Being Patient in an Instant World

Being Patient in an Instant World

Mark 8: 23-25
23 So He took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the town. And when He had spit on his eyes and put His hands on him, He asked him if he saw anything.
24 And he looked up and said, “I see men like trees, walking.”
25 Then He put His hands on his eyes again and made him look up. And he was restored and saw everyone clearly.

   We live in a world of instant this and fast that and high speed is available for a few dollars more.  Our culture desires and lives for instant gratification.  So when we read the Bible we apply our desire for quick fixes to what we read.  Jesus’ miracles feed thousands, calm storms, heal severe diseases, exorcise demons, and even raise the dead in the space of just a few short verses!  Jesus can do anything in a minute, right?  So what makes me pause when I read this passage?  Because Jesus has to double-dip this guy’s healing.  The first touch from His hand didn’t finish the job, it only began it.  He had to touch him again to finish the job.
   I confess I don’t get this idea, but here is the evidence written out here for us to see.  Jesus clearly touched him and then asked how he was doing.  The man gave a weird response that tells us he wasn’t seeing clearly.  And as a side note, when I had the first crisis with my left eye and the doctor injected some gas in it to re-inflate the retina that’s pretty much how I recall things looking through that eye for a few weeks.  Then we read that Jesus touched him again and only then was his sight restored fully.  Why wasn’t the man restored fully the first time?
   Mark wrote the shortest Gospel and uses a writing style that promotes the idea of quickness and speed.  He uses the word “immediately” some 40 times in his writing, yet he records this incident that shows Jesus doing something that was NOT immediate.  I read a study of Mark that suggests that this account is different because the author records more details than usual.  He suggested that maybe some or many of the other stories in the Gospels also were not instant miracles either, but the details weren’t recorded so we don’t know for sure.  When we see one of the recorded miracles, what we see is the need followed by the answer.  Here we see the need and then the process and then the answer.
   Anyway, I looked at some of the other recorded miracles in the Gospels and there are hints that not all miracles were instant miracles.  In Luke 17 Jesus healed ten lepers, who were healed “as they went.”  And it says further that one turned back to thank Jesus “when he saw that he was healed.”  In Luke 8 and Mark 5, Jesus delivers a demon-possessed man but lets the demon negotiate before leaving the man.
   Did the blind man feel disappointed when he wasn’t healed the first time?  Jesus had taken him aside and had touched him.  But his vision was still not restored.  Referring again to my experience, there was fear and frustration and anger all waltzing around my head.  Many times I thought, “what if this is as good as my vision will get?”
   Did this man feel that way?  What if the man had been satisfied with his partial sight and just thanked Jesus and let it go?  He would have been justified by what little had been done and been thankful for that much.  His situation was improved, so why not just let it be at that?  He could have done that, but would have missed the fullness of the healing Jesus intended for him.
   Whether out of frustration or complacency, leaving God’s presence without the answer to your need will result in you missing whatever God has intended for your life.  I’ve learned to stay there and keep asking if I don’t feel I’ve received a complete answer from God.  This man in Mark 8 is remembered for all eternity because he stayed with Jesus until Jesus was finished.   Are you willing to stay and keep asking for a complete answer to your needs?
Luke 11:9 NKJV
So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.

Stephen Cram                            January 29, 2012                Colossians 2:8

Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.  Colossians 2:8

To Be Assured

To Be Assured

James 1: 2-5 Amplified Bible

2 Consider it wholly joyful, my brethren, whenever you are enveloped in or encounter trials of any sort or fall into various temptations.

3 Be assured and understand that the trial and proving of your faith bring out endurance and steadfastness and patience.

4 But let endurance and steadfastness and patience have full play and do a thorough work, so that you may be [people] perfectly and fully developed [with no defects], lacking in nothing.

5 If any of you is deficient in wisdom, let him ask of the giving God [Who gives] to everyone liberally and ungrudgingly, without reproaching or faultfinding, and it will be given him.

   I think the more I look into the word Trust the better I like it.  Trust is truly a remarkable word.  To have trust in someone or something you are demonstrating that you are confident about their integrity, their strength and their abilities.  And for you to trust this someone or something, you must judge for yourself if trust is warranted.

   First, the object of trust must be worthy of your reliance on them.  You wouldn’t drive over a high, long bridge made of Popsicle sticks.  You would not have faith in placing yourself and your car on a 100 foot high bridge made of such a flimsy item.  You’d want steel trusses and concrete towers firmly set on solid ground.  So the object of your trust must first be worthy of trust.

   Secondly, the thing that must occur for trust to manifest is for you to be willing to rely on the object of that trust.  I know that’s a complicated sentence, but stay with me here.

   My wife and I visited Grandfather Mountain in North Carolina and crossed the swinging bridge over a gorge.  The bridge is very high up in the air; we were walking over the tops of trees.  When we stepped on this bridge, we had to be willing to rely on the wisdom of the architect who designed it and the strength of the materials it was built of and the skill of the builders who erected it.  Had I not been there, my wife would have been incapable of crossing that bridge.  I was willing to rely on the bridge to hold us and she was willing to rely on my judgment and so we walked over the bridge and later walked back.  Unwillingness to trust would have prevented us from moving on with our walk.  Unwillingness to trust God will prevent you from continuing with your walk through life.  You may become trapped in a bad place and be unable to get on with your life at that time.

    Christians who are willing to trust God at all times will move forward through bad times and good, over mountain tops and through valleys, and every situation life throws at you.  This truth is important to us:  Christians must be willing to trust God in all things in order to move forward.

   The Bible is a book about God.  You will see parts written about men and women and creation and angels and heaven and hell, but at the core it is a book about God.  The Bible tells of the perfection of God and His Son Jesus Christ.  The Bible speaks of God’s omnipotent power to create and manage all things.  It describes the beauty of His moral excellence.  God is loving, compassionate, merciful, good, patient, and faithful.  He is omniscient, eternal and unchanging.

   I believe that the reason the Bible reveals so much about God is so we will develop Trust in Him.  In my heart I know with crystal certainty that God is completely reliable when we cross our life’s bridges, face our life’s storms, and confront our life’s hard times.

   Why am I so certain?  The people of Israel were trapped between the Red Sea and Pharaoh’s army.   David prayed and loved God and a couple of his sons tried to overthrow him and kill him.  Daniel prayed three times a day and served his God whole-heartedly and was thrown in the lion’s den for the crime of praying.  All were preserved though their difficult times. 

   And on the other side of the issue, we know people were stoned and hung and cut with swords and knives and crucified.  They were dead for their faith. 

   God is the God of “Now” and He’s also the God of “Then.”  Faith has an application for today and also has one for a “better resurrection.”  We should trust God in all circumstances; and there are plenty of opportunities that will come our way to have to trust Him.  I need to Trust Him when life is easy and predictable and I need to Trust Him when life is stormy and uncontrollable.  Trust has to be trust whether we are surrounded by friends or we are trapped in the lair of our adversaries.  There is never a time when we should stop our Trust and try something else.

   I sat in the waiting room of the hospital Friday for more than 12 hours.  My wife’s surgery actually took 10 and ½ hours.  For that amount of time I was not in control.  I was outside my comfort zone.  I was as helpless as anyone can be.  All I had was my Trust.  Trust in God and the knowledge that He had Gloria’s best interest at heart. 

   I confess that Trust slipped a little from time to time, but I kept “hearing” an old hymn going through my mind, “’Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus.”

Look up the words and you’ll see why they blessed me so much.  It really is sweet to have Trust in God.

FYI:

Gloria came through the surgery better than expected and is recovering in the hospital.

Stephen Cram                            January 22, 2012                            Colossians 2:8

Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.  Colossians 2:8 

Apply This Word in Your Life

Apply This Word in Your Life


Hebrews 11:1&2 NKJV
1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
2 For by it the elders obtained a good testimony.

   Just as our physical eyesight is the sense that gives us evidence of the material world, faith is the "sense" that gives us evidence of the invisible, spiritual world.  Faith can't be measured in a laboratory; faith has to be understood spiritually.  Faith extends beyond what we learn from our senses, and when you grow in faith it can become as real to you as sight, touch or hearing.
   I don’t need faith for things I have a handle on, I need faith for those things that are invisible and unknown to me.  Faith is the key that unlocks the spiritual world to me.  Faith is not a bare belief or intellectual understanding.  It is a willingness to trust in, to rely on, and to cling to.
   The over-all theme of our world is humanism.  Humanism teaches that only what can be found and measured in nature is "real."  Humanists are content to co-exist with Christianity as long as we live our lives as though we really don’t believe the Bible.  We struggle with sin and struggle with unbelief and therefore we are no danger so we live in harmony with the world.  But if a Christian comes to believe in the reality of God and of His Word and of Heaven, they will find themselves at odds with the prevailing attitude of this world.
   We need to have faith that God loves us and cares for us.  The Bible never argues about the existence of God; He is introduced in the very first verse.  We, therefore, need to learn Who God is and what the Bible says about Him.
   Jesus’ life and death and resurrection are big issues to come to grips with.  Rather than trying to figure it all out, you need to believe He lived and died and lives now and forever.  You need to have faith that His sacrifice bought your future and live as though that means something to you.
   The Holy Spirit is not an “it.”  He is a person with feelings and purpose and He also loves you and wants you to grow in your faith.  You need to grasp the reality of His existence and have faith that He is moving in your life and helping you grow.
   God’s Word is forever.  By it and through it you can learn what you need to live your life to the fullest.  When you come to believe in your heart what the Bible says, your life will change.
   You need to believe that now that you’re in Christ, you are a new creation.  You need to accept that old things in your life have passed away and He has made your life new.
   You need to believe in the power of love.  God’s love will change you forever.  Your love will grow as you give it away to others.  Love never fails.
   When you apply faith to your life, you will come into all this and more.  Are you willing to step out in faith and believe God’s Word?  And I don’t mean just give it lip service, but put it into your heart and into your memory and into your life.  For by it (faith) the elders obtained a good testimony.  You will, too.

Stephen Cram                          January 15, 2012            Colossians 2:8

Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.  Colossians 2:8

One Word Resolution

One Word Resolution

Isaiah 26:3 NIV (1984 Edition)
You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you.

   I was reading through some random Christian blogs and stumbled on one where the woman decided to shorten her New Year’s resolutions to ask God for one word.  Her word was “Give,” and some who responded to her blog were asking for words like “Joy” and “Peace” and “Love.”  One woman said she was asking God for “Trust.”
   I stopped and meditated on this blog entry.  “Trust.”  I have many failings, but one of my most frequent failings is in the area of trust.  It’s not that I don’t believe God’s Word, because I do.  It’s not that I think God will fail me, because I know He won’t.  It’s not that I think God has stopped loving me, because He can’t stop loving me – it’s His nature to love.  But I often wallow in doubt and lose trust when faced with adverse circumstances.
   I rarely lose trust when I’m personally sick or hurt, I really do have absolute trust in God then.  But let a loved one face some crisis, and my faith quivers and often fails me.  I begin to have doubts pile up and they weigh on my mind.  Life has thrown us some curveballs lately, and my trust-factor has taken a beating.  So maybe adopting this word as my own this year is a good resolution for me.  It’s going to be a good word for me to pray about and meditate on the next couple of months.
   Trust is only needed during rocky times in life.  If your path is clear and smooth and well-lit and has signs pointing the way for you, you really don’t need trust.  But when you have to take a detour and find yourself in a dark place on a slippery path, you really need that trust and need it right now!
   One thing I’ve had to learn the hard way is that trust is not a passive thing.  Trust is a choice and requires a conscious decision on my part.  I have to trust God, and I have to rely on His love and His grace and His mercy.  I can go off on my own and make things worse.  I can allow panic to overwhelm me and let fear fill my heart.  Or I can trust in God and read His Word and meditate on His ways and follow Him and live in peace.  I know intellectually that God will never fail me.  I know intellectually that even when bad things happen to good people God has not turned away from us; often He is drawing us closer to Him during these times.  But knowing intellectually and the active choice of trusting God do not automatically follow each other.  I need to take what I know and apply it in my life.  I will trust God if I choose to trust God.  Trust doesn’t just spring up in my heart, I need to dig it out from under the weight of doubts and concerns and use it.
   My one word resolution this year is “Trust.”  I will trust God to guide me and walk with me no matter what comes my way.  “Trust” may not be your word, but I pray you find the one that you need and may God give it to you this coming year.

Stephen Cram                                January 8, 2012                     Colossians 2:8

Not A Burdensome Thing

Not A Burdensome Thing

I John 5:3 NKJV
For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments.
And His commandments are not burdensome.

   There are so many burdens we carry through life.  We have family, work, debts, doubts, and more.  One thing that should never be a burden is our faith in God.  God is not the author of hard living and burdens; He is the author of peace.  We make our own beliefs hard and burdensome, but He never intended them to be that way.  Jesus described the religious systems of His day this way, (Matthew 23:4) For they bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.  In contrast, He points out the contrast with what He brings, (Matthew 11:30) “For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
   Instead of the burdensome requirement to keep hundreds of little rules and regulations, Jesus simply says to us, "Love Me and love my people, and you will walk in obedience."  We can fulfill these simple requirements because God has given us new hearts, hearts which by instinct wish to please God.  Our new hearts are inclined towards God and towards His commandments.  It WOULD be a burden for an unbeliever to live this way; their hearts aren’t inclined to follow the Bible.  The commandments we find in the Bible are put there with our best interests in mind.  God has them written down as a kind of "manufacture's handbook" for life.  He tells us what to do because He knows how we work best.  God's commands are not given to bind us or to pain us or because God is an angry god mad at us.
   I don’t believe John is saying in this passage that obedience is an easy thing.  If that were so, then we would get saved and never sin again.  He’s saying that God’s commandments are easier for us who really love God.  When we give ourselves to God and really love Him, we will want to obey Him and please Him. When you love someone, it doesn’t seem like any trouble to try to please them.  On the contrary, you enjoy doing things to please the One you love.  If you were forced to do the same things for someone you did not love, you would be complaining all the time.
   This new year, don’t let yourself be buried under burdens.  Don’t face the cares of this world alone.  Let God touch your heart and help you with your load.  He loves you so much if he were a grandfather your picture would be in His wallet.  He loves you so much He watches over you and never takes His eyes off you.  He wants what is best for you and if you allow Him to He’ll guide you down an easier path.

Stephen Cram                                   January 1, 2012                Colossians 2:8

Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.  Colossians 2:8