UNPREDICTABLE
– THE ADVENTUROUS WALK OF THE CHRIST LIFE
BREAD
22 Immediately
Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other
side, while he dismissed the crowd. 23 After he had dismissed them, he went up on a
mountainside by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, 24 but the boat was already a
considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was
against it. 25 During
the fourth watch of the night Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. 26 When the disciples saw him
walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It's a ghost,” they said, and cried
out in fear. 27 But Jesus
immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t
be afraid.” 28 “Lord,
if it's you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” 29 “Come,”
he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came
toward Jesus. 30 But
when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord,
save me!” 31 Immediately
Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of
little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”
32 And
when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. 33 Then those who were in the
boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.” Matthew 14:22-33 (NIV)
1 Meanwhile,
Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord's disciples. He
went to the high priest 2 and
asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any
there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as
prisoners to Jerusalem. 3 As he
neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around
him. 4 He fell
to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul,
Saul, why do you persecute me?” 5 “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked. “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied. 6 “Now
get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.” 7 The men traveling with Saul
stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone. Acts 9:1-7 (NIV)
23 Then
he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. 24 Without warning, a furious
storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was
sleeping. 25 The
disciples went and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We're going to drown!” 26 He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he
got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm. 27 The men were amazed and asked,
“What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!” Matthew 8:23-27 (NIV)
17 “Be on your guard against men; they will hand you over to the
local councils and flog you in their synagogues. 18 On my
account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and
to the Gentiles. 19 But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or
how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, 20 for it
will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.
21 "Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his
child; children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death.
22 All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm
to the end will be saved. 23 When you are persecuted in one
place, flee to another. I tell you the truth, you will not finish going through
the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes.” Matthew 10:17-23 (NIV)
BUTTER
“We must remember that God will never drag
us along the path of true-hearted discipleship. This would greatly lack the
moral excellency which characterizes all the ways of God. He does not drag, but
draws us along the path which leads to ineffable blessedness in Himself; and if
we do see that it is for our real advantage to break through all the barriers
of nature, in order to respond to Gods’ call, we forsake our own mercies. But
alas! Our hearts little enter into this. We begin to calculate about the
sacrifices, the hindrances, and the difficulties, instead of bounding along the
path, in eagerness of soul, as knowing and loving the One whose call has
sounded in our ears”. C H Macintosh
“Costly
grace is the Gospel which must be sought again and again, the gift which must
be asked for, the door at which a man must knock. Such grace is costly because it calls us to
follow, and it is grace because it calls us to follow Jesus Christ. It is costly because it costs a man his life,
and it is grace because it gives a man the only true life. It is costly because it condemns sin, and
grace because it justifies the sinner.
Above all, it is costly because it cost God the life of his Son. ‘Ye were bought at a price,’ and what has
cost God much cannot be cheap for us.
Above all, it is grace because God did not reckon his Son too dear a
price to pay for our life, but delivered him up for us. Costly grace is the incarnation of God.” Dietrich Bonhoeffer
“Jesus promised
His disciples three things: that they
would be completely fearless, absurdly happy, and in constant trouble.” F.R.
Maltby
“Let us note how far from satisfactory is the
state of those who are content with sound doctrinal opinions, and orthodox
correct views of the Gospel, while in their daily life they give way to ill-temper,
ill-nature, malice, envy, quarrelling, squabbling, bickering, surliness,
passion, snappish language, and crossness of word and manner. Such persons, whether they know it or not,
are daily proclaiming that they are not Christ’s disciples. It is nonsense to talk about justification,
and regeneration, and election, and conversion, and the uselessness of works,
unless people can see in us practical Christian love.” John Charles Ryle
“Yet our faith did not waver. In much weakness we were going to undertake a stupendous task – not in our own strength but in His, who when He commanded His disciples to ‘go and make disciples of all the nations,’ also promised ‘Lo, I am with you all the days, even unto the end of the world.’” Dr. Susanna Carson Rijnhart
“Discipleship is much more than simply strolling with the Savior.” Detzler
“As we embrace a curious faith, we exchange the currency of our control for the wealth of God’s possibility.” Logan Wolfram
HEART SAVOR
·
Faith
– Forsaking All I Trust Him.
·
God’s
grace is sufficient to meet all my needs.
·
The
Christian life is the great adventure and the one I was created for.
