Discipline in Walking . . .

     We drove on and on this evening on a road that felt as if we were Indiana Jones going deeper and deeper into the rainforest of mystery. The purpose of our pursuit, to drive our day guard to his new residence. However, this road was not to be a fun daily stride, but a long, daily walk for our guard. The more time we spend here, the more the reality of life here is felt. We have now driven down the road our guard will daily walk upon to come and complete his daily task of work protecting our home. He will leave his home each morning around 6 to make it to ours by 7:30. A convicting thought, when so often we all trip up on the common struggle to get ourselves out of bed by 6 in the morning. Imagine in that time to be walking the uneven red dirt roads in route to begin your work day. Mile upon mile. This is just a single wheel spin into some of the reality of life here in Uganda. Bringing me to thoughts of the walk of life, and deeper, the walk of ministry--answering Paul's plea when he penned, "I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called..." (Ephesians 4:1). Jesus, may we remember such experiences when we begin to complain about the tasks set before us or the disciplines required of us as we walk in servanthood for You.

Leaning or Scheming? ? ?

"Having received the piece of bread, he then went out immediately. 

And it was night." John 13:30

     One disciple is found leaning, while one is found scheming. Sitting around the table, Jesus with the twelve men He had chosen to assist Him in His earthly ministry. Silence and heaviness fill the walls as the brisk air of what is soon to come, and the warmth of sweet fellowship with the Savior clash together in this upper room. John, keeping himself warm with the nearness of Jesus, leaning against Him as they sit in fellowship. Yet across the way, one remains in the cold air, the evil of betrayal brewing within, Judas. 

     It was at such a supper that Jesus revealed deep things to the hearts of these men. Before their eyes, He represented the role of Christians amongst men, to serve one another by washing the feet of others. In the form of bread and wine, He revealed Himself to them in a most moving way. Jesus had already declared that He is the Bread of Life, but He was taking them deeper now, asking them to take part in Him. "This is My body which is given for you; Do this in remembrance of Me" (Luke 22:19). He said this, revealing to them the cost of following, that in the remembrance of Him, in the following of Him, they were to take His body, take the example He set for them in the body. This example had already been shown to them in the humility of washing, in the patience of ministry to people, in the boldness of confronting sin, in the pain of rejection and misunderstanding, in the risk of stoning, but this was the bodily example they were called to follow. How much deeper their commitment had required from the first day they committed to follow this Man, to the present hour within this upper room!

     With this being said, I can sense the environment of that room. The mixed feelings, the confusion, and than the distraction as Judas Iscariot receives the bread and than quickly rises from the table. A conversational exchange between Him and the Bread of Life, "What you do, do quickly." And with the bread still within his hands, he leaves that room to enter in to the cold night, to betray the Giver of Life.

     I cannot read through this and not notice that it was after Judas had received the piece of bread that he went out immediately. How often we have entered into times of sweet fellowship with Christ, felt the warmth of His presence and than He asks of us something bold, to partake of something, and we listen, we may even receive, but than so soon as we receive the piece of bread, we quickly leave, the brisk night overtaking us, and we betray our Savior in disobedience. Have you ever gone to church, heard Him speak clearly, you receive, but as you exit the church door, so act as if your commitment to follow what you received has exited too?

     Oh let us not be found as Judas! Let us not receive a part of Jesus, but not all of Him! If we are to follow, may we follow. We can no longer pick and choose the parts of Jesus we want to receive. Judas thought he could, and a grave mistake this brought upon him. Has Jesus asked of you something this day? Then follow. Commit and follow. Jesus gave a bold request, but in the warmth of His strength, all could carry out His call, it is those who walk away after receiving who find themselves alone in the cold night. Stay near to Him! Lean upon Him as John! Whatever the request, His Spirit will give you what you need to carry it out. In remembrance of Him, follow the voice of your Savior.

Passion Provoking Action . . .

"As soon as she heard that,
she arose quickly and came to Him." John 11:29

     She was misunderstood many times, but beloved by readers of the Bible. Who is she? Mary, the sister of Lazarus and Martha. She sat at Jesus' feet, she anointed His feet with what cost her the most, and wiped His feet with her own hair. She trusted Him in the midst of trial, she loved Him passionately. Her passion provoked her actions. This Mary, in John chapter 11, is found in the midst of sorrow, her brother had died. Martha goes out to met Jesus, but we read that Mary remained in the house. I think of when times get tough how the "house" seems the safe place to be, away from the outside world. We commonly tend to isolate ourselves or remain in the comforts of our "houses" when we face hard times. She was weeping over her loss. She was struggling. She would of stayed in that place all day, be it not for her sister telling her that the Teacher, Jesus was calling for her. With that word we read, "As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly and came to Him" (John 11:29). Hearing His request for her, she immediately got up, left her comforts and came to Him. This act, beautiful, the picture of a lover responding to the call of her Beloved, beautiful to the reader, but in the midst of the story, this act was misunderstood. Supposing that she was going to weep, she was followed by the mourners. The next scene finds her at Jesus' feet weeping. Her ears had heard the call and were running to obey her Master, but the others assumed she was going to weep. 

Have you ever been misunderstood as you are quickening your heart and self to respond to the Lord's call? Perhaps He has asked you to leave your home or your comforts and go do something, you hear, you go, but others are as the characters in this story, misunderstanding, assuming, accusing. She was accused of going to weep, but really she was going to worship. She was going to fall at the feet of the God she loved. 

Are you in this place at this time in life? Are surrounding characters misunderstanding? Remember that the character's misunderstood, but to the eyes of the reader of this story, this act is beautiful. It is the act of genuine surrender, of unashamed love, of immediate obedience. What view do you choose?

Your God sees things from all points, He knows what is being said, He knows the truth, He sees the heart.

Rest in that, and cease not to hasten your obedience when you hear the approach and the call of your Teacher calling for you. May the character of Mary be seen in you, and all other characters will fade.

Discouragement's Heights. . .

"And everyone went to his own house. 

But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives." John 8:1

     When all the crowds went away after arguing with Christ about who He is and who He claimed to be, we read that everyone returned to their home, except Jesus. Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. That is all the text says, that He "Went to the Mount of Olives", what do you think He did there? The common guess would be that He went there to be alone with the Father, to be with the One who had sent Him. Do you think His heart was discouraged by the present reaction of the people? Their ignorance and lack of faith? I do. I see here, my example, in the times of discouragement in ministry, getting alone before the Father, and not only just to turn His eyes to Him in discouragement, but the place He went, so powerful…the Mount of Olives. It is not the only time we would find Him there in the face of rejection, a foreshadow of the beloved self-sacrificing, laborious prayer within a garden on that mount, the night Jesus journeyed to the cross. He did not just count the cost moments before the cross was to be born upon His shoulders, but He labored for the cross all His time upon earth. He knew the cost that would be required of Him within such a garden, for such a people months down the road; yet still, He would resort to that very place in the midst of discouragement. 

Do i need to say anything more? His example speaks the lessons for us this day.

Where do I turn in the midst of discouragement? Do I get down and begin to entertain thoughts of giving up, walking away, dwelling in the rejection?

Or do I turn it into prayer, recognizing the cost I committed to, because of what He first committed for me, turn to the I AM and continue in the work He has set before me to do?

Ministry is hard, laborious, costly, and can hurt, but He who cannot lie has promised us that it is only a momentary light affliction that is not worthy to be compared to what awaits those who labor in and for Him (2 Cor. 4:17, Rom. 8:18). Eternity is coming…we will soon see Him face to face, see Him return upon such a mount, and establish His kingdom forevermore.

A WORSE Thing...

"Jesus said to him, "Rise, take up your bed and walk." And immediately the man was made well…Afterward Jesus found him in the temple, and said to him,

 "See, you have been made well. 

Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you." " John 5:8-9a, 14

     I imagine those words lingering in this man's head, "Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you". A worse thing? He probably thought to himself, "Worse than having spent the last thirty-eight years unable to walk? laying by a pool aimlessly hoping for healing, all in vain, until I met Jesus? A worse thing?" That Christ would relate his sin in such a context to "a worse thing" must of alarmed this man of the detriment of sin in a life, and so it should warn every reader this day.

     In our day, sin has been dressed up, made up, advertised, socialized, disguised, in all of it's fame I think we have lost fear of its tragic consequences. However, despite our false view of sin, it remains the cancer to our soul, the death of our lives, the destroyer of our fellowship with God. The end of any sin, although pleasurable in the moment, is death. Yes, the results of sin are worse than being crippled in feet, it is being crippled in heart and unable to be near to Jesus. It is not just broken legs, or a broken heart, but broken fellowship with God. "A worse thing". 

     Some would argue that this verse shows that God allows awful things to happen to those who have sinned. As if, a warning, do not sin or else something worse than being crippled will be your punishment. But this is only the thought of one who does not understand the heart of God. If this was God's heart, why would He of sent His only Son, to pay the punishment for sin? If He could punish with diseases and difficulties the consequences of sin, He would of, but there was only one way for sin to be removed, by the blood of a spotless Lamb, by one perfect, holy, sinless, by Christ. Yes, sin still has consequences, but they are not brought in repay, Jesus already took the repay, He took the sin for you and I, because the heart of God desires nearness to us. He knows the grave result of sin, and so He sent His own to the grave to keep us from such worse consequences.

     Do i understand how "worse" sin is in life? Do i understand how it grieves the heart of God? Do i understand what it cost Christ to redeem us from such a thing?

The cross is not just a pretty sight, but it is " a worse" thing than we will ever have to bear, because Agape, Eternal Love bore it, and all its "worse" for us, to end sins dominion over us, to heal our disease, to call out from the tree, "Rise, take up your bed and walk"! 

Do you hear it? The echo still rings…WALK!

"Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh…If we live in the Spirit, 

let us also walk in the Spirit." Galatians 5:16,25

As those words must of resonated within the heart of this man, may they resonate within us today, and may that phrase "a worse thing" keep us from sin this day, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith, beckoning us to walk on, to walk in healing, to walk in truth, to walk in fellowship with Him.

"For they have turned their back to Me, and not their face,

 but in the time of their trouble they will say,

 "Arise and save us". 

But where are the god that you have made for yourselves?" 

Jeremaih 2:27b-28a

     I wonder how many times this can be said of me...turning my back but not my face to the Lord. A shameful act, but one we are all guilty of. Prayers that are nothing more than pleas for ourselves. Prayers uttered in the midst of unconverted sin, yet coveting blessing. Turning from righteousness with the back, with the doing, but turning the face, the mouth, to seek blessing. God's word promises to withhold no good thing from those who walk uprightly and to hear the prayer of the righteous, but nothing is promised to those who seek for their own gain (Psalm 84:11, James 5:16b). When we describe someone putting all they have into something we commonly say, they put their "back" into that. Having one's "back" involved shows one's self being involved in something. I can set my face toward something, i can lock my eyes upon a prize, but it remains unattained until my back has undergone the necessary training and doing to attain the goal. The Lord utters in these verses the state of the nation, they had foolishly turned to false gods, forsaking Jehovah. Those whose backs had once set themselves to serve the Lord, the God who brought them out of Egypt, had now turned their back to Him and sought after foolish gains. The following verses describe the multitude and complications they brought within their lives, having many different gods..."For according to the number of your cities are your gods, O Judah" (vs. 28c). How foolish, we think, to turn to a life of having a different god for different things, when they had all they needed in the One true God, Jehovah Himself. However, that same foolishness is often seen in our own lives. True, it may not be in such a blatant form, but similarly we allow the desires, the responsibilities, and the distractions of this world to become rivaling gods in our life, rivaling our time and our position before Jehovah. 

     What is your position before Him this day? Is your back set to the work He has placed before you? Or is only your face toward Him? Are your prayers for strength to endure in the work for His kingdom, or for selfish gain? Are you just looking to Him or are you running toward Him? If the nation was so easily able to be rightly accused of turning their back on Jehovah, may I take it as a warning to consider the position of my back. It would be a shame to live as only a face or only a voice, apart from a back ready to work, hands ready to do, feet ready to go. 

     Lord, may we never be found with backs turned toward You, but may our bodies and our lips be one in our work unto You. May our prayers be for the establishment of Your work completed through our backs, our bodies, being poured out for Your service. May the world see the foolishness of the gods of this age, as we turn their eyes to walk on to see Jehovah's holy face.

"And whoever falls on this stone will be broken; 

but on whomever it falls, 

it will grind him to powder. Matthew 21:44

     When faced before Jesus, a heart must decide, a beautiful or harsh consequence awaits.

As to all things in this life, consequences always lie a stone's thrown away; yet, it is within the short distance between, that our decision demands the direction of the thrown. 

Who is this stone? The Chief Cornerstone, Jesus the Christ. 

Speaking to the hypocritical religious leaders of the day, He warns that their distance was quickly shrinking, making a decision that would effect a nation. The Jews were rejecting their Messiah. Pride was keeping them from bowing before Him. Jesus' words seem to echo the voice of the prophet Isaiah, when he declared, "Seek the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near" (Isaiah 55:6).

Before them stood LIFE, but receiving this stone required brokenness. The consequences of Life requires the stone to remove sin and give a clean slate, this only comes through brokenness. 

A breaking producing full healing; falling upon a stone may scrape, but it heals, sin removed may be uncomfortable to the fleshly heart that has grown used to the practice and residence of sin, but the eternal results are wholeness, newness, restoration, and life. 

The curved thrown is to have such a stone fall upon you, in this case, bringing grave damage.

Jesus therefore, cries out, "Receive Me! Receive brokenness, surrender in this life, that you may stand secure upon the rock of salvation, eternal life in Me!"

Every soul must decide standing before the thrown, the consequences he will choose. I have heard many resist Christ or the church due to hypocrisy that they have victiminly witnessed, but here-in we see Jesus rebuking the hypocrites, He warns them of their consequences, He is just, the hypocrites will be judged, but so will you. Stop looking at what you disapprove of, this is your choice, your consequence, what will YOU do with the stone before you?

The Jews rejected and the results of their own "powder" impairs their vision still. 

Many live thinking they can duck from the stone's thrown or that they will never fall, and never allow a stone to fall upon them. However, their own idea does not prove reality. One day, every knee will bow, one day everyone will know that this stone is truly the only way, truth, and life. For many, their pride decided the consequence, although their eyes will see the Truth before them.

The question of what you will do with the Stone lies in the distance between. What will I choose?

THe stone has been revealed, Jesus came, lived, died, and rose conquering sin and death, are you receiving this stone to stand upon and give protection in the day of battle? or are you choosing for this stone to bring you back one day to the powder of the earth? :Dust you were, and dust you shall return to be" (Genesis 3:19). You alone can chose the direction of the thrown. Love is waiting. Allow brokenness to build you up.

"On the same day, Jesus went out of the house and sat by the sea. And great multitudes were gathered together to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore." 

Matthew 13:1-2

     Ever taken the time to just "sit by the sea"? In the midst of a busy day, sneaking away and being alone in the midst of creation? Ah those moments! Here in these verses, I see a tendency within myself, but an example of Jesus to chose a different tendency. Jesus went out of the house to sit by the sea. Probably desiring a moment apart from the crowds, maybe a little privacy, or just time to think, to listen to the sound of the water, to be alone just for a moment. We know that Jesus did not have much time alone. Constantly multitudes were following Him, the disciples always beside Him, and home life, filled. We read later in this chapter the names of His earthly brothers, and a reference to sisters, giving understanding to there being at least eight people in His household. Time to Himself was not common. He could of easily become frustrated with the constant public eyes watching, following, judging Him; yet He didn't. In a moment He found to leave the house and be by the sea, the public eye interrupted, and yet, He stared back with love and compassion. His eyes were fixed on what He came to do...upon the Father's will. Earlier that day we read of while He was teaching the multitudes, He was interrupted with a request from his mother and brothers to speak with Him. His response? "...Whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother" (Matthew 12:49). When I'm surrounded by crowds of people, I quickly find myself desiring a moment "by the sea". A moment to get away and be alone. However, when I am with family; although I still enjoy moments alone, the need for it is far less. I believe that Jesus' perception of the multitudes as His Father's children, His Father's family, is what gave Him the love, patience, and stamina to endure with them, and to look back at them in love. For the love He had for His Father, He was willing to lay aside His "by the sea" moments, and instead spend time teaching these people of God the Father. Jesus' eyes were fixed on what He came to do. He understood that He did not step into the created world to enjoy the sea and moments alone, but to pour out upon the Father's created beings. To point their eyes to the will of God, to give them the invitation to be apart of God's family. Jesus' view of the multitudes as potential family members of God's kingdom gave Him the love He needed to welcome them to Himself. To give them His time, attention, and compassion.

     Do I view my public surroundings as opportunities to welcome another into the family of God? If I viewed others as family, or potential family, those moments of needing to be alone would be far less because their need to know that they are not alone would outweigh. Their need to know of the Father's love. His love is residing in me, I am apart of His family--is it so I can be content, satisfied, and sit alone watching the sea? No.

Sure, there will be times when I will get those "by the sea moments", but overall, there is a greater calling. I am called to minister to God's children, to invite them to know God as Father...to enter into the family of God. Am I viewing them this way? Am I laying down my moments to pour out? Father, give me eyes to see Your people as You see them, and to follow in the steps of Your Son, Jesus. 

"...So that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope 

for Him and find Him, 

though He is not far from each one of us" Acts 17:27

     In the verse before we are given confidence that the Lord has pre-appointed the destination of our feet. Where you were brought up was apart of His design. Where you are today, apart of His design for your life. Doesn't this bring comfort to your heart? He uses where we are, regardless of that being a good place or a hard place to accomplish His desires, that being that we should seek Him and find Him. We've heard it said that He alone can satisfy and that we can search high and low and never find what we are looking for until we find ourself in Him...until we come to the simplicity of Him alone. This is truth, however, I personally believe that He often allows us to spend time searching high and low to build a confidence in His sufficiency alone. King Solomon, a man given wisdom from above, having witnessed the Lord's works, still spent much time searching the abyss only to come back to His final declaration, "Vanity of vanities...All is vanity...Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man's all" (Ecc. 12:8,13). After his search, he came to know the reality that only God can satisfy. God could reveal Himself so clearly, yet He chooses to conceal certain parts of His character that the heart filled with faith would seek Him out. Jeremiah declared that God had a good plan for His people, and that they would seek Him and find Him when they chose to search for Him with all their hearts. He will use where you are and the surroundings you are in to bring you a place of groping for Him. Of searching out the mysteries of His grace in your life. God reveals different aspects of His character in different aspects of life that we face. In the midst of loss, we see that He gives. In confusion, that He is peace. In sickness that He heals, the list goes on, the truth stands firm: He alone satisfies, and He will use your pre-appointed surroundings to reveal to you how near He is. The heart that seeks Him, will find Him.

Application for Myself:

Praise the Lord that if I search for Him, I will not be left disappointed, but I will find Him. I serve a God who can be found, and not only in the good times, but in the hard times, in the face of unpleasant surroundings, I can find His nature there-in. I wanna live with this reality in mind. As I step into the new plans He has for me, I desire to seek Him more. The times we seek are the times of greatest satisfaction, so why do I not seek the more? Today, I am going to look at my surroundings and write down the nature of Him that He has revealed to me through the present destination of my feet.

The Only Cup That Satisfies . . .

     The Only Cup That Satisfies

     Before me sits a cup of water, pure, clear, from the faucet sink. Immediately I think of the water of Africa. For those I know who are even fortunate enough to have a sink to draw water from, instead of walking a distance with cans, the water is not clean, pure, drinkable. We are such a blessed culture. Not a very needy culture when it comes to material things. My clothes are in the washer, another load is in the dryer, the dishwasher is filled with freshly clean plates, the fridge is stoked, the car has gas, the closet has selection, the bills are being paid...we are blessed on the surface things, no one can deny that. But what about the deeper things? The water for our souls? Why is it that I can look around and see all these material comforts and blessings, yet still constantly find myself thirsty. I can go get a clean cup and fill it with clean water, drink it, and still find thirst. 

The reality is this: Satisfaction in life is not found in the abundant of things one posses, but in what is filling your cup. From the well that you are drawing your water from. 

     Water...a necessary part of life and living. One cannot survive apart from water. Jesus spoke that if one drinks from His well, he will never thirst again, but of any other well, thirst will remain (John 4).

I need water to survive within the land I am living in this time, but I need a deeper water. I do not find the joy I desire through dwelling on my blessings. I commonly find myself frustrated that I can be so disheartened when I am surrounded by such blessings, but now I am learning that the problem is deeper. Why am I still not satisfied?  It doesn't matter where I am or what abundance or lack that surrounds me, but in what I am drinking from to satisfy. God alone satisfies. 

God told one of His own, "Do not be afraid...I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward" (Genesis 15:1). This promise remains for all who are His. 

He is that which exceeds anything our eyes can perceive, or our hands can handle. Bigger than any blessing, the Living Water of Life. 

     Yes, blessings surround me and ought to bring me to a place of thanksgiving and praise, but deeper still, the tangible will only disappoint if I am not continually drinking from the well of my Savior. Jesus Christ in me is the only way that my heart may meet satisfaction and contentment in this life. 

     To the ones whose water today is dull, this God is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8). His waters have never failed, fail not, and will never fail. Search if you will, look high and low at all that surrounds, and you will come back to find the only way to be happy and feel blessed in your life is deeper than the tangible, deeper than what you can touch, it must be found within you. As water must be consumed and flow through the throat to quench the thirst of the body, so must we have Christ in us for the heart's thirst to be quenched, and satisfaction to be found in this life.

Jesus' cry years ago, still echos as truth this day, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water" (John 7:37-38).

Pressing On . . .

Philippians 3:12

"Not that I have already attained or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me."

     Every time Jesus stretched forth His hand, to lay hold of something, it was for a reason, for a purpose. He would reach out and touch that which was not right, to make it right. The imprint of Christ's touch upon a life changed that life forever. I think of the man with the withered hand, the lepers, the woman with the flow of blood, Jirus's daughter, the widows son, blind Bartimaus, Mary Magdalene, the demon possessed man of the tombs; each life that was touched by Christ, was changed. None of these were left the same after experiencing Christ.

To the man who lived within the tombs, bearing a name of Legion, overtaken by the demons within, Jesus' encounter not only changed his life, but changed his identity. His name could no longer be what it was before. For Legion meant many, yet now he was restored as one man standing before His Lord. In response, he pleaded with Jesus to follow Him, just to be with Him. But what was Jesus' response? We read that He did not permit this desire to be so, but commanded him by saying, "Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you." (Mark 5:19) So he went and proclaimed all that Jesus had done for him. But what was this man's greatest testimony? His changed life. His name no longer under the control of a demon, but he could confidently proclaim that his name is son, servant, friend of God, and greater yet, is engraved in heaven.

His identity was changed, his life transformed, through the laying hold of Christ in his life. And with such a change, a commission to go forth and share--to declare the wonderful touch of Christ in a life. 

Christ often touches our lives by bringing us through things where we experienced a greater need for Him, and through our desperate cry for His strength, His empowering, His wisdom, we were more "perfected in Christ". Because through those circumstances we learned more of what it meant to live life in Christ. Not life in ourselves, but life through Him. We come out of these times or seasons feeling a bit more "attained"-- not necessarily in a prideful way, but enriched by experiencing more of Christ's touch in our lives, a deeper understanding of the workings of God.

But out of these experiences where are we to go next? For what reason did Christ reach down and touch you? We see through the Scriptures that He always stretched out His hand for a purpose, so what was the purpose in your case? Why did He lay hold of you?

I believe it is that we would than lay hold of our role in His kingdom. To bear witness to what we have experienced. Simple, pure. We are called to proclaim the wonderful things Christ has done in touching our lives. He touched us that we may have the imprints of His hand upon our lives to show others. He renamed us that we may have a greater name to declare. He touched you that you may go out and touch the hearts of others through your living. 

We read that faith comes by hearing and if this be true, we have a better understanding of why the Lord placed stories of His touch in others lives all throughout Scriptures, because as we read and hear of these things our hearts lay hold of the truth, and than as we are touched we become characters of His work, that we may tell our story to others and their faith may be increased. 

This is our call. To bear witness of the work of Christ in our life. 

He touched that young man, so he could return to his home and declare the works of God. Had he remained with Jesus, the story of God's touch, would only remain giving faith to himself, but through re-telling the story to others, their faith may be increased and His name may be glorified and lifted above our own.

Application for Myself:

I have experienced the touch of God in my life in the last year, and now the question comes, what is next? what am i to lay hold of? The answer, that which He lay hold of for me. He touched me, not only so i could treasure the experience and love Him deeper, but that I may return and show His imprints through my living. I have stories to share to increase the faith of others. I would be selfish to just keep them to myself.