Category: reMARKable

Re:Verse passage – Mark 1:36-45 (day two)  And a leper came to Jesus, beseeching Him and falling on his knees before Him, and saying, “If You are willing, You can make me clean.” Moved with compassion, Jesus stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, “I am willing; be cleansed.”

Yesterday on the Re:vlog I mentioned another passage of scripture that had a similar feeling to me. I wanted to follow up on that text. In the very familiar account of Peter walking on water there is this exchange between Jesus and Peter.

Peter said to Him, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” And He said, “Come!” And Peter got out of the boat, and walked on the water and came toward Jesus. Matthew 14:28-29

Both the leper and Peter recognize in Jesus the power and ability to conquer fear, disease, and nature. They first acknowledge that what they seek is rooted in the savior. This recognition goes beyond Jesus’ ability to perform miracles, it begins with humility and submission. Turned around the questions could have easily been asked this way. I desire to be healed/to come near you, but I desire your will not mine. Sound familiar?

Recognize Jesus’ authority today in your petitions.

Re:Verse passage – Mark 1:21-35 (day seven)

An interesting thing happens after our students return from camp every summer. Community is heightened, activities have increased engagement, and our students desire to serve. Similar events transpire after Freedom Weekend and other major events in the Youth Ministry. What was different from before these events? What was the catalyst to create this zeal? It was that our students had a personal encounter with the Lord. The byproduct of encountering the Lord is zeal. This is evident in our passage this week,

“And He came to her and raised her up, taking her by the hand, and the fever left her, and she waited on them.” Mark 1:31.

Simon’s mother-in-law immediately began to serve Jesus after she was healed. This was not a misogynistic depiction of the woman. This was the byproduct of her healing, of her encounter with Jesus. Not only did God heal her physically, but she became filled with the Spirit and exuded zeal.

Romans 12:11, “Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord.”

Re:Verse passage – Mark 1:21-35 (day six)

You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. -Jesus, John 8:32

The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.-Jesus, John 10:10

Jesus’ miracles and exorcisms most clearly depict his purpose: freedom and wholeness. That’s the invitation. Of our own choosing, we are spiritually and physically broken people. In our rejection of God, we sold ourselves to spiritual darkness, which in turn led to our own depravity and decay. Jesus, came to right that wrong, to recreate us in his image; turning us from children of wrath to children of God.

With every miracle, every exorcism, Jesus was declaring “look, I am making all things new. That’s the promise Jesus died and rose again to secure.

Re:Verse passage – Mark 1:21-35 (day five)“In the early morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went away to a secluded place, and was praying there.” Mark‬ ‭1:35‬ ‭

It is an amazing picture. Jesus retreating from the crowds, the noise, the busyness in order to pray.  Jesus again, is modeling what obedience to God looks like- prioritizing time alone with His Heavenly Father. Just like in Mark 1, He would often leave those times in prayer with clarity and courage (reminds me of His time praying in the Garden of Gethsemane).  What Jesus knew, was that carving out or protecting time alone with God was invaluable. The disciples saw the  practice and the results. In fact, they asked Him to teach them how to pray.
Maybe that would be the best Christmas present we could discover- the desire and discipline to spend time alone with God in prayer. Anyone need clarity or courage?  “Lord, teach us to pray!!”

Re:Verse passage – Mark 1:21-35 (day four)

The demons recognized Jesus…they knew exactly who He was.  They recognized His identity and His authority.  Contrast that recognition with the religious leaders.  They had been looking for the Messiah for generations.  They had built up a picture in their minds of who the Savior would be and how He would relate to the people.  Their incorrect expectations caused them to completely miss the coming of Jesus.

We often do the same thing.  We develop expectations of how God will act in a given situation.  We plan ‘how He should do it’, to the extent that we completely miss how God will act according to His plan.  We have devised an idol in our lives that looks nothing like God.  We believe God fails to answer our prayers or just refuses to act.  In fact, we just don’t recognize His hand at work.  Thank goodness for repentance and forgiveness.  Ask God to open your eyes to His handiwork…ask Him to allow you to see through His eyes.  We miss so much when we depend on our own spiritual eyes!

Re:Verse passage – Mark 1:21-35 (day three)

“Immediately on the Sabbath [Jesus] entered the synagogue and began to teach.”

Jesus would have delivered the brief homily that members of the community or itinerant rabbis were encouraged to give after the reading of the scriptures. Brief indeed. Mark doesn’t present that sermon here, but the one that Luke records in chapter 4 of his gospel amounts to less than 130 words in English. “No one’s ever heard a bad short sermon,” goes the old saying. The congregation in Luke apparently disagreed; that sermon ended with the attempted murder of the preacher. Words have power. No one knew this better than Christ himself, through whom all things were made with a word. The words Jesus preached were met variously with anger, elation, fear, hope, puzzlement, and faith. At issue is not whether a person will respond to Christ’s words, but how.

Re:Verse passage – Mark 1:21-35 (day two) Just then there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit; and he cried out,  saying, “What business do we have with each other, Jesus of Nazareth? Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!” vs. 23-24

Recognition and surrender are not the same thing. Think about it for a moment. More than once in scripture demons recognize the divinity of Christ, and that does little to save them. Are we trying to hang our salvation on a basic acknowledgment of Jesus, or have we surrendered completely to his Lordship over our lives? Consider doing a spiritual inventory over the next few days or weeks. As you examine your routine ask yourself, and the Lord, if your walk reflects a surrendered heart or one that simply acknowledges Jesus. This is a good exercise for all of us.

Re:Verse passage – Mark 1:16-20 (day seven)

I love to fish. I specifically love fly fishing. I do not do it enough to be good at it, but being out in the water, surrounded by nature, away from the hustle and bustle of life, fishing provides an escape. It also provides a challenge. There is an art to understanding how the fly will hit the water, how much the current will impact it, and how to hook the fish. Fishing can be challenging, and yet, it can also be rewarding. For me, fishing is just a hobby. For these men, fishing was a livelihood. It was more than a sport. It was their food, salary, and currency. However, I reckon they felt similarly about the challenge and escape that fishing provides, which is why this was so appealing to hear,

“Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men.”

There is an art to being a fisher of men. It takes practice and time, but it is also tremendously rewarding. Instead of being an escape for you, you show others how to escape the brokenness of this world. That is greater than any catch that will come out on the water.