Where is He and why is He letting this happen?

After the feeding of the 5,000 in John 6, Jesus sends His disciples across a sea and goes up on a mountain to pray. In the middle of the night (like 3am) the disciples are caught up in this terrible storm and still no sign of Jesus, whom they had seen calm the same sea before during another terrible storm. I figure there was some complaining on the boat and some questions like, "Where is He? Why is He letting this happen?

Sometimes we fail to recognize the way God has worked in our lives previously (for the disciples they failed to recognize a valuable lesson from the feeding of the 5,000) as an encouragement to face the present trial with faith.

Ambition

Where's the "Social Bee?"

Operation World

I just received in the mail today a book called Operation World. Its a book designed to help the reader pray for the nations. Its a great resource. Their website has more info on how to pray daily for the nations of the world.
This is a practical resource to encourage us to pray more for "Thy Kingdom come." Not to mention, Americans are often guilty of being somewhat uneducated about the rest of the world:

5 Biscuits & 2 Fish (Part 2)

Its quite the example to us that the little boy in the story who gives Jesus the bread & fish didn't have a clue as to what Jesus would do with it...he just gave it to Him to do with it as He saw fit. Charles Spurgeon said of this passage, "A Christ who can feed five-thousand can feed five-million."

We used to sing this hymn a lot when I was younger and its a good hymn to dwell on when thinking about the feeding of the 5,000:

"All to Jesus I surrender. All to Him I freely give."

Indelible Grace

Jennifer and I ordered some Indelible Grace CD's that came in the mail yesterday. I highly recommend them for their theological purity and devotional focus. You can click here to listen to a sample...the lyrics are also posted below

The Love of Christ Is Rich and Free
©2001 Same Old Dress Music (ASCAP). Words: William Gadsby. Music: Sandra McCracken.
1. The love of Christ is rich and free;
Fixed on His own eternally;
Nor earth, nor hell, can it remove;
Long as He lives, His own He’ll love.
2. His loving heart engaged to be
Their everlasting Surety;
’Twas love that took their cause in hand,
And love maintains it to the end.
CH:Love cannot from its post withdraw;
Nor death, nor hell, nor sin, nor law,
Can turn the Surety’s heart away;
He’ll love His own to endless day.
3. Love has redeemed His sheep with blood;
And love will bring them safe to God;
Love calls them all from death to life;
And love will finish all their strife.
4. He loves through every changing scene,
Nor aught from Him can Zion wean;
Not all the wanderings of her heart
Can make His love for her depart.
(Repeat chorus)
5. At death, beyond the grave, He’ll love;
In endless bliss, His own shall prove
The blazing glory of that love
Which never could from them remove.
TAG: Which never could from them remove.

The future of Biff

Ever wonder what happened to Biff from Back to the Future?
Here's a great video of what he's up to now:

5 Biscuits & 2 Fish

I've been teaching through the book of John @ church and recently came to the feeding of the 5,000. John 6:2-4 describes the scene of a large crowd following Jesus because they saw the signs He was performing. The statement made me stop and think about why people "follow" Christ today. Its a good question to think through: why do you come to Christ? Because He offers you a better life? Because its comfortable to be a Christian? Because He makes you feel better? Or do you follow Christ out of a genuine love for Him?