Thoughts from Mark

Today’s reading in Mark had several great passages so I am just going to ask questions to make us think about all Jesus was teaching us.

• In the Parable of the Sower, what type of ground best describes your heart toward God’s Word…The Hard Soil which doesn’t allow God’s words to penetrate and make a difference in our life?  The Rocky Soil that likes to hear and accept God’s words but never allows it to completely change us?  The Thorny Soil that has a life so filled with “things” that we don’t have time to let God’s Word thrive and transform us?  Or hopefully we have the Good Soil which means we are reading God’s Word and allowing it to change us daily?  As most of you have committed to read God’s book daily, my prayer would be that it would not be with a hard, shallow, or preoccupied heart, but with one that truly wants to meet with our savior and be changed by Him.
• The next nugget I found was when Jesus spoke of hiding our lamps under a bed.  He said with the ‘measure’ we use, it would be measured to us.  So my question is… how much are we letting our light shine for the world?  I took that to mean the amount we shine to others will increase the amount God’s truth will shine into and change us.  If you took this another way, I’d like to hear your thoughts.  This section is a little hard to clearly understand.
• Then there came two huge miracles that frightened those who witnessed them.  Jesus woke up and calmed the storm and then He cast out a legion of demons from a tormented man.  The first miracle had the disciples trying to comprehend who their friend really was…much more than a teacher!  And the second miracle had people trying to control Jesus’ power by sending Him away…though the man who had been freed responded by letting Jesus control his actions by not going with Jesus but staying home and sharing the miracle.  So my question in this part is how do we respond to God’s power?  With fear?  With asserting our control? With obedience?  I pray it will become the last one!

I hope you enjoyed these texts and are able to take one of the “nuggets” with you today.  The whole purpose of reading through the Bible is to let the Bible change us, so my prayer is that we do let His Word penetrate our thoughts, plans and actions every day!

God, Do I Please You?

In reading Exodus 33:13, Moses asks God an amazing question.  “If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you.”  That really got me thinking, when is the last time I asked God if He was really pleased with me?  What a non-me thought and what a God-centered concept!  God, are you pleased with the way I drove to work this morning?  God, are you pleased with the phone conversations I have had?  God, are you pleased with my plans for this week?  And if not, will you teach me your ways so that I may know you better and please you more!  That simple question every morning might change our lives and the way we choose to live.  We might actually end up living a life that will please God!

Moses’ next thought was that if God wasn’t pleased with him or was not going to go with him, then Moses wasn’t going to move from his spot.  Do we feel that strongly about God’s presence, or is it just something we usually take for granted?  Moses asked God that if His presence and life-transforming power was missing, then what would distinguish him from all the other people on the face of the earth?  Is that even something I am concerned about?  Do I realize that God’s presence in my life is to radiate God to a culture that doesn’t have time for Him?  Does Christ presence in my life distinguish me from anyone else?  These were all questions that went through my mind after reading this very short passage!  I pray that Moses’ concern for pleasing God will change the way we live today plus any other day.

Beginning the book of Mark

As we begin to read the first chapter of the gospel of Mark we see people craving to be with the Son of God and experience His power, yet we know in a couple of years the religious rulers will have persuaded many that this could not possibly be the Son of God.  So often, people know in their hearts there is a God and He is worthy of worship, but when they intellectually try to define what God should be and what He should do, they lose their natural trust in their creator. 

As I look at my sweet grandchildren, they have a natural love for and trust of God.  It will not be until the intellectuals of this world begin to talk against God that they will begin to question their belief.  That is how it has been throughout time.  When people try to reason out who God is and what He is doing, they always seem to get it wrong.  Sometimes it is done so they can act the way they want to, and at other times it is just pride that says they know what truth is, and no one else has the right to define their truth.  Yet, the one who created us should definitely have that right and we instinctively know that.  Only when we trust with our hearts can we know there truly is a God who loves us, has a plan for us and wants to forgive our sins and make us into a new creation.

As we read through this shortest gospel book, we need to pay attention to how people went from wanting to be with Jesus every moment to eventually trying to make Jesus act the way they felt was appropriate.  I’d like to think I’ve never done that, but I know I have questioned what God was doing when my life wasn’t going the way I thought it should, and I even told God what I thought He needed to do to make things right.  It wasn’t until I looked back over those difficult times in life that I saw what God was doing.  It’s always more than what I was asking for or telling Him He needed to do.  I hope the more I look back and see God in action the less I will actually try to direct His actions.   May that be all of our prayers today.

The Sabbath: Exodus 20:8-10

“Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God….”

There is much debate about when the Sabbath actually is. Is it Saturday? Or is it Sunday? There a whole denominations based around that. Does it really matter? What really matters is that in this very fast-paced life that we live in, we take some time out to rest and recharge our batteries, both physically and spiritually. Do you ever feel like that proverbial hamster on the wheel, always running? It feels like we get up and hit the ground running till we drop into bed. I feel like that . . . A LOT!

I need some time to decompress and sit and be still. I love that verse in Psalm 46:10, Be still and know that I am God. How often do we do that? For some of us, it’s harder than others. The Sabbath is not just our day off from work so we can catch up on our housework, yard work, laundry and DVR’d television shows. It is our chance to connect with God and show him that he is important to us, that our relationship to him is important to us.

I challenge you this week to find some time to sit still (and not at church). Find some time outside of church time to sit still with your God. Take 10 minutes and go somewhere by yourself (even if this means locking yourself in the bathroom to get away from the kids) to pray. Or read your Bible. Or just sit quietly and listen to what God needs to tell you.

Are You Ready?

Matthew 25 is an important reminder that no one knows the time Christ is returning, but each one of us is responsible for being ready when He does arrive.  In the first parable Jesus was reminding us that waiting until the last minute to get right may have dire consequences.  There were 5 who were ready for the bridegroom to come, and 5 who looked ready but really weren’t so they tried to quickly get what was missing but ran out of time.  Personally this means that we need to make sure we are ready; that we have repented of our sins and asked Christ to forgive us and that we are living to please Him in all that we do.  That then means we will be ready whenever He arrives!  But secondly, it reminds me that I need to make sure my friends and family have also given their lives to Christ.  As one who is not as bold as I would like to be, this is a timely reminder that those I hope will get their lives turned around “eventually” might not have the time to do that, and then the question becomes, “Have I done all I should to make sure they will be ready?”  As a first step, I am going to begin to pray for these people, and then ask God to give me opportunities to share, and not miss those doors He will open.  I know once I begin to pray, my eyes begin to see things differently and it’s amazing how God opens opportunities to share who He is with others.  Today, will you join me in praying that we will be living for God when He returns AND that He will bring an opportunity even this week, to share His Good News with someone else so they too will be ready?

How do you Respond to the Burning Bush?

Don’t you wish sometimes God would speak to us like he did to Moses?  I want it to be THAT clear!  God was calling Moses to service, a service he didn’t feel adequately prepared for. He had lots of excuses why he wasn’t the right man for the job. Do we do that?  What do you do when God calls you to do something? It’s going to be much subtler than a burning bush.  It might be a small tug on your heart or a thought.  Do you say: “Here I am Lord. Send me.”   Or do you say, “Surely not me, Lord.” 

 

Moses said WHO am I?  Do you ever feel like that when God asks you do something for him?  Who am I to do that for YOU?  A lot of times we feel like we are not ready or we are unworthy for the task at hand. But what we have to realize is that we are not doing it alone. Through God, anything is possible (Philippians 4:13).  We have seen this over and over again in the Bible. If I don’t rely on my own devices and strength, but rely on God and his strength, I literally can accomplish anything. My God is THAT big. Don’t hide behind your inadequacies.  God is not asking you to go it alone!

 

Are you trying to accomplish what God is asking you to do in your own strength?  Ask God to lend you his strength and see how much further you get?

 

How much do we really trust God?

Today’s reading as we finish Genesis goes hand in hand with Tom’s sermon.  I love it when God reemphasizes something for our benefit!

As Tom would say, Joseph was truly an “elder;” Joseph understood with complete certainty that God was ultimately in charge of everything.  His “Personal Theology of God” was unshakable. In Genesis 45:7 when he was revealing himself to his brothers he said, “But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance.”  This was after his brothers had sold him into slavery, and he had spent several years in jail, yet Joseph still recognized God’s hand of direction!

Then today we read in Genesis 50:19-20, “But Joseph said to them, ‘Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God?  You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives’.”  My prayer is that for me and those who just completed reading Genesis, we would be able to have that unshakable confidence that regardless of what is happening in our lives, God is bringing about His will, His good, pleasing, and perfect will!

One Month Down. 11 Months to go . . .

Okay that wasn’t so bad. Was it?  We are well on our way to accomplishing this goal of reading through the Bible.  You can do it! You’ve already made it this far (even if you are not all the way caught up!).

 What has been your favorite thing that you have read so far? 

 For me, I think seeing Abraham about to sacrifice Isaac was huge for me.  I have kids, much loved kids and I don’t think I could have done it. What faith Abraham must have had to follow through with what God was asking him to do. I aim to have that kind of faith, the kind of faith that says: “Lord, no matter what you ask me to do, I will follow because I know you have a plan and know what is best.”   Easy to do when God asks us to do things we like doing. I like baking. I will bake for anyone. It’s so much harder when God asks us to do something we find uncomfortable, like talking to that homeless man on the corner by my office and asking him if I can pray for him.  Sometimes its uncomfortable or scary, but God will bless you when you follow through, just like he blessed Abraham.

 I want to hear from you! What has been your favorite part so far?

God’s Standard of Greatness.

I love that God elevates the humility of a child over the most scholarly of all believers.  It doesn’t seem right that He would think better of a simple child who says exactly what they think yet loves without holding anything back, than He would of a brilliant Christian who preaches and prays flawlessly.  Yet that is exactly what He says in Matthew 18.  When I begin to get proud of ALL I do for Christ, God reminds me that He really doesn’t “need” me, but He wants to use me if I’ll let Him.  He’s looking for a heart that truly loves Him (like a child) and wants to serve Him no matter what it costs.

Of the seven things God hates, He lists pride as number one. (Proverbs 6:16)  As the first command He wants everyone to obey, He says to love Him with every fiber of our being. (Matthew 22:37)  That may explain why He wants everyone to come to Him as a simple child, loving Him as He deserves to be loved, and not trying so hard to gain His approval. It’s a simple matter of focusing on Him and how much we love Him, or focusing on us to see how we’re measuring up.  It’s the difference of heart verses action.  If the heart is right the actions will be too, but if all we want to show God is what we’re doing for Him and humanity, He’s not interested. 

Today, let’s just try to keep our focus on God and love Him for who He is!  I’m sure it will change our thoughts and actions as we fill our mind and heart with Him.  Let’s love Him like a child would!

God loves us when we do it right and even when we do it wrong!

I love how God uses imperfect Peter in Matthew 16.  It gives me hope that God will use me as well.  Sometimes we get it right, and other times we fail miserably, but I am so thankful that God still has a plan that uses us even after our times of failure.

When Jesus asked his disciples, “Who do People say that the Son of Man is?” They answer by telling Jesus all the things they had heard…”You’re John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah, or another prophet.”  But when asked to tell Jesus who they thought He was, Peter answers with the wonderful words of, “You’re the Christ, the son of the living God.”  Here Peter got it right.  Have you ever shared who Christ is in your life and had someone respond that they wished they could know God like you do?  If so, you’re getting it right too!

But as soon as the disciples understood that Jesus truly was the Christ, Jesus began to prepare them for what His future held.  This is where Peter got it so wrong.  He even rebuked Jesus, saying that it wasn’t possible He would suffer and die.  What a disappointment Peter was to Jesus…Have you ever found yourself telling God that there is no way the problem you are facing (or someone you love) is right, or could possibly be used by Him?  If so, we’re blowing it as dramatically as Peter did!  It shows we’re thinking as permanent residents of earth and not God’s child who is just “passing through.”

As soon as Peter fails miserably, Jesus gives him the steps to move from failure back into God’s pleasure.  I love that God doesn’t walk away at this point but patiently waits and teaches us to get it right!  He told the disciples that they needed to deny themselves and take up their own cross and then follow WHEREVER He leads!  It is natural to think of ourselves and our desires as most important, but to make our God smile we need to begin to think of what God wants regardless of what that means to us personally.  Let’s pray today that we will focus more on what pleases Him than what pleases us.  That is where we will find the JOY He has promised to pass all earthly understanding!