Is there really a life-full of miracles? Is miracle one of those stories in the Bible that God no longer manifest in this world today? Let us tackle this question...
Because of globalization, of modern technology; just the flick of our fingers on the remote of our television sets, or switching of the desktop computer,even mobile phones nowadays have GPRS,look at the i-phones of Apple today,we can see what’s happening throughout the world that never in the imagination of those people of long ago would ever imagine, we now are experiencing! Therefore, miracles are no longer given such attention.
Today, the miracle I would like to emphasize and discuss to you are the eternal miracles which time and technologies could not surpass. This happening is an all-time box office that no one can duplicate for it came from the Source of everything in this world. JESUS. The Alpha and the Omega. Writer C.S.Lewis in his book the Grand Miracle have noted that there are two conditions required to experience a genuine miracle. One,believe in the normal stability of nature, which means we must recognize that the data offered by our senses recur in regular patterns, and two-Believe in some reality beyond nature.When beliefs are held, and not till then,we can approach with an open mind the various reports which claim that this super or extra-natural reality has sometimes invaded the sensuous content of space and time which makes our"natural" world.
So my first advice as you listen is that; Sit Down for awhile in this Church. Relax. Life is not a race. It is a journey that can only be enjoyed once you hop on the boat of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. This is your right place, before anything else. Convince your Christian soul. Yes, it can be wonderfully exhilarating when life is moving quickly. But do not move so quickly that speed becomes your only experience, for there is so much more to enjoy. the terrain of life is filled with scenic and astounding details.
Let’s take one step at a time in our journey just like Paul Bunyan’s "Pilgrim’s Progress" make your life take a turn into full of eagerness once you live a miracle conscious,exciting life.God wanted you to experience the fullness of His Holy Spirit because that is the promise of our Master since He had ascended on His throne of glory!"The person who trusts Me will not only do what I’m doing but even greater things, because I, on my way to the Father,AM GIVING YOU THE SAME WORK TO THAT I’VE BEEN DOING.YOU CAN COUNT ON IT"(John14:12msg.).
I-LIFE-FULL OF CONSISTENCY: v.35
This is the first thing you must do.Be consistent. Notice how Jesus after He taught the multitude in the sea side, maintains the coherency of His mission. That’s why in verse 35 the author, Mark noted; "...in the same day" Jesus sticks to the regularity of what God had assigned Him to do. He crossed that lake to go to the place called Gadara. He knew that a man was under the influence of 2,000 evil spirits under the command of Legion.That He must go there and free that demon-possessed man."All of us must quickly carry out the tasks assigned us by the One who sent Me,because there is little time left before the night falls and all work comes to an end, but while I am still here in the world, I Am the light of the world."(John9:4,5NLT)
2008 Most Valuable Player of the National Basketball Association-Kobe Bryant consistency in practice lead him to that coveted plum of being the NBA’s MVP. No one would experience a miracle just by imagining? No!
Even the Zarephath woman of Elijah’s days encountered her miracle gathering twigs outside of her village. You see, miracle happens to those who are consistently on the go, but a caution that he or she should also enjoy the trip of life. Live a life of always on the go with the flair of consciousness of believing that God had prepared a day for you with His miracle.Begin to believe now.
In our text, take a notice on verses 1,10 and 35.... there were sequences of events and see that those who witness miracles in their lives are not the people on the crowd, not the people who remained and asked the meaning of the parabolic discourse Jesus had just taught, but those who went with Him on the boat to cross the lake and heard Him say;"Let us pass over the other side." And so, people who will experience miracles are those who is consistently with the Lord and regularly hear God’s Word. Your daily dose of miracles should be based on these two tenets.
When I say of miracles, the areas covered in your life in order to experience such would be spiritually, emotionally, materially including your surroundings and environment and lastly, financially. Oh,how good God is in the life of those who are aware of this wonderful phenomenon in us. It is not by chance.It is part of our life in Jesus. It should be a natural occurrence to us. Our God is still the God of miracle.
II-LIFE-FULL OF CONCERN: v.36-39
"Master,carest Thou not that we perish?"
These are the very words of men that forgot the lectures of Jesus in their hearts! Yes, there is a great storm of wind that arose, and the waves beat into the ship, so that the boat was now full of water. While everyone was in a quandary, the Lord is sweetly sleeping in the hind part of the ship catching a nap(for foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests but the Son of Man hath not where to lay His head to rest). The Lord had His Word before leaving the shore,"Let us pass unto the other side." If the Lord Jesus had said it, it surely will come to pass. If that is not the concern of Jesus? Then the symbol of all Christianity today would not be the Cross but a Boat! Ha ha ha... Imagine every people would be wearing pendants in their necklaces with the symbol of a boat?! But no! Time and time again, Jesus knew beforehand that His earthly destiny as the Son of Man would be on that Cross for the sins of the world to be nailed on that wood forever. That’s why before leaving the other side, He sowed the Word:"Let us cross the other side of the lake!" But the disciples’ revealed the seed sown on them was among thorns because of their cares at that instance. The great wind of storm and the giants waves they are encountering at that moment made them forgot the faithfulness of the Word...
Tests, trials, problems and worries helps us forget the Word of the Lord. Today, awake from such stupor. Whenever you encounter great storms of life? Face them head-on with the concern for the Word. He had His Word on you!
When you are concern for the Lord’s Word then it would come back to you in the form of a miracle. A stilling of the Storm.What goes around,comes around.Let me illustrate this to you with a story I read from the academictips.org.One day a man saw an old lady,stranded on the road,but even in the dim light of day, he could see she needed help. So he pulled in front of her Mercedes and got out. Even with the smile on his face, she was worried.No one had stopped to help her for the last hour or so. Was he going to hurt her? He didn’t look safe;he looked poor and hungry. He could see that she was frightened, standing out there in the cold. He knew how she felt.He said,"I’m here to help you ma’m.Why don’t you wait in the car where it is warm? By the way, my name is Bryan Anderson." By that Word she was settled.Well,all she had was a flat tire,but for an old lady, that was bad enough. Bryan crawled under the car looking for a place to put the jack,skinning his knuckles a time or two. Soon he was able to change the tire. But he had to get dirty and his hands hurt.
As he was tightening up the lug nuts,she rolled down the window and began to talk to him. She told him that she was from St.Louis and was only passing through. She couldn’t thank him enough for coming to her aid.Bryan just smiled as he closed the trunk of her car. The Lady asked how much she owed him. Any amount would have all right with her. she already imagined all the awful things that could have happened had he not stopped. Bryan never thought twice about being paid. This was not a job to him. This was helping someone in need,and God knows there were plenty, who had given him a hand in the past. He told her that if she really wanted to pay him back, the next time she saw someone who needed help,she could give that person the assistance they needed, and Bryan added,"And think of me."
A few miles down the road the lady saw a small cafeteria. She went in to eat and take the chill off before she made that last leg of her trip home.She ordered her meal from a pregnant waitress casually. She noticed that the waitress had a sweet smile, one that even being on her feet the whole day couldn’t erase. The lady also took note that the waitress was probably on her 8th month of pregnancy and never let the strain and aches change her attitude. the Old lady wondered how someone who has so little could be so accommodating to a stranger like her. Then she remembered Bryan Anderson. After the lady finished her meal, she paid with a $100 bill.The waitress quickly went to get a change for $100 bill, but the old lady had slipped out already. She was gone by the time the waitress came back. The waitress wondered where the lady could be? Then she noticed something written on the napkin. There were already tears in her eyes when she read what the lady wrote:"You don’t owe me anything.Somebody once helped me out, the way I’m helping you. If you really want to pay me back, here is what you do: Do not let this chain of love end with you." Under the napkin were 4 more $100 bills!
That night when she got out and went home from work and climbed into bed, she was thinking about the money and what the lady had written. How could the lady knew how much she and her husband needed it? With the baby due next month,it was going to be hard.... She knew how worried her husband was, and as he lay sleeping next to her, she gave him a soft kiss and whispered soft and low,"Everything’s going to be alright, Bryan Anderson." There is a saying, "What goes around comes around."
What a story! Let this remind us that what we hear, speak them. Hear God’s Word and spoke them to your circumstances of problems and tests and trials with consistency and with concern... Miracle is on its way for you!
To return to the question of the disciples in verse38... does Jesus really doesn’t care? Surely, you experience it many times in your Christian life, especially in this times of the GPRS and technologies, which is being upgraded every minute. We hate to wait.
Now, change that mindset of time and speed into God’s time of concern and consistency. Your destined for life full of miracles. He is concern for you.The Lord reminded Martha when she complained to Him about Mary’s attitude; "Martha,Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things; THERE IS NEED OF ONLY ONE OR BUT A FEW THINGS.Mary has chosen the good portion [that which is to her advantage], which shall not be taken away from her"(Luke 10:41-42 Amplified Bible). Miracles could not be taken apart from your Christian life. Focus on the only one as you chose that good portion which is in you.Jesus surely cares for your concern. Take that concern for a miracle to happen.
III-LIFE-FULL OF CONTROL: v.39-41
"And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of Man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?"
"And God said,’Let Us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion(control,determine,,manage master,monitor,oversee, restrain, rule, run,regulate, repress,subdue, supervise, suppress) over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth,..."(Gen.1:26)
Living a life-full of control is a life of miracle. Ever since the fall of Adam and his humankind, we lost control over everything in our life, in nature, over God’s creation. The coming of Jesus however, regained such power and we call it miracle! Miracle for me is actually the work of God in a life submitted to Him. Miracles would spring forth in us because of the finished work of Jesus in the Cross and proclaimed triumphantly by His Resurrection and Ascension!
We must likewise live the way Jesus exemplified a true life of the second and final Adamic man. Jesus exhibited such control against the forces of nature in this story. Joshua stilled the sun as they were fighting the Amorites(Jos.10:12,13),Moses dividing the Red Sea, Elisha made the axhead to float on water and many other stories we can read in the Bible. This same historical miracles is now much more available to everyone of us who believe in Jesus than ever before. Listen to this very well, it is not the miracle of nature that should overwhelm us, because I believe in this age of grace, the greatest miracles are still those that can be found on the inside of us. One of the hardest to control is our attitude. That is what I’m focusing at right now. Jesus had shown the calming of the tempest, but the moral issues He much more than emphasize is when said;"Why are ye so fearful? How is it that ye have no faith?" That is what is more important to Jesus. Let me paraphrase it this way; "Where is now the seed that I have sowed in your hearts? Did I not exposed to you the meaning of the parables? The moment I asked you to ride with Me on the boat to go to the other side of the lake, you can now reap the fruit of the seed I have planted in you?" Where is your fruit? You have the fruit. Harvest it in your hearts."
As i conclude, living in this world is full of problems and frustrations and discouragements. But I do want to remind of your stature in the sight of the Lord of lords. You,me and to everyone; let us now make an everyday life of living a life-full of consistency,a life-full of concern for the Word and a life-full of control to our selves. Remember this: the greatest storms in life are not the storms of nature, but the storms in us! Miracles are now possible more than any times before. Apostle Peter had said in Acts 2:16;"this is that..." And so i once again will reiterate, "this is that day..."for miracles to occur in our life.We are all more than victorious to Him who loved us...
A Life-full of Consistency
A Life-full of Concern for the word
and A Life-full of Control equals "Jesus have come that ye might have life, and that ye might have it more abundantly."
Shalom.
