Mrs Ashley Ramos is meeting with a new doctor today as they continue to seek the cause of her physical problems. Let’s lift Mrs Ashley in prayer, praying for peace and clarity of mind for her, and that the doctors are able to determine causes and treatment.

Please be in prayer for the Dollens and Brown families. Alan Brown, who is the grandson of Mrs Annette’s cousin Mozelle (who passed away in October) took his own life yesterday at the age of 26 years old. Death is always so tragic, suicide is a particularly tragic cause of death, leaving families with many questions that will never be sufficiently answered. Let us pray for all those grieving the death of Alan. Let’s also lift Bro Dean and Mrs Annette in special prayer. They have faced the death of friends and other tragedies over the last few weeks and now face this sorrowful death in their own family. Let’s be good brothers and sisters in Christ by praying for them and giving them our love.

Please also pray for the Dr Wendell Hiers and family. Dr. Hiers wife Daisy passed away this morning. The Hiers served as missionaries for many years, and have served in various capacities of ministry, since returning from the field in the early 80’s. Dr Hiers was pastor of Calvary Baptist Church Grand Prairie for 14 years, serving as Pastor to Mrs Brittni when she was a child, and has been a friend of our families for a long time. Mrs Daisy was such a precious woman, and she will be deeply missed by those who knew her. Let’s lift all those affected by her life and grieving her death in prayer.

On Sunday we talked a bit about when Mary and Jesus’ brothers came looking for him, wanting Him to come talk to them. Jesus’ response is shocking and offensive to one’s sensibilities. Instead of going out to see them, He retorts, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers? Look, at my mothers and my brothers (motioning to the disciples). For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in Heaven, the same is my brother, and sister and mother. (Matthew 12:48-50; parallels in Mark 3:32ff and Luke 8:19-21). 

At that moment, Mary and His brothers were outside, and wanted Jesus to come to them. We do not know what their intention was, but we do know that Jesus saw them on the outside and His disciples on the inside. 

Interestingly, John’s gospel provides two scenes where, in one, Mary wants Jesus to fix the wine shortage at the wedding (John 2) and in the other His brothers want Him to publicly shew Himself unto the world (John 7). Two stories, where they tell Him what they think He should be doing. 

Noteworthy is that Jesus responds to both His mother in chapter 2, and His brothers in chapter 7, that His “hour” or His “time” had not yet come. Noteworthy, too, is that Jesus does fix the wine shortage of the wedding, and does travel to Jerusalem, after all (this begins a long drama that unfolds over the next few chapters). Noteworthy as well, is that ultimately none of the miracles or His public demonstrations of authority do what His mom and brothers intend, for in the end, “His own received Him not”. Even worse, they rejected Him and delivered Him to be crucified.

Perhaps, as in John’s Gospel, when we find them coming to Him in Matthew, Mark and Luke, Jesus’ family thought they knew what He should be doing better than He did? Again, we do not know their intentions, but we do know from John’s Gospel that they were not afraid to tell Him what they thought He should be doing. 

The simple revelation is that sometimes we think we know how things should be done, what Jesus should be doing. We should not lie to ourselves about this. We should not think it only comes from a place of arrogance either. This can arrive from a deep conviction. 

We might not even voice these things aloud, or in prayer, but that does not dismiss them from being concerns in our heart. 

Today, maybe we should sit and ask Jesus if there are some things we are expecting of Him, some ways in which we think things would be better, if only He would do (blank)? Maybe today, we should come before Him knowing that we sometimes trust and believe certain ways will work, seeking from Him a refreshed understanding of what are truly His ways, so we can walk in them? 

Mrs Annette Dollens asks for us to pray for her cousin, Richard Bearden's, son, Richard Jr. He was shot in the eye yesterday in Louisiana and is in ICU. Let's pray for Richard Jr. to recover from this injury and keep the Bearden and Chauvin families in prayer during this time.  

Sunday 10am

Gather with us Sunday as we conclude our series, Jesus' Mothers, where we are learning about and from the women Matthew names in Jesus' genealogy. We pray our time together will be a blessing as we strive to be disciples who make disciples of Jesus.

See you Sunday!

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