“During those days another large crowd gathered. Since they had nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples to him and said, "I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. If I send them home hungry, they will collapse on the way, because some of them have come a long distance” (Mark 8:1-3, NIV)

Observations:
What do we know about the crowds?

They were large
They gathered around Jesus.
They had nothing to eat.

Observations:
What does Jesus do?
Jesus does six things:

Jesus calls his disciples to him.
Jesus tells them I have compassion for these people.
Jesus tells them they have already been with Him for three days.
Jesus tells them they have nothing to eat.
Jesus tells them if he sends them home hungry, they will collapse on the way.
Jesus tells them, some of them have come a long distance.

I decided to look at point 6 today: ‘Jesus tells them some of them have come a long distance.’

Interpretation:
What is significant about reading ‘some of them have come a long distance?
Jesus mattered so much to some of them that even long distance could not keep them from coming to gather around Jesus. They wanted to be near Jesus that they stayed for 3 days. It becomes that much more significant when I thought about their travel arrangements. It is not like they had airplanes, trains, or automobiles. It is possible that they caravanned to come gather around Jesus because that is how important Jesus was to them after they heard the news about Jesus. Jesus acknowledged those that came a long distance to gather around Him.

Implications:
I saw important implications for my own life. If some of them did not even let long distance come in the way of them finding a way to gather around Jesus, how much more I need to make time to gather around Jesus. I do not have to go far away to read the Bible or talk to Jesus. I can talk to Jesus where I am. I can gather around Jesus in prayer where I am. Jesus said, where two or more are gathered in His Name, He will be there. I can read His Word and learn from Him where I am. I need to make that a priority even as the people traveled long distance to gather around Jesus and hear Him. They were so attracted to Jesus that they stayed 3 days with Him.

I ask you now dear friend, how far will you go for Jesus?
Dear friend, some of them went miles and miles just to gather around Jesus. They did not let obstacles or excuses come in the way of meeting with Jesus. They went as far as they could to come meet with Jesus. I do not know what you are going through right now but the Lord Jesus does! You can come to Him where you are at just as you are and allow Him to work in your life. He will friend. Miles and miles may not be your obstacle to meet with Jesus but it could be your sin, time, career, academia, relationships, etc that could be clouding your time far away from the Lord. It does not have to be that way. You can meet with Jesus and His Word where you are at. Yes, you can friend. He will not abandon you or leave you but will care for you. When we go the long distance for the Lord, He will acknowledge it too. Jesus did not come for the healthy but for the sick for it is the sick that need the doctor, Jesus said.

How far we go for Jesus shows our real commitment to Jesus. What does Jesus really mean to us will be shown how we spend our time in prayer and His Word. But that is not enough if we stop there. When we spend time in His Word and prayer, it is to learn from Him, being taught and ministered to by Him so we can minister unto others. Yes, friend this is a great opportunity and so awesome to meet with the Lord. This also means that we should be willing to stick up for Jesus whether it is our friends, family, or even professors who speak out against the Lord. As we seek the Lord, He will give us the boldness!

I am reminded of a professor who was so anti-Christian! The first day of philosophy class he asks if anyone in the class was a Christian. Out of 100 students, only one student raised his hand. When he did that, the professor mocked him and God. He told the class if God really existed he would throw the chalk down and it will not break. He decided to do that to mock the one Christian who raised his hand to stand up for Jesus. As he threw the chalk down, it rolled over his pants and rolled away without breaking. That was amazing.

You see my friend when we stand up for Jesus, He can make amazing things happen too!

What do you think was going through the minds of the 99 students there and the professor?

Friend, sometimes only one person sticking up for what is right can make a huge difference!

Won't you be that one person?

The Lord promises us, “Delight yourself in the Lord and He shall give you the desires of your heart. Commit everything you do to the Lord and trust in Him to help you do it and He will!” (Psalm 37:4-5)

What a promise my friend! What a promise! May you know forever Almighty reaches! Amen!

“Forever Almighty Reaches!” (F.A.R)/”How far are you willing to go for Jesus?”

Prayer:
Dear Lord Jesus, thank you for loving us so much. Thank you for dying for our sin and coming back to life to save us. You Oh Lord know where we are at. Thank you for helping me learn what some of the people have done because they wanted to gather around you. Please Lord Jesus, let me not let any obstacles come in the way of meeting with you. Thank you Jesus for acknowledging all those meeting with you and not forgetting their needs. I thank you Jesus you will not forget my needs too! Help me Oh Lord. Thank you so much for helping me! Thank you that you hear and answer! Thank you that you have heard my prayers and answered me. Forgive us our sin Oh Lord and help us to live for you. Thank you so much Jesus! In Your Name I Pray Jesus! Amen!

Make this your prayer. Don’t let the enemy deceive you into thinking you need all the answers before coming to Christ. Let me just assure you though you may not have all the answers right now before coming to Jesus, He will answer them slowly. Yes, He will for I know our Redeemer will! Amen!

PRAYER:
Father God thank you, you love us so much that you sent your only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life. I love you Lord. Thank you Father God for your Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus thank you for loving me so much. Thank you Jesus, you will take care of my problems. Nothing is too hard for you. For many of us Lord, we face many obstacles in life whether it be Spiritual, financial, marital, emotional, physical, or educational problems. We turn these problems and the prayer requests to you. Thank you Lord you never fail to answer our prayers. Just because we don't understand does not mean you didn't answer our prayers. Thanks Lord for cleansing us by your precious Blood. Please come into my heart Jesus. Please forgive my sins. Wash me and I will be whiter than snow. Thank you Jesus for coming into my heart. Thank you Jesus for making my heart, your home. Thank you Jesus for living in me. I will live for you Jesus and serve you the rest of the days of my life. I pray right now for the one who is so troubled that only your presence and love can meet them where they are at. Come Lord Jesus and please intervene in their life. Cover them with your awesome presence and help them through what they are going. Thank you Jesus as you saw the disciples in trouble and came to their rescue, you can come to our rescue too. We entrust our lives in your care. Thank you for the answer and you will carry us! IN YOUR NAME, I PRAY JESUS THANKING YOU FOR EVERYTHING. AMEN.

Friend you may feel something or may not feeling anything but do not go by your feelings. When you ask Jesus to come into your life, He will and does. He will take over from here as you depend on the Lord and let Him work in you and through you! This is exciting friend! May each one that came to know Jesus be filled with His Holy Spirit forever more and those that know Jesus come to know Him more and more! Amen!

Get yourself involved in a campus Bible study, fellowship, and most of all find a Bible believing church and be involved to grow in your Christian walk with the Lord. They all need to be supplements for your own precious time with the Lord in prayer and meditating on His Word. If you need a Bible, please let me know!

As the movie DaVinci Code opened across the theaters on May 19, 2006, which speaks against the church and most importantly degrades the Name of Jesus Christ, we need to make ourselves available to speak the truth to the falsity presented in the movie and the novel. If you plan to watch the movie or have read the book and have questions or your faith seems to be shaken, please email me or give me a call at 412-720-4579 so we can discuss the false claims in the book that are presented as fact even though the book itself and the movie is presented as fiction. May the Lord bless you and guide you!

If you need anyone to talk to, pray with, or study the Bible with this Summer of 2006, you can email me at reddy4hisglory2004@yahoo.com or call me at 412-720-4579. Please do not hesitate. One-one Bible studies can be so powerful too because the Holy Spirit is still in the midst.

"This is my work and I can do it only because Christ's mighty energy is at work within me." (Colossians 1:29, TLB)

Express Your View

SEPTEMBER 2005

MARK: CHAPTER 1

How seriously do you T.E.S.T.I.F.Y to prophecy? (Sept 01, 05)

Who do you P.O.I.N.T to? (Sept 02, 05)

"Will you take a S.T.A.N.D?" (Sept 03, 05)

How is your loving P.R.A.I.S.E? (Sept 06, 05)

"How do you handle T.E.M.P.T.A.T.I.O.N?" (Sept 07, 05)

"Who controls your T.I.M.E?" (Sept 08, 05)

"What kind of P.R.O.F.E.S.S.I.O.N are you in?" (Sept 09, 05)

"Whose T.E.A.C.H.I.N.G.S do you listen to?" (Sept 12, 05)