Crossing Over

On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.”  Mark 4:35

God has wonderful plans for another chapter in our lives. He is not content to leave us where we are and He challenges us to trust Him for something new. It seems so nice and peaceful just resting here on this side of what we know, but Jesus may be saying to you what He said to the disciples, “Let’s go to the other side!”

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Jesus is inviting each of us to prepare to be ready for new things. But His challenge includes a word we may have missed, Jesus said “Let’s!”  That single word makes all the difference when we launch out to points unknown.

There’s a song we sing at our Brazilian church in Portuguese that loosely translated goes something like this:

Sail away with faith in Jesus

Because this is the way you will see

What beautiful things He will do

Because with Him you will be secure.

translated from Solta O Cabo Do Nau

So if you feel overwhelmed by the smallness of your boat and the vastness of the sea, remember that in your little boat travels the King of kings and the Captain of all ships. No matter the storms, our Lord will never abandon us, nor allow the waves to keep us from the safe harbor of His arms!

Fearless!

There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. 1 John 4:18 ESV

Terror attacks, earthquakes and endless wars dominate our daily headlines. Sometimes family conflicts and crises make it seem as if our world is closing in around us. In his day, the apostle John had seen Jesus crucified, his own brother executed by King Herod and a crowd of ‘religious people’ stone his friend Stephen to death in the middle of the day. John and been in prison with Peter and was arrested again by the Roman authorities then sent to a penal colony on the Island of Patmos.

Interestingly, when John talks about freedom from fear he doesn’t mention a strong army to come to our defense. He doesn’t talk about the confidence of having good legal representation to defend us or powerful friends in places of influence who will stand up for our rights. John tells us that the best defense against any kind of fear is love! John knew that fear is completely stripped of power in the face of God’s love. That love of God as witnessed in the life of Jesus Christ is strong enough to handcuff our fears and put them under arrest. God’s perfect love is so powerful that no army, no terroristic threat and no human enemy can defeat. And the best news of all is that this perfect love is available to anyone who is ready to receive it. We can’t earn His love and we don’t need to wait to figure it out. With arms opened wide on the cross God’s love receives thieves, forgives crucifiers and blesses fearful disciples. His amazing, unending and perfect love overcomes the world and casts out every fear!

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 …if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there… MATT 17:20

 

What day is it?

I often ask my friends in the Alzheimer’s Unit. Do you know what day it is today? Then I tell them. “If anybody asks you tell them that This is the day the Lord has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it!” Psalm 118:24

We cannot choose what the day may bring but we can choose to rejoice that God will make of it what is good. Have a blessed day!

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