Sunday Front Porch Sitting: Jesus' Promise--He Won't Forsake You!

It's another sleepy Sunday afternoon. Now that preaching is done, we might as well sit on the porch and sit a spell until supper is ready.

You know, there's these two people the Bible tells us about who reached out to Jesus at the same time, but we usually tell about them as two separate stories. I'm of course, talking about Jairus' dying daughter, and the woman with the issue of blood. While separately, both circumstances can teach us a lot, I believe there's a reason God told us about both at the same time. Let's look at Jairus.

"And, behold, there came a man named Jairus, and he was a ruler of the synagogue: and he fell down at Jesus' feet, and besought him that he would come into his house:
For he had one only daughter, about twelve years of age, and she lay a dying. But as he went the people thronged him." (Luke 8:41,42)

Think about that feeling of urgency. One's only 12-year old daughter on her deathbed. If you were Jairus, you would be ushering Jesus away faster than you've ever moved in your life. Then, when Jairus felt like time was already running out, Jesus was swarmed by a crowd of people!

Enter the woman. She'd been suffering for twelve years, spent every last bit of her money on doctors, and still couldn't be healed. You know the story: she knew if she could touch Jesus' garment, she'd be healed and sure enough, she was!

Now here's the part that always gets me. Jesus stops and turns around to ask who touched him. He's on His way to perform another miracle. But He stopped.Even the disciples were a little confused.

 "And Jesus said, Who touched me? When all denied, Peter and they that were with him said, Master, the multitude throng thee and press thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me?
And Jesus said, Somebody hath touched me: for I perceive that virtue is gone out of me." (vs 45, 46)

Jairus probably lost his mind at that point. I say 'probably' only because the Bible never tells us what Jairus was doing during all this. But we know he didn't go anywhere. He had to have been standing there when Jesus turned around to the crowd, asked who touched Him, received no answer, asked again, and healed the woman. And now, the first four words of verse 49: "While yet he spake". The worst news a father could ever hear came during this hullabaloo. His daughter had died.

"But when Jesus heard it, he answered him, saying, Fear not: believe only, and she shall be made whole." (vs 50). Again, Jesus was right there. He hadn't gone anywhere, either. Best of all, He had no plans to abandon Jairus' seemingly hopeless situation.

You've probably heard the end of the story. Jesus raised Jairus' daughter from the dead. All-in-all a happy ending right there. As for you and me, I think a good take-away is that we can count on the fact that when we feel Jesus is tarrying, we can rest assured He'll never leave us without hope. We know for a fact...He didn't just say it, He showed it!

Well, I can hear momma calling us in to help set the table. Supper will be ready soon. Happy Sunday, friends! 

Happy Birthday....

...to your favorite blog by your decidedly favorite member of the Wimberley Bluegrass Band.

It was three years ago on this day that I up and started typing away. Together, you and I embarked into the unknown as we shared our thoughts, laughed, sang, and tromped through life's grand adventure.

This is the part where you say "Mark, I don't remember any of that." Well, trust me, you were there.

And I was right here: at the dining room table where I draft a lot of these blogs. Three years ago on this day, I was studying Calculus. Right now, I'm not even pretending to study Calculus. Funny how some habits are sooooo easy to break like that.

Well, here's to many more years. Thanks for the memories, the music, the magic, and sticking around and following the Life of a Bluegrass Musician. (Which if you haven't figured it out yet, that's me.)

Sunday Front Porch Sitting: The Reason to Rejoice

I wanted to try and add this new series to my blog. I figure on talking a little bit about the Bible every other Sunday after church. I know you're on a computer or smart-device, but pretend that we're sitting on the front porch after preaching, sipping a sweet tea, waiting for supper to be ready, and just pondering what we find in the Bible.

I think it would have been a pretty cool thing to meet Jesus in person when He was walking on this earth. Thousands of people had that chance, as we see through out the gospels...sometimes the crowds who came to see Him were so thick, it was impossible to see Him through all the people!

Let's take quick notice of seventy such people who were there with Jesus in Luke 10. These seventy were asked of Jesus to go "into every city and place, whither he himself would come" (10:1).  But, Jesus told them that He would send them "as lambs among wolves", with no extra money (10:3,4)...I'll bet that made them feel at a disadvantage!

But those seventy people returned to Jesus later, rejoicing! Because they had found the power to heal the sick (10:9) and even to cast out demons (10:17)!  But then again, it wasn't THEIR power now, was it? They realized it was all through Jesus.

This would be a nice place to end the story. How cool, right? Imagine being able to make the lame walk, or the blind see through Jesus! But wait, they almost missed the point. Sure, all this was pretty new to them, and though they returned to Jesus with joy (10:17), they had missed the real reason to rejoice.  Let's read the following verses:

18 And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.
19 Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.
20 Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.

Let me repeat that for those in the back who may have missed it. Rejoice not that the spirits are subject to you; but RATHER rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.

This is just one of many times in the Bible where Jesus shifts our focus from things temporal, to things eternal. When it comes down to it, only the eternal really matters.

Well, I can hear Momma calling us to go in and wash up. Looks like it's time for supper. Happy Sunday, friends!

New Year, Same Me

Before I begin, let me announce that I just celebrated a wonderful anniversary:

On January 5, 2008, my siblings and I performed our very first gig! We only knew a small handful of songs, but we were so excited to stand on the other side of a microphone for the first time. We will never forget Dennis Riley for inviting us to share our music at Los Rios Rancho that day ten years ago. And look where it's lead us! Since then, we've had the joy of sharing our music in 7 states (CA, NV, TX, AR, MO, TN, MS), performed more than 500 gigs, recorded five albums, appeared on a KCET special with the Chapman University Choir, had our music on the soundtrack of a hit sitcom on ABC,  hosted an award-winning radio show for two years (Ranked #1 in listenership multiple weeks. Best New Show of the Semester, Fall 2014. Outstanding Show, Oct. 2015. Highest Average Listenership of any show, Spring 2016. Show of the Semester, Spring 2016), appeared at events with Dennis Agajanian, Franklin Graham, Greg Laurie, John C. Reilly, Emi Sunshine, Russell Moore and IIIrd Tyme Out, and appeared at many bluegrass festivals. Who knows what the next 10 years will hold!

Now on to Christmas:

The difficulty level of buying gifts for people who have everything is off the charts. That is, until you realize that no one truly has "everything"! Sometimes, the stores I visit group their merchandise in very strange ways. However, I found it to be the source of some great gift-giving inspiration! Let me give you an example...

I was looking at essential oil diffusers. They were right next to the shoe aisle. I was thinking that it would be nice if you could take the essential oils with you when you're out hiking in the woods. Thus, you fix them to your shoes and call them your Di-shoe-sers. That needs to be a thing. Their slogan can be "When your feet smell, it's healthy!"

Here's another example... A lamp that was made from deer antlers. It was placed in the dark corner of a poorly lit antique shop. The bulbs were very dim, so I thought we needed more lights. Just use the entire deer and make it a chandelier. You can call it the Chande-deer. That also needs to be a thing. The slogan for this might be "From in the headlights, to the over-head lights!"

Now to the New Year:

Last year, I made the resolution to be a big dreamer and to do something that would cause me to look back on the year and be glad I did it. I'm glad that I started selling T-Shirts. Not because I like to see my name everywhere I look, but when I wear it, it gives me the motivation to keep building this blog and my YouTube channel. Thus, I'm starting the new year ready to take The Real Mark Wimberley entertainment farther than ever. Don't tell me I can't. I got a shirt with my name on it; I can do anything.

Also, I made the resolution to be a millionaire. Guess I'll roll that one over to 2018.

So now, I sense that you are begging to know what my resolutions for this year are (besides being a millionaire like I somehow failed to do last year).
1. I'm going to start being a little more consistent with posting.
2. Eat garlic bread
3. I'm going to start sharing more encouragement for my fellow Soldiers of the Cross

All this said, the official Bible passage for the year 2018 is: Psalm 27

1 The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

2 When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell.

3 Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident.

4 One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to enquire in his temple.

5 For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock.

6 And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me: therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the Lord.

7 Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice: have mercy also upon me, and answer me.

8 When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, Lord, will I seek.

9 Hide not thy face far from me; put not thy servant away in anger: thou hast been my help; leave me not, neither forsake me, O God of my salvation.

10 When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take me up.

11 Teach me thy way, O Lord, and lead me in a plain path, because of mine enemies.

12 Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies: for false witnesses are risen up against me, and such as breathe out cruelty.

13 I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.

14 Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.