Mark 8:31-32 - June 2, 2010

Mark 8:31-32 “He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again. 32 He spoke plainly about this, and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.” NIV

Have you ever told somebody something that they didn’t want to hear? This is the extreme version of one of those moments. Imagine this scene. Jesus has just completed taking the disciples through an exercise in discovery. He has led them all to the dramatic conclusion that He is the Christ, the long awaited Messiah. Imagine their hearts bursting with this revelation and this sense of destiny. It is certain that every tradition, all the mixture of legend that surrounds a promise that has been awaited for centuries, is now flooding their minds and here they are positioned as primary leaders in this new Messiah’s coming kingdom, or so they think!

Each one of them had been raised on the stories about that day when the Messiah would come. Each one had probably filled their mind at times with the possibilities or deliverance from Roman rule, of the hope of a new independent and powerful kingdom for Israel like in the glory days of David. Here they are now standing in the presence of promise. They can see themselves in triumphant procession with Him, each one imagining their own position of greatness. We know this was in their hearts because of their arguments over who amongst them was the greatest. Their focus was on the promotion and blessing that would come to each of them because of their affiliation with the Master.

Jesus is so good and confronting the vain imaginations in our hearts and replacing them with a kingdom minded reality! He has given the disciples very little time to enjoy the rush of self-importance that is flooding their minds as they let the knowledge that He really is the Messiah take root in their hearts. Jesus wastes no time transitioning to a new topic that shatters their idealistic imaginings. Verse 31 tells us that shortly after concluding His lesson on His identity, Jesus crushes all of their false thinking by shifting to the topic of His destiny. They have been picturing a glorious king. Their minds have been filled with cheering crowds, victorious conquest, Roman overthrow and Jesus replaces all of that with a new image. In place of cheers He warns them of jeers, in place of victory He describes suffering and death, in place of Roman armies vanquished and fleeing, He describes Roman soldiers with hammers in their hands, nailing Him to the cross. And vanity is blown away like spilled flour on a windy day.

Verse 32 describes Peter’s reaction. I am sure that ours would not have been that much different. Peter is compelled by this abrupt shattering of their false perceptions to try and correct Jesus. Perhaps the master is being melancholy. Peter is so moved by His concern for Jesus that He pulls Him aside. Peter would never correct Jesus in front of others. And so Peter begins to rebuke Jesus. The question is, is Peter really concerned about Jesus or is He speaking in a panicked reaction to the shattering of his false dreams. It seems that all of the fantasy that has been accumulating in Peter’s mind is so upended by this announcement of Christ’s sufferings that Peter doesn’t really know how to act or what to say, so he begins to fight to hold on to these lying thoughts as the pain of losing them becomes too much to bear. This is how most of us are when confronted by painful truth. Are we ready to let the Lord tear down our religious fantasies and allow Him to replace them with the sobering realities of a life of sacrifice, a life of true surrender to the cross of Christ? Jesus did not call us to Himself to bring about our personal fame and prominence. Jesus calls us to the cross. He calls us to the valley of service and the Garden of surrender where we yield as He did to the Father’s plan and declare “not my will, but yours be done.”

Mark 8:27-30 - June 1, 2010

Mark 8:27-30 “Jesus and his disciples went on to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked them, "Who do people say I am?" 28 They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets." 29 "But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?" Peter answered, "You are the Christ." 30 Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about him.” NIV

Mark 8:27-30 is an intriguing moment in the lives of Jesus and the disciples. It is an example of the heart probing inquiry of the Lord. When Jesus asks a question it can always be assumed that the answer has many layers and is being asked to accomplish a variety of purposes. This example is no different. Jesus possessed a unique capacity to utilize the moments between events. His life was busy with one miracle, public teaching or dramatic confrontation after another but it was often the moments between the moments that created some of the most compelling insights.

In this case they are simply in transit, walking on to a new set of villages in which to minister. As they were walking it might have seemed that He was just making conversation with His disciples to kill the time as He inquired “who do people say I am?” But with Jesus there is something much deeper going on. Jesus is pushing the disciples to think more deeply about the man they are walking with. On more than one occasion the gospels reflect on this perplexing question. After calming the storm in Mk. 4 the disciples sit in amazement as they ponder this same issue “who is this man that can calm a storm by a word.” In Mt. 11:11 John sends his disciples to ask “are you the one?” not for his sake, but for theirs. In many passages the religious leaders of the day and others who heard His words asked amongst themselves who He was that gave Him the right to teach things that contradicted the teachings of the Pharisees. This time however, it is Him who is stirring up the subject.

In Mark 8 Jesus is causing His disciples to consider what they have seen and heard. He has never before really pressed this issue to bring them to a place of firm conclusion but the time is now. It is fascinating that these men have walked with Jesus for many months now and He has yet to put them on the spot to conclude about who the man they are walking with really is. This is a very powerful teaching point. Jesus allows them to relate to Him and learn from Him without pressing this main issue until He senses the specific moment to make them form concrete conclusions, as if to say “all right, you have seen enough now. Make a decision!” With this one set of questions Jesus pushes them over the edge to a place of commitment. “State your belief and stand by it!”

When Jesus asks them to reflect on what people are saying it is to press them close to the subject of who He is without having to start with such an abrupt personal confrontation. He allows them to reflect on what others believe and are saying before He presses them to conclude about their own convictions. The disciples give a few diverse opinions about how others think and then Jesus brings the point home! “What about you!?” Now they must form concrete opinions. Now they must point themselves on the line for what they really believe. Until this moment they could avoid the charge of heresy or deception because they had never stated a firm conviction regarding who He was. They could always bow out gracefully by saying “we thought he was just a good teacher or some such thing.” They were never asked to make a commitment before now! From this moment on the consequences of following Christ have multiplied greatly, the disciples are now on the line. No more maybes! Their confession has now condemned them to whatever fate He endures.

Jesus takes every believer through this same process. He attracts us first as followers. He brings us in and exposes us to the reality of His words, His presence, and His power. But He doesn’t ever stop there. He is searching for full commitment, total abandonment to His cause! It is only a matter of time before the pressure of His questioning begins to touch every life. He will always bring you to the point where you have to choose to identify with Him as the Son of God, the Messiah. He will not allow you to hang around the edges of faith. Sooner or later He will always turn you away from the opinions of others to ask with glaring intensity “What about you!?”

Psalm 67:3-7 - May 31, 2010

Ps 67:3-7 "May the peoples praise you, O God; may all the peoples praise you. 4 May the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you rule the peoples justly and guide the nations of the earth. Selah 5 May the peoples praise you, O God; may all the peoples praise you. 6 Then the land will yield its harvest, and God, our God, will bless us. 7 God will bless us, and all the ends of the earth will fear him.:" NIV

Oh, how the earth longs for just government! It is man’s injustice towards his fellow man that is the source of so much of the division and conflict that is raging throughout the earth. As men corruptly pursue their own ends in the various nations of the earth heart after heart is filled with a longing for truly righteous and just leadership to arise in the nations. Instead of one nation rising up against another, the hearts of simple men and women are longing for a day when we may all enjoy peace and love in the context of mutual blessing. This is the cry of hearts throughout the whole earth. Man’s selfishness is at the center of division in families, communities and nations. The Apostle James diagnoses the problem clearly in James 4:1-3 when he says, “What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you? 2 You want something but don't get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God. 3 When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.”

Psalm 67 gives us hope of a better day! There is a time coming when the Lord our God will rule the earth with justice and righteousness. The day is declared when the Lord will establish a righteous rule over all the earth in complete love in complete trustworthiness. Imagine leadership that can be truly trusted to not act with any seed of jealousy, self-promotion, greed or lust. Imagine a government that will bring forth abundant blessing for all. This is the hope of the millennial reign of Christ. This is the vision of a better day. Our hearts cry how long as we watch the nations decay into greater and greater chaos. But Jesus said that no one knows the day or the hour when the Son of Man will return. And so our hearts are destined to live in hope, in faith of a better day.

However, we are not without hope in this life as we await the Lord. There is great blessing promised to those who will live for the kingdom of God. For those who will fix their eyes on the heavenly kingdom of God and live with a whole heart for God’s purpose there is great promise, great reward. Jesus said in Matt 19:29 “And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life.” As God releases blessing on His obedient servants, the result is a testimony that goes throughout the earth to speak into the hearts of those who would listen to make known the goodness of God. As we praise God through the voice of an obedient life God’s blessing accompanies us and world discoverers the living God.

Mark 8:22-26 - May 30, 2010

Mark 8:22-26 “They came to Bethsaida, and some people brought a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him. 23 He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. When he had spit on the man's eyes and put his hands on him, Jesus asked, "Do you see anything?" NIV

24 He looked up and said, "I see people; they look like trees walking around."

25 Once more Jesus put his hands on the man's eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. 26 Jesus sent him home, saying, "Don't go into the village." ‘

For every activity there is a right place, a right time and a right way, but can you tell what those are? This passage from Mark 8 is a complete paradox in the context of conventional thinking. Even the Lord’s own brothers had a philosophy the common wisdom of the day. John 7:3-4 “Jesus' brothers said to him, "You ought to leave here and go to Judea, so that your disciples may see the miracles you do. 4 No one who wants to become a public figure acts in secret. Since you are doing these things, show yourself to the world." This exchange reveals something very simple but very powerful. It was not Jesus who was seeking to become a public figure. It was the Father who was determined to make Him one.

What this passage demonstrates is that when your heart is free from self-centered agendas you can obey God and let Him worry about the consequences. Because Jesus’ primary motive was to please the Father, not to build His ministry, He was able to step outside of the realms of human reasoning and minister from a place of consecrated obedience. He embraced the concept that if it was the Father’s will for Him to become well known this would take care of itself provided He remained in a place of obedience. We never see Jesus striving for prominence. The prominence followed after Him and sought Him out everywhere He went. As a result we never see Jesus striving or becoming manipulative to reach the goal of being known.

In the case of Jesus the fruit of a life committed to obedience was a variety of choices that did not reflect logic but rather inspiration. Jesus’ own words were that He only did what He saw His Father doing, Jn. 5:19. In Mark Chapter 8 Jesus is visited by a crowd seeking a miracle of healing for a blind man. Jesus’ first decision is to remove Him from their midst so that the miracle is a personal exchange between He and the blind man. He doesn’t turn this opportunity into a show before the crowd. Instead He takes the man outside of the village. He knew the right place to reach His goal. Once He has found the right location for a more discreet encounter Jesus then does the unusual. Can you do the unusual if God asks you to? Jesus turns to the man and begins this time of ministry by spitting on Him! Now that is a sure way to win someone’s heart! If you are going to spit on somebody in a time of personal ministry, you had better be hearing God!

Jesus spits and then lays hands on the man. This is a great starting place for a conversation and it is interesting to note that Jesus steps into a different ministry model than most other occasions. Many of the Lord’s miracles flowed out of a powerful command where there was only the expectation of the person’s body immediately obeying. In this case Jesus chooses a different approach. The Lord chose to interview the person during His time of ministry. “Can you see anything?” Never before do we see the Lord asking the person if there has been any change in their condition. But here a new ministry model is established for inquiring of the recipient as to the progress of their healing. It is important to note that this interview also reflects the fact that this person’s healing was neither immediate nor initially complete. It was only after a process of ministry that this person was brought to complete healing! Through this Jesus exposes us to the reality that God may choose diverse means to reach similar goals and therefore we must keep our hearts open to the Lord’s voice. Many people fall into patterns of routine method in doing the work of the Lord. These patterns rob the ministry of a sense of relationship and the possibility of inspired direction that could bring about a supernatural encounter. Jesus didn’t assume a method He listened and did what the Father showed Him to do! And in this case it was strange but effective.

In the conclusion of this unusual exchange there is an additional feature that provokes thought. Jesus brings this blind man to complete healing and then instructs him not to go back into the village but to go straight home. Jesus has a goal of quietly slipping away to another village to minister rather than a goal of using that miracle to draw a crowd. For most ministers today one miracle of healing from blindness would be enough for us to set up a tent and take an offering! Immediately the question would be, “how can we turn this event into something more?” “How can we capitalize on this healing to build something big?” “Should we write a book, or maybe start a talk show!” Jesus was simply focused on quietly moving on to touch the next town. He was not after hype and publicity. He was on His Father’s mission. May we possess this same heart as the Lord directs us into seasons of favor and fruitfulness!

Psalm 23:1-3 - May 29, 2010

Ps. 23:1-3 "The Lord is my shepherd I shall not be in want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, 3 he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake" NIV

Psalm 23 is a portrait of a satisfied life! David is living in a place of great contentment that flows out of his personal relationship with the living God. “The Lord is my shepherd,” this is who God has become to David, the one who leads and guides and protects. Can you imagine being free from want? There is great power in this phrase. James reflects on the nature of want in James 4:1-2 “What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you? 2 You want something but don't get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight.” Unfulfilled selfish desires are the cause of most of the conflicts and dissatisfactions that damage and destroy not only our circle of relationships but even our own inner peace. David is presenting to all who will listen the hope of a life that is satisfied through surrender to the divine oversight of a loving God.

In his fathering relationship with Timothy Paul shares one of the great secrets of life, 1 Ti. 6:6 “… godliness with contentment is great gain.” The word of God consistently offers to us the source of true peace and contentment in life… intimacy with God. So much of the anxiety and stress that we face is in the pursuit of those things that don’t ultimately matter. David has learned the power of following the voice of his shepherd, the Lord. Jesus offers us insight into the nature of this relationship very simply by saying, John 10:27 “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” True satisfaction in life flows out of two simple principles: listening for his voice and following his lead.

What is truly powerful in David’s words is to notice that the focus of his satisfaction is not primarily on material things. All of his contentment flows out of following. He walks right into a satisfied life! Everything about the next phrase of this psalm speaks of living in a place of inner rest. “He makes me lie down in green pastures…” What a picture of abundance without obsession or greed. So many of us have an inclination towards hoarding; fear that what God has provided today he may not provide tomorrow and so when blessing comes we are compelled to drive ourselves to accumulate more and more. Prosperity is a good thing. It is a tool of the kingdom of God, but God’s desire is that even in the abundant times we are able to still enter into rest in the inner man and not live driven by the stress and pressure created by excessive business. David understood that the Lord’s leading always brought him ultimately to a place of rest. “He leads me beside quiet waters…” The shepherd of our lives will always seek to bring us to the place of quietness where we can receive living waters from his Spirit as we listen quietly for his voice.

“He restores my soul!” This is true satisfaction. This is true contentment. The good shepherd is ever seeking to restore the inner life of each one of his sheep. His desire is to restore health to your mind, will and emotions and He does this in the life of all of those who will listen and follow. He leads us into rest and quiets our hearts before the stillness of his presence and his voice. From this place he guides our lives in paths of peace. A truly satisfied life is the fruit of a heart that has found what Paul describes in Col 3:15 “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.” Today make it your goal to listen and follow. As you do, the peace of Christ will guard you and rule in you. Apply these principles with thanksgiving and your life will never be the same.

Mark 8:17-21 - May 28, 2010

Mark 8:17- 21 “Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked them: "Why are you talking about having no bread? Do you still not see or understand? Are your hearts hardened? 18 Do you have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear? And don't you remember? 19 When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?" "Twelve," they replied. 20 "And when I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?" They answered, "Seven." 21 He said to them, "Do you still not understand?" NIV

One thing is certain about Jesus He did not have any difficulty being direct when He chose to! This passage is not really focused on bread it is focused on having a hard heart! Many people get caught up with considering the miracles of the bread and what they state about Jesus but the point of Jesus’ commentary is His amazement that the disciples could see so much and understand so little!

Jesus is instructing His disciples about the need to protect their hearts from the corrupting influence of the Pharisees’ way of thinking. He has related it to the influence of leaven and as a result His disciples are now focused on their own mistake in forgetting to bring along the leftovers. How like us this seems to be. At times it is very comforting to see that the disciples struggled with the same issues that many of us struggle with 2000 years later. As Jesus begins to teach them, their discussion quickly turns to the question of whether this instruction is being given because of their failure to bring the remaining bread from His list miracle. Instead of seeing the point, their eyes are focused on their failure even though Jesus has moved on and is trying to teach them a different lesson already. How often do we do the same thing, carrying the weight of our self-chastisement along with us even though the Lord has already moved on to the next subject; His efforts to instruct us being blocked by our own sense of prolonged guilt!?

Jesus’ reaction is fascinating, much like a perturbed teacher who is growing impatient with His student’s failure to understand the material even after such obvious instructions. “Why are you talking about having no bread?” Jesus is trying to change their focus to the real issues but by implication they are still trying to resolve who is going to be blamed for failing to bring the bread along! Jesus wants to teach, we want to find someone to blame!

“Do you still not see or understand? Are your hearts hardened?” Jesus is saying “wow guys, you are missing the point entirely!” He then goes on to remind them that He has already multiplied the bread twice so why would He be worried about having enough bread! In other words “let it go guys!” Jesus wastes no time however in identifying the real issues at hand. “Men you have a heart problem!” After all that they have seen they are still thinking wrongly about who God is and how He thinks. That is the grievous nature of this heart issue that Jesus is confronting. Their conclusions in the midst of this exchange are an indictment against God and His character!

These men have witnessed both the generosity and power of God now on multiple occasions and they are still reacting to Jesus’ comments as if somehow they might be in danger of running out of supplies. Haven’t they witnessed enough to know that God is both willing and able to manifest His promises? Jesus is demonstrating what Paul will write in Phil 4:19 a few decades later “my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” KJV Jesus is trying to get these men to guard their hearts and they are busy trying to guard the bread! Now do you see Jesus’ frustration?

God wants your heart. God is jealous for the purity of your inner man. He is longing for you to steward your heart as the foundation of all that you are. In Luke 12:22-26 Jesus emphasized a God confident life to His disciples. "…Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. 23 Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. 24 Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! 25 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? 26 Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?” God’s part is to provide. Our part is to offer Him a heart that is trained in righteousness. Let’s do our part and rest in God for everything else!

Psalm 12:6 - May 27, 2010

Ps 12:6 "And the words of the LORD are flawless, like silver refined in a furnace of clay, purified seven times." NIV

Oh, the glory of the word of the Lord! Flawless, powerful, pure, living and active, how awesome are the words of the Lord! The image of highly refined sliver is such a stunning portrait of the magnitude of the word of God. This image of silver purified seven times reflects the absolute purity of God’s word. The refining process represented here results in an agitation of the silver as the dross is purged from it. The conclusion of this refining process is evidenced by the molten silver coming to a place of “perfect stillness”. What an image of the Word of God. It is so pure that it has come to the place of perfect stability, perfect stillness, no imperfections and in the same way it imparts this stillness and stability to those who partake of it.

Oh, how wonderful the Word of God. Paul encourages his disciple Timothy to be, “nourished in the words of the faith,” ASV 1 Tim 4:5. As we practice these words of Paul by practicing Col 3:16 that instructs us to “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.” NIV The indwelling of a rich deposit of God’s Word will bring us to the place of stillness in the inner man that is like silver refined in the fire.

Heb 4:12 tells us that “the word of God is living, and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing even to the dividing of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and quick to discern the thoughts and intents of the heart” ASV. The Word of God is alive! This is the source of its transforming power, its impact upon the human heart. It is actively working to produce the image of Christ within the life of those who read it through the work of imparting faith into our soul and spirit. The above passage instructs us as to what our expectation should be concerning the Word of God. It is sharp, it is actively working to divide soul and spirit within us. This means that one of the primary works of the Word is to identify within the life of the believer those thoughts that come from the spirit and those impulses and impressions that are rooted in the soulish nature which is being crucified with Christ. Its purpose is to train us to discern the thoughts and intents of our own heart so that in all things we may choose that which reflects the image of the living God.