An extraordinary feast

Matthew 14:13-21

When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns.  When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick.

 As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food.”

 Jesus replied, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.”

 “We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered.

 “Bring them here to me,” he said.  And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people.  They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.  The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children.

Not too long ago, my small group served a meal for a group that meets at our church.  This group tends to be more people that have been unchurched, who have faced a lot of challenges in life.  We were told we would be feeding about 70 people.  We spent time planning the menu, what it would take to feed that many people, how much food we would need and everything that goes into an event like this. 

In Matthew, we read about how Jesus had gone off in a boat to be by himself.  Yet when he came back to land, he found that this huge crowd had followed him.  Instead of pushing them away, he welcomed them, healed the sick and fed them.  It was not a small group either.  This what a huge group with five thousand men, besides women and children.  He didn’t have to take time to plan a menu, shop or anything else.  He took five loaves of bread and two fish.  The same amount that would barely feed many families these days.  With that he fed all of them and had left overs! 

The acts that Jesus did on earth as an ordinary man were not at all ordinary.  Each day he still does extraordinary things in our lives.  Do you take the time to think about these things?  Today I want to encourage you to think about the extraordinary things that Christ puts in your life.  How can you take and multiple that to do something extraordinary for someone else?

Confidence Of Ali

Clearly, you are a letter from Christ showing the result of our ministry among you. This “letter” is written not with pen and ink, but with the Spirit of the living God. It is carved not on tablets of stone, but on human hearts.

We are confident of all this because of our great trust in God through Christ.  It is not that we think we are qualified to do anything on our own. Our qualification comes from God.  2 Corinthians 3:3-5

Confidence can at times be a fragile thing.  For example, an undefeated fighter will have supreme confidence.  However after numerous successes, they finally taste defeat, and then there comes a lack of confidence.  Thoughts like, “Can this happen again,” or “How do I recover,” become questions that float around in their head.  Now I was never a fighter, but I have been a fan of boxing since I was a small child watching Muhammad Ali.  There was no one who was more confident than him.  Yet when I became a fan, Ali had not only lost once but also been knocked down.  The latter is usually detrimental to a fighter’s career because that is when they really lose that aura of confidence.  Nonetheless, Ali always remained supremely confident, and thus would be considered arguably the greatest fighter in the world.

This aura of confidence is a reminder of how we should view our faith.  We should be supremely confident in Jesus Christ because He not only died for our sins but also overcame death.  This is not something we think of.  It is something we know deep in our hearts with a high degree of confidence.  Furthermore, it is through this level of confidence that we are empowered to be lights for Christ here on earth.  This was what Paul spoke of in 2 Corinthians.  When Jesus left, He said that we will receive the power from the Holy Spirit (see Acts 1:7-9).  With this power, we can endure any challenge or trial knowing that through Christ anything is possible.  This is a source of endless strength that is available to us.  The trick is to remind ourselves of its existence.  We are often blinded by worldly distractions that may inhibit us from tapping into this, and life will at times knock you down.  However if we are prayerful and deliberate in our outreach humbling ourselves to realize we can not make it without Him, we are assured of our connection to this power, and thus can remain confident in Him.  We can get up off the canvas, and weather the storm knowing in the end we will raise our arms in victory.

We are indeed made perfect through Jesus Christ.  As such, we should be confident in every step we make.  It’s not that we will be perfect with each step.  Instead no matter what step we make, Jesus is with us, and through Him, all wrong steps will be made right.  So let us move forward knowing that if we have love for Him, the Spirit of God will dwell within our hearts for all to see.  What doubts do you have today that Jesus Christ can bring surety to?  How can maintain greater boldness through this heightened level of confidence? My prayer is that when we have doubts in this world, we look to Jesus with the confidence of Ali.  Amen.

Thursday Devotional - Hope for the Helpless

When James was struggling to breathe a few weeks ago, he looked up at me in the middle of one of his steam treatments and asked me if I thought he was going to die. I told him no, I didn’t think so. As concerned as I was for him, I realized he was not only miserable, but scared too. Both feeling helpless, we prayed together. I also heard him pray again by himself when he was in bed.

We can feel helpless, but God is always able to help. In fact, He’s already taken care of our biggest problem – our sin.

Romans 5:5-11  “And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us. You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.  Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die.  But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.  Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him!  For if, when we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!  Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.”      Romans 5:5-11

Because of Jesus’ death, I am a reconciled child of God; I have been forgiven; my debt has been paid; and my debt was paid in full by someone else (Jesus Christ).  If that was all Jesus did for me, I would have more than enough for which to rejoice.  However, Jesus didn’t just die to pay for our sins, God raised Him from the dead to give us eternal life!!!  We not only receive peace and joy here on earth as a result of our reconciliation, but we will receive everlasting life with God in Heaven because we have been saved through Christ’s life! 

Will you thank God for His love in reconciling and saving you?         

How are you and I extending that same love to others, offering hope to the helpless?    

Alice

Tues Devo: Engage

Hello,

Nope….not talking about marriage, or captaining a star ship. J

In business we talk about the concept of “Engagement” quite a bit. We look at surveys and other metrics to evaluate how engaged the employees are. We want to see how committed to the work and to their peers they are. We know that if we have more engaged staff we will reduce turnover, improve teamwork and efficiency – and likely innovation as well.

Twice in the Paul’s letter to Titus he uses the phrase “engage in good deeds”. Both of these come in chapter 3:8-15 (NASB, bold added):

“This is a trustworthy statement; and concerning these things I want you to speak confidently, so that those who have believed God will be careful to engage in good deeds. These things are good and profitable for men. But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and strife and disputes about the Law, for they are unprofitable and worthless. Reject a factious man after a first and second warning, knowing that such a man is perverted and is sinning, being self-condemned. When I send Artemas or Tychicus to you, make every effort to come to me at Nicopolis, for I have decided to spend the winter there. Diligently help Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their way so that nothing is lacking for them. Our people must also learn to engage in good deeds to meet pressing needs, so that they will not be unfruitful. All who are with me greet you. Greet those who love us in the faith. Grace be with you all.”

Paul wanted Titus and the other believers to be engaged in good deeds. Notice 2 things: 1) this means on purpose, with planning. We see this in the first reference where Paul says to be “careful to engage in good deeds”. The implication there is not one of caution, but one of intent and purpose. 2) it drive spiritual productivity (productivity is the business word – fruit is the church word!). We see that in the second reference that the good deeds are to be aligned with true needs – and keeping people from being unfruitful.

I don’t know where you are today – but I pray you take a step forward in engagement in good deeds.

Have a blessed day,

Will Hill