PRAISE HIM IN THE STORM

SCRIPTURE

Time After Pentecost - Lectionary 12
Mark 4:35-41 (NRSV)

Christ calming the sea

On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, "Let us go across to the other side." And leaving the crowd behind, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. Other boats were with him. A great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped. But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke him up and said to him, "Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?" He woke up and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Peace! Be still!" Then the wind ceased, and there was a dead calm. He said to them, "Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?" And they were filled with great awe and said to one another, "Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?"

DEVOTION

Oh hallelujah! Today I am reminded why I love the Bible so much! I have read and/or preached this scripture hundreds of times, but today—as always—I learned something new! Thank you Holy Spirit!

Today I am captivated by the fact that Jesus got into the boat with his disciples to “leave the crowd behind.” Jesus was tired of the chaos of the people pressing in on him; they wanted food and they needed Jesus! He had just spent the entire day ministering to the people and he needed a place to rest, relax, and put his feet up after a long and tiring day!

He said to his disciples, “Let us go across to the other side,” then he got in the boat, put his head on a pillow, and was out like a light!

While he was sleeping, a great windstorm arose and water started pouring into the boat. In response, the disciples began to panic, but Jesus continued to soundly sleep.

Don’t you think it is amazing that the storm was a place of terror for the disciples and a place of great peace for Jesus?

Wow! Their disparate reaction must have something to do with their perspective on the storm.

As the disciples viewed the storm they were afraid. They saw the wind and the waves and felt as if their lives were in danger. As the boat grew heavy with water the disciples undoubtedly began to fear the worst. In their imaginations they probably could see the boat sinking with them inside. They were fearful of choking, drowning, and then dying, whilst Jesus slept in the boat.

On the other hand, Jesus got into the boat with the injunction, “we are going to the other side.” Jesus was sure about his destination and peaceful about the journey. He went to sleep confident, sure that all was well!

Did you notice the descriptive words in bold as they related to the disciples? The words associated with the disciples are: afraid, danger, fear, and die. Whereas the words associated with Jesus are sure, peaceful, confident, and well!

Wow! This is a stark difference, is it not? So, what accounts for the difference? Again, I believe it has to do with each man’s perspective.

The disciples could only see the now. They could only focus on the storm. They were only able to live in the terror of the present moment. They threw their faith overboard looking at the power of the storm, rather than remembering the power their God.

Jesus was able to see past, present, and future all at once. As the Son of God, he was fully God and fully man! As a man, he needed rest and sleep after a long day, but as God Omnipotent, he knew that the storm would rise, but he also knew that he had absolutely NO-thing to fear.

I believe this is how God sees our storms today. We see the trials, tribulations, heartaches, pains, illnesses, poverty and betrayals of this life and we panic. Our imaginations tell us that horrible things are going to happen to us--and to our loved ones--and so we begin to flail around! Instead of hoping for the best, we prepare for the worst, believing that at any moment we are sure to die!

God on the other hand, already knows that we are not going to die! God knows that FEAR is simply, “False Evidence Appearing Real.”

God knows that once we put all of our hope in Jesus, there is absolutely nothing that can keep us from eternal relationship and home with our God!

God knows that God has a good plan for us not to harm us but to give us a future and hope (Jer 29:11). God knows that all things work together for good for those that love God and are called according to God’s purposes (Romans 8:28). God knows that nothing can separate us from the love of God revealed in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:39).

In times of trouble we see the wind and the waves and anticipate the worst, but God sees an opportunity for us to learn to get still, calm, and quiet as we learn to trust in God!

In response to our terror and fear, God says, “Peace be still.”

God speaks to the storm, “Peace be still.”

God speaks to the disciples, “Peace be still.”

God speaks to us today, “Peace be still.”

My friends, be at peace and get very still. Stop trying to solve the problem. Stop flailing around in the boat. Fear not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord (Ex 14: 13)!

God knows about your storm. God knows that you are afraid. But, God also knows that God is in control. In response to our fear God says, “Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?”

Today, Spirit is imploring you to have faith in Jesus. The Bible says that, “Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1).”

Right now, you can see the storm. But, faith is not about believing in what you can see, it is believing in The One who has promised that “all is well, all is well, all manner of things are well (Julian of Norwich).”

You know, it never occurred to Jesus that he—and his disciples--would not arrive safely on the other side. He spoke it and so he knew that it would be so.

The same is true today. God speaks blessings and not curses, life and not death, into our lives and God is fully confident that both will come to pass.

Listen my friends, be at peace. God has already proven God’s great love for you when Jesus went to the cross to save us from our sin and gift us with eternal life. If God did not spare Jesus from the cross, but gave him up for us all, surely God will also freely give us everything else that we may need (Romans 8:32)!

Even in the midst of our storms, God is fully in control of the situation. We need only to trust in his ability to bring us safely to the other side.

Will you trust Jesus today?

Dear God, today I put all of my hope in you. I have faith that You love me and Jesus died and rose again so that my sins are forgiven and I am the recipient of eternal life. Please forgive me of my sin and fill me with the love, joy, and peace of the Holy Spirit. I know that you are in full control of my life. I will praise you in the storm. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

SPECIAL NOTE

If you just prayed this prayer for the first time, today, you are saved! I would be so honored if you would let me know about your decision by clicking “Yes” in the poll located at the top/right of today’s devotional! I am so happy for you! Happy Spiritual Re-Birth-Day!

Next steps: In response to what God did for you just now, let me suggest that you consider telling another Christian so that they can celebrate with you! Ask them to help you find a Bible that is easy for you to understand so that you can learn more about your new-found faith! Ask them to help you find a good Bible believing church where you can be baptized and make loving friends who will walk with you on your new journey! You are already saved; now let God mature you by faith! Congratulations!

ANNOUNCEMENTS

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY TO ALL THE DADDIES WHO ARE READING TODAY! GOD LOVES YOU AND SO DO I!

If you would like to put all of your hope in Jesus today, please visit my blog entitled, “Putting All Your Hope In Jesus” located at
http://aintathatgoodnews.blogspot.com/2009/04/putting-all-your-hope-in-jesus.html

If you have additional questions about how to become a friend and follower of Jesus, please see the devotion entitled, "Come to Jesus"
http://aintathatgoodnews.blogspot.com/2009/03/come-to-jesus.html

Pastor Yolanda is now publishing another blog entitled, “A Spoken WORD” in celebration of Holy Hip Hop, Gospel/Christian Rap and Spoken Word. Please check it out @ http://aspokenword.blogspot.com/

You are invited to follow Pastor Yolanda on Twitter www.twitter.com/PastorYolanda

Good News has now added a Prayer Ministry. http://www.kindlejoy.com/groups/goodnews

You are invited to leave comments or questions regarding today’s devotional. These comments are public.

EACH ONE--REACH ONE! To share GOOD NEWS with a friend please click the "Share With Friends" button to the right!

Thanks for reading and please come again. Pastor Yolanda extends a very special welcome to all of our friends reading outside of the United States of America! We are honored that you are sharing with us today.

From Pastor Yolanda's blog http://aintathatgoodnews.blogspot.com

WHO WILL BE A WITNESS FOR MY LORD?

SCRIPTURE

Time After Pentecost - Lectionary 11
Mark 4:26-34 (NRSV)

The parable of the mustard seed

He also said, "The kingdom of God is as if someone would scatter seed on the ground, and would sleep and rise night and day, and the seed would sprout and grow, he does not know how. The earth produces of itself, first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain in the head. But when the grain is ripe, at once he goes in with his sickle, because the harvest has come."

He also said, "With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable will we use for it? It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth; yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs, and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade."

With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it; he did not speak to them except in parables, but he explained everything in private to his disciples.

DEVOTION

This summer I’ve been doing a little gardening. I don’t have very lofty goals, but I’m doing my best to bring some color, flower, and shrub to the soil around my home.

One of my greatest challenges has been to contain the weeds growing around my little gardens! It is appalling how many days I have spent attempting to weed out the dandelions, only to wake up in the morning to discover more than have taken their place.

My goodness! How does this happen? It seems these little dandelions are very tenacious! They put down their roots, spread across my grass, blow seeds all across my lawn (sometimes with help from my daughter) and they grow, grow, grow no matter what hardships might befall them!

I rip them out by their roots; others sprout up the next day. I spray fertilizer in their faces, they stubbornly cling to life. The rains fail to come and the ground dries out, and still they lift up their faces to the sun, as happy as they want to be!

Oh, that Christians could be like dandelions or like mustard seeds--stubborn, tenacious, joyful, and committed to our mission in the world (smile)!

I like to imagine that God is the sower and we—as bearers of the GOOD NEWS message—are the seed.

When we “hit the earth” we ought to be about the business of sharing the GOOD NEWS message that God loves us so much that God gave Jesus to die upon the cross to save us from our sin and gift us with eternal life.

No matter what obstacles besiege us, we ought to be steadfast in our determination to live out our mission and call on the Earth. We ought to stubbornly, tenaciously, and joyfully attend to the work of telling people that God loves them, Jesus died for them, and Spirit wants to fill them with God’s joy!

Like dandelions—or mustard seeds--we are called to be gracious, but tenacious. I have never heard a dandelion apologize for being a dandelion. The dandelion does not excuse its behavior or apologize for its mission, it just grows, grows, grows, by any means necessary!

Now that I think about it, I respect the dandelion. It is doing what God created it to do! My only prayer is that as Christians we would learn the lesson the dandelion is teaching us today. We are invited—and instructed—to bring the good news message to every person living in our neighborhoods!

Now do not despair if some of your neighbors don’t appreciate your “dandelion evangelism!”

What we do as bearers of GOOD NEWS may seem insignificant to some, but it is not insignificant to God! God appreciates each and every effort you put forth to share the Name--and Love--of Jesus with others!

Our evangelistic efforts to bring GOOD NEWS to those who have not heard, forgotten, or lost their way affects eternity! As we introduce people to Jesus, and help them to put all of their hope in Him, we become partners with God in the greatest service ever rendered!

Sometimes we may think that our faith is too small to share with others; but we are not correct! Even if you only have faith the size of a mustard seed, you have enough to tell somebody that Jesus saves and He saves to the utmost!

Unlike dandelions, everybody needs love! Everybody needs forgiveness! Everybody needs to be in right relationship with God! Everybody needs eternal life in the Heavens!

As we share our faith, we are bringing a GOOD NEWS message that will change people’s lives, families, communities, work places, and world!

Will you be a dandelion today?

Holy One, thank you that you have given me good seed—and made me good seed—for the fertile fields of human hearts! Help me to share the GOOD NEWS message that You love us and gave Jesus to die for us, all to save us from our sin and gift us with eternal life! This GOOD NEWS has taken root in my heart and saved my soul! Help me to partner with you as we plant this same seed in the hearts of others. I love you and I want others to love you too. Please help me stubbornly, tenaciously, joyfully, graciously, humbly and gently share Your Love with others! In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Congratulations to the people who have recently put all of their hope in Jesus! We celebrate your re-birth-day and promise to hold you in our prayers!

If you would like to put all of your hope in Jesus today, please visit my blog entitled, “Putting All Your Hope In Jesus” located at
http://aintathatgoodnews.blogspot.com/2009/04/putting-all-your-hope-in-jesus.html

If you have additional questions about how to become a friend and follower of Jesus, please see the devotion entitled, "Come to Jesus"
http://aintathatgoodnews.blogspot.com/2009/03/come-to-jesus.html

Pastor Yolanda is now publishing another blog entitled, “A Spoken WORD” in celebration of Holy Hip Hop, Gospel/Christian Rap and Spoken Word. Please check it out @ http://aspokenword.blogspot.com/

You are invited to follow Pastor Yolanda on Twitter www.twitter.com/PastorYolanda

Good News has now added a Prayer Ministry. http://www.kindlejoy.com/groups/goodnews

You are invited to leave comments or questions regarding today’s devotional. These comments are public.

EACH ONE--REACH ONE! To share GOOD NEWS with a friend please click the "Share With Friends" button to the right!

Thanks for reading and please come again. Pastor Yolanda extends a very special welcome to all of our friends reading outside of the United States of America! We are honored that you are sharing with us today.

From Pastor Yolanda's blog http://aintathatgoodnews.blogspot.com

GOOD NEWS RISES...

SCRIPTURE

Mark 4:1-20 (NRSV)
The parable of the sower

Again he began to teach beside the sea. Such a very large crowd gathered around him that he got into a boat on the sea and sat there, while the whole crowd was beside the sea on the land. He began to teach them many things in parables, and in his teaching he said to them: "Listen! A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil, and it sprang up quickly, since it had no depth of soil. And when the sun rose, it was scorched; and since it had no root, it withered away. Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no grain. Other seed fell into good soil and brought forth grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirty and sixty and a hundredfold." And he said, "Let anyone with ears to hear listen!"

When he was alone, those who were around him along with the twelve asked him about the parables. And he said to them, "To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside, everything comes in parables; in order that
'they may indeed look, but not perceive,
and may indeed listen, but not understand;
so that they may not turn again and be forgiven.'"

And he said to them, "Do you not understand this parable? Then how will you understand all the parables? The sower sows the word. These are the ones on the path where the word is sown: when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that is sown in them. And these are the ones sown on rocky ground: when they hear the word, they immediately receive it with joy. But they have no root, and endure only for a while; then, when trouble or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away. And others are those sown among the thorns: these are the ones who hear the word, but the cares of the world, and the lure of wealth, and the desire for other things come in and choke the word, and it yields nothing. And these are the ones sown on the good soil: they hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirty and sixty and a hundredfold."

MEDITATION—Today is Saturday Psalmody! Today, the meditation is offered as a psalm from my heart. If you would like a more traditional devotion, please search the archives for a title that appeals to you! (smile)

GOOD NEWS RISES...

My Lord and My God

How I need GOOD NEWS.

Please ,

speak to me afresh

I need to hear from you.

For this bad news world

With all its trials and tribulations

Heartaches and failures

Hatred and division

Striving, scraping, and scrapping

Has worn me thin

Torn me down

Bowed my head

Beaten upon me until

I

Just

Can’t

Get

Up…

How I long to run away

To just give up

To hide my face

To weep until I am dry

And no more tears will come…

My Lord and My God

How I need GOOD NEWS

For I know and believe

By faith---

That there is GOOD NEWS

For me…

I sit in silence

Pondering my life

Realizing

that for today GOOD NEWS

May simply mean

That you love me

And that Your extravagant Spirit

Extends to me unconditional love

Unmerited mercy

And life everlasting…

GOOD NEWS

Means that Jesus did go to the cross

He did bleed, suffer, and die

He did make reparation for my sin—

But not for my sin only,

But for the sin of the whole wide world!

GOOD NEWS

Means that Jesus did not stay dead

But, He was resurrected; just as He said!

GOOD NEWS

Means that the angels

Did herald your great victory

Over sin, death and the grave

And they bid the women GO

And TELL the story…

Jesus is risen!

He is risen indeed!

GOOD NEWS Rises

In my heart

Even at the most distressing of times

When my sin,

Or the sin of others

Tries to choke GOOD NEWS out of my life…

GOOD NEWS rises

When the cares of this world—

The lust for fame,

fortune, success,

and popularity,

threaten to destroy my joy.

GOOD NEWS rises

In every time

And every place

In every circumstance of life

Reminding me

Calling me

Beckoning to me…

JESUS LIVES!

And because He lives*

I can face tomorrow

And because he lives

All fear is gone

Because I know

He holds my future

My life is worth the living just

Because He lives!

GOOD NEWS rises…

Lord, please let me be swift in sharing it with others. Amen.

Acknowledgements

*“Because He Lives” was written by William J. Gaither

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Congratulations to the people who have recently put all of their hope in Jesus! We celebrate your re-birth-day and promise to hold you in our prayers!

If you would like to put all of your hope in Jesus today, please visit my blog entitled, “Putting All Your Hope In Jesus” located at
http://aintathatgoodnews.blogspot.com/2009/04/putting-all-your-hope-in-jesus.html

If you have additional questions about how to become a friend and follower of Jesus, please see the devotion entitled, "Come to Jesus"
http://aintathatgoodnews.blogspot.com/2009/03/come-to-jesus.html

Pastor Yolanda is now publishing another blog entitled, “A Spoken WORD” in celebration of Holy Hip Hop, Gospel/Christian Rap and Spoken Word. Please check it out @ http://aspokenword.blogspot.com/

You are invited to follow Pastor Yolanda on Twitter www.twitter.com/PastorYolanda

Good News has now added a Prayer Ministry. http://www.kindlejoy.com/groups/goodnews

You are invited to leave comments or questions regarding today’s devotional. These comments are public.

EACH ONE--REACH ONE! To share GOOD NEWS with a friend please click the "Share With Friends" button to the right!

Thanks for reading and please come again. Pastor Yolanda extends a very special welcome to all of our friends reading outside of the United States of America! We are honored that you are sharing with us today.

From Pastor Yolanda's blog http://aintathatgoodnews.blogspot.com