Why I Love Jesus

Sorry about yesterday, I spent the day with my daughter in law taking her to lunch on the Harley. She's Awesome and I am so blessed by her.

Remember, the disciples has just seen Jesus feed 15,000 with a fish happy meal.
They were pushed into something they didn't want to do.
Jesus left them to go pray.
A storm arose in their lives.
Jesus came but not in the way they wanted. (Spiritually not physically)

But all of that means nothing when you hear these words.

Matthew 14:27 But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.

How encouraging is that? It is I, the savior of the world It is I, the Son of God It is I, the Sole Power on the Earth .

I love Him because what ever He calls me to, where ever a storm arises, when ever I don't understand, He lets me know its OK because He is still there.

And when Jesus is there I can be of good Cheer.
The one with the Greatest Knowledge is there.
The one with the Greatest Power is there
The one with the Greatest name is there

I don't know where your at, what your experiencing, what your struggling with, know this, if you cry out to Him, He will be there and EVERYTHING WILL CHANGE!

When we Don't Understand

As with almost any tradegy of our generation, the current one in Colorado is no exception to the question, Why would God allow such a thing?
Why would God allow so much carnage, so much pain. Maybe we can draw an answer from our study.

as we find the Disciples Confused

Matthew 14:26 (KJV) And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear.

They too didn't understand what was going on.
Jesus pushed them into the boat
They didn't want to go
Jesus left them to pray
A storm arose
Jesus came

But he didn't come they way they thought He would. They were troubled by the spiritual.
Which brings us to the question asked by so many.
Why would God allow such a tradegy?

Whats the problem with the question? We are seeking physical answers from a Spiritual God and this makes it confusing. Especially to those who do not really know Him. (1 Cor. 2:13-14)

The disciples didn't expect salvation to come this way as they expected the sea to be calm. Never did they expect Jesus to come to them Spiritually. We always think that God is going to save our physical lives when we forget Jesus came for our Spiritual Life.

While this tradegy is horrific physically as many innocent people died, it makes me wonder, how many more will be drawn to the Spiritual because of the physical?

Do I believe that God allows this? I'm not really sure, but I know when Jesus shows up in physical form to save us we will meet Him in the air, not on the ground.

But for now, we will have to settle for Him to show up as the comforter of our spirits, to save our hearts and minds from the horrifying acts of men.

Who needs a Dark Knight when the King of Light is Available

I don't think that there is anything more exciting than this thought.
When in their most desperate time, Jesus came to the Disciples

Matthew 14:25 (KJV)  And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea.

And there are a few things that I want to share with you to encourage you when your scared, tired, and nothing is going your way.

1. When Jesus comes it may seem late to You, but it's never never.
We like to think of Jesus as the savior that never has to save us. As Christians we believe that because of His love he would never put us in a dangerous situation. (the boat). We believe that if He sees impending danger he would stop it before it gets to us and if the rowing gets hard, He'll row for us. But that's not His place.

Jesus comes when we really need Him (Col 2:13)
Jesus comes when we really seek Him (Duet 4:29)

But He always comes to us when its necessary.

2. When Jesus Comes He comes for YOU.
The bible says "Jesus went unto them"
He came for the purpose of being with His disciples. He sent them out on a difficult journey, prayed for them, and then wanted to be with them through this troubling time.
Why? because He loves us. Love is not always keeping you from trouble, but being there with you when your going through it. The best friends I have know that my deepest needs are not met by their bailing me out, but being with me when I am imprisoned.

3. Jesus never comes to us the way we think.

Think about this, Jesus came to them walking on the water.

I didn't see that coming and neither did the disciples but this is always true about Him.

The bible says Jesus is going to come in the clouds one day to save us-Miracle!

and then it says that we will meet Him in the Air-Miracle!

Hey the Jews thought Jesus was going to come to earth as a King, and struggled to accept Him coming as a child, born of a virgin, in a barn. When Jesus touches earth its always a miracle.

Who needs the government to save me when I have a Savior named Jesus?

Who needs parents to save you when we have a Savior named Jesus?

Who needs the lottery to save you when you have a Savior named Jesus?

The King of Light is Available to you tonight, Shine your signal light and He will come.

Have you Got that Sinking Feeling?

You know the one.
When the Doctor Calls YOU to talk?
When the slip inside the envelope is Pink.
When the phone rings at 3:00 am and your daughter isn't home yet.
When your conversation begins with "We need to talk"

You know that it can never be good and you realize that the season your going into will be nothing but turmoil.

Its cancer and nothing seems to be working.
You've been cut and you know how hard it is to find another job.
She's been in a crash and her time is short.
He/She has found someone else, better, younger, richer, funner and your left alone.

and your a Christian.
Your Christianity started out like a Cruise to the Bahamas as everyone in the church was so excited for you. We celebrated your salvation decision, rejoiced when you got Baptised and Encouraged you to follow Jesus.

and then you got in that boat.

Matthew 14:24 (KJV) But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary.

You've rowed like you were told and it only got you farther from the land you knew and you don't like to swim that much. Then the storm arises and you pray, but things only get worse. You read your bible to try and figure a way out but it only tells you to trust God but God doesn't understand your pushing against a wind that goes against the direction you know Jesus wants you to go in.

Been there? I know what its like to have the Love Boat turn into the Titanic.

Everything is wonderful until you hit an ICEBERG!

And what makes it worse, Jesus is the Captain of this ship.
He signed me up for all of this.

He Constrained me to get into the boat. (Matthew 14:22)
He Specifically chose Me because I was faithful. (Matthew 14:22)
He Purposefully went to Pray for Me because He loves me. (Matthew 14:23)

How does that make you feel?

That Jesus Himself, will put you in a place for a season to where you will be far from helping yourself, nothing will go your way, and you possibly could be in a constant state of fear?

And it’s His will for You?

Why?
Because Jesus can't save what isn't about to sink. And if we are not in impending danger, truth is, we don't need or even want Jesus and without Jesus were just a part of the crowd.

The one dispersed by Jesus.

That Sinking Feeling? Its nothing more than the gauge of our relationship with Him. The Crowd quits when things get hard (John 6:66), the Christian, we get closer.
(John 6:67-69)

What will you do when on the Journey to Jesus a storm arises?

Can you say "Intercessor?"

The next passage in Matthew 14 we want to explore really helped me through a very difficult time in my life.
If Jesus wants to develop us as disciples, even dispersing a crowd to focus on the faithful, this next point is imperative for our survival.

Jesus Prayed

Matthew 14:23  And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone.

Jesus knew the value of Prayer And so He did a couple of things that need to  be noted.

1. He sought Silence Cutting off all the noise.

Two things here that are very noisy.

     a. The noise of the Multitudes. The things or people who are constantly seeking to suck the life out of us.

     b. The noise of the City. The bible says He went to the mountains to get away from the normality of life.

2. In the Mountain He found solace. (when evening was come, he was there alone)

Just Jesus and God.

No kids, no music, no TV, no cell reception, no nothing, except for God

(If Jesus needed to disperse the crowd and find solace to pray, how much more vital is it for us as mere human beings?)

and what was He praying for?
The disciples.
Its part of His DNA.
As the son of God He loves us and wants us to succeed on our Journey, even if that Journey is a perilous one.
I don't know what your going through right now, but I do know this, if your a disciple, and He has put you in a boat He is praying for your success.

Jesus never sends us on a Journey without personally getting involved in communicating with God about us and for us.

I like how He prays for His disciples right before He leaves the earth. This might give you clearer insight.

John 17:15 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.

This was prayed to God, right after Jesus told the Disciples this.
John 16:33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

Let me summarize it this way.
In the world, as Disciples of mine, there will be difficult journeys that will draw them closer to me. Father, don't take the difficulties away, but keep them from sinning when they are fearful. Why, Because I am with them, and I (Jesus) can save them. (overcome the world)

Today, I don't know if He is going to encourage me to get into the boat for another journey or if He is going to encourage me to encourage another who is on a Journey, but I know this.

He will be Praying for His disciples
And so am I.

Join me today in praying for someone who is headed out to sea to draw closer to Him.
They will need the support.

Crowds Suck

In our passage today, Jesus had just performed an amazing miracle by feeding several thousand with five loaves of bread and two fishes. So amazing was it that people saw in Jesus someone who would be a physical provider for them. Think about it, with Jesus around you would never have to work, you would never run out, not even of wine, and you would always have what ever you wanted.
And People flocked to Jesus to be that provider.
But Jesus did something even more amazing.

Matthew 14:22 And straightway Jesus constrained his disciples to get into a ship, and to go before him unto the other side, while he sent the multitudes away.

Yea, He sent them away.

Why is this important? Because its important to note that Jesus has no interest in a crowd. A crowd is nothing more than a group of people gathered for thier benefit where a church is a group of people gathered together for others benefit.
and too many people think that a crowd is what God is looking for. They believe that because people are gathered together in His name that it must be of God, but like many today, they are only gathered together for what Jesus can give them.

They come to Jesus for physical provision
They come to Jesus for financial provision
They come to Jesus for emotional provision (Many who worship Him in Churches do so out of a personal emotional benefit)

and when Jesus doesn't provide those things they leave Him in a heart beat.

Its not that Jesus isn't interested in numbers, but He is seeking those numbers who want to worship Him in Spirit and in Truth. (John 4:23-24)

Truth is, Jesus isn't interested in Crowds. Crowds suck the life out of Him as they do the church.

So here is my question.
Are you a Christian (a disciple) or part of the Crowd?
How do you know?
Ask yourself these questions.

#1 Why do I follow Jesus?
Am I willing to follow Him if it costs me physically, financially, and even emotionally or do I follow what is popular, what is easy, what everyone else is following?

#2 Do I Give or do I Take?
When it comes to Christianity am I really willing to give my life to His cause or am I always seeking how I can benefit from the cause?

#3 Do I question God's provision?
Is having Jesus enough for me?

Historically, its not been the crowd who has changed the world but those few disciples who were willing to live and give their whole lives to reach the world, even at the cost of thier own.

Are You?

They thought the Titanic was Safe, But Jesus wasn't involved

When it comes to following Jesus it is difficult at times to understand why we go through what we go through in life. The difficulties, the battles, the problems all cause confusion. For me this lesson from Sunday July 15th helped me in a big way and so I thought that I would re post every point one day at a time to allow for more opportunities to further explore this truth.

Point 1 - Jesus Develops Disciples

Matthew 14:22 (KJV) And straightway Jesus constrained his disciples to get into a ship, and to go before him unto the other side, while he sent the multitudes away.

When God created man, He did so for a reason, and that reason is relationship.

He being a God of love created us to be loved and love. This is at the core of His being. (1 John 4:8 b)

But the Love God created us for was not a mechanical love but a pure love. A Love that comes from the heart, willing, and wanting relationship with Him. To experience this Love of God and towards God man has to be exposed to not only who God is but what He is and does.

and to do develop a relationship with God we must all go on a journey of exploration.

This is called Life and Jesus was sent so that we could see God. In our passage we find a couple of things that we might want to examine in our own lives.

#1 Jesus has a goal for YOU. To get the Disciples to the other side.

Where they were was not sufficient relationally and so Jesus was allowing a circumstance to occur to deepen that relationship.

Jesus has a goal for you and I. He wants us to know Him more, but to know Him is to experience Him and that requires a Journey to a place different than you are.

So here is a question.

Where do you think Jesus is trying to move you to in Life?

If you could guess, what would be His goal for you?

#2 Jesus has to push YOU. The bible says that Jesus Constrained the disciples, meaning that they didn't want to go. As fishermen they knew a storm was brewing as well as how crazy it was to go at this time. But Jesus had to push them into this experience.

Truth is most of us struggle with trials. Even if we know that our lives will be improved by them we still need to be pushed at times into situations and circumstances that we fear.

Where is Jesus applying pressure to you today?

What are you being convicted by?

You know life would be better if you experienced it but your fearful.

My suggestion today is seek the Lord for the answers to these questions and then...........GET IN THE BOAT.

You might know its gonna get rough but Jesus is trying to develop your relationship with Him.

GET IN THE BOAT

Read 1 Peter 1:6-9 for encouragement