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Listen here to our devotional for today: https://bit.ly/3gkWGxI
35 That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” 36 Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. 37 A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. 38 Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” 39 He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. 40 He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” 41 They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!” (Mark 4:35-41 NIV)
Happy and Blessed Monday! May you, dear Friend. be filled wtih the Holy Spirit, obedient and faithful in going forth to serve our Lord! May our prayers continue to be about doing the will of God and reaching all we can for the good of God's kingdom. We pray God's will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. Please pray for a nephew of ours, Mr. Julian Ruiz, as he battles a brain tumor. He is in the hosptial in McAllen and may be his final days. Pray for God's will to be done; pray also for his family. Pray for one another; pray for yourselves.
This is a well-known story of one of Jesus' miracles. He and the Twelve are crossing the Sea of Galilee when a storm whips out and causes huge waves and fear among the disciples. Having crossed the sea three years ago, Nellie and I vividly recall the vastness of the lake and the lecture by Dr. Jack Beck about how rapidly these storms appear on this water. The way it sits between mountains and the other geographical features of the area, they all work together fo make possible these storms. The geograhy is beautfiul and we could imagine, as we crossed peacefully on this water, how it must have been to be in a storm. The waves were big enough to go into the boat, even to the point of swamping the boat and making the disciples believe they were going to die. They panic and cry out to Jesus. Where was Jesus? He was sound asleep on a cushion. Jesus knew no fear, for He was a man of faith. We could even say He was faith. But the cries of the disciples awakened Him and he got up and rebuked the wind to calm down, and it did. His, "Quiet! Be still!" was all the wind needed to hear.
Though they were the ones who asked for the help, they were even more amazed than I believe they were afraid. But to be fair, they were both amazed and afraid. Verse 39 says, "The wind died down and it was completly calm." Jesus has to ask the question, "Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?"
The disciples continued with their questions as well; "Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey Him!" Their question continues to be asked even today, Who is Jesus? And quite possibly, the second part is still as important; How does He do what He does? or What can Jesus do for me? And it's part of who you and I are, in helping them answer that question. And more so today, as we hear more and more people asking why the Church seems to be dying. The answer is manifold, and all of those answers have to do with how believers handle their lives in representing Jesus. If we live a life that says, in many ways, I believe in Jesus, it makes it easier for others to come to faith too. The most obvious way is to live a life that demonstrates love for all people. No more condemnation talk, no more labeling, no more dividing up into this group or that; just living a life that cares for and includes all people. That would be the start of a revival. And in a real way it would be an awakening up the sleeping giant during the squall that has been brewing up for many years. The ony One who will emerge from this in a real way is Jesus as we finally place Him where He belongs; in our hearts, our daily lives, our families, our communities, and in all the world.
And it's not ony the Church who needs to awaken, it is the individuals who make up the church; all of us have to make Jesus Lord of our lives and share Him and His love and what He has done for us. That will bring them to the Lord. So, our starting point is to hear Jesus ask, "Why are we so afraid? Is it something that we fear that is keeping us from faithfulness? Turn it over to Jesus; He will remove it from us. The truth is our walk with Jesus may take us into boats, ships, planes, buses, cars, trains; and we cannot fear keep us from enjoying the journey! Your life will never be the same!
PRAYER: Awesome God, come into our lives in a new and wonderful way that acknowledges Your presence with us and our journey together. May You take fear away from us and replace it with faith and awe, so that this journey may bring You honor and glory, new life to new believers, and a reawakening of Your Church; in Thy name we pray, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Love everyone today in a way that brings blessings to God!
Receive my blessings of love and peace,
Pastor Eradio Valverde
