Light Came Into a Dark World

Darkness is the absence of light. This world was in darkness, so God decided to send a Light into the world. Jesus said, “I am the light of the world” (John 8:12). Did you catch that? He’s the only person who brought the light of God’s revelation to the entire world. We celebrate the birth of Jesus because He is the Light of the world.

Darkness is also the absence of life. People are in darkness because they are excluded from the life of God. “Being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them” (Eph. 4:18). “In (Jesus) was life, and the life was the light of men” (John 1:4) Jesus came to earth to bring light (revelation of God’s truth) and (spiritual) life.

Why do some people reject the Light and want to remain in darkness? Three reasons.

1. They don’t understand who Jesus is. “And the Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it” (John 1:5). Most people have heard of Jesus, but they don’t understand that He was God in a human body and He came to earth to save them for their sins so they can spend eternity with Him. This is why we need to share about Him to others.

2. Their minds are made up and are unwilling to change. Jesus said, “I have come as Light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Me will not remain in darkness” (John 12:46). When the Pharisees saw Jesus performing miracles, they were unwilling to believe and follow Him because their hearts were hard (Mark 3:5-6).

3. They love darkness because their deeds are evil. Light drives out darkness. “The Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil” (John 3:19). Jesus said, "I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life” (John 8:12). When you follow Jesus, you choose to walk away from darkness (evil behavior) and your life will change. “For you were once in darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light” (Eph. 5:8).    

www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com   www.makinglifecount.net

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Joseph's Side of the Story

You’ve heard the Christmas story a hundred times. Everyone hears about baby Jesus, Mary, the angels, the shepherds, and the wise men. But what about Joseph? He’s often overlooked, but is a great role model for us:

1. Joseph loved grace more than justice. Put yourself in his shoes. He finds out his bride-to-be was pregnant and the only natural explanation was she had cheated on him. I’m sure Mary explained that the angel Gabriel informed her that she was pregnant by the Holy Spirit and she would give birth to the Son of God (Luke 1:26-35). But that was a hard pill to swallow.

If he had exposed her publicly, the Law commanded that she be stoned to death (Dt. 22:23-24). Joseph was “a righteous man, and not wanting to disgrace her, desired to put her away secretly” (Matt. 1:19). Joseph decided to send her away secretly because he loved grace more than judgment.

2. Joseph trusted the Lord more than his own logic. His plan was interrupted when an angel appeared to him in a dream and explained that she really was conceived on the Holy Spirit (Matt. 1:20-23). Joseph believed the divine message even though it made no sense. A virgin conceiving had never happened before. There will be times when you will also need to trust the Lord more than your own logic (Prov. 3:5-6).  

3. Joseph accepted his supporting role in life. Some people have leading roles in life while others have supporting roles. Both roles are equally as important. Joseph accepted his role as her husband. By taking her to be his wife, it appeared to others that he had gotten her pregnant. How would it sound to say, “An angel told me that no human got her pregnant.” No one would believe that story. Sometimes you have to do what is right even if only God knows the truth!

Joseph ignored the gossip being said about him and Mary because pleasing the Lord was more important to him than his own reputation.  www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com   www.makinglifecount.net

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www.makinglifecount.net  Twitter: @KentCrockett

Approval Ratings

Pontius Pilate conducted an opinion poll about what to do with Jesus. His approval ratings were down, so he asked the crowd whether to release Jesus or the murderer Barabbas. The chief priests stirred up the crowd and pressured him to release Barabbas. “And wishing to satisfy the multitude, Pilate released Barabbas” (Mark 15:15). Pilate wanted to be popular more than he wanted to be right. And many people today are more interested in being popular than standing up for the truth. Here’s how to overcome peer pressure.

1. Be more concerned about what God thinks of you than what people think.

It’s not poplar to follow Jesus and you’ll be ridiculed for standing up for what you believe. To have courage, you must be convinced that the Bible is true and everything Jesus taught is the truth. Jesus never took an opinion poll. We never see Jesus asking, “How am I doing? What is my approval rating?” He was only interested in pleasing His Father.

2. Your inner strength must be greater than the outward pressure to conform.

If I squeeze a cracker it will crumble because the outward pressure is greater than the cracker’s strength. But if I squeeze a baseball it won’t crumble because it’s stronger than the pressure being applied. Pilate thought Jesus was innocent, but he didn’t believe it enough to overcome the pressure applied by the angry crowd. He crumbled because he wasn’t strong in his convictions.

3. Realize that everyone will be held accountable to God. You and everyone else will one day stand face-to-face with the living God. “They are surprised that you do no run with them…and they malign you, but they will give an account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead” (1 Peter 4:4-5). Keep an eternal perspective and don’t cave in to them. God’s approval is the only approval rating that matters. www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com   www.makinglifecount.net

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BIBLE STUDY: “The Dual Prophecy of the Virgin Birth” (Isaiah’s prophecy was fulfilled at two different times)

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Letting Go of People

Pharaoh was a Control Freak and had kept God’s people in bondage for years. The Lord sent Moses to him with a message, “Let My people go!” (Ex. 5:1). Perhaps a “difficult person” is keeping you in bondage through an unhealthy relationship. The one tormenting you is living in your mind rent-free! Either you are trying to control and change that person, or that person is trying to control you. Both ways create bondage. God told Pharaoh to let go and He’s also telling you to let go. 

1. If you don’t LET GO, you cannot be spiritually free. You can hold on to something with your hands, but you can also hold on to something with your heart. To “let go” means to release in your heart the person or situation into God’s hands and to let Him make the corrections needed. Jesus wants you to be “free indeed” (John 8:36).

2. If you don’t LET GO, you cannot move on to the next new thing.  For a trapeze artist to reach out and grasp the new bar, he or she must let go of the old bar. The new bar is just far enough away so that you cannot grab it while still clinging to the old. If you don’t let go, you’ll keep swinging in the same old routine and nothing will get better for you.

3. If you don’t LET GO, dysfunctional people will continue to control you. Dysfunctional people can act like Pharaoh and will get upset and angry if you don’t do exactly as they say. The disciples told Jesus the Pharisees were offended by His teaching. Jesus instructed His disciples to “Leave them alone” (Matt. 15:14). In other words, “Don’t let them manipulate you with their domineering attitudes but keep following Me and what I tell you to do.”

“Letting go” doesn’t mean that you stop caring but that you want freedom more than bondage. How to LET GO: Keith Miller said, “Imagine putting the person in your cupped hands, then coming before the Lord, who also has His hands cupped. You place your hands inside His hands and gently take your hands apart, leaving the person in God’s hands.” Once you let go, let the Lord deal with that person and stop letting him or her live inside your mind.

To read more about letting go read SlayingYour Giants. ($5.99)

www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com   www.makinglifecount.net

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My Wife's Lost Diamond

My wife Cindy was crying as she called me from the bank where she worked.  In a panicking voice she said, "The diamond has fallen out of my wedding ring and I don't know where it is!" Finding that diamond would be like finding a needle in a haystack. She could have lost it in our house, or in the restaurant where she had lunch, or somewhere in the bank. 

I prayed, "Lord, you know where Cindy lost her diamond. Please show me where it is." Immediately I felt prompted to go to the bank parking lot. The first place I looked was inside our minivan. It wasn’t there. When I scanned the parking lot, I saw what looked like a piece of glass laying in a crack in the pavement. It was Cindy’s diamond! 

I snatched it up and ran into the bank yelling, "I found the diamond!"  Bank customers turned around, wondering why I was shouting. Cindy burst into tears and came running out from behind her teller window. As we embraced in the lobby, it looked like the ending of a romantic movie.

We called our friends and told them how I found the diamond against all odds. Then I finally understood the parable of the lost coin (Luke 15:8-9). The woman who had lost a silver coin called her friends with joy after she found it. Sometimes we don’t realize something’s value until we lose it—and then recover it.  

The diamond hadn’t increased in value, but our perception of its worth had changed dramatically. I learned the secret of thankfulness: the value of something isn't determined by how much it appreciates, but by how much it is appreciated.

If you want to enjoy life, you will need to reexamine the value of what you have. You may have lost the appreciation for the things you once desperately wanted!

www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com   www.makinglifecount.net

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God Wants to Speak to You

Peter Lord was the pastor of Park Avenue Baptist Church in Titusville, Florida, for many years. A number of years ago in December, Peter was praying when God spoke to him, “I want you to construct a building where people can pray. As proof that this is My idea and not yours, I will send someone to the church that you don’t know who will give five hundred dollars toward the building. This will happen before Christmas.” Peter wrote in his prayer journal what the Lord had said but didn’t tell anyone.

A week passed. No one brought him any money. Two weeks went by, but still no answer. He started to doubt what he had heard. On December 24, a married couple from another city pulled into the church parking lot. They introduced themselves and said, “Pastor, you don’t know us, but when we were praying God spoke to us. He told us to come here and give you some money. We don’t really understand why we needed to drive here to give this to you, but we’re just being obedient.” The couple handed him a check for $500! (If God Knows What I Need, Why Should I Pray? pp.112-113).

This not only confirmed to Peter that he had heard from God, but it also confirmed to the couple they had also heard Him speak to them. The prayer chapel was constructed and has been used for many years as a place to intercede for others.

God wants to speak to you and lead you through this life, but are you listening? Do you know how to hear from God? To learn how God speaks and how to hear Him, read the NEW BIBLE STUDY: “Does God Speak to People Today?” www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com   www.makinglifecount.net

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www.makinglifecount.net  Twitter: @KentCrockett

Teachable Moments

Every situation is a learning experience, but many people miss the opportunity of the moment. You can have the best teacher in the world but if you aren’t teachable you won’t learn anything. Having a teachable spirit means you admit that you don’t know everything. Here are 3 things God wants to teach you.

How to make right choices.  “I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go” (Psalm 32:8). The Lord will point you in the right direction if you are willing to listen.

How to understand spiritual truths. Jesus said, “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things.” (John 14:26). The Holy Spirit can teach you valuable lessons about how to live.

How to love unlovable people. “For you yourselves are taught by God to love one another (1 Thess. 4:9). A bumper sticker read: “God loves you—and I’m trying!”  In our own strength it’s hard for us to love others, but the Lord can show us exactly how to do it.

If you are faced with a stressful situation or dealing with an obnoxious person, ask God:

1. “Lord, what do you want to teach me?” God wants to use that difficulty to teach you something that you don’t know. As you continue to learn, you’ll grow in wisdom and will become spiritually mature.

2. “Lord, how do you want me to respond?” It will probably be different than your natural reaction. But if you’ll respond in the correct way, you’ll gain wisdom about how to respond the next time it happens.

As you learn from God, you’ll know how to counsel others as they are going through the same thing. www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com   www.makinglifecount.net

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NEW BIBLE STUDY: What happened to Goliath’s Sword?

NEW BIBLE STUDY: Is it Possible to Resist God’s Grace?

NEW PRINTED SERMON:  Jonah 4—“Jonah’s Pity Party”

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Making Life Count Ministries

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Prattville, Alabama 36068-0174

www.makinglifecount.net  Twitter: @KentCrockett

Two Plans Going at the Same Time

Two plans are going on in your life at the same time. Earthly (E) vs. Heavenly (H). Plan E is what we see happening on earth, but Plan H isn’t as obvious. Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery (Plan E) and he was taken to Egypt. God used them to get Joseph to the place where He could promote him (Plan H). It was there he was falsely accused and thrown into prison (Plan E). The Bible says, “The Lord was with him” (Gen 39:2, 21, 23), although it certainly didn’t look like it.

Later Joseph was promoted to #2 in command of Egypt (Plan H) and was reunited with his brothers. He told them, “You meant it for evil against me (Plan E), but God meant it for good (Plan H)” (Gen. 50:20). God turned their plan to get rid of him into a promotion. That’s two plans going on at the same time.

Jesus said, “Blessed are you when men cast insults at you, and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely (Plan E), on account of Me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great (Plan H) (Matt. 5:11-12). When believers are persecuted for their faith, they are going to receive an incredible reward in heaven. That’s two plans going on at the same time.

On the Day of Pentecost, Peter preached to the crowd, “This Man (Jesus), delivered up by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God (Plan H), you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death (Plan E), and God raised Him up again (Plan H) (Acts 2:23-24). God turned the crucifixion of Jesus by evil men into payment for the sins of the world. That’s two plans going on at the same time.

It’s difficult to understand how this works, so when you are under attack by evil people, you must trust God and respond correctly. Look at what the hand of God is doing for you rather than what the hand of man is doing to you. www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com   www.makinglifecount.net

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Making Life Count Ministries

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Jobs in Heaven?

Many people talk about going to heaven, but few people think about what we’ll be doing in heaven forever. Heaven would be boring if we had nothing to do throughout eternity. We are saved by God’s grace through faith and that’s what gets us into heaven (Eph. 2:8-9). But our faithfulness in living for Him after we have been saved will determine what we will be doing in heaven (see Luke 19:12-24, Matt. 25:14-30).

1. We will serve Him forever (Rev. 7:15, 22:3). Just as we joyfully serve Him now (Ps. 100:2), we will continue to serve Him in heaven. Heaven is filled with joy without any sorrow, so these will be exciting assignments, similar to eternal hobbies.

2. We will manage “true riches.” Life on earth is a test. How we manage things in this life will determine what God we will let us manage in the next life. Jesus said, “If you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth (on earth), who will trust you with true riches (in heaven)? (Luke 16:11). True riches are more valuable than anything on earth.

3. We will be “in charge of many things.” Jesus said if we are faithful with a few things (on earth), He will put us in charge of many things (in heaven) (Matt. 25:21,23). We are not told what these “many things” are, but they will be rewards that He will give to those who have faithfully lived for Him.

God didn’t give us the details about these heavenly assignments and true riches because we cannot comprehend them at our current level of understanding. After we get to heaven, our knowledge will be expanded and we will literally see what He was talking about. 

You can read much more about how your life on earth will affect your eternity in my book Making Today Count for Eternity.

 www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com   www.makinglifecount.net

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ON SALE--Small Group DISCUSSION books  Slaying Your Giants ($5.99) plus Study Guide ($4.99) has 20 interesting lessons for Small Group discussion.

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Making Life Count Ministries

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When God Says No

Answered prayer requires two things—the ability of God and the will of God. God is able to do anything, including moving a mountain to the sea. So why would He say no to our requests?

1. God may have something better planned for you. I cannot tell you how many times God didn’t give me what I wanted at the time, only to give me something much better later. Whenever a door closes, I’ve learned to trust the Lord, knowing that He has the best planned for me.

2. God may have reasons for denying your request—but He’s not going to tell you why. Sometimes the reason God denied your request will become obvious later. But you may never know in this life why the Lord did not come through with the answer you wanted so badly.

Deut. 29:29 says, “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our sons forever.” The “secret things” are those mysteries that aren’t going to be explained during our lifetime. When you get to heaven and stand before Jesus, your every question will be answered (1 Cor. 13:12).

3. You may have assumed that God said no, but He might still say yes.  Perhaps you’ve prayed for so long that you’ve assumed the answer was no, but Jesus (who is the one who answers our prayers) taught us to persistently pray and to not lose heart (Luke 18:1). Abraham and Sarah waited 25 years before God’s promise came to pass. Persistence means you keep going when everyone else has quit.

Jesus talked about a man who kept knocking on his neighbor’s door at midnight to ask for bread. The only reason he received the bread was “because of his persistence” (Luke 11:8). Unless you know for sure that God has said no, keep praying and trusting God.  (If God Knows What I Need, Why Should I Pray? pages 82-84). www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com   www.makinglifecount.net

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LOOKING FOR GROUP DISCUSSION MATERIALS?  Slaying Your Giants ($5.99) plus Study Guide ($4.99) has 20 interesting lessons for Small Group discussion.

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Making Life Count Ministries

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Truly Shocking!

This snippet comes from If God Knows What I Need, Why Should I Pray? (pages 22-23)

One reason Jesus came to earth was to correct our wrong ideas about God and to reveal His incredible power. Jesus used shock treatments—mind-boggling stories to jolt people out of thinking like humans so we would start thinking like God. He chose an example that we would never consider—something that’s totally out of the realm of human possibility. He shocked everyone when He said, “Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is going to happen, it will be granted him” (Mark 11:23).

And just to make sure no one would tamper with His statement by trying to make it merely symbolic, Jesus said, “Truly I say to you.” Although He always spoke the truth, some statements seemed so impossible that He had to reassure the audience by saying, “I’m not joking. This really is possible!” His intent was to increase their faith in His ability.

Imagine seeing a huge mountain rising out of the ground, hovering in mid-air and then zooming miles away into an ocean. His statement was so astonishing and absurd that if Christ Himself had not spoken these words, it certainly would not have been recorded in God’s Word. But it is.

Jesus could have given the disciples a visual demonstration by speaking to the Mount of Olives and commanding it to uproot. While everyone is gawking at the mountain floating above them, He points to the southeast and orders it to fly several miles and drop into the Dead Sea. But Jesus didn’t need to do that because He had already given them a visual demonstration on the previous day. He had spoken to a fig tree saying no one would ever eat from it again. Although the tree didn’t have ears to hear His words, it obeyed His voice and withered up (Mark 11:13,14,20).

Are you facing a difficulty that seems impossible to overcome? Instead of looking at the size of the mountain, place your faith in the ability of God. Remember Jesus’ words, “The things impossible with humans are possible with God” (Luke 18:27).That's something you can hang your faith on. www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com   www.makinglifecount.net  

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NEW PRINTED SERMON: “JONAH 3—The God of Another Chance”

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Making Life Count Ministries

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Prattville, Alabama 36068-0174

www.makinglifecount.net  Twitter: @KentCrockett

Do the Gospels Contradict Each Other?

Some gospels record events differently than the other gospels. Does this mean they contradict each other? Are they telling different stories, or are they telling the same story from different perspectives?

Matthew and Luke list the temptations of Jesus in different orders. That looks like a contradiction until you understand that an event can be recorded in two ways. An incident can be recorded as a descriptive account (where sequence isn’t a factor) or as a chronological account where sequence is a factor. Matthew records the temptations chronologically, while Luke writes descriptively, where temptations are stated as facts, but not in order.

Matthew, Mark, and Luke record that several women went to visit the tomb of Jesus, while John 20:1 seems to indicate that Mary Magdalene came alone. Is this a contradiction? No, because she mentions that others were with her when she told Peter, “They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him” (20:2).

The four gospels are like four cameras filming the scene from different angles. When you go to a movie, the film isn't shot from just one camera angle. Instead, you watch scenes from cameras set up in different places, which record unique perspectives. Some shots are up close, showing only one person and leaving out the other people. If you only saw the close-up view (Mary Magdalene), you’d think that she was alone. But other cameras (Matthew, Mark and Luke) film a wider angle, showing the other women. Then you understand she wasn't alone after all.

To get the clearest picture of what happened, read all four gospels as complementing each other, not contradicting each other. www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com

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Your concept of God determines your faith. Jesus used “shock treatments” to shock people out of thinking too small. Read If God Knows What I Need, Should I Pray?

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Making Life Count Ministries

P.O. Box 680174

Prattville, Alabama 36068-0174

www.makinglifecount.net  Twitter: @KentCrockett

Take Out Your Garbage

A friend of mine went to a house on a business call. When they opened the front door, he was shocked to see the house was filled up to the ceiling with garbage! The owners had made a winding path through the house with walls of trash on each side. They hadn’t taken out their garbage as long as they lived there but had learned to live with the filth.

In Exodus 12:19, the Jews were commanded to clean their houses of leaven before the Passover. Leaven represents sin. The apostle Paul says if we don’t clean out the spiritual leaven in our lives, it will spread and infect everything it touches (1 Cor. 5:6-8). Just like we must remove garbage from our house, we also need to get rid of our spiritual garbage. Here’s how.

1. Identify the garbage. This isn’t as easy as it sounds. We might convince ourselves that our spiritual trash isn’t hurting us, so we can keep it. But it will eventually destroy us. The Scripture identifies our garbage—Bitterness,anger, slander (Eph. 4:3), guilt (Rom. 8:1), depression (Ps. 42:11), sexual sins (1 Thess. 4:3-5). You might be hiding secret sins (Ps. 90:8) but you must admit they’re perverting your life. 

2. Decide to get rid of it. A pastor friend was walking into a convenience store and noticed a garbage truck in the parking lot. The odor of the truck was so revolting that he almost gagged. Then two garbage workers came out of the store with hot dogs, sat on the back of the truck, and ate their lunch. They had gotten so used to the revolting odor that it didn’t bother them anymore! By an act of your will, you must decide you no longer want your spiritual garbage ruining your life.

3. Find someone to take it away. Garbage men will take away your trash because it’s their job. Jesus is willing to take away your spiritual trash because it’s why He came to earth. “And you know that He (Jesus) appeared in order to take away sins” (1 John 3:5). When He takes away your sins, He spiritually cleanses you and you no longer have them. Have you taken out your garbage? www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com

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Discover 3 reasons Jesus told you to pray for your enemies. Read If God Knows What I Need, Why Should I Pray?

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Making Life Count Ministries

P.O. Box 680174

Prattville, Alabama 36068-0174

www.makinglifecount.net  Twitter: @KentCrockett

Desperate for a Miracle

If God Knows What I Need, Why Should I Pray explains that prayer has 4 purposes. One purpose is to show God how desperately we want something. In Mark 5:25-26, a woman had an infirmity for 12 years but no doctor could cure her. When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind Him and touched His robe—and was instantly healed.

Jesus realized that power had gone out from Him. He turned around and asked, “Who touched my robes?” (v.30) Even though a crowd had been pressing against Him, this woman’s touch was different from the rest. Jesus didn’t get upset at her but said, “Daughter, your faith has made you well” (v.34). He had healed many people by touching them, but this woman reversed the process and received her healing by touching Him. Notice four things about her faith:

1. DESPERATION. She was desperate for an answer. She never asked, “If it be Thy will.” She correctly assumed that it was God’s will to heal her.

2. EXPECTATION. She said to herself, “If I just touch His garments, I shall get well” (5:28). Faith expects God to do a miracle, even when the situation seems hopeless. She had suffered 12 years, but it still wasn’t too late.

3. CONNECTION. She was the only one in the crowd who touched Him with faith. Power was pulled out of Jesus in response to her touch (v.30). Like an electrical cord being plugged into an outlet, touching Him connected her with God’s power.

4. RECEPTION. She didn’t wait for Jesus to touch her. She received her miracle by reaching out and taking it for herself. Later we find that whenever Jesus went into towns, many people were touching the tassel of His robe to be healed (Mark 6:56). Apparently this woman set a precedent for others to receive healing in the same way.

Do you desperately need a miracle? Learn from this woman—reach out and touch the God who can do what is humanly impossible (Mark 10:27). www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com

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Discover the 4 Purposes of Prayer. Read If God Knows What I Need, Should I Pray?

Watch this awesome video  “Who Am I?” by Casting Crowns performed with white gloves and black lights. (14.5 million views on YouTube)

Receive these devotionals (free) by email: You can subscribe in the box on the right at www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com (Your email will not be given out. You’ll receive an email when the new devotional is posted)

Making Life Count Ministries

P.O. Box 680174

Prattville, Alabama 36068-0174

www.makinglifecount.net  Twitter: @KentCrockett

Leaping Instructions

Jesus said, "Blessed are you when men hate you, and ostracize you, and cast insults at you, and spurn your name as evil, for the sake of the Son of Man. Be glad in that day and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven. (Luke 6:22-23)

    I’ve seen people leap for joy when their football team scores a touchdown. 

    I’ve seen people leap for joy when a player hits a 3-pointer to win a basketball game.

    I’ve seen people leap for joy when they win the Publisher’s Clearing House. But I’ve never seen anyone leaping for joy when they’re hated by others.

Jesus said to “leap for joy”—not when your team wins, but when evil is being unleashed on you. One time when I was being attacked by a mean-spirited person, another pastor told me, “You need to follow the leaping instructions. Jesus told us to jump for joy when we’re under attack.” I had never thought of that before—to literally leap for joy. Jesus said to "be glad in that day,” not after you die and go to heaven.

The key is to understand what’s taking place in heaven at that very moment. You must realize that when you’re being hated for doing God’s will, the Lord is giving you an incredible reward in heaven that will last throughout eternity. If He would pull back the curtain and you could see this reward, you would be doing cartwheels and leaping for joy. But since you can’t see it right now, you’ll just have to take Jesus’ word for it.

LEAPING INSTRUCTIONS. (You can also leap for joy when you are discouraged or depressed). Find a private place where it’s just you and the Lord. Start jumping up and down while you’re praising God. It’s that simple. Leap just like you jumped for joy when your team won. But now you’re doing it because God is blessing you in the midst of a horrible situation. And don’t be surprised if your depression and discouragement also leave you. www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com

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Prayer can change your circumstances! Read If God Knows What I Need, Should I Pray?

Receive these devotionals (free) by email: You can subscribe in the box on the right at www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com (Your email will not be given out. You’ll receive an email when the new devotional is posted)

Making Life Count Ministries

P.O. Box 680174

Prattville, Alabama 36068-0174

www.makinglifecount.net  Twitter: @KentCrockett