Desperate for Change

Luke 8:43-48 tell us the story of the woman with the issue of blood. There are some things in this story you may not be aware of. She was considered unclean which most know but what that required of her many do not. By law she was required to not get within 50 feet of anyone. She was supposed to call out to someone approaching her, “Unclean, Unclean.” This had to be said loud enough to ensure they heard which meant everyone heard. So, for her to be in the middle of this crowd is a HUGE risk to her in many ways. By law every person she made contact with became unclean and had to go through a 7-day cleansing ritual. They may have killed her, but she was desperate. She was so desperate that her life no longer mattered. What others thought meant nothing. What the law said had become irrelevant. She simply wanted this to stop and knew if she could just touch the hem of the robe of Jesus it would end. Realize to touch the hem she had to be on her knees at least. Scripture doesn’t say she was but that is what it would require and she was desperate enough to risk being trampled in the crowd just to touch Him. So, the question is how desperate are you for things to be different? How desperate are you to be made clean? Touch the Hem of His robe and find what your desperation seeks.

Be Still and Know I am God

Psalms 46:10 starts out be still and know I am God. I looked at this as get away from everyone and everything where everything was still but that's not what this means, The previous verses talk about how powerful God is and how He has ended wars and brought desolation on the earth, Now I don't know about you but that don't sound very still to me. This is talking about being still in your heart because you know He is God and even though wars rage around you He is God and has ended them before so while it "LOOKS" bad around you peace comes from knowing and understand the true power of God on earth. Be still and know He is God.

Desperate for Jesus

Mark 10:46–48 (ESV)

Jesus Heals Blind Bartimaeus

46 And they came to Jericho. And as he was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a great crowd, Bartimaeus, a blind beggar, the son of Timaeus, was sitting by the roadside. 47 And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” 48 And many rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

When was the last time you was truly desperate for Jesus? I mean so desperate you didn't care what anyone said or thought about what you were doing or saying?? This is the state in which Christ wants us to live. So desperate for Him nothing and no one in our lives is more important!

Possessions as god.

Mark 10:17–22 (ESV)

The Rich Young Man

17 And as he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 18 And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. 19 You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.’ ” 20 And he said to him, “Teacher, all these I have kept from my youth.” 21 And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” 22 Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

Oh, how we hold on to meaningless things. The man spent his entire life performing the things he was taught as a child but never allowed them to be real in his heart. Instead possessions were his god. This is the end result of our control always when we refuse to let go and allow God to rule. Control is me telling God I don’t need you in this I got it. Personally, I need God in everything because I proved I can control nothing.

God Sighed

Mark 8:12 (ESV)

12 And he sighed deeply in his spirit and said, “Why does this generation seek a sign? Truly, I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation.”

Has God ever sighed in His spirit because of you? In this instance He did because He knew these men had hardened their hearts to the true things of God. I pray with all earnestness that no one is so hard hearted that they cause God to do this. Comfort and control cause this type of hard heartedness. Don’t get comfortable and stop trying to control everything around you. God is the ONLY person with control!!