John 7:1-8 Show Yourself - Give The World A Sign

John 7:1-8 NIV
Show us a sign! Show the world a sign! Show yourself to the world that everyone might believe you! Jesus' own brothers did not believe in him. They tried to encourage Jesus to reveal all the works that he could do to the world. Isn't that what we want before we give our lives to follow him, as well? We want some spectacular miracle before we will believe and we want to see it with our own eyes. The testimony of others is not enough. The testimony of Scripture isn't even enough for many. They want to see a miracle. Well, all I can say is that in order to believe in Jesus, you are going to have to believe the testimony of Scripture. For in it is revealed the greatest, most awesome miracle of all.  Even though we dead in our sins, Jesus died for our sins; he descended into hell; then rose from the dead. He overcame death for us! Because he lives, so shall who believe in him. And, if that's not enough of a sign that Jesus is the Messiah: In full view of his disciples Jesus ascended into heaven.

Believe me, there are lesser signs than this all around us; but none so great as the work of the cross that Jesus accomplished for us.

May God open our eyes, our ears, our hearts, and minds that we might acknowledge this work (sign) that Jesus accomplished for us and then follow in his footsteps into the eternal kingdom.

God's Peace - Pr. J

John 6:1-15 - Feeding Your Neighbor

John 6:1-15 NIV
The feeding of the 5000 is one of my favorite stories among many favorite stories. Such a miracle! But, today I'm not wondering so much about the miracle of five small barley loaves and two small fish feeding the multitude. Today, I am wondering about the miracle of this boy who was willing to give his five small barley loaves and two small fish to feed the multitude. Who was he? Where did he come from? Where were his parents? Were they lost in the crowd somewhere? How did he come to have these loaves and fish? What was going on in his head when he gave them to Jesus to feed the people around him? Was he reluctant? Was he excited over the prospect of feeding his "neighbors?"

How excited do you get over the prospect of feeding your neighbors with food for the body as well as the soul? Are you reluctant? Do you calculate how much you can actually give and still have enough for yourself to be a bit more than comfortable? Do not worry. These five small loaves and two small fish fed 5000 men plus women and children and they still had leftovers to gather up. Do we suppose that God cannot do this today as well? Give generously to those in need then of both food for the body and food for the soul and do it with a joyful spirit! Let's get a bit excited about our opportunity to be able to participate in the mission God has called us to. Let's get a bit more excited about living in His Kingdom, even today!

God's Peace - Pr. J

Luke 11:29-32 - Greatest Miracle

Luke 11:29-32 NIV
Everyone wants a sign. Everyone wants a miraculous sign before they will believe and follow in the footsteps of Jesus. One has already been given.

Just as Jonah was in the belly of the big fish for three days and was spit out to continue that mission to which the LORD had sent him on; the Son of Man was given up to the grave for three days. He rose from the dead and continues His mission of bringing the Good News of the Kingdom for all people; but, now through you. The greatest miracle is the resurrection to life eternal in that Kingdom through the death and resurrection of Jesus the Christ.

No matter how many miracles an unbeliever will experience or see they will not be able to comprehend them as miracles. But, with the eyes of faith, we see all things miraculously achieved by the hand of God.

Believe, follow in His footsteps to eternal life in His presence.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Mark 6:30-55 - Miracles

Jesus feeds the multitude on five loaves of bread and two fish! Many have tried to reason away this miracle. But, let me ask you this: have you ever had a meal with God's children and did not have enough food to feed them all? I know that it has never happened at Zion or in communities that I have worshipped with or served. There have been a few meals where we may have run out of something, but there has always been something else to put on the plate to feed the people with. Most often we have so much left that we're busy trying to figure out who in the community we can bring food to that was not able to make it to the meal.

On Saturday, we held a funeral service for a very dear sister in Christ. The great crowd of people who came to hear the Gospel stood in the narthex as well as in the kitchen. While grieving our loss, it was a joyful celebration of her eternal life in Christ. When it came time for the fellowship meal, the line went up the stairs and into the narthex for a very long time. It never crossed my mind that we would not have enough food to feed them all, only maybe not enough chairs for them all to sit at. We all ate. We all sat (except for those who were serving). God provides.

We don't have to reason out how God performs the miracle of feeding the multitudes. We don't have to justify Jesus walking on water or how he did it. We don't have to figure out how Jesus heals the sick. Like Sylvia, we just know that He did and He does. Thanks be to God!

God's Peace - Pr. J

Isaiah 38 - Hezekiah Humbles Himself And Is Restored

The sun went back ten steps as a testimony to Hezekiah from God that he would recover and live for fifteen more years.  Hezekiah was at the point of death. Yet, he recovered at the hand of the LORD by means of a poultice of figs as was directed by Isaiah.

As Hezekiah faced his death, he humbled himself before the LORD and was healed. After he was healed, he gave thanks to the LORD for through the illness he has learned to walk humbly before God all the days of his life.

Good sometimes comes out of bad things or things that we sometimes perceive as bad. God can and does turn bad thing into good for those who love Him.

That is really what all this journeying in the Kingdom of God is all about - walking with God - in His Kingdom - even as we pray on earth as is in heaven. It is about our relationship with God and a good start is to know that He is God - a God that loves us and wants us in relationship with Him. It is about relationship with one another and that relationship works best when we are first in relationship with God. He is with you always and hears your prayers and answers according to His will.

A little side tracked this morning - it is only 4 a.m.. I don't want you to miss out on that little scientific miracle in today's chapter either: the sun going back ten steps....  How did that happen? Simple explanation: God is God, creator of the sun and moon and all that is.

God's Peace - Pr. J