Mark 3

Healing

As I was reading Mark 3, I got that moment when you just stop and wonder. An AHA! moment. Here it is in Verse 3:

Mark 3:10 (Amplified Bible)

¹⁰For He had healed so many that all who had distressing bodily diseases kept falling upon Him and pressing upon Him in order that they might touch Him.

I stopped reading and tried to imagine what it would be like for Jesus. Here was, going from town to town and performing many miracles of healing and deliverance from demons. As the word spread about Him, the number of people seeking his healing swelled to such a number that he had to have a boat ready so that he wasn't crushed by the crowd (see verse 9).

Can you imagine it? He would be waking down the street with people shouting out his name in order to be heard. They were desperate and they probably didn't care who they pushed out of the way to get to Him. The crowds must have been suffocating, being pressed on every side with hands grabbing at Jesus' garments, touching and grasping at His body. Every imaginable smell in the heat and dust of the day was most likely assailing his nostrils.

And why? Because they were desperate. Desperate for what? His healing touch, His healing words.

It then struck me that they were not seeking that relationship with Him. They just wanted something from Him. It was not what He was, but what He could do for them.

Then I searched in my mind for my relationship with Jesus. And I realized that I was so desperate for the healing in my soul and in my life, that I was like that crowd, pressing and pushing and seeking just a touch from Him. It wasn't the relationship I was looking for, it was the Healing. It was after the healing that the relationship started.

And what a relationship He offers! I look back in time and see that what I thought was the everything, was just the beginning of the unimaginable friendship that I have with my Healer, Redeemer and Deliverer.

How about you? Are you searching for the Healing alone, or are you yearning for the relationship?

Romans 9-10

The overall theme in these two chapters is faith vs works. Do we live a life based on works to earn God's love, salvation and favor? Or do we rely on faith and trust in Him?

Let's establish the facts:

Jesus is God:

Romans 9:5 NIV Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of Christ, who is God over all, forever praised! Amen.

God is in control:

Romans 9:15 NIV For He says to Mose, "I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion."

We are not in control:

Romans 9:20-21 NIV But who are you, O man, to talk back to God? "Shall what is formed say to Him who formed it, "Why did you make me like this?" Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for noble purposes and some for common use?"

The Israelites and many other religions today boast about works for salvation:

Romans 9:30-33 NIV What then shall we say? That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith; but Israel, who pursued a law of righteousness, has not attained it. Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the "stumbling stone." (Emphasis mine)

We are saved by faith:

Romans 10:9-10 NIV That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.

Faith comes from the Word of God:

Romans 10:17 KJV So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

God is in control, we need not fear. You can belong to His family and rest in His protection by simply believing that Jesus died for our sins, was raised unto life. Hear the Word, let your faith grow, receive Him and live forever!

Romans 7-8

I focus on Romans 8 today because it is one of my favorite chapters in the whole Bible. So many nuggets of truth. I highlighted my favorite verses today and plan on memorizing them throughout the next few weeks. Here they are:

Romans 8:1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit.

We are free from guilt and sin through the blood of Jesus Christ Who paid ALL of our sins at the cross. All my past sins, all my future sins and all my present sins.

Romans 8:9 You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does does not belong to Christ.

I belong to Him! No enemy can snatch me out of my Father's Hand.

Romans 8:15 For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption. And by Him we cry, "Abba, Father."

Since I did not have much of a father figure in my life, this scripture right here fills me with warmth, security and belonging. I have the Best Father Figure now, and in Him I find everything that I need as His daughter.

Romans 8:28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.

Another security blanket. Because I belong to Him, He will only work out good things for me. They may be painful at times, but only good will result. I will be better and better each year that I get closer to seeing My Daddy in Heaven. When I see Him, I hope to hear the words, "Well done, good and faithful servant!"

Romans 8:31 What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?

My Abba is on my side. Others may be against us, but I am on the winning team. Hallelujah!

Romans 8:32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?

Whatever is needed to further His work, His glory and His kingdom, my God will provide it all. Need Wisdom? He'll give it. Need provision? He'll provide it. Need Comfort? He is there.

Romans 8:37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.

Through Jesus Christ, we are more than conquerors. MORE. That is an interesting word to place here. More than conquerors. If you've conquered, what else is there?

Romans 8:38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is Christ Jesus our Lord.

There is nothing I can say to this one. It is an absolute truth that we can count on. We are His beloved!

Romans 1-2

I love the book of Romans. It is a book about Power. His Power. And it contains so many helpful tools to live a faith-filled life.

The first eight verses of the first chapter have some great nuggets.

¹Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God— ²the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures ³regarding his Son, who as to his human nature was a descendant of David, ⁴and who through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord. ⁵Through him and for his name's sake, we received grace and apostleship to call people from among all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith. ⁶And you also are among those who are called to belong to Jesus Christ.

⁷To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints:
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

⁸First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being reported all over the world.

This brings some questions to mind:

1. Who am I appointed to be and by Whom? (verses 1-2)

• God appoints me to be a partner in His Work.
• I am appointed as a vessel.
  
• I have been set apart to share the Good News.
  

2. Who is this all about? (verses 3-4)

• It's all about Jesus. Not me, not my works, not my glory, not my walk. It's all about Him!
  

3. What has Jesus done for us? (verses 5-6)

• Though Him we received unmerited grace from God.
  
• We belong to Jesus Christ. Doesn't that give you a great measure of comfort? We "belong" to Jesus.
  

4. What does He want us to do? (verses 4, 7-8)

• We have been called to be saints. The Amplified version says it this way:...called to be saints and designated for a consecrated life... (verse 7)
• We are designated to live a consecrated life. For Him
• Make disciples for His Name's sake among all the nations (Amplified verse 4)
• Let the report of our faith be known to all the world and commended everywhere (Amplified verse 8)

And that was just the first 8 verses! Do you see the value of this letter to the Romans that Paul wrote?

May the Lord bless you with understanding as your read this wonderful book!

Acts 23-24

I heard an excellent sermon by John Bevere entitled Honor's Reward.

Now, everything that I read is peppered with a new view on honor and it's benefits. Jesus was not able to do much healing in his own town because they did not honor Him.

In Acts 19 we read that Paul, a man of God, did not receive honor from the Jews in the synagogue; their hearts were hardened and spoke of evil of him. There are no recorded miracles among them. However, when Paul continued his discussion in a room of Tyrannus, he received honor as he expounded five hours a day on the Scriptures, for two years. The result?

Acts 19:11 AMP And God did unusual and extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul.

So much honor in fact, that just by touching Paul with their handkerchiefs or towels or aprons, and taking them home and laying them on the sick, were miraculous healings and deliverances manifested.

John Bevere talks about honoring our rulers. Why? Because God commanded it.

1 Peter 2:13-17 ¹³Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every authority instituted among men: whether to the king, as the supreme authority, ¹⁴or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. ¹⁵For it is God's will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men. ¹⁶Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God. ¹⁷Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king.

This king that Peter is talking about was King Herod Agrippa, who was persecuting Christians at the time. We are to honor our rulers, whether we like them or not. And this honor should come from the heart.

Paul in Acts 23 spoke against the Ananias, not realizing that he was the High Priest. He showed the proper honor by apologizing in verse 5:

Acts 23:5 NIV Paul replied, "Brothers, I did not realize that he was the high priest; for it is written: 'Do not speak evil about the ruler of your people.'" (Exodus 22:28)

This brings some questions to mind:

1. Do you honor all governmental authority?
2. Do you honor the men of God who have authority over you?
3. Do you honor your peers?
4. Do you honor those you have authority over?

Folks, let us begin to show honor that is due all men as they are created by our God. God will take care of the rest!

Matthew 4

Chapter 4 brought some interesting facts to light in my mind.

When Satan tempted Jesus, he intentionally targeted three of the most basic human desires. The need for food, security and power.

The first temptation was the easiest. Jesus had not eaten for forty days and forty nights. He then felt the extreme pangs of hunger. This was perfect timing for Satan to offer a tantalizing temptation, as he did for Adam and Eve - eat!

Food is a basic necessity for humans; it is the first need identified in Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. Jesus put it into perspective, though. He said that is not the most important, the Word of God is the most basic need. (Matthew 4:4)

The devil next offered security, safety. That's Maslow's second hierarchical need. We are under God's protection and provision. He has us covered. But we must not step out of His Will and test Him. Here Jesus responds with just that. We are not to test, tempt or try the Lord. Just follow His Will and keep within the safety of His Plan, He'll take care of the rest. You can trust Him!

The last temptation is the most obvious evil - power. It is the desire for power that causes the majority of the ills within our world. As James very succinctly puts it:

James 4:1-2 NIV What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Don’t they come from the evil desires at war within you? ² You want what you don’t have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can’t get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them. Yet you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it.

But Jesus gets it right again - We only need to worship God, make Him number one in our life, desire only what He desires for us, put Him in the center of our lives. We cannot go wrong if we listen to the greatest command of all:

Matthew 22:37 NIV Jesus replied, "You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind."

Let the Word of God nourish you, trust God for all of your needs, and make Him the center of your life. Then we reach what Maslow considers the top level of our hierarchical needs: Peak Experiences. There is no greater "high" than personally experiencing God!