Mar 1:16-17 MKJV
(16) And walking along beside the sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen.
(17) And Jesus said to them, Come after Me and I will make you fishers of men.
Jesus said these words immediately after He was baptized by John, and then came out of the desert from being tempted by Satan. Luke records that when Jesus left the desert, He "returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee". It is good to notice the sequence of events. First Jesus hears what His Father says when the dove descends: You are MY Son. Next, that word is tested by Satan: IF you are the Son of God... And finally, Jesus emerges from all of this IN POWER. No, Jesus did not have this kind of power as a boy who sat in the Temple. But now... He did.
And then Jesus walks along the shores of the sea calling His disciples. Why do you suppose He didn't just walk out to them (if they were in the boat) or approach them from the water? I would think recruiting teenage boys might have been much easier had Jesus just skipped on out to the boats and said, "Hey guys, do you want to be like me?"
He walked along beside the sea of Galilee. God established rules on earth. Rules such as gravity, weather patterns, harvest cycles, sowing and reaping - were rules that Jesus did not come to shatter just for the sake of being "one who could". Miracles are tools of the Kingdom to be used only when LIFE can be imposed where before death had a grip. Yes, it's all about life. It's not even about good or bad... it's about LIFE. If there is any question about this, refer to the garden of Eden, where there were multiple trees to choose from. Don't try to figure out good and bad - just eat from the tree of life! Joshua said... choose life! Life comes from seed.
This raises a question. When Jesus did walk on the water, how was He imposing life? You could ask this to the disciples who at that time were in a vice of terror over that storm. Remember, not all of the disciples were fishermen. Some were accountants and politicians. What they learned from that miracle was that the One in which they had placed their faith was capable - even above the power of death and the abyss. There were seeds sown during that episode that bloomed into every sign and wonder that those young men performed later. Life!
Showing posts with label Mark. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mark. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 06, 2011
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Shaking The Dust Off
Mar 6:11 MKJV
(11) And whoever shall not receive you, nor hear you, when you depart from there, shake off the dust under your feet for a testimony against them.
What a confusing custom! I've read this verse many times, but today, I 'landed' on it. Does that happen to you? For some reason, all of a sudden I'm suspicious of a verse. It screams of mysterious significance. My first inclination was to start Googling the verse in attempt to find some rabbinic explanation. I really found nothing. The closest I got was 'some rabbis suggest...', or 'apparently this meant...'.
First of all, the Jews used to shake the dust off of their sandals when leaving gentile lands. From that, the custom morphed. Jesus told His followers to do it when they (and their message) were not received by a city.
Praying should always be our first resource. I am still learning that.
Dust is humanity. Man was made of dust. More exactly, dust represents a nation of children of faith (Gen 13:16).
Old Testament prophets were warned that to neglect delivering God's word to a people would result in having the blood of that people upon the prophet's head. But if the word was delivered - whether it was received or not - there would be no guilt on the head of the prophet (Ezekiel 33:6). To shake the dust off one's sandals means that the message has been delivered, and that the messenger does not 'carry' the burden of the people. If the dust of a city resides upon the shoes of the messenger, there is still work to do for that messenger because he still carries the burden of that city.
Shaking the dust off today is very much a stewardship issue. We are given so much time and resource for use in Kingdom work. The Holy Spirit guides us in how much time to spend on a certain person or group before we move on to someone who is receptive. The problem arises when we - in our impatient or judgmental humanity - decide to shake the dust off our sandals when God has not given up yet. We cannot be like Jonah, ministering with a very short (or non-existent) fuse.
(11) And whoever shall not receive you, nor hear you, when you depart from there, shake off the dust under your feet for a testimony against them.
What a confusing custom! I've read this verse many times, but today, I 'landed' on it. Does that happen to you? For some reason, all of a sudden I'm suspicious of a verse. It screams of mysterious significance. My first inclination was to start Googling the verse in attempt to find some rabbinic explanation. I really found nothing. The closest I got was 'some rabbis suggest...', or 'apparently this meant...'.
First of all, the Jews used to shake the dust off of their sandals when leaving gentile lands. From that, the custom morphed. Jesus told His followers to do it when they (and their message) were not received by a city.
Praying should always be our first resource. I am still learning that.
Dust is humanity. Man was made of dust. More exactly, dust represents a nation of children of faith (Gen 13:16).
Old Testament prophets were warned that to neglect delivering God's word to a people would result in having the blood of that people upon the prophet's head. But if the word was delivered - whether it was received or not - there would be no guilt on the head of the prophet (Ezekiel 33:6). To shake the dust off one's sandals means that the message has been delivered, and that the messenger does not 'carry' the burden of the people. If the dust of a city resides upon the shoes of the messenger, there is still work to do for that messenger because he still carries the burden of that city.
Shaking the dust off today is very much a stewardship issue. We are given so much time and resource for use in Kingdom work. The Holy Spirit guides us in how much time to spend on a certain person or group before we move on to someone who is receptive. The problem arises when we - in our impatient or judgmental humanity - decide to shake the dust off our sandals when God has not given up yet. We cannot be like Jonah, ministering with a very short (or non-existent) fuse.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Fighting The Tithe pt2
Yesterday I had the tithe on my heart. I spoke about the devourer... and how real he is! I also spoke briefly of honor - honoring salvation delivered. But there is another aspect of this.
Mar 12:41-44 MKJV
(41) And sitting down opposite the treasury, Jesus watched how the people threw copper coins into the treasury. And many rich ones threw in much.
(42) And a certain poor widow came, and she threw in two lepta, which is a kodrantes.
(43) And He called His disciples and said to them, Truly I say to you that this poor widow has cast in more than all those who have cast into the treasury.
(44) For all cast in from their abundance. But she, out of her poverty, has cast in all that she had, all her livelihood.
It's interesting, isn't it, that Jesus did not one time mention the uselessness of giving to an ineffective ministry. He didn't complain that the widow's stewardship was obviously lacking... having given to a corrupt priesthood (and it surely was). Nor did He marvel that the widow didn't ask first where her money was going!
Again, this is what I hear the most from "mature" Christians who struggle with the tithe.
"Well, I just want to give it where it's being used for the right thing."
"I don't like the direction the church is headed."
"If I can't dictate what it's being spent on, I'm just going to hang on to it."
Jesus sat and watched those who were giving. His interest was in one thing. Who is really HONORING God? Who has faith? Those are still His questions.
Mar 12:41-44 MKJV
(41) And sitting down opposite the treasury, Jesus watched how the people threw copper coins into the treasury. And many rich ones threw in much.
(42) And a certain poor widow came, and she threw in two lepta, which is a kodrantes.
(43) And He called His disciples and said to them, Truly I say to you that this poor widow has cast in more than all those who have cast into the treasury.
(44) For all cast in from their abundance. But she, out of her poverty, has cast in all that she had, all her livelihood.
It's interesting, isn't it, that Jesus did not one time mention the uselessness of giving to an ineffective ministry. He didn't complain that the widow's stewardship was obviously lacking... having given to a corrupt priesthood (and it surely was). Nor did He marvel that the widow didn't ask first where her money was going!
Again, this is what I hear the most from "mature" Christians who struggle with the tithe.
"Well, I just want to give it where it's being used for the right thing."
"I don't like the direction the church is headed."
"If I can't dictate what it's being spent on, I'm just going to hang on to it."
Jesus sat and watched those who were giving. His interest was in one thing. Who is really HONORING God? Who has faith? Those are still His questions.
Tuesday, August 03, 2010
Light
Gen 1:16-17 MKJV
(16) And God made two great lights: the greater light to rule the day and the smaller light to rule the night, and the stars also.
(17) And God set them in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth,
When God created the heavens and the earth, He set over the earth two great lights - the sun and the moon. He did this to set rulership over day and night, and to cause division between day and night.
Notice - two lights have dominion over light and darkness. The sun has dominion over the day, while the moon has dominion over the night.
The greater light does not rule over the lesser light. They co-labor - together. Together, they rule over light and darkness.
Mat 4:16 The people who sat in darkness saw a great Light; and Light has sprung up to those who sat in the region and shadow of death."
Joh 12:35 Then Jesus said to them, Yet a little while the Light is with you. Walk while you have the Light, lest darkness come upon you. For he who walks in darkness does not know where he goes.
In scripture, the moon is symbolic of the Church. The Church is the lesser light, but one that co-labors in dominion of light and darkness. The Church should be simply a reflection of the Son.
Are you getting this? Can you see the genius of the Creator here? Have you ever seen both the sun and the moon in the same sky? Yes, of course! How long does that last? Maybe a few minutes? How long did Jesus stay with His newly formed Church? Maybe a few minutes in the broad scheme of things?
Before He left, He told His disciples:
Mat 5:14 You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.
Mat 5:16 Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in Heaven.
Joh 9:5 As long as I am in the world, I am the Light of the world.
The sun has gone down, but the moon is out! There is enough light to walk, but you have to walk a little more carefully. For those of you who have an interest in the eschatological, read carefully:
Mat 24:29 And immediately after the tribulation of those days, the sun shall be darkened and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from the heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken.
Mar 13:24 MKJV
(24) But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light,
Yes, there is coming a time when neither the light of the Son or the light of the Church will be seen, because both will be hidden. I'll let you all draw your own conclusions about that.
(16) And God made two great lights: the greater light to rule the day and the smaller light to rule the night, and the stars also.
(17) And God set them in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth,
When God created the heavens and the earth, He set over the earth two great lights - the sun and the moon. He did this to set rulership over day and night, and to cause division between day and night.
Notice - two lights have dominion over light and darkness. The sun has dominion over the day, while the moon has dominion over the night.
The greater light does not rule over the lesser light. They co-labor - together. Together, they rule over light and darkness.
Mat 4:16 The people who sat in darkness saw a great Light; and Light has sprung up to those who sat in the region and shadow of death."
Joh 12:35 Then Jesus said to them, Yet a little while the Light is with you. Walk while you have the Light, lest darkness come upon you. For he who walks in darkness does not know where he goes.
In scripture, the moon is symbolic of the Church. The Church is the lesser light, but one that co-labors in dominion of light and darkness. The Church should be simply a reflection of the Son.
Are you getting this? Can you see the genius of the Creator here? Have you ever seen both the sun and the moon in the same sky? Yes, of course! How long does that last? Maybe a few minutes? How long did Jesus stay with His newly formed Church? Maybe a few minutes in the broad scheme of things?
Before He left, He told His disciples:
Mat 5:14 You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.
Mat 5:16 Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in Heaven.
Joh 9:5 As long as I am in the world, I am the Light of the world.
The sun has gone down, but the moon is out! There is enough light to walk, but you have to walk a little more carefully. For those of you who have an interest in the eschatological, read carefully:
Mat 24:29 And immediately after the tribulation of those days, the sun shall be darkened and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from the heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken.
Mar 13:24 MKJV
(24) But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light,
Yes, there is coming a time when neither the light of the Son or the light of the Church will be seen, because both will be hidden. I'll let you all draw your own conclusions about that.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Signs Will Follow
Mat 2:1-3
(1) And when Jesus had been born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men arrived from the east to Jerusalem,
(2) saying, Where is He born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.
(3) But Herod the king having heard this, he was troubled and all Jerusalem with him.
After Jesus was born, He upset things right away. Scripture says 'all Jerusalem' was troubled. Wow! And He hadn't even learned to walk! This is significant because it reiterates a truth about who He is, and about who WE are. Jesus was the one the enemy had warred over and worried about ever since the Genesis 3:15 prophecy.
Joh 11:47
(47) Then the chief priests and the Pharisees assembled a sanhedrin, and said, What are we doing, for this man does many signs?
Certainly things did not improve for the enemies of Jesus. Everywhere He went He stirred things up. For the religious, the biggest problem seemed to be the signs. Miracles. It isn't difficult to get past any message that lacks power, but it's incredibly difficult to write off anyone whose message is accompanied by signs of great power. Religion in itself has no power, so it is offended by such a display.
Mar 16:17
(17) And miraculous signs will follow to those believing these things: they will cast out demons in My name; they will speak new languages;
Jesus said that the same signs (even greater) would follow those who believed and abode in Him. He did not say the signs would have to be sought after. He did not say the signs might happen to a few. He said signs would follow. Miraculous signs will follow - if.
(1) And when Jesus had been born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men arrived from the east to Jerusalem,
(2) saying, Where is He born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.
(3) But Herod the king having heard this, he was troubled and all Jerusalem with him.
After Jesus was born, He upset things right away. Scripture says 'all Jerusalem' was troubled. Wow! And He hadn't even learned to walk! This is significant because it reiterates a truth about who He is, and about who WE are. Jesus was the one the enemy had warred over and worried about ever since the Genesis 3:15 prophecy.
Joh 11:47
(47) Then the chief priests and the Pharisees assembled a sanhedrin, and said, What are we doing, for this man does many signs?
Certainly things did not improve for the enemies of Jesus. Everywhere He went He stirred things up. For the religious, the biggest problem seemed to be the signs. Miracles. It isn't difficult to get past any message that lacks power, but it's incredibly difficult to write off anyone whose message is accompanied by signs of great power. Religion in itself has no power, so it is offended by such a display.
Mar 16:17
(17) And miraculous signs will follow to those believing these things: they will cast out demons in My name; they will speak new languages;
Jesus said that the same signs (even greater) would follow those who believed and abode in Him. He did not say the signs would have to be sought after. He did not say the signs might happen to a few. He said signs would follow. Miraculous signs will follow - if.
Tuesday, January 05, 2010
What Shapes Your World?
In the day of Jesus, there were only so many ways to influence the world. Trade. War. Exploration. The Romans understood war, conquest, and occupation. They had a rich culture that spread to the ends of their empire. The Greeks were no different in the time of Alexander. Herod saw the opportunity to build the greatest port of his time, perhaps, at Caesarea. This he did. As a result, Jesus walked in a diverse world of many cultures. Even though His ministry did not physically effect an area much larger than 7 square miles, His message went to the ends of the earth.
Since that time, there has been a massive shift. The only peoples who are still solely effected by trade are the poorest people - those in jungles or in remote outposts. Largely our world today is effected by media, sports, and Hollywood. How have we adapted?
Are our churches setting aside funds to send its kids to seminary? Or are our churches setting aside funds to send its kids to film school? How about... Olympic training camp? Or journalism school?
It's very easy to look back - even past the time of Jesus - and wonder why the Israelites did not seize the opportunity to take control of the trade routes of the world. They could have influenced the entire world for God! But they didn't. It's not as easy to look at the here-and-now and ask the same question.
Mar 16:15 MKJV
(15) And He said to them, Go into all the world, proclaim the gospel to all the creation.
It seems worldly to focus on such things as - film school. But how are we going to influence a dying world if we cannot speak its language?
Since that time, there has been a massive shift. The only peoples who are still solely effected by trade are the poorest people - those in jungles or in remote outposts. Largely our world today is effected by media, sports, and Hollywood. How have we adapted?
Are our churches setting aside funds to send its kids to seminary? Or are our churches setting aside funds to send its kids to film school? How about... Olympic training camp? Or journalism school?
It's very easy to look back - even past the time of Jesus - and wonder why the Israelites did not seize the opportunity to take control of the trade routes of the world. They could have influenced the entire world for God! But they didn't. It's not as easy to look at the here-and-now and ask the same question.
Mar 16:15 MKJV
(15) And He said to them, Go into all the world, proclaim the gospel to all the creation.
It seems worldly to focus on such things as - film school. But how are we going to influence a dying world if we cannot speak its language?
Tuesday, December 08, 2009
Who Has Touched Him?
Mar 5:25-31 And a certain woman who had had an issue of blood twelve years, (26) and had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and had not been bettered any, but rather came to worse, (27) having heard about Jesus, she came in the press behind and touched His garment. (28) For she said, If I may but touch only His clothes, I will be cured. (29) And instantly the fountain of her blood dried up. And she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague. (30) And knowing instantly within Himself that power had gone out of Him, Jesus turned Himself around in the press and said, Who touched My clothes? (31) And His disciples said to Him, You see the crowd pressing on You, and do You say, Who touched Me?
Most of us know this story. We talk about the woman, having suffered so long and having the faith to take a risk. We talk about faith rewarded. But what about all those who had pressed Jesus? What about the many who had touched Him and had never realized.
How many times have we gone to church and left the same way we went in... distracted, annoyed, indifferent? Maybe it wasn't church. Church certainly isn't the only place to find God, although it should be a place we do find Him - without fail. Perhaps that breeze that blew through our hair was His Presence, and we simply thought the AC had kicked on, never knowing the difference.
But He knows the difference, doesn't He.
If we seek nothing, we often find it.
Most of us know this story. We talk about the woman, having suffered so long and having the faith to take a risk. We talk about faith rewarded. But what about all those who had pressed Jesus? What about the many who had touched Him and had never realized.
How many times have we gone to church and left the same way we went in... distracted, annoyed, indifferent? Maybe it wasn't church. Church certainly isn't the only place to find God, although it should be a place we do find Him - without fail. Perhaps that breeze that blew through our hair was His Presence, and we simply thought the AC had kicked on, never knowing the difference.
But He knows the difference, doesn't He.
If we seek nothing, we often find it.
Tuesday, June 09, 2009
A New Thing
Mar 6:45-50(45) And straightway he constrained his disciples to enter into the boat, and to go before him unto the other side to Bethsaida, while he himself sendeth the multitude away.(46) And after he had taken leave of them, he departed into the mountain to pray.(47) And when even was come, the boat was in the midst of the sea, and he alone on the land.(48) And seeing them distressed in rowing, for the wind was contrary unto them, about the fourth watch of the night he cometh unto them, walking on the sea; and he would have passed by them:(49) but they, when they saw him walking on the sea, supposed that it was a ghost, and cried out;(50) for they all saw him, and were troubled. But he straightway spake with them, and saith unto them, Be of good cheer: it is I; be not afraid.
It's really not news anymore that Jesus is willing to do a new thing. It's not only about what He has done, it's what He is doing and what He will do. Viewed in that light, does it not seem silly to only celebrate past moves of God?
The disciples were perhaps the greatest Christians to ever live - by our standards. They walked with him, literally. They knew His teachings, they watched the miracles, and they were used to many of His ways. Then Jesus shows up walking on the water - doing a new thing. They freaked. They were not used to it, and they were highly uncomfortable.
There's the lesson. It was His voice, though, that rang out reassurance. They knew His voice. Jesus said, "My sheep know my voice." Even if God decides to do something different in our midst, we can still be reassured by His voice. Maybe that's why so many congregations refuse a new thing. They aren't His sheep, and they do not recognize the voice.
It's really not news anymore that Jesus is willing to do a new thing. It's not only about what He has done, it's what He is doing and what He will do. Viewed in that light, does it not seem silly to only celebrate past moves of God?
The disciples were perhaps the greatest Christians to ever live - by our standards. They walked with him, literally. They knew His teachings, they watched the miracles, and they were used to many of His ways. Then Jesus shows up walking on the water - doing a new thing. They freaked. They were not used to it, and they were highly uncomfortable.
There's the lesson. It was His voice, though, that rang out reassurance. They knew His voice. Jesus said, "My sheep know my voice." Even if God decides to do something different in our midst, we can still be reassured by His voice. Maybe that's why so many congregations refuse a new thing. They aren't His sheep, and they do not recognize the voice.
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