Mark 9:14-29

N Mark9:14-29 Jesus addresses an imperative part of our lives,if we r to experience “The Miraculousness” of having a right relationship w God.While Jesus was away for a while w Peter,James,&John...the rest of the disciples were being confronted by a crowd arguing w them about THEIR INABILITY to help a man’s son that was being severely tormented by an evil spirit.Jesus addresses the disciples w a stern admonition when he says,”O faithless generation,how long am I to b with you?How long am I to bear w you?Bring him(the boy being tormented)to me.”Jesus’ disciples r not yet fully appreciating/understanding WHO Jesus is,nor WHAT He has come to do!N Mark8:31-32 Jesus tells his disciples more about what He has come to do,&what He is going to suffer.But the disciples don’t “get it” yet!They still have their personal ideas of what being w Jesus means.Jesus’ miracles and His words had been creating quite a following-some that were “impressed by” Jesus,& others that were “threatened by” Jesus.At this point n Jesus’ ministry the disciples were maybe more “motivated” by some of the attention they were getting by being followers of Christ and the authority that He has given them over evil spirits (Mark6:7).Jesus had sent them out as His representatives,& given them the ability to see some pretty cool things happen at their “command”.What they did not yet appreciate was that whatever they were enabled to do was the direct result of their personal relationship w Christ...&what n His sovereign wisdom He knew as The Will of His Father.Jesus commands the evil spirit to come out of the boy.The spirit shrieks and then comes out of the boy!Jesus helps the boy up,and the boy is freed!The disciples come to Jesus & ask Him,”Why couldn’t we drive it out?”Jesus responds,”This kind cannot b driven out by anything but prayer.”Jesus is pointing them to what He says n Matthew6:9-13,”This, then, is how you should pray:“ ‘Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,Your kingdom come,your will be done,on earth as it is in heaven.Give us todayour daily bread.And forgive us our debts,as we also have forgiven our debtors.And lead us not into temptation,but deliver us from the evil one’.”Jesus tells them that their lives should b n AWE of having access to our Father n Heaven & n AWE of Who He is.So much so,that they should overwhelmingly trust Him & desire what God desires...that their hearts/minds/lives desire to become aligned w God’s Heart;God’s Ways;God’s Will.& that they should turn toward dependency in God for all of life,including the authority that Jesus gave them over evil spirits.When we think that anything is within the reach of our own abilities,without turning to God in dependency for His intended purpose & His instruction,we limit ourselves to the realm of what we alone r capable of.We may “accomplish” great things as defined by the world,but we will never see “The Miraculous” happen n our lives!The Miraculous that God wants to use to reveal Himself to us and through us!The Miraculous that reveals God’s Power;Majesty;Authority;Grace;Mercy;& Glory to us personally & through us to those around us.We will lack the AWE of God n our lives,&not experience The Miraculousness of His Presence n our life & through our life.Dear Jesus,forgive me for being so independent of You n so much of my life.Teach me what it means to turn to You n total dependence for Your Mercy;Grace;Wisdom;Discernment;Power;Authority;& whatever other areas I am missing.Take me to see & know The Miraculousness of having You as my Savior&Lord.

Mark 8:38

N Mark8:38 Jesus says,”if anyone is ashamed of me & my words n this adulterous & sinful generation,the Son of Man will b ashamed of him when he comes n his Father’s glory with holy angels.”When Jesus addresses my attitude/posture about his words n this verse,he is calling me to a faith that can only b supernatural.Because a lot of what is recorded n the Bible IS SUPERNATURAL/MIRACULOUS!Jesus’ birth;resurrection;& ascension...r SUPERNATURAL/MIRACULOUS!Let alone how he lived;what he said;what he did,etc.This also calls me to seek real answers/real wisdom/real discernment for those areas that I have questions about Jesus &/or The Word of God!& to NOT begin picking & choosing what I find “easy to swallow” of what the Bible records as TRUTH!Jesus is calling me to grow n knowing HIM & HIS WORD,& to seek TRUTH as I seek the answers to the questions I have.Most importantly though,Jesus is stating that the foundational hypothesis(a supposition or proposed explanation made on the basis of limited evidence as a starting point for further investigation&understanding)for all knowledge & understanding is to be his words...as revealed n The Bible.To do anything less will actually lead me to anemic ideas about God & what HE has done to express HIS love for me.What Jesus is calling me to n Mark8:38 is to a personal knowledge/appreciation of God that is the only thing that can cause me to b n awe of HIM as Moses was when he collapsed to the ground because of being n the presence of The AWESOMENESS/MIRACULOUSNESS/SUPERNATURALNESS...of God!To believe anything less than what the Bible says about God & what HE has done will hack away at the AWESOMENESS/MIRACULOUSNESS/SUPERNATURALNESS...of God n my life,&will lead me to a comparatively anemic appreciation for what Jesus has done for me through His Birth;Life;Sufferings;Death;Resurrection;Ascension;as well as HIS Promises for what HE is to do n the future!Romans2:20 says this-“For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities - His eternal power & His divine nature -have been clearly seen,being understood from what has been made,so that men are without excuses.”Satan has full knowledge of this!& that is why satan has come up w endless ways to get men&women to accept less than what God says as truth...less than what the Bible records & prophecy’s as TRUTH.If we fall prey to Satan’s schemes to “take away” bits&pieces of what God records as TRUTH..,even if we call ourselves Christian,our paradigm of faith will be far from what Jesus desires...far from what he was miraculously born to do for me...far from what he lived for;suffered for;died for!And I will miss the awesomeness of the depth&breadth of what his resurrection&ascension promise for me!Dear Lord,lead me to Your Answers to the questions I have about You and Your Word.Let my heart & mind b tuned n2 Your Spirit for Your Wisdom& Discernment as I become increasingly in AWE of You,&what You have done!Grow me n my appreciation & love for WHO YOU ARE,& YOUR LOVE for me!

Mark 7:1-23

N Mark7:1-23,Jesus draws from everyday “life stuff” to unpack a lesson of the heart I need to soak in for a while.A group of Pharisees r bothered by some of the disciples not ceremonially cleaning themselves after being among a bunch of Gentiles and some Jews that didn’t adhere to Jewish Traditions!This ceremonial cleaning was something conjured up by the religious leaders,& not w/in the precepts of God’s Word(The Truth)!People had added to what God says(diluting&tainting what God does say!),& the result was that these people defiled themselves by how their lives had changed n ways that were far from what is RIGHT&TRUE as described by God.By teaching such things that are not from God’s Heart,followers of these teachings were allowing their hearts to become defiled(desecrate or profane something sacred).So,what they taught & the way they lived profaned the “proclamation” of their faith,i.e.,their claim to be followers of God!We r constantly bombarded by things that will dilute &/or taint our heart.This is why all things need to be “filtered”/discerned by God’s Word(The Truth)so we can identify those things that we need to “demolish” from our lives so we may bring our minds/hearts/lives in line w Christ(2Cor10:5 “We demolish arguments & every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God(revealed through God’s Word&Spirit),& we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”).Anything that challenges what God has revealed about Himself;what HE has done;His principles&precepts...is aiming directly at the heart of man&woman for the purpose of defiling not only God’s Word&Truth,but especially the PURPOSE for God’s Word&Truth n the heart of man&woman(Cor5:21 says,”God made him who knew no sin to be sin for us,so that we might become the righteousness of God.”).The PURPOSE of God’s Word&Truth is for us to be saved from sin AND to be made righteous by Christ!Being made righteous “happens” as I live my life according to God’s Heart as revealed through Christ (NJohn14:6 Jesus says,”I am the WAY & THE TRUTH & THE LIFE,no one comes to the Father except through me.”).Anything that taints;dilutes;or attempts to “change” what God says...is “setting itself up against the knowledge of God” in my life!Dear Jesus,I have many ideas/thoughts that set themselves up wrongly n my life...Please open my eyes to know these...and help me remove these and replace them with YOU!

Mark 6:51-52;Mark 8:14-21; Psalm 19

N Mark chapter 6,after He has fed 5000,Jesus walks on the water to the boat carrying his disciples & calms the headwind that was making it difficult for them to make progress.The disciples were “utterly astounded,for they did not understand about the loaves,but their hearts were hardened”(Mark6:51-52).The disciples had just seen Jesus take 5 loaves of bread & 2 fish...& turn them n2 enough bread & fish to feed 5000!But they “did not understand about the loaves”..they did not understand what Jesus was teaching&showing them about Who He Is&His Great Love...,so they did not yet know Jesus as GOD!They did not seek to let the significance of what they just experienced impact their understanding for WHO Jesus is!They let the awesomeness of what they just experienced go right by w/out rightly capturing it n their minds&hearts...and their hearts were hardened!Some days pass,& once again the disciples see Jesus turn a few loaves and fish n2 more than enough food 2 feed 4000.Afterwords,they r again in a boat w Jesus..HE is warning them/teaching them about corruption & evil!They totally “missed the boat” on what Jesus is warning/teaching about,& their hearts were hardened,and again they do not make the effort to capture n their minds&hearts what Jesus is revealing to them..they “Do not yet understand”(Mark8:14-21).When we do not seek 2 rightly understand what God has done through all He has created;revealed through His Word;& through only Christ has shown/taught/demonstrated 2 us n some way,we run the dangerous risk of our hearts becoming hard.Satan is fully aware of this,and he has been throwing all sorts of delusional/misleading tactics at humanity from the very 1st misleadingly of Adam&Eve.Satan has done & will do everything he can 2 rob us of having a right understanding of all GOD has done;is doing;& will do!For he knows not only the significance of what Jesus is urging into the lives of his disciples here,but he also knows the significance of this & the truths of Psalm19 for our lives(Psalm19, “The heavens are telling of the Glory of God;And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands.Day to day pours forth speech,And night to night reveals knowledge.There is no speech, nor are there words,whose voice is not heard.Their voice goes out through all the earth,And their words to the end of the world.In them He has placed a tent for the sun,Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber;It rejoices as a strong man to run his course w joy.Its rising is from the end of the heavens,And its circuit to the end of them;And there is nothing hidden from its heat.The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul;The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart;The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.The fear(Reverence)of the Lord is clean, enduring forever;The rules of the Lord are true; they are righteous altogether.They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold;Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb.Moreover, by them Your servant is warned;In keeping them there is great reward.Who can discern his errors? Declare me innocent of hidden faults.Also keep back Your servant from presumptuous sins;Let them not rule over me;Then I will be blameless,And I shall be acquitted of great transgression.Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight,O Lord, my rock and my Redeemer.”).When we do not seek 2 rightly capture/appreciate what God has has done&revealed through all creation&all life as Psalm19 describes,we will have our hearts hardened.& if we once had hearts receptive 2 God’s Glory & changed by God’s Glory revealed 2 us...if we wane from rightly capturing/appreciating God’s Glory revealed 2 us through Christ,we will fade from an intimate relationship w God our Father in Heaven.Dear Jesus,I am just like the men in the boat...missing so much of what You have revealed to me because of my not rightly capturing/appreciating what You have said and done.Please correct these issues n my mind/heart & life,& guide me&help me 2 know You n all the ways You reveal Yourself to me...& May Your Word b the “rules” that make these issues right&true n my life.

Mark 4:8-9

Jesus says something in Mark4:8-9 that I need 2 make a regular question in my life!He has told the Parable if the Sower and the Soils!The last soil is the GOOD soil,the soil that is obviously the one that I need to be.Jesus says,”And the other seed fell into good soil & produced grain,growing up & increasing & yielding thirty fold & sixtyfold & a hundredfold. & he said,he who has ears,let him hear.”LET HIM HEAR!It is important to Jesus for me 2 understand the significance of what he is saying in this parable!Because,among other things,it is Jesus’ giving me a way to tell if I am “spiritually healthy”,or if I am “declining”.Jesus wants me to know the condition of my heart/life with him,so I can make corrections in my life before I “get to far gone”.N Mark4:8-9 Jesus is giving me signs to look for n my life that indicate a healthy relationship w him!If When the soil of my life is healthy & vibrant,there will be good things growing out of my life...things that r “nutritious”/edifying in the ways that the Lord describes as good!If there r other things growing out of my life or my life is “drying up”,I am becoming one of the other soils that Jesus is warning me about!N these 2 verses though,Jesus is giving me a way to get an accurate read on the condition of my heart/life as it relates to this parable,so I can make the adjustments needed b4 I get “too far into the weeds”,or shrivel up!I need to regularly ask myself questions about what growth there is n my heart/life & out from my heart/life?!What is growing n my heart/mind/spirit(the soil of my life) as a result of where&how I invest my time/heart/mind?What is growing out from my life?What kind of fruit is growing from my life?Is there any fruit growing out from my life?(Matthew7:17-20,”Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.”).If I am sincere about my life being spiritually healthy,then I will regularly check what is “growing out of my life”!The same way we need to have regular physical check ups so we r not surprised by declines of 1 kind or another,we need to do the same for our spiritual life!I need to b more aware of the condition of my heart/mind/spirit/life for Christ!What r the thoughts growing n my mind?What r the things growing attached to my heart?What do I see around me & n peoples lives around me as a result of my life n theirs?Where do I see trends n my life that may not be growing the right things n my life&heart?And many other questions that God’s Word or the Holy Spirit May b giving me!These r all for my good! Whether I admit it or not,I am always asking myself questions about my life...about how I am doing relative to something!I just need to make the questions “relative” to those things that r “relative” to a good soil n my heart/life!Dear Lord,even though I am asking myself personal questions a lot...,please bring the questions to my mind/heart/spirit that I need to b asking...& give me the wisdom & discernment & discipline & strength,enabling the right corrections n my life...so that I have Your fruit growing  n and from my life.