relationships (Mark 2:15-17) Being Inviting

(Mark 2:15-17)

15 And it happened that He was reclining at the table in his house, and many tax collectors and sinners were dining with Jesus and His disciples; for there were many of them, and they were following Him. 16 When the scribes of the Pharisees saw that He was eating with the sinners and tax collectors, they said to His disciples, “Why is He eating with tax collectors and sinners?” 17 And hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick; I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

TODAY'S TAKEAWAY:

Here is our shining example of how to be "in the world, but not of the world".  Levi (Matthew) had just made his decision to follow Jesus.  And immediately, he invited Jesus and His disciples over for a meal, and invited all of his tax-collector-friends and other "worldly friends" to join them, and meet Jesus!

I love how Matthew didn't try to do this on his own.  He had the support of not only Jesus, Himself, but also his new brothers in Christ!  And he had everyone over to his house.  Maybe for him, it was an environment where temptations would not be as prevalent.  Who knows.  But there they all were, getting to know Jesus, and as verse 15 says, they were all following Him.  Just so, as we go out into the world, we should be inviting Jesus to go with us, be right there beside us, giving us opportunities, and the right words to speak as He presents the opportunities to us, to share the love and salvation of the Lord, and His life-changing power.

It was the self-righteous scribes and Pharisees who looked down on this, always with the intention of discrediting Jesus.  People, like the scribes and Pharisees, believe that in their own thinking and in their own strength, they are able to be "good enough" to work their way to heaven.  But no one can be "good enough."  One has to be perfect, which is impossible for anyone of us to be, even when and if we really, really, really want to be.

One will never understand what it truly means to be a believer (a Christian), until one realizes that they are sick with sin, and they need Jesus as their Physician!  And continuing on in one's journey of faith is not about the do's and don'ts, it's all about having a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus... because we will still struggle with our sinful nature, and therefore we still need Jesus' help, nourishment, guidance, wisdom, strength, comfort, peace, hope, joy, grace...friendship!!!

relationships (Mark 2:13-14) Finding Greater Purpose

(Mark 2:13-14)

13 And He went out again by the seashore; and all the people were coming to Him, and He was teaching them.

14 As He passed by, He saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting in the tax office, and He said to him, “Follow Me!” And he got up and followed Him.

TODAY'S TAKEAWAY:

God created us because He wanted someone to love, and desires that we come to know Him, personally.  Therefore, He created us, each with a soul, which can only be filled by Him, so that we can have a close relationship with Him.  But this is a personal choice that we each must make.  The Lord God will never force anyone to love Him back, or be obedient.

Well, here we see Levi (Matthew), a tax-collector, who was hated by other Jews because tax collectors not only worked with their enemy (the Romans), but they notoriously charged extra so that they themselves would become very rich.  So, I'm very sure that Matthew would have been feeling the guilt of his sins and crimes, feeling very much isolated from most of his community, and realizing that money wasn't enough to make him happy.  There must be more to life!  And there must be a solution and a way out from all our emptiness, guilt and shame.

All it took was Jesus saying to Matthew, "Follow Me."  Done!  And he never looked back.  In fact, we'll see in the next verses, he invited all his tax-collector friends over to his house so that they could meet Jesus!  Having Jesus in our lives is completely life changing, filling us with the Lord's presence, peace, joy, certain hope, and gives us a much, much greater purpose!
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relationship (Mark 2:1-13) Who Completes Us?

(Mark 2:1-13)

1 When Jesus came back to Capernaum a few days later, it was heard that He was at home. 2 And many were gathered together, so that there was no longer space, not even near the door; and He was speaking the word to them. 3 And some people came, bringing to Him a man who was paralyzed, carried by four men. 4 And when they were unable to get to Him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above Him; and after digging an opening, they let down the pallet on which the paralyzed man was lying. 5 And Jesus, seeing their faith, said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” 6 But some of the scribes were sitting there and thinking it over in their hearts, 7 “Why does this man speak that way? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins except God alone?” 8 Immediately Jesus, aware in His spirit that they were thinking that way within themselves, said to them, “Why are you thinking about these things in your hearts? 9 Which is easier, to say to the paralyzed man, ‘Your sins are forgiven’; or to say, ‘Get up, and pick up your pallet and walk’? 10 But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—He said to the paralyzed man, 11 “I say to you, get up, pick up your pallet, and go home.” 12 And he got up and immediately picked up the pallet and went out in the sight of everyone, so that they were all amazed and were glorifying God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”

13 And He went out again by the seashore; and all the people were coming to Him, and He was teaching them.

TODAY'S TAKEAWAY:

To me, this is always a mic-drop-moment!  Come on people!  Jesus is the Lord God who loves us so much that He came to take on the punishment that we all deserve, so that we can come to Him for spiritual healing and eternal life!

I've shared this one man's testimony before, but it's so very poignant.  While the paralyzed man here is first saved (healed of his sins), and then is physically healed, this particular man became a quadriplegic, and then he found Jesus!  He said that he appreciated the accident and the outcome so much so, because this is why and how he became spiritually healed.  He was emphatic that he preferred the condition he was currently in, far more than what he had been before becoming a believer!

Only in Jesus can we be made complete, and fully satisfied!

relationships (Mark 1:32-45) A Healing Love

(Mark 1:32-45)

32 Now when evening came, after the sun had set, they began bringing to Him all who were ill and those who were demon-possessed. 33 And the whole city had gathered at the door. 34 And He healed many who were ill with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and He would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew who He was.

35 And in the early morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went away to a secluded place, and prayed there for a time. 36 Simon and his companions eagerly searched for Him; 37 and they found Him and said to Him, “Everyone is looking for You.” 38 He said to them, “Let’s go somewhere else to the towns nearby, so that I may also preach there; for this is why I came.” 39 And He went into their synagogues preaching throughout Galilee, and casting out the demons.

40 And a man with leprosy came to Jesus, imploring Him and kneeling down, and saying to Him, “If You are willing, You can make me clean.” 41 Moved with compassion, Jesus reached out with His hand and touched him, and said to him, “I am willing; be cleansed.” 42 And immediately the leprosy left him, and he was cleansed. 43 And He sternly warned him and immediately sent him away, 44 and He said to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone; but go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.” 45 But he went out and began to proclaim it freely and to spread the news around, to such an extent that Jesus could no longer publicly enter a city, but stayed out in unpopulated areas; and they were coming to Him from everywhere.

TODAY'S TAKEAWAY:

Talk about free healthcare!.  We know how much people can love this concept, but when we sit down and do the math, we'll quickly realize that nothing in life is free.  Well, except for THIS!!!  Jesus, the great Physician, offers to everyone the free gift of salvation and spiritual cleansing and healing from our sins.

Of course, having Jesus in our lives doesn't automatically mean that we'll never be sick, ever again.  We will get sick, and we will die at some point.  So, just as this one man realized, IF IT IS HIS WILL, JESUS CAN heal us.  Jesus healed many, as a testimony of His power and authority, proving that He was and is the Son of God.  And He still does physically heal people now... IF it is His will.  Sometimes we will have a stronger testimony to those around us if and when we are sick or struggling with a physical issue, WHEN we are relying on, trusting in, and resting in the Lord!  

What if God healed us to the point of perfection here on earth...we would most likely take Him for granted, and He'd become an after-thought.  And we would probably start taking credit for His work.  It's when we go through something, while continuing to focus on the Lord, that we will feel His amazing comfort, strength and peace.  And there's certain hope!  Let's not forget that this is all very temporary.  When believers get to heaven, we will have an eternity of 100% health, and so much more!  

Notice that right after explaining that He came to also preach, Jesus focused on preaching, alongside casting out demons.  The Lord God's words are eternal, true, and life-changing.  Now, the only way to cast out demons and keep them out is through the Lord's salvation!  At this point in time, the Lord still had not sent His Holy Spirit to those who became believers.  This would come after His ascension, on the Day of Pentecost.  

God knows to write His words of truth in a way, so that we understand how this all works.  Now, as soon as we become believers, we receive the Lord's indwelling Holy Spirit, who fills our souls and changes us from the inside out.  Therefore, no demons may enter us after that point.  Demons can oppress us externally, but they cannot possess us.  This is why part of the Lord's prayer has us asking Him to deliver us from evil.

Well, speaking of prayer!  Since Jesus came to earth in flesh, to be fully man, while still being fully God, He came to preach, and to fulfill His work on the cross, as well as to live a sinless life as our perfect example.  We see Jesus spending time alone in prayer, a lot!  And He would pray as He went...  Proof that our faith is all about having a personal relationship with the Lord God, who is always there for us, who knows all things, and can do all things... who is compassionate and caring, extremely patient and gracious, and desires to do life WITH us!  The Lord's preaching was and is all about how we can have an eternal, personal relationship with Him, because He loves us and desires to have this relationship with us!

relationships (Mark 1:29-31) Loving and Serving

(Mark 1:29-31)

29 And immediately after they left the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. 30 Now Simon’s mother-in-law was lying sick with a fever; and they immediately spoke to Jesus about her. 31 And He came to her and raised her up, taking her by the hand, and the fever left her, and she served them.

TODAY'S TAKEAWAY:

I love the fact that Simon (Peter) cared about and loved his mother-in-law.  When believers are dating, and then married, consider God's love for everyone, not just for the loveable, but for the unlovable.  And I'm NOT saying that all in-laws are unlovable, but we can go into family dynamics and with a selfish, self-centered attitude that will start a chain of responses, which will deeply impact the way we get along with others.  And this is will deeply hurt our significant other.

If God's commandment about loving all people doesn't change our behavior, consider this... If we say we love someone, we should be loving those whom they love!  If we start some sort of "war" or exacerbate tensions with the in-laws, I promise you, you are setting yourself up for misery.  And think of it this way, when we love the in-laws, we gain yet another loving, supportive family!

I also really love the disciples' trust in Jesus and their response time.  They "immediately" went to Him ".  How often is this our last resort - to go, talk to God about our issues, and ask Him for help, wisdom and guidance, no matter how big or small the issue?!  God wants to be involved with our lives, 100% of the time.  That's how much He cares!  And He is able!

Now, I really love the mother-in-law's response time and her love for Jesus.  A fever is never good, especially when one is older.  It most likely indicates that there is an infection, and without antibiotics, it can be weeks before one is fully recovered.  So, after being healed, the mother-in-law might have said, "I was just really very sick, and I need some recovery time...get my bearings..."  Instead, she immediately gets to serving.

I'm now thinking the topic of gender-specific-roles needs to be addressed here.  This verse is NOT saying that men should not be in the kitchen.  Throughout the Bible, we see men cook and serve!  Just to name a few:  Abraham, Esau, Jacob... Those men all knew their way around "the kitchen".  

In my marriage, we discussed how much work we were doing outside of the home, and divided up the housework accordingly.  Then, when and if it changed, we went back to the drawing board.  And at my insistence of being a stay-at-home-mom, no matter how poor we got, which came at a point in time when my husband's job had him working long, long hours, I tried to pick up the slack wherever and however I was able.  I don't mind taking out the garbage or mowing the lawn... my husband is working really hard, long hours in order to provide for us!!!  

Even then, after a difficult day, when my husband would come home, and if he saw that I was struggling to get supper ready, he stepped in and helped.  As well, he NEVER saw it as a "chore" to spend time with the kids.  He knew our children needed their father's attention!  He knew that it was necessary to nurture a loving relationship with them, as well as with me.  And by now, as empty-nesters, my husband has claimed the kitchen!  He finds cooking cathartic, which is the opposite for me.  So I will gladly pick up the slack somewhere else!  So, never look at it as a 50-50 kind-of-thing.  When we choose to serve one another 100%, then we both are served 100%.  And don't look at it selfishly, as if and how we are being served.  Look at it as - how can I be serving?!

In God's economy of finances, time and energy, we are to be generous in our loving and serving the Lord, and one another.  Life is work!  Not just to survive with a roof over one's head, clothes on one's back, and food in one's stomach... relationships require work.  A relationship that works - is the one where both parties are working at it, always.  And putting our personal relationship with the Lord first in our lives, will help us in all other relationships.  The closer we all get to the Lord, the closer we will get to each other.  The Lord God is there to help us with everything!

relationships (Mark 1:16-28) Our Response

(Mark 1:16-28)

16 As He was going along the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew, the brother of Simon, casting a net in the sea; for they were fishermen. 17 And Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will have you become fishers of people.” 18 Immediately they left their nets and followed Him. 19 And going on a little farther, He saw James the son of Zebedee, and his brother John, who were also in the boat mending the nets. 20 Immediately He called them; and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men, and went away to follow Him.

21 They went into Capernaum; and immediately on the Sabbath Jesus entered the synagogue and began to teach. 22 And they were amazed at His teaching; for He was teaching them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. 23 Just then there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit; and he cried out, 24 saying, “What business do You have with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are: the Holy One of God!” 25 And Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be quiet, and come out of him!” 26 After throwing him into convulsions and crying out with a loud voice, the unclean spirit came out of him. 27 And they were all amazed, so they debated among themselves, saying, “What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him.” 28 Immediately the news about Him spread everywhere into all the surrounding region of Galilee.

TODAY'S TAKEAWAY:

A quick point-out to the fact that Satan and his demons know who God is, and can recognize Him.  They simply fear and HATE the Lord God, and so, they do whatever they can to keep people away from Him.  They will take the beautiful things of God and then distort, deceive, divide and destroy.  They want everyone to fear and hate God as much as they do, because this will prevent people from recognizing God and His love, and prevent them from responding to His calling.  Now, how do we respond?

The Lord already knows who is going to become a believer and follow Him.  And because He is love, and desires that all come to know Him personally, He gives everyone fair opportunity to make this decision.  Also, because He is love, He will never force anyone to love Him back, or be obedient.  So when the Lord calls us, do we respond as quickly as these fishermen?  If we don't, what is holding us back?

These four fishermen could have already heard some rumors that Jesus was in the area, and were either curious to meet Him, or eager to meet Him.  We don't know if these men were already believers or not.  Let's say they were not.  Maybe they were the types that doubted if there was any God at all, or maybe they believed that there is a God, but they didn't know Him personally.  They could have been just going through life, trying to be good and stay out of trouble, while wondering what was missing; and saying to themselves, "Is this all there is in life, just going through the motions?  There must be more to life than this."  And then they hear Jesus calling them, asking them to follow Him, because in Him and with Him, there was a greater purpose.  Done!  They immediately recognized that Jesus was not just some guy, and they made their decision to follow Him.  

Now let's say that these fishermen were already believers.  There is nothing wrong with being a fisherman.  One can still serve the Lord as a fisherman!  But then here, Jesus calls them to join Him in doing the next thing.  For us, it might not be an entirely, seemingly "next thing", it might be a different thing, or an extra thing.  But whatever it is, there's the opportunity to grow closer to Jesus in one's relationship with Him, and be personally taught by Him, and serve alongside Him.  Done!  Even though there will be struggles and sacrifices along the way, God will not ask us to do something, unless He's going to be right there to help.  And even if we are not aware of what's to come, just know that it will serve the greater purpose.  And notice that besides God being right there with us, we also have brothers and sisters in Christ.

Notice that in calling these four men, Jesus called two sets of brothers.  We already know that John of Zebedee was very young.  Being a young teenager, and being able to serve alongside a brother, would be like an extra human-comfort-thing.  While we can know that "God's got this", and Christianity is all about having a relationship with Him... God knows!  He created us as social beings, looking to have others in our lives.  This is just one of the reasons why God tells us to not neglect the meeting of the saints!  Iron sharpens iron.  We are to be mentoring, disciplining and encouraging one another to be putting the Lord God first in our lives, in a personal relationship with Him.  

Now, in our relationship with the Lord... when He calls us to do something, do we respond this quickly?  There are times that I do, and times that I don't.  When I do respond, there are no regrets.  Serving the Lord is always a great blessing!  Why then would I hesitate other times?  Definitely there can be self-centeredness and selfishness involved!  And definitely there are times of worry and fear.  Like, am I really suited for this?  But often that fear is so unreasonable because, yes, God has actually equipped me for exactly that task!  Everything that I've gone through in life has led up to this opportunity!  Once I get past the fear, with God's help, I then can experience God working for me, in me, and through me, and it is amazing!

Okay, so I JUST heard a pastor speak on the following, and it made me think, and do my analyzing-thing.  FYI: "worry" is just another way to fear.  And while God tells us that we do not have to worry or fear about anyone or anything, fear is not a sin.  Fear is an emotional response which alerts us to something, and tells us that we need to urgently do something.  The question becomes, do we continue to think and do things in our own efforts, even though we are doing such a bad job of it, because, well... we're probably still worrying and fearing... or do we go to God?

Let's go back to what God tells us.  As believers, who fear God (which means to awesomely respect Him), we are not to fear anyone or anything... Why?  Only because our response has been to ask God to help us, and ask God to equip and guide us with whatever it is that we need in that moment!  And maybe what we need in that moment, is to rest in the Lord and trust Him and let Him fight our battle.  Every situation will be different.  But every response should be that we run to the Lord!  That we IMMEDIATELY go to Him, follow Him - remain with Him - wherever and in whatever we should be doing in that moment.

relationships (Mark 1:14-45) With Perfect Timing

(Mark 1:14-45)

14 Now after John was taken into custody, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, 15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent and believe in the gospel.”

TODAY'S TAKEAWAY:

In knowing all things, past, present and future, God always knew that John would be arrested.  And since God had called John the Baptist as His prophet from the womb, in order to prepare the way for Jesus, this timing was "perfect".  John introduced Jesus to the world, and now it was time for the Lord Jesus in flesh, to proceed, and do what He came to do.

God, in His sovereignty, also knew the exact timing regarding Jesus' ministry and crucifixion.  Throughout the Old Testament, He gave us prophecies, which were all worked into the covenants He had made with Israel.  The most poignant prophecy regarding the timing is in Daniel 9, where God lays out His overall plan.  

The kingdom of God is when the Israelites, as a nation, all become believers, and have all of their promises fulfilled.  The promises are that they will have all of their promised land, seed and blessings, with their perfect King sitting on the throne, bringing peace to the entire earth.  They were given a specific amount of time.  BUT, it is also prophesied that, with seven years remaining in the Jewish Age, there is a break.  This is when the Israelites reject Jesus as their King.

Of course, being sovereign, the Lord God knew that the Jews would reject Him, and knew that they would want to crucify Him.  As God does throughout history, what man intends for evil, God uses to bring about good!  So - this rejection - He uses in His plan to bring about the way to be saved, once for all, for all people of all times.  

Listen, never accuse the Jews of being "evil" because they "killed" Jesus.  It is a very arrogant thing to think that we would "never".  We are all guilty of sin, and it is as if we ourselves all helped put the nails into His body.  It is because of sin that Jesus knew He had to come to earth in flesh, to die in our place, and take on the punishment that we all deserve.

Now, during the Church Age, at a time that no one knows about, the Lord will "rapture" (Greek word meaning "catch up") all those who have become believers, and then the last seven years of the Jewish Age will continue.  At the end of those seven years, Jesus will return, to fulfill all remaining prophecies.  All evil and unbelievers will be removed from the earth, with all of those who became believers during these seven years will remain.

Had Israel accepted Jesus the first time Jesus came, they would have gone straight into the kingdom of heaven (the Millennial kingdom).  But then the Lord would not have been able to fulfill the last part of the Abrahamic covenant that says (of Abraham's seed), that "all nations will be blessed".  As well, at that time, for Israel to have accepted Jesus as their King, they all needed to be in perfect obedience.  Well, since all of us are born with a sinful behavior, this is impossible.

THE GOSPEL OF GOD IS - THE GOOD NEWS:  Jesus rose from the dead, conquering sin and death, so that anyone who repents AND believes is eternally forgiven and saved.  In that moment, we receive the indwelling Holy Spirit, who changes us from the inside out, and we are covered by the Lord's righteousness - being seen as obedient in God's eyes, as He chooses to remember our sins no more.  In this, we are then able to enjoy a close, personal relationship with God!  As God intended right from the start.  This is why He created us.  This is why He came to die for us!  To make salvation, and receiving all of His blessings, possible!