September 25, 2016

"When his disciples thought this had gone on long enough—it was now quite late in the day—they interrupted: “We are a long way out in the country, and it’s very late. Pronounce a benediction and send these folks off so they can get some supper.” Mark 6:35-36

Every miracle begins with a problem. In this case the problem was several thousands of hungry people and no food in the house.

That's a problem!

Let me point out here that it doesn't take a leader to recognize problems. Any one can see a problem but it requires a leader to offer solutions.

The disciples recognized the magnitude of the problem and knew something had to be done. So they came to Jesus with some suggestions. 

Here were their suggestions:

1) Stop preaching

2) Send the crowd home

Let me ask you, "Do you think the Son of God Incarnate, the Almighty God in flesh Who was all-wise and all-knowing needed suggestions from these guys on how to resolve this problem?"

You're right!

And guess what? He doesn't need yours either!

As mentioned in previous posts, miracles happen when there is a great need AND when some person does a great deed. When God wants to do a miracle He always involves a person. In this instance the person was in the form of a young boy who had a meager lunch.

It was the boy being willing to surrender his lunch to Jesus that allowed Jesus to perform the miracle!

So Jesus required the surrender of the lunch and not the suggestions of the disciples!

Have you ever needed a miracle from God?

Did you ask God for a miracle?

When you asked Him did you offer some suggestions of how He should make it happen?

Maybe you weren't as rude and direct as the disciples were, but in your mind you had a plan of how God should use His power to provide your need.

In your prayers you envisioned the miracle unfolding the way you imagined. But it never happened as you imagined. In fact, it never happened at all! If it had happened you probably would have missed it because you had your mind set on your version.

One of the important but overlooked subplots of this story is this truth: for a miracle to happen God needs your surrender not your suggestions!

The miracle happened and the thousands were fed and twelve baskets full were left over! But it happened because of the boy's surrender to Jesus and not because of the disciples' suggestions to Him.

If you are in need of a miracle don't give God your suggestions give Him your surrender!

September 24, 2016

"So they got in the boat and went off to a remote place by themselves. Someone saw them going and the word got around. From the surrounding towns people went out on foot, running, and got there ahead of them. When Jesus arrived, he saw this huge crowd. At the sight of them, his heart broke—like sheep with no shepherd they were. He went right to work teaching them. When his disciples thought this had gone on long enough—it was now quite late in the day—they interrupted: “We are a long way out in the country, and it’s very late. Pronounce a benediction and send these folks off so they can get some supper." Jesus said, “You do it. Fix supper for them.”They replied, “Are you serious? You want us to go spend a fortune on food for their supper?” But he was quite serious. “How many loaves of bread do you have? Take an inventory.”That didn’t take long. “Five,” they said, “plus two fish.” Mark 6:34-38

Everyone likes miracles but no one likes problems!

That's a problem!

Why is that a problem?

It is a problem because every miracle recorded in the Bible happened in response to a problem!

So, can your problem of not liking problems be considered enough of a problem to provide an opportunity for a miracle?

Only if you get over it!

If every recorded miracle in the Bible happened in response to a problem and you focus your efforts on avoiding problems it could explain the lack of miracles, could it not?

I imagine you are facing (or avoiding) some problem in your live right now. It is at best irritating and more likely painful. But, what if you took this new truth from the Bible and wrapped your heart and mind around it. Doesn't it have the potential to change your life?

What if you began thinking of your problems as opportunities and stopped resenting them as obstacles? That alone would improve your attitude and your state of mind wouldn't it?

The Apostle Paul gave testimony of how it strengthened his Christian walk when he learned to embrace his problem, his "thorn in the flesh". In II Corinthians 12 he candidly shares how he prayed three times for God to remove His affliction and three times God refused saying, "My strength is made perfect in your weakness and my grace will be sufficient for you!"

Essentially, God was telling the Apostle, "I am not going to work a miracle for you but I will use you to be a source of miracles for others!"

Paul was okay with that! Would you be?

Through this experience in his life, and yes, through the problem of his life God taught him the joys of partnering with Him!

Could God be desirous of doing that for you?

Is that something you would consider? 

Are you willing to allow your weakness to become a source of strength and blessing to others?

It's worth praying about is it not?

All The Power

"So they got in the boat and went off to a remote place by themselves. Someone saw them going and the word got around. From the surrounding towns people went out on foot, running, and got there ahead of them. When Jesus arrived, he saw this huge crowd. At the sight of them, his heart broke—like sheep with no shepherd they were. He went right to work teaching them. When his disciples thought this had gone on long enough—it was now quite late in the day—they interrupted: “We are a long way out in the country, and it’s very late. Pronounce a benediction and send these folks off so they can get some supper.” Jesus said, “You do it. Fix supper for them.”They replied, “Are you serious? You want us to go spend a fortune on food for their supper?” But he was quite serious. “How many loaves of bread do you have? Take an inventory.”That didn’t take long. “Five,” they said, “plus two fish.” Mark 6:34-38

I like the story about the little boy who went out to mow the grass with his father. While dad pushed the power motor his five-year old trailed behind with his plastic push mower. Back and forth they went in an order pattern leaving neat rows of short grass in their wake. The father was leading and the son following.

After thirty minutes they had finished their task. The dad turned off the power mower and was pushing it back toward the garage to put it away until next week. Hurrying up to walk beside his dad the little boy excitedly declare, "Dad, we did it! We cut the grass!"

Looking down at his boy, the dad nodded in agreement, "Yes we did, Son! Yes we did!"

That's a good illustration of what it's like to partner with God to accomplish something He wants done. He is the dad with the power mower and you are the boy with the plastic toy following in His steps. God provides all the power and you just stay close to Him and give it all you have.

The feeding of the 5,000 was like this, God provided all the power and the disciples tried to stay close to Jesus and do as much as they could!

God calls you and me to that same partnership of knowing, loving and serving Him.

He waits for us to see the need He wants to meet. Once we see the need we fall in behind Him and trust His power to do what only it can do as we do everything we are able to do.

You will know you have learned to partner with God when you begin to see needs and problems not as obstacles but as opportunities for God to display His power. Partnering with God changes your outlook on problems.

Once you see the need you must be willing to give all you can to help meet that need. You push that little plastic toy mower for all it's worth! Partnering with God teaches you to be obedient to God by giving Him what He asks from you.

Seeing the need and giving toward the need will allow God to meet the need from His grace and riches. And you can look to you Heavenly Father and say, "We did it, Dad!"

He will smile and throw an arm around your should and prompt you to begin looking for another need!

September 22, 2016

"After this, Jesus crossed over to the far side of the Sea of Galilee, also known as the Sea of Tiberias. A huge crowd kept following him wherever he went, because they saw his miraculous signs as he healed the sick. Then Jesus climbed a hill and sat down with his disciples around him. (It was nearly time for the Jewish Passover celebration.) Jesus soon saw a huge crowd of people coming to look for him. Turning to Philip, he asked, “Where can we buy bread to feed all these people?” He was testing Philip, for he already knew what he was going to do. Philip replied, “Even if we worked for months, we wouldn’t have enough money to feed them!” Then Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up. “There’s a young boy here with five barley loaves and two fish. But what good is that with this huge crowd?” “Tell everyone to sit down,” Jesus said. So they all sat down on the grassy slopes. (The men alone numbered about 5,000.) Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks to God, and distributed them to the people. Afterward he did the same with the fish. And they all ate as much as they wanted. After everyone was full, Jesus told his disciples, “Now gather the leftovers, so that nothing is wasted.” So they picked up the pieces and filled twelve baskets with scraps left by the people who had eaten from the five barley loaves." John 6:1-13

Thousands of men, women and children fed - fully fed - from a lowly lunch of five loaves and two small salted fish! How does that happen?

It happened because there was a great need that Jesus saw and then later His disciples recognized.

There is never a miracle in the absence of a need, a problem or a hurt. So, if you are in need you are a candidate for a miracle.

And it also happened because there was a great deed. When Jesus and the disciples needed food they found a lad with a lunch. But what would that small snack be among so many? The disciples asked that and the boy must have thought that but despite his doubts he donated his lunch.

The great need required a great deed, someone who would partner with Jesus. 

That's always how miracles are made.

When there was a great need and someone partnered with a great deed then Jesus worked the miracle - A GREAT FEED!

Are you facing a great need/problem/hurt?

Are you willing to trust Jesus in that painful area or circumstance?

Where can you partner with Him to allow Him to unleash His power and grace into your need?

A Great Deed

"After this, Jesus went across the Sea of Galilee (some call it Tiberias). A huge crowd followed him, attracted by the miracles they had seen him do among the sick. When he got to the other side, he climbed a hill and sat down, surrounded by his disciples. It was nearly time for the Feast of Passover, kept annually by the Jews. When Jesus looked out and saw that a large crowd had arrived, he said to Philip, “Where can we buy bread to feed these people?” He said this to stretch Philip’s faith. He already knew what he was going to do. Philip answered, “Two hundred silver pieces wouldn’t be enough to buy bread for each person to get a piece.” One of the disciples—it was Andrew, brother to Simon Peter—said, “There’s a little boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish. But that’s a drop in the bucket for a crowd like this.” Jesus said, “Make the people sit down.” There was a nice carpet of green grass in this place. They sat down, about five thousand of them. Then Jesus took the bread and, having given thanks, gave it to those who were seated. He did the same with the fish. All ate as much as they wanted. When the people had eaten their fill, he said to his disciples, “Gather the leftovers so nothing is wasted.” They went to work and filled twelve large baskets with leftovers from the five barley loaves." John 6:1-13

"When there is a need that is sensed by a few and each individual understands his responsibility and gives his best regardless of the odds then God can do a miracle and meet the need." John Maxwell

As we learned in the last lesson, miracles always happen in response to needs. 

There are over 90 miracles in the Bible. And everyone of them happened in response to a need. Some happened apart from faith. Some happened apart from prayer. But none happened apart from a need.

So, to have a miracle there must be a great need.

In addition to the great need there must be a great deed.

When God wants to do a miracle He always uses a person.

You can't have a miracle without God and He won't do one without choosing a person to work through!

Jesus asked Philip, "How are we going to feed all these people?" Philip's reply was that they didn't have enough money. And, of course, they didn't.

About that time Andrew brought a boy to Jesus who had a modest lunch consisting of five loaves and two salted fish. 

Would he be willing to turn over his lunch to Jesus?

What difference could one lunch make among thousands of hungry people?

Everyone recognized the great need but now it was time for a great deed and the lad loaned his lunch to Jesus.

Jesus planned to do a miracle but He was looking for some person to partner with Him. His good deed allowed the miracle to happen!

When Jesus wants to meet a great need He looks for someone willing to do a great deed of faith.

Are you willing to partner with God?

What are you willing to offer Him?

Is there anything you are unwilling to offer Him?

September 20, 2016

"After this Jesus went away to the other side of the Sea of Galilee (also called the Sea of Tiberias). A large crowd was following him because they were observing the miraculous signs he was performing on the sick. So Jesus went on up the mountainside and sat down there with his disciples. (Now the Jewish feast of the Passover was near.) Then Jesus, when he looked up and saw that a large crowd was coming to him, said to Philip, “Where can we buy bread so that these people may eat?” (Now Jesus said this to test him, for he knew what he was going to do.) Philip replied, “Two hundred silver coins worth of bread would not be enough for them, for each one to get a little.” One of Jesus’ disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him, “Here is a boy who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what good are these for so many people?” Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” (Now there was a lot of grass in that place.) So the men sat down, about five thousand in number. Then Jesus took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed the bread to those who were seated. He then did the same with the fish, as much as they wanted. When they were all satisfied, Jesus said to his disciples, “Gather up the broken pieces that are left over, so that nothing is wasted.” So they gathered them up and filled twelve baskets with broken pieces from the five barley loaves left over by the people who had eaten." John 6:1-13

Who doesn't like a miracle?

One of the reasons we like a miracle is because there are times you need a miracle.

That's exactly the point at which miracles happen - when there is a need!

Here's a little project for you, get your Bible and search it to find a time in the Old Testament or the New Testament when a miracle happened in the absence of a need.

While we love miracles we hate being needy. Do you see a problem developing here?

Unless we are willing to suffer with needs we will never see God move in miraculous ways.

In this well-known and beloved story of the Feeding of the 5,000 miracle we see this truth illustrated. Obviously, there was a great need! Upwards of 20,000 people when you factor in the women and children in Jesus' audience and they were all very hungry!

Even if there had been a McDonald's nearby or a food truck parked at the scene, feeding that many people would have been a major project! But there were all those hungry people and no food in sight!

That sounds like a great need to me!

My friend, John Maxwell summarizes the pattern for a miracle as this: "When there is a need that is sensed by a few and each individual understands his responsibility and gives his best regardless of the odds then God can do a miracle and meet the need."

Think about it. As a parent don't you find joy and satisfaction in providing something your children need that they could never get on their own?

Where do you think that desire came from? Could it be evidence of God's image placed within your psyche at Creation?

I think so!

"Brad, it sounds like you are saying we don't see more miracles because we don't like to admit we are needy."

Thanks for paying attention!

If there is no recorded incident of a miracle happening in the absence of a need then you can conclude that where there is no recognition of a need there is no miraculous deed that is done.

Let me say it again, "Where there is no need there is no miracle!"

Perhaps you needed to hear this!

Maybe you didn't realize that rather than being disgraced by your neediness you need to embrace it and entrust it to Him!

No need, no miracle!

So, if you have a need you are a candidate for a miracle!

September 19, 2016

"Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." James 4:7

What would the world give for a workable peace plan? If someone had a way to convince nations to lay down arms and begin working together to solve poverty and disease, how would that be celebrated?

James gives such a strategy. It involves three simple steps. Anyone could wage peace with this plan. And since world peace must happen from the inside out, this plan is the only one that has a chance to succeed.

Step One: "submit"

What does it mean to submit? How does this accomplish peace?

To submit means to bring yourself into alignment with God's will. Lining up with God's will requires that you surrender your will. Give up on your dreams and your ambitions. Stop trying sell God on your agenda and surrender to His. Sign up to serve Him and live to accomplish His purposes. Receive His Kingdom into your heart and crown Him King. When you get God you also get His peace and His power and His purity.

Step Two: "stand"

When you surrender to God you stand against the devil. Because God is resident in your life with all His power, purity and peace the enemy has no authority over you and no weapon that can harm you. He can threaten and intimidate but cannot touch you. The only reason he can do any damage to you is because he has infiltrated your nature with a sinful desires and a selfish will. But submitting to God transforms that nature and changes that will. Therein is the peace!

Step Three: "see what God will do"

John declares in one of his epistles, "greater is He who is in you than he that is in the world"! Once you have won the war within, you can trust that God will work through you to win the wars waged against you! When you recall the great victories of God in the Old Testament, most of the were won without His people having to fight! Once they got right with God, He made things right around them. The key to transforming your world is allowing God to transform you!

Are you ready for peace?

Stop warring against God!

Line up with His will, stand against evil and see what He will do!