Burunche’s Blog

MARCH 11, 2020 WITH JESUS IN THE BOAT, WE CAN SMILE AT THE STORM

Matthew 8: 23 – 27 ²³ Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. ²⁴ Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. ²⁵ The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!” ²⁶ He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm. ²⁷ The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!”

It was a glorious moonlit night on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. Our Israel tour group had gone to eat at a famous local fish restaurant. When we entered the restaurant, the sea was as smooth as glass and there was scarcely a hint of a breeze. Twenty minutes later, we looked out to see that huge waves were breaking over the dock outside the restaurant, even though the moon was still shining and there was no sign of a storm. Our Israeli guide told us that the mountain passes to the east and west of the Sea of Galilee act as wind tunnels, funneling the wind and concentrating it so that when it hits the Sea of Galilee, it churns the water without warning. And all of us in the tour group were remembering this story from Matthew 8.

Jesus’ disciples were mostly fishermen. The Sea of Galilee was their natural habitat; these guys knew about boats and sailing. If these experienced fishermen were panicking, there was good reason! If our group had been in a small boat that night rather than sitting safely in a restaurant with big heavy plate glass windows, we could have all drowned. Personally, I don’t blame those fishermen one little bit! Had I been in the boat with Jesus that night, I would have been busy waking him up! The disciples’ question would have definitely been mine: Lord, save us! And other versions of this story add the question “don’t you care?”

The disciples were not bad people; they had already left everything to follow Jesus. But nobody in that group fully appreciated the power of the Messiah. When Jesus rebuked the wind and waves and they became calm, the disciples’ jaws must have been dropping!

Many times in life we are suddenly overtaken by storms, sometimes literally. There are heart – breaking stories coming out of Tennessee in the wake of the tornado a few days ago. One little four year old girl saw Jesus while her mother was reading her a bedtime story that night; by later in the night, the girl was with Jesus. An older couple who had followed Jesus all of their lives died together in their bed after 58 years of marriage. They entered heaven together. This morning my Facebook page has a number of prayer requests for people who are critically ill, who have lost jobs or homes or marriages.

What storms are you facing today? What problems are attacking the foundations of your life? Do you feel like those disciples, caught in a small boat on a big body of water with no escape? Storms happen. Storms are unavoidable. But Jesus is still the Master of the wind and the waves. This morning, don’t worry about how little faith you have. Call on Jesus; He is the One who can save you and help you to walk through the storm. We have friends who are fervent Liverpool Football (Soccer) fans. The anthem for the Liverpool club is “You’ll Never Walk Alone.” Here are the words:

When you walk through a storm, hold your head up high
And don’t be afraid of the dark
At the end of the storm, there’s a golden sky
And the sweet, silver song of a lark

Walk on through the wind
Walk on through the rain
Though your dreams be tossed and blown

Walk on, walk on
With hope in your hearts
And you’ll never walk alone
You’ll never walk alone

Walk on, walk on
With hope in your hearts
And you’ll never walk alone
You’ll never walk alone
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kWfmR_XgZxw

PRAYER: Father God, today we are caught in storms and we don’t see any way out. But You are the God of the impossible. Through Your mighty power, Jesus stilled storms on the Sea of Galilee. Father, send that power into our lives and help us to know that You are always with us. In the mighty Name of Jesus. Amen.

Matthew 8:8 ”When Jesus saw the crowd around him, he gave orders to cross to the other side of the lake. ¹⁹ Then a teacher of the law came to him and said, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” ²⁰ Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” ²¹ Another disciple said to him, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” ²² But Jesus told him, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.”

Jesus was beginning to attract crowds and followers. All those miraculous healings in Capernaum had gotten everybody’s attention! But Jesus hadn’t healed people just to collect a crowd; nevertheless, when he reached the other side of the Sea of Galilee, there were already people waiting for him.

1. A teacher of the law wanted to become his disciple. Perhaps this man really was enthralled by the messages Jesus had been giving. He might have been a sincere seeker after God and truth. But, on the other hand, he might also have been looking at all those people and assuming that where there was a crowd, there must be money. Jesus quickly informed this would – be disciple that he, Jesus, had no place he could call his own and that even birds and animals were better off than he was. Anybody who wasn’t willing to give up the comforts of home and the honor he was already receiving as a teacher had no business attempting to be a disciple.

2. A second would – be disciple sounded sincere – who could fault someone who wanted to honor their father? But, there was more to the situation than at first met the eye. Perhaps his father was in excellent health and not at the point of death. What this man wanted was to hang around until his father died so that he could be certain of his father’s blessing and also of an inheritance. This man wanted recognition as a disciple while deferring obedience for an unknown period of time. “Lord, I’m so ready, but……not today, please!”

Jesus knew that his time of ministry was short and that he had to be about his Father’s business. It was vitally important that Jesus know who the true disciples were, who were the men and women upon whom he could count. Judges 7 tells the story of Gideon, whom God used to free the Israelites from the Midianites. Gideon began with 32,000 men; but when he allowed those who were afraid to go home, 22,000 left immediately! And then God showed Gideon how to test the remaining 10,000 so that in the end Gideon was left with 300 men. God used Gideon and those 300 men to deliver the Israelites.

Twelve disciples! That’s all Jesus wound up with. Only twelve men, and one of them turned out to be a traitor. But even Judas the traitor left home and family to follow Jesus. Later in Matthew 16:24 Jesus advised his disciples, “”Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.”

Bill Borden was the heir to an enormous fortune; yet, he left everything to become a missionary to Muslims. Before Borden died with meningitis in Egypt, he described his discipleship: No reserve. No retreats. No regrets.

Today we are advised that we need to provide for ourselves and to be prudent. But the burning question that each of us must answer is this: will you follow Jesus? Will you follow Jesus, no matter the cost? Will you follow Jesus and risk becoming a laughing stock, an societal outcast? Will you follow Jesus if you must pay for your faith with your life? Thousands of Christians in Somalia, Burknia Faso and Nigeria have laid down their lives. The question you must answer today is this: WHAT IS KEEPING YOU FROM FOLLOWING JESUS? Eternity is waiting for the answer.

PRAYER: Father God, help us to follow hard after you all the days of our lives! Help us to love you more than life itself, for you are the Source of all life. Keep us ever faithful. In the matchless Name of Jesus. Amen.

Matthew 8: 14 – 17 “When Jesus came into Peter’s house, he saw Peter’s mother – in – law lying in bed with a fever. 15. He touched her hand and the fever left her, and she got up and began to wait on him. 16. When evening came, many who were demon – possessed were brought to him, and he drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick. 17. This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah, “he took up our infirmities and bore our diseases.”

Simon Peter lived in Capernaum. Even today, if you visit Capernaum, you can see Peter’s house with the Catholic church that has been developed over the ruins. Capernaum was on the north shore of the Sea of Galilee and had a population of about 1500 during the time of Jesus.

Jesus had just come from teaching at what is now referred to as the Mount of the Beatitudes, just a short distance from Capernaum. Undoubtedly, Peter was thrilled to be the one hosting Jesus. But there was a problem. Peter’s mother – in – law, who lived with them, was sick. Perhaps she had typhoid or malaria or some other illness. At any rate, Jesus merely touched her hand and she made an instant recovery. Like any good housewife faced with an honored guest, she immediately hopped up and began taking care of Jesus.

By that evening, the word had gone out throughout the village. It’s likely that some of the people who had been listening to Jesus had also followed him over to Capernaum; after all, he had already healed a leper and just that morning he had healed the centurion’s servant merely by speaking a word. And they were not disappointed!

Peter’s house and the courtyard outside was packed with people! It appeared that everyone from several surrounding villages had heard about Jesus and had come to see what might happen. They saw a lot! Jesus drove out demons with a single word and healed every single sick person who showed up. There were other times and other places where Jesus could do very little because of people’s lack of faith but in Capernaum that night faith was evident and deliverance and healing came to everyone who needed it.

Sometimes we aren’t very comfortable with the idea of demon possession. We have all kinds of explanations. The truth is that there are demons and that people can become demon – possessed. That’s the problem. But Jesus and the power in His Name is the answer. We can call upon the Name of Jesus and ask Him to help us, to deliver us, and to save us. But we must ask sincerely. Jesus will deliver you, but if you insist on returning to the same sins that led you into trouble in the first place, the demons can also return.

PRAYER: Father God, deliver us from ourselves! Deliver us from our pride, from our presumption, and from the sins that so easily ensnare us! Help us to choose you and to follow hard after you all the days of our lives. In the mighty and precious Name of Jesus. Amen.

Matthew 8:⁵ When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help. ⁶ “Lord,” he said, “my servant lies at home paralyzed, suffering terribly.” ⁷ Jesus said to him, “Shall I come and heal him?” ⁸ The centurion replied, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. ⁹ For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” ¹⁰ When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, “Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith. ¹¹ I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. ¹² But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” ¹³ Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go! Let it be done just as you believed it would.” And his servant was healed at that moment.” (The same story is told in Luke 7:1 – 9 )

There was no doubt in the minds of any right – thinking Jews! Those Roman soldiers were nothing but idol – worshiping bullies with no regard whatsoever for the one true living God. When the Roman soldiers invaded a market place, you could trace them by the trail of destruction and havoc they left in their wake. If the Romans demanded that you carry their baggage for them, you had no choice but to do it. If the Romans demanded that a fruit seller hand over her wares without payment, she had best do it quickly, lest her entire stand be destroyed. And the ultra – religious Jews tried to have as little to do with the Romans as possible, feeling that any contact with them would render a Jew unclean, just as if he had touched a dead body. Roman centurions commanded 100 men and were generally set in authority over places such as Capernaum. If a centurion needed anything from a Jew, the Jew would have to come to the centurion. But there were exceptions.

Call him Quintus Publius. The Gospels never really tell us his name. Centurion Quintus Publius had lived in Capernaum for several years. As difficult as the Jews could be, Quintus had found them to be people of great faith and he valued that faith. The story in Luke 7 indicates that Quintus had even built the public synagogue for the people of Capernaum. And Quintus had a favorite servant who was his right hand man as well as his best friend. That morning tragedy had struck! Apollos, the servant, had suffered a stroke and was lying near death. When Quintus heard that Jesus was coming through Capernaum, all he could think of was getting help for Apollos. In the story told by Matthew, the centurion comes to Jesus himself. In the version recounted by Luke, it’s actually the local religious leaders who come to plead on the centurion’s behalf, mentioning that he has built a synagogue for this town of 1500 people.

Several points stand out:

1. The centurion came to Jesus; he didn’t demand Jesus to come to him but humbled himself.

2. The centurion loved his servant and didn’t want him to suffer.

3. When Jesus offers to come, the centurion tells him that he, the centurion is not worthy to have Jesus come to his house. This statement demonstrates a knowledge of Jewish traditions at the same time it honors Jesus as a spiritual leader.

4. The centurion then makes an amazing statement of faith: he is a man under authority with men under him; if he gives an order, he expects it to be carried out. So the centurion is recognizing the authority of Jesus, that Jesus has the same kind of authority in the spiritual realm that the centurion has as a military commander. For the centurion, this is a no – brainer; he is confident that any spiritual order Jesus gives will be carried out promptly and completely.

5. Jesus commends the centurion for his faith and rewards that faith by granting the healing so desired.

The question of faith and healing is a thorny one and not easily tackled in a brief devotional. In my years as a surgeon, I have seen miraculous healings. On the other hand, I have also seen people of great faith who did not receive physical healing but who were given the grace to endure the sufferings brought by their illnesses. Even as I am writing this devotional, I am in nearly constant prayer for the life of one of our pediatric patients with typhoid. How this particular situation will end, I do not know. But this I DO know: there is power in the Name of Jesus, and Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever. The same power that Jesus sent to heal the centurion’s servant is still available today.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, there are many today who may be reading these words who need healing. Some of us need physical healing. Some of us need emotional healing. Some of us feel battered by the struggles of our lives. Here we are, Lord. We kneel before you and humbly beg you for your healing touch on our lives. Thank you in advance that you know our hearts and see our faith. In your mighty and precious Name, Jesus. Amen.

Matthew 8: 1- 2 “When Jesus came down from the mountainside, large crowds followed him. ² A man with leprosy^[a] came and knelt before him and said, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” ³ Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” Immediately he was cleansed of his leprosy. ⁴ Then Jesus said to him, “See that you don’t tell anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”

It had been a slow day at the temple – too hot, too dusty, and very few people. Aaron the priest was sitting in the shade of an olive tree outside the temple gate when Ezra the Leper came dashing up to him. Everybody knew Ezra. Until a few years ago, Ezra had been a successful local businessman with a wife and children. Then came the awful day when Ezra noticed a sore on his hand that refused to heal and realized that there was no pain, even though the sore was a deep one. When Ezra examined his body, he realized he had other wounds he had never noticed before because there was no pain. Quickly informing his wife, Ezra went to the temple and showed himself to Aaron the priest, who agreed that Ezra had developed leprosy. From that day forward, Ezra became a social outcast, barred from temple worship and living on the edge of town by himself. Ezra had no hope; even though the Law made provision for the healing of leprosy, he had never heard of anybody actually being healed. Through the years, Ezra had to watch his children grow up from a distance. He couldn’t have normal conversations with his friends. Ezra’s wife did continue to carry on their business, but it was difficult. Ezra was the one with the managerial skills.

Of course, Ezra had heard about the Teacher from Nazareth who was teaching out on that hillside! Who hadn’t? Then came the morning Ezra learned that the Teacher was on the move. Ezra was torn; on the one hand, he was supposed to avoid people. But what if? what if this Teacher really did have authority to heal sicknesses and even to heal leprosy? After all, what did Ezra have to lose? So Ezra got ahead of the crowd and knelt before Jesus. Suddenly Ezra KNEW! He KNEW that Jesus could make him whole again. Ezra didn’t beg. Ezra simply presented himself and said, ““Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.”  And Jesus reached out his hand and touched Ezra’s shoulder. “I am willing,” Jesus said. “Be clean!” 

It was the gasps from the crowd that first caused Ezra to realize that he really had been healed! Gaping sores on hands and feet were gone, with new clean flesh in their places. There was no scent from rotting flesh anymore. And best of all, when Ezra stubbed his toe as he turned to run to the temple, his toe hurt! Ezra hadn’t been able to feel pain in his feet for years.

Ezra took off for the temple at top speed! When Aaron saw Ezra coming, Aaron couldn’t believe it. What was this mad leper doing? Didn’t he know he wasn’t supposed to be anywhere near the temple unless he had been healed? And who had ever heard of the healing of a case of leprosy? Certainly, Moses had taught about this in Leviticus 13, but nobody had ever seen leprosy actually being healed. But Aaron had no choice. Before Aaron knew what was happening, Ezra had thrown himself at Aaron’s feet. “I’m clean! I’m clean! I’m clean! The Teacher from Nazareth healed me and I am CLEAN!!!!!”

Aaron took a few steps back and then really looked at Ezra. That morning when Aaron had seen Ezra at a distance, he had notice that Ezra had sores all over his face and that part of his nose was being eaten away. Now Ezra’s face was completely healed. That morning, Ezra’s fingers and toes were mere stumps; now they were whole and perfect. Quickly sending for some of the elders, Aaron took Ezra inside the temple into a changing room and examined Ezra minutely. Ezra was quite correct! The leprosy was gone. When the elders came, Aaron shared his findings, and all agreed that they were witnesses to a miracle.

Leaving the temple, Ezra started walking back to his house, the home he had been forced to leave more than five years ago. A sturdy little boy came running up and grabbed Ezra around the legs. “Are you my daddy?” the little boy asked. “Mommy has had us praying for you every day that you would be able to come home.”

Looking up, Ezra saw Miriam, his beloved wife, whom he had not been able to even touch or speak to for all that long time. With one glad cry, Miriam launched herself into Ezra’s arms. “Praise Jehovah! Our prayers have been answered!”

And so it was that Ezra the Leper once more resumed his role as father, husband, and as Ezra the Businessman. All because Jesus passed by.

Today, what healings do you need in your life? Are you harboring unforgiveness? Are you treasuring up hurts and plotting revenge? Are you hurt because someone else got your promotion or another honor you had been promised? Let Jesus heal you! He is only a prayer away.

PRAYER: Father God, we confess that we have spiritual leprosy that has been eating away at us. But Lord, all healing comes from You. Please heal us and help us to turn away from our sins and to follow hard after You. In the mighty Name of Jesus. Amen.

Matthew 7:28 – 29 ”When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.”

AUTHORITY!!! We all know when we hear someone who really knows what he/she is talking about! In an earlier age, there was a TV commercial showing lots of people in a crowded location talking as loudly as possible. Suddenly, everything became absolutely quiet! Why? Because the voice of authority had spoken. The punch line stated, “When E. F. Hutton speaks, everybody listens!” The audience was to assume that the E. F. Hutton Company would give them perfect advice as to where they should invest their money.

There are colorful expressions to describe a man or woman who is just talking without being knowledgeable. Texans are fond of saying that a blow – hard is a guy who is “all hat and no cattle.” The fellow might look impressive, but he has no substance.

In those days, there were teachers of the law in every synagogue. But these teachers spent much of their time haggling over small points of the law and how a true believer should observe the law. For the average believer it must have been like watching verbal ping – pong! At the end of the day, believers wound up confused; Rabbi Sholom said this, while Rabbi Ben Juda said that. And if two scholars agreed, a third person might come in and totally disagree with the first two! But Jesus? Ah! Jesus was so different! When Jesus spoke about the kingdom of God, his hearers instinctively realized that he really DID know what he was talking about.

When Jesus taught, people knew that Jesus’ teachings were true. Listening to Jesus might not always have been pleasant or comfortable, but there was no doubt that Jesus was giving spiritual insights that resonated with the teachings in the Torah and the Haftorah. It was like watching a master solver of jigsaw puzzles putting all the pieces together in a puzzle with a million pieces. Everything fit. Things felt RIGHT!

Are parts of your life not working properly today? Feel as if you’ve gotten bad advice from someone who was all hat and no cattle? Try Jesus! You might find that you want to argue with him or you might wish his teachings weren’t so pointed, but when you are studying Jesus’ teachings about the kingdom, you’re getting your information from the Son.

“Majesty, Kingdom Authority, flows from His throne, unto His own, His anthems raise!”

PRAYER: Father God, thank you that you are the Creator, Sustainer, and the Lord of the universe! Help us to listen when you speak and to hide your word in our hearts! In Jesus’ mighty Name. Amen.

Matthew 7:24 – 27 “Therefore, everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet, it did not fail because it had its foundation on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

It was the talk of the area! Caleb, one of the best men in the synagogue in Capernaum, had died, leaving a rich inheritance to his son Joel. While Caleb had always lived quite modestly, Joel had different ideas; he built himself a huge house in the newer part of town, practically in a dry stream bed. Hosea, Caleb’s long – term friend, had tried to warn Joel that this location was prone to flash floods; however, Joel’s young friends assured him that they had never seen any flooding and that Hosea was probably just a jealous alarmist who wished he could build such a wonderful house! And then the rains began in the mountains. That rainy season was one for the books! Not even the elders in the synagogue could remember rains like those! And the predictable happened. One night in the middle of a heavy storm, the flood waters suddenly rose. Joel and his friends who had been partying with him that night had to flee for their lives as the floods and the rain destroyed his lovely new house, carrying away every trace of it. Not far away from Joel’s place, there was another family in a far more modest dwelling, the Abrams. But unlike Joel, Hezekiah Abram had carefully built his house on a rocky outcropping up and away from the stream bed. The night that Joel’s house got washed down the river, the Abrams’ went to bed. In the middle of the night, Hezekiah woke up as he heard the crashing noises of Joel’s new house being destroyed. But Hezekiah and his family were safe; they had built on the strong rock. All of Jesus’ listeners remembered Joel and Hezekiah as Jesus challenged them to examine the foundations of their lives.

What is the foundation of your life? In what are you trusting? Money can evaporate instantly. The Bernie Madoff Ponzi Scheme scandal demonstrated that fact. Your employment situation can change without warning. One friend who had worked faithfully for a company for 35 years went in to work, only to learn that the company was moving his division 700 miles away and that he would either have to move or take early retirement. Our friend returned home that evening in shock, facing an early retirement he had never anticipated.

Jesus advised his hearers that they should listen to his teachings and put them into practice. When Jesus taught, he was always pointing the way to the Kingdom of his heavenly Father. Jesus was encouraging people to build their lives on God and to seek after God; no other foundation would survive the storms of life. As the children’s song at the beginning of this devotional says, “Build your house on the Lord!”

PRAYER: Father God, please help us to realize that You are the only safe foundation for our lives! Help us to seek You, to find You, and to follow You hard all the days of our lives. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Matthew 7:21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ [Amplified Version adds “Disregarding My commands.”]

SIGNS AND WONDERS!!! Who doesn’t want to see the power of God at work? But one question is this: are you looking for the power of God, or to be entertained? Here in Ghana, there are lots of TV programs showing the host pastor casting out demons, healing the sick, etc. And many believers follow these TV prophets avidly, feeling that here they are REALLY seeing miracles. But wait! What is Jesus saying in these verses?

Jesus! Are you telling us that even if we prophesy in your name, we can still be evil doers? What about casting out demons? Surely we wouldn’t be able to drive out demons in your name if we weren’t really following you! And what about miracles? Hey! A good miracle should definitely secure us a place in heaven, shouldn’t it?

Well, the problem is that if ANYTHING any man can do is sufficient to earn a place in heaven, then Jesus’ death and resurrection is totally unnecessary! If a single person in the entire history of the world has been good enough, then that means that any or all of us potentially can earn our way into heaven.

Jesus came because ALL of us were sinners! All of us had fallen short of God’s glory. What about out TV evangelists? Well, the big question is this: to whom is glory being given? Is glory being given to God or to a man or woman?

Kathryn Kuhlman was a faith healer in an earlier age. Kathryn Kuhlman had her faults, but she gave the glory to Jesus. Hear what Kathryn Kuhlman had to say: “God is not looking for gold vessels or silver vessels. He is looking for willing vessels.” “Wherever you find real love, you will also find humility. Remember something: humility is not a weak and timid quality. Too often we feel that humility is a sign of weakness. This is not so. It is the sign of strength and security.” “Today, Jesus stands ready to hear your cry and to answer prayer for you. He is interested in every detail of your life. He knows you better than you know yourself.”

Don’t follow a man or woman! There is nobody on earth who can save you from your sins! Only Jesus has that power. Are these signs and wonders real? Yes. They may be. Many times God is honoring the faith of the person coming and not the evangelist. Does everyone get healed? No. One of our friends traveled all the way to another African country in desperate need of healing, only to be sent back unhealed and to die a few days later.

Who will enter the kingdom of heaven? ”…only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” Let us seek to serve God and not to chase after miracles. In the end, we might find ourselves in the company of those who thought the miracles would earn them a place in heaven.

PRAYER: Father, help us to seek you for your perfect will and not for signs and wonders. Help us to realize that you have already given the greatest Sign: you sent Jesus to die for us. May we serve you and honor you every day of our lives. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

MARCH 3, 2020 ROTTEN FRUIT? EEWW!!!

Matthew 7:16 “By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? ¹⁷ Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. ¹⁸ A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. ¹⁹ Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. ²⁰ Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.”

We live in a day and age when traditional values are being turned upside down and inside out! Women and girls are being assaulted in public toilets because men have been allowed access to them. Convicted felons have been released, particularly in New York, Illinois, and California. In many cases, these felons have speedily returned to commit more horrible crimes. Illegal immigrants are being granted privileges in some states that would be denied to them in any Third World country. Sometimes it seems that the world has gone mad! And the politicians who are pushing these horrifying agendas are doing so in the name of human rights, rejecting human decency.

Jesus knew the human heart better than anyone else in the history of the world. And Jesus knew his audience. When Jesus was speaking to crowds of thousands, he fully realized that some of his listeners were sincerely seeking the things of God and that the majority of his listeners were merely there in hopes of seeing signs and wonders. Nothing has changed! But Jesus also knew that as long as people would come, he had the opportunity to hook their interest with stories from their every day lives.

Here Jesus was continuing his warnings about false prophets. He already advised his audience that such charlatans were no better than ravening wolves. No in these verses, Jesus talked about grapes and figs, two of the most common fruits in Israel. Most people in the audience had helped harvest either or both of these fruits at one time or another. When Jesus asked about picking grapes from thorn bushes or figs from thistles, some of his audience must have been elbowing their neighbors, “Look at those Pharisees! I’ll bet they never picked a single grape in their lives! If anybody’s going to go look for grapes on a thorn bush, it would be one of those guys!”

Growing grapes for either juice or for wine is a complex business, requiring an extensive knowledge of soil quality and temperature, rain fall patterns, and the proper kind of grapes to be grown and harvested. Plant poor vines and you will reap a poor harvest! No intelligent farmer is going to waste time and effort on raising the wrong kind of grapes, and nobody will continue to maintain grape vines that are no longer bearing. In verse 19 Jesus described what happened to unproductive grape vines: they were gathered up, thrown into the fire, and burned.

This is an election year and many politicians are vying for favor from voters. The question Jesus raised is still the question of the hour: what are the fruits? And again, Galatians 5:22 – 23 helps us. “Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self – control” -these are the fruits of the Holy Spirit. Let us examine our own lives to make sure we are bearing good fruit!

PRAYER: Father God, help us to follow hard after you all the days of our lives so that we will bear good fruit our whole lives. And help us to discern those whom you want as leaders in the upcoming elections. Give us eyes to see, ears to hear, and hearts to listen. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Matthew 7:15 ”Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. ¹⁶ By their fruit you will recognize them…”

Prophecy is a gift and being a prophet is a stern calling! When one is a prophet, one is supposed to be speaking for God. The Bible has many good things to say about true prophets who get it right; on the other hand, the Bible also has terrible things to say about those who style themselves as prophets but who are not. In Old Testament times, false prophets could find themselves dying terrible deaths as the Lord carried out sentences of His wrath on them.

Ezekiel 13:14 describes what God is planning to do to the false prophets who are prophesying peace and prosperity instead of calling the people back to righteosness: “I will tear down the wall you have covered with whitewash and will level it to the ground so that its foundation will be laid bare. When it falls, you will be destroyed in it; and you will know that I am the Lord.” 

Then God goes further. Evidently, in those days there were women who were sewing magic charms on bracelets and veils to do witchcraft and even to kill people with their spells. These women were also claiming to be prophets; yet, God had no part in them or their doings. Ezekiel 13: 20 “Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am against your magic charms with which you ensnare people like birds and I will tear them from your arms; I will set free the people that you ensnare like birds. 21 I will tear off your veils and save my people from your hands, and they will no longer fall prey to your power. Then you will know that I am the Lord. 22 Because you disheartened the righteous with your lies, when I had brought them no grief, and because you encouraged the wicked not to turn from their evil ways and so save their lives, 23 therefore you will no longer see false visions or practice divination. I will save my people from your hands. And then you will know that I am the Lord.’”

The bottom line is this: GOD WILL NOT BE MOCKED! IF GOD HAS NOT TRULY CALLED YOU TO BE A PROPHET, DON’T CALL YOURSELF ONE AND DON’T MAKE CLAIMS ABOUT YOUR POWER OR YOUR ABILITY TO SEE THE FUTURE! AND DON’T FOLLOW FALSE PROPHETS EITHER! THEIR FATE WILL BECOME YOURS!

“But,” you say, “I really think God has given me visions.” God is not the only one who can give visions! Satan will always try to give people his counterfeits to keep them from making contact with the one true living God. Satan knows what we want to hear, and he will give it to us. When you are praying, are you exalting God or yourself? True prophets are very humble before God because they know how great He really is.

And what about the ladies and their charms? These days witchcraft of various kinds has become fashionable, even in America and Europe. Thirty years ago, one of our friends was pastoring a church in Vienna, Austria when he found himself in spiritual battle with some of his church members who were practicing witches. These witches had infiltrated a mainline denominational church and were bringing confusion. Beware of false prophetesses!

How do you tell real prophets from false ones? Look at their fruits. The mark of the Holy Spirit is peace. The fruits of the Holy Spirit are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self – control. (Galatians 5:22-23) If you see these fruits coming out of someone’s ministry, you can rest assured that the Holy Spirit is with them. On the other hand, if you do not see such fruits, run as quickly as possible in the opposite direction! You are in the presence of a false prophet. True prophets glorify God. False prophets glorify themselves.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, help us always to follow hard after You and not after any man or woman! Teach us to judge ministries accurately by the fruits of the Spirit and by no other standard. And thank You that You are leading us into Your truth. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.