I heard a message the other night based on Luke 8, 9, and 10. The thing I took away was how even the faithful; sometimes fail.

Verse 24:  ²⁴ The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Master, Master, we’re going to drown!”

These were the twelve that were with our Lord day and night. The twelve that had been given the joy to follow beside yet seemed to lose trust the moment they needed faith the most. Instead of using the faith they were given to find the peace in the storm they threw up their hands and frantically said “Save Us!” This happens to all of us at times, we get overwhelmed and beg for help. Jesus comes to our rescue just like the disciples.

“He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm. ²⁵ “Where is your faith?” he asked his disciples.

Next we went to chapter 9; “Jesus sends out the twelve”;

Verses 1, 2

“When Jesus had called the Twelve together he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, ² and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.”

Yet a few verses later we see them struggling with their faith again.

Verse 12-14;

¹² Late in the afternoon the Twelve came to him and said, “Send the crowd away so they can go to the surrounding villages and countryside and find food and lodging, because we are in a remote place here.”

¹³ He replied, “You give them something to eat.”

They answered, “We have only five loaves of bread and two fish—unless we go and buy food for all this crowd.” ¹⁴ (About five thousand men were there.)

We know the rest of the story; Jesus feeds the five thousand with the five loaves and two fish with extras at the end. Did you see the test? Jesus’ most instructed followers missed their chance to trust their faith again. Even after all they had been told and had seen they still doubted their faith.

Next we go to chapter 10, Jesus sends out seventy-two more. These weren’t the inner circle; these were seventy-two people just like us, believers in Jesus Christ and His message, everyday people who had a true trust in God. Look at the outcome;

Verse 17: ¹⁷ The seventy-two returned with joy and said, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.”

And what did Jesus do?

Verse 21

²¹ At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do.

The lesson here; the amount of faith you have has nothing to do with your training, it has nothing to do with your title, it has only to do with your heart. It comes from acceptance of the Holy Spirit in your own life and living it.

Jesus praised the Father for the work of the simple people. Not the “wise and learned”. God’s work on earth is not the work of the highly trained or the specially educated; it is the work of all of us. His plans are revealed to the little children to understand. Trust your faith in times of trial and watch the Spirit shine.  God is Good and His Words are simple and true.

Pastor Scott

Freedom is a word that we proudly shout in our country. It is a part of our lives that we hold sacred. The line that “Freedom Isn’t Free” is so huge. It has cost many lives to win our freedom from tyrant, self serving rulers. It has cost many lives to maintain that freedom from the threat of tyrant dictators. Now it takes many lives to protect us from terrorist groups who hurt us in the name of tyrant led religious groups.  I used the word tyrant in each case because the definition of the word tyrant is worthy of each cause we fight against.

Definition of Tyrant: an absolute ruler unrestrained by law or constitution, a ruler who exercises absolute power oppressively or brutally.

The brutality of men causing fear and pain has been part of our sinful world for centuries. We read about the ancient Israelites being taken into slavery by tyrant pharaohs; forced to build cities for the glory of Egypt’s power. Our ancestors were forced by kings to do as they were told; to live and worship according to their decree. In our own country we have had men and organizations claim too much power and direct our land in directions that have caused separation and civil war. We didn’t recognize them as tyrants because they were “one of us”; they were our leaders. The lust of power causes many to fall; the claim of personal rights with no regard for our fellow man causes the loss of compassion and the common good.

The exciting part is when the oppressed people, the hurt, the abused, the ones in need of a new hope turned to God He delivered them. The Israelites were led from slavery when God answered their prayers. The early colonists found this United States when they fled religious persecution and followed their true sense of God’s call. “911” brought us back to church for healing following a tragedy we couldn’t comprehend on our own. God has always been here for us.

Our country is in a crisis right now with our freedom being misused; we have strayed away from God and His guidance to our own sinful natures. Our young people are being taught a false freedom with no sacrifice, a freedom that is easy and self centered. It will be a tragic consequence if we let history repeat itself and lose what God has given us.

God’s law says love Him first and then one another; this means sacrificing for the good of each other, no matter what it takes. Freedom has never meant having it your own way, freedom is living together under God’s watch, following His perfect plan; with liberty and justice for all.

Just My Thoughts

Pastor Scott

Sleep is such a precious part of life. It is when we get to shut down and just forget about everything. There are things called dreams that accompany our sleep at times. Some are good others are “night-mares”. Dreaming is not uncommon for me; I seem to dream a lot. There are times when the dreams are hard to be a part of and I wake myself up. Most of the time I don’t remember a thing after my eyes open but there are times the thoughts are still vivid in my conscious. It is confusing why my mind goes into the places it does. I look to God and ask: “Why do I have to go there? It’s uncomfortable, it scares me, and I don’t like it.” I have learned to say a prayer for peace and understanding of what I have just experienced. It may be new or it may be something I have relived from a time in my past; either way I feel the need for comfort and I know God is my only source for true peace in this time of trial.

I had one of those thought provoking dreams the other night. I dreamt I was still doing my old life. You know the situation; I was working my “800hrs” per week, I was trying to be part of the local crowd, I was trying to understand the political scene, (of course I still haven’t figured out which side of that to be on), and I was in constant turmoil.  No I didn’t dream all that at once, but that’s the base line. The bulk of this dream was me arguing with my father. He is gone now as is my mother, so they never had the joy of seeing what God has done with their son’ life, whether the news is announced in Heaven I am not sure. The point is I look back now and I would like to “Kick Myself in the Rear” for being so disrespectful. At that time of my life it was my thoughts, my opinions, and my wants that drove my personality. I had no regard for the experiences that my father had and no regard for his opinion. I could have done it so much better if he would have just gotten out of the way.

Have you ever been there? If not, you are one in a million and I salute you. In most of our lives we have done things that were so selfish we can’t start to imagine how hurtful we’ve been. We put those things in the back of our minds and try to forget them. We put a lid on them and make believe they have never happened. Then history repeats itself. Not in your own actions but in the actions of those close to you.

You may have a child that is going thru growing pains as the world directs. You remember the script; it doesn’t matter if the person you are hurting is your parent; it’s all about you. Follow the words and directions of the world now; for it is about you. Be important in the eyes of the people around you and don’t worry about God after all; this is all about you. Get what you want.

You may have a spouse that seems to be getting distant; remember the world script tells us marriage is all about being independent and not losing yourself. Two people just cohabitating and if it doesn’t work out you get a divorce and try again. That is not what Jesus, the author of the word marriage said. When two people come together and accept the vow of the other; it is forever and two become one. They are to support each other through everything and respect each other through anything. Love accepts no less.

We seem to forget our lives are short and it is easy to make mistakes. Our Father in Heaven doesn’t want us to live in turmoil. He gives us a memory so we will not stumble over the same stuff again. When we hide it away in the unused part of our brain it does us no good. We need to deal with our sins and give them to God. The next time you have one of those dreams that “hurts” realize that is the Holy Spirit helping you clear out your attic. Give the hard thoughts to Him and watch your dreams eventually become peaceful. Repenting of your sins means you give it all to God, even the ugly stuff. I have a long way to go for I have been a hoarder of “My thoughts” for too many years. Don’t live life wishing you would have done different. Live your life so your dreams are truly joyful. Say that prayer of understanding and peace. God will Bless You.

Just My Thoughts