Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. "And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."—John 8:31-32
In the context of this passage Jesus is speaking to the brand new believer instructing them to continue in their belief by abiding in His word.
Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God. Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. (2 John 1:9, ESV)
Perseverance in obedience to Scripture is the fruit or evidence of genuine faith. A true believer holds fast, obeys, and practices Jesus’ teaching. To walk in the freedom and liberty of Christ is to walk habitually abiding in His word.
At the time of conversion we are set free from the law of sin and death. We walk in newness of life by His Spirit of Truth who dwells in us and directs our path as we surrender to His leading.
For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, "Abba, Father."—Romans 8:2;15
I asked myself what the reality of that spiritual principle looks like in my own life. How does abiding in the truth of God’s word set me free?
It sets me free from the tyranny of me...from my sin, my selfishness. It releases me from the lies that abound in this world and the deceit of my past. It enables me to escape from wrong thinking and the baggage of my past. The word helps me to do as it says in Hebrews 12:1—to lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares me and run with endurance the race that is set before me.
Psalm 119 begins with these words:
Blessed are the undefiled in the way,
Who walk in the law of the LORD!
There are countless ways that I can pervert my path during the course of even just one day. Abiding sets me back on right paths. It realigns my thinking...it “re-minds” me. Abiding is how my God ministers to my heart. It is where I meet Him and enter His Presence. It is where I find forgiveness, wisdom, comfort, grace and help. It is how I grow spiritually. It is how my countenance is lifted and the means by which I am transformed into His image. Abiding is where my fruit is found.
Monday, May 20, 2019
Seeing as Man Sees...
And there came out from the camp of the Philistines a champion named Goliath of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span. (1 Samuel 17:4, ESV)
Oh Father! This one is so important. I confess that I so often see my circumstances as man sees...my heart fails and my strength and faith with it. Like Saul and all of Israel, I become dismayed and greatly afraid. Like them, I focus on outward appearances (10:23-34;15:30) and am able to be influenced by the fear of man (12:12;15:24). On human terms, the “Goliaths” we face seem invincible. Oh help me, like David, to remember that You are with me. Help me to go out into this world like David did...in Your name and in Your strength desiring only Your glory. He ran toward Goliath unencumbered by fear and emboldened by faith. Thank you for Your Presence that goes with me.
Oh Father! This one is so important. I confess that I so often see my circumstances as man sees...my heart fails and my strength and faith with it. Like Saul and all of Israel, I become dismayed and greatly afraid. Like them, I focus on outward appearances (10:23-34;15:30) and am able to be influenced by the fear of man (12:12;15:24). On human terms, the “Goliaths” we face seem invincible. Oh help me, like David, to remember that You are with me. Help me to go out into this world like David did...in Your name and in Your strength desiring only Your glory. He ran toward Goliath unencumbered by fear and emboldened by faith. Thank you for Your Presence that goes with me.
Tuesday, May 14, 2019
Following is the Only Proof of Coming.” ...
Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, "I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life."
I read something this morning by Frances R Havergal that was very convicting about following Jesus...the words that caused me to read further were these:
“Following is the only proof of coming.”
Jesus here in John 8, vs 12 says that those who follow Him shall not walk in darkness but will have the light of life. How do we know we are following Him? “Following”, the article said, is not standing still and you can’t follow something without coming away from something else. Makes sense. If you are not deluding yourself or seeking refuge in lies, your following Jesus will be just as real as your coming to Jesus was. The author asks, “What have you left behind to follow Him?” What have you left off doing for His sake? Good questions...
Jesus left us an example, the Bible says, to follow in His steps...how closely matched are my own steps to Jesus’?
Here was the convicting part for me. The author urged the reader to go through just one gospel with the guidance of the Holy Spirit with the express purpose of noting the steps of Jesus. With that accomplished the author said, you would see very clearly whether are following or not. Using Acts 10:38 the author gives us one indication of what those steps might be.
“how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.”—Acts 10:38
“Went about doing good”...it does not say that He went about doing no harm but that He proactively sought to do good. Umm...for me on most days that is a fail.
Being convicted is never pleasant but God’s ways...Wisdom’s ways...are ways of pleasantness and Wisdom’s paths peace. You, Father, will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
Father...show me where my footsteps are not in alignment with Yours and by the power of Your Spirit give me that desire to walk pleasing You and may this be where my joy is found.
I read something this morning by Frances R Havergal that was very convicting about following Jesus...the words that caused me to read further were these:
“Following is the only proof of coming.”
Jesus here in John 8, vs 12 says that those who follow Him shall not walk in darkness but will have the light of life. How do we know we are following Him? “Following”, the article said, is not standing still and you can’t follow something without coming away from something else. Makes sense. If you are not deluding yourself or seeking refuge in lies, your following Jesus will be just as real as your coming to Jesus was. The author asks, “What have you left behind to follow Him?” What have you left off doing for His sake? Good questions...
Jesus left us an example, the Bible says, to follow in His steps...how closely matched are my own steps to Jesus’?
Here was the convicting part for me. The author urged the reader to go through just one gospel with the guidance of the Holy Spirit with the express purpose of noting the steps of Jesus. With that accomplished the author said, you would see very clearly whether are following or not. Using Acts 10:38 the author gives us one indication of what those steps might be.
“how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.”—Acts 10:38
“Went about doing good”...it does not say that He went about doing no harm but that He proactively sought to do good. Umm...for me on most days that is a fail.
Being convicted is never pleasant but God’s ways...Wisdom’s ways...are ways of pleasantness and Wisdom’s paths peace. You, Father, will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
Father...show me where my footsteps are not in alignment with Yours and by the power of Your Spirit give me that desire to walk pleasing You and may this be where my joy is found.
A Heart Like David’s...
And the Lord said, “Arise, anoint him; for this is the one!”—1 Samuel 16:12
Why was David chosen...what made him special. The answer is in 1 Samuel 13:14
The Lord has sought for Himself a man after His own heart, and the Lord had commanded him to be commander over His people.
I so want a heart like David’s. A heart that desires what God desires. A heart that seeks Him with all that I have. How do we get a heart that seeks the heart of God? There is really only one way and that is from spending time with Him in His word and in prayer. Praying that with the time I have remaining on this earth that by His grace I would choose like Mary, to sit at His feet and learn from Him.
“Where did David get this heart?” I really enjoyed reading David Guzik here:
Obviously, from time spent with the Lord. But someone started him on that path. David says nothing of his father, but twice in the Psalms he refers to his mother as a maidservant of the Lord (Psalm 86:16 and Psa 116:16). Probably, it was David’s godly mother who poured her heart and love and devotion of the Lord into him, and gave him a foundation to build on in his own walk with the Lord. Like Timothy, God used David’s mother to pour into him a godly faith (2 Timothy 1:5).”
Be inspired and encouraged...choose the better part...the part that cannot be taken from you....and in so doing set an example for the little ones (and maybe even the bigger ones) in your life to do the same.
Why was David chosen...what made him special. The answer is in 1 Samuel 13:14
The Lord has sought for Himself a man after His own heart, and the Lord had commanded him to be commander over His people.
I so want a heart like David’s. A heart that desires what God desires. A heart that seeks Him with all that I have. How do we get a heart that seeks the heart of God? There is really only one way and that is from spending time with Him in His word and in prayer. Praying that with the time I have remaining on this earth that by His grace I would choose like Mary, to sit at His feet and learn from Him.
“Where did David get this heart?” I really enjoyed reading David Guzik here:
Obviously, from time spent with the Lord. But someone started him on that path. David says nothing of his father, but twice in the Psalms he refers to his mother as a maidservant of the Lord (Psalm 86:16 and Psa 116:16). Probably, it was David’s godly mother who poured her heart and love and devotion of the Lord into him, and gave him a foundation to build on in his own walk with the Lord. Like Timothy, God used David’s mother to pour into him a godly faith (2 Timothy 1:5).”
Be inspired and encouraged...choose the better part...the part that cannot be taken from you....and in so doing set an example for the little ones (and maybe even the bigger ones) in your life to do the same.
Guilty of Loving too Much...
In return for my love they accuse me, but I give myself to prayer. (Psalms 109:4, ESV)
It doesn’t get much harder than verse 4 in the life of a believer. Romans 13, verse 8 tells us to owe no one anything but love because love does no harm...love fulfills the law. David tells us here that he is hated by them because he loved them. He was guilty of loving too much. What should have earned him gratitude and love earned him their hatred. The same was true for our Lord Jesus and the same will be true for us as believers...they will render to us evil for our good because we follow after who is good. (Ps 38:20)
But here is the beautiful picture that we see in David as well as Jesus.
“but I give myself to prayer”....in the Hebrew this is rendered “but I am prayer” David literally became prayer. He leaves his adversaries unanswered and goes to His Lord in prayer. He commits Himself to the One who judges righteously. Before his accusers, he is silent.
I am reminded of what Paul said in 2 Corinthians 12:15:
“And I will very gladly spend and be spent for you; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved.”
In Matthew 10 Jesus reminds us that the disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord. In the same chapter He says, “Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword.” Sadly, as believers we may face times of being rejected by those we love...even by those in whom we have literally poured our lives, simply because we love and follow Jesus.
Our hearts, as David’s was, will hurt and be wounded within us. But that’s okay...we are loved with an everlasting love and can entrust our hearts AND our souls to our God who who judges righteously. We are in good company and can make His footsteps our pathway.
Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me?—John 10:32
And they were filled with madness; and communed one with another what they might do to Jesus. And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.—Luke 6:11-12
But as for me, my prayer is to you, O LORD. At an acceptable time, O God, in the abundance of your steadfast love answer me in your saving faithfulness. Psalms 69:13,
It doesn’t get much harder than verse 4 in the life of a believer. Romans 13, verse 8 tells us to owe no one anything but love because love does no harm...love fulfills the law. David tells us here that he is hated by them because he loved them. He was guilty of loving too much. What should have earned him gratitude and love earned him their hatred. The same was true for our Lord Jesus and the same will be true for us as believers...they will render to us evil for our good because we follow after who is good. (Ps 38:20)
But here is the beautiful picture that we see in David as well as Jesus.
“but I give myself to prayer”....in the Hebrew this is rendered “but I am prayer” David literally became prayer. He leaves his adversaries unanswered and goes to His Lord in prayer. He commits Himself to the One who judges righteously. Before his accusers, he is silent.
I am reminded of what Paul said in 2 Corinthians 12:15:
“And I will very gladly spend and be spent for you; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved.”
In Matthew 10 Jesus reminds us that the disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord. In the same chapter He says, “Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword.” Sadly, as believers we may face times of being rejected by those we love...even by those in whom we have literally poured our lives, simply because we love and follow Jesus.
Our hearts, as David’s was, will hurt and be wounded within us. But that’s okay...we are loved with an everlasting love and can entrust our hearts AND our souls to our God who who judges righteously. We are in good company and can make His footsteps our pathway.
Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me?—John 10:32
And they were filled with madness; and communed one with another what they might do to Jesus. And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.—Luke 6:11-12
But as for me, my prayer is to you, O LORD. At an acceptable time, O God, in the abundance of your steadfast love answer me in your saving faithfulness. Psalms 69:13,
Saturday, May 11, 2019
Turned Into Another Man....
"Then the Spirit of the LORD will come upon you, and you will prophesy with them and be turned into another man. "And let it be, when these signs come to you, that you do as the occasion demands; for God is with you.—1 Samuel 10:6-7
I loved reading this in 1st Samuel. God told Saul through Samuel that the Spirit of the Lord would come upon him and he would prophesy and be turned into another man, temporarily. An immeasurably better thing happens in the hearts of believers today as they yield their lives to the Spirit of God. He turns them into a different person... forever.
Our God meets us where we are with all our dents and our scrapes. He met me when I cried out to Him in utter terror and grief. When, as last resort, I lifted my arms to Him. He met me right where I was...very deep in the muck and mire of this world. He pulled me up and set me in a broad place and put His Spirit in my heart and turned me into another woman. He has done it all since....all I needed to do was stay close to Him and abide in His word. He has given me beauty for ashes. He has done exceedingly abundantly in my life. Have their been difficult times? Absolutely. But His right hand upholds me and walks me through them all. He overrules all of them for my good and His glory. My job as was Saul's is to obey Him and do as the occasion demands because my God is with me. The results are always up to Him.
Praying also once again this morning, for our unsaved family and loved ones. Oh Father, may they cry out to You in their misery and distress. Hear their cries and open their hearts to receive all that You have for them. Be glorified in their lives! We want for them what You have given us! Your Spirit dwelling in our hearts.
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.--Jeremiah 29:11
But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.--2nd Corinthians 3:18
I loved reading this in 1st Samuel. God told Saul through Samuel that the Spirit of the Lord would come upon him and he would prophesy and be turned into another man, temporarily. An immeasurably better thing happens in the hearts of believers today as they yield their lives to the Spirit of God. He turns them into a different person... forever.
Our God meets us where we are with all our dents and our scrapes. He met me when I cried out to Him in utter terror and grief. When, as last resort, I lifted my arms to Him. He met me right where I was...very deep in the muck and mire of this world. He pulled me up and set me in a broad place and put His Spirit in my heart and turned me into another woman. He has done it all since....all I needed to do was stay close to Him and abide in His word. He has given me beauty for ashes. He has done exceedingly abundantly in my life. Have their been difficult times? Absolutely. But His right hand upholds me and walks me through them all. He overrules all of them for my good and His glory. My job as was Saul's is to obey Him and do as the occasion demands because my God is with me. The results are always up to Him.
If you are in that place, cry out to God. He will come to You...right where you are. As you look to Him He will make glorious changes by His Spirit who will come and dwell in your heart. You will be conformed to His image and will become what He wants you to be...
Praying also once again this morning, for our unsaved family and loved ones. Oh Father, may they cry out to You in their misery and distress. Hear their cries and open their hearts to receive all that You have for them. Be glorified in their lives! We want for them what You have given us! Your Spirit dwelling in our hearts.
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.--Jeremiah 29:11
But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.--2nd Corinthians 3:18
Thursday, May 9, 2019
But Sent Leanness Into Their Soul...
But lusted exceedingly in the wilderness,
And tested God in the desert.
And He gave them their request,
But sent leanness into their soul.—Psalm 106:14-15
And the people spoke against God and against Moses: "Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and our soul loathes this worthless bread."—Numbers 21:5
The Bible says that the eyes of man are never satisfied. In Philippians 4:10-23 Paul expresses his thanks to Philippians for their gift to him, but undergirding this whole passage is a picture of a man who is content with whatever God brings His way.
Paul’s joy was in doing the will of His God...it came from the gospel being preached. It was independent of His circumstances. (And his circumstances from an earthly perspective were rarely good). Paul’s focus was ALWAYS outward. Even in thanking the Philippians for their gift his joy is the fruit that abounds to their account. (Phil 4:17)
A contented person will wait on God and trust in His providence. Their joy is found in their God....it is independent of their circumstances. They are satisfied with little and are focused on the needs of others.
The Israelites primary focus in prayer was on their physical comfort rather than spiritual desires.
And He gave them their requests but sent leanness into their soul. Sometimes we “fret and fume” like children until we get what we want. More often than not our getting what WE want brings more bitterness and grief because the “getting” brings more disappointment.
I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.—Galatians 2:20
Oh Father...May our joy and our desire be for those things that are spiritually discerned.
Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. These things we also speak, not in words which man's wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one. For "who has known the mind of the LORD that he may instruct Him?"But we have the mind of Christ.—1 Cor 2:12-16
And tested God in the desert.
And He gave them their request,
But sent leanness into their soul.—Psalm 106:14-15
And the people spoke against God and against Moses: "Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and our soul loathes this worthless bread."—Numbers 21:5
The Bible says that the eyes of man are never satisfied. In Philippians 4:10-23 Paul expresses his thanks to Philippians for their gift to him, but undergirding this whole passage is a picture of a man who is content with whatever God brings His way.
Paul’s joy was in doing the will of His God...it came from the gospel being preached. It was independent of His circumstances. (And his circumstances from an earthly perspective were rarely good). Paul’s focus was ALWAYS outward. Even in thanking the Philippians for their gift his joy is the fruit that abounds to their account. (Phil 4:17)
A contented person will wait on God and trust in His providence. Their joy is found in their God....it is independent of their circumstances. They are satisfied with little and are focused on the needs of others.
The Israelites primary focus in prayer was on their physical comfort rather than spiritual desires.
And He gave them their requests but sent leanness into their soul. Sometimes we “fret and fume” like children until we get what we want. More often than not our getting what WE want brings more bitterness and grief because the “getting” brings more disappointment.
I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.—Galatians 2:20
Oh Father...May our joy and our desire be for those things that are spiritually discerned.
Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. These things we also speak, not in words which man's wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one. For "who has known the mind of the LORD that he may instruct Him?"But we have the mind of Christ.—1 Cor 2:12-16
Wednesday, May 8, 2019
His Song Shall be With Me...
The LORD will command His lovingkindness in the daytime, And in the night His song shall be with me—A prayer to the God of my life.--Psalm 42:8
I started studying this verse this morning using The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge and finished only up to "The Lord will command His lovingkindness." The Lord is my KING! He is my Commander. When I am a good and faithful servant and obey His commands, I am in a place of blessing. In fact the Bible says that the blessings for obedience will come upon me and overtake me! I love that!! When I obey, His goodness and mercy follow me and overtake me. That is so comforting!
Meditating on our God's sovereignty and lovingkindness is such an encouragement as we go through the many trials of life appointed for us. Dwell on His mercy. Remember His mercy. Pray for His mercy. Know that one word from Him will turn your darkness to light, your rough waters to calm seas, your mourning to dancing, and your complaints to praise. Make His mercy, truth, and power, your refuge. Take up the shield of faith which is your defensive weapons and believe in His power and in His promises. Remember His presence goes before you and is with you. Stay your mind on Him. Be strong and brave and let the Lord do what is good in His sight.
I started studying this verse this morning using The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge and finished only up to "The Lord will command His lovingkindness." The Lord is my KING! He is my Commander. When I am a good and faithful servant and obey His commands, I am in a place of blessing. In fact the Bible says that the blessings for obedience will come upon me and overtake me! I love that!! When I obey, His goodness and mercy follow me and overtake me. That is so comforting!
Meditating on our God's sovereignty and lovingkindness is such an encouragement as we go through the many trials of life appointed for us. Dwell on His mercy. Remember His mercy. Pray for His mercy. Know that one word from Him will turn your darkness to light, your rough waters to calm seas, your mourning to dancing, and your complaints to praise. Make His mercy, truth, and power, your refuge. Take up the shield of faith which is your defensive weapons and believe in His power and in His promises. Remember His presence goes before you and is with you. Stay your mind on Him. Be strong and brave and let the Lord do what is good in His sight.
Vindicate Me O God...
Vindicate me O God. And plead my cause against an ungodly nation. Deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man. For You are the God of my strength; Why do You cast me off? Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?--Psalm 43:1-2
David is being accused unjustly, maligned and slandered and has been forced into exile. He asks God here to be his divine judge as well as his defense attorney. Literally it says, Judge me O God, and argue my case. What a difference it makes when we commit ourselves to Him who judges righteously. What a difference it makes when we know that the God of the Universe is on our side! What a difference it makes when we realize that He is our defender.
He is the God of our righteousness. When we are attacked or maligned by evil men, it is not our righteousness at stake..It is God's. His righteousness is imputed to us when we believe. He will defend it. ❤️❤️
Oh, send out Your light and Your truth! Let them lead me; Let them bring me to Your holy hill. And to your tabernacle. Then I will go to the altar of God. To God my exceeding joy; And on the harp I will praise You, oh God, my God."
I love those verses! Coming to Jesus is always the remedy. So when the darkness begins to surround me, I am so grateful that I can go to the One in whom is no darkness at all. I can cry out for Him to lead me by His light and His truth. I can pray that His goodness and mercy also will follow me. Where do I want them to bring me? First, to His holy hill...and then to the tabernacle...and then to the altar of God and finally to Him...to God Himself. Nothing else will do...nothing will satisfy me but to be in His presence.
Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; For I shall yet praise Him, The help of my countenance and my God
David is being accused unjustly, maligned and slandered and has been forced into exile. He asks God here to be his divine judge as well as his defense attorney. Literally it says, Judge me O God, and argue my case. What a difference it makes when we commit ourselves to Him who judges righteously. What a difference it makes when we know that the God of the Universe is on our side! What a difference it makes when we realize that He is our defender.
He is the God of our righteousness. When we are attacked or maligned by evil men, it is not our righteousness at stake..It is God's. His righteousness is imputed to us when we believe. He will defend it. ❤️❤️
Oh, send out Your light and Your truth! Let them lead me; Let them bring me to Your holy hill. And to your tabernacle. Then I will go to the altar of God. To God my exceeding joy; And on the harp I will praise You, oh God, my God."
I love those verses! Coming to Jesus is always the remedy. So when the darkness begins to surround me, I am so grateful that I can go to the One in whom is no darkness at all. I can cry out for Him to lead me by His light and His truth. I can pray that His goodness and mercy also will follow me. Where do I want them to bring me? First, to His holy hill...and then to the tabernacle...and then to the altar of God and finally to Him...to God Himself. Nothing else will do...nothing will satisfy me but to be in His presence.
Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; For I shall yet praise Him, The help of my countenance and my God
Mark 10...
But Jesus called them to Himself and said to them, "You know that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them.
"Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant. "And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all. "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."—Mark 10:42-45
True greatness—Humility—service enjoined—gain thru loss—
Christ our example
Vs 45—Christ—Servant—Sacrifice—Death—redemption
Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus...Phil 2:5
—Submission and exaltation—Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow...Phil 2:9-10
Blind Bartimaeus--Mark 10:46-52
Condition - Helpless
Opportunity - Jesus passed by
Faith - Cried out for mercy
Summons from Jesus
Bartimaeus response - humility...threw aside his garment and came to Jesus
Interesting note - Jesus asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus gave him an opportunity to confess his need...even though Jesus knew what he wanted.
Bartimaeus took opportunity when it came...faith honored and rewarded with sight and followed Jesus.
"Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant. "And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all. "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."—Mark 10:42-45
True greatness—Humility—service enjoined—gain thru loss—
Christ our example
Vs 45—Christ—Servant—Sacrifice—Death—redemption
Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus...Phil 2:5
—Submission and exaltation—Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow...Phil 2:9-10
Blind Bartimaeus--Mark 10:46-52
Condition - Helpless
Opportunity - Jesus passed by
Faith - Cried out for mercy
Summons from Jesus
Bartimaeus response - humility...threw aside his garment and came to Jesus
Interesting note - Jesus asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus gave him an opportunity to confess his need...even though Jesus knew what he wanted.
Bartimaeus took opportunity when it came...faith honored and rewarded with sight and followed Jesus.
Be Still, and Know that I am God...
Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!--Psalm 46:10
God's sovereignty over the affairs of men…Be still or in Hebrew "raphaph" is such a good reminder for me when I am in the midst of the seemingly endless fleshly battle that I fight entitled: "What I Want That I Am Not Getting"
The word "STILL" OR "RAPHAH" means TO SINK, RELAX, LET DROP, BE DISHEARTENED, DESIST FROM YOUR WAR….
I really love that description. It exactly describes what I need to do in the midst of that fleshly battle I mentioned earlier. I questioned "disheartened" till I thought about it a little more…Biblically the heart is the seat of the will…so take the "heart" or your passionate desire to get what you want…disarm yourself of self...and remember that He is God…
He is sovereign…cast all your cares upon Him because He cares for You….Be anxious for nothing but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God and the peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!--Psalm 46:10
God's sovereignty over the affairs of men…Be still or in Hebrew "raphaph" is such a good reminder for me when I am in the midst of the seemingly endless fleshly battle that I fight entitled: "What I Want That I Am Not Getting"
The word "STILL" OR "RAPHAH" means TO SINK, RELAX, LET DROP, BE DISHEARTENED, DESIST FROM YOUR WAR….
I really love that description. It exactly describes what I need to do in the midst of that fleshly battle I mentioned earlier. I questioned "disheartened" till I thought about it a little more…Biblically the heart is the seat of the will…so take the "heart" or your passionate desire to get what you want…disarm yourself of self...and remember that He is God…
He is sovereign…cast all your cares upon Him because He cares for You….Be anxious for nothing but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God and the peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Owe No One Anything Except to Love One Another...
Mark 12:29:31 - Which is the first commandment of all?
Cross-reference verse Romans 13:8-10:
Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law.
For the commandments, "You shall not commit adultery," "You shall not murder," "You shall not steal," "You shall not bear false witness," "You shall not covet," and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."
Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.
Love is the debt that is never paid...it is always owed. Love is the summation of our obedience for in love the whole law is fulfilled. Love is a decision and is always an action. The love that God has shed abroad in our hearts by His Spirit involves teaching and speaking the truth in love to others, (faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God) The love that God has poured out in our hearts also ministers to needs, sets an example that does not lead people toward sin, covers faults, forgives, endures and sacrifices on behalf of others. This kind of love is our debt that is never paid and always owed.
Father...we want to love like this! Thank You that You have shed Your love abroad in our hearts. You have given us all we need to love others as you have loved us...to meet them at their point of need. We submit to Your Spirit right now and ask that he would purify our hearts and teach us to love. Be pleased with the way we pay our debts, owing no man anything, but owing everyone love, “always paying and always owing”. That the world might know we belong to You and that they might be attracted by that love to the One alone who can save them.
Cross-reference verse Romans 13:8-10:
Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law.
For the commandments, "You shall not commit adultery," "You shall not murder," "You shall not steal," "You shall not bear false witness," "You shall not covet," and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."
Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.
Love is the debt that is never paid...it is always owed. Love is the summation of our obedience for in love the whole law is fulfilled. Love is a decision and is always an action. The love that God has shed abroad in our hearts by His Spirit involves teaching and speaking the truth in love to others, (faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God) The love that God has poured out in our hearts also ministers to needs, sets an example that does not lead people toward sin, covers faults, forgives, endures and sacrifices on behalf of others. This kind of love is our debt that is never paid and always owed.
Father...we want to love like this! Thank You that You have shed Your love abroad in our hearts. You have given us all we need to love others as you have loved us...to meet them at their point of need. We submit to Your Spirit right now and ask that he would purify our hearts and teach us to love. Be pleased with the way we pay our debts, owing no man anything, but owing everyone love, “always paying and always owing”. That the world might know we belong to You and that they might be attracted by that love to the One alone who can save them.
"Take Heed, Watch and Pray...
"Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is.—Mark 13:33
"But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly.
35 "For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth.
36 "Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man."—Luke 21
Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.—1 Corinthians 16:13
But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.—1 Peter 4:7
"But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly.
35 "For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth.
36 "Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man."—Luke 21
Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.—1 Corinthians 16:13
But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.—1 Peter 4:7
He was Despised, and We Dd Not Esteem Him...
In John 6 Christ describes the manna coming down from heaven as a type of His coming down from Heaven to bring life to the world.
"For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.
"I am the bread of life.
"Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and are dead.
"This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die.
"I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world."—John 6:38;48-51
As the manna was despised by the Israelites so Christ the bread of life was despised by their descendants.
"but now our whole being is dried up; there is nothing at all except this manna before our eyes!"
He is despised and rejected by men,
A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.
And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him;
He was despised, and we did not esteem Him
"For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.
"I am the bread of life.
"Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and are dead.
"This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die.
"I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world."—John 6:38;48-51
As the manna was despised by the Israelites so Christ the bread of life was despised by their descendants.
"but now our whole being is dried up; there is nothing at all except this manna before our eyes!"
He is despised and rejected by men,
A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.
And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him;
He was despised, and we did not esteem Him
Simon of Cyrene
And they compelled a passerby, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to carry his cross. (Mark 15:21, ESV)
I grew up Catholic and every Friday throughout Lent my grammar school would assemble in the church at 2:30 and go thru the stations of the cross. Although I no longer adhere to the traditions of the Catholic Church, God used them, as He uses everything in my life, for my good. Simon of Cyrene being compelled to carry Jesus’ cross was my favorite one to think on...we know very little about who he was except that he was from the North African city of Cyrene and was on his way into Jerusalem. Mark identifies him here as the father of Alexander and Rufus....Rufus is identified in Romans 16:13 as a prominent member of the church at Rome....this makes me happy to read because it most likely means that some time after He bore Jesus’ cross, Simon was saved and then Rufus and perhaps his whole household. I also like the picture because it reminds me that Jesus fell under the weight of that cross...it was really our cross...not His...because it was for our sin that He bore it. It was appropriate then that some “representative sinner” was chosen to carry it for Him symbolizing that we all would have had to bear the eternal burden of our own sin had not Jesus come and done it for us.
For God is My Defense, My God of Mercy...
But I will sing of Your power;
Yes, I will sing aloud of Your mercy in the morning;
For You have been my defense
And refuge in the day of my trouble.
To You, O my Strength, I will sing praises;
For God is my defense,
My God of mercy.—Psalm 59:16-17
..I will sing psalms, and hymns and spiritual songs with grace in my heart to You, my Lord. I will give thanks to my God who performs all things for me. Riches and honor come from You....in Your hand is power and might...you give strength and reign over all.
I know, like Job did, that You can do everything, And that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You. All power belongs to my God!
Your mercy, oh Lord, is great above the heavens, And Your truth reaches to the clouds. Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us,
But to Your name give glory,
Because of Your mercy,
Because of Your truth.
You are my refuge and my strength.
A very present help in trouble. Therefore I
will not fear.
You, LORD, preserve the simple;
I was brought low, and You saved me.
Return to your rest, O my soul,
For the LORD has dealt bountifully with you.
With my enemy is an arm of flesh; but You, the LORD my God are with me to help me and to fight my battles. You delivered me from my strong enemy, from those who hated me,
For they were too strong for me. They confronted me in the day of my calamity,
But You were my support. You also brought me out into a broad place; You delivered me because You delighted in me.
Oh Lord, my God, in You I put my trust!
Comfort, Yes, Comfort My People...
"Comfort, yes, comfort My people!"
Says your God.
2 "Speak comfort to Jerusalem, and cry out to her,
That her warfare is ended,
That her iniquity is pardoned;
For she has received from the LORD's hand
Double for all her sins."
3 The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
"Prepare the way of the LORD;
Make straight in the desert
A highway for our God.
4 Every valley shall be exalted
And every mountain and hill brought low;
The crooked places shall be made straight
And the rough places smooth;
5 The glory of the LORD shall be revealed,
And all flesh shall see it together;
For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.--"Isaiah 40:1-5
These verses quoted in part from Isaiah 40 in Luke Chapter 3 always fill me with joy. This is so because of the unity and supernatural design of Scripture, and that even in judgment God “remembers mercy.
I love how Chapter 40 of Isaiah begins too...Comfort, yes, comfort My people! This chapter also commences the 2nd section of Isaiah. The two divisions of this OT book (Chapt 1-39 & 40-66) contain 39 and 27 chapters, respectively, which is how the Old and New Testaments are broken up...39 books in the OT and 27 in the NT. Part 1 of Isaiah like the OT, emphasize law and judgment, while part 2 of Isaiah like the NT focus on grace and salvation. The “NT” portion of Isaiah begins with the prophecy fulfilled by John the Baptist 700 years later in the gospels, and ends with the coming of the “new heavens and the new earth”(65:17-66:24); further detailed in Revelation, the last book of the New Testament.
In My Self-Sufficiency...
Trust in Him at all times, you people;
Pour out your heart before Him;
God is a refuge for us. Selah--Psalm 62:8
Often, I go through my day looking and hoping in wrong things. My heart looks for fulfillment and joy where it will never be found. As it says in Jeremiah, I hewn for myself cisterns...broken cisterns that can hold no water and I forget the fountain of living waters! I wonder as David did in Psalm 42:
Why are you cast down, O my soul?
And why are you disquieted within me?
In my self-sufficiency, Father, I am in distress...every hand of misery comes against me. But, You, my God, because I am Your beloved...You bow down toward me and speak to my heart You draw me to Yourself with gentle cords of love. You remind me to come...to cast all my care upon You because it is only in You that my soul finds its rest.
My Soul Followeth Hard After Thee...
My soul followeth hard after thee: thy right hand upholdeth me.--Psalm 63:8
Father....Help me to be like David and follow “hard” after You. May my soul thirst for You and may Your word be my treasure. May spending time with You at Your throne of grace be where my attention and time is devoted. Let me desire like Paul to know nothing but Your Son, Jesus Christ and Him crucified. This is wisdom! Help me to find my peace in this life in You at Your feet. May You be my consolation and comfort in death and may I have joy forever in Your everlasting arms.
In the Solitude...
Now when it was day, He departed and went into a deserted place. And the crowd sought Him and came to Him, and tried to keep Him from leaving them;—Luke 4:42
There are two applications in this verse...both of which I need to remember daily as I journey through this life.
The first is I need to depart to a deserted place to be alone with God. It is here...in the quiet....that I can listen for and hear His still small voice. It is here that my mind is renewed and progressively changed. It is here that I can examine what the will of God is...that which is good and acceptable and perfect in His plan and purpose for me. It is here away from the demands, trials and cares of this world, that I can truly abide...where I can enter His presence and behold Him! It is here in my solitude that I can come face to face with me and my sin, because it is here that I can see the Lord high and lifted up. It is here in the quiet where the Lord empties me of me and fills me with Him. When I turn to Christ, the “veil” is lifted and, as it says in 2 Corinthians 3, I can behold as in a mirror the glory of the Lord. I can be transformed into His image from glory to glory by His Spirit. After spending time with Jesus, I am more able to have compassion on the people around me, more ready to do the ministry that God has given me and more able to love others with the love that God has poured out by His Spirit in my heart.
The second application is that as He transforms me into His image I will be more approachable to those that are seeking Him. I can be the light in the darkness to those who are hurting or lost...to those who are searching for truth in this world.
For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to [give] the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.—2 Corinthians 4:6 (KJV)
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