Jesus on Baywatch! – Purity 1413
Purity 1413 07/29/2024 Purity 1413 Audio Podcast
Purity 1413 on YouTube:
Good morning,
Today’s photo of the sun rising or setting on the horizon of an unknown sea comes to us from Roberta Fox Boone who shared this view on social media yesterday from her voyage on a Symphony Of the Seas cruise ship, reporting to her friends that she and a traveling friend were “Having the time of our life!”
Well, It’s Monday and I hope all my friends enjoyed the weekend and are taking advantage of the summer season because by the end of this week, we will be into August, and it won’t be long after that we expect pumpkin spice-flavored everything to be offered to remind us that Autumn is on the horizon. Some friends have already shared photos from various retailers showing that they have already gone beyond promoting “Back to School” and are selling things for Halloween! So I just wanted you give you a heads up to “seize the day, evening, or next weekend” to make some summertime memories of 2024 as we begin to roll into the eighth month of the year.
As for me, I have had a few instances of summer fun so far but on Saturday I inadvertently lacerated my left index finger right across the middle knuckle while at work on Saturday, requiring stitches which t will keep me out of work, and the water, for a few days until it heals. I might not be the most “tooly” guy in the world but ironically I do work with my hands and the location, and the severity of the injury requires me to rest and heal. Mine is a minor trial of course but it causes me to think of others who might not be having the “time of their lives” this summer in the sense of fun as they suffer injuries and losses that might not be as easy to see as a bandaged and splinted index finger.
Pain, loss, and suffering aren’t reserved for certain seasons and so I realize that people might be grieving right now, losses recent or ones that others would feel are distant. I was reminded of this possibility not by my finger but by a social media post and this morning’s Bible study.
The social media post was from someone who suffered serious losses over the last couple of years and although it was sharing a “positive message” of “good luck” with imagery from a false religion, I wasn’t offended as much as I was saddened by the pain that this positive affirmation was coming from and from the fact that this person who was supposedly “raised” in a “Christian tradition” wasn’t taught how to find comfort and healing from Jesus and the Christian faith. So, I said a prayer that they would receive from the Lord to provide healing and truth because calling on false gods to give good luck is no way for a Christian to live.
The word says that we suffer for a lack of knowledge and if we never sought the truth about our Christian faith by reading the Bible for ourselves, it will be no surprise when we look to things other than God to help us when things get bad.
I, myself, rejected by “Christian tradition” when I suffered the loss of my son in 2002 and it is only by God’s mercy and grace that I was led out of the darkness of a false religion myself in 2010 and my lifestyle of the flesh in the years since. When I came to faith in Jesus in 2010, the Lord put the desire to know Him more in me which drove me to read the Bible and learn from Him as much as possible. I’m still learning. That’s what a disciple is a student who applies His teacher’s lesson to His life.
And this morning I got a new lesson about grief and about Jesus. We have to read the Bible continually because the Lord uses it continually to show us more.
I was reading Matthew 14 this morning and realized that Jesus was operating from a place of grief when he performed some of his biggest miracles.
Matthew 14 tells us of John the Baptist’s death and Jesus’s immediate response.
Matthew 14:13 (NKJV)
13 When Jesus heard it, He departed from there by boat to a deserted place by Himself. …..
Upon hearing the news of John’s death, Jesus wanted to be alone. Jesus was grieving. His testifying of no one born being greater than John the Baptist in Matthew 11 shows us that He loved John, and his murder caused Him to want to be alone.
But as Matthew 14 tells us. The multitudes found Him and instead of demanding his privacy.
Matthew 14:14 (NKJV) tells us
14 … He was moved with compassion for them, and healed their sick.
Not only that but, Jesus followed up the miraculous healings with the miracle of the “loaves and the fishes”, feeding.
Matthew 14:21 (NKJV)
21 … five thousand men, besides women and children.
That’s a multitude! But Jesus, in his grief, served them all. Afterward, he and his disciples got away from the crowd and Jesus again sought to be alone, in his grief – remember John – had just been killed.
Matthew 14:23 (NKJV) tells us
23 And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. Now when evening came, He was alone there.
Jesus knew where to go to in His grief. In prayer, He went to God the Father.
But then as the NLT made clear to me this morning:
Matthew 14:24 (NLT2)
24 Meanwhile, the disciples were in trouble far away from land, for a strong wind had risen, and they were fighting heavy waves.
The disciples were in trouble in that boat at three in the morning. Jesus got the news about His friends from His Father undoubtedly. Humanly, He would have no other way of knowing right? That’s listening prayer! God told Jesus about His friends and in spite of his grief or the lateness of the hours, Jesus sprang into action!
Matthew 14:25 (NLT2)
25 About three o’clock in the morning Jesus came toward them, walking on the water.
JESUS WALKING ON THE WATER WAS A RESCUE MISSION!!!! JESUS WAS THE INSPIRATION FOR BAYWATCH!
We all know the rest of the story. Peter boldly goes out of the boat, but fear causes him to sink, and Jesus saves him, and the storm stops. That’s a lifeguard! Just saying….
And if the disciples ever doubted who they were learning from this episode on the high seas, changed that.
Matthew 14:33 (NKJV) tells us
33 Then those who were in the boat came and worshiped Him, saying, “Truly You are the Son of God.”
Yeah, Just isn’t just a lifeguard with a special technique for traversing water, He is fully man. He is fully God and He shows us the way to grieve, and he shows us the way to live.
So do as Jesus did. Our teacher, our friend, savior, and Lord showed us to go to the Father in our grief, to pray, but to also show compassion and to give care to those around us. He taught us to trust in the Lord only and to step out in faith to be with Him.
So don’t look to false religions for “good luck” – they seem nice and maybe even wise to those without knowledge – but they are all demonically driven and lead you astray. Instead, keep on walking and talking with God and read His word to know Him more so you stand in your grief and know that your life is guarded here on earth and forever more.
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For those who want more evidence for Christianity than my simple encouragements provide, I offer apologist, Frank Turek’s website, https://crossexamined.org/ .
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Today’s Bible verse comes to us from “The Quick Scripture Reference for Counseling” By John G. Kruis.
( While Bible verses on various topics of Counseling can be found with a quick Google search, we encourage you to purchase this resource to support the late author’s work. (https://www.amazon.com/Quick-Scripture-Reference-Counseling-Kruis-ebook/dp/B00CIUJZT2?ref_=ast_author_dp )
This morning’s meditation verses come from the section on Fear.
Romans 8:15 (ESV)
15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”
Today’s verse is the first of two passages of scripture that falls under the first point of our counseling reference guide resource’s section on Fear.
1. Believers need not be slaves to fear.
Today’s verse reminds us not to fear because of our adoption as sons and daughters of God, and if we are comfortable with it we can call Him “Daddy” or Abba, as the Lord God Almighty has made us His own through our faith in Jesus.
Our knowledge of who we are in Christ and the fact of our salvation and eternal life through Christ is the antidote to fear. Nothing can separate us from God, and we should not fear anything because God is with us. So know Him more, so we can fear a whole lot less. God has given us a new life and set us free. So you don’t have to be a slave to fear.
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As always, I invite all to go to mt4christ.com where I always share insights from prominent Christian theologians and counselors to assist my brothers and sisters in Christ with their walk.
Today we continue sharing from “According to Your Word: Morning and Evening Through the New Testament” By Stephen F. Olford – A Collection of Devotional Journals: 1940-1941.
As always, I share this information for educational purposes and encourage you all to purchase Olford’s books for your own private study and to support his work. This resource is available online for less than $10 at many sites.
EVENING READING: EPHESIANS 4
“Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what
is good for necessary edification.” – Ephesians 4:29
What a standard! And yet, one that is obviously possible or else it would not be an injunction to believers.
Just what “corrupt” speech means is best explained in Ephesians 5:3-4: “But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints; neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting.” This is the negative side.
As to the positive, speech should be “good for necessary edification” (Eph. 4:29). If this were the one object in a Christian’s life, what a power for God he would be! Setting watch upon his lips, guarding the tongue, meeting every need with words that edify.
O, for grace to do this, Lord.[1]
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“The views, opinions, and commentary of this publication are those of the author, M.T. Clark, only, and do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of any of the photographers, artists, ministries, or other authors of the other works that may be included in this publication, and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of any entities the author may represent.”
Encouragement for the Path of Christian Discipleship
[1] Stephen Olford and Heather Olford, According to Your Word: Morning and Evening Through the New Testament, A Collection of Devotional Journals 1940-1941 (Nashville, TN: B&H Books, 2008).
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