MY HEART'S SONG

God saved my Soul & Life from sin,
Transformed my heart, renewed within.
Leaving behind the things of past;
Living my Life for Christ.... at last!

Oh Praise the Lord! New Life He gives..;
Gives Life abun..dant..ly......;
no not I, But Christ in me....be glorified E..ter...nal...ly..!"

So now I live this life for Him;
His balm so faithful heals and mends.
And when He took His final breath,
His grace He gave instead of death.

Oh Praise the Lord! New Life He gives..;
Gives Life abun..dant..ly......;
no not I, But Christ in me....be glorified Eter...nal...ly..!

MY HEART'S SONGk

God saved my Soul & Life from sin,
Transformed my heart, renewed within.
Leaving behind the things of past;
Living my Life for Christ.... at last!

Oh Praise the Lord! New Life He gives..;
Gives Life abun..dant..ly......;
no not I, But Christ in me....be glorified E..ter...nal...ly..!"

So now I live this life for Him;
His balm so faithful heals and mends.
And when He took His final breath,
His grace He gave instead of death.

Oh Praise the Lord! New Life He gives..;
Gives Life abun..dant..ly......;
no not I, But Christ in me....be glorified Eter...nal...ly..!

"WHEN HEART ACHES COME" - DAY 5

Meditations of the Heart

by Rob Bailes

And the men that held Jesus, mocked him, and smote him. And when they had blindfolded him, they struck him on the face, and asked him, saying," Prophesy, who is it that smote thee?", And many other things blasphemously they spoke against him. And as soon as it was day, the elders of the people, and the chief priests, and the scribes came together, and led him into their council, Saying, "Art thou the Christ? tell us". And he said to them,

" If I tell you, ye will not believe." Luke 22:63-67

Just think about it for a minute. Jesus was mocked, hit on, blindfolded and struck in the face over and over as they each told Him to tell them the name of the person who had hit Him. He could have named them and their entire family if He wanted to, but He chose to endure the pain and continue with the end in mind! He also chose to forgive them "by name" as they struck and spit on His face! This is KEY to remember!

Don't get me wrong! I'm not telling you that we ought to stay and take the abuse! The truth is that we aren't suppose to be abused by others unless it's for God's sake in His service! That is the only abuse God glorifies.

They continued into the night making fun of His claim to be the Son of man and being sent by God! He was asked" if He was the Christ", but even though Jesus knew that they wouldn't believe, for their own remembrance after His death, He told them the truth, "that indeed He was the Christ" hoping that one day they would accept His gift of Life.

How painful it must have been, knowing that it was for these people, He would die and it was all because of God's love for these very people, that Jesus would shed His perfect blood to cleanse the corrupt blood that flowed through their veins! It is for the corrupt blood that flows through our veins today that He died!

I have learned by experiences that the corruption of our human race and the painful attacks inflicted on us by people we care so much for, can leave holes and scars that seem to remain! I know that it doesn't take much to remind us of those times as they linger in our memory, if the holes are not healed. Why won't they heal? What does it take to heal? Many books and therapies have been written over the years to solve this matter of the damaged heart, mind and spirit. The problem is that many times they don't work. My friend, Jesus didn't leave us without an answer to this situation that seems so hopeless.

Next we will begin to find out what it takes for those painful holes to heal and what Jesus taught us in his final hours about healing!

I just think it would be good for us to pray together today. Please join me as we pray together,

Our Father and Savior, we come to you with an open heart today! I long for the healing that will give us freedom from the hurt and the memories of the attacks on my life and all who are here today searching for the healing too. I ask you Lord for a divine message tomorrow that will make clear to all just exactly how you were able to heal those holes pierced through your heart by the ones you cared so much for!

I pray for us to come to you with our minds open to your Spirits leading and for the Holy Spirit to fill us with the love of our Father as we prepare to reach the place in our lives when we can finally let go past and live fully for you in the future! Each day being a new day to live for you Lord, I ask for your guidance for any who are here with me today and for the doors to open before us Lord as we seek your guidance in our life because we have learned that it is better to trust in you than to put our confidence in men in Psalms 118:8. Thank you Lord for Life Eternal! In Jesus name, amen.

"DO YOU NEED A FATHER'S LOVE?"

You may not know me, but I know everything about you. Psalm 139:1

I know when you sit down and when you rise up. Psalm 139:2

I am familiar with all your ways. Psalm 139:3

Even the very hairs on your head are numbered. Matthew 10:29-31

For you were made in my image. Genesis 1:27

In me you live and move and have your being. Acts 17:28

For you are my offspring. Acts 17:28

I knew you even before you were conceived. Jeremiah 1:4-5

I chose you when I planned creation. Ephesians 1:11-12

You were not a mistake, for all your days are written in my book. Psalm 139:15-16

I determined the exact time of your birth and where you would live. Acts 17:26

You are fearfully and wonderfully made. Psalm 139:14

I knit you together in your mother's womb. Psalm 139:13

And brought you forth on the day you were born. Psalm 71:6

I have been misrepresented by those who don't know me. John 8:41-44

I am not distant and angry, but am the complete expression of love. 1 John4:16

And it is my desire to lavish my love on you. 1 John 3:1

Simply because you are my child and I am your Father. 1 John 3:1

I offer you more than your earthly father ever could. Matthew 7:11

For I am the perfect father. Matthew 5:48

Every good gift that you receive comes from my hand. James 1:17

For I am your provider and I meet all your needs. Matthew 6:31-33

My plan for your future has always been filled with hope. Jeremiah 29:11

Because I love you with an everlasting love. Jeremiah 31:3

My thoughts toward you are countless as the sand on the seashore. Psalms 139:17-18

And I rejoice over you with singing. Zephaniah 3:17

I will never stop doing good to you. Jeremiah 32:40

For you are my treasured possession. Exodus 19:5

I desire to establish you with all my heart and all my soul. Jeremiah 32:41

And I want to show you great and marvelous things. Jeremiah 33:3

If you seek me with all your heart, you will find me. Deuteronomy 4:29

Delight in me and I will give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4

For it is I who gave you those desires. Philippians 2:13

I am able to do more for you than you could possibly imagine. Ephesians 3:20

For I am your greatest encourager. 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17

I am also the Father who comforts you in all your troubles. 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

When you are brokenhearted, I am close to you. Psalm 34:18

As a shepherd carries a lamb, I have carried you close to my heart. Isaiah40:11

One day I will wipe away every tear from your eyes. Revelation 21:3-4

And I'll take away all the pain you have suffered on this earth. Revelation 21:3-4

I am your Father, and I love you even as I love my son, Jesus. John 17:23

For in Jesus, my love for you is revealed. John 17:26

He is the exact representation of my being. Hebrews 1:3

He came to demonstrate that I am for you, not against you. Romans 8:31

And to tell you that I am not counting your sins. 2 Corinthians 5:18-19

Jesus died so that you and I could be reconciled. 2 Corinthians 5:18-19

His death was the ultimate expression of my love for you. 1 John 4:10

I gave up everything I loved that I might gain your love. Romans 8:31-32

If you receive the gift of my son Jesus, you receive me. 1 John 2:23

And nothing will ever separate you from my love again. Romans 8:38-39

Come home and I'll throw the biggest party heaven has ever seen. Luke 15:7

I have always been Father, and will always be Father. Ephesians 3:14-15

My question is...Will you be my child? John 1:12-13

I am waiting for you. Luke 15:11-32

Love, Your Dad.

"WHEN JESUS SPEAKS PEACE"

DAY 4 - "WHEN HEART ACHES COME"

Meditations of the Heart

By Rob Bailes

And the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said to him, Before the cock shall crow, thou wilt deny me thrice. And Peter went out, and wept bitterly.Luke 22:62

Jesus had told Peter to be strong for the rest of the disciples just the day before and to resist the temptation of the devil. Jesus cared and spent time talking to Peter, yet he was betrayed by him when the going got tough. Peter was afraid of the possibility that he would have to suffer the same punishment as Jesus, if he stood up and told the people what he believed, who he loved and even more importantly that Jesus was innocent of the charges. He hadn't stood up for his closest friend! I'm sure Jesus experienced heartache like never before to know and experience this total abandonment of his fellow believer and pupil.
How about physical hurt and pain? Do you have memories of this type of treatment? Maybe someone you know has been through this in their past or going through it right now? How well did you deal with it?

Maybe your mom or dad was physically abusive or called you names and mocked you. Have you carried your hurt and your tattered heart full of holes with you each day of your life since this happened? There is hope for your damaged heart. Stay with me until we finish this series on heart aches and you will see.

There is hope for your heart and mind! Jesus gave us hope for the hurting and I will show you how.

Maybe you had someone attack you in an abusive relationship and really hurt you in a effort to try to control who you made friends with or talked with outside of your home. Were you or someone you know attacked physically as a teen and violated by someone you thought to be a nice person, finding no way of escape as they overpowered you. They didn't even seem to care how much you cried and begged them to stop! Maybe you've never talked to anyone about this attack on your body, mind and character.
They just would not stop attacking until you finally gave up the battle to maintain a remnant your dignity and some sense of self protection. They just had to be in control of everything!

Even your very thoughts were attacked and conquered by filling them with fear! Have you or someone you know experienced this type of barbaric attack of mind and body? The huge holes that are left in our hearts when this happens leaves us with a tattered and torn adrenal system, shot nerves and an emotional zombie long after the attack is past. These holes can seem to be impossible to heal even after many years! Did you realize that our Lord and Savior experienced this too and He knows exactly how you or your friend are hurting? That's right! Jesus has personally felt our pain! It may not be easy for you, but look at the following passage with me,

And the men that held Jesus, mocked him, and smote him. And when they had blindfolded him, they struck him on the face, and asked him, saying, Prophesy, who is it that smote thee? And many other things blasphemously they spoke against him. And as soon as it was day, the elders of the people, and the chief priests, and the scribes came together, and led him into their council, Saying, Art thou the Christ? tell us. And he said to them, If I tell you, ye will not believe. Luke 22:63-67

Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ was mocked, spit upon, blindfolded and struck in the face over and over, as they each asked Jesus to tell them the name of the person who had hit Him. Jesus could have scared them all and named not only them, but their entire family too if He wanted, but He chose to endure the pain and continue in His Father's will, BUT WHY? That you and I would find freedom from our sinful flesh!

His suffering was endured because His Father loves each of us equally. No matter what anyone else may tell you, it's true my friend! God loves you as much as He loves anyone else in this world!

Now the Spirit can come and live in us all, if we believe in Him and seek Him! If you haven't ever really made this choice, I reach out to you and invite you today. Jesus can be trusted and He will hear your voice where ever you may be!

DAY 3 - "WHEN HEART ACHES COME"

Meditations of the Heart

By Rob Bailes

And while he was yet speaking, behold a multitude, and he that was called Judas, one of the twelve, went before them, and drew near to Jesus to kiss him. But Jesus said to him, Judas, Do you betray the Son of man with a kiss? Luke 22:47-48

At times we may find our character under attack by associates, church members or maybe even people we don't even know!

If not prepared, it will cause us critical damage and leave large tattered holes in our hearts. Have you ever experienced being rejected by someone you counted as trustworthy, because you chose from a moral standpoint to do or make the right choice? Maybe even your closest friend? Someone that you invested much time with or had even built a close relationship? The Lord Jesus Christ who came to give mankind life can relate to this totally. You'll see, as we look at the following passage,

Then they took him(Jesus Christ), and led him, and brought him into the high priest's house. And Peter followed at a distance. Luke 22:54

Peter wasted no time looking out for his well being when he slipped back into the shadows so he wouldn't be noticed! Have you ever started into a mission with someone, only to find that they were no where to be found when the tough challenges came? It was a shocking experience, wasn't it? You probably felt a bit of disappointment deep down inside, didn't you?

It's ok to admit it. We all feel these things when we get surprised! But it's up to us, as to what we do with those feelings after that disappointment strikes. Have you ever thought that maybe the one who disappointed you might have felt remorse or guilt later? Maybe they were too embarrassed or proud to admit it to you. Maybe they do it so often that they just got tired of apologizing to people for hurting them. Just maybe they want to be different, but don't know where to find help.

You may say, "There's no way this person would have ever felt sorry for what they did!".

Are you so sure of that? Maybe it is our own pride and bitterness that keeps us from turning them over in prayer to the all powerful hand of the Lord Jesus Christ, who can do all things. Just look at what happened next to Peter!

And the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said to him, Before the cock shall crow, thou wilt deny me thrice. And Peter went out, and wept bitterly. Luke 22:61

Be careful not to underestimate the power of the Creator of all mankind. Jesus is equal with God, Invite Jesus to work in the minds of people who disappoint and hurt you. Let's concentrate on keeping our roots away from the bitter water, lest we begin to bear a bitter, useless fruit in our own life. Selah

"WHEN HEART ACHES COME" - DAY 2

Meditations of the Heart

By Rob Bailes

And he said to them, I have earnestly desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer. Luke 22:15

Jesus knew the suffering that was coming and wouldn't do anything to keep it from happening because his suffering had been prophesied and even greater, it was the will of His Father! Jesus went through this suffering that we may be able to be justified and cleansed of our sins! He knew our self-destruction would be healed by His act of love on the cross if we accepted his salvation through faith.

If you have ever experienced a time of waiting for the suffering to begin; knowing that the attack would return again; knowing that the abuse was going to happen; knowing the betrayal of a close friend could repeat itself. You have started your day knowing that you would be made fun of; knowing that someone you trusted may use you again for their own selfish gain; knowing that all your kindness and love may be taken for granted, yet continuing to give over and over.

Maybe you get up each morning knowing the one you had devoted years of your life to is making plans to leave you. Does this describe your life? Is this how you or someone you know has lived or lives their life each day?

Knowing and waiting for the suffering to come was as painful, if not worse than the suffering itself. It left a hole in your heart for sure my friend!

A small hole every time a threat was made, every time an insult was thrown at you by your teenage son or daughter; every time your spouse made you feel like you failed; every time your cry for love was rejected by the one that you loved with all your heart, even the time your trusted coworker caused problems for you at work by talking behind your back.

Do any of these problems sound familiar to you? These are the things that cause us injuries and they come prior to the actual attacks! These are the small holes in our hearts, but the small holes will cause us allot of damage over the course of our lives and practically kill you if they never heal! Jesus certainly experienced all of these injuries leading up to the time of His crucifixion.

Have you ever been out right betrayed by someone you thought you could trust? This is so hard for anybody to deal with and this leaves holes in our hearts so deep when this happens to us! Jesus experienced this too, you know, in the garden when he was sold by one of His followers for 30 coins. His very own disciple went so far as using a gesture of love to betray him with! Does this sound like something you have been through before?

How do you think Jesus dealt with this painful betrayal of trust? How did he get through those moments of heart ache? Remember, Jesus knew that it was coming and still he continued with the will of his Father.

To be continued....

"WHEN HEART ACHES COME"

Meditations of the Heart

By Rob Bailes

"Healing the Holes in Your Heart"

Luke 22

The message today has to do with our lives and the things we have been through that have caused us some type of harm or left us hurt in some way and we cannot seem to forget it no matter what! Something that was so degrading or so surprising that it seems as though we will be haunted by the memory of it for the remainder of our lives!

The thing that happens whenever we go through an experience like this is we are left with a hole in our heart that doesn't heal back on it's own. As we go through our lives and experience this over and over we begin to feel as though our life has lost meaning and we can become weak in our spirit. Maybe even feel dead inside as we still go on with our lives totally undetected by those around us!

Let's look at some things that can cause holes in our heart. It is the equivalent of taking a big poker and sticking it right through our heart! You may be thinking right now, why use a big poker for this illustration?

Well, it doesn't take many of these experiences before we reach the point that we can't safely feel with our hearts. We may try to imitate people that do or we may pretend to feel, in hopes of saving our relationships, but there's not enough healthy heart left to even feel for our own self, much less anyone else! This is something that is hard for others to understand sometimes.

There are also smaller pokers that leave smaller holes in between the big holes and we can eventually end up with a heart that is pretty much like a sponge full of thousands of holes. The sponge soaks up everything it touched but it really doesn't serve any other purpose. We can eventually get to the same point in our lives when we continue on leaving the holes unhealed in our hearts!

Let's look at examples of our own experiences that are found right in the last 48 hours of the life of Jesus. That's right! Jesus too had the holes pierced through His heart just as we do. Lets read about the first of these experiences,

And the chief priests and scribes sought how they might kill him: for they feared the people. Luke 22:2

The religious leaders of that day were really looking for ways to kill Jesus for doing what was right and threatening the rules that they had set up so that they could gain from the positions they held. Have you ever stood up for the truth in an organization or even your church and found that you were the one being attacked in the end. You couldn't help but wonder how you could be so mistreated to the point of being hated by the people you thought you knew so well when suddenly you became a threat to their world just by standing up for the right thing.

To be continued....

BITTER OR SWEET? WHICH DO YOU PREFER?

Meditations of the Heart

By Rob Bailes

Doth a fountain send forth at the same place

sweet water and bitter? James 3:11

In another version this passage is phrased,"Does a spring send forth fresh water and bitter?". I call the Word of God the "Living Water" or "True Life" at least ten times a week while in conversation with those seeking for some kind of remedy or hope.

As I read this verse in James last night before retiring, I couldn't help but think about the Living Water that Jesus offered to the lost while here on earth. He was always talking about a fountain that would bring Life without end!

I was camping out in the Blue Ridge Mountains as a young man when I drank from a stream that looked like pure spring water. After all, it was flowing from a beautiful waterfall and there weren't any businesses for miles! Well, it only took about 24 hours to prove me wrong. I'll never forget how sick I got from just a handful of water that had the highly feared bacteria in it.

It is the Abundant Life that our Lord offers that can and will bring us the HOPE we need to survive in this world we live in today! Yes, there are trials and temptations; but we have also been freely given the True Hope that can abound even more than all our troubles.

After the tornados came through the southeastern states, it was strange to me that there were so many large trees laying on the ground. I thought about how many years those trees had grown and should be stronger that the younger tree. As I began to research this further, a gentleman who had spent his life studying science pointed out on interesting fact to me. That very educated man understood what had caused such devastation to such a mature tree. I'll share with you what he told me.

He said, "The tree didn't fall because of the branches or even the wind. It fell because something had ruined the inner core of the roots and trunk which support the branches."

As I went out and looked closely at the trees that were laying on the ground, I could see that the inner part had turned to mush. The trees didn't stand a chance with this condition when a little bit stronger wind came along! Something bad had gotten into it's source and been eating away at the inner core for several years. Then I thought about myself and how I had once been so busy serving the Lord and felt so strong inside, when something little came along and began to eat away at my inner strength, causing the microscopic virus of doubt to take a place in my life. It didn't happen all of a sudden. It was gradual and not even visible from my appearance. Finally when I realized my roots were tapped into a bitter water source, it was impossible for me to change what had happened inside of me. It seemed hopeless! All I could do is cry out to my Lord who offers us the pure, fresh water of Life!

My Lord and Savior came when I called to Him. He had to take me out of the source which was destroying me from the inside out. It's not the easy choice, my friends! You feel the pain as He uproots you and transplants you where the sweet water flows. He also has to do some trimming to get rid of the branches that are bitter so you can begin to produce sweet fruit from this time forward.

And yes! It takes some time for those branches to grow back and the trunk to once again take root deep into the source which gives you Life, so be patient and don't let the bitter enemy trick you into thinking you made a wrong choice. Just remember that it was the bitter water that would have destroyed you sooner or later with just a strong passing wind! Stay put in the Truth daily and grow strong!

³ knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. ⁴ But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. ⁵ If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. James 1:3-5

"YOUR FAITH WILL MAKE YOU WISE"

From the series, "What Faith Will Do"

"Your Faith Will Make You Wise"

So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Romans 10:17

Our faith in God comes from hearing the truth of the gospel through the word of God! We have heard leaders all over the world expressing popular beliefs, opinions and philosophy in recent years, but the Bible says that we will receive the faith that we need by the hearing of the word of God. It appears that Paul is asking himself in the book of Romans,"Has all of the earth heard this message of faith?" and then he answers his own question in the same verse. Let's look at this,

But I say, "Have they not heard? Yes verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world". ~ Romans 10:18

Into all the earth! Their words went to the ends of the world as they knew it in their day! Every nation had heard the Gospel by way of disciples, apostles, kings and servants. The message had been spread to everyone that lived and they didn't even have Internet or cable television! Isn't that amazing!
God has always made a way to get His word to the people of the earth. We don't have to take it all on ourselves to reach every man. God is at work in the hearts and lives of each person who believes and accepts Him by faith. Knowing this takes a huge burden off of me as a forgiven and compassionate child of God. When I look around, it's easy for me to become overwhelmed with the masses that are following the idols of this world and people of all ages that have bought into the lies of advertising while on their quest to satisfies their inner longing.

One of the best sellers on the music charts even told the world for almost 50 years, "I can't get no satisfaction!" and still people go out in groves searching for satisfaction week after week, month after month, year after year until their lives have literally slipped through their fingers and finding themselves at the end of their life without the satisfaction they had been promised by this world.

The satisfaction that we long for and search for all of our lives is experienced in faith, faith in the living God of our universe and this faith is found in the hearing of the message found in the word of God. Paul was a very educated man who had been in positions in government that required him to make many tough decisions, but the best decision that Paul ever made was the decision to believe and follow the Messiah who had come to save the world and to accept His message by faith!

It was the same man,Paul, that wrote this passage in Romans that had also, at one time, persecuted the Christians and their families.

The challenges we face today don't even begin to compare to the challenges Christians faced before Paul accepted Christ! Christians were scattered all over the globe, trying to escape this man and his wrath! His name was Saul and God changed it to Paul. His business was to wipe out every Christian alive because he believed man, but God stopped him and he heard the word of God.
Paul went from a proud murderer to an humble servant of God overnight! His eyes were opened and he could see the wisdom of the word and the satisfaction filled his heart; that satisfaction that he had longed for every night when he closed his eyes and heard the screams of those he had persecuted.

It is evident in Paul's writings that he had faith by the hearing of the word of God! Paul had gained a wisdom that couldn't be found in biographies and philosophy. This wisdom couldn't be found on the porches of Athens or in meetings with the King's counsel. This wisdom that Paul found came only through the word of God. The faith that Paul found gave him the satisfaction that we all have longed for in our lives, even today!

Paul is talking to the Gentiles in chapter eleven and he is telling them that it is because of the Jews lack of repentance that the gospel went out and had spread to their Gentile nations. It was because of the lack of faith in the Jewish nation that the Jewish believers were directed by God to go into all the world, so that the Jews would become jealous of the mercy that the Gentiles had obtained through God and come back to receive their faith in God. The Jews were going to see the wisdom of the rest of the world through their receiving of the word of God by faith. They would long for the mercy, Paul says, that the Gentiles had obtained!

Even so have these(Jews) also now not believed, that through your(Gentiles) mercy they also may obtain mercy. For God hath concluded them all (all nations) in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all. O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! For who hath known the mind of the Lord? Or who hath been his counsellor? ~ Rom 11:31-34

We can learn so much from the word of God and it is clear that Paul feels just as I do today! I feel that the wisdom and knowledge found in God is beyond anything else that I can get my hands on in this world! So let's treasure what we have found in His word and in communion with God; the wisdom and knowledge that starts with faith in Him.

When we come to realize how great a God we serve, the fear (reverence), forgiving (mercy) and faith (wisdom) will be so incredible that it not only changes us, but others long to know and have what we have! Listen to how Paul described this at the end of chapter eleven of Romans.

For of him(God), and through him(God), and to him(God), are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen. ~ Romans 11:36

Those are words of wisdom!

It is my prayer that you have this FAITH THAT WILL MAKE YOU WISE!

If you find you don't have the faith I spoke of today, but would like to know that you do; please contact me by phone or email and I will be glad to help you begin this wonderful, satisfying experience in your life today! The experience of God's forgiveness and mercy by faith in Him!

"YOUR FAITH" Will Carry You

By Rob Bailes

"Your Faith Will Carry You"

Have you ever had a really great day when everything went better than you had planned? You had your time alone with God and your day was productive from the standpoint of accomplishing your goals; you felt so good that you couldn't help humming or singing a tune in the car on the way home. Then it happened!



Suddenly out of the blue, you get a phone call with bad news or you suddenly realize you've lost something very important; or someone dear to you gets hurt; or someone you care about disappoints you! This is a really good time to do a faith check! It is at this moment that we will usually either panic or stay calm. The faith that you have in Christ will make the difference at a time like this!

The disciples found themselves in just one of those moments in chapter four of Mark when their ship had filled with water in verse thirty-seven.

Mark 4:37
And there arose a great storm of wind,(like a hurricane) and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full.

I could see in this passage that the ship is now full of water and Jesus was asleep on a pillow in the back part of the ship. The disciples had ran around in a panic before they went and woke Him up from His rest. Jesus had been teaching and healing people all day long and the disciples needed Him to do something to save them. Let's take a look at what they said to Him.

Mark 4:38 And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, "Master, care thou not that we perish?"

We see in this verse is that they addressed Jesus as their Master, which in the Greek means "teacher". Those guys were afraid that their end was near and they would soon be sucked up by the sea! They needed someone to give them a plan of action; a "master" plan, so to speak.
Yes, I believe that these men were pretty much in a state of panic and they wanted Jesus to either come up with a solution or to at least, panic with them!

They asked Him, "Don't you care that we are going to die?". Their understanding was blurred by the circumstances and they were past the reasoning and understanding that they were on a ship in a storm with the Son of God! The same One who had spent days and weeks teaching them about the power of faith and exercising this faith in many different ways.

Can you imagine a team of men in a large ship and the waves are crashing over the deck and filling the ship up faster than they can bail it out? Imagine the wind tossing their boat in every direction and the rain beating down on them as they bail faster and faster to keep the boat afloat.
They have been battling this storm for maybe an hour or more and they're loosing the battle. The boat is quickly sinking under the added weight of the water on board. They probably could hear the boards of the ship beginning to creak and move under the stress and they felt as though there was no hope for survival.

Finally, in this moment of total despair, I imagine someone shouted out,"Wake up Jesus!".

When we read what happens next, it is very clear to me that they didn't wake Jesus up for the purpose of stopping the storm. They didn't wake Him with the purpose of delivering them from the circumstances either, as they believed that they were going to die. I believe they were really upset that Jesus was sleeping and they were all bailing water and they just couldn't stand to let Jesus rest so peacefully while they were fighting for their lives! They acted as though they felt that the calm, peaceful sleep that Jesus was experiencing was a sign that He didn't care about them. They had forgotten all the lessons that Jesus had taught them about the battles and struggles of life's difficulties and they were acting purely on human instinct!

How many times do we do this very thing when something catches us by surprise? Do we feel we should battle our way through it and wait until we are about to sink before we run to get help from our Lord? Why do we wait? Some people will tell us that we should do all we can and that God expects that from us, but I believe that too many times we wait until our boat is full of water before we will call out in prayer!
What do you think would have happened if the disciples had woke Jesus when the storm began? Would this have been a good sign that their faith in Him was strong? Would Jesus have responded to their faith earlier in the storm? I feel sure He would have and we see this in the next passages that follow. Let's look at the next two verses together,

Mark 4:39,40
39 And He(Jesus) arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, "Peace, be still". And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.
40 And he said unto them, "Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?"

The same power and authority that we see displayed here when Jesus spoke to the wind and the sea was also available to those pitiful, scared disciples already! Earlier in this passage written by Mark, the disciples were given the power to perform miracles by faith! Jesus had taken them up onto a mountain and ordained them to preach the gospel and to heal the sick and cast out devils! Jesus had told them that they could ask anything if they had faith.(Even moving mountains!) Faith is a powerful thing to have and to understand! We excuse our lack of the power of faith in our lives many times by counting ourselves weak and vulnerable as humans. This isn't what Jesus wants for us as his children and messengers to the rest of the world!

Even still,as people talked, the disciples had heard rumors of how Jesus was from the devil and how Jesus was breaking the laws that had been laid down by the religious leaders, concerning the sabbath day. So we must remember all of that when we see the disciples reaction to the miracles Jesus performed on this day in the storm. Let's read on,

Mark 4:41 And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, "What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?"

It's interesting to read in the previous chapters of Mark how the evil spirits all seemed to know and acknowledged that Jesus was the Holy Son of God and we can also read how that the Holy Spirit descended as the Heavens opened up when Jesus was baptised by John. These same men had been with Jesus to see allot of these things take place, but they hadn't understood and recognized in the time of panic that this same Jesus was the Son of God and has the power to do all things with anything or anyone that He so chooses!

Do we still struggle with this today in our society of logic and legalistic thinking? Would Jesus ask us the same thing that He asked the disciples; when we think we are so smart and capable that we try to get through life's difficult circumstances all on our own?
Do we still get surprised when Jesus answers our prayers? Why should we, if we have constant unwavering faith in Him? He doesn't waver from His promises as we go through life's difficult circumstances; our faith is what can change the way that things turn out and it is each person's faith in God that will deliver and restore you in the presence of life's storms.

Jesus was there in the ship the whole time! The sooner that we understand that this holds true in our lives, the sooner we will find our lives filled with the unlimited resource of miracles and blessings of God through our faith in Him. The Faith of the disciples, or should I say, the lack of faith was the the cause of their distress and panic in this storm. It was their decision to take on the storm all by themselves and did you happen to notice in that last passage that nothing was said about the water in the boat?

Jesus stopped the storm, but they still had a boat full of water!

I just can't help but wonder how they dealt with that situation. That's the problem with waiting many times when crisis comes! We still have the repairs and the cleanup to do as a result of waiting to call for help! Use your faith and call out to God early when a sudden crisis hits you! Your FAITH will carry you safely through the storms and calm the waves and wind.

I'd like to close this Part two message on "FAITH" with a final thought and by reading some verses that will help illustrate this for you. "Hang with me, you won't want to miss this!"

Question - How does our faith carry us through the times of difficulty?

We must be careful not to think that we are constantly on a battleground and that we must always be ready to fight off the unseen forces of satan. In sharing my final point, I would like to point out how living our lives battling satan would be very different from what Jesus was teaching the disciples in the time that He was here on the earth.

The disciples may have tried to handle their difficulties all on their own at times, but I believe that they eventually found, as we will also, that it is not for us to wage war against the devil and sin by our own strength, because we will loose the battle every time!

It is by FAITH in God that we WIN our battles and remain victorious over the evil forces and the difficulties of this world.

That is going to mean giving up our ego trips, putting our own weapons away and trusting in the all consuming power of God. That means fear and respect for the Mighty One who is greater than us all and admitting this daily! Let's look at some verses that illustrate man's Faith in God that carried him through circumstances of difficulty!

The following passage tells us about a group of men who reached out to help a paralyzed man who was completely helpless. They didn't decide to pitch in to get him a new hospital bed or take him meals on wheels. They, in faith, took action to change the man's life forever! They believed in the spoken word of the Lord! By faith, they carried him to where Jesus was speaking.
Mark 2:3-5 And they come unto him, bringing one sick of the palsy(paralyzed), which was carried by four men and when they could not come near to him because of the press, they uncovered the roof where he was: and when they had broken it up, they let down the bed that the sick of the palsy(paralyzed) lay. When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, "Son, thy sins be forgiven thee".
It is true that our sins are what keep us held captive in our troubles and it is the faith in the Lord that allows us the deliverance from the bondage of sin and doubt. The faith of these men showed on this day and Jesus recognized it within their hearts and in their willingness to come to Him for help. Remember, it's so very important for us to be used of God and live a life of freedom from sins bondage! Why would anyone want to remain bound by sin?

The next passage we'll look at is about a woman who had been experiencing a continuous flow of blood for twelve years and she had been to many doctors trying their remedies and spent all that she had, but on this day she had heard that the Lord Jesus was coming and she knew if she could just touch His robe that she would become healthy and have a normal life again! She had come this day with unwavering faith; faith in the power of the Lord Jesus. She believed it with all of her heart! Imagine the joy that filled her life this day!
Mark 5:25-34 And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years and had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse. When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment. For she said, "If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole." Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague. Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said, "Who touched my clothes?" His disciples said unto him, "You see the multitude thronging thee, and you say, "Who touched me?" He looked round about to see her that had done this thing, but the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth and he said unto her, "Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague".

There was a woman of Canaan who had heard that Jesus was going to be at the coasts of Tyre and Sidon and she believed that Jesus could perform miracles and that He was the Lord. She also knew that she was not of Israel, like others who followed Jesus. Yet she knew what she believed and she wasn't going get discouraged and give up because of her ethnic origin, as many times this could become a major social and religious barrier in this region of the world. She knew Jesus could help her daughter who was controlled by a devil! She had to go in faith.
Her friends probably warned her that she wasn't going to be able to be helped, as she was not socially accepted by the nation of Israel. She probably had some doubts herself along the journey to where Jesus was, but by the time she had arrived she was so sure of His power that she knew if she could just get a few crumbs from the bread of life, that her daughter would be free again from being possessed by the devil! Let's look at this passage in Matthew and see what happened,
Matthew 15:22-28 And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, "Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil". But he answered her not a word. His disciples came and besought him, saying, "Send her away; for she cries after us". But he answered and said, "I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel". Then she came and worshipped him, saying, "Lord, help me". But he answered and said, "It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs". She said, "Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table". Then Jesus answered and said unto her, "O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt", and her daughter was made whole from that very hour.

These men and women who were made whole or who were freed from evil spirits were all changed forever! What I want to point our attention to is the thing that made the difference in the lives of the men who brought the paralyzed man to Jesus, the thing that made the difference in the life of the woman who had spent at least a quarter of her life in pain, sorrow and doctor's offices trying to find an answer and the thing that made the difference in the life of the mother and the daughter who was suffering being controlled by a devil that had plans to destroy her body, mind and soul. The thing that made the difference in the lives of these people and many more throughout the Word of God is that they had come to an understanding; a major realization of the hope that was found only in the Lord Jesus who had come to earth as a man to seek and to save that which was lost.

You see, they had come to understand the fear of the Lord's Power through respect and reverence; they had come to understand the love of the Lord in His power and willingness to forgive people of their sin and this brought each and every on of them next to understand His compassion on all of them as He always recognized their faith and trust in Him as their Savior!

Your FAITH will carry you through the difficulties and bring you amazing deliverance from the circumstances and troubles of this world. You will live above the times of crisis when you trust GOD to carry YOU, by Faith!

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"What Faith Will Do"

By Rob Bailes

"Your Faith Will Change You"
Have you ever had someone warn you of something and you thought to yourself, "I'm not so sure about that", only to find out later that they were right?
It is at the moment that we realize that something is for real and we know without a doubt that what we have heard is true, that faith takes seed in our hearts, our minds and our body! It's at that moment that we also find ourselves moving into action, as the situation becomes more clear.

Jesus gives us an example about the man that digs deep and lays his foundation on the rock so that his house will stand when the water beats against the house. Jesus was referring to the man that will listen to what He tells him and then "do" what he has heard. It is through the believing of something that we experience faith and this faith will cause us to act accordingly. Right now, what I want you to concentrate on is what you believe! Take all other thoughts and interruptions and leave them in the next room. I want you to focus your full attention for the next ten minutes on what you believe and look at how it has changed your life. Ready?

It is simple to say we believe in something, but it is different to believe in it so much that we have faith in something. We use the words faith, believe, commit and dedication so casual in our day, that we often miss what it really means, but I find that the parables and experiences of Jesus actually take us to a level of understanding where we receive wisdom and knowledge that we can apply to each of our lives. "Faith Doesn't Doubt!" There seems to be allot of confusion about this simple, yet profound statement today.

I hear people say so casually, "I believe in God,but...this or that" and people say, "I have faith, but I think there's a limit to how far you should go with it!". Another one I have heard is, "I asked God to save me, but I never did do anything really bad".

It is good for us to take time to look into the parables and teachings of Jesus, as this will tell us what we need to build ourselves a solid foundation. Jesus teaches all of us that the first thing we need to do in laying our firm foundation is to believe without a doubt, have faith. Let's all take a few minutes to look at a time when Jesus had been performing miracles and He was invited to the home of a Pharisee to dine. Jesus had accepted the invitation and had been teaching and performing miracles, so I'm sure that there was quite a crowd gathered around this man's house just waiting for Jesus to reappear and continue showing His miraculous power and pouring out His compassion on them. Somehow though, a woman had slipped into the house where Jesus had taken His seat on the couch, which was a Jewish custom. The Jews would eat while laying on their side and their knees bent with their feet behind them.

I can imagine this woman showing herself at the doorway and Jesus motioning for her to come in and join them. Perhaps the Pharisee had gone to check on the food or may have been inviting some of the others that were his friends, as we see later that there were others at this meal. None the less, the woman who is not ever named, enters the room. She has been listening to Jesus teaching and has seen His miracles performed and has come to the realization that this must be who they say He is; the Messiah, sent by God to save His people from their sin. She stands behind Him now, maybe trying to control herself, but it is impossible! The tears are flowing uncontrollably as she stands at His feet! She wipes her eyes and sees that she has soaked His feet with her tears and kneels to wipe the wet dust from His feet with her most adorned apparel, her hair. She continues to cry as she thinks about her past and how many times she has felt the guilt of her sins; avoiding conversation with those who would dare to mention God or anything related to worship. This would normally have only made her feel worse about herself and the life she had chosen to live long ago. Now though, she was sitting at the feet of this One they called the Messiah, the Savior of His people! At His feet, where typically the servants would stay, she began to clean His feet with her hair and her tears. As she washed them she also began to kiss His feet, which was an act of adoration and respect for Jesus. But she didn't just kiss them once, but over and over again in love for her new found Lord! She felt so blessed to be able to show Him her love and belief in Him in such a way as this.

Then she took out the alabaster container of ointment, a bottle of perfume; a perfume that some theologians believe she had used to attract the attention of others and most likely her most treasured possession. Ointment was a very expensive product in this day and was used much like our cologne and deodorant today. You see, the Greek translation for the word that describes her as a sinner means one living in sin or a whore. Now how do we feel about this whole picture? What would we have been thinking if we had been sitting in that room, knowing that she had this reputation?

Wait! Let's bring it up to our day and time! Ok? What if she was a woman who was known as a Playboy centerfold and stripper who had been on public TV and the latest Yahoo News sites all over the world? Now, how does that make us feel? Maybe we can understand a little better about what happens next!

The Pharisee, whose name was Simon, was thinking within himself,"If this man was a prophet, he would have know what kind of woman was touching Him and that she was a sinner (whore)". That's when Jesus shared something with Simon. Jesus asked him,"If one man owed $50 and another man owed $500 and they didn't have anything to pay and the creditor told them that he wasn't going to make them pay. Which one of the men would love him more?". Simon answered and said that he supposed that the one that owed the creditor more money. Then Jesus told him that he had judge right!

Then Jesus told Simon to look at the woman, but Jesus also looked at her according to this passage. Jesus had no problem giving her His attention because he saw her through different eyes; eyes that didn't judge her. Jesus told him, "See thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gave me no water for my feet: but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head. Thou gave me no kiss: but this woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss my feet. My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment. Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.

In Simon's eyes, he had few sins and so he had little love for the Lord. Do you think that if we believe this about ourselves, it will also have an impact on how much we love our Savior. If Jesus walked into the room right now, how would you honestly react? Would you drop to your knees? Would you just stare at Him in amazement and wait for Him to recognize YOU? Do we think that we are going to be His focus when we get to heaven? Are we really that great in our own eyes? I hear this dangerous doctrine taught all across America today and it is teaching people to love God less, just as we see in the house of the Pharisee with Jesus! "How are we to feel the love that this woman had for Jesus?", you may be ask, just as I did when I first read this passage.

We must look hard and long at what we believe! This passage has brought me to realize two very important things. I took the time to search my heart and see the way that I saw myself and what I believed about my past and what God had done for me. This brought me to a deeper appreciation of what Jesus meant to me as He was the one who forgave us all as He hung on the cross. he forgave us even before this, just as He had forgiven the woman that day so long ago for all of her past sins and lifestyle that had given such a bad name. Let's look at what Jesus says,

Luke 7:48 And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven.

But why did Jesus make mention of this? I believe that He was making a point to each of those sitting at the table that day and to each of us reading this lesson today. Jesus knew that the question would come up in their hearts, "Who is this that forgives sins also?". This has become the question of the century by many a Muslim and other religions across the world and many of them deny it! They can't believe that a man named Jesus can pardon the sins of wicked men!

I believe what Jesus says next will clear this up for us all!

Luke 7:50 And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace.

It was the sincere belief in God and the message of the Messiah Jesus that cause this woman to change and her faith was made alive and that seed of faith which had been dead began to grow in her heart, her mind and then was evident in her body. She changed the way she felt; she changed the way she thought and she changed the way she loved! She went from doubting, bondage and oppression to having faith, pardoned and peace. Let's take a final look at the word "peace" in the Greek translation used here.

The Greek word is eirēnē
It is pronounced i-rah'-nay
Probably from a primary verb εἴρω eirō (to join); peace (literally or figuratively); by implication prosperity: - one, peace, quietness, rest, + set at one again.
Let's take a few minutes to kneel at Jesus feet and adore Him as we grasp the fact that He has forgiven ALL of our sins! Let's love Him more and more each day!
"Thy faith has saved you; go in peace."