What Is Trying To Keep You From Jesus? Read Mark 5:24-34 & Luke 19:1-10

This is a fact! There will always be something or someone that will try to keep you from Jesus!The Gospels are full of stories where certain things or people were "in the way" of someone trying to get to Jesus.Mark 2:1-5,Mark 5:24-34 and Luke 19:1-10 are some examples. Read these passages and recognize what came between that person and Jesus.Now lets look at one of these passages and a situation that a man named Zaccheus found himself in. Read Luke 19:1-10.
Zaccheus had a few things going against him when he "sought to see Jesus". First he was a hated tax collector. During the time that Jesus was on Earth everyone hated the tax collector because almost everyone was poor and had nothing really to give. Secondly, Zaccheus was rich! He made good money as a tax collector and maybe his lifestyle showed it.He must have lived the life! Still with these things against him,he still wanted to see a man called Jesus. Surely he'd heard all the stories about the miracles.Surely he'd heard about the ministry of peace Jesus preached. Surely he just wanted to see just what everyone was going crazy about. Surely Jesus was just a man; so what's the the big deal about Jesus?
Zaccheus may have had somethings that may have kept him from Jesus but the main thing at the time was his height. The Bible says that Zaccheus was a short person and at that moment "the press" of people kept him from seeing Jesus. The press got in his way, the people got in his way. It didn't matter if he was short because if it wasn't for the "press or crowd" he could have clearly seen Jesus. So Zaccheus changed his position!He didn't just stay in a place where he knew he'd never be able to see Jesus. He moved, he changed,he repositioned himself!!
Take a look at your life today, this very moment. No matter if you are a good church going person or one that just believe.There is always going to be something or someone that will try to keep you from Jesus!Like Zaccheus;it's up to us to recognize what or who it is.He knew he was short and that the "press or crowd" would come between he and Jesus. He knew if he wanted to see Jesus he had to change his situation and position.What is "the press" in your life? It could be your job? It could be your husband or wife? It could be a family member or friend? It could be an illness or addiction? It's always going to be something!
Zacchesus recognized the problem and acted on it.He changed his position and placed himself where he could see Jesus. The amazing thing is that when he did ,Jesus knew where to look for him. Jesus knew he was in that tree! Zacchesus wanted to just get a look at Jesus, but Jesus wanted to do more!Jesus didn't just want Zacchesus to just see him! Jesus wanted Zacchesus to know him!Jesus wanted to bless him!!
There are times in our lives when we find it hard to see Jesus. We look at others from the outside and we see Zacchesus. We judge them and instead of helping them,we become apart of the "press"!We find it hard to believe that Jesus can be anywhere near that person or situation.In this Easter season when Christ "repositioned himself" and placed himself on a cross, can we be willing to do the same? Can we overcome our hatred of others and see the true love of Jesus? Christ wants to meet you and wants to be apart of every area of your life. He has "need" of you but can't use you because you have given into the "press". Let us make appoint to do whatever it takes to see Jesus in every area of our lives. Zacchesus did and what a blessing he recieved in return!!
"Father we sometimes allow our feelings and our situations keep us from seeing you in our lives. We sometimes become apart of the "press or crowd" that are keeping others from seeing you.Help us Father to see your son through everyone and everything.In the mighty name of Jesus,Amen!!"

"Time To Remove Those Training Wheels!" Read Deuteronomy 4:30&31

Something to think about...... I have many scars on my body. Every scar has it's own story.Like the ones on my elbows that came from a motorcycle accident. That one had me walking around looking like a Mummy! Then there is one of my very first and I guess my favorite scar. I call it my "learning how to ride a bike" scar.I hope you can relate to this one. This is my story.
One sunny day I was riding my bike up and down the sidewalk of our street in Port Arthur,Texas. I had a Christmas bike, a nice shiny,blue Schwinn,with training wheels.That bike was my heart,it was all I thought about. I'd come from school and do my reading(required by my parents)and then roll out my shiny new bike.This went on for months then one day my sister Gwen and I thought it was time to remove the training wheels!
Removing the training wheels has to rank high on the fear scale for kids.We all as kids had our nightmares and monsters and fears. We may have had a bully at school that gave us some fear.Some of us had a fear of dogs and even cats.One day I had to jump through our car window because of a dog chasing me! Good thing the window was down!There was alot of things out there to fear but none could top the fear I had of removing my training wheels.
Riding a bike is so easy with training wheels. I used to fly down the sidewalk,not worrying about a fall.The training wheels kept me upright. The training wheels gave me something I could lean on.The training wheels took away my fear of falling.
That sunny day when we removed my training wheels has effected my life today. You see the very thing I feared happened that day. I fell! I fell alot of times and one time busted my knee up. It lift a scar on my knee that reminds me of the day I took my training wheels off.I learned that falling is apart of life if I take my training wheels off.Since then I've fell plenty of times,but God has been there helping me back onto my feet.He keep telling me to get back on the bike!
Fear of falling will keep you from your blessings!No one likes to fail, no one likes to fall. So we walk through life on training wheels! You see it took faith in my sister for me to remove my training wheels that day. I believed that she would be there to catch me if I fell.We have to have that same faith and trust in God!We have to believe that He loves us too much to let us truly fail.
There is someone today that needs this message. They need to know it's time to remove those training wheels! Fear of falling(failing) is keeping you from your blessing! That idea you've had all these years but have been afraid to do,remove the training wheels!That person that God has been telling you to talk to,remove the training wheels!That business you been wanting to open,remove the training wheels! That house or car you been afraid to buy,remove those training wheels! If you have faith in God,remove those training wheels!
Even though my sister was there, I still fell,but she was there to help me up. She didn't hold me up all the time,she just gave me a good push and let me go. Isn't that what God wants to do for us? He can't wait until we take off our training wheels so He can give us a good push too! He can't wait until we put all our faith and trust in Him!
Today's passage paints a clear picture of how God feels about us. He said he "will not forsake thee", or "destroy thee". For those of you out there that are so close to your blessing,please take those training wheels off! Please place your faith in God!Put your trust in God,believing that even if you fall,He'll be there for you and with you!
After falling many times, I learned to ride my bike.Still there were times when I'd still fall. It was way more fun to ride without those training wheels.Our lives can be the same way if we just remove those training wheels!
"Father,there is so many things you want to do for us but we let our fears get in the way. Help us to fear not and place all our faith and trust in you. In the mighty,mighty name of Jesus,AMEN!"

What A Difference A Smile Can Make! Read Proverbs 17:22

God is so good that He places people in our lives when we really need them. I was feeling depressed the other day. You know, having one of those days where you find yourself asking the question,"why"? "Why Lord am I going through all this?" "Lord, you know I have all these needs,yet you aren't doing anything about it." "Lord, why we have to go through so much suffering?" "WHY LORD???" Have you every had one of those "why" days?
Just as I thought my day was a lost,I saw this man in a wheelchair. This man had no legs at all. Now I don't know how he lost his legs but I do know what he didn't lose. He didn't lose his smile! His smile drew my attention from his handicap and made me focus on him. Here was this man with a severe handicap but with so much joy in his spirit! Here was a person that had every right to be angry,mad,and sad about his situation, yet what a smile he had. He may have been missing somethings on the outside,but he had the right thing on the inside. What he had was a "merry heart" You see I didn't know this man ,but I knew a smile when I seen one!
Proverbs 17:22 states "A merry heart doeth good like a medicine : but a broken spirit drieth the bones."(kjv)
How many times have our dryness rubbed off on others? We walk around with ugly,smile-less faces!We walk around with sad, heavy hearts not realizing how truly,truly blessed we are to have legs at all!
The lesson I learned the other day is that a "merry heart" is like medicine not just for that person, but it's medicine for others too! That man's smile give me reason to smile too! His smile lifted me out of the funk I was in and gave me hope. His smile let me know that no matter how bad things my seem I should always have a reason to smile! What a difference a smile can make! Don't let satan take away your smile!!
"Father, there are times when we let satan take away our reasons to smile. We get so rapped up in ourselves that we forget just how truly,truly blessed we are. Let our smiles be like medicine to others as the man's smile was to me! In the mighty name of Jesus,AMEN!"

Caring ! The True Power Of Prayer!! Read 1 Peter 5:7

Jesus was at a wedding feast with his mom when she went to him saying that all the wine was gone. "They have no wine." said Mary his mother. Now let us look at this in another way. Could this have been a prayer request to Jesus? "Lord, I have no clothes." "Lord, I have no rent money." "Lord,I have no food in my house." "Lord,..................!!"
Last week I touched on this story of how Jesus turned water into wine. He doesn't do anything a little bit or halfway.He told the servants to fill the jars all the way to the brim. But it took Mary's "plea" to him for the miracle to even take place. Mary gave us an example of the power of prayer.
Number one; she knew who to pray to. She went to Jesus! She precieved there was a "need" and she went to the one person she believed could fill that "need".(Read John 14;13&14)
Number two; she interceded for the people at the wedding.Mary must have been touched by the situation and went to Jesus with her concerns and cares. We don't pray for others because we really don't care! We feel like we have enough going on in our own lives to spend time praying for someone else.(Read Ephesians 6:18)
Number three;she didn't give up! When Jesus said it wasn't his time yet, she just told the servants to do what he'd tell them to do! She didn't take "no" for an answer! She didn't give up on her prayers!She believed that Jesus would "feel" her need and act on it. She believed that Jesus cared!!(Read Luke 18:1-8)
Mary showed us in what is believed to be the first miracle preformed by Jesus that there is power in prayer! So much power that it changed water into wine! So much power it caused Blind men to see and the Deaf to Hear! It lead to the feeding of Five Thousand and the raising of a man called Lazarus! Oh, there is so much power in PRAYER! We just don't pray like we used to.We just don't care enough! Our forefathers and mothers knew about the power of prayer! I remember my late mother would get up every morning with her Bible in one hand and her old prayer beads in the other. That was her special time that she spent with the Lord. Do you take time to really get your prayer on? When is the last time you honestly prayed for someone that you knew needed the help of Jesus?To really pray we have to be concerned. To really pray we have to care!1 Peter 5:7 reads,"Casting all your care upon him;for "he careth" for you." He cares! If we care about our prayers then Jesus will too! Caring means not just going through the motions but praying with feeling and emotion and compassion for others!God is waiting to use His awesome power through Jesus,but we have to care! There is someone out there that needs you to start caring today, there is someone out there that needs some prayers, there is someone out there that needs some "water turned into wine",there is someone that needs us to care!
"Father, we know we sometimes just go through the motions in our prayer lives.There are times when we don't show just how truly important our prayers are to you.Help us to care and truly use the power of prayer! In the mighty name of Jesus,Amen!"
(Please read the verses given,thank you.)

Why Are You Just Settling For Peanuts? Read Luke 5:1-6

How many times in our lives do we just settle for peanuts? I mean we are happy with the little blessings that God sends our way. We are satisfied with just getting by,living from payday to payday. We are satisfied with eating the same foods over and over again. We are satisfied that we have money in our bank accounts just in case we may need it.Some of us dare not buy a new outfit or new shoes. We can't bring ourselves to give to that bum at the corner store not realizing that we "bum" from God everyday. That is what I call settling for peanuts!
We are children of an awesome God! He never settles for just peanuts! When Jesus turned the water into wine, He told the servant to fill the jars to the brim! Not just a little water, not just half way, not just peanuts,but all the way to the brim! Why do we always settle for peanuts? Could it be our lack of faith? Is it a lack of faith that keeps us living from payday to payday? Is it a lack of faith that keeps us from buying some new outfits or shoes that we know we need. Is it a lack of faith that keeps us from giving no matter who the person or church is?
I love today's passage because it is a challenge to us to stop fishing in shallow waters and step out into the deep. You see it's easy for us to operate in shallow waters.It's easy just to settle for peanuts. If something happens in shallow waters, we can just walk to shore, but when you are out in the deep, you can't make it alone! Out in the deep you need a Savior! Out in the deep you need a "Way" maker! Out in the deep you need someone that can calm the seas and walk on water! Out in the deep you can't just settle for peanuts!!Out in the deep you need JESUS!!
When Jesus told Simon Peter to : "Launch out into the deep,and let down your nets for a draught.(Lk.5:4 kjv)"it was truly a test of faith. You see Jesus didn't say let your "net" down, He said let your "nets" down!Too many times we just settle for one net. Jesus was not just settling for peanuts!!Peter had been fishing all night and had come up with nothing but peanuts,,but when he stepped out on faith and believed in the Word of Jesus,he stopped dealing with peanuts and started experiencing the true Power of God!
The other day I was praying and God put this in my Spirit. "Clarence,you been settling for peanuts when I have so much more for you! Why are you just settling for peanuts?" What He was saying to me is to stop just praying for the little things that He is "already doing for me" and start praying and believing in things that He wants to do for me!! He wants to take me into the "deep"!
Today I want you to know that God has so much more for you too! So stop settling for just peanuts!Let Him take you into the "deep"!
"Father,sometimes we don't truly realize how much you want to bless us. We become content with the "little blessing" when there are many "nets of blessings" you want to fill for us. Help us to move from just peanuts and into the "deep" with you! In the mighty name of Jesus Christ,Amen!"

Are You Hungry Enough? Read Deuteronomy 8:1-3 And Luke 15 : 11-17

Everyone know how it feels to be hungry. It's a feeling no one likes to feel. It makes us uncomfortable,and can be painful if not dealt with. I know how it feels to not have any food to eat. There was a time in my life when I was homeless because of an addiction to drugs and alcohol. I was just like The Prodigal son(Lk.15:11-17),everyday I lived for the "party" that the street life gave me. I partied so I couldn't feel my hunger pains.I knew that when I became hungry, the party would be over for me. I would have to deal with it before I could deal with anything else.Being hungry will humble you.
The Prodigal son in today's passage was willing to work for someone else rather than return home. He was ashamed of his actions, he'd rather feed the swine than humble himself before his father.You must know how truly low he had gotten because he was a Jew that believe that swine was unclean and didn't want to be nowhere near a pig!Being hungry will humble you! All he could think about was the food that was being eaten back home.It's like you being away for Christmas dinner. You can think about all the food being served at the table that you should be eating too! The turkey and dressing,pies and cakes and everything else! Being truly hungry will make you want to be back home.
I asked the question today:"Are you hungry enough?" We as Christians must have a hunger inside us that only can be filled by the Word of God.Deut.8:3 reads:"And he(God)humbled thee, and suffered thee to "hunger",and fed thee with manna,which thou knewest not,neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedth out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live."(kjv) You see it's easy to feed ourselves with natural food,but what about our spiritual food? How many times do we pick up a fork or spoon but never think of picking up the Word of God? How many times do we go out of our way just to get something to eat, yet won't pick up the Bible sitting right there in our home.It's time for us to get hungry!It's time for us to humble ourselves and return home to Jesus!He has a feast for us that no money can buy! His table is running over with everything we need to truly live an abundant life. But the only way you can be feed you must become hungry! Are you hungry enough?
Sometimes we would rather feed the "swine" the things we know are unclean,rather than get fed by the Lord.Sometimes it feels easier to deal with the "swine" then it is to deal with the Lord. We just are not hungry enough!It's time to get hungry!
"Father,help us to make it a point to not only feed our bodies, but to feed our souls as well,in the mighty name of Jesus,Amen