Mark 10 – Servant Leadership

In the summer of 1989, the Smith kids contracted the chicken pox.  Besides affording a week-long visit from itchy, plague-like spots which we were told must not be scratched at any cost, the highly contagious virus also required quarantining.  To keep from spreading the virus, we had to stay home and keep away from other kids—except those who had already endured the virus.  This group was now immune.

Thankfully for us, our cousin Lori was among the latter group.  And so she had come up from Virginia for the week to keep us all company at Camp Chicken Pox.  As a recent camp graduate herself, her presence was a welcomed breath of fresh air.  Together, we filled our days with all manner of games and outdoor antics, laughing and delighting in our cousin’s endless diversions.

But what we all knew was that our cousin had her own need for diversions.  This week had been a difficult one for her as well, but from very different circumstances.  Her parents’ marriage had been strained for the last year, and now her dad had decided to walk away from the family.  He wanted a divorce.

We were all aware of this, but were unsure what—if anything—to say to Lori about the subject.  None of us said a word about it until one day later in the week.

We were out exploring the woods when the topic of her parents’ divorce came up for the first time.  Some specifics from our conversation that day have blurred in my memory, but the feelings that accompanied them remain vivid, though difficult to articulate.

“So, is he still your dad?” one of us asked as we walked along.

“Oh, he’ll always be my dad.” Lori’s reply was quick, and in a way comforting, though the sense of loss between her words did not pass by unfelt.

It was as if some unknown, grown-up heaviness had descended from the trees overhead, alighting for a moment on our young shoulders as we walked.  The conversation continued, our words unfamiliar and weighty, out of place after a week of carefree laughter and make-believe play.  It seemed this was a subject from another world, a distant, grown-up world we didn’t understand; and would we ever?

Divorce.  God hates it (Micah 2:16), but He allows it for our sakes in certain conditions.  Like a tourniquet applied to a severed limb, sometimes this extreme maneuver is necessary to preserve what is left from further harm.  And so we cast no stones here; the weight is heavy enough.  But we remember this: like small children struggling to carry a subject too heavy for them, divorce is a burden we were never intended to bear.  But given over to the hands of a loving God, this too can be carried, even redeemed.

“A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows,
        is God in his holy dwelling.” – Psalm 68:5

Reuben Smith

Luke 10 - Mission Improbable

Here is a little treat for all of you who follow our blog. We had a great time making it and we hope you get a big laugh at our expense. Please click the link and enjoy!!

Mark 9: Slow Learners

In this chapter, we find Jesus repeating important lessons for his first followers – important lessons regarding faith, greatness, and the seriousness of sin. They had heard him speak about all of this stuff before, but they just did not get it (gives us hope, doesn’t it?). So Jesus takes another run at helping them understand.

One verse grabbed my attention this time through this chapter. Read it below, and try to visualize the scene in your mind’s eye.

“As soon as all the people saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed

with wonder and ran to greet him.” (Mark 9:15)

Can you imagine what this scene must have looked like in real time? Can you read the emotion on their faces… can you hear the excitement in their voices… can you feel the sense of wonder that seems to be drawing them irresistibly towards Jesus?

I love the simplicity of this verse. ALL the people saw Jesus. Just seeing him (think about that!) caused feelings of tremendous awe and astonishment to well up inside of them. How else could they respond? They ran to greet him, to be with him, to be near him.

When was the last time you really looked at Jesus? When was the last time that you felt an overwhelming sense of wonder in response to who he is and what he has done for you? When was the last time you ran towards him, just to be in his company?

My prayer for you (and me) today is a simple one: may God grant us the grace to see Jesus more clearly, to love him more dearly, and to follow him more nearly.

Ken Jackson

Mark 8 - Turning Point

Jesus offers quite an invitation in verses 34-37, yet it seems that not many people took him up on his offer. Perhaps it was the conditions attached to that invitation or that it was just easier to follow when it was convenient and entertaining. Free lunch. Healings. Miracles. When the weather was nice or the walk wasn’t too far. It seems much easier to follow Jesus then, doesn’t it?

We can easily make excuses about why it’s so difficult to follow Jesus now, to be fully committed to him. There’s so much more demanding my attention. Life is just different in our world today then back in Jesus’ day. Yet some things remain. The call is very much the same. You want to be a disciple? Deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow him!

There is still a price to pay. The things in our lives that have true value also come with a high price. The same is true of being a disciple of Jesus Christ. What will it cost you? What areas of your life do you need to change? What do you need to do to be more like Christ?

“When Christ calls a man, He bids him come and die.” -Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship.

-Gina G.

John 10 - No Secrets

At one of my darkest hours I prayed that God reveal to me all my short comings. I was asking God to help me fix my fence that was allowing the enemy to come into my life and steal, kill, and destroy. When I was finally honest with God, He was honest me. He put a magnifying glass on all the sins that kept giving the enemy a foothold in my life.

This chapter Jesus tells the crowd and Pharisee's He is the prophesy fulfilled in the Old Testament and He is the Messiah. Jesus is brutally honest with the Pharisee's and the crowd that is following Him. His honesty nearly gets Him stoned and arrested, but that doesn't stop Him from looking at the crowd and the Pharisee's and telling them like it is.

When God revealed to me my sins that were keeping me from fixing my spiritual walk it was not an easy journey. Honestly I was actually in denial for a little while. I couldn't believe that I had any issues in my life, but eventually God's light shone so bright on my sin that I had to make changes.

When Christ made His claims some of the crowd became enraged. Hearing that a this carpenter's son was the Messiah made them want to arrest and kill Him. Eventually Jesus' claims did get Him killed, but that death leads to salvation.

Hearing what God has to say to you sometimes can be very difficult to swallow, but if you allow His light to shine on your life you will find freedom.

John

Matthew 18: Out of Bondage

The first half this chapter is filled with the warm fuzzies of little children and lost sheep.  The second half is scary.  Seems God is deadly serious about something we find very hard: forgiving one another.

Some of us struggle here because we misunderstand forgiveness as excusing or dismissing someone’s bad behavior.  It wasn’t all that bad.  No harm done.  But something in us rebels at this.  We don’t want to excuse bad behavior and we shouldn't.  But I tell you the guy lied to me.  She wounded me so deeply I’ll never recover. 

Exactly.  And that’s what we have to forgive.  When we forgive, we’re not making excuses, not saying it wasn’t wrong.  What’s to forgive if it wasn’t wrong?  Neither does forgiveness mean we forget.  And it certainly doesn’t mean we must trust the guy next time.  It means we must make every effort to lay aside every hint of resentment in our hearts, every wish to humiliate him or hurt her.  It means we no longer hold it against our offender.

We all make excuses for our behavior.  It’s a safe bet that my excuses for my sin are not as good as I think and my neighbor’s excuses are probably better than I think.   A good beginning place in forgiving others is finding everything that shows he or she is not as much to blame as I thought.   But even if she is to blame, I still have to forgive her.  To excuse what should be excused is not what Jesus is talking about here.  That’s simple fairness.  To follow Jesus means to forgive the inexcusable in others, because God has forgiven the inexcusable in me. 

At times this can seem completely beyond us.  Perhaps it’s not so hard to forgive a single great injury.  But to forgive the incessant provocations of daily life – to keep on forgiving the controlling parent, the critical spouse, the selfish daughter, the deceitful son.  How can we do it?  We learn to forgive by remembering again and again where we stand – side by side with our offender as sinners, under God who forgives us both.  In fallen world, forgiveness is the basis for relationship, the only basis. 

And we learn to forgive by meaning our words in our prayers each night, Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.

– Paul Abbott

Mark 7 - Poles Apart

When you’re a kid, you always want to have something cool at your house that no one else has.  That way you can invite people over to show off.

For me, it was our rope swing.  Shortly after moving into our new home, my dad had climbed up and secured a rope to this big cherry tree next to our house.  The swing was perfectly positioned so that we kids could climb up on the porch deck, grab onto the rope, and sail off into the air.  The tree swing became a significant asset in the social currency of young boys.

This particular tree stood out among all the others in our yard—the thing was massive, gnarled and imposing—like something you’d expect to find on the soundstage of a Lord of the Rings movie.  It was an impressive sight, especially around springtime when blossoms came out all around its branches.

But if you were to look closer, not all was as it seemed.  Folded into its impressive coils of bark, you could see great gashes in the wood.  If you got close enough to peer inside them, you would see quite plainly that the great cherry tree… was hollow.  Termites and decay had ravaged it from the inside.  And though this tree appeared to bloom every season, in reality these blossoms came from another healthy, neighboring tree.  The blooms from this tree would shoot up and cover the dead branches of its neighbor, making it appear as though the old cherry tree was still flourishing. 

But it was dead and empty on the inside.  Well, dead and empty but for one exception: it was full of snakes.  We would regularly find their discarded skins in and around the tree that had become their home.  And then one day after a windstorm, half of the tree collapsed onto our lawn.

This is the kind of life Jesus insists we are to guard against in the first part Mark chapter 7: a life that might look impressive on the outside, but is really filled with snakes and decay that will all come out in the end.  This life might look like social currency now, but it will leave us empty in the end.

Reuben Smith

John 6 - Food that Edures

Bread.

This past week I have been in Chicago with some wonderful people from The WAVE. Our team helped hand out groceries to some people in the community. I was in awe at the huge pile of bread that we had. It was truly a mountain of carbs! How glorious. (I tried to snag a picture, but did not quite work out.) 

While we have been walking, sitting, and passing out radishes, I have asked  some of the students their thoughts on bread. 

"Do you like bread? Why is bread so wonderful? What is it about bread that makes it a meal beautiful?"
Their answers were varying; however, they all admitted that they are huge fans of bread. And there is something quite mysterious about their love of bread. 

This chapter of John is so rich and packed with solid truth. The one thing I keep thinking about this week though is bread. Jesus refers to himself as the bread of life.  'Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst' -verse 35. Jesus is wonderful, glorious and satisfying. He has given His life so that we can have a full life. 

Please read verses 47-51 again. Because it is beautiful, radical and thick.  We have life because of The Bread. We have life because of the  sacrifice of his flesh. 

That's all I got. 
From the windy city and with thoughts from our fantastic middle school 

Charity. 

Luke 15: Master Storyteller

This is one of my favorite chapters in the gospels. The three short, powerful stories that Jesus tells in this passage captures God’s heart for lost people more memorably than a thousand sermons ever could.

What is the context for these stories? One day, as Jesus was teaching, he found himself surrounded by a large crowd of irreligious, sinful people. Undesirables. Unconvinced. Spiritually confused. Morally bankrupt.

Off to the side was a huddle of religious types, who were shaking their heads and talking in muffled tones. “Who cares about people like that? They are nothing like us. They are far away from God.” Notice their indictment of Jesus: “he welcomes sinners and eats with them.”

The religious folks, as is so often the case, completely miss the heart of God for lost people. And so Jesus tells these three wonderful stories in response to their grumbling. The stories are familiar to us (maybe too familiar!): a lost sheep, a lost coin, and a lost son.

This is the only time recorded in the gospels where Jesus tells three parables on the same subject in succession. It is as if he wanted to make sure that no one could miss the point he was making. What was his point? We see three common threads that run through each story:

• Something of great value was missing (3, 8, 13).

• What was missing was important enough to warrant an all-out search (4, 8, 20). 

• When what was lost was found, it resulted in great rejoicing (6, 9, 22).

God has suffered a significant loss. That loss is people. The shepherd, the widow, and the father are all metaphors for God. The lost sheep, coin, and son were the sinners, the seekers, the lost – people who are far from God.

Each of them has great worth in God’s eyes. And he wants them found. And he rejoices over each and every life that is recovered. This is where we come in. God has invited and called us to join him as he pursues those who currently far from him. How will we relate to the people in our lives that do not know Christ? Will we ignore them like the Pharisees? Or pursue a relationship with them like Jesus?

Ken Jackson

Luke 18 - Underdogs

When reading the Bible, I often wonder why God won’t be more direct. Sometimes using illustrations and metaphors makes something more dramatic and poetic, but sometimes I just want to get to the point. Studying journalism in college, I learned to value clear and concise communication: Get to the point, and do so in as few words as possible.

So it sometimes bothers me that Jesus relied so heavily on parables to teach us. He told a whole story that could be boiled down to one point. Why not just make the point in the first place? That way, there’s no confusion about the meaning because he would have said it straight up from the start.

But looking at Luke 18, it seems that Jesus is being incredibly direct through these parables. He is spelling it out for us. The very first sentence of the chapter is about as clear as it gets: “Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.” Does it get more direct than that?

And in one chapter, he is saying SO much! These 43 verses are packed with all kinds of stuff. Trying to boil it down and get to the point would be depriving us of so much wisdom.  However, one thing that stands out throughout this chapter is that we keep on getting in the way of Jesus.

The Pharisee got in the way of Jesus because he was prideful. He exalted himself above others who were less religious.

The rich ruler got in the way by clinging to his possessions.

The disciples tried to get in the way when people brought their children to Jesus. In reality, the disciples needed to be more like children themselves.

People on the side of the road also tried to get in the way in the way of Jesus and the blind man.

In all of these, people got in the way of Jesus by something they were doing. But with the persistent widow, we see that we can also get in God’s way through inaction. Like the widow and the judge, God will defend us and give us justice. But if the widow never went to the judge, she would never have seen justice.

I thought that Jesus was the one getting in the way by using parables, but really we are the ones hindering ourselves and others from simply coming to Jesus.

Katie Smith (ghost writing for Gina G. who is in Chicago with the middle-schoolers)

Luke 12 - Jesus on Money

I think worrying about tomorrow is something that is born in most humans. We worry what people will think of our clothes at work. We worry how we are going to pay for this or that. We worry about our house being clean when company is coming over (that one is for my wife), but Jesus tells us in this chapter that life is more than food and money. That if the birds of the air and the flowers of the field have been taken care of then how much more will God take care of us.


I know for me especially with my money, it is so much harder not to worry, because of the consequences of things not getting paid. I mean if I don't pay the car note...."they" will come and take it. If I don't pay my rent, my landlord will kick me out. There have been times that I have worried myself sick over how Sherra and I would be able to pay all our bills, and those times have put a major strain on us and our family. 


When I hear Jesus say, "who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life?" It makes me think how silly worrying can be. What Jesus is saying here to me is that worrying is not going to make money grow trees. It's not going to make the bill collectors disappear, so why worry. Again easier said than done right?? But, the truth is Jesus is REALLY telling us to put our trust in him, and not the things of this earth. He is saying not to worry, because the things of the world are fleeting and will disappear, but the Kingdom of God will go on forever.  


My prayer for you and for me is that we all put our finances in the hands of the Lord and trust He will make way, and stop worrying about the things that will pass away.


John 

Luke 16: Of Two Worlds

Christians aren’t very bright. 

At least, that’s what Jesus said here – the children of this world are more shrewd in dealing with the world around them than are the children of the light – and I’m inclined to agree with him.  Part of their shrewdness is in their consistency.  They say money and power are what matter and then they live like money and power are what matter.  See what I mean?  Consistent.  They even bend the rules to acquire money and power.  But if that’s what matters, why not bend the rules?  Again – consistent.  And smart.

On the other hand . . .

We say God is there, but live largely as though he’s not – live day in and day out without consulting him or even acknowledging him.  We tend to see him in our past and in our future, but rarely in our present.

We say the Bible is the word of God, the Creator revealing himself to his creatures, but we can go for days, weeks, months, without cracking the book open.

We say money and power aren’t what matters, then spend our lives accumulating more and more stuff.

We say, the church is like my family, and then trade the old one in for a new one more often than we trade in our cars.

We say the rules matter, right and wrong matter, until for us – just this one time won’t matter – they don’t.

We say we know how the story ends, know the way to a rich and eternal life, but routinely fail to pass along this good news to coworkers, close friends, even family members.

What’s up with that?

– Paul Abbott

Mark 6 - Contrast in Power

I want you to look closely at two curious passages from today’s text—one at the beginning and one at the end; the scenes are almost identical, but the outcomes are strikingly different.

The first scene occurs in Jesus’ hometown, presumably Nazareth.  He is going about his work teaching and healing, but here he is met with incredulous doubters.  The outcome: “He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them.” (vs. 5).

The second scene occurs in Gennesaret.  Here we see an entirely different response from the people: “As soon as they got out of the boat, people recognized Jesus.  They ran throughout that whole region and carried the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was.  And wherever he went—into villages, towns or countryside—they placed the sick in the marketplaces.  They begged him to let them touch even the edge of his cloak, and all who touched it were healed.” (vs. 54-56).

The first community is marked by skepticism, and we read that Jesus could do very little healing there.  The second community was so convinced of his power to do miracles that it turned itself out just to touch a corner of his clothes.  And all who touched it were healed.  Fascinating.

These two passages make it clear that one community’s lack of faith can actually limit the miraculous work God is able to do its midst. 

So, a question for our own community: How are we limiting God by our own lack of faith?

Reuben

Matthew 13 – Kingdom Tales

I had two friends in high school that basically changed my life. They were different. Their conversation had depth and were as profound as one can be when you are 16. I often found myself quietly sitting and soaking in all of their thoughts and opinions. When a heated topic about the Bible or Christianity came up, I usually said something like “what about having child like faith? Let’s not complicate that” or “is this really encouraging on another to love and good deeds if we are arguing?” (Hebrews 10:24)  I would make up this excuse because certain issues were too confusing and would require a great amount of effort to try and understand. 

Now as I read things that I do not understand, I ask for grace in my readings. Mystery is not scary, it is captivating. There is a great amount of thought and ideas that I do not fully understand when I read these vivid parables; however, with the help of the Lord and online commentaries, I am more confident in lack of knowledge.  

 As I read Matthew 13, I am struck with how it opposes my former way of thinking. The Kingdom of heaven is a hidden treasure and a precious pearl.  All these are things that need to be searched for wholeheartedly. Jesus is painting wonderful pictures for wheat, weeds, fish and nets. It’s a mystery to me logically. But like hidden treasure, I am going to try my hardest to seek after the things of His kingdom. I love the visuals.  

What do these parables say to you? What mysteries have been revealed through his word? What are you searching for wholeheartedly? 

Charity Harlan.

Matthew 6: Sermon on the Mount

No matter how many times I read the latter part of this chapter (verses 25-34), I am always struck by Jesus’ view of the world in which we live. In his eyes, we live in a God-bathed, God-permeated world. Everywhere he looked, he saw evidence of God’s desire and ability to care for his creation.

Because of his confidence in his Father’s care, Jesus lived a life of utter trust. He lived an essentially worry-free life… and this is the kind of life he invites us into. Three times in this passage he tells us “Do not worry” (25, 31, 34).

Easier said then done. How can he be so insistent that we need not worry? Because Jesus knows that right here, right now, in this world, we are the objects of God’s unceasing attention and care.

• LOOK at the birds. They are not generally type A creatures. They do not fret, they do not get high blood pressure, they operate without five-year strategic plans… but they are still cared for and fed by God.

• SEE how the lilies grow. They are here today and gone tomorrow. But they are stunning in their variety and beauty. God makes sure they have what they need.

I believe that Jesus is telling us that every time we see a flower swaying in the breeze or a bird nibbling on seed, we are not watching some random event, some biological happenstance. We are watching the love of a heavenly Father at work. These events are like  “Post-It” notes of love that our Father keeps affixing all over creation, in the hopes that we will see them and read them. And once we read them, his hope is that we will trust him.

As you go about your day today, make a conscious effort to be aware of the birds and the flowers that you pass in the course of your day. They are just another, quiet, ever-present reminder that you have a Father in heaven who is very, very fond of you… and who knows your needs… and is able to meet them.

Ken Jackson

Matthew 5 – Inflammatory Word

As a teenager I had quite the attitude. In my mind, I had much of life figured out and I didn’t need anyone to advise me otherwise. I was stubborn, prideful and selfish. I’m sure if you had asked my parents they would have readily agreed that I needed a serious attitude adjustment. And they were right!

Had I read Matthew 5 in those days, I would have just scratched my head and moved on with life because this chapter is so counter intuitive to what our culture teaches. Blessed are the poor in spirit. Blessed are the mourners. Blessed are the peacemakers. Rash anger is heart murder. Turn the other cheek. Love your enemies and pray for those that persecute you. I’m sorry, say what?

Midway through my high school years, I was invited to youth group at another church. I went because mine had nothing to offer in that department at the time. I saw these people with radically changed lives because they were actually living out what they believed. Their actions matched their words. It was there that I encountered Jesus and truly started living for him – I got that attitude adjustment I so badly needed! I was changed from the inside out.  

“But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere. And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness.” –James 3:17-18 (NLT)

Let us continue to seek our wisdom from God so that our light will shine before men and they can praise our Father in heaven. Amen.

-Gina G.

Mark 5 - Healer

I think the thing that stuck out to me in this chapter was the woman who pushed through the crowd just to touch Jesus' garments. Just think, her sickness had caused her to be "unclean" to the Jewish people of that time. She was an outcast and on the outside of society, and yet she wasn't going to let that stop her. She had 100% faith that Jesus could heal her from her illness, and that drove her to push through the mob of people.

The truth is though, the woman didn't know if Jesus would heal her. She didn't know if Jesus would even acknowledge her presence. She wasn't sure if she would even make it through the crowd. But that's what makes this so fascinating, because no matter failure or success the woman was going try.

I think the most amazing thing happens when she finally touches Jesus. Jesus stops and looks for her. ALL these people bumping up against Him, and shoving to get close to Him, and when He sees her He tells her... It was your faith that has healed you! (verse 34)  No matter how many times I read that it never gets old. It was her faith and not the way she prayed a pray. It was her faith and not the position she held in the church. It was her faith and not how many times she gave to the church. It was always about her faith!!

Does this mean every time you pray with faith that God is going to answer the prayer the way you want it? Unfortunately, no. If God did that every time then it would take much faith anymore. He would be nothing more than genie in a bottle.

Think about this, how much more faith does it take to ask God for help when He hasn't always answered those cries for help the way we needed Him to? Question, Do you think this was the first time the lady asked God to heal her?? I can't imagine a woman in such pain for so long is just now thinking, "hey I'll ask God for help." Think about the number of times in 12 yrs she prayed that God would heal her from her sickness, and for 12 years she wasn't healed. It took faith for her not to give up and pursue touching Jesus' garment.

On June 2, 2011 my family heard some of the best news we had heard in a long time. My father had been cured of cancer.  My family and I didn't know if God would heal my father, but no matter the outcome we were going to have the faith that God could heal my dad. I thank God everyday that He healed my father, but tomorrow if God chooses not to heal my dad, then I still have to have faith that He will in the future. That's what faith is all about.

John

ps - here's a link to a song by Hillsong that is called Healer. Try reading Mark 5 again with this song playing in the background. It completely changes the way you read it!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5qoQmjwv-0

Mark 4: Hard Soil

What a rich chapter.

A warning: the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things (i.e. more stuff) can choke out the power and effectiveness of God’s word in my life.  Can there be a more timely warning for our culture than this?

A principle of life: With the measure you use, it will be measured to you – and even more.  It’s written into the DNA of life itself.  We can’t outwit, outplay, or outlast it.  What we do and how we live comes back to us.  In the big picture – God’s picture – life is fair after all.  Judge and you’ll be judged.  Give and it will be given to you.  Bless, even those who curse you, and in the end, you will be blessed.

A mystery: This is what the kingdom of God is like.  A man scatters seed on the ground.  Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how.  As a pastor, I’ve thought a lot about this one.  People grow spiritually, but I’ll never completely understand how that happens.  There is no program that captures it, no plan that guarantees it.  It’s a God-thing.  That doesn’t mean I sit on my hands and wait for God to act.  As soon as the grain is ripe, [the man] puts the sickle to it (this is hard work), because the harvest has come.

An unforgettable story: what always grabs me about the story at the end of this chapter is when the disciples were terrified – not when they thought they were about to die in the storm, but when they were confronted with God in flesh.  It’s when the storm is over, danger passed, that they were terrified and wondered who is this guy – what is this guy?  I love that.  It feels real.

– Paul Abbott

Mark 3 – Miracles and Magic

So much to happening here!  Where to start?  In a single chapter, we’ve got:

1.    an impromptu healing in the middle of a church service,

2.    demons who recognize Jesus’ true identity before any of us do,

3.    twelve nobodies commissioned to become traveling preachers and healers,

4.    a scathing verbal attack on Jesus’ authority and motives, and

5.    a curious exchange between Jesus and his family

Notice also the recurrence of brilliant questions Jesus asks throughout the chapter.

1.    To some of the churchgoers who try to use Jesus’ compassion for others to catch him breaking the Sabbath regulations, he asks: “Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save or to kill?”  So good.

2.    To the teachers of the law who announce that he must be controlled by Satan to be able to order demons around, he comes back with this: “How can Satan drive out Satan?”  Yeah, how could that work?

3.    And then, when told his mother and brothers were waiting for him, Jesus replies with a riddle: “Who are my mother and my brothers?”  He then answers his own question by declaring that his family includes anyone who gathers around him to do God’s will.

So here’s a question I have: What is this eternal, unforgivable sin Jesus speaks of in verses 28 & 29?  What does it mean to blaspheme against the Holy Spirit?  Mark explains that Jesus says this in response to the teachers of the law who accused him of being filled with an impure or evil spirit.  I haven’t gotten the chance yet to teach on this passage in Promiseland…

Reuben

John 3 - Late Night Rendezvous

John chapter 3 has one of the most quoted verses in the entire Bible.  "for God so loved the world..."  It shows up on signs at sports games and all over the place.  But I personally love the very powerful verses that follow.  Jesus is once again described as light, and the contrast with the darkness is powerfully illustrated here. Jesus came as a light...but the world has rejected him because they like the darkness.  You see, in the darkness, our evil deeds are hidden, and therefore we don't need to change.  But to come to Jesus is to come into the light and illuminate our deeds.  (an interesting side note that is often over looked is that Nicodemus visited Jesus at night, which many believe was because he was ashamed to be seen with Jesus).

So, are you afraid of the light, or are you staying distant from God because the closer you are to the Lord, the more likely it is that your deeds will be brought to light.  Or as stated in verse 21, do you love the light?
"But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God." vs 21.


 In the movies, whenever someone is fading into death, they always say....don't go towards the light.  But based on John 3....I would say...PLEASE GO TOWARDS THE LIGHT!  Jesus did not come to condemn you, but to save you!  


Mathew McCabe

Mark 2: Opposition

Normally, when reading the gospels, I find myself looking at Jesus. In today’s chapter, I find myself looking, not at Jesus, but at what Jesus was looking at. “When Jesus saw their faith…” (5). Exactly what did Jesus see when he saw these four men carrying their paralyzed friend to him?

First, Jesus saw four men who really cared about their friend. Faith means more than just expressing concern or saying I will pray for you. Faith shows itself as real by actually helping people in need, by a willingness to roll up its sleeves and getting it’s hands dirty. Jesus saw the faith of these four men made visible by their caring actions – does he see that when he looks at us?

Secondly, Jesus saw four men who were not hemmed in by circumstances. Imagine their disappointment when they arrived at the house and found that there was no way to carry their friend to Jesus. They could have just bailed out and headed home. But they did not. They actually believed that Jesus had the power to heal their friend and there were committed to bringing the two of them together no matter what the circumstances. Does Jesus see this kind of boldness when he looks at us?

Thirdly, Jesus saw four men who were passionate about sharing Christ. They were so determined about getting their friend to Jesus that they were willing to move way out of their comfort zone to make it happen. They were willing to look foolish, so strong was their trust in Jesus, so great their love for their friend. Dos Jesus see this kind of passion when he looks at us?

Lastly, Jesus saw four men whose faith brought honor and glory to him. Ultimately, this is what faith does – it honors and glorifies God. After Jesus heals the paralytic, there is no further mention of this man or his friends. All the focus and attention is on Jesus and what he had done. People were amazed, and they praised God. Is Jesus glorified by our willingness to trust that he will do God-sized things in and through our lives?


Ken Jackson

Mark 1 – Sudden Impact

“Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.” I

At this point in Jesus’ ministry there was a lot going on. He was calling disciples, loving people, teaching, performing miracles, and all the while being pursued by large crowds. I’m guessing his days didn’t offer much quiet. Yet what I’m struck by is the fact that he made space for it. Before anyone had stirred in the house or there was movement on the city streets, he sought out a place free from the distractions, noise and interruptions. 

When was the last time you left that smartphone behind, put the Facebook browsing aside, turned off the music or TV, or got out of bed instead of hitting the snooze button five times, to be with your Creator?

I’ll admit that sometimes the things from that list win over time spent with God. I allow distractions or a sometimes-hectic schedule to take priority. I can be tempted to believe that my days are too busy and there simply isn’t enough time to do all that which I should and need to. But when it comes to time with my Savior, my excuse of busyness or anything else I might come up with is lame.

There’s a reason that Jesus continually spent time away from the crowds, seeking out a place of quiet to be alone with God, to pray, and listen. It’s important!

Solitude. Seek it.

-Gina G.

Luke 2 - No Fear

I was down at the National Mall all day yesterday and it was quiet the spectical. I saw hundreds of thousands of people (some normal..some not so normal) and we were all celebrating together our nations independence. It made me feel very patriotic and I was very thankful for my freedom.

One theme that was talked about all day yesterday was that our nations freedom came with a huge price. Sadly, many men and women have died protecting that freedom. And so, I was humbled yesterday by those thoughts and honored to be an American!

Luke 2 is the start of our spiritual freedom. This is were it all begins. Ever since the fall of man we have been leading up to this day. The day that puts in motion a plan to make it all right again. His name is Jesus.

As we continue to read we will see that our spiritual freedom will come with an incredible sacrifice as well, but this sacrifice will also display the greatest act of love the world has ever seen.

I am always humbled and thankful Jesus is my Savior when I read this chapter, and I am so thankful that the story doesn't end in Malachi!

John

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Luke 1: One Final Hope

Luke 1 has the feeling of a great page being turned in a story.  It reads for the most part like so many Old Testament stories we’ve read together over the last four months.  The characters feel like Old Testament characters.  The voices are Old Testament voices. 

Mary singing,

He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;
   he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
He has brought down rulers from their thrones
   but has lifted up the humble.
He has filled the hungry with good things
   but has sent the rich away empty.

Zechariah prophesying,

Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel,
   because he has come to his people and redeemed them.
He has raised up a horn of salvation for us
   in the house of his servant David.

But there is something dramatically different going on here, very un-Old Testament-like talk about eyewitnesses and events being carefully investigated in order to give an orderly account so we can know with certainty what has happened.

What has happened, or is about to happen, is incarnation – God becoming one of us.  It is an event that happens in time and space.  Like any other event – Lincoln delivering the Gettysburg address, Caesar invading Gaul – it can be measured, investigated.  It is cold, hard, factual.  There are eyewitnesses.

In this, Christianity is unlike any other religion in the world.

Our faith is built, not on a religious philosophy or a theological concept, but on events in time and space: birth, death, resurrection.  Either they did happen or they did not.  There is no middle ground.  But if they happened – and there is every reason to believe they did happen – then Christianity is inescapably true.

Again – in this, Christianity is unlike any other religion in the world.

– Paul Abbott

Isaiah 55 - The End of it All

There are those moments.

Moments when all our trails and burdens fade to the edges, and refreshment comes rushing back just when it's needed most.

Here, in our final chapter before closing the book on the Old Testament, we read verse after verse awash in tides of grace... Come, all who are thirsty, come to the waters... you who have no money... Our God... he will freely pardon... and you will delight in the richest fare...

Wave upon wave.  Washing memories of unpaid debts away with the tides.  In these moments, you look out past the edges and grace is all you can see - wide as the sky, outlasting the horizon.  Troubles may have brought you here, but for a great and wonderful moment, they are overwhelmed at the shores of grace.  God's promises crash into our world, and we remember what we've believed all along.  That somehow, it's all going to be okay.  God's got this one covered - he's picked up the tab.  The end of it all is just a new beginning.  The best is yet to come.

And it's all true.  The best is yet to come... God's finest work has been saved for the second act.  Don't put The Book down now, the best part is just ahead...

Isaiah 53 - Wounded Healer