Nothing is Impossible with God

12/20- I Can Do All Things Through Christ Who Strengthens Me Phil. 4:13

“I am the vine, you are the branches.  If a aman abides in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”  (John 15:5)

“Nothing is Impossible with God”  (Luke 1:37)

Thoughts: The scripture teaches us two important and paradoxical truths: 1) Apart from Him I can do nothing (John 15:5) 2) Nothing is impossible with God.  This allows us to dream big. 
    Jurgen Moltmann is a German theologian writing about post-Christian Europe.  He writes that Europe seems like the dark side of the moon with empty crater after empty crater- barren, dry, just there.  We can let the terror of war (like WW1 and WW2) devastate us so that we think there is no hope or that our hope is not important.  In America many are giving up faith, hope, and love for alcohol and drugs.  If you look at places devastated by drugs- some parts of Chicago, or LA or even sections of Richland and Lexington counties- you find the same kind of hopelessness, barrenness.  The people of the church need to hold forth the banner of hope. 
     There are those who have given up on heaven as a place of hope.  It is not a far step for these same people to give up on earth as well.  The doomsday drums of nuclear, ecological and political apocalypse beat louder every day.  This is the bad news that apart from Christ we can do nothing. There are those who say that hope is meaningless, and does nothing.  But there is true power in putting our hope and trust in God.  It is not just wishing- it is trusting.  It is not giving up but persevering until we are back up again. 
     There is hope.  Nothing is impossible with God.  We can work to make the world a better place.  We can ignore the power of the bad news and fight it with the spread of the good news of Christ.  The hope we have is not found in ourselves- but in the One who tells us that with Him- nothing is impossible.  It is this hope that strengthens us.  It enables us to say and believe, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” 

Prayer: Lord, help me to believe and concentrate and have hope. 

“Opitmism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence.”  Helen Keller.

Song: #128: Infant holy, infant lowly, for his bed a cattle stall; oxen lowing, little knowing Christ the babe is Lord of all.  Swift are winging, angels singing noel’s ringing, tidings bringing, Christ the babe is Lord of all!  Christ the babe is Lord of al!

Faith and the Impossible

19Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?”

20He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."  (Matthew 17:19-20)

Thoughts: To incorporate God's power, we would need to have faith in God.  Faith is the key that unlocks the door to God's presence.  Jesus said that the disciples lack of faith kept them from healing the man.  Just because they were believers did not guarantee they were going to succeed.  The disciples believed intellectually, but they had a hard time believing (even after seeing all of Jesus' miracles and answered prayers) that God would work through them or that God could or would do this.
    Jesus said if they had faith as small as a mustard seed, they could have moved a mountain.  The mustard seed was the smallest seed used in Israel's agriculture.  Jesus had just talked about the kingdom of God is like a tiny mustard seed that turns into a tree.  But they didn't even have that much faith.  When we have faith- possibilities happen.  Nothing would be impossible for those who have faith.  Apart from God we can do nothing.  But with faith in Him- nothing is impossible.  Specifically, Jesus was talking about doing God's will (not some philosophical idea of the impossible).  Today we need that kind of faith and hope- and also the love for God and neighbor that also fuels it.  This should inspire in us great courage and boldness.  The church in America seems to have grown timid and is shrinking back in effort and outreach.  Individual Christians too are less bold.  But we should have more courage than anyone- for we have God on our side and nothing is impossible with Him!  

Prayer: Lord, help me to believe nothing is impossible, and to go forward with you.  

12-6-13 Mary

26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”

29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be.30 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”

34 “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”

35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. 36 Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. 37 For no word from God will ever fail.”

38 “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her. (Luke 1:26-38)

Thoughts: Mary was amazing in that she was young but was trusting in God in a difficult situation.  She could have been stoned for adultery (for who would believe in a pregnant virgin?) or shunned by her family and friends.  Mary was willing to lose her life to save it.  She was willing to serve God whatever it took.  We could learn from her ability and strength.  Zechariah said, "How can I know that I will have a child- I am so old?"  His was a questioning of God's ability. Mary was asking a question of the mechanics of how.  But she did not doubt that if God said it could happen, it could happen.
     The angel tried to reassure her by saying (verse 37), "no word from God will ever fail" pointing to the reliability of God's promises.  The 1984 NIV translated this "Nothing is impossible with God." This is a much stronger translation and fits with the context of God's doing what is humanly impossible. As a grown man, Jesus believed the angel's message saying, "With man this is impossible, but nothing is impossible with God."   Mary trusted God in an impossible situation- with her reputation and life at stake.
She sets us a great example of faith and trust in God.  

Prayer: Help me to trust you, Lord in thick and thin.  Help me to believe that nothing is impossible with you.