The place was Capernaum – a fishing village located on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee.  Jesus was teaching in a house that may have belonged to Simon Peter.  Wherever Jesus went He attracted large crowds.  This time was no different.  The house was filled beyond capacity.  You couldn’t even get near the door.  Had there been a fire marshal in town, he certainly would have shut the meeting down. 

As Jesus continued to teach, four men stood outside the house formulating a plan.  Their paralyzed friend was on a stretcher.  Their dilemma was how to get their friend past the crowd to Jesus.  There seemed to be no way.  Then they hit upon an idea.

At first the crowd inside the house became aware of a strange sound coming from the roof.  Can you imagine their shock when all of a sudden debris and dirt started falling down on their heads?  In a few moments daylight broke through.  Then appeared the faces of the four men as they peered down through the sizeable hole they just dug in the roof.  I wonder if Jesus broke into a smile or maybe a silent chuckle as He considered the comical side of what was happening.

While Simon Peter was frantically looking for his homeowner’s insurance policy to see if it covered the damages, these four men lowered their friend on the stretcher directly in front of Jesus.  Seeing their faith, Jesus performed the double miracle of salvation and healing.  The paralytic who had to be lowered through the roof on a stretcher got up and walked out of the house completely healed!

Sue Anderson, who leads our prayer team ministry, made this great observation from this story:  Hope in and of itself would have stopped at the door. But real faith will dig a hole in the roof! The audacity of the faith of these four men captured the attention of Jesus!  The story teaches that Jesus is moved by faith that dares to believe and refuses to give up.

What miracle are you in need of today?  Don’t be discouraged by a few obstacles or setbacks.  Don’t give up because of the seemingly impossibility of the situation. Possess and practice audacious faith.  Dig a hole in the roof.  Believe and keep believing until the answer comes.

Pastor Todd Weston

What do you do when you’ve done everything you know to do and things still don’t work out? That’s where we find David in 2 Samuel 12.  His baby boy was sick and David was taking it hard.  So he dropped everything and went to prayer.  He fasted.  He lay each night on the hard, cold ground.  When friends tried to make him more comfortable or get him to eat something, he refused.  He only cared about one thing – his child being healed.
 
This went on for seven days until David sensed the worst.  No one had told him that the child had died.  David was in such a sad state they feared what the news might do to him.  So he asked, and they told him.
 
Then David did something that puzzled everyone. He got up, washed, put on a fresh change of clothes, went to the House of God to worship, then came home and ate. His friends thought he would be a basket case, but he wasn’t.  He explained, “While the child was alive, I fasted and wept; for I said, ‘Who can tell whether the LORD will be gracious to me, that the child may live?’ But now he is dead; why should I fast?  Can I bring him back again? 
I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me.” (2 Samuel 12:22-23)

David knew he had a kingdom to govern, many people to care for, a family and remaining children to support and guide. He also knew in his heart that he and his baby son would be reunited in eternity.  So standing on the promises of God, he committed it all into the Lord’s hands and went on with his life.
 
What do you do when you’ve done everything you know to do and things still don’t work out?  Paul said, “And having done all…stand.” (Ephesians 6:13).  Stand on the promises of God and keep going.  Then what?  You stand. And after that, what?  You keep on standing!

 There are some things in life for which answers will not be given until we reach eternity.  So commit it to God and get back to the business of living and what God has called you to do.  
 
By the way, did I mention the future blessings? Don’t forget them.   The baby that died was the first son born to David and Bath-sheba.  But that’s not the end of the story.  A second son was to come along as a result of that union.  His name was Solomon, and the rest is history!
 
Pastor Todd Weston


 
 
 

Boating is big in SW Florida.  As a matter of fact, I heard that yesterday (Memorial Day) was the biggest boating day of the year.  And of course, we’re not talking about going out on the lake. We are talking the Gulf of Mexico.

I don’t own a boat, but I know that an anchor is considered standard equipment.  To go out without an anchor, especially in deep water, would be a very foolish and even dangerous thing to do.  And yet, many people today are going through life without an anchor. 

Why do you need an anchor?  Because the storms of like are strong.  Without an anchor you will be like the disciples in Matthew 14:24.  When caught in a storm on the Sea of Galilee they were tossed by the waves because the wind was strong.  Life can get rough.  A storm can hit suddenly and rock your world.  If you don’t have an anchor, you can get tossed around like a beach ball on the waves.

Why do you need an anchor?  Because the doctrines of men are deceptive.  Very!  Ephesians 4:14 describes people being blown about by every wind of doctrine because they are not grounded (anchored) in the truth.  Deception isn’t going away.  Jesus said it’s only going to get worse the nearer we get to His return.  You better have an anchor! 

Why do you need an anchor?  Because the Bible says the last days are going to be perilous times (2 Timothy 3:1).  In other words, things are only going to get harder out there.  How are you going to make it without an anchor?  You need something to hold you when everything else is flying apart.

Having an anchor will not exempt you from life’s troubles, but it will hold you through it all.  So, do you have an anchor?

Pastor Todd Weston