From the desk of Pastor Ben
A Display of Divine Knowledge – Part 2

“But the boat was already a long distance from the land, battered by the waves; for the wind was contrary. And in the fourth watch of the night, He came to them, walking on the sea.”         (Matthew 14:24-25)

While in their storm-tossed boat, the apostles should have taken joyous comfort in David’s words: “If I ascend to heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the dawn, if I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, even there, Your hand will lead me, and Your right hand will lay hold of me” (Psalm 139:8-10). They should also have recalled other promises from the psalmist, such as: “The Lord also will be a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble (9:9). And, “The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge (18:2).

However, in this time of emergency, the apostles forgot those psalms and other Old Testament instances of God’s mercies toward His people (Genesis 22:13; Exodus 3:7).
As would soon be evident, they had no confidence that God would remember their circumstance, as He had numerous times for His people in the past. Jesus’ men even forgot His words from the Sermon on the Mount that God knew all their needs before they asked (Matthew 6:32) and was concerned about life’s smallest details (Matthew 10:29-30).

But the Lord utilized the very danger that threatened the apostles when “He came to them, walking on the sea.” He couldn’t see them from the mountain or through the storm, but He knew right where they were. His divine awareness was more than sufficient (Proverbs 15:3; Hebrews 4:13).

Ask Yourself:
How tempting it can be to forgo our need for reading and study, for meditating in the Word. But how have the reminders of Scripture sustained you at times when you needed them most? And how else would you have known them if not from frequent exposure?

From the desk of Pastor Ben
A Display of Divine Knowledge – Part 1

“But the boat was already a long distance from the land, battered by the waves; for the wind was contrary. And in the fourth watch of the night, He came to them, walking on the sea.”         (Matthew 14:24-25)

The apostles were very confused and disappointed that Christ had sent them to the other side of the lake. Why would He want them to travel on the water now, when storms were a very real possibility? Nevertheless, they obeyed and persevered, striving to obey the Lord’s command, even when they wished He were with them.

Jesus knew of His companions’ situation long before it developed. Therefore, when the storm came up, He did not have to rush away from prayer in order to arrive in time to rescue the apostles. With His divine knowledge, our Lord knew precisely what He would do concerning the storm and for His friends.

Jesus waited awhile before going to help the apostles, just as He waited several days after Lazarus’s death before going to Bethany to see Mary & Martha. In both cases, He could have acted much sooner; or He could have performed a miracle from a distance, just as when He healed the centurion’s son (Matthew 8:13). Of course, Jesus could have prevented Lazarus’s death or the rising of the storm from even happening. But Christ’s omniscience allowed Mary & Martha and the disciples to sense extreme need before He came to help. He knew infinitely better than His servants what was best for their welfare and for the Father’s glory.

Ask Yourself:
Waiting is not something we want Jesus to do with us very often. “Right now” would always seem like a better time to come to our rescue. But how have you benefited from His sovereign timing? How has it gotten easier to trust Him, knowing that He will never be a moment too late?

From the desk of Pastor Ben

Jesus Walks On The Lake

“Then, when they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and drawing near to the boat; and they were frightened.”
                            (John 6:19)

After the apostles “had rowed about three or four miles” over a nine to twelve hour period, a sudden squall on the Sea of Galilee caught their boat. Their progress had been stressful, exhausting, and slow; thus they continued “straining at the oars” (Mark 6:48), desperately seeking the safety of the lake’s western shore.

Ever the faithful Shepherd, Jesus while alone praying (John 6:15) had not forgotten the apostles. In His perfect timing he planned to come to their aid, reminding us that divine sovereignty, omnipotence, and omniscience are never in a hurry. After making very little headway for hours, the apostles saw through the swirling storm, a figure walking effortlessly on the water, into the powerful winds and waves. Because of the darkness and storm, they did not immediately recognize that it was their Lord. Although as fishermen, most of them were used to storms such as this, they were still in no way accustomed to seeing a man walking on the water. So, “they were frightened” and thought they saw a ghost (Matthew 14:26; Mark 6:49).

Skeptics have long theorized that Jesus was really just walking along the lake’s shoreline, and that the frightened apostles mistakenly saw Him as walking on the water. But the boat was too far from land for them to have seen Him there. Such a suggestion is merely an attempt to explain away the supernatural. By suspending the laws of nature, Jesus here gave the apostles dramatic proof that He is the Creator and controller of the universe (Colossians 1:16).

Ask Yourself:
Never forget, that as amazing as this miracle was, the fact that Jesus — with all He had to think about — would return to help His storm-tossed followers, was equally astonishing. How does that fact encourage you today — with all you have to think about, with all you need Him for?

From the desk of Pastor Ben

Jesus’ Prayer Time Undergirds His Authority

“He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray; and when it was evening, He was there alone.”         (Matthew 14:23b)

The three temptations Jesus faced after His baptism, were not the only ones He’d ever face during His time on earth (Luke 4:13). In fact, the enthusiasm of the crowd — and by inference the Twelve — to make Jesus king was much like the third temptation when the devil offered Him all the world’s kingdoms (Matthew 4:8-9). We can imagine Satan now saying, “This Passover season is a great time to establish my kingdom. I could march triumphantly into Jerusalem at the front of thousands of loyal and enthusiastic Jesus supporters.” Satan undoubtedly would have felt Jesus would attract many additional supporters along the way, and His divine power would guarantee victory over any opposition. Under this scenario, Jesus could be a king without having to endure an unfair trial and crucifixion later.

In the face of such temptations, however, Jesus refused an enticement to sin, as He would always refuse any evil or disobedience to the Father’s plan. The only victory our Lord celebrated was in prayer on the mountain — victory over temptation and the forces of darkness, not mere earthly powers.

Much later, Jesus assured Peter, “Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat; but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail” (Luke 22:31-32). No doubt the Lord prayed for all the apostles long before His magnificent high priestly prayer (John 17:6-26). And it’s likely He prayed for them now with full confidence His prayers would be effective, because He had all authority over anything in the universe.

Ask Yourself:
Perhaps prayer has become a normal activity in your life lately — something you do but not something you really depend . What goes out of your heart every time prayer becomes an activity you can take or leave? What helps you keep prayer in its proper place of importance?

From the desk of Pastor Ben

Jesus’ Divine Authority Over People

“Immediately, He made the disciples get into the boat and go ahead of Him to the other side, while He sent the crowds away. After He had sent the crowds away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray; and when it was venting, He was there alone.”         (Matthew 14:22-23)

In spite of its great size (probably 25,000 or more, counting women & children), the crowd could not force Jesus to do anything contrary to His Father’s will and plan. Many people in the crowd were determined to elevate Him to a throne to further their own selfish, ambitious purposes — but they were unable to do so. Instead, after the Lord sent the apostles on their way, He simply, without a lot of words or any formalities, dispersed the crowd and let people bed down for the night wherever they could find a place near Bethsaida Julius (a town a few miles from the lake’s northeastern shore).

Christ has the final authority over the destinies of all people, including their final judgment (John 5:22). The multitudes who heard His Sermon on the Mount recognized that “He was teaching them as one having authority, and not as their scribes” (Matthew 7:29). In His Great Commission, Jesus reminded the apostles and believers of all eras, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth” (Matthew 28:18). The apostle Paul further reminds us of Jesus’ ultimate authority over all people, a truth that ought to bring us much comfort in these last days: “at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ I’d Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:10-11).

Ask Yourself:
What would your unsaved friends, neighbors, and family members think if they knew their lives were under the ultimate authority of the God they refuse to acknowledge as Lord and King? What are some ways you see god working around them, even if they don’t see it?

From the desk of Pastor Ben

Jesus’ Divine Authority Over The Twelve

“Immediately He made the disciples get into the boat and go ahead of Him to the other side, while He sent the crowds away. After He had sent the crowds away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray; and when it was evening, He was there alone.”         (Matthew 14:22-23)

With the crowd’s attempt to crown Jesus king, the apostles very likely rejoiced that Jesus was, at last, being recognized as the promised king who would overthrow the Romans and re-establish Israel’s kingdom. Christ Himself had taught them to pray for the coming kingdom (Matthew 6:10), so they reasoned that this was an opportune moment to fulfill that promise. Certainly the ambitious betrayer, Judas Iscariot, would have strongly encouraged such thinking among his colleagues.

But Jesus knew the apostles’ thoughts and the almost sure potential for the crowd to persuade them. So, He commanded them to “get into the boat and go ahead of Him to the other side.” The Lord did not want them to be swept up by the ill-conceived political plans of the people.

It is fair to think that the apostles probably resisted leaving Jesus and the crowd, both because of the crowd’s enthusiasm for Jesus and because they wanted to be with Him always. In spite of their sin and weakness, the apostles were devoted to their Lord and felt vulnerable when apart from Him. No matter what the reasons for their reluctance, however, the 12 disciples got into their boat and headed for the other side of the lake. Jesus’ firm word of authority was enough for them — He did not have to resort to supernatural force to compel their departure. As men under divine authority, it was a solid testimony that they obeyed.

Ask Yourself:
When have you been most thankful that you put some time and space between yourself and an emotionally charged situation that had the potential to sway your better judgment? What are some of the worst decisions you ever made by going along with the consensus of the crowd?

From the desk of Pastor Ben

Misguided Coronation Attempt

Therefore, when the people saw the sign which He had performed, they said, “This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world.” So Jesus, perceiving that they were intending to come and take Him by force to make Him king, withdrew again to the mountain by Himself alone.        (John 6:14-15)

The crowd’s assertion that Jesus was “the Prophet” gives us a solid clue regarding what the people really wanted in a messiah. They wanted an earthly deliverer who could meet all their physical needs, especially those related to food and health, and deliver them from the hated Roman oppression. Having identified Jesus as their ideal messiah, they likely would have forced Him to lead a march on Jerusalem to overthrow the Romans and usher in the ultimate welfare state. But the Lord was not about to give in to their selfish and sinful demands.

Jesus does not give in to human fancies or come to anyone on that person’s terms. Some contemporary preachers and evangelists, however, present Christ to unbelievers in “seeker sensitive” terms as the quick-fix answer to all their needs. But that turns the gospel on its head and makes it no more than a superficial marketing ploy.

People must abandon thoughts of falsely crowning Jesus on their terms and instead, come to Him on His terms. He calls for sinners to mourn over their sin (Matthew 5:4), repent (Matthew 4:17), and accept Him as sovereign Lord (Romans 10:9). Our Lord then grants such believers a rich legacy of joy (John 15:11), peace (John 14:27), and comfort (2 Corinthians 1:3-7). All the while they understand that they owe Him complete obedience in everything (John 14:15, 21; 1 John 5:3).

Ask Yourself:
What would your life have become if God had been willing to let you alone determine the way He should work in your circumstances? What would you have learned? How would you have lost ground and failed to grow? What would your desires have done to you?

From the desk of Pastor Ben

A Fulfilling Dinner For 5,000

He distributed to those who were seated; likewise also of the fish as much as they wanted. When they were filled, He said to His disciples, “Gather up the leftover fragments so that nothing will be lost.”     (John 6:11-12)

When feeding the 5,000, Jesus simply and without fanfare continually “broke the loaves and . . . Kept giving them to the disciples to set before them; and . . . Divided up the two fish among them all” (Mark 6:41). Contrary to what we might have expected, our Lord did not create a large amount of food all at once; but the crowd that partook of the meal was truly astonished — those present had witnessed the Creator God at work.

Although Jesus chose to use the apostles to distribute the food, He could have just as easily used some supernatural means to dispense the meal. Foe His own glorious purposes, God often works through weak and fallible human beings. Paul reminds the Corinthians and us in 1 Corinthians 1:27 that “God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and…the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong. (See Numbers 12:3; Judges 6:15)

Christ does not minister to people in a half-way manner. In this instance, everyone ate “as much as they wanted,” so that “they were filled.” Such abundant and divine provision offered no excuse for wasting the leftovers. Therefore, the Lord ordered the apostles to collect the fragments of bread and fish, and those were enough to fill 12 large baskets. Some theorize that the baskets represent the 12 tribes of Israel, but probably more simply, Jesus provided 12 baskets because the 12 apostles each needed one to collect the remaining food. Amazingly, the food more than satisfied the crowd AND provided for another day’s meal.

Ask Yourself:
What could be the most likely reasons for feeling less than full in relationship with Jesus Christ? Are there reasons when fullness is more than we should expect from Him? Or does emptiness and leanness of spirit almost always represent a resistance to His plenty and blessing on our part?

From the desk of Pastor Ben

The Apostles’ Faithless Remedy – Part 2

Philip answered Him, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, for everyone to receive a little.” One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to Him, “There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are these for so many people?” (John 6:7-9)

It seemed pointless to Philip to even discuss where the apostles might have obtained bread. They plainly didn’t have enough cash to buy bread even if they could find it. Philip’s answer emphasized, from his view, the impossibility of the situation and further showed his insufficient faith. He had witnessed other miracles by Jesus — including the changing of water into wine (John 2:1-11) — and would have known of God’s miraculous provisions of food in Old Testament times (Numbers 11:31-32; 1 Kings 17:9-16; 2 Kings 4:1-7). Yet Philip’s mind focused only on the bottom-line considerations of buying enough food to give everyone a little.
Andrew also focused on the human side of the equation, although he was not quite as pessimistic as Philip. Jesus told the apostles to find out how much food the crowd had, and Andrew likely reported their findings. That report simply confirmed the discouraging nature of the situation when it looked toward the little boy with a meager “five barley loaves and two fish.” We can easily summarize Andrews’s faithless response with his own words: “But what are these for so many people?”
Philip and Andrew and the other apostles failed Jesus’ test of faith for them. Not one of them responded by affirming His power to provide the food.

Ask Yourself:
Have you ever experienced a time when you settled for less from God, not stepping back to consider that He might have more to accomplish through you than seemed practical or most obvious? What have been some of the biggest costs from living inside the safe and the known?

From the desk of Pastor Ben

The Apostles’ Faithless Remedy – Part 1

 Therefore Jesus, lifting up His eyes and seeing that a large crowd was coming to Him, said to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread, so that these may eat?” This He was saying to test him, for He Himself knew what He was intending to do. Philip answered Him, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, for everyone to receive a little.”     (John 6:5-7)

Today’s passage reveals in more detail how faithless two of the disciples were toward meeting a practical need. Philip and Andrew focused only on human solutions to the food necessary for 5,000+ people (Matthew 14:15).
The Lord, however, would demonstrate a very different solution. First, He asked Philip, “Where are we to buy bread, so that these may eat?” Jesus already knew what Philip was thinking. He didn’t need his input to develop a feeding plan. By asking, Jesus simply articulated the impossibility of their finding any place to obtain enough food for the people.
Further, Jesus’ question really had nothing to do with the specifics of buying bread. As He occasionally does with us, Jesus presented a dilemma so He could test and strengthen the apostles’ faith. As James encourages us, “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing” (James 1:2-4). Peter similarly states the challenge, “In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith . . . May be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:6-7).

Ask Yourself:
Can you look back at a recent event (or perhaps a current happening) and see that what appeared to be just a hard problem may very well have been a test from your Heavenly Father, trying to mature and develop your faith? How can you make the most of these opportunities?