Day 109: What Manner Of Man Is This?
Read: Matthew 8:23 - 27
This morning, let's go on a journey through the sights and sounds of
our minds. I am asking you to shut your eyes for a short time and let
your mind go. Just sit back and relax. No, I am not trying to hypnotize
any of you from afar. No it is nothing like that. I desire that you take
a few moments or a few minutes, for you to place an image of your
favorite musician, actor or actress or perhaps it might even be a sports
figure or anyone else who has been extraordinarily influential in
your life. Perhaps it may even be a hero type - someone you would most
like to imitate, even model yourself after. Have someone on your mind? What would it have been like to be in their presence witnessing history?
Remember those iconic short news reel clips of The Beatles getting off
the plane for their first musical tour of the United States? Remember
all those screaming fans just waiting even for a glimpse of them.
Jumping around all over the place holding their hands against the sides
of their head shaking and shouting and screaming? Some even fainted or I
guess more accurately swooned. How about those short clips of the great
Elvis Presley in concert when he started to swing those hips? How about
the iconic images of the Apollo 11 space crew landing on the moon and
Neil Armstrong walking on the moon surface "One small step for man, one
giant leap for mankind." This was where I wanted to be!
Iconic images that you just wished you
could have been there to witness. Have you ever tried to imagine what
Christ Jesus must have been like in person? Have you ever wondered how
He must have carried Himself, or how His voice must have sounded? It
must have been wonderful to walk and talk with the Savior, when He was
upon the earth. The disciples had the privilege of walking and talking
with Jesus, and I’m sure they never fully learned all there was to know
about His person and nature. The Scripture even indicates that at times,
the disciples were utterly amazed, puzzled by their Rabbi. This would
be especially true during their early days walking with Him.
What manner of men were these to be in these one of a kind historic
moments at these particular times? Observers, yes. Participants, willing
or unwilling, yes all true. Were they thinking about their impacts on
the pop culture of the time? Could have. Were they thinking in terms of
their impact on history, that would end up in a book? Arguably doubtful.
In our text, we read of just such a time when the disciples were
totally bewildered and amazed by Jesus. They had not yet come to the
full realization that Jesus was not just some smart, new miracle worker
who had come on the scene but rather, He was the Son of God. Imagine the moment when we will realize it too.
Let Us Pray: Rabbi Jesus, what is it that keeps us from recognizing
you? When we are so full of ourselves, it is all too easy to block you
right out of our lives. Perhaps we are guilty of being slow of heart
when we don’t recognize you in our neighbor, or in the guise of the poor
or the dispossessed. Or Our eyes and ears have become so crammed with
the sights and sounds of living or surviving the storms that we simply
fail to see you or to recognize your voice. Rabbi Jesus, help us to
empty ourselves of all that hinders our awareness of your presence with
us. By Your grace O Lord. Amen
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSH3Q6O_7w8
Tenth Avenue North - The Struggle (with lyrics)
www.youtube.com
The title track from Tenth Avenue North's new album, The Struggle, now available in stores and on
Read: Matthew 8:23 - 27
This morning, let's go on a journey through the sights and sounds of our minds. I am asking you to shut your eyes for a short time and let your mind go. Just sit back and relax. No, I am not trying to hypnotize any of you from afar. No it is nothing like that. I desire that you take a few moments or a few minutes, for you to place an image of your favorite musician, actor or actress or perhaps it might even be a sports figure or anyone else who has been extraordinarily influential in your life. Perhaps it may even be a hero type - someone you would most like to imitate, even model yourself after. Have someone on your mind? What would it have been like to be in their presence witnessing history?
Remember those iconic short news reel clips of The Beatles getting off the plane for their first musical tour of the United States? Remember all those screaming fans just waiting even for a glimpse of them. Jumping around all over the place holding their hands against the sides of their head shaking and shouting and screaming? Some even fainted or I guess more accurately swooned. How about those short clips of the great Elvis Presley in concert when he started to swing those hips? How about the iconic images of the Apollo 11 space crew landing on the moon and Neil Armstrong walking on the moon surface "One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." This was where I wanted to be!
Iconic images that you just wished you could have been there to witness. Have you ever tried to imagine what Christ Jesus must have been like in person? Have you ever wondered how He must have carried Himself, or how His voice must have sounded? It must have been wonderful to walk and talk with the Savior, when He was upon the earth. The disciples had the privilege of walking and talking with Jesus, and I’m sure they never fully learned all there was to know about His person and nature. The Scripture even indicates that at times, the disciples were utterly amazed, puzzled by their Rabbi. This would be especially true during their early days walking with Him.
What manner of men were these to be in these one of a kind historic moments at these particular times? Observers, yes. Participants, willing or unwilling, yes all true. Were they thinking about their impacts on the pop culture of the time? Could have. Were they thinking in terms of their impact on history, that would end up in a book? Arguably doubtful. In our text, we read of just such a time when the disciples were totally bewildered and amazed by Jesus. They had not yet come to the full realization that Jesus was not just some smart, new miracle worker who had come on the scene but rather, He was the Son of God. Imagine the moment when we will realize it too.
Let Us Pray: Rabbi Jesus, what is it that keeps us from recognizing you? When we are so full of ourselves, it is all too easy to block you right out of our lives. Perhaps we are guilty of being slow of heart when we don’t recognize you in our neighbor, or in the guise of the poor or the dispossessed. Or Our eyes and ears have become so crammed with the sights and sounds of living or surviving the storms that we simply fail to see you or to recognize your voice. Rabbi Jesus, help us to empty ourselves of all that hinders our awareness of your presence with us. By Your grace O Lord. Amen
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSH3Q6O_7w8
Tenth Avenue North - The Struggle (with lyrics)
www.youtube.com
The title track from Tenth Avenue North's new album, The Struggle, now available in stores and on
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