Daily Manna (Coffee with Jesus)

“If the godly give in to the wicked, it’s like polluting a fountain or muddying a spring.” Proverbs 25:26, NLT

• Is Jesus really the “air” we breathe?
• Is Jesus the “water” we drink to sustain life?
• Is Jesus the “food” we eat as daily manna for our hungry souls?
• Am I polluting the air with ungodly talk for others to hear?
• Am I polluting the living water by adding to what Jesus has said—with my own opinions?
• Am I polluting His Word, (our daily manna), with man-made, “churchy” rules of behavior that have little to nothing to do with salvation and living like Jesus?

These are questions I ask as the enemy of the world continually tries to pollute my air, water, and food spiritually, physically, mentally, and emotionally. 

Jesus is telling the people around him (and we who are reading now) where the source of real pollution can be found. Jesus does not mince words but spells out the Truth very clearly: polluters are frauds who use God and people to gain what they want for themselves.  In the process they pollute (adding what is impure) what God provides for His people that is pure and holy!  

Mark 7, The Message

The Source of Your Pollution

^1-4 The Pharisees, along with some religion scholars who had come from Jerusalem, gathered around him. They noticed that some of his disciples weren’t being careful with ritual washings before meals. The Pharisees—Jews in general, in fact—would never eat a meal without going through the motions of a ritual hand-washing, with an especially vigorous scrubbing if they had just come from the market (to say nothing of the scourings they’d give jugs and pots and pans).

⁵ The Pharisees and religion scholars asked, “Why do your disciples brush off the rules, showing up at meals without washing their hands?”

^6-8 Jesus answered, “Isaiah was right about frauds like you, hit the bull’s-eye in fact:

These people make a big show of saying the right thing,
    but their heart isn’t in it.
They act like they are worshiping me,
    but they don’t mean it.
They just use me as a cover
    for teaching whatever suits their fancy,
Ditching God’s command
    and taking up the latest fads.”

^9-13 He went on, “Well, good for you. You get rid of God’s command so you won’t be inconvenienced in following the religious fashions! Moses said, ‘Respect your father and mother,’ and, ‘Anyone denouncing father or mother should be killed.’ But you weasel out of that by saying that it’s perfectly acceptable to say to father or mother, ‘Gift! What I owed you I’ve given as a gift to God,’ thus relieving yourselves of obligation to father or mother. You scratch out God’s Word and scrawl a whim in its place. You do a lot of things like this.”

^14-15 Jesus called the crowd together again and said, “Listen now, all of you—take this to heart. It’s not what you swallow that pollutes your life; it’s what you vomit—that’s the real pollution.”

¹⁷ When he was back home after being with the crowd, his disciples said, “We don’t get it. Put it in plain language.”

^18-19 Jesus said, “Are you being willfully stupid? Don’t you see that what you swallow can’t contaminate you? It doesn’t enter your heart but your stomach, works its way through the intestines, and is finally flushed.” (That took care of dietary quibbling; Jesus was saying that all foods are fit to eat.)

^20-23 He went on: “It’s what comes out of a person that pollutes: obscenities, lusts, thefts, murders, adulteries, greed, depravity, deceptive dealings, carousing, mean looks, slander, arrogance, foolishness—all these are vomit from the heart. There is the source of your pollution.”

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

God is pure, holy, faithful to His promises, loving, merciful and full of grace.  He is all that is right and true.  God never changes.  He can be found faithful in all these ways.

Whatever we believe will be reflected in our behaviors.  What goes in come out.  But Jesus says what comes out can pollute another person’s life as well.  Life is not just about us.  Who we are and what we do affects others around us.  Are we polluters or promoters of the Living Water (Jesus)?

The Pharisees were the source of pollution that muddied the “Living Waters” that gave life.  They polluted the lives of God’s people by using God and His Law to suit their arrogant whims and desires for power.  The created rituals based first on cleanliness, that later evolved into more about ceremonial compliance with punishment. They were dressed up in finery and put on a big show for the paupers of the community.  They felt they had a right to do whatever hearts desired—sin and sin pollutes everything it touches.

Our Response:  Pray for repentance of times that we were the pollutant for others.  David wrote a prayer that perfectly fits:

“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me. Do not cast me away from your presence, and do not take your holy spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and sustain in me a willing spirit” Psalm 51:10-12 (NRSV)

Need more? Here is a few more words of prayer from God’s Word to clean up what pollutes our hearts:

• God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God. (Matthew 5:8, NLT).
• Only those whose hands and hearts are pure, who do not worship idols and never tell lies. (Psalm 24:4, NLT).
• Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life. (Proverbs 4:23, NLT).
• Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. (James 4:8, NLT).
• You were cleansed from your sins when you obeyed the truth, so now you must show sincere love to each other as brothers and sisters. Love each other deeply with all your heart. (1 Peter 1:22, NLT).
• “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. (John 14:1, NLT).

There are even more scriptures to avoid pollution, but we get the picture, right?  Our enemy pollutes what God has deemed pure and holy.  God will cleanse us of all sin that has polluted our lives when we repent in Jesus Name. 

Go to the Source and Eternal Sustainer of Life! –Jesus!

I Am The Bread Of Life (John 6:35)

I Am The Light Of The World (John 8:12)

I Am The Gate For The Sheep (John 10:7)

I Am The Good Shepherd (John 10:11)

I Am The Resurrection And The Life (John 11:25)

I Am The Way The Truth And The Life (John 14:6)

I Am The True Vine (John 15:1)

Believe and be made whole and holy before God in Jesus Name.

Lord,

Thank you for these thoughts that cause us to pause and reflect on what we are allowing to pollute our beings!  Cleanse our hearts, renew our minds, refresh, and feed our souls, and restore the joy and peace of your salvation at work within us.

In Jesus Name, For your Glory, Amen!

Creation is truly a place of wonder and beauty to me.  I love road trips over majestic mountains.  I marvel in the valleys where rich soil causes growth.  It gives me peace and enjoyment to walk through beautiful gardens that produce every color imaginable along with combinations of color in the leaves and flowering bushes.  I love being by the waters of rushing streams, flowing rivers, lakes, and seas held back in sheltered areas between rising mountains.  Most of all, I could sit and watch the ocean for long periods of time to watch in amazement the creation power on display as the waves recede and then crash on the shore. 

God’s creation as always fascinated me in every detail! In fact, I was that kid who marveled over the veins in falling leaves as I held them under a microscope.  I loved rocks of all kinds and had a collection that categorized them.  Later, I would marvel and wonder how God stitched humans together from the dust of His created earth, “in His own image,” in the intricate, detailed way He did so our bodies could function in this world in sustaining ways if we took care of ourselves. (See Psalm 139) Every cell of our being was made by our Creator with a specific function to give us life!  What a mighty, creative, powerful God we have!  There is no one like our God!

And yet, in all His work He still has time to watch over His created, knows when we are in trouble and need His help…

Mark 6, The Message

Walking on the Sea

^45-46 As soon as the meal was finished, Jesus insisted that the disciples get in the boat and go on ahead across to Bethsaida while he dismissed the congregation. After sending them off, he climbed a mountain to pray.

^47-49 Late at night, the boat was far out at sea; Jesus was still by himself on land. He could see his men struggling with the oars, the wind having come up against them. At about four o’clock in the morning, Jesus came toward them, walking on the sea. He intended to go right by them. But when they saw him walking on the sea, they thought it was a ghost and screamed, scared to death.

^50-52 Jesus was quick to comfort them: “Courage! It’s me. Don’t be afraid.” As soon as he climbed into the boat, the wind died down. They were stunned, shaking their heads, wondering what was going on. They didn’t understand what he had done at the supper. None of this had yet penetrated their hearts.

^53-56 They beached the boat at Gennesaret and tied up at the landing. As soon as they got out of the boat, word got around fast. People ran this way and that, bringing their sick on stretchers to where they heard he was. Wherever he went, village or town or country crossroads, they brought their sick to the marketplace and begged him to let them touch the edge of his coat—that’s all. And whoever touched him became well.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

As Mark sticks to the facts, we will, too:

• Jesus is Son of Man and Son of God.  Pause to realize this truth.

• Jesus sends his tired disciples on ahead so He can dismiss the crowd and then go be with His Father in prayer. 

• Jesus prays.  We learn that prayer always precedes the power of God at work through Jesus!  Prayer to God, asking what HE wants in and through us give creation power to do what He asks to do. BE with God first.

• Jesus saw and knew His beloved were in trouble so He immediately went to them to helped them in their struggle against the stormy waters.  Jesus knows when we are in trouble and will help us in our “storms and rough waters” when we call to Him in prayer in Jesus Name!

• Jesus, present at Creation, had creation power as the Son of God. Jesus calmly walks on the sea as if it were just a rough road.  God’s Son was given the power to feed thousands, heal the sick, AND have power over all of creation!  Yes, read that again—this is Who Jesus is!  God in flesh come to save us!

• Jesus provides help and comfort.  Perplexed and downright scared by watching the power of Jesus walking on the sea, the cried out to Him.  Jesus, who embodies peace, not like the world offers in cheap ways, but real peace and calm in a storm, says, “Courage! Don’t be afraid”.  Jesus is the God of all comfort and peace that is offered to us right in the middle of our storms.  He will see us through it until all is calm once more in our every day, go to work lives.  Yes, there is no one like our God!

God’s work continues through His Son, Jesus who has the power that created the world with a few words.  People were healed who came to Him and merely touched Him.

The power of creation is only equaled to the resurrection power God will display when Jesus rises from death to live—in victory of the enemy of evil and darkness.  When we believe, we are given that power within us as we live our lives in trust and obedience to God!  Mm, read that again and let it soak in.

Pause to reflect…

How does the death and resurrection power of Jesus Christ affect your life?

• The resurrection power of Jesus Christ is a truly amazing and awe-inspiring. It is the power that brought Him back to life after His crucifixion, and it is the same power that we have access to as His followers. This power is not just a theoretical concept, but something that we can experience in our lives today.

• The resurrection power that we have through Jesus gives us the ability to overcome sin and temptation, to find hope and joy even in difficult circumstances, and to live with the assurance that we will one day be raised to new life with Christ.

• The resurrection power of Jesus is a source of strength, comfort, and hope that we can rely on every day, and it is a reminder that with God, all things are possible.

Need more proof?

“I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms.”  Ephesians 1:19-20

But wait, there’s more…

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.” John 3:16-17, ESV

Do we realized the profound truth that although God loves the whole world generally, He also loves us personally and individually so much that Jesus died for each of us as if there was only one of us?

God didn’t wait for us to clean up our lives and become perfect. God already knew that is an impossibility and so He planned long ago to pour out His grace on our lives by sending His only Son to die on the cross. We do not deserve such grace and we certainly can never earn it. All we must do is believe that Jesus is Who He said He is and learn to live in resurrection power.

Do you really believe what God says really real?  Our behaviors will reflect what we believe.

“Courage!  It’s Me!  Don’t be afraid!” –Jesus

Lord,

There is NO ONE like you!  You saved us then equipped us with Your Power living in us to help us renew our minds as you cleanse our hearts!  You give us new mercies daily to refresh our souls where you abide with us.  You see our struggles and provide a way through them all.  You give us comfort, joy and peace as you continually work your salvation into the depths of our being—all because of your great love for us.  To You be the glory, honor, and praise for all that is good, right, and holy.

In Jesus Name, Amen.  Yes!

If you are full or part time, or a volunteer who serves God’s people lovingly and selflessly who have needs and more needs, you identify with the beginning of Mark’s story well.  “Come off by yourselves—let’s take a break and get a little rest,” says Jesus their leader and master teacher.  So, the disciples get in a boat to try to do that but they are met with even more people with a need to know the Savior and Jesus is not going to turn seekers away.  And we won’t either!

Confession.  One day I was really tired from teaching first graders this particular day.  It was a hectic day with all that goes into a day of teaching little ones where anything and everything could happen.  I was so pressed for time; I didn’t have a spare moment to eat that day.  So, the weakness only grew.  Later in the day, I got a call from Randy, my pastor husband, who related that one of our members had emergency open heart surgery. He said we need to go see him as soon as I finished the school day, “I’ll pick you up.”  After school, we rushed to the hospital.  I don’t always do well with hospitals—it’s mental thing.  But our dear friend was there, and I pushed through and did what it takes to serve him who has suffered trauma and surgery.  Also, this friend came to church every other week but had yet to accept Jesus as Savior.

The surgery was a success.  He was in a VA hospital ward with others recovery from illnesses and surgeries.  He had a tray of unfinished food before him.  He welcomed us with smiles.  That relieved Randy and I.  Suddenly, my phobia, lack of eating or resting kicked in.  I knew I might pass out, but didn’t want to do so in front of our friend—in a hospital ward!  I prayed I would not and held tightly to the rail on the side of his bed.  Randy, who knows me well, knew what was happening.  He told our friend we probably should go so he could rest without telling him what I was feeling.  Good, we were about to leave. I knew if I left the room, breathed deeply, I would be okay.

However, it was THIS day that our friend asked us to pray with him.  He had never asked before.  Of course, we are going to turn back around and pray it through with him.  What a glorious day for we had been praying for him to receive Jesus for years!  Randy prayed, I held on to the side bar once more.  At the end of the prayer, I passed out.  I woke to a young doctor learning over me on the floor beside our friend’s bed with my blood pressure being taken.  It was so embarrassing for me, but it greatly affected our friend who later came to Jesus!  Worth it!

Surprise!! Great things happen when God is in control even when we lose control. Rest will come but not when you planned.  I learned a great lesson that day!  When Jesus calls out to us to come away with Him, do it!  Our rest times are refreshing and keeps us fit spiritually but also physically, mentally, and emotionally.  We must take time to be with God and ask what He wants for his “yoke is lighter and an easier fit.”  We must lay down our burdens of unfitting yokes we place upon ourselves—all the way down!  We must take time to take care of our bodies because our bodies house the “temple” in which God’s Holy Spirit abides in us as He leads us.  Taking time even in small doses through the day with “Lead me, Jesus” prepares us for the next great adventure with God! 

Mark 6, The Message

Supper for Five Thousand

^30-31 The apostles then rendezvoused with Jesus and reported on all that they had done and taught. Jesus said, “Come off by yourselves; let’s take a break and get a little rest.” For there was constant coming and going. They didn’t even have time to eat.

^32-34 So they got in the boat and went off to a remote place by themselves. Someone saw them going and the word got around. From the surrounding towns people went out on foot, running, and got there ahead of them. When Jesus arrived, he saw this huge crowd. At the sight of them, his heart broke—like sheep with no shepherd they were. He went right to work teaching them.

^35-36 When his disciples thought this had gone on long enough—it was now quite late in the day—they interrupted: “We are a long way out in the country, and it’s very late. Pronounce a benediction and send these folks off so they can get some supper.”

³⁷ Jesus said, “You do it. Fix supper for them.”

They replied, “Are you serious? You want us to go spend a fortune on food for their supper?”

³⁸ But he was quite serious. “How many loaves of bread do you have? Take an inventory.”

That didn’t take long. “Five,” they said, “plus two fish.”

^39-44 Jesus got them all to sit down in groups of fifty or a hundred—they looked like a patchwork quilt of wildflowers spread out on the green grass! He took the five loaves and two fish, lifted his face to heaven in prayer, blessed, broke, and gave the bread to the disciples, and the disciples in turn gave it to the people. He did the same with the fish. They all ate their fill. The disciples gathered twelve baskets of leftovers. More than five thousand were at the supper.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

Where Jesus leads—Follow!  For He knows what is best always.

Jesus provides glorious surprises along our journey when we follow Him.

Jesus calls us to rest and when He does, we must do it.  He knows exactly what we need when we need it most.

God continues to invite us to join Him in His work of “feeding” people with Truth.

Remember, in this story the disciples were hungry, too!  They were fed along with the 5000 plus people gathered there!

God continually asks, “What do you have?”  We tell Him.  He says, that is enough.

Give of your best to the Master…

In Jesus Name, Amen

And we’re singing…

Give of your best to the Master;
Give Him first place in your heart;
Give Him first place in your service;
Consecrate every part.
Give, and to you will be given;
God His beloved Son gave;
Gratefully seeking to serve Him,
Give Him the best that you have.

Give of your best to the Master;
Give of the strength of your youth;
Clad in salvation’s full armor,
Join in the battle for truth.

Every story has a “back story.”  Here is the Truth of how God demonstrated His love for us through the pregnancies of Elizabeth and Mary.

“Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear.But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John.  He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born. He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” Luke 1:11-17

 ^“In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee,to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”

Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David,and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”

“How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”

The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. For no word from God will ever fail.”

“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.

Mary Visits Elizabeth

At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!”  Luke 1:26-45

TWO COUSINS SENT BY GOD TO BRING THE WORLD TO THEIR KNEES!

One was John, son of a priest and his wife. 

The other one was Jesus, the son of God, born to a virgin and a carpenter.

Yes, John was the earthly cousin of Jesus.  He was born of Elizabeth who was a cousin of Mary.  From before John was born, God gave him purpose and a deep sense of compassion for the lost living in sin without God.  It didn’t matter who you were or what you did, John wanted to bring you to God in repentance to God.  There was no hint of making the message pretty and palatable, John spoke Truth with power and passion from God.  John lived a minimalist lifestyle in the dessert by a river who prepared the path for Jesus, God’s Son.  Jesus would pick up where John left off with the message and same ministry of seeking and saving the lost.  There were differences in the way the two men ministered; but both had the same central focus and mission.  The lost can be saved through repentance of sin to God.  The lost can be found and be known as children of God who live God’s Kingdom ways.

Most were drawn to this passion and power of delivery of what God wants from all of us—to turn back to Him, repent and be saved forever—but others chose to say no even though they were enticed by God’s message, to live until death with a guilty conscience.  Herod was one of them.

Mark 6, The Message

The Death of John

¹⁴ King Herod heard of all this, for by this time the name of Jesus was on everyone’s lips. He said, “This has to be John the Baptizer come back from the dead—that’s why he’s able to work miracles!”

¹⁵ Others said, “No, it’s Elijah.”

Others said, “He’s a prophet, just like one of the old-time prophets.”

¹⁶ But Herod wouldn’t budge: “It’s John, sure enough. I cut off his head, and now he’s back, alive.”

^17-20 Herod was the one who had ordered the arrest of John, put him in chains, and sent him to prison at the nagging of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife. For John had provoked Herod by naming his relationship with Herodias “adultery.” Herodias, smoldering with hate, wanted to kill him, but didn’t dare because Herod was in awe of John. Convinced that he was a holy man, he gave him special treatment. Whenever he listened to him he was miserable with guilt—and yet he couldn’t stay away. Something in John kept pulling him back.

^21-22 But a portentous day arrived when Herod threw a birthday party, inviting all the brass and bluebloods in Galilee. Herodias’s daughter entered the banquet hall and danced for the guests. She charmed Herod and the guests.

^22-23 The king said to the girl, “Ask me anything. I’ll give you anything you want.” Carried away, he kept on, “I swear, I’ll split my kingdom with you if you say so!”

²⁴ She went back to her mother and said, “What should I ask for?”

“Ask for the head of John the Baptizer.”

²⁵ Excited, she ran back to the king and said, “I want the head of John the Baptizer served up on a platter. And I want it now!”

^26-29 That sobered the king up fast. But unwilling to lose face with his guests, he caved in and let her have her wish. The king sent the executioner off to the prison with orders to bring back John’s head. He went, cut off John’s head, brought it back on a platter, and presented it to the girl, who gave it to her mother. When John’s disciples heard about this, they came and got the body and gave it a decent burial.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

God created each one of us with a purpose and plan because of His love for us:

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)

John led the world to God, then to Jesus, God Son, who would save us forever.

Believe, repent of sins, and be saved and made whole!  As redeemed people devoted to follow Jesus, we are guilt free!  We are free to live in His Presence as He abides in us.  We are free to love like He loves.  We are free to grow in His character—with the help of His Holy Spirit.  We are free and ready to live in expectant hope of life forever with Him!  Yes, repentance of sins to One without sin who paid our debt of sin for us sets us all free!

No more guilty conscience but a life abundant and free!  What does this mean?  We are not perfect, but we are perfectly forgiven.  If we fall or begin to stray, and we will, because God’s love never stops and never gives up on us, His Holy Spirit convicts us so we can get right back on the path again.

Don’t live in guilt—it’s a miserable place to hang out—just ask Herod who died in guilt.

Lord,

Thank you for different slant of perspective on a familiar story.  Thank you for the thoughts you put in our minds to keep us from falling back into the old habits of our old life. Thank you for pulling us back in with the power and wisdom of your Holy Spirit who lives in the hearts of the redeemed.  Cleanse our hearts, renew our minds, refresh and fill our souls of your new mercies fresh every morning and restore the joy and peace of your salvation at work with us.  Thank you, thank you, thank you.

In Jesus Name, Amen

Jesus is all we really need to do what He as given us power and authority to do.

Mark 6, The Message

The Twelve

^7-8 Jesus called the Twelve to him, and sent them out in pairs. He gave them authority and power to deal with the evil opposition. He sent them off with these instructions:

^8-9 “Don’t think you need a lot of extra equipment for this. You are the equipment. No special appeals for funds. Keep it simple.

¹⁰ “And no luxury inns. Get a modest place and be content there until you leave.

¹¹ “If you’re not welcomed, not listened to, quietly withdraw. Don’t make a scene. Shrug your shoulders and be on your way.”

^12-13 Then they were on the road. They preached with joyful urgency that life can be radically different; right and left they sent the demons packing; they brought wellness to the sick, anointing their bodies, healing their spirits.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

I wonder.  I pray for us today who do everything and anything to get the attention of the lost today.  I wonder if it is God who gets the attention of the lost and our obedience to God to listen and tell the story when God brings people to Himself is what is needed most? 

Jesus teaches his band of fishermen, tax collectors, farmers, and a treasurer to keep it simple. Look over the steps of their training before He sends them out into the world:

1.  Jesus calls.  Jesus sends in pairs.  This fosters comradery and help for each other.  “Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor.”  Ecclesiastes 4:9
2. Jesus gives them what they need most:  His authority (In His Name) and His power to overcome the evil one who will oppose them in various ways to discredit or destroy their ministry.  This is a precursor for the Great Commission  the disciples will receive later as Jesus ascends into heaven!  “Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20 Paul reemphasizes this commission for us later; “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” Colossians 3:17
3. Jesus instructs:
   1. Keep it simple.
   1. YOU are all the equipment you need.
   1. Be content wherever you are.
   1. Quietly withdraw if they don’t hear and receive the message
4. God’s glory was evident—they were filled with His words—preaching with joyful urgency of radical life change—all in Jesus Name for His glory!
5. Demons were sent packing!

Yes, I wonder if we have made the message too complicated?  I wonder if we are adding what we like but is not needed to tell His story for His glory in  His Name?

Today, I will pray Paul’s prayer that he prayed while in a prison because of preaching Jesus.  Prison does not stop Paul.  He simply carries on the work God gave him to be and do while chained in his dark cell.  He asks others to pray for him as well:

“Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.”  Colossians 4:2-6

In Jesus Name, For Your Glory, Amen

Jesus, YOU are all I need.  Abide in me as I live for you.  Thank you, thank you, thank you.

I was born and raised in Oklahoma.  I grew up going to church, taught to love God with everything within me.  I gave my life to Jesus as a child just before going to church camp one Sunday—led by my mom.  I volunteered to teach a toddler Sunday School class at 15 years old.  May uncle took me aside at 16 years old and told me, “You are kid-magnet, you need to study to be a teacher!”  That affirmation lead me to go to college to do just that—teach.  Before finishing college, my boyfriend who also grew up in church and wanted to be a teacher, became the person who I would commute to college with each day.  That led to a love for each other that was going to last forever. 

One night, after the wedding celebration of his brother to my best friend, we expressed love in ways that led to pregnancy of our first child.  We were engaged but not yet married.  We eloped to marry as soon as we found out.  Then we continued our lives of college work and school as we worked our way through to graduation.  We did this with harsh and humiliating, under their breath, comments from relatives and friends who went to our church with speculation that this baby was coming before the marriage took place.

The subsequent years brought us closer to God who provided all we needed as we raised three children, finished college to earn master’s degrees, and go on to teach in public schools nearby for a few years.  Then God led us both to full time ministry of preaching, speaking and training others in their God led pursuits with a passion only God can give. 

God forgive us through Jesus’ work on the cross.  But people will always remember what you did and who you were as a child.  We left Oklahoma at forty years of age to earn even more education as we pursued God’s leading for our lives.  We are learners with desires to keep learning and growing to the fullness of Christ until we see Him face to face.  At 72 years of age and 52 years of marriage, our love for each other is deeper still.  Our love for God is greater still along with the confidence and assurance that He always knows what He is doing in and through our lives in Jesus Name.

When we go back to visit our hometown after all these years of devotion to God, each other, our children, their spouses, and grandchildren, we hear these comments…

“Well, here they are, the kids whose marriage we didn’t think would last.”

“Remember when you…”

“You don’t talk or act like us anymore…too proud, eh?”

So, this passage always hits my heart deeply when Jesus receives comments that sting his heart.  When they call him “Mary’s boy,” they are acknowledging for all to hear, as a slander to the family—that Jesus is not really Joseph’s, boy.  Jesus is just a carpenter apprentice who left Joseph’s carpenter’s shop that was income to the family to do “his own thing.”  Ouch.

Mark 6, The Message

^1-2 He left there and returned to his hometown. His disciples came along. On the Sabbath, he gave a lecture in the meeting place. He stole the show, impressing everyone. “We had no idea he was this good!” they said. “How did he get so wise all of a sudden, get such ability?”

³ But in the next breath they were cutting him down: “He’s just a carpenter—Mary’s boy. We’ve known him since he was a kid. We know his brothers, James, Justus, Jude, and Simon, and his sisters. Who does he think he is?” They tripped over what little they knew about him and fell, sprawling. And they never got any further.

^4-6 Jesus told them, “A prophet has little honor in his hometown, among his relatives, on the streets he played in as a child.” Jesus wasn’t able to do much of anything there—he laid hands on a few sick people and healed them, that’s all. He couldn’t get over their stubbornness. He left and made a circuit of the other villages, teaching.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

Jesus understands what we all go through in this world.  Jesus, who never sinned, died for our sins.  There is nothing we have done or currently doing that Jesus will not forgive. 

“ALL have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”  (Romans 3:23)

We can all learn great lessons of compassion, faith, resilience, commitment, love, mercy, and grace from our falls, trials and failures from His Holy Spirit who comes to reside in our hearts, minds, and souls of all who truly believe.

Sometimes you must leave town to grow and mature in what God planned for you long before you were born.

Believe and be saved forever—God’s promise through His Son, Jesus.  Nothing and no one can separate us from His love.

Lord, God of heaven and earth,

Thank you, Jesus for saving our souls and making us whole.  We learn that comments are made from people who don’t know what they’re saying because they don’t choose to really know you or others.  We get that—and forgive them like you forgave us.  Thank you for teaching us to forgive.

In Jesus Name, Amen

What happens in the span of twelve years?  In a young person’s life from birth to reaching twelve years seems like a lifetime already!  Twelve years think they can conquer the world.  Most twelve year olds have developed such confidence from “living in the world so long” that they begin to think they know it all.  They navigated their elementary years with constant new experiences in learning, social interactions, but still live with parents who do not think they are ready to live life on their own. Most parents love their children more than they love themselves and would do anything for them, especially when it is a matter of life or death!

As an adult twelve years is a long time to suffer with an illness that demands constant care.  Twelve years is a long time to continually cleanse yourself and your clothing almost hourly because of your illness.  Bleeding that flows beyond your ability or the doctors’ skills who say they can help you but don’t threatens to end your life.  Blood flow is life giving until it flows freely beyond the ability to replenish itself.  The woman hemorrhaged for twelve long years.  She was ready to give up, but had heard about Jesus.  She had enough faith to crawl under the pushy crowd of people around Jesus to reach out and touch the hem of His robe.

It is no wonder or secret what God can do through Jesus, His Son—sent to seek and to save lost people with power to heal.  Twelve years of time gone by is but a moment on the journey to salvation.

Mark 5, The Message

A Risk of Faith

^21-24 After Jesus crossed over by boat, a large crowd met him at the seaside. One of the meeting-place leaders named Jairus came. When he saw Jesus, he fell to his knees, beside himself as he begged, “My dear daughter is at death’s door. Come and lay hands on her so she will get well and live.” Jesus went with him, the whole crowd tagging along, pushing and jostling him.

^25-29 A woman who had suffered a condition of hemorrhaging for twelve years—a long succession of physicians had treated her, and treated her badly, taking all her money and leaving her worse off than before—had heard about Jesus. She slipped in from behind and touched his robe. She was thinking to herself, “If I can put a finger on his robe, I can get well.” The moment she did it, the flow of blood dried up. She could feel the change and knew her plague was over and done with.

³⁰ At the same moment, Jesus felt energy discharging from him. He turned around to the crowd and asked, “Who touched my robe?”

³¹ His disciples said, “What are you talking about? With this crowd pushing and jostling you, you’re asking, ‘Who touched me?’ Dozens have touched you!”

^32-33 But he went on asking, looking around to see who had done it. The woman, knowing what had happened, knowing she was the one, stepped up in fear and trembling, knelt before him, and gave him the whole story.

³⁴ Jesus said to her, “Daughter, you took a risk of faith, and now you’re healed and whole. Live well, live blessed! Be healed of your plague.”

* * *

³⁵ While he was still talking, some people came from the leader’s house and told him, “Your daughter is dead. Why bother the Teacher any more?”

³⁶ Jesus overheard what they were talking about and said to the leader, “Don’t listen to them; just trust me.”

^37-40 He permitted no one to go in with him except Peter, James, and John. They entered the leader’s house and pushed their way through the gossips looking for a story and neighbors bringing in casseroles. Jesus was abrupt: “Why all this busybody grief and gossip? This child isn’t dead; she’s sleeping.” Provoked to sarcasm, they told him he didn’t know what he was talking about.

^40-43 But when he had sent them all out, he took the child’s father and mother, along with his companions, and entered the child’s room. He clasped the girl’s hand and said, “Talitha koum,” which means, “Little girl, get up.” At that, she was up and walking around! This girl was twelve years of age. They, of course, were all beside themselves with joy. He gave them strict orders that no one was to know what had taken place in that room. Then he said, “Give her something to eat.”

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

God has his own sense of timing: “With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day” (2 Peter 3:8). He has perfect timing: never early, never late. God is never in a hurry, but he is always on time.  So, it’s not too late to turn to Him!

Twelve years of life on earth for a little girl and twelve years a women has suffered as an adult with illness is no coincidence to God in these two interwoven stories of risky faith, small faith, but enough faith to know Jesus can be trusted.  The woman and the father’s faith was enough fall to their knees and reach out to Jesus.

How risky is our faith?  Even a “seed” of faith is enough, says Jesus to turn to Him for help, healing, wisdom, and most of—salvation—all because of God’s love, mercy, and grace.  With a mere seed of faith, we are set free from all our sins, set free from the hold sin’s entanglements have on us.  We can live this new, changed life of freedom, even while living in an imperfect world, because of our perfect forgiveness from our Savior who wants to be our Lord.

Believe, repent, rise up to be saved for eternity!  Jesus is worth the risk—worth it all!  So, reach out and touch the hem and be healed of all that stops you from coming to Him for help. 

Oh Lord,

Thank you for these moments to consider your works and deeds!  You are life!  You are love!  You are all we need!  Cleanse our hearts, heal our minds with renewal, refresh and feed our souls with your new mercies today, and restore the joy and peace of your salvation at work within us.  Thank you, thank you, thank you!

In Jesus Name, Amen

What has God delivered from you lately?  Isn’t there a time in your life when a challenging situation seemed so difficult that at the time you thought it would impossible to resolve?  What was your response when suddenly circumstances changed and the problem had an answer?  I’m thinking of more than a dozen times of deliverance!

Mark tells of us the fascinating story about a man fighting a war with demons within his soul.  The demons torture this man day and night.  No one can win this war for him.  It is impossible to control the demons who are using this man to torment others in the community.  Then the demon possessed man saw Jesus…

Mark 5, The Message

The Madman

^1-5 They arrived on the other side of the sea in the country of the Gerasenes. As Jesus got out of the boat, a madman from the cemetery came up to him. He lived there among the tombs and graves. No one could restrain him—he couldn’t be chained, couldn’t be tied down. He had been tied up many times with chains and ropes, but he broke the chains, snapped the ropes. No one was strong enough to tame him. Night and day he roamed through the graves and the hills, screaming out and slashing himself with sharp stones.

^6-8 When he saw Jesus a long way off, he ran and bowed in worship before him—then howled in protest, “What business do you have, Jesus, Son of the High God, messing with me? I swear to God, don’t give me a hard time!” (Jesus had just commanded the tormenting evil spirit, “Out! Get out of the man!”)

^9-10 Jesus asked him, “Tell me your name.”

He replied, “My name is Mob. I’m a rioting mob.” Then he desperately begged Jesus not to banish them from the country.

^11-13 A large herd of pigs was grazing and rooting on a nearby hill. The demons begged him, “Send us to the pigs so we can live in them.” Jesus gave the order. But it was even worse for the pigs than for the man. Crazed, they stampeded over a cliff into the sea and drowned.

^14-15 Those tending the pigs, scared to death, bolted and told their story in town and country. Everyone wanted to see what had happened. They came up to Jesus and saw the madman sitting there wearing decent clothes and making sense, no longer a walking madhouse of a man.

^16-17 Those who had seen it told the others what had happened to the demon-possessed man and the pigs. At first they were in awe—and then they were upset, upset over the drowned pigs. They demanded that Jesus leave and not come back.

^18-20 As Jesus was getting into the boat, the demon-delivered man begged to go along, but he wouldn’t let him. Jesus said, “Go home to your own people. Tell them your story—what the Master did, how he had mercy on you.” The man went back and began to preach in the Ten Towns area about what Jesus had done for him. He was the talk of the town.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

What seems impossible is always possible with God.  The demons possessing the man knew what God’s Son, Jesus could do.  They knew Him by name and knew that His power would be beyond their limited control.  “What business do you have, Jesus, Son of the High God, messing with me? I swear to God, don’t give me a hard time!”  The demons of Satan, the fallen angel from heaven, are doing the work of Satan who thinks he has control over the earth.  “Don’t mess with what I’m doing—I control this man and I intend to control others.” 

But the man who was blatantly demon-possessed sees things differently.  He sees Jesus far down the road, has heard about what He can do, and RUNS to Him!  What a battle the man is in!  He bows down to worship Jesus then the demons in him howl in protest against Jesus in the same breath!  Talk about conflicted!  Jesus sees the work of the demons for exactly who they are.  Jesus knows them as well as the demons know Jesus!  And they are no match for Jesus!

TAKE NOTE:  God is always in control.  Read that again.  I know when difficulties invade our peace, it is hard to wrap our heads around this truth but the quicker we remember, the more quickly the peace of Christ returns to our present circumstance.  Trust God, He knows what He is doing.  BEFORE the man’s demons ask what “business” did Jesus have here on earth, Jesus was ready to send the demons packing—into pigs? Okay, pigs are a disgusting animal to the Jews, so done!  The demons caused the pigs to go so crazy they jumped off the cliff to their death. 

With Jesus, everything changes!  The demon possessed man has a new identity and mission!  He is now known as the demon-delivered man and he has a story to tell!

Again we ask; what has God, through Jesus, delivered you from lately?  Who have you told?  Need help?  Psalm 66 provides a litany of praise to God with words that we can use in our own testimony!

Shout for joy to God, all the earth!
²     Sing the glory of his name;
    make his praise glorious.
³ Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds!
    So great is your power
    that your enemies cringe before you.
⁴ All the earth bows down to you;
    they sing praise to you,
    they sing the praises of your name.”^[a]

⁵ Come and see what God has done,
    his awesome deeds for mankind!
⁶ He turned the sea into dry land,
    they passed through the waters on foot—
    come, let us rejoice in him.
⁷ He rules forever by his power,
    his eyes watch the nations—
    let not the rebellious rise up against him.

⁸ Praise our God, all peoples,
    let the sound of his praise be heard;
⁹ he has preserved our lives
    and kept our feet from slipping.
¹⁰ For you, God, tested us;
    you refined us like silver.
¹¹ You brought us into prison
    and laid burdens on our backs.
¹² You let people ride over our heads;
    we went through fire and water,
    but you brought us to a place of abundance.

¹³ I will come to your temple with burnt offerings
    and fulfill my vows to you—
¹⁴ vows my lips promised and my mouth spoke
    when I was in trouble.
¹⁵ I will sacrifice fat animals to you
    and an offering of rams;
    I will offer bulls and goats.

¹⁶ Come and hear, all you who fear God;
    let me tell you what he has done for me.
¹⁷ I cried out to him with my mouth;
    his praise was on my tongue.
¹⁸ If I had cherished sin in my heart,
    the Lord would not have listened;
¹⁹ but God has surely listened
    and has heard my prayer.
²⁰ Praise be to God,
    who has not rejected my prayer
    or withheld his love from me!

When we believe, repent, seeking God with all our hearts, minds and souls, we, too, are demon delivered with a new identity.  Our new identity is in Jesus as “child of God.”  In fact, when we become followers and believers in Jesus, we lose our identity of this world and embrace our identity in Christ. Our identity in Christ is being a member of His body, the church.

“He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. John 1:11-13 ESV

“For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority.” Colossians 2:9-10

The demons have no power over the power of Christ Jesus, our Lord!  “You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.” –Jesus (1 John 4:4)

Jesus sends the demon delivered back home to tell His story of God’s goodness and grace.  Wow!  New identity—Preacher of the Power of Jesus to the most populated area at that time—the “Ten Towns.”  Yes, God always knows what He is doing and He is always at work.  Trust Him.

Lord,

Thank you, thank you, thank you!  Cleanse our hearts, remove all that offends you in us, send the demons packing, renew our minds, fill our souls daily with your new mercies, and restore the joy and peace of your salvation at work within us!

In Jesus Name, Amen

Life happens suddenly in an imperfect, constantly in flux world in ways so unexpected it threatens our very existence—we think.  Our first thought is panic until we are forced to deal with the situation in the best way possible—we think.  “Do something!” we shout in panic to anyone standing around us this seems to be the method by which we problem solve which includes blaming others who are near the situation. We are fixers and faultfinders.

What if we trained ourselves in a new habit?  What if our first thought was to ask God the Creator of all, who knows all before, during and after any crisis we might endure what He thinks we should do—or not do?  What if we relied so heavily on the power of the God’s Holy Spirit living in us, being aware of His Presence in our lives, that any crisis became just another challenge in which to learn something new?  I know, right?!

Mark 4, The Message

^35-38 Late that day he said to them, “Let’s go across to the other side.” They took him in the boat as he was. Other boats came along. A huge storm came up. Waves poured into the boat, threatening to sink it. And Jesus was in the stern, head on a pillow, sleeping! They roused him, saying, “Teacher, is it nothing to you that we’re going down?”

^39-40 Awake now, he told the wind to pipe down and said to the sea, “Quiet! Settle down!” The wind ran out of breath; the sea became smooth as glass. Jesus reprimanded the disciples: “Why are you such cowards? Don’t you have any faith at all?”

⁴¹ They were in absolute awe, staggered. “Who is this, anyway?” they asked. “Wind and sea at his beck and call!”

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

Jesus, The One who was with God at the beginning of all creation was asleep. The Son of Man was tired from preaching, telling stories of life change and redemption, and healing!  The One who had the power to heal the sick and remove demons from those in bondage was in the boat with them!  But when the storm threatened to sink their boat, panic and blame were their first human thoughts. 

Some of these guys were fishermen!  They knew boats and they knew storms can pop up on the sea!  But instead, they panic with the rest.  Can we blame them?  They know enough to know they are in trouble!

“Teacher, is it nothing to you that we’re going down?”  How many times have we said the same in our troubles?  “God, isn’t there something you can do to get me out of this?”  Jesus knows, not only how storms work, He has control over them. 

Jesus can and will settle the storm and teaches a faith lesson these disciples will never forget!  With merely a few words, God created the waters and set them in place.  With a few words, Jesus commanded the wind and the waters to calm down.  (See the relationship?) The wind ran out of breath, the sea was smooth as glass, and there was peace once more…with just His word.

Don’t you have any faith at all?” –Jesus

Ouch! Jesus has reprimanded me with this question many times after my own overthinking, finding blame in myself and others, and other ungodly actions and reactions to uncontrollable life situations that I try to “fix” on my own, in a panic.  Panic is a default human first response but can be quickly overridden with honest prayer.  It only takes a few words from our hearts to God’s ears!

“Lord, God, help me!” 

“Jesus, lead me!”

“Jesus, I trust you!”

Hide God’s Word in your heart so that when the storms come and panic threatens our being; we remember how God promises to help us! He always has and always will!

“Show me how to be and what to do according to your will for you know what is on the other side of this situation!”  (“Be still and know that I am God”, Psalm 46)

“Lord, I cry out for wisdom, insight, and understanding!” (Proverbs 2:3-6 response!)

When perplexed and confused by life, I often turn to Psalm 143 for confidence as I remember God is in control and will lead me through it all “on level ground”.  Here are some snippets that we can pray from this psalm of praise, help and assurance—

“Hear my prayer, O Lord; listen to my plea! Answer me because you are faithful and righteous.”  (Praise to God who saves us!)

“I am paralyzed with fear. I remember the days of old. I ponder all your great works and think about what you have done.”  (Gratitude to God!)

“I lift my hands to you in prayer.” (Turn to God for help!)

“Come quickly, Lord, and answer me, for my depression deepens.” (Confession to God!  I cannot do this alone.)

“Let me hear of your unfailing love each morning, for I am trusting you. Show me where to walk, for I give myself to you.” (Declaring our trust in God as we let go of self!)

“Rescue me from my enemies, Lord; I run to you to hide me.(God is our rescue and shelter!)

“Teach me to do your will, for you are my God.”  (God is our Master Teacher)

“May your gracious Spirit lead me forward on a firm footing.” (Acknowledging who God is and is with us always.)

“I am your servant.”  (We resolve and declare God to be in charge of every part of our lives!)

In Psalm 143, David prayed for God’s strength when he felt overwhelmed.  I’m so glad we have this prayer to guide us! Through praying this psalm of David, God gives us the endurance we need to face whatever situation life brings us.  No need to panic.  No need to blame.  Just let God do what He does best!  There are lessons to learn!

Panic vanishes like the wind that lost its breath when we pray to God and let God take control —in Jesus Name!

May our shock turn to awe of you, dear Jesus!

Lord,

Thank you for these blessed thoughts of assurance from your Word today.  Be our strength and our song all day long and into the night!  Thank you, thank you, thank you!  Teach me to do your will as we Your Spirit leads me to level headed thinking and behaving.  I am yours.

In Jesus Name, For Your Glory, Amen!

Tell me the story of Jesus,
Write on my heart every word,
Tell me the story most precious,
Sweetest that ever was heard.

(Fanny Crosby)

I love to tell the story,
’Twill be my theme in glory,
To tell the old, old story
Of Jesus and His love.

As we come intimately involved with the story of Jesus, God’s Son sent to save the world of all our sins, we never seem to tire of yet another story from Jesus that tells us what to expect when we love Him back. 

Jesus—just saying His Name gives us encouragement when worries leap into our thoughts. 

Jesus—the One and Only we trust with laying all our burdens and concerns for others at His feet in prayer. 

Jesus—The One who embodied a love greater than us, a love that is beyond our human thinking, a love than held him to a cross of shame until the work of paying our debt of sin was finished. 

Jesus—who died and rose again to give us hope for a future with Him for eternity and is preparing a place for us!

Jesus—the best storyteller on earth who showed us to Way to God, the Truth about God along with how to live a full Life with God now and forever!

Jesus, Jesus, Jesus; there’s just something about that name.
Master, Savior, Jesus, like the fragrance after the rain;
Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, let all Heaven and earth proclaim
Kings and kingdoms will all pass away,
But there’s something about that name.
Kings and kingdoms will all pass away,
But there’s something about that name…

(Bill and Gloria Gather)

Mark 4, The Message

Never Without a Story

^26-29 Then Jesus said, “God’s kingdom is like seed thrown on a field by a man who then goes to bed and forgets about it. The seed sprouts and grows—he has no idea how it happens. The earth does it all without his help: first a green stem of grass, then a bud, then the ripened grain. When the grain is fully formed, he reaps—harvest time!

^30-32 “How can we picture God’s kingdom? What kind of story can we use? It’s like an acorn. When it lands on the ground it is quite small as seeds go, yet once it is planted it grows into a huge oak tree with thick branches. Eagles nest in it.”

^33-34 With many stories like these, he presented his message to them, fitting the stories to their experience and maturity. He was never without a story when he spoke. When he was alone with his disciples, he went over everything, sorting out the tangles, untying the knots.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

Jesus told stories that FIT His audience.  His stories about farmers and seeds resonated with those listening who were Sowers of seeds, expecting a harvest for their families’ survival! The farmers listening would agree they didn’t know how a small seed planted in the ground would grow and mature to provide food or give shade in the summer.  They just knew it would happen.

God’s Kingdom work was compared to planting seeds.  We don’t have to know all the details of why God loves us the way He does—He just does and we tell others the story by planting seeds of His Truth.  We don’t have to know all the details of how our problems will be resolved or how a way is made through a sea of overwhelming circumstances, we just trust God’s process and depend on Him for all of life.  Then we testify what Jesus does for those who ask and believe in Him!  We don’t need to question our worthiness or value—Jesus died for ALL.  If fact, “God demonstrated His love for us—while were yet sinners, Christ died for us!, says Paul.  (Romans 5:8)

Yes, we don’t know about tomorrow, as the song goes, but we know Who holds our hand through all of life provided all that we need.  God is for us, not against us. Plant those seeds of Truth—let God do the rest!  We don’t have to know how He works, just that He is always at work!

Believers know Jesus was sent to earth as the Way, the only Way, back to God.  We must also realize that God does not anyone to perish but to be reconciled to Him through Jesus and simply love Him back.  “We love Him because He first loved us,” says John, the beloved disciples who walked with Jesus and learned just how deep the Father’s love is for us. (1 John 4:19) It is this same John who wrote THE verse that even those who don’t know God have seen written on the foreheads of believing sports stars, on buildings, in the spectators stands, as well as preached from platforms of Truth.  “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”  John 3:16

Want to be more and more like Jesus?  Never be without a story about what Jesus has done in our lives!  His Holy Spirit will give us the words at just the right time and place.  Take Paul’s advice in seed planting:

“Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.” Colossians 4:2-6

I love to tell the story of unseen things above,
Of Jesus and His glory, of Jesus and His love;
I love to tell the story, because I know ’tis true,
It satisfies my longings as nothing else would do.

Lord,

Thank you for opportunities to tell YOUR story for your glory and praise.  I am grateful for all you have done for me and in me.  Help me to tell your story simply and clearly so others will know you, too.

In Jesus Name, Amen

I don’t know about tomorrow,
I just live from day to day.
I don’t borrow from its sunshine,
For its skies may turn to gray.
I don’t worry o’er the future,
For I know what Jesus said,
And today I’ll walk beside Him,
For He knows what is ahead.

Many things about tomorrow,
I don’t seem to understand;
But I know who holds tomorrow,
And I know who holds my hand.