March 14, 2011

"For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them."  Ephesians 2:10

One of the fears that haunts you is the fear that you will live your life and no one will care. You and I have an inherent need to matter.

Do you matter? Does your life matter? Will anyone care that you showed up on planet earth? Will you leave a thumb print on time? How will eternity be different because you were here?

Have you ever wondered that? Are you struggling with it now?

I often quote my favorite philosopher, my mother, who used to say, "If you could buy him for what he is worth and sell him for what he thinks he's worth you could be a millionaire!"

What she is saying is that value is subjective. It is hard to determine. That contributes to the problem.

If you ask, "Do I matter?", the next question would be, "Matter to whom?"

Who will you allow to determine your value? How will you decide what your life is worth? Where can you go to get an accurate estimate of your worth?

That IS the question, "Isn't it?"

A primary way we determine value in our marketplace is who designed the product and who made it?

If you see labels like "Ford", "Kenmore", "Old Navy", or "Seiko" an item will have one value. But, if you see brands like "Ralph Lauren", "Mecedes", "BMW", or "Rolex" those items will increase in value significantly.

How do you begin your search for significance? Where do you begin to look to determine your value? Look to your label.

Who designed you? Who created you? The answer to that question matters if you want to matter!

Hint: check the Bible verse above.

March 13, 2011

"The men were amazed and asked, "What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!" Matthew 8:27

Fundamental life changes can happen in a moment, can't they?

It only takes a second to utter, "I do!", but it alters your life forever!

The second they hand you that newborn baby, there is an immediate transformation that happens within you!

In the moment it takes a Dr.to announce, "I'm sorry, he's gone" your life radically changes.

Such was the dramatic change that happened in the hearts and minds of the disciples when they witnessed Jesus stop the storm and still the sea with a simple sentence. They suddenly  saw Him  in a whole new light. In  a moment they went from being fearful to fearing God.

"Wait a minute, Brad! That sounds like a contradiction!"

My answer to you is, "There is fear (being afraid for your life) and there is fearing God (having a deep reverent awareness of His holiness and power)." The disciples changed from one to the other in a matter of moments!

Mark and Luke give a better insight to that in their account of the incident- Mark says, "they feared exceedingly"; and Luke, "they being afraid, wondered": they were filled with astonishment and fear, or reverence: there was such a shine of majesty, such a lustre of divine power appeared in this affair.

Want to live fearlessly? Fear God!

Consider these verse verses:

Job 28:28 "And to man He said, 'Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; And to depart from evil is understanding.'"

Isaiah 11:2-3 "And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD. And his delight shall be in the fear of the LORD."

Jeremiah 5:22 "Should you not fear me?" declares the Lord. "Should you not tremble in my presence?"

Hebrews 7:11 -"By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith."

As you walk with God today, will you ask Him for a fresh glimpse of His power and majesty so He can fill you with a holy fear of Him so you will fear nothing else!

March 12, 2011

"Jesus responded, “Why are you afraid?"  Matthew 8:26

Jesus doesn't ask bad questions does He? He has a knack for getting to the heart of an issue.

How would you answer? The disciples never really answered the question did they?

One of the many differences between Jesus and us is this, when He asks a question - He already knows the answer. He isn't looking for answers, He IS the answer! What He is looking for from you is confession. Confession means "agreeing with God". He wants you to recognize why you need Him and will ask questions to help you come to that recognition.

We DO need to face our fears so we can "faith" our fears. As I meditate on this story I see several causes for fear that you might relate to and may help you give definite answers to God's question, "Why are you afraid?"

Some fears are confidence issues, "Then Jesus got into the boat and started across the lake with his disciples."

A lack of confidence can create fear. Misplaced confidence can cause fear.

When you walk out onto a frozen pond you will be fearful if you are not sure of the thickness of the ice. The thicker the ice the more confidence you will have.

The disciples, at least some of them, felt very confident in a boat. They trusted the boat and trusted their ability to sail the boat. AND, the fact that Jesus was in their boat showed He had confidence in their ability to handle a boat. That should have added to their confidence.

But when the storm under minded their confidence they began to fear.

If you are a person who struggles with confidence or if you have placed your confidence in the wrong place or wrong people you will find fear arising in you. However, when you anchor your confidence in God and find your own confidence in Him you will have less fear.

Some fears are caused by control issues, "Suddenly, a fierce storm struck the lake, with waves breaking into the boat."

How do you feel when you sense your life is out of control? Fearful, right? Conversely, the feeling of being in control gives confidence and reduces the level of fear.

The disciples had spent much time in boats and were competent boatmen. They were fully in the control of the boat as they launched onto the lake. But the sudden and savage nature of the storm quickly under minded their confidence and the loss of control caused them to fear.

God allows storms in your life to show you how little control you actually have. There is very little in life that you actually control and those few things you can control - your attitude, your emotions, your decisions and your choices - sometimes get neglected. The more control you surrender to Christ the less fear you will face. He will give you power to control the things you  should control.

Confidence and control are two fear factors that need to be based firmly on a foundation of faith in Christ. The more confidence you place in Him and the more control you surrender to Him the less fear you will struggle with.

If you are overcome with fear, take an honest look at where you have placed your confidence. Also, let go of some control and allow God to be Lord of your life.

March 11, 2011

"Jesus responded, “Why are you afraid? You have so little faith!” Then he got up and rebuked the wind and waves, and suddenly there was a great calm."  Matthew 8:26

Jesus asked a very probing question, "Why are you afraid?"

He didn't wait for them to answer, He gave them a pointed answer, "You have so little faith."

That had to be hard to hear, but who's going to question Jesus? No one responded, "We have great faith!"

They knew He was right!

Have you ever heard Jesus whisper that to you? I'm sure you have questioned your own faith from time to time. And I guarantee that the devil has often accused you about your lack of faith.

They probably understood the point He was trying to make, but they were notoriously slow learners.

So, just in case - - what WAS He saying to them?

First of all, I believe He rebuked them because they called on Him out of fear rather than out of faith. You really could paraphrase this sentence, "Oh, you of great fear!" and not change the gist of the question. If you haven't noticed by now you soon will, this study is about faith as much as it is about fear.

Second, I think He confronted them for allowing the 18" gap between their heads and their hearts. We have that, too, don't we? The difference between faith and fear is the difference between what we know about Jesus and how we apply it to life situations. In the past 24 hours these guys had seen Jesus healing people and casting out demons. They knew He had power and authority from God, but when they were faced with this storm, they forgot Who He was. You could rephrase His statement like this, "Don't you remember Who I am, you fearful ones?"

And, I believe that He was disappointed that they had focused on the storm instead of the Son of God. They became fixated on the problem rather than His power. He was a second thought to them when He should have been a first response. In their boat lay the Creator of the universe and they got spooked by a storm. Their fearful focus relgated Jesus to an unused resource. 

It is a lot easier to recognize this "lack of faith" in the life of others, isn't it? Those disciples, what were they thinking?

But let me ask you, "If Jesus stood before you right now would He commend your faith or would He confront your fear?" 

Like the disciples, you can't have great fear and great faith at the same time. And like them, you may be just 18" away from having greater faith. What do you need to do today to move what you believe about Jesus in your head to how you respond with your heart?

Oh, by the way, Jesus calmed the storm anyway.

March 10, 2011

"Suddenly, a fierce storm struck the lake, with waves breaking into the boat." Matthew 8:24

Have you ever been so frightened that you physically shook?

I have and it is an awful feeling. It takes a powerful fear to bring that sort of reaction.

From what I see in this story, the disciples might have been shaking with fear.

Interestingly, the Greek word for "fierce" used here is "seismos". You might recognize it in conjunction with "seismology", the study of earthquakes or "seismograph", an instrument for measuring the intensity of earthquakes. So, this was a storm that literally shook the waters! And it got them shaking as well.

Another insightful fact about this word is that it is only used two other times by Matthew in his Gospel.

Once is in Matthew 27:51-54 in reference to Jesus' death on Calvary, "At that moment the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook, rocks split apart, and tombs opened. The bodies of many godly men and women who had died were raised from the dead. They left the cemetery after Jesus’ resurrection, went into the holy city of Jerusalem, and appeared to many people. The Roman officer and the other soldiers at the crucifixion were terrified by the earthquake and all that had happened. They said, “This man truly was the Son of God!”

The other use occurs in Matthew 28:2 - "Suddenly there was a great earthquake! For an angel of the Lord came down from heaven, rolled aside the stone, and sat on it."

So, God knows how to shake things up! He shook the waters and He shook the earth! People noticed and people changed!

Has God ever shaken your world? Is He shaking it now? What is your response? Is it fear? Maybe He is trying to shake the fear out of you!

The message of the storm is, "Fear not when Jesus is in your boat"! He is stronger than the storm.

The message of Calvary is, "Fear not, Jesus has conquered your sin"! His holiness is stronger than your sin!

The message of the Resurrection is, "Fear not, Jesus has conquered death!" His life is more powerful than death!

God's earth-shaking message is, "Fear not! I have overcome the storm, the sin and the sentence of death!"

So, why should you be shaking? If there is a storm in your life right now, or if something has shaken your world, maybe it is God's "seismos" sent to shake the fear out of you and remind you that Jesus is in your boat! Fear not! Speak to Jesus and let Him speak His power to your fear!

The one who should be shaking is the devil!

March 9, 2011

"Jesus responded, “Why are you afraid? You have so little faith!” Then he got up and rebuked the wind and waves, and suddenly there was a great calm."   Matthew 8:26

Here's some good news: I have a lot of faith.

Here's the bad news: I have been through a lot of storms. I've known a lot of fear. I spent all my childhood and early adult years dealing with my own fears, and when I became a pastor I got to share everyone elses' fears. I spend most of my life in someone's storm, I'm sort of like the coast guard.  I would prefer to say I am the "Holy Ghost guard"! He is the rope of hope I toss to people in storms! He is the ULTIMATE Life Preserver!

I want to reflect on something I noticed in this story and you can see what you think.

The disciples where in the storm with great fear but came out of the storm with great faith. That is how it has worked for me as well. Once you survive a few storms they don't scare you as much. There seems to be a definite relationship between fear and faith. It appears that the more faith you have the less fear you have.

So, here's the thoughts I am pondering:

1) Storms can reveal your fear to faith ratio. How much fear do I have and how much faith do I need? Valuable information, right? Only a storm can bring that out.

2) Could it also be that your level of fear predicts your potential for faith? Doesn't it make sense that if you have had great fear you have created space in your heart for great faith? It makes sense to me because it is me. It seems to have fit for the disciples, too.

If those assumptions are true, and they seem to square with the truth of the story, then here is the application for you - Through the fears that life has built into you, God was creating space that He could replace your fears with His faith! The more fear you have known, the more faith is in your future!

Remember all those times when the waves were crashing and the water was splashing and the ship was tossing and you shook your foam covered fist at God and wondered where He was in the storm? He was allowing fear to create a bigger space for faith! Does that make sense?

Maybe that explains why Jesus was asleep in the boat. He was waiting for fear to stretch more space in their hearts to hold His faith. Where we cry out in fear reveals the limit of our faith, so Jesus was waiting for their cry. If God seems to be sleeping on you, maybe He is just stretching your capacity for faith!

That's probably enough to meditate on for one day. But think on it and let the Spirit sort out the truth and show you how it fits where you are. But don't fear your fear because it can show you your potential for faith!

And, if you are in a storm, I hope I tossed you a life line today!

March 8, 2011

"Then Jesus got into the boat and started across the lake with his disciples. Suddenly, a fierce storm struck the lake, with waves breaking into the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke him up, shouting, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown! Jesus responded, “Why are you afraid? You have so little faith!” Then he got up and rebuked the wind and waves, and suddenly there was a great calm. The disciples were amazed. “Who is this man?” they asked. “Even the winds and waves obey him!” Matthew 8:23-27

I have been in a small boat in the middle of a little lake when a big storm blew through. When the wind is blowing and the waves are tossing and the thunder is rolling and the lightening is flashing - it is frightening! I love to fish with a bobber but I don't want to be the bobber!

I didn't have Jesus in my boat but I certainly was having a conversation with Him! So, I can identify with the angst of the apostles in this storm. I have never felt so helpless and vulnerable. Rowing got me nowhere and I was totally at the whim of the waves. It was not a ride I would care to repeat.

Remember that several of these guys had been professional fisherman who were comfortable on the water and familiar with storms, but even they were scared by this one!

Why were they so freaked out this time? Was the size of their fear in direction proportion to the size of the storm? Fear arises when we sense we are out of control and in danger and they were both.

That is when someone remembered that Jesus was in the boat! That was a game changer! They discovered what you and I can only discover in the midst of a storm, life is bigger than us and more powerful than us and it can threaten us - BUT, Jesus is bigger than the storm! We don't need to be in control when Jesus is in the boat. We just need to be under His control!

Are there storm clouds on your horizon? Are the winds kicking up? Are the waves tossing around you? Are you leaning on the oars just to stay afloat? Here's the deal, take what you learned from the last storm and let it help you deal with the next one. Storms are bigger than you, but Jesus is bigger than storms! Speak to Jesus until He speaks to the storm.