Pack. Don’t Predict.

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Why Did Jesus Walk On Water?Did He Say That?

25 Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. 26 When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear.

27 But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”

28 “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”

29 “Come,” he said. (Matt 14:25-29)

Take a minute and try to think of all the reasons why Peter might’ve hesitated in leaving the boat.

  • Did Jesus just tell me it was OK to leave the boat?
  • Did He actually say that, or am I just hearing what I want Him to say?
  • Do I want to walk on the water because I want to please Him, or am I being prideful?
  • Is He aware that there’s a storm happening right now?

There are always reasons to doubt and that’s why, regardless of the decision you’re getting ready to make, to some extent, you’re going to have to trust in Him.

And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. (Heb 11:6)

And while decisions are pretty easy to make, other decisions represent life altering consequences. But regardless of what’s at stake, the principle is always the same: If you’re going to walk on water, you’ve got to trust in Him.

You’re Never Going to Know

Some want to be able to take an inventory of their motives and ensure their intentions are pure…

The heart is deceitful above all thing and beyond cure. Who can understand it? (Jer 17:9 [see also Ps 51:5])

Some don’t want to move forward without being able to know all of what’s getting ready to happen…

Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life…Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. (Matt 7:27, 34)

Some want to be able to have complete confidence in discerning God’s direction for their lives…

21 So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; 23 but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? 25 Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord! (Rom 7:21-25)

Neither your intellect nor your intentions are immune to the influence of sin. That’s why faith is so important because it’s only His Voice and His Strength that’s going to prove be both dependable and accurate.

You have God’s “Word” that He will guide your thoughts and your actions…

Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life. (Ps 143:8)

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. (Prov 3:5-6)

The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. (Rom 8:6)

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. (Rom 12:1-2)

Pack, Don’t Predict

Imagine you’re getting ready to go to the beach for a long weekend. You’re going to pack based on the amount of time you’re going to be there and the things you plan to do.

If you try to anticipate everything that might happen, not only do you wind up with an outrageous amount of luggage, but there’s a chance you may never leave your house because of your inability to predict all that may occur while you’re gone.

God asks us to pack (Prov 11:14). He never asks us to predict.

He’s always willing to give us direction (Jas 1:5), but He rarely gives us a full description of all that we can expect. He didn’t tell Abraham where he was headed, He didn’t tell Moses how the Red Sea was going to part, He didn’t tell Gideon how he was going to defeat the Midianites, and He didn’t tell Joseph that this son would be born in a stable.

He just told them to pack.

You Always Have a Reason

As long as you’re a part of the human race, you will have both the capacity and the inclination to doubt. You’re never going to be able to remove every question mark. As certain as you may be, or as obvious as the situation may appear, there will always be something to justify a reason to stop, wait, hesitate, or doubt.

Even a burning bush wasn’t enough to convince Moses that he would succeed (Ex 4:13). Paul had seen Christ alive, but was still able to feel completely overwhelmed by circumstance that appeared hopeless (2 For 1:8-10).

And Peter had heard Jesus say it was alright to step out of the boat. But the moment he was able to take a logical inventory of his surroundings, he found all kinds of reasons to second guess his decision.

You will always have a reason to doubt, but, more importantly, you will always, have a reason to trust in Him.

It’s wise to confirm God’s Direction in your life (1 Jn 4:1). But if you’re ever going to walk on water – if you’re going to be obedient and realize God’s Purpose for whatever lies on the other side the decision you need to make – that first step is going to require some faith.

Too often we get distracted by the default uncertainty that accompanies our attempts to answer the question “How do I know?”

Perhaps the question you need to be asking yourself is, “Why do I doubt?”

Pack.

Don’t Predict.

Saturday, August 23rd

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Muscular Christianity Workout

  • Date: Saturday, August 23rd
  • Time: 7:00 am- 8:00 am
  • Place: C Building, Thompsons Station Church |2604 Thompson’s Station Road East | Thompson’s Station, Tennessee 37179

No charge, no commitment!

This is a workout featuring military grade calisthenics as they’re typically at Parris Island, South Carolina.

Headed up by a nine year veteran of the USMC and a Certified Group Fitness Instructor, this is a great workout that will last for about 45 minutes and conclude with a short Bible study taken from the “Muscular Christianity: 90 Day Workout Plan.”

Text Bruce Gust at 615.618.2059 to confirm your seat!

See you then!

Click here for more information about the “Muscular Christianity” Bible Study being offered at TSC!

Jesus Was a Liberal…?

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There was a question posed on Quora that asked, “Jesus is coming back and He hates what liberals are doing. Do you think liberals will be able to stand against Jesus?”

Most of the responses insisted that Christ was a Liberal and anyone who disagrees with the Liberal platform opposes Christ and the gospel.

Here’s my response…

Here’s the problem…

Truth.

You want to believe that unless a Christian is giving money or giving in, they’re either a hypocrite or cruel and hateful.

That’s not how it works.

Any virtue deployed in the absence of Truth is nothing more than a vice disguised as a courtesy. Charity is a subsidy, diversity is contamination, justice is favoritism, and love is pure selfishness.

That’s a hard pill to swallow for someone who’s been conditioned to see themselves as their own absolute, especially if they like to perceive themselves as sophisticated and compassionate.

And you can do that when you are the gauge by which all things are measured. There are no Principles, only Preferences, which is why anytime you try to push back against their narrative they feel completely justified in saying, “You can’t force your beliefs on me.”

Jesus was very vocal in talking about how you are to take care of the orphans and widows (Jas 1:27). He talks about when you feed the hungry and give the thirsty something to drink, you’re doing that as unto Him (Matt 25:35–40).

But He also talks about the wise and the foolish builders (Matt 7:24–27), as well as the importance of hard work (Matt 25: 14–30). He also talks about shooting yourself in the foot and then trying to blame your pain on the person or principle that told you not to pull the trigger to begin with (Gal 6:7).

Liberals applaud people who drive on the wrong side of the road because of the way it allows them to ignore the flow of traffic themselves. Any notion of being accountable to Someone greater than themselves is demonized as legalistic and narrow minded. Their image of Christ is Someone Who smiles at what put Him on the cross and what puts people in hell.

Again, that’s not the way it works (Matt 7:23; Rom 6:23).

The question isn’t whether or not God loves you. Rather, it’s whether or not you love God (Jn 14:21). And just like there’s a difference between loving your enemy and enabling them, there’s also a distinction between Christian charity and destructive subsidies.

And what is that difference?

Truth (Prov 1:7; 2 Thess 2:10–12).

How Do You Know?

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If you were asked, “How do you know that Jesus really did die and come back to life?” how would you respond, if you couldn’t point to the Bible as a Resource?

It’s Current

We wouldn’t still be talking about the Resurrection today unless it really happened.

Simon Ben Kosiba is one of a handful of “counterfeit” Jewish Messiahs that were revered as fulfillments of Old Testament prophecy, but we don’t hear about them today because…

…they’re dead.

It works.

You live your life according to biblical principles, you benefit. If you opt to ignore those same principles, you have to deal with the consequences.

Some may respond by saying, “Well, it works for you…” While that’s not always the case, more often than not, that response comes from a mindset that wants to reduce the world to a collection of personal preferences in order to justify maintaining themselves as their own bottom line.

If you’re not sinning, then you’re not lying, you’re not stealing, and you’re loving your neighbor as yourself. You’re on a much better path than if you were doing things differently and that applies to everyone.

It makes sense.

Every “religion” empowers the individual with the ability to facilitate their own salvation. After a while, that starts to sound a little suspicious in that the focus is more on you and what you’re capable of despite the obvious limitations of the human condition.  As a Christian, the only thing you contribute to your salvation is the sin that makes it necessary. That makes more sense in that the emphasis is now more on God – Who He is and what He’s capable of rather than on the individual and what they’re obviously not able to do.

For further reading, check out COEXIST.