Sea Walker | Miracles of Jesus Christ

I have been enjoying studying the miracles of Jesus. When I began this series, I thought I was just going to talk about Jesus being a healer and showing proof with all the miracles He has performed. Yet, there is so much more to every story, every passage we have looked at. Today will be no exception. Three of the four Gospels share the story of Jesus walking on the water. We will look at Matthew, Mark, and John today to read what happened on the heels of the last miracle we studied, where Jesus fed 5,000 men not including women and children with two fish and five loaves of barley bread.

Matthew 14:22-26 And straightway Jesus constrained His disciples to get into a ship, and to go before Him unto the other side, while He sent the multitudes away. And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, He was there alone. But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary. And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear.

Mark 6:45-48 And straightway He constrained His disciples to get into the ship, and to go to the other side before unto Bethsaida, while He sent away the people. And when He had sent them away, He departed into a mountain to pray. And when even was come, the ship was in the midst of the sea, and He alone on the land. And He saw them toiling in rowing: for the wind was contrary unto them: and about the fourth watch of the night He cometh unto them, walking upon the sea, and would have passed by them.

John 6:14-19 Then those men, when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did, said, This is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world. When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take Him by force, to make Him a king, He departed again into a mountain Himself alone. And when even was now come, His disciples went down unto the sea, And entered into a ship, and went over the sea toward Capernaum. And it was now dark, and Jesus was not come to them. And the sea arose by reason of a great wind that blew. So when they had rowed about five and twenty or thirty furlongs, they see Jesus walking on the sea, and drawing nigh unto the ship: and they were afraid.

What an incredible turn of events! Jesus is being recognized as the "prophet that should come into the world" but it was before His time. When the people wanted to take Jesus and make Him their king, He got out of there and went alone to pray. It must have been so difficult for Jesus to know that His Kingdom was not of this world but He knew that the people saw something more in Him than just another man. He has authority over all powers and even nature, which is something no one ever experienced before. Jesus convinces the disciples to get in a ship and head toward Capernaum while He stayed on the mountain alone praying.

Sometimes I think when the noise of the world drown out the ability to even think clearly at times, we need to retreat and get alone to pray. We must do what Jesus did in the times of overwhelm and chaos from the multitudes all trying to get to Him. I have seen clips on television where fans would trample one another just to get close to a celebrity and they practically worshiped them. The celebrities would be so overwhelmed by the crowds that sometimes security would have to remove them so they did not get hurt. I think this must have been similar to what Jesus faced but on a much larger scale. He is the Son of God and has power no other person on earth has. He is healing people, delivering people, demons are being cast out and forbidden to return, and He is teaching people, feeding them, and His following continued to grow. This was partly why the Jewish religious leaders of that day were offended at Him and jealous. 

Jesus sends the disciples ahead of Him and He lingers back to pray, but then something happens. A storm blows across the sea. Jesus sees the whole thing. He sees the storm and He sees the disciples fighting against the wind and sea and struggling. None of the disciples know He is anywhere near them. Have you ever felt like you were in a ship on the open sea fighting angry waves and wind that was trying to capsize your vessel? Did you feel like Jesus was anywhere near you?

Matthew 14:27-32 But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid. And Peter answered Him and said, Lord, if it be Thou, bid me come unto Thee on the water. And He said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. And immediately Jesus stretched forth His hand, and caught Him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased.

Mark 6:49-52 But when they saw Him walking upon the sea, they supposed it had been a spirit, and cried out; For they all saw Him, and were troubled. And immediately He talked with them, and saith unto them, Be of good cheer: It is I; be not afraid. And He went up unto them into the ship; and the wind ceased: and they were sore amazed in themselves beyond measure, and wondered. For they considered not the miracle of the loaves: for their heart was hardened.

John 6:20 But He saith unto them, It is I; be not afraid.

Peter got to walk on the water when He realized it was Jesus and not a ghost. Then he saw his circumstances and panicked. He was walking on the water with Jesus but the things going on around him made him afraid and he began to sink. He would have drown if Jesus had not saved him from the stormy sea. He was an avid fisherman and I believe he could swim because another place references Peter jumping into the water when he was fishing after the resurrection. I believe the sea was so tumultuous from the storm that he would not have survived if Jesus did not rescue him.

Sometimes we take a leap of faith and things are going great as Jesus is telling us to follow Him but as we take our eyes off His and look at our surroundings we lose our bearings and begin to sink in the overwhelm. It is a lesson for all of us to focus on Jesus and not on the things going wrong around us. Each of these accounts tell us that Jesus immediately tells them to not be afraid and He announces who He is. I believe He does that with us, too. If we would open our spiritual ears to hear His still, small voice I believe we would hear Him saying, "Do not be afraid. It is I." What a comforting image.

Matthew 14:33 Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped Him, saying, Of a truth Thou art the Son of God.

Mark 6:53-54 And when they had passed over, they came into the land of Gennesaret, and drew to the shore. And when they were come out of the ship, straightway they knew Him.

John 6:21 Then they willingly received Him into the ship: and immediately the ship was at the land whither they went.

The supernatural miracle to me is the timing of their departure from one shore to their arrival on the other. They had only rowed about four or five miles away from the shore when this terrible windstorm on the sea wreaked havoc on their ship. Jesus comes in and saves the day like He always does for His children, and then when He gets into the ship they are at land again, but this time they are in Gennesaret.

Sometimes we are doing all the right things to the best of our ability and we are going where God called us to and we run straight into a major storm! It can leave us questioning if God really told us to do what we are doing. It can make us wonder if we are in His will, how can these tragic circumstances be a part of His plan for our lives. Jesus knew the storm would rock their boat and He did not warn them, but He watched them and He came to them!

Notice that once they welcomed Jesus into the ship, the Bible says "willingly received Him" then they were immediately where they were supposed to be. They supernaturally arrived at their destination because Jesus was on board. Trust Him in the storm you are facing and watch Him deliver you to destinations you were heading much quicker than you ever could have made it on your own!

Friends, it has been another incredible journey through the miracles of Jesus Christ. I am so thankful for you! I hope and pray that something I shared here today has been strength for your journey and light for your way. God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

Feeding 5,000 People | Miracles of Jesus

This incredible miracle is found in all four of the Gospels. We will explore them together. Let's take a moment to think about what this moment meant. We know the story, if we have studied the Bible in any length, but sometimes we gloss over the familiar stories because we know what happened. Today's let's really dig in to these verses and dissect what actually is transpiring. As with all the other miracles, we will see that it is much more than just the miracle that is taking place. Grab your Bibles to study with me, or read along as I will share the King James Version of this text.

Matthew 14:13-14 When Jesus heard of it, He departed thence by ship into a desert place apart: and when the people had heard thereof, they followed Him on foot out of the cities. And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and He healed their sick.

Mark 6:30-34 And He said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat. And they departed into a desert place by ship privately. And the people saw them departing, and many knew Him, and ran afoot thither out of all cities, and outwent them, and came together unto Him. And Jesus, when He came out, saw much people, and was moved with compassion toward them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd: and He began to teach them many things.

Luke 9:10-11 And the apostles, when they were returned, told Him all that they had done. And He took them, and went aside privately into a desert place belonging to the city called Bethsaida. And the people, when they knew it, followed Him: and He received them, and spake unto them of the Kingdom of God, and healed them that had need of healing.

John 6:1-3 After these things Jesus went over the sea of Galilee, which is the sea of Tiberias. And a great multitude followed Him, because they saw His miracles which He did on them that were diseased. And Jesus went up into a mountain, and there He sat with His disciples.

Jesus is with His disciples and He wants to get them alone, apart from the crowds. They even go across the sea to Bethsaida but the people want to be with Jesus. He has done so many miracles and healed so many people, they wanted more of Him. They wanted to hear Him teach and Jesus was moved with compassion. Note that He did not send them away. He may have been exhausted from ministering to them but He still received them all. He recognized they were lost sheep with no shepherd to guide them on the right path.

Matthew 14:15-16 And when it was evening, His disciples came to Him, saying, This is a desert place, and the time is now past; send the multitude away, that they may go into the villages, and buy themselves victuals. But Jesus said unto them, They need not depart; give ye them to eat.

Mark 6:35-37a And when the day was now far spent, His disciples came unto Him, and said, This is a desert place, and now the time is far passed: Send them away, that they may go into the country round about, and into the villages, and buy themselves bread: for they have nothing to eat. He answered and said unto them, Give ye them to eat.

Luke 9:12-13a And when the day began to wear away, then came the twelve, and said unto Him, Send the multitude away, that they may go into the towns and country round about and lodge, and get victuals: for we are here in a desert place. But He said unto them, Give ye them to eat.

John 6:4-6 And the passover, a feast of the Jews, was nigh. When Jesus then lifted up His eyes, and saw a great company come unto Him, He saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat? And this He said to prove him: for He Himself knew what He would do.

No doubt many miracles already transpired that day. Now it is evening and everyone is tired and getting hungry. All of the disciples wanted Jesus to send the people away tired and hungry to find food somewhere else. Jesus was not going to do that. He was not going to meet some of their needs and not all of their needs. He tells the disciples to do the impossible. He said for them to give the multitude of people something to eat!

Has God ever told you to do something impossible? I know He has told me to do things that I had no ability to do in my own strength. He did not say that the disciples had to figure it out. They just did not ask Him to provide. Their reaction was a lot like mine when He asks me to do hard and impossible things. I try to figure it out. Jesus already has the plan. We need to trust Him enough to ask Him what to do.

Matthew 14:17 And they say unto Him, We have here but five loaves, and two fishes.

Mark 6:37b-38 And they say unto Him, Shall we go and buy two hundred pennyworth of bread, and give them to eat? He saith unto them, How many loaves have ye? go and see. And when they knew, they say, Five, and two fishes.

Luke 9:13b And they said, We have no more but five loaves and two fishes; except we should go and buy meat for all this people.

John 6:6-9 Philip answered Him, Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may take a little. One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, saith unto Him, There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many?

Have you been there? Have you ever been in the disciples' sandals? Here they stand before Jesus. They have seen Him do miracle after miracle. He has told them to feed the multitude and they look in their own hands, at the circumstances they are in, and look for the provision. I know I have been guilty of that too. I am looking in my pockets, my bank account, my brain, my knowledge, my abilities, even the abilities of those around me. Andrew said there is a boy here with five loaves of bread and a couple of fish but what good is so little when the need is so great?

Matthew 14:18-21 He said, Bring them hither to Me. And He commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass, and took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, He blessed, and brake, and gave the loaves to His disciples, and the disciples to the multitude. And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the fragments that remained twelve baskets full. And they that had eaten were about five thousand men, beside women and children.

Mark 6:39-44 And He commanded them to make all sit down by companies upon the green grass. And they sat down in ranks, by hundreds, and by fifties. And when He had taken the five loaves and the two fishes, He looked up to heaven, and blessed, and brake the loaves, and gave them to His disciples to set before them; and the two fishes divided He among them all. And they did all eat, and were filled. And they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments, and of the fishes. And they that did eat of the loaves were about five thousand men.

Luke 9:14-17 For they were about five thousand men. And He said to His disciples, Make them sit down by fifties in a company. And they did so, and made them all sit down. Then He took the five loaves and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, He blessed them, and brake, and gave to the disciples to set before the multitude. And they did eat, and were all filled: and there was taken up of fragments that remained to them twelve baskets.

John 6:10-13 And Jesus said, Make the men sit down. Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand. And Jesus took the loaves; and when He had given thanks, He distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would. When they were filled, He said unto His disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost. Therefore they gathered them together, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves, which remained over and above unto them that had eaten.

The miracle was that Jesus used two fish and five loaves of bread to feed 5,000 men not including women and children! But was that the only miracle? There is so much more to see. He had the people sit down in an area where there was a lot of green grass. They were comfortable there instead of sitting near the sea with sand and rough terrain. These people are in groups. He has set them in companies to make distribution easier. He feeds the multitude until they had enough. All of their bellies were full and it did not cost any of them one penny!

Remember when Jesus asked the disciples to feed them? They did! Jesus took the bread, gave thanks for it, and then He gave to each disciple the bread and fish to give to the multitude. Each of the twelve disciples passed out their fish sandwiches until there was no more room to eat another bite. And then because Jesus never lets anything go to waste, He tells the disciples to gather up what remained. Would you look at what remained? Twelve baskets full! That was enough for each disciple to show their overflow to the Master and that is another miracle!

You may be looking at a mountain size task that God is asking you to do. It will definitely be much bigger than you. It will be harder than you can do. It will take skill and ability beyond what you are able. Yes, the task really is for you! And not only will God equip you to do it and do it with excellence, but He will even bless your efforts so you have something to gather up and show Him the overflow. Nothing will be lost. Nothing will be in vain. Every tear, every heartache, every ounce of pain the task will require of you will be worth it when you see the blessing on the other side. These 12 disciples fed more than 5,000 people in a desert with no budget, no grocery store, no Uber eats, and they did it because Jesus enabled them to do so. Won't He cover you?

Friends, I pray something I have shared on the blog today has been strength for your journey and light for your way. God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

Demon-Possessed, Blind, and Mute Man | Miracles of Jesus Christ

You may remember reading about Jesus delivering the demon-possessed man who could not speak and once he was made whole, he could talk and the people marveled. If you missed that study, you can read it here. Today we will read Matthew and Luke's accounts of Jesus healing another man demon-possessed and unable to speak but also blind. As with all of these miracles of Jesus, we will find that the healing was not the only thing taking place, but also Jesus was building up a large witness against the religious leaders of that time who chose to not believe in Him. Let's look at the text together.

Matthew 12:22-24 Then was brought unto Him one possessed with a devil, blind, and dumb: and He healed him, insomuch that the blind and dumb both spake and saw. And all the people were amazed, and said, Is not this the son of David? But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils.

Luke 11:14-16 And He was casting out a devil, and it was dumb. And it came to pass, when the devil was gone out, the dumb spake; and the people wondered. But some of them said, He casteth out devils through Beelzebub the chief of the devils. And others, tempting Him, sought of Him a sign from heaven.

Someone who cared a lot about this man tormented of the demons that took ownership of his body, leaving him unable to speak or see, took him to Jesus to be healed. Someone must have known the power Jesus had over unclean spirits. We know from studying these miracles that Jesus has been getting more famous as He heals in ways no one had ever seen or heard of before. Jesus was doing the work of His Father and of course we see the religious leaders stalking Jesus yet again. They are not concerned about asking God to give them wisdom concerning Jesus and the miracles He performed, but they rather want to lord over Him. They are not pleased that He is not under their thumb. They are jealous and angry because people are looking to Him for healing and not running to them.

The world will persecute us because we bear the name of Jesus. The world is controlled by the devil and he hates Jesus. So we will be targeted as well, but we are to consider ourselves blessed if they persecute us because it means they see Jesus at work in us and through us. It is a good thing to be counted worthy of persecution. It confirms we are on the right path. Let's see what Jesus's response is to the doubters and accusers.

Matthew 12:25-29 And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand: And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand? And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your children cast them out? therefore they shall be your judges. But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the Kingdom of God is come unto you. Or else how can one enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house.

Luke 11:17-22 But He, knowing their thoughts, said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and a house divided against a house falleth. If Satan also be divided against himself, how shall his kingdom stand? because ye say that I cast out devils through Beelzebub. And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your sons cast them out? therefore shall they be your judges. But if I with the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt the Kingdom of God is come upon you. When a strong man armed keepeth his palace, his good are in peace: But when a stronger than he shall come upon him, and overcome him, he taketh from him all his armour wherein he trusted, and divideth his spoils.

Jesus makes perfect sense here. He tells the crowd including the Pharisees and scribes, that if He was casting out the devil with the power of a devil, then He would be fighting against Himself. He then asks them what power and authority they are using to cast out devils. And I love the statement He makes, "If I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the Kingdom of God is come to you." Meaning, if Jesus is casting out the devil by God's authority and power then they need to support Him and stop hindering Him or else they are fighting against God.

Jesus always explains how this is spiritual and not natural forces at work. Jesus is conquering the devil through the power of God but since that is too much for them to understand, He gives them an example anyone should understand. If you have a home and you choose to protect it, but someone bigger and stronger comes in, disables you from stopping them, they will rob you of all that you have. This is what is happening in the spirit realm. A demon is coming to these weaker vessels (humanity) and when given the opportunity the unclean spirit will dwell in that person and take over their life. It brings sickness, diseases, pain, and suffering. Jesus is stronger than the devil. Jesus tells us in Matthew 28:18 "All power is given unto Me in heaven and in earth." The devil has to obey Jesus. He is not smarter, stronger, or able to overtake Jesus. So when Jesus commands the unclean spirits to leave, they must obey because they are defeated.

Matthew 12:30-37 He that is not with Me is against Me; and he that gathereth not with Me scattereth abroad. Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come. Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit. O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.

Luke 11:23 He that is not with Me is against Me: and he that gathereth not with Me scattereth.

Jesus is drawing the line in the sand. The Pharisees need to make a choice. They can keep going against Him, or they can stand united with Him and conquer the forces of darkness. They must choose. Jesus makes it very clear that it is one way or the other. They cannot have it both ways. Jesus says if they are not gathering people together with Him, then they are scattering the people. In other words, Jesus is trying to unify the Body of Christ and these religious leaders are bringing division. They are jealous and angry because Jesus is doing righteous and good things.

Jesus tells those listening to Him, and He is telling us today, that we can know if someone is good or evil based on their actions. We can look at a tree and know it is an apple tree, an orange tree, or a cherry tree based on the kind of fruit hanging on the branches. We do not have to wonder what kind of tree it is. We can label it what it is based on the fruit it produces. We have the same ability to see what people are like based on the fruit in their life. Is it good fruit or bad fruit? Do they help others, serve in their community, honor God with their lifestyle and not just words? They have good fruit if they do these things. Do they help themselves, serve their own needs before looking out for others, honor themselves with lavish lifestyles and activities that only make them better, more prosperous, more popular? That is bad fruit. If they have pride and arrogance those are not fruits of the Spirit. We must watch and label people according to the fruit in their life.

Jesus also addresses the unpardonable sin. They can attack Jesus but when they say the Spirit of God at work in Him and through Him is an unclean spirit, they will never be forgiven of that: not in this lifetime nor eternity to come. It is unforgiveable. The Spirit of the Most High God is Holy and pure and blameless. It is blasphemy to speak such things and it is dangerous! 

Matthew 12:38-42 Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered saying, Master, we would see a sign from Thee. But He answered, and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall not sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas: For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here. The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here.

These men are incredible! They literally just watched Jesus deliver this man of at least one demon and the man can speak and see again and yet they ask Jesus to give them a sign. What are they even doing? Jesus tells those unbelieving leaders of their day that the only sign they will get from Him is the sign of Jonah. He was in the belly of that great fish three days and three nights and Jesus was speaking of how He would be buried three days and three nights. He even says that the people of Nineveh that Jonah preached to repented and changed from their wicked ways. They will rise up in judgment against those religious leaders because the Son of God is walking the earth with them and showing them the way to God and they are so blind and deaf they can neither see nor hear what He is saying. The queen of the south traveled a great distance to hear the wisdom of Solomon that she had been told about. She wanted to see it for herself. You can read that in 1 Kings 10:1-13. She will rise up and condemn this generation of people because she would have loved to sit at the feet of Jesus and hear the wise words that came from His mouth. They have the opportunity and they reject Him.

Matthew 12:43-45 When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none. Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished. Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation.

Luke 11:24-26 When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he saith, I will return unto my house whence I came out. And when he cometh, he findeth it swept and garnished. Then goeth he, and taketh to him seven other spirits more wicked than himself; and they enter in, and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first.

Again Jesus shows us there is no middle ground. You are either with Jesus or you are with Satan and there is no neutral territory. When Jesus delivered the man in this story, for example, he is made clean. This man can choose to go back to the lifestyle he lived prior to this miracle, or he can choose to follow Christ. He cannot say that he will abandon his old way of life and also not follow Jesus. Choosing to reject Jesus is to accept Satan and that is as clear as it gets. When the man's vessel is not filled with the Spirit of God, the unclean spirit will examine the man and find a vacancy and Jesus tells us that he doesn't just move in, he also picks seven other unclean spirits that are worse than it is and the end of that man is a lot worse than it was in the beginning. Jesus says this is also the case for this wicked generation that has the chance to serve Jesus now and chooses not to.

Friends, it all comes down to choices and consequences. We can choose life and walk with Jesus enjoying the rewards of the labor. We have the freedom to choose good things. We also can choose death and eternal separation from Jesus for all eternity. We can serve ourselves, do what feels good, whatever it is that makes us happy, and live with reckless abandon, throwing caution to the wind, and enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season, but in the end, we find death and destruction is our reward.

I hope that you choose Jesus. I hope that you choose life. I hope that you choose to walk the straight and narrow path before you. The road to hell is a wide path and many choose that way, falling for the illusion that it is more fun and enjoyable to laugh and party your way through life, never considering anyone else, or how much Jesus sacrificed to give you pardon. You can take hold of that liberty and walk in newness of life, or you can choose to dance your way into the unquenchable fiery flames of hell. Jesus leaves that choice to us. Choose well.

I hope that something you have read on the blog today has been strength for your journey and light for your way. God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

The Man Healed of a Withered Hand | Miracles of Jesus Christ

It is another Monday, time for another miracle of Jesus Christ. This time is a little different. The man whom Jesus healed was neither seeking Jesus for the healing, nor brought to Jesus by a friend or family member. He is simply in the synagogue listening to Jesus teach. Matthew, Mark, and Luke all give an account of this miraculous healing that began as a set up for the Pharisees to accuse Jesus of doing something wrong.

The man's right hand was disabled in some form and by Luke telling us it was the man's right hand, that could lead us to believe it may have caused the man to not work. We know many people came to listen to Jesus from all walks of life. This man knew he would be stared at because of his infirmity but he went anyway. The scribes and Pharisees studied the law of God but to become stumbling blocks to the people rather than stepping stones. Jesus was always different. His ministry focus was the hearts of the people, restoring them back to right standing with God. Let's read together.

Matthew 12:9-10 And when He was departed thence, He went into their synagogue: And, behold, there was a man which had his hand withered. And they asked Him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath days? that they might accuse Him.

Mark 3:1-2 And He entered again into the synagogue; and there was a man there which had a withered hand. And they watched Him, whether He would heal him on the sabbath day; that they might accuse Him.

Luke 6:6-7 And it came to pass also on another sabbath, that He entered into the synagogue and taught: and there was a man whose right hand was withered. And the scribes and Pharisees watched Him, whether He would heal on the sabbath day; that they might find an accusation against Him.

It is ridiculous for these religious leaders to stalk Jesus and scrutinize every word He spoke and every action He took. They were so jealous that people would follow Jesus instead of idolize them and they wanted to get rid of Jesus so they could be on a pedestal again, albeit a self-imposed pedestal. What was Jesus' response?

Matthew 12:11-13 And He said unto them, What man shall there be among you, that shall have one sheep, and if it fall into a pit on the sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it, and lift it out? How much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days. Then saith He to the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it forth; and it was restored whole, like as the other.

Mark 3:3-5 And He saith unto the man which had the withered hand, Stand forth. And He saith unto them, Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath days, or to do evil? to save life, or to kill? but they held their peace, and when He had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, He saith unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it out: and his hand was restored whole as the other.

Luke 6:8-10 But He knew their thoughts, and said to the man which had the withered hand, Rise up, and stand forth in the midst. And he arose and stood forth. Then said Jesus unto them, I will ask you one thing; Is it lawful on the sabbath days to do good, or to do evil? to save life, or destroy it? And looking round about upon them all, He said unto the man, Stretch forth thy hand. And he did so: and his hand was restored whole as the other.

Jesus' response was one of compassion for the man, and yet in a way He was being compassionate to all in the room because He explained that healing a person on the sabbath day is a good thing! He asks those in authority if it is better to do good or evil, to save lives or to kill. He is giving them the key to everything He had been doing. These miracles were not to get gasps from the crowd and bigger followings. It was to prove that humanity was valuable to Jesus and He would do everything He could to improve the lives of those He came in contact with. Jesus could not see the man with the withered hand and not heal him when the religious leaders wanted it to be about their own agendas and time tables. Jesus is God and He was within the realm of time while on the earth but as God He is an eternal being and our clocks on earth do not dictate when God will move for those in need.

Matthew 12:14-21 Then the Pharisees went out, and held a council against Him, how they might destroy Him. But when Jesus knew it, He withdrew Himself from thence: and great multitudes followed Him, and He healed them all; And charged them that they should not make Him known: That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Behold My servant, whom I have chosen; My Beloved, in whom My soul is well pleased: I will put My Spirit upon Him, and He shall shew judgment to the Gentiles. He shall not strive, nor cry; neither shall any man hear His voice in the streets. A bruised reed shall He not break, and smoking flax shall He not quench, till He send forth judgment unto victory. And in His name shall the Gentiles trust.

Mark 3:6-12 And the Pharisees went forth, and straightway took counsel with the Herodians against Him, how they might destroy Him. But Jesus withdrew Himself with His disciples to the sea: and a great multitude from Galilee followed Him, and from Judaea, And from Jerusalem, and from Idumaea, and from beyond Jordan; and they about Tyre and Sidon, a great multitude, when they had heard what great things He did, came unto Him. And He spake to His disciples, that a small ship should wait on Him because of the multitude, lest they should throng Him. For He had healed many; insomuch that they pressed upon Him for to touch Him, as many as had plagues. And unclean spirits, when they saw Him, fell down before Him, and cried, saying, Thou art the Son of God. And He straitly charged them that they should not make Him known.

Luke 6:11-12 And they were filled with madness; and communed one with another what they might do to Jesus. And it came to pass in those days, that He went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.

We know what Jesus' response was at the prodding of the Pharisees. But what was their response when Jesus healed the man with the withered hand? They immediately saw red! They became filled with rage and wanted to kill Jesus because He healed a man! Just because it was the sabbath, did not mean God could not work! We must not put God in a box and limit Him with our doubt and unbelief. So often we can discount God moving on our behalf or answering our prayers because we think it is not important enough to bother God with. That is just a tactic of the enemy to discourage you to stop asking, seeking, and knocking. Friends, we must not get caught up in religion and man-made traditions.

The crowds grew larger and they came from all over the region. Everyone wanted to be healed, delivered, and set free. Everyone wanted freedom. Many desired to see the miracles or partake in them. They were in awe but we have to remember not everyone who followed after Jesus was doing so because they wanted to be with Him. Some of the crowd wanted to be entertained, not changed. They wanted to see something spectacular but they were not interested in seeking the Bread of Life right before their very eyes.

The man with the withered hand was restored to complete health. His right hand looked and acted just like his left hand. Jesus changed that man's life. He did good. He saved his life. The Pharisees were jealous and angry and foolish. They did evil and sought to kill Jesus and destroy His ministry. What does that sound like?

John 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

Isn't this so obvious as we study the life of Jesus and read about these miracles? He was helping, healing, saving, restoring, and renewing everyone who desired it of Him. The religious leaders wanted to kill and destroy Jesus and everything He stood for. Instead of embracing Him and learning more about why He was here and what He was doing, they wanted to annihilate Him so they could return to their status quo. Once we have been with Jesus, there is no going back. There is no life as we used to know it after an encounter with the Son of God. These men were threatened and jealous and in their cruelty they sought to snuff out the life of the very source of it!

Friends do not wait to put your hope in Jesus. If you have been a doubter, skeptical, unsure, and maybe even put down other people who serve God, you can repent and Jesus will forgive you and save you when you call upon His name. He wants to welcome you into the family of God. He does not desire to see the wicked die in their sins. It was for our redemption that He came to the world, to save us.

Ezekiel 33:11 Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?

If you are a child of the Most High God, rejoice that your name is written in the Lamb's Book of Life. Ask yourself what you are doing to further the Kingdom of God. Friends, the hour is short. We are in the final days of the final days. There is not much more time to work. We cannot get caught up in the cares of this life and in the debates and squabbles the world wants to embark on. We have to win souls and be wise. Tell your family and friends about Jesus and His great love. You will never regret it and in doing so you will be showing love and compassion like Jesus. You will be doing good and saving lives.

I hope that something I shared today has been strength for your journey and light for your way. God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

Curing a Man Who Could Not Speak | Miracles of Jesus Christ

The miracle we are going to study today is found only in Matthew's gospel. This is a short passage of only seven verses rounding out chapter nine. Let's read it together.

Matthew 9:32-38 As they went out, behold, they brought to Him a dumb man possessed with a devil. And when the devil was cast out, the dumb spake: and the multitudes marvelled, saying, It was never so seen in Israel. But the Pharisees said, He casteth out devils through the prince of the devils. And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd. Then saith He unto His disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that He will send forth labourers into His harvest.

First of all there is so much to pull from this passage. The miracle is that a mute man was brought to Jesus. He was possessed by a demon and the demon caused the man to be unable to speak. We know that because it says when the devil was cast out the man was able to talk. This created a sense of awe and wonder in the people witnessing it. The religious leaders of the day could not explain it and so they decided to slander Jesus and accuse Him of using the power of the devil to cast out the devil. That makes no sense because why would the devil want the man to be free and to speak? Of course we know that Jesus is the Son of God and all power was given to Him and this is how the miracle transpired.

It goes on to say that Jesus went into the cities and villages healing all types of sickness and disease. He was still doing miracles. But, the last two verses show us what the heart of Jesus really looks like. He was never sent to the world to perform miracles and that be the end of it. Those were a big part of His ministry but the real reason He came was to ransom us to Himself and we see this posture of His heart having compassion on all those in need of a Savior.

The Bible says the people were weary. That is what it means in verse 36 when it says they fainted. These were oppressed people and they desperately needed a Savior. Jesus sees how many there are and He understands now is harvest time. There are not enough workers right now trying to bring in the harvest. So many today are distracted by the cares of this life, worldly fame and riches, and things that take us further away from the Father. Friends we must get back to the basics. What are we doing to bring in the lost?

Jesus told His disciples to pray that God would send workers into His harvest. We must pray the same thing. The lateness of the hour is upon us and there is not much time left to work for the Lord. We have to finish the work God called us to do so that we can finish our race strong! There are people who need to hear from you. They need hope and encouragement. They need to hear the words of Jesus and they need to know there is hope and He is the Savior they need.

Let's rejoice in the miracles that God is still doing today, but let's not lose sight that there is a whole world dying and going to hell if we don't throw them a lifeline and that lifeline is Jesus Christ.

I hope something I have shared today has been strength for your journey and light for your way. God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

Double Miracle | Miracles of Jesus Christ

Up until now we have seen the miracles of Jesus in three of the four Gospels. Today we will read about a double miracle that is only found in the book of Matthew. This account follows on the heels of the two miracles we read about last week: the 12 year old girl raised from the dead and the woman with the issue of blood healed after 12 years of suffering. Let's read the text first.

Matthew 9:27-31 And when Jesus departed thence, two blind men followed Him, crying, and saying, Thou son of David, have mercy on us. And when He was come into the house, the blind men came to Him: and Jesus saith unto them, Believe ye that I am able to do this? They said unto Him, Yea, Lord. Then touched He their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you. And their eyes were opened; and Jesus straitly charged them, saying, See that no man know it. But they, when they were departed, spread abroad His fame in all that country.

After word spread about Jesus healing the woman who had been hemorrhaging for more than a decade and raising Jairus' daughter from the dead, people started seeking Jesus for their own miracles. Much like today, the world was in desperate need for a Savior, a Healer, and a Teacher. Two blind men were in need of one such miracle. The Bible says they beg Jesus to have mercy on them. Jesus went into a house and they followed Him. They wanted to see! Jesus point-blank asked them if they believed He was able to do this. Why was their faith in Him so important?

Imagine for a moment there is a pipe in the ground. The pipe is a conduit for water in our example. Now imagine there is a blockage of some sort in the pipe. The water is not able to flow freely through the pipe. The water cannot come out of the pipe, not because there is no water, but the water is not free to flow. Now think of our lives as that pipe. The blockage to our own miracles is often doubt, or unbelief. We simply do not trust God. The water is the power of God in this example. The problem is not that God does not have the power to perform miracles, but rather, His power does not flow through us when we do not believe.

Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Jesus wants these blind men to trust Him. He asks them specifically if they believe that He is able to restore their sight. These men said yes! What are you wanting God to do in your life? Do you trust Him to do it? If you want things like power, money, fame, notoriety, etc. you probably will not receive those things. God desires to be in fellowship with you. Often those things will lead to pride and selfishness instead of drawing you closer to Him. This is why we must be careful to check our motives when we are asking God for things.

1 John 5:14-15 And this is the confidence we have in Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He heareth us: And if we know that He hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of Him.

These men had confidence that Jesus was able to heal them and I believe they were expecting a miracle. Jesus did that for them. Their faith caused the power of God to flow freely in their lives. Others did not get the same flow of healing virtue because of doubt. We read about that just a few chapters later, and Mark's account agrees.

Matthew 13:57-58 And they were offended in Him. But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, save in his own country, and in his own house. And He did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief.

Mark 6:4-6 But Jesus, said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house. And He could there do no mighty work, save that He laid His hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them. And He marvelled because of their unbelief. And He went round about the villages, teaching.

This text tells us that Jesus was amazed at their lack of faith! We must believe God is able to help us and if we do not have faith we cannot expect to receive anything from God. James 1:6-7 reads, But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.

Once the blind men were healed Jesus sternly warned them not to tell anyone what happened. But as soon as they left they told everyone in the land what Jesus had done for them. Of course they were elated to have the gift of sight. They wanted others to rejoice in what the Lord had done for them. Why would Jesus not want them to tell anyone?

Friends I believe that Jesus did not want the focus to be on the miracles then or even now. Jesus died to save us from our sins. His precious blood was the currency to pay for our sin. The Bible says in Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Luke 22:14-20 And when the hour was come, He sat down, and the twelve apostles with Him. And He said unto them, With desire I have desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer: For I say unto you, I will not any more eat thereof, until it be fulfilled in the Kingdom of God. And He took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, Take this, and divide it among yourselves: For I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the Kingdom of God shall come. And He took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is My body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of Me. Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in My blood, which is shed for you.

Jesus tells the twelve that He earnestly desired to eat this special meal with them. He is telling them then and us now that the most important thing to remember is not the miracles, the loaves and the fishes, and all the supernatural things He did to help us have better lives. The most important thing to remember is the miracle of the cross! The redemption of His body and blood to save us from eternal separation from Him. 1 Corinthians 10:16 The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? Let's ask God for the things we need but do not seek the miracles, seek Jesus!

I have enjoyed studying the miracles of Jesus Christ with you all. I hope to continue these blog posts on Mondays beginning in November. We will continue to study them throughout the rest of this year. We are to read about these miracles and be encouraged and build our faith, but we must not forget that Jesus never came to perform miracles, but rather we know He came to save us.

John 3:16-17 For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved.

I hope you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior and are walking with Him. If not, please call upon the name of Jesus Christ and be saved today. He loves you so much that He took your punishment and offers you a free gift of eternal life with Him.

If you are saved and seeking a miracle, do not give up! God loves you and wants to help you and heal you. That might be instantaneous or it might be a journey, but the outcome is the same: He wants to draw you closer to Himself. Allow Him to transform your life!

I hope something I shared today has been strength for your journey and light for your way. God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

Twelve Years, Two Miracles | Miracles of Jesus

Imagine in your mind two scenes. In a hospital room, you hear a baby take her first breath and cry. In the doctor's office, you see a worn out, tired woman who has just started hemorrhaging. The baby girl turns one year old and her family celebrates. The woman in the very same town is growing weaker after a full year of bleeding. On and on it goes. The little baby grows up to have 12 birthdays and the woman grows anemic and worn with each year that passes and another doctor, another specialist, visit after visit with less money in her pocket and no answers as she grows worse.

Matthew 9:18-21 While He spake these things unto them, behold, there came a certain ruler, and worshipped Him, saying, My daughter is even now dead: but come and lay thy hand upon her, and she shall live. And Jesus arose, and followed him, and so did His disciples. And, behold, a woman, which was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind Him, and touched the hem of His garment: For she said within herself, If I may but touch His garment, I shall be whole.

Mark 5:21-28 And when Jesus was passed over again by ship unto the other side, much people gathered unto Him: and He was nigh unto the sea. And, behold, there cometh one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name; and when he saw Him, he fell at His feet, And besought Him greatly, saying, My little daughter lieth at the point of death: I pray Thee, come and lay Thy hands on her, that she may be healed; and she shall live. And Jesus went with him; and much people followed Him, and thronged Him. And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years, And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse, When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched His garment. For she said, If I may touch but His clothes, I shall be whole.

Luke 8:40-44a And it came to pass, that, when Jesus was returned, the people gladly received Him: for they were all waiting for Him. And, behold, there came a man named Jairus, and he was a ruler of the synagogue: and he fell down at Jesus' feet, and besought Him that He would come into his house: For he had one only daughter, about twelve years of age, and she lay a dying. But as He went the people thronged Him. And a woman having an issue of blood twelve years, which had spent all her living on physicians, neither could be healed of any, Came behind Him, and touched the border of His garment:

Jairus met Jesus. He explained that his 12 year old daughter was about to die and He begged Jesus to come to his house and heal his daughter. The Bible says Jesus went with him. On the way, something happens. No one knows there is a woman with "an issue of blood" in the crowd hoping for her miracle. She had suffered for 12 years with this problem. Jairus and Jesus do not know the woman is approaching Jesus. The woman does not know that Jesus is on His way to heal Jairus daughter.

Matthew 9:22 But Jesus turned Him about, and when He saw her, He said, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour.

Mark 5:29-36 And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague. And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that virtue had gone out of Him, turned Him about in the press, and said, Who touched My clothes? And His disciples said unto Him, Thou seest the multitude thronging Thee, and sayest Thou, Who touched Me? And He looked round about to see her that had done this thing. But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before Him, and told Him all the truth. And He said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole, go in peace, and be whole of thy plague. While He yet spake, there came from the ruler of the synagogue's house certain which said, Thy daughter is dead: why troublest thou the Master any further? As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, He saith unto the ruler of the synagogue, Be not afraid, only believe.

Luke 8:44b-50 And immediately her issue of blood stanched. And Jesus said, Who touched Me? When all denied, Peter and they that were with Him said, Master, the multitude throng Thee and and press Thee, and sayest Thou, Who touched Me? And Jesus said, Somebody hath touched Me: for I perceive that virtue is gone out of Me. And when the woman saw that she was not hid, she came trembling, and falling down before Him, she declared unto Him before all the people for what cause she had touched Him, and how she was healed immediately. And He said unto her, Daughter, be of good comfort: thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace. While He yet spake, there cometh one from the ruler of the synagogue's house, saying to him, Thy daughter is dead; trouble not the Master. But when Jesus heard it, He answered him, saying, Fear not: believe only, and she shall be made whole.

Imagine how Jairus must have felt. They are walking towards his house where his daughter lay gravely ill. He has a glimmer of hope that Jesus will heal her and make her well. Then everything stops. There is a crowd of people pushing and shoving around Jesus. Jesus is no doubt bumped and touched and in contact with numerous hands all eager to touch Jesus and be near Him. Jesus stopped in the middle of the crowd and asks who has touched Him. He felt power leave His body and He knows there was a miracle performed. He takes His time with the woman who was healed from the 12 years of bleeding. She tells her story and they all listen. And in all three accounts Jesus calls this woman "Daughter." He does not call anyone else "Daughter" when He heals them. This is another connection. Jairus must be feeling anxious to get Jesus to his daughter so she can be healed. Then, the bad news came. Jairus' daughter is dead. No need to bother Jesus anymore. No doubt Jairus was devastated to hear that. Maybe he thought if they had not stopped to heal this woman she could have made it. Instead of feeling hope in his heart that Jesus will heal his daughter like He did this woman, his heart must have sank. Jesus tells Jairus to not fear but only believe and she will be made whole. If Jairus will trust Jesus a little longer, he will get what he has requested.

Matthew 9:23-26 And when Jesus came into the ruler's house, and saw the minstrels and the people making a noise, He said unto them, Give place: for the maid is not dead, but sleepeth. And they laughed Him to scorn. But when the people were put forth, He went in, and took her by the hand, and the maid arose. And the fame hereof went abroad into all that land.

Mark 5:37-43 And He suffered no man to follow Him, save Peter, and James, and John the brother of James. And He cometh to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and seeth the tumult, and them that wept and wailed greatly. And when He was come in, He saith unto them, Why make ye this ado, and weep? the damsel is not dead, but sleepeth. And they laughed Him to scorn. But when He had put them all out, He taketh the father and the mother of the damsel, and them that were with Him, and entereth in where the damsel was lying. And He took the damsel by the hand, and said unto her, Talitha Cumi; which is, being interpreted, Damsel, I say unto thee, arise. And straightway the damsel arose, and walked; for she was of the age of twelve years. And they were astonished with a great astonishment. And He charged them straitly that no man should know it; and commanded that something should be given her to eat.

Luke 8:51-56 And when He came into the house, He suffered no man to go in, save Peter, and James, and John, and the father and the mother of the maiden. And all wept, and bewailed her: be He said, Weep not; she is not dead, but sleepeth. And they laughed Him to scorn, knowing that she was dead. And He put them all out, and took her by the hand, and called, saying, Maid, arise. And her spirit came again, and she arose straightway: and He commanded to give her meat. And her parents were astonished: but He charged them that they should tell no man what was done.

Jairus believed Jesus. The mother was desperate for a miracle. They wanted their daughter back and Jesus came through! He dismissed all the naysayers, the doubters, the unbelievers and then when only faith was in the room, Jesus did what only He can do and that is bring their daughter back from the dead. What a blessing! What an answer to prayer!! It was even more than Jairus and his wife could dare to hope for but they had to trust Jesus. I know when times were so hard that Jesus was all I had, it was then that I realized Jesus is all I ever need.

Maybe you need healing for your body. Maybe you have a loved one who has passed away. Maybe you are in the thick of the grief and pain. God loves you so much. He will meet you there. He will make a way out for you. He loves you! Jesus died on the cross to save you, heal you, and help you. He went back to the Father but He gave us the Comforter. I know last weekend the Comforter sustained us as we laid to rest my wonderful brother-in-law and beloved sister. It was with heavy hearts that we honored their memory one last time at the graveside. Yet we have the Blessed Hope because Steve and Deborah loved God with all their heart, soul, and strength. They lived their lives to honor and glorify God. They were mighty prayer warriors and powerful encouragers! Jesus will give you that same peace and comfort when you rely on Him to heal you and help you.

Friends, if you are reading this and you have not fully surrendered your life to Christ, please do so today! Do not put it off. You are not promised your next breath. We do not know when our time on earth will end, but He does. He is wooing you to Himself because He loves you so much. Please do not delay. Repent of your sins and ask Him to forgive you and to come into your heart and live! Let Him rule and reign in your life. You will never find peace and contentment apart from Him. He is who you have been searching for. Trust Him. Love Him. Lean on Him.

If you are walking with God, holding His unchanging hand, and trusting in His promises, friend do not let go. Dig deeper. Seek Him every single day. Pray to Him. Pray without ceasing. Lean on Him and tell others about Him. He will give you boldness to tell others the good things He is doing for you. Reach out to those around you who are hurting and encourage them to get to know Jesus. Pray for someone who is in need of healing and comfort. God will do it!

I hope that you have enjoyed the blog post today. I pray that something I shared today has been strength for your journey and light for your way. God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

The Paralytic | Miracles of Jesus Christ

The Bible talks about a man who was paralyzed. He obviously needed to be healed but how was he supposed to get to Jesus? Did he have enough faith that Jesus could heal him? Did the man still have hope for a miracle?

We read that Jesus came into Capernaum and was teaching in a house. The crowd was so large you could not fit anyone else inside. There was no room for them to enter through the door. And in the crowd, Luke tells us there were Pharisees and doctors of the law from Galilee, Judaea, and Jerusalem. Luke also says, "The power of the Lord was present to heal them." I love that he included that. The presence of God was in that place and healing virtue was flowing.

How can a paralyzed man hope to get to Jesus in a crowd of that size? He had four friends who carried him on a cot to Jesus but after trying to get in, and seeing no other way, they carried him up to the roof and began disassembling it so they could create an opening large enough that they were able to lower the man down in front of Jesus. Because of their faith, Jesus healed the man. We do not know if the man believed Jesus could do it, but we do know that Jesus was moved by their faith.

Matthew 9:1-2 And He entered into a ship, and passed over, and came into His own city. And, behold, they brought to Him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed: and Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee.

Mark 2:1-5 And again He entered into Capernaum after some days; and it was noised that He was in the house. And straightway many were gathered together, insomuch that there was no room to receive them, no, not so much as about the door: and He preached the word unto them. And they come unto Him, bringing one sick of the palsy, which was borne of four. And when they could not come nigh unto Him for the press, they uncovered the roof where He was: and when they had broken it up, they let down the bed wherein the sick of the palsy lay. When Jesus saw their faith, He said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee.

Luke 5:17-20 And it came to pass on a certain day, as He was teaching, that there were Pharisees and doctors of the law sitting by which were come out of every town of Galilee, and Judaea, and Jerusalem: and the power of the Lord was present to heal them. And, behold, men brought in a bed a man which was taken with a palsy: and they sought means to bring him in, and to lay him before Him. And when they could not find by what way they might bring him in because of the multitude, they went upon the housetop, and let him down through the tiling with his couch into the midst before Jesus. And when He saw their faith, He said unto him, Man, thy sins are forgiven thee.

Jesus knew the statement, "Thy sins are forgiven," would be controversial particularly with the Pharisees and doctors of the law. He could have said a lot of things to the man to heal him, but He chose to say this. I think it is for more than one reason. If the paralysis came upon the man because of sinful living, which is a real possibility, then Jesus would be giving the man a warning that He was healing the man and forgiving the sins, but not to go back to the old way of living. It was also to demonstrate His power.

Matthew 9:3-6 And, behold, certain of the scribes said within themselves, This man blasphemeth. And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts? For whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and walk? But that ye may know that Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith He to the sick of the palsy,) Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house.

Mark 2:6-11 But there was certain of the scribes sitting there, and reasoning in their hearts, Why doth this man thus speak blasphemies? who can forgive sins but God only? And immediately when Jesus perceived in His Spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, He said unto them, Why reason ye these things in your hearts? Whether is it easier to say to the sick of the palsy, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and take up thy bed, and walk? But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (He saith to the sick of the palsy,) I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy bed, and go thy way into thine house.

Luke 5:21-24 And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, Who is this which speaketh blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone? But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, He answering said unto them, What reason ye in your hearts? Whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Rise up and walk? But that ye may know that Son of man hath power upon earth to forgive sins, (He said unto the sick of the palsy,) I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy couch, and go into thine house.

Jesus did not need to take a vote among the religious leaders and scribes to see if He could heal this man. Jesus did not need permission to say to the paralytic, "Your sins are forgiven." These things displayed the power of God and because of the large crowd that day, many were able to thank God and praise God for the miracle that took place before their very eyes. When Jesus told him to take up his bed, he did exactly that! Look at what our text says about this miraculous healing.

Matthew 5:7-8 And he arose, and departed to his house. But when the multitudes saw it, they marvelled, and glorified God, which had given such power unto men.

Mark 2:12 And immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went forth before them all; insomuch that they were all amazed, and glorified God, saying, We never saw it on this fashion.

Luke 5:25-26 And immediately he rose up before them, and took up that whereon he lay, and departed to his own house, glorifying God. And they were all amazed, and they glorified God, and were filled with fear, saying, We have seen strange things to day.

Imagine the jubilee of the paralytic and his friends as they walked home. He was carried in and under the power of Almighty God, he walked home completely healed and forgiven. What a celebration! Those who saw it were in awe, amazement, and fear saying they had never seen someone healed that way and how strange it was to them. 

Friends, regardless of what you are facing, God has a purpose and a plan for your life. He will not force you to walk in that purpose or to follow His plan, but He definitely has it all figured out. If you will trust Him, He will make a change in your life, too. Do you need healing? Do you need to get closer to Him? Are you in need of forgiveness? Call upon the name of Jesus and you will receive your healing. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you, according to James 4:8. If you need forgiveness the Bible says in 1 John 1:9, If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Don't put it off. Don't wait. Do not think you have plenty of time. Sunday my dear brother-in-law and my sweet sister were riding a motorcycle like they had done hundreds of times before. The weather was great for taking a ride and with helmets on they rode familiar paths. It was a day like any other. Only this time they were killed in an accident as someone hit them. I am rejoicing in knowing these powerful prayer warriors lived for God with everything they had. Often they would call me and sing to me and pray over me and give me encouraging words as I fought one battle after another. They were the first to cheer me on with my blog posts, YouTube videos, and prayer journals and things I made with Blue's Blessings. They are no doubt in the arms of Jesus and for that I am forever grateful. They made the decision to place their hands in the Master's and they never looked back.

You are not promised tomorrow. You are not promised your next breath. God wants you to be His child. Join His family by asking Jesus to come into your heart and save you. Admit you need a Savior and ask Him to forgive you for things you did knowingly and unknowingly. He is a loving Father who will accept you and heal you, help you, forgive you, and love you into His Kingdom.

I hope something I shared today has been strength for your journey and light for your way! God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

Demons Enter Pigs | Miracles of Jesus Christ

Do you know that demons are real? Some Christians do not believe in their existence but in Jesus' ministry on the earth, He not only lets us know they are real, but that He has all power over them. The apostle Paul writes to us in the book of Ephesians, in chapter six, instructing us to fully suit up in the armor of God because we do not fight with human beings, but rather spiritual forces of darkness.

Matthew, Mark, and Luke share an eyewitness account of Jesus delivering those possessed of devils in today's study. One thing I was not sure about was a small detail Matthew includes, but Mark and Luke leave out. Matthew says two were possessed with devils, but Mark and Luke each only speak of one. Perhaps Matthew is speaking about both because of the impact it made on his own faith journey. Maybe Mark and Luke wrote about the one they felt had a bigger impact in the events that transpired that day. Regardless, we can read and study these stories and see how powerful God is. We can also see that demons are real and they know who Jesus is. Let's jump right in.

This particular miracle takes place on the heels of the disciples watching Jesus calm the storm. Do you remember that? If not, click here, and you can study that miracle. 

Matthew 8:28-29 And when He was come to the other side into the country of the Gergesenes, there met Him two possessed with devils, coming out of the tombs, exceeding fierce, so that no man might pass by that way. And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with Thee, Jesus, Thou Son of God? art Thou come hither to torment us before the time?

Mark 5:1-8 And they came over unto the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gadarenes. And when He was come out of the ship, immediately there met Him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, Who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no man could bind him, no, not with chains: Because that he had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been plucked asunder by him, and the fetters broken in pieces: neither could any man tame him. And always, night and day, he was in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with stones. But when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshipped Him, And cried with a loud voice, and said, What have I to do with Thee, Jesus, Thou Son of the Most High God? I adjure Thee by God, that Thou torment me not. For He said unto him, Come out of the man, thou unclean spirit.

Luke 8:26-29 And they arrived at the country of the Gadarenes, which is over against Galilee. And when He went forth to land, there met Him out of the city a certain man, which had devils long time, and ware no clothes, neither abode in any house, but in the tombs. When he saw Jesus, he cried out, and fell down before Him, and with a loud voice said, What have I to do with Thee, Jesus, Thou Son of God Most High? I beseech Thee, torment me not. (For He had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For oftentimes it had caught him: and he was kept bound with chains and in fetters; and he brake the bands, and was driven of the devil into the wilderness.)

Isn't this an incredible introduction to this miracle? There was a major storm on one side of the sea where Jesus displays His powerful ability to control nature and then on the other side of the sea another storm is brewing but this time it is inside the demon-possessed man. The disciples are about to encounter the power of God in a way they have never seen before.

It's important to study what is being said about this man. He is no longer in control of his body, his mind, his emotions, or his actions. He is exceeding fierce, according to Matthew's Gospel. This man is in torment day and night. While we are never told what happened to open the door for the enemy to invade his entire being like this, we do know that it had been going on for a long time. Others tried to tame him by putting him in chains and fetters but the forces of evil at work in his body would simply break them into pieces. There was no restraining this man, so instead of wearing clothes and living in a home like the rest of society, he was driven away by the devil into the wilderness and spent his time among the tombs. Imagine if all you ever saw was death, desolation, isolation, and torment day after day? No wonder the man would cry and he would take sharp rocks to cut himself. Perhaps he was hoping they would leave him alone if he gave them a way out?

The first thing the man did was run to Jesus and fall at His feet. The Scriptures say he worshipped Jesus. We know that every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. These demons know who Jesus is and they know what He plans to do with them at the end of time. Notice they must get permission from Jesus before doing anything. They beg Him not to torment them. Isn't it interesting that they are tormenting spirits but they do not want to be tormented?

Mark 5:9-10 And He asked him, What is thy name? And he answered, saying, My name is Legion: for we are many. And he besought Him much that He would not send them away out of the country.

Luke 8:30-31 And Jesus asked him, saying, What is thy name? And he said, Legion: because many devils were entered into him. And they besought Him that He would not command them to go out into the deep. 

My study Bible footnote says this, "The deep is a place of confinement for spirits, the place where Satan will be bound during the millennium (Revelation 20:1-3). The demons, who called themselves "Legion," recognized Jesus. They knew that Jesus would command them to come out of the man. They begged Jesus not to send them into the deep, which referred to the "bottomless pit," or "dark abode of the dead."

Jesus asked the unclean spirit to identify itself. The name they gave was Legion because of the amount of unclean spirits that was living in that man. In those days, a Legion was a military term, and in the Roman army it would have been about 5,000 men. Legion means a multitude, so it could be thousands of demons in this case. As we read on, we know the fate of the demons and the swine they joined themselves to and if that number of pigs equals one devil we can estimate about how many demons were in this man.

Matthew 8:30-32 And there was a good way off from them an herd of many swine feeding. So the devils besought Him, saying, If Thou cast us out, suffer us to go away into the herd of swine. And He said unto them, Go. And when they were come out, they went into the herd of swine: and, behold, the whole herd of swine ran violently down a steep place into the sea, and perished in the waters.

Mark 5:11-13 Now there was nigh unto the mountains a great herd of swine feeding. And all the devils besought Him, saying, Send us into the swine, that we may enter into them. And forthwith Jesus gave them leave. And the unclean spirits went out, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the sea, (they were about two thousand;) and were choked in the sea.

Luke 8:32-33 And there was there an herd of many swine feeding on the mountain: and they besought Him that He would suffer them to enter into them. And He suffered them. Then went the devils out of the man, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the lake, and were choked.

The Lord allowed the demons to enter the pigs who were grazing nearby. Swine is unclean beasts to the Jews, so maybe that is why Jesus allowed them to overtake the herd. We do not know exactly why they wanted to enter the pigs. What is interesting to me is that pigs know how to swim instinctively. The violent running off the steep cliff into the lake demonstrates the power of evil overtaking the will of the pigs. It is clear that Jesus is showing all those present that when evil forces take over your life it only leads to destruction and death. The miracle is the evidence of God's power over every force of darkness.

Mark 8:33-34 And they that kept them fled, and went their ways into the city, and told every thing, and what was befallen to the possessed of the devils. And, behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus: and when they saw Him, they besought Him that He would depart out of their coasts.

Mark 5:14-17 And they that fed the swine fled, and told it in the city, and in the country. And they went out to see what it was that was done. And they come to Jesus, and see him that was possessed with the devil, and had the legion, sitting, and clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid. And they that saw it told them how it befell to him that was possessed with the devil, and also concerning the swine. And they began to pray Him to depart out of their coasts.

Luke 8:34-37 When they that fed them saw what was done, they fled, and went and told it in the city and in the country. Then they went out to see what was done; and came to Jesus, and found the man, out of whom the devils were departed, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid. They also which saw it told them by what means he that was possessed of the devils was healed. Then the whole multitude of the country of the Gadarenes round about besought Him to depart from them; for they were taken with great fear: and He went up into the ship, and returned back again.

The swine are dead and those who were responsible for feeding and caring for them ran back into town to tell the owners what happened. The owners of the swine meet up with Jesus and the man who was possessed with the devil and they want to know what happened. They all know the man from the tombs. They were unable to hold him or control him in any way. Now he sits calmly, fully clothed, and in his right mind beside Jesus. The men are terrified about what has taken place. They do not demand restitution for the loss of their herd. They do ask Jesus what they must do to have the same peace as this once tormented man now has. They decide they do not want to know anymore. They beg Jesus to leave their borders! Can you imagine seeing people so held by fear and disbelief that they kick Jesus out of their country? But the story is not over yet.

Mark 5:18-20 And when He was come into the ship, he that been possessed with the devil prayed Him that he might be with Him. Howbeit Jesus suffered him not, but saith unto him, Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee. And he departed, and began to publish in Decapolis how great things Jesus had done for him: and all men did marvel.

Luke 8:34-39 Now the man out of whom the devils were departed besought Him that he might be with Him: but Jesus sent him away, saying, Return to thine own house, and shew how great things God hath done unto thee. And he went his way, and published throughout the whole city how great things Jesus had done unto him.

The young man has his life back. He wants to do something great for God and so he wants to join Jesus on His mission to heal, save, and deliver. Jesus has other plans for him. He tells him to go evangelize in his own hometown. What better example of God's power and mercy than his own testimony? Imagine when he went home to see his mom and dad and he was able to hug them and have a real conversation. The excitement and joy he felt must have been explosive. The Bible tells us that he went to Decapolis and told everyone what Jesus had done and all of them marveled! They were all in awe of the power of God. He went throughout the whole city and no doubt others were changed, encouraged, blessed, and helped by his powerful testimony.

Friends we do not ever go through battles and afflictions for no reason. We also never go through pain and suffering just for our own benefit. Everything we face and overcome gives us a voice and a platform to share with others who may be struggling with the same things. We must go around sharing God's goodness and faithfulness with everyone we meet. Keep this miracle going by passing it on. Tell your story and let others be encouraged and find hope when things may seem bleak.

I have thoroughly enjoyed diving into this incredible miracle of Jesus Christ. I pray that something I shared today has been strength for your journey and light for your way. God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

Calming the Storm | Miracle of Jesus Christ

Have you ever been in a situation where it felt like there was no way out? Maybe you were facing something so overwhelming it felt like you would not make it? Was there ever a time when you felt like if God did not intervene you would lose everything?

When we think of the miracles of Jesus Christ we may think of how He healed lepers, opened blind eyes and deaf ears. Those are actual miracles Jesus performed. These historical accounts serve to deepen our faith and remind us that God loves us and wants to help us. While those miraculous events are encouraging, sometimes we find ourselves in a situation where we need God to move quickly and that is what we will see today as we read from Matthew, Mark, and Luke. As we read what happened in a life-threatening situation long ago, we can hold onto faith knowing Jesus is still able to meet our needs rapidly today.

Matthew 8:23 And when He was entered into a ship, His disciples followed Him.

The first thing Matthew tells us is that Jesus boarded a ship and the disciples followed Him. These are men in relationship with Jesus. He talks with them. He has performed miracles in their presence. They know and trust Jesus. Do you? Have you spent time with the Master? Are you familiar with Jesus? If He went onto a ship, do you trust Him enough to follow Him? Would you first want to ask some questions about the destination or perhaps the weather conditions? Would you need some time to think about whether or not you should go? The disciples followed Jesus without questioning Him. 

Matthew 8:24 And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but He was asleep.

Things were going well at first. Jesus lays down to rest. Have you ever been on a boat and the waves begin to rock the boat and the sun is warm against your skin, and then a cool breeze blows out across the water? Recently my family took my mom and my sister's family out on the water. It was a beautiful day and we really enjoyed our time together. My son fell asleep and my brother-in-law stated he was so relaxed he could take a nap, too! 

The disciples had no idea everything was about to change! A storm comes up quickly and the waves start crashing against the sides of the boat, and then the waves get bigger and they are getting soaked. The Bible says in Matthew's account that the ship was covered with waves. I can imagine that would be terrifying and anyone who may have dozed off was no longer sleeping! Except, it says that Jesus was asleep! The storm did not move Jesus. He was not concerned about the waves or how threatening the situation had turned. He is asleep!

Sometimes we may feel like we have been blindsided. Maybe a diagnosis or a loss of some sort has taken us by surprise and it seems like our only hope is not around. Maybe we feel overwhelmed and attacked on every side. Where is Jesus when the storms of life rage around us? He may be near but it feels like you are fighting this battle all alone.

Matthew 8:25 And His disciples came to Him, and awoke Him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish.

The disciples went to Jesus. Have you gone to Him? In their desperation they beg for Jesus to save them. They feel as though they will die. They want Jesus to calm their nerves, to put their minds at ease, and to fix it. Do you want that? Are you in a place where you are running to Jesus to save you because you think you are not going to make it? It is not wrong to do that. We must turn to our Savior and ask Him to get us through these circumstances, but we have to want more than a life preserver from Jesus. We need to know that Jesus can solve any problem we have, but when we are asking, do we believe that He can change things, or do we just hope so?

Matthew 8:26 And He saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then He arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm. 

Notice that Jesus speaks to the disciples before He speaks to the wind and sea. He asks the men why they are afraid and why they have so little faith. You see, He has done miraculous things in front of these disciples. They know the power that He has but they ran to Him in fear instead of asking from a place of faith. It is sometimes very difficult to remember that Jesus wants to help us. We are safe just because He is with us. Keep in mind, Jesus does not reject the disciples because they asked in fear, but rather once again displays His power right before their eyes. He commands the situation to be still and immediately it is calm. Jesus did not calm the disciples, He changed the circumstances. 

Matthew 8:27 But the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him!

The disciples are surprised that Jesus answered their prayers. They are safe. They are with the Peace Speaker and everything is okay. Now they see Jesus in a different way. They are in awe that Jesus has power over nature. There is no limit to what He can do.

Mark's account is quite similar to Matthew, but let's see what Mark's experience was.

Mark 4:35 And the same day, when the even was come, He saith unto them, Let us pass over unto the other side.

The disciples are with Jesus in the evening and Jesus suggests they cross over to the other side of the sea.

Mark 4:36 And when they had sent away the multitude, they took Him even as He was in the ship. And there were also with Him other little ships.

So Jesus and the disciples sent the multitude away after Jesus had been teaching them, There were other little ships near where people were most likely boarded to listen to Jesus speak. Jesus and His disciples are all on the same ship at this point in the evening.

Mark 4:37 And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so it was now full.

Mark shares that a terrible storm came upon them and the ship they were in was filling up with water as the waves are beating into the vessel they are in. The water is high enough to splash over into the ship. This is no small matter. They are in danger of losing their life if something is not done.

Mark 4:38 And He was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake Him, and say unto Him, Master, carest Thou not that we perish?

Did you catch that? Mark says Jesus is laying on a pillow! He is good and comfortable. Jesus is in the stern of the ship sleeping while they are scared out of their minds! They wake Jesus and ask Him if He even cares that they are about to die. Have you ever asked something similar? I know I have. I have felt like Jesus was not concerned about how bad things were in my life and in my health especially. I wondered if He had forgotten me. We all can face circumstances that feel so overwhelming and heavy that it can feel like we are left to fight the winds and the sea alone while Jesus is safe and comfortable somewhere else.

Mark 4:39 And He arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.

In Mark's account, Jesus got up and told the wind and the sea to be still and there was a great calm. It wasn't just an absence of stormy conditions, but there was a big change in the atmosphere. Have you ever been in a situation where God came on the scene and it was instant peace? I know I have and there is nothing like experiencing the power of God in that way.

Mark 4:40 And He said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?

Jesus calmed the storm and then addresses the disciples and asks them why they were afraid and how is it they have no faith. Of course Jesus understands that the storm and the waves crashing overboard is a scary situation. He knows the humanity of the men that are with Him. He is not telling them they are wrong for being afraid of the storm. He is reminding them there is no reason to fear anyone or anything when they have their confidence in Him.

Mark 4:41 And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?

The men who witnessed the power of Jesus were in awe that He had authority to do more than the healing miracles they saw with their own eyes. They had never encountered anyone with the ability to command the wind and sea to obey. Jesus does not condemn the disciples for being fearful and lacking faith, but rather challenges them to think differently about who He is and what He can do. It is almost as if He is saying, "Guys, you are with Me so there is nothing to be afraid of. Simply believe in Me."

We have heard from Matthew and Mark, now let's turn our attention to the book of Luke. The physician takes four verses to discuss what happened that day on the lake.

Luke 8:22 Now it came to pass on a certain day, that He went into a ship with His disciples: and He said unto them, Let us go over unto the other side of the lake. And they launched forth.

Again we see, as in the other Gospels, Jesus is with His disciples and wants them to go with Him to the other side of the lake, and so they did. I think this is very important to highlight that it is Jesus's idea to take this boat trip across the water. Could it be to show the disciples, and ultimately all of us, another side of Jesus we have not encountered yet?

Luke 8:23 But as they sailed He fell asleep: and there came down a storm of wind on the lake; and they were filled with water, and were in jeopardy.

Luke states that as they sail along Jesus falls asleep. Again, not an unusual experience. Jesus may have been exhausted after ministering to the multitudes for so long and now He is resting before they go to the other shore and He begins to minister again. Luke's account says that as the weather changed they were in jeopardy. This is not just a scary moment because of the high winds and choppy water, but the ship is taking on water and Luke lets us know their lives are at stake.

Luke 8:24 And they came to Him, and awoke Him, saying, Master, Master, we perish. Then He arose, and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water: and they ceased, and there was a calm.

Again, we see the disciples turn to Jesus. Something about Him makes the disciples run to Him to save them and help them. If Jesus was just an ordinary man, would they have ran to Him to save them? It is doubtful. Why are they not looking to one another for help. Instead, they run to Jesus. It is important not to gloss over that fact. We Christians know that Jesus is our hope and our answer, but the disciples do not have the New Testament to read. They are living this out and it is important to note that they expected Jesus to do something to help them.

Jesus gets up and rebukes the wind and the "raging of the water." It is important for Luke to describe the situation. There was a violence to this storm. It was not just a rain shower. There was a real threat felt by all the men aboard the ship. Luke says they call on Jesus and state, "We perish." This is a different perspective than Matthew or Mark had. Luke remembers the encounter as they were in danger of dying and so they addressed Jesus with that news. Luke says that when Jesus rebuked the storm, the raging ceased and there was a calm.

Jesus will take the chaos and the raging of spiritual storms in our own lives and will rebuke them, leaving us with a peace and a calm that can only happen with His authority. We must not think we are alone to fight these rough battles, because Jesus is with us and we do not have to be afraid.

Luke 8:25 And He said unto them, Where is your faith? And they being afraid wondered, saying one to another, What manner of man is this! for He commandeth even the winds and water, and they obey Him.

We should note that Luke only quotes Jesus asking where is their faith. He does not mention that Jesus asked why they are afraid. Perhaps this stuck out more to Luke that Jesus is questioning their faith. Jesus could have said a lot of things to them. He could have bragged about His ability to calm the wind and sea, but He did not do that. He gently asks them where their faith is. He was teaching them to put their trust in Him. He is teaching us that today as we look at these passages.

What battle are you in? Do you feel like you are facing some storms that came on suddenly and seemingly out of nowhere? Did you find yourself following Jesus and doing what He asked of you and yet this raging, angry storm appeared knocking you off your feet and you feel as though you are in jeopardy? Friends, don't be discouraged. That same Jesus who calmed their storm and removed their fear, is the same Jesus who is offering you the same solution. He wants to be your storm chaser. He will provide peace and calm to the chaos that threatens to destroy you. Where is your trust? Where is your hope? Where is your faith? Let it be found in the Peace Speaker, the Master of the Wind and the Tamer of the Sea.

I have enjoyed looking at these miracles of Jesus Christ with you all. It is so rewarding and enriching for me to dig deeper into the Scriptures and reflect on what Jesus did when His disciples felt as though they were going to drown. It reminds me that He is not going to let me go under either. I pray that you are encouraged today and that this has given you strength for your journey and light for your way.

God bless you!

Bridgett Owens