Today is Mark 3:20-34 ❤️🙌🔥 for the “Bible Book of the Month Club — The Gospel of Mark”
It is hard for me to understand how the people of Jesus’s time saw Him physically in action healing the sick, casting out demons, performing miracles and still didn’t believe in him. His family thought he was “out of his mind.” (Verse 21) The teachers of the law i.e. religious leaders said he was “possessed by Beelzebul” … demon possessed.
The people of our time are not any different. When we see Jesus for who He is, a choice has to be made. We either embrace Him as God’s Son and Lord of our lives — following Him. Or we choose to disregard Him, His teaching, and His sacrifice on the cross. We cannot come to God on our own terms and in our own way.
Jesus says something in verse 35 that is profound. “Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.” If we want to be in relationship with Him, we have to do His will. What is the will of God for us? Jesus tells us God’s will in the Gospel of John.
“For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.”” John 6:40 NIV
God’s will for us is to look to Jesus and Believe — “ this assent of the mind, a yielding of the will and affections, accompanied with a humble reliance on Christ for salvation. “ Websters 1828
Believe in Jesus!
What is God showing you in these verses? Post it below 👇👇👇
Today is Mark 3:1-19 ❤️🙌🔥 for the “Bible Book of the Month Club — The Gospel of Mark”
In our reading today Jesus saw a man in the Synagogue, the place of worship, with a hand that needed healing. He also saw the religious leaders standing there looking for a reason to accuse Him. Verse 5 says “He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts… “ The Greek refers to their hearts as being “hard”. The Webster’s 1828 Dictionary says hardness of heart is “ inflexible persistency in sin; obstinacy in wickedness.”
The thing that bothered Jesus was the hearts of those who would not yield to Him and His Word. The religious leaders had their ways and their traditions. Their hearts were far from God. They thought they were ok because the could put on a very good religious performance, but their hearts were inflexible towards God. They were not moved by Him. Their hearts were persistent in their sins of pride, independence from God, jealousy, and such. They were obstinate in their wickedness.
They had forgotten the most important law of all:
“And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength.” Deuteronomy 6:5 NLT
Had they truly loved God, they would have recognized Jesus for who is and welcomed Him.
When our hearts are hard we do the same thing, we reject God and His goodness. May our hearts always be soft towards Him!
What is God showing you in our reading today? Post it below 👇 👇👇 (Tomorrow’s reading is Mark 3:20-35)
Today is Mark 2:1-17 ❤️🙌🔥 for the “Bible Book of the Month Club — The Gospel of Mark”
I love verse 17, “On hearing this Jesus said to them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” Jesus spoke these words in response to criticism He was receiving from the religious leaders of His time. They didn’t like that Jesus was eating with the “tax collectors and sinners.” Jesus came to give new life and new hearts to those who would simply respond to His call and be willing to leave it all behind to follow Him. Jesus is still the same! It does not matter what mess we have chosen to become entangled by… our sins… Jesus came to set us free and give us relationship with Him. He has come to call sinners to come and to sit with Him at His table. He has come to forgive us and give us new life and a new heart so we can obey Him and live close to Him!! I am so thankful Jesus calls out to sinners (i.e. me) with the same call He gave Matthew the tax collector, “Follow Me!”
What did God show you in today’s reading? Post it below 👇 👇👇
Today is the big day, the launch or the “Bible Book of the Month Club — The Gospel of Mark” Let’s read Mark 1:1-20 ❤️🔥🙌 Here’s what I got out of today’s reading:
What sticks out to me in what we are reading is the lengths God has gone to in order for us to know Him. First He sends a messenger to announce Jesus’s arrival, John the Baptist. John the Baptist talks about Jesus coming. He describes Jesus as being more powerful than him and able to Baptize with the Holy Spirit. Then God the Father speaks about who Jesus is in front of everyone when Jesus is baptized. Plus Jesus, Himself, tells the ones He is calling to follow Him that He wants to teach them how to fish for people so they will come and follow Him too. God wants us to know Him! That is awesome news! What is God showing you? Post it below 👇👇👇
Today is Mark 1:21-45 ❤️🙌🔥 for the “Bible Book of the Month Club — The Gospel of Mark”
I love verse 22. The people who heard Jesus were amazed because He didn’t teach like their teachers of the law did. He had authority. He testified about what He KNEW! It reminds me of the account of a Jesus explaining the scriptures to a couple of disciples shortly after He had resurrected from the dead as they walked along on the road to Emmaus. The Word says ““They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”” Luke 24:32 NIV
There is NOTHING like the voice of God! When God speaks it is authority, it is fire, it is beautiful! We have the Holy Spirit dwelling in us now, speaking to us. Our role is to LISTEN, accept what He says, BELIEVE it and OBEY His Word. That is good stuff!! 🔥🔥🔥 Happy Sunday! Enjoy church today 🤩
What did God show you today in our reading? Share it below 👇👇👇
“He said: ‘The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation. He is my stronghold, my refuge and my savior— from violent people you save me.’” 2 Samuel 22:2-3 NIV
My childhood home did not have a basement. I can remember being afraid because we had no place to go if a tornado came. That was until our family became acquainted with our neighbors who had a cellar. They told us that we were always welcome to seek shelter there during a storm.
One day a severe storm rolled in. The skies suddenly became black, and the tornado warning sirens went off. Mom told us to run for the neighbor’s cellar. As we darted across our yard, the wind began to blow, and the rain started to pour. As we quickly entered the safety of that small room, large hail began to fall. After our neighbor closed the door, I breathed a huge sigh of relief knowing I was safe from everything that was going on outside that place of refuge.
Our focus verses this month are on the word “refuge.” A refuge is defined as a place that shelters and protects from danger, distress, or calamity. It is a place of security and safety. It is a place that is inaccessible to an enemy.
It is a fact that each of us will experience many storms as we journey through this life. Jesus assured us of this when He said, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). Storms will come. The enemy will attack and assault again and again. However, just like the cellar I ran to, believers always have a shelter to run to in the midst of the storms and/or the attacks. We have a place of protection that is always safe and secure, inaccessible to the enemy of our souls. Who and where is that place? God’s Word tells us plainly that God is our refuge. It is when we dwell in Him that we are protected from the dangers, the distresses, and the destruction. It is when we remain in Him that we are safe and secure.
When God is our refuge, we do not have to fear the possibility of danger, distress, or calamity. We do not have to fear the enemy who “comes only to steal, kill, and destroy” (John 10:10). We do not have to believe the lies that our circumstances will blow us away. When we dwell in God, who is our refuge, we can be assured that there is no circumstance, danger, or distress that can ever harm us. We can say as David did in our verses above, God is “my stronghold, my refuge, and my savior.”
As I write the words above, the winds are blowing, and the rain is pouring down in my life. I am sitting here at the University of Missouri Medical Center next to my Dad who has multiple fractures in his back. We are waiting to hear what will happen next. The storm of uncertainty rages all around us. The lies of the enemy are falling like hail. However, my dad and I have decided to run to our God and take refuge in Him. Years ago, I experienced the safety and security of our neighbor’s cellar, a physical refuge; and today Dad and I are experiencing the safety and security of God, our spiritual refuge. The door through which we have entered our refuge is faith. We are determined to believe that no matter what God is for us, and we will trust in Him entirely and completely. We know our God will never fail.
Do you find yourself in a storm today? May I encourage you to run to and dwell in the same refuge my dad and I have found. Like us, you will say with assurance that “God is my rock, in whom I take refuge….” No plan of the enemy to harm you will succeed. Rest safe and secure in your God who is your stronghold, your refuge, and your Savior.
Our song this week is “Praise You in the Storm” by Natalie Grant.
“The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? “I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind, to reward each person according to their conduct, according to what their deeds deserve.”” Jeremiah 17:9-10 NIV
“Listen to your heart”, “Follow your heart”, “Be true to your heart”… in our society, we hear messages like these almost every day. There is a problem with the common thought of our culture regarding our hearts…it is wrong. We are encouraged to follow our own truth and to see if what we are thinking about “feels true” to us. However, when we are left to our own devices we cannot even know the truth. This is because we have a “heart problem.”
Each and every one of us have been created with a spiritual heart. Our hearts are the most important aspect of us. It is in our spiritual heart that we are connected to God and experience relationship with Him. However, we are also born with spiritual hearts that are disconnected from God. Our hearts are sinful and full of sin. The spiritual heart we are born with is “deceitful and beyond cure.” Jesus described the condition of our spiritual hearts:
“He went on: “What comes out of a person is what defiles them. For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come—sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and defile a person.”” Mark 7:20-23 NIV
Each and every one of us needs heart transformation. We need a new heart. It is the only cure for our spiritual hearts that are far from God. God speaks of this new heart He longs for us to receive in His Word:
“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.” Ezekiel 36:26-27 NIV
The message of “our culture” other wise known at “the world” is contradictory to what the Word says regarding our hearts. The results of lives lived “following our hearts” instead of following God and His Word are evidenced all around us. For those of us who are living with a spiritual heart that has not been made new by Jesus…the evidence is within us.
Look deep within yourself. Are you living with peace, joy, love, kindness, and true life? Or does your heart reflect the words of Jesus above, and is it filled with death, darkness, and destruction? If so, you have a “heart problem.”
There is only one cure… Jesus. Take your heart problem to Him. He alone can perform the transformation that our hearts need!
“Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.”
1 Corinthians 15:58 NIV
My youngest son, Andy, played tackle football when he was in the sixth grade. He played an offensive position of defending the quarterback. At one of his first games, he walked out onto the field and came face to face with what seemed to be a giant-sized sixth grade boy. This player was about a foot taller and a foot wider than Andy. He made my son look small. In fact, after seeing the player from the bleachers, I thought, “That kid is going to squash my baby!” However, when the play began, Andy gave himself fully to playing his position. He braced himself and pushed back against the force of that player. He was unwavering and immovable. He did not allow anyone to touch the quarterback he was guarding. Much to my amazement and relief, Andy stood firm in his purpose of keeping the player from advancing, and his team won!
The focus word of our WOW verses this month is steadfast. The definition of steadfast is to have firmness of mind or purpose, to be constant in pursuing a purpose, unwavering, fixed, and steady. In our verse this week, Paul instructs believers to “stand firm” and “let nothing move you.” Our enemies – the flesh, the world, and the devil – are ruthless giants constantly coming against us to move us away from our relationship of oneness with God. They work relentlessly to get us to waver in our thoughts and purpose, to lose our sure footing in truth and righteousness, and fall into sin. Their aim and goal is to “squash” us with death, darkness, and destruction!
Just like Andy, we need to remain fixed and immovable against what many times appears to be a bigger foe. We must remain steadfast against our spiritual enemies who want to take us down. To remain steadfast, we must know God and maintain the relationship of oneness with Him. We must know the Word of God and allow its truth to penetrate our minds and hearts so that when a lie comes in, we detect it immediately and stand firmly against it. We must be constant in pursuing communication with God. We must pray “at all times and on every occasion” (Ephesians 6:18). And we must suit up! As Andy put on his helmet and pads, we, too, must put on our spiritual armor and take our “stand against the devil’s schemes.” We must not let our enemies move us from trusting in God and giving ourselves “fully to the work of the Lord” being fully assured that our “labor in the Lord is not in vain.”
Do you find yourself standing toe to toe with a giant? Has your enemy come to you using his playbook of schemes and temptations that include unbelief, selfishness, worry, fear, anxiety, and/or anger? The enemy of your soul wants to render you useless in the work of the Lord. If he can accomplish this, he knows that you will never be and do what God created you to be and do – be His image bearer and go forth into the world and make Him known. The Word of God says, “let nothing move you” from the work God created in advance for you to do in Christ Jesus. It requires a steadfast spirit!
This week’s song is “In Christ Alone” by Passion Kristian Stanfill. May the lyrics be a reminder to stand steadfastly with our faith in Jesus and His Word alone! He alone is our victory!
“And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.” Ephesians 6:18 NIV
My mother-in-law, Evelyn, was a woman of prayer. Her example has left a huge mark on my life. She would tell me frequently of the hours she had spent talking to God. Her entire day was spent with her being conscience of His presence with her. She would talk to Him while she worked around her house, drove her car, or walked around her yard. She loved to talk to Him about the beautiful flowers she enjoyed. She asked Him to bless her meals as she cooked them, asking Him to help them to turn out good. She told Him about the things that made her happy. She poured out her sorrows to Him. I knew that her life revolved around her time spent with God. Several times during the week she called me. Her bright cheery voice came through my phone, “This is the day the Lord has made. I will rejoice and be glad in it. Janet, I’ve been talking to Jesus this morning. I’ve been praying for you…” At the time, I wasn’t as appreciative of her sunshiny optimism. But now I can see how blessed I was. She modeled to me the very thing that I needed the most, an intimate relationship with God that was cultivated in her lifestyle of prayer.
This month our verses at WOW have been about prayer. Prayer is communing with God and communicating with Him. It is our lifeline and connection to Him through faith. It is a conscious awareness of God’s presence at all times. Prayer is knowing that EVERYTHING in our lives is something we communicate with God about. Our verse this week encourages us to pray “on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.” God loves to hear us praise Him for who He is. He loves to hear us thank Him for what He has done. He loves to hear us ask Him for guidance along our way. He desires us to tell Him the very things that cause our hearts to ache. He wants us to come to Him with everything!
The beauty of this lifestyle of prayer is that our God not only desires for us to pray, but He also helps us to pray. The Holy Spirit prompts us, enables us, and empowers us in prayer. As we “pray in the Spirit”, our prayers are moved and guided by Him. Evelyn prayed this way. Many times, she would tell me how she felt like the Holy Spirit had prompted her to pray for a loved one. She didn’t know what was going on, but she was sure that He had directed her to pray. Later she would hear testimony of how God stepped into the circumstance that person had experienced. This confirmed to her that the Holy Spirit had led her to pray.
These memories of my praying mother-in-law have stirred in me a desire. It is a desire to live my life experiencing God moment by moment in prayer. Perhaps as you read this, the desire is growing in you? God has given us this desire. He tells us to pray because He knows that a lifestyle of prayer is what is the very best for us. It ensures that our connection with God is close and intimate. This is what we were created for. He wants us to know Him through prayer and to make Him known by displaying our relationship of oneness to God with everyone we encounter.
This week’s song is “Draw Me Nearer” by Meredith Andrews. As we listen to the words, may the Holy Spirit awaken a desire within us to experience a close and intimate relationship with Him through prayer.
It seems that the world becomes alive when Spring arrives. A few of days ago I watched the sunrise from my upper deck. As I was praying and awaiting the display of colors to come, the sound of birds singing and doves cooing filled the air. It was so beautiful. I took out my phone to record a small portion of the song. The words of this verse came to my heart:
”My beloved spoke and said to me, “Arise, my darling, my beautiful one, come with me. Flowers appear on the earth; the season of singing has come, the cooing of doves is heard in our land. The fig tree forms its early fruit; the blossoming vines spread their fragrance. Arise, come, my darling; my beautiful one, come with me.”“ Song of Songs 2:10, 12-13 NIV
Life holds many seasons of winter, when all is cold, the days are short and the birds do not sing. If we are not careful we will forget to listen for the voice of our “Beloved”, Jesus. However, He is calling. His desire is for us to arise and “come.” When we come to Jesus we can leave the death and darkness of winter behind. He is life, light, and love. He wants us to come with Him to experience Him fully!
Creation is singing a chorus of praise to Him. As we embrace the relationship Jesus is calling us to, we will find that we were created to sing that song of praise as well.
”You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands.“ Isaiah 55:12 NIV
Our lives in Christ are a “season of singing!” The closer we are to Him the greater the song of worship becomes in our hearts. We cannot help but proclaim: Jesus is so good! Jesus is so wonderful! His power is beyond comparison! His love towards us is more than I could ever imagine!
His praises cannot be contained by the birds of spring or a heart made alive by His transforming touch!
Your Love 