relationships (Mark 6:30-32) Decompressing and Regrouping

(Mark 6:30-32)

30 The apostles gathered together with Jesus; and they reported to Him all that they had done and taught. 31 And He said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a secluded place and rest a little while.” (For there were many people coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.) 32 And they went away in the boat to a secluded place by themselves.

TODAY'S TAKEAWAY:

Working long, hard hours is tiring, but working long hard hours while dealing with people, is extra tiring, and extra stressful.  Even "good stress" is stress, which can deplete our energy.  So here, Jesus puts into practice two important aspects when it comes to work, and even life itself: there is a need to debrief, and there is a time to rest and eat.

I once thought I was an extravert, because I will be very sociable at church, or at group functions, or even grocery shopping (I'm the one willing to chat with anyone).  But after any big meetings or social gatherings, I'm exhausted.  My husband is the same way, so we have learned to be very respectful of each other's energy levels and personal time needed to decompress and "regroup".  On our own, this is a perfect time to invite the Lord into our personal conversation, about what went right, what went wrong, how can God help us do something different, or better...

One of the first things I learned when we were newly married was to not bombard my husband with questions and stories as soon as he came home from work.  It was very helpful to him, and to our relationship, to just give him a few moments, if possible.  I mean, there are times when something requires urgent attention, and he is very good about jumping in to help wherever and however he can.  And once we had kids, he found it fun and relaxing to play with them, not just so he could connect with our children, but it gave me a moment to decompress, regroup, and get a few other things done.  Then, when things settled down, we would catch up with each other's day.

While personal time and space is important, we have to make sure that it doesn't become selfish and/or self-serving.  Love is about being selfless, and humbly serving one another.  So, with prayer, because the Lord understands our needs, we can figure out when and how many ways we should be serving in the church or the community.  We might feel obligated to say yes to every request, but this is not healthy or helpful to ourselves, or to others, if we start spreading ourselves too thin.

And here's a critical thing to keep in mind - we need to be in prayer for our pastors and missionaries!  If we understand that working is hard, and working with people is extra hard, just add the spiritual entity to that!  It's extra-extra!  As well, we are to be praying for each other, to remain steadfast in our relationship with the Lord, putting Him first, and loving others with God's love and guidance.  

As for ourselves, what is challenging is to not focus on the selfish, self-centered prayers... I want, I need, I wish... While we are to tell Jesus everything, like with the disciples, Jesus wants us to have time with Him, and talk to Him about what we have done, what we are doing, or thinking of doing, and ask Him for His feedback and mentorship... regarding ourselves, other people, how things work or don't work, and about the Lord, to better know and understand Him, His word and His will for our lives!  We have so much learn and do, and Jesus wants to be 100% involved!

relationships (Mark 6:7-29) Love is Never Forced

(Mark 6:7-29)

7 And He summoned the twelve and began to send them out in pairs, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits; 8 and He instructed them that they were to take nothing for their journey, except a mere staff—no bread, no bag, no money in their belt— 9 but to wear sandals; and He added, “Do not wear two tunics.” 10 And He said to them, “Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave town. 11 Any place that does not receive you or listen to you, as you go out from there, shake the dust off the soles of your feet as a testimony against them.” 12 And they went out and preached that people are to repent. 13 And they were casting out many demons and were anointing with oil many sick people and healing them.

14 And King Herod heard about it, for His name had become well known; and people were saying, “John the Baptist has risen from the dead, and that is why these miraculous powers are at work in Him.” 15 But others were saying, “He is Elijah.” And others were saying, “He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old.” 16 But when Herod heard about it, he kept saying, “John, whom I beheaded, has risen!”

17 For Herod himself had sent men and had John arrested and bound in prison on account of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip, because he had married her. 18 For John had been saying to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” 19 And Herodias held a grudge against him and wanted to put him to death, and could not do so; 20 for Herod was afraid of John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he had been protecting him. And when he heard him, he was very perplexed; and yet he used to enjoy listening to him. 21 An opportune day came when Herod, on his birthday, held a banquet for his nobles and military commanders, and the leading people of Galilee; 22 and when the daughter of Herodias herself came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his dinner guests; and the king said to the girl, “Ask me for whatever you want, and I will give it to you.” 23 And he swore to her, “Whatever you ask of me, I will give it to you, up to half of my kingdom.” 24 And she went out and said to her mother, “What shall I ask for?” And she said, “The head of John the Baptist.” 25 Immediately she came in a hurry to the king and asked, saying, “I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter.” 26 And although the king was very sorry, because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he was unwilling to refuse her. 27 Immediately the king sent an executioner and commanded him to bring back his head. And he went and beheaded him in the prison, 28 and brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl; and the girl gave it to her mother. 29 When his disciples heard about this, they came and carried away his body, and laid it in a tomb.

TODAY'S TAKEAWAY:

Let's compare Herod with the Apostle Paul.  Some people prefer dysfunctional and destructive fear and hatred.  Paul had been such a person, who was very zealous in his fear and hatred of the Church-movement, and made great efforts to try to exterminate all Christians, UNTIL he met Jesus and saw the light, believed and humbly repented!  Meanwhile, Herod heard God's truths through John the Baptist and was even entertained by them, but never bothered to find understanding.  And even when Herod heard about Jesus's ministry, and felt the guilt of murdering John, instead of repenting, he continued to create dysfunctional and destructive drama in his own life.  

People will believe what they want to believe.  Even if they see evidence of truth, they will continue trying to justify their lies.  Just like Herod, people will deceive themselves.  Even when they are afraid and feel guilt-ridden, their pride prevents them from going to the Lord for forgiveness and salvation.  They prefer to remain in the world that they create for themselves, which will come to an end here on earth.

As believers, we are to love and pray for everyone.  And as the Lord gives us opportunity, in God's strength, wisdom and love, let us share His gospel message.  If and when we are met with resistance, this is when we "stop throwing pearls before the swine" and move on.  Lovingly, graciously, God does not force anyone to love Him back, so why would we try forcing God on someone?  But, we are to continue loving and praying for those people.  We never know when someone will see the light, but God does!  And God loves all people, and desires that all come to know Him in a personal relationship!

relationships (Mark 6:1-56) How Do We Identify?

(Mark 6:1-56)

1 Jesus went out from there and came into His hometown; and His disciples followed Him. 2 And when the Sabbath came, He began to teach in the synagogue; and the many listeners were astonished, saying, “Where did this Man learn these things, and what is this wisdom that has been given to Him, and such miracles as these performed by His hands? 3 Is this not the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And are His sisters not here with us?” And they took offense at Him. 4 Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not dishonored except in his hometown and among his own relatives, and in his own household.” 5 And He could not do any miracle there except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them. 6 And He was amazed at their unbelief.

And He was going around the villages, teaching.

TODAY'S TAKEAWAY:

The North American culture often defines a person by their job or position in life.  One of the first things people typically ask someone when they first meet is, "So, what do you do for a living?"  If someone is still in school, the question becomes, "What is your major?"  In other words, what do you hope to do for a living one day?

Unless someone is a career criminal, a career is only about what we do, not about who we are, .And now in society... many people feel that it is important to define themselves by their sex and their sexual orientation, somehow believing that this is their identify.  But then if and when anyone disagrees with the unethicalness, they feel like one is trying to kill them as a person.  Just like if, for example, someone identified as a carpenter, and society looked down on carpenters, the carpenter would then feel undervalued as a person. 

In the verses above, the people who knew Jesus best, from childhood, defined Him by exactly these things, seeing Him "only" as a carpenter, and the son of Mary.  They probably considered the reputations of His brothers, and judged Jesus in the same light.  Their main issue is that they only saw Jesus as a Man, and not as the Son of God - God, Himself - and knowing THIS would have explained how Jesus could know all these things and perform all those miracles!

One's faith in the Lord is all about having a personal relationship with Him, which would include knowing Him.  Who is Jesus, what are His traits, and what and who does He represent?  As part of the Trinity, Jesus is God, Himself.  God is neither male nor female.  God is.  God is eternal, light, life, love, truth, righteous, holy, sovereign (omniscient, omnipotent and omnipresent)...

Jesus came to earth in flesh, to be fully man while still being fully God.  He came with a mission: to heal within morally directed faith.  The miracles prove who He was and is, and that He had authority as the Lord, to bring about ultimate healing through faith because of His accomplished work on the cross.  Therefore, the goal of Jesus, as He went around ministering to people and healing them, was not to impress them, but to demonstrate that His goal is to provide a way to a relationship.

The Lord Jesus in His love will never force anyone to love Him back, or be obedient, therefore, to be spiritually healed requires us to want to know Him, and love Him for who He is, and trust Him because of who He is.  This is faith.  And the more we get to know Jesus personally, the more we will see and experience evidence of His presence in our lives.  As Christians then, who are we?  It's not so much as identifying as a "Christian", but that we understand our identity is in Christ!

relationships (Mark 5:35-43) Losing a Loved One

(Mark 5:35-43)

35 While He was still speaking, people came from the house of the synagogue official, saying, “Your daughter has died; why bother the Teacher further?” 36 But Jesus, overhearing what was being spoken, said to the synagogue official, “Do not be afraid, only believe.” 37 And He allowed no one to accompany Him except Peter, James, and John the brother of James. 38 They came to the house of the synagogue official, and He saw a commotion, and people loudly weeping and wailing. 39 And after entering, He said to them, “Why are you making a commotion and weeping? The child has not died, but is asleep.” 40 And they began laughing at Him. But putting them all outside, He took along the child’s father and mother and His own companions, and entered the room where the child was in bed. 41 And taking the child by the hand, He said to her, “Talitha, kum!” (which translated means, “Little girl, I say to you, get up!”). 42 And immediately the girl got up and began to walk, for she was twelve years old. And immediately they were completely astonished. 43 And He gave them strict orders that no one was to know about this, and He told them to have something given her to eat.

TODAY'S TAKEAWAY:

One of the more difficult things about relationships is when we lose loved ones.  And the closer a person is to us, the more profound our loss will be.  As I get older, there are more and more of my friends and family who are passing away.  This is inevitable.  One thing that is sure in life, is that we will get sick, and we will die... unless the rapture happens while we are alive!  

For those who have put their faith in the Lord, and they pass away, we can be very confident that they are asleep in Christ...  

(1 Thessalonians 4:)  But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as indeed the rest of mankind do, who have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose from the dead, so also God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep through Jesus.

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I'm going to be very blunt about these amazingly hope-filled facts!

ABOUT THE LORD GOD:

- He is omniscient, and knows all those who will choose to believe in Him

- He desires that all come to know Him, and so He gives each person fair opportunity to make their decision for eternity

- He determines when it is a person's time to pass away

ABOUT OUR RESPONSE:

- understand that it is a temporary loss, we will miss that person, but we will see them in heaven soon enough

- it is okay to cry, but don't get stuck in an endless loop of mourning, which really is selfishness on our part, because we are missing what that person meant to us and what they did for us

- we should be happy for the ones who are asleep in Christ

- they are ASLEEP, they are not angels looking over us!  God is looking over us

- they are ASLEEP, we should not be talking to them!  We are to only pray to God!

- we need to focus on the Lord God, and then continue loving and praying for those who are still alive

In a way to prepare ourselves, always continue to put God first!  If and when we make someone else our "rock", and they pass away, we are then without our rock, and we will feel hopeless and lost, like an unbeliever.  

Jesus should be our Rock.  He is eternal.  He is love.  He is faithful.  He is sovereign (omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent)!  He should be our everything!  I'm not saying that it is easy, but the Lord will bring us healing, peace and comfort for whenever a loved one passes away - when - we keep our hope, trust, faith and eyes fixed on the Lord.

relationships (Mark 5:21-34) The Loving Touch

(Mark 5:21-43)

21 When Jesus had crossed over again in the boat to the other side, a large crowd gathered around Him; and He stayed by the seashore. 22 And one of the synagogue officials, named Jairus, came, and upon seeing Him, fell at His feet 23 and pleaded with Him earnestly, saying, “My little daughter is at the point of death; please come and lay Your hands on her, so that she will get well and live.” 24 And He went off with him; and a large crowd was following Him and pressing in on Him.

25 A woman who had had a hemorrhage for twelve years, 26 and had endured much at the hands of many physicians, and had spent all that she had and was not helped at all, but instead had become worse— 27 after hearing about Jesus, she came up in the crowd behind Him and touched His cloak. 28 For she had been saying to herself, “If I just touch His garments, I will get well.” 29 And immediately the flow of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. 30 And immediately Jesus, perceiving in Himself that power from Him had gone out, turned around in the crowd and said, “Who touched My garments?” 31 And His disciples said to Him, “You see the crowd pressing in on You, and You say, ‘Who touched Me?’” 32 And He looked around to see the woman who had done this. 33 But the woman, fearing and trembling, aware of what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth. 34 And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace and be cured of your disease.”

TODAY'S TAKEAWAY:

We are all born sinful, sick and dying. So, what is very sure in this life is that we will make mistakes, we will get sick, and we will die.  And what is also very true, is that the Lord loves us so much, He wants us to go to Him as we are - for His forgiveness and eternal life.  At the same time, He wants us to always be "touching" Him - to confidently enjoy and embrace a personal relationship with Him.  It is a relationship that fills us, fulfills us, completes us, heals and comforts us, strengthens and encourages us..  And being omnipresent, the Lord is very accessible!  He comes to us.  He sees us, He loves us, and He patiently, faithfully, mercifully and graciously reaches out to us.

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relationships (Mark 5:1-20) The Closest One Can Be

(Mark 5:1-20)

1 They came to the other side of the sea, into the region of the Gerasenes. 2 When He got out of the boat, immediately a man from the tombs with an unclean spirit met Him. 3 He lived among the tombs; and no one was able to bind him anymore, not even with a chain, 4 because he had often been bound with shackles and chains, and the chains had been torn apart by him and the shackles broken in pieces; and no one was strong enough to subdue him. 5 Constantly, night and day, he was screaming among the tombs and in the mountains, and cutting himself with stones. 6 Seeing Jesus from a distance, he ran up and bowed down before Him; 7 and shouting with a loud voice, he said, “What business do You have with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I implore You by God, do not torment me!” 8 For He had already been saying to him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!” 9 And He was asking him, “What is your name?” And he said to Him, “My name is Legion, for we are many.” 10 And he begged Him earnestly not to send them out of the region. 11 Now there was a large herd of pigs feeding nearby on the mountain. 12 And the demons begged Him, saying, “Send us into the pigs so that we may enter them.” 13 Jesus gave them permission. And coming out, the unclean spirits entered the pigs; and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea, about two thousand of them; and they were drowned in the sea.

14 Their herdsmen ran away and reported it in the city and in the countryside. And the people came to see what it was that had happened. 15 And then they came to Jesus and saw the man who had been demon-possessed sitting down, clothed and in his right mind, the very man who had previously had the “legion”; and they became frightened. 16 Those who had seen it described to them how it had happened to the demon-possessed man, and all about the pigs. 17 And they began to beg Him to leave their region. 18 And as He was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed was begging Him that he might accompany Him. 19 And He did not let him, but He said to him, “Go home to your people and report to them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He had mercy on you.” 20 And he went away and began to proclaim in Decapolis what great things Jesus had done for him; and everyone was amazed.

TODAY'S TAKEAWAY:

First let's observe the townspeople and their reactions.  One would hope that they cared more about the man being delivered from the demons, than they cared about the pigs.  But the pigs equated to a lot of money, so it really was all just about caring for themselves.  And surprisingly, no one cared to know anything about Jesus, who had just performed this miracle.  Like, how did this unmanageable man suddenly become sane?!  And even though it was really the demons who had killed their livestock, they still blamed Jesus.  Therefore, It was all about their finances and themselves, and they wanted nothing to do with the Lord God.

Now, it's interesting to observe that before the man became a believer, the demons were influencing his behavior.  And fully recognizing who Jesus was, the demons influenced the man to hate and fear Jesus, also wanting nothing to do with Him.  But after Jesus delivered the man from the demons, and from death and despair, now the man just wanted to stay as close to Jesus as possible.

As believers, the Lord God is always with us, no matter what, as God is not only omnipresent, we have also been given His indwelling Holy Spirit!  Although this man didn't want to leave Jesus' literal side, maybe thinking that his life would be better as a direct disciple of His.  But in obedience, even though this man was very much alone in this life, he joyfully did as Jesus asked him, and with God's help, he spread the good news about the Lord and His salvation, and impacted many, many people.

My final ah-ha thought in this is... our relationship with the Lord is the closest best relationship we could ever have!  Even though He is not physically with us, we always have His Spirit with us.  And if and when He calls us to do something that sounds scary, or lonely (and I've been there-done that), it is in those events where we have no choice but to lean on and look to the Lord for everything.  It's not just about being in one's right mind, it's having a mind set on the Lord and His will and His righteousness.  And this is when we will draw even closer to the Lord, and experience more of Him, and His love, peace, comfort, strength, wisdom, provisions, blessings and closeness.

relationships (Mark 4:35-41) Comfort in Being Close

(Mark 4:35-41)

35 On that day, when evening came, He said to them, “Let’s go over to the other side.” 36 After dismissing the crowd, they took Him along with them in the boat, just as He was; and other boats were with Him. 37 And a fierce gale of wind developed, and the waves were breaking over the boat so much that the boat was already filling with water. 38 And yet Jesus Himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?” 39 And He got up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Hush, be still.” And the wind died down and it became perfectly calm. 40 And He said to them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?” 41 They became very much afraid and said to one another, “Who, then, is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?”

TODAY'S TAKEAWAY:

Well, Jesus knew that they would be safe and no one would perish in this event, and was therefore able to rest in faith and security... just like we should strive to rest in the Lord during the storms in our lives, whether they are physical, emotional, mental or spiritual.  Resting in the Lord is to call upon Him, and let Him calm whatever situation/s we are experiencing.  Yet, notice, Jesus did not still the storm as soon as it started.  Just as God will sometimes allow us to go through times of struggles, waiting for us to call on Him, and then rest in Him, trusting that He will do something about it - because - He does care!!!

I kind of have to laugh.  I would have some fear, embarrassment and regret if I had just accused the Lord of not caring, and then He got up and calmed the storm with His words.  Yet, how often will we accuse God of not caring, just because God isn't giving us what we think we need in the timing that we think it should be.  

It is actually when we do go through storms that we can grow in our faith and personal relationship in the Lord, because then, when we experience how He manages the situation/s, we will trust Him more and more.  And often - the storm/s that we are experiencing are more within our own heart!  It is only in Him, that we will experience His peace, calmness, comfort, strength, security and certain hope!  

As we grow stronger in our faith, we will realize and understand that God is sovereign.  In knowing all things, and because He cares, He knows just how to help us, and when to help us.  In being all-powerful, He is able to do far more than we can even imagine.  Therefore, we will learn to be talking to Him more and more in prayer, and asking Him for His help, immediately.  I mean, why wait?!  And we will learn that we don't have to fear anyone or anything - when - we are close to the Lord!  Because He is everywhere-present, He is always there.  So, let's ask ourselves, "Where are we in our relationship with God?"