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  Rushing Streams Ministries

Thinking out loud

The Storm

4/30/2016

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“Where is your faith?”  Luke 8:25

No matter what our circumstances are, they open two paths for us, one of faith and trust, the other of doubt and fear.
No matter what our circumstances, our reactions are always a measure of our trust in God.
Our circumstances simply reveal where our faith, our trust, lies.

One day Jesus wanted to go to the other side of the lake.  During the crossing, Jesus slept.  Unexpectedly the circumstances changed — they were suddenly in a storm.
The disciples were men of the water—they knew storms; they had experienced the deadly power of storms.  Storms were the unpredictable giants they could not control, and now they were in one.
And Jesus slept.

Awakened by the panicking men; Jesus rebukes the wind and the waves and then, a sudden incredible calm.  This was impossible!  This was beyond the disciples ability to grasp.

The sudden power encounter between Jesus and the storm left them both terrified and awestruck.   This was not the Jesus who taught the masses, who healed the sick and the crippled or even the Jesus who cast out demons.  This Jesus stilled a killer storm with a word and brought them out of the brink of death into a perfect calm.  This was beyond their comprehension.

Astonished, all they could say was, “Who is this man?”
The answer came in the form of a rebuke. “Where is your faith?”

Their faith, not unlike ours, was in the storm they were entering.  They truly believed that the storm was all powerful.  Therefore they did not look to Jesus for the solution, but resigned themselves to dying with Jesus in the storm.

When the storms in our lives become bigger than our faith in Jesus, we may cling to him as we resign ourselves to drown, and we forget that our fears or doubts are just challenges to our faith in the one who calms the storms and quiets the winds.

“According to your faith let it be done to you”  Matthew 9:29
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Luke 7:36-50

4/22/2016

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​She came without a word, uninvited.

The profound recognition of her need overcame her deep sense of unworthiness. She slipped into the house, knelt at the feet of Jesus and wept, washing his feet with her tears. 
Drying his feet with her hair, she anointed them with expensive perfume. 
Her actions filled the room with judgments. 
“If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner.”  
Luke 7:39 

“Why this waste of perfume? It could have been sold for more than a year’s wages and the money given to the poor.”  And they rebuked her harshly.”  Mark 14:4-6 

As those present rebuke her, Jesus speaks “Leave her alone, why are you bothering her?”  His words silence the room. 

“She has done a beautiful thing to me.” 

Then he pronounces that this action by an unnamed woman will be memorialized; 

“What she has done for me will be told wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world.” 

Turning to the woman, he declares.
“Your sins are forgiven.” 
“Your faith has saved you; go in peace.” 
We often can’t understand his incredible mercy. 

Our religious mindsets may declare; 

How can this be? This is not the way it’s done! 

She has not openly repented! 

She has not confessed her sins! 

She has not openly confessed that Jesus is “Lord.” 

Yet, Jesus proclaims forgiveness and salvation. 

The recognition of Jesus, is a recognition of our sinfulness. 

Peter had the revelation of his sinfulness because of a miracle. 
“When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!”  Luke 5:8 

This woman had a revelation of her sinfulness, and went searching for her redeemer. 
The revelation of our fallen nature and the realization that Jesus is the only way out seems to be all that is required to receive his forgiveness and salvation. 

No major prayer, no preparation, no steps needed, only a recognition of who we are and who he is. 

And all of heaven’s grace follows.
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Limitations

4/14/2016

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"…Nothing will be impossible for you.”  Matthew 17:20 

Jesus came, not only to save us, but also to change our minds about who we are and can be in Him, to set us free from the world’s limitations.. 

"So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.”  John 8:36 
Free from what?  Free from the imposed limits and unbelief of a religious spirit.
A religious spirit will always limit us to; “This is not possible.”  “God can’t do that.”  “God won’t do for us.”  Or “I can’t do that!” 
He came to declare that all things are possible with him. 

“Come follow me and I will make you…”  Matthew 4:19 

It must have been a great mystery for them — someone who has the power to heal the sick, confront the religious system of a nation, alter the course of nature, and raise the dead—someone who rather than being with the movers and shakers in mansions and the places of power— chooses them to be with him, work with him, eat with him, laugh with him, rest with him. 

It must have been a puzzle why he had even called them, they, who have nothing to offer. 

Not unlike us, they continually struggled with their distorted identity, and its imposed limitations.

While the disciples clung to their limitations, Jesus was building in them a foundation for the belief that the impossible is possible. 

And always the people came. Hunger always draws them. Where Jesus is, there is healing, life, deliverance. It did not matter where he went; the crowds found him and followed. 
And now they followed into a desolate place, the place of no provision. (A distressful place of great limitations, a place we may hate, nevertheless a place we desperately need for growth.) 

"Lord, send the crowds away, so that they can get something to eat." 

They knew what hunger can do. There was no food, it was a valid concern. 
Jesus is not concerned. This becomes another opportunity for teaching and disarming the mindset of limitations. While they struggle with; 
     “This situation is impossible!” 
     “We can’t help them!” 
     “We have no resources!” 
     “Send them away!” 
     “Let them fend for themselves.” 

Jesus draws them out of their limitations and back to his reality with a challenge that will rock their reliance on their own understanding. 

“You feed them!”
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Two Men, One God

4/1/2016

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God is constantly calling us beyond our established limits. 
Those who accept the challenge see the limitless, the infinite and move into a different reality, their intended destiny. 

In the events in 2 Kings 6:5-8 we see the contrast. 
Two men of faith — moving in the same circles, going to the same places, yet radically different. 

Under the same circumstance, one sees the natural and is suddenly overcome with fear, the other sees the hand of God. 

“The prophetʼs attendant got up early in the morning. When he went outside there was an army surrounding the city, along with horses and chariots."

An impossible situation confronts them. 
He sees no back-door, no means of escape. The servant can only conclude, “WE ARE DOOMED!!!!”

He said to Elisha, “Oh no, my master! What will we do?” 

In the natural we have a tendency to see and think the worst. In the spirit we live in a place of peace. 
Elisha looked at what had frightened the servant. 

He replied, “Donʼt be afraid, for our side outnumbers them.” 
​
However, words alone will not bring the assurance and peace the servant needs. A demonstration of the truth and power is required. 
The prophet prays for him. 

Then Elisha prayed, “O Lord, open his eyes so he can see.” The Lord opened the servantʼs eyes and he saw that the hill was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. 

Elisha simply prayed that his servant may see what was there. 
Elisha did not ask God to send the horses and chariots of fire. 
Elijah did not even ask God for help; the help was always there. 

When we have faith, we have favor with God and we can ask to see. 
Elisha asked; God delivered his servant from fear, and a town from panic, and brought peace to the nation. 

God is never in the panic, never in the fear, but He is in the faith and trust of those who serve Him. Ask in faith, believing you will see the hand of God. 

“Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing…” John 5:19 

Elisha had no doubt and he saw.
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    Thinking Out Loud

    These are short meditations on some of the thoughts and ideas we receive as we read, study or ponder the things of God.
    They are short blogs meant to cause us to think, explore, meditate or simply delight in the things of the Lord.


    Author

    In a counseling career spanning over 30 years, author and teacher Martin Frankena has shared the life-changing power of Christ’s redemption with individuals and churches in America, Canada, South America, and Europe.  Martin's heart is to further the Lord’s mandate of releasing people into freedom from bondages to experience greater wholeness and fulfillment in life. A major focus of the ministry is healing from generational issues.

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