The Bible Book of the Month Club The Gospel of Mark — Mark 10:33-53

Today is Mark 10:32-53 ❤️🙌🔥 for the “Bible Book of the Month Club — The Gospel of Mark”

“Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Verses 43-44

If I truly want to be like Jesus, I must serve and give my life away. When I follow Him, my ways, my thoughts, my desires, and ambitions must go. My life is no longer about me, but Jesus.

The world says “follow your heart”, but Jesus says “pick your cross and follow me.” The world says “listen to your truth,” but Jesus says, “I am the way the truth, and the life.” The world says, “acquire wealth, recognition, and self fulfillment.” Jesus says “serve and give up your life.”

We must choose. The world’s way seems right, but it ends in death. The Jesus way is the only way to abundant life.

What is God showing you today in our scripture? Post it below. 👇👇👇

The Bible Book of the Month Club The Gospel of Mark — Mark 9:30-50

Today is Mark 9:30-50 ❤️🙌🔥 for the “Bible Book of the Month Club — The Gospel of Mark”

We are born selfish. Our tendency is to figure out how to put our thoughts, our desires, and our feelings first. Our world tells us to “live our own truth”, “follow our hearts”, and “chase our dreams.” The disciples exhibited this selfish nature as they walked along the road arguing with each other over who was the greatest.

Jesus told His disciples the way to greatness in His kingdom. “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.” The nature of a servant is to serve and to give up their selfish ambitions in order to please their master.

Life is not about the positions we attain, but the pursuit of Jesus. His Lordship means we give up ourselves, listen to His Word and obey it fully. We serve Him and those whom He puts in our path to serve. This is greatness in His Kingdom!

What is God showing you? Post it below 👇 👇👇

(Tomorrow’s reading is Mark 10:1-31)

The Bible Book of the Month Club the Gospel of Mark — Mark 9:1-29

Today is Mark 9:1-29 ❤️🙌🔥 for the “Bible Book of the Month Club — The Gospel of Mark”

“…’This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!’”

Webster’s 1828 dictionary definition for “listen” —“To obey; to yield to advice; to follow admonition”

God speaks, but do we listen?

I have tried to picture what it would have been like to see Jesus in action over 2000 years ago. It would have been incredible! Imagine going up the mountain, as Peter, James, and John did with Jesus. Think about what it was like to see what they saw.
In that moment they heard God speak. God tells them who Jesus is, His son, then He gives them a command…”Listen to Him!”

Hearing God and obeying what He says is important!! However, I have lived a lot of my life with it not being a priority. God tells us to “listen to Him!” Listening is not simply hearing God by reading our Bibles or going to Church. It is taking the Words we have heard and applying it to our lives by obeying it, yielding to it, and following it! Listening to God is making His Word the priority of our lives.

Of all the things God could have said in that spectacular moment that Peter, James, and John experienced on that mountain top, God spoke the most important words of all! “Jesus is my Son! Listen to Him!”
God is speaking these Words to us today!

What is God showing you today? Post it below 👇 👇👇

(Tomorrow’s reading is Mark 9:30-50)

The Bible Book of the Month Club the Gospel of Mark — Mark 8:22-38

Today is Mark 8:22-38❤️🙌🔥 for the “Bible Book of the Month Club — The Gospel of Mark”

In 1991, Steve Camp wrote a song called “Consider the Cost.” One phrase from it’s lyrics has stuck with me through the years. “To give all that you are for all that He is, this is the gospel according to Jesus.” There is so much truth in that statement.
In verses 34-37, Jesus plainly states that if we want to be His disciple, we must take up our cross and follow Him. To take up our cross is to let our plans, our will, our thoughts, our desires, die so His can live in us. It is losing our selfish self life, letting it die, so that the life of Jesus can be lived in us. It is as the lyrics of that song proclaimed — “giving all that we are for all that He is.”

A few years ago I was at a decision in my spiritual journey… my way which was producing death, darkness, and destruction, or Jesus way which would require that my way would be nailed to the cross to die. When I chose Jesus way and not my own, dying to myself, I finally experienced peace.

The only way to a vibrant and fulfilled life is to “take up your cross and follow Jesus. Lose your life to gain His!”

What is God showing you? Post it below 👇👇👇

(Tomorrow is Mark 9: 1-29)

The Bible Book of the Month Club the Gospel of Mark — Mark 8:1-21

Today is Mark 8:1-21 ❤️🙌🔥 for the “Bible Book of the Month Club — The Gospel of Mark”

In Jesus, there is abundance for every need. Two times the crowds were in need for physical food and Jesus provided. What was it that Jesus used to provide the need? It was ALL the disciples had. Jesus took what was given to Him, a few loaves and fish. He not only provided a meal for a crowd, but leftovers that displayed His generous provision.

He is the same today as He was yesterday, and He will be the same forever. We can come to Him with what we have, all of us. He will work the miraculous in what we offer up to Him with generous abundance!

What is God showing you today? Post it below 👇👇👇

(Tomorrow’s reading is Mark 8:22-38)

The Bible Book of the Month Club the Gospel of Mark — Mark 6:1-29

Today is Mark 6:1-29 ❤️🙌🔥 for the “Bible Book of the Month Club — The Gospel of Mark”

“They took offense at him…He (Jesus) was amazed at their lack of faith…”

“When Herod heard John he was greatly puzzled; yet he liked to listen to him.”

Hardness of heart… This passage displays this condition well.

Imagine what it would have been like to see Jesus as He walked on the earth. I would like to think I would be one of the ones hanging on His every word. But there have been times that I have not lived that way. I have taken offense at His Word. I have lacked faith. I have had hardness of heart towards God’s Word. It is a miserable way to live.

The account of Herod and John points to another case of hardness of heart. Herod enjoyed listening to John speak. He knew John was a prophet and feared him. He knew John was righteous and holy. But Herod, in order to please others and save his own reputation, ordered John’s execution. We can know what is good, right, and holy, but in order to preserve ourselves and our ways, reject it all.

Reading these passages increases my desire to have a heart that is soft and tender towards God — listening to what He says in His Word, obeying it fully, and following His ways alone!

What is God saying to you today? Post it below 👇 👇👇

(Tomorrow’s reading is Mark 6:30-56)

The Bible Book of the Month Club — The Gospel of Mark (Mark 5:1-20)

Today is Mark 5:1-20 ❤️🙌🔥 for the “Bible Book of the Month Club — The Gospel of Mark”

What a miracle! A man with no hope, who lived in a graveyard and was possessed by many demons was set free with the words “Come out of this man…” spoken by Jesus.

The man begged to go with Jesus in the boat, but Jesus had another plan for him.

“Jesus did not let him, but said, “Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.””
‭‭Mark‬ ‭5‬:‭19‬ ‭NIV‬‬

This man obeyed what Jesus told him to do, and “all the people were amazed” by His testimony.

What has Jesus done for you? Proclaim it! People need to hear the amazing things what God has done! God is so real and still does miracles!

What is God showing you in these verses? Post it below 👇 👇👇

(Tomorrow we read Mark 5:21-43)

The Bible Book of the Month Club the Gospel of Mark — Mark 3:20-34

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 👇👇👇

(Tomorrow’s reading is Mark 4:1- 25)

The Bible Book of the Month Club The Gospel of Mark — Mark 3:1-19.

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)

The Bible Book of the Month Club The Gospel of Mark (Mark 2:18-27)

Today is Mark 2:18-27 ❤️🙌🔥 for the “Bible Book of the Month Club — The Gospel of Mark”

I love what Jesus is saying in verse 28 “So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”

The Pharisees thought they had God figured out. They had a list of laws with boxes to check off on that list. If they fulfilled it all they thought they were all good with God. They had “religion”…

Jesus came. He was Emmanuel — God with us. He came displaying God the Father to anyone who would pay attention to Him. Jesus walked and talked with the people who followed Him. He lived in relationship with them. His words He spoke and His call to follow Him literally changed lives. Relating to God was no longer a list of boxes to check off. Relating to God became a relationship — the very thing God wanted all along. Following the list of rules regarding the Sabbath was not what God was after all along. It was their hearts.

God wants our hearts as well. When we truly love Him with all our heart, soul, mind and strength, we will do the things that God desires. We do not need a list of rules regarding the Sabbath when our greatest desire is to love and obey the Lord of the Sabbath, Jesus.

Jesus will give us a new heart that desires to do what is right if we will only ask Him to.