Good morning,
Praise the Lord for this new day. He blessed us with a wonderful Mid-week gathering yesterday. We looked into Mathew 15:21-25, where we have record of Jesus acting in manner that usually does not describe Him. Jesus allowed the Canaanite women to be attacked with discouragement. Jesus was silent upon hearing her request. Scripture says, “He, Jesus, did not answer her a word.” The silence of Jesus here in the pages of Matthew have been magnified one thousand fold in the minds of hurting Christians everywhere. When answers do not come when we expect them, it is easy enough to just lose hope and give up. Yet, this Canaanite woman did not give up!
Discouragement came not from Jesus but from the disciples! They said, “Send her away, because she keeps shouting at us!” In modern words we might translate that as, ‘She is a pain and she is annoying, so get rid of her!’ To make matters worse, Jesus did not rebuke his disciples for being so selfish. Often Satan tries to make us feel as if we have been bothering Jesus, especially when we pray over, and over, and over again. It is often difficult for us to recognize that discouragement can actually be a way for Jesus to strengthen and bless us. The woman, who remained humbled, persisted in prayer by saying, “Yes, Lord, but even the dogs feed on the crumbs which fall from the masters table.” In other words, she was willing and ready to receive whatever crumbs Jesus tossed her way, because even those crumbs would more than enough to fulfill her prayerful request.
The Canaanite woman was able to break through the discouraging words that came her way because of one simple truth. She trusted in all the things that she heard about Jesus. She knew him to be the Messiah, because she called Him the Son of David. She knew that He had the power to heal her daughter of the demon possession. She rested her hopes on all that she heard about Jesus. That is why Jesus eventually said, “Woman, your faith is great, it shall be done for you as you wish.”
Faith is not something that is hoped for, or something that we can earn through trial and error; it is a free gift given to us by the Lord through His Holy Spirit. It is God’s way of guiding us in our Christian walk and giving us hope in times of trouble.
Faith will bring us encouragement when the Holy Spirit moves us to rest our hope and our needs and all our prayerful requests upon the promises given to us by Jesus Christ.
This morning, there are crumbs of blessings available for all of His people. One crumb of blessing from the Master’s table can transform us and enable us to live the kind of lives that the Lord has always wanted us to have. Blessed be His glorious Name.
In Christ,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPPIFW_r1Ig
Every Saturday at 6:30 PM
Beginning Saturday, September 18, 2010
Location: First United Methodist Church,
53 McKinley Avenue
Endicott, New York.
Sponsored by the Union Center United Methodist Church.
Pastor: Rev. Brown Naik
The first of our Saturday evening worship services will be held on Saturday September 18, 2010 at 6:30 PM, with Rev. Earle Cowden will preaching. The Worship and Praise Band from Davis College will be leading in worship. Ministry for the youth and the children will be provided. The public is invited to join us. For information call: 607-748-6329. 607-427-9098
Saturday , September 25, 2010
6 PM Gathering for Coffee and Refreshments
6.30 PM Worship Service
Special Music by " A Touch of Christ"
Message by Brown Naik
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