Why Are You So Afraid?

“He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”   

This was Jesus’ question after he’s calmed the waves and wind. But it speaks more to the tense. He didn’t ask why were they afraid, but why are they afraid. Here’s the thing, they were afraid of one thing and then another. But they walked with Jesus and really should have had no fear. If Jesus was resting, they could rest. 

But that is also us. We forget too soon how he kept us in our ‘befores’. If he kept us in our ‘befores’, then he has us in our ‘now’. And we can have peace. Today, thank him for your ‘befores’ and watch him in your ‘nows’. The more you watch, the more you see. And you can walk with no fear. The Tribbett says “If he did it before, he’ll do it again. Same God right now, same God back then.” Won’t he do it? Then why are we so afraid?  enough for now.

Who Do You Say

Matthew 16:13-16 NIV “When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” 

They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 

“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” 

Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” 

Jesus first asked the disciples who the people said Jesus was. You know people said a lot of things.  It was then he asked them who did they say, and Peter spoke up. 

Many people speak about what they have heard about Jesus not what they know. Peter had relationship with Jesus and spoke from that. There are times that we call his name and we call out of who he is right then. We may call Jesus, our comforter, Jesus our way maker, Jesus of peace bearer. He is still Jesus. But we can’t call if we don’t know him him like. 

His name has so many facets and all of them are available to us - it’s relationship. Call him by his name Jesus! enough for now.

Do You Want to be Healed?

John 5:1–10 (NIV): “Some time later, Jesus went up to Jerusalem for one of the Jewish festivals. Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool, which in Aramaic is called Bethesda and which is surrounded by five covered colonnades. Here a great number of disabled people used to lie—the blind, the lame, the paralyzed. [4] One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. 6 When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to get well?” 

“Sir,” the invalid replied, “I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me.” 

Then Jesus said to him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked.”

This was another question that Jesus asked- and that he asks us, “Do you want to be healed?”

Our infirmity may not be in form of 38 years of a physical disability. But it can be in the form of any trauma that we have suffered, and may still be suffering. And since we have been born into a fallen world, at sometime or another we have suffered trauma. 

The good news is that we don’t stay there. That we too are offered relief. Do you want to be healed? All we do is say yes, and watch what God does. enough for now.

What Do You Want?

John 1:32-39. “The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!” 

When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, “What do you want?” 

They said, “Rabbi” (which means “Teacher”), “where are you staying?” 

“Come,” he replied, “and you will see.” 

So they went and saw where he was staying, and they spent that day with him. It was about four in the afternoon.” 

The focus is on the question that Jesus asked, “What do you want?” Jesus asks the same question to us- what do you want? Too often we respond with what we don’t want to with short term fixes. But God is long term. What do you want?  enough for now.

Cutting Edge

“As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.”

I think sometimes we miss the power in this. We learn from one another, that’s why we share with one another. No one person has all the knowledge, and when we share we strengthen each other. Likewise, when we can offer constructive criticism and it is accepted, then both are strengthened. 

We don’t need to understand it all, but we learn through questioning for understanding, and yes for challenging. But this type of challenge is to strengthen and encourage- not to tear down. Unity is key as no one is sharpened alone. When we sharpen one another we can gain wisdom. Our experiences, our gifts, our talents are meant to share to help each other. Enough for now.

That Place

Psalm 15:1–5 (NIV): “Lord, who may dwell in your sacred tent? Who may live on your holy mountain? 

The one whose walk is blameless, who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from their heart; whose tongue utters no slander, who does no wrong to a neighbor, and casts no slur on others; who despises a vile person but honors those who fear the Lord; who keeps an oath even when it hurts, and does not change their mind; who lends money to the poor without interest; who does not accept a bribe against the innocent. 

Whoever does these things will never be shaken.”

These five short verses asks the question who can commune with God, gives the answer, and then the promise of God. We get to sacred space of communing by walking blameless. Even this pandemic has shown us that there are some things we must do to enter  a reputable business: wear a mask, take temperature, hand sanitizer, be socially distanced. 

 Why would we not think there are some thing we must do to meet God in that place? He rewards our efforts to walk in what he requires. And really, really, it’s not that hard, but we make it difficult. 

He invites us into that space at any time. And the cool part about it is that nothing, no one can take it from us, from snatch us us from him.  

Just as we check off what we need when we leave home, let’s check where we need strength, and give that place to God. And watch what he does. enough for now.

Be Still

You know, with all the crazy around- it can get you down. And even today I tried to check this site and couldn't find myself. Well that is enough. It is time to . . . be still. I have found in the stillness one can get answers. In the stillness one can get direction. In the stillness one can rest in a saneness given by God, and move from the insanity of negativity. In the stillness we can know that he is God. And that’s all we need. enough for now.