? questions

In a terrible accident at a railroad crossing, a train smashed into a car and pushed it nearly four hundred yards down the track. Though no one was killed, the driver took the train company to court.

At the trial, the engineer insisted that he had given the driver ample warning by waving his lantern back and forth for nearly a minute. He even stood and convincingly demonstrated how he'd done it. The court believed his story, and the suit was dismissed.

"Congratulations," the lawyer said to the engineer when it was over. "You did superbly under cross-examination."

"Thanks," he said, "but he sure had me worried."

"How's that?" the lawyer asked.

"I was afraid he was going to ask if the lantern was lit!"

In a similar way, we often go through our lives afraid that someone will ask us a particular question. "If someone asks me why I believe in God and not evolution, what will I say?" "What if someone asks me how I can possibly believe in the resurrection?" "What do I say if someone asks me why I believe the Bible truly is the Word of God, or why I believe that it teaches this or that?"

Instead of being detrimental as in the case of the engineer above, though, such questions provide us with an opportunity to share our faith.

"But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear." (I Peter 3:15)

Don't be afraid for anyone to ask!

? even

The following is reported to be a true story (from Australian Aviation magazine):

After a particularly lousy landing by the co-pilot of an Australian commercial airline, that co-pilot heard the Captain say into his microphone, "Ladies and gentlemen, XXX airlines wishes to apologize for that rough landing provided today by our first officer".

Some months later the same crew were together and, you guessed it, the Captain had an even worse landing. The First Officer immediately jumped on the intercom announcing, "Ladies and gentlemen, XXX airlines wishes to apologize for that rough landing provided today by our Captain".

The Captain immediately responded angrily, "What did you say that for?"

The First Officer replied, "Remember a couple of months back? I owed it to you!"

"But I never keyed the mike!" responded the Captain.

How many times have we tried to "get even" with someone only to suffer embarrassment or hurt as a result? We think that paying someone back will make us feel better, but it doesn't, even when we truly have been done wrong.

Solomon gave this wise piece of advice: "Do not say, 'I'll do to him as he has done to me; I'll pay that man back for what he did.'" (Proverbs 24:29, NIV)

Suffering wrong without retaliation is one of the toughest things Jesus asks us to do, but it's the right thing.

"But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you." (Matthew 5:44)

? who

A photographer from a well-known national magazine was assigned to cover the fires at Yellowstone National Park. The magazine wanted to show some of the heroic work of the fire fighters as they battled the blaze.

When the photographer arrived, he realized that the smoke was so thick that it would seriously impede or make it impossible for him to photograph anything from ground level. He requested permission to rent a plane and take photos from the air. His request was approved and arrangements were made. He was told to report to a nearby airport where a plane would be waiting for him.

He arrived at the airport and saw a plane warming up near the gate. He jumped in with his bag and shouted, "Let's go!" The pilot swung the little plane into the wind, and within minutes they were in the air.

The photographer said, "Fly over the park and make two or three low passes so I can take some pictures."

"Why?" asked the pilot.

"Because I am a photographer," he responded, "and photographers take photographs."

The pilot was silent for a moment. Finally he stammered, "You mean you're not the flight instructor?"

When it comes to our spiritual lives, we better be certain that someone competent is in control. If we assume (as did the two men above) that someone else has the ability to guide us safely, we may well be headed for disaster (unless that someone else is Christ).

"And He spoke a parable to them: 'Can the blind lead the blind? Will they not both fall into the ditch? A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher." (Luke 6:39-40)

Take a moment to check the cockpit. Who's in control of your life?

don't

Elie Wiesel was brought up in a closely knit Jewish community in Sighet, Transylvania (Romania). When he was fifteen years old, his family was herded aboard a train and deported by Nazis to the Auschwitz death camp. Wiesel's mother and younger sister died at Auschwitz -- his two older sisters survived. Wiesel and his father were then taken to Buchenwald, where his father also perished.  Wiesel has devoted his life to ensuring that the world does not forget the atrocities of the Nazis, and that they are not repeated.  He tells this story:

A just man decided he must save humanity. So he chose a city, the most sinful of all cities.  Then he studied.  He learned all the art of moving people, changing minds, changing hearts.  He came to a man and woman and said, "Don't forget that murder is not good, it is wrong."  In the beginning, people gathered around him.  It was so strange, somewhat like a circus.  They gathered and they listened.  He went on and on and on.

Days passed.  Weeks passed.  After a while, they stopped listening.  After many years passed, a child stopped him and said, "What are you doing?  Don't you see nobody is listening?  Why do you continue shouting and shouting?  Why?"

And the man answered the child, "I'll tell you why.  In the beginning, I was convinced that if I were to shout loud enough, they would change.  Now I know they won't change.  But if I shout even louder, it's because I don't want them to change me."

We live in a world where there is a battle going on.  I'm not talking about the conflict in Iraq or Afghanistan or Somalia.  You may not even be aware that this battle is taking place, but I assure you that it is.  It is a spiritual battle being waged between God and his people and Satan and his people (Eph. 6:12).  It is a battle for the control of the hearts and minds of men and women, including you and the people around you.

We sometimes use the word "evangelism" to describe our attempt to influence ungodly men in a way that will draw them to God, the God who created them and loves them.  But we sometimes forget that efforts (sometimes diligent efforts) are being made by ungodly men to pull us away from God.  Be assured of this:  One of two things is happening -- either you are having an influence on other people, or other people are having an influence on you.  It's a constant battle, much like a tug-of-war.

And there are times, as in the story above, when we need to speak up or take some action, not so much to change others, but to prevent others from changing us.

"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.  And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." (Romans 12:1-2)

tool

When a tool emerges from a blacksmith’s anvil, there is no question as to what it’s for. One look at the tool and you instantly know its function.

Time on God’s anvil should clarify our mission and define our purpose. Being tested by God reminds us that our function and task is to be about his business. Our purpose is to be an extension of his nature, and a proclaimer of his message. We should exit the blacksmith’s shop with no question as to why God made us. We know our purpose.

If we live our lives in this way, then we can enter our final years with the assurance of knowing that life was well spent and heaven is but a wink away…and is there any greater reward than this?

-june kiwia

sequoia

"And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching." (Hebrews 10:24-25)

Giant Sequoia trees, also known as redwoods, are the biggest living things on Earth. Heights of 300 feet and diameters of 30 feet are not uncommon. They can range in age from 2,000 to 3,000 years—some of which were living when Jesus walked the shores of Galilee. The largest specimen, the General Sherman Tree in Sequoia National Park, is 275 feet tall, has a diameter of 36.4 feet at the base, and has been estimated to weigh 2500 metric tons. 

The Pacific coast redwoods in southern Oregon and central California range in height from 100 to 367 feet - a size approached only by the eucalyptus of Australia.

What is fascinating about these majestic redwood trees that reach their leafy arms heavenward is that they stand for hundreds of years surviving raging fires, violent storms, and fierce winds. I have also read that they have a comparatively shallow root system which makes their survival even more amazing. So how do they survive? They survive because they live in groves with their root systems entangled with numerous other trees. In other words they support each other. They couldn't survive alone.

Neither can we. We need each other. We were never meant to go it alone. We need the support of one another to make it. One of the major purposes of the Christian church is for the very purpose of encouraging and supporting one another. If you don't belong to such a church, I urge you to do all you can to find one. 

sting

A family on vacation were driving along in their car, windows rolled down, enjoying the cool breeze of the warm, summer's day. All of a sudden a bee darted in the window and started buzzing around inside the car. A little girl, highly allergic to bee stings, cringed in the back seat. If she were stung, she could be in serious trouble.

"Oh, Daddy," she screeched in terror, "It's a bee! It's going to sting me!"

The father pulled the car over to a stop, and reached back to try to catch the bee. Buzzing towards him, the bee bumped against the front windscreen where the father trapped it in his fist. Holding it in his closed hand, the father waited for the inevitable sting. In pain from the sting, the father let go of the bee.

With the bee loose in the car again the little girl panicked. "Daddy, it's going to sting me!" The father gently said, "No, honey, he's not going to sting you now. Look at my hand." He showed her the bee's stinger in his hand."2

And that's exactly what Jesus did for us on the cross. He took the sting of death for us … as the songwriter put it, "You will know him by the nail prints in his hands." And as the Bible says, "Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?"

“Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?”  The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.  But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (    1 Corinthians 15:55-57)

thanks

Greg Anderson, in "Living Life on Purpose" tells a story about a man whose wife had left him. He was completely depressed.  He had lost faith in himself, in other people, in God - he found no joy in living. One rainy morning this man went to a small neighborhood restaurant for breakfast.

Although several people were at the diner, no one was speaking to anyone else. Our miserable friend hunched over the counter, stirring his coffee with a spoon.

In one of the small booths along the window was a young mother with a little girl. They had just been served their food when the little girl broke the sad silence by almost shouting, "Momma, why don't we say our prayers here?"

The waitress who had just served their breakfast turned around and said,  "Sure, honey, we can pray here. Will you say the prayer for us?" And she turned and looked at the rest of the people in the restaurant and said, "Bow your heads."


Surprisingly, one by one, the heads went down. The little girl then bowed her head, folded her hands, and said, "God is great, God is good, and we thank him for our food. Amen."

That prayer changed the entire atmosphere. People began to talk with one another. The waitress said, "We should do that every morning."

"All of a sudden," said our friend, "my whole frame of mind started to improve. From that little girl's example, I started to thank God for all that I did have and stopped majoring in all that I didn't have. I started to be grateful."

"In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." (1 Thes. 5:18) 

share

Mercedes TV commercial a few years ago showed a Mercedes crashing into a concrete wall during a safety test? An engineer in a white lab coat walks over after the crash and kneels down to examine the damage, which is minimal. 

A reporter then asks the engineer about Mercedes' energy absorbing car body. After the engineer tells all about the unique design the reporter asks him why Mercedes doesn't enforce their patent on the design, a design evidently copied by several other companies because of its success.

          

"The engineer then replied matter-of-factly, 'Because some things in life are too important not to share.'

"How true this is. There are many things in life that fall into this 'too important not to share category.' Advances in science, in medicine, in technology. But all of these pale in importance to that of sharing the gospel message of Jesus Christ."1

As Billy Graham said: "I am convinced the greatest act of love we can ever perform for people is to tell them about God's love for them in Christ."

Our First Responsibility

Jesus Christ’s last commission to all His followers was to "Go into all the world and preach [communicate] the Good News to everyone, everywhere"2 This needs to be the first responsibility of every true follower of Jesus Christ!

One of my favorite quotes happens to be from a Buddhist monk who said, "To know and not to do is not yet to know." To translate this into our Christian terminology it could be, "To believe and not to act is not yet to believe because I only truly believe that which motivates me to action." And as God's Word also says, "Faith without works is dead."3

“When many people each do a little, together 

we can accomplish great feats for God.”

Another Word from God's Word: "It is God himself, in his mercy, who has given us this wonderful work [of telling his Good News to others], and so we never give up."4

* * * * * * * *

Jesus: "You are to go into all the world and preach (communicate) the good news to everyone every-where."

George Barna: According to George Barna, research specialist, more than 80% of current church growth in Protestant churches is by church transfer or biological growth—not from reaching the unchurched.

"The Internet used effectively has great potential for reaching the unchurched—across the street and around the world." – DI

Billy Graham: "I am convinced the greatest act of love we can ever perform for people is to tell them about God's love for them in Christ."

Oswald J. Smith "The supreme task of the church is the evangelization of the world."

hit

For though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again, but the wicked stumble when calamity strikes." (Proverbs 24:16).

Sports Illustrated writer Jeannette Bruce once spent two-and-a-half years taking judo lessons, progressing steadily through the entire spectrum of self-defense "belts."

"On one rainy night," she said, "it all seemed worthwhile. The thing every judo student dreams of happened to me. I was walking down Sixth Avenue about 9:00 p.m. when a man stepped out of a dark doorway and tried to snatch my purse. How prepared I should have been, how ready to smash him to the pavement with a flourishing foot sweep!"

"Instead ... I hit him over the head with my umbrella!"

I suppose most of us can identify with Jeanette in some way. We get a great opportunity to do something worthwhile and blow it by doing or saying something stupid. Or when faced with temptation, we know how to resist the enemy because we know all the right Bible verses to fend for ourselves. However, instead of putting on the "whole armor of God," we seek to overcome in our own strength--and fail miserably.

However, when we do fail, the important thing is to get up, learn from our mistakes, and go on having learned to put our trust in God in every situation in which we find ourselves.

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, thank you that when I stumble and fall, you do not condemn me but reach out to help me get back on my feet again. In every failure please help me to learn from my mistakes, get up, and, trusting in you, go on. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."

grew

Peter Marshall, one-time chaplain of the US Senate, once preached...

Thrown into prison, they made the cell a pulpit and the dungeon a choir.

Stoned, they rose from the dust bleeding and bruised, but with a more convincing testimony,

Lashed with whips, they praised God more.  

Nothing could stop them. The Romans made human torches of believers to light the arenas on their holidays. Yet in death, these Christian martyrs made converts to their strange preaching.

    Hunted and persecuted …

    Thrown to the lions ...

    Tortured and killed,

    Still the number of those who made the sign of the Cross grew … and grew.

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." (James 1:2-4)

be

A mother was preparing pancakes for her sons, Kevin, age 5, and Ryan, age 3. The boys began to argue over who would get the first pancake. Their mother saw the opportunity for a moral lesson. "If Jesus were sitting here, He would say, 'Let my brother have the first pancake. I can wait.' Kevin turned to his younger brother and said, "Ryan, you be Jesus!"

I think it's safe to say that we're all a little bit like Kevin. We want everyone else to act like Jesus. We want everyone else to be kind and giving. We want everyone else to make the sacrifices and be tolerant and forgiving of us.

Unfortunately, the only person I have control over is myself. And it is only when I see God's Word as a guide for my life that it begins to do me any good.

"For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps." (I Peter 2:21)

Today, YOU be Jesus!!!

view

It is reported that the German controllers at Frankfurt Airport expect pilots to know their gate location and how to get there without any assistance from them. This conversation is said to have taken place between the control tower in Frankfurt and a British Airways 747 (radio call Speedbird 206) after landing:

Speedbird 206: "Good morning Frankfurt, Speedbird 206 clear of the runway."

Ground: "Guten morgan, taxi to your gate."

The British Airways 747 pulls onto the main taxiway and stops.

Ground: "Speedbird, do you not know where you are going?"

Speedbird 206: "Stand by, ground, I'm looking up the gate location now."

Ground (with impatience): "Speedbird 206, have you never flown to Frankfurt before?"

Speedbird 206 (coolly): "Yes, in 1944. But I didn't stop".

Things look different from the ground than they do in the air! (especially when the view from the air has crosshairs that get in the way :-) Our perspective makes all the difference in the world.

Which raises an interesting question -- do we tend to look at things from an earthly point of view or from a heavenly point of view?

"If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth." (Colossians 3:1-2)

If things in your life aren't looking so good from "ground level", perhaps it will help to take a look at things from a heavenly perspective.

-alan smith

both

The following was reported by WESTERN MORNING NEWS in 1994:

Ian Lewis, 43, of Standish, Lancashire, England, was interested in finding out about his family. He spent 30 years tracing his family tree back to the seventeenth century. He traveled all over Britain, talked to 2,000 relatives and planned to write a book about how his great-grandfather left to seek his fortune in Russia and how his grandfather was expelled after the Revolution. Then he found out he had been adopted when he was a month old and his real name was David Thornton. He resolved to start his family research all over again.

How frustrating! However, it reminds me that, for a Christian, it makes no difference whether we trace our spiritual lineage by way of birth or adoption because both images are used to express our relationship to God our Father.

"Jesus answered, 'Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.' " (John 3:5)

"...having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will..." (Ephesians 1:5)

God is our Father by (re)birth and by adoption (we are chosen!). What a privilege to be a part of His family!

wisdom

A college student in a philosophy class was taking his first examination. On the paper there was a single line which simply said: "Is this a question? -- Discuss."

After a short time he wrote: "If that is a question, then this is an answer."

The student received an "A" in the class

Philosophy. We sometimes think of it as a class where everyone sits around asking ridiculous questions ("If a tree falls in the forest, and no one is around to hear it......."). But the word "philosophy comes from a Greek word meaning "love of wisdom" and that is something the Bible speaks positively about.

"Happy is the man who finds wisdom, and the man who gains understanding." (Proverbs 3:13)

It's important to understand what the Bible means by "wisdom". The best definition I've ever heard is "the ability to make right decisions", and to do that we must listen to God.

"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction." (Proverbs 1:7)

May God bless you in your pursuit of wisdom this day!

-alan smith

healing

During the course of my 38 years on this planet, I have met various people from all walks of life. The one common thread all seem to share--whether rich or poor--is that we all face hardships, disappointments, and emotional upsets. This proves that neither money nor worldly success brings real, lasting happiness.

What do you do when things are not going your way? Do you run to your doctor in hopes of solving your problem with the pop of a pill? Will you spend hundreds of dollars on a therapist who routinely practices New Age techniques such as healing from crystals, past life regression therapy, and the like? Will you mope around the house for months in a depressed state hoping some glimmer of light will pass your way? Who do YOU turn to when you are in pain?

In the Bible, we are told our Lord is the great physician and healer. While it is true our heavenly Father is able to restore physical bodies, He is also a healer and mender of spirits. Indeed, He is the ultimate Comforter in a hurting world.

Everything has it's time and place. Before you turn to man for emotional healing, reach out to God frst.

"Seek ye first the klingdom of God and His righteousness; and ALL these things will be added unto you"  Matthew 6:33

-melanie schurr

judas

If an enemy were insulting me, I could endure it; if a foe were raising himself against me, I could hide from him. But it is you, a man like myself, my companion, my close friend, with whom I once enjoyed sweet fellowship as we walked with the throng at the house of God" (Ps. 55:12-14).

Betrayal is one of the most difficult tests that we will ever face because it involves being wounded by someone we trust. It's hard not to become bitter when a friend or family member wounds us. It takes a lot of Christ-like grace to forgive a traitor.

You have probably faced the Judas Test yourself. Every day you and I work in a marketplace that is rife with betrayal, deception, duplicity, and treachery. Perhaps you have been betrayed by your boss or a coworker. Or perhaps somebody betrayed a confidence or stabbed you in the back. It may have even been someone you've gone to church with or prayed with - someone you trusted as a brother in Christ.

The Judas kiss stings worse than a slap across the face. Almost every leader I know has experienced that sting at one time or another. Yet God is watching to see how we respond to the Judas Test. If we pass the test, He can then take us to the next level, the next test. If we fail, we'll probably have to repeat the test until we learn to forgive.

The Judas Test is God's graduate level course in faith, designed to reveal the truth about ourselves: Are we willing to trust Him enough to forgive the Judases in our lives? The book of Hebrews warns, "See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many" (Heb 12:15). When we refuse to forgive, we risk infecting others with a "bitter root" of resentment.

-os hilman

ice

A Reuters news story reported on a theory proposed by a Florida university professor:

The New Testament says that Jesus walked on water (John 6:16-21), but Professor Doron Nof believes there could be a less miraculous explanation -- he walked on a floating piece of ice. Nof, a professor of oceanography at Florida State University, said on Tuesday that his study found an unusual combination of water and atmospheric conditions in northern Israel which could have led to ice formation on the Sea of Galilee. 

A drop in temperature below freezing could have caused ice thick enough to support a human to form on the surface of the freshwater lake near the western shore, Nof said. It might have been nearly impossible for distant observers to see a piece of floating ice surrounded by water. Nof said he offered his study as a "possible explanation" for Jesus' walk on water. 

It's nothing new. There have been attempts to "explain away" the miracles of Jesus ever since -- well, ever since the time of Jesus. Every now and then, though, these attempts rise to preposterous levels. 

William Barclay, a well-known commentator, has attempted to come up with a possible "natural" explanation for many of Jesus' miracles as well. My favorite is probably his explanation of the feeding of the 5,000 (also found in John 6). According to Barclay, many of the people in the crowd had food to eat, but they selfishly kept it to themselves. But when Jesus smiled and shared the loaves and fishes that the little boy brought him, the crowd was moved with remorse. So, when the basket of food passed, they each put in some of their own food so that, in the end, there was plenty for everyone. The miracle, then, according to Barclay, was not the multiplication of food, but the changing of peoples' hearts. Jesus "turned a crowd of selfish men and women into a fellowship of sharers." (The Gospel of John, Volume 1, p. 206) 

But, back to Nof's theory. Let me get this straight. The disciples got into a boat and started to cross the Sea of Galilee. It was dark. Jesus conveniently stepped onto a piece of ice which then floated across the sea. While this was happening, "a strong wind started to blow and stir up the sea." (John 6:18, GOD'S WORD). Apparently Jesus had excellent balance because the wind and the waves were not enough to cause him to fall off of this piece of ice as it drifted several miles directly to the disciples' boat. I don't know about you, but it seems to me that may have taken a bigger miracle than walking on the water! 

Why would anyone go to such great lengths to try to discount what happened? I can only think of one reason. If the miracles are indeed true, then they force a person to an undeniable conclusion -- that Jesus was indeed who he claimed to be (the Son of God): 

"Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name." (John 20:30-31) 

Thanks be to our God who time and again demonstrated his power over nature, disease, Satan, death, and ultimately his own death. We praise Him for His power, and humbly submit ourselves to His will!

....helpless

Psalm 10:17 "Lord, you know the hopes of the helpless. Surely you will hear their cries and comfort them." (NLT)

"The hopes of the helpless." Interesting phrase don't you think? What are the hopes of the helpless? Help. Escape. Relief. Freedom. Deliverance. Strength. Energy. Light. Refreshment. Revival. Renewal. Dreams. "Immeasurably more than all we can ask or imagine."

"The hopes of the helpless." Would those descriptive words apply to you? Weak. Weary. Worn-down. Restless. Barely holding on. Holding on to hope even though there are times you wonder why? Hoping that something totally beyond your power and beyond your comprehension will happen. Hope that something will bring about a change. Hope that something will happen that you have never even dreamed of... something "out of the blue."

A hope of the helpless might involve the doctor coming into your hospital room with a puzzled look on his face saying, "The tumor is gone. We can't explain it, but it's gone."

A hope of the helpless might be waking up in the middle of the night concerned about your husband but not sure there is anything you can do to encourage him or lift his spirits.

A hope of the helpless might take the shape of accidently bumping into the professor of the class you're struggling in and having her say, "I think you can do this. Just don't give up."

A hope of the helpless might come from meeting a new family after they visited your church and hearing them say, "We loved it! We want to be involved."

The hopes of the helpless may come in all shapes and sizes that surfaces at the least expected time. The hopes of the helpless may come at a time when you feel totally drained. The hopes of the helpless may come may come at a time when you wonder if there is any reason to hang on to your hope.

According to David there are at least three reasons for the helpless to have hope.

First, the Lord knows the hopes of the helpless. The Lord knows what you are going through. He knows the pain you are feeling. He knows that the pain has been with you for longer than you can remember. He knows that you have exhausted yourself trying to fix things, restore things, and rebuild things. He knows you feel helpless.

Second, the Lord hears the cries of the helpless. He hears your heart. He hears the words that you cannot speak. He hears voice inside you crying out for help. He hears the cries for an end to the suffering.

Third, He comforts the helpless. Not only does He know the hopes of the helpless and hear their cries, but He also comforts them. There may be no human way to describe this comfort from the Lord, but when you experience it, you will know it. You will have no doubt about the One who providing the comfort. It will be clear that your hopes known and your cries are being heard.

He knows. He hears. He comforts. There is hope for the helpless.

ice

The New Testament says that Jesus walked on water (John 6:16-21), but Professor Doron Nof believes there could be a less miraculous explanation -- he walked on a floating piece of ice. Nof, a professor of oceanography at Florida State University, said on Tuesday that his study found an unusual combination of water and atmospheric conditions in northern Israel which could have led to ice formation on the Sea of Galilee. 

A drop in temperature below freezing could have caused ice thick enough to support a human to form on the surface of the freshwater lake near the western shore, Nof said. It might have been nearly impossible for distant observers to see a piece of floating ice surrounded by water. Nof said he offered his study as a "possible explanation" for Jesus' walk on water. 

It's nothing new. There have been attempts to "explain away" the miracles of Jesus ever since -- well, ever since the time of Jesus. Every now and then, though, these attempts rise to preposterous levels. 

William Barclay, a well-known commentator, has attempted to come up with a possible "natural" explanation for many of Jesus' miracles as well. My favorite is probably his explanation of the feeding of the 5,000 (also found in John 6). According to Barclay, many of the people in the crowd had food to eat, but they selfishly kept it to themselves. But when Jesus smiled and shared the loaves and fishes that the little boy brought him, the crowd was moved with remorse. So, when the basket of food passed, they each put in some of their own food so that, in the end, there was plenty for everyone. The miracle, then, according to Barclay, was not the multiplication of food, but the changing of peoples' hearts. Jesus "turned a crowd of selfish men and women into a fellowship of sharers." (The Gospel of John, Volume 1, p. 206) 

But, back to Nof's theory. Let me get this straight. The disciples got into a boat and started to cross the Sea of Galilee. It was dark. Jesus conveniently stepped onto a piece of ice which then floated across the sea. While this was happening, "a strong wind started to blow and stir up the sea." (John 6:18, GOD'S WORD). Apparently Jesus had excellent balance because the wind and the waves were not enough to cause him to fall off of this piece of ice as it drifted several miles directly to the disciples' boat. I don't know about you, but it seems to me that may have taken a bigger miracle than walking on the water! 

Why would anyone go to such great lengths to try to discount what happened? I can only think of one reason. If the miracles are indeed true, then they force a person to an undeniable conclusion -- that Jesus was indeed who he claimed to be (the Son of God): 

"Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name." (John 20:30-31) 

Thanks be to our God who time and again demonstrated his power over nature, disease, Satan, death, and ultimately his own death. We praise Him for His power, and humbly submit ourselves to His will!

-alan smith