A Vegetable Garden, Really?!?

Have you ever been turned down for something?  I am sure you have.  Turned down for a job, a raise, a date, or maybe something as simple as asking for a cookie and you are told, “Not until after dinner.”  In today’s story we are going to look at a time when King Ahab of Israel was turned down.  He faced disappointment and rejection.  What he does, and what his wife Jezebel does, are a good lesson for us on what NOT to do when you feel that way.  Let’s take a look.

1 Kings 21:1-16

“Now Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard in Jezreel, beside the palace of Ahab king of Samaria. ² And after this Ahab said to Naboth, “Give me your vineyard, that I may have it for a vegetable garden, because it is near my house, and I will give you a better vineyard for it; or, if it seems good to you, I will give you its value in money.” ³ But Naboth said to Ahab, “The Lord forbid that I should give you the inheritance of my fathers.” ⁴ And Ahab went into his house vexed and sullen because of what Naboth the Jezreelite had said to him, for he had said, “I will not give you the inheritance of my fathers.” And he lay down on his bed and turned away his face and would eat no food.

⁵ But Jezebel his wife came to him and said to him, “Why is your spirit so vexed that you eat no food?” ⁶ And he said to her, “Because I spoke to Naboth the Jezreelite and said to him, ‘Give me your vineyard for money, or else, if it please you, I will give you another vineyard for it.’ And he answered, ‘I will not give you my vineyard.’” ⁷ And Jezebel his wife said to him, “Do you now govern Israel? Arise and eat bread and let your heart be cheerful; I will give you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.”

⁸ So she wrote letters in Ahab's name and sealed them with his seal, and she sent the letters to the elders and the leaders who lived with Naboth in his city. ⁹ And she wrote in the letters, “Proclaim a fast, and set Naboth at the head of the people. ¹⁰ And set two worthless men opposite him, and let them bring a charge against him, saying, ‘You have cursed God and the king.’ Then take him out and stone him to death.”¹¹ And the men of his city, the elders and the leaders who lived in his city, did as Jezebel had sent word to them. As it was written in the letters that she had sent to them, ¹² they proclaimed a fast and set Naboth at the head of the people. ¹³ And the two worthless men came in and sat opposite him. And the worthless men brought a charge against Naboth in the presence of the people, saying, “Naboth cursed God and the king.” So they took him outside the city and stoned him to death with stones. ¹⁴ Then they sent to Jezebel, saying, “Naboth has been stoned; he is dead.”

¹⁵ As soon as Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned and was dead, Jezebel said to Ahab, “Arise, take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, which he refused to give you for money, for Naboth is not alive, but dead.” ¹⁶ And as soon as Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, Ahab arose to go down to the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, to take possession of it.”

Things to think about:

• Murder for a vegetable garden?  Totally not worth it! 
• The reason Naboth didn’t want to sell his land was because he was obeying the command of the Lord.  God owns the land.  God gave certain parts of the land to different tribes within Judah.  It was built into the system of their nation that the people recognize God’s authority by not selling or giving their land away.  In fact, you could “loan” out your land for a time, but in the year of Jubilee (see Leviticus 25) all land went back to the families that God originally gave it to.  So, Naboth is obeying the decree of God and Ahab is disregarding that decree and trying to show his authority as king to be greater than the authority of God.  How often do we do the same thing?  We might say, “well, yes God says this, but in my life I don’t think that applies…”
• I love the response of Ahab, not because it is a good response, but because it is so pitiful.  The King can’t have a vegetable garden next to his palace so he pouts in his bed and refuses to eat food.  Seriously?!?  But, how often do we react in a similar way.  We don’t get that thing we wanted so we pout and cry and complain.  A good lesson from Ahab is; take a step back and see the big picture.  Your situation might not be all that bad after all. 
• Jezebel was an evil woman.  Besides this conspiracy to murder she was guilty of killing lots of other people.  She wanted power.  Weakness was not an option.  Humility and a recognition of God’s authority were not part of her life.  It might be easy to distance ourselves from a woman like Jezebel who seems to have no heart at all, but are we all that different?  Isn’t all sin at some level a battle for power against God.  We want to do things our way in our timing.  We reject the power and authority of God and trust in ourselves.  We may not murder people, at least I hope, but we fight the same way.  We reject God’s authority and go our own way.
• So, this is a story of what not to do when you are disappointed.  But, like we have seen we are not all that different at times. 
• Thanks be to God who loved us in our sin and rebellion.  He loved us so much he came to this earth as Jesus Christ and died for our sins on a cross.  Wow.  Praise God for his love!

From Blindness to Sight

I have never been blind.  Guessing from the fact that you are reading this I don’t think you are blind either.  I wonder what it would be like to be completely blind.  No light.  No shapes.  Complete darkness all the time.  I know people overcome, but I am sure it is not easy.  In today’s story from the book of John we read a story of two types of people; those who are blind, and those who see.  Read carefully, because the blindness isn’t always so easy to see.  😊 

Background:

• It might be important to know before you read this story that in the time of Jesus culturally it was seen to be a sign of sin to be blind.  As if God were judging you or your parents for some horrible sin so you were born blind. 
• Before this particular miracle Jesus had done many amazing things and healed all kinds of diseases, including blindness.  But, the religious leaders and many in the city of Jerusalem still doubted.  They didn’t know where Jesus came from.  They didn’t know where he got his power from.  They didn’t know what he wanted.  In a sense, even though they could see Jesus, they were blind to his truth. 

John 9

As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. ² And his disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” ³ Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him. ⁴ We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work. ⁵ As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” ⁶ Having said these things, he spit on the ground and made mud with the saliva. Then he anointed the man's eyes with the mud⁷ and said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means Sent). So he went and washed and came back seeing.

⁸ The neighbors and those who had seen him before as a beggar were saying, “Is this not the man who used to sit and beg?” ⁹ Some said, “It is he.” Others said, “No, but he is like him.” He kept saying, “I am the man.” ¹⁰ So they said to him, “Then how were your eyes opened?” ¹¹ He answered, “The man called Jesus made mud and anointed my eyes and said to me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash.’ So I went and washed and received my sight.” ¹² They said to him, “Where is he?” He said, “I do not know.”

¹³ They brought to the Pharisees the man who had formerly been blind.¹⁴ Now it was a Sabbath day when Jesus made the mud and opened his eyes. ¹⁵ So the Pharisees again asked him how he had received his sight. And he said to them, “He put mud on my eyes, and I washed, and I see.” ¹⁶ Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath.” But others said, “How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?” And there was a division among them. ¹⁷ So they said again to the blind man, “What do you say about him, since he has opened your eyes?” He said, “He is a prophet.”

¹⁸ The Jews did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight, until they called the parents of the man who had received his sight¹⁹ and asked them, “Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see?” ²⁰ His parents answered, “We know that this is our son and that he was born blind. ²¹ But how he now sees we do not know, nor do we know who opened his eyes. Ask him; he is of age. He will speak for himself.” ²² (His parents said these things because they feared the Jews, for the Jews had already agreed that if anyone should confess Jesus to be Christ, he was to be put out of the synagogue.)²³ Therefore his parents said, “He is of age; ask him.”

²⁴ So for the second time they called the man who had been blind and said to him, “Give glory to God. We know that this man is a sinner.” ²⁵ He answered, “Whether he is a sinner I do not know. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.” ²⁶ They said to him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?” ²⁷ He answered them, “I have told you already, and you would not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become his disciples?” ²⁸ And they reviled him, saying, “You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. ²⁹ We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where he comes from.” ³⁰ The man answered, “Why, this is an amazing thing! You do not know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes. ³¹ We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does his will, God listens to him.³² Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a man born blind. ³³ If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.” ³⁴ They answered him, “You were born in utter sin, and would you teach us?” And they cast him out.

³⁵ Jesus heard that they had cast him out, and having found him he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” ³⁶ He answered, “And who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?” ³⁷ Jesus said to him, “You have seen him, and it is he who is speaking to you.” ³⁸ He said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him. ³⁹ Jesus said, “For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind.”⁴⁰ Some of the Pharisees near him heard these things, and said to him, “Are we also blind?” ⁴¹ Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no guilt; but now that you say, ‘We see,’ your guilt remains.

Things to think about:

• Do you notice anything different about this story compared to other stories of Jesus healing people?  Did the man ask for healing?  Why the delay in healing?  (Jesus made mud out of his own spit, then sent the man to a pool to wash.  When the man could finally see, Jesus was long gone.) 
• Do you think Jesus is using the real life blind man as an example for the Jews who are spiritually blind?  Why are they so blind?  What don’t they see?
• I love the boldness of the blind man.  He is standing before some of the most powerful men in his country and he is like, “Why, this is an amazing thing!  You don’t know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes…”  It’s almost as if he is shouting, “Wow, what a bunch of idiots you all must be.  How blind are you that you do not see he is obviously from God.”  Jesus was right before their eyes putting his power on display and they could not see him.  They were blind.
• The question that Jesus asks the blind man at the end of the passage is the question for you today.  “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”  Do you believe that Jesus is God? Do you believe he has the power to heal, not just your physical blindness, but your spiritual blindness?  Do you believe he has the power to give you life?  If you believe may you be like the blind man in this story and worship our Lord Jesus Christ today!

"What Was In A Man"

Who knows you best?  Do you have a friend that knows all about you and really “gets you?”  Are you married to a spouse that understands your history, knows your likes and dislikes, and can read your emotions?  Maybe a brother or sister that just always seems to know what you are thinking?  We all probably have someone in our lives that knows us well.  Today, I want to look at a short passage from the book of John that reminds us there is someone that knows us even better than we know ourselves.

Background:

• Jesus had just started his ministry and was baptized by John the Baptist. 
• Jesus performed his first visible miracle officially starting his ministry by turning water into wine at a wedding feast.
• A few days after the wedding Jesus went to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover and there he discovered money-changers and merchants insulting the Lord turning the Temple into a “house of trade.” 
• We pick up the text with Jesus performing miracles and “signs” in Jerusalem.  It is a short text, but packed with meaning.  Let’s take a look.

John 2:23-25

²³ Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many believed in his name when they saw the signs that he was doing. ²⁴ But Jesus on his part did not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people²⁵ and needed no one to bear witness about man, for he himself knew what was in man.

Things to think about:

• How cool would it have been to see a “sign” from Jesus?  I wonder what those signs were?
• Verse 23 says the people “believed” in his name when they saw the signs.  What kind of belief did they have if Jesus does not “entrust” himself to them in verse 24.  I looked in a commentary and found out that it is the same Greek word used in both verses.  The people “believed” in Jesus, but he didn’t “believe” in them. 
• Why didn’t Jesus believe in the people?  Why didn’t he have faith in their faith?  He knew their hearts.  He “knew what was in man.”  I like that phrase.  Jesus knew that in man there is sin and a brokenness that doesn’t allow us to see things properly.  Jesus knew that some of these same people who “believe” in him because of the miracles would one day shout, “crucify him!”  They believed in Him for his stuff (his signs) but didn’t really believe in him for who he was as Lord and Savior. 
• Jesus knows your heart as well.  Here is the biggest question that will be asked of you today, or any day really.  Do you believe in Jesus?  Do you believe in Jesus as Lord and Savior or do you believe in Him just for miracles that you can see?   
• If you aren’t sure how you believe take a moment and pray.  Ask the Lord for the kind of faith that trusts Jesus with all things.  Surrender to His authority and ask him to help you believe.  Be like the man in Mark 9 who said, “Lord, I believe help my unbelief.”

Are You Even Listening?

Have you ever heard something, but not really registered what was truly said or understood what was meant?  I am sure this happens to more than just me.  I often will be in a conversation where someone tells me something and I respond with, “oh wow, that’s interesting…” and they say, “Yeah, I told you about this last week.  Don’t you remember?”  To be honest, sometimes I remember and sometimes I don’t have a clue what they are talking about.  I certainly will not be winning any awards for memory.  

How many times does God have to say something to us before the truth finally sinks in?  How often do we come across a passage or a promise of God and say, “oh wow.  I have never heard that before…” and God responds, “I told you this like 15 times in the last month and you have read this passage 100 times.  You have heard this before, but obviously you needed the reminder.”  Not sure God would talk like that, but the point stays the same. 😊  We need to be reminded of things often.  Today in our passage I want to look at the three times it is recorded that Jesus tells his disciples about his crucifixion and resurrection.  They were told at least these three times, yet when the event took place they seemed unprepared as if they had never heard the plan.  Maybe we can learn something from the disciples. 

Mark 8:31-38

³¹ And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again. ³² And he said this plainly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. ³³ But turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”

³⁴ And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. ³⁵ For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it. ³⁶ For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?³⁷ For what can a man give in return for his soul? ³⁸ For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”

Mark 9:30-32

³⁰ They went on from there and passed through Galilee. And he did not want anyone to know, ³¹ for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him. And when he is killed, after three days he will rise.” ³² But they did not understand the saying, and were afraid to ask him.

Mark 10:32-34

³² And they were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them. And they were amazed, and those who followed were afraid. And taking the twelve again, he began to tell them what was to happen to him, ³³ saying, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles. ³⁴ And they will mock him and spit on him, and flog him and kill him. And after three days he will rise.”

Things to think about:

• Do you think Jesus was trying to hide the truth about what was going to happen to him?  It seems pretty straight forward to me. 
• After hearing all of these predictions, and with such specific detail, why do you think the disciples were so shocked to hear that Jesus had risen from the dead? 
• What was the reaction of the disciples when they heard this incredible news?  See Mark 9:32 – How often do we hear promises of God and fail to believe them because they seem confusing or hard to understand?  If God says it – we should believe it – even if we don’t know how it is going to work.
• What are some promises of God that you have heard before, but need to be reminded of again today?  Here are a few; do you believe them?
• You are loved (John 3:16)
• If you believe in Jesus you are his child (John 1:12)
• You are a fellow heirs with Christ (Romans 8:16-17)
• You will receive a glorified body and live forever with God (1 Corinthians 15:50-58)
• God is your strength (Isaiah 40:31)
• You can do all things through Christ you strengthens you (Philippians 4:13)
• And the list could go on…do you believe him today? 
• See it never hurts to be reminded.  Whatever situation you find yourself in today, whatever struggle you face, may the Lord remind you of his promises and make them come alive in your mind.  Let’s not be like the disciples and be caught off guard when God’s promises come true. He is a faithful God and will always keep his promises.

God is Near

In light of many tragedies and suffering, both globally and personally, I thought it would be useful to meditate on a promise of God.  Instead of looking at one passage and thinking about the implications of how that truth applies to our lives, today I want to look at multiple verses so we are reminded of a great promise of God.  What promise?  God is with you and will sustain you!  I will let God’s speak for himself:

Psalm 55:22a

“Cast your burden on the Lord,
    and he will sustain you…”

1 Peter 5:6-7

“Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, ⁷ casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.”

Lamentations 3:22-24

“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
    his mercies never come to an end;
²³ they are new every morning;
    great is your faithfulness.
²⁴ “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,
    “therefore I will hope in him.”

Lamentations 3:55-57

“I called on your name, O Lord,
    from the depths of the pit;
⁵⁶ you heard my plea, ‘Do not close
    your ear to my cry for help!’
⁵⁷ You came near when I called on you;
    you said, ‘Do not fear!’”

Psalm 34:18

“The Lord is near to the brokenhearted
    and saves the crushed in spirit.”

James 4:8

“Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. “

Psalm 145:18

“The Lord is near to all who call on him,
    to all who call on him in truth.”

And the list could go on.  Meditate on these words today.  No matter what you are going through.  No matter what is happening in the news.  Whether you understand it, agree with it, or have the courage to face it, remember this truth;  God is with you!  Call on him today and find rest for your soul, peace for your mind, and comfort for your heart.  Salvation, satisfaction, and joy are in the Lord – Praise God; for, he is near!  

Our Eyes Are On You

        Do you ever stand before a problem and think to yourself, “I don’t know what to do?”  There isn’t a clear answer or maybe there is an answer, but you lack the ability to or strength to do whatever it is that needs to be done.  How often do we have situations in our lives where we stop and say, “I don’t know what to do?”  In today’s Bible story a certain king of Judah made that same statement.  Let’s read that story and see if we can’t learn what to do in situations like that. 

Background:

• After God rescued the people of Israel out of Egypt and established a kingdom for them they went through a series of leaders.  First there were Judges who ruled at different times and usually more local areas.  Then king Saul was chosen from among the people to be the first king over Israel, then king David was chosen by God to rule, followed by his son Solomon.  After Solomon the kingdom had some problems.  It divided into two kingdoms, Israel in the north, and Judah in the south.  For the most part all of the Israelite kings were evil and disobeyed God, and about half of the kings of Judah were evil as well…but, there were some good kings.  Jehoshaphat was one of those good kings.  He sought after the Lord and tried to get the people to turn to the Lord by sending out Bible teachers and leaders to teach the people about God and how to worship him.  See 2 Chronicles 17-20 for more details. 
• Today I want to look at a story from Jehoshaphat’s life when a huge army from Edom was approaching to destroy them.  Jehoshaphat heard about the size of this oncoming army and he did not know what to do.  Let’s see what happens.

2 Chronicles 20:1-19

After this the Moabites and Ammonites, and with them some of the Meunites, came against Jehoshaphat for battle. ² Some men came and told Jehoshaphat, “A great multitude is coming against you from Edom, from beyond the sea; and, behold, they are in Hazazon-tamar” (that is, Engedi). ³ Then Jehoshaphat was afraid and set his face to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. ⁴ And Judah assembled to seek help from the Lord; from all the cities of Judah they came to seek the Lord.

⁵ And Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the Lord, before the new court, ⁶ and said, “O Lord, God of our fathers, are you not God in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. In your hand are power and might, so that none is able to withstand you. ⁷ Did you not, our God, drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel, and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham your friend? ⁸ And they have lived in it and have built for you in it a sanctuary for your name, saying, ⁹ ‘If disaster comes upon us, the sword, judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we will stand before this house and before you—for your name is in this house—and cry out to you in our affliction, and you will hear and save.’ ¹⁰ And now behold, the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir, whom you would not let Israel invade when they came from the land of Egypt, and whom they avoided and did not destroy— ¹¹ behold, they reward us by coming to drive us out of your possession, which you have given us to inherit. ¹² O our God, will you not execute judgment on them? For we are powerless against this great horde that is coming against us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.”

¹³ Meanwhile all Judah stood before the Lord, with their little ones, their wives, and their children. ¹⁴ And the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, son of Benaiah, son of Jeiel, son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, in the midst of the assembly.¹⁵ And he said, “Listen, all Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem and King Jehoshaphat: Thus says the Lord to you, ‘Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed at this great horde, for the battle is not yours but God's.¹⁶ Tomorrow go down against them. Behold, they will come up by the ascent of Ziz. You will find them at the end of the valley, east of the wilderness of Jeruel. ¹⁷ You will not need to fight in this battle. Stand firm, hold your position, and see the salvation of the Lord on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem.’ Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed. Tomorrow go out against them, and the Lord will be with you.”

¹⁸ Then Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before the Lord, worshiping the Lord. ¹⁹ And the Levites, of the Kohathites and the Korahites, stood up to praise the Lord, the God of Israel, with a very loud voice.

Things to think about:

• I love this prayer.  Jehoshaphat is not trying to trick God, he isn’t trying to bargain with God, he isn’t trying to tell God what to do, but he does recount God’s provision in the past, his promises, and the problem with the current situation.  The problem that Jehoshaphat saw was more than just, “we are in danger” but was also, “You, O God, will be discredited and dishonored if this is not fixed.  He was concerned for God’s glory.  Do you pray like this? Are you concerned for the Lord’s glory? 
• I love the honesty of verse 12.  “We don’t know what to do…but our eyes are on you.”  Yes!  Amen!  May we pray the same way.  Lord, I don’t know what to do about my kids, but my eyes are on you.  Lord I don’t know about this job, or these finances, or these health issues…God I don’t know what to do, but my eyes are on you!  May we forever remember what God has done in our lives and through history and forever look to his promises as we keep our eyes on him!
• When God answered the people praised the Lord.  Today, think of prayers that the Lord has answered in your life and give God praise.  Stand up and with a loud voice praise the Lord.  Praise him with a “very loud voice!” 

4 Passages To Change Your Life

Well, it has been about 5 months since my last edition of Bible Time with Josh.  Sorry for that, I hope to be more consistent again.  Today, instead of one longer passage I thought it would be fruitful to share four short passages of scripture that should change your life.  The youth here at OHC have been studying these four scriptures and I have loved teaching them, memorizing them, and meditating on them for the past month.  I encourage you to meditate on these truth’s and apply them to your life today…and if you feel up to it, go ahead and memorize them.  You will be better for it. 

1 Timothy 1:15-17

“The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. ¹⁶ But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life. ¹⁷ To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.”

Things to think about:

• If you have ever asked the question, “why did Jesus come into this world?” the answer is plainly stated here.  He came to save sinners!  What good news for us sinners!
• Think about that phrase “perfect patience.”  The perfect patience of Jesus Christ is put on display when he saves sinners like you and I.  Praise God for his perfect patience!
• I love how Paul, the author of 1 Timothy, breaks out into praise in verse 17.  Thinking about the salvation available in Jesus Christ and thinking about his mercy and patience which leads to our eternal life should cause all of us to break out into praise! 

Romans 5:1

“Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Things to think about:

• Justified is a very “churchy” word.  It means to be declared just, to be declared right, not guilty, etc.  We are declared not guilty by faith.  In the context of this verse you will discover that it is not just faith in anything, but faith in Jesus Christ and his death on the cross that brings about that justification.  Do you believe that today?  Are you declared not guilty in the eyes of God?
• What an amazing truth to be at peace with God.  We are born as enemies of God pursuing our own self-interests and desires rather than His.  We actively reject God’s ways and fight against him and his kingdom.  But God makes peace with us.  He makes peace through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.  Amazing!

Titus 2:11-12

“For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people,¹² training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age…”

Things to think about:

• Once the first two verses we looked at are embraced we can focus on this verse.  Think about how the grace of God trains you to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions.  Why would it do that?  Why is it gracious for God to call you out of that lifestyle?  Why is it grace to be told to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives?
• Join me in praying that God’s grace would continue to train all of us to pursue Him by faith and to be strengthened in this training exercise finishing strong for His glory and our good.

2 Corinthians 5:17,21

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

Things to think about:

• First, and most important question of the day.  Are you in Christ?  How do you know?  Do you believe in Him for eternal life?  Have you trusted in him for salvation?  Spend some time thinking about that and if you are unsure or want to talk more I would love to talk with you about that and point you to a few other scripture passages. 
• If you are in Christ – you are new!  Just dwell on that truth for a while.  The old sinful you has been stripped away and you have been made new by Christ.  Now in this newness of life walk in relationship with God!
• The only way that you are made new is because of the sacrifice and love of Christ.  Jesus took the place of sinners and bore the wrath of God on the cross.  What a gift that God has given to us.  What a sacrifice!  What a salvation!

Much more could be said about these four verses and I encourage you to read them again and again.  Think about these truth’s and preach them to yourselves.  May God use His word to bring healing, help, and salvation to all who would read it today.  God bless.

Seeing and Not Seeing

I have had a number of conversations lately about depression.  For whatever reasons the topic of anxiety or depression seems to resurface on a daily basis.  Think about your life and the people you know.  How many of them struggle with depression?  Do you?  By no means am I going to write one Bible Time and claim for all who are depressed, “here it is, this is what you didn’t understand, you are healed!”  But, I do know the God who does have that ability and who promises that one day those who have faith in His Son will never suffer from depression again.  Joy will be their new defining characteristic.  Praise God!  And, I can’t wait for that day.  For now, let’s look at a quick story from the ministry of Jesus where he doesn’t necessarily deal with depression, but for those suffering from depression there is much to gain in this passage. 

Mark 8:22-26

²² And they came to Bethsaida. And some people brought to him a blind man and begged him to touch him. ²³ And he took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village, and when he had spit on his eyes and laid his hands on him, he asked him, “Do you see anything?” ²⁴ And he looked up and said, “I see people, but they look like trees, walking.”²⁵ Then Jesus laid his hands on his eyes again; and he opened his eyes, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. ²⁶ And he sent him to his home, saying, “Do not even enter the village.”

Things to think about:

• Jesus healed many people of blindness.  Sometimes with just a word (Luke 18:35-43), other times with a touch (Matt. 9:27-31), here with some spit!  Why do you think Jesus did it different ways?  Do you think he is teaching us something in the method of healing as well as in the healing itself?
• Why do you think the man was only “partially healed” at first?  He could see, but not well.  He thought people looked like trees walking.  Could this be a parable for our lives today?  For those that believe in Jesus and know of the forgiveness that he offers.  You see Christ.  You see his love.  You see his grace.  But, you don’t see well.  There are times of doubt, times of shame, times of frustration and confusion.  This is where depression comes in.  I think depression for us as Christians is like seeing, but not seeing well.  We read the Bible and we believe in the good news of Jesus, but…arrgghh…there is just something that pulls us down, that confuses us, that frustrates us.  Finish reading the story.  What happens to the man?  Jesus finishes the healing and he sees “clearly!”  That is our hope.  One day, maybe today, maybe tomorrow, maybe in 50 years when we die – we will see clearly!  Jesus is faithful to finish what he has started. 
• Let me finish with a long quote from a great book about depression called “Spiritual Depression” written by a pastor named Martin Lloyd-Jones.  He was a pastor for many years and died in 1981 and he admitted to suffering from depression most of his life.  This quote comes from the chapter entitled “Men as trees, walking”…it is the chapter where he unpacks much of the idea I just threw out to you today.  I will let him give the big conclusion – he does a better job than I ever could.  May God encourage you with these words today.

…Come to the Word of God.  Stop asking questions. Start with the promises in their right order.  Say: ‘I want the truth whatever it costs me’.  Bind yourself to it, submit yourself to it, come in utter submission as a little child and plead with Him to give you clear sight, perfect vision, and to make you whole.  And as you do so it is my privilege to remind you that He can do it.  Yea, more, I promise you in His blessed name that he will do it.  He never leaves anything incomplete.  That is the teaching.  Listen to it.  This man was healed and restored and ‘saw every man clearly’.  The Christian position is a clear position. We are not meant to be left in a state of doubt and misgiving, of uncertainty and unhappiness.  Do you believe that the Son of God came from heaven and lived and did all He did on earth, that He died on a Cross and was buried and rose again, that he ascended into heaven and sent the Holy Spirit, in order to leave us in a state of confusion?  It is impossible.  He came that we might see clearly, that we might know God.  He came to give eternal life and ‘This is eternal life, that they may know Thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom though hast sent.’ If you are unhappy about yourself as a result of this examination come to Him, come to His word, wait upon Him, plead with Him, hold on to Him, ask Him in the word of the hymn;  ‘Holy Spirit, truth Divine, Dawn upon this soul of mine, Word of God, and inward Light, Wake my spirit, clear my sight.’  He is pledged to do it and He will do it, and you will no longer be an uncertain Christian seeing and not seeing.  You will be able to say: ‘I see, I see in Him all I need and more, and I know that I belong to Him.’’’

May this be true of us today!  

The Sting of Death

I was reading through Hosea this morning and came across a short passage that caught my eye and reminded me of another passage from the book of 1 Corinthians.  Today, in our Bible Time I want to look at both passages to see how they compare and what we can learn from them. 

Background:

Hosea is a great Old Testament book written by a prophet during some difficult days in Israel’s history.  The easy premise of the book is that the people of Israel have been unfaithful to the Lord their God.  Over the years the people had started to worship other false gods making idols out of wood and metal.  The people had also sought “salvation” or protection from other countries like Egypt or Assyria instead of seeking salvation and protection from the Lord.  Hosea is told to live out a metaphor of what the relationship is like between Israel and the Lord.  Hosea marries an unfaithful wife and ends up having to buy her back and forgive after years of adultery and unfaithfulness…just like the Lord buys his people back and forgives them after years of idolatry and unfaithfulness.  We pick up our passage toward the end of the book in the context of God dealing out judgment for Israel because of their sin, yet it is a judgment in love and with redemption and forgiveness built in.  Let’s take a look.

Hosea 13:10-14

Where now is your king, to save you in all your cities?
    Where are all your rulers—
those of whom you said,
    “Give me a king and princes”?
¹¹ I gave you a king in my anger,
    and I took him away in my wrath.

¹² The iniquity of Ephraim is bound up;
    his sin is kept in store.
¹³ The pangs of childbirth come for him,
    but he is an unwise son,
for at the right time he does not present himself
    at the opening of the womb.

¹⁴ I shall ransom them from the power of Sheol;
    I shall redeem them from Death.
O Death, where are your plagues?
    O Sheol, where is your sting?
    Compassion is hidden from my eyes.

Things to think about:

• The people had placed their hope and security in kings, cities, peoples.  Where do you place your hope?  Do we trust in the Lord and rely on Him or do we count on the systems of this world to save us?
• Verse 13 is strange…what’s the deal with childbirth?  I think the metaphor is that God dealt out punishment and pain in order to bring the people back to himself, but instead of responding to the “pain” by running to the Lord, they held tightly to their sin and just endured the pain.  They were left unchanged and failed to repent.
• Read verse 14 again…does that remind you of a different passage in the Bible?  It certainly did for me.

1 Corinthians 15:54-58

When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written:

“Death is swallowed up in victory.”
⁵⁵ “O death, where is your victory?
    O death, where is your sting?”

⁵⁶ The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. ⁵⁷ But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

⁵⁸ Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.

More things to think about:

• I love it when God asks questions that he already knows the answer to…which, I guess, would be all questions.  The point of God asking these questions is to point us to the truth that is so obvious.  “O death, where is your victory?”  In Christ, death has NO victory!  That is the obvious answer.  The same was true for the people of Israel in the days of Hosea.  “O death, where are your plagues?”  They are gone!  Because the Lord “shall ransom them” and “redeem them” and if that is what the Lord does “death”, “Sheol”, “sin” can’t do anything about it.  Praise God!
• Our sin brings death and gives it power over us.  Jesus Christ brings life and forgiveness and He has the power over it all.  Let’s think about that all week!  God bless.

Confession and God's Faithfulness

In church we are in the middle of a preaching series through the book of Nehemiah.  It has been a great encouragement so far.  Last night I was reading and thinking through the text that was preached on Sunday and what will be covered this upcoming Sunday.  “Don’t tell anyone I read ahead a little bit…”   I came across a great text from chapters 9 & 10.  But first a little background:

Background:

The nation of Israel was a chosen people.  They were supposed to live differently than the rest of the world and put on display the Character and glory of God.  The LORD was going to live in their midst and dwell with them in a unique way.  That required them to be obedient and live a “holy” life.  This agreement between the Lord and the people was called a covenant.  If you read through the Old Testament of the Bible you will quickly discover that they didn’t quite live up to their end of the deal.  Long story short God used foreign nations like Assyria and Babylon to come and destroy/judge the people of Israel for their unfaithfulness.  Over the span of a couple hundred years the nation was almost completely wiped out and the walls of Jerusalem were destroyed, the Temple was burned to the ground, the city was in ruins…Nehemiah is leading a group of Israelites in a rebuilding campaign to fix the wall and restore the people to live according to the covenant they have with God.  Today, I want to look at the passage where the people confess their sin and see if we can’t learn something from their experience.

Nehemiah 9:1-3

Now on the twenty-fourth day of this month the people of Israel were assembled with fasting and in sackcloth, and with earth on their heads.² And the Israelites separated themselves from all foreigners and stood and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their fathers. ³ And they stood up in their place and read from the Book of the Law of the Lord their God for a quarter of the day; for another quarter of it they made confession and worshiped the Lord their God…

Nehemiah 9:6-8

“You are the Lord, you alone. You have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them; and you preserve all of them; and the host of heaven worships you. ⁷ You are the Lord, the God who chose Abram and brought him out of Ur of the Chaldeans and gave him the name Abraham. ⁸ You found his heart faithful before you, and made with him the covenant to give to his offspring the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Jebusite, and the Girgashite. And you have kept your promise, for you are righteous…

Nehemiah 9:32-38

³² “Now, therefore, our God, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who keeps covenant and steadfast love, let not all the hardship seem little to you that has come upon us, upon our kings, our princes, our priests, our prophets, our fathers, and all your people, since the time of the kings of Assyria until this day. ³³ Yet you have been righteous in all that has come upon us, for you have dealt faithfully and we have acted wickedly. ³⁴ Our kings, our princes, our priests, and our fathers have not kept your law or paid attention to your commandments and your warnings that you gave them. ³⁵ Even in their own kingdom, and amid your great goodness that you gave them, and in the large and rich land that you set before them, they did not serve you or turn from their wicked works. ³⁶ Behold, we are slaves this day; in the land that you gave to our fathers to enjoy its fruit and its good gifts, behold, we are slaves. ³⁷ And its rich yield goes to the kings whom you have set over us because of our sins. They rule over our bodies and over our livestock as they please, and we are in great distress.

³⁸ “Because of all this we make a firm covenant in writing; on the sealed document are the names of our princes, our Levites, and our priests…

Nehemiah 10:28-29

²⁸ “The rest of the people, the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, the temple servants, and all who have separated themselves from the peoples of the lands to the Law of God, their wives, their sons, their daughters, all who have knowledge and understanding, ²⁹ join with their brothers, their nobles, and enter into a curse and an oath to walk in God's Law that was given by Moses the servant of God, and to observe and do all the commandments of the Lord our Lord and his rules and his statutes…

Things to think about:

• Notice the heart of the people.  They felt their sin.  They fasted, put on uncomfortable clothes, threw dust on their heads…and they confessed their sins to the Lord.  Do we take sin as seriously as they did?  When you confess your sins to the Lord are you flippant and dismissive about it full of excuses and reasons for why it wasn’t as bad as it could have been?  I know I am that way sometimes. 
• Read the brokenness of the people and take some time today to be broken before the Lord confessing sin and feeling the weight of our failure before a faithful God.
• But, do not stay there too long.  Read verse 8 and verse 33 again.  In the midst of our unfaithfulness and sin God is forever faithful and forever keeping his righteous promises.  What promise?  The promise to forgive and to redeem.  The promise to accept you and I as broken people and make us new through the power of His Son, Jesus Christ.  When you are done confessing your sins, dwell on one final verse from 1 John.

1 John 1:9

⁹ If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

What Do You Pray For

      Are there people in your life who you pray for on a regular basis?  Are there people who pray for you?  If you were to ask for prayer what would you ask for?  Think back over the past few weeks and consider all the prayer requests that you have heard people share and all the requests you have shared with others.  What kinds of requests dominate our conversations?  Does what we ask for reveal to us what we really care about most?  Does the frequency and fervency of our  prayers reveal what we value most?  Today in our short passage from 2 Thessalonians Paul asks for prayer, but he asks for something that we don’t really pray about all too often.  Let’s read this passage and then a follow up challenge would be to read through the prayers of Paul and see what sorts of things he values.

2 Thessalonians 3:1-5

Finally, brothers, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may speed ahead and be honored, as happened among you, ² and that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men. For not all have faith. ³ But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one.⁴ And we have confidence in the Lord about you, that you are doing and will do the things that we command. ⁵ May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ.

Things to think about:

• What does Paul want the Thessalonians to pray about?  Have you ever asked someone to pray that for you?
• It seems as if Paul asks for prayer, but then gives confidence to the people that their prayers will be heard because the “Lord is faithful.” (vs. 3)  Are you that confident when you pray?
• Paul shifts from asking for prayer to actually praying in verse 5 where he asks God to do something for the church in Thessalonica.  What does he pray for?
• I pray this for you today – “May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ.”  Amen. And Amen.  

A Love That Can Not Be Ignored

Happy Valentine’s Day!  This is one of those love it or hate it holidays, isn’t it?  Some people go crazy over this day and try really hard to express their love toward a spouse or someone they hope might one day become a spouse.  J  Then, there are others who feel the commercialized forced puppy love is fake, ridiculous, and disingenuous.  Today, in honor of “true love” let me share a few passages of scripture that express the love that God has for you.  Take a few minutes and soak these in, probably the best valentine’s card you will ever receive!

John 17:22-26

Jesus praying to the Father for future believers says this, “ ²² The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, ²³ I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me. ²⁴ Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world. ²⁵ O righteous Father, even though the world does not know you, I know you, and these know that you have sent me. ²⁶ I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.”                                                                                                       

• If you are saved by the blood of Jesus Christ and made new through his death and resurrection look at the truth that is true about you…whether you feel it or not.  God the Father loves you with the same white hot intensity that he loved Jesus Christ!  And this love is not new, it is not something earned, it isn’t a love that comes and goes or is based on anything inside of you, it is from the foundation of the world and is just as passion filled and strong as ever.  Feel the love of God today!

Romans 8:31-39

³¹ What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? ³² He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? ³³ Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. ³⁴ Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.^] 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? ³⁶ As it is written,

“For your sake we are being killed all the day long;
    we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”

³⁷ No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. ³⁸ For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, ³⁹ nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

• Notice all the questions Paul asks in this passage?  He asks these questions, not because he doesn’t know the answers, but because the answers are so obvious the point should be clear.  God is for you!  His love for you is strong and NOTHING will take it away.  God is stronger than any accuser, stronger than any sin/temptation, stronger than guilt or shame, stronger than anything that might attempt to stand between His love and your broken soul. 
• Never fear that the love of God would run out or betray you.  He will never leave you nor forsake you.

Here is an Ephesians love bomb for you to consider:

Ephesians 1:3-6

³ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places,⁴ even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love ⁵ he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, ⁶ to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.

Ephesians 2:1-7

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins ² in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— ³ among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. ⁴ But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, ⁵ even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— ⁶ and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, ⁷ so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 5:2

² And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

Ephesians 5:25-27

²⁵ Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, ²⁶ that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, ²⁷ so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.

• Finally, I encourage you to pray a similar prayer to the one Paul prays in Ephesians 1 and again in Ephesians 3…May we truly know this love that God has for us and may we be held by it, changed by it, saved by it. 

Ephesians 3:14-21

¹⁴ For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, ¹⁵ from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, ¹⁶ that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, ¹⁷ so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, ¹⁸ may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, ¹⁹ and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

²⁰ Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, ²¹ to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Happy Valentine’s Day and may we all be shocked and amazed by the love of God.

Time to Pray

       The other day I was reading a short biography of a great Christian missionary named Patrick.  Yes, the same Patrick that is honored (or dishonored) on St. Patrick’s day.  Long story short Patrick was a Roman Citizen living in Briton who was kidnapped by Irish pirates and forced to be a slave in Ireland for years.  He escaped and years later felt called to return to Ireland as a missionary bringing the good news of Jesus Christ to the people who had once kidnapped and enslaved him.  Patrick learned to pray as a slave and then learned to love to pray as a missionary.  He wrote about prayer often and one of his comments quoted in the biography got me thinking.  Here is what he said after a season of doubting his ability to pray, “He who gave his life for you, he is the one who speaks within you.”  He is referring to some New Testament passages that tell us Jesus himself prays for us to the Father.  He also had a dream hearing groans and sighs, being totally confused until he remembered the passage in Romans that says the Holy Spirit prays for us with groans and sighs that we do not understand.  So, the Holy Spirit was also praying for/with Patrick!  Here is the conclusion the biographer makes after this realization from Patrick.  “With Jesus and the Holy Spirit helping him to pray, Patrick could no longer use his poor prayer skills as an excuse!”  Brothers and sisters in Christ, we have this same privilege!  Jesus Christ prays for us and the Holy Spirit prays for us as we pray.  Let us not hold back in our prayers because we feel they are inadequate.  Of course they are inadequate!  But, God wants to hear them anyway.  So, read these passages of scripture and then GO PRAY!

Romans 8:26-27

²⁶ Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. ²⁷ And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because^[g] the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. 

Hebrews 7:22-25

²² This makes Jesus the guarantor of a better covenant.

²³ The former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office, ²⁴ but he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever. ²⁵ Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.

1 John 2:1

My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.

John 17:20-26

“I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, ²¹ that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. ²² The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, ²³ I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me. ²⁴ Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world. ²⁵ O righteous Father, even though the world does not know you, I know you, and these know that you have sent me. ²⁶ I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.”

1 Corinthians 2:8-16

 None of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. ⁹ But, as it is written,

“What no eye has seen, nor ear heard,
    nor the heart of man imagined,
what God has prepared for those who love him”—

¹⁰ these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. ¹¹ For who knows a person's thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.¹² Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God.¹³ And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.

¹⁴ The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. ¹⁵ The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one. ¹⁶ “For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.

The Spirit will guide you and help you, the Son will pray for you and be your advocate!  So, go!  Pray.  Yes.  Now.  The Lord is listening as a Father listens to his child.  It’s time to say something to your Father.  

Dirty Cars and Clean Souls

If you live anywhere that snows you know that after the pretty white snow is done falling there is something horrible and dirty that happens…the salty car.  For those of you in milder climates you may not know that when it snows to prevent ice and to keep the roads clean many cities put salt on the roads.  Effective at melting ice and extremely effective at making your car filthy dirty.  Every winter we have to deal with our clothes brushing against the car and turning a dirty white.  Opening a car door only to get salt all over your fingers.  You might say, “get a carwash.”  But, what’s the point it is only going to snow tomorrow and there will be even more salt on the road then.  It only takes a block or two and bam you are right back where you started, a filthy dirty car.  Once, Jesus spoke about what makes a person clean.  He wasn’t talking about ice and cars, but I think the illustration works for our purposes.  J  Let’s see what Jesus had to say:

Mark 7:14-23

¹⁴ And he called the people to him again and said to them, “Hear me, all of you, and understand: ¹⁵ There is nothing outside a person that by going into him can defile him, but the things that come out of a person are what defile him.” ¹⁷ And when he had entered the house and left the people, his disciples asked him about the parable. ¹⁸ And he said to them, “Then are you also without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile him, ¹⁹ since it enters not his heart but his stomach, and is expelled?”^] (Thus he declared all foods clean.) ²⁰ And he said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him. ²¹ For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, ²² coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. ²³ All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.”

Things to think about:

• First, I love verse 19…Thank you Jesus for the anatomy lessonJ 
• In that culture and time it was a big deal to be considered, “holy.”  Set-apart or different than all the others.  The Israelites were set-apart from the Gentiles.  The Levites were set-apart from the regular Jews.  The Pharisees were set-apart as experts in the Law.  Etc.  They thought what set them apart is what they did or did not do on the outside.  Wash this, wash that, observe this and not that.  Jesus says what sets you apart is what comes from the inside. 
• What comes from within you?  Take a moment and look at your heart.  Do you ever struggle with thoughts and feelings that Jesus would consider “evil?”  When we are honest with ourselves we know that we are filthy dirty, like a car that has been driving around in the salt/sand washed streets.  We might even think we are too dirty to touch…and we would be right.  But, though we are evil here is a promise from God.

Romans 5:8 – “But God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us.  “

2 Corinthians 5:21 – “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

• Jesus has the power to change us from the inside out.  Through his death on the cross and our joining him in that death by faith our old unclean self was killed and our sins washed away.  We are then raised to a new life in Christ and this new life is better than a car wash that quickly fades as we drive through life it is an eternal wash that no sin, no accusation, no temptation can ever defile again for it is the righteousness of Christ.  When we have the righteousness of Christ in us we are clean!  Thank you Jesus.

Crowds With Lots of Ears

I hope everyone had a great Christmas and New Year.  Welcome to 2017!  Did any of you go to a Christmas party or New Year’s Eve party?  I am sure many of you had a great time with a crowd of people and lots of excitement in the air.  Today, I want us to look at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry when there was a bunch of excitement in the air and huge crowds following Him everywhere he went.  Let’s look at a few passages from the beginning of the book of Mark and then think about a few questions.

Mark 1:21-28

²¹ And they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath he entered the synagogue and was teaching. ²² And they were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes. ²³ And immediately there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit. And he cried out, ²⁴ “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God.” ²⁵ But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent, and come out of him!” ²⁶ And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying out with a loud voice, came out of him. ²⁷ And they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, “What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.” ²⁸ And at once his fame spread everywhere throughout all the surrounding region of Galilee.

Mark 1:35-39

³⁵ And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed. ³⁶ And Simon and those who were with him searched for him, ³⁷ and they found him and said to him, “Everyone is looking for you.” ³⁸ And he said to them, “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out.” ³⁹ And he went throughout all Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons.

Mark 3:7-12

⁷ Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the sea, and a great crowd followed, from Galilee and Judea ⁸ and Jerusalem and Idumea and from beyond the Jordan and from around Tyre and Sidon. When the great crowd heard all that he was doing, they came to him. ⁹ And he told his disciples to have a boat ready for him because of the crowd, lest they crush him, ¹⁰ for he had healed many, so that all who had diseases pressed around him to touch him. ¹¹ And whenever the unclean spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, “You are the Son of God.” ¹² And he strictly ordered them not to make him known.

Mark 4:1-9

 Again he began to teach beside the sea. And a very large crowd gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat in it on the sea, and the whole crowd was beside the sea on the land. ² And he was teaching them many things in parables, and in his teaching he said to them: ³ “Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow. ⁴ And as he sowed, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it.⁵ Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil, and immediately it sprang up, since it had no depth of soil. ⁶ And when the sun rose, it was scorched, and since it had no root, it withered away.⁷ Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no grain. ⁸ And other seeds fell into good soil and produced grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.” ⁹ And he said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

Things to think about:

• Why do you think there were so many people that followed Jesus?  Why all the crowds?  What were they looking for?
• When the crowds gathered around Jesus how did Jesus react?  Why do you think he reacted that way?
• Jesus uses this phrase a lot in his ministry; “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”  What do you think that mean?  Do you have ears to hear the words of Jesus? 
• Some questions to think about as we start this new year are:
• Why do I want to be with Jesus?  Am I just part of the excited crowd that wants to see something cool?  Am I sick and in need of healing?  Am I just curious?  Am I really listening to what he says?  Do I have ears to hear?
• What caused all of these crowds to eventually abandon Jesus and cry out for his crucifixion?  Are there things in your life that might cause you to abandon the faith?  What?  Why?  How can you prepare yourself so that doesn’t happen?
• What kind of soil am I?  Do I trust God to use me to produce “thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold?”
• I pray that we all have a great new year and go to Jesus with open ears and open hearts prepared for him to save us, lead us, and use us for His glory and praise and our good.  God bless.