MARK THIS!
Mark 10: 13 Mark this: Unless you accept God's kingdom in the simplicity of a child, you'll never get in." The disciples shooed the children away. Jesus gathered them up in His arms, laying His hands of blessing on them.
BE ALL IN!
Mark 10:21 21-22 Jesus looked The Rich Ruler hard in the eye—and loved him! Jesus said to him that although he thought he had always kept the commandments, "there's one thing left: Go sell whatever you own and give it to the poor. And come follow me." No. "He was holding on tight to a lot of things, and not about to let go."
OPEN THE EYES OF MY HEART~
Mark 10:51 Jesus asked the blind man: "What can I do for you? I want to see, Rabbi." The blind man's faith saved and healed him. He received more than physical sight. He really saw for the first time! And that also meant that he lost his job as a beggar. He lost his reputation, even his family didn't back him up when others asked about his healing. But what he found was the Son of Man Who opened the eyes of his heart to what really matters in life.
PRAY FOR EVERYTHING
Mark 11:23 "I urge you to pray for absolutely everything, ranging from small to large. Include everything as you embrace this God-life, and you'll get God's everything. And when you assume the posture of prayer, remember that it's not all asking...forgive."
God, help me to not hold on tight to my dog. Macy the dog is not doing well. If she's not better by Thursday, the vet wants to put her to sleep. I would so love to see her one more time. I'll pray about the small and large and leave it in His lap---but I keep picking it back up wanting to end it with what I see looks good for me. Pray for me please! I want to see my dog before we have to put her down. Pray it works out. Thanks so much. It's just a dog but she has been a great one and been with me through the thick and thin of this past decade. Couln't have been a better dog for me!
ReplyDeleteI remember when our dog had cancer and we finally realized we were doing more "to" our dog than "for" our dog. I know what you are going through. Praying for you!
ReplyDeleteMark 10:21 - 21Jesus looked him hard in the eye—and loved him! He said, "There's one thing left:” What is the one thing keeping me from embracing this God-life? Jesus in love, is asking. The mountain that won’t move will move by prayer.
ReplyDeleteMark 11:22-25 - "Embrace this God-life. Really embrace it, and nothing will be too much for you."
"...accept God's kingdom in the simplicity of a child." (Mark 10:15) A child just believes...and a child will ask. A child will pray. My five year old God-child's advice to me last week: "Why don't you pray to God?" ASK!
ReplyDelete"It's your lucky day! Get up! He's calling you to come!" (Mark 10:49)
COME!
"What can I do for you?" (Mark 10:51) He invites us to ASK.
"Embrace this God-life...pray for absolutely everything, ranging from small to large. Include everything as you embrace this God-life..." (Mark 11:22-25) Don't you love the fact that we can pray about anything/everything? Even for a dog who has been there "through thick and thin." And for a dear friend who has been here for us, "through thick and thin." Praying, Bev!
May He comfort you today!
Love and Blessings,
FG
Bev, forgot to mention that I'm praying Psalm 20 for you. (And you know me...NKJV!)
ReplyDeleteDeborah and Mary Lou...I've been praying for y'all too. Standing in the gap!
FG
22 -25Jesus was matter-of-fact: "Embrace this God-life. Really embrace it, and nothing will be too much for you. This mountain, for instance: Just say, 'Go jump in the lake'—no shuffling or shilly-shallying—and it's as good as done. That's why I urge you to pray for absolutely everything, ranging from small to large. Include everything as you embrace this God-life, and you'll get God's everything. And when you assume the posture of prayer, remember that it's not all asking. If you have anything against someone, forgive—only then will your heavenly Father be inclined to also wipe your slate clean of sins."
ReplyDeleteI have read that passage so many times, never really got it about the mountain jumping into the lake, I mean really, how many times has that ever happened? What I think Jesus was saying here was to believe, trust, turn it over to Him, and before you know it, what seemed like a mountain of trouble has been washed away by His love and Grace.
HOWEVER......the big thing that hit me today was it's not going to happen if we still have unforgiveness in our hearts. Ouch, that cuts to the quick. As I look into my heart, I don't have to get all that deep until I find the jagged shards of unforgiveness, anger, hurt, betrayal,gossip,etc. All things I need to address before my Heavenly Father wipes my slate totally clean. I want to jump into that lake with all that mountain of worry and sins, unforgiveness, and be washed clean, I want to totally embrace this God-life, so I can receive God's Everything.
I shouldn't be amazed but the Lord just keeps on reinforcing the very struggles that I am having between my head and my heart. It's a good thing! Again, I am reminded of my "what ifs?" from yesterday's reading.
ReplyDeleteMark 9:23-24 Jesus said, "If? There are no 'ifs' among believers. Anything can happen."
No sooner were the words out of his mouth than the father cried, "Then I believe. Help me with my doubts!"
Yes, Lord help me in my unbelief and to rest and abide in the unseen, to be a "prisoner of hope."
I had the privilege of hearing Thelma Wells last evening at our church. What she shared seemed to tie in so well to today's passages. She shared from Joshua 1: 1-2 After the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, it came to pass that the LORD spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ assistant, saying: “Moses My servant is dead. Now therefore, arise and go . . ."
Thelma shared that we are holding on to dead stuff. "Moses is dead." It is time to bury "the dead stuff" and arise and go and "to be fully surrendered." As I read Mark 10: 22 this morning, The man's face clouded over. This was the last thing he expected to hear, and he walked off with a heavy heart. He was holding on tight to a lot of things, and not about to let go. I have to ask myself, what am I holding on to? What is keeping me from being totally surrendered?
Lord, I desire to arise and go and here in Your word you show us how:
Mark 11: 22-25 Jesus was matter-of-fact: "Embrace this God-life. Really embrace it, and nothing will be too much for you. This mountain, for instance: Just say, 'Go jump in the lake'—no shuffling or shilly-shallying—and it's as good as done. That's why I urge you to pray for absolutely everything, ranging from small to large. Include everything as you embrace this God-life, and you'll get God's everything. And when you assume the posture of prayer, remember that it's not all asking. If you have anything against someone, forgive—only then will your heavenly Father be inclined to also wipe your slate clean of sins."
Do we believe, I mean really believe? Even the demons believe and shudder. Just taught on this verse this morning. Faith in the head is dead. It's only alive from the heart. And what so attracts me to each of you is that you are wrestling with what is going on inside of your hearts. Phil 1:21---AND it's the implanted word in you that is rescuing you! Always love coming here and reading what God is stirring in each of you. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteWell said Angie---thanks for your concern. Coming from you---I know you understand. May we know what's best for the dog's life. Macy kind of caught a "second wind" and got up and walked on her own this a.m. for first time since Thursday. 24 hours of antibiotics has helped. Our last dog had cancer and we had to put her to sleep. God help us. Grateful we can ask for small and large. Asking for both this day!
ReplyDelete"Show us your credentials."
ReplyDeleteThey asked Jesus Christ to show them his credentials. These religious men. They studied daily every jot and tittle of the scrolls. They knew the law backwards and forwards. They could quote "begats" for hours!
And here he stands...God in a body...AND THEY ASK FOR HIS CREDENTIALS!!!
What if he had given them a taste of his Godness? But he had. And they denied his power.
I actually have had the pleasure of working with aerospace engineers. And when you need an aerospace engineer, you want one with credentials that qualify him to guide and direct great feats of the mystery of flight.
But when it comes to the redemption of mankind, what do I want?
1. I want my God to love me.
2. I want my God to pursue me.
3. I want my God to show me mercy.
4. I want my God to know me inside-out. And love me anyway.
5. I want my God to perform the work of salvation for me. I don't want to save myself. Works fail every time for me. I need tons of Grace. Trillion tons.
And on top of all that, I want relationship with my God. Forget the crowns, the places of honor at His left hand and His right hand. I just want to sit with Him, talk with Him, love Him and worship Him. And I want Him to "be" with me.
He meets all those credentials and so much more. He is Beyond Beyond to me...
And Bev, He cares about Macy. I so pray that she will be better soon.
24 hours on an antibiotic and she's up walking for first time in 5 days...I wonder...hmmmmm. She got into the trash bigtime on Thursday and ate a bunch of raw chicken---salmonella infested chicken. Wonder if her compromised immune system with the anemia and heartworms just wore her body out to fight the infection? I wish I had been a doctor! I think she might have had food poisoning---but what do I know??? Probably a combination of all of that. Thanks for caring about my dog dilemma.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful Bev,
ReplyDeleteI am so thrilled Macy, your fur child is doing better today. I praise God for the pet's He allows in our lives during child raising and even after. I grew up without a pet due to effect of family cat Betsy when I was four years old. Doctor told my parents that my sister and I could not have any more pets.
When I married in 1969 Les always had a dog. We moved to Houston in 1974 and three months later in August during the first week of school and I was teaching at the time, Les brought home this precious puppy from the office. Our young girls were estatic who were preschoolers at the time. We had our first puppy, Sam a Cocker Poo. My life with animals was changed forever. I have lost count of the dogs that have enhanced our lives because of our youngest daughter, Valerie who really connected with these animals. I understand how a fur child can bless you beyond words.
God cares about his animal kingdom creation and yet cares even more about his creation of man and woman.
Oh, may I recieve His Grace Mercy and Peace and always be thankful for what He allows in my life today on Plan A because there is No Plan B. He is Elohim, God Almighty, Jehovah Raphe and Jehovah Jireh, he God who heals ALL our hurts and The God who provides everything we need to accomplish His purpose for our lives. He is the Great I AM and so much more.
Feel a hug from your Siesta Pearl, This is a Song I must Sing.
Sylvia