Matthew 8:18-22

Discipleship. Calls for Complete Sacrifice. What a strange message in these few verses of scripture.  We have one that is a teacher of the law saying to Jesus, I'll follow you where ever you go. Jesus however does not say to him, good come.  Instead Jesus says to him the foxes have holes but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.  What kind of response is that?

Could it be Jesus response to the teacher of the Law is to show that this is not a walk of self importance or of personal rewards?  As I have been studying the Old Testament influence on the New Testament I have learned some very interesting things.  One thing was just how much being a teacher/priest had moved from being just about following God's commands but had become a political/power struggle.  Those in power sometimes were more concerned with their personal gain and the importance of holding these offices.  So could this be Jesus' way of saying, in order to follow me, you must be willing to give up what political or power you might have in this world.  You very well may have to even give up your creature comforts.

Another comes and says Jesus let me go and bury my dead.  What a strange answer Jesus gives.  How can the dead bury the dead?  Could Jesus be telling this disciple you must be willing to let go of every earthly importance to follow after me.  If there be anything that would stand in the way of you following me, you must release it.  Is family, career, or relationship standing in the way.  Then Jesus' call is let them go.

Does this mean that God does not want us to have family, relations or friends?  Not so.  However, if we want to be disciples of Christ we must not allow anything to take the rightful place of God in our importance, not even ourselves.  There is nothing that can be in front of our obedience to God.  There are sometimes in your life that you will have to make some stands that others will truly not understand.  Yet, if God is telling you to do it, then you must not let anything keep you from making that stand.

I pray for us today that we count the cost of what it means to be a true disciple of Christ.  Lord help us today to not only count the cost but to step out and begin to follow you as you call us.

Words of Encouragement

Jesus went up on the mountain.  Could it be that just getting away to the mountain makes you feel that much closer to the maker of the mountain?  It is a beauty to behold the majesty of the mountains that God took the time to carve out with his finger tip.

Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them saying: "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. - Matthew 5:1-3

Discipleship. Grants You Wisdom. Jesus saw the crowd and scripture says he went up on a mountainside and sat down.  When he did, his disciples came to him and he began to teach them.  We are familiar with this scripture it is what we call the "Beatitudes".

Right now I want to reflect on the these few verses and what they mean to those that have accepted the call to be a disciple of Christ.  A disciple is one that accepts the teaching and instruction of a teacher/leader.  A disciple is one that is a follower, student, devotee or believer in the one that is leading.

In this instance that leader/teacher is Jesus.  His disciples have decided to follow him as his students, devoted to him and learning to believe in what he teaches.  This is one of those many instances where Jesus takes the time to teach his disciples. In this time there were many that had "followers", however how many can say they were following the right one?  The one sent by God?

Jesus would take the time in the midst of his teaching and traveling to explain things to his disciples.  They did not often understand the things Jesus was speaking so he did not turn them away, but addressed the issues that needed to be addressed with them and taught them.

Can you and I expect to receive the same today as a disciple of Jesus?  Yes we can.  As one that follows after Christ we too can receive of the wisdom of our master.  He has left first the evidence of his teaching as revealed in the Bible.  We also have the opportunity to be guided by the Holy Spirit.  We can gain the wisdom we need to be able to be successful in our walk as disciples of Christ.  God would not place us on a path that we could not win.

Today, let us thank God for the access we have through the Covenant relationship with him to gain of his wisdom.  We can grow in our understand and in the knowledge of our savior.