Category: MARK

RE Verse reading–Mark 1:19-20, 3:13-17, 10:35- 45 (day six)
“They replied , ‘Let one of us sit at your right hand and the other at your left IN YOUR GLORY.’ ” (10:37)  If the Mayan calendar is correct the end of the world is just days away.  Yep!  January 21, 2012.  It is all over.  If you are interested in a second opinion on this important subject, I recommend the Bible.  At least James and John got this part right.  Their concept of the future was glory, the glory of Christ.  Pretty amazing considering the difficult days that Jesus and His disciples were facing.  Jesus had recently predicted His death to be followed by His resurrection.  Whatever else you think of James and John for their self-centeredness, their strong faith regarding the future was admirable.  They believed Jesus and saw clearly that the coming days were in His hands.  Let’s see. . .the pessimism of the Mayan calendar or the promises of God?  I know where my heart is.  You?

“RE Verse reading–Mark 1:19-20, 3:13-17, 10:35-45 (day five)
I saw this quote on a friend’s Facebook page this week. “The biggest danger to every human being is located inside of them, not outside of them.” After reading Mark 10:35-45, I left with 2 observations: First, we are SO capable of either steering or being steered off the path of righteousness that it is scary. Qualities that are often applauded and admired (zeal, ambition, and dedication) can lead us away from the will and favor of God. Second, Jesus has NO problem pointing out the weaknesses and sin in the lives of His disciples. I see at work the frailty and depravity of mankind while at the same moment, I observe the firm and fair rebuke of a loving Lord. I am encouraged that sin (my sin) does not intimidate or hinder Jesus’ desire and capacity to challenge and confront my wickedness (whatever its motivation). My heart is both humbled and grateful this morning.

RE Verse reading–Mark 1:19-20, 3:13-17, 10:35-45 (day four)
Jesus was obedient.  Verse 1:10 says, following His obedience, immediately the Spirit of God descended on Him.  It was a spiritual landmark in His life.  Then…there is that word again…’immediately’…immediately Jesus is tested against His commitment to God.  Have you ever experienced that?  You make a significant, life-changing commitment to God…promising to be obedient in a particular area of your life…and immediately you are tested in that commitment.  Satan comes and seeks to steal away your faith commitment.  Jesus gives us the proper way to deal with the temptation…use the Word of God.  Hebrews 4:12 says “the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword…” Satan’s tactics and temptations are the same for you and me, just as they were for Jesus.  Satan is the great deceiver and he knows exactly where your point of weakness lies.  The only offense against his schemes is the Word of God.  Follow the lead of the Savior!

RE Verse reading–Mark 19-20; 3:13-17; 10:35-45 (Day Three)
“Whoever wants to become great among you must become your servant…”  Does Jesus redefine the path to greatness?  No.  He redefines greatness.  Servanthood is greatness.  That’s not some Orwellian oxymoron.  Jesus well knew that serving people means you must get close enough to them to do unto them what you would have others do unto you.  Such a way of life trains your heart to love people.  Jesus has in mind building a community of disciples pursuing such greatness.  That’s the only kind of community—and the only kind of greatness—that will last for eternity.  In order to love, serve someone.  In order to serve someone, learn what Jesus means when he speaks of greatness.

RE Verse reading–Mark 1:19-20, 3:13-17, 10:35-45 (Day 2)
Serve the church?! Why?! Isn’t it full of power-hungry self-promoters? Yes. Hasn’t it broken friendships over petty and ultimately meaningless squabbles? At times…yes. Why serve such a thing? Because Jesus served the church (10:45). How did Jesus respond to power-hungry self-promoters (Mark 10:37)? Jesus doesn’t reject them. He instructs them (10:38-39). Jesus doesn’t lash out at them. He paints a larger picture for them (10:40). Jesus doesn’t walk away from them. He calls them closer to himself (10:42). You may not like the church…and you probably have good reasons. But don’t fool yourself into thinking that you can have Jesus and not have the ones for whom He gave Himself as a ransom. Perhaps there is no better cure for your own power-hungry, self-promoting soul than serving other power-hungry self-promoters in the church near you.

RE Verse reading–Mark 1:19-20, 3:13-17, 10:35-45 (day one)
“Let one of us sit at your right hand and the other at your left in glory.”  (vs 10:37)  The Bible does not speak critically of ambition per se.  “If any man ASPIRES to the office of overseer, it is a fine work he desires to do”  (1 Timothy 3:3)  It does, however, speak against “SELFISH ambition” (James 3:16)–desire for recognition or privilege that benefits self, only self, primarily self.  This week we will consider (hopefully with self-awareness and humility) James and John’s request to “sit at the right and left hand”.  Was it selfish?  Yes, at least in part.  The Lord’s refusal of their request, the anger of the other disciples, and the necessary, subsequent teaching all indicate that the “sons of Thunder”  were not yet mature in their desires or their prayers.  They had ambitions that were not like servant-hearted or Christ-like.  Friend, what do you request from Christ?  Do you have godly ambitions?

RE Verse reading–Mark 1:16-18, 8: 27-33, 14:26-31, 66-72, 16:5-7 (day seven)
“Get behind me, Satan!  You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.”  (8:33)  Stress makes me stupid.  I don ‘t know why.  It just does.  Put me in a threatening situation and my inner fears take over.  I “close down the shop” and become a committee of one. . . trusting my own counsel, making my own decisions.  Obsessed, afraid, and empty.  Not a pretty picture.  Rather than trusting the Lord, I try to control Him, dictate to Him.  Peter and I are similar in this tendency.  My wake up call is also like Peter’s.  The Lord turns away from me.  His Spirit is grieved, quenched.  Recognizing that I have closed Him out, He warns that He will go on without me if I continue in this posture.  Painful?  Yes.  Necessary? Yes.  “Those whom the Lord loves, He disciplines”  (Hebrews 12:6)  One way is to leave us behind.

RE Verse reading–Mark 1:16-18, 8:27-33, 14:26-31,66-72, 16:5-7 (day six)
” ‘Get behind me, Satan!’ He said. ‘You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.’ ” (8:33)  It is a subject we don’t like to think about.  Suffering.  Definitely not a man thing.  It calls from us either courage or cowardice.  Neither is an easy road.  Jesus said it is a God thing.  “The Son of Man must suffer”,  He said in vs 31.  Christians too will have a cross to carry He adds in vs 34.  It is a part of the equation that God knows is necessary.  If we love Him, if we believe Him we have to “have it in our minds” ie. embrace it with courage, accept it with trust.  To resist it is to insist that we know better than God (just as Peter did in this story).  “Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God”  (Acts 14:2)  It is a God thing.

RE Verse reading–Mark 1:16-18, 8:27-33, 14:26-31, 66-72, 16:5-7 (day five)
It is the biggest question that we will ever need to answer. In Mark 8:29 Jesus gets down to the nitty gritty. “But what about YOU?” he asked. “Who do YOU say I am?” (emphasis added) How each of us answers this question will ultimately define our faith, belief system, and our trust in the scripture. In a conversation last week with my kids, we were talking about how the answer to this question is the ultimate litmus test of each and every religion. The question we must ask when investigating or confronted by another pattern of spirituality is “What do they say/believe about Jesus.?” Will they follow Biblical teaching? Will they try to reduce or explain away his humanity or divinity? It is a question that each of us is accountable to answer for ourselves. The answer will tell the world what we believe about God, The Scripture, Salvation, and so much more.

RE Verse reading–Mark 1:16-18, 8:27-33, 14:26-31, 66-72, 16:5-7 (day four)
These verses give us a snapshot of Peter’s life and his interaction with the Savior.  Some of the experiences were positive, some were negative.  All of them served to teach and train Peter.  Jesus had big plans for Peter…he was to become a fisher of men, a leader among the disciples, and a rock in the early church.  Peter is deeply moved by each of these incidents.  He was learning…he was being ‘sanctified’.  Sanctification according to Systematic Theology by Wayne Grudem is “a progressive work of God and man that makes us more and more free from sin and like Christ in our actual lives.”  Question:  Will we make mistakes?  Yes!  The real question is, ‘will we learn from our mistakes and grow more and more like Christ through our responses?’  Are you giving attention to sanctification in your life?  Are you becoming more like Christ each day?