Tag Archives: Faith

Day Nine with Mark: Mark 3:7-11

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Today in our daily readings with Mark, we look at Mark 3:7-11, entitled A Multitude at the Seaside and Jesus Appoints the Twelve:

A Multitude at the Seaside
7 Jesus departed with his disciples to the sea, and a great multitude from Galilee followed him; 8 hearing all that he was doing, they came to him in great numbers from Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, beyond the Jordan, and the region around Tyre and Sidon. 9 He told his disciples to have a boat ready for him because of the crowd, so that they would not crush him; 10 for he had cured many, so that all who had diseases pressed upon him to touch him. 11 Whenever the unclean spirits saw him, they fell down before him and shouted, “You are the Son of God!”

slide-10-jesus-on-boatIn these this passage, we people drawn to Jesus.  And you know who they were?  Everyone?  All types of people were drawn to Jesus.  We see in the first section we see where people came to Jesus from.  Everywhere.  Judea, Jerusalem, across the Jordan, everywhere.  People came to hear Jesus from everywhere.

And here’s the thing about that, coming to Galilee to hear Jesus was not an easy thing to do. It wasn’t easy to get there, people had responsibilities and jobs to do and there weren’t just able to take off and go off to hear Him.  And above all that, who wants to go up to Galilee?  People were used to going to Jerusalem to the Temple. They were used to and accustomed to that.

But to Galilee?  That’s beneath so many of them. Nope.  No reason I’d do that.  Not gonna happen.

Except there was a reason.  And that reason was Jesus.  They needed healing and life. And Jesus had that.  And they were willing to go wherever they needed to go to find that healing and life.  They were attracted to Jesus.

And I think there are two major things we need to be aware of in this.

First, are we drawn to Him in that same way?  They knew that Jesus was the hope that they need for their life. And so they came to Him, from near and far, seeking that hope, seeking that life.  What about us in our lives?  Do we know, do we truly know, that Jesus is that hope in our lives?  And are we willing to do what we must to be in relationship with Him?

Now, for us, that may not mean traveling across America.  It may mean waking up a little early to pray.  It may mean inconveniencing ourselves in some way to seek Him.  It may me changing some things in our lives to know Him better.  The people in the text came from near and far and went through much to know Jesus.  How about us?

And second, see how people are always attracted to Jesus.  That’s one of the things that I always notice in scripture, people that don’t know Jesus are attracted to Jesus.  Are others drawn to Him through us?  As His Body, here on the earth, as those that have indwelling of the Holy Spirit, are people wanting to meet Jesus because of us.

That doesn’t mean that we are perfect, it means that we are different.

Today, do we desire to truly know Jesus?  And do others desire to know Jesus because of us?

What questions do you have?  How does this strike you?  Shoot me an email, comment below, or connect with me through social media.

Tomorrow we’ll look at Mark 3:13-19.

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Prayer

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prayerPrayer is an experience.  It’s a conversation.  It’s a heartfelt movement of the spirit when God is drawing us closer to Himself.  Some prayers are prayers that expressions of the heart that flow from our mouths.  Other prayers are prayers that have been passed from generation to generation, that have been played by our parents and grandparents.  Some of these prayers are even prayers that have been passed down to us by Jesus Himself.  Other prayers are simply said in silence, with no words expressed.

No matter the prayer, no matter the place, no matter the movement, these prayers are precious.

And sometimes it feels like our prayers are bouncing off the floor of heaven, not ascending to God.  We’ve all been there.  And I think Jesus Himself even knows what that feels like.  Listen to what happened today in Mark 14:33-36:

33 He took with him Peter and James and John, and began to be distressed and agitated. 34 And he said to them, “I am deeply grieved, even to death; remain here, and keep awake.” 35 And going a little farther, he threw himself on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. 36 He said, “Abba, Father, for you all things are possible; remove this cup from me; yet, not what I want, but what you want.”

Jesus, before He goes to the cross, goes to the Garden to pray.  And He knows what is coming.  He knows it’s going to be hard, and He knows it’s going to be necessary.  And He goes to pray.

And He says, take this from me.  But not what I want.  What you want.

And I think in this prayer, we learn a HUGE prayer concept.  Prayer is not just us telling God what we want Him to do, or who we want Him to bless.  Prayer is taking that attitude of Jesus.

Not my will, but yours.

Not my stuff, but yours.

Not my life, but yours.

That’s the key to a truly powerful prayer life.  It’s not just about us giving our requests to God.  But it is about us, receiving our directions from God.

In our prayer life, may we give to God our hurts, our loss, our fear, our worry, our doubts. But may we also take that attitude of Jesus.

Your will, God.  Your plan, God.  Your life, God.

May that be our attitude and our prayer today!

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Who Do You Trust?

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I was reading one of the Psalms, Psalm 146 today, and these words just leapt off the page at me.  Listen to what it says in verses 3-9:

3 Do not put your trust in princes,
in mortals, in whom there is no help.
4 When their breath departs, they return to the earth;
on that very day their plans perish.
5 Happy are those whose help is the God of Jacob,
whose hope is in the Lord their God,
6 who made heaven and earth,
the sea, and all that is in them;
who keeps faith forever;
7 who executes justice for the oppressed;
who gives food to the hungry.
The Lord sets the prisoners free;
8 the Lord opens the eyes of the blind.
The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down;
the Lord loves the righteous.
9 The Lord watches over the strangers;
he upholds the orphan and the widow,
but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.

shutterstock_250176199We have two contrasting visions in this Psalm.

First we are told this – do not put your trust in princes.  Don’t put your ultimate trust in humans, no matter who they are.  No matter if they are princes.  Or preachers.  Or teachers.  Or leaders.  Or whoever.  No matter how great they may be.  Now matter how perfect they may seem.  No matter how much you admire them.

Remember what it says in verse 4.  Their breath will fail.  The body will return to the earth.  The mortality rate is 100%.  All of us will reach that end.  Me, you, all of us.  All of us are imperfect.  All of us will get it wrong. All of us will fail at some point.

Even the best of us.

But the Lord, He sets the prisoner free.  He opens the eyes of the blind.  He lifts up the orphans.  He upholds the window.  He made heaven and earth.  He set the sea in place.

He is God.  Mortals will fail.  God will not.

Today, remember that.  God will not fail you.  Who do you trust today?  Where is your trust?  In mortals?  In humans?  Even in the best, even the princes, they will draw their last breath one day.

But God is eternal, all-powerful, all-knowing, great and strong, mighty to save.  He is worthy of all our praise, our worship, all our very lives.

Today, who do we trust?

May we place our hope and faith in all areas of our lives in our God.  In Him, we can truly trust.

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Doubt and Faith

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To have faith means that you are unflinching, right?  No doubts, no worries, none of that.

That’s what we think. That’s what we feel like we have to believe.  If I’m a believer, I can’t have any doubts, any of those things.  That’s what we make ourselves believe, or feel like we have to believe.

Today in our reading, we read one of my favorite prayers in the Bible.  Listen to what happens in Mark 9: 21-24:

21 Jesus asked the father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. 22 It has often cast him into the fire and into the water, to destroy him; but if you are able to do anything, have pity on us and help us.” 23 Jesus said to him, “If you are able!—All things can be done for the one who believes.” 24 Immediately the father of the child cried out, “I believe; help my unbelief!”

doubtThe father of a child came to Jesus, knowing that Jesus could help.  And Jesus said all things are possible when you believe.  And look what that father says – I believe.  Help my unbelief.

We would read later in the text that Jesus does just that.  He heals the child.  He brings life back to this family.

Faith is not the lack of doubt.  Faith is believing more than our doubt.  Because faith is a jumping off of a cliff.  Faith is coming to the edge, walking off of it, and trusting God to catch us.

Even when we know that He will, we can believe that, we can have that faith. But in the back of our minds we can still wonder.  What if.  What if He doesn’t catch.  What if  it goes wrong.  What if.

Faith is this.  Haven’t those thoughts and time. Having those worries. Having all that. And still jumping.

Because we may worry and we may have those voices trying to get us not to do it.  But faith says this.  God is bigger.

And He will be there.  Even if I doubt.  Because my doubts don’t negate the truth.  Faith is sometimes an act of will.  Faith says, I choose to believe this, even if I doubt. Because I know it’s true.  I know it is.  I believe.  Help my unbelief.

And what did Jesus do?  Just that.

Today, believe the truth, even if you doubt it. Because it is true.  Hold on, hold fast, and hope. God is good, even when we doubt.  May we have the will and the grace to believe.  Even when we doubt.  May God increase our faith.  Today, and always.

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Different Plans

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You ever felt like there was something that you really wanted to do, maybe even something you needed to do, and you weren’t able to do it?  Maybe things came up and kept you from doing it.  It could have been a million different reasons, a million different things.

But for whatever reason, it doesn’t happen.  We’ve all be there.  We really have been.  It can be frustrating when God has different plans.  Listen to what happened to David today in 2 Samuel 7:4-6,12-13:

4 But that same night came to Nathan:5Go and tell my servant David:Thus says the LORD: Are you the one to build me a house to live in?6 I have not lived in a house since the day I brought up the people of Israel from Egypt to this day, but I have been moving about in a tent and a tabernacle. . . . 12When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come forth from your body, and I will establish his kingdom.13He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever

man-thinkingDavid wants to build God a Temple.  You know what? That’s a good idea. That’s a good thing. David says it’s not right for him to have a beautiful house, while God’s Ark of the Covenant stays in a tent.  That’s just not right, and he wants to do something about it.  So he wants to build a Temple.

All sounds good.  But God says no.  That’s not his place, that’s not his calling.  One will come after him that will build that Temple for God.  But that person will not be David.

God had different plans.  God had better plans; even better than David’s dreams.

Here’s the thing.  God’s plans for your life are better than your dreams for your like.  No matter what it is that you think is best or we think that we want to do, trust me, what God wants is better.

We just have to trust, especially when it doesn’t make sense.

God’s plans for your life are better than your dreams for your life.  Trust in His plans, even when they are different plans.

God knows what He is doing.  May we have faith to hold on, even when aren’t sure of what He is doing.  May we trust, even with those different plans.

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They are Listening

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One of my coaches at Bogue Chitto said something in an FCA event that has stuck with me through these years.  Coach Micky Myers said – “your life may be the only Bible someone ever reads.”  I’ve always thought about that, how I live, how I act, how I react, those actions say so very much about who God is, how He loves, how we cares, how He wants to know all people.

As believers this morning, as those that follow God, people are watching us today, to see how we react to life and circumstance.  People are paying attention. The are listening.

I was thinking about that this morning as I read one of our texts today, Acts 16: 25-31.  Listen to what it says:

25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. 26Suddenly there was an earthquake, so violent that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were unfastened. 27When the jailer woke up and saw the prison doors wide open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, since he supposed that the prisoners had escaped. 28But Paul shouted in a loud voice, ‘Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.’ 29The jailer called for lights, and rushing in, he fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. 30Then he brought them outside and said, ‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’ 31They answered, ‘Believe on the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.’

Paul_and_Silas_in_Jail_1337-225There are no unimportant words in the Bible. Everything there has a meaning or a purpose. So today as I read, what stood out to me was the end of verse 25 “and the prisoners were listening to them.”  Luke (the author of Acts) didn’t have to include the fact that the other prisoners were listening to Paul and Silas singing hymns.  It wasn’t really “important” to what was happening. That’s what we tell ourselves.

But, it’s in the Bible.  So do it does matter.  So what does it tell us today?

They were listening to Paul and Silas sing. They were in prison.  It was awful.  It was terrible.  It was not a good place to be.  And what did the other prisoners here in that moment?  Faith.  Hope.  Believe

They were listening to Paul and Silas.  They wanted to know if their faith was real, was it something that truly matter when times got to.  And I believe, they really wanted to believe.  They wanted that faith. They were listening to see if it was real.

The world is listening to us today. They are listening.  They are paying attention to what we do; to what we say; to what we live.

They want to know that we really, actually believe what we say that we believe.  They want to know that we mean it.  In a world that is changing and so temporal, they really want to know that we actually believe what we say that we believe.

They are listening. Today, what do they hear from us?

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In the Morning

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Sometimes we are in a storm that we feel will never get better.  Sometimes the waves seem too high, the troubles seem too deep, the worries seem too much.

Sometimes there is weeping. And we feel like the weeping will never end.  It will never get better. It will never stop.  It will never change.  But know this. It will.  The weeping will not last forever.  The troubles will not stay forever.  The pain will not stay forever.

Listen to what we are told today in Psalm 30: 4-5:

4 Sing praises to the Lord, O you his faithful ones,
and give thanks to his holy name.
5 For his anger is but for a moment;
his favor is for a lifetime.
Weeping may linger for the night,
but joy comes with the morning.

urlWeeping may come in the night. But joy will come in the morning.  It will get better.  It will.

The darkness will not last forever.  When we are in the middle of it, we may think that it will never end.  We may think that it will never get better.  But it will.

You may be in pain now.  You may be in trouble now.  You may be in the middle of a storm now.  Your tears may not stop now.

We all know that feeling.  We’ve all been there.  It hurts.  And not much makes it feel better in that moment.  No matter what you may be going through, you may feel like it will never get better.

It will.  Listen to God’s Word this morning.  It will.  Weeping may linger for the night.

But Joy comes in the morning.

Today, if you are in the night of your tears, hold on.  Morning is coming.  It is.  Morning is coming.  And joys comes then.

Hold tight to God.  He will not let you go.  And His joy will come.

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Confidence

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I mentioned last week in my sermon here at St. Matthew’s that I really love the book of Psalms. They are honest, they are beautiful and they speak to the heart, and come from the heart.  They really are some of the most powerful words on all the scripture.

So, often when I am reading the texts for each day, my eyes are drawn to whatever the Psalms for the day may be.  Today was Psalm 37.  Something about verses 7-9 caught me today:

7 Be still before the Lord, and wait patiently for him;
do not fret over those who prosper in their way,
over those who carry out evil devices.
8 Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath.
Do not fret—it leads only to evil.
9 For the wicked shall be cut off,
but those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land.

Two times it mentions, do not fret. Do not get anxious.  Do not get all roiled up.  Just breath.  Relax.  It’s ok.  It is.  Just take a moment and breath and breath out.

Why?  Why shouldn’t we get all kinds of anxious?  Don’t you know what’s happening in the world?  Don’t you know what’s happening in my life?

Sure, lots of things are going on.  But here’s why we shouldn’t fret.

confidenceFirst, we don’t need to get anxious because of what that produces.  “Do not fret – it leads only to evil.”  Think about how much evil, how much done wrong, how much that causes pain to others comes out of worry and fear.

Fear is a dangerous thing.  Fear leads us to do things we normally wouldn’t do.

As Christians, as the church, we can’t and we shouldn’t be fearful.  First, because it can cause us to act in ways that just aren’t Christian.  Fear affects our tongue.  It affects our actions.  It affects so many things.  Don’t fret – it leads only to evil.

And second we shouldn’t fret because we know who is in control.  God is not surprised by anything that happens in our lives; He is not surprised by anything that happens in the world.  He has it.  Seriously.  Don’t fret.  Don’t be afraid.  Don’t worry.  It’s ok.

Live a life guided by confidence in God, not shaken by the fear of the unknown, or even the known.  Don’t fret. Trust.  Obey.  It’s ok.  God has it.  Be faithful.  He’ll take care of the rest.

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What are We Looking at?

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Road through the Scottish highlandsHolly and I will have interesting conversations when we are driving somewhere, especially if it is a place that we have both driven to before.  I’ll see something interesting and say, hey, did you see that?  And Holly will always, without fail, say no, I was looking at the road.  What are you looking at?

I always joke that I survey the entire field of vision while I’m driving and she looks at just the road. And honestly, I think we know who is probably both right and safer!

But what we are looking at so often determines where we are going and where we will wind up.  What we are looking at is so very, very, very important.  Listen to what happens today in 1 Samuel 18: 6-9:

6 As they were coming home, when David returned from killing the Philistine, the women came out of all the towns of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul, with tambourines, with songs of joy, and with musical instruments.  7 And the women sang to one another as they made merry,

“Saul has killed his thousands,
and David his ten thousands.”

8 Saul was very angry, for this saying displeased him. He said, “They have ascribed to David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed thousands; what more can he have but the kingdom?” 9 So Saul eyed David from that day on.

What is Saul looking at?  He’s looking at David. And what happens?  He gets incredibly jealous.  He was already jealous of David, but it gets worse and worse and worse.  The more he looked at David, the more jealous he became.  The more that he wanted to destroy David.  The more that he wanted to preserve his kingdom and his power.  The more that he was led down the road of his own destruction.

So is it for me and your today. What are we looking at?  Are we looking first to our faith, to our God, to our Saviour?  Or are we looking at others?  At what they have?  Their success?  Their stuff?

What are we looking at?

If we are looking to others first, we will never be happy and content.  Never.  We will never, ever, ever be happy.

If we look to God first, we will find our purpose and life in Him. And we will find that happiness and contentment, because we will find ourselves in Him.  That’s where life is found.  Not in ourselves, not in others, but in God.

What we are looking at determines so very much in life. Today, what are we looking at?

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Don’t Worry Baby

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I’m not a huge Beach Boys fan, but there are a couple of their songs that I really just love. For some reason, I really like their song “Don’t Worry Baby.”  I wasn’t really sure what it was about, in fact I had to Google the lyrics just now to find out.  Apparently it’s about a guy getting a car race and his girlfriend is telling him not worry about what happens because she loves him. Who knew?

The reason I liked that song is I just loved the chorus.  Just a reminder everything will be ok – don’t worry baby.

Man, that’s a good reminder.  In this song, his girlfriend tells him she loves him, and she shouldn’t worry.  Well, you and I today potentially face something more worrisome that. What about Greece? What about our economy?  What about the world? Everything.  Everything is spinning out of control.  Everything is awful. What do we do?

Don’t worry, baby.

Not because of the lyrics of this song, but because of what we read in Matthew 17: 1-7:

Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain, by themselves. 2 And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white. 3 Suddenly there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. 4 Then Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if you wish, I will make three dwellings here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” 5 While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud a voice said, “This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!” 6 When the disciples heard this, they fell to the ground and were overcome by fear. 7 But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Get up and do not be afraid.”

realtor-21st-centuryThis is who is on our side.  Read that again.  Look at Jesus in all His glory.  He is not weak.  He is not frail.  He is not defeated.

He is King of Kings.  He is Lord of Lords.  He is the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning nad the End, the First and Last.

In other words, it’s ok.  Really, it is.  He’s got this.

He is glorious, He is powerful, and nothing happens that He is not aware of and not in the midst of.

I’m not saying that there are not things that are scary.  What I’m saying is this.  Jesus is bigger.  Never forget that.

So, don’t worry baby.  Jesus is bigger.  He’s got this.  You can trust in Him, no matter how afraid you may be.

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