<html><head></head><body><div><div><div><div><br></div>Mark 6;45-47&nbsp;<div><br></div><div><b>45. &nbsp;Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, to Beth-saida, while he dismissed the crowd.</b></div><div><b>46. &nbsp;And after he had taken leave of them, he went up into the hills to pray.</b></div><div><b>47. &nbsp;And when evening came, the boat was out on the sea, and he was alone on the land.</b></div><div><b><br></b></div><div>Do you not think the disciples were even more disappointed when once the 5000 had been fed, Jesus sent them away! &nbsp;Had they not originally&nbsp;come away with Jesus to a lonely place for some rest? &nbsp;(They had enjoyed a rest that day while Jesus taught the crowd and they withdrew from Jesus and the crowd for their own personal time, but without their teacher.)&nbsp; Now, finally, there was time to be with Jesus, but, He sends them away from Him to cross the sea without him.</div><div><br></div><div>Being a disciple seems to be an exercise in personal&nbsp;disappointments and frustrations.</div><div><br></div><div>When I am tired from a long day of work, my flesh just wants to sit, have a drink, and zone out, take a nap.</div><div>I’m guessing that was probably not much different from what the disciples desired, more personal time.</div><div>They still had not had a chance to talk about their mission journeys or reminisce about their times with&nbsp;John&nbsp;</div><div>the Baptist, or ask their questions of Jesus about, ‘Why did God the Father allow his faithful&nbsp;servant to be so badly&nbsp;treated?’ &nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>The Lord Jesus is showing his disciples&nbsp;where to go to find real&nbsp;rest and be refreshed; go to the Father, alone in prayer, with thanks, always with thanks. &nbsp;(Notice though, that Jesus, ever the servant, delays his own personal time until the needs of&nbsp;all others are first cared for. &nbsp;Jesus is always and&nbsp;first the&nbsp;Suffering, self-denying&nbsp;Servant.)</div><div><br></div><div>I am not against alcohol, Jesus himself moderately drank wine at social occasions and in worship, but alcoholic ‘spirits’ only relax the flesh and loosen the tongue.&nbsp; They do not have power to restore the soul. &nbsp;Jesus himself went to the Father in the Holy Spirit through his prayers. &nbsp;There is no truer or better refreshment or strengthening.</div><div><br></div><div>Now, their teacher sends them away without him! &nbsp;They must have wondered ‘how’ they would ever get re-connected? &nbsp;Was Jesus rejecting them? &nbsp;‘How’ would He get to Beth-saida without a boat?&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Remember, asking the ‘How?’ questions is not what we are to ask, just&nbsp;the ‘What?’ questions.</div><div><br></div><div>The ‘distance’ between Jesus and his followers is determined not by feet and inches, land and sea,&nbsp;but by understanding and trust. &nbsp;The disciples in the boat out at sea, were no doubt <i>feeling alone and separated from Jesus.</i>&nbsp; Yet, we may be sure His prayers were all about them and their need to understand the truth about being ‘close’ with&nbsp;Him. &nbsp;It is all about faith, trust, and obedience, <u>without</u>&nbsp;their feelings confirming his presence.</div><div><br></div><div>Prayer: &nbsp;O Most Merciful Heavenly Father, You hear the whispered prayers of our secret hearts…You dwell in our forgiven and cleansed souls. &nbsp;We thank You for there is no way for You to be any closer. &nbsp;Bless us to abide in Your Word to us and by faith, partake of true closeness, oneness with You, through Jesus Christ, Your Son our Savior, by Word and Spirit. &nbsp;<u>In</u>&nbsp;Jesus, we pray, Amen.</div><div><br></div><div>Love,</div><div>Dad/Baba/Eric</div><div>Grandpa Pickle Pastor</div><div>“A chapter a day, every day, progressively, be transformed, ‘soak’ in the living Word. &nbsp;God’s Word is our habitation, and we <u>are</u>&nbsp;His.”</div><div><br></div><div><br><br><div><a href="https://mail.onelink.me/107872968?pid=nativeplacement&amp;c=Global_Acquisition_YMktg_315_Internal_EmailSignature&amp;af_sub1=Acquisition&amp;af_sub2=Global_YMktg&amp;af_sub3=&amp;af_sub4=100000604&amp;af_sub5=EmailSignature__Static_" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a><br></div></div></div></div></div></body></html>


Mark 6;45-47 
45.  Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, to Beth-saida, while he dismissed the crowd.46.  And after he had taken leave of them, he went up into the hills to pray.47.  And when evening came, the boat was out on the sea, and he was alone on the land.
Do you not think the disciples were even more disappointed when once the 5000 had been fed, Jesus sent them away!  Had they not originally come away with Jesus to a lonely place for some rest?  (They had enjoyed a rest that day while Jesus taught the crowd and they withdrew from Jesus and the crowd for their own personal time, but without their teacher.)  Now, finally, there was time to be with Jesus, but, He sends them away from Him to cross the sea without him.
Being a disciple seems to be an exercise in personal disappointments and frustrations.
When I am tired from a long day of work, my flesh just wants to sit, have a drink, and zone out, take a nap.I’m guessing that was probably not much different from what the disciples desired, more personal time.They still had not had a chance to talk about their mission journeys or reminisce about their times with John the Baptist, or ask their questions of Jesus about, ‘Why did God the Father allow his faithful servant to be so badly treated?’  
The Lord Jesus is showing his disciples where to go to find real rest and be refreshed; go to the Father, alone in prayer, with thanks, always with thanks.  (Notice though, that Jesus, ever the servant, delays his own personal time until the needs of all others are first cared for.  Jesus is always and first the Suffering, self-denying Servant.)
I am not against alcohol, Jesus himself moderately drank wine at social occasions and in worship, but alcoholic ‘spirits’ only relax the flesh and loosen the tongue.  They do not have power to restore the soul.  Jesus himself went to the Father in the Holy Spirit through his prayers.  There is no truer or better refreshment or strengthening.
Now, their teacher sends them away without him!  They must have wondered ‘how’ they would ever get re-connected?  Was Jesus rejecting them?  ‘How’ would He get to Beth-saida without a boat? 
Remember, asking the ‘How?’ questions is not what we are to ask, just the ‘What?’ questions.
The ‘distance’ between Jesus and his followers is determined not by feet and inches, land and sea, but by understanding and trust.  The disciples in the boat out at sea, were no doubt feeling alone and separated from Jesus.  Yet, we may be sure His prayers were all about them and their need to understand the truth about being ‘close’ with Him.  It is all about faith, trust, and obedience, without their feelings confirming his presence.
Prayer:  O Most Merciful Heavenly Father, You hear the whispered prayers of our secret hearts…You dwell in our forgiven and cleansed souls.  We thank You for there is no way for You to be any closer.  Bless us to abide in Your Word to us and by faith, partake of true closeness, oneness with You, through Jesus Christ, Your Son our Savior, by Word and Spirit.  In Jesus, we pray, Amen.
Love,Dad/Baba/EricGrandpa Pickle Pastor“A chapter a day, every day, progressively, be transformed, ‘soak’ in the living Word.  God’s Word is our habitation, and we are His.”


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