Mark's Daily Reading Journal

Every time I ready this passage in Luke I picture myself... (a little like Peter at times...frequently saying the wrong thing:)) ...I picture myself jumping in front of Jesus and instead of saying "Lord I am ready to go with you to prison and to death..." I would say something like "tell him NO, Lord, please tell Satan, NO, don't you let him sift me as wheat!  I appreciate you praying for me, but don't let him sift me please!"

You may remember the passage in Luke 22:31-32 where Jesus tells Peter,  “Simon, Simon,  look out! Satan  has asked to sift you  like wheat.  32 But I have prayed  for you  that your faith may not fail. And you, when you have turned back, strengthen  your brothers.”  This reminds me of God's Word to Isaiah in chapter 43:1-2, Israel is being restored and God tells HIS people..."Now this is what the Lord says— the One who created you, Jacob, and the One who formed you, Israel — “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are Mine. 2     I will be with you when you pass through the waters, and ⌊when you pass⌋ through the rivers, they will not overwhelm you.  You will not be scorched when you walk through the fire, and the flame will not burn you."

I love the end of verse one, we have been commanded not to fear for God has redeemed us, we have been called by name and my favorite part is HE says YOU ARE MINE!  GLORY!  God's children, God's sheep, hear HIS voice and are secure in HIS righteous right hand, the hand of Jesus (John 10:27-30).  I love verse two as well,  but I must confess that my flesh is terrified of verse two!  Why is that Mark?  For God's own glory and our joy in HIM God's children are told that we WILL suffer, we WILL be afflicted, we WILL face persecutions (2 Tim 3:12, Col 1:24).  How do you get that out of verse two?  HE does not tell us "IF" you pass, but HE tells us "WHEN" you pass...when you pass through the waters, the rivers and through the fire...you will not be overwhelmed, scorched, burned.  Bottom line is HE promises HIS presence.  Not only does HE promise HIS presence, HE promises that we will see HIS glory!  Do you remember what we see in 1 Peter 4:13?  "Instead, as you share in the sufferings  of the Messiah rejoice, so that you may also rejoice with great joy at the revelation  of His glory."  Remember Jesus prayer in John 17?  Specifically, verse 24..."Father, I desire those You have given Me to be with Me where I am. Then they will see My glory, which You have given Me because You loved Me before the world’s foundation."

In Isaiah 48:10-11 God tells us as HE tells Israel..."Look, I have refined you,  but not as silver; I have tested  you in the furnace of affliction.  11 I will act for My own sake, indeed, My own, for how can I  be defiled?  I will not give My glory to another."

How awesome is it to know that the Great "I AM" has prayed and is praying for you!  Not only is HE praying for you, but HE has promised to be with you to the end of the age!  HE is praying for you, HE is with you, HE is protecting you, HE is refining you...preparing you to spend eternity with HIM marveling at HIS magnificent glory.  PLEASE GET THIS...this really helps me...the fact that HIS glory is on the line gives me great assurance that HE will complete the good work HE began in me and in you. 

HE is praying for you, HE is present with you, HE is protecting you and HE is purifying and preparing you to spend eternity in HIS blazing glory...It makes me what to shout!  Someone should write a song:)

For years now John 17:24 is and has been responsible for throwing me into catatonic states of heart and mind...in the body or out of the body I don't know, God knows, in the body or out of the body I don't know but God knows.  Sorry, I could not resist!  Catatonic might be too strong, but I sit and pray over and meditate on what Jesus is talking about when HE says..."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."

If this is (and it is) a prayer request from God the Son to God the Father do you think it will be answered?  YES!  YES!  YES!  It will come to pass!  So those of us that are truly children of the most High God will behold Jesus in HIS magnificent, radiant and blazing glory!  I don't know about you, but it makes me what to shout.

I know that if you ask most good Baptists what they want to hear when they see Jesus they will quote the first half of Matt 25:21...let's say it all together..."well done thy good and faithful servant."  Please don't miss understand and please don't get mad at me...I long to hear those Words too, but I must confess what really gets me excited is when Jesus says at the end of the verse "enter into the JOY of your Master."  Do you hear Peter's Words in the background..."joy unspeakable and full of glory."  I do long to hear "well done" but infinitely more than that I burn to SEE JESUS IN ALL HIS RADIANT GLORY...I BELIEVE THAT IS WHAT YOU AND I WERE CREATED FOR AND THEN AND ONLY THEN WILL WE BE CONSUMED WITH THE JOY OF OUR MASTER.

We see God's Word testify to this in 2 Cor 4:6-7, "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. 7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us."   Jesus is the manifestation of the glory of God the Father.  There are three other verses that come to heart and mind quickly.

Heb 1:3  He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,

Col 1:15  He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.

Tit 2:13 waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,

In Luke 18:41 a man crying out to Jesus repeatedly for mercy and Jesus asks him,  “What do you want me to do for you?” He said, “Lord, I want to see."  Jesus responded to him receive your sight, your faith has healed you.

All I will add to my prayer, all I will add to my request to the Great I AM, is LORD, I want to see, I want to see Jesus!

Father in Heaven,

In the name of your precious Son open the eyes of my heart and mind that I might see and behold your glorious Son...that I might gaze upon HIS beautiful face and be conformed into HIS image...for your glory and my joy in YOU.  With ever greater intensity incline my heart and mind to your Word and to be consumed and heart burning with a white hot passion to know you and make you known.  I long to hear you say on that day..."enter into the joy of your Master!

In the few weeks leading up to Easter, as I have already mentioned, I was consumed with Isaiah 52-53, John 12 and Isaiah 6.  I thought it was very God like for Pastor's Easter message to be about the 2 Disciples on the Road to Emmaus.  If you recall that was one of the verses that was mentioned in the first "ALL EYES on JESUS!  I had no idea that that was going to be his text:)

Two huge truths are burning in my heart right now.  First, we actually have it much better than the two Disciples on the Road to Emmaus!  I have often thought how awesome it would have been to walk with Jesus and have HIM explain ALL the scriptures beginning  with Moses and ALL  the Prophets concerning HIMSLELF!  HOW AWESOME!  I believe that you and I have it better than they did!  We, as God's children, have HIS presence dwelling within us and HE offers to us the Spirit-filled life!  Jesus left the Disciples on the Road to Emmaus...HE has promised that HE will never leave us or forsake us!  Remember...they said, "did not our hearts burn within us."  They were looking back a few moments to when their hearts burned...oh please hear this...if we are willing to meditate on HIS precious Word day and night, crying out in desperation for HIM, filled with the Holy Spirit our hearts may burn without ceasing!  I believe that they will burn brighter at moments, but HE offers us the ability to offer HIM our own heart, burning, ablaze and consumed with HIM and HIM alone.  I believe that this is what Paul described in Romans 12:1-3...present your bodies a living sacrifice.

Second, we have at our disposal the full counsel of God's Word.  The plan of God was still unfolding in history when the Disciples walked the Road to Emmaus.  Jesus explained the Old Testament to them and how everything in the OT was about HIM.  You and I have the Holy Spirit as our teacher and we have the full counsel of God's Holy Word!  This is an incredible gift that we too often take for granted.

Oh God, set our hearts ablaze, enable us to be consumed with YOU and YOU alone.  Open the eyes of our hearts Lord, shine YOUR Holy Spirit in our hearts that we may behold and become conformed to YOUR image...for YOUR glory and our Joy in YOU.

2 Cor 4:6-7 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.  7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.

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.

Father, it is breathtaking to know that YOU have taken up residence in YOUR children, Emmanuel-God with us!  YOU dwell in YOUR children by YOUR Holy Spirit and YOU have given YOUR children a more sure Word, we know that YOUR, "divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence" 2 Peter 1:3.  Father, grant YOUR children eyes to see and ears to hear, grant YOUR children an understanding of the inheritance we have in Christ alone.  GLORY!

This morning my heart and mind have been transfixed on Isaiah 52 and 53, John 12:27-43 and Isaiah chapter 6.  If you are able to gaze upon these passages without your heart exploding with delight, wonder, awe and then falling prostrate to worship...you are either lost or in a horrible spiritual condition! 

How can you see that "it please the LORD to crush him," "he was wounded for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities...with his stripes we are healed."  Is it possible to behold the Son of God crushed with your iniquity and my iniquity and not be consumed?  Only if you do not have eyes to see and ears to hear!  Is it really possible to behold Jesus Christ crucified, pouring out his soul to the death, to bear the sins of many and not be moved?  It is not possible!  Only those that are spiritually dead in their sins and trespasses will be unmoved...they are dead!

Mark, I hear the words of Isaiah 52-53 sprinkled in above, but what does this have to do with the passage in John and Isaiah 6?  I'm glad you asked:)  In this passage in John Jesus quotes Isaiah and then pointed out that Isaiah said these things because he saw HIM!  I find this amazing...about 600 years before the second person of the Trinity comes in human flesh, Immanuel, God with us...Isaiah tells of HIS coming and sacrificial death.  Then Jesus quotes these Words, HIS Words and proceeds to tells us that Isaiah said these things because he saw HIS glory.  I believe that Jesus is referring to Isaiah 6 where Isaiah saw Jesus high and lifted up! 

Jn 12:27-43 “Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But for this purpose I have come to this hour. 28 Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven: “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” 29 The crowd that stood there and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, “An angel has spoken to him.” 30 Jesus answered, “This voice has come for your sake, not mine. 31 Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out. 32 And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” 33 He said this to show by what kind of death he was going to die...While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.”  WORSHIP KING JESUS, WORSHIP KING JESUS...FOR HIS  GLORY AND YOUR JOY IN HIM!

When Jesus had said these things, he departed and hid himself from them. 37 Though he had done so many signs before them, they still did not believe in him, 38 so that the word spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:

          “Lord, who has believed what he heard from us, and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”

39 Therefore they could not believe. For again Isaiah said,

     40     “He has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart, lest they see with their eyes, and understand with their heart, and turn, and I would heal them.”

41 Isaiah said these things because he saw his glory and spoke of him. 42 Nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue; 43 for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God.

Father in heaven,

In YOUR great mercy, love and grace...grant us eyes to see and ears to hear YOU, to behold you and be conformed to YOUR image...for YOUR glory and our JOY in YOU.  Restore unto me the joy of YOUR salvation, enable me to love and delight in YOUR glory and be repulsed by the glory that comes from man...it is no glory.  In the year King Uzziah died, in the year of financial ruin, enable us, enable me to see King Jesus high and lifted up...set my heart on fire, consumed with YOU and YOU alone!

love,

m

Oh Father in Heaven,

Thank you for Jesus, thank you for the Cross...we celebrate the empty tomb, we celebrate YOU and that our names are written in the Lamb's book of life!  Father in heaven, thank you for the death, burial, and resurrection of our Great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.  Lord Jesus, thank you, that through your shed blood, YOU opened the way for us to be adopted as your children, as we repent of our sins and place our faith and trust in you and your finished work, you place your Holy Spirit within us...you grant us a new birth from above, we become new creatures in Christ Jesus.

Father in heaven open the eyes of our hearts, open the eyes of our understanding that we might behold and become like Jesus.  Father set our hearts ablaze, open your Word to our hearts and minds and consume us, consume us..."our God is a consuming fire."  Fill us with your Holy Spirit and set our hearts and minds aflame with you and you alone LORD JESUS...for YOUR glory and our JOY in YOU!

Heb 12:2   looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

Lk 24:31-33  And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight. 32 They said to each other, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?” 33 And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem. And they found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together,

Lk 24:45-49  Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, 46 and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, 47 and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”

Father,

Clothe your children with power from on high, fill us with YOUR Holy Spirit..."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" 2 Cor 4:6.  Enable us through your precious Word to behold your face in Gethsemane, on the Cross, and now resurrected and seated on high at the right hand of the Father.  Enable us to see you, to behold you and become like you, to live transformed-conformed lives as your ambassadors in a world that desperately needs to hear the Good News of Jesus Christ!  WHY DO YOU LOOK FOR THE LIVING AMONG THE DEAD?  HE IS RISEN!

love,

m

I believe that if I attempt to add something it will only take away...behold and be blessed!

2 Co 5:19 namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation.

2 Co 5:21 He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

The Power of the Cross"
Words and Music by Keith Getty & Stuart Townend 
Copyright © 2005 Thankyou Music

Oh, to see the dawn
Of the darkest day:
Christ on the road to Calvary.
Tried by sinful men,
Torn and beaten, then
Nailed to a cross of wood.
CHORUS:
This, the pow'r of the cross:
Christ became sin for us;
Took the blame, bore the wrath—
We stand forgiven at the cross.
Oh, to see the pain
Written on Your face,
Bearing the awesome weight of sin.
Ev'ry bitter thought,
Ev'ry evil deed
Crowning Your bloodstained brow.
Now the daylight flees;
Now the ground beneath
Quakes as its Maker bows His head.
Curtain torn in two,
Dead are raised to life;
"Finished!" the vict'ry cry.
Oh, to see my name
Written in the wounds,
For through Your suffering I am free.
Death is crushed to death;
Life is mine to live,
Won through Your selfless love.
FINAL CHORUS:
This, the pow'r of the cross:
Son of God—slain for us.
What a love! What a cost!
We stand forgiven at the cross.

The Memphis Passion Play opened this past Friday evening and I was delighted to be in attendance with my family.  I had the joy of baptizing my 7 year old son, Kyle, this past summer, so this was his first time to watch the Passion Play with new creature eyes.  It was so cool to watch him transfixed on everything that was happening.  Like every other meddling father I was constantly leaning over and trying to explain what everything meant:)  Finally, I left him alone and allowed him to be consumed with the story of Jesus.  What an incredible joy and blessing to watch your children filled with wonder and awe at the old, old story, the story of Jesus and HIS Cross and the story of the empty tomb.

As I was thanking God the Father for the experience with my Bride and children I was overwhelmed with the nature of our great God that would move HIM to shed HIS own blood on the Cross so that we might know HIM, love HIM and Worship HIM in spirit and in truth.  As we contemplate the Great "I AM," as we contemplate that the LORD is our Shepherd and we see that this is Jesus and Jesus is "the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep."  There is only one appropriate response for my heart...WORSHIP!

Think of it this way...the NCAA Basketball championship game is tonight, let's say the game is a nail bitter to the end and with 1 second on the clock...Michigan St., down by 2 launches a 3 point shot from mid-court and you hear the wonderful sound of the ball catching nothing but net...perfect shot and the crowd goes...on like nothing happened...everyone is carrying on in little side conversations unaware of what just happened...:o  What!  Are you insane?  No, but our culture is!

How is it possible for us to see the truth of the Gospel, the truth of Jesus death, burial and resurrection and not go wild?  When you see this truth, when you see HIM, when you see who HE is and what HE did for us on the Cross you can't help but be filled with awe and Worship...what is worship?  I love how William Temple put it.

"Worship is the submission of all our nature to God. It is the quickening of conscience by His holiness; the nourishment of mind with His truth; the purifying of imagination by His Beauty; the opening of the heart to His love; the surrender of will to His purpose - and all of this gathered up in adoration, the most selfless emotion of which our nature is capable and therefore the chief remedy for that self-centeredness which is our original sin and the source of all actual sin".

Let this be the response of your heart this Easter and every time you see HIM revealed in HIS awesome Word!  A time is coming when the Universe will see HIM coming and HE will receive the appropriate response from every created being.  I want to practice NOW!

love,

m