Desperation (Monday Evening Session: 2015 Calvary Chapel Senior Pastors Conference)

Nate Holdridge, pastor of Calvary Monterey, spoke on faith, using Luke 8:40-56 as his text. It is the story of Jesus’ raising a twelve year old girl from the dead, and healing a woman who had been bleeding for twelve years.

Here’s my notes from his session.

When the girl was growing up, perhaps bringing joy into her house, somewhere else a woman starting bleeding.

For twelve years, Jarius enjoyed his girl; for twelve years a woman was struggling.

Both of these situations were marked by desperation: a child almost dead and a woman who had unsuccessfully tried everything to be made well and was no at the end of her rope.

Desperation is an ingredient that we need to see the Lord work.

Desperation comes the easy way, recognizing the state of affairs, we rejoice in what God I siding but see the need for HIm to do so much more.

Desperation comes the hard way when we have to be made desperate. Sometimes you have to make a decision to out yourself in a desperate place.

The woman who was bleeding somehow came to the conclusion that she needed to just touch Jesus. She thought, “if I….than I will be…”

Is there any “touch” that I or you need to do? Any contact point that we need to exercise faith in Jesus?

Something like improving our private personal devotional life, or to say no (or yes) to an opportunity, give invitations to receive Jesus, to give space to the Holy Spirit, or to just be yourself.

The woman’s testimony is weakness meeting with power. This is what every testimony is about. (See 2 Corinthians 12).

When Jarius hears that his daughter had died, Jesus told him not to fear.

Deadness is difficult to believe God through. Can I believe in life even when I am experiencing death?

Faith listens to the voice of Christ. And Jesus said, “She is not dead, but sleeping.”

 

To watch Nate’s message, check it out at live.calvarychapel.com

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