What's So Awesome About Jesus? A Chapter by Chapter Study Through Mark - Chapter 10

   There is no CCM song that better represents the concept of the Christian life "motor" being run on the "gasoline" of love for Jesus than this song by Jason Gray...

Let's look at Mark 10 to find out what's so awesome about Jesus

      

                                       CHAPTER 10

1. Read Mark 10:35 -45. Many people say Mark 10:45 is the key verse of the book of Mark. We are going to focus on what's so awesome about Jesus is that He was a servant or the greek word diakoneo. Jesus came to be a servant and we, as His disciples, who have taken up our cross and died to self and now live for Christ can be nothing less than servants also.
   Read Phil. 2:5-8. In what ways  did Christ become a servant?


          According to Mark 10:45, why did He become a servant?


         From all we have read so far in the previous 9 chapters (and 10:46-52), give some illustrations of times when Jesus put his personal needs below someone else's needs to wait on or serve  them




2. The disciples, like us, desperately needed to learn this lesson on serving . Read the following passages and tell how their self centeredness is evident or what principles we can learn  from these passages

        Mark 9:33-35 and John 13:12-16



        Mark 9:36,37 & Mark 10:13-16



        Mark 9:38-41



        Mark 9:42-48



        Mark 10:1-10



        Mark 10:35



       Mark 10:37



3 As we look how we should be serving, I looked up all the times diakoneo - or a form of it - appears in the Bible and saw three areas specifically where we are called to "deacon" people. I say "deacon" because this word comes directly from diakoneo. We now have offices in the church called "deacons" which started in Acts 6 because widows' needs were not being met. I can't help but think that since Acts is a history of the early church complete with it's flaws, the office of deacon was only set up because believers weren't deaconing like they should have been so the position had to be created to make sure it got done. Here is what all of us should be doing so we can put the deacons out of a job.(All these verses will have diakoneo in them)

    A.  Meeting people's physical needs
        1. Read Matt. 25:44   List 4 needs we are to meet and tell how you or the church are meeting these.

           a.

           b.

           c.

           d.

       2. Read 2 Cor. 8:2-4 and Luke 8:1-3. What other needs are met here. (notice it isn't gender specific)

         e.

     B. Meeting society's need

         What non- spiritual job serves as a deacon for God in Rom. 13:1-4?


         Read Jeremiah 29:4-7.(not a diakoneo verse but it relates) What principle does this teach us?


      C. Meeting people's spiritual needs.
          1. Read 1Cor. 3:5,6. Paul and Appollos were planting and watering as God's deacons. How would you relate that to your life?


          2. Read 1 Peter 4:10,11. What spiritual gift has God given you to serve (diakoneo) the church?


            How have you used it/them lately?


On a scale of 1-10, how do you rate yourself as a servant?
What is your plan to take it up a notch?



  Summary:

  WWJD was a popular fad a while back. In Mark 10:45 we see what Jesus would do and it is basically 2 things, one of which we can't do. The one we can't do is to give His life as a ransom. A ransom is a price paid to redeem someone captured. We were slaves to sin and Jesus lived a sinless life to buy us back and free us. The price wasn't paid to Satan but rather to God's justice. Tim Keller gives the illustration of a lamp in your house being broken by some friends you had over who were horsing around. You have three options; make them buy you a new one, tell them not to worry about it and you buy a new one, or go without light. All three of them cost something. You can't just say, "I forgive you" and everything is fine. A price must be paid. Jesus paid the price to make right the debt that sin incurred.
     The one thing we can do is to serve. You might say," wouldn't loving be more important? Aren't the commandments summed up in love God and love others?" I recently read a definition of love by Dr. Tim Kimmel which I thought was great. he says, "Love is the commitment of my will to your needs and best interests regardless of the cost". Therefore if we love God and Love others, serving is how we show it. Diakoneo is the hands and feet of love. Many people think hate is the opposite of love. Actually it is selfishness - serving yourself rather than others. You can see how this is the natural bent of all of us passed down from Lucifer who, rather than be the chief serving angel of God, wanted to be equal. You can even see it in his temptations as he tried to get Jesus to feed himself thus meeting His own needs and get glory by His own means bypassing the cross.
    The disciples illustrated this by arguing who was greater, trying to get Jesus to promise them the best seats in the kingdom (any of your kids ever yell, "shotgun"?), saying, "Jesus, we want you to do what we ask"..., and turning children away because they have nothing to offer. (any mother knows that raising children requires service 24/7) It isn't coincidence that a discussion on marriage is squeezed in here too as marriage requires serving and all marital problems are related to selfishness. Although not mentioned in Mark, a great story on selfishness and serving is found in John 13. It was the Passover dinner and all the disciples were sitting around with dirty sandaled feet because obviously the upper room didn't come equipped with a servant to wash their feet. Because no one wanted to move down the pecking order, no one offered to wash feet. Jesus sees this and gives them a valuable lesson in love and serving by washing their feet Himself causing a greatly awkward moment for the disciples. In fact, if you really want to relate love and serving the NIV1984 (oh how I miss you) in John 13:2 says "Having loved His own who were in the world, He now showed them the full extent of His love." And what did He do? Washed their feet!
      We need to realize that serving isn't something we do and get over with so we can go enjoy ourselves - serving is a way of life that brings ultimate enjoyment. The Bible gives us many ideas on how to serve. One way is to meet people's physical needs. The famous sheep and goats passages talk about food, water, health, prisons and clothing. No wonder Christians are famous for soup kitchens, food pantries, drilling wells, cleaning water, rescue ministries, prison ministries, faith based indigent medical clinics, thrift shops, salvation army, etc. We also give money to those in need. A challenge from Ronald Snider in the book The Scandal of the Evangelical Conscience says
 "American Christians live in the richest nation on the Earth and enjoy an average household income of $42,409. The World Bank reports that 1.2 billion people try to survive on just one dollar a day. At least one billion people have never heard the gospel. The Ronsvalles point out that if American Christians just tithed, they would have another $143 billion available to empower the poor and spread the gospel. Studies by the United Nations suggest that just an additional $70 - $80 billion a year would be enough to provide access to essential services like basic health care and education for all the poor on the earth.If they did no more than tithe, American Christians would have the private dollars to foot this entire bill and still have $60 - $70 billion more to do evangelism around the world."

   Is that convicting, or what? We are also to serve one another with our spiritual gifts which God has given to all believers. If you aren't in a church because you aren't getting anything out of it or you can worship God just as well on the lake, you are missing this vital concept that you aren't serving, are depriving the body of your much needed gift, and are following the father of lies by being selfish. If you are being lazy at church, you are missing out on the true enjoyment that being part of the body gives. Use it or lose it!
  Lastly we are called to be good citizens, servant leaders at work, and in general helping our country to be a great place to live subservient to government leaders who are servants of God, whether they bow their knee to Him or not.

    Here is a link to a good message by Andy Stanley on this topic  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TwHIBCsegWI

       Lord, Help me serve. It doesn't come natural - I want to serve myself. Even though I know the joy found in serving, I still get lazy and think there is greater joy in avoidance. Change me, Please!!

What's So Awesome About Jesus? A Chapter by Chapter Study Through Mark - Chapter 9

We have been studying through Mark chapter by chapter focusing on What's so awesome about Jesus in hopes that by seeing Him either afresh or re-catching a glimpse of Who we fell in love with in the first place, our duty to Christ would turn into acts of love to Him. Our "have to's" would turn into "get-to's". Draining would become energizing. Our word for today is better. Why do we serve Him? Because He is better than anything this world has to offer. In fact He is the best! Watch the following video and see what Ben Stuart from Breakaway Ministries has to say about Him being better.

 

 

 

 

CHAPTER 9

 

1. Read Mark 8:34 - 9:1. This is how Jesus gives an altar call! How do we know it is a call to all believers, not just the apostles?

 

 

What is on the line here?

 

 

What are the three commands here?

 

1.________________________________

 

2._________________________________

 

3._________________________________

 

Read the following accounts and from these verses and tell - in your opinion - what you think it means to deny yourself.. Luke 15:21, Luke 18:9-14, Luke 23:39-43

 

 

 

Read the following verses and tell - in your opinion - what do you think it means to take up your cross? Phil. 1:21, Gal. 2:20, Col. 3:1-4

 

 

 

Look at the following verses. What are some obstacles to following Jesus?

 

John 6:60-66       

 

 

Luke 18:18-25      

 

 

Matt.8:19,20        

 

 

Matt.8:21,22        

 

 

Luke 9:61,62        

 

 

2. Read Mark 9:2-13. Jesus has just loaded them down with some hard teachings. First of all He told the disciples that He was going to Jerusalem to suffer, be rejected, die, and rise again which was so contrary to their plans that Peter actually rebuked Jesus. Secondly Jesus called Peter Satan, followed lastly by teaching that they too must die in order to live. In context, you can see the compassion of Christ that He would take His inner circle up on the mountain to see that He is worth it - or as Ben Stuart would say, "He is better". Watch the following video

 

 

What does this (loosely) have to do with the transfiguration?

 

 

A lot of principles can be learned from the transfiguration. I want to focus on, "He is better". As Peter wanted to build 3 tabernacles for Jesus, Moses, and Elijah - kind of a Christian Hall of Fame to come visit and sell tickets -  God the Father speaks from Heaven and singles out His son as the one to listen to and the other two disappear.

 

How is Jesus better than Moses (the Pharisee's hero) according to the following verses

 

Ex. 34:33-35

 

 

Numbers 20:12

 

 

John 6:30-35

 

 

Heb. 10:1 and John 1:17

 

 

How is Jesus better than the prophets (Elijah) according to the following verses

 

John 1:6-9

 

 

Matt. 13:17

 

 

What portions of the Bible are represented on the mountain? Relate this to Mark 8:37

 

 

 

 

Summary

 

This is how Jesus gives an altar call. He says number 1 - deny yourself. I see this as recognizing that I bring nothing to the table. As the hymn goes "nothing in my hands I bring, simply to the cross I cling." Unlike the Pharisee who boasted of everything he had done versus the publican who beat his chest saying how unworthy he was, the publican was accepted. The thief on the cross said "I deserve the punishment I'm getting. I deserve to die. Please remember me," and he was accepted. The prodigal son came and said, "I no longer deserve to be called your son" while the oldest son told about what a good son he was. The younger son attended the banquet while the older one didn't. Notice who is doing the accepting in these illustrations. We have turned it around in modern Christianity and made it as if we are accepting Christ. We sing songs like "The savior is waiting... why don't you let Him come in"..." to see if you're willing to open the door Oh how He wants to come in". To be honest, Jesus in this passage says that we are unworthy and deserving hell, 9:42-48, because of our sins and our eternal soul weighs in the balance of us falling on our faces before Him and admitting this and then miraculously, He will accept us. If you want more on this, A.W.Tozer writes a good treatise on this that you can find by following this link.  http://www.neve-family.com/books/tozer/AcceptChrist-1.html

 

Number two part of the altar call is - take up your cross. The cross meant death. Jesus says that you must cease to exist. Just as in marriage, those old days are gone. You now have a new identity and that is found in Jesus. Paul says, "For me to live is Christ... I am crucified with Christ and I no longer live but Christ lives in me... For you are dead and your life is hid with Christ in God." We will talk more about what that means in chapter ten as the disciples wrestled with that.

 

Number three is- follow me. We have seen the obstacles to that already. Some wanted comfort and a home and family. Jesus said to them "are you willing to follow me even if you never have those again? If not you can have the world but you have lost your soul" He says to the rich young ruler, "You can't have me and money, choose one or the other" God hasn't become a part of our life or our co-pilot, He is our life. He is our pilot taking us wherever He wants to go. So many people tell me when I ask them if they are Christians, "I wouldn't have made it this far without the Lord." What does that mean anyway? I am afraid it means "Yes, I have "accepted" Christ into my life and as I go about "my" life I occasionally get into bad fixes and He has gotten me out of them time after time." You see, that is not the altar call Jesus is giving.

 

So why would we want to give up our lives and unconditionally follow Him? Because He is worth it. He is the Pearl of great price. He is Better than anything else, and He shows this on the mountain. He takes off His human shell for just an instant and they see His glory. Unlike Numbers 4:20 and 1Sam. 6:19 (and Raiders of the Lost Ark) Peter, James, and John looked on the glory of God and lived. Even Moses could only see the backside of His glory and live. Jesus came to bridge the gap between sin and God's glory and that was seen on the mount. Peter wanted to build tabernacles for Jesus, Elijah, and Moses but God quickly removed them from the picture and said that Jesus was superior to them. Moses glowed like the moon, Jesus glowed like the sun. Moses brought the law which brought death. Jesus brought grace which brings life. Moses sinned, Jesus didn't. Moses couldn't bring them into the promised land, Jesus could. Elijah was one of many prophets with miraculous power given to them by God. Jesus was the source of the power. Elijah was one of many prophets pointing to Christ - Jesus was the one all the prophets were pointing to.

 

Imagine you were at Ruth Chris' steak house dumpster diving late one night and the owner came out and saw you and asked, "What are you doing"? You said, "I'm broke and my family needs food so I'm bringing some home." The owner says, "Come eat inside from now on and bring your family" For a week you do that but soon you don't show up any more because you prefer eating out of the garbage! Crazy, huh? Well that is what Jesus is warning about here. He is saying," you are eating out of the dumpster and at my cost I am offering you something so much better. Sure you might have to take a bath and change your clothes but those inconveniences are miniscule to the blessings available to you and your family." Let me encourage you, Stop dumpster diving!

 

Father, Thank you for rescuing me from a life eating out of the garbage. Help me continue to discern between what is from your hand and what Satan is using to suck me back in. Help me not to long for this world because frankly there is something inside of me wanting to pull me back in and think I am missing something by following You. Thank You for Your Spirit inside me that aligns itself with You. Help me to listen to Him. Amen

 

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

             

 

      

What's So Awesome About Jesus? A Chapter by Chapter Study Through Mark - Chapter 8

     Sacrifice and offering You did not desire;
My ears You have pierced.
Burnt offering and sin offering You did not require.
⁷ Then I said, “Behold, I come;
In the scroll of the book it is written of me.
⁸ I delight to do Your will, O my God,
And Your law is within my heart.”  Ps. 40:6-8

     I highlighted the word pierced there because it is a Hebrew word Kara which means to open by hollowing out. Therefore this passage is translated "My ears You have opened" in every other version I looked up except my NIV 1984. Did they get it wrong? I suppose it is possible but the same word is used in Psalms 22:16 when the Psalmist prophesies of the crucifixion when He says, "They pierced my hands and feet..."
    Why am I making a big deal about this? Look at the passage below...
   
² “If you buy a Hebrew servant, he is to serve you for six years. But in the seventh year, he shall go free, without paying anything. ³ If he comes alone, he is to go free alone; but if he has a wife when he comes, she is to go with him. ⁴ If his master gives him a wife and she bears him sons or daughters, the woman and her children shall belong to her master, and only the man shall go free.
⁵ “But if the servant declares, ‘I love my master and my wife and children and do not want to go free,’ ⁶ then his master must take him before the judges. He shall take him to the door or the doorpost and pierce his ear with an awl. Then he will be his servant for life.

What I have been focusing on throughout our race through Mark is what Psalms and Exodus are saying here. A lot of people are working for Christ as slaves and frankly, not enjoying it. It is their duty, they know, but they look forward to the day of Jubilee when they will be freed from this difficult Christian life and rest forever in Heaven with Jesus ... their... ex-taskmaster? What if we were able to get a new paradigm where Jesus is such an amazing master that we fall in love with Him and given the chance we would rather serve Him than have our freedom. Wouldn't that make the Christian life "whistling while we work"? Wouldn't that make our reunion in Heaven with Jesus a little more to look forward to - i.e. A wedding feast? David says in Psalm 40 basically that all that duty stuff isn't what Jesus really desires. What He wants is us to say, "I know You own me because I had a debt I couldn't pay so I gave myself to the only one who could pay it. But now that I am here at your service, I find there is nothing better in this life than serving You because I found out what is so awesome about Jesus. So I am yours and I delight to do your will. "

                     CHAPTER 8

The word for today is patience or if you want longsuffering as we see Jesus putting up with the disciples lack of "getting it" time and time again.

1. Read Mark 8:1-10
     Name 5 things that were different between this feeding and the one we saw in Mark 6:30-46

     A.
     B.
     C.
     D.
     E.

   Talk about the significance of any one of these differences.




  Why might Jesus have had to exercise patience with the disciples in these verses?



  2. Read Mark 8:11-13 and Matthew 16:1-4. This is the same account but Matthew expounds on it a little more. What actually is the sign that Jesus will give the Pharisees?


      What is the sign of Jonah? (Matt. 12:40)


      Read Matthew 27:62 - 64 and 28:12 - 15. How did they respond to that sign when it was given?



  3. Read Mark 8:14-21

    From what we have seen so far, what do you think is the yeast of the Pharisees?


     Read Luke 23:8 and Jesus' response to Herod in Luke 13:32. Why might he have been grouped with the Pharisees on Jesus' comment about yeast?


    How did Jesus once again have to exercise patience with the disciples?


   4. Read Mark 8:22-26.
       Did Jesus mess up the first time and have to redo it?

       What do you think is the purpose for the 2 step healing?


       5. Read Mark 8:27 - 33, 9:30-32, and 10:32-34. This may explain the above healing if you see it as a parable within a healing. How was Peter's vision of Christ blurry?


        How was Peter's vision of Christ clear?


        Read Matt. 16:17. How was his vision temporarily made clear?


        Read Luke 24:19-27. Even after the death and resurrection of Christ tell about the irony of verse 21.


        Read Acts 1: 6. Even after Jesus' death, resurrection, appearances and teachings for 40 days, what question did the disciples ask?


       Why was their vision blurry? (see Acts 1:4-5)


      Getting back to Mark, a normally patient Jesus calls Peter "Satan" in  8:33. Read Luke 4:9-13. What was the temptation behind this last temptation?


     How did Peter's rebuking of Jesus or advice to Him compare with Satan's? (Could this have been "an opportune time"?)


      
Summary

   Do you give up on people quickly. And you don't even have to die for them! Thank goodness Jesus doesn't give up on us. In this passage we see the disciples forgetting about the previous feeding Jesus just did several months ago. This new feeding was done in gentile land where the demoniac Legion had gone to tell everyone about his healing. Jesus was telling and showing the disciples that He had compassion on Gentiles as well as Jews - which in the future they will also forget. Christianity Today's book of the year -God's Forever Family: The Jesus People Movement in America , recounts the following instances...

"Not only was God supplying groceries; many Jesus People believed that at times he was actually multiplying the ingredients on hand. Marlon Finley remembered being at a Christian commune in Paducah, Kentucky, and seeing “one box of beef stroganoff . . . [feed] twelve people to capacity.”  Brad Davis was living at a “discipleship house” run by the Agape Force in Southern California and claimed that more than thirty young people were fed by a single can of tuna.  Kent Philpott recalled an incident at the Soul Inn in San Francisco in which he claimed that a single can of beef stew cooked over a hot plate fed dozens of homeless hippies—an experience that left him reaching for the phone years later to verify with a former coworker that he had not simply dreamed the incident.  Within the ranks of the Shiloh organization, “the PBJ miracle” was a famous story of God’s provision in the group’s early days. One afternoon, Cathy Stewart recounted in a 1977 issue of Shiloh Magazine, she and another sister in the House of Miracles in Fontana, California, made a number of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for their housemates’ lunch. Having planned for two sandwiches per person, they were dismayed to suddenly see “all these people from the Riverside house [charge] in the front door .” They were amazed that, when all was said and done, no one had gone hungry: When we went into the dining room to clean up, a whole bunch of sandwiches were left on the platters. It was like seeing something you knew logically couldn’t exist. Everyone had two [sandwiches] and some brothers had eaten six or seven. It was just like the miracle of the loaves and fishes.  James K. Foley belonged to a communal house ministry in Burlington, Vermont, that reported a similar experience . Foley claimed that “at one meal . . . 24 pieces of chicken were put in front of 20 people; everyone had at least one piece, some as many as four, and there were nine pieces left over. No, you wouldn’t believe it even if you saw it!”
Eskridge, Larry (2013-05-31). God's Forever Family: The Jesus People Movement in America (p. 81). Oxford University Press, USA.

   The Jesus people's instruction manual was the book of Acts. Therefore they lived in communes, shared everything they had, and met daily worshipping and studying the Bible and then sharing Christ during the day. Although there have been pockets of revivals throughout the USA since that time, this was probably the only nationwide revival I have seen in my lifetime. I believe, because they lived totally dependent on God for everything, including their next meal, they saw more of the miraculous happen. I can testify to things happening on the mission field as I stepped out in faith, out of my comfort zone, that I would describe as miraculous. We are just too comfortable here in America to see such things very often.

   Jesus was also patient with the disciples in the boat as they totally misunderstood His yeast comment. As a side note, have you noticed how many times Jesus crosses and recrosses the Sea of Galilee? I think that this may be because this is really the only opportunities for uninterrupted teaching of the disciples that he gets. On land He gets swarmed so much he can't teach, sleep or eat. Anyway, I believe the yeast He is speaking of is outside - in living. The Pharisees were all about attaining righteousness through obeying the laws, those in the Law of Moses and those they added as guardrails to protect the Law of Moses. That is why Jesus calls them whitewashed tombs or cups where the outside looks clean but the inside is dirty. It isn't what touches the outside or what comes in that makes us unclean, it is our sinful hearts. We need a new heart so from the inside, the Holy Spirit inside us, exudes to the outside. This is inside out living. The Pharisees wanted a sign to believe because seeing is believing right? Outside in, right? Wrong. When Jesus gave them the sign of Jonah,three days in the belly of the Earth than bursting out, did this convince them? No way. They posted guards around the tomb so it wouldn't happen and when it did they paid the guards to lie. That's because seeing isn't believing - believing is seeing.

   The two step healing points to the importance of the Holy Spirit to see clearly. We are hard on the disciples but they don't have the Holy Spirit like we do opening their eyes. Even Peter's grand declaration was impossible without the Holy Spirit revealing it to Peter. That is hard to fathom as they have just spent 2 years with Him seeing Him feed thousands miraculously twice, calming storms, walking on water, raising the dead, etc and they still couldn't understand. Even after His death, resurrection, and teaching for 40 risen days, the disciples still wanted to know when He would set up His kingdom on Earth. They still didn't get it. No wonder Jesus said, "Don't leave Jerusalem until the Holy Spirit comes." 1Cor. 2:14 says that spiritual things can't be discerned without the Spirit. They are foolishness to the earthly mind (1Cor.1:18) because Satan has blinded everyone's minds. (2Cor. 4:3,4) Therefore God must open our minds before we can receive Him and understand things. (John 6:44). How much time to we spend crying out for God to open hearts before we share the gospel, preach, and teach. We are unknowingly eating the yeast of outside in thinking our clever words, delivery, arguments can win people. They can't. I actually think the best use of apologetics is to convince believers, not unbelievers.
    Jesus coming to die made no Earthly sense to Peter.Even after telling the disciples 3 times, they didn't get it. How do you become king by dying? How can you redeem Israel by dying. Foolishness. Unwittingly, Peter was a mouthpiece for Satan who also said that Jesus didn't have to rise to power by death - He could just do miracles and wow people. But there is the rub - He would wow them from the outside - in rather than die and set up His kingdom inside them. No wonder Jesus warned them to beware of the yeast of the Pharisees.

    So what is our excuse? We have the Holy Spirit and we still lack faith, forget, and sin! Yet He is patient and longsuffering with us too! What an awesome God! Lord, let me be patient with people like You are patient with me. And please help me to give you less and less opportunities to be patient with me.

          

What's So Awesome About Jesus? A Chapter by Chapter Study Through Mark - Chapter 7

 
  Tim Keller gives the following illustration in his message "Inside Out Living". "There was a guy who grew up in an incredibly legalistic church and over and over again he was told 'You need to witness for Jesus. 'It just crushed him because he couldn't witness for Jesus because he desperately needed people's approval but he was afraid of offending people - he was afraid of what they might think. He needed their approval because he didn't have a certainty of God's approval but he didn't have a certainty of God's approval because he wasn't witnessing. His church had told him you better be witnessing - you better be seeing people get saved or you can't get God's approval. So you see the problem - he couldn't witness because he needed their approval, he needed their approval because he didn't have God's approval, he didn't have God's approval because he wasn't witnessing and down and down he spiraled. One day he went into a church of a friend of mine and he began to go through a renewal - he began to understand the gospel. He went in to see the minister and he said 'I have a question. I know I'm supposed to witness for Jesus, but I can't - I'm just scared.' The pastor said to him, ' That's all right Jesus will still love you.' He said, 'What do you mean, Jesus will still love me?' The pastor said,' That is the gospel, Jesus died to forgive every thing you have done wrong. If you don't witness for Jesus He will still love you.' A week later someone came up to the pastor and said,' What did you tell that guy? He is going everywhere talking to people about Jesus.' And the pastor said, 'I told him he didn't have to.' When you witness for Jesus because you have to you are so grumpy, over-bearing, unloving, un-winsome that you might as well just shut up."
   This is the goal of our study of Mark - to change our motivation from "I have to" (Lordship living) to I get to (Love of God living) Paul says "The love of God compels me" Are you compelled by the Love of God today, or are you motivated by the do's and don'ts of the Bible. Are you a human doing or a human being? How do we get there? Fall back in love with Jesus. Lets look at What's so awesome about Jesus in Mark 7.

                                             MARK 7

1. Read Mark 7:1-23. Circle every time "tradition" is mentioned. How many did you count?

  Define "tradition" using Isa. 29:13.

  Traditions were constructed as guardrails to the Law. The Israelites didn't want to break laws and sin so they invented more laws to prevent them from breaking the Laws given by God. This isn't necessarily a bad thing. List a few guardrails that you might have put up in your family or been raised with that if you break them you haven't sinned but they are a warning that there is real danger past them

 

    Look at the first guardrail ever. Compare Gen. 2:17 and 3:3. What is the guardrail?

 Lets look at 2 potential problems with guardrails/traditions/rituals

     A. They become as important as scripture. List the 4 violations Jesus has already been accused of that aren't even in the Law.

          1. Mark 2:18 (compare to Luke 18:12)

          2. Mark 2:23

          3. Mark 3:1-6

          4. Mark 7:1,2

      Look at Mark 3:1-5 again. What is the danger of making your additions to the Bible as important as the Bible?

      Do we in our churches have written or unwritten rules that are excluding people?             Name some if you can.


          Name some religious books that have been written that have been elevated to equality with the Bible.

        Read Rev. 22:18. What is the grim warning given?


     B. They are flawed because they are written by man not God.

       Read Mark 7:11-13. Describe the flaw in this passage as it relates to Ex. 20:12.

      Read Mark 3:1-5 once again and describe the flaw in this Sabbath Law as it relates to say Prov.3:27


     If you would read Numbers 19, you would see a number of cleansing laws that were instituted. These were ceremonial laws which either were to protect the people from disease (Ex.15:26) and/ or point to their ultimate fulfillment in Christ. If you would read Leviticus 11 you would find a list of clean food and unclean food. Once again these are ceremonial laws which either were to protect the people from disease and/ or point to their ultimate fulfillment in Christ. How did the clean laws point to Christ and how did He fulfill them?



2. Read Mark 7:24-30. Jesus has taken his disciples to Gentile country probably in hopes to get away from the thrill-seekers (John 6), to delay His capture (He had to fulfill the Dan. 9 sixtynine weeks prophecy to the day and die during the Passover), and to teach His disciples who were His only plan for reaching the world. But once again news gets out of His arrival.

       Why did Jesus call this woman a dog?

        Matthew 15 states Jesus said she had great faith. The only other person that gets that distinction is the centurion who says "I'm not worthy for you to enter my house. Just say the word..." (Matt. 8:5-13)
         What do they have in common?


3. Read Mark 7:31- 8:10. Still in Gentile country we see Jesus getting Himself into the same crowd "trouble" He got into in Galilee.  How do you think the people in the Decapolis (10 cities) heard of Him? (Mark 5:18-20)

     Why does he spit on the man's tongue and put fingers in His ears and sigh and look to Heaven and speak Aramaic to heal this man when in actuality He could have healed him from the next town? (no right or wrong answer)


    Why does He tell the man not to tell anyone after he has spent his whole life not talking?


     Why does He feed the people?



Summary
        This week was a hard one to come up with a word.  I thought of Audacity. To call the Pharisees hypocrites, to declare all food clean when their whole life was bound up in their eating habits (even the disciples thought He couldn't be saying that as they said "explain that parable"), He called a woman a dog, and spit on a man's tongue gave him speech and then told him not to talk, and what preceded this was in John 6 when He intentionally alienated Himself from the crowds by telling them they had to eat His flesh and drink His blood.
       Audacity is defined as shameless boldness or daring with confident disregard for personal safety or conventional thought. I am impressed by this because we are so into having the world like us. Jesus actually says in Luke 6:22-26
   Blessed are you when people hate you,
    when they exclude you and insult you
    and reject your name as evil,
        because of the Son of Man.

²³ “Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their ancestors treated the prophets.

²⁴ “But woe to you who are rich,
    for you have already received your comfort.
²⁵ Woe to you who are well fed now,
    for you will go hungry.
Woe to you who laugh now,
    for you will mourn and weep.
²⁶ Woe to you when everyone speaks well of you,
    for that is how their ancestors treated the false prophets.

 

 I see this so much in the church today as one of our core values for reaching the lost. We accept evolutionary thought so as not to exclude the scholarly. We deny all gender differences in the church to look non oppressive. We accept liberal views of scripture to not look like a fundamentalist. I could go on and on but if you want more look at this blog ... http://www.thoughtsfromtherightbrain.blogspot.com/2011/05/new-trend-in-christianity.html

I admire Jesus' audacity and especially the ability to know when and how to use it without sinning. We are told to speak the truth in love and I think Audacity is too dangerous of a word for myself to play with so, although I admire it in Jesus, I'm not sure it is something I want to pray for.
     So I was thinking about Hebrews 4:12 which says "the Word of God is sharper than a two-edged sword, piercing... The word for this week is piercing. Wouldn't it be nice to be able to look through all the superficial and see the heart like He does? To hear the Pharisees questions and know their motivation. To see past religious habits and see the heart of the problem. To address people's heart problems rather than to just tell them they need to get back in church. Jesus looked through the skin and saw the heart. He looked past infirmities and saw needs for spiritual healing. He looked past hungry crowds and saw the need for the Bread of Life. He looked past tired and harried crowds and saw sheep without the Good Shepherd.
     What does He see when He looks at you? Is it the same thing He sees when He looks through you? Here is a self test.
  1. Are you desperate for Him like the mute and gentile woman? Or is He just one of many parts that make up your life? Are you like the disciples in John 6 who said "we have left everything to follow you - to Whom else shall we go?
  2. Are you totally unworthy feeling or do you feel like you somehow deserve Jesus? Can He call you a dog? Can He spit on you and probe you? Do you hold the right of final refusal to His demands?
  3. Are you feeling more righteous than other people around you? Chances are you have forgotten that the same stuff, the same fire of hell, is in your heart as those around you. They may just have had gasoline poured on it throughout their lives.
  4. Are you , out of gratitude proclaiming to everyone around you the miracle Jesus has performed in your life? If someone said, "don't speak of it" would you be able to hold it in?

       Search my heart, O God and know my every thought.
       Help me to understand what inside me needs fixing.
       Pierce me through your word so my pride is destroyed
       And You Become everything to me.
       Thus will I proclaim your greatness all my days.

 

What's So Awesome About Jesus? A Chapter by Chapter Study Through Mark - Chapter 6

   As I'm writing this, Valentine's Day is rapidly approaching. As you are reading this, it may be an anniversary, Birthday, Mother's Day, Father's Day, Christmas, or some other day you have to buy a gift for that special someone. Are you struggling on what to get or what card to buy? Let me ask you a question - did you struggle when you first met this person? Are you stressing and worrying about the day approaching? Did you stress and worry when you first fell in love? Probably not. Why? Maybe it was because you were so passionately in love with that person that you couldn't wait to celebrate their day. Expense? How many people go in debt to buy an engagement ring?
   After years of a relationship, sometimes you need to rekindle that passion. It is the same with Christ. Many of us have been in a relationship with Him for years and honoring Him with our lives can become habitual and rote. This is the goal of our rapid paced study through Mark. We are trying to rekindle that passionate love for Christ that we had at the onset. If we go back to the beginning and find out what is so awesome about Jesus that we fell in love with in the first place, this can help us to fall back in love with Jesus again. We have looked at His meekness, that He is our rescuer from religion, that He is our brother, that He is with-in us, that He is unaffected by the world, and this week we will learn about His compassion.

                                       CHAPTER 6

1. Read Mark 6:1-13. This is the second time Jesus goes back to Nazareth. The first time is in Luke 4:16-30. Read this account. How did the Luke account end for Jesus?

       Were the disciples with Him in Luke?         Why is that important in the Mark account (vs.11)?

       What passage does He quote in Luke?                Look it up. Why do you think He stops reading there?

  Read John 3:17. What is a major difference between Christ's first coming and second?

  Name two ways you see Christ's compassion in Mark 6:1-13

  A. _________________________________________________

  B. _________________________________________________


2.  Read Mark 6:27-44. In verses 30-32, why did Jesus take the disciples aside?

    Read Matthew 14:12,13. What insight does this give you on Jesus taking His disciples aside?

   Name 2 areas of our life that Jesus understands and shows compassion;

   C. _________________________________________________

   D. _________________________________________________

  Read verse 34.(and 53-56) So Jesus decides to take his disciples away for some debriefing, physical rest, and mental rest and mourning and from a distance He sees crowds coming so His plans of being alone are gone! Have you ever tried to get alone only to be interrupted?

  Name a time.

  How did you react; like Jesus?

  What was Jesus' secret (besides being God)

   List how this shows the compassion of Christ

   E. ____________________________________________


 Then Jesus feeds the 5000.  Read Matthew 6:25-34. How does the feeding show His compassion?

   F. ________________________________________________

  Although we didn't discuss it when He sent the disciples off as missionaries, how does his instructions on what not to bring relate to the feeding? (Phil. 4:19)

  In response to this miracle in John 6, Jesus calls Himself "The Bread of Life". He also compares Himself to manna that God gave through Moses. Explain what you think He means by "The Bread of Life" now that you have studied this passage in Mark.


3. Read Mark 6:45-52. It was 3AM (approximately) and Jesus saw His disciples 2-3 miles away straining in a storm. How do you think He did that?

       What does that tell you about when you are straining?

       Read Genesis 16:13. What name of God describes this?

    What does this tell you about the compassion of Jesus?

   G. _____________________________________________



Summary

 Although there are so many qualities to focus on of Jesus in Mark 6, I chose compassion. We see His compassion as He knows His disciples are going to encounter rejection as they go tell about Jesus. He wanted them to see that He experienced it too; He understood and had empathy. As we are rejected today for being "Jesus freaks", we can take comfort in knowing that Jesus hurts for us as our sympathetic High Priest. And when we speak of hurting, it is a deep ache "in His gut". This is literally what the Greek of "compassion" is. Splancnizomai is the greek word used in verse 34 and it is the word from we get Splanchnic artery, mesentery, etc. in the intestinal area. That's why the KJV translates it "bowels of mercy" quite often. So as we are rejected, he aches for us. As we are hurting and ill and diseased and crying out for a touch - he gets a stabbing pain for us.
  Jesus had compassion for His disciples and their physical and emotional well being. He knew they were exhausted from their mission. He knew they had much to tell Him about their successes and failures and even maybe some questions they were asked that they didn't have answers to. He also knew they had to be mourning for John the Baptist as a number of the disciples started out with John and shifted to following Jesus at John's urging. Therefore Jesus took them away for their well being.
    Unfortunately, the much needed rest didn't come because from a distance they saw the crowds coming. Even in chapter 7 we see Jesus going to gentile regions to rest and He can't keep that a secret. Jesus sees the crowds and has compassion for them and heals, teaches, and feeds them. How does He do that? How can we do that when we keep getting interrupted by people when we need space? By looking past the superficial needs and see them as lost, confused, needy eternal souls in need of someone to touch them and point them toward the Good Shepherd. That is easier said than done and even Jesus needed to spend hours in prayer for strength and interceding for His disciples to have strength also.
   Are you worried about your physical needs? Maybe your finances aren't going well and you are worried about mortgage, credit card bills, school bills, etc. Did you know Jesus is aching for you? He told His disciples don't worry about clothing, food, shelter, all their needs. If you are following Jesus, He has you covered. He is Jehovah Jirah - your provider. You might say, "Oh, yeah, where is He"? Did you see in this passage how at approximately at 3AM in the pitch black He saw his disciples straining at the oars 3 miles away? How did He do that? That is the oft missed miracle inside the miracle. He is El Roi - the God who sees. Jesus will come to you when the time is right. Maybe He is waiting for you to come to the end of your strength so you are ready to humble yourself. Maybe He is waiting so everyone around you can see His power and He wants to use your plight to glorify Himself. Of course, it sure is nice to know that the plight you are in is because He was the one that sent you into that "boat".
    Lastly - what causes storms - isn't it when two fronts collide like a high pressure and low pressure collide? Here is how I would illustrate this..

    

 

The Holiness of God has collided with the sinfulness of man and this is the condition we find ourselves in- the storm of life where holiness abuts sinfulness. We see the disciples in the boat where these fronts are colliding. But God, in His compassion  becomes the God - Man through the incarnation and lives His life in the midst of that storm and in his death forms the bridge between two worlds. Or if you want, since He often refers to the sign of Jonah, He is the Jonah, buried in the depths of man's sinfulness to stop the storm of God's wrath. The ultimate bowels of mercy. Jesus came to Earth living in the midst of our sinfulness and alienation from God and lived a perfect life and incurred God's wrath and separation on the cross so we could be forgiven of our sins and live forever in His presence!

 

Who am I God, that You would send Your only Son to die for me? Why do You care about me that You meet my physical and emotional needs. Often people say things like, "Your loved one isn't here but they are looking down on you from Heaven." and I think, no they aren't, they have better things to do up there. And then I think of You and You , in the midst of the glory of Heaven are actually looking down from Heaven on me and aching?? Wow! Who are You anyway? Oh, the magnificence of My Father in Heaven.

What's So Awesome About Jesus? A Chapter by Chapter Study Through Mark - Chapter 5

  If I was a film maker of Christian illustrations, I would film this one. Imagine some cool, hip, fly, and whatever other outdated adjectives I could use of a young person with headphones on walks into a room and all of a sudden you can tell a song comes on that he really likes. He starts boogeying, grooving, breaking down, and whatever archaic verbs I can use for dancing. Then in comes several other teens without headphones and they observe the one dancing. They say to each other," that looks like fun", and they start dancing along imitating the dancer. After a while they shrug their shoulders realizing it is somewhat tiring and difficult imitating the dancer and one by one they exit. When they are all gone the original dancer keeps going strong with joy on his face.
    What's the point? Your joy and energy and exuberance in the Christian "dance" is very much dependent on hearing the music inside of you. And what is that music? It is a passionate love for Jesus. You see if you are imitating and copying and obeying because you are supposed to and it looked good when I signed up, it will become tiresome or as Malachi 1:13 you say of serving the Lord, "What a burden". You might ask, "What is the Bible for, then, isn't it a book that tells us rules to obey? And in lesson 2 you said God didn't send a book on how to swim to a drowning person, He sent His son to dive in and rescue us. Where does the Bible fit in?" There is a profound passage in John 5:39,40 where Jesus confronts the professional law keepers/ obeyers/ Pharisees and says, "You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me,  yet you refuse to come to me to have life." The Bible points to Christ. Lets fall in love with Him together as we go through Mark.

                                             MARK 5

Mark 5 contains 3 miracles, one where Jesus demonstrates power over demons, one where He shows power over disease, and lastly defeats death. Each of these have 3 things in common - there is desperation, detractors, and a disciple is formed. Lets look at these in light of those 3 factors and find out What's so awesome about Jesus?

1. Read Mark 5:1-20.

  A. Describe the desperation of the demoniac - i.e. How had he reached the end of his rope/chain?

     What did he do to put an end to his desperation? (vs.6)

      The greek word for this is proskuneo. Google this word and tell what it means.

       Look up John 10:10. What is Satan's plan for us?
                                        How is that seen in this man and the pigs?


   B. Who were the detractors?

       Why did they tell Jesus to leave?

       How did Jesus respond?


   C. Who became a disciple?

       How can you tell?

      What does this tell you in response to the great commission in Matthew 28:19,20 and Acts 1:8?

       What do you think the demon possessed man said when he went out to preach? (see John 9:25)

       Do you think he was effective? (See Acts 4:13,14 and Rev.12:11)


2. Read Mark 5:21-43 In this account  there is a miracle within a miracle. Let's take the healing of the woman with the bleeding disorder first
    A. Describe her desperation

         Read Leviticus 15:25. Describe the spiritual and social ramifications to this disease in the ancient Jewish population.

          How might that explain her "touch and run"?

          What put an end to her disease?


    B. Who were the detractors possibly?

        Why might they have wanted to rush Jesus along?


    C. Who became a disciple?

         The greek word for her healing is sozo. Google this and find how it differs from healed.

         What did she do similarly to the demoniac and Jairus?


  3.A. Describe the desperation of Jairus

         Read John 9:22. What do we know about the consequences of believing in Jesus?

          What implications would that have had on him and his family?


      B. Who were the detractors?

          How did Jesus respond to them?


       C. Who became a disciple of Christ?



Summary
 
     Here is the common denominator in these three healings - people have reached the end of their human efforts and found that they can't rescue themselves. They go to Jesus, publically fall on their faces before Him, not fearing the consequences and beg Him for mercy. Jesus responds by delivering them from Satan, giving them a new/whole life, and delivering them from death. Hmmm. What's that sound like? Sounds like salvation to me. Sounds like Jesus rescuing us (see Chapter 2) from religion (self efforts) which lead to despair, spiritual bankruptcy, and death, and leading us into eternal life.
   Our word for this week is unaffected. Lets look at all the things Jesus was unaffected by and thus so should we follow His example.

  1. Rejection/mockery. - The greek of what the mourners were doing to Jesus was literally mocked Him to scorn. They laughed at Jesus. "What an idiot, He doesn't know the difference between dead and asleep. HaHa". Who were the idiots? Did Jesus rebuke them? No, He just shared the life of God with people who believed. The Gaderenes asked Him to leave. Their life was going well without Him. They lacked desperation. They were living in the pig pen and didn't care - they were comfortable. What did Jesus do? He left. But He did send a missionary. The disciples were examples of "friendly fire". Sometimes well-meaning Christians can discourage us from what God has called us to do.
    Probably, the number one reason we don't witness is because of fear of rejection/mockery. Realize that the servant isn't greater than the master. If they rejected Him they will reject you. Just shake it off and try somewhere else. Eventually you will find receptive soil.
   2. Numbers - We are so impressed by how big something is. Jesus had such a big following He was in danger of being crushed. He left that to reach one person. If you go on a short-term mission trip and lead one person to the Lord you will get a courtesy applause in Church. If you lead 300 you will get a standing ovation. Jesus was unaffected by numbers. In fact He soon whittles those numbers down in John 6.
   3. Socioeconomic status - In this he went to a pagan foreigner, a diseased ostracized welfare recipient, and a rich powerful person and treated them all the same. In fact for the most part Tim Keller says, "You put Jesus in a crowd and He gravitates to the most messed up people and the people who have messed up the most." Are we that way. We need to be unaffected by wealth, power, beauty, smell, and in effect what people can do for us.
  4. Pressure of time - If Jesus was a doctor, He committed malpractice. He triaged sick people and healed the chronic disease and let the acute illness die. But unlike us, to Jesus/God healing an illness or restoring life were of equal acuity. How often are we so pressured by time that we miss divine appointments along the way. We are going from point A to point B where ministry is supposed to happen forgetting that God has ministry plans for us along the way.

       A. ------------------------------------------>    B.
                               MINISTRY

  Can we start thinking that those interruptions in our day are possibly ministry potentials. The disciples were eager to get to Jairus' house probably because he was going to be an important part of their ascension to power and bringing the kingdom to Earth. They didn't realize Jesus' plans were totally different from theirs.
   5. Lastly Jesus was unaffected by the immensity of the problems as I had previously alluded to. Do you shy away from getting involved in someone's life because they are "too far gone"? Or do you think someone couldn't possibly be saved? Or your problem is too big for Jesus? Jesus says it's no big deal

     Lord I am amazed that you were a man like me yet were unaffected by wealth, adoration, power, flattery, time, fear, numbers, anxiety... How?? I know that is available to me. Help me as I try to attain that through Your power which lives inside me.
  




   

     

What's So Awesome About Jesus? A Chapter by Chapter Study Through Mark - Chapter 4

                         “In that day,” declares the Lord,
                         “you will call me ‘my husband’;
                    you will no longer call me ‘my master,
                                   Hosea 2:16

     Are you going through life, as a Christian, operating on the Lordship of Jesus Christ? Congratulations; God has revealed to your heart such passages as :                

  In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples. Luke 14:33
“Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.  Matt.16:24
Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ ²³ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ Matt. 7:22,23
So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, Col.2:6
If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Rom. 10:9

If you want more there are whole books written on Lordship salvation - one that comes to mind is The Gospel According to Jesus by John MacArthur. I must say I am in agreement with this theology. However, there is a higher calling than Lordship! It is marriage to Christ as illustrated in this passage in Hosea. For those of you women reading this who were uncomfortable with being "sons" of God (which btw probably has to do with receiving inheritance and rights in those days) now get to watch us men squirm as the "brides" of Christ. When we are in love with Jesus our motivations for actions change. When I fell in love with Karen I didn't say, "I guess I better call her today." I willingly spent hours on the phone. I didn't say, "I better tell someone about her today." I was showing her picture to everyone that would oblige me. When we fall in love with Jesus we don't say, "I have to read my Bible today" - it's "I get to". It's not "I better tell someone about Him today" - It's "I get to witness today." Etc.

This is the thrust of our journey through Mark - falling back in love with Jesus, examining What is so awesome about Jesus? Maybe, hopefully by doing this we will see what is so winsome about Christ and becoming his passionate bride (ouch)


                                 CHAPTER 4

<sup>1. Read Mark 3:7-14 and 4:1-2
     List 4 reasons why people may have been in attendance

    A. Mark 3:10 ___________________________________

     B. John 6:30 ___________________________________

     C. Matt. 22:15 ____________________________________

      D. John 8:30,31 ____________________________________

 How do you think groups A & B would have felt about Him starting to teach?

 How would group C have felt and why?

  How would group D have felt and why?

2. Read Mark 4:3-8, 14-20. What are the 4 types of soil and what do they represent?

    E. ______________________________

    F. _____________________________

    G. _____________________________

    H. _____________________________

      Notice the 4 groups (A-D) could be placed with some accuracy among the different soils. The rocky and thorny could really be grouped together as people who believed the message but decided it was too costly and therefore didn't continue on. The last soil became disciples and I feel like the passage tells us 7 marks of good soil
      1. Read Matt.14:20-22 and 15:39. What was the typical pattern after a day of miracles and teaching?

           Read Matt. 8:18-22 which chronologically fits with Mark 4. What was required for being a disciple?

           Putting those 2 together read Mark 4:10,24-25,34-36. Who got the interpretation?

          What does that tell us about the good soil?

     2. Read Mark 4:20. Good soil produces fruit. What is fruit? (Gal. 5:22,23)


      3. Mark 4:21-23 and Matt. 10:32,33. Good soil  ______________.

      4. Mark 4:26-29. Good soil  ________________.

      5. Mark 4:30-32. Birds land on the Jesus tree. Read Matt.25:34-40. What should good soil be known for?

      6. Mark 4:37-40, Isa. 8:12. As good soil we should respond to trials differently than the world does. Why is that?

      If you are familiar with the apostle Paul in the storm, how was his response different from the disciples in Mark 4?

       If you were having difficulty answering #4, maybe this is a hint.

      7. Mark 4:41. What was the difference in response of the disciples to the storm (40) and Jesus (41). How does good soil approach God?


Summary

       The word seed appears 12 times in this passage. The sower sowed seed. What is that seed? The gospel / the Word of God. Who is the good news (gospel)? Jesus. Who is the Word? Jesus. Jesus is the seed that was sown into the world and although started very small, now fills the world. The fact is though, if you wanted to get to Jesus you had to come into His presence face to face. He was limited in time and space when He came to Earth. Picture this; Jesus comes to your church this Sunday. How exciting! After he preaches you rush up to meet Him, talk to Him, have Him bless your kids, etc. Unfortunately 100 people beat you in line. By 5:00 the word is out to all the other churches and people are all cutting in line to see Him. You get the picture ... frustrating. That's why Jesus says in John 12:24, "Unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains a single seed. But if it dies it produces many seeds." When Jesus died, rose again, and ascended into Heaven, He sent to Earth the Holy Spirit. Suddenly that seed that you had to wait in line to see is available to all believers from the USA to outer Mongolia on a 24/7/365 basis. No waiting - instant access.
      This leads me to the word for the week - WITH. Jesus picked 12 to be with Him. The degree to which the crowd wanted to be with Him was the degree to which His truths were revealed and who He is was revealed. He was with them in the boat and everyone with Him in the boat or other boats got a bigger view of who He is. The ones who said "I want to sleep at home" or "what about my family" didn't get the interpretation of what He said. The degree to which we leave behind everything either actually or mentally to follow Jesus is the degree to which we get Him and the degree to which that Seed grows in our lives. I believe it determines if you are going to produce 30, 60, or 100 fold. In other words if you give a tenth of your income vs. 70%, which one is going to bear more fruit. If you give an hour of your Saturday vs. 8 hours to serve the needy, who do you think is going to bear more fruit or for that measure get a bigger view of Jesus? The disciples were afraid of the storm but they became terrified of Jesus. That is called developing a fear of God and forming proper worship in our lives.
      If I could upgrade the word a little I would change it to WITH - IN. The disciples had to be with Him as He was a single seed. Now that He has sent the Holy Spirit He is in us. The Seed has sent multiple Seed into the world to be planted in all believers who then produce fruit which is technically the manifestation of Christ in us. We start becoming Jesus to unbelievers to the degree we abide in the vine.
     So what is so awesome about Jesus? How about that the one who could stop not only a hurricane but all the ripple effect of the water just by saying, "Be Quiet!", is with you and in you. He has come into your boat and He isn't going to leave. Do you feel special? You should. Do you feel unworthy? You ought to. Do you love Him for it? That is what we are aiming for. I certainly hope so.
     Lord I love You for being here with me. As I was praying for help with an endeavor I almost felt like You were saying, "Oh, now you are coming to me. I've been here all week and you just come to Me when you need something." Forgive me for taking your presence so lightly and not passionately talking to You all day long. Why You came to be inside me is beyond me but I am eternally grateful!</sup>