A Net in Time

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Faith

People Fed, Jesus Withdrew

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The last time we met we discussed the problem, if people don’t believe what is written about Jesus, how will they ever believe the Words he says?    Today we will discuss a bunch of people fed in John 6:1-15.

After this Jesus went away to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias. 2 And a large crowd was following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing on the sick. 3 Jesus went up on the mountain, and there he sat down with his disciples. 4 Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was at hand. 5 Lifting up his eyes, then, and seeing that a large crowd was coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?” 6 He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he would do. 7 Philip answered him, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread would not be enough for each of them to get a little.” 8 One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him, 9 “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are they for so many?” 10 Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, about five thousand in number. 11 Jesus then took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated. So also the fish, as much as they wanted. 12 And when they had eaten their fill, he told his disciples, “Gather up the leftover fragments, that nothing may be lost.” 13 So they gathered them up and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves left by those who had eaten. 14 When the people saw the sign that he had done, they said, “This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world!”
15 Perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself.

Devotional from John 6:1-15, jesus didn't make a fuss, he withdrew quietly

So people wanted to believe in Jesus because of the things they saw rather than because of the things they heard.  Jesus decided to withdraw from where he was, over to the other side of the Sea of Galilee.  BUT the crowd followed him.  They were enamoured of him because of what he was doing with the sick. Even when Jesus went up the mountain to sit with his disciples the people came on.

Jesus’ Reaction to the crowd

Jesus saw them coming, and he asked a question “where can we buy bread so we can feed these people”.  He knew the Passover was coming, these folks would need to eat.  He knew what his plans were but wanted to see what the disciples would do. 

Two options were presented to him.

  1. Buy food, but a problem 200 denarii wouldn’t buy enough to feed them.
  2. There’s a boy with five loaves and two fish, again a problem it’s not enough to feed the crowd. 

Do you see what happened?

The disciples found potential solutions immediately, but just as immediately found reasons to discount them. Not enough money, not enough food.  They didn’t though, say “HEY, it’s impossible.”  They looked for answers to the question posed to them.  Looked for answers before finding fault with their solutions.

What to do though, isn’t that still the question?

What Jesus Did.

Jesus didn’t question them, instead he instructed his disciples to have the crowd take a seat.  It was a grassy place, nice for sitting, so the people did as they were asked.  5,000 men sat down. 

Then Jesus took the loaves, and the fish, and gave thanks.   He then distributed them to the seated crowd. He was able to piece out the bread and fish so well that the people were able to eat their fill.  They were so full they had 12 baskets of food left over.   Can you imagine it?   Five loaves and two fish with 12 baskets leftover after feeding 5,000 men and their families.    The people were amazed  and said  “This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world!”   They were so excited and happy about this that look what happened in v.15 “they were about to come and take him by force to make him king,“.   This wasn’t the plan was it? It wasn’t in Jesus’ purview to become a physical king of Israel.  So he left, withdrawing into the mountains. 

I can understand it you know?   The excitement of the people seeing this great miracle of a small meal becoming such a large satisfying one.  Having seen all the miracles Jesus had already performed.  Do you blame them for wanting Jesus to be their king?  They had been waiting for a Messiah for so long and here was this man doing miraculous things!

But I can also understand Jesus.  Knowing this wasn’t what he was called to.  Not making a fuss, just quietly disappearing.

I don’t know what to take out of this. I don’t.  I just feel like my understanding of the Lord has been deepened. Just by the simple fact of him not making a fuss and trying to explain, just going off by himself to let people calm down on their own. 

Saviour, Again to Thy Dear Name We Raise

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Don’t you love a good hymn that speaks to the praise and worship we have for our risen Lord?  Praising him for his actions on our behalf, and that also speaks to our dependence upon him?   Saviour, Again to Thy Dear Name We Raise is one such song.

Saviour Again to thy dear name we raise

Lyrics

Savior, again to Thy dear name we raise
With one accord our parting hymn of praise;
We stand to bless Thee ere our worship cease;
Then, lowly kneeling, wait Thy word of peace.

Grant us Thy peace upon our homeward way;
With Thee began, with Thee shall end the day.
Guard thou the lips from sin, the hearts from shame,
That in this house have called upon Thy name.

Grant us Thy peace, through this approaching night;
Turn Thou for us its darkness into light;
From harm and danger keep Thy children free,
For dark and light are both alike to Thee.

Grant us Thy peace—the peace Thou didst bestow
On Thine apostles in Thine hour of woe;
The peace Thou broughtest, when at eventide
They saw Thy piercèd hands, Thy wounded side.

Grant us Thy peace throughout our earthly life;
Peace to Thy church from error and from strife;
Peace to our land, the fruit of truth and love;
Peace in each heart, Thy Spirit from above.

Thy peace in life, the balm of every pain;
Thy peace in death, the hope to rise again;
Then, when Thy voice shall bid our conflict cease,
Call us, O Lord, to Thine eternal peace.

Written by John Ellerton, Saviour, Again to Thy Dear Name We Raise, was written for the Festival of the Malpas, Middlewich and Nantwich Choral Association in Cheshire, England. Mr. Ellerton wrote about 50 of his own hymns and translated a few others. Born in London, England he eventually took the Holy Orders and became Curate of Eastbourne, and then Vicar of Crewe Green 1860, Rector of Hinstock 1872, of Barnes 1876, and of White Roding 1886. He lived from 1826-1893. He wrote prose as well as poetry and is best known for his work as a poet and hymnwriter. The Hymnary site has more information on Mr. Ellerton and his work.

The Faith Shaped Life

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You know how I was going through A Mom like you?   Well… the next two chapters caused me to say NOPE not going to do this book, so I’ve moved on to The Faith Shaped Life by Ian Hamilton.   My Mom-in-law gave me this book for Christmas this year and I promised her I’d read it so here we go.  43 chapters in this book so if I do one chapter a week, I’ll be doing this book for most of the coming year.  

I do want to assure you that there’s nothing really wrong with A Mom Like You, but it’s just not the book I need to read at this stage in my life.  I’m post the child having years of my life so some of the topics just don’t suit my life.  Ergo when I was searching for something more suitable I was reminded of mom’s Christmas present to me. 

The Faith Shaped Life, book cover

The Faith Shaped Life

I love the opening line of Chapter one… “The Christian life is a faith-shaped life”. I think part of the reason I love that line is it keeps popping up in the devotional on the Heidelberg Catechism I am reading with the lad, it comes up in my devotions on John, and just my every day living.  Seeing how faith is a daily choice you know?   This is why that first sentence resonates with me so. 

“The fundamental principle at the heart of the Christian life is that, like Moses, we persevere because we see him who is invisible”.  Faith is sight for believing eyes.  It is, isn’t it?   The Holy Spirit opens our eyes to see him doesn’t he?   He’s the one who reminds of us God through the storms in our life when it is so easy to forget that God is God and we adore him for all of who he is. For faith is easy when life is easy isn’t it?   So easy to pray and talk and study the things of the Lord when life is easy.  When storms are hard though, when times are tough, it is SO easy to get side-tracked, to get lost in the moments of grief, pain, confusion, loss and more.  The bible is full of psalms crying out to God for relief and help, to no longer feel forgotten. 

Why this happens:

The question this raises for me is, why does this happen?   Why do hard times makes our faith seem so tenuous?  Is it because we stop seeing God so clearly?  Or because we feel abandoned by God?  Or is it that where we are looking changes? Do we stop looking by faith and only see the circumstances of our life?  So the physical jumps into focus and the spiritual, the looking at the unseen that only by faith we can truly see, grows dimmer?   I’m thinking that is what it is, what say you?  We just lose our proper focus unless we work to keep it where it should be. 

What does it mean to live by Faith?

It means we trust God, no matter what happens in life. We trust God, we keep our eyes fixed on him.  It means we keep trusting God and to ACT like we are trusting him.  It’s not an easy thing, you know, living the life of a Christian.  We face trials, we have an adversary in the devil, and we’ll find ourselves in a battle.   

So what do we do?   AH… we remember… oh we remember to, moment by moment, trust God. To trust in him, to trust in his word, in his goodness, in his purposes and his unfailing love.  This we need to do.

This book’s aim is help us to flesh out what it means to live by faith and to point us relentlessly to Jesus Christ who is the founder and protector of our faith.  Should be an interesting journey eh?  🙂

 

How Will You Believe In My Words?

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Last time we met, we discussed Jesus shows us God, today we discuss John 5: 30-47.

30 “I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me.31 If I alone bear witness about myself, my testimony is not true. 32 There is another who bears witness about me, and I know that the testimony that he bears about me is true. 33 You sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth. 34 Not that the testimony that I receive is from man, but I say these things so that you may be saved. 35 He was a burning and shining lamp, and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light. 36 But the testimony that I have is greater than that of John. For the works that the Father has given me to accomplish, the very works that I am doing, bear witness about me that the Father has sent me. 37 And the Father who sent me has himself borne witness about me. His voice you have never heard, his form you have never seen, 38 and you do not have his word abiding in you, for you do not believe the one whom he has sent. 39 You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me,40 yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life. 41 I do not receive glory from people. 42 But I know that you do not have the love of God within you. 43 I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not receive me. If another comes in his own name, you will receive him.44 How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God? 45 Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father. There is one who accuses you: Moses, on whom you have set your hope. 46 For if you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote of me. 47 But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?”

John 5:30-47, a devotional believe his word

V 30 reminds us that Jesus does what God wills of him.  He does nothing on his own accord but seeks God’s will alone.

Can you imagine if we truly sought to follow after Jesus what such a mindset would do for us?   That we would only seek to do the will of God?   Alas, it is so easy for us to get distracted. To seek our own will rather than God’s.  There are days I so wish it weren’t so. That I could see the needs of others, or I could see what God would have me do and not have to wonder if I am making the right decision.  To be able to, as naturally as breathing, do only what the good Lord would will of me.  Be nice eh?

v. 31 this verse make so much sense to me eh?     Testifying about yourself is like saying YEAH ME when you have nothing to prove your own veracity.  BUT if someone else says something good about… it’s a different story eh?  

And Jesus does have someone who will tell the truth about him, someone who will testify to who he is. It’s John the Baptist!  Jesus is clear though, he doesn’t seek testimony from people, but that testimony that he does receive from man is helpful to them.  He goal is the salvation of people. 

Consider who John is… a testimony true and sure, a bright light they gathered around BUT the testimony Jesus has, the testimony that he seeks is greater than John.  It’s the work that God the Father has for him.   God himself has borne testimony of Jesus.   

People have not seen him, or heard him, nor do they have God’s word hiding in them. Why?  Because they choose not to believe in the one God sent. 

Even though these Jewish folk search the scriptures because they think that is where they will find eternal life.. they are wrong.  Eternal life is found through believing in the one God sent.  Eternal life is found in Jesus. 

Jesus asks them hard questions: 

  1. How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God? 
  2. For if you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote of me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?”

I have to admit, I was supposed to read this passage yesterday and talk about it, but I didn’t.  I delayed until today to talk and I don’t entirely understand this passage.

To me in  a nutshell Jesus is talking to the Jews who want to understand under whose name he comes.  Jesus has told them GOD.  He only does what God wills of him.

But they don’t believe him.  They want some physical person to say “I’ve sent him to do this” or they want Jesus to proclaim himself.  Jesus doesn’t do that.  He’s told them that God sent him.  They don’t believe him, so they’ve turned to the scriptures for answers, but don’t really believe what they find there either.   They just can’t or won’t accept what is true.   This is why Jesus asked them those hard questions.  If you can’t believe the writer, how can you believe the words?   If they seek upbuilding from one another without turning to the one who can build them up, encourage them and say well, how can they truly say they believe God?  It’s hard.

It’s hard for me to fully understand everything in this passage.
It’s hard for me to really put into words what I THINK I’m understanding.

I am seeing though that it’s hard for the Jewish folk to wrap their heads around the fact that this man who claims to be the Son of God actually IS the Son of God. 

They want proof, but how can Jesus give it to them?  He can point them to scripture.  He can point them back to when he was baptized and God gave his voice of approval to him, but if they don’t believe what they read, and if they don’t believe John the Baptist, what can Jesus do?   What proof then can he offer?  He can’t. 

If they don’t believe the evidence he has given them, what use are any words that he would speak to them?  What use is it?  

The frustration eh?  That’s what I see you know?  Frustration on the part of the Jews because they just cannot understand it.  Frustration perhaps on the side of Jesus because, these people have the evidence, but they just aren’t able to connect all the dots.  Faith is such a required element. [clickToTweet tweet=”Faith is such a required element. ” quote=” Faith is such a required element. “]

Knowing this, what is my response to this passage?

I don’t know.  Part of my shakes my head at the whole situation.  Wondering why the Jews couldn’t see it, marvelling at Jesus’ patience with them.  Wondering what take home I can bring to all of this?   Do I trust the Lord?   Does my faith reside in Jesus and his work on the cross and after?   OR am I like the Jewish folk.. seeking for answers but since faith isn’t part of the equation being unable to do so?

Oh…that I might be the former and not the latter.  May it be that my faith, faltering and weak though it so often be, be enough to let me see the Lord as he truly is.  Master, Saviour, Helper, Guide, Judge, Just, Right, Full-filler of Scripture, and more. 

Do you see the Lord reader? 

Are you like the Jewish folk and lack the faith and ergo the ability to see the Lord Jesus’ fulfillment of them?

Or do you trust him, do you believe he truly is the Son of God?  Write me if you want to know more, perhaps together we can see Jesus more clearly eh?

Jesus Shows Us God

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Last time we met we learned why the Jews were seeking to kill Jesus.  Today in John 5:19-29 we see Jesus’ authority.

19 So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise. 20 For the Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing. And greater works than these will he show him, so that you may marvel. 21 For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will. 22 For the Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son, 23 that all may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him. 24 Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.

25 “Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. 26 For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. 27 And he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man. 28 Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice 29 and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.

Jesus shows us God image for a devotional on John 5:19-29

Based on the next line when it says “so Jesus said to them“, I imagine when Jesus made the statement that “My Father is working until now, and I am working.” that the Jews had a fairly immediate response to it (other than the wantig to kill him).   Jesus gave them a long response which is today’s reading.

What do we learn then of Jesus?

  1. Jesus can do nothing of his own accord.  v. 19
  2. Jesus can only do what he sees the Father doing. v. 19
  3. What God does, Jesus does. v. 19
  4. God has given certain tasks to Jesus.  v.22
  5. Jesus can give life to whom he wills.
  6. Jesus is the one who judges.
  7. If you don’t honour Christ, you don’t honour God. v.23
  8. Belief in Jesus merits eternal life. v. 24
  9. Jesus has life within himself.

My son was sitting on the couch as I was working through this list, so we stopped for a moment to talk about it.  I was telling him how I’ve read through this passage and had it preached more times than I care to admit, but today I feel like it’s the first time I actually really thought about this passage.

Jesus doesn’t do anything that God does do (other than the “For the Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son”).   This means that if we know that Jesus does something (heal sick, talk to people, knows their history without being told, and such like) he is really truly showing God to us.

 [clickToTweet tweet=”This means that if we know that Jesus does something (heal sick, talk to people, knows their history without being told, and such like) he is really truly showing God to us” quote=”This means that if we know that Jesus does something (heal sick, talk to people, knows their history without being told, and such like) he is really truly showing God to us”]

And the things that Jesus does do, doesn’t just come up out of his own mind.  It’s not like he’s saying “oh… I’m the Word that created everything so now I’m going to heal whatever”.   God heals people, Jesus heals people.   God is in relationship with people, Jesus is in relationship with people.  The one begets the other. It’s not like the carpenter’s son becoming a lawyer eh?   It’s God being God and Jesus being God. 

This is a rather cool passage if you stop and think about the implications of what Jesus is saying.   I can understand the fierce anger of the Jewish people, knowing what their mindset is.  God is holy and just, and no one can be like him and here is a Jewish man saying that what God does, he does.   He spells it out so clearly for them.

Then, after he has laid it out clearly for them gives them this injunction “do not marvel at this” (which I personally find a bit odd as Jesus had just finished saying that he will do things that will cause them to marvel).  Jesus warns them that a day will come when the dead will hear the Son of God.  Those that hear will then live.   For just as God the Father has life so does the Son of God.  Like father, like son.

I fear I am SO not doing this passage justice.  So many thoughts are whirling around in my head … mostly of how Jesus is God in a way that we can see him.  Jesus shows us God.  God gives Jesus the right of Judgement.  This matters eh?  Just look at vvs 28-29.  The dead will hear his voice, those that do good will receive a resurrection to life, and those who do evil receive a resurrection of judgement.  Can you imagine it?   The shock of the Jews at Jesus making such statement!?!?!   It’s shocking to me to… to see it put so plainly I already knew this truth.   Putting it within the context of the Jews wanting Jesus dead for it makes me more clear to me this day.

Worthy of Worship

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worthy of worship

Hubby was guest preaching today and this song Worthy of Worship is one chosen to go along with his sermon from 1 John 1:5-10.   I thought it a rather pretty song filled with words describing who God is.   I don’t know a whole lot about the author or anything.  I just happened to like the lyrics and thought I’d share them with you.

 

Lyrics

Worthy of worship, worthy of praise,
worthy of honour and glory;
worthy of all the glad songs we can sing,
worthy of all the off’rings we bring.

Refrain:
You are worthy, Father, Creator.
You are worthy, Saviour, Sustainer
You are worthy, worthy and wonderful;
worthy of worship and praise.

2
Worthy of rev’rence, worthy of awe,
worthy of love and devotion;
worthy of bowing and bending of knees,
worthy of all this and added to these . . .

Refrain:

3
Almighty Father, Master and Lord,
King of all kings and Redeemer,
Wonderful Counselor, Comforter, Friend,
Saviour and source of our life without end;

Refrain:

 

It’s written by Chason Disheroon.  You can learn more about this fellow who hails from Georgia, USA from this site.

Below he sings the song that he wrote.

 

Find A Way

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The word ADAPT set a chord running through me as taunt as the bowstring on my son’s homemade bow. This was a VERY hard poem to write. So many words and thoughts flooding through my being tonight. I hope they make sense! This season is hard, and despite my frustrations with platitudes offered with actions showing hearts not in the same place as the platitudes offered, I know that God will mind our backs full well. He reminds me daily that he loves me more than sparrows, he knows how to listen to a heart’s cry, and that is good. May he truly be seen!

Find a way, Adapt. A Poem.

Find A Way

The word today,
Adapt they say.
Find a way
This word to say
How in life
It fits the bill
Turn hearts to God
You hope it will.

I’m sorry the word
Pops out
I should have kept
My mouth shut
Not stressing you
Not confusing you
Adding pressure and
Making you want to hide.

I’m sorry my love
I forgot you see
To remember what pressure
What it does to thee.
Oh Guide me Lord
My heart it cries
Let me speak softly
To hide what’s inside.

The platitudes Come
Trust God they say
Everything you know
It will come out okay.
But is the understanding there?
Is there willingness to bend?
To know that what once one could do
Must come to an end?

I try not to fret
To worry what might be
A boy needs friends
It’s so much fun to just be.
Running and talking and
Making much delight.
Distances to drive
They are such a fright.

Mind the dollars
Make the plans
Cut them short
No funds quick at hand.
Regret it flows
Wishing different it was
Wondering what lessons
The Lord has in store.

The words they say are true
God will provide
But sometimes
My stomach clenches
Worry wants to abide.
Trust God they say.
The bible says more.
Those sparrows you see?
God loves you more.

God’s word it seeps
Deep into me still.
Rest assured.
He will help, He will.
Don’t struggle.
Take one day at a time.
Remember you are worth
Much more than a dime.

Seasons come
and Seasons Go.
But the Lord Oh…he’s God
Remember that, NO?
Adapt, be changed
Let your heart be made new
Adapt, be changed
See what he’s doing in you.

The word today,
Adapt they say.
Find a way
This word to say
How in life
It fits the bill
Turn hearts to God
You know it will.

This poem was written in response to a word prompt from dear Miss Kate. The word Adapt. Find the chords this word struck in the lives of other Five Minute Friday bloggers. Be amazed! We are an amazingly talented group! Oh… and you are too.. come join us won’t you?