John 2:1-11 Do whatever he tells you to do.

Most of modern evangelicalism has a problem when it comes to seeing Jesus do miracles in the scriptures. Typically we don't know what to make of them. Should we try and over spiritualize them to make sense of it? Should we try to find some hidden meaning in it or some sort of moralistic teaching? Or should we just throw it out all together and not wrestle with it at all?

In most biblical circles, and even many seminaries, people are trained to break their hermeneutical understandings in order to try and over spiritualize the miraculous. The problem with that is first, the bible doesn't give us the freedom to do that. And Second, if we can fully explain and interpret the miraculous, it ceases to actually be miraculous.

In the case where Jesus turns water into wine, we see the foundation of being witness to the miraculous. Jesus told a couple of servants to do something, and they did it. And in doing so, they saw a miraculous work of God. At the wedding, Jesus' mother very clearly tells the servants to "do whatever he (Jesus) tells you to do." and in their obedience to Jesus, those servants had the opportunity to witness Jesus's first miracle. The same truth is for us today. As we hear the voice of God; whether it be through His Word, through the community of believers, or even supernatural revelation. When we hear His voice and are obedient and courageous in doing what he says; we have the awesome opportunity to see His wonderful hand at work. “Don't be just a hearer of the word, be a doer of the word.”

Spending March w/ Jesus 3-13-09 "Jesus Makes Me Frustrated."

Imagine feeding all these people on just a couple loaves of bread and 2 fish. Then having leftovers.

Jesus Feeds 5000 people

Read John 6:1-14

I almost am at the half way point of the month in which I have set out to study Jesus through the gospels. One may think that I would be super excited about what I am reading each day and that I would be on a spiritual high. That's very far from the case. I am actually more frustrated today, than I have been in a while.

I'll preface this blog by telling you this. I believe in miracles. I have seen some miraculous things in my life and believe that God can do anything without exception. However, here's my issue. I have never seen miracles like I have been reading about these past 2 weeks. The miracles that I have seen, primarily have to do with the unseen miracles that are not a part of the physical realm. For example, I can see the miracle of regeneration in my own life, no doubt that God gave me a new heart. I can intellectually understand the miracle of justification in which scripture teaches about. I have heard the voice of God verbally in which God spoke to both Beth and I on the same day and said the same thing. I have seen the divine appointment in which I met the perfect person at the perfect time for a God sized reason. The list can go on.

However, I have never seen the undeniable, no questions asked, must have been God, miracle; in the physical sense. Most of the things I have seen can be written off as pure luck, maturity, or coinciedience. For example; I have already blogged about how Jesus turned water into wine, raise people from the dead, pulled a demon out of someone, walked on water, told a storm to "get the hell outta here", escaped a raging mob, healed the blind-deaf-bleeding-dead-sick-poor-etc. All of those things are actual, physical, undeniable, miracles unlike anything I have ever seen.

Every time I come to scripture I see more and more of the miraculous. Jesus was a man who did miracles; and performed signs and wonders. Today a typical Christian barely ever claims any real power which totally contradicts Jesus' words when he said in Acts and Matthew that "we would receive power." Instead, I find myself taking all of the miracles and the supernatural that Jesus accomplished thru teh power of the Holy Spirit and and trying to put some sort of stupid, dumbed down, spin on it so that I don't have to explain why I do not see those things in my life.

Then came today. Jesus took a couple of fish and some bread and fed up to 20,000 people with leftovers. I was about to write some stupid parable about how Jesus wanted to show us that he was the bread of life and is able to fill all of our needs. Na, that's just the wrong answer. Jesus wanted to feed his people and he had the power to do it. They were hungery and he decided to feed them. END OF STORY.

I think that as a Christian I have the right to be frustrated that I do not see the same, or ever similar power in my own life. Does the Holy Spirit not work anymore? Do I not have enough faith? Do I not believe or trust? Does God not want to do those things anymore? I think that American Christianity has taught me to try to and to God for an answer on how to fix something, rather than going to God with the trust and faith that he will supernaturally and miraculously do it himself. The Holy Spirit does work; I do have faith, I believe and trust; and I believe that it is Gods heart to do the supernatural still. I guess I'm just missing something.

God, help me see the supernatural. I want to see the crazy things that I am reading about. Grow my faith so that I will trust you and your ability to do anything. I want to see it.

Spending March w/ Jesus 3-4-09 "Water into Wine"

Jesus Changes Water into Wine

Read John 2:1-11

What a way to start out your ministry. Nah, don't heal a blind guy, don't walk on water, don't disappear like a bad magic trick during a game of hide-n-seek. Instead.....lets get this party started. We bout to get crunked in hear. haha. Ok. I am kidding; Kinda! For all you Hyper Nazarenes and Baptists who seem to take the FUN out of Fundamental; Jesus just blew your boxers off. Or should I say your tighty whiteys? For you southerners who are a little confused, Yes....it says Jesus turned water into wine....not sweet tea.

None the less. I did learn something else from this passage. Something that you may not see when you are fist looking at this. Most people look at Jesus in this passage but neglect to look at the two servants. Check out this story from their perspective.

Jesus just gets told by Momma Mary that there's no more wine and to fix the problem. Jesus seems a little perturbed about this and doesn't want to help out, he says specifically that it is not yet his time. However there are probably a couple of the servers around hearing this conversation. Momma Mary tells them to do whatever Jesus tells them. So what does he do? "Yo, go get me some water and put it into the stone jars." says Jesus. I am sure by now these two guys are pretty confused. then he tells them to take the water to the Master (Their Boss) to be tasted. Imagine what was going through their mind as they began to walk to their master? This is what I would have been thinking. "This is so stupid, we're definitely fired after this one." "What in the world are we doing, bring a pot of water to the Master for freakin a taste test? This is dumb."

Then it happened. Probably right before their eyes. They watched as a pitcher of water that they just got from a well, turned into some of the best wine they have ever had. They were probably absolutely blown away. Miracles like this don't just happen. Not at wedding parties. Right? Wrong!

What possessed these guys to actually begin to walk to their Master with a pitcher of water. I'll tell you what it was. Jesus spoke! Today Jesus still speaks. And...when we listen and are obedient to what he tells us to do, our eyes are open to see the supernatural miracles that only Christ can perform.

What miracle is God trying to show me? What am I not seeing because I am not doing what Christ has told me to do? This is why Christ said many time in the gospel of Mark "Those who have eyes, let them see." Jesus, I want to see. Cleanse me of my unbelief and forgive me of my sin so I can stand in the gospel and see. I WANT TO SEE!

Child-like Faith

Matthew 18:3 Jesus says, "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven."

Beth is out having a girls night, making cookies with her momma, Abby, Jen and Alyssa. I'm here chillin w/ D and El's. El's just went to bed and I am here next to D watching him play Wii golf. The kid is amazing.

Anyway, we got some Hillsong on, Mighty to Save, which goes like this:
"Savior, he can move the mountains,
My God is Mighty to Save, he is Mighty to Save."

D, who is probably the most Godly person I know...Seriously, the kid prays like a theologian already; just asked me this question.

D: Dad, Can Jesus move mountains?
Me: Yeah bro, he sure could.
D: Yeah I thought so.

That was it. "Yeah, I thought so." Child-like faith. Often God uses my kids to confront me. Today within those 3 sentences, God used D to confront my unbelief. Do I really believe that God can move the mountains? I sure do. Do you?

Want to be faced with your own unbelief?
Watch this video: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7721106190663219700