Do you ever flip through the different radio frequencies to find a song you want to hear? You hear one song and you might listen to a little longer than others, but you are looking for a song that makes you want to listen until it is done. Especially in the summer, certain songs make me want to roll down my windows and sing at the top of my lungs?

For me, that song right now is HAPPY from the movie Despicable Me 2. It is fun song with a great beat. The song comes on the radio and immediately the volume goes up. It’s a song declaring that I’m happy and there is no limit to my happiness – it’s like a room without a roof! There’s no ceiling. My level of happiness is so high, nothing can bring it down. Bring the bad news, but it is not going to change the fact that I AM HAPPY!

This song is not a Christian song but I would challenge that the only way to have THAT kind of happiness is through Jesus Christ. In fact, Jesus spoke at the beginning of his sermon on the mount of this kind of happiness, or about what it looks like to be this blessed. We call this portion of scripture The Beatitudes.

One day as the crowds were gathering, he went up the hillside with his disciples and sat down and taught them there.

“When you are reviled and persecuted and lied about because you are my followers—wonderful! Be HAPPY about it! Be very glad! For a tremendous reward awaits you up in heaven. And remember, the ancient prophets were persecuted too. – Matthew 5:1-12 (TLB)

Most of us know this passage from other translations that use the word “blessed”. Blessed are the poor in spirit, blessed are those who mourn, blessed are the meek, blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, blessed are the merciful, blessed are the pure in heart, blessed are the peacemakers. And this is the one that catches most of us off guard – Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness.

“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because GREAT is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” – Matthew 5:11-12 (NIV)

GREAT is your reward! SO great that there is no limit to the happiness you will experience, no ceiling to the joy! Nothing can bring you down – not insults, persecution or slander.

Now I must admit, I don’t experience that kind of joy 24-7. In fact, I have had a few rough moments even in this last week. After driving around to various churches in our area asking them to get involved in our upcoming Walk for Life, the word to describe my emotions was much closer to discouragement and defeat. Then a couple days later, the voice of the enemy tried to drown out the voice of God by telling me lies. I had to battle against doubt and hurt, declaring the promises of God to replace the lies of Satan. There are moments when I need to be reminded to rejoice and be glad. There are moments when I am reminded that great is my reward IN HEAVEN – not always so great here on earth.

But there is a joy that begins right here, right now, when we walk in relationship with Jesus – a joy that finds us in those moments when we need it most. A joy that comes from praising God and declaring His faithfulness when others fail us or the battle intensifies. I don’t have to conjure up joy. I don’t have to pretend to be happy. Just a whisper for help and the Spirit can produce in me fruit that is unexplainable, such as JOY in the middle of a difficult situation or PEACE in the midst of trials.

All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation, and we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see.

You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him now, you trust him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy. The reward for trusting him will be the salvation of your souls. – 1 Peter 1:3-9

I’m happy and there is no limit to my happiness – it’s like a room without a roof! There’s no ceiling. My level of happiness is so high, nothing can bring it down. Bring the bad news but it is not going to change the fact that I am happy! I am happy because I am blessed by a God who protects me by His power and tells me of a wonderful joy that is ahead for me. So I choose to embrace my God in the good and the bad. I choose to be truly glad…because I’m happy!

Yesterday was a big day in the life of our church. For years, the church has been dreaming and saving and planning for an addition to the building. For years they have carried out that vision by praying and working hard and giving. Yesterday was the BIG party to CELEBRATE all that God has done and to dedicate the building to Him – for His purposes and to accomplish His ministry. Many people were recognized and thanked in our celebration service but one man’s standing ovation touched my heart more than the rest. Why? Because of something I heard his son say.

Enoch Strange is a member of our congregation and led the work on the addition that more than doubled the size of our church. God had uniquely gifted and prepared Enoch for this great occasion and he answered God’s call obediently. Many people spoke into what the plan would look like, but Enoch is the man who held the plan in his hand and made it a reality. He was there long hours – working hard, leading teams and praying. That’s right. Enoch spent time praying with Pastor Brock and the team, praying for this new structure and for all God would accomplish inside of it. God built this building, but he did it through a team of people led by a man God himself was leading – Enoch Strange. But let me tell you what else this man is building.

I work with the youth group on Wednesday nights at Church (which, by the way, meets in this incredible new room built just for Revolution Student Ministries). Last Wednesday, Charlotte was leading us in a discussion of how God pursues us. She had each table group read the story of the prodigal son together, and each table leader asked their group some questions. Lance was leading the discussion at our table. He asked each student a different question. When he came to Enoch’s son, who shares his father’s name, Lance asked him, “So Enoch, do you ever want to say – Dad, give me my inheritance. I’m out of here!” Enoch’s response was immediate. He said, “Nah, I can’t get enough of that guy.”

Wow! I just about lost it right there. So when I stood yesterday to applaud for Enoch, it wasn’t just about the church Enoch built. I was applauding the young man of God that Enoch is still in the process of building. And he is doing it the same way he built the church – praying and taking time to get it right.

Not all of us have been called to oversee a building project but we have all been called to oversee the spiritual growth of our children – to invest in them and spend time with them. We are called to spend time in prayer and teach our children to call upon the God who holds the plan for their life in His hands.

“So commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these words of mine. Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. Teach them to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates, so that as long as the sky remains above the earth, you and your children may flourish in the land the LORD swore to give your ancestors.

“Be careful to obey all these commands I am giving you. Show love to the LORD your God by walking in his ways and holding tightly to him…” – Deuteronomy 11:18-22

Yesterday was a HUGE day in the life of our church. Former pastors came back to visit, families that have moved away made the trip back, and we all were able to celebrate what God is doing. But I would like to make a bold statement. I would like to ascertain that today is an even BIGGER day in the life of the church because today is the day our Family Devotions with God ministry will begin. Every Monday, the church will send out emails to equip families to spend time together in God’s word that week. Families will read God’s word together, they will have spiritual discussions with each other and they will pray together. Devotions have been prepared for families with children, families with teens, young adults, empty-nesters…adults of all ages. THIS is how the church is going to grow! Not just exponentially but spiritually. THIS is how God’s church will be built. Every family will now hold a plan in their hands and a call on their hearts.

God called Pekin First Church of the Nazarene to build space in order to do more ministry and do it more effectively. God also called Pekin First Church of the Nazarene to build families and build them more effectively. God is calling each one of us to the same thing – to build our family. And this does not end once our children leave the house and start their own home.

The Director of our Pregnancy Resource Center in Pekin recently retired to spend time investing in his grandchildren and helping his children. I hate to lose him but I applaud his decision to BUILD his family. God is calling all of us to build our families spiritually. The question is – Are we doing it? Are we intentionally building our family?

“So why do you keep calling me ‘Lord, Lord!’ when you don’t do what I say? I will show you what it’s like when someone comes to me, listens to my teaching, and then follows it. It is like a person building a house who digs deep and lays the foundation on solid rock. When the floodwaters rise and break against that house, it stands firm because it is well built. But anyone who hears and doesn’t obey is like a person who builds a house without a foundation. When the floods sweep down against that house, it will collapse into a heap of ruins.” – Luke 6:46-49

Jesus words to Simon Peter keep coming to my mind. “Now I say to you that you are Peter (which means ‘rock’), and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it” (Matthew 16:18). God builds His church through people. He has called each of us to build His church. Sometimes this is a brick and mortar project, but it is ALWAYS a people project. God is calling us to build His church by investing in others. Are you up for God’s call? Are you ready to let God use you in the life of someone else today?

“All right,” Jesus replied. “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”

“What!” they exclaimed. “It has taken forty-six years to build this Temple, and you can rebuild it in three days?” – John 2:19-20

This was the conversation that occurred between Jesus and the Jewish leaders when he chased the money-changers and vendors out of the Temple in Jerusalem. Passion for God’s house consumed Jesus and he took action to make a change. The Jewish leaders demanded an explanation – no, a miraculous sign – to prove Jesus had authority to do this. When he offered them one, they did not believe him and so they missed out on an opportunity. All they had to do was believe, but they chose unbelief instead.

Later, one of the Jewish leaders came after dark to speak with Jesus. Nicodemus had seen the miraculous signs Jesus was performing among the people and knew that Jesus was sent by God, but he still had questions.

Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.”

“What do you mean?” exclaimed Nicodemus. “How can an old man go back into his mother’s womb and be born again?” – John 3:3-4

Jesus was speaking of spiritual rebirth but Nicodemus was stuck in the physical or literal explanation. He lacked an understanding of the role of the Holy Spirit in our lives and he lacked the faith he needed to take Jesus at his word.

Jesus replied, “You are a respected Jewish teacher, and yet you don’t understand these things? I assure you, we tell you what we know and have seen, and yet you won’t believe our testimony. But if you don’t BELIEVE me when I tell you about earthly things, how can you possibly BELIEVE if I tell you about heavenly things? No one has ever gone to heaven and returned. But the Son of Man has come down from heaven. And as Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, so that everyone who BELIEVES in him will have eternal life.

“There is no judgment against anyone who BELIEVES in him. But anyone who does not BELIEVE in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son. And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed. But those who do what is right come to the light so others can see that they are doing what God wants.” –John 3:10-21

Day or night, light or dark, belief or unbelief. We have a choice to believe and walk into the light or not believe and stay in the dark. When we truly believe, we step into the light with a willingness to let our sins be exposed. Jesus meets us there, not to judge our sins but to save us from our sins and offer us eternal life – spiritual rebirth.

“…The Father loves his Son and has put everything into his hands. And anyone who BELIEVES in God’s Son has eternal life. Anyone who doesn’t obey the Son will never experience eternal life but remains under God’s angry judgment.” – John 3:35-36

These are the words of John the Baptist regarding Jesus. His disciples had come to him concerned that everybody was going to Jesus to be baptized instead of coming to John and his disciples. John, who believed that Jesus was the Messiah, spoke with confidence of God’s plan.

“It is the bridegroom who marries the bride, and the best man is simply glad to stand with him and hear his vows. Therefore, I am filled with joy at his success. He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less.

“He has come from above and is greater than anyone else. We are of the earth, and we speak of earthly things, but he has come from heaven and is greater than anyone else. He testifies about what he has seen and heard, but how few BELIEVE what he tells them! Anyone who accepts his testimony can affirm that God is true. For he is sent by God. He speaks God’s words, for God gives him the Spirit without limit…” – John 3:29-34

Tonight a new movie opens across this nation. The movie God’s Not Dead will challenge people to either confirm that they BELIEVE in God or refuse to BELIEVE. Debates are already widespread across social media sites and the film doesn’t show for another two or three hours. Where will you land in this debate? Will you choose to stand strong in the light and declare “God’s not dead!” Or, instead, will you succumb to the pressure of our current society and compromise your faith, coming to Jesus only after dark when no one can see you? If someone told you to come to the front of the class and convince those around you of God’s existence, would you? Better yet, could you? It is necessary that we are equipped for the conversations God is going to place before us – each of them an opportunity to share why we BELIEVE what we BELIEVE.

So, why do you BELIEVE what you BELIEVE?

[for more information about this movie, go to http://godsnotdeadthemovie.com/]

One day soon afterward Jesus went up on a mountain to pray, and he prayed to God all night. At daybreak he called together all of his disciples and chose twelve of them to be apostles. Here are their names:

Simon (whom he called Peter),
Andrew (Peter’s brother),
James,
John,
Philip,
Bartholomew,
Matthew,
Thomas,
James (Son of Alphaeus),
Simon (who was called the zealot)
Judas (son of James),
Judas Iscariot (who later betrayed him). – Luke 5:12-16

After spending an extended amount of time in God’s presence and in prayer, Jesus called all of his followers together and distinguished between those who would be disciples and those who would be the twelve apostles. Don’t miss that he made this decision AFTER going to the Father in prayer.

We often use these terms “disciples” and “apostles” interchangeably so I thought I would look to see what the difference is. According to the NLT Study Bible I am using, disciples were students and followers while apostles were specially commissioned representatives. I would argue that today we are all both disciples and apostles.

To be a disciple of Christ is to be a student or a follower. God has called us all to be students of the Word, to sit at His feet regularly and learn from Him. We spend time reading the Bible and we walk away with new understanding. His word is living and active and we cannot help but be changed by studying the Scriptures. We have so much to learn and we have a Great Teacher who loves His students.

We also learn by listening to other students of the Word or disciples. What a great investment of our time to read a book written by another follower of Christ or to listen to the preaching of another! We listen and call on the Spirit to discern the truth of the message, allowing our hearts to grow and be transformed through the words God is giving those He has called. When I question something I am reading or hearing, God’s word is the foundation of truth that I go back to each time.

Even pastors and preachers benefit from spending time listening to others and reading. With that comes a humility that God calls all of us to. We have not already arrived. We do not know all there is to know. We desperately need to keep learning, to continue increasing our understanding of God’s ways.

So we are all disciples but I would argue that we are also all apostles. If the definition of apostle is a person who is specially commissioned to represent something or someone then that is absolutely what we are. God has chosen every one of us for a specific purpose today. He has a plan and we have a choice. We can walk into that plan with the willingness to represent Jesus and fulfill His purpose for our day or we can focus on our own desires and plans.

Jesus traveled through all the towns and villages of that area, teaching in the synagogues and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom. And he healed every kind of disease and illness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. He said to his disciples, “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.” – Matthew 9:35-39

Lord, this morning I pray that you would open up my heart and show me your purpose today. Confirm in my heart what you have called me to do. Remind me who I have been specially commissioned to represent. God I open up my life with a willingness today to be used by you, whether in small ways or large. Today is about you and your plan. Teach me. Show me. Use me. Guide me. Amen.

Show me the right path, O LORD;
point out the road for me to follow.
Lead me by your truth and teach me,
for you are the God who saves me.
All day long I put my hope in you (Psalm25:4-5).

It was not about the WHEN, but the WHO.
It was not about the PHYSICAL, but about the SPIRITUAL.
It was not about HEALING, but about CHANGE.
It was not about the BODY, but about the HEART.
It was not about the TIMING, but about the SOURCE.
It was not just about a MOMENT, but about a LIFE.

Afterward Jesus returned to Jerusalem for one of the Jewish holy days. Inside the city, near the Sheep Gate, was the pool of Bethesda, with five covered porches. Crowds of sick people – blind, lame, or paralyzed – lay on the porches. One of the men lying there had been sick for 38 years. When Jesus saw him and knew he had been ill for a long time, he asked him, “Would you like to get well?”

The man didn’t know, for Jesus had disappeared into the crowd. But afterward Jesus found him in the Temple and told him, “Now you are well; so stop sinning, or something even worse may happen to you.” Then the man went and told the Jewish leaders that it was Jesus who had healed him (John 5:1-15).

Crowds of sick people all around and Jesus approached one man, knowing this man had been ill for a very long time. He knew this man, knew his situation and his need – not only for PHYSICAL healing but for SPIRITUAL healing. Jesus’ desire was for this man’s life to change. For 38 years he had been sick but Jesus had more than just physical healing in mind to change this man’s situation. Jesus wanted to give this man life – eternal life!

For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life – John 3:16. This was the miracle of life that Jesus was offering. The physical touch was for the purpose of this man believing in Jesus and choosing obedience. Jesus told this man to do two things: “Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk!” and “stop sinning”. The first required a MOMENT of faith and obedience. He had been sick for such a long time. He had to believe in Jesus enough to stand up. The second required a LIFE of faith and obedience, a healing of the heart that would change the way this man lived the rest of his life – holy and set apart for the One who had healed him.

The Jewish leaders tried to make this next miracle about timing but Jesus corrected them, letting them know this was not about “when” but about “who” – not about the physical healing but about spiritual healing. While the Jewish leaders focused in on the TIMING of the miracle, Jesus tried to point out to them the SOURCE of the miracle. Jesus had come to bring life and they were missing out on this miracle that was available for them also because they were too caught up in the legalism of when the miracle had taken place. What it is that has us so distracted that we are missing out on the miracle of life that God is offering?

For just as the Father gives life to those he raises from the dead, so the Son gives life to anyone he wants (5:21).

I tell you the truth, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death to life. And I assure you that the time is coming, indeed it’s here now, when the dead will hear my voice – the voice of the Son of God. And those who listen will live. The Father has life in himself, and he has granted that same life-giving power to his Son (5:24-26).

You search the Scriptures because you think they give you eternal life. But the Scriptures point to me! Yet you refuse to come to me to receive this life (5:39-40).

The miracle of life is what Jesus was offering at the pool of Bethesda and it is what He is still offering us today. This miracle comes from the love of a God who would send His one and only Son to die for our sins so that we might believe and experience eternal life. This miracle of life is available to all of us – it requires a MOMENT of faith and obedience, as well as a LIFE of continued faith and obedience. The purpose of all of these miracles performed by Jesus were to prove that He was sent by God so that we might truly believe and experience eternal life (5:36).

Lord, focus our attention where You want it to be. Give us eyes to see what today is about – not what we want to make it but about Your purpose. Give us patience to focus on the source instead of the timing, the spiritual instead of the physical. Amen.

Questioning Jesus’ authority to forgive sins was only the beginning of the many questions that would come at Jesus, questioning why he did something or why he failed to do something else. Things have not changed much today. We continue to question Jesus on the things we do not fully understand, or perhaps the things we understand but disagree with. God is Almighty and we say we trust Him, yet we find ourselves challenging him. We like to think of ourselves as nothing like the teachers of the law and Pharisees in the Bible, yet if we were honest, we would probably have to admit that we have moments that are much more similar than we wish to admit.

“Why do you eat and drink with such scum?” – Luke 5:30b

This was the question asked of Jesus when he attended a banquet that Matthew or Levi held in his home in Jesus’ honor. The guest list included Matthew’s coworkers and colleagues – tax collectors and other guests. Scripture says the Pharisees and teachers of the religious law complained BITTERLY that Jesus was spending time with people who were considered unrighteous. In the ancient world, meals were rituals of social status and Jesus’ act of dining with Matthew and his friends was seen as Jesus socially accepting them regardless of their lifestyle.

Jesus answered them, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor – sick people do. I have come not to call those who THINK they are righteous, but those who KNOW they are sinners and need to repent” (Luke 5:31-32).

I wish today’s Church could not be accused of questioning the acceptance of sinners into our fellowship, but sadly this happens often in our congregations. Investing in sinners by spending time with them and inviting them into our fellowship is not accepting their sin, as some would accuse; it is accepting anyone who needs Jesus and loving them as they come to recognize their sin and understand what it means to repent – to admit they have sinned and come to a point of change.

“John the Baptist’s disciples fast and pray regularly, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees. Why are your disciples always eating and drinking?” – (Luke 5:33)

Why can’t you be more like your cousin?!! Okay, this isn’t exactly what they were saying but it did remind me of the tendency for people to compare one follower of Christ with another. It also reminds me of our own tendency to compare ourselves with others and worry about how we measure up with someone else or how someone else measures up with us. God has made each one of us unique and He has a plan for each of our lives that is different from anyone else’s. It is not God’s plan for us to criticize our brothers and sisters in Christ, but to lift them up in prayer and support their obedience to God. Jesus’ response came to the heart of this question.

Jesus responded, “Do wedding guests fast while celebrating with the groom? Of course not. But someday the groom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.” Then Jesus gave them this illustration: “No one tears a piece of cloth from a new garment and uses it to patch an old garment. For then the new garment would be ruined, and the new patch wouldn’t even match the old garment. And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. For the new wine would burst the wineskins, spilling the wine and ruining the skins. New wine must be stored in new wineskins. But no one who drinks the old wine seems to want the new wine. ‘The old is just fine,’ they say” (Luke 5:34-39).

Sometimes the old is not compatible with the new. If I buy the newest available software and then try to load it on a computer I have had for ten years, the two are not going to be compatible. Would I build a brand new house and then fill it with old furniture? (Okay, I might but most people would not ) Sometimes we hold so tightly to the old that we miss out on the new thing that God is doing.

“Why are you breaking the law by harvesting grain on the Sabbath?” – Luke 6:2

The Pharisees watched Jesus closely, especially on the Sabbath. They wanted to catch him breaking the Jewish traditions and laws so as to have grounds to accuse him and shut down his ministry. They had the activities of his disciples under surveillance and then watched to see if Jesus would heal on the Sabbath.

“The Son of Man is Lord, even over the Sabbath.”… Jesus knew their thoughts. He said to the man with the deformed hand, “Come and stand in front of everyone.” So the man came forward. Then Jesus said to his critics, “I have a question for you. Does the law permit good deeds on the Sabbath, or is it a day for doing evil? Is this a day to save life or to destroy it?”

He looked around at them one by one and then said to the man, “Hold out your hand.” So the man held out his hand, and it was restored! – Luke 6:5,8-10

Wouldn’t you have loved to have been there in that moment as Jesus took the time to make eye contact with each and every one of his accusers? Jesus knew their thoughts and he knew their motives. He looks at the heart of each and every one of us, individually. He knows when we use the Sabbath as an excuse to make the day about ourselves when His intention has always been that the Sabbath would be about Him. The Sabbath is not a day for us to focus on our own needs for rest but to slow down the busyness of our lives and focus our attention fully on Him.

If in that moment, when we are fully focused on God and we feel His eye contact on us, God moves on our hearts to do something for Him, our response should be one of obedience. The Sabbath is a great day to worship God and a great day to hear from Him. Isn’t it also a great day to respond in obedience, no matter what He is asking us to do? “The Son of Man is Lord, even over the Sabbath.”

“Hold out your hand.” Let’s reach out and allow God to use our hands HOWEVER and WHENEVER He asks.

A few years ago, I had the privilege of sitting and visiting with Pam Tebow, mother of NFL quarterback Tim Tebow. As we waited for her turn to speak at our pregnancy center banquet in Champaign, our conversation varied and I enjoyed so much her sweet spirit and genuine heart. We spoke of some of the big public moments in Tim’s life on the football field but we also spoke of some of their private moments as a family. By the time Pam rose to go to the stage, I no longer saw her as a public figure about to speak to a room of 800 people about prolife issues – I now saw her as another mom who loves her family and daily allows God to use her however He desires.

I had considered how BIG the life of the Tebow family must be but I had not considered what it would feel like to have your son call and express his hurt over the way the media had twisted his words. The cameras often show us the big moments of Tim’s life but we do not hear about the private moments when he talks to a little girl on the phone who is dying of cancer and explains to her how she can accept Jesus into her heart like he has, just thirty minutes before she would meet her Savior face to face. There is so much more to this family than what is made public. They are a healthy, loving and committed family, with or without an audience.

As we read through the gospels, we see that Jesus’ ministry had both its public and private moments. In many of those private moments, Jesus instructs the person he healed to not reveal his identity to others. There was a bigger plan at work and there was wisdom in what Jesus was asking his followers to do, even though they did not always listen to him. Let’s look at the difference between these two kinds of moments in the ministry of the Messiah.

A man with leprosy came and knelt in front of Jesus, begging to be healed. “If you are willing, you can heal me and make me clean,” he said.
Moved with compassion, Jesus reached out and touched him. “I am willing,” he said. “Be healed!” Instantly the leprosy disappeared, and the man was healed. Then Jesus sent him on his way with a stern warning: “Don’t tell anyone about this. Instead, go to the priest and let him examine you” (Mark 1:40-44a).

When Jesus returned to Capernaum several days later, the news spread quickly that he was back home. Soon the house where he was staying was so packed with visitors that there was no more room, even outside the door. While he was preaching God’s word to them, four men arrived carrying a paralyzed man on a mat. They couldn’t bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, so they dug a hole through the roof above his head. Then they lowered the man on his mat, right down in front of Jesus. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, “My child, your sins are forgiven.”

And the man jumped up, grabbed his mat, and walked out through the stunned onlookers. They were all amazed and praised God, exclaiming, “We’ve never seen anything like this before!” – Mark 2:1-12

First there is a private moment where a man in need of healing falls on his knees before Jesus and is healed. There were probably very few people listening into their conversation. Jesus specifically tells the man not to tell anyone that Jesus has healed him. Then, just days later, there is a moment where Jesus displays his ability to heal and his authority to forgive sins in front of a large group of people. The result in both situations – God is praised!

There may be moments in our lives when many people are aware of something we have accomplished or a way in which we have served God. We may get a pat on the back or the applause of an audience and in all of that, we hope and pray that God is glorified. But there may also be moments in our lives when God asks us to do something for Him, something we will never get earthly recognition for. We obediently follow Jesus regardless of the presence of an audience. There is no need for public fanfare or media attention, we are simply daily responding to God’s lead.

That night at the banquet, I was introduced and the crowd of pregnancy center supporters welcomed me warmly. In that moment, everyone in the room knew who I was and the position in the ministry I hold. In the same room there was a retired couple sitting at their assigned table. Every week she comes in and volunteers, working with the young mothers who are learning how to parent. Her husband comes in each week and volunteers by cleaning the pregnancy center. Neither of them got specific public recognition last night but I was given the honor of privately thanking them for all they do for Living Alternatives.

My obedience to what God has asked me to do with my time is no greater than the faithful service of this couple. I guarantee you they were not concerned last night that they did not get a standing ovation. That is not why they do what they do. They are humble servants of their Savior and King and it is His approval that they are living for.

May our testimony today be the same – willing hearts, with or without an audience, whether or not our reward is on earth or in Heaven. May our testimony be as strong in today’s private moments as it is in the public moments when others are watching.

The following day John was again standing with two of his disciples. As Jesus walked by, John looked at him and declared, “Look! There is the Lamb of God!” When John’s two disciples heard this, they followed Jesus…Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of these men who heard what John said and then followed Jesus. Andrew went to find his brother, Simon, and told him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means “Christ”). Then Andrew brought Simon to meet Jesus. Looking intently at Simon, Jesus said, “Your name is Simon, son of John – but you will be called Cephas” (which means “Peter”). – John 1:35-37, 40-42

Andrew encountered Jesus and what did he do next? Don’t miss this because it just might be one of the most powerful sentences in the New Testament. Then Andrew brought Simon to meet Jesus. Friends, I have to admit to you that this sentence brought me to tears this morning and I had to just sit and consider the weight of these seven words. Andrew did not just soak up all the Jesus he could get and then just hope from a distance that his brother would someday have the opportunity to meet this incredible man. He brought Simon to meet Jesus – he introduced his brother to the one who would forever change his life!

One day as Jesus was walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew throwing a net into the water, for they fished for a living. Jesus called out to them, “Come and follow me and I will show you how to fish for people!” And they left their nets at once and followed him (Mark 1:16-18).

God had a plan for the lives of these two brothers – a plan bigger than they had ever imagined. I would guess that, even in that moment, Andrew and Simon Peter did not fully comprehend the extent to which Jesus was going to penetrate their lives.

After leaving the synagogue that day, Jesus went to Simon’s home, where he found Simon’s mother-in-law very sick with a high fever. “Please heal her,” everyone begged. Standing at her bedside, he rebuked the fever, and it left her. And she got up at once and prepared a meal for them (Luke 4:38-39).

John the Baptist introduced Andrew to Jesus and then Andrew introduced Simon, now known as Peter, to Jesus. Now Jesus is not only impacting the life of these two fishermen, He is reaching out beyond Peter to his family. This woman who was sick in bed is now on her feet serving Jesus. All who witnessed this were now aware of the power of the Son of God. The number of people whose lives are being touched by Jesus is multiplying.

As the sun went down that evening, people throughout the village brought sick family members to Jesus. No matter what their diseases were, the touch of his hand healed every one. Many were possessed by demons; and the demons came out at his command, shouting, “You are the Son of God!” But because they knew he was the Messiah, he rebuked them and refused to let them speak (Luke 4:40-41).

Let’s back up a little. Simon is from Bethsaida (John 1:44) but has moved his home and his family to Capernaum for the sake of his fishing business. While in Capernaum, Andrew meets Jesus and then tells his brother Simon about this man whom John the Baptist had called the Lamb of God. Now just a short time later, Simon Peter’s family, as well as his entire community, have been greatly impacted by the power of the Son of God! No, not just impacted, touched. The touch of his hand healed every one. By following Jesus, Peter had shortened the distance between those he came in contact with every day and the Savior of the world. They now had the opportunity to be touched by Jesus because of Peter’s faith.

One day as Jesus was preaching on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, great crowds pressed in on him to listen to the word of God. He noticed two empty boats at the water’s edge, for the fishermen had left them and were washing their nets. Stepping into one of the boats, Jesus asked Simon, its owner, to push it out into the water. So he sat in the boat and taught the crowds from there.

“Master,” Simon replied, “we worked hard all last night and didn’t catch a thing. But if you say so, I’ll let the nets down again.” And this time their nets were so full of fish they began to tear! A shout for help brought their partners in the other boat, and soon both boats were filled with fish and on the verge of sinking (Luke 5:1-7).

Now Peter’s relationship with Jesus was not only affecting his life and the life of his family and the life of his community, Peter had brought Jesus to work with him! Now all of his coworkers and colleagues were given the opportunity to see a miracle – to see Jesus at work in Peter’s life and also in their own lives! They were now going to reap the benefit of this huge catch of fish. How do we know his coworkers and colleagues gained from this large catch? Because Simon was officially no longer a fisherman of fish. His name was now Peter and he was now a fisher of men!

When Simon Peter realized what had happened, he fell to his knees before Jesus and said, “Oh, Lord, please leave me – I’m too much of a sinner to be around you.” For he was awestruck by the number of fish they had caught, as were the others with him. His partners, James and John, the sons of Zebedee, were also amazed.

Jesus replied to Simon, “Don’t be afraid! From now on you’ll be fishing for people!” As soon as they landed, they left everything and followed Jesus (Luke 5:8-11).

Our response to our encounter with Jesus will determine whether or not those around us get an opportunity to have their own encounter with Jesus. When we fall on our knees, admit that we are a sinner and obediently follow Jesus – doing whatever He tells us to do simply because He said so – our submission impacts the lives of those around us. We can keep all this Jesus to ourselves or we can start fishing for people and take Jesus into our family relationships, our community and our workplace.

“Don’t be afraid!” Jesus is with you and will reach out and touch those around you if you will simply be His hands and feet to everyone you come in contact with today – if you will simply stop seeing yourself as “Simon” and begin seeing yourself as “Peter”.

When the devil had finished tempting Jesus, he left him until the next opportunity came.
Then Jesus returned to Galilee, filled with the Holy Spirit’s power. Reports about him spread quickly through the whole region. He taught regularly in their synagogues and was praised by everyone (Luke 4:13-15).

After 40 days of being tempted by the devil in the wilderness (4:2), Jesus returns home – not worn out and beat up by the devil’s attempts to destroy him but rather “filled by the Holy Spirit’s power.” I love this! With the same love, God strengthens us through the power of the Holy Spirit as we go through difficult times. At the end of our trial, we are often stronger than we were before the hard times appeared.

By this time, word has spread throughout the region about Jesus and everyone seems pleased with what he is teaching in their synagogues. He is in his homeland, but now it is time to return to the village where he grew up – Nazareth. It is time to go home.

When he came to the village of Nazareth, his boyhood home, he went as usual to the synagogue on the Sabbath and stood up to read the Scriptures. The scroll of Isaiah the prophet was handed to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where this was written:

When they heard this, the people in the synagogue were furious (Luke 4:16-28).

Jesus was revealing to them that he was the fulfillment of the prophecy of Isaiah. Jesus knew their hearts and their struggle to see him as anything but the son of a local carpenter. They had watched him grow up, watched him play in the streets with the other kids. They were excited that he had come home and amazed at what a good teacher of the Law he had become but they did not see him as the Promised Messiah.

Jesus laid out his calling for everyone. He was anointed by the Spirit to bring good news to the poor. He was sent to proclaim that captives would be released, the blind would see and those who were oppressed would be set free! The time of the Lord’s favor had come, but Nazareth was not going to experience all that God had for them because they would not accept all of who Jesus was.

I know several people who grew up in the church but who still struggle to fully believe in Jesus. My heart aches for them to have faith – to fully accept Jesus for who He is! They spent so much time in the presence of the Church without taking the time to truly seek God. When eyes are focused on religion, we miss out on seeing God Himself revealed.

The village of Nazareth was going to miss out on all of the miracles because they wanted to define Jesus one way instead of listening to what he was trying to teach them. How much do we miss out on when we decide to define Jesus from our own perspective and make him who we want him to be?

This is who Jesus wants to be in our lives today if we will just stop trying to contain Him in a box and truly allow Him to be Lord.
He wants to bring good news into the areas of our faith where we are lacking, where we are poor.
He wants to set us free from the bondage of sin and from the oppression of this world.
He wants to open our eyes today and allow us to truly see Him.
He wants us to stop deciding we already understand him and daily open up to what He wants to reveal to us today.
He wants to open the eyes of our heart so that we can truly see Him.

Open my eyes to see the wonderful truths in your instructions (Ps. 119:18).

Lord, we are sometimes so blind to what you are showing us. Will you open our eyes to your truth today? Will you help us to truly see you?

http://www.godtube.com/watch/?v=KGYWKLNX

John 3:23 says that Jesus performed miraculous signs while in Jerusalem but John does not give us details regarding those miracles. He does give us the results of those miracles – many began to trust in him. John goes on to tell us in detail about the second miracle Jesus performed in Galilee after leaving Jerusalem.

As he traveled through Galilee, he came to Cana, where he had turned the water into wine. There was a government official in nearby Capernaum whose son was very sick. When he heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went and begged Jesus to come to Capernaum to heal his son, who was about to die.

While the man was on his way, some of his servants met him with the news that his son was alive and well. He asked them when the boy had begun to get better, and they replied, “Yesterday afternoon at one o’clock his fever suddenly disappeared!” Then the father realized that that was the very time Jesus had told him, “Your son will live.” And he and his entire household believed in Jesus. This was the second miraculous sign Jesus did in Galilee after coming from Judea (John 4:46-54).

God’s timing is a beautiful thing! It is often in the timing of an event or miracle in our lives where our faith is strengthened the most. The miracle itself is incredible but it’s the timing of the God’s movement that confirms that it is God Himself at work.

I see two elements of timing in this account of John’s: 1.) at the time when the government official’s son became very sick, Jesus was arriving in nearby Galilee, and 2.) the boy was healed at the very time when Jesus had said the words, “Your son will live.”

For most of my life, I have heard the saints in the church say, “God is always on time. He’s never late and He’s never early.” I have found that to be true in my own life but I must admit it is not always easy to patiently wait for God’s timing. But it is in the waiting that God has our attention and it is in His perfect timing that we learn to trust in Him and our faith grows.

There’s another miracle John describes in 6:16-21 that is a miracle of timing: That evening Jesus’ disciples went to the shore to wait for him. But as darkness fell and Jesus still hadn’t come back, they got into the boat and headed across the lake toward Capernaum. Soon a gale swept down upon them, and the sea grew rough. They had rowed three or four miles when suddenly they saw Jesus walking on the water toward the boat. They were terrified, but he called out to them, “Don’t be afraid. I am here!” Then they were eager to let him in the boat, and immediately they arrived at their destination.

Mark’s account of this miracle says: They climbed into the boat, and the wind stopped. They were totally amazed… (6:51). Matthew’s account is similar: When they climbed back into the boat, the wind stopped. Then the disciples worshiped him. “You really are the Son of God!” they exclaimed (14:32-33).
The moment Jesus stepped into the boat, the storm calmed – a miracle of timing. The timing of Jesus action was beautifully choreographed and their faith was strengthened.

What is your story of God’s perfect timing in your life – timing that confirmed God was at work rather than simple coincidence? Perhaps you are in the midst of the storm right now, rowing until God chooses to calm the waves and winds. Notice Jesus did not calm the storm after the disciples had rowed one mile. They rowed three or four miles before Jesus made His presence known to them. The disciples were never alone, Jesus had not abandoned them in the storm. He was there all the time, waiting for the perfect moment to say, “Don’t be afraid. I am here!”

My prayer for you this morning is that you will hear the words of Jesus today. I pray you will know without doubt that He is with you and that you will trust in His perfect timing. Remember, God is never late and He is never early – He is always on time!

The disciples began to worship Jesus when He stepped into the boat and the storm calmed. Let’s choose to worship Him while still rowing through the storm, praising Him in confidence for what He is going to do and for His presence in the midst of the waves and wind.