Why

All this week I have been telling you about those who have touched my life in a very powerful way. I want to tell of one more and then on Friday I would like to close the week by telling you what I heard one night and what I did with what I heard. This week I have wanted the Lord to use what I have written to help each of us to stop and realize those that He has placed in our lives to help us. This last person is someone that I know very well and they are still very much alive and with us today. It's my oldest son. We were talking some years back in his room about a project he was working on at that time. I don't remember what the project was but as we talked he made a statement and more than likely he never knew how it impacted me. As we talked he said I know I can put things together and they will work, what I want to know is why and how they work. Have you ever stopped to think why you believe what you believe? Is it because your Pastor teaches and preaches it or you read it somewhere in a book or someone else told you. Let me explain it this way; my wife and I went to the same schools all our lives. My cousin married her cousin, I knew who she was and she knew who I was but that was it. It was not until 1969 that we really met each other and started knowing one other. Now 40 years later she and I can say we know each other. What about our belief do we believe what Jesus has told us or do we even know what He has said? I want you to look with me at Mark chapter four and listen to what is being said.

Mark 4:1
And he (Jesus) began again to teach by the sea side: and there was gathered unto him a great multitude, so that he entered into a ship, and sat in the sea; and the whole multitude was by the sea on the land.

Mark 4:2
And he taught them many things by parables, and said unto them in his doctrine, There were a multitude of people that were there but there were the disciples of Jesus there too.

Mark 4:10
And when he was alone, they that were about him with the twelve asked of him the parable. What did the Lord teach that day? He taught them about the Sewer and the Seed, the Candle and the Bushel, how one hears what is said, He taught about the mustard seed. When Jesus finished teaching what did He tell His disciples?

Mark 4:35
And the same day, when the even was come, he saith unto them, Let us pass over unto the other side. After hearing all that they heard did they believe what was taught? If you read on in that chapter you will find out that what they heard went in one ear and out the other. All they heard were words they had not learned anything. That is what many do when they come to Church and as they read their Bibles. They see and hear, but they don't understand and therefore they haven't learned a thing. These Disciples found themselves in a bad storm. Water is coming into the ship and they are all working fervently doing the best they knew how to do to get the water out. The strangest thing in this story is that while the ship was being tossed up and down and all the disciples working to get the water out Jesus is fast asleep in the rear of the ship. The disciples had to go and wake Him up and with fear in their eyes asked this question

Mark 4:38
And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish? Here is where we learn that these Disciples didn't learn a thing about what was being taught them. Before the storm, what did Jesus say to these men? Let us pass over unto the other side. Did they not believe what they heard? No! Do we? I am afraid many times we don't and it is the same reason. We hear but we don't trust in what we hear and when the storms come we try to get the water out of the ship ourselves just as those Disciples did. That is why so many are not sure of where they are going when they die. They think or hope they are going to heaven but if you start asking them why, they don't know. When the storms come into their lives they feel they are on their own. Could it be it is Jesus on Sunday and it's me the rest of the time? So when my son said I want to know why this works, not that it just works but why. My faith works but why does it work and who is this Man Jesus and do I believe what He teaches out of His word and why? Did what Jesus said come to pass or is it just the storm He wanted us to see. No it's not the storm, nor the fear of these Disciples, but can we put confidence in what the Word of God tells us?

Mark 5:1
And they came over unto the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gadarenes.
We can still do that today just put trust in what He teaches us.