Facing Difficult Times

Living Inside Out (1)

At times we find ourselves going through trying circumstances. Broken marriage, ill-health, retrenchment from work, financial crisis, natural disaster – you name it. Often we have no control over these things happening, but sometime we ourselves are the cause of the trouble. It doesn’t matter how they happen, they do happen. The important thing is how we react to them.

One time Jesus was crossing a lake with his disciples. There arose a mighty storm that threatened to sink their boat. The disciples panicked but Jesus was sleeping soundly in the stern. The seasoned fishermen, amazed that the Lord could keep on sleeping in the face of such life-threatening circumstance, woke Him up and reprimanded Him of His indifference. But this was how Jesus responded:

Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. But He said to them, “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?” (Mk 4:39-40, NKJV)

Jesus’ disciples had been in the fishing business for a long time, plying their trade on the waters. We could trust them to recognize a life-threatening storm whey they saw one. They certainly reacted in a way that everyone would think reasonable. But Jesus seemed to think otherwise. Not only that, His reaction was totally opposite to that of his disciples. Why?

The reason is that Jesus did not live in the storm.

His disciples lived in the storm and from the storm - their whole beings were entrenched in their surroundings. They saw that strong wind wreaked havoc on the lake making waves as high as the mast. The waves were pounding on the boat and pouring into it. The disciples could hardly stand still as the boat rocked feverishly. Their senses told them everything was far from okay – they could be drowned anytime. What they saw and felt caused them to be gripped with fear internally. They had their focus totally zoomed in on the outside world, the storm. That’s where they lived.

Jesus lived in His Kingdom and from His Kingdom. In the world where He lived there was no storm. Perfect peace reigned. There was no room for fear. Jesus had His focus zoomed in on this internal reality, thereby oblivion to outside circumstances. He was sure that He was safe and would make it to the other side, therefore He continued to sleep.

In times of tribulation, there’s a simple way to take stock of things. Just ask yourself: where do you live? 

Photo Credit: Vlado at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

God Is Faithful

God is faithful, even when we are faithless. It is His nature, and He doesn’t change.  As His children, our lives are full of opportunities to showcase His faithfulness. And He longs to show the world who He is and how He is like, through us.

Most times we miss these opportunities. Because we don’t like to take risk, we do our best to stay in control or to get out of situations where we don’t have control. We don’t like to put ourselves in situations whereby we cannot do anything. We feel uncomfortable; it scares us. We want to do something, and to know that we can do something. This is the mark of living in the flesh – to meet our needs through self-effort, apart from God. 

But God longs to show Himself strong in our behalf (2 Chron 16:9), He desires that we rely on and expect His supernatural intervention. When God’s children forgo the privilege of living in His supernatural providence the world misses the chance to get a glimpse of God – His nature and His power.

George Mueller was not one of your normal Christian. He ran an orphanage in Bristol, England for more than half a century in the 1800s, without collecting a cent from the public. At one time (1874), he had two thousand one hundred to feed at the orphanage, one hundred and eighty nine missionaries to assist and one hundred schools to be supported entirely. He didn’t have a fund-raising committee and he didn’t ask any one for money.  He asked from one person and one only, the almighty God, in prayer. And God never failed him. 

A Pastor Charles Parsons interviewed Mueller towards the close of the latter’s life. In the course of their conversation Parsons asked Mueller if he had found the Lord to be always faithful, this is how Mueller answered: “Always. He has never failed me! For nearly seventy years every need in connection with His work has been supplied. The orphans, from the first until now, have numbered nine thousand five hundred; but they have never wanted a meal. Hundreds of times we have commenced the day without a penny; but our Heavenly Father has sent supplies the moment they were actually required. There never was a time when we had no wholesome meal. During all these years I have been enabled to trust in the living God alone. Seven million five hundred thousand dollars have been sent to me in answer to prayer. We have needed as much as two hundred thousand dollars in one year, and it has all come when needed. No man can ever say I asked him for a penny. We have no committees, no collectors, no voting, and no endowment. All has come in answer to believing prayer …”**

A. T. Pierson, who later wrote a biography for Mueller, once visited at the orphanage. One night when everybody had retired Mueller asked Pierson to pray together with him. Mueller revealed that there was absolutely nothing in the house for next morning’s breakfast, Pierson was shocked and remonstrated with Mueller that at such hour they could find no supply. Mueller knew about it. So they prayed. At least Mueller did and Pierson tried to. They went to bed and sleep, and breakfast for two thousand children was there in abundance at the usual breakfast hour! In answer to their prayer, the Lord called a man out of his bed to send breakfast to Mueller’s orphanage. Knowing nothing of the need, he sent supply good enough for a month!

How faithful is our God! But how many give Him a chance to demonstrate His faithfulness like George Mueller did?

You can.

YOUTUBE VIDEO - GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS

** Source: George Muller Man of Faith, published by The Navigators, Singapore, printed by permission of Zondervan Publishing House

YOUTUBE video by fontz2001 (http://www.youtube.com/user/fontz2001) 

Scripture Link: BibleGateway.com

Hunger after His Kingdom

Hunger after His Kingdom (7)

If, after reading my last post, you are still not convinced of God’s will concerning your health, consider the following incident recorded in Matthew 8 right after the Sermon on the Mount.

When He had come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed Him. And behold, a leper came and worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.” Then Jesus put out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” Immediately his leprosy was cleansed. (Matt 8:1-3, NKJV)

This passage again expressed God’s will regarding the matter. Most have no problem recognizing that God has the power to heal, but too many have doubt as to His willingness to heal. The above passage should settle the case once for all. In telling the leper that He was willing to heal him, Jesus is telling all who would come before Him that He is willing to heal them, or else He wouldn’t be the Jesus who is the same yesterday, today and forever (Heb 13:8). Today, to say “If you are willing” in prayer may sound pious, but it is actually blatant unbelief. Make up your mind and believe what Jesus says: “I am willing; be healed.”

Having satisfied ourselves, let us look at the passage from another point of view. The incident happened immediately after Jesus preached the Sermon. In fact, Jesus was demonstrating what He preached. According to the Apostle Paul, the best preaching is not one with eloquence of speech or human wisdom, but with the demonstration of power and of the Spirit (1 Cor 2:4-5). Paul must have learned from the Lord Jesus Himself. In the Sermon, Jesus stroked the fire in His audience; He wanted them to hunger and thirst for God’s Kingdom. He told them that all their desires and needs shall be fulfilled when the Kingdom had come on them. And here came the leper, perhaps himself had his desire and hunger aroused, so much so that he risked the exasperation of many coming through the crowd to where Jesus was. Lepers were not allowed in a crowd. They had to go about shouting “unclean”. But he became the perfect subject for Jesus demonstrating the Kingdom. Jesus laid His hand on him; He touched him. His Kingdom came on the leper. There is no leprosy in His Kingdom. The reality of the Kingdom was made manifest.

What Jesus did and what He preached cannot be separated. That is why we can say His actions before and after the Sermon (that is, His actions in Matt 4 and Matt 8) gives us the context for the Sermon. His actions addressed the needs and desires of the people, so His Sermon must addressed the same. I don’t know about you, but I find this approach easiest to understand Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount (Matt 5-7). It is clear this is what Jesus wanted to tell His audience, and to tell us:

Hunger after His Kingdom, and all that you hunger after shall be filled.    

Scripture Link: BibleGateway.com