Mk. 4:36-5:19 -Pray

Trouble maker and Troubled

Jesus was with the disciples in the boat. There are other boats that traveled along with his boat. Bible says that Jesus' boat was attacked. Disciples might have tried their best. May be they threw out the things to lighten up the boat. May be they also threw out some fishes and the loaves, even the portion of the Lord. When our family was in poverty in 1995 my family spent out even the things that belongs to the Lord. Actually, it made the boat weighed more. When the disciples went to Jesus, not for a help, but to ask him "dont you worry," Jesus first did rebuke the wind and then he told the sea to calm down. The following tells how he removed troubles.

1. Rebuked the wind which was the trouble maker Mark 4:39

2. Told the waters which was troubled Mark 4:39

Sick Faith
People with faith do not worry but they also pray. People with "sick faith" they do not worry, so they also dont pray. 

Jesus did not rebuke the wind until someone come and  meet him. He was quite until they chose to ask the Lord. Even demons asked God to allow them to go into pigs and he allowed them. Are you any bad than a demon? God will surely answer your prayers.

Faith and Two things
Once Paul used two words with Philippians (Phil. 4:6):

1. Anything, 2. Everything

About first one (anything) he said, DO NOT WORRY about anything. 

About second one (everything) he said, PRAY about everything.

If you are doing the first thing and avoiding the second thing you have faith that is called sick faith. A rebuke will heal the sick faith.  ...rebuke them sharply that they may be healthy in the faith. Tit. 1:13. That is why Jesus also rebuked disciples after saving them from the trouble.

Bible did not say "do not worry because God is nearby or available." Bible actually said, "​​​​​​​Seek the LORD while he makes himself available; ​​​​​​call to him while he is nearby!" Isa. 55:6

Blessing of Alpha and Omega

God is first and the last. When he blesses, he blesses your work when you start it and when you finish it. It's like a seal. I would like to have his seal for every work I do. When a calamity comes my work will never be destroyed. When he opens a door no one can shut it and when he closes it no one can open. Rev. 3:7

1. When you come in and when you go out. Deut. 28:6. Go with confidence and come with assurance, because your work starts with a blessing and ends with a blessing.

2. He came in the evening and made him speak in the morning. Eze. 33:22

3. His glory comes down before the prayer and after the prayer of Solomon. 2 Chr.  5:14 and 7:1

I know this name. But i want this name to be expressed through out the work of my hand. I would like to see all that i have is labelled Alpha and Omega. Then it can withstand any encounter.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, we must get rid of every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and run with endurance the race set out for us, keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. For the joy set out for him he endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God. (Heb. 12:1-2)

For I am sure of this very thing, that the one who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus. (Phil. 1:6)

Walls

We need walls. Every human being need walls around him. They give us a secure feeling. That is where we sleep with no fear.

1. Walls are built by praises. Ps. 8:2
2. Walls are rebuilt by prayer. Nehemiah 1:4
3. Walls' gaps are filled by intercession. Ezekiel 22:30

God told Moses to make an altar of incense. Ex. 30:1. When Zechariah was giving incense people were praying outside.  Incense is symbolic for prayer. Luke 1:9-10. Incense is like a cloud. It was the cloud that stood like a wall between Egyptians and the Israelites when they were coming through the waters. 

Punishment and result

Father said to son, "son, do not go this way. On this road I saw a big pit. This is a dangerous road. I will beat you if you take this road"

Feared to the punishment son replied, "ok, dad I will not go this way."

Yet, son's heart wanted to see the pit there. He wanted to find a chance to go on that road. There came a day that his dad is not around. So the son took his bicycle and went on this dangerous road. Suddenly he fell down into the pit. He broke his leg.

Then he heard a voice, "my son." Son lifted up his head and saw his dad. His father had tears in his eyes. Son said, "sorry dad." His dad came down and saved his son.

Lying on the hospital bed son asked,"are you not going to punish me dad?"

Father replied, "my son, I am not going to punish you. I forgive you. Nevertheless, I want you to know that the punishment for your disobedience has stopped but the result of your disobedience was not stopped. It broke your leg."

Dad

God doesn't need any king, prophet or the priest. A father is every thing. If every father takes care of his family right way, the whole world will go in peace. A king partially resembles God, a prophet partially resembles God and a priest partially resembles God. But a father can resemble God to the final extent. That is why we needed Jesus who had king, prophet and priest in him to resemble God the Father.

The anointing of a king can cease, the anointing of a prophet can cease and the anointing of a priest can cease but the anointing of a father will never cease, and a father is a father always. When I offend my dad, it actually offends the Father in heaven.

God made fathers. He believed them. If they could take care of their houses well, the whole world can be fine. But they failed, so floods came. What was the job of a DAD?

1. Dominion
2. Assurance
3. Divinity

After the floods, since they failed, God divided their job and made this job as three offices and gave it to the kings, prophets and priests. When Moses felt it was difficult to rule, God distributed the spirit on Moses to the 70 leaders. Ruling is a father's nature.1Tim. 3:4-5. Speaking future is a father's nature. And paying for children's mistake is also a father's nature. Job 1:5. Ultimately king-prophet-priest is his nature.

Family needs to be restored before the kingdom is restored. Mal. 4:6. Christians look for business principles in the bible rather than family principles. It is because they are more concerned of their own kingdom than the kingdom of God.

When Abraham was in Ur, God told Abraham to leave his people but not his father. Act. 7:3. So he took his father Terah with him to Haran. After his father died God appeared to him again and told him to leave his father's house. Gen. 12:1.

A disciple came to Jesus and asked if he could go to his father and bury him and come back. I don't know if his father was actually dead or he does mean that he wants to go and stay with his dad until his death. Jesus didn't say no. Or may be Jesus does mean a no. Whatever it is a "disciple" is a disciple. He was not a first admission to ask like Elisha asked Elijah. A disciple has been there and now he cannot turn back after laying hand on a plow. Luke 9:62

I leave my parents to be a part of building the  kingdom of God. But if leaving parents is the kingdom of God, then I don't want such a kingdom, because I miss my God the Father there.

Is grace an excuse?

A man is working as a police. He has two sons. Older one is a kind of undisciplined and younger one is prudent.The older one used to borrow things and never return. He take things from shops and never pay money. If they would try to resist him, he would mention that his dad is a police man. Those people don't want to get into any risk so they stop resisting him. Younger one said, "brother this is not good. You are using dad's name for defending your bad things." But he never listened to his younger brother.

One day the younger one went to the bank to try a loan. They asked him  how he is going to pay since they need some government employee to give surety. Then the younger son said, "my dad is a police man." Bank people said yes to him.

After he had returned home, he said every thing to his mom. The older son heard this and came and said, "my dear younger brother, have you not used dad's name to defend yourself?"

The younger brother replied, "brother, it is not called defending, it is called depending."

God sent grace to depend on it rather than to use it to defend your sins. Grace makes you okay, it doesn't mean it's okay to sin.

Miracles zone to Movement zone

It was raining. A man's car was struck in a pond. He tried a lot. He could not move. He said, "Lord help  me." Then he heard a sound. A crane, which can lift a fallen vehicle was going on the road. He praised God and shouted. The crane guy saw him and came to see the situation. He brought the crane and lifted the car gently and placed it back on the road. Then left. Man of the car is happy. He praised God who did this miracle.

After a while he heard a voice saying, "move, move to Hyderabad city." Then he started to look around. He put his face out side of the window  and looked back and forth. His face sounds like he did not find what he is looking for. Then Lord said again, "what are you looking for?" Then the man answered, "Lord, the crane you sent was able to lift my car and put it on the road again. And the crane you are going to send to lift my car and put  me in Hyderabad must be bigger than this. I could not find any sound of crane coming"

This man is still looking  for a miracle when he is actually  able to drive to Hyderabad.

There was an another man. Few days after the Israelites finally came into the promised land, he approached Moses and said, "I don't think you are praying enough Moses. I don't see any manna now. It seems you are getting lazy"

Moses replied, "Go and sow your seed in the ground. Take the outcome. Now we have moved from miracle zone to the movement zone." Who is lazy? Moses or this man?

I agree that we still need miracles in this movement zone. These miracles are not for those who find their comfort in desert, and lazy.