Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk.com.
In Christ, Mark
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
"Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven.”
"Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn 'a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law - a man's enemies will be the members of his own household.' “
"Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”
"He who receives you receives me, and he who receives me receives the one who sent me. Anyone who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet's reward, and anyone who receives a righteous man because he is a righteous man will receive a righteous man's reward. And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward."
Matthew 10:32-42
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
As we have examined in an earlier scripture from Matthew Chapter 10, life with Jesus in it is far from business as usual. Indeed, even today we find different parts of society and our world at odds over the very mention of Jesus’ name…such is the conviction of those who love Him…and such is the conviction of those who hate Him.
Through all this conflict, one thing is certain. In order to follow Jesus and do it properly, change is required.
If you doubt that, then you only need to go to 2nd Corinthians, Chapter 5, verse 17. It simply says:
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!”
Christ is synonymous with change…for he requires us to turn from the world and its ways and instead give ourselves over to Him…sacrificing fully as He sacrificed for us.
So what if we decide to not fully turn ourselves over to Him? It’s not advisable.
For hear these words of Jesus from our scripture today:
"Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven.”
Deciding we wish to belong to the world more than our Savior is simply akin to disowning Him…deciding that we desire something more than Him. Our Lord will not settle for that. So in exchange for our disowning, He does some disowning of His own…and His is far more damaging.
Can you picture this scene?
You pass away and as you come before the Father, Jesus tells Him, I don’t know him or her. And with that, you are rejected from eternal life…having lost the justification that comes in Jesus. For being justified can be thought of as being “just as if I had never sinned”…and we only get there through the cleansing, reconciling blood of Christ shed on Calvary’s cross. His blood, just as the blood of the lamb spread on the door posts in Egypt spared the children of Israel from death, spares us from death from sin and spurs us on to eternity…atoned and forgiven.
How could we possibly choose to disown Jesus with so much at stake?
Well, sometimes we are pressured by others. For standing up for the cause of Jesus is not going to be accepted by everyone…even by those in your own family. For at times, the name of Jesus doesn’t bring peace but rather conflict. Again, look at these words from our passage:
"Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn 'a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law - a man's enemies will be the members of his own household.' “
I think I have shared my testimony about my own father who disowned me for a year and a half after learning that my fiancee was African-American. But the root of his problem wasn’t embedded in bias or prejudice. No…the root of his problem was that he didn’t have Jesus in his life. And so as Grace and I continued to respond to my father in love and mercy and grace and forgiveness, something miraculous happened. My father was overcome by Jesus himself and has been a changed man for 17 years now.
What started as conflict, ended in peace…because my father accepted and received the Prince of Peace into his heart, mind and soul.
I hate to imagine what might have happened had we decided to disown Christ to try and make amends with my father. Actually, I don’t need to imagine. Scripture tells me that Grace and I would have been disowned by Jesus.
This is why we need to know our bible and the wisdom within. So we can make the right and proper decisions when faced with life’s circumstances.
But Jesus doesn’t just want our loyalty. For just adhering to loyalty can simply be done through a sense of duty…like I am loyal because I have to be.
Jesus desires more than that. He desires our love and our life…all of it.
For again, look at the scripture
"Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”
I often tell people that I would never put anyone or anybody ahead of Jesus…not my wife…not my parents…not my two daughters…not any of my four siblings. No one gets my first love but Him.
When I do share this with others, I often hear people say, “I’m not quite ready to do that yet. I love my (fill in the blank with the object of their desire) too much.” Still others look at me like I’m crazy. And that’s just what the worldly view would be.
For the world has us placing all our love on the perishable…so much so that when we lose the one we love so much…we are left with a void. I can’t count how many people I have ministered to who were simply laid to waste because they had lost a father, mother, husband, wife or child. They ended up that way because they had their love invested in all the wrong places.
We shouldn’t make this hard. We give Jesus all our love and in return He sends His love through us to others. This allows us to not love off of our own desires but rather the desires of the Perfect Son of God…the One who loved sacrificially first so we would know how to do it ourselves.
How do we get there?
We retrace the steps of Jesus in our own lives. We take up our cross and walk with Him to the place where He gave up everything, willing to lose our life as well. Anyone who is not willing to do this is not worthy of Jesus or what He brings. And they can keep the ways of the world, losing an eternal life that was right at their fingertips.
Loyalty…love…and life. Jesus expects us to give all of them to Him. In opposition to this, the world would have us save some of any or all these for ourselves.
Friends, this is why we need to remember above all things that a change is required when one chooses to accept Jesus.
How well have you done in surrendering all to Him as He surrendered all for you?
It’s a question you would be well advised to answer soon.
Your very ticket to eternity is at stake.
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk@aol.com
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Monday, March 29, 2010
YOU COUNT!
Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk.com.
In Christ, Mark
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
“Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”
Matthew 10:29-31
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
Have you ever questioned your worth in this world?
If so, you’re not alone.
For we seem to live in a time when everyone wants to size themselves up against something.
We examine the way people look and question whether we’re as attractive, conscious about nearly every aspect of our physical appearance. Sometimes the mirror can be our worst enemy and yet we can’t help but look.
We examine the way people dress and wonder if we’re en vogue ourselves. It seems like we can’t be satisfied unless we’re in alignment with the latest fashion trends.
We gauge our success against the amount of money we have…or the job we hold…or the home we live in…or the car we drive. And it seems like we can never be completely comfortable with where we stand against our contemporaries.
So where does this leave us?
Unsatisfied…self conscious…stressed…impatient…unconfident…always coveting something greater…something better.
Sound familiar? Maybe you’re there now.
Well, in our scripture today, Jesus has words of encouragement to those of us who feel like we fall short. For we are not to worry about how the world sees us…but rather how the Lord sees us.
Jesus tells His disciples…and us as well…, “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”
Have you ever compared yourself to a sparrow?
I didn’t think so.
And yet, Jesus chooses something so simple…something so fundamental to underscore an important truth.
Sparrows were so prevalent that they were sold for a very small price (two for a penny) but despite their meager cost, Jesus tells us that they still mattered a great deal to God. In fact, His will would determine when they would cease to fly.
So what about us then? If sparrows count so much to God, then how much more will we…those He created in His own image…those who are His children.
Indeed, God our Father cares for us so much that He knows every hair that is on our head. Scripture tells us they are all numbered!
So Jesus’ point is well taken. If the sparrows count so much do God, then how much more worth do we hold for Him?
Immeasurable worth.
So what are we so worried about?
If God cares for us so much, then why are we worried about what others think? How others judge us? How we judge ourselves?
Friends, we must realize that Satan would like nothing more than to have every one of God’s treasured children feel inadequate…unpopular…unwanted…unloved. Satan wants us to yearn and covet more and more and more and more…seeking everything the world has to offer. He would have us gauge happiness by this.
And as he succeeds in taking us to a place where we persistently yearn for the things of the world, he successfully steals us away from realizing all the blessings that God has given.
In other words, we lose sight of how blessed we really are.
So what do we do with this scripture…these valuable words of our Savior?
We store them away in our hearts and minds forever…and we never ever forget that to God, our Father, we count!
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk@aol.com
In Christ, Mark
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
“Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”
Matthew 10:29-31
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
Have you ever questioned your worth in this world?
If so, you’re not alone.
For we seem to live in a time when everyone wants to size themselves up against something.
We examine the way people look and question whether we’re as attractive, conscious about nearly every aspect of our physical appearance. Sometimes the mirror can be our worst enemy and yet we can’t help but look.
We examine the way people dress and wonder if we’re en vogue ourselves. It seems like we can’t be satisfied unless we’re in alignment with the latest fashion trends.
We gauge our success against the amount of money we have…or the job we hold…or the home we live in…or the car we drive. And it seems like we can never be completely comfortable with where we stand against our contemporaries.
So where does this leave us?
Unsatisfied…self conscious…stressed…impatient…unconfident…always coveting something greater…something better.
Sound familiar? Maybe you’re there now.
Well, in our scripture today, Jesus has words of encouragement to those of us who feel like we fall short. For we are not to worry about how the world sees us…but rather how the Lord sees us.
Jesus tells His disciples…and us as well…, “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”
Have you ever compared yourself to a sparrow?
I didn’t think so.
And yet, Jesus chooses something so simple…something so fundamental to underscore an important truth.
Sparrows were so prevalent that they were sold for a very small price (two for a penny) but despite their meager cost, Jesus tells us that they still mattered a great deal to God. In fact, His will would determine when they would cease to fly.
So what about us then? If sparrows count so much to God, then how much more will we…those He created in His own image…those who are His children.
Indeed, God our Father cares for us so much that He knows every hair that is on our head. Scripture tells us they are all numbered!
So Jesus’ point is well taken. If the sparrows count so much do God, then how much more worth do we hold for Him?
Immeasurable worth.
So what are we so worried about?
If God cares for us so much, then why are we worried about what others think? How others judge us? How we judge ourselves?
Friends, we must realize that Satan would like nothing more than to have every one of God’s treasured children feel inadequate…unpopular…unwanted…unloved. Satan wants us to yearn and covet more and more and more and more…seeking everything the world has to offer. He would have us gauge happiness by this.
And as he succeeds in taking us to a place where we persistently yearn for the things of the world, he successfully steals us away from realizing all the blessings that God has given.
In other words, we lose sight of how blessed we really are.
So what do we do with this scripture…these valuable words of our Savior?
We store them away in our hearts and minds forever…and we never ever forget that to God, our Father, we count!
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk@aol.com
Sunday, March 28, 2010
WHAT WE SHOULD BE AFRAID OF
Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk.com.
In Christ, Mark
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
"Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. All men will hate you because of Me, but He who stands firm to the end will be saved. When you are persecuted in one place, flee to another. I tell you the truth, you will not finish going through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes.”
"A student is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. It is enough for the student to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. If the head of the house has been called Beelzebub, how much more the members of his household!”
“So do not be afraid of them. There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs. Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.”
Matthew 10:21-28
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
In Chapter 10 of the gospel of Matthew, we have seen Jesus give His disciples a primer on evangelism, specifically instructing them on what they are to do and warning them as to what they can expect.
Up to today’s passage, one thing has become clear.
The coming of Jesus and His teaching disrupted the world He entered into. And life became far departed from business as usual.
In today’s scripture, Jesus tells us that even families would be shaken to the core because of Him with brother betraying brother to death…fathers betraying their children…and children rebelling against their parents, having them put to death. Because of Jesus, all men would hate the disciples.
So why would anyone want to sign up for work like that?
Because there was more at stake than just being liked or disliked…more on the line than life in the here and now.
For Jesus promised His disciples that anyone who stood “firm to the end” would be saved. For in Christ, life would not end in death but only begin eternally. And the salvation of those needing saved was well worth the danger encountered in trying to help them find that salvation.
Friends, this is the essence of what Jesus lived and died for. Jesus didn’t give up when things got hard. He didn’t quit when people hated Him. No, He carried on…moving from one place to another until His mission was complete. He expected the disciples to follow His lead…to model the ways of their Teacher and Master.
Yes, the world in the days of the disciples was a scary place. For as hard as Christ was working to save souls, Satan was working equally hard to ruin them…and he used whoever he could to make that happen.
But in the midst of situations that were harrowing, Jesus provided assurance saying, “…do not be afraid of them. There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known.” No matter how people might scheme against the disciples, their plots would be exposed.
No…the disciples were not to be afraid of man…for man could only kill the body and not the soul.
Instead, the disciples should be afraid of their Father who held the power to “destroy both soul and body in hell.” In other words, disobedience to God’s call would be far worse than anything that man could ever do.
So how about us today? How well are we responding as disciples commanded to share the gospel message of Jesus? Are we going out boldly, confident in the One who is sending us…the One who is ever with us…guiding, leading and speaking? Or do we refrain from our responsibility as disciples because we are afraid? And if we are afraid, what exactly are we afraid of?
Friends, the world is still a scary place to live. Families are still at odds internally for the cause of Christ. People still hate the disciples of Jesus, even enough to kill them. Satan still works hard to counter any of the Lord’s best efforts to win salvation for lost souls. Not a whole lot has changed.
But equally, Jesus still expects us to be unafraid of man…who can destroy the body but not the soul…and be afraid of God who can destroy body and soul in hell if we choose to not respond in obedience to the call of Christ to go forth and make disciples of all nations.
I don’t know about you but given a choice between damnation and salvation, I’m choosing salvation every time.
There’s much work to be done. Let’s get to it…unafraid.
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk@aol.com
In Christ, Mark
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
"Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. All men will hate you because of Me, but He who stands firm to the end will be saved. When you are persecuted in one place, flee to another. I tell you the truth, you will not finish going through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes.”
"A student is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. It is enough for the student to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. If the head of the house has been called Beelzebub, how much more the members of his household!”
“So do not be afraid of them. There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs. Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.”
Matthew 10:21-28
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
In Chapter 10 of the gospel of Matthew, we have seen Jesus give His disciples a primer on evangelism, specifically instructing them on what they are to do and warning them as to what they can expect.
Up to today’s passage, one thing has become clear.
The coming of Jesus and His teaching disrupted the world He entered into. And life became far departed from business as usual.
In today’s scripture, Jesus tells us that even families would be shaken to the core because of Him with brother betraying brother to death…fathers betraying their children…and children rebelling against their parents, having them put to death. Because of Jesus, all men would hate the disciples.
So why would anyone want to sign up for work like that?
Because there was more at stake than just being liked or disliked…more on the line than life in the here and now.
For Jesus promised His disciples that anyone who stood “firm to the end” would be saved. For in Christ, life would not end in death but only begin eternally. And the salvation of those needing saved was well worth the danger encountered in trying to help them find that salvation.
Friends, this is the essence of what Jesus lived and died for. Jesus didn’t give up when things got hard. He didn’t quit when people hated Him. No, He carried on…moving from one place to another until His mission was complete. He expected the disciples to follow His lead…to model the ways of their Teacher and Master.
Yes, the world in the days of the disciples was a scary place. For as hard as Christ was working to save souls, Satan was working equally hard to ruin them…and he used whoever he could to make that happen.
But in the midst of situations that were harrowing, Jesus provided assurance saying, “…do not be afraid of them. There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known.” No matter how people might scheme against the disciples, their plots would be exposed.
No…the disciples were not to be afraid of man…for man could only kill the body and not the soul.
Instead, the disciples should be afraid of their Father who held the power to “destroy both soul and body in hell.” In other words, disobedience to God’s call would be far worse than anything that man could ever do.
So how about us today? How well are we responding as disciples commanded to share the gospel message of Jesus? Are we going out boldly, confident in the One who is sending us…the One who is ever with us…guiding, leading and speaking? Or do we refrain from our responsibility as disciples because we are afraid? And if we are afraid, what exactly are we afraid of?
Friends, the world is still a scary place to live. Families are still at odds internally for the cause of Christ. People still hate the disciples of Jesus, even enough to kill them. Satan still works hard to counter any of the Lord’s best efforts to win salvation for lost souls. Not a whole lot has changed.
But equally, Jesus still expects us to be unafraid of man…who can destroy the body but not the soul…and be afraid of God who can destroy body and soul in hell if we choose to not respond in obedience to the call of Christ to go forth and make disciples of all nations.
I don’t know about you but given a choice between damnation and salvation, I’m choosing salvation every time.
There’s much work to be done. Let’s get to it…unafraid.
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk@aol.com
Saturday, March 27, 2010
ALLOWING THE LORD TO SPEAK THROUGH YOU
Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk.com.
In Christ, Mark
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
“But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. “
Matthew 10:19-20
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
OK…here I am again. Sitting and staring at a blank Microsoft Word document with only a scripture to work with.
My task?
To write something that will be of substance and meaning to anyone who might read this…something that will help them grow spiritually and in their relationship with the Lord.
I go through this every day. And every day I do, I seem to meet my goal.
But I have a confession to make. It’s not me who is doing it.
Huh? So Mark…you have been taking credit for someone else’s writing for almost three years now? How could you do that?
No…it has definitely been me with fingers on keyboards…but I have only been typing what has been spoken to me. And the Lord does the speaking.
For if I sat down void of the Lord and tried to write anything to you, it would lack the power and wisdom that is only found in Him. I would come off sounding like a babbling idiot.
But invite and introduce the Holy Spirit into the mix and now you are about to create something special…something that could reach right down into the very heart and soul of the reader. No man or woman can do that…only the Lord.
This truth is underscored by today’s scripture as Jesus continues to instruct His disciples before sending them out to deliver the gospel to Israel.
You’ll recall that Jesus didn’t sugar coat His message. The disciples were about to face challenging times. People hated Jesus and what He preached, particularly the Jewish religious authorities of the day. And so anyone associated with Jesus could expect to be treated likewise. The disciples would not always be welcome in the towns they would visit and they even could face arrest and flogging. Indeed, danger awaited them for the cause of Christ.
So what could possibly bring them comfort in the midst of all this?
The knowledge that the Lord was with them, no matter where they were.
But how could that be? The disciples would be dispersed and away from Jesus who would be continuing His own ministry work apart from them. How could He possibly be with them?
The answer comes in our passage today.
For Jesus wouldn’t be physically with His disciples but He would be with them in Spirit...and through that Spirit, they would not need to worry about what to do, what to think or what to say. Jesus said to them, “But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. “ The Spirit would offer the words of defense for what the disciples were doing…and with that, impart instruction to all who heard straight from the Father.
So Jesus was essentially saying to His disciples, “The pressure is off you. You need not worry about what to do, what to think or what to say. I will tell you everything and guide you in accordance with My will.”
And the good news is…He still does it this very day and will continue to do it all the days of our lives.
For fast forward to the Great Commission that Jesus issued to His disciples in Matthew 28 (verses 19-20). In it, Jesus commanded that His followers make disciples of all nations, baptize in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and teach others to obey what He commanded. But He didn’t send them out to do all this alone.
No…He said, “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Jesus has not sent us out alone to evangelize and share the gospel anymore than He did His first disciples back in the days of Matthew. He is walking alongside us every step of the way…telling us what to do, what to think and what to say.
All we need to do is surrender ourselves…and that means our fears and anxieties as well…and allow Him to do awesome works in and through us.
Question: How well are you allowing the Spirit to speak through you today?
The very souls of the lost are at stake.
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk@aol.com
In Christ, Mark
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
“But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. “
Matthew 10:19-20
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
OK…here I am again. Sitting and staring at a blank Microsoft Word document with only a scripture to work with.
My task?
To write something that will be of substance and meaning to anyone who might read this…something that will help them grow spiritually and in their relationship with the Lord.
I go through this every day. And every day I do, I seem to meet my goal.
But I have a confession to make. It’s not me who is doing it.
Huh? So Mark…you have been taking credit for someone else’s writing for almost three years now? How could you do that?
No…it has definitely been me with fingers on keyboards…but I have only been typing what has been spoken to me. And the Lord does the speaking.
For if I sat down void of the Lord and tried to write anything to you, it would lack the power and wisdom that is only found in Him. I would come off sounding like a babbling idiot.
But invite and introduce the Holy Spirit into the mix and now you are about to create something special…something that could reach right down into the very heart and soul of the reader. No man or woman can do that…only the Lord.
This truth is underscored by today’s scripture as Jesus continues to instruct His disciples before sending them out to deliver the gospel to Israel.
You’ll recall that Jesus didn’t sugar coat His message. The disciples were about to face challenging times. People hated Jesus and what He preached, particularly the Jewish religious authorities of the day. And so anyone associated with Jesus could expect to be treated likewise. The disciples would not always be welcome in the towns they would visit and they even could face arrest and flogging. Indeed, danger awaited them for the cause of Christ.
So what could possibly bring them comfort in the midst of all this?
The knowledge that the Lord was with them, no matter where they were.
But how could that be? The disciples would be dispersed and away from Jesus who would be continuing His own ministry work apart from them. How could He possibly be with them?
The answer comes in our passage today.
For Jesus wouldn’t be physically with His disciples but He would be with them in Spirit...and through that Spirit, they would not need to worry about what to do, what to think or what to say. Jesus said to them, “But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. “ The Spirit would offer the words of defense for what the disciples were doing…and with that, impart instruction to all who heard straight from the Father.
So Jesus was essentially saying to His disciples, “The pressure is off you. You need not worry about what to do, what to think or what to say. I will tell you everything and guide you in accordance with My will.”
And the good news is…He still does it this very day and will continue to do it all the days of our lives.
For fast forward to the Great Commission that Jesus issued to His disciples in Matthew 28 (verses 19-20). In it, Jesus commanded that His followers make disciples of all nations, baptize in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and teach others to obey what He commanded. But He didn’t send them out to do all this alone.
No…He said, “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Jesus has not sent us out alone to evangelize and share the gospel anymore than He did His first disciples back in the days of Matthew. He is walking alongside us every step of the way…telling us what to do, what to think and what to say.
All we need to do is surrender ourselves…and that means our fears and anxieties as well…and allow Him to do awesome works in and through us.
Question: How well are you allowing the Spirit to speak through you today?
The very souls of the lost are at stake.
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk@aol.com
Friday, March 26, 2010
NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART
Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk.com.
In Christ, Mark
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
"Whatever town or village you enter, search for some worthy person there and stay at his house until you leave. As you enter the home, give it your greeting. If the home is deserving, let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace return to you. If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that home or town. I tell you the truth, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town. I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.”
"Be on your guard against men; they will hand you over to the local councils and flog you in their synagogues. On my account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles.”
Matthew 10:11-18
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
There is one thing the disciples of Jesus learned both in their time with Him and in their time of carrying on the gospel after His crucifixion and resurrection.
Doing the work of Christ was not for the faint of heart. In fact, it was down right dangerous.
As we look at our passage today and through the rest of Chapter 10 over the next few days, Jesus did not try and hide the fact that challenges awaited those who chose to serve and follow Him. While the disciples up to this point had for the most part witnessed those who believed and trusted in Jesus and the power He possessed, they hadn’t yet experienced those who weren’t so receptive. You see, the gospel wasn’t just to be taken to those who wanted to receive it. No…the gospel was to be brought to everyone who then could either accept and receive it or reject it.
Let’s look at our scripture.
For Jesus, who had instructed His disciples to travel without “gold…silver or copper”…without a “bag…or extra tunic”…”sandals or a staff” (Matthew 10:9-10), was sending them to towns and villages where they were to “search for some worthy person…stay at his house until you leave”. The assumption was that there would be someone who would at least extend hospitality but Jesus didn’t guarantee it. In fact, He prepared His disciples for the time they wouldn’t be welcomed, telling them they were to “shake the dust off your feet when you leave that home or town”…a sign of rejection. Indeed, Jesus Himself said that “it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment” than for any town that rejected Him and the gospel.
But there were greater concerns in play than just rejection. For Jesus further warned His chosen twelve to "be on your guard against men” who would hand them “over to the local councils” and then inflict punishment by flogging them in the synagogues. Indeed, there would often be a heavy price paid for stepping forward on the account of Jesus.
The disciples were definitely being sent out by Jesus “like sheep among wolves”.
Now you might say to yourself…I’m sure glad it isn’t like that today. But don’t be so sure. In fact, people today continue to suffer and even die for the cause of sharing the gospel and representing Jesus.
Consider these recent headlines all taken from the website, “Persecution.com”:
- A pastor in India was attacked by more than 10 extremists, who forcibly entered a believer’s home where the pastor was holding a prayer meeting. The pastor was struck with glass bottles and was kicked and punched mercilessly. He suffered severe injuries to his leg and head.
- A former-Muslim couple who led a house church, were arrested by secret police in Iran. Twenty secret police officers arrested and assaulted the woman when she resisted. Her husband was also arrested when he returned home. Several other believers present at the time were threatened but not detained although one was also assaulted when he protested the arrests.
Police confiscated computers, telephones and literature, including many Bibles. The couple’s case is being referred to the Revolutionary Court.
- In Laos, a group of Christians were expelled from a village because they refused to recant their faith in Jesus Christ. The believers were living in makeshift shelters about 4 miles outside the village, where they were abandoned in January without food or shelter.
- In China, police officials arrested 60 Christians attending a worship service and charged them with “disturbing social orders under the name of religious activities.” The police fined five brothers and sentenced them to 10 days administrative detention. Police then decided to increase the sentence of the church’s leader to one year re-education through labor in addition to an exorbitant fine.
Friends, the truth of the matter is that we still live in a world where people get killed for the cause of the gospel. And we need to be in constant prayer for those who are brave enough to stare death in the face for the cause of Jesus.
Jesus called us to make disciples of all nations…to baptize in His name…and to teach obedience to all He commanded.
But He never said it would be easy.
They hated Jesus enough to kill Him although He had done nothing but heal and teach and love. And He knew that this was to be His destiny.
In Him, we know our salvation is secure (John 3:16). We too know our destiny is to be with Jesus forever. Like Him, death will not be the end for us but rather the start of an eternal life free from pain and sin and suffering.
Yes…through Jesus…our future is set. But until then, we need to prepared to risk everything for the cause of His gospel…just as He did…no matter how dangerous things might get.
For know this…being a dedicated, faithful disciple for Christ, isn’t for the faint of heart.
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk@aol.com
In Christ, Mark
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
"Whatever town or village you enter, search for some worthy person there and stay at his house until you leave. As you enter the home, give it your greeting. If the home is deserving, let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace return to you. If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that home or town. I tell you the truth, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town. I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.”
"Be on your guard against men; they will hand you over to the local councils and flog you in their synagogues. On my account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles.”
Matthew 10:11-18
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
There is one thing the disciples of Jesus learned both in their time with Him and in their time of carrying on the gospel after His crucifixion and resurrection.
Doing the work of Christ was not for the faint of heart. In fact, it was down right dangerous.
As we look at our passage today and through the rest of Chapter 10 over the next few days, Jesus did not try and hide the fact that challenges awaited those who chose to serve and follow Him. While the disciples up to this point had for the most part witnessed those who believed and trusted in Jesus and the power He possessed, they hadn’t yet experienced those who weren’t so receptive. You see, the gospel wasn’t just to be taken to those who wanted to receive it. No…the gospel was to be brought to everyone who then could either accept and receive it or reject it.
Let’s look at our scripture.
For Jesus, who had instructed His disciples to travel without “gold…silver or copper”…without a “bag…or extra tunic”…”sandals or a staff” (Matthew 10:9-10), was sending them to towns and villages where they were to “search for some worthy person…stay at his house until you leave”. The assumption was that there would be someone who would at least extend hospitality but Jesus didn’t guarantee it. In fact, He prepared His disciples for the time they wouldn’t be welcomed, telling them they were to “shake the dust off your feet when you leave that home or town”…a sign of rejection. Indeed, Jesus Himself said that “it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment” than for any town that rejected Him and the gospel.
But there were greater concerns in play than just rejection. For Jesus further warned His chosen twelve to "be on your guard against men” who would hand them “over to the local councils” and then inflict punishment by flogging them in the synagogues. Indeed, there would often be a heavy price paid for stepping forward on the account of Jesus.
The disciples were definitely being sent out by Jesus “like sheep among wolves”.
Now you might say to yourself…I’m sure glad it isn’t like that today. But don’t be so sure. In fact, people today continue to suffer and even die for the cause of sharing the gospel and representing Jesus.
Consider these recent headlines all taken from the website, “Persecution.com”:
- A pastor in India was attacked by more than 10 extremists, who forcibly entered a believer’s home where the pastor was holding a prayer meeting. The pastor was struck with glass bottles and was kicked and punched mercilessly. He suffered severe injuries to his leg and head.
- A former-Muslim couple who led a house church, were arrested by secret police in Iran. Twenty secret police officers arrested and assaulted the woman when she resisted. Her husband was also arrested when he returned home. Several other believers present at the time were threatened but not detained although one was also assaulted when he protested the arrests.
Police confiscated computers, telephones and literature, including many Bibles. The couple’s case is being referred to the Revolutionary Court.
- In Laos, a group of Christians were expelled from a village because they refused to recant their faith in Jesus Christ. The believers were living in makeshift shelters about 4 miles outside the village, where they were abandoned in January without food or shelter.
- In China, police officials arrested 60 Christians attending a worship service and charged them with “disturbing social orders under the name of religious activities.” The police fined five brothers and sentenced them to 10 days administrative detention. Police then decided to increase the sentence of the church’s leader to one year re-education through labor in addition to an exorbitant fine.
Friends, the truth of the matter is that we still live in a world where people get killed for the cause of the gospel. And we need to be in constant prayer for those who are brave enough to stare death in the face for the cause of Jesus.
Jesus called us to make disciples of all nations…to baptize in His name…and to teach obedience to all He commanded.
But He never said it would be easy.
They hated Jesus enough to kill Him although He had done nothing but heal and teach and love. And He knew that this was to be His destiny.
In Him, we know our salvation is secure (John 3:16). We too know our destiny is to be with Jesus forever. Like Him, death will not be the end for us but rather the start of an eternal life free from pain and sin and suffering.
Yes…through Jesus…our future is set. But until then, we need to prepared to risk everything for the cause of His gospel…just as He did…no matter how dangerous things might get.
For know this…being a dedicated, faithful disciple for Christ, isn’t for the faint of heart.
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk@aol.com
Thursday, March 25, 2010
GIVING FREELY
Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk.com.
In Christ, Mark
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
“Freely you have received, freely give. Do not take along any gold or silver or copper in your belts; take no bag for the journey, or extra tunic, or sandals or a staff; for the worker is worth his keep.
Matthew 10:8b-10
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
As Matthew Chapter 10 opened, we found Jesus dispatching and empowering His twelve disciples so they could “go…to the lost sheep of Israel”, preach that the “kingdom of heaven (was) near”, “heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy”, and “drive out demons”.
Not a small undertaking was it?
Because the world that Jesus entered was a world full of problems. People were not only physically ill but mentally and spiritually as well. Many were in need of something greater than themselves to get well. And they received it in the way of Jesus.
Now today if you went to the doctor because you were sick in some way, you would get help but it would not come without a cost. No…you will pay to receive the care you need.
But Jesus didn’t charge those who He helped. He didn’t tell the leper that He would make him better for a standard charge of $2,500. He didn’t tell the blind that restoring sight would cost $20,000. And resurrection? How much would it be worth to be raised from the dead? I’m sure it would carry with it a hefty charge if the world could offer it.
No…Jesus gave of Himself freely, unleashing His healing, transforming power on those who believe and trust in Him. And He did it all the way to the cross at Calvary where he was crucified and hung to pay the price for the sins of all mankind…you and I included.
Has there been any greater sacrifice than this? A sacrifice freely given to us all.
For just as Jesus didn’t charge those he encountered in the gospel that we’re studying, neither does He charge His faithful ones today.
No…freely He gives and freely we receive…blessed beyond belief.
And yet, way too often we forget this.
In fact we forget it so much that we fail to model the actions of Jesus. For He didn’t freely give to us and we didn’t freely receive so that we could adopt an attitude that thinks we’re obligated anything from anybody. No…we are to freely give just as we have freely received.
Question: How freely have you given of yourself lately? How have you sought to actively make a difference, seeking to heal and transform others through the power of the Holy Spirit that Jesus has provided?
Friends, we read the words of Jesus in Chapter 9. The harvest fields are ripe for the harvest but the workers are few. Too many people have freely received what Jesus has freely given and then not given back freely in return.
At stake are the souls of the lost…the sheep of the world who wander without their Shepherd.
If you’ve been on the sidelines…or if you seek to “charge” for your services when it comes to doing the work that Jesus calls you to do, I encourage you to step back and reassess.
For today’s scripture calls us to be proactive in partnership with our Savior to freely give as he freely gave to us.
How can we possibly ignore that call?
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk@aol.com
In Christ, Mark
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
“Freely you have received, freely give. Do not take along any gold or silver or copper in your belts; take no bag for the journey, or extra tunic, or sandals or a staff; for the worker is worth his keep.
Matthew 10:8b-10
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
As Matthew Chapter 10 opened, we found Jesus dispatching and empowering His twelve disciples so they could “go…to the lost sheep of Israel”, preach that the “kingdom of heaven (was) near”, “heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy”, and “drive out demons”.
Not a small undertaking was it?
Because the world that Jesus entered was a world full of problems. People were not only physically ill but mentally and spiritually as well. Many were in need of something greater than themselves to get well. And they received it in the way of Jesus.
Now today if you went to the doctor because you were sick in some way, you would get help but it would not come without a cost. No…you will pay to receive the care you need.
But Jesus didn’t charge those who He helped. He didn’t tell the leper that He would make him better for a standard charge of $2,500. He didn’t tell the blind that restoring sight would cost $20,000. And resurrection? How much would it be worth to be raised from the dead? I’m sure it would carry with it a hefty charge if the world could offer it.
No…Jesus gave of Himself freely, unleashing His healing, transforming power on those who believe and trust in Him. And He did it all the way to the cross at Calvary where he was crucified and hung to pay the price for the sins of all mankind…you and I included.
Has there been any greater sacrifice than this? A sacrifice freely given to us all.
For just as Jesus didn’t charge those he encountered in the gospel that we’re studying, neither does He charge His faithful ones today.
No…freely He gives and freely we receive…blessed beyond belief.
And yet, way too often we forget this.
In fact we forget it so much that we fail to model the actions of Jesus. For He didn’t freely give to us and we didn’t freely receive so that we could adopt an attitude that thinks we’re obligated anything from anybody. No…we are to freely give just as we have freely received.
Question: How freely have you given of yourself lately? How have you sought to actively make a difference, seeking to heal and transform others through the power of the Holy Spirit that Jesus has provided?
Friends, we read the words of Jesus in Chapter 9. The harvest fields are ripe for the harvest but the workers are few. Too many people have freely received what Jesus has freely given and then not given back freely in return.
At stake are the souls of the lost…the sheep of the world who wander without their Shepherd.
If you’ve been on the sidelines…or if you seek to “charge” for your services when it comes to doing the work that Jesus calls you to do, I encourage you to step back and reassess.
For today’s scripture calls us to be proactive in partnership with our Savior to freely give as he freely gave to us.
How can we possibly ignore that call?
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk@aol.com
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
NEAR TO THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN
Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk.com.
In Christ, Mark
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
He called His twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.
These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.
These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: "Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. As you go, preach this message: 'The kingdom of heaven is near.' Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons.”
Matthew 10:1-8a
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
Prior to Matthew Chapter 10, we have witnessed Jesus call two pairs of fisherman brothers…Peter and Andrew…James and John…as well as the tax collector, Matthew. There has been no mention of any others by name until now.
For as Chapter 10 opens, we learn that Jesus had twelve disciples in His inner circle:
“Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot”.
We read where Jesus gave all these disciples special power…the ”authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness”... and then commanded them to “heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, (and) drive out demons.”
Note that the disciples were granted the same healing power that Christ had displayed early in His ministry and they were expected to use it to the glory of the Lord. Indeed, Jesus does not empower us without His accompanying expectation that we will use that power to fulfill His will.
Jesus also ordered His disciples to “not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans” but rather to go “to the lost sheep of Israel”. Later as Jesus grants His Great Commission, the disciples will be told to go out to all nations (Matthew 28:19-20) but for the time being, Jesus was most interested in the Israelites.
So the disciples were to…heal the sick…raise the dead…cleanse those with leprosy…and drive out demons…amongst the people of Israel. They were also expected to do one other important thing. For Jesus told His disciples that they were to “preach this message: 'The kingdom of heaven is near.' “
OK…that sounds good coming out but what exactly does Jesus mean when He speaks about the “kingdom of heaven” being near? Is it still near to us today?
Let’s think about this for a minute and we can easily get to what Jesus meant.
First, if there is a kingdom…any kingdom…then there must be a king over that kingdom. So given this, who would be the king over the kingdom of heaven?
The King of kings, that’s who. And we know the identity of the King of kings. His name is Jesus Christ.
So if the kingdom of heaven is near…it’s because the King of that kingdom is near. And Jesus was indeed near to His disciples in the days of our scripture passage…just as He is to us, His disciples, this very day.
Question: How near do you feel to the kingdom of heaven in your life? Do you feel empowered by the Holy Spirit to go forth and answer Christ’s call, responding in full to His will for your life?
If you are truly near to Jesus then you are in communion and contact with the kingdom of heaven…a kingdom you will be able to reside in one day when this life’s over through your willingness to acknowledge Jesus Christ as your personal Savior. That’s the good news that buoys us up in eternal hope.
So let us all commit to the following words of the Lord’s prayer each and every day as we get set once again to draw near to the King of the kingdom here on earth…who is as near as your next breath:
Our Father who art in heaven,
Hallowed be Thy Name.
Thy kingdom come, they will be done,
On earth as it is in heaven.
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk@aol.com
In Christ, Mark
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
He called His twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.
These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.
These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: "Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. As you go, preach this message: 'The kingdom of heaven is near.' Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons.”
Matthew 10:1-8a
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
Prior to Matthew Chapter 10, we have witnessed Jesus call two pairs of fisherman brothers…Peter and Andrew…James and John…as well as the tax collector, Matthew. There has been no mention of any others by name until now.
For as Chapter 10 opens, we learn that Jesus had twelve disciples in His inner circle:
“Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot”.
We read where Jesus gave all these disciples special power…the ”authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness”... and then commanded them to “heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, (and) drive out demons.”
Note that the disciples were granted the same healing power that Christ had displayed early in His ministry and they were expected to use it to the glory of the Lord. Indeed, Jesus does not empower us without His accompanying expectation that we will use that power to fulfill His will.
Jesus also ordered His disciples to “not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans” but rather to go “to the lost sheep of Israel”. Later as Jesus grants His Great Commission, the disciples will be told to go out to all nations (Matthew 28:19-20) but for the time being, Jesus was most interested in the Israelites.
So the disciples were to…heal the sick…raise the dead…cleanse those with leprosy…and drive out demons…amongst the people of Israel. They were also expected to do one other important thing. For Jesus told His disciples that they were to “preach this message: 'The kingdom of heaven is near.' “
OK…that sounds good coming out but what exactly does Jesus mean when He speaks about the “kingdom of heaven” being near? Is it still near to us today?
Let’s think about this for a minute and we can easily get to what Jesus meant.
First, if there is a kingdom…any kingdom…then there must be a king over that kingdom. So given this, who would be the king over the kingdom of heaven?
The King of kings, that’s who. And we know the identity of the King of kings. His name is Jesus Christ.
So if the kingdom of heaven is near…it’s because the King of that kingdom is near. And Jesus was indeed near to His disciples in the days of our scripture passage…just as He is to us, His disciples, this very day.
Question: How near do you feel to the kingdom of heaven in your life? Do you feel empowered by the Holy Spirit to go forth and answer Christ’s call, responding in full to His will for your life?
If you are truly near to Jesus then you are in communion and contact with the kingdom of heaven…a kingdom you will be able to reside in one day when this life’s over through your willingness to acknowledge Jesus Christ as your personal Savior. That’s the good news that buoys us up in eternal hope.
So let us all commit to the following words of the Lord’s prayer each and every day as we get set once again to draw near to the King of the kingdom here on earth…who is as near as your next breath:
Our Father who art in heaven,
Hallowed be Thy Name.
Thy kingdom come, they will be done,
On earth as it is in heaven.
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk@aol.com
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
SHEEP WITHOUT A SHEPHERD IN FIELDS READY FOR HARVEST
Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk.com.
In Christ, Mark
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field."
Matthew 9:35-38
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
How do you see the world we live in today? Do you look at it with concern as more and more people choose to live void of the Lord in their life?
I know I do. In fact, it’s the motivation toward writing nearly every day from God’s word. We simply must never tire while carrying out Jesus’ call to make disciples just not in our neighborhood…not just in our community…not even just in our nation.
No…Jesus called us to make disciples of all nations.
For it’s only when we look at the world’s population as a whole…only when we look at the earth as one big field ready for harvest, that we can even begin to grasp the gravity of the situation and the urgency to get out and help proclaim the good news of the gospel…showing all we encounter the way to salvation.
Just like Jesus did.
Let’s look at our passage today as Chapter 9 comes to a close.
We read where Jesus “went through all the towns and villages” where He taught “in…synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. Indeed, the ministry of Jesus was not defined by complacency but rather proactivity. He made it a priority to seek and care for those who were in need…and, like today, there was no shortage of people in need.
But Jesus didn’t just see what he did as some duty. He didn’t do it just because He was somehow required by His Father to act. No…Jesus did what He did because He loved them and wished that none of them might be lost…but rather found.
This is proven by the scriptures that tell us that when Jesus saw the crowds, “He had compassion on them”. He didn’t see them as they may have seen themselves…prideful and self sufficient…but rather “harassed and helpless”…”like sheep without a shepherd”. And indeed, this is where anyone will find themselves without Christ in their lives…helpless as they are harassed by Satan who wants nothing more than to steal every soul possible from the Lord…lost like a sheep without a shepherd.
Question: How many people in our world are without Jesus in their lives?
The number would amaze you…and frighten you all at the same time. It should also further call you to action…to go forth and tell anyone you can about Jesus and how no one can come to the Father except by Him (John 14:6)...to tell them that their salvation comes in first believing they have a Savior in Jesus (John 3:16).
Friends, if Jesus were to come and speak to us this very minute about the spiritual state of the world we live in, He would use the same words that He said to His disciples in closing Chapter 9:
“The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field."
And how should we respond?
We could start with this plea:
“Lord Jesus, Lord of the harvest…send out workers into Your harvest field to help the lost sheep find their shepherd…and let one of them be me.”
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk@aol.com
In Christ, Mark
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field."
Matthew 9:35-38
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
How do you see the world we live in today? Do you look at it with concern as more and more people choose to live void of the Lord in their life?
I know I do. In fact, it’s the motivation toward writing nearly every day from God’s word. We simply must never tire while carrying out Jesus’ call to make disciples just not in our neighborhood…not just in our community…not even just in our nation.
No…Jesus called us to make disciples of all nations.
For it’s only when we look at the world’s population as a whole…only when we look at the earth as one big field ready for harvest, that we can even begin to grasp the gravity of the situation and the urgency to get out and help proclaim the good news of the gospel…showing all we encounter the way to salvation.
Just like Jesus did.
Let’s look at our passage today as Chapter 9 comes to a close.
We read where Jesus “went through all the towns and villages” where He taught “in…synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. Indeed, the ministry of Jesus was not defined by complacency but rather proactivity. He made it a priority to seek and care for those who were in need…and, like today, there was no shortage of people in need.
But Jesus didn’t just see what he did as some duty. He didn’t do it just because He was somehow required by His Father to act. No…Jesus did what He did because He loved them and wished that none of them might be lost…but rather found.
This is proven by the scriptures that tell us that when Jesus saw the crowds, “He had compassion on them”. He didn’t see them as they may have seen themselves…prideful and self sufficient…but rather “harassed and helpless”…”like sheep without a shepherd”. And indeed, this is where anyone will find themselves without Christ in their lives…helpless as they are harassed by Satan who wants nothing more than to steal every soul possible from the Lord…lost like a sheep without a shepherd.
Question: How many people in our world are without Jesus in their lives?
The number would amaze you…and frighten you all at the same time. It should also further call you to action…to go forth and tell anyone you can about Jesus and how no one can come to the Father except by Him (John 14:6)...to tell them that their salvation comes in first believing they have a Savior in Jesus (John 3:16).
Friends, if Jesus were to come and speak to us this very minute about the spiritual state of the world we live in, He would use the same words that He said to His disciples in closing Chapter 9:
“The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field."
And how should we respond?
We could start with this plea:
“Lord Jesus, Lord of the harvest…send out workers into Your harvest field to help the lost sheep find their shepherd…and let one of them be me.”
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk@aol.com
LIKE NOTHING YOU’VE EVER SEEN
Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk.com.
In Christ, Mark
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
While they were going out, a man who was demon-possessed and could not talk was brought to Jesus. And when the demon was driven out, the man who had been mute spoke. The crowd was amazed and said, "Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel."
But the Pharisees said, "It is by the prince of demons that he drives out demons."
Matthew 9:32-34
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
Have you experienced a miraculous work of the Lord?
If not, perhaps you haven’t been keeping your eyes and ears open as they are happening in volume each and every day…and have been since creation. Just read the first chapter of the first book of the bible to see the awesome power of God in full display. Would also recommend that you watch either of these two DVDs by Louie Giglio, “How Great Is Our God” or “Indescribable”, as they also serve to underscore the greatness and majesty of God very well.
So in Jesus, we find all of God’s power on display, only now walking amongst the people of Israel. Up to this point in Matthew, Chapter 9, we have seen Jesus perform many miracles, healing the afflicted, raising the dead and driving out demons. He continues that work in today’s passage.
For we read where Jesus and his disciples encounter a “man who was demon-possessed and could not talk”. And so Jesus, as He had done prior, drove the demon out, enabling the man to speak once again.
The crowd that witnessed this, like crowds before them, was amazed and proclaimed, "Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel." Or at least, they had never seen anything like it because we know that Jesus had done other similar miracles in Israel before this one. Nonetheless, the people who watched the once mute man now talk were awestruck.
Unfortunately, not everyone was impressed with what Jesus had done. For scripture tells us that the Pharisees who witnessed the exorcism didn’t see it as an amazing miracle of God. No they instead connected Jesus to Satan saying, "It is by the prince of demons that he drives out demons."
Aren’t these the same competing attitudes we see in our world today?
On one hand, we have those who believe in the power of God, or come to believe in the power of God, through the amazing, incredible works He does each and every day.
And then we have those who would like to attribute what they witness to other things…to black magic…or science…or chance. These skeptics close their minds, hearts, eyes and ears to the possibility that anything could be of God…and in doing so miss His glory.
What a sad existence that is.
Frankly, I choose to believe and trust in the One through which all things are possible. For there is nothing beyond the work of His almighty, infinitesimally powerful hands.
I hope you feel likewise.
For one thing is certain. Living for the Lord will continuously take you through experiences that will be like nothing you’ve ever seen.
Believe it and enjoy the experience!
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk@aol.com
In Christ, Mark
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
While they were going out, a man who was demon-possessed and could not talk was brought to Jesus. And when the demon was driven out, the man who had been mute spoke. The crowd was amazed and said, "Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel."
But the Pharisees said, "It is by the prince of demons that he drives out demons."
Matthew 9:32-34
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
Have you experienced a miraculous work of the Lord?
If not, perhaps you haven’t been keeping your eyes and ears open as they are happening in volume each and every day…and have been since creation. Just read the first chapter of the first book of the bible to see the awesome power of God in full display. Would also recommend that you watch either of these two DVDs by Louie Giglio, “How Great Is Our God” or “Indescribable”, as they also serve to underscore the greatness and majesty of God very well.
So in Jesus, we find all of God’s power on display, only now walking amongst the people of Israel. Up to this point in Matthew, Chapter 9, we have seen Jesus perform many miracles, healing the afflicted, raising the dead and driving out demons. He continues that work in today’s passage.
For we read where Jesus and his disciples encounter a “man who was demon-possessed and could not talk”. And so Jesus, as He had done prior, drove the demon out, enabling the man to speak once again.
The crowd that witnessed this, like crowds before them, was amazed and proclaimed, "Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel." Or at least, they had never seen anything like it because we know that Jesus had done other similar miracles in Israel before this one. Nonetheless, the people who watched the once mute man now talk were awestruck.
Unfortunately, not everyone was impressed with what Jesus had done. For scripture tells us that the Pharisees who witnessed the exorcism didn’t see it as an amazing miracle of God. No they instead connected Jesus to Satan saying, "It is by the prince of demons that he drives out demons."
Aren’t these the same competing attitudes we see in our world today?
On one hand, we have those who believe in the power of God, or come to believe in the power of God, through the amazing, incredible works He does each and every day.
And then we have those who would like to attribute what they witness to other things…to black magic…or science…or chance. These skeptics close their minds, hearts, eyes and ears to the possibility that anything could be of God…and in doing so miss His glory.
What a sad existence that is.
Frankly, I choose to believe and trust in the One through which all things are possible. For there is nothing beyond the work of His almighty, infinitesimally powerful hands.
I hope you feel likewise.
For one thing is certain. Living for the Lord will continuously take you through experiences that will be like nothing you’ve ever seen.
Believe it and enjoy the experience!
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk@aol.com
Sunday, March 21, 2010
THE HEALING TOUCH
Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk.com.
In Christ, Mark
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
Just then a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak. She said to herself, "If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed." Jesus turned and saw her. "Take heart, daughter," he said, "your faith has healed you." And the woman was healed from that moment.
As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed him, calling out, "Have mercy on us, Son of David!"
When he had gone indoors, the blind men came to him, and he asked them, "Do you believe that I am able to do this?"
"Yes, Lord," they replied.
Then he touched their eyes and said, "According to your faith will it be done to you"; and their sight was restored. Jesus warned them sternly, "See that no one knows about this." But they went out and spread the news about him all over that region.
Matthew 9:20-22, 27-31
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
Have you ever needed healing in your life? I think it’s pretty certain that everyone will need it at one time or another.
Some times the healing is physical. At other times, it’s psychological or emotional. Still yet other times, it can be a combination of both.
Point in case is the woman in our scripture today. We read where she “had been subject to bleeding for twelve years”…a condition that would have resulted in her being considered unclean with no one wanting to come in contact with her. I don’t know about you but 20 years is a long time to be exiled, unwanted and unloved. The physical condition was bad enough but the mental anguish had to be just as difficult.
And so the woman, in desperate need of relief from her circumstances, “came up behind” Jesus and “touched the edge of His cloak”, thinking all along to herself that "If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed." The woman needed a healing touch…and she touched the person who could deliver.
For after she touched Jesus’ cloak, “Jesus turned”, …”saw her”, and said, "Take heart, daughter…your faith has healed you." And with those mere words, “the woman was healed”…set free from her afflictions…restored and renewed.
“Your faith has healed you.”
These words from Jesus resonate and ring loud in our hearts, minds and souls. Indeed, we cannot expect Jesus to do a full work of healing if we don’t have the faith that He can do it. If we read and trust in the scriptures as we should because God’s word is truth, then there’s simply no reason to not have faith. For we know that Jesus possesses the healing touch. He did back in the days of the New Testament…and He still does today.
Well, the woman wasn’t the only one healed that day.
For Jesus left her, went with the ruler to resurrect his daughter from death to life (Matthew 9:23-26), and then had an encounter with two blind men who also acknowledged their faith in Jesus by answering, “Yes, Lord” after He asked them if they believed that He was able to heal them.
We read where Jesus “touched their eyes”, saying, "According to your faith will it be done to you"…and with that “their sight was restored”. Like the woman who had been bleeding, the two men had a whole new lease on life, all because of the healing touch of Jesus.
Friends, I don’t know what your circumstances are today but I do know one thing…we serve and worship a Savior who has the healing touch if we only have faith in Him. We read it in His word…we hear stories of it each and every day as believers share their testimonies.
So what would you say if Jesus asked, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?"
My hope is that you would echo the words of the blind men and boldly say, Yes, Lord”.
His healing touch awaits you.
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk@aol.com
In Christ, Mark
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
Just then a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak. She said to herself, "If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed." Jesus turned and saw her. "Take heart, daughter," he said, "your faith has healed you." And the woman was healed from that moment.
As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed him, calling out, "Have mercy on us, Son of David!"
When he had gone indoors, the blind men came to him, and he asked them, "Do you believe that I am able to do this?"
"Yes, Lord," they replied.
Then he touched their eyes and said, "According to your faith will it be done to you"; and their sight was restored. Jesus warned them sternly, "See that no one knows about this." But they went out and spread the news about him all over that region.
Matthew 9:20-22, 27-31
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
Have you ever needed healing in your life? I think it’s pretty certain that everyone will need it at one time or another.
Some times the healing is physical. At other times, it’s psychological or emotional. Still yet other times, it can be a combination of both.
Point in case is the woman in our scripture today. We read where she “had been subject to bleeding for twelve years”…a condition that would have resulted in her being considered unclean with no one wanting to come in contact with her. I don’t know about you but 20 years is a long time to be exiled, unwanted and unloved. The physical condition was bad enough but the mental anguish had to be just as difficult.
And so the woman, in desperate need of relief from her circumstances, “came up behind” Jesus and “touched the edge of His cloak”, thinking all along to herself that "If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed." The woman needed a healing touch…and she touched the person who could deliver.
For after she touched Jesus’ cloak, “Jesus turned”, …”saw her”, and said, "Take heart, daughter…your faith has healed you." And with those mere words, “the woman was healed”…set free from her afflictions…restored and renewed.
“Your faith has healed you.”
These words from Jesus resonate and ring loud in our hearts, minds and souls. Indeed, we cannot expect Jesus to do a full work of healing if we don’t have the faith that He can do it. If we read and trust in the scriptures as we should because God’s word is truth, then there’s simply no reason to not have faith. For we know that Jesus possesses the healing touch. He did back in the days of the New Testament…and He still does today.
Well, the woman wasn’t the only one healed that day.
For Jesus left her, went with the ruler to resurrect his daughter from death to life (Matthew 9:23-26), and then had an encounter with two blind men who also acknowledged their faith in Jesus by answering, “Yes, Lord” after He asked them if they believed that He was able to heal them.
We read where Jesus “touched their eyes”, saying, "According to your faith will it be done to you"…and with that “their sight was restored”. Like the woman who had been bleeding, the two men had a whole new lease on life, all because of the healing touch of Jesus.
Friends, I don’t know what your circumstances are today but I do know one thing…we serve and worship a Savior who has the healing touch if we only have faith in Him. We read it in His word…we hear stories of it each and every day as believers share their testimonies.
So what would you say if Jesus asked, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?"
My hope is that you would echo the words of the blind men and boldly say, Yes, Lord”.
His healing touch awaits you.
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk@aol.com
Saturday, March 20, 2010
MAKING THE DEAD COME ALIVE
Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk.com.
In Christ, Mark
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
While he was saying this, a ruler came and knelt before him and said, "My daughter has just died. But come and put your hand on her, and she will live." Jesus got up and went with him, and so did his disciples.
When Jesus entered the ruler's house and saw the flute players and the noisy crowd, He said, "Go away. The girl is not dead but asleep." But they laughed at him. After the crowd had been put outside, He went in and took the girl by the hand, and she got up. News of this spread through all that region.
Matthew 9:18-19, 23-26
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
Do the dead really come back to life?
If you asked the average person this, they would probably look at you like you’re crazy. They would possibly say, “Of course, the dead don’t come back top life. That only happens in those crazy reincarnation of zombie movies. It’s a matter of fiction, not fact.”
Ask a Christian this question however, and ten times out of ten, they had better respond, “Yes”…the dead are brought back to life. In fact, it happens every single day.” If they don’t believe that then I would wonder if they really are Christian or of Christ.
For it’s obvious as we look at the life and ministry of Jesus that He had the power to resurrect and bring the dead back to life. Such an example is found in today’s passage.
For we read where a “ruler came and knelt before” Jesus…a gesture of respect and acknowledgement of Jesus’ overarching authority above all the world’s rulers…the King of kings and Lord of lords.
As the ruler bows before Jesus, he tells Him that his daughter had just died and then asks that Jesus “come and put your hand on her, and she will live." Do you think this man believed that the dead could be brought back to life? His words and actions showed that he did…and that he knew Jesus could make it happen. That was the extreme depth of the ruler’s faith.
And so as we have seen in our past study of Jesus in Matthew, Christ rewards the man’s faith and goes with him as did his disciples.
Scripture tells us that “when Jesus entered the ruler's house”, he witnessed “flute players” and a “noisy crowd”. The mourning, you see, had already begun, and this crowd did not possess the faith of the ruler. We know this because as Jesus told them to “Go away” because “The girl (was) not dead but asleep”, the people responded by laughing at Him. They thought Jesus was crazy.
They soon would see first hand for themselves the power he possessed…the power to do all things…even restore a dead person to life.
So the crowd was put outside and Jesus went to the ruler’s daughter. We read that as He “took the girl by the hand…she got up”. Once dead, she was again alive and the news of the miracle “spread through all that region”.
Friends, the good news of the gospel we were commanded to share with others is rooted in the truth that Jesus resurrects and transforms…now and forever. Those who were dead and without home because they worshipped and conformed to the world spring alive every day when they choose to take the hand of Jesus and cross over from death to eternal life (John 3:16). They become a new creation leaving their past that was leading them toward death behind in exchange for the imperishable life only found in Jesus.
And what makes this even more awesome is that those who are alive in Christ get to help Him in the process through participating and fulfilling His Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20).
Is there any other undertaking any more important or anymore important than that?
Question: How well are you doing in helping Jesus bring the dead in this world to life?
It’s a question we need to be prepared to answer and respond to each and every day. There’s simply too much at stake to do otherwise.
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk@aol.com
In Christ, Mark
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
While he was saying this, a ruler came and knelt before him and said, "My daughter has just died. But come and put your hand on her, and she will live." Jesus got up and went with him, and so did his disciples.
When Jesus entered the ruler's house and saw the flute players and the noisy crowd, He said, "Go away. The girl is not dead but asleep." But they laughed at him. After the crowd had been put outside, He went in and took the girl by the hand, and she got up. News of this spread through all that region.
Matthew 9:18-19, 23-26
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
Do the dead really come back to life?
If you asked the average person this, they would probably look at you like you’re crazy. They would possibly say, “Of course, the dead don’t come back top life. That only happens in those crazy reincarnation of zombie movies. It’s a matter of fiction, not fact.”
Ask a Christian this question however, and ten times out of ten, they had better respond, “Yes”…the dead are brought back to life. In fact, it happens every single day.” If they don’t believe that then I would wonder if they really are Christian or of Christ.
For it’s obvious as we look at the life and ministry of Jesus that He had the power to resurrect and bring the dead back to life. Such an example is found in today’s passage.
For we read where a “ruler came and knelt before” Jesus…a gesture of respect and acknowledgement of Jesus’ overarching authority above all the world’s rulers…the King of kings and Lord of lords.
As the ruler bows before Jesus, he tells Him that his daughter had just died and then asks that Jesus “come and put your hand on her, and she will live." Do you think this man believed that the dead could be brought back to life? His words and actions showed that he did…and that he knew Jesus could make it happen. That was the extreme depth of the ruler’s faith.
And so as we have seen in our past study of Jesus in Matthew, Christ rewards the man’s faith and goes with him as did his disciples.
Scripture tells us that “when Jesus entered the ruler's house”, he witnessed “flute players” and a “noisy crowd”. The mourning, you see, had already begun, and this crowd did not possess the faith of the ruler. We know this because as Jesus told them to “Go away” because “The girl (was) not dead but asleep”, the people responded by laughing at Him. They thought Jesus was crazy.
They soon would see first hand for themselves the power he possessed…the power to do all things…even restore a dead person to life.
So the crowd was put outside and Jesus went to the ruler’s daughter. We read that as He “took the girl by the hand…she got up”. Once dead, she was again alive and the news of the miracle “spread through all that region”.
Friends, the good news of the gospel we were commanded to share with others is rooted in the truth that Jesus resurrects and transforms…now and forever. Those who were dead and without home because they worshipped and conformed to the world spring alive every day when they choose to take the hand of Jesus and cross over from death to eternal life (John 3:16). They become a new creation leaving their past that was leading them toward death behind in exchange for the imperishable life only found in Jesus.
And what makes this even more awesome is that those who are alive in Christ get to help Him in the process through participating and fulfilling His Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20).
Is there any other undertaking any more important or anymore important than that?
Question: How well are you doing in helping Jesus bring the dead in this world to life?
It’s a question we need to be prepared to answer and respond to each and every day. There’s simply too much at stake to do otherwise.
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk@aol.com
HOW'S YOUR WINESKIN?
Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk.com.
In Christ, Mark
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
"No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch will pull away from the garment, making the tear worse. Neither do men pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst, the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved."
Matthew 9:16-17
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
One thing is certain when becoming a Christian. We’re expected to put what was behind us to accept the newness that we are to become in Jesus.
In fact, scripture tells us in 2 Corinthians that “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” (2 Corinthians 5:17)
The old is gone. The new has come. Out with the old and in with the new. God’s word is clear.
And yet, we have many who seem to feel they can live in both worlds as Christ’s disciples…new in Him while still committed to their sinful ways of the past. They want the world and its offerings but also want Jesus and what He offers as well.
This is clearly against what Jesus expects of His followers. We need only look at today’s scripture to understand that.
For Jesus, as He so often does in His teachings, uses illustrations to drive through His point…using common life examples to teach spiritual truths.
First, He talks about mending garments.
In biblical times, just like today, accidents happen and sometimes we catch our clothing on something that could cause it to tear or rip. When that happens, typically we want to repair it so we can continue to wear it. This was the case even more so in the times of Jesus as people didn’t have large wardrobes to select from nor have a lot of places where they could purchase clothes.
So what was the best way to patch a torn garment? Jesus tells His disciples that "No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment for the patch will pull away from the garment, making the tear worse.” The garment itself had been worn and washed many times and so the material was already shrunk. To repair it properly, one would need to use a patch from a garment that was also used and preshrunk. This way, the patch would not change as the garment continued to be washed, retaining its form. Conversely, a patch from new material sewn onto an old garment would shrink when that old garment was washed, tearing and ripping away from the garment and making the damage worse than before.
It’s obvious that you can’t mix the old with the new. They simply aren’t compatible. That’s the fundamental point that Jesus tries to make.
Secondly, Jesus uses an illustration about wineskins to make the same point. He said, “Neither do men pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst, the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved."
New wineskins were used to hold new wine. It was a pretty well known fact.
Why?
Because new wineskins would be able to stretch and expand without breaking. This was important because as the new wine was poured in and stored, it would ferment and cause the skin to expand. New wineskins would be able to expand without bursting and wasting the wine. Old wineskins, already stretched, would not be able to expand further without breaking and allowing the wine to run out.
So what is Jesus trying to say here?
He’s saying that all His ways…ways that were and are new and incompatible with the world’s ways…cannot be housed in a person who decides that he or she doesn’t want to be a “new creation”, allowing the old to be gone in exchange for the newness of Christ Jesus.
Just as new wine cannot be stored in an old wineskin.
Question: How is your wineskin?
Have you fully surrendered yourself to Jesus, allowing yourself to be a new wineskin ready to accept and retain the new wine that He brings through His word and Spirit?
Or have you decided to try and have Jesus and the world together, placing His new wine in your old wineskin…and discovering that you can’t seem to stop repeating prior sinful behavior, each time seeing your old wineskin break and Christ pour out…leaving you ruined and empty?
Friends, we can’t possibly hold Jesus within us unless we fully become new in Him…that new creation that Paul talks about in his letter to the church in Corinth. Is it difficult? Yes…because Satan wants nothing more than for us to stay connected to the sinful ways of the world where he seeks to destroy every good and perfect thing that God does. But remember that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us (Philippians 4:13)…the same Christ who wants to change and transform us now (2 Corinthians 5:17) and forever (John 3:16).
That’s good news…that’s the gospel. Thanks be to God.
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk@aol.com
In Christ, Mark
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
"No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch will pull away from the garment, making the tear worse. Neither do men pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst, the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved."
Matthew 9:16-17
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
One thing is certain when becoming a Christian. We’re expected to put what was behind us to accept the newness that we are to become in Jesus.
In fact, scripture tells us in 2 Corinthians that “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” (2 Corinthians 5:17)
The old is gone. The new has come. Out with the old and in with the new. God’s word is clear.
And yet, we have many who seem to feel they can live in both worlds as Christ’s disciples…new in Him while still committed to their sinful ways of the past. They want the world and its offerings but also want Jesus and what He offers as well.
This is clearly against what Jesus expects of His followers. We need only look at today’s scripture to understand that.
For Jesus, as He so often does in His teachings, uses illustrations to drive through His point…using common life examples to teach spiritual truths.
First, He talks about mending garments.
In biblical times, just like today, accidents happen and sometimes we catch our clothing on something that could cause it to tear or rip. When that happens, typically we want to repair it so we can continue to wear it. This was the case even more so in the times of Jesus as people didn’t have large wardrobes to select from nor have a lot of places where they could purchase clothes.
So what was the best way to patch a torn garment? Jesus tells His disciples that "No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment for the patch will pull away from the garment, making the tear worse.” The garment itself had been worn and washed many times and so the material was already shrunk. To repair it properly, one would need to use a patch from a garment that was also used and preshrunk. This way, the patch would not change as the garment continued to be washed, retaining its form. Conversely, a patch from new material sewn onto an old garment would shrink when that old garment was washed, tearing and ripping away from the garment and making the damage worse than before.
It’s obvious that you can’t mix the old with the new. They simply aren’t compatible. That’s the fundamental point that Jesus tries to make.
Secondly, Jesus uses an illustration about wineskins to make the same point. He said, “Neither do men pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst, the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved."
New wineskins were used to hold new wine. It was a pretty well known fact.
Why?
Because new wineskins would be able to stretch and expand without breaking. This was important because as the new wine was poured in and stored, it would ferment and cause the skin to expand. New wineskins would be able to expand without bursting and wasting the wine. Old wineskins, already stretched, would not be able to expand further without breaking and allowing the wine to run out.
So what is Jesus trying to say here?
He’s saying that all His ways…ways that were and are new and incompatible with the world’s ways…cannot be housed in a person who decides that he or she doesn’t want to be a “new creation”, allowing the old to be gone in exchange for the newness of Christ Jesus.
Just as new wine cannot be stored in an old wineskin.
Question: How is your wineskin?
Have you fully surrendered yourself to Jesus, allowing yourself to be a new wineskin ready to accept and retain the new wine that He brings through His word and Spirit?
Or have you decided to try and have Jesus and the world together, placing His new wine in your old wineskin…and discovering that you can’t seem to stop repeating prior sinful behavior, each time seeing your old wineskin break and Christ pour out…leaving you ruined and empty?
Friends, we can’t possibly hold Jesus within us unless we fully become new in Him…that new creation that Paul talks about in his letter to the church in Corinth. Is it difficult? Yes…because Satan wants nothing more than for us to stay connected to the sinful ways of the world where he seeks to destroy every good and perfect thing that God does. But remember that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us (Philippians 4:13)…the same Christ who wants to change and transform us now (2 Corinthians 5:17) and forever (John 3:16).
That’s good news…that’s the gospel. Thanks be to God.
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk@aol.com
Thursday, March 18, 2010
ARE YOU AT THE WEDDING?
Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk.com.
In Christ, Mark
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
Then John's disciples came and asked Him, "How is it that we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?"
Jesus answered, "How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while he is with them? The time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast.
Matthew 9:14-15
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
Have you ever been to a wedding?
Most of us have.
So has that wedding ever been a time of mourning or sorrow or regret?
I’ve never been at one like that.
For every wedding I’ve ever been at has been a time of great celebration…a time when love reigns supreme as a man and a woman take their vows to live together forever, for richer or for poorer…in sickness and in health…in good times and in bad.
Keep this thought in mind as we examine today’s scripture passage.
In it, we find Jesus approached by John’s disciples who asked, “How is it that we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?"
Fasting was very common in biblical days, typically practiced when one was mourning or seeking repentance for sinful behavior. Never was fasting associated with anything except grief and sorrow.
Question: When we are in Jesus Christ as we are as Christians, should we be living our lives in grief and sorrow? Or does Jesus expect us to live in joy and celebration in recognition of the love and hope we find in Him?
Keep in mind these words as you think about the answer:
“Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.” 1 Peter 3:15
Ask yourself this…would anyone ask you about the hope you have if you’re walking around in an attitude of misery and sadness?
I know I wouldn’t because I wouldn’t see any indicator of hope in you.
Friends, we are to rejoice and be glad we have Jesus in our lives…and we are to let everyone know He is alive and living in and around us.
This is why Jesus answered John’s disciples by saying:
"How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while he is with them? The time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast.”
Indeed, while Jesus was with His disciples, they were to be thankful and joyous…celebrating Him in everything they do. The only time that would change is when He was taken from them…for in losing Him, they had lost everything. And life without Jesus would be a miserable life.
As we travel through Lent, perhaps you are fasting as a way of preparation for reliving Jesus being arrested, wrongly accused and sentenced, crucified until dead and then buried. Every year, we need to be remembered of the suffering and sacrifice that He gave for us. But then, just as death and the grave could not keep Jesus down…so too in His resurrection that we find our dejection turn to happiness ...our anguish turn to delight.
Friends, with Jesus in your life, are you at the wedding…a part of the celebration that comes with being in the company of the bridegroom? Or are you with those who are fasting, trading elation and bliss for despondency and melancholy?
We have a choice.
It’s my prayer that we all choose joy and hope every time…for Jesus lived, died and lived again to bring us just that.
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk@aol.com
In Christ, Mark
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
Then John's disciples came and asked Him, "How is it that we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?"
Jesus answered, "How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while he is with them? The time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast.
Matthew 9:14-15
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
Have you ever been to a wedding?
Most of us have.
So has that wedding ever been a time of mourning or sorrow or regret?
I’ve never been at one like that.
For every wedding I’ve ever been at has been a time of great celebration…a time when love reigns supreme as a man and a woman take their vows to live together forever, for richer or for poorer…in sickness and in health…in good times and in bad.
Keep this thought in mind as we examine today’s scripture passage.
In it, we find Jesus approached by John’s disciples who asked, “How is it that we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?"
Fasting was very common in biblical days, typically practiced when one was mourning or seeking repentance for sinful behavior. Never was fasting associated with anything except grief and sorrow.
Question: When we are in Jesus Christ as we are as Christians, should we be living our lives in grief and sorrow? Or does Jesus expect us to live in joy and celebration in recognition of the love and hope we find in Him?
Keep in mind these words as you think about the answer:
“Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.” 1 Peter 3:15
Ask yourself this…would anyone ask you about the hope you have if you’re walking around in an attitude of misery and sadness?
I know I wouldn’t because I wouldn’t see any indicator of hope in you.
Friends, we are to rejoice and be glad we have Jesus in our lives…and we are to let everyone know He is alive and living in and around us.
This is why Jesus answered John’s disciples by saying:
"How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while he is with them? The time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast.”
Indeed, while Jesus was with His disciples, they were to be thankful and joyous…celebrating Him in everything they do. The only time that would change is when He was taken from them…for in losing Him, they had lost everything. And life without Jesus would be a miserable life.
As we travel through Lent, perhaps you are fasting as a way of preparation for reliving Jesus being arrested, wrongly accused and sentenced, crucified until dead and then buried. Every year, we need to be remembered of the suffering and sacrifice that He gave for us. But then, just as death and the grave could not keep Jesus down…so too in His resurrection that we find our dejection turn to happiness ...our anguish turn to delight.
Friends, with Jesus in your life, are you at the wedding…a part of the celebration that comes with being in the company of the bridegroom? Or are you with those who are fasting, trading elation and bliss for despondency and melancholy?
We have a choice.
It’s my prayer that we all choose joy and hope every time…for Jesus lived, died and lived again to bring us just that.
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk@aol.com
WHO DO YOU ASSOCIATE WITH?
Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk.com.
In Christ, Mark
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector's booth. "Follow me," He told him, and Matthew got up and followed him.
While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew's house, many tax collectors and "sinners" came and ate with him and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and 'sinners'?"
On hearing this, Jesus said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."
Matthew 9:9-13
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
Question: Who do you feel most comfortable being around? Family? Friends? Co-workers?
We all have that comfort zone…the place where we feel most at ease…the place where we seem to always seek out and hang out.
As we look at today’s passage from Matthew, Chapter 9, it’s important to note that people had their comfort zones back then too. Those who were righteous…read Jewish…could hand out together but wouldn’t be caught dead with a Gentile…read non-Jew…or anyone else who was considered a sinner or unclean. Those who were in and of God just wouldn’t associate with “those” types of people.
Today, we do much of the same thing…just in a different variation.
For example, how welcome would a murderer be in the midst of law-abiding citizens? How about a sex offender? A prostitute?
Typically, we wouldn’t want to be within a foot of any of these people. They’re just evil and should hang out with each other, away from society so they can’t do harm. And most of the time, where that ends up being is a prison…a place where the average person has no desire to go and visit. Ditto for a brothel.
Question: What would Jesus do? Do we even ask this as we consider those who live on the margins of our society?
Let’s look at today’s scripture passage for some insight.
It begins by formally adding another disciple to Jesus’ inner group…a group which would number 12 before it would be all said and done with.
We read where Jesus “saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector's booth” and asked him to “Follow me." And Matthew did just that.
Now before we move on any further, it’s important to note that Matthew was a tax collector and there were few others hated more in the New Testament society than tax collectors.
Why?
Well, for starters, they were pretty much under the control of the Romans who had control of Israel and oppressed the Israelite population with severe taxation…revenue that the tax collectors had to gather from their own people. But if this weren’t enough, there were many unscrupulous tax collectors…those who would add an additional amount to what the Romans demanded so they could pocket the difference for themselves. Many tax collectors ended up with wealth by essentially stealing from their own people. This is why they were despised.
This explains why the Pharisees were caught off guard when Jesus decided to have dinner with Matthew, along with “many tax collectors and sinners”. The Pharisees asked Jesus’ disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and 'sinners'?"
Jesus didn’t give them time to develop their own response for He had one of His own. He replied to the Pharisees saying, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."
I couldn’t help but wonder how the Pharisees felt after Jesus spoke those words. My gut is that they didn’t get it…for the Lord’s wisdom would have been lost in translation to them.
Jesus intends to tell the Pharisees and us as well today that we ‘re not to be just hanging around with those who are considered holy and righteous. No…we’re expected to get out of our comfort zone and go to bring the good news to the marginalized…those who have been shut out and shunned by society. Jesus would have no avoided them. He would have embraced them and ensured He spent time with them.
How else might they change and become more like Him otherwise?
Friends, this passage challenges us and rocks us at our core. For it stirs our very souls to respond as Jesus responded…even if we must move from beyond our comfort zone to carry out His will.
What’s at stake?
The very souls and salvation of those who have went astray and fell into the clutches of Satan...the evil one. If no one chose to associate with them, how will they come to know Jesus and possibly catch a glimpse of Him through the actions of those who choose to serve and represent Him?
Again…a question…Who do you associate with?
After today’s scripture, my prayer is that you’ll reevaluate yourself before you answer, asking yourself, “What would Jesus do?” and answering by remembering that “it is not the healthy who need a doctor but the sick”.
Amen.
PS: You may want to check out a few of these sites in response to Jesus’ call in today’s message:
http://www.prisonfellowship.org/prison-fellowship-home
http://prisonministry.net/
http://www.prisonministry.org/
http://www.afterhoursministry.com/
http://www.matthew25ministries.org/
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk@aol.com
In Christ, Mark
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector's booth. "Follow me," He told him, and Matthew got up and followed him.
While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew's house, many tax collectors and "sinners" came and ate with him and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and 'sinners'?"
On hearing this, Jesus said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."
Matthew 9:9-13
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
Question: Who do you feel most comfortable being around? Family? Friends? Co-workers?
We all have that comfort zone…the place where we feel most at ease…the place where we seem to always seek out and hang out.
As we look at today’s passage from Matthew, Chapter 9, it’s important to note that people had their comfort zones back then too. Those who were righteous…read Jewish…could hand out together but wouldn’t be caught dead with a Gentile…read non-Jew…or anyone else who was considered a sinner or unclean. Those who were in and of God just wouldn’t associate with “those” types of people.
Today, we do much of the same thing…just in a different variation.
For example, how welcome would a murderer be in the midst of law-abiding citizens? How about a sex offender? A prostitute?
Typically, we wouldn’t want to be within a foot of any of these people. They’re just evil and should hang out with each other, away from society so they can’t do harm. And most of the time, where that ends up being is a prison…a place where the average person has no desire to go and visit. Ditto for a brothel.
Question: What would Jesus do? Do we even ask this as we consider those who live on the margins of our society?
Let’s look at today’s scripture passage for some insight.
It begins by formally adding another disciple to Jesus’ inner group…a group which would number 12 before it would be all said and done with.
We read where Jesus “saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector's booth” and asked him to “Follow me." And Matthew did just that.
Now before we move on any further, it’s important to note that Matthew was a tax collector and there were few others hated more in the New Testament society than tax collectors.
Why?
Well, for starters, they were pretty much under the control of the Romans who had control of Israel and oppressed the Israelite population with severe taxation…revenue that the tax collectors had to gather from their own people. But if this weren’t enough, there were many unscrupulous tax collectors…those who would add an additional amount to what the Romans demanded so they could pocket the difference for themselves. Many tax collectors ended up with wealth by essentially stealing from their own people. This is why they were despised.
This explains why the Pharisees were caught off guard when Jesus decided to have dinner with Matthew, along with “many tax collectors and sinners”. The Pharisees asked Jesus’ disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and 'sinners'?"
Jesus didn’t give them time to develop their own response for He had one of His own. He replied to the Pharisees saying, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."
I couldn’t help but wonder how the Pharisees felt after Jesus spoke those words. My gut is that they didn’t get it…for the Lord’s wisdom would have been lost in translation to them.
Jesus intends to tell the Pharisees and us as well today that we ‘re not to be just hanging around with those who are considered holy and righteous. No…we’re expected to get out of our comfort zone and go to bring the good news to the marginalized…those who have been shut out and shunned by society. Jesus would have no avoided them. He would have embraced them and ensured He spent time with them.
How else might they change and become more like Him otherwise?
Friends, this passage challenges us and rocks us at our core. For it stirs our very souls to respond as Jesus responded…even if we must move from beyond our comfort zone to carry out His will.
What’s at stake?
The very souls and salvation of those who have went astray and fell into the clutches of Satan...the evil one. If no one chose to associate with them, how will they come to know Jesus and possibly catch a glimpse of Him through the actions of those who choose to serve and represent Him?
Again…a question…Who do you associate with?
After today’s scripture, my prayer is that you’ll reevaluate yourself before you answer, asking yourself, “What would Jesus do?” and answering by remembering that “it is not the healthy who need a doctor but the sick”.
Amen.
PS: You may want to check out a few of these sites in response to Jesus’ call in today’s message:
http://www.prisonfellowship.org/prison-fellowship-home
http://prisonministry.net/
http://www.prisonministry.org/
http://www.afterhoursministry.com/
http://www.matthew25ministries.org/
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk@aol.com
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
THE POWER TO CHANGE YOU...FOREVER
Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk.com.
In Christ, Mark
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
Jesus stepped into a boat, crossed over and came to his own town. Some men brought to him a paralytic, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven."
At this, some of the teachers of the law said to themselves, "This fellow is blaspheming!"
Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said, "Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts? Which is easier: to say, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up and walk'? But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins...." Then he said to the paralytic, "Get up, take your mat and go home." And the man got up and went home. When the crowd saw this, they were filled with awe; and they praised God, who had given such authority to men.
Matthew 9:1-8
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
Change.
It’s a word we hear a lot.
Some people try to make change happen. Others try to keep it from happening. Still other pray that it happens.
Yes…change seems to always be either in our thoughts or the thoughts of those around us.
Question: Are you or someone you know in the need for change today?
So far…as we have examined the life and ministry of Jesus, we have seen that many of the people of Israel were looking for change…and in Christ, they were getting all they could handle. Whether it was His teaching…His healing…or as we saw at the end of Matthew, Chapter 8…His power to dispose of demons…Jesus had shown that there was nothing that He couldn’t alter if He chose to do so. That trend would continue in Chapter 9.
For as the chapter opens, we find Jesus getting back in His boat and returning to Capernaum, “his own town” meaning it was the place where He based His early ministry while in Galilee.
Once there, we read where “some men brought to him a paralytic, lying on a mat”. What were they looking for? Change, of course. They knew that Jesus possessed the power to heal the paralytic and restore his ability to have a normal life. And so as they brought the man to Jesus, their faith in Him was on full display…and He rewarded that faith by saying, “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven."
Huh? Why didn’t He just say, “Your faith has saved you. Get up and walk!”?
Because Jesus was about to show others that He had the authority to do far more than they could ever imagine…and He was about to spark an issue with the local religious authorities that would eventually lead to His arrest and crucifixion over the matter of blasphemy.
For to this point, the common belief was that only God could forgive sins. No mere man could ever possess that power…and anyone who claimed to have authority equivalent to God was obviously lying and showing blatant disrespect to the worshipped and revered Father and Author of all Creation.
This is why scripture tells us that “some of the teachers of the law” were thinking that the words of Jesus constituted blasphemy when He claimed to have the power to forgive sins.
These teachers of the law must have stood in awe over what happened next. Because Jesus showed them that He not only possessed the power to change things but also the power to read and know their very thoughts. And no present day religious authorities…not even the most pious…could do that.
So Jesus, sensing that the teachers of the law were harboring accusations in their hearts, speaks out against them asking, “Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts? Which is easier: to say, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up and walk'?”
Jesus could have said either…for He had the power to do both. But this was the first time he had claimed the authority to forgive sins…something that the people believed might have contributed to a person’s medical affliction. In other words, many would have believed the man was a paralytic because of the sins he had committed…that his ailment was a consequence of being disobedient to God…the same God that they saw as being the only One who could grant pardon from those sins. Jesus sought to show that He not only could change people from the outside in but also the inside out.
Back to the scriptures where Jesus validated the power that the teachers of the law doubted…the “authority on earth to forgive sins” by saying to the paralyzed man, “Get up, take your mat and go home."
And with those very words, “the man got up and went home”, filling the “crowd…with awe” and causing them to praise God from whom they knew all authority came from…the One who had granted the power to His Son.
Friends, isn’t that what happens when Jesus enters into any situation in life?
Some have faith in what He can do…some have doubt in the same…but in the end, Jesus shows there is nothing outside of the works of His hands…nothing He can’t change.
Indeed, as we continue through Lent and march toward Easter Sunday, we’ll continue to be reminded that Jesus’ ministry will be defined by change as he continues to amaze man and show the power to change and transform people…not just in the here and now (2 Corinthians 5:17)…but forever (John 3:16).
Again…are you or someone you know in need of change today?
Why not look to Jesus? In fact, why would you look anywhere else?
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk@aol.com
In Christ, Mark
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
Jesus stepped into a boat, crossed over and came to his own town. Some men brought to him a paralytic, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven."
At this, some of the teachers of the law said to themselves, "This fellow is blaspheming!"
Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said, "Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts? Which is easier: to say, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up and walk'? But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins...." Then he said to the paralytic, "Get up, take your mat and go home." And the man got up and went home. When the crowd saw this, they were filled with awe; and they praised God, who had given such authority to men.
Matthew 9:1-8
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
Change.
It’s a word we hear a lot.
Some people try to make change happen. Others try to keep it from happening. Still other pray that it happens.
Yes…change seems to always be either in our thoughts or the thoughts of those around us.
Question: Are you or someone you know in the need for change today?
So far…as we have examined the life and ministry of Jesus, we have seen that many of the people of Israel were looking for change…and in Christ, they were getting all they could handle. Whether it was His teaching…His healing…or as we saw at the end of Matthew, Chapter 8…His power to dispose of demons…Jesus had shown that there was nothing that He couldn’t alter if He chose to do so. That trend would continue in Chapter 9.
For as the chapter opens, we find Jesus getting back in His boat and returning to Capernaum, “his own town” meaning it was the place where He based His early ministry while in Galilee.
Once there, we read where “some men brought to him a paralytic, lying on a mat”. What were they looking for? Change, of course. They knew that Jesus possessed the power to heal the paralytic and restore his ability to have a normal life. And so as they brought the man to Jesus, their faith in Him was on full display…and He rewarded that faith by saying, “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven."
Huh? Why didn’t He just say, “Your faith has saved you. Get up and walk!”?
Because Jesus was about to show others that He had the authority to do far more than they could ever imagine…and He was about to spark an issue with the local religious authorities that would eventually lead to His arrest and crucifixion over the matter of blasphemy.
For to this point, the common belief was that only God could forgive sins. No mere man could ever possess that power…and anyone who claimed to have authority equivalent to God was obviously lying and showing blatant disrespect to the worshipped and revered Father and Author of all Creation.
This is why scripture tells us that “some of the teachers of the law” were thinking that the words of Jesus constituted blasphemy when He claimed to have the power to forgive sins.
These teachers of the law must have stood in awe over what happened next. Because Jesus showed them that He not only possessed the power to change things but also the power to read and know their very thoughts. And no present day religious authorities…not even the most pious…could do that.
So Jesus, sensing that the teachers of the law were harboring accusations in their hearts, speaks out against them asking, “Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts? Which is easier: to say, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up and walk'?”
Jesus could have said either…for He had the power to do both. But this was the first time he had claimed the authority to forgive sins…something that the people believed might have contributed to a person’s medical affliction. In other words, many would have believed the man was a paralytic because of the sins he had committed…that his ailment was a consequence of being disobedient to God…the same God that they saw as being the only One who could grant pardon from those sins. Jesus sought to show that He not only could change people from the outside in but also the inside out.
Back to the scriptures where Jesus validated the power that the teachers of the law doubted…the “authority on earth to forgive sins” by saying to the paralyzed man, “Get up, take your mat and go home."
And with those very words, “the man got up and went home”, filling the “crowd…with awe” and causing them to praise God from whom they knew all authority came from…the One who had granted the power to His Son.
Friends, isn’t that what happens when Jesus enters into any situation in life?
Some have faith in what He can do…some have doubt in the same…but in the end, Jesus shows there is nothing outside of the works of His hands…nothing He can’t change.
Indeed, as we continue through Lent and march toward Easter Sunday, we’ll continue to be reminded that Jesus’ ministry will be defined by change as he continues to amaze man and show the power to change and transform people…not just in the here and now (2 Corinthians 5:17)…but forever (John 3:16).
Again…are you or someone you know in need of change today?
Why not look to Jesus? In fact, why would you look anywhere else?
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk@aol.com
Monday, March 15, 2010
THE GREAT DEMON DISPOSER
Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk.com.
In Christ, Mark
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
When he arrived at the other side in the region of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men coming from the tombs met him. They were so violent that no one could pass that way. "What do you want with us, Son of God?" they shouted. "Have you come here to torture us before the appointed time?"
Some distance from them a large herd of pigs was feeding. The demons begged Jesus, "If you drive us out, send us into the herd of pigs."
He said to them, "Go!" So they came out and went into the pigs, and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and died in the water. Those tending the pigs ran off, went into the town and reported all this, including what had happened to the demon-possessed men. Then the whole town went out to meet Jesus. And when they saw him, they pleaded with him to leave their region.
Matthew 8:28-34
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
Do you have any demons?
Not a crazy question by any means.
You see, we hear the word “demon” and automatically about the movie, “The Exorcist”, or other movies like it where so much evil has entered a person that they are left incapacitated…unable to be who they are because the demon has taken over.
But is every demon one that consumes a person and takes them over?
Not necessarily.
Consider the definition of the word “demon”. Webster’s says a demon is an “evil spirit” but the also adds that it could be “a source or agent of evil, harm, distress, or ruin”.
With that, here’s a question to consider…
Is there anything in your life that is a source of evil or harm or distress or ruin or a combination of these things?
If you aren’t under any of these now, then maybe you have been before at sometime. For we all have found ourselves in distress at some time or another. Doubt that? Then consider that synonyms for distress are grief, worry and woe…upset, afflicted and bothered. If you’ve ever felt any of these, then you have been demonized to some extent.
Indeed, life’s circumstances sometime leave us haunted by the past…or possibly haunted by the present…or even haunted by what might be ahead. Yes, life has a way of too often leaving us troubled.
Thanks be to God we have Jesus…who showed in the passage yesterday that He had the power to calm the storm by just the mere words from His mouth. Today, He shows that He also has power over demons…making Him the great Demon Disposer.
Our scripture starts with Jesus arriving “in the region of the Gadarenes” a location about six miles southeast of the Sea of Galilee. There He encounters “two demon-possessed men” who had come from the tombs to meet Him. These weren’t mild demonic spirits. For we read where “they were so violent that no one could pass”.
The demons, speaking through the men they possessed, shouted to Jesus, "What do you want with us, Son of God?…Have you come here to torture us before the appointed time?"
Of interest here is that the demons knew who they were dealing with. We know because they identify Jesus as being the “Son of God” and understand the power that comes with that. The demons also knew Jesus had the power to torture and destroy them for they begged Him to send them into a herd of pigs if He drove them out of the men they possessed.
Jesus did just that. For our passage tells us that Jesus commanded the demons to “Go!”…and go they did…out of the men and into the pigs which then “rushed down the steep bank into the lake and died in the water”.
The Son of God…Jesus…showed through His actions that He truly was and still is the great Demon Disposer.
So what demonizes you? What causes you distress? What causes you to worry or feel anxious, stressed or afraid?
You’ll never rid yourself of these and be set free unless you turn your demons…those root causes of negative feelings and emotions…over to Jesus…the great Demon Disposer.
Won’t you trust in Him right now and allow Him to enter in and heal you?
He stands ready to drive out whatever troubles you…and show you a peace that transcends all understanding (Philippians 4:6-7).
And who wouldn’t want to have that every day of this life here on earth?
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk@aol.com
In Christ, Mark
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
When he arrived at the other side in the region of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men coming from the tombs met him. They were so violent that no one could pass that way. "What do you want with us, Son of God?" they shouted. "Have you come here to torture us before the appointed time?"
Some distance from them a large herd of pigs was feeding. The demons begged Jesus, "If you drive us out, send us into the herd of pigs."
He said to them, "Go!" So they came out and went into the pigs, and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and died in the water. Those tending the pigs ran off, went into the town and reported all this, including what had happened to the demon-possessed men. Then the whole town went out to meet Jesus. And when they saw him, they pleaded with him to leave their region.
Matthew 8:28-34
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
Do you have any demons?
Not a crazy question by any means.
You see, we hear the word “demon” and automatically about the movie, “The Exorcist”, or other movies like it where so much evil has entered a person that they are left incapacitated…unable to be who they are because the demon has taken over.
But is every demon one that consumes a person and takes them over?
Not necessarily.
Consider the definition of the word “demon”. Webster’s says a demon is an “evil spirit” but the also adds that it could be “a source or agent of evil, harm, distress, or ruin”.
With that, here’s a question to consider…
Is there anything in your life that is a source of evil or harm or distress or ruin or a combination of these things?
If you aren’t under any of these now, then maybe you have been before at sometime. For we all have found ourselves in distress at some time or another. Doubt that? Then consider that synonyms for distress are grief, worry and woe…upset, afflicted and bothered. If you’ve ever felt any of these, then you have been demonized to some extent.
Indeed, life’s circumstances sometime leave us haunted by the past…or possibly haunted by the present…or even haunted by what might be ahead. Yes, life has a way of too often leaving us troubled.
Thanks be to God we have Jesus…who showed in the passage yesterday that He had the power to calm the storm by just the mere words from His mouth. Today, He shows that He also has power over demons…making Him the great Demon Disposer.
Our scripture starts with Jesus arriving “in the region of the Gadarenes” a location about six miles southeast of the Sea of Galilee. There He encounters “two demon-possessed men” who had come from the tombs to meet Him. These weren’t mild demonic spirits. For we read where “they were so violent that no one could pass”.
The demons, speaking through the men they possessed, shouted to Jesus, "What do you want with us, Son of God?…Have you come here to torture us before the appointed time?"
Of interest here is that the demons knew who they were dealing with. We know because they identify Jesus as being the “Son of God” and understand the power that comes with that. The demons also knew Jesus had the power to torture and destroy them for they begged Him to send them into a herd of pigs if He drove them out of the men they possessed.
Jesus did just that. For our passage tells us that Jesus commanded the demons to “Go!”…and go they did…out of the men and into the pigs which then “rushed down the steep bank into the lake and died in the water”.
The Son of God…Jesus…showed through His actions that He truly was and still is the great Demon Disposer.
So what demonizes you? What causes you distress? What causes you to worry or feel anxious, stressed or afraid?
You’ll never rid yourself of these and be set free unless you turn your demons…those root causes of negative feelings and emotions…over to Jesus…the great Demon Disposer.
Won’t you trust in Him right now and allow Him to enter in and heal you?
He stands ready to drive out whatever troubles you…and show you a peace that transcends all understanding (Philippians 4:6-7).
And who wouldn’t want to have that every day of this life here on earth?
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk@aol.com
Sunday, March 14, 2010
DO YOU KNOW JESUS IS WITH YOU?
Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk.com.
In Christ, Mark
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. Without warning, a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke him, saying, "Lord, save us! We're going to drown!"
He replied, "You of little faith, why are you so afraid?" Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.
The men were amazed and asked, "What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!"
Matthew 8:23-27
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
How do you respond when times of trouble arise?
That is the question at the heart of today’s scripture passage.
Jesus and His disciples got into their boat and set sail once again on the Sea of Galilee. They had traveled the sea before, successfully navigating to their destination. But this particular trip would be different.
For we read where “a furious storm came up on the lake” without warning. So strong was the storm that “the waves swept over the boat” but none of this woke Jesus who was sleeping.
The disciples became frightened and feared for their lives so much that they woke Jesus saying, “Lord, save us! We're going to drown!" Upset at their actions, Jesus criticized the disciples replying, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?" And then we read that He got up and “rebuked the winds and the waves”, making conditions “completely calm”.
Well the disciples could barely grasp what they had just witnessed for they asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!"
What kind of man is this?
This man is Jesus…the Lord of Lords…the King of Kings…the Almighty Christ.
Friends, how many times are we like the disciples? Our faith stays firm when conditions are good but let a storm blow in suddenly and we end up in a panic…afraid…crying out to be saved as if Jesus is asleep while we are in need.
You see, the disciples lost sight of the fact that Jesus was with them. Yes, He was asleep. So what? He was there in the boat with the disciples. Did they really think that Jesus would allow them to die while He was catching a nap? Would Jesus have called them all to follow Him only to kill them on the Sea of Galilee?
It’s little wonder why Jesus was upset at them for waking them. He wasn’t so angry that they had disturbed His sleep. No…He was disappointed that they didn’t show more faith.
I wonder how many times He feels the same way about us?
Friends, the disciples had only knew Jesus for a short time and yet they had seen the miraculous power He possessed. We on the other hand have the entire account of Jesus’ life and ministry to include the greatest miraculous act of all as he conquered death and the grave to ascend into heaven and sit on the right hand of God the Father.
We know this and yet we doubt even though Jesus is in the business of controlling and subsiding any furious storm that might blow up suddenly in our lives. We think He has somehow left us when we know He would never leave us nor forsake us. And didn’t He promise His disciples and us as well that He would be with us until the end of the age as He gave His Great Commission? (Matthew 28)
It’s time for us to stop wavering and look to the only One who is capable and willing to calm the storms of life and restore order.
It’s time to trust Jesus.
Do you know He is with you today?
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk@aol.com
In Christ, Mark
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. Without warning, a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke him, saying, "Lord, save us! We're going to drown!"
He replied, "You of little faith, why are you so afraid?" Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.
The men were amazed and asked, "What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!"
Matthew 8:23-27
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
How do you respond when times of trouble arise?
That is the question at the heart of today’s scripture passage.
Jesus and His disciples got into their boat and set sail once again on the Sea of Galilee. They had traveled the sea before, successfully navigating to their destination. But this particular trip would be different.
For we read where “a furious storm came up on the lake” without warning. So strong was the storm that “the waves swept over the boat” but none of this woke Jesus who was sleeping.
The disciples became frightened and feared for their lives so much that they woke Jesus saying, “Lord, save us! We're going to drown!" Upset at their actions, Jesus criticized the disciples replying, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?" And then we read that He got up and “rebuked the winds and the waves”, making conditions “completely calm”.
Well the disciples could barely grasp what they had just witnessed for they asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!"
What kind of man is this?
This man is Jesus…the Lord of Lords…the King of Kings…the Almighty Christ.
Friends, how many times are we like the disciples? Our faith stays firm when conditions are good but let a storm blow in suddenly and we end up in a panic…afraid…crying out to be saved as if Jesus is asleep while we are in need.
You see, the disciples lost sight of the fact that Jesus was with them. Yes, He was asleep. So what? He was there in the boat with the disciples. Did they really think that Jesus would allow them to die while He was catching a nap? Would Jesus have called them all to follow Him only to kill them on the Sea of Galilee?
It’s little wonder why Jesus was upset at them for waking them. He wasn’t so angry that they had disturbed His sleep. No…He was disappointed that they didn’t show more faith.
I wonder how many times He feels the same way about us?
Friends, the disciples had only knew Jesus for a short time and yet they had seen the miraculous power He possessed. We on the other hand have the entire account of Jesus’ life and ministry to include the greatest miraculous act of all as he conquered death and the grave to ascend into heaven and sit on the right hand of God the Father.
We know this and yet we doubt even though Jesus is in the business of controlling and subsiding any furious storm that might blow up suddenly in our lives. We think He has somehow left us when we know He would never leave us nor forsake us. And didn’t He promise His disciples and us as well that He would be with us until the end of the age as He gave His Great Commission? (Matthew 28)
It’s time for us to stop wavering and look to the only One who is capable and willing to calm the storms of life and restore order.
It’s time to trust Jesus.
Do you know He is with you today?
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk@aol.com
Saturday, March 13, 2010
SACRIFICE REQUIRED
Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk.com.
In Christ, Mark
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
When Jesus saw the crowd around Him, He gave orders to cross to the other side of the lake.
Then a teacher of the law came to Him and said, "Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go."
Jesus replied, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head."
Another disciple said to Him, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father."
But Jesus told him, "Follow Me, and let the dead bury their own dead."
Matthew 8:18-22
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
What if Jesus had ran a want ad seeking disciples? It may have read like this:
“Disciples wanted. Can be men or women. Must be willing to leave everything behind and travel long distances on foot, weathering and enduring nomadic outdoor living. Must also we willing to accept consistent persecution, even to the point of death, at any time.”
I wonder how many applicants Jesus would have received.
Indeed, there is a price to be paid for anyone who truly chooses to follow Jesus in their lives. For He demands that we sacrifice…for sacrifice is one of the qualities that defined our Savior. One only look to Calvary’s cross and the crucifixion to understand that truth.
So how far are we willing to sacrifice for the One who gave everything for us?
It’s a fair question…and one we all need to ask ourselves daily.
Are we truly committed to lay it all down for Him just as He did for us?
As we look at today’s scripture passage, we see Jesus underscoring a little of what’s required to truly be His disciple.
We read that He “gave orders to cross to the other side” of the Sea of Galilee when He had seen “the crowd around Him”. You’ll recall that He was in Capernaum which was located on the northwest part of the sea so moving to the other side meant He would head to the eastern shores.
There, we read where He was approached by a “teacher of the law” who declared, “Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go." Knowing the hearts and minds of man, we sense that Jesus sensed that the man was not aware of the sacrifices that came with his proclamation. For He tells the teacher of the law, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head."
In other words, life with Me isn’t going to be glamorous. Indeed, Jesus, and those who followed Him, would find resistance nearly everywhere they would travel. In fact, we know that Jesus wasn’t even welcome in His own hometown of Galilee. Anyone deciding to follow Jesus needed to be aware that things would often be rough and challenging. It wasn’t, and still isn’t, for the faint of heart. Many Christians this very hour are being persecuted and killed for the cause of Christ.
Question: Are you willing to die for Jesus in your own life?
You never know when you might be faced with just that.
After the teacher of the law, Jesus encountered another disciple who was interested in following Him but with a caveat. The disciple asked Jesus to “first let me go and bury my father” to which Jesus replied, “Follow Me, and let the dead bury their own dead."
What? One can’t even show proper respect to their parent…their father who had invested so much in raising and rearing?
Jesus would say “No”. Why? Because it is just one of many excuses that someone can come up with to not fully lay their lives down for the One who would lay His life down for them…without reservation…without caveat.
Indeed, Christ didn’t say that He would accept crucifixion after He had a chance to do this or that. He asked for no delay. No…He accepted the wrongful judgment and the gruesome execution that came along with it. And He did it because He loved you and I that much.
So how much do we truly love Him in return? Do we ask Him if we can put His will on hold so we can love someone else more than Him? Or do we realize that He and He alone is the only One we should love with all our heart and mind and soul and strength…and respond in absolute and unquestioning obedience to His call?
Friends, the decision to follow Jesus is not to be made lightly. We must be sure of what we’re signing up for. For service in Jesus’ army is a lifelong enlistment…one that will take us onto the battlefield and in harm’s way. We must be willing to rough it with Him, get down into the trenches and sacrifice with Him.
For indeed, sacrifice is required…but it’s worth it as we look forward to the day when we share eternal life with Jesus forever.
We only have that privilege because of His sacrifice.
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk@aol.com
In Christ, Mark
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
When Jesus saw the crowd around Him, He gave orders to cross to the other side of the lake.
Then a teacher of the law came to Him and said, "Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go."
Jesus replied, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head."
Another disciple said to Him, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father."
But Jesus told him, "Follow Me, and let the dead bury their own dead."
Matthew 8:18-22
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
What if Jesus had ran a want ad seeking disciples? It may have read like this:
“Disciples wanted. Can be men or women. Must be willing to leave everything behind and travel long distances on foot, weathering and enduring nomadic outdoor living. Must also we willing to accept consistent persecution, even to the point of death, at any time.”
I wonder how many applicants Jesus would have received.
Indeed, there is a price to be paid for anyone who truly chooses to follow Jesus in their lives. For He demands that we sacrifice…for sacrifice is one of the qualities that defined our Savior. One only look to Calvary’s cross and the crucifixion to understand that truth.
So how far are we willing to sacrifice for the One who gave everything for us?
It’s a fair question…and one we all need to ask ourselves daily.
Are we truly committed to lay it all down for Him just as He did for us?
As we look at today’s scripture passage, we see Jesus underscoring a little of what’s required to truly be His disciple.
We read that He “gave orders to cross to the other side” of the Sea of Galilee when He had seen “the crowd around Him”. You’ll recall that He was in Capernaum which was located on the northwest part of the sea so moving to the other side meant He would head to the eastern shores.
There, we read where He was approached by a “teacher of the law” who declared, “Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go." Knowing the hearts and minds of man, we sense that Jesus sensed that the man was not aware of the sacrifices that came with his proclamation. For He tells the teacher of the law, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head."
In other words, life with Me isn’t going to be glamorous. Indeed, Jesus, and those who followed Him, would find resistance nearly everywhere they would travel. In fact, we know that Jesus wasn’t even welcome in His own hometown of Galilee. Anyone deciding to follow Jesus needed to be aware that things would often be rough and challenging. It wasn’t, and still isn’t, for the faint of heart. Many Christians this very hour are being persecuted and killed for the cause of Christ.
Question: Are you willing to die for Jesus in your own life?
You never know when you might be faced with just that.
After the teacher of the law, Jesus encountered another disciple who was interested in following Him but with a caveat. The disciple asked Jesus to “first let me go and bury my father” to which Jesus replied, “Follow Me, and let the dead bury their own dead."
What? One can’t even show proper respect to their parent…their father who had invested so much in raising and rearing?
Jesus would say “No”. Why? Because it is just one of many excuses that someone can come up with to not fully lay their lives down for the One who would lay His life down for them…without reservation…without caveat.
Indeed, Christ didn’t say that He would accept crucifixion after He had a chance to do this or that. He asked for no delay. No…He accepted the wrongful judgment and the gruesome execution that came along with it. And He did it because He loved you and I that much.
So how much do we truly love Him in return? Do we ask Him if we can put His will on hold so we can love someone else more than Him? Or do we realize that He and He alone is the only One we should love with all our heart and mind and soul and strength…and respond in absolute and unquestioning obedience to His call?
Friends, the decision to follow Jesus is not to be made lightly. We must be sure of what we’re signing up for. For service in Jesus’ army is a lifelong enlistment…one that will take us onto the battlefield and in harm’s way. We must be willing to rough it with Him, get down into the trenches and sacrifice with Him.
For indeed, sacrifice is required…but it’s worth it as we look forward to the day when we share eternal life with Jesus forever.
We only have that privilege because of His sacrifice.
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk@aol.com
Friday, March 12, 2010
DISPLAYING GREAT FAITH
Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk.com.
In Christ, Mark
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help. "Lord," he said, "my servant lies at home paralyzed and in terrible suffering."
Jesus said to him, "I will go and heal him."
The centurion replied, "Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, 'Go,' and he goes; and that one, 'Come,' and he comes. I say to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it."
When Jesus heard this, he was astonished and said to those following him, "I tell you the truth, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith. I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."
Then Jesus said to the centurion, "Go! It will be done just as you believed it would." And his servant was healed at that very hour.
When Jesus came into Peter's house, he saw Peter's mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever. He touched her hand and the fever left her, and she got up and began to wait on him.
When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to him, and he drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick. This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah:
"He took up our infirmities and carried our diseases."
Matthew 8:5-17
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
Faith.
Where would we be without it?
Well, lost for one…and I think we all can relate to those times when we allowed life’s circumstances to make us feel helpless and maybe even hopeless.
Yes…if Satan wants to launch an attack on any of God’s children, he surely knows where to start. All he needs to do is try and take away our faith…and he’s made the necessary progress to start having his way with us.
As we look at today’s scripture, we find a centurion dealing with a matter that could have easily taken him to a point of giving up and surrendering to what he might have seen as irreversible.
At the center of his anguish was one of his servants who was at “home paralyzed and in terrible suffering”. No doubt hearing how Jesus had miraculously healed the afflicted, the centurion went to Him after He “had entered Capernaum”, asking for help.
Now this centurion had already shown faith just by going to Jesus, as did the leper who was healed earlier in chapter 8. Both had reasonable expectations already that Jesus could do what they needed done before they approached Him.
Interestingly enough, Jesus must have sensed the centurion’s faith in Him and so with no question or deliberation, He simply said, “I will go and heal him." Easy as that.
Or at least it seemed easy. But look at what the centurion does next. For he had just started to display the faith that the Lord honors and expects.
For as Jesus offers to go to the centurion’s home and heal his servant, look at what the centurion says:
"Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, 'Go,' and he goes; and that one, 'Come,' and he comes. I say to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it."
The centurion was all too aware of what it was like to have authority. He was in command over countless soldiers. But the authority the centurion held paled in comparison to the power in Jesus…and the centurion was well aware of it.
How do we know this?
Because the centurion knew that Jesus could heal his servant by just speaking the command. There was no need to travel all the way to where the centurion lived. And further, notice the incredible humility shown by this man of military might. For he saw himself of unworthy to even have Jesus come under his roof.
Friends, do you get the connection here?
Humility breeds faith. For unless we adopt an humble attitude and see ourselves unworthy of having Jesus enter into our sinful homes, we will never fully realize our reliance and dependence on Him and thus our need for faith in all that He is and all that He can do.
The centurion can serve as a model for us all. For he believed that a miracle would be done just by a word spoken by Jesus. He didn’t need to go and see it take place. He knew it would happen because He had faith and trusted his Lord.
Back to the scriptures…for when Jesus heard the words of the centurion, “he was astonished” …so much so that He said to those following him, "I tell you the truth, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith.” And with that, He told the centurion, “Go! It will be done just as you believed it would”…and that’s what happened for the “servant was healed at that very hour.”
Question: How strong is your faith in the One through which all things are possible?
Are you like Thomas who would not believe He was looking at the resurrected Jesus unless he could place his fingers where the nails had pierced Christ’s hands and put his hand in Christ’s side? (John 20:24-29)
Or are you like the centurion who knew and believed in the awesome power of Jesus, trusting that just the mere words of His mouth could bring about healing and transformation and salvation?
Jesus has told us who He favors…the centurion…the one who displayed great faith. We should all follow suit.
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk@aol.com
In Christ, Mark
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help. "Lord," he said, "my servant lies at home paralyzed and in terrible suffering."
Jesus said to him, "I will go and heal him."
The centurion replied, "Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, 'Go,' and he goes; and that one, 'Come,' and he comes. I say to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it."
When Jesus heard this, he was astonished and said to those following him, "I tell you the truth, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith. I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."
Then Jesus said to the centurion, "Go! It will be done just as you believed it would." And his servant was healed at that very hour.
When Jesus came into Peter's house, he saw Peter's mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever. He touched her hand and the fever left her, and she got up and began to wait on him.
When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to him, and he drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick. This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah:
"He took up our infirmities and carried our diseases."
Matthew 8:5-17
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
Faith.
Where would we be without it?
Well, lost for one…and I think we all can relate to those times when we allowed life’s circumstances to make us feel helpless and maybe even hopeless.
Yes…if Satan wants to launch an attack on any of God’s children, he surely knows where to start. All he needs to do is try and take away our faith…and he’s made the necessary progress to start having his way with us.
As we look at today’s scripture, we find a centurion dealing with a matter that could have easily taken him to a point of giving up and surrendering to what he might have seen as irreversible.
At the center of his anguish was one of his servants who was at “home paralyzed and in terrible suffering”. No doubt hearing how Jesus had miraculously healed the afflicted, the centurion went to Him after He “had entered Capernaum”, asking for help.
Now this centurion had already shown faith just by going to Jesus, as did the leper who was healed earlier in chapter 8. Both had reasonable expectations already that Jesus could do what they needed done before they approached Him.
Interestingly enough, Jesus must have sensed the centurion’s faith in Him and so with no question or deliberation, He simply said, “I will go and heal him." Easy as that.
Or at least it seemed easy. But look at what the centurion does next. For he had just started to display the faith that the Lord honors and expects.
For as Jesus offers to go to the centurion’s home and heal his servant, look at what the centurion says:
"Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, 'Go,' and he goes; and that one, 'Come,' and he comes. I say to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it."
The centurion was all too aware of what it was like to have authority. He was in command over countless soldiers. But the authority the centurion held paled in comparison to the power in Jesus…and the centurion was well aware of it.
How do we know this?
Because the centurion knew that Jesus could heal his servant by just speaking the command. There was no need to travel all the way to where the centurion lived. And further, notice the incredible humility shown by this man of military might. For he saw himself of unworthy to even have Jesus come under his roof.
Friends, do you get the connection here?
Humility breeds faith. For unless we adopt an humble attitude and see ourselves unworthy of having Jesus enter into our sinful homes, we will never fully realize our reliance and dependence on Him and thus our need for faith in all that He is and all that He can do.
The centurion can serve as a model for us all. For he believed that a miracle would be done just by a word spoken by Jesus. He didn’t need to go and see it take place. He knew it would happen because He had faith and trusted his Lord.
Back to the scriptures…for when Jesus heard the words of the centurion, “he was astonished” …so much so that He said to those following him, "I tell you the truth, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith.” And with that, He told the centurion, “Go! It will be done just as you believed it would”…and that’s what happened for the “servant was healed at that very hour.”
Question: How strong is your faith in the One through which all things are possible?
Are you like Thomas who would not believe He was looking at the resurrected Jesus unless he could place his fingers where the nails had pierced Christ’s hands and put his hand in Christ’s side? (John 20:24-29)
Or are you like the centurion who knew and believed in the awesome power of Jesus, trusting that just the mere words of His mouth could bring about healing and transformation and salvation?
Jesus has told us who He favors…the centurion…the one who displayed great faith. We should all follow suit.
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk@aol.com
Thursday, March 11, 2010
A WILLING SAVIOR
Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk.com.
In Christ, Mark
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
“When he came down from the mountainside, large crowds followed him. A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, "Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean."
Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. "I am willing," he said. "Be clean!" Immediately he was cured of his leprosy. Then Jesus said to him, "See that you don't tell anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift Moses commanded, as a testimony to them."
Matthew 8:1-4
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
As Chapter 8 of Matthew’s gospel opens, we find Jesus finished with His famous teachings known as the Sermon on the Mount.
We read that as “He came down from the mountainside” many people went after Him in “large crowds”. It hadn’t taken long for Jesus to build a following and as He proceeded, scripture tells us that a “man with leprosy came and knelt before Him”.
Leprosy was a terrible affliction in biblical times. A slow moving bacterial infection, it would effect the skin, nerves and the mucous membrane of anyone who contracted it. And as the nerves in the hand and feet deteriorated, eventually ceasing to work, the leper would end up with mutilated fingers and toes…a classic symptomatic indicator of the disease.
Old Testament law as found in Leviticus, Chapter 13, would declare a person unclean if their skin ailment persisted and worsened over a seven day period. And being stamped as unclean meant excommunication and exile from the rest of society. Lepers were outcasts…the unwanted.
So with this knowledge in mind, picture the scene painted by our passage.
Jesus is walking along with large crowds following Him when a leper comes to Him and kneels. I can only imagine the collective gasp from the people as they saw this occur. Maybe many of the people withdrew, afraid to be infected themselves by the man. Surely Jesus would know to stay away Himself…wouldn’t He?
Well, we know that Jesus was not going to turn from any affliction because there was and is no affliction today that He can’t heal with just the simple touch of His almighty, powerful hand. After all, He truly is the Great Physician!
But just this man coming to Jesus wasn’t necessarily going to result in a healing. The man had to come with the right attitude.
Note his actions and words.
For the leper didn’t run up to Jesus, grab Him and demand that he be healed. No…the man came to Jesus and He knelt…a humble expression of Jesus’ majesty and the man’s dependence on Him. This set the stage for what followed because while on his knees, the man asked Jesus, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean."
His words hold two important keys for all believers who wish to approach the Lord about anything.
First, we need to ask the Lord if it is His will to do what we need. Maybe it is. Maybe it isn’t. We need to be prepared for either and know that if it isn’t the Lord’s will at that time, it’s because He has something even better in store for us. We only need to stay faithful, patient and wait…wait on the Lord.
Second, see how the man doesn’t think Jesus can heal him. He knows it.
Look at his words again…”if you are willing, You can make me clean”. There is no doubt in the man’s mind that Jesus can do it if it’s His will to do so.
We need to always remember this as well because the Lord can do anything at anytime when he wills to do it. This is one of the absolutes we learn from the scriptures.
Well, the stage was set. The man had shown his humble reliance on Jesus and his stalwart faith that he could be healed by the Lord if it were the Lord’s will to do so.
So what did Jesus do?
Scripture tells us that He “reached out his hand and touched the man” saying, “I am willing…Be clean!"
And with that, the man was “cured of his leprosy” immediately. Imagine the amazement that the people must have felt at what they just witnessed. If they thought Jesus taught with authority, they now noticed that His authority extended well beyond instruction. This Jesus possessed the power to heal a leper with just one touch of His hand.
Question: Do you need healed in some way today?
Maybe you have an affliction like the leper. Maybe you have been the victim of abuse and are dealing with the psychological scars left behind. Maybe you are suffering from a broken relationship with a spouse, child or family member.
Whatever your situation, our scripture sends this message to you:
There is hope.
All you need do is kneel before Jesus and mimic the words of the leper saying, “Lord, if you are willing, You can make me well again”. And when it is His will, He can and will make you well…trust in that.
Friends, this is the Lord we serve. He is always available…always willing to help at His appointed time….always able to heal…and the only One who can save.
Do you know Him today?
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk@aol.com
In Christ, Mark
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
“When he came down from the mountainside, large crowds followed him. A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, "Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean."
Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. "I am willing," he said. "Be clean!" Immediately he was cured of his leprosy. Then Jesus said to him, "See that you don't tell anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift Moses commanded, as a testimony to them."
Matthew 8:1-4
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
As Chapter 8 of Matthew’s gospel opens, we find Jesus finished with His famous teachings known as the Sermon on the Mount.
We read that as “He came down from the mountainside” many people went after Him in “large crowds”. It hadn’t taken long for Jesus to build a following and as He proceeded, scripture tells us that a “man with leprosy came and knelt before Him”.
Leprosy was a terrible affliction in biblical times. A slow moving bacterial infection, it would effect the skin, nerves and the mucous membrane of anyone who contracted it. And as the nerves in the hand and feet deteriorated, eventually ceasing to work, the leper would end up with mutilated fingers and toes…a classic symptomatic indicator of the disease.
Old Testament law as found in Leviticus, Chapter 13, would declare a person unclean if their skin ailment persisted and worsened over a seven day period. And being stamped as unclean meant excommunication and exile from the rest of society. Lepers were outcasts…the unwanted.
So with this knowledge in mind, picture the scene painted by our passage.
Jesus is walking along with large crowds following Him when a leper comes to Him and kneels. I can only imagine the collective gasp from the people as they saw this occur. Maybe many of the people withdrew, afraid to be infected themselves by the man. Surely Jesus would know to stay away Himself…wouldn’t He?
Well, we know that Jesus was not going to turn from any affliction because there was and is no affliction today that He can’t heal with just the simple touch of His almighty, powerful hand. After all, He truly is the Great Physician!
But just this man coming to Jesus wasn’t necessarily going to result in a healing. The man had to come with the right attitude.
Note his actions and words.
For the leper didn’t run up to Jesus, grab Him and demand that he be healed. No…the man came to Jesus and He knelt…a humble expression of Jesus’ majesty and the man’s dependence on Him. This set the stage for what followed because while on his knees, the man asked Jesus, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean."
His words hold two important keys for all believers who wish to approach the Lord about anything.
First, we need to ask the Lord if it is His will to do what we need. Maybe it is. Maybe it isn’t. We need to be prepared for either and know that if it isn’t the Lord’s will at that time, it’s because He has something even better in store for us. We only need to stay faithful, patient and wait…wait on the Lord.
Second, see how the man doesn’t think Jesus can heal him. He knows it.
Look at his words again…”if you are willing, You can make me clean”. There is no doubt in the man’s mind that Jesus can do it if it’s His will to do so.
We need to always remember this as well because the Lord can do anything at anytime when he wills to do it. This is one of the absolutes we learn from the scriptures.
Well, the stage was set. The man had shown his humble reliance on Jesus and his stalwart faith that he could be healed by the Lord if it were the Lord’s will to do so.
So what did Jesus do?
Scripture tells us that He “reached out his hand and touched the man” saying, “I am willing…Be clean!"
And with that, the man was “cured of his leprosy” immediately. Imagine the amazement that the people must have felt at what they just witnessed. If they thought Jesus taught with authority, they now noticed that His authority extended well beyond instruction. This Jesus possessed the power to heal a leper with just one touch of His hand.
Question: Do you need healed in some way today?
Maybe you have an affliction like the leper. Maybe you have been the victim of abuse and are dealing with the psychological scars left behind. Maybe you are suffering from a broken relationship with a spouse, child or family member.
Whatever your situation, our scripture sends this message to you:
There is hope.
All you need do is kneel before Jesus and mimic the words of the leper saying, “Lord, if you are willing, You can make me well again”. And when it is His will, He can and will make you well…trust in that.
Friends, this is the Lord we serve. He is always available…always willing to help at His appointed time….always able to heal…and the only One who can save.
Do you know Him today?
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk@aol.com
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