Push Through
Father, thank You for the blessing of my wife, Karen! We had such a nice day together. You have gifted me in such a great and wonderful way! May our love grow stronger the older we get. Hardships may come. I am sure that time will take its toll on our bodies and minds but may we continue to consider all of life a privilege of service and devotion to one another. Our strength and love are most assuredly found in You. Praise Your holy name!
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On one of my hiking endeavors this past week, I noticed that even though we are but a few days into spring in this fickle state of Ohio (there were intermixed snow squalls and sunshine Friday afternoon!), there were already plants breaking out along the hiking trails. Now they may be a half inch or less above the surface but the tell-tale signs of green were there!
As I walked, I got to thinking, the old (last year’s growth) has died and there they have sat under a layer of dead foliage and leaves for months. If they were beings of thought, would they consider not coming up? It can’t be easy! Snug in their little pockets and the ground above them and everything that lies on it, they have to push their way through. There is nothing to part their obstructions for them – it is totally up to their built-in nature to do what they do. For the new to come, the old must be pushed aside. And what is old, that which is dead, they don’t just ignore but use to build upon for the growth they will need for this new time in their lives.
Life can be a real challenge. Many times, it is so, so difficult to push ourselves beyond the old, the past…but all of that is behind us! God has gifted us with the ability to leave the old, decaying past behind – but we can learn from that and under His leadership and guidance and love and strength, we move forward to become what he has for us in the here and now. We can no more stay snug in our little pockets of doubt, and self-pity – no matter how “comfortable” they may seem – than the plants along the pathway!
Lord Jesus, as you Word proclaims,
Therefore if anyone is in Christ [that is, grafted in, joined to Him by faith in Him as Savior], he is a new creature [reborn and renewed by the Holy Spirit]; the old things [the previous moral and spiritual condition] have passed away. Behold, new things have come [because spiritual awakening brings a new life]. 2 Corinthians 5:17 AMP (emphasis mine)
May we embrace You and Your perfect will for our lives. Amen.
Mar 24th, 2019, Sun, 7:17 pm
Knock the Dust Off
Father, this should prove to be an interesting day. I brought Highland students to the Academic Challenge in Mansfield. Thank You for a safe trip up, May they think clearly and shake out all of their jitters. Thank You for the gifts You have given us all.
Mark 6:7-13 (<<click to read the passage)
“…if any place refuses to welcome you or listen to you, shake its dust from your feet as you leave to show that you have abandoned those people to their fate.” v11
Hmmmm…makes me think. How is this applicable today? Was this Jesus’ intent for just that time frame or does it apply for all of time while time is still in existence? To what exactly does it apply?
First of all, let’s look at verse 12, from the Amplified Bible.
So they went out and preached that men should repent [that is, think differently, recognize sin, turn away from it, and live changed lives].
I don’t know why they do, but old adages, proverbs, and colloquialisms pop in my head all the time! I think this one seems to fit here. “You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink.” That one has been around for a long time. It was recorded as early as 1175 in Old English Homilies.
But the mindsets that go with it have been around since the beginning of time. The first brothers, Cain and Able, had the same upbringing yet one chose what was right and though the other was led to water, he couldn’t be made to drink.
So, how does that apply to Mark 6:11? I honestly don’t think we should ever give up on reaching out to unbelieving friends, family and those we don’t know, as well. But we cannot make them believe. It is totally their choice. We have the responsibility to get the water – the Living Water, mind you – to as many as we can. If anything, constantly throwing water in the faces of those who don’t want it may cause them to refuse it even more adamantly.
So, if the water we offer is rejected we are called to shake the dust off our feet and move on. It won’t hurt to swing back around again at some point and try again. That first offer just might make them thirsty the next time around!
Lord Jesus, help us to whet the appetites of those who need You just as we need You. Amen.
Mar 21st, 2019, Thurs, 9:31 am
I Got Your Back
Father, in deciding to work on things for Sunday I have not taken time to sit down with You. Thank You, for patience and forgiveness and grace and mercy. Where would I be without You?
Mark 6:7-13 (<<click to read the passage)
The old adage “Two heads are better than one” is very true for many things in life. The Old Testament book of Ecclesiastes is attributed to Solomon and this is what he had to say, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit:
9 Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. 10 If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble. 11 Likewise, two people lying close together can keep each other warm. But how can one be warm alone? 12 A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Ecclesiastes 4:9-12a NLT
Working together, or as we would say in today’s vernacular, “I got your back” is beneficial on many fronts. Jesus could have covered more territory in today’s passage by sending the disciples out individually but saw great advantage in them pairing up. My Life Application Study Bible says, “(1) They could strengthen and encourage each other. (2) The could provide comfort in rejection. (3) They could give each other discernment, and few mistakes would be made. (4) They could stir each other to action as a counter to idleness or indifference.”
Now there may be times when there is no option but to go it alone but if we have a choice, a partner can make all the difference in the world!
Lord Jesus, I am grateful for my partner – my wife! – and I am also grateful for the many people in my churches who work with me side by side in ministry that brings glory to Your name and Your kingdom! “Our strength comes from [You] but [You meet] many of our needs through our teamwork with others.” May it be so. Amen!
Mar 20th, 2019, Wed, 8:14 pm
Hometown Impact
These early hours have been weighing heavily on me the last couple of days, Father. Help lift the fog in my mind as we come together this morning. Amen.
Mark 6:1-6 (<<click to read the passage)
If you traveled back to your hometown what would people think of you? Now, of course, part of the equation would be what you were like then and possibly what you are like now. I have a hometown but lived there for a very short period of time, so I really doubt anyone would even remember me.
That would be me but I know of a couple of different guys that went to school with my son. Their reputations were not stellar, spiritually speaking, then but I know of both of them now and they are fine upstanding men whom the Lord has gotten ahold of and they are both being used of God in a mighty way!
Now I don’t know what kind of reception they would receive if they returned to this area and tried to share their faith. some would be skeptical but I’m sure some would be moved by who they were then and who they are now.
In today’s passage, Jesus returned to His hometown of Nazareth. When He began teaching in the synagogue on the Sabbath many were amazed! They asked, “Where did he get all this wisdom and the power to perform such miracles?” v2b
Then instead of embracing who He was and what He was doing they did an about-face and scoffed, “He’s just a carpenter, the son of Mary and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas, and Simon. And his sisters live right here among us.” They were deeply offended and refused to believe in him. v3
Now it was Jesus’ turn to be amazed! They were so adamant in their unbelief that “he couldn’t do any miracles among them except to place his hands on a few sick people and heal them.” v5
Because they couldn’t get beyond their personal mindsets, they put a stop to the amazing things Jesus could have done amongst them.
Lord Jesus, open our hearts and minds so that we do not allow preconceived notions about You – or Your followers, for that matter – to inhibit us from being impacted by Your work in our lives. You are willing and much more than able to do great things amongst us – amazing things! – if we are open to You!
Mar 19th, 2019, Tues, 10:56 am
Don’t Fight Fire with Fire!
On my morning hike, Father, I heard all kinds of birds. I recognized very few and only saw one that I can recall. As I sat here reflecting, it made me think of You and the ways You work in my life. Sometimes I recognize Your presence. I know You are there, but so often I have to just trust by faith, believing that You are there. Thank You for always being with me.
Mark 5:21-43 (<<click to read the passage)
In the second portion of this passage, Jesus’ mission is to bring life back to a 12-year-old girl. When He arrived, the “professional” mourners were already doing their thing. (This was a culturally accepted practice.) He proclaimed, “Why all this commotion and weeping? The child isn’t dead; she’s only asleep.” v39
The crowd laughed at what they believed to be His foolishness. My Life Application Study Bible brings to mind some interesting thoughts.
“Jesus tolerated the crowd’s abuse in order to teach an important lesson about maintaining hope and trust in him. Today, most of the world laughs at Christ’s claims. When you are belittled for expressing faith in Jesus and hope for eternal life, remember that unbelievers don’t see from God’s perspective.”
In today’s society, followers of Christ seem to be outnumbered. I believe that there are far more of us than we realize to some degree. Unbelievers are just more vocal and have a readily accessible platform to broadcast their unbelief – media, movies, television, the music industry, etc.
Unfortunately, there are some believers who are vocal as well, that do not reflect Christ in His fullness when they retaliate. Hatred and contempt are the attitudes that are loudly projected.
There is a fine line between standing up for what we believe to be true and attacking others because they don’t believe as we do. Fighting fire with fire, in this case, is counterproductive.
In this passage in particular, is Jesus verbally abusive? Do we see him retaliating with a voracious vengeance? No. He made them all leave but he very clearly understood that they did not see from His perspective.
Lord Jesus, may we stand strong in the truth. But may we also always be about pointing others to You, by responding like You, instead of driving others from You, by responding as humanity does. Fill us with Your love. Fill us with Your wisdom. Guide and direct us, I pray, for truly they do not see from Your perspective. Amen.
“Fighting fire with fire only gets you ashes!” ~ Abigail Van Buren (Dear Abby)
Mar 18th, 2019, Mon, 11:31 am