Worth It
Father, it was a wonderful day of worship and then a great time of gathering with extended family. At this point, it is no longer sweltering but my body and my mind are weary. Help me to be attentive to Your word to me this evening. Amen.
Mark 14:3-9 (<<click to read the passage)
Is there anything in our lives, that we would label as highly valuable, that we would struggle to let go of for Jesus? Friends? Possessions? Time? Jobs? Each of us probably would not find it difficult to fill in the blank. Now that doesn’t mean that we would have to give whatever up but it could, most definitely, be a possibility.
The woman in this passage (John tells us, in his Gospel, that it is Mary, sister of Martha and Lazarus) chooses to anoint Jesus’ head with a very expensive jar of perfume. “Essence of nard”, according to the study notes of the Amplified Bible, “was a thick, scented oil (nard) obtained from the root of a flowering plant grown in the Himalayas of Tibet (not exactly down the street!) Smith’s Bible Dictionary states that calculating it in today’s value that it “would equal at least $300 or $400.” That’s a substantial about of money today as well!
It was a sacrifice on her part but to her, Jesus was even more valuable! She was willing to give up something of great value because to her, Jesus was more than worth it! Yes, she was sharply criticized for the act but Jesus “had her back”, if you will. It was not done to be wasteful but it expressed her love for and devotion to Him. She may not have understood all the ramifications of it but obviously, she was compelled to give her very best, regardless of the cost to honor Him.
Lord Jesus, if I am being totally candid and transparent, is there anything that I would not give to honor You? As I sit here nothing comes to mind but if it came to the point where the rubber meets the road, would I do it? I pray that I would. I want to say that there would be no question about it, but honestly, I don’t think this was an off-the-cuff decision on her part to anoint Jesus with such an expensive gift and I don’t think I would do so on a whim either. But what I do know is that You would be worth it – whatever “it” would be – for You spared no expense for my salvation. In fact, You gave Your very life so that I would not be condemned for my sin but that because of Your sacrifice my sins could be totally eradicated when I, in true faith, seek Your forgiveness. May I give my all, no holding back! Amen.
July 21st, 2019, Sun, 8:21 pm
Are We Just Pawns?
1 Let all that I am praise the Lord;
with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name.
2 Let all that I am praise the Lord;
may I never forget the good things he does for me.
3 He forgives all my sins
and heals all my diseases.
4 He redeems me from death
and crowns me with love and tender mercies.
5 He fills my life with good things.
My youth is renewed like the eagle’s! Psalm 103:1-5
Mark 14:1-2 (<<click to read the passage)
How many times throughout our lives do we feel that we are just pawns in some imbalanced game of chess? Somewhere along the line we have had others who have raised themselves up on pedestals making it very clear that we were under them.
Back in junior high school, we had a gym teacher who had that kind of personality. He was shorter in stature than the average man and he overcompensated by being very muscular and by putting all us peons in our place. He would regularly have us do leg lifts – we would lay on our backs and from the hips raise our legs up, 6 or 7 inches off the gym floor. He would then proceed to walk around the room and randomly stand on our stomachs! We were under him and he wanted to make sure we knew it!
In today’s passage, the religious leaders of Jesus had reached their limit of what they were going to take – they were done being exposed for the petty, selfish individuals they really were and they were going to eliminate this troublesome, young know-it-all rabbi once and for all – even if it meant having Him killed!
But…and I love this quote from my study Bible* notes! – “But the world is controlled by our all-wise God, not puny politicians” (or gym teachers or bosses or…you fill in the blank!)
The notes go on to say, “God would turn the religious leaders’ murder plot into the greatest blessing that mankind would ever know. Another Lamb would be slain, and his blood would save all people.”
In this life, we may never be more than just a pawn in some imbalanced game of chess but we must never forget that as believers in Jesus, our lives are in God’s hands. And regardless of whoever thinks they have power; God is ultimately in charge and we can get through anything for He is our Savior and Friend. Amen!
July 18th, 2019, Thurs, 9:03 pm
*Life Application Study Bible New Living Translation
No Cookie Cutters
Another productive day! Thank You, Father, for the opportunity to spend time and help my dad out with some projects. I cherish our time together – bless and keep him and my mom safe in Your hands. Amen.
Mark 13:34-37 (<<click to read the passage)
Before I leave this chapter, I feel that I need to address one more thing. We need to be ready for that inevitable day but a phrase that grabbed my attention from my study Bible* notes states that we must be morally alert. That is at the very heart of our readiness.
In a conversation with my dad (who, by the way, is a “retired” full-time servant of the Lord – retired meaning he doesn’t receive a salary anymore from his church but he’s still a full-time servant of the Lord!) Anyway, yesterday he mentioned the fact that he thinks we will be surprised at some of the people who will be in Heaven.
He shared several examples of people whom he expected to see in Heaven that many “churchy” types might be surprised about. Just ask my mom, my dad has never met a stranger! He regularly attends a weekly men’s gathering at a local Biblically-based drug addict rehabilitation home and he has interacted many times with neighbors of theirs from all walks of life.
Now we are talking individuals who don’t meet the “normal” description of what we would call a believer in Jesus. Their language is coarse (putting it mildly), their personalities are rough, they might be covered in a variety of ink, and some may still struggle with vices that many would see as “unacceptable” but God has touched them! God loves them right where they are – not when they get their acts together and become little “cookie-cutter” Christians just like everyone else.
Regardless of what we like to think, none of us are exactly where we need to be in our relationship with God. Some of us may be a little closer than others but, if asked, they probably wouldn’t agree.
We are all growing. And we need to be constantly seeking to follow the commands set forth in God’s Word. We must be striving to spend time with Him daily not just hearing ourselves talk but listening attentively, to His direction!
Lord Jesus, may we be morally alert as we await Your coming. May we diligently seek to reach out and touch whomever You have to cross our paths. May we see others with Your eyes – eyes filled with truth, not eyes cloudy with unrealistic expectations. May we be filled with love and compassion that are from Your unquenchable reserve! Amen!
July 17th, 2019, Thurs, 8:50 pm
*Life Application Study Bible New Living Translation
Are You Ready?
A day of many blessings, Father! What a joy it has been to be able to come up and spend some time with my family – another blessing as a result of Your gift of me being a school bus driver! I would ask that You would give us another productive day tomorrow. All praise to You!
Mark 13:1-37 (<<click to read the passage)
There are innumerable things in life for which we must be prepared – final exams, going out on dates, marriage ceremonies, heading off daily to work, the arrival of newborn children to our homes, the inevitable deaths of loved ones – and of course there are many, many more.
For the most part, we are prepared for those times in life. But occasionally we oversleep, we forget, something hinders us or we may be totally caught off guard. Of course, there are instances when we deliberately blow off important things for all kinds of reasons.
In the totality of today’s passage, Jesus is making it very clear that our days are numbered. “Heaven…will disappear.” “…earth will disappear.” Everything we know and understand will come to an end. He forewarns us – and He testifies that His “words will never disappear” – because He wants us to be ready!
Jesus gives us a full list of things for which to watch, as do the books of Daniel and Revelation. We are very clearly forewarned! The signs will be obvious to those of us who wholeheartedly follow Him. But we have one task and it is of utmost importance that we are diligent in bringing it into fruition! Jesus says in verses 36-37,
Don’t let him [i.e. God] find you sleeping when he arrives without warning. I [Jesus] say to you what I say to everyone: Watch for him!”
There are many people today – July 16th, 2019! – that strongly feel that we are in the last days! We have seen many of Jesus’ prophecies come true but there are many yet to come true. Don’t be lulled into believing that they will not! For they most assuredly will take place – all in God’s good time.
Again Jesus proclaims,
“Watch out! I have warned you about this ahead of time!” v.23
“… when you see all these things taking place, you can know that his return is very near, right at the door.” v.29
Lord Jesus, not a single one of us knows when that day will come but each of us has the responsibility to be ready for its inevitable arrival. And we are charged with making sure that others have every opportunity to be ready, as well. Enable us to be stalwart and true. Burden our hearts! May we burn with a consuming desire to share the only means of salvation from the looming conclusion to life on this earth. Amen.
July 16th, 2019, Tues, 9:21 pm
It Is All Temporal
Father, I just have to give You praise for the work You have been doing in a brother’s life. You touched him in a mighty way and it literally has set him on fire spiritually! It has given him a relationship with You that any true believer would long for. He is boldly proclaiming Your touch on his life, touching other people’s lives with great enthusiasm. Bless him, Father, and may those he interacts with be impacted for eternity! Amen!
Mark 13:1-2 (<<click to read the passage)
One popular current form of entertainment is home improvement shows. I remember when Extreme Makeover: Home Edition hit the air back in 2003 and was so well received. Now different networks air all kinds of them. This comes to mind as I read the notes on today’s passage in my study Bible in regards to the Temple which stood in Jerusalem.
As they were leaving the city for the day, one of the disciples said to Jesus, “Teacher, look at these magnificent buildings! Look at the impressive stones in the walls.”
I really hadn’t put two and two together but the Temple standing in Jerusalem that day was the same one that “had stood for nearly 500 years since the days of Ezra”! Fifteen years before Jesus was born (20 B.C.) Herod the Great began to give the Temple an extreme makeover. He made it “one of the most beautiful buildings in Jerusalem, not to honor God, but to appease the Jews whom he ruled.” *
But though it had stood for almost five centuries it was only temporal. Dictionary.com defines temporal as enduring for a time only; temporary; transitory (opposed to eternal).
It must have been one more shocking thing for the disciples to process. It had stood there seemingly forever! And now Jesus said, “Yes, look at these great buildings. But they will be completely demolished. Not one stone will be left on top of another!”
And amazingly enough, though it “was completed in A.D. 64 by Herod Agrippa II” it was nothing but a pile of rubble six years later at the hand of the “Roman general Titus and his army.” *
What do we count on as being around forever? We build our lives on all kinds of things…family, jobs, investments, relationships. But time claims it all. Regardless of what we put our energies and efforts into, it will all be to no avail. Some things may pass before we do but inevitably, we will pass as well. The things of this earth will only endure for a time. They are temporary. They are transitory as opposed to eternal.
Matthew 6:19-21 tells us,
“Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.”
Lord Jesus, help us to put our time and energies into that which will outlast the temporal nature of this world and ourselves…for our earthly bodies are temporal as well. May we focus on You and learn where our best investments can be made. May we store our treasures in heaven. Amen.
July 15th, 2019, Mon, 9:04 pm
*Life Application Bible New Living Translation
*Amplified Bible notes on Mark 13:2