Mark's Daily Reading Journal

Alexis, my 3 year old daughter, is at a precious age!  In her eyes it feels like I can do no wrong...my 9 year old and 7 year old sons know that is not the case since I admit to them when Daddy makes a mistake and I will ask for their forgiveness.  Alexis is still at that wonderful place where she will frequently say "MY DADDY, MY DADDY" and give me a huge hug and press her little head against my neck.  At this point I am her hero, she trusts me...when there is a lightening strike and a thunder clap nearby she runs to me, when there is a strange noise outside she runs to me for comfort, support and reassurance.  I don't know about the rest of you Daddies, but few things can make my heart soar like my children running to me because they trust me and believe that I am strong enough to protect and provide!

About 6 years ago I found myself very frustrated with my ministry at Bellevue and was crying out to God to please use me more...it was a simple cry to be able to do more for our Lord!  After a period of time God came to me in a still small voice...I know a man in Christ who 6 years ago—whether in the body I do not know, in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows—such a man was caught up to the third heaven...SORRY FOR THAT...there was no third heaven experience, it was just a really loud still small voice!

The short of it was this...Mark, what do you want from your boys?  (Alexis was not born yet.)  The question kept coming...what do you want from your boys?  The first thoughts were, obey, not embarrass Diane and me in public, grow up to be healthy productive Christ followers, citizens etc.  The question kept coming...what do you want from your boys?  What do YOU (Mark) want from your boys?  After I quieted down on the inside and began to pray about it I responded..."Lord, what I love more than anything is when they come to me not wanting anything but me!  They just need a big hug...they need and want Dad and Dad time.  Father, that is what I want most."

The very loud still small voice replied..."that is what I want from you!"  "Don't you get Mark, you connect with ME, long for ME, long for Abba time, time with your heavenly Father and then your ministry will flow out of the relationship you have with ME...and you will be able to find JOY UNSPEAKABLE in doing the most mundane tasks!

Heb 2:13-18  And again, “I will put my trust in him.” And again he says, “Here am I, and the children God has given me.” 14 Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— 15 and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. 16 For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham’s descendants. 17 For this reason he had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. 18 Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.

So should we labor and strain to obey, serve, work in our own power OR do we pursue HIM with a white-hot passion, do we embrace HIM, long for HIM, delight in HIM, TRUST IN HIM?  Oh how I long to live, breath, and drink every moment of every day Jeremiah 29:13,  You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

Heb 2:13  And again, “I will put my trust in him.” And again he says, “Here am I, and the children God has given me.”

2 Sam 22:3 my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation. He is my stronghold, my refuge and my savior— from violent men you save me.

Isa 12:2 Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The Lord, the Lord, is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation.”

Isa 8:17  I will wait for the Lord, who is hiding his face from the house of Jacob. I will put my trust in him.

Isa 8:18 Here am I, and the children the Lord has given me. We are signs and symbols in Israel from the Lord Almighty, who dwells on Mount Zion.

Matt 11:28  “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.  Children come and enter into the rest, come to Jesus, HE has set you free and recreated you, redeemed you...you are free to fulfill HIS original design for you!  To experience an intimate relationship with HIMSELF AND WITH OTHER PEOPLE!  COME!

Hebrews paints a breath-taking portrait, a stunning panoramic captivating view of Jesus Christ...it will take your breath away and fill you with awe and wonder.  It fills me with a sense of what I imagine the disciples felt when Jesus calmed the storm in the boat and the disciples fear turned from the storm to Jesus...“Who then is this, that He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey Him? (LK 8:25)”   My tendency is to view Jesus as the Good Shepherd, the Lamb of God that was slain before the foundation of the world, and those are accurate and true portraits of Jesus.  However, we will be guilty of an error of catastrophic proportions if we do not hold those portraits in tension with the Lion of the Tribe of Judah...there is a portrait of Jesus in Revelation that depicts Ultimate Fighting Jesus!   What in the world do you do with Rev 6:16?  "They *said to the mountains and to the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the presence of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb."  Scripture reveals Jesus to be a lamb like lion and a lion like lamb!

Heb 1:1-4 In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. 3 The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. 4 So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs.

God sent Jesus to reveal HIS nature and will to us.  We see this clearly in John 1:18, "No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father’s side, has made him known.   Colossians 1:16 tells us that "by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him.  We see the same thing in John 1:3, "Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made."  It is stated again in Romans 11:36 "For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen."

God's Word leaves no question that Jesus is fully human and fully God.  God's Word leaves no question concerning Jesus mission...Luke 19:10 “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

God the Father HAS SPOKEN TO US BY HIS SON, HE HAS SPOKEN TO US BY HIS SON...please listen to HIM, please listen...come to Jesus and be saved.

2 Cor 4:6 teaches us how God saves..."For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ."  Look at HIS face, fix your eyes on Jesus, look unto Jesus revealed in HIS Word and be saved.

To those of us who are HIS children...walk in step with the Spirit, cry out for the Holy Spirit to fill you, for Christ to be incarnate in you, Christ in us the hope of glory.  It is often said, there are 5 gospels...Matt, Mark, Luke and John and YOU...YOUR LIFE...people will not read the first 4 but they will read you...be Christ incarnate to a lost and dying World...Christ in us the hope of glory!

love,

m

I have long loved Philemon 6..."I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ." I have always preferred the way that the NIV translates this jewel in God's Word.  However, after much study in past years I acknowledge that each translation is backed by sound scholars and translators.  The wonderful thing is that it really does not matter how you translate this beautiful passage it still packs a powerful punch either direction.  I imagine that our heavenly Father, through HIS providential care perfectly orchestrated this tension in the translation.  Read through the following translations and meet me at the end!

ESV Philemon 1:6 and I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective for the full knowledge of every good thing that is in us for the sake of Christ.

NAU Philemon 1:6 and I pray that the fellowship of your faith may become effective through the knowledge of every good thing which is in you for Christ's sake.

NIV Philemon 1:6 I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ.

NKJ Philemon 1:6 that the sharing of your faith may become effective by the acknowledgment of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus.

NLT Philemon 1:6 You are generous because of your faith. And I am praying that you will really put your generosity to work, for in so doing you will come to an understanding of all the good things we can do for Christ.

The way it is rendered in the NIV you understand that when you share your faith in Christ with someone...the actual act of sharing opens up your understanding more fully of every good things that we have in Christ!  EVERY true child of God that has shared their faith would agree that this is true!  As you share Jesus with people your own faith is strengthened and the riches of the glory of HIS inheritance become more real!  If you have not experienced this get out there and tell someone about Jesus and you will!

The NAU and others render the verse as the "fellowship of your faith" or the "sharing of your faith" may become EFFECTIVE through the knowledge, or knowing every good thing we have in Christ.  Again, EVERY true child of God will acknowledge that as we are "filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding" that there is a desire to run tell others about Jesus.  The more clearly we see HIM with the eyes of faith, the more we behold HIS infinite beauty, the more you want others to see HIM too!

It is a little like you are the first one to come up over a hill and see a breath-taking sunset over a gorgeous landscape...captivated and awe-struck you make yourself momentarily look away to those behind you to encourage them to finish the hard climb, to hurry and behold the Sun before it sets.  When you see and behold Jesus in all HIS magnificent beauty in HIS Word and in HIS creation you long for others to see HIM.  Remember 2 Co 3:18?  "We all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord."   This is really awesome...when we are living this out, filled with the Spirit of Holiness, Christ becomes incarnate in us!  All a mirror does is reflect what it is pointed at...right?  WHAT ARE YOU POINTED AT?  What are you beholding?  What or who are you looking to for security, satisfaction, shelter?  You and I will reflect what we behold...we become like what we worship!  Fix and keep your eyes on Jesus the author and finisher of our faith and HE will live HIS life through you.

How cool is it that both ways of translating this little verse show themselves to be true in our daily walk with the LORD!  When you are faithful to share Jesus your heart is warmed and your own faith is strengthened and the more you fully understand through the knowledge of every good thing we have in Christ the more you desire and long to tell others about HIM!  This flows out of a passion and a love for the one who gave HIS OWN life as a ransom for many! 

It was no accident that Paul frequently prayed this for the Church!

Ephesians 1:18  the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,

Php 1:9 And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment,

Col 1:9  For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;

Father in heaven work this out in our lives for YOUR glory and our JOY  in YOU!

love,

m

I have come to believe that if our LORD gave me a photographic memory, a super-superior intellect, the wisdom of Solomon and 1,000 years to apply myself to studying and meditating on HIS precious Word...laboring with all my might to be a workman approved, rightly dividing the Word of truth...after all that I still would have only scratched the surface of the riches and treasures in HIS awe-striking Word!

This little letter to Titus contains SO MUCH...I know you all get tired of me using words like "awe-striking, awesome, incredible, stunning, breath-taking etc," but to be honest those words don't do HIS Word and HIM justice.  I remember hearing Dr. Rogers tell the story about R. G. Lee.  Lee was the Pastor of Bellevue for 30+ years, he was known nationally as a great orator, for his voluminous vocabulary, and as a gifted communicator and preacher of the Word.  Lee is most known for his sermon "Payday Someday," second in popularity was his series on heaven.  The week Dr. Lee died, his daughter said that he sat up in bed and said, "tell them I did not do it justice, it is so much more beautiful than I described, tell them I did not do it justice..."  She reported that he went on and on disturbed that his description of heaven was not close to the real thing and saying over and over "you have to tell them I did not do it justice."  (I am pulling this from memory, so the words may not be exact, but the heart is the same...Lee was greatly disturbed that he, with his incredible vocabulary and gifting had fallen short in his verbal paintings and portraits of heaven and the presence of the Almighty).

Sorry about that, back to reality:)  At one level what we see in this little letter is simply that Titus’ mission and ministry is to organize and structure the local church leadership, silence false teachers, and to teach and to exemplify how Christians should live. Paul provides Titus with both the model and teaching.  When the church follows this pattern set forth in scripture we will prove to be good citizens of the secular state (3:1–2).  As we, the church are deeply rooted in God’s love we will “devote [ourselves] to doing what is good” (3–8). Additionally, we will avoid worthless disputes and warn and rebuke divisive individuals (9–11).

If you look you see the overarching outline and structure, but then what is revealed about our relationship with God through Jesus Christ will blow your mind!  I will only touch the one that hits me the hardest.

I hope you have noticed how often "good works," or "good deed," has appeared in Titus.  The Christian life is not just going to Church every time the doors are open, going to conferences and seminars, hearing sermons and Sunday school lessons...if that is all that it is for you then you MUST QUESTION YOUR SALVATION!  DID I REALLY WRITE THAT...DID I SAY THAT OUT LOUD?  Read and weep!

Titus 1:16 They profess to know God, but by their deeds they deny Him, being detestable and disobedient and worthless for any good deed.

Titus 2:7  in all things show yourself to be an example of good deeds, with purity in doctrine, dignified,

Titus 2:14  who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.

Titus 3:1  Remind them to be subject to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good deed,

Titus 3:8  This is a trustworthy statement; and concerning these things I want you to speak confidently, so that those who have believed God will be careful to engage in good deeds. These things are good and profitable for men.

Titus 3:14  Our people must also learn to engage in good deeds to meet pressing needs, so that they will not be unfruitful.

HOLD ON, HOLD ON...WHAT IS COMING IS THE STUFF IN GOD'S WORD THAT I LOVE:)  You read verses like that and you think that the Christian life is all about doing, doing work, being busy, busy for Jesus...YOU COULD NOT BE MORE WRONG!  Confused yet?:)

Titus 3:4-7 (NLT) But—“When God our Savior revealed his kindness and love, 5 he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit. 6 He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior. 7 Because of his grace he declared us righteous and gave us confidence that we will inherit eternal life.”

Do you remember what Paul wrote to Timothy in 2 Tim 1:9?  "who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began."  The point is IF you have been born from above, twice born, born of the Spirit...IF you have been saved by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit then you WILL DO GOOD WORKS!  IF Jesus is alive in you by the power of the Holy Spirit, if Jesus is incarnate in you HE WILL BE ACTIVE!  Your heart will burn within you, the love of Christ will compel you.  It is possible to quench the Spirit, but it will wear you out!

If you are HIS child then you have been justified by HIS amazing grace...this grace is more than sufficient for all past, present, and future sins!  Let's live and breath and drink deeply in the light of HIS presence...delighting in the beauty and magnificence of HIS glory and grace...pressing on in good works to know HIM and make HIM known!

love,

m

Eph 2:8-10  For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

WOW!  Titus 2 is loaded and overflowing...it would be so easy to spend weeks unpacking this one little chapter, it is so rich!  I don't know about you but I see multiple outlines contained in this one little chapter.  The first one that jumps out is Paul's overarching instructions to Titus to 1) Teach sound doctrine (v1).  2) Set an example of good works with integrity and dignity in your teaching (7)  3) Encourage and rebuke with ALL authority (15).  This is excellent advise to every child of God, especially those in any leadership role within the Church.

The WOW hit the hardest with verses 11-15.  The instruction Paul gives Titus in the first several verses of chapter 2 is rooted in the grace of God, for the salvation grace brings makes it clear: God's children are to say no to sin and live godly lives while waiting for Jesus to return.  This is true and possible ONLY because Jesus gave Himself to redeem us from all wickedness and create a people eager to do good deeds  (11–14). Titus mission, my mission, your mission (should you choose to accept it) is to give ourselves completely and absolutely to HIM and to do what HE tells us to do (15).

Tit 2:11-15 (NLT) For the grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people. 12 And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God, 13 while we look forward with hope to that wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed. 14 He gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds. 15 You must teach these things and encourage the believers to do them. You have the authority to correct them when necessary, so don’t let anyone disregard what you say.

There is simply too much here...my circuits are burning up:)  The "grace of God" that has been revealed was Jesus first coming...remember John 1:14?  "And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth."  In Jesus first coming HE was revealed.  On the basis of this grace...past, present and future, we are taught and enabled by the filling of the Holy Spirit to turn, repent, from godless living, sinful pleasures...living with devotion toward God with wisdom and righteousness.

Now we look forward, (13) we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.  ALL God's children live godly lives awaiting the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ!  So we wait for the ONE, we wait for Jesus Christ..."the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood,

Ex 19:5  Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine,

Dt 4:20 But as for you, the Lord took you and brought you out of the iron-smelting furnace, out of Egypt, to be the people of his inheritance, as you now are.

Dt 7:6 The Lord your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession.

Eph 1:11 In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will,

1 Pe 2:9  But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

Jesus appeared, HE called us to salvation, HE called us out of darkness into HIS marvelous light, HE set us free from our sins by HIS own blood to make us HIS own people SO THAT...SO THAT...SO THAT (one more)  SO THAT we would be "totally committed to doing good deeds, SO THAT we would proclaim the praises of HIM who called us out of darkness into HIS marvelous light! 

WOW!  What a Savior!

m

Paul leaves Titus in Crete with a specific mission in mind...two primary objectives for Titus is to establish elders in each church and to refute, rebuke and silence false teachers and deceivers!  Why must false teachers be stopped, why must they be silenced?  They are ruining whole households...destroying families!  Paul gives similar instructions throughout 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus.  In 1 Tim 5:20 Paul tells young Timothy "Those who sin are to be rebuked publicly, so that the others may take warning."  In 2 Tim 4:2, the verse we looked at yesterday Paul tells Timothy to "Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction."  In our reading tomorrow we will see Paul instruct Titus in Titus 2:15, "These, then, are the things you should teach. Encourage and rebuke with all authority. Do not let anyone despise you."

In our reading today Paul tells Titus that the false teachers must be silenced...WHY?  Why was Paul not an advocate of tolerance and being politically correct?  If the TRUTH is the TRUTH will it not become evident in due time?  Why should Timothy, Titus and you and I be ready to make a defense, be ready to rebuke, correct when we see error?  Why?

Titus 1:10-14  For there are many rebellious people, mere talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision group. 11 They must be silenced, because they are ruining whole households by teaching things they ought not to teach—and that for the sake of dishonest gain. 12 Even one of their own prophets has said, “Cretans are always liars, evil brutes, lazy gluttons.” 13 This testimony is true. Therefore, rebuke them sharply, so that they will be sound in the faith 14 and will pay no attention to Jewish myths or to the commands of those who reject the truth.

The mandate Paul gives to Timothy and Titus is the same mandate that God presents to all God's children...especially to those who are leaders in the local church.  Biblical illiteracy is rampant IN the church....yes, in Southern Baptist churches, and in our culture you can't even call it illiteracy...our culture has no biblical reference point at all...they have Oprah!  The mandate is that false teachers must be silenced!  The problem is that to be able to silence false teachers we have to KNOW what is right...you must know God's Word!  If you think about the whole armor of God in Ephesians chapter 6; every piece of armor is defensive except the Word of God!  God's precious Word is the only offensive weapon we have and it is the only one we need, but you must KNOW THE WORD TO USE IT! 

All to often those in the church like to use the Word to beat their opponents, like using a club...you may recall Paul's clear teaching in Ephesians 4:15, "speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ."  SPEAK THE TURTH IN LOVE!  We are not to be rude or offensive...Jesus teaches us that the gospel is offensive, the message of the gospel is incredibly offensive to human pride, but we are commanded to communicate this message in love and grace!  A few verses earlier Paul tells Titus what to look for in an elder.

Titus 1:7-9 Since an overseer is entrusted with God’s work, he must be blameless—not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not rude, not pursuing dishonest gain. 8 Rather he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined. 9 He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.

Let's join in the pursuit of the God of the Word and the Word of God so that we may "encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it."  If we fail to refute those who oppose we are failing our great God and we are failing those we are called to love.  If you are a vessel for honor, set apart, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work (2 Tim 2:21) then you are in the fight, you are fighting the good fight, you are keeping the faith...you are a vessel, an instrument in the hand of our Master, in the hand of our precious Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!

Pursuing HIM together!

love,

m

Preach the word (κηρυξον τον λογον [keruxon ton logon])

I hope the formatting works when I post this to the web...this was one of the few phrases that I remember from my Greek studies...I remember much of what I learned, but precious few phrases and this was one that stuck...Preach the word (κηρυξον τον λογον [keruxon ton logon])

Paul's admonition to Timothy is both strong and striking!  Think about how Paul sets this up in verse 1..."I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom:"

Preach the word (κηρυξον τον λογον [keruxon ton logon])

Preach the Word to the glory of God because we love HIM and we love others...we know that one day everyone will bow the knee, those that do so before they die will spend eternity with HIM, in HIS presence and those that refuse will spend eternity in hell...PREACH THE WORD!

love,

m

Paul gives young Timothy a stern warning..."know this: difficult times will come in the last days."  The first challenge Paul identifies is the superficial nature of the faith of many who claim to be Christians and enter the church.  Add to to that the seductive nature of the false/deceived teachers who are motivated by evil desires (3:1–7).  Before you get angry at them read though the list...it can be quite convicting!   We must be careful to remove the plank from our own eye first...walking by repentance and faith.  After removing the plank we should expect, not be surprised, to find PRETENDERS among the sheep.  Jesus Himself told us that the tares will grow along with the wheat!  I believe that the tares are deceived, but know that they are with us, don't let that surprise you.  Don't be shocked to see someone who was only "holding to the form of religion but denying it power," do an evil act...we should expect it and be ready to shepherd the sheep through the trial!

God's Word could not be more clear than it is in 2 Tim 3:12, "all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution."  We should expect to face increasing persecution, as evil men “go from bad to worse” (8–14). Along with Timothy we are blessed to have a unique source of strength: the Scriptures given by God Himself.  Praise God...the Scriptures contain everything needed to equip God’s people for every good work (15–17).

Every child of God should expect to face injustice, unrighteousness and evil in our culture and in our churches.  What do you do when you are faced with injustice...with those that are unloving, traitors, reckless, conceited etc, (see 3:2-4).  What do you do?  Paul tells us very clearly! 

What should you do?  YOU know what I (Paul) teach, and how I live, and what my purpose in life is. Know my faith, my patience, my love, and my endurance. 11 Know how much persecution and suffering I have endured. You know all about how I was persecuted in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra—but the Lord rescued me from all of it. 12 Everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. 13 But evil people and impostors will flourish. They will deceive others and will themselves be deceived. But you must remain faithful to the things you have been taught. (Remain faithful to Jesus and the Word) You know they are true, for you know you can trust those who taught you. 15 You have been taught the holy Scriptures from childhood, and they have given you the wisdom to receive the salvation that comes by trusting in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. 17 God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work (2 Tim 3:10-17).

This reminds me of Peter's encounter with Jesus at the Sea of Tiberias.  Three times Jesus asks Peter do you love me, with each affirmative response, Jesus instructs Peter to feed, tend, take care of the sheep...the basic instruction is to tend, care for and shepherd the sheep.  As they continued walking Jesus is describing Peter's death to him and Peter turns and looks to John and says, "what about him?"  Jesus basically rebukes Peter and says, "what is that to you?  You, follow me."

John was not committing an injustice, but I believe that we can apply the principle here...regardless of your circumstances, you may be surrounded by evil and injustice...I believe Jesus words to us are "what is that to you?  You, follow me."   Regardless of what happens in the upcoming elections and regardless of what happens in our churches Jesus Word is the same...You, follow me."  

Don’t let any circumstances or anyone undermine your confidence in God’s Word.  Read Psalm 94 again...we see very clearly that God is a just judge...what did HE say?  Vengeance is mine says the LORD. 

Remember the Judgement Seat of Christ in 2 Cor chapter 5?  I will be accountable to Jesus Christ for how I spent each day HE gave me!  I will not be accountable for anyone but Mark!  Regardless of your circumstances Jesus Word is clear..."what is that to you?  You, follow me."  We can be confident that HE has equipped us for every good work through HIS precious Word.  Our aim and our passion to walk by faith and not by sight living in a manner to please CHRIST AND CHRIST ALONE!

love,

m  

Every child of God, every member of the body of Christ, the church, has God’s divine assurance of HIS seal, in that “the Lord knows those who are His.” It is not an exact quotation, but it appears to be from the book of Numbers. You may remember when some Israelites were leading a rebellion against the Lord and His appointed leaders Moses and Aaron, Moses declared to Korah and the other rebels in Numbers 16:5 "he spoke to Korah and all his company, saying, “Tomorrow morning the Lord will show who is His, and who is holy, and will bring him near to Himself; even the one whom He will choose, He will bring near to Himself."

In John chapter 10 God's children are blessed with a similar sense of intimacy in our relationship with our Heavenly Father!  You have to love when Jesus says, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me,” Jesus is emphatic; “and I give eternal life to them, and they shall never perish; and no one shall snatch them out of My hand?” (John 10:27–28). False teachers and those ignorantly teaching error can cause great confusion and anxiety among God’s people, but they cannot steel the sheep out of the shepherds hand!  For those that have been born again, those that have been born from above, born of the Spirit, we know HIM and HE knows us...we are safe in the Masters hand because “?God has chosen [us] from the beginning for salvation?” (2 Thess. 2:13).  HE chose us in HIM before the foundation of the World (Eph 1:4).  HIS children know that this was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began (2 Tim 1:9).

Earlier in the gospel of John Jesus says, “All that the Father gives Me shall come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him, may have eternal life; and I Myself will raise him up on the last day” (John 6:37–40).   Who can forget Paul words under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit in Romans chapter 8..."those ?whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren; and whom He predestined, these He also called; and whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified?” (Rom. 8:29–30).

Keep in mind I am keying in on 2 Tim 2:19...specifically the words, “the Lord knows those who are His.” One of my passions it to know God as HE is not as I want HIM to be!  You cannot deny HIS election and predestination of the saints in scripture unless you are ready to deny HIM!  PUT DOWN YOUR ROCKS PLEASE:)  AT THE SAME TIME I LOVE AND EMBRACE EVERY WHOSOEVER WILL MAY COME in God's Holy Word!  I passionately love John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.  I love Revelation 22:17 "The Spirit and the bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wishes take the water of life without cost."

I confess that this leaves me with a clear tension in God's Word...someone asked Spurgeon how he reconciled this tension and he responded you don't have to reconcile friends.  It may be an apparent contradiction for you and I, but it is not for God!

Consider the freedom this give you and I to live a radically abandoned life for Jesus Christ!  Because HE KNOWS ME I am safe in the Shepherds hand and I have a relationship with the Good Shepherd, I have eternal life, I cannot perish!  Jesus called me, HE justified me and glorified me...I confess I don't feel glorified, but that is my position in Christ!  WE MUST LIVE IN THE LIGHT OF OUR FUTURE AND NOT BE BOUND AND CHAINED BY OUR PAST!

I am out of time and I am not done and undone...rejoice, delight, find incredible radical freedom in HIM knowing that “the Lord knows those who are His.”

love,

m

In Matt chapter 7 Jesus is teaching on entering the Kingdom of God when HE says, “Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’  Most of you know HIS response...depart from Me you lawbreakers, I never knew you. In our reading in 2 Tim 1:12 we see Paul write "For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day.   Again in 2 Tim 1:18 Paul writes, "the Lord grant to him to find mercy from the Lord on that day—and you know very well what services he rendered at Ephesus.  We will see this again in 2 Tim 4:8 "in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing."  How awesome, everyone that Jesus knows, everyone that has an intimate relationship with the Father through Jesus Christ, everyone that truly loves Jesus and longs for HIS appearing will receive a crown of righteousness...how incredible! 

How then should we live?  Knowing that THAT DAY is coming how should we conduct our lives with the few days we have in this life?  There is more to grasp before we can answer that question.  Do you remember what Paul said in 1 Cor 3:13?  Paul wrote, "each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work."  Consider that a day is coming when your entire life will pass through the furnace, a furnace the likes this world has never witnessed, depending on the materials you use to build will determine if your entire life will amount to anything in eternity!  Don't waste your life!  Life is but a vapor, incredibly short...eternity is incredibly long...what you do with the life God has given you will determine how you spend eternity!

2 Co 5:9-11 The Judgment Seat of Christ

9 Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. 11 Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are well known to God, and I also trust are well known in your consciences.

In our reading in Psalm 90 today we just happen, I'm sure it is a coincidence, as fate would have it...NO, as our Heavenly Father determined in HIS sovereign and providential love and care determined before the foundation of the World we see a Psalm that I quoted during my earthly father's funeral.  Psalm 90:12 is huge for every child of God...this has been a regular pray of mine for several years...I keep praying it because I'm not there yet!  I'm just being transparent:)  What does it say?  "So teach us to number our days, That we may present to You a heart of wisdom." 

I know that Lord can take me home at any moment, but let's say HE allows me to live to be 80 years old...that mean that I have 11,680 days, DAYS, remaining...how should I spend each day? 

The Psalmist makes 4 requests toward the end of Psalm 90 that have provided me with much spiritual food and have flavored much of my journey with our precious Lord Jesus.  Simply in v12 he says "teach us."  How beautiful is a teachable heart and spirit before the Lord...I long to remain teachable until the day I die!  In verse 14 he says "satisfy us."  "O satisfy us in the morning with Your lovingkindness, That we may sing for joy and be glad all our days."  Where we hurt ourselves and others is when we cry out to material possessions and other people and ask them to satisfy us.  What is the inclination of your heart and my heart?  What is it that you look to for satisfaction?  Is there anything or anyone that you think about more than Jesus?  That is probably an idol in your life and that will cause you much pain on "that day."  Jesus is the only ONE that can truly satisfy your heart and mine, HE is the only ONE that can give rest to our restless craving hearts...JESUS, JUST JESUS!  In verse 15 he says "make us rejoice."   In Phil 4:4 we are commanded to "Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!"  If God commands us to rejoice always, HIS Spirit in us will enable us to rejoice!   In verse 17 the request is that God would confirm the work of our hands...or your could say...Lord grant us success in our work and labor for YOU!  Check this out...Psalm 90:16-17 Let Your work appear to Your servants And Your majesty to their children. 17 Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us; And confirm for us the work of our hands; Yes, confirm the work of our hands.

If our children see HIS majesty, really see it, then they are saved, then they know God through Jesus Christ and more importantly they are known by HIM!  If HE confirms the work of our hands then ON THAT DAY when we stand before the Judgement Seat of Christ, there will be rejoicing and great reward for THAT child of God! 

Let's connect the dots...if our lives, our journey with Christ reflects a heart's cry to the Lord to "teach us," to "satisfy us," to "make us rejoice," and to "confirm the work of our hands"...if that is the burn and desire of our heart...then our children will have a real opportunity to see Christ incarnate in us and on THAT DAY we will have confidence in Christ before Christ!  Can I get an AMEN!

I pray that you will allow this little Psalm to grant you much spiritual food...so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ...1 Peter 1:7.

love,

m

1 Timothy 6:11-12 But flee from these things, you man of God, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness. 12  Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

To those of you who have been praying for my family as our earthly Daddy went to be with Jesus...THANK YOU!

love,

m

Every time I see God's Word speaking of the presence or countenance of God my spiritual antennae go up.  In our reading in Psalm 89 today we see God's people rejoicing, delighting and being exalted in God's righteousness and in HIS presence!  We see that the people are happy or blessed that hear the Mercy and truth that go before the face of God.

Psalm 89:11-16 The heavens are Yours, the earth also is Yours; The world and all its fullness, You have founded them. 12 The north and the south, You have created them; Tabor and Hermon rejoice in Your name. 13 You have a mighty arm; Strong is Your hand, and high is Your right hand. 14 Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne; Mercy and truth go before Your face. 15 Blessed are the people who know the joyful sound! They walk, O Lord, in the light of Your countenance. 16 In Your name they rejoice all day long, And in Your righteousness they are exalted.

If you remember Exodus 33, Moses cried out to see God's glory and he pleaded with the LORD not to send them into the Promised Land without God going with them.  Moses would not be satisfied with the gifts of God, he longed for the presence of God!

Ex 33:12-18 Then Moses said to the Lord, “See, You say to me, ‘Bring up this people...'I know you by name, and you have also found grace in My sight.’ 13 Now therefore, I pray, if I have found grace in Your sight, show me now Your way, that I may know You and that I may find grace in Your sight. And consider that this nation is Your people.”  14 And He said, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”  15 Then he said to Him, “If Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here. 16 For how then will it be known that Your people and I have found grace in Your sight, except You go with us? So we shall be separate, Your people and I, from all the people who are upon the face of the earth.”  17 So the Lord said to Moses, “I will also do this thing that you have spoken; for you have found grace in My sight, and I know you by name.” 18 And he said, “Please, show me Your glory.”

Moses is one spiritual stud!  He makes bold request after bold request of the sovereign God of the universe and God gives Moses his desires.  I am convinced that my vision is so often much too small!  When we enter the throne room in the confidence of the righteousness of Jesus Christ and make our requests of the sovereign God of the universe they are typically much too small.  Remember Eph 3:20, Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us

Do you remember what Paul wrote in 2 Co 4:6-7?  "For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us."  What is the treasure?  The treasure is Christ in us the hope of glory!  The treasure is God, God is the gospel!  The good news is that through the death, burial, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ our relationship to God the Father is restored.  We see this in Psalm 73:28  "But it is good for me to draw near to God; I have put my trust in the Lord God, That I may declare all Your works.

Paul closes 1 Cor. with a powerful statement, he says in 1 Cor 16:22  "If anyone does not love the Lord, he is to be accursed. Maranatha."  It may not sound confrontational but think about it this way.  How many people went forward in a church service to received Jesus because they wanted to avoid hell?  How many went forward because their friends went forward?  How many went forward because Mom and Dad encouraged and coached them to?  How many have walked the isle that have no true love for Jesus?  If you went forward to get fire insurance from hell are you really saved?

When Diane and I first met she consumed my every waking thought and many of my sleeping thoughts too:)  Is is possible to be saved, to say that you have a relationship with Jesus and never think  about HIM?

Is there anything or anyone that you think about more, that you love more than Jesus?  Be honest with yourself!  If the answer is yes, then you are either not saved, not born again or you are out of fellowship with HIM!

That is strong medicine Mark, how can you say that?  Let's let Jesus put it in stronger terms...Luke 14:26 “If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple.

Seeking HIM above all things together!

love,

m

Author Jim Rohn, motivational speaker, wrote that "Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment." It always irritates me when the world understands biblical truths better than the church!

In 1 Tim 4:7-8 Paul exhorts young Timothy to, "reject profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise yourself toward godliness ( discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness). 8 For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come."  Paul tells Timothy to exercise or discipline himself for the purpose of godliness.  Paul does not totally slam physical exercise, "it profits little."  Paul exhorts Timothy to embrace the biblical spiritual disciplines as the BRIDGE to godliness.  Godliness has promise for our present life and for eternity.

I love the image of the bridge locked in a thick fog...why?  It reminds me of 2 Cor 5:7, "for we walk by faith, not by sight." 

Less than one week ago my Dad went to be with the LORD...after Dana, my sister, called me with the news on Monday night, I laid in bed holding Diane's hand praying for my family and then the thought came to me..."Mark, you're next!"  Not like next in order, but next in like my Granddad, my Dad, then me!  I thought about the moment I take my last breath, the moment my heart beats its final beat and my spirit leaves this earthly tent and goes to be with Jesus.  As the thought hit me I took a deep breath like I was preparing to jump off the high dive and the scripture came "we walk by faith, not by sight."  Here me on this, please listen, please...people that know me well often admire me for the biblical discipline in my life and my desire for godliness, but do you see the root in our reading today?  It almost feels selfish to me personally.

Let me try to explain this way...I have told my boys, "guys listen, if you discipline yourself then Daddy does not have to...would you rather me discipline you or would you rather do it yourself?"  They always answer that they would prefer to discipline themselves.  In a nut shell that is it...why do I labor to discipline myself?  Yes, it is true, I long to live the spirit-filled life, I long to know HIM and make HIM known...but I must  confess that I also long to spare myself the discipline of my heavenly Father.  I have personally experienced it and I have watched others be disciplined by HIM and as for me and my family we prefer to discipline ourselves:)

The other thought is that the more I discipline myself in the faith now the easier it will be to walk through the final door that leads me to Jesus...the door called death!  The more that I die to self, die to the flesh day after day the easier it will be...no it's not just easier, it is more like, "Oh I can't wait to go see Jesus, I long to leave this place and go to my true home to be with HIM!"

One last thought, in verse 16 Paul exhorts Timothy to watch his life, his conduct, and his doctrine or teaching and then he says something amazing..."in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you."  I'm not going to comment on this, but I pray that you will meditate on these words of scripture.

1 Tim 4:11-16 These things command and teach. 12 Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity. 13 Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. 14 Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the eldership. 15 Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all. 16 Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you.

Discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness!

love,

m

In our reading in Jeremiah today we see God's people under the impending doom of the Babylonian captivity, a captivity that would last 70 years, a captivity that was designed and orchestrated by the hand of God because of the sins of HIS people.  So we have the Babylonian army swarming down on Jerusalem and the LORD instructs Jeremiah to purchase a field.  Try to imagine the United States is about to be invaded by an overpowering enemy and God tells you to go buy some land!  In light of the current circumstances it does not make sense...right?  Right!  However, God is not bound by current circumstances and HE is looking past the present to the future...when HE will bring an "everlasting covenant," the "New Covenant," that we know was accomplished by Jesus Christ and the shedding of Jesus blood.

How does Jeremiah respond?  Jeremiah obeys God, buys the field, and then puzzled prays and asks God why...Jeremiah asks for understanding, he asks for illumination.  Why buy a field when the land will soon be occupied by the Babylonians (16-25)?  God grants the request and tells Jeremiah that a remnant of God's people will be restored to their land and blessed with great blessings and prosperity (36-44).

What would you do?  What would I do?  How often have you heard, or maybe you said it, I want to know God more!  Do you remember what Jesus said in John 14:21?  "He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.”  If you want Jesus to reveal Himself to you hold, cling and keep HIS Word!

Do you remember Philip in Acts chapter 8?  Philip is enjoying a thriving ministry in Samaria...large crowds, attentive listeners, casting out demons...we are told that there was great joy in the city because of God working through Philip...every preachers dream!  What does God do?  It makes no sense!  God tells Philip to get up and so south into the desert...what does Philip do?  We see it  in Acts 8:27..."so he got up and went."  Because Philip obeyed he was blessed to share Jesus with the Ethiopian official and he experienced God's true and real teletransporter (39-40).  All because he obeyed God's voice!

The piercing question that you and I have to answer is...are you walking in obedience to the truth HE has already revealed to you?  Do you tithe?  How is your thought life?  How is mine?  Do I seek HIM with ALL MY HEART, SOUL, MIND AND STRENGTH?

If you truly want to know HIM more obey what you know from HIS Word!  Here is a key thought...obedience precedes revelation, obedience precedes understanding, obedience precedes illumination, obedience precedes knowing HIM more intimately!

What did Jesus mean when HE said in Matt 12:50 when HE said, “For whoever does the will of My Father who is in heaven, he is My brother and sister and mother.”  Those who walk in obedience to the will (Word) of My Father in heaven are My intimates, they are the ones who hear and know My voice, they are my sheep and they follow Me!

Jeremiah 29:13 sums it up..."you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart."  HE is available to us...WHEN, WHEN, WE SEARCH FOR HIM WITH ALL YOUR HEART!

Two little lines I heard one day,
Travelling along life’s busy way;
Bringing conviction to my heart,
And from my mind would not depart;
Only one life and it will soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Only one life, yes only one,
Soon will its fleeting hours be done;
Then, in that day my Lord to meet,
And stand before His judgment seat;
Only one life and it will soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Give me, Father, a purpose deep,
In joy, or sorrow Thy word to keep;
Faithful and true what e’er the strife,
Pleasing Thee in my daily life;
Only one life and it will soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.

In 1 Timothy Paul point out that there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus!  People are offended if you passionately and emphatically state that Jesus is the only Way!  I can't remember where I heard this, I am only confident that I did not think of it...that actually if  the truth is told ALL roads, ALL paths do lead to God...they do, every single one (wait, wait, put down your stones) ALL except Jesus lead to HIS Wrath...Jesus is "the way and the truth and the life...NO ONE COMES TO THE FATHER...(did you see that, "no one comes to the Father," ALL paths lead to God...only one will bring you safely into eternity and allow you to know God as "Father."  How did Jesus teach us to pray?  Our Father, our Father...I love knowing that because of Jesus shed blood...I have a Father and HE knows my name and I know HIS voice and I follow HIM!

1 Tim 2:3-7 This is good, and pleases God our Savior, 4 who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all men—the testimony given in its proper time. 7 And for this purpose I was appointed a herald and an apostle—I am telling the truth, I am not lying—and a teacher of the true faith to the Gentiles.

John 14:1-6  “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. 4 You know the way to the place where I am going.” 5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” 6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

One of the "I AM" statements in the gospel of John is Jesus stating that "I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture (John 10:9).  Enter through the narrow gate, HE is the only path, the only gate that allows us to know the sovereign God of the universe as Abba and Father.  Paul writes in Romans 5:2, "through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.  In Ephesians Paul is talking about Jews and Gentiles when he writes in Eph 2:18, "For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit."  I love the way the author of Hebrews puts it when he writes "by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body."  Through the breaking of HIS body and the shedding of HIS blood Jesus took my place, HE was my substitute on the cross, HE was your substitute on the cross...Jesus drank down the cup of God's wrath, HE drank it all!

NOW because of HIS sacrifice HE is our advocate with the Father, HE is  our mediator...we enter a relationship with Jesus Christ by repentance and faith..."nothing in my hands I bring, simply to the cross I cling."  Thank you Jesus!

Father in heaven,

Thank you for adopting me into YOUR family...Jesus, thank you, thank you, thank you for taking my place on the cross and paying a debt that I could not have paid through all eternity...thank you!

I love YOU because you first love me!

m

Good morning everyone!  My father died Monday night in Houston TX.  We are leaving shortly for Houston, the funeral will be tomorrow at 12:00.  I would ask that you please pray for the funeral and graveside services.  I will have an opportunity to share the gospel at both services...please pray for God to open a door for HIS Word and that family and friends would hear and be saved.

I must confess that I started to skip the reading for today so that I could pray and gather my thoughts and scriptures for tomorrow; however, I was prompted to do the reading.  What do you think jumped out at me in Jeremiah?  "I have commanded you to speak...Do not hold back a word.  Perhaps they will listen and return. (Jeremiah 26:2-3)"  What was my response...yes Father in heaven! Then in 2 Thess...pray for us that the Lord's message may spread rapidly and be honored, just as it was with you...may the Lord direct your hearts to God's love and Christ's endurance (2 Thess 3:1, 5). 

Please pray that many would be called out of darkness into HIS marvelous light...pray that I would decrease and Christ would increase and that I would simply be an instrument in HIS hand...for HIS glory!

2 Thess 3:16 Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you.

love,

m

A few days ago we read in Jeremiah 20:9 where Jeremiah wrote, "But if I say, “I will not mention him or speak any more in his name,” his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot."  In the reading today God's Word speaks to us in Jeremiah 23:29, “Is not my word like fire,” declares the Lord, “and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces?  OK, now think back to Jeremiah 5:14  Therefore this is what the Lord God Almighty says: “Because the people have spoken these words, I will make my words in your mouth a fire and these people the wood it consumes.

Jeremiah, the weeping Prophet, is sent by God to speak harsh, but true Words to God's people.  Due to the horrific sins of Judah they are sent into exile, they are sent into captivity for 70 years.  The things that we are getting ready to read in Jeremiah are terrifying...when you come to grips that these things actually happened to these people and the events were a result of their sin it will shake you to the core!

Out of this terror comes the incredible news that God has kept a remnant for HIMSELF.  HE tells us in Jeremiah 24:7, that, I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the Lord. They will be my people, and I will be their God, for they will return to me with all their heart.

NOW leap with me to 2 Thess chapter 2.  What does it mean when we read that Jesus will overthrow the lawless one with the breath of HIS mouth and the splendor of HIS coming?  Ultimate fighting Jesus only has to speak to HIS enemy and they are defeated!  Jesus simply has to show up and the brightness of HIS glory destroys HIS enemies the way that darkness flees a room when you turn on the light!

2 Th 2:8-12 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming. 9 The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders, 10 and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. 11 For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie 12 and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.

2 Thess 2:10-12 contain some sobering words!  They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. 11 For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie 12 and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.

Do you love the truth, do I?  Do you love Jesus?  Do you remember John 14:6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.   NO ONE COMES TO THE FATHER EXCEPT THROUGH ME!  NO ONE!  This Word  is like a fire, a fire burning in my heart, I cannot hold it in...it is a hammer that breaks rocks in pieces.

Do you love the truth?  Do you love Jesus?  Is HE precious to you?  Do you spend time with HIM in HIS Word, prayer and meditation?  Have you allowed HIS powerful Word to break up your hard heart...so that you may seek HIM with ALL your heart?

1 Peter 2:7-10 Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, “The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone,” 8 and, “A stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall.” They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for. (They did not love the truth)

9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

Come and be saved, turn to Jesus and be saved...turn from trusting in yourself or in anything else and trust in Jesus alone for eternal life...believe on the LORD JESUS CHRIST AND YOU WILL BE SAVED!

love,

m

The absolute truth that God the Father has wrapped me in garments of salvation and as the prodigal was wrapped in the fathers robe, we too are arrayed in a robe of righteousness...this awe-striking truth leaves me in awe and filled with joy unspeakable.  We have mentioned Isa 61:10 several times in the past few weeks.  "I delight greatly in the Lord; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels."  This is really good news!   Hold that thought...and now consider what Paul wrote in 1 Cor 1:30, when he said, "It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.   What is the wisdom from God?  That is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.  If that does not bring to heart and mind 2 Co 5:21...well, it should:)  "God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God."

How awesome to think that we, God's children, are the righteousness of God.  Our reading in Jeremiah today tells us that the LORD is our Righteousness!  “The time is coming,” says the Lord, “when I will place a righteous Branch on King David’s throne. He will be a King who rules with wisdom. He will do what is just and right throughout the land. And this is His name: ‘The Lord Is Our Righteousness’ ” (Jer. 23:5, 6).  Jehovah-Tsidkenu, if you are wondering how to pronounce Tsidkenu, try it with a silent T and you will get close:)

Jeremiah gave this prophecy about the coming Messiah as the kingdom of Judah was about to fall. God allowed the Babylonians to conquer Jerusalem because of the unrighteous conduct of Judah’s kings and people.  As you read through Jeremiah you will find it difficult to count the number of times God's Word tells us that God's people would not listen to HIS Word, they would not obey HIS Word.  God sent judgement through the Babylonians.

Before the 70 years of captivity God promised to send a Righteous Ruler—Jehovah-Tsidkenu. Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of HIS promise. His death and resurrection paid our sin debt, and now we are clothed in HIS perfect righteousness (Isa. 61:10). One day, He will return to rule in all righteousness! 

Here is the kicker...who did Jesus say were HIS brother, sisters and mother?  Whoever does the will of my Father (Matt 12:50)  You will have to jump ahead in our reading in 2 Thess, in our reading tomorrow we read ( Th 2:10-12) "They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. 11 For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie 12 and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.

Why do they perish?  They refused to love the truth!  If you are a child of God, if you have received HIM by faith, you will hunger for HIS Word, you will long to walk in obedience to HIS Word...that will be the desire of your heart!  Remember what Paul wrote just before 2 Cor 5:21?

2 Co 5:17-20  Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20 We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.

1 Jn 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

JOY unspeakable and full of glory...thank you LORD JESUS!

LOVE,

M

Paul teaches us by a revelation that the "day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night."  He presses on to give instructions on how we should live in the world as sons of the light and sons of the day since we do not belong to the darkness.  His wording does not leave women out, it actually puts both male and female on level ground before the cross.  Remember Gal 3:28, "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus."  In that day daughters did not have the same status as heirs, it was the sons that were the heirs to their earthly fathers.  In Thessalonians 5 Paul is teaching that men and women are equal before God in Christ!

1 Th 5:2 for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.

1 Th 5:5 You are all sons of the light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness.

1 Th 5:8-11 But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. 9 For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. 10 He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. 11 Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.

So "the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night," and we who are in Christ, are all sons of the light and since we are sons of the light verses 5-8 give instructions as to how we should live.  My concern, my pain, my burn at this moment is that I believe that there are many who would say that they are a Christian and they are horribly deceived, horribly deceived!  As Jeremiah put it "there is in my heart as it were a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I am weary with holding it in, and I cannot."  

Jeremiah 20:9 If I say, “I will not mention him, or speak any more in his name,” there is in my heart as it were a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I am weary with holding it in, and I cannot.

Mark, don't you think that you are being a little  harsh?  Don't you think you are over reacting a little?  If I am then what do you do with Matt 7?

Matt 7:21-23 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’

How could so many be so deceived?  The gate is narrow, the path is hard!  “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it (Matt 7:13).

Still, how could so many be deceived?  Do you remember Matt 22:29 where Jesus replied, “You are deceived because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God.

There is a pandemic disease that has left our churches, yes churches, in ruins...it is the disease of not knowing God's Word.  This is what I cannot keep quiet about!  More than likely, if you don't know HIS Word you don't know HIM!

Jeremiah 4:19 My anguish, my anguish! I writhe in pain! Oh the walls of my heart!  My heart is beating wildly; I cannot keep silent, for I hear the sound of the trumpet, the alarm of war.

Jeremiah 23:9 Concerning the prophets:  My heart is broken within me; all my bones shake; I am like a drunken man, like a man overcome by wine, because of the Lord and because of his holy words.

Ezekiel 3:14 The Spirit lifted me up and took me away, and I went in bitterness in the heat of my spirit, the hand of the Lord being strong upon me.

I love what the disciples said in Acts 4:20 "For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.”  So my genuine question is...can you or I have an genuine encounter with the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, can you catch a glimpse of the King of kings and Lord of lords and not be radically different.  Is it possible to see HIM and continue living in mediocrity?  Is it possible to have a burning bush experience in your spirit, or a Damascus road experience and continue a complacent, uncaring life?

All I know is that "there is in my heart as it were a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I am weary with holding it in, and I cannot."  I "cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.”   I burn to know HIM through HIS Word and HIS indwelling power!

Pursuing HIM together!

love,

m

Do you ever get the sense that God is laboring to get our attention as a nation?  Hurricane's, floods, war, financial crisis, I could go on and on.  If you think back a few years 9/11 was not a warning shot, HE allowed us to take a direct hit!  My gut tells me that HE may allow us to take more hits!  Why would you say that Mark?  I shudder to contemplate the millions of babies that we, as a nation, have murdered in the womb.  How much blood is on our hands as a nation in that one horrific sin?  God gave us marriage and the family to be the social foundation and fabric of society.  Our willingness to tolerate the gay lifestyle and not call it sin is sinful!  I would be remiss if I did not point out that our churches are guilty of propagating the traditions of men and failing to be a lighthouse in a dark and lost nation.  What I mean is that Jesus ALWAYS called out sin and rejected sinners, BUT he tenderly, graciously and with great compassion received repentant sinners. 

Think back to yesterday as we looked at Psalm 80, “give us life, and we will call upon your name! Restore us, O Lord God of hosts! Let your face shine, that we may be saved!” The cry, revive us again, revive us Oh, Lord! I know that many in our nation are crying out for God to send revival, crying out for God to move in power and might and bring many into HIS kingdom in our nation. God’s children are crying out for God to move and bring our nation back to HIM!  That would be miraculous!

With that in mind listen, LISTEN to Psalm 81:8-16

“Hear, O my people, and I will warn you— if you would but listen to me, O Israel! You shall have no foreign god among you; you shall not bow down to an alien god. I am the Lord your God, who brought you up out of Egypt. Open wide your mouth and I will fill it.  11“But my people would not listen to me; Israel would not submit to me. 12 So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts to follow their own devices. (Compare w/ Rom 1:24) 13 “If my people would but listen to me, if Israel would follow my ways, 14 how quickly would I subdue their enemies and turn my hand against their foes! 15 Those who hate the Lord would cringe before him, and their punishment would last forever. But you would be fed with the finest of wheat; with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.”

We hear 2 Chronicles 7:14 quoted over and over..."if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land."  I love this passage, but I believe that it is a further indictment on the church!  God clearly states "if my people who are called by my name;" HE is speaking then to Israel, but today HE is speaking to HIS church, HE is speaking to you and HE is speaking to me.  Oh God enable us to LISTEN! 

How is it that the divorce rate in the church is the same as it is in the world?  How is it that men in the church cheat on their wives the same as the unchurched.  How is it that those in the church are just as enamored with the things of this world as those outside the church.  When they look at your life, when they look at my life what do they see?  Do they see a pretender, a hypocrite, or do they see Jesus?

I love the last verse in Psalm 81... "with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.”  The rock is Jesus...your heart was created with a God shaped vacuum, or a Jesus shaped vacuum...nothing else will satisfy you...NOTHING!  ONLY JESUS!  Remember Psalm 90:14, "O satisfy us in the morning with Your lovingkindness, That we may sing for joy and be glad all our days."

Where do you find your satisfaction?  Where do you find your joy?  What is it that you think about more than anything else?  If it is not Jesus, then you are not saved or you are a child of God that is gone astray.  Come to Jesus, come to Jesus and be saved!

Oh Lord, Father in heaven, fill us with YOUR Holy Spirit...enable us to hear YOUR voice, open our ears to YOUR Word, enable us to  live in a manner that is pleasing to YOU, enable us to come to YOU, the  only one who is able to satisfy our hearts.  Father, enable us to live and walk in a manner that Jesus flows in and through our lives that more may see Jesus and come to HIM and be saved!

The cry  of Psalm 80 may be the cry of every generation of God's children!  With a cursory reading we see 3 times that God's people cry out "restore us" or "revive us."  In verses 18-19 we see this, "Then we will never abandon you again. Revive us so we can call on your name once more. 19  Turn us again to yourself, O Lord God of Heaven’s Armies. Make your face shine down upon us. Only then will we be saved."

Psalm 80 was written during the time of the exile of Israel, in their affliction and suffering God's people cry out in desperation.  It is interesting to note that our reading in Jeremiah this morning was written in the time leading up to the exile.  If Jeremiah does not throw you into a state of fear and trembling something is very wrong with you spiritually!  Are we not commanded to work out our salvation with fear and trembling?  In Jeremiah 14 God commands Jeremiah NOT TO PRAY for the well-being of these people!  HE declares that HE will not listen to them.  God rebukes the preachers (prophets) of the day for telling lies and tells Jeremiah that the lying preachers will be destroyed (14:13-16).  (I will say to my fellow teachers/preachers...labor, strive, work to rightly divide the Word of truth...don't teach what is popular..."preach the Word.")  Everyone is called to rightly divide the Word of truth, but especially those who preach and teach!  Paul was passionate about this..."Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth 2 Tim 2:15." 

Ponder this for a moment, God commands one of HIS prophets NOT to pray for HIS people, HE tells Jeremiah that the prophets are lying and that they will be destroyed and then God tells of the destruction of HIS own people..."I will pour out their own evil on them 14:16."  Do you recall the judgement of God on people depicted in Romans 1:24?  "God abandoned them to do whatever shameful things their hearts desired. As a result, they did vile and degrading things with each other’s bodies."  God's judgement on sin is letting us go into our sin...more sin!  Think about it, sin is looking in the face of God, the fountain of living water, the only true God and saying "no thank you I will find satisfaction over here, thanks, but no thanks."  Remember Jeremiah 2:13 "For my people have done two evil things: They have abandoned me— the fountain of living water. And they have dug for themselves cracked cisterns that can hold no water at all!"  In Jeremiah 15:1-2 we learn that, “Though Moses and Samuel stood before me, yet my heart would not turn toward this people. Send them out of my sight, and let them go! 2 And when they ask you, ‘Where shall we go?’ you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord: “ ‘Those who are for pestilence, to pestilence, and those who are for the sword, to the sword; those who are for famine, to famine, and those who are for captivity, to captivity.’  DO YOU SEE WHAT HAPPENED?  The one who longed for the presence of God, Moses, and cried out for the presence of God would make no difference!  God's people have gone so far into sin and evil they must enter the furnace of affliction, they must enter the exile, so that God may return a remnant 70 years later.

If we want to go our own way God will allow us to go, but there are horrific consequences for each of us AND for those around us!  When will we learn, when will I learn to understand that I am forever and eternally desperate for HIM.  I need HIM to survive, to exist, to delight in lift, regardless of my circumstances!  I am just as desperate for HIM in times of prosperity as I am in times of great need, suffering and pain.

1 Tim 4:7 exhorts us to "Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness, it is also translated "discipline yourselves for the purpose of godliness."  YOU CAN EITHER DISCIPLINE YOURSELF OR GOD WILL DO IT FOR YOU...I prefer to labor to discipline myself with HIS help:)

love,

m

How awesome for Paul, he is receiving reports from people that live in the region of the Thessalonians about their faith and a radical change in their lives.  Paul writes in 1 Thess 1:9-10 that, "they themselves report what kind of reception you gave us. They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, 10 and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath."  The effect of the Thessalonians hearing and receiving the gospel was them "turning from idols to serve the living and true God." 

How do we serve the living God?  Knowing our election and knowing that the gospel came to us in the power of the Holy Spirit(v.4) we are confident that it is God who will complete the good work HE began.  How do we know that HE began a work in us?  Great question...I see 3 three things in these few verses.

If the true and living God began a work in you then you will be filled with a desire to know HIM and make HIM known!  What does Paul tell us in 1 Thess 2:2?   "But though we had already suffered and been shamefully treated at Philippi, as you know, we had boldness in our God to declare to you the gospel of God in the midst of much conflict."  Will this be the same for everyone?  NO!  God will use the unique and diverse way that HE created you to serve HIM in this manner, but you will have the desire and HIS Spirit will fill you with a boldness to make HIM known!

Another indicator that HE began a good work in you is that your passion and hearts desire will be to please HIM.  God's children are not to be men pleasers, but they are to seek to please HIM.  In 1 Thess 2:4 Paul writes, "On the contrary, we speak as men approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please men but God, who tests our hearts."  We will not do this perfectly this side of glory, but it is the direction and passion of our lives.

The third indicator that I see is that we will be filled with a desire to share and give away our lives like Jesus did for us.  If Christ is in you, the hope of glory, if the Holy Spirit truly dwells within your heart, if HE really began a good work in you then you will want to freely share your life with others.  Check out what Paul wrote in 1 Th 2:8, We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us.

You will share the gospel, but you will also share your life.  You will allow your life to be intertwined with others.  Sometimes that will mean that things  get messy, nasty and ugly...and some of that stuff will spill over on you!   If Jesus became sin...2 Co 5:21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.  IF JESUS BECAME SIN THAT WE MIGHT BECOME THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD...do you think that if HE lives in you, if HE began a good work in you do you believe that part of that would include you sharing your life with others?  Do you believe that it might include you sharing your life with others in a manner where you will get dirty?  If Christ is truly incarnate in you, what would it look like?  What do you look like, what do I?

love,

m

Colossians 4:5-6 Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. 6 Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.

Jesus was full of grace and truth (John 1:14). HIS followers are to be gracious, pleasant, winsome, Spirit filled and as Paul states, with grace, as seasoned with salt: Not indifferent, flat, boring, tasteless. Jesus followers are to have an edge of liveliness, a radical desire to follow the Lion of the Tribe of Judah into battle, marked by purity, a passion for holiness, so that we may know how to answer each person.  I love the way Peter states this in 1 Peter 3:15, "sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence."

So how do I walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the time?  Salt here is a metaphor for wisdom, God's Wisdom.  "Season your speech with salt." How is that? If somebody sprinkles salt on food and makes it taste good, you appreciate it. If food has too much salt it is not fit for consumption and if somebody hands you a spoon of salt and says, "Take this," it's next to impossible swallow. In fact, if you do it will make you sick to your stomach!

You still have not answered the question Mark...OK, in Eph 4:15 we are commanded to "speak the truth in love."  We don't use the truth as a club, we don't use the wisdom of God's Word to beat people, we are not called to beat people with the Word of God.  We are not waiting and watching for someone to cross our path with a wound and run up and pour salt on their injury.  They will not thank you for pouring salt on a open wound!  However, they may become  infuriated and never come to you again!

If you live out a Christ honoring, Spirit filled life before outsiders, filled with grace as though seasoned with salt, responding with God's wisdom to the hard and difficult circumstances in your own life, (NOT a life that holds to a form of godliness, lifeless and dead) when they receive a spiritual or emotional injury they will be inclined to come to you!  For those that are Spirit filled, when they come, HIS Spirit has prepared us and we are ready to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give a reason for the hope, we are ready to give God's wisdom, we are ready to comfort with the comfort we have received from God (2 Cor 1).

The whole thrust of vv.5–6 revolves around the unspeakable joy the believer has in manifesting God and Christ to the world and him. Outsiders (v.5) are obviously those outside the Kingdom (what else?), so this statement is recognition that the believer’s lifestyle can impact all unsaved people he comes in contact with specifically. Now the dedicated believer should be constantly asking, “?How can I influence this person for Christ?” We should pray for God’s guidance and help in living a life which advertises the joy and security found in Christ. Our speech should be gracious and depict the wisdom we find from our relationship with God. So this ideal daily walk is by no means isolated from the believer’s prayer life, but is rather a by-product or the working out of that prayer life. The challenging part of this contact with the unsaved is found in the last phrase of v.6: consider how you should respond (react) to everyone; there are no exceptions for the mature believer.  Mills, M. (1999). Colossians : A Study Guide to Paul's epistle to the Saints at Colossae (Col 4:2). Dallas: 3E Ministries.

This is a beautiful picture of how a follower of Christ should walk.  HOW?  In constant fellowship with God through prayer, and constantly allowing the life of Christ to flow in and through him/her, the Spirit filled life, Christ in us the hope of glory...Jesus Christ incarnate in you and in me!  In doing so we are walking in obedience to our Lord following HIS command to "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven (Matt 5:16).

love,

m

I must confess to a love/hate relationship with this passage in Jeremiah 9:23-24...I love it because of its beauty, simplicity and the powerful manner that it points us to God the Father!  I hate it, (in case you are not sure, let me be clear, I am using hyperbole) because God constantly uses this powerful passage to point out areas in my heart where I have been trusting in my abilities or the resources at my disposal to do HIS work.  This passage is a constant reminder that the Church witnessed its most explosive growth and expansion with zero human resources, but immeasurable resources from the Spirit of God and HIS precious Word!  It is also a constant reminder that God does not need me or my resources!  HE finds great delight when I join HIM in HIS work in humility, brokenness and with a contrite heart...knowing that I am desperately dependent on HIM to work in and through me...resulting in HIS glory and my joy in HIM:)

Thus says the LORD: "Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, Let not the mighty man glory in his might, Nor let the rich man glory in his riches; 24 But let him who glories glory in this, That he understands and knows Me, That I am the LORD, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight," says the LORD Jeremiah 9:23-24.

Jeremiah was contending with people who were depending on their own resources and capabilities rather than on God, sound familiar?  Glory may also be translated boast, “to praise oneself.” Jeremiah, like Solomon in Ecclesiastes and like Paul throughout the NT communicates that trusting in the things of this world will lead to disaster.  Throughout scripture the message is clear, people should find their purpose, meaning and true worth in the fact that they know God and may celebrate and rejoice in His attributes. True heart and mind knowledge of God brings us to an intimate relationship with Him.  If indeed, Christ dwells within us, IF HIS Word dwells in us richly HIS attributes will be evident in HIS children. Three characteristics of God that HE demands of people called by His Name are lovingkindness, “loyal love”; judgment, “justice”; and righteousness, “uprightness.”  HE demands this of us individually and corporately!

Do you remember what Paul said in Eph 5:10, "try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord."  Frankly, it is not difficult to discern if you will spend time in HIS Word and actually it is quite easy if HIS Word dwells in you richly!  Paul quotes Jeremiah in 1 Cor 1:31, when he writes, "so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”   Again in Galatians 6:14 Paul communicates the same idea..."But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world."

Paul clearly teaches us that, If you died with Christ to the elemental forces of this world, why do you live as if you still belonged to the world?  If you have been raised with the Messiah, seek what is above, where the Messiah is seated at the right hand of God.  Put to death whatever in you is worldly and put on the new man, who is being renewed in knowledge according to  the image of his Creator.  Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. 13 Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. 14 Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.

How do I glory in the fact that by HIS Holy Spirit God has enabled me to understand and know HIM?  Knowing that HE chose me to be a part of the holy people HE loves, I must, by HIS enabling, put on the new man...being renewed in the image of his Creator.  I must clothe myself with tenderhearted mercy, (loving kindness), humility, justice and righteousness...I must put on heartfelt compassion and I must put to death whatever in me is worldly!

Keeping all that in heart and mind let the truth of Isaiah 61:10 sweep you off your feet, let these awe-striking words captivate and consume your heart...take these words from Isaiah and let the Holy Spirit burn them in your heart all day long...What does God say that is so amazing..."I am overwhelmed with joy in the Lord my God! For he has dressed me with the clothing of salvation and draped me in a robe of righteousness. I am like a bridegroom in his wedding suit or a bride with her jewels.

I hope and pray that you see it!  There is a profound mystery, a beautiful mystery presented here...you and I are commanded to "put to death" to "put on" and yet when we come to HIM in FAITH HE dresses us with the clothing of salvation and drapes us in a robe of righteousness...THE ONLY APPROPRIATE RESPONSE IS WORSHIP AND ADORATION...GLORY IN THIS!

love,

m

BAD THEOLOGY LEADS TO BAD PRACTICE!  A wrong understanding of God and who HE is leads to horrific consequences in the lives of those we love.  Family, friends and loved ones often look at me like I have a third eye in the middle of my forehead when I become angry when I see error being taught and embraced!  Why are you so angry Mark?  When you watch false teaching about God lived out in the lives of people, when you watch  people you love and care about destroying their own lives and the lives of those around them...if that does not make you angry and move you to action then you are the worst sort of monster...sorry! 

Have you ever heard someone say, "I knew that he would do that, I saw it coming, I could tell when he was 3 years old that he would turn out that way."  I don't know about you, but I have heard phrases like that many times over and it makes me want to grab the person that said it SALM THEM AGAINST A BRICK WALL and cry out "then for God's sake why didn't you stop him?  If it cost you everything, why didn't you stop him from destroying himself and those around him."  The typical response is, "it none of my business, it's not my place..."  IT IS MY BUSINESS, IT IS YOUR BUSINESS...we have a responsibility to try to stop them.  Go read God's Word!

What is it that is happening all around us, what is it that people in and out of the church, people in and out of my own family, what is it that is happening that is leading to such chaos and is leading to the destruction of spiritual life?  I have not found anyone that has described it better than John Piper.  He puts it this way:

If we exchange God's glory for lesser things, he gives us up to lived out parables of depravity...the point is this: we were created to know and treasure the glory of God above all things; and when we trade that treasure for images, everything is disordered.  The sun of God's glory was made to shine at the center of the solar system of our soul.  When it does, all the planets of our life are help in their proper orbit.  When the sun of God's glory is displaced, everything flies apart.  The healing of the soul begins by restoring glory of God to its flaming, all attracting place at the center. We are starved for the glory of God, not self.  No one goes to the Grand Canyon to increase self-esteem.  There is greater healing for the soul in beholding splendor than in beholding self (Seeing and Savoring Jesus Christ, John Piper).

Please tell me you see it, please!  Rightly understanding who God is, seeking to know HIM as HE is and as HE has revealed HIMSELF in HIS precious Word HAS HUGE IMPLICATIONS FOR HOW WE LIVE OUT OUR LIVES...HUGE...LIFE AND DEATH TYPE STUFF!

Remember what Isaiah wrote in Isaiah 29:13  And the Lord said: “Because this people draw near with their mouth and honor me with their lips, while their hearts are far from me, and their fear of me is a commandment taught by men.  In Mark 7:7 we see it said, in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’

Please cry out for discernment to reject the commandments taught by men!  Jesus is not a list of teachings, Jesus is not a program, Jesus is not a process...Jesus is a person...HE is the second person of the Triune God and HE is LORD...you don't make HIM LORD OF YOUR LIFE...HE is the LORD OF YOUR LIFE!

You and I were created by our Creator to see, behold, delight in the blinding, breath-taking glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ...He created us to know HIM to love HIM and to reflect HIS glory in and through our lives...Christ in us the hope of glory!  Do you remember what Jesus prayed in John 17:24?  "Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world."

Earth to Mark, Earth to Mark...what got into you this morning, what set you off?  This one little verse in our reading in Colossians...Col 2:20 If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations—

All agree that Paul wrote his letter to the Colossians to combat a heresy, doctrines of men. Few agree on the exact nature of the heresy. From Paul's response it clearly contained pagan and Jewish elements.  Disguised as a form of Christianity, it denied Christ His central place and distorted the Christian lifestyle reflected throughout the NT.  Why would Paul fight so passionately against false teaching?  The glory of God was and is at stake, the glory of God...and eternity is at stake...if you miss HIM you are condemned to a Christless eternity!

SEEKING HIM!

m

The readings this morning throw the spiritual sensors into overload and will quickly crash your spiritual hard drive if you do not exercise great caution:)  Therefore let me briefly mention just two verses.  In Colossians 2:6-7 Paul gives us powerful insight into live with Christ.  "Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, 7 rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving."

He uses four little words to describe how the Colossians' and how we may walk, live, with Christ.  This is where it comes in handy to be smarter than a 5th grader, or at least a basic understanding of grammar:)  The tense of the word translated rooted indicates a complete action, it is complete and it is passive; the believers have been (it was done to them) rooted in Christ. The next three words, built up, established, and abounding, are in the present tense, showing the continual growth that should characterize every Christian’s walk with Christ.

This is key...rooted, built up, and established are all passive verbs...the action is being done to them!  The only active verb is abounding, abounding in thanksgiving!

We workout or salvation with fear and trembling, knowing that HE who began a good work in us (HE is doing the action, HE is rooting, building up, establishing) will bring it to completion.  HE will do it!  What is our responsibility?  "Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him."  How did you receive Jesus?  Repentance and faith, repentance and faith...the walk of the Christ follower is repentance and faith...ABOUNDING WITH THANKSGIVING!

You may be thinking, Mark that is too simple, to easy, that is foolish...be careful!   Remember what Paul wrote in 1 Cor 1:18 For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

My name is Mark Gates and I am not smarter than a 5th grader...however, I am in HIM and in HIM all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden!

love,

m

Col 1:9-11 And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10 so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. 11 May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy,

This beautiful little prayer in Colossians gives us a design or a blueprint for spiritual growth for the children of God.  Spiritual growth begins with a knowledge the truth revealed in Scripture: “what God has willed.” We are responsible to "rightly handle" that truth with “wisdom and insight,” crying out to God for understand as to its practical implications and applications for our day to day life. Then applying the truth of God's Word, as HE unfolds the manifold wisdom of HIS Word to us we are enabled to  make choices which please Him and are “worthy of the Lord.” As we continue in desperation for HIM to complete the good work HE began in us we are enabled by the filling of HIS Spirit to live a worthy life, we “bear fruit in every good work” and we come to know God in a personal intimate way, not just intellectually but we daily experience the presence of God.

This process begins a chain reaction of increasing in the knowledge of God, this chain reaction is awe-inspiring and it is explosive.  You simply come to the place in your relationship with HIM where you grasp what HE is saying when HE tells you...You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart (Jer 29:13).  You begin to grasp what Jesus is saying when HE tells us "Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him (Jn 14:21).” 

As the chain reaction begins in your heart and you read things like...HE is the "image of God" (2 Cor. 4:4).  HE is the "brightness of the Father's glory and the express image of HIS person (Heb 1:3).  He is the image of the invisible God (Col 1:15)...when you read these things your heart is consumed and begins to burn within you as the Holy Spirit reveals and manifests Jesus to the eyes of your heart!

As this spiritual chain reaction begins in our hearts something amazing happens...we begin to experience Christ living HIS life through us, Jesus becomes incarnate in us...a glorious wealth is revealed...Christ in us the hope of glory (Col 1:27).  HANG WITH ME HERE I don't think that I am getting weird or anything (let me know if you think that I am:)  As this begins in the life of a child of God you lose Self-consciousness without being aware you are filled and consumed with a Christ-consciousness.  Simply stated I believe that is the Spirit filled life.  It's not like you start thinking humble thoughts about yourself...you are just not thinking about yourself...YOU ARE CONSUMED WITH HIM AND HIS BEAUTY AND HIS INFINITE GLORY AND SPLENDOR!

A quick glance at the first chapter in Colossians you can see that Paul was consumed with HIM and knew that it is all, ALL about HIM!

Col 1:10  to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit

Col 1:16 For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens all things have been created through Him and for Him.

Col 1:17 He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.

Col 1:19 pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him,

Col 1:20 and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things

Col 1:22 in order to present you before Him holy and blameless

Col 1:28 We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching

Father in heaven,

We praise YOUR holy and awesome name...thank YOU for delivering us from the domain of darkness and transferring us to the kingdom of YOUR beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.  THANK YOU!

love,

m

In Psalm 90:14 the Psalmist cries out, "Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days."  This steadfast love is the same love that moved our great God to send the second person of the Godhead on a rescue mission, a rescue mission that would require the shedding of the blood of God HIMSELF!  Remember Acts 20:28?  It is here where leaders are exhorted, "to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood."  You are not your own, your were bought at a price...an unthinkable price...God the Son purchased you and I with HIS OWN blood...if that does not astound you...then you need to get saved!  Only a spiritually dead person could look at that and not be blown away! 

So in Psalm 90:14 the Psalmist is crying out to God...satisfy us in the morning, satisfy our craving human hearts, satisfy us with your saving grace, satisfy us with your tender mercies, satisfy us with the only LOVE that can truly fill our craving, consuming human hearts!  You may have heard it said that people have a God shaped vacuum in their hearts, Augustine said, "Thou hast made us for thyself and our hearts are restless. until they find rest in thee."  In Ecclesiastes 3:11 we learn that God set eternity in peoples hearts.  God created us to be in relationships, to be in an ALL SATISFYING relationship with HIM through Jesus Christ and in relationship with other people; it is in our DNA, we are hardwired to CONNECT to HIM and to other people.

HE specifically designed us to hunger and thirst for HIM, a hunger and thirst that only HE can fill.  We see this lived out over and over in HIS precious Word.

Revelation 21:6 And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment.

Ps 36:9 For with you is the fountain of life; in your light do we see light.

Is 48:12 The Lord’s Call to Israel 12 “Listen to me, O Jacob, and Israel, whom I called! I am he; I am the first, and I am the last.

Is 55:1 “Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.

Is 58:11 And the Lord will guide you continually and satisfy your desire in scorched places and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.

This is wonderful, this is incredible news, how awesome to know that we can be fully satisfied and content and at rest in HIM.  No doubt, this is breathtaking, this is astounding...the problem is that what was true in Jeremiah's day is true in ours.  You may have been wondering if I would ever touch on a verse that was in our reading from today...here it is in Jeremiah 2:13 for my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water.

What are those two evils?  God calls it evil when we see and hear the gospel, when we see Jesus, when we hear the offer of Jesus and say "NO THANK YOU!"  We hear Jesus say come unto me, come you who are thirsty, come and (John 7:38) “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’ ”  When we turn from Jesus it is evil!

Those of you reading this, and the one writing, may say "I have not turned from Jesus, I turned to HIM, I prayed a prayer when I was 12, Jesus saved me! OH really...are you sure?  The second evil in Jeremiah 2:13 is painfully convicting, painfully convicting...what did they do?  They "hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water.  What does that have to do with anything Mark?  Let me ask you and myself...is there anything other than Jesus that your heart cries out to, "satisfy me, satisfy me, satisfy me?  Do you cry that to your spouse, children, health, job, ministry, home, money, toys, food, sports, sex, alcohol...satisfy me, satisfy me, satisfy me?  Let me ask it this way...is there anything in your life that if God took it away (use the list above or add your own) that you would get mad at God...that you would have the right to get mad at God?  Is there anything in that list or your own list that you give more thought to than your relationship with God the Father through Jesus Christ?  If the answer is yes, then THAT IS AN IDOL IN YOUR LIFE!

I will confess before you all that I daily, yes daily, repent of a failure here...repentance and faith, repentance and faith, repentance and faith...that is part of my daily walk with HIM.  It is part of working our my salvation with fear and trembling!

Romans 7:24-25 Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? 25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!

Pursuing HIM together!

love,

m

At the end of the parable of the Marriage feast Jesus said, "For many are called, but few are chosen. (Matt 22:14)”  This morning in Isaiah 66:4 God tells us, "I called and no one answered, I spoke and they didn't hear; they did what was evil in My sight and chose what I didn't delight in."  Please don't make the mistake of thinking this applies to only those that were not Israelites and for us today don't make the mistake of thinking this applies ONLY to those outside the church.  Consider Jesus words in the gospel of Mark, Jesus said the following in 7:6-8 "Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, “ ‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; 7 in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ 8 You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men.”

Jesus is talking to us, Jesus is talking to me!  Cry out, cry out, at the top of your lungs for ears to hear and eyes to see...don't take this lightly!  Why would Paul exhort us to work out our salvation with fear and trembling...why?  The evidence that we belong to HIM is that we endure to the end!  Why would you say that Mark?  Because Jesus did...Mk 13:13 And you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.  The author of Hebrews tells us the same thing in Heb 3:14.  "For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end."

Deut 29:4  “Yet to this day the Lord has not given you a heart to know, nor eyes to see, nor ears to hear.

Matt 11:15  “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.

Mark 4:9  And He was saying, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

Luke 14:35  “It is useless either for the soil or for the manure pile; it is thrown out. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

Rom 11:8  just as it is written, “God gave them a spirit of stupor, Eyes to see not and ears to hear not, Down to this very day.”

Php 3:12-14 Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. 13 Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

This is huge, this frees me to pursue Jesus with a white-hot passion absolutely free from the guilt of my past!  How so Mark...BECAUSE JESUS MADE ME HIS OWN, JESUS MADE ME HIS OWN, JESUS MADE ME HIS OWN!  Remember what Paul said in 1 Co 6:19-20, Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.

When Jesus made me HIS own, HE gave my spiritual eyes sight, (the blind receive their sight), HE healed my spiritual legs and HE healed me from spiritual leprosy (the lame walk, lepers are cleansed),  HE opened my spiritual ears to hear HIS voice, the voice of the good Shepherd (and the deaf hear), and thought I was dead in my sins and trespasses HE made me alive together with Christ, (the dead are raised up, the poor have good news preached to them).  

2 Cor 8:9  For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich.

We are free to pursue HIM, we are free to say...BUT ONE THING I DO!

love,

m

The Holy Spirit is not going to allow me to pass by our reading from yesterday in Philippians, specifically 2:5-11 without pointing out JESUS!  That is what HE does...don't you agree?  So "that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. 

Oh that people would bow the knee to Jesus before they die and enter a Christless eternity!  Oh that our eyes would be opened to acknowledge that Jesus is God, that Jesus is Emmanuel, God with us, HE is the "image of God" (2 Cor. 4:4).  HE is the "brightness of the Father's glory and the express image of HIS person (Heb 1:3).  He is the image of the invisible God (Col 1:15).  I do not confess to understand this mystery, I do confess to see it by faith and be filled with awe and wonder.  What else can you do with 2 Co 4:6?  What do you do when God tells us that, "For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ."  

The Apostle John gave testimony to the deity of Jesus Christ, John witnessed the glory of Christ, the glory of God the Son.  We see this clearly in the opening verses of the gospel of John and again in John 1:14 "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.  If it was not clear before, he makes it undeniable in verse 18, "No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known."

Every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is LORD, is GOD, either before they die and be born again OR they will enter a Christless eternity, they will enter hell, eternal separation from God and THEY WILL BOW THE KNEE AND CONFESS JESUS AS LORD at that time!

Philippians 2:5-11 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

What does Paul teach us in Romans 10:9?  If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved...and in 1 Cor 12:3 he tells us that, "Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says “Jesus is accursed!” and no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except in the Holy Spirit."

SO if the God who said, "let light shine out of darkness," (referring to creation) has shown in your heart to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ," then you have witnessed the glory of Christ with the eyes of faith AND YOU KNOW that HE is the King of kings and LORD of lords...YOU know that HE is the great "I AM."  You see HIS face when HE says in John 8:58, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.”   You see HIS face when Thomas responds to Jesus and says, “My Lord and my God!”

You may say, "Mark I do acknowledge that Jesus Christ is God the Son, I believe that HE is God...I have placed my hope and trust in Jesus and Jesus alone for eternal life...that in and through HIM, by the working of the Holy Spirit, I may know and have an intimate relationship with God the Father."  Praise God!

I have 2 closing thoughts...yesterday in Philippians Paul instructed us to "work out our salvation with fear and trembling."  I believe that we should take this seriously!  Looking back to Philippians 2:5 we are told to have the mind of Christ...(get this) "which is yours in Christ Jesus."  WHAT IS YOUR POINT MARK?  IF we are "in Christ" then our lives will be fruitful and increasingly marked by THAT HUMILITY "WHICH IS OURS IN CHRIST JESUS."  IF THAT IS NOT THE CASE THEN WE ARE ENTERING ETERNITY FROM A VERY PRECARIOUS POSITON!  NO! you cannot lose your salvation...you just never had it!

LOVE,

m