My Wonderful Lord

It was time for a break! The day was long, filled with people's needs- the sick, the deranged, those desperately needing attention pressed in to be close. So, at evening, they decided to take the boat and go across the lake. As they made the crossing, a squall kicked up that threatened to sink the little boat. The men realized the danger and looked at their leader asleep at the back of the boat. "He will be able to handle this," they reasoned among themselves, so they awakened him. He stood up and amazingly faced the wind. It was an irrational thing he did, except that it worked - "Quiet. Be still!"

The wind ran out of breath; the sea became smooth as glass. ...
They were in absolute awe, staggered.
“Who is this, anyway?” they asked. “Wind and sea at his beck and call!” "
(Mark 4:39-41, The Message)

Some insist that Jesus was just lucky or that He sensed the end of the storm and timed His declaration just right! These readers reject, categorically, the possibility of miracles. "Miracles," they sniff, "are for the credulous, the simple. They are the invention of those who cannot cope with life; who see what they want to see." It is true that 'miracles' are abused by charlatans seeking to sway the crowds. The healing revivalists that toured America in the middle years of the 20th century too often stooped to sleight of hand and magic tricks when they failed to produce genuine miracles on demand. In the 1990's, one 'evangelist' was caught using a radio transmitter in his ear, through which his wife prompted him about the needs and ailments of those in his audience so he could appear to be 'hearing from the Spirit.'

I believe the testimony of the Scripture, because I believe that miracles happen; not often, certainly not 'on demand.' That's why we call them - 'miracles.' Something that we can repeat, that we can measure or quantify - by definition is not a miracle! I don't miracles to sustain my faith, but I thank God when I see them.

The Gospels record Jesus' doing miracles and His miracles are believable precisely because they are so randomly done and so tangential to His message. He doesn't try to impress anybody. Truth is, often when He did something miraculous, He asked the witnesses to keep it to themselves. He didn't often call attention to His powers, preferring just to let the miracles speak for themselves. When He fed 5000 people with a couple of dried fish and 5 pieces of bread, He didn't have the story written up in the Galilee Times with a picture of Himself standing among the 12 baskets of leftovers!

What a wonderful Lord!

How's the weather 'round your boat today? Windy, with waves kicking up that seem threatening to you?
Invite Jesus into the situation. Trust Him with it and see what He does.
Sometimes He quiets the storm and sometimes He steadies the boat. But He's always near and in His presence there is peace.
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I invite you to worship at 10 am this Sunday.
I'll be continuing my series of messages - "Who is Jesus?" and I'll be talking about the Miracle Working Lord.

If you're unable to join us at the Assembly you can read and/or listen to the messages at
http://www.WashingtonAG.net/sermon.htm