The father of a very sick little boy brought
his child into the massive crowd seeking healing and restoration.
The child was deaf, unable to speak, stricken with epilepsy and
controlled by evil spirits. The father had brought the child to
the disciples that day but they had failed to rid the boy of his
horrible condition. Now he had come to Jesus. Jesus told the weary
father that everything is possible to those who believe. The father
of the child said, “ Lord I believe, help my unbelief.”
Mark 9:24
This is not at
all uncommon. It is not a sin to be weak in faith. But the trying
of faith makes it stronger. The more you exercise your faith,
the more faith you will have and the more God can accomplish through
you. Could Jesus have healed the child without the faith of the
father? Of course. But the father, armed with faith, could have
healed the boy without Jesus. Jesus doesn't have to be present
in the flesh to accomplish His work. He only needs believers who
can pray in His name and believe that He will do what they have
asked, as though He (Jesus) was present praying in the flesh.
As you read this passage of scripture you can sense the frustration
of Jesus dealing with faithlessness.
Verse 19: “Oh what a faithless people you are! How long must I be with you, how long must I put up with you? Bring him (the child) here to me.”
The disciples had prayed for the child and could not cure him. The father was weak in faith and didn't even really try to pray for the child, so it was left to Jesus to perform what any of them could have done themselves through prayer and faith.
Later
when the crowd and the healed little boy had left, the disciples
asked Jesus why they could not cure the child and drive out the
evil spirits. Jesus told them that prayer and fasting was lacking.
By that I believe that Jesus was talking about commitment, and
devotion.
In order to be ready to take on Satan’s attacks we need to be Warriors of prayer, not reciters of words. We need to live in the armor of God, not just wear it on special occasions. We need the Word of God bursting from our lips not just saved for a religious audience. Our testimony, integrity, witness and reputation must be honorable in the sight of God and the sight of men. We don't need to be just Church joined Bible owners, but rather bold men and women whose father is Almighty God.
Noteworthy September 1998
Thank you for your response to the news of our move to a new facility. A number of you have already sent a special one time gift to help with expenses. Based on estimates received thus far the cost of the move will be as follows:
Remodeling $ 90,000.00 (includes finishing
the basement, studios and parking lot)
Engineering and Equip. $ 35,000.00 (broadcast equipment)
Furnishings $ 8,700.00 (includes Studio furniture and office furniture)
Sign $ 5,600.00
TOTAL $139,300.00
There will of course be other expenses
but these are the most notable.
Please help as the Lord enables.
Our lease runs out at our present location on October 1st. It would be nice if we could be out by then and stop paying over $3,000 a month in rent. However, we will be able to stay as long as necessary on a month to month basis.
Finances are certainly important, but they are only a means to an end. As surely as God has provided the money to buy the building, He will provide the money to get it ready for use in His ministry. Your prayer covering is so important right now. As you pray please pray specifically for the following:
1. Pray for favor with the local government. Red tape abounds.
2. Pray for our contractors and engineers.
3. Pray for favor with equipment and material suppliers.
4. Pray for me and our board and staff
as decisions are made.
5. Pray for a hedge of protection around this ministry.
6. Pray for a release of the needed finances.
7. Pray that everything we do and say glorifies our Lord.
May God's presence fill your life with Victory!
Noteworthy July 1998
These three simple sentences, containing two commands and the identity of the speaker, can totally change your life and give you the freedom to live victoriously. These words from Matthew 14:27 were spoken to the disciples in the midst of a storm just before Peter’s miraculous walk on the water. They still speak to us today.
“It is I,” identifies the speaker as Jesus. It had been a busy day for Him. Earlier He had heard of the death of His dear friend John the Baptist. John had suffered a cruel death and an unnecessary one. Jesus was grief stricken. In His sorrow He left to go and find a place to be alone for a while, but the crowds, as usual, followed Him. Instead of sending the crowd of 5,000 away, He ministered to them and healed the sick. By this time it was late in the day and the people were hungry so He blessed the small amount of food they had and multiplied it to feed everyone until they were full and still there was more food left.
Still wishing to be alone, Jesus sent His disciples on across the water in a boat while he dismissed the crowd. Then He went up on the mountain to be alone and pray. During the night the boat carrying the disciples was tossed about by the wind out on the lake a good distance from shore. Jesus again, with great compassion, gave up the quietness of His solitude to go to His disciples. To get there He walked on the water. As He neared the boat the disciples were terrified, thinking that it was a ghost and cried out in fear. That’s when Jesus said, “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”
A couple of months ago I wrote a piece called “No Fear.” In it I talked about various fears and how often the real fears we face are masked by false fears. In the disciple’s situation they were letting their imaginations get the best of them. It was dark, the ship was already in peril from the storm and now a figure was approaching them out on the water. What were they to think? The worst, of course. Now, just when they could stand no more something else was going wrong.
Have you ever felt that way? I certainly have. To quote Popeye, a favorite cartoon character, “That’s all I can stands cause I can’t stands no more.” That’s when spinach would pop up from somewhere to give Popeye the strength to overcome the evil that had befallen him. Spinach is good but in the real world we need real strength. The strength that comes from knowing Jesus.
“Take Courage!,” Jesus said. If I said to you, “take an apple!” You would have to do three things. Decide that you want it, reach out, and take hold of it. To “take courage” is much the same. Jesus has offered it to you, so you know it is yours. You must decide that you want it, then reach out by faith and take it. When you take hold of courage the second command, “Don’t be afraid,” is much easier. A person of courage need have no fear.
Jesus shows no favoritism between His children. “What He has done for others He will do for you,” says the song. When Jesus had compassion on the crowd of 5,000 you were among them. When Jesus spoke peace to the winds that tossed the ship you were on board. And when you take the steps on the water as Peter did, Jesus will reach out His hand and take hold of yours when you start to be overwhelmed and feel yourself sinking and think that life is taking you down for the last time. Please know that you serve a real and ever present God who loves, protects, and provides for His children. With that kind of knowledge you can face anything.
“Take Courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”
Noteworthy May 1998
NO FEAR
One of the greatest fears of the average American is a fear of heights. It affects people when they fly, cross bridges, use elevators, and especially when looking from a high overlook like a mountain or a high rise building. Contrast this fear with one of our favorite dreams; flying or floating. Most people find that a dream about flying or floating has a very relaxing effect. With this in mind we might surmise that we apparently are not really afraid of heights after all, since flying in our dreams is desirable. The fear of heights is more likely to be really a fear of falling or being injured which is a healthy normal fear.
Many of our fears, like the fear of heights, are a mask on our real fears and prevent us from seeing them face to face. When we are able to deal with the real fear, the false fear will fade away.
Public speaking is another common fear. Many normal well educated articulate people with good diction, a broad vocabulary and quality speaking voice, get weak in the knees in front of a crowd or a microphone. Some people’s palms sweat, throats constrict, mouths dry and hearts palpitate. They may become faint or even collapse in a state of anxiety. These negative results only serve to reinforce the original fear and drive the real fear further away. Often there is a fear of ridicule lurking in the subconscious that may date back to a 2nd grade bad experience doing an oral report, or a math problem worked incorrectly at the board in front of a snickering class. Instead of a positive growing experience it was a nightmare that replays every time they are asked to speak in public.
When a childhood experience can be identified as the cause of an unrealistic fear, the fear can usually be overcome and the person freed from the bondage that has prevented them from leading a normal healthy life.
The Bible says that God has not given you a spirit of fear (or timidity). It doesn't require very much research to find the origin of our fear. If the fear didn’t come from God, it is obvious that it came from the evil one. Let’s rewrite the verse; “Satan has given you a spirit of fear.” When you are fearful say, “Satan has given me a spirit of fear, but God has given me power over Satan.”
Unrealistic, unwarranted fear comes from Satan and can simply be rejected. The Word says to resist the Devil and he will flee. If you become uncomfortable crossing long bridges for instance, and realize the bridge has been there for 20 years and the big truck in front of you just went across and didn’t fall, you may determine that your fear is unrealistic. When you feel fearful about something that you know you shouldn’t, resist the fear and turn it over to God. On the other hand, deep rooted fears that leave you feeling helpless and hopeless may require professional help from your Pastor or a Christian counselor. Sometimes you may need help to uncover the root causes of your fears, and a Christian professional can help you sort things out.
God desires that we have joy abundant. Anything less is not God’s best. I want His best and I’m sure you do to. Turn your life and your fears over to the one who loves you most, Jesus. A life in Christ is filled with many good things.
Noteworthy March 1998
Can you believe that Spring is nearly
here? Even though there may still be some cold days ahead there
are already signs of new life and warmer weather. I think the
predictability of each season should give us hope in all things.
God's Word points to the seasons as proof of his unfailing love
and determination to keep His promises. A rainbow, for example,
is a promise that God will never destroy the earth with water
again. A rainbow requires the existence of both water and sunlight
simultaneously to make those beautiful colors and reminds us that
even though the rain has come the sun will shine again.
God's Word speaks of the seasons as He reasons with our intellect regarding His soon return. He says, “you can look at the sky and know that the rain is near. You are able to discern an approaching storm. You look at the signs in the sky and predict the weather. Look at the signs also and predict my return.”
The predictability of seasonal changes also give us important warnings. They let us know when to get ready for Winter; when to plant our crops; even guess within days of when we will need to begin the harvest. We also know, based on the amount of rain, the approximate size of the harvest too.
God has put all of nature in motion with laws that cannot be broken. “Sowing and Reaping” is one such law that teaches many lessons. Whatever we plant determines without question what we shall reap. This is such a simple concept yet in life we constantly try to manipulate it. Just as a tomato seed will grow tomatoes, love will grow love and hate reaps a harvest of hate.
The lives of many criminals, when examined, almost always reflect a past pattern of destructive sowing that eventually reaped a destructive harvest. An abused child often becomes an abusive parent. A person of low self esteem may find it difficult to raise confident well adjusted children. But for the grace of God these patterns would go unbroken because it is so hard to plant quality personality traits in a child that do not exist in the parent. The opposite patterns exist in children who were given a different set of values. The Church is a great help in this regard, providing role models and Christian training, but the best source is good parents who love the Lord and sow good seeds in their children.
As you enjoy the warming weather and the promise of Spring think about the God who has given us all things to enjoy and underscores His promises with tangible proof of His love for us through the ordered miracles of nature.
Noteworthy February 1998
James 4:14
14. Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow, what
is your life?
You are but a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.
I love the song that says, “I don’t know about tomorrow, but I know who holds my hand.” It is certain that we can’t know what tomorrow will bring. Oh, we can plan tomorrow, filling our Daytimers with appointments and things to do. We can even plan the entire year in advance. When a question is asked about a specific day in the future we look it up in our planners and give a clear picture of what we will be doing on that date. But, even though we make plans and have it written in the planner we cannot know for sure what tomorrow will bring.
December is a great month for me. I love the holidays. It is an endless stream of family and friends getting together for parties and homecomings. I look forward to these special times each year. But, my plans for this past December were dashed due to sickness and death. Now, that’s two things I would have trouble scheduling. I lost my Grandmother and an Uncle between December 2nd and December 23. Next December will be filled with memories of this one and won’t quite be the same.
It’s not only tragedies that ruin our plans. It’s traffic, weather, people, car problems, interruptions, sickness and much more. The 15th verse of this passage says that we should qualify our planning with “If it is the Lord’s will.” God’s ways and plans are obviously not always the same as ours.
It is important that we stay close to the Lord, sharing our desires and plans and asking for His direction so that we can plan according to His will as much as possible. Then ask God for His protection and guidance for each day. Remember the “rain falls on the just and the unjust.” That means of course that bad things can happen to good people.
When the bad things come just remember
that God is near and will walk with you through whatever comes.
But, don’t sit around waiting for bad things to happen to
you, “think on the good things,” and believe God will
take care of His own.
Noteworthy January 1998
Finding the right words to say are not always easy, especially if the "right" words are not really how you feel or even the truth. Has anyone ever asked you about their new hairdo, expecting you to fall prostrate before them, hands extended, palms down, face to the floor in praise of the new "do," when you are sure their hair was fixed by a first day Cosmo student on drugs.
At my house, I'm in trouble all the time. It's not that I don't want to be a good boy. I just don't know how to study for the tests. More than once I have said to my wife and daughter, "OK, just tell me the correct answer, and I'll be glad to say it." That really gets me in trouble. Why am I willing to give them the answer they want to hear? Because I want them to be happy with me.
The boss calls a meeting and introduces his/her latest idea. He has spent hours developing the concept, testing results and formulating a plan for implementation. The big moment comes, the idea is presented in a 60 page colorful business plan. "Well," he begins, "what do you think?" Your reaction at this moment is critical. How will you respond? You want your boss to be happy with you too since he or she decides whether or not you stay on or go somewhere else. Simply agreeing makes you a "yes man," and you think disagreeing will make you appear to be a non-team player. Do you try to figure out what the correct answer is or do you simply tell the truth?
A parent is dying, in the last stages of cancer. Their life is ebbing away as you tell them, "hang in there, you're going to lick this thing." Is it better to offer false hope in the face of eminent death, or would it be better to help them face the truth and bring a peaceful closure to their life? I stated the question in a way that will bring about two responses. One, God could heal them and they would lick this thing. And, two, knowing the facts, they can best prepare for whatever is before them, healing or an eternity with the Savior.
Is it a lie when you don't tell the truth to protect someone's feelings, keep your job, or comfort the dying? These three scenarios are common. There are certainly others that bring us to the point of defining the truth.
Truth has much to do with intent. The facts spoken don't always represent the truth. Facts cannot always be spoken with love, respect, compassion, or reverence. In dealing with the Pharisees in the 7th chapter of Mark, Jesus quoted Isaiah when he called them hypocrites, "These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me." It is certain that all the glowing things the Pharisees said to Jesus were true but the truth lay much deeper than their words. In fact they sought the fall and destruction of Jesus and truly came not to praise Him.
What would Jesus say to the world today. Is the truth about homosexuality any different today than it was in Sodom and Gomorrah. How would he answer questions about abortion? Would the answer be different than when his parents fled the city in the middle of the night to protect Him from Herod's sword.
What would Jesus say to a young girl who waits by the clinic door to take the life of her unborn child. Would He shout at her, and call her a murderer. I doubt it. Because if she really knew what she was doing, she wouldn't be there.
His words would be filled with love.
The warmth in His voice would reveal the truth to her and His
gentle touch would lead her from death unto life.
His words of truth should now be our words. Are we speaking them?
Tell your wife her hair looks nice,
tell your boss the presentation was great, and tell the dying
parent why you are praying for them. Truth tempered with love
is always the right thing to say.