Answer the Call
Father, thank You for the warmth and security of home. I realize that so many people in this world do not have one or the other or either. May I not take it for granted. May I be more open to sharing if the opportunity would arise or at the very least to help ensure that others can find those things, wherever they may be. Amen.
Mark 3:13-19 (<<click to read the passage)
“…Jesus went up on a mountain and called out the ones he wanted to go with him. And they came to him.” v.13
The culture in which I was raised put great emphasis on being called – in my case it was a call to serve God in a ministerial capacity. Initially, I served as a full-time minister of music, and then as a full-time minister of music and youth.
There was a period of time where I was not serving in a church as a paid minister but worked for several years in a Christian bookstore. Did I stop abiding by my call? No, I still served faithfully, just in a different environment. We were active in local churches. In fact, after we moved, we were so involved in that second church that I was hired as their full-time children’s pastor.
I say that to say, if we are listening, we are all called of God. You don’t have to stand behind a pulpit or go to some far-off country to answer God’s call on your life.
Look at that list of men in verses 16-18. There were no scholars or men of high esteem or power. They were all just regular guys – fishermen, tax collectors, religious zealots, etc. They were regular guys who answered God’s call and with but one exception, all went on to serve Him in many capacities impacting literally thousands of people for the Kingdom of God.
And you can, too.
God uses us right where we are. Now he might call us to more training or education. We might have to relocate. But we most assuredly will not go it alone. He will be with us all the way!
Have you heard His call? And most importantly, have you answered it?
Feb 17th, 2019, Sun, 6:27 pm
Pressing In
Other things have been accomplished today, Father, but I have just now sat down to write and my time is limited. So, I will begin. Show me what you would have me learn this day. My life and my mind are in Your more than capable hands. Amen.
Mark 3:7-12 (<<click to read the passage)
If Jesus were to be physically amongst us today as he was 2000 years ago, I’m sure our reaction would be the same. If you knew there was someone who readily healed any disease or ailment and you or a loved one were afflicted, wouldn’t you do any and everything to get to Jesus ASAP? You know you would. The line to him would seemingly be unending.
Yes, Jesus was Emmanuel – God with us. But being totally God did not lessen the fact that He was totally man as well.
Lord Jesus, I get tired. I get worn down. I get overwhelmed. I often feel that the world is pressing in so much around me that I will be crushed. I am able to withstand it all because You are with me. And as we read of Your life, we see that You experienced the same things we do.
Case in point, in this passage You “instructed [Your] disciples to have a boat ready so the crowd would not crush [You].” v9
In Mark 4:38-40 Jesus is so exhausted that He falls asleep on another boat and in spite of a violent storm about them, has to be forcefully awakened!
Lord Jesus, I am grateful that You understand us. We relate to each other on so many levels. Help me to never give up or to give in but to realize that You are right there by our side and realize what we are going through and can empathize with it all. Amen.
Feb 14th, 2019, Thurs, 12:49 pm
OK to Be Angry?
Today is just a run-of-the-mill ordinary day – nothing out of the norm. But even in the midst of the mundane, Father, You are here. It doesn’t have to be celebratory, it doesn’t have to be tragic, You are with me regardless of the circumstances, wherever I find myself. Thank You, Father, for Your presence.
Mark 3:3-6 (<<click to read the passage)
Is it ever alright to be angry? The bigger question would be how we act upon our anger.
In this passage Jesus has this man with the deformed hand stand in from of everyone and He asks a very pointed and straightforward question,
“Does the law permit good deeds on the Sabbath, or is it a day for doing evil? Is this a day to save life or to destroy it?”
As we spoke of yesterday, his critics – the religious leaders of His day – were so blinded that “…they wouldn’t answer him.”
We are not surprised at Jesus’ reaction – it was anger! And rightly so. But it was accompanied by sadness. Sadness? How many of us when angered lash out in an attempt to hurt those who have angered us. It is commonly a verbal response but many times it is a physical one as well. But sadness?
We must remember that Jesus knows each and every one of us intimately – we are not just His creation collectively. We are not mass produced. Not one of us is like another. Even “identical” twins aren’t really identical. Jesus knows us and He loves us – right where we are…but also He knows all of our potentials as well!
So as He looked around at these “leaders” He is angered at their hard hearts – their arrogance. But He is also saddened. Oh, what they could be! But they hold back. They fill their hearts and minds with selfish thoughts that hold them back so, so much. They throw up walls between themselves and Jesus, their Creator.
Lord Jesus, I know that throughout my life I have saddened You. I have thrown up walls of division. I have ignored You. I have turned aside from Your direction. I have done all of those things. But I have also brought joy to Your heart! I have allowed You to tear down the walls that I have erected. I have grasped Your hand, as I have followed close by Your side. As of late the latter much more than the former and for that, I rejoice along with You! May it be more so each and every day! Amen!
Feb 13th, 2019, Wed, 12:40 pm
Blinding Ourselves
Father, thank You for helping me to persevere. On any given day the world can bang around on all sides. Quite often I can ignore it and sometimes it catches my eye. I am grateful the one far outweighs the other. Help me to more diligently persevere to stay close to Your side – to let You occupy my thoughts and actions. Amen.
Mark 3:1-2 (<<click to read the passage)
It is hard to understand sometimes but there are those with the best possible eyesight and they can blind themselves to the truth.
In this interaction between Jesus and the Pharisees, it is quite obvious that they are already at odds with the One they should have been elated to see. If anyone would have known what to look for in the coming Messiah it should have been the masters of the Law, but…
There is a well-known idiom that says, “Absolute power corrupts absolutely.” And that is what ailed Jesus’ opposition. They had been in power for so long that the threat to their status and authority overrode their ability to see the truth of who Jesus really was. Eventually, they became so driven to eliminate Jesus that they literally, in what was an obvious violation of God’s Law, succeeded in killing Him!
This is audacious but they are not alone when it comes to men and women of the church blinding themselves to the truth. It has happened throughout history and continues to happen today – all the way from denominational leadership down to the local church. Far too many times I hear where pastors place themselves above the law. It comes to the point where their word overrides any other word.
Lord Jesus, may we be diligent in seeking the truth. May that be our goal – may we not be caught up in the power and status and authority of man but only in Your power, Your status, and Your authority. Amen.
Feb 12th, 2019, Tues, 8:18 pm
Keep It Holy
Well, Father, this has been a year for inclement weather and schools are taking a hit for sure! So here I sit at the beginning of another snow day! A free day from routine but a day I dare not waste. Enable me to be wise with the use of the time given me. I would ask for your direction this day. Amen.
Mark 2:23-28 (<<click to read the passage)
Observing the Sabbath – what does it mean?
It is one of the 10 Commandments found in Exodus 20:8-11. The first line is, “Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy”.
When I was younger, I remember we were much more strict in what we did or didn’t do on Sunday (the day many Christians observe the Sabbath). Restaurants weren’t open –for that matter pretty much nothing was open. We would go home after church, have probably one of the nicest meals of the week, take it easy throughout much of the afternoon and finish off the day with an evening worship service. Those were simpler times for sure.
So…yesterday was the Sabbath. What did it entail for us? Of course, we had two great times of worship. We then headed home, changed clothes, picked up Karen’s parents and headed out for lunch to celebrate her birthday. We enjoyed a very nice meal with a very mindful server. Then we headed over to the home of some family and enjoyed a visit of love and encouragement with them before heading home on snowy, slippery roads!
Did we keep the Sabbath holy? I believe so. We spent two hours in corporate worship, which entailed interacting with and loving the wonderful people of our churches. We spent a good part of our day with dearly loved family members – giving of ourselves in love to them all, as they did for us. We showed love and consideration for our server at the restaurant as she took care of us and we tipped her well for her diligence in making sure we were well taken care of.
I would say that our trip home was holy as well. All four of us prayed for safety all the way home. We could easily have ended up in a ditch, or a tree or in a collision. The roads were treacherous, to say the least. But we all trusted that God would see us through and He surely did and enabled me to get us safely home.
We lived out our call to “love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.” and to “Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Mark 12:30-31) What better track to holiness than that?
“The Sabbath was made to meet the needs of people, and not people to meet the requirements of the Sabbath.” Mark 2:27
Feb 11th, 2019, Mon, 7:22 am