Tag Archives: miracle

Jars

Posted on by

0

Cup. Pencil. Hat. Blanket. Socks. Couch. Jar.

And the list goes on. That list being the ordinary, boring, even mundane things of our lives.

But even if these things are mundane, they can be important.

Check out these verses from John 2:

“6Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons. b7Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water”; so they filled them to the brim.”

My previous post explained the miracle that Jesus performed.

This post shows us that the normal everyday things can be used in miraculous ways.

These jars were common in every household. Servants would use the water to wash feet. Nothing special about the jars.

Until Jesus got a hold of them.

I like the next part. They filled them to the brim.

When Jesus is requesting something of you, go all out!

You can read the rest of the story on your own. I just wanted to highlight the use of the jars.

We all have jars in our life. The simple things. The mundane things.

In the hands of Jesus, they could provide miracles. We don’t always know what Jesus will do but we can always be ready.

Here are my jars Lord. They are filled to the brim.

Components of a Miracle

Posted on by

0

Ever experienced a miracle?

Before we talk about miracles, let’s review:

  • John 2 starts with a wedding.
  • It was in a small town not far from Nazereth.
  • Jesus was there.
  • His mother and disciples were also present
  • They had all been invited

For a more detailed review, here are links to the first three posts:

Better than a Golden Ticket

Golden Ticket = Invitation

The “Gold” in Golden Ticket

Now on to the miracle!

I wrote this line as a teaser in the last post:

The Messiah can bring meaning through miracles.

My thoughts on miracles are this:

All miracles require Opportunity and Ability

Initially, there must be a need for a miracle; opportunity.

In this story, the wine has run out. Not a good thing.

The host would have been disgraced. Many people would be disappointed or even upset. The festivities would have to be cut short. The reputation of the couple would be tarnished from this disaster.

In short, they needed more wine. The opportunity has presented itself.

Flip the coin, we need to identify the ability half of this miracle.

Up to this point, Jesus has not performed any miracles of which we are aware. He is relativity unknown. But his mother is there.

Luke 2:19 tells is that Mary “pondered these things in her heart…”

I think that Mary knew who her son was when he was born. Having children of my own, I know things about them that no one else does. My wife, their mother, just knows our kids.

Moms just know.

So she tells Jesus (Ability) to do something about the problem.

And Jesus obeys his mother.

And performs his first miracle. Water into wine!

Now, this wedding, that was surely to be written off as a superb mistake, can be remembered as an event with special meaning!

The Messiah gave meaning because of the miracle!

Do ever feel like your life is like this wedding?

You are embarrassed because you failed.

Your reputation is tainted.

People are gossiping about you.

Your friends and perhaps even your family are disgraced.

Sounds you have plenty of Opportunity in your life.

If you invite Jesus, you now have Ability present in your life.

And, as far as this author is concerned, you have all you need for a miracle.

May the Messiah bring meaning into your mess through a miracle.

God bless you.

Lent, pt. 18

Posted on by

0

And with a final burst of strength, she extends her arm with fingers grasping until, finally, they close on cloth. The hem of His garment.

hem3

Instantly, she feels whole. Healed. Yes, the pursuit has wrought victory over pain!

Her faith was champion! She pursued and was now devoted.

What a story! It would be great if we all had success stories like this woman. After so much toil and suffering, the end of that season came and she was healed!

There was Pain for 12 years. Lent, pt 14

This led to Desperation. 

But, because she did not go to Jesus first, a Problem arose. Lent, pt. 15

And she became Disillusioned.

People were in her way. Lent, pt. 16

They were potential Distractions.

Nothing would stop her Pursuit. Lent, pt. 17

Her Determination was strong.

As we finish her story, Jesus speaks and this woman is healed.

What was the Product of this journey? Now, fully healed, she was Devoted to Jesus.

Sure, she may have been frightened because she did not ask permission or even speak to Jesus. She just reached out and grabbed his robe!

All of her fears or misgivings were dismissed after speaking with the Lord.

She became a devoted follower of Jesus. At least I think she did. The bible does not give us her story after this encounter. So dream with me…

When Jesus performed other miracles, she would be in the background affirming that Jesus is really doing this and it is not some magic trick.

Was she at the scene during one of the miraculous feedings? Can you imagine her sharing some bread with a friend and explaining her own healing?

Or, she was witnessing the death of her Lord. As he hung on the cross, she would urge those around her that this man is innocent. He is God! He healed me!

Sure, those are just speculations on my part but it is fun to think about the future when we see the present.

What is Jesus doing right now.? Will your future be affected by your present?

Simply put, are you devoted to Him?

I hope my words can spur you on to devotion.

Whatever phase (pain, problem, people, pursuit, or product) you are in, keep moving! Don’t let the devil win. Jesus already won. Just live it out.

As devoted followers of Jesus, we can change our world. After all, Jesus changed us first!

devoted

 

Lent, pt. 13

Posted on by

1

As I mentioned yesterday, I want to share some thoughts on Mark 5.

Here are the verses:

“A large crowd followed and pressed around him. 25 And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. 26 She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. 27 When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, 28 because she thought, “If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.” 29 Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering. 30 At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my clothes?” 31 “You see the people crowding against you,” his disciples answered, “and yet you can ask, ‘Who touched me?’ ” 32 But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. 33 Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. 34 He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.”” NIV Mark 5:24b-34

This is a somewhat familiar story. It might not rank with the feeding of the 5000 or David and Goliath, but it still has great meaning and potential for you and me.

This passage is multi-faceted so it will take a few days to get through it.

To start with, there is an overall aspect that is most important.

For the woman in the story, her goal was to get to Jesus.

Let that sink in.

Jesus was the goal.

For us, during this Lent season, Jesus should be our goal.

Whatever the pain, people, or problems that we encounter, Jesus is our aim.

As you sleep tonight, dream of that goal. That glorious goal of someday being with Jesus.

Ah, what a glorious day indeed.

See you tomorrow!

 

Anatomy of a Miracle

Posted on by

3

Miracles. What are they? How can they take place? What can we do to make them?

I think it is safe to say that anybody would welcome a miracle in their life. I mean, why not? Healing? Fixing of relationship? More money? ______________________?

Why do miracles take place? As far as I am concerned, God does a miracle as He sees fit. ONLY God can do it and He does not always explain the circumstances!

But I think we have a part. When following a cake recipe, it is important that you get all the ingredients otherwise the cake won’t turn out right.

cake fail

The difference between my wife and I decorating cakes! Ha!

While I am not baking a cake here, I am listing the ingredients for a miracle.

And for the miracle to take place, to actually happen, all three of these need to be present. Let’s go back to the Jordan river to see the Anatomy of a Miracle.

  1. A miracle consists of an Objective Impossible for you to Obtain. The Israelites had a promise given to them many years prior to this point. Literally, God had told them that He would take them to the Promised Land. They had their eyes set on an objective. We all need something that holds our attention. Call it a goal, desire, objective or whatever; you need to be looking at something ahead of you or you will never move forward. Flip the coin. That objective that you want-it must be impossible for you to get. For a miracle to take place, you first need to be looking at something that you cannot get on your own.  
  2. A miracle consists of an Obstacle Insurmountable for you to Overcome. There was a river in the way. A fast-flowing river that would prevent them from entering the Promised Land. Is there an obstacle in your way? Is it something that you cannot overcome? Good. You are on your way to a miracle. If you have a goal but something is blocking you then I see that you are two-thirds closer to God doing something great in your life. Whether that obstacle is a person, an idea, a negative thought, a physical thing, it must insurmountable for you.
  3. A miracle consists of an Opportunity Included for you to Obey. Yes, the dreaded ‘O’ word. The older I get, I keep coming back to the idea that all I can ever do is obey. That is all God asks of me. Yes, He wants my heart and mind but my obedience is that handing over of those things to Him. Every time I get stuck, I get an opportunity to obey. Standing before the river, the command was to step into the river. When facing an obstacle, do I obey and take the step of faith? For the Israelites, it was a literal step. For me, what is my step of faith? For you, how can you obey God today?

It is my opinion that someone would need all three of these”ingredients” for a miracle.

However, one thing I need to make clear is this: God can and will do miracles in His sovereignty. I can’t force God to do something. This might be debatable but I feel like God will do what He pleases when and how He pleases. That is part of what makes Him God.

Let me end 2018 with a recap:

  • A miracle consists of an Objective Impossible for you to Obtain. 
  • A miracle consists of an Obstacle Insurmountable for you to Overcome.
  • A miracle consists of an Opportunity Included for you to Obey. 

Or, just simply obey God with all your heart. No matter how small or unimportant it may seem, trust what God is telling you.

Who knows, you may be experiencing more miracles in this next year! So go ahead and take that step of faith!

step faith