SCRIPTURE READING: MATTHEW 8:23-27

"Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. 24 Without warning, a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. 25 The disciples went and woke him, saying, "Lord, save us! We're going to drown!" 26 He replied, "You of little faith, why are you so afraid?" Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm. 27 The men were amazed and asked, "What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!"

The Sea of Galilee is about 21kilometers long and13 kilometers wide. Thus, it was not unusual for strong storms to unexpectedly rush across the water. Jesus definitely knew the storm was approaching, and could have stopped it. But He allowed it that He might teach His disciples to put their faith in Him.

Jesus was asleep because He rested confidently in the will of His Father; and this is what the disciples should have done. Instead, they became frightened and accused Jesus of not caring! The disciples’ faith in Jesus as more than able to protect them was little. When Jesus rebuked the storm, it calmed down.

Storms can be equated with the difficulties we face in life. Jesus is in your boat therefore, do not be afraid but continue to have faith in Him and the promises in His word. And all the storms will calm down because He is Lord over the storm.

SCRIPTURE READING: 8:18-22

"When Jesus saw the crowd around him, he gave orders to cross to the other side of the lake. 19 Then a teacher of the law came to him and said, "Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go." 20 Jesus replied, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head." 21 Another disciple said to him, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father." 22 But Jesus told him, "Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead."

Instead of becoming excited about the big crowd following Him, Jesus rather gave orders to cross to the other side of the lake. How different Jesus was from some Christian celebrities today who appeal to the crowd and love the praise of people. Jesus was not impressed about the great crowd because He knew that the people were interested in seeing the miracles, rather than giving their everything to follow Him.

A typical example was the man who was unwilling to follow Jesus until his father had died and was buried. Jesus told him, "Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead." In other words, "Let the spiritually dead bury the physically dead." Jesus was not asking the man to be disrespectful to his father who was not yet dead, but to have the right priorities in life. It was better to preach the Gospel and give life to the spiritually dead than to wait for his father to die and bury him.

Beloved, you also, give your all to Jesus for that is what God requires of you.

TOPIC: JESUS’ POWER OVER DEMONS AND SICKNESSES

SCRIPTURE READING: MATTHEW 8:16-18

" When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to him, and he drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick. 17 This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: "He took up our infirmities and carried our diseases." “

After the healing of Peter’s mother-in-law, many demon-possessed people and the sick were brought to Jesus. Jesus healed them all, in fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy, “He took up our infirmities and carried our diseases,” (Isaiah 53:4). This prophecy was finally accomplished on the cross in Jesus’ death. But in anticipation of that event, Jesus performed many definite acts of healing in His ministry. Jesus was capable not only of bringing healing from physical sickness, but also of exercising power over demonic forces.

By casting out demons, Jesus demonstrated His power over Satan, ruler of the demon world.

TOPIC: SERVE JESUS

SCRIPTURE READING: MATTHEW 8:14-15

" When Jesus came into Peter's house, he saw Peter's mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever. 15 He touched her hand and the fever left her, and she got up and began to wait on him."

Jesus healed Peter’s mother-in-law with a touch, and she responded by serving Him and the other disciples. This is one of the miracle demonstrating Jesus' greatness in power. As this woman served Christ and others after her healing, so must we commit ourselves to Jesus in service. We serve God, with our time, treasure and talents. Ask God to reveal to you what He expects of you as a service to Him, in relation to your time, treasure and talent. Please just do what He tells you to do.

PRAYER:
Dear Lord Jesus, please help me identify which area You will want me to serve You in, and give me the desire, wisdom and the strength to do it.

TOPIC: THE FAITH OF THE CENTURION

SCRIPTURE READING:

" When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help. 6 "Lord," he said, "my servant lies at home paralyzed and in terrible suffering." 7 Jesus said to him, "I will go and heal him." 8 The centurion replied, "Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. 9 For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, 'Go,' and he goes; and that one, 'Come,' and he comes. I say to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it." 10 When Jesus heard this, he was astonished and said to those following him, "I tell you the truth, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith… 13 Then Jesus said to the centurion, "Go! It will be done just as you believed it would." And his servant was healed at that very hour."

The situation of the centurion should have prevented him from going to Jesus. He was a professional soldier, and Jesus was a Man of peace. He was a Gentile, and Jesus was a Jew. But this soldier had a remarkable faith. He realized that Jesus, like himself, was under God's authority. All Christ had to do was speak the word and the disease would obey Him just as a soldier obeyed his officer. Indeed, only those who are under authority have the right to exercise authority.

Faith is the confident assurance that something we want is going to happen.
Therefore, continue to have faith in Christ and He will do it for you also.

TOPIC: THE PLACE OF MATERIAL POSSESSIONS

SCRIPTURE READING: Luke 12:13-21

... "But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?' "This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God."

This passage explains Jesus’ teaching to guard against all kinds of greed. Someone wanted Jesus to tell his brother to divide up the inheritance which was due him in a fair way. Jesus’ point was that life does consist in having many possessions. The disciples needed to learn the lesson that life is more important than material things.
To explain this teaching, Jesus told a parable about the rich man who continued to build bigger and bigger barns to store all his grain and goods. 

The rich man’s attitude was that he would have an easy life because he had everything he could possibly want or need. God’s response in the parable was that the man was foolish (You fool!) because when he died that night his goods would do nothing for him. They would simply pass on to someone else. Such a person is not rich toward God (1Timothy 6:6-10).

TOPIC: IMMORALITY MUST BE JUDGED

SCRIPTURE READING: 1 Corinthians 5:1-8

“It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that does not occur even among pagans: A man has his father's wife. And you are proud! Shouldn't you rather have been filled with grief and have put out of your fellowship the man who did this?..”

In this passage, Paul deals with immorality in the Corinthian church and the refusal of the leaders to advise and discipline the offender. The exact sin is not clear. However, Paul’s mention of “his father’s wife” may probably mean that the offender was having a sexual affair with his stepmother. Paul was surprised and disappointed that the church would tolerate this kind of immorality. Paul declares that the church, as a holy people, must not allow immorality among its members. He gives three reasons why the church should discipline offending members:

(1) For the good of the offenders (verse 5). Excommunication might make them realize the intensity of their sin and their need for forgiveness and restoration.