Mark
When God's Word is received it always yields fruit. God is a God of increase, He desires growth and expansion. According to the parable in Mark 4, when the seed of God's Word finds good soil, it produces a harvest 30, 60, and 100 fold. The question is, "are we sowing seed?" If we are - there will be increase!
We serve an awesome and almighty God. Everyone is going through some kind of issue or trouble and need to see that there is hope. We have an everlasting hope in Jesus Christ. Just as the disciples in the boat during the great storm, we panic, become full of fear and act as if we have no faith when issues arise and problems begin to pile up. We try to handle them on our own for too long before taking the issue before Jesus. Struggles and problems come suddenly and without warning, causing a spirit of distress. The only good thing that comes out of fear - is that is drives us to Christ - but we should already be praying and in the Word everyday. Four things we should do; change our focus from the circumstance to the solution - Jesus, put your trust totally in the Lord, stand firm on the promises of God and remain steadfast in our faith.
Jesus taught in parables, revealing principles that can be applied to our everyday lives. First, we have to understand the storm, which is anything that hinders or distracts us from the purpose of God or any spirit that resists God. Five points we need to understand for our life; God's position, His power, His purpose, His plan, and His peace. Brother Rick Clendenen, and his wife Debbie are visiting us from Benton, KY.
Jesus declared that through HIm, Good News would be preached to the poor, the broken-hearted would be healed, captives would be delivered, the spiritually blind would receive sight and on this Resurrection Sunday, because HE LIVES, this ministry continues!
There is a great danger that each and every follower of Christ faces. It is the temptation to put "God in a box" so to speak. Because we have heard so man bible stories and so many sermons we can become so "familiar" with Jesus that we actually lose sight of who He really is.
The Lord does not expect us to have all we need for our journey with Him. So often we find ourselves evaluating our resources only to find in ourselves that we are lacking. However, in Christ the little we have is multiplied and useful!
The Christian life is a "supernatural" life. We serve a God of miracles & the impossible. In Mark 8:15 Jesus warns that we must beware of the leaven of unbelief. Remember without faith it is impossible to please God! As we study & believe God's word our faith grows to a point where we see what others can't!
There will always be a season in our life when we need renewed vision. The circumstances of life can cloud our vision and make it easy to lose focus of our purpose as followers of Christ. We need to have a fresh touch from Jesus to cause our eyes to be opened to His plans and purposes.
In each of us is a desire to live a life that is bigger or beyond that which is natural. The world is constantly doing its best to define how this can best be achieved but the truth is that Jesus has already shown us! According to the example and teachings of Jesus, if we truly desire to be "great" - we must take on the form of a servant.
Kevin Ramsby, Senior Pastor at Revival Tabernacle in Detroit, shares his amazing testimony of how he survived a home invasion where he was stabbed 37 times. Kevin was seconds away from eternity when he heard four words, "They still need you." In Mark 11:23-24, the bible tells us when you are facing the mountains in life - ask and believe you will receive - believe that God will move the mountain. We all have mountains that need moved but we cannot stop there - continue to verse 25 and see that forgiveness comes before our prayers. We all have the choice to forgive and release that person, will you choose to forgive?
