The Journey

Jairus was the father of a 12 year old girl that was near death. He was a ruler in the synagogue in Capernaum according to Mark 5:22. To be in this position meant that you were well known and had some form of spiritual maturity and authority. He came to Jesus, pleading with him to come and to heal his daughter. The Bible tells it this way…

“While he (Jesus) was saying these things to them, behold, a ruler came in and knelt before him saying, ‘My daughter has just died, but come and LAY YOUR HANDS ON HER, and she will live.” (Matthew 9:18) NLT

I like what happens next. Verse 19 says that Jesus rose and followed him…

“And when Jesus came to the ruler’s house and saw the flute players and the crowd making a commotion, he said, ‘Go away, for the girl is not dead but sleeping.’ And they laughed at him. But when the crowd had been put outside, he went in and TOOK HER BY THE HAND, and the girl arose.” (Matthew 9:23-25) NLT

As a father I would be beside myself with emotion and perhaps Jairus had some of these emotions with him as he knelt before Jesus but he at least knew who to kneel in front of. Jesus was so moved by his faith that he got up and followed him. In the midst of all of the people that he was ministering to, this man’s faith rose above the rest.

“In my distress I called out to the Lord; I cried to my God for help. From his temple he hears my voice; my cry came before him, into his ears.” (Psalm 18:6) NIV

Here are a few things that stand out to me today:

1. I must cry out to God. There is something about distressed and desperate prayers that Jesus honors. He hears all of our prayers but the prayers of the desperate are particularly meaningful because them come from a place of brokenness. We have exhausted all other avenues and the only hope that we ever had was to cry out to Jesus. Sometimes it takes a drastic situation for that to happen but I must cry out to him.

2. I must come boldly before him. Jairus came respectfully but he came boldly. He was a man on a mission. If you’ve ever had a sick child and took them to the ER you know what I mean. Your game face is on and there is no stopping you from getting the care for your child in the most efficient way possible.

3. I must place my trust in Jesus. Not only did Jairus cry out to God and come boldly before him; he also placed his trust in the only physician that could heal his daughter.

Everyone of you are facing something right now that is impossible in your own strength. Everyone one of has and everyone one of us will.

Cry out to God!
Come boldly before him!
Trust in him!

He’s the God of miracles. NOTHING is impossible to him.

Many years ago I went to visit my grandparents in Oregon. They lived in a picturesque part of the state in a modest rancher style home. Out back was my grandfather’s workshop. If I remember correctly it was a three bay workshop with a woodshed on one side, an old car in the other bay and in the middle was a closed in building. It was in here that I began to work on a project with him. The project was coming along until one day my grandfather decided to visit some of his friends in town. I was bored. I could either help my grandmother knit and watch The Price is Right or I could go outside and find something to do. The choice was easy. I made my way to that workshop and looked over the project. It wasn’t soon after that I felt a presence in the room and it wasn’t God. My grandfather stood there peering over the top of his glasses marveling at the mess that I had made.

I had taken matters into my own hands and I did not keep this project in the hands of the master. In his Christlike nature my grandfather took that project and began to fix what I had messed up.

Jairus knew that even though he didn’t make his daughter sick he knew that if Jesus would just lay his hands on her all would be well. The hands of my grandfather made things well.

When we call on the name of Jesus in our homes, our marriages, our relationships, our jobs, our hopes, our dreams, our plans, and ask him to place his hands on them there is nothing impossible with God. Nothing!

Don’t give up on him even when the band is playing and the funeral procession has started. Don’t give up on him even when the enemy laughs at you. Trust in Jesus. Trust in those nail scarred hands that brought hope to humanity to the same for your situation.

Somewhere within our home, perhaps still stuck to the side of our refrigerator, we have the ultrasound photos of our two boys. One is now 12 and the other one will be 2 in June of this year. I can still remember the sound of their heartbeats. It was a weird sound as it came through the machine. I’m making the sound now in my head but I don’t know quite know how to put that down on paper. At least at this point I’m not the only one hearing that sound echo through my cranium!

Do you remember the Doritos commercial where the husband is holding out a Dorito while his wife has the ultrasound? He moves the Dorito, the baby moves, he moves it again, the baby moves, he moves it more aggressively and the baby comes flying out of the womb!? What a great commercial. Guess what I took to our second child’s ultrasound? Ding! Ding! Winner, winner, chicken dinner. Here I am walking into this medical facility thinking I’m the only man who thought of this idea when I see a sign on the door that says, “No Doritos!” (We have a photo of my oldest son and I holding up a bag of Doritos during the ultrasound).

Psalm 139 is my favorite psalm. Not all of the Psalms were written by David but this one was. We also don’t know exactly when he wrote it but to me that doesn’t matter. I’m just happy he wrote it. It describes how David, being a man after God’s own heart, perceived God and his presence. It’s a psalm that celebrates how much God cares for us at all times and in all places.

“You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.” (Psalm 139:15 NLT).

We are all still being formed and shaped in God’s image outside the womb but there are still times when it seems as if we are in a very dark place and we feel all alone. My mom passed away on Thanksgiving weekend of 1995. She had been sick for a few years. At the time I was a 25 year old freshman at the University of Valley Forge. I arrived on a hot August day for soccer camp with a loaded beat up old four door Chrysler that blew out so much smoke it rivaled John Candy’s car in the movie, Uncle Buck. Three and a half hours earlier I had waived goodbye to my mom while she stood on the front porch of our home. I got the call on that November day a week prior to Thanksgiving that mom had taken a turn for the worse but I chose to stay and take my upcoming exams. My mom was happy that I did. For a few days during Thanksgiving break she was happy and seemed healthier. The thing is that sickness is cruel. It has no concept of emotions and it doesn’t care about seasons. It shows up when it shows up. I remember the drive up to the hospital on Saturday night. I sat and held my mom’s hand for awhile. Her grip was tight and to this day it still pains me that I pulled away out of my own selfishness and left to go pray. I should have held on longer. I made my way to our church gymnasium, went in to a darkened room and yelled to God, “YOU EITHER HEAL HER OR TAKE HER HOME! ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!”. She went to be with the Lord a few hours later.

When I returned to college a week later I walked into a lonely, darkened dorm room. My roommate did not return. Those were some very lonely and cold Pennsylvania nights. I cried myself to sleep some nights and I felt alone.

Much like my children I was in my own little darkened womb but as David said about God, “You watched me…”

I’ve gone through some more dark seasons, some by my own hand and some of them have just been life. In these darkened womb seasons I’m reminded of three things…

1. God watches me. I’m never alone, ever.

2. God is still forming me. I went to ‘The Forge’ for biblical education but I’ve also been to ‘The Forge’ of life for other education.

3. God has his hands on me. He is not only forming me but he is weaving all of this life’s experience’s together to create his masterpiece.

Maybe you feel like you’re in a dark place. Maybe you are. Maybe you feel lost, alone, trapped, suffocated and forgotten. Maybe you’re 9 months into it and can’t wait to get out. I would encourage you to read Psalm 139 and allow God to comfort you. Hear David’s heart as he spent some time in some dark womb seasons. Learn from him. Rejoice in knowing that no matter how dark it is you are never alone, ever.

My wife and I used to watch the show, Deadliest Catch, for a number of seasons and somehow for reasons unknown we just stopped watching. I’m not sure what drew us to the show but we found ourselves glued to the TV each week. We were fascinated with the stories of these men which always served as the background to the show. It was and it wasn’t just about fishing.

One of the the things that kept me glued to the TV was just the sheer danger involved. Crab fishing on the Bearing Sea is consistently listed as one of the most dangerous if not THE most dangerous jobs in the world. Men on large boats in the midst of an enormous sea that was determined to do everything in its power to make these men give up their breakfast over the side of the ship was just too entertaining to pass up.

These captains were all seasoned, hardened, battle tested, weather worn, cursing, chain smoking tough guys who were made to look human in the mist of some violent storms.

The book of Matthew tells the story of some other fisherman facing similar challenges long before Captain Sig of the Northwestern fished the waters of the Bearing Sea.

After preaching to large crowds near the Sea of Galilee, Jesus and his disciples got into a boat to go across the lake to seek some solitude. As they crosses the sea a violent storm came at them with winds so great these seasoned fishermen thought they were going to die. Where was Jesus? Why didn’t he care?

“Then Jesus got into the boat and started across the lake with his disciples. Suddenly, a fierce storm struck the lake, with waves breaking into the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke him up, shouting, “Lord save us! We’re going to drown!” Jesus responded, “Why are you afraid? You have so little faith!” Then he got up and rebuked the wind and waves, and suddenly there was a great calm. The disciples were amazed. “Who is this man?” they asked. “Even the winds and waves obey him.” (Matthew 8:23-27 NLT).

1. Jesus is always in the boat. You and I are never alone when we are walking with Jesus. He is with us in the midst of any storm that we encounter. Jesus chose to get into the boat with his disciples and he chooses to be in the boat with you.
2. Jesus is in the suddenly’s. When the storm came out of nowhere causing fear and panic in the hearts of these men Jesus was there. When you suddenly get a bad report from the doctor, Jesus is there. When you suddenly lose a loved one, Jesus is there. When you suddenly end up in a head on collision, Jesus is there. When you suddenly get evicted from your home, Jesus is there. When you suddenly realize you haven’t paid enough attention to your marriage, Jesus is there. He slept through the storm not because he didn’t care but so that we could to. The night is always the hardest time when you’re in a storm. Sleep evades us. Minds wonder and and wander. But, Jesus is in the suddenly and he brings peace.
3. Jesus is in control. The word of God speaks. When he speaks the storms obey him.

Jesus is the Captain of the ship. He is not at the mercy of the sea or of any storm. They are always at his mercy. What storm are you going through now? Do you need to invite Jesus into the boat? Are you facing a suddenly?

Even though the winds are strong. Even though the waves are crashing around you and you can taste the salt water on your lips Jesus is always in control.

Goliath walked out toward David with  his shield bearer ahead of him, sneering in contempt of this ruddy-faced boy. “Am I a dog, that you would come at me with a stick?” And he CURSED David by the names of his gods. “Come over here, and I will give your flesh to the birds and wild animals!” Goliath yelled.

David SPOKE to the Philistine “You come to me with sword, spear, and javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies-the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. Today the Lord will conquer you, and I will kill you and cut off your head. And then I will give the dead bodies of your men to the birds and wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel! And everyone assembled here will know that the Lord rescues his people, but not with sword and spear. This is the Lord’s battle, and he will give you to us!” (1 Samuel 17:41-47, NLT).

You are facing big mountains right now. They are relational, spiritual, mental, financial, and physical. They are scary, they keep you up at night with worry and they make you anxious during the day. They are intimidating, they make you afraid and they relentlessly taunt you. They are speaking to you and it’s time that you spoke back.

The story of David and Goliath can be found in the book of 1 Samuel chapter 17. It is a true, biblical account that offers hope for us all in the shadows of the mountains that we face. David was just a young shepherd boy and Goliath was a seasoned warrior of over 9 feet tall. He was a mountain of a man. On paper this fight was over before it started. For 40 days, every morning and evening Goliath stood before the army of Israel hurling his insults and taunts and not one of the seasoned fighters from the Israelite army had the courage to go and face him.

Until one day…

David spoke to the mountain. If you to back and read the account at the beginning of this blog again it will give you goosebumps. David was saying, “Who do you think you are? Let me tell you what’s going to happen here!” David was not about to let this mountain get the best of him. Mountains will speak to you, they will taunt you, make fun of you and spit in your face. Sadly, like the Israelite army, we just stand there and take it. We are paralyzed by fear. We seem content in defeat. David acknowledged the mighty weapons that Goliath possessed but he also knew that his God was bigger than anything that mountain could throw at him.

When David offered to go and face Goliath it was King Saul who initially tried to stop him and for good reason. David informed King Saul, “I have been taking care of my father’s sheep and goats. When a lion or a bear comes to steal the lamb from the flock, I go after it with a club and rescue the lamb from its mouth. If the animal turns on me, I catch it by the jaw and club it to death. I have done this to both LIONS and BEARS, ad I’ll do it to this pagan Phillistine, too, for he has defied the armies of the living God! The Lord who rescued me from the claws of the lion and the bear will rescue me from this Phillistine!” (1 Samuel 17:34-37, NLT).

David had been there before and so have you. This is what gives us the confidence to speak to the mountain in front of us because of what the Lord has already done to the previous mountains that have stood before us.

Speak to the mountain of debt! Speak to the mountain of the bad doctors report! Speak to the mountain of fear, doubt, worry! Speak to the mountain of hopelessness! Speak to the mountain of not good enough! Speak to the mountain of past reminders! Speak to your mountain!

Let me leave you with the following song lyrics…

The Bible says, “And the Lord God made clothing from animal skins for Adam and his wife.” Genesis 3:21 (NLT).

Have you ever really messed up in life? I mean have you done something so bad that you couldn’t forgive yourself and you sure knew there was no way on earth that God would either? If you answered, “yes”, to those questions then you are in good company. Everyone one of us had made mistakes. In fact, just to encourage you that we are all on the same, level playing field, the Bible goes on to say, “For EVERYONE has sinned; we ALL fall short of God’s glorious standard.” Romans 3:23 (NLT).

You fell when you first started walking, you weren’t perfect when you made your first sounds and read your first book, you struck out in wiffle ball, you missed a free throw, the ball bounced out of your mitt, you fumbled the ball, you stepped on the soccer ball when you meant to kick it, you’ve said something dumb and you’ve done something stupid. Welcome to the party; none of us are perfect.

But, I would have hated to have been Adam and Eve.

God took the time to create this world for them to enjoy. He took the time to form Adam from the dust of the ground and breathe life into his body. He took the time to create Eve. He took the time to create them in HIS own image. They had it all and then one day they didn’t.

We know that  Adam and Eve disobeyed God. We know that they tried to hide from him. They were scared and they were ashamed. They knew right away that what they did was wrong. Sound familiar?

But, there is always hope for the mess that you have made.

Adam and Eve paid the consequences for their sin. They were banished from the garden. Adam would have to work really hard and Eve would have to endure the pain of childbirth. We pay the price for their sin everyday.

One day Jesus would pay it all for us! His death on the cross would bring an eternal hope for those who would simply call on him. The blood that Jesus shed on that cross also washes away our sins.

The Bible says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9 (NLT).

God loved the world so much that he would send us Son to die on the cross. He loves us so much that he still takes care of us even when we sin. What a great father to have the compassion to clothe his children when they messed up. Adam and Eve must have been in awe of his love for them. What a great father that you and I have that he cares enough to take care of us and all of our needs even when we feel like crap for the mess that we’ve made.

Be encouraged today to know that God loves you no matter what you have done. You are forgiven and the past no longer defines you! Don’t listen to the snake in the garden but rather to the God who created the garden.

There is a story found in the Bible about a man who walks on water (Matthew 14:22-33). Jesus is in the story but the focus isn’t really on him and that’s the problem. Jesus had just finished a long day of ministry so he sends his disciples into the boat and tells them that he will see them on the other side.It’s a lot like sending your kids over to see nanna and papap for the day. He needs a break. He needs to recharge his batteries so he goes to spend time plugging in to the source. This isn’t about walking on water but you might want to make a mental note of this as you walk along your own journey.

At some point in the early morning Jesus comes out to meet them on the lake. He wasn’t swimming. He wasn’t in a boat. He was walking ON the water. To be fair, I would freak out too if I saw somebody walking on the water in the early morning hours, or at any hour for that matter. It’s just not normal. It’s weird. But, why? What was the purpose of Jesus walking on the water?

Read the story…

²⁵ Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea. ²⁶ And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out for fear.

²⁷ But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.”

²⁸ And Peter answered Him and said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.”

²⁹ So He said, “Come.” And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. ³⁰ But when he saw that the wind was boisterous,^[b] he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!”

³¹ And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” ³² And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased.

³³ Then those who were in the boat came and^[c] worshiped Him, saying, “Truly You are the Son of God.” (New King James Version).

I’m really good at walking on water; sometimes. I can take that first step of faith and for awhile I’m all good. Yeah, I can see the circumstances around me. I can feel the wind of debt beating against my face, I can see the waves of uncertainty crashing against me and I can taste the saltiness of life.

Peter was bold and he was brave. He gets a bad rap for getting scared but he is the only one who got out of the boat. The rest of the chickens stayed in the hen house. They were just fine looking at Jesus from a distance. Aren’t we all?

For a moment, we, like Peter, will take the step towards Jesus. We will have our eyes on him and nothing will bother us. But then we begin to hear the screams of the wind as opposed to the whisper of the still, small voice. We put our focus on the waves as opposed to the one who created them. And we will taste the saltiness of life as opposed to the sweetness of Jesus. Then we fall. We all fall.

“Though a righteous man falls seven times, he will get up.” (Proverbs 24:16).

³¹ And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” ³² And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased.

If you’re like me you tend to be very hard on yourself. If you’re like me when I fall I feel like God will be as equally as hard on me. But even when I fall I get back up again and I’m not alone. My God is always there to lend a hand. Jesus demonstrated his power by walking on water. He owns the wind and the waves. They obey him. He also owns the cattle on a thousand hills. He bore the stripes on his back in which we have healing. He died for us so that we might have eternal life. He conquered death, hell, and the grave. He can and will tell your storms to be still.

Have the faith to step out of the boat, keep your eyes focused on Jesus and when you fall, and you will, get back up again and do it all over and then you can also say that you walk on water; sometimes.

Donald Trump likes to refer to President Obama as the “great divider.” Wait! Don’t stop reading! This is NOT a political rant bent on causing some more Facebook drama. Trust me, Facebook already looks like Romper Room and it doesn’t need me throwing another temper tantrum into the screaming classroom of social media. Although it would be fun to talk about butt paste and how every politician could use some because they always get their diapers in a bunch but(t) I will save that for perhaps another day.

Folks, if you are still reading, I am going to make this simple and super, duper spiritual. The “great divider” has always been one person and one person only; Satan. As soon as I wrote that I immediately though of the Church Lady played by Dana Carvey on Saturday Night Live; “could it be….”

From that very first moment in the garden Satan has been hard at work causing division wherever He can. His subtle whispers of “Did God really say?” echo within our hearts and minds and at times end up as violent screams towards the very people that we know and love. It’s brutal and at times it just feels evil. And, Satan, who tosses in these grenades of emotions will just sit back and laugh like The Joker as the explosions of anger, hatred and intolerance blast everyone around us. And I will just come out and tell you that the worst offenders are those of us who call ourselves Followers of Christ. If you want to know why people don’t want to come to church then just look in the mirror; it’s our fault. We treat each other like trash to the point that we no longer recycle once strong friendships.

Jesus said that the world (those who don’t know him) will know us by the LOVE that we show each other (John 13:35).

Paul said that our battle is NOT against flesh and blood (Ephesians 6:12).

The book of Acts tells the stories of the early church and how everyone was unified, no one had a need, people shared their belongings with each other, and miracles, signs and wonders began to follow them and people came to know Jesus and because of this the number of believers grew.

I raise my hand as the first one who will admit that I have not been kind and I will admit that I have spewed my fair share of division, especially on social media. I’m not your pastor, I’m not your dad and I’m not your boss but I am your friend. We have one common enemy and it’s not each other, it’s not a political party, it’s not a social issue and it’s not a church issue but it is a spiritual one as Paul said.

My prayer is that we would all do what David did and asked God to search our hearts and see if there would be any issue within us that we need to give to Him (Psalm 139:22-24).

24“If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25“If a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. 26“If Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but he is finished!…(Mark 3:24-26)