THE IMPLANTED WORD SAVES ME
Jesus kept on telling stories. Why? Scripture interprets Scripture. Phil 1:21 - it's the implanted Word that saves you. God, would you keep planting these stories in our hearts?
RUBBING HANDS TOGETHER IN GREED.
Mark 12:7 -8 "Those farmhands saw their chance. They rubbed their hands together in greed and said, 'This is the heir! Let's kill him and have it all for ourselves.' They grabbed the son, killed him, and threw him over the fence." Unbelievable. I feel that people are doing that to me. But this is about me not them---am I throwing people under the bus, over the fence in my thoughts? The crowd wanted to lynch Jesus then and there but held back. They knew the story was about them (12:12) and they got out of there as fast as they could.
YOU DON'T KNOW YOUR BIBLE.
Mark 12:18 Some Sadducees, the party that denies any possibility of resurrection, came up and asked, "Teacher, Moses wrote that if a man dies and leaves a wife but no child, his brother is obligated to marry the widow and have children." Jesus response: One, you don't know your Bibles; two, you don't know how God works.
GIVE WHAT YOU CAN'T AFFORD
Mark 12:41 "Sitting across from the offering box, Jesus observed how the crowd tossed money in for the collection. Many of the rich were making large contributions. One poor widow came up and put in two small coins—a measly two cents. Jesus called his disciples over and said, "The truth is that this poor widow gave more to the collection than all the others put together. All the others gave what they'll never miss; she gave extravagantly what she couldn't afford—she gave her all." Mark 13:17 - "Stay with it—that's what is required. Stay with it to the end. You won't be sorry; you'll be saved...but be ready to run for it when you see the monster of desecration set up where it should never be."
KEEP WATCH
Sun fades out...
Moon clouds over,
Stars fall out of the sky,
Cosmic powers tremble.
The Son of Man enters in grand style
His Arrival filling the sky—no one will miss it!
He'll dispatch the angels;
They will pull in the chosen from the four winds, from pole to pole.
You are one of the chosen from those four winds so
Stay at your post. Keep watch (13:37)
Mark 12: 24 - You're way off base, and here's why: One, you don't know your Bibles; two, you don't know how God works.” Jesus tells us why we get off track. Our studying His Word has been a journey of unveiling for me. The first time, I had never read the Bible from cover to cover and there was a lot of new material for me, and areas that I had heard quoted but didn’t realize were Scriptures. This time through, I am gaining insights into Words, placed in context of the whole, that give new understanding. I am convinced I could read the same chapter every day for the rest of my life and get something new from it each time I read it. Not different, but new. God meets us where we are each morning on the pages of His Word and speaks to our hearts concerning our very personal needs. And afterward, I go and see where God is working in your hearts, and I am amazed again, touched by the unique way He touches each of you.
ReplyDeleteMark 12:29-31 - love the Lord God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence and energy.' And here is the second: 'Love others as well as you love yourself.' There is no other commandment that ranks with these." Passion, prayer, intelligence and energy as tools to love with—once more we see love is an action verb, not a feeling. Lord, help us to love as You do, in big ways that move us to action.
Mark 12:44 - "The truth is that this poor widow gave more to the collection than all the others put together. All the others gave what they'll never miss; she gave extravagantly what she couldn't afford—she gave her all." God knows our hearts. He knows what offerings we give and what is extravagant. Right now, for me, a gift of my time is more generous. I am acutely aware that a sacrifice for God involves my contrite heart, my letting go of anything or anyone I place too much value on.
Mark 13:9,10 – “You're placed there as sentinels to truth. The Message has to be preached all across the world.” Where am I placed that I am to be the guard at the door to truth? I think of family members who I choose not to debate, friends that are off track whom I neglect, national issues that I avoid. I have a God-appointed job to stand for truth, to carry His Good News to the lost. Help me to do it with a “joyful urgency,” Lord.
Mark 13:13 – “Stay with it—that's what is required. Stay with it to the end. You won't be sorry; you'll be saved.” I have a track record of quitting when the going gets tough. Things are going to get a lot worse before they get better. Lord, help us to stand in Your strength, to run the full race, not to cave under peer pressure, to finish well and be saved.
Mark 13:32-37 – “But the exact day and hour? No one knows that, not even heaven's angels, not even the Son. Only the Father. So keep a sharp lookout, for you don't know the timetable. . .You don't want him showing up unannounced, with you asleep on the job. I say it to you, and I'm saying it to all: Stay at your post. Keep watch."
"What do you think the owner of the vineyard will do? Right. He'll come and clean house. Then he'll assign the care of the vineyard to others."
ReplyDeleteThe ones who were convicted by this story Christ told weren't changed. They came after him all the more.
Praying that my heart will be convicted by God's Word and that I will be changed and not incensed over His convicting Truth.
Pride.
Unbelief.
The very root of sin.
Conviction is to be desired. Wonder if these listeners felt any shame? Did they blush?