Mark 10:35-45

Mark 10:35-45  Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him. “Teacher,” they said, “we want you to do for us whatever we ask.”  “What do you want me to do for you?” he asked.  They replied, “Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory.”  “You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said.  “Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?”  “We can,” they answered.  Jesus said to them, “You will drink the cup I drink and be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant.  These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared.”  When the ten heard about this, they became indignant with James and John.  Jesus called them together and said, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them.  Not so with you.  Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all.  For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”  

“Abba, Father,” he said, “everything is possible for you.  Take this cup from me.  Yet not what I will, but what you will.”  (Mark 14:36)  How readily we sometimes think we can follow Jesus with our whole heart, mind, and soul.  We see James (who was later beheaded) and John (who was in exile when he died) proclaim that they were ready and willing to drink the cup of suffering if they were placed in a prominent place besides the ruling Messiah.  Sometimes, our thought life is just as audacious as James and John's bold petition.  In our hearts we really want to be that football player who scores all the touchdowns or we want to be the princess who everyone looks at and swoons.  We want to be the center of attention.  We want to be in the photo next to the Messiah when they take a picture.  As with the Pharisees and Sadducees, we desire to sit at the head table in front of the congregation.  We want our words, our insights, to be heard by all.  "We want. . . " remain the operative words.  The rest of the disciples were aghast at James and John's impertinent request.  But I wonder how many of them had ever thought, "I hope I am loved most by Jesus.  Surely I must be his favorite disciple.  I wonder what great rewards I will reap from serving him?"  Yes the carnal Christian, perhaps even the most devoted Christian, sometimes thinks in fleshly or worldly terms: "If I put so much in, I should get so much out.  Surely, I will be blessed above and beyond everyone else if I serve God with more dedication, more energy, and definitely more passion."  Well, maybe so, that is up to God.  

But in today's scripture, Jesus comes back with a story about a slave.  A story of servanthood, of unreciprocated love.  A slave doesn't even get a thank you, let alone a place of prominence.  A slave's duties are his reasonable service.  Slaves do what slaves ought to do.  They don't do their service to get ahead or for a reward.  They are going to be slaves until they die.  Jesus said if you want to be the greatest in the kingdom of Heaven, if you really want to be close to me in spirit also, then you must be a servant to everyone.  You must serve everyone out of love without any hope of reciprocation.  If you have my Spirit, my will, inside you, you will serve mankind readily, not looking for rewards or a position of power or importance.  Your inheritance is not extrinsic rewards; your inheritance is eternal life with me.  God is asking us to be servants, not rulers, to be helpers not celebrities.  Yes, some Christians reach great heights in this world, but the Bible says that there are not many of those kind of servants.  Most of us will pass through this earth unknown, unappreciated, but if we are doing the will of God by being servants to everyone we meet, we will be considered great in the Kingdom of Heaven.  We will be rewarded justly, but we will as the elders in Revelation, casting our crowns at his feet, for HE ALONE IS WORTHY.  We are not looking for the Messiah's kingdom power, we are looking to be in the Messiah's presence.  He alone brings happiness to our souls.  As John says, we will be in him and He will be in us.  James and John had their carnal hats on that day.  They forgot that just being in Jesus' presence is enough reward for all eternity.  Look to Jesus, little children, look to him who loves you so; in him is fulness of joy.

Mark 10:32-34

Mark 10:32-34 They were on their way up to Jerusalem, with Jesus leading the way, and the disciples were astonished, while those who followed were afraid. Again he took the Twelve aside and told them what was going to happen to him. “We are going up to Jerusalem,” he said, “and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles, who will mock him and spit on him, flog him and kill him. Three days later he will rise.”

Jesus leading the way, leading the way into the lions' den--leading the way into certain trouble. His followers knew it, for they were afraid. I am sure they thought, this is crazy, what is Jesus doing? Jesus took some aside, his disciples, and tried to explain what He was doing and what would happen in Jerusalem, but I am sure the disciples didn't really understand because they all quickly abandoned him when Jesus was captured except for Peter. And what about this idea of three days later he will rise? How will that happen? And why should He place himself in the hands of the wicked to be mocked, flogged, and killed? None of it made sense to the disciples. But Jesus had other plans for them. He would send the Holy Spirit to them to explain his Jerusalem experience, and why rising again would be so important to mankind. This Holy Spirit would be the interpreter of everything that Jesus said and went through. Even today, we are totally dependent upon the Holy Spirit to reveal the truth of Jesus and his words. Jesus chose to walk into the lion's den, and not like Daniel who was spared: Jesus was devoured by them. He was humiliated and then destroyed. He became nothing, so that we could become something.

Sometimes our lives don't seem to add up to much; we seem to have become nothing rather than something. Other people seem to have a bigger house, more experiences, lavish vacations, and a lot more things. Our journey seems to have not nearly that many wonderful benefits in it. But God is saying to each of us, out of little I will make much. Out of sacrifice, I will make abundance. Jesus is the ultimate example of sacrifice. He chose the necessary way, the way of death. I think death is a big part of a Christian's life. Jesus chose that path. For us it is not always physical death, but spiritual death--not my will, not my spirit, but your Spirit arise in me. This kind of death requires that we place everything on the altar--who we want to be, where we want to go (definitely not Jerusalem), and what we want to possess. Every day is the Sabbath for us; every day is first committed to him and and his perfect will. The flesh doesn't like this kind of commitment. The flesh is like some baby birds; they kick the weakest and smallest out of the nest so that they have it all to themselves. We can be like that. We can say, "I want it all, I'm not going to share. This world is all I have. I am only going around once." Only when we surrender the flesh and its selfish desires to the Lord will we find the will and the desire to follow the Lord to Jerusalem.

When I was young, I heard my dad talk about a man of God who he had known in his ministry. This man's ministry was one of power and miracles. Many people were saved through his ministry. Dad decided to visit this man in another little town not too far from Spokane. Well, I suspected when we got to his house, his house would be magnificent, beautiful. We would find a man in God's house--the best around. But I remember as we drove to his house that it was located in a dusty little town, and it seemed to be the smallest, maybe even the shabbiest house around. I thought, "This man is a mighty man of God!" However, this man had gone to Jerusalem. He sacrificed his wealth and health for the Lord. The carnal Christian does not want that. The carnality in all of us does not want that. We may want to fill up our houses, attics, garages, and storage bins with everything we can get our hands on, and we may complain if we don't have more money to buy more stuff. But Jerusalem isn't on that road, and neither is resurrection life. Abundant life in Christ comes from every word from the Lord's mouth. Jesus said, he who would lose his life for my sake will gain it. Whoever tries to keep his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it. (Luke 17:33) What is necessary for you to have everlasting life, life that you can share with others?

Mark 10:28-31

Mark 10:28-31 Peter said to him, “We have left everything to follow you!” “I tell you the truth,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age (homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields — and with them, persecutions) and in the age to come, eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”

Romans 12:9-13 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with God’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.

Peter and the disciples had left everything to follow Jesus. They had the same concerns for their economic security and social well-being as we have today. So Peter was saying something very profound when he said, “We have left everything to follow you!” He was saying, "We have sacrificed everything for you Jesus." Sometimes we have ridiculed Peter for denying Christ, but very few us can say that we have left everything to follow Christ. Jesus retorts that their sacrifice will be worth it: they will receive a hundredfold reward for their hundred-percent commitment to him. He tells them that they will receive homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields — and with them, persecutions. We sometimes preach this as if we will receive a hundredfold blessing. Well, that is true, but it has nothing to do with personal wealth or even peace of mind. Jesus is talking about the church, the body of Christ. Yes, we do receive all that Jesus said we would receive because of the church. If the church is functioning right, our homes, our fields (goods) are shared, for we are relatives in Christ. But our persecutions, our difficulties, are also shared.

Sometimes when Christians read the above scripture, they fixate on more and better houses, more and better relationships, and more money in the bank, but they somehow delete the word persecution. The latter doesn't seem like a blessing. Why give my tithes and offerings if all I am going to get is more persecution. Why leave everything behind, why jeopardize my security, if all that I am going to get is obscure promises and persecution. This kind of gospel doesn't sell very well in America. What sells is, "Give the Lord money, and you will receive a hundredfold blessing. The Rolls Royce you always wanted is right now being driven to your front door." This sells and congregations by the thousands are hearing this message today. They are not hearing you will be persecuted for my namesake. You might even be killed. This is not an attractive message; it will turn off many who want Jesus to help them carry a football over the goal line to a thundering ovation. We do not want to hear that you will be murdered alone on some dusty road. However, the latter (the martyrs) will be first in the kingdom of heaven and the former will be last.

I, right now, am writing to my brothers and sisters in Christ. You and I are the fulfillment of the above scriptures. Because of that we should act like brothers and sisters. We should be concerned about each other's needs. We should be in prayer for each other and whenever possible we should provide the help needed when we know people are hurting. E-mail allows us to sit down in the same room together. We can reach out to each other in e-mail. I have found that people are more than happy to send someone else's thoughts or inspirations to me. Well that is okay. But if I were sitting down with you in my living room, I would not want to know someone else's thoughts, I would want to know yours. I would want a dialogue with you. How sad it would be to see you leave my house without you expressing your own thoughts, hurts, concerns, your words of encouragement. Today we are children of God, today we are family members; let us act that way. (Now, one of my concerns, Jacqueline has been sick, mostly in bed, for three weeks--please pray for her.)

Mark 10:17-27

Mark 10:17-27 As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. “Good teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good — except God alone. You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, do not defraud, honor your father and mother.’” “Teacher,” he declared, “all these I have kept since I was a boy.” Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth. Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!” It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, “Who then can be saved?" Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.”

I love what Jesus said to this man, “No one is good — except God alone." Christians sometimes find this statement confusing. Wasn't Jesus good? Wasn't He sinless? Why not call him good? Yet, Jesus would not receive this accolade. He deferred goodness to God. Why not Jesus? Well, Jesus was acting on God's instructions in everything He was doing. The Holy Spirit within him directed his steps and words. In the Bible we see Jesus as the creating power of the godhead. That is probably why the creating dimension of God came to earth, to create new life into man. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. (John 1:1-3) Now God the Father is known as the initiator of all things. He is the essence of the Word. The beginning and ending, the alpha and omega. Nothing is or ever shall be without God. Jesus said call no man good, for God alone initiates all goodness. If anything or anybody is good, it is because God is good. Goodness is his domain, his nature.

Now, Jesus seemingly lays out for this man a way to eternal life. Jesus knows this path does not make him good (for only God is good); it just makes him reflect goodness. When the man said, “all these I have kept since I was a boy,” Jesus adds another requirement to being good, “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Jesus is really telling the man that there is always another step in being good. He could have said, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you. (Luke 6:26) He could have said, "Young man when people persecute you and kill you for no good reason, you should have in your heart the thought, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” (Luke 23:24) He could have piled on demands such as the purity of his thought life, whether he was ever angry without cause, whether he honored his father and mother always in his mind, and so on. But Jesus knew this rich man's primary weakness was the gaining of wealth. We can make this story just about wealth if we want to, but Jesus knows our weaknesses too. If we are reading this and think that we are good, that we are worthy to be loved because of our goodness, remember Jesus knows our weaknesses. That is why Jesus first told the rich man, no one is good except the Father God. Don't even call me good, for I am just an instrument of His goodness. I always do what He tells me to. I only think what He wants me to think. I am his vessel, his servant.

Jesus ends this story by saying, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!” Otherwise, how hard it is for a man/woman who is tacked down to this world and the things of this world to enter into the kingdom of goodness, to be like God. His or her thoughts will always be contaminated with thoughts of self-preservation, self-love, self-adulation. This story emphatically tells us why we cannot reach God's heart through our efforts, through our love, through our devotion. No, Jesus Christ came to us to show us GOD'S LOVE. He drew near to us. He walked our dusty roads. He came to Earth to deliver us. His undying love and effort was not to show us another rule, another regulation, for He knew rules and regulations would defeat us, keep us out of the kingdom of heaven. YES, THE RICH YOUNG MAN LACKED ONE MORE THING. We all lack one more thing in being righteous. We will always lack one more thing. BUT GOD enters the picture and says, all things are possible with me (God.) "I will create a new life in you through the efforts of my SON, JESUS CHRIST. HE IS THE GREAT CREATOR.

Mark 10:13-16

Mark 10:13-16 People were bringing little children to Jesus to have him touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them.

Jesus said He only does what the Father tells him to do. Here, we see the Father telling him to pick up little children, lay his gentle hands on them and bless them. Little children have an innocence about them that is wonderful to behold. They just expect everyone to love them. Why should people not love them, for each of them knows he or she is the most important person in the world. A little one or two-year-old will go bombing around a room full of adults, believing he or she is the center of attention for everyone in the room. And many times that is true. Jesus said, Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. The kingdom of God belongs to those who have enough innocence, enough faith, to believe that the kingdom of God is theirs, that they are very important and God greatly loves them, and that they are in the center of his attention. Little ones have faith that people love them, that they should be loved and are very important and special.

We tend to lose that self-worth quickly. Adults soon tell us we must share the spotlight, we must not demand the center of attention, we must fit in with the rest of the community. Of course, all of that is important; those steps lead us to maturity and to harmony. But little children don't have those concepts yet. They think they are the most important person in the room. God loves us exactly in that way. When Adam and Eve left the Garden of Eden, God grieved. If we don't believe we are the apple of God's eye, we will tend not to have faith when life gets difficult. We will not grasp his divine being with loving arms that will not let go. We will not say to him, "You are all I need." Our insecurities, our feelings of unloveliness, our lack of self-worth will stifle our relationship with God. We will always be trying to please him, trying to get close to him, not realizing that we are pleasing to him, that we are loved just as we are. Children expect to be loved in this way. When they wrap their arms around your neck with a great big hug, they are saying, "I love you because you love me so much. I know I am special to you just as I am." Their love is so expansive and deep, for they love you just as you are, just because you are and expect the same love in return.

I am often amazed that my grandchildren love me so much. I am old, ugly, dark circles around my eyes, wrinkles everywhere, and I'm too fat. I am a scary looking person. Yet, they love me greatly. I sometimes consider their uncompromising love and think, "I would not love me as they do." However, this is the kind of love that God desires from us. God is not ugly in any way, but sometimes we struggle in life because we think God is not fair or He doesn't care what is happening to us. We seemingly find him "ugly," distant, or not worth loving because our personal journey is so difficult, so hard to understand. But God desires us to love him passionately even though we are struggling. He wants our "little arms" to squeeze his neck in love, in faith, believing He loves us with an endearing, everlasting love just because we are. He knows we doubt, we fail, we struggle in our belief, but He still wants us to come to him and say with a great big hug, "You are all I need." Jesus said in the above passage, I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it. Of course, what do you do when you receive a child's mighty hug of love? You naturally reciprocate. You say something like this, "You are so lovely, so good, I love you so. You bring happiness to my heart." Of course, we, the apple of God's eye, bring happiness to God's heart when we love him with our whole mind, soul and being. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. (Mark 12:30) This is your privilege and your joy today, child of God!

Mark 10:1-12

Jesus then left that place and went into the region of Judea and across the Jordan. Again crowds of people came to him, and as was his custom, he taught them. Some Pharisees came and tested him by asking, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” “What did Moses command you?” he replied. They said, “Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce and send her away.” “It was because your hearts were hard that Moses wrote you this law,” Jesus replied. “But at the beginning of creation God ‘made them male and female.’ ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.” When they were in the house again, the disciples asked Jesus about this. He answered, “Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her. And if she divorces her husband and marries another man, she commits adultery.”

There are many reasons for divorce because man is fatally flawed. Now I am sure that statement surprised some of you. Yes, outside of Christ, man is fatally flawed. God's purpose of peace and tranquillity for mankind has been violated in many areas. Did God plan for men to fight and war against each other? Did God plan that men would persecute each other? Did He plan that men would enslave others? Did He plan that men would torture, maim, and destroy each other. Did He plan poverty and the other evils of this life? No, that was not the way it was from the beginning. God had a garden that was peaceful and full of joy and happiness. A fallen humanity, a sinful humanity, brought discord into existence. Harmony and stability in relationships demand that humans are kind, generous, self-sacrificing, patient, peaceful, good, faithful, gentle, loving, joyful, and self-controlled--otherwise like God. Disharmony and instabililty come when humans are sexually immoral, impure, debauched, self-serving, hateful, discordant, jealous, angry, wrathful, drunken, unfaithful, out of control--not like God. Of course the latter state leads to destruction and causes divorces.

Well then, what about marriages? A marriage between two committed Christians should work out. Divorce should not be on their horizon. When we who are one in Christ commit to each other as one entity before his eyes, we should recognize the sacredness of this commitment, for in the scriptures marriage is metaphorically compared to our commitment of oneness with our Lord Jesus Christ. Consequently, we are not just committed to each other in a physical and emotional way, we are committed to each other in a spiritual and enduring way, even in God's love. If we are not bonded to each other with this kind of love, we probably won't satisfy the needs of a marriage. Love is the strongest of all bonds. Love does not require reciprocation. Infatuation and adoration may disappear, but God's enduring love will never disappear. Should we get divorced? No, Jesus says, for that was not the plan of God. God's plan was that Adam and Eve would satisfy each other's need for companionship. God's plan was that they would come before him as one, known as Adam-Eve, not as Adam and Eve. However, sin entered that garden, and Adam soon complained that it was not Adam-Eve's sin--it was the sin of the woman that you gave me. “The woman you put here with me — she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.” (Genesis 3:12)

Sin is divisive. Sin is a destroyer of relationships. Sin even hampers the relationship we have with God. Yes, if your mate is inundated with the sins of the flesh, if he or she has no purpose in life except to serve the flesh, you will probably have a difficult time staying married. From such relationships come abuse and harm, but if your mate is attempting to live for Christ, if you see a desire for spiritual growth in his or her life, you should cling to the marriage with all your heart. Divorce harms, but marriages that are founded on the nature of the world harm too. We who are Christians are spiritual beings; we are identified as God's children. As God's children we should be like him, faithful and just. When we as God's children separate for reasons that have nothing to do with the abuses of the carnal flesh, we should feel sad, for this is not what God wanted for us. But if we find a partner seeking the world, displaying the nature of the world: divisive, angry, abusive, we should part sadly, regretting the separation. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate. Let not man's despicable nature, his fallen state, separate what God planned to be good. God planned a union with two equally sinless people; sin and the nature of man has destroyed that blissful union. How sad. Today, faithfully nourish and protect what God has given you by the power of the cross of Jesus Christ and the indwelling Holy Spirit.

Mark 9:50

Mark 9:50 “Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with each other.”

Have salt in yourselves is an interesting directive. Jesus is asking us to have salt. What does that mean? How can we have salt? Well, salt was a preservative in ancient times. Food was preserved by salt to keep it from spoiling. I think the above scripture indicates the same thing. To keep us from spoiling, from ruining the gospel of peace, we should judge ourselves. Rather than wait for the final judgment to evaluate our lives, we should judge how we are doing right now. Jesus wanted his disciples to be in unity, and the only way they could be in unity was by being salty or by being self-sacrificing, knowing who they were and therefore willingly displaying the role of a servant--considering each other in love. John said you would know Christians by their love, their willingness to go the second mile, their willingness to love each other without considering their needs first. If we don't judge our lives, God will some day judge them with fire, and we will be found wanting. We will be found without the true nature of Jesus Christ. Saltiness demands that we look at our lives and determine if we are following Jesus according to the scriptures. Jesus said “Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again? Salt is good, it plays an important role in preserving life, but if it loses it basic nature, its power to preserve, it is useless.

If we Christians fail to be salty, fail to look at our lives, fail to walk as Christ has asked us to walk, we become useless in preserving life. We are irrelevant and unnecessary. We are just people added to the world's population, not people who are here to preserve life for eternity. Therefore, check your walk. Determine if your walk is still in "THE WAY", whether you are still enthralled with Jesus Christ, whether your life measures up to his standard OF LOVE, divine unconditional love. Or have you lost your saltiness? Are you practicing the ways of the world? Is your life indistinguishable from the world? Would people know that you are a Christian? Are you judging your imperfections in the Spirit and praying that God will heal those imperfections deep inside you? I am sure you are doing all of those things, for you want to remain salty. You want to have something to offer others. You want to be a preserver of life and not a destroyer. You want God to be manifested and not yourself. One thing about being a Christian: every day is a new day. Today is the day of Lord, and we can rejoice and be glad in it. Today is the day of salvation. Otherwise, you can always be salty again. Salt is also an enhancer; it brings flavor to our lives. You can have the fruit of the Spirit in your life. You can always be at peace with each other. Jesus Christ is our life, and when we take inventory of our lives and find evidence of a lack of saltiness, we can always go back to the true fountain of life and ask him to renew us, to refresh us, to make us like him, and He will.

Mark 9:42-49

Mark 9:42-49 “And if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone tied around his neck. If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, where the fire never goes out. And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than to have two feet and be thrown into hell. And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, where “‘their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.’ Everyone will be salted with fire.

Without Jesus and his redemptive work, justice by fire will happen eventually to all sin. God will not allow injustice to reign in his eternal domain. When we sin against one another, we tip the scales of justice. To right that scale there must be a payback, a judgement. People sometimes wonder why a person who has been mistreated or an ethnic group that has been enslaved will not give up their demands for justice even though years have gone by, maybe centuries. Well, there is a demand in everyone's heart for justice. Arguments, fights, wars are many times the product of seeking justice. People question why two former lovers have such hostility for each other. Why cannot they just go on with their lives and accept the present situation as it is, but they are seeking justice. They want the scale to be righted. Someday justice, righteousness (right standing), correctness will be implemented completely, and that will require God's fiery judgement. No sin, no offense, no transgression, no crime, no slight, no rudeness, no lust, no imperfection will ever go into eternity without the scales righted. That sin, that hurt, that act of abomination will have to be paid for.

The scale has to be righted. Judgement has to be meted out by a righteous God. He cannot overlook sin. In the above passage, Jesus is talking about that final judgement. He is telling the disciples everyone's works will be tried by fire. Those sinful deeds that have not been covered by the blood of Jesus will face eternal judgement, judgement so horrible that it would have better for you not to have lived. In this scripture He figuratively relates that it would have better for your eyes, your foot, your torso not to have lived than to go through the fires of hell. The justice scale will be righted. People believe that they can get away with an awful deed or even a hurting word or a slight to someone (even their mate), but they can't. God is completely righteous. He can not ignore even the mildest offense. Jesus says in this passage, if you hurt a little one to the point that his or her life crashes around him or her in sin, you better prepare yourself for an awful hellfire judgement. Earlier in this chapter Jesus says, “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me.” Jesus is saying that we should treat little ones and each other (for we are all children of God) with love: with tenderness and with a servant's heart. We should treat and serve others as if we were treating and serving Jesus and God himself. BUT IF WE MISTREAT EACH OTHER, HURT EACH OTHER, DESTROY EACH OTHER, WE ARE DOING THE SAME TO JESUS, TO GOD HIMSELF.

Remember, we are all made in the image of God. When we sin against each other, we are sinning against God. When we "welcome" each other, we are welcoming God. God will not let any sin against him prevail. Everyone will be salted with fire. Everyone will be tried by fire, and if our works don't hold up, if there is justice to be meted out because we brought our sins before him without the forgiveness of sins which comes through Jesus Christ, we will experience hellfire. God is not like humans. God does not forget; He remembers from generation to generation. Without Christ, without repentance, people will not be forgiven, nations will not be forgiven: all will pay the ultimate price for unforgiven sin. Are you like an empty perfume bottle where even the scent is not there anymore? Are you still rattling around, harboring thoughts that aren't pure, that have no place in the kingdom of God? If so, seek his face. Remember, nothing slips by God. Ask him again to fill you up with his love, to make you what He wants you to be. Find your forgiveness under the fountain of blood that flows for you continually. Let righteousness permeate your life and your thoughts. Let God take his rightful place in your life. Then judgement will pass you by--your worldly, carnal works might be destroyed, but your life as a child of God will be forever assured. Mercy and grace are your inheritance in Christ--walk in him today.

Mark 9:38-40

Mark 9:38-40 “Teacher,” said John, “we saw a man driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us.” “Do not stop him,” Jesus said. “No one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me, for whoever is not against us is for us. I tell you the truth, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to Christ will certainly not lose his reward.

It is interesting that Jesus said for whoever is not against us is for us. Sometimes to me it seems as if the whole world is against Jesus. I have noticed over the years that almost every ethnic group, every race that speaks English, uses the name "Jesus" as a swear word. They don't seem to use other supposed deity names in the same way, only Jesus. These people usually will claim that they are using Jesus' name as a cuss word because it is a perfunctory slip of the tongue, or it is a customary response to a difficult situation. However, I believe this slip of the tongue or customary response brings great joy to the devil, for he HATES JESUS because Christ's kingdom will ultimately destroy the devil's work and his wicked reign on Earth.

Christians sometimes become hypercritical about doctrine. We judge each other on whether one has the "right interpretation" of the scriptures; usually this means our interpretation of the scriptures. Well, in the above passage, Jesus is telling the disciples not to be overly concerned about such things. If people are not against us, they are for us. I am sure there are gradients in this logic. For instance if a person is using Jesus' name to exploit others or to aggrandize himself, that person needs to be exposed. But Jesus is still cautioning the disciples not to be so quick in their judgment of other followers of him. I have a difficult time with some ministers and their doctrines, especially the prosperity thinkers. But, I have to be careful about my criticism, for Jesus might be using them for his purpose. Paul said, even though some might be preaching the gospel to get back at me, to wound me, I will glory, for they are preaching the gospel of Christ. The name of Jesus is powerful, and his teachings are powerful, and when people sincerely come to him, believe in him, their lives will be changed regardless.

Now, the above scriptures warn us not to ostracize brethren because they do not quite believe as we do. I tell you the truth, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to Christ will certainly not lose his reward. We should pray for those we feel are doctrinally astray, but we should accept their cup of water if it is given in the spirit of Christ or in his name. Sometimes, we condemn too quickly, refuse dialogue too quickly, ostracize too quickly. If we are IN CHRIST, we have the truth inside us; therefore, all things should be measured by his spirit and the parameters of his Word. If someone tells you about worshipping angels but still believes in Christ as Savior and Lord, you can keep up your dialogue with that person without contamination by his or her doctrine if you know the WORD. You will find out quickly that the Word does not say anything about worshipping angels. However, if you are ignorant of the Word and follow your own wisdom or the rational of another person, you will fall into deep trouble immediately. Ungrounded Christians are the cults' harvest field. The cults will begin their conversation by claiming to believe in Jesus Christ as their Lord, but they eventually switch to additions or deletions from his Lordship. They will basically say that you must believe in more than the Word teaches or you are lost. These people are not really giving you a cup of water IN JESUS' NAME, but they are giving you a different cup in the name of an errant doctrine, organization, or church. Their foundational beliefs do not rest on Jesus alone but on a myriad of other ideas and rules that contradict the truth. This is when fellowship has to be broken off, for they are leading you away from Christ and into a false religion--into deception, not into truth. On the other hand, whoever believes in Jesus Christ as the only Savior, without any other rules or additions, that person is your brother or sister whether he or she completely lines up with sound doctrines: for whoever is not against us is for us.

Mark 9:33-37

Mark 9:33-37 They came to Capernaum. When he was in the house, he asked them, “What were you arguing about on the road?” But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest. Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all.” He took a little child and had him stand among them. Taking him in his arms, he said to them, “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me.”

Matthew 23:5-13 “Everything they do is done for men to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long; they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; they love to be greeted in the marketplaces and to have men call them ‘Rabbi.’ “But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have only one Master and you are all brothers. And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. Nor are you to be called ‘teacher,’ for you have one Teacher, the Christ. The greatest among you will be your servant. For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted. “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of heaven in men’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to.

In the above passages, Jesus is talking about leadership. In the Mark verses He is telling the disciples if you want to be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven, you must be a servant to all. He illustrates this by picking up a child and telling them that Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me. Children are usually quite powerless and helpless in a community. They depend on others to bring them status and influence. To formally welcome a child in your home would mean you would put them in a place of honor. You would place them at the head of the table, you would present them the choicest of food, you would seat them in the most comfortable chair. You would gladly serve them and seek to meet all of their needs. Jesus says if you welcome a powerless and helpless little one in that way, you are bringing great honor to him and to the Father above, for you are truly displaying the nature of God to the world.

In Matthew 23, Jesus is telling them not to be like the Pharisees, for they do everything to honor themselves. They make sure that people greet them with respect and look to them for wisdom and knowledge. They want people to call them names such as holy father, honorable teacher, wonderful master. He is telling the disciples not to desire these kind of titles. Once again, He reiterates that servant is their title. They are to be servants of the Most High. Again, they are to be those who welcome and serve children--the helpless, the downtrodden, the poor, the meek, welcome them graciously and joyfully. We, in our carnal flesh, want venerated roles such as master, teacher, father, mother, for those are the roles of control and of authority. We want our children to respect us because we are their mother or father. "Honor me for I am the mother here." "This is my house and I make the rules, and you obey them." Yes, honor should come to fathers and mothers because of their roles. However, Jesus is talking about another role, a greater role, a spiritual role. The greatest among you will be your servant. Otherwise, if you want spiritual power, heavenly power, influence with your children or anyone, you must serve them wholeheartedly, without reservation. Jesus is talking about lasting leadership, eternal leadership, that which is passed down from generation to generation.

In the heavenlies, Jesus serves the Father, the Holy Spirit serves the Son, the Father serves both of them. They do this willingly, without obligatory reciprocation. And the Godhead also serves us in the same way: Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up his clothes by casting lots. (Luke 23:34) The Holy Spirit has come to serve us unreservedly. The Father lovingly sent his only begotten Son to earth to ransom us from sin and death. Even the Old Testament teaches that God is slow to anger and quick to forgive, full of mercy and grace. As Christians, our attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. (Philippians 2:5-7) We should desire to serve. We should want to be like Jesus. When we serve with Christ's love, we turn the world upside down. In the kingdom of righteousness, no longer are leaders those who force control, who dictate, who direct, who discipline. No, those who wash the feet of everyone are the true leaders. They will be recognized as such in the millenniums to come. The world will never understand this concept of loving leadership. But you who are in Christ, know that there is no other way to be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven other than servanthood.

Mark 9:30-32

Mark 9:30-32 They left that place and passed through Galilee. Jesus did not want anyone to know where they were, because he was teaching his disciples. He said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men. They will kill him, and after three days he will rise.” But they did not understand what he meant and were afraid to ask him about it.

Jesus, besides being the great miracle worker, was primarily a teacher. In these scriptures, we see that Jesus wanted to be alone with his disciples to teach them about the many things of God. Jesus often took his disciples aside to interpret his parables, so that his disciples might fully understand them. He also took them aside to instruct them on his impending death and resurrection. Even though the disciples walked with Jesus, they still possessed many preconceived ideas about God and the Holy Writ, for they were creatures of their time and culture. I am sure the teachings of the scribes, Sadducees and Pharisees had infiltrated their minds greatly. Therefore, a primary task for Jesus was to instruct them about God and the meaning of the scriptures.

People are hard nuts to crack. We tend to believe what we want to believe. I just read today that two out of every ten Americans believe the Japanese used atomic bombs first in WWII. Also three Americans out of ten believe that the Russians bombed Japan with nuclear weapons, not us. Two years after 9/11, seven of ten Americans believed Saddam Hussein was involved with the twin tower disaster, even though the President of the United States refuted that idea. People tend to believe what they want to believe, not what is fact. The disciples were no different. Jesus chose twelve ordinary men to be with him, to walk with him, to spend every day in his presence. I am sure He used this time for instruction and indoctrination. However, they still had problems discerning the truth. I believe Jesus became very exasperated with them sometimes because of their denseness. The above verses give one that idea, for they did not understand what he meant and were afraid to ask him about it. I think they were afraid because they knew Jesus would be upset with their thick headedness.

I am also thick headed, and I also have my own preconceived ideas. Maybe some are basically sound, and others are not so sound. But every day as I approach these breakfasts, I try to tackle the next scriptures in context. I do not skip any. I am tempted at times to drop down to scriptures I better understand, but I feel the Lord wants me to tackle them in order: verse by verse, line by line. I believe that is the best way for us to build a solid understanding of the scriptures. Am I always right in my exposition of these scriptures? Probably not, but I do pray that the words I write will be inspired and that they will help someone that day. I ask the Holy Spirit to bring the scriptures alive, to make them food, manna, for someone that day. Many of you have written back to me and said that a particular breakfast helped you immensely that day. I always appreciate that greatly, for that is my purpose for writing these breakfasts: food for today.

Although Jesus continually instructed his disciples, no amount of teaching could have prepared them to understand or to accept that their beloved Messiah was going to be killed and then resurrected. Again he took the Twelve aside and told them what was going to happen to him. “We are going up to Jerusalem,” he said, “and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles, who will mock him and spit on him, flog him and kill him. Three days later he will rise.” (Mark 10:32) This was just too much for natural men to understand or to accept. But He continued to teach them, so that they would remember his words after his death and resurrection. This of course would give them strength to spread the gospel around the world. I hope some of these words that you eat of every day will be remembered years later as you see them fulfilled in your life and if God uses them to reveal himself to you in a greater way. What a wonderful reality that would be.

Mark 9:25-29

Mark 9:25-29 When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the evil spirit. “You deaf and mute spirit,” he said, “I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.” The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, “He’s dead.” But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet, and he stood up. After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?” He replied, “This kind can come out only by prayer.”

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 6:18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.

Sometimes in our spirits, we complain that God is not answering our prayers, especially the way we want. When this spirit of complaint overtakes us, our hearts start to become cold, indifferent to God. We begin to spend less time with him in extended prayer. Yes, we will still throw a prayer his way when we feel inspired to do so, usually when people ask us to pray for them, but our prayers lack the power and earnestness to move mountains. In the above passage, Jesus tells the disciples that demons don't move if you have not spent some time with God. The demons perceive your lack of faith. Without faith, knowing who God is and believing that He changes things, demons will not budge--they will not vacate their host. Jesus is telling the disciples emphatically that there is no substitute for extended periods of prayer. Faith, courage, and power come from prayer and fasting. Today, for many reasons, that kind of prayer is often absent from our lives. Yes, most of us have a general, conscious conversation with God all day, but we don't have that sit-down, extended, earnest prayer time with him. We find ourselves living spiritually, but not really living with power and authority. But, Jesus encourages us to pray if we desire power, if we desire to see mountains move and situations change.

Paul says that we should pray continually, and he also reminds us to pray in the Spirit. When we don't know how to pray or when we are frustrated with our prayers, we should pray in the Spirit. We Christians know that the Spirit is real inside us, and we know He prays for us. He is known as the Comforter. He can inspire us to pray his will through our conscious mind, and He can also pray through us with words we don't understand, otherwise tongues. Notice in Ephesians 6:18, Paul says that he prays IN THE SPIRIT. Now how can one do that consciously unless you know the mind of God. The Holy Spirit is a spiritual enity, just as you and I are spiritual entities. No one can pray in my spirit. However, if you were in me, you could use my lips, tongue, voice to pray if I were willing, but outside of me, you can't. Paul says, we need to pray with our conscious minds, but we also need to pray in the Spirit. Otherwise, let the Spirit pray through us: take over our lips, our tongue, our voice to pray as He desires. This kind of prayer demands time with him. This kind of prayer is powerful. This kind of prayer restores our joy and drives away our complaints. When we fail to pray in the Spirit, it is as if we are carrying a giant spiritual dynamo within us but failing to plug into it and take advantage of this source of power in our lives. However, regardless of how we feel, we should always pray earnestly and often. We should try to find some time during the day when we can pray for an extended amount of time with our complete focus upon God and his perfect will. That kind of prayer refreshes the soul, moves mountains, and sets captives free.

Mark 9:14-27

Mark 9:14-27 When they came to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and the teachers of the law arguing with them. As soon as all the people saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with wonder and ran to greet him. “What are you arguing with them about?” he asked. A man in the crowd answered, “Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech. Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not.” “O unbelieving generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to me.” So they brought him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.” “‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for him who believes.” Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth. Jesus asked the boy’s father, “How long has he been like this?” “From childhood,” he answered. “It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the evil spirit. “You deaf and mute spirit,” he said, “I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.” The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, “He’s dead.” But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet, and he stood up.

The above exchange is a typical conversation between Jesus and Christians when we need a healing or a miracle: But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.” “‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for him who believes.” Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” We become so mesmerized by the facts of life that we begin to question whether Jesus can heal. Yes, we believe God exists, we believe Jesus came to redeem us, but we are not sure He can or will do anything else for us. When we face death issues or insurmountable obstacles in our lives, we cry out, help me overcome my unbelief. As humans, we know we are very vulnerable to the vicissitudes of life and even death. We know things don't always work out the way we want. We know death sometimes comes into our existence and steals us or our loved ones away before we are ready. We know life is like living on a tightrope, never assured of the next step. The Bible says, today is the day of the Lord--not tomorrow, for tomorrow might never happen.

All of this awareness of the intrinsic realities of life does not take away the fact that Jesus still desires to heal, to restore, to complete his work in us every day. In the above passage, Jesus asked the father, “How long has he been like this?” Jesus wanted to know the true condition of this boy. He wanted to know if this was a long standing condition or was it the result of something such as a head trauma, a condition that might soon disappear through the natural healing processes of the body. Sometimes we pray when we should just wait, wait for the body to heal itself. However, when Jesus knew this infirmity was from childhood, he rebuked the evil spirit, and cast it out. Jesus did not do this for show, for He did this quickly while the crowd was running to the scene. He did this out of love and compassion for the boy. Today, we are many times in the same mode as the father: help my unbelief, help me to know that you do care about my circumstance; I need you desperately. When Jesus came upon the scene, everything changed.

That remains true today: when Jesus enters the scene, everything does change. If nothing else, we know that He cares. His very words and reactions tell us that. Does this mean that our lives always will be extended or that our obstacles will be eliminated in the ways we desire. Not always, for God is still God. By faith, we still must rest in HIS HANDS, trusting in him. We still must say, not my will but yours be done. However, as revealed in the above texts, God wants us to live by faith, believing for the impossible. Jesus said, “Everything is possible for him who believes.” Therefore, we are to address every problem by faith, yielding fully to his power and control. If we are deaf, we must ask him to let us hear, yet we must hear his still, small, voice with our inner ears as well. But, when God says to our spirit, enough is enough, then we must relax and place ourselves into his loving hands. For the ultimate faith is believing that God is good and He will always take care of us, whether we are here in the flesh or gone to be with him. He is the determiner of our flesh; He made us and He will receive us. Paul wrote to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. We will never be alone, for He is with us always. That is our great comfort, that is our eternal hope: Christ in us our hope of glory!

Mark 9:9-13

Mark 9:9-13 As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus gave them orders not to tell anyone what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. They kept the matter to themselves, discussing what “rising from the dead” meant. And they asked him, “Why do the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first?” Jesus replied, “To be sure, Elijah does come first, and restores all things. Why then is it written that the Son of Man must suffer much and be rejected? But I tell you, Elijah has come, and they have done to him everything they wished, just as it is written about him.”

Elijah of the Old Testament was a prophet who performed great miracles. He was a man to be feared, for the Spirit of God was powerfully upon him. The disciples were concerned about Jesus' death talk, so they asked Jesus about Elijah's role in the last days. Wasn't he going to prepare the way for the Messiah? But Jesus deflects their assumptions by telling them that Elijah of the Old Testament suffered during his life, before his own ascension, and so will the Son of Man suffer. Jesus was also referring to his present Elijah, John the Baptist. Elijah had been harassed all of his life by an evil king and queen; John had been beheaded by evil king. However, John's mission on Earth was to prepare the way for the King of kings and his kingdom. When John baptizes Jesus, his was a baptism of contrition; in other words, I have sinned, forgive me, let your will be my will, let my life be your life. Of course, Jesus was sinless, but at that time the Holy Spirit descended on Jesus, infilling Him with the will of God. From that time on, He does only what the Father God tells him to do. John the Baptist was a servant of God, chosen to fulfill a specific role on Earth: "Among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist." (Matthew 11:11) Of all men, he alone could baptize the Son of God. He had proven his outward righteousness by his lifestyle; however, even though John was the greatest of those born of women, he still was not redeemed by the blood of the Lamb. He was still not part of the new covenant Kingdom of God. Nevertheless, by faith he baptized Jesus, and he fulfilled his role, even though he knew Jesus, THE TRULY RIGHTEOUS ONE, should have baptized him.

Today, each of you, if you are in Christ, have been chosen. You might not be in a role as powerful as Elijah or John the Baptist, but you have been chosen to live for Christ. To be chosen does not mean that you live without some suffering. Jesus was telling the disciples that to be chosen by God does not eliminate suffering. Elijah, John the Baptist, and the Son of God were chosen to serve God in specific ways. Their lives were not easy, they were hard. Today, you might feel that your life is too hard. When your feet hit the floor after another a long night in a sleepless bed, you might think, why am I doing all of this? What is life about! But, I want to tell you that you have been chosen. You have been chosen to talk to that person today, you have been chosen to give someone a smile, you have been chosen to give a gift to a lonely person. YOU HAVE BEEN CHOSEN! God is counting up your life, and my friend the accounting is all on the positive side of the ledger. You are laying up treasures in heaven.

THIS LIFE IS WORTH IT. Your children are worth it. Your grandchildren are worth it. Your friends are worth it. You might not be baptizing Jesus today, but surely you are representing him wherever you go. You might not see a dove descend today, but you will see the effects of the presence of God when you bring him to people and share his love. Yes, the world might do everything they wished to you, but they can't take away your divine mission, your divine role. God is with HIS CHILDREN: what more can be said about your role? Follow him, even to the cross. Paul said, I die daily, this is my reasonable service. So it is with you: You die daily, your bones might hurt, your vision might be dim, but your life is a shining light in dark places, rising up to the heavenlies. We are those who live by faith. So live, count your blessings, and thank God you have light and life and breath to serve him while it is yet day, for the night cometh when no man or woman can serve.

Mark 9:1-10

Mark 9:1-10 And he said to them, “I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God come with power.” After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them. His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them. And there appeared before them Elijah and Moses, who were talking with Jesus. Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters — one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” (He did not know what to say, they were so frightened.) Then a cloud appeared and enveloped them, and a voice came from the cloud: “This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!” Suddenly, when they looked around, they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus. As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus gave them orders not to tell anyone what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. They kept the matter to themselves, discussing what “rising from the dead” meant.

In the above passage, we see Jesus transfigured for these disciples' sake. These disciples would need this memory of the transfiguration to help them through a very difficult and confusing period: when Jesus is seemingly helpless in the hands of malcontents and subsequently crucified by the Romans. In that period of time they would see Jesus powerless and very much human. They would not see him as the miracle worker, the healer. They would not see him as the man who could frighten the demons of hell. They would see him as a man controlled by circumstances, not one who controls circumstances. Jesus knew the leaders of his disciples, Peter, James, and John, needed to see his divinity. They needed to see beyond this human figure, Jesus, the one who ate with them, slept with them, experienced life with them. They needed to see God glorify Jesus. Their experience on the mountain of transfiguration gave them this hope that Jesus was truly divine. Surely, if they would hold the course, his words would be implemented that they would not taste death before the kingdom of God came with power. Jesus knew they would flee for their own safety when things got really rough, but He also knew this experience on the mountain of transfiguration would also be in their minds. This experience would help these leaders of his followers through some very difficult times of doubt.

As with all of us, when we experience rough or challenging times, when life doesn't make sense, we need inspirational experiences that we can look back upon. Many times it is our salvation experience. Sometimes it is happenings that defy the law of probability. But as Christians, we are always comforted or reassured by the Holy Spirit who abides within us. Jesus came to baptize us with the Holy Spirit and power. These disciples in the above passage had only their memories to keep them steady in their faith. We have the Holy Spirit within us to keep us steady. After the Spirit came upon them at the day of Pentecost, they experienced horrendous persecution and ostracism, but they kept delivering the Good News. Why, because the Spirit of God was within them. They constantly operated in the mode of prayer and ministry to people. They wanted to release Jesus Christ and his kingdom upon the people. They were actually carrying out the words of Jesus, “I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God come with power.” Of course there is a final day of judgement when the ultimate power of God will be fully realized, but Jesus said, "I will baptize you with the Spirit and with POWER." The kingdom of God has come to us. JESUS AND HIS KINGDOM is the mustard plant. He is the seed that was planted alone, and out of it came a kingdom of power and authority, where many would reside. Jesus told the disciples you can talk about this experience after the kingdom has come. You can talk about it after the seed has died, for then the kingdom will have sprouted. Until then, this transfiguration would just motivate people to make me king now, which would have no eternal value, for I have come to bring life, abundant life, that which is eternal. May we walk in the abundant life today!

Mark 8:28-38

Mark 8:28-38 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.” “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Peter answered, “You are the Christ.” Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about him. He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again. He spoke plainly about this, and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. “Get behind me, Satan!” he said. “You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.” Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.”

You are the Christ--the Messiah, the anointed one, even the Son of God--was Peter's reply to Jesus' question, Who do you say I am? Jesus validates Peter's answer, but almost immediately attacks Peter for Peter's rebuke of him. Peter's statement, You are the Christ, is correct, but his conclusion about Christ's position and mission on Earth was wrong. Peter thought, surely the Great Messiah, the Son of God, would not have to experience the awful things Jesus was talking about. Doesn't God take care of his own, especially his own Son? Isn't this God that we serve a God of power and love? However, Peter once again expresses what Satan expressed to Jesus in the wilderness: the whole world is yours for the taking if you fall at my feet, if you live just for the good things of this world. Jesus did not take this kind of speech lightly; He harshly rebukes Peter: Get behind me, Satan! You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men. Peter was saying what so many men preach today: you can have the whole world if you know Jesus Christ as the Messiah, the Healer, the Miracle Worker. The fancy cars, the big houses, financial success, a peaceful household, and security will all be yours if you believe in this mighty God, for isn't He the King of kings. Jesus categorized this as Satan talk. He tells Peter that he was using Satan's words, expressing his philosophy, being his flunky.

Jesus came to express God's nature, which was one of servanthood. Peter was expressing the world's nature, which is one of rulership, control, selfishness. When Jesus heard this same philosophy from the devil in the desert, He said, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and SERVE him only.’” (Matthew 4:10) Satan left him after that, for he could not entice Jesus with the attractions of this world. He knew Jesus came to reveal God's nature. Jesus did not come to rule, to control, to overwhelm by force. He came to serve. As a servant, one without power or control of his own life, He was going to suffer many things, even a violent death. In the above passage, Jesus reinforces this point by telling the crowd, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it." This is the gospel, the Good News: Jesus came to Earth save man, to serve him, even by dying on the cross for our salvation.

We, too, are to serve men as Christ's body here on Earth. Jesus indicates that you can save your life as Satan told him to save his life in the wilderness. You can try to have it all. As a Christian, you can take the peace and power that God has placed in your life and use it for your own purposes, to win the best this life has to offer, but Jesus says that if you do so, you will lose your life. In these verses, we see Jesus calling his beloved Peter by the name of Satan because Peter was talking as Satan talks. Jesus goes on to say, if you are ashamed of this gospel, ashamed of ME, the GREAT SERVANT, I will be ashamed of you, for you did not embrace and implement my mission, my plan, for you. These are very strong words. This passage is very strong. The worst thing that we can do is to say that this world is my oyster because Jesus is within me. No, this world is your mission field, this world is your harvest field. This world is where we die daily--where God evaluates the quality of our servanthood (how we use our talents). He will someday say, "Enter into my rest, my good and faithful servant." We are not to store up treasures here on Earth; we are to store up treasures in heaven, which is the result of good and faithful service to the Lord and brings true and lasting joy to our hearts and joy to the heart of our Father in heaven.

Mark 8:22-26

Mark 8:22-26 They came to Bethsaida, and some people brought a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him. He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. When he had spit on the man’s eyes and put his hands on him, Jesus asked, “Do you see anything?” He looked up and said, “I see people; they look like trees walking around.” Once more Jesus put his hands on the man’s eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. Jesus sent him home, saying, “Don’t go into the village.”

Today we see Jesus performing a wonderful miracle, and we can read about that miracle of a blind man receiving sight and rejoice that even the blind were healed when Jesus touched them, but how does this story relate to our lives in the here and now? As I read it, I had two thoughts. First, I thought that many people are blind today. We walk around thinking that we can see, but we are sometimes blind to the spiritual realities that matter most. We are blind to our own needs and the needs of others. Many of us are naked and blind, and we need a fresh touch from Jesus. We have sins and dysfunctions in our lives that we tolerate and hide, but we do not bring them to Jesus for his healing touch. In this story some people brought a blind man to Jesus. We all have friends who need a touch from Jesus, yet we let them continue on their way without offering to bring them to him, without seeing his healing power release them from sin and sickness. Perhaps we fear exposure, the illuminating and refining fire of God. Perhaps we fear the rejection of our family or friends if we were to offer Jesus as an answer to the obvious needs in their lives. Is it better to stumble hopelessly in the darkness than to turn to the Light?

Another thought that came to me as I read the account of this man's healing was that Jesus had to put his hands upon him a second time. Some of us need a second touch from the Lord. We came to the Lord at some time in our lives and He gave us sight; He set us free from the sins that bound us. We were blind but then we could see; we were lame but now we could walk and leap and shout his praises. But as time has passed, the pressures of life have caused us to drift from that close walk by his side. We used to take everything to him, to read his Word, to meditate upon his goodness, to give him our first fruits, our very best. Now He often receives the leftovers if anything at all: a quickly muttered prayer, a plea for help in a time of stress, a complaint in a time of frustration. Our vision is cloudy, distorted--we see men as trees walking. We need a Savior and his healing touch. We need to fall before him in repentance and faith, remembering the past, remembering what true sight was like, when we saw clearly, when we saw his face and heard his call: "Come to me my child. Take up your cross and follow me." That calling requires a daily commitment, a daily dying to self and to the world, the flesh and the devil. But in that dying, there is more than new sight; there is light and life, and joy unspeakable and full of glory. There is peace and hope and faith to share with those we love who need a faith that will take them through this life victoriously. Arise a shine today my Christian sisters and brothers. Let him give us new eyes of faith. He is in the room. Love, Mom (Jacqueline) (Sitting in for Dad who is baby-sitting)

Mark 8:14-21

Mark 8:14-21 The disciples had forgotten to bring bread, except for one loaf they had with them in the boat. “Be careful,” Jesus warned them. “Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and that of Herod.” They discussed this with one another and said, “It is because we have no bread.” Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked them: “Why are you talking about having no bread? Do you still not see or understand? Are your hearts hardened? Do you have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear? And don’t you remember? When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?” “Twelve,” they replied. “And when I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?” They answered, “Seven.” He said to them, “Do you still not understand?”

No, they did not fully understand. The disciples' hearts were hardened by their traditions, and also by their personal daily needs. The Pharisees were part of their religious community and therefore were not perceived by them to be much of a threat to their personal safety. Consequently, when they heard Jesus talk about yeast, their thoughts went quickly to their immediate need, which was bread. The disciples were dealing with their own realities, not abstractions. Their present circumstance was that they had only one loaf of bread to feed thirteen people. To them, this was a pressing need, so they were thinking about their problems and not about spiritual abstractions. This I believe is where most of us are most of the time. The Bible, meditation, and inspired ministry make spiritual thrusts into our thinking processes, into our consciousness, but the priorities of life usually dominate our thoughts. However, in Jesus' priorities, the spiritual world was much more important than the temporal.

In the above scriptures, Jesus was talking about a danger that could not only shorten the disciples' physical lives, but endanger their spiritual lives as well. Of course the Pharisees wanted Jesus killed, and Herod was the power to implement their wicked desire. But the Pharisees also carried about them a virulent virus of good works, of arrogant living, and a distaste for servanthood. Jesus understood how dangerous the Pharisees' thinking and lifestyle were to his gospel and to his disciples. However, his disciples' concern was on bread and not on spiritual things: “It is because we have no bread.” Jesus was talking about eternal matters, but the disciples were fixated on the temporal. Jesus was talking about eternal life, but the disciples were focused on this life, which is but a wisp of smoke--here today, gone tomorrow. They had already forgotten the significance of the miracle of feeding the 3,000, so they were worried about having only one loaf of bread to feed thirteen people. Our present circumstances can make us forget that God has taken care of us in the past and that He will take care of us in the present and in the future. We sometimes exasperate the grace of God by forgetting the special place we have in Christ, our miracle of salvation, our personal coming out of Egypt. Focusing on our present wilderness reveals a lack of food or water, while looking to Christ shows us his miraculous supply.

Jesus was vexed by how quickly HIS DISCIPLES forgot the miraculous experience that they had just observed. He couldn't believe that they were now concerned about how many loaves of bread they had after they had just witnessed him feeding three thousand people with seven loaves of bread. But miracles are very fleeting. Humans want to know, "What are you going to do for me today? We can't eat the miracles of yesterday." This passage reveals the actuality of the flesh. We might call this tendency carnal, or we might just say this is just the way things are. Regardless of our spiritual experiences, our minds quickly revert to the temporal, to daily circumstances and needs. However, the Bible indicates that those who are led by the Spirit are the children of God. To be led by the Spirit means that we read our Bible, meditate, and gather together in worship. These activities help us reorient ourselves on the spiritual, the eternal. Really there is no substitute for these spiritual commitments. They cause our hearts to be softened. They make us able to keep the miraculous in our memory; they stir up the faith within us. They open our ears to God's voice. When our hearts are softened, we will not let our needs, traditions, and lifestyle influences overwhelm our thinking. We will begin to hear the quiet, still voice of the Comforter. We will hear him say, "I am with you, one loaf is sufficient."

Mark 8:11

Mark 8:11 The Pharisees came and began to question Jesus. To test him, they asked him for a sign from heaven. He sighed deeply and said, “Why does this generation ask for a miraculous sign? I tell you the truth, no sign will be given to it.” Then he left them, got back into the boat and crossed to the other side.

In this scripture we see Jesus' frustration with the guile and unbelief of the Pharisees. He knew their hearts; He knew the purposes behind their request. They were not seeking a sign from God. They were there to test him. Much like Satan in the desert, they were taunting the Lord of heaven and earth: Prove that you are the son of God and then we will worship you. But He knew the hardness of their hearts, and He rightly discerned their motivations. Hence, we can almost hear his deep sigh even today, and in our minds we can see him getting into the boat and crossing to the other side. Obviously, had they truly been seeking a sign, Jesus had already performed many miracles and provided signs that would have sufficed, but they merely wanted to put him on the spot at that moment, wanted to ask him to perform, thinking they would embarrass him. Although He could have done anything He wanted, He certainly was not willing to comply with their demands in the face of their deceitful and sinful hearts.

Sometimes in troubled times, we Christians have a little bit of that "If you are God, prove yourself to me" spirit in us. When we ought to be long past that point in our relationship with our Redeemer, Lord, and King, we want him to prove himself to us by performing some some deed at our command that will satisfy our fleshly needs. I wonder if the Lord sighs deeply or looks at us with eyes of concern. I am sure that He sometimes ponders his children's hearts of unbelief and asks, "Have I been with you so long and you still doubt me?" I think He would want us to have the confidence of who He is and who we are in him. In fact, I am sure of that. In a Colossians, Paul wrote that our lives are hid with Christ in God. That is a place of completeness: complete security, complete sufficiency, complete assurance that Christ is our all in all, our everything. In that place we need no longer ask him for a sign that He is God or that He is active in our lives. In that place of rest, we accept that God is our Abba Father who loves his children. We accept that we have a Good Shepherd who loves the sheep and abides with them, goes before them and prepares the way, leads them in green pastures and beside still waters. Even when we go through the valley of the shadow of death, He goes with us and never leaves us or forsakes us. There is no need for him to prove himself to us, for He proved himself at the cross. He gave us the sign from heaven, the ultimate sign: He paid the price, and the price He paid was enough. It is enough for anything you are facing today. So dear son and daughter of the King, do not ask your Lord for a sign today. Hide in him, hold fast to what you know is true, and He will meet your needs according to his riches in glory. You are his lovely one, his beloved, the flower of his heart. Love, Mom (Jacqueline) (Filling in for Dad who is speaking to the men at Lifegate Four Square)

Mark 8:4-10

Mark 8:4-10 His disciples answered, “But where in this remote place can anyone get enough bread to feed them?” “How many loaves do you have?” Jesus asked. “Seven,” they replied. He told the crowd to sit down on the ground. When he had taken the seven loaves and given thanks, he broke them and gave them to his disciples to set before the people, and they did so. They had a few small fish as well; he gave thanks for them also and told the disciples to distribute them. The people ate and were satisfied. Afterward the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. About four thousand men were present. And having sent them away, he got into the boat with his disciples and went to the region of Dalmanutha.

Have you ever felt you were in a remote place, a place where a miracle could not happen, a place where things were too desperate? I have, and I am sure most of you have. In those times, it seems as if where God is not, I am. Well, He is also there. In the above situation, notice Jesus starts to give orders immediately. He asks the disciples to take inventory of what they do have, and then He blesses it, and it becomes sufficient for the day. They even gather an abundance of leftovers. I think that is the way we must attack life sometimes. We first need to know that God is with us and that He is going to bless us; then we need to take inventory of what we do have. If we are still breathing, which we are, we always have something to build upon. In today's scripture, they had seven loaves and a few fish, not nearly enough to feed all the people. The inner circle, the privileged few, might have gotten a few bites from the beggarly inventory that they did have. But Jesus had a bigger vision--He wanted to feed all of the people. He wanted to provide completely for the needs that were before him. He was not limited by the small supply of food set before him.

This, of course, is what Jesus wants to do in our lives. He wants to come to our aid today. The crowd wasn't going to be fed by Jesus tomorrow, but for that day only. Some of us feel that we are on the fringe of the crowd. We know our lives are not close to him, but He still wants to feed us. He blessed the loaves and fish to feed all the people, even the mockers hanging around the edges. He wants to feed us regardless of how far we are from him. Jesus wants you to go home satisfied, but first you must accept what you do have and bless it. Don't look for what you don't have, but bless what you do have. If you have strength today, use it. If your mind is functioning well today, use it. God will bless your efforts. What if the disciples would have said, this is impossible. I am not going to waste my time, organizing and seating the people. I am not gathering any loaves or fish; this is an impossible task. Nothing would have happened. Jesus blesses what you do have, that which is your present reality. JESUS SAID, “How many loaves do you have?” Faith demands that. Today, how many loaves and fish do you have? How much strength do you have? Use it. God can make much out of little. Regardless of how you feel today or where you are on your spiritual journey, He can and will provide. He can make this day successful. Even if you can't get off your sick bed, He can make this day successful, and you will go home satisfied. You go forth from his presence, knowing that you have been with God, having received his miraculous, abundant supply. Truly, little is much when God is in it.

Mark 8:1

Mark 8:1 During those days another large crowd gathered. Since they had nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. If I send them home hungry, they will collapse on the way, because some of them have come a long distance.”

Exodus 33:14-19 The LORD replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” Then Moses said to him, “If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here. How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us? What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?” And the LORD said to Moses, “I will do the very thing you have asked, because I am pleased with you and I know you by name.” Then Moses said, “Now show me your glory.” And the LORD said, “I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the LORD, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.

Today you may be hungry, today you may be thirsty, today you may have come a long distance to find the Lord. He wants you to know that He has compassion for you. He knows you by name, and He will show you his glory. He will cause his goodness to pass in front of you. He will proclaim his name, his holy name, in your presence, and He will have mercy on you. This is the message of the Lord for you this day. It is the message of the Lord for us every day. Sometimes we become so busy with life, so busy with living life that we forget we are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a peculiar people, the people of God. He has called us to be his own, adopted us into his family, and now He calls us sons and daughters.

Sometimes even in these breakfasts the messages so often point you outward to your calling and your mission, that we might forget our position in his presence. If we forget that, then we forget from whence comes our strength, the hope of our calling. Moses cried out to the Lord, "If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you. Remember that this nation is your people.” The Lord answered him, "My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest." Moses knew without that presence, he was lost. So it is with us today. We must continue in God's presence. All else is nothingness and meaninglessness. The psalmist wrote, "In thy presence is fulness of joy." Peter wrote that in Christ we rejoice with "joy unspeakable and full of glory." Paul wrote in Ephesians chapter two that Christ himself is our peace: He is all that we need, and because of his finished work at the cross, we can live by faith with hope and victory in him. In his presence we are fed and we find provision for each day, enough for that day, enough for whatever we will face. But we must spend time with him, walk with him, talk with him, listen to his voice. Many other voices contend for our attention. The poet William Wordsworth wrote that "this world is too much with us," as a complaint against man's rejection of nature and reliance on materialism. Unfortunately, he did not realize that nature will not give us eternal life. Only God can do that. But he was right that materialism robs us of essential being. Only God gives us that.

Today may we pause to remember that Jesus loves us, and He has compassion for us. God has always wanted to walk with his children. He wants to walk with you today, to put his loving arms around you and to give you his fatherly advice and counsel, his encouragement and comfort through the Holy Spirit. If you feel you have failed him, do not draw back, draw closer. He will forgive you and lift you out of that pit of despair. In his presence we will find strength for today. I want to close with a beautiful song of hope: I lift up my eyes to the hills — where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip — he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The LORD watches over you — the LORD is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The LORD will keep you from all harm — he will watch over your life; the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore. (Psalm 121) Love, Mom (Jacqueline) (Sitting in for Dad today)

Mark 7:31-37

Mark 7:31-37 Then Jesus left the vicinity of Tyre and went through Sidon, down to the Sea of Galilee and into the region of the Decapolis. There some people brought to him a man who was deaf and could hardly talk, and they begged him to place his hand on the man. After he took him aside, away from the crowd, Jesus put his fingers into the man’s ears. Then he spit and touched the man’s tongue. He looked up to heaven and with a deep sigh said to him, “Ephphatha!” (which means, “Be opened!”). At this, the man’s ears were opened, his tongue was loosened and he began to speak plainly. Jesus commanded them not to tell anyone. But the more he did so, the more they kept talking about it. People were overwhelmed with amazement. “He has done everything well,” they said. “He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”

Many times there is no substitute for visitation. Jesus' ministry was one of visitation. He went from one area to the next, ministering and healing. In the above passage, we see him leave the vicinity of Tyre and go to the region of the Decapolis. We see Jesus once again in the presence of people who needed deliverance. Here, He is touching a man's ears and tongue so that he might be delivered from deafness and difficulty of speech. Jesus touched both dysfunctional parts of this man: Jesus put his fingers into the man’s ears. Then he spit and touched the man’s tongue. The man felt Jesus' physical being. He knew Jesus cared for him because He touched him. It is always nice and proper to throw a prayer towards someone who is in need of prayer, but it is much better if possible to visit that person and touch him or her, asking God to meet the need. Sadly to say, when people are sick, we tend to remove ourselves from them. Initially, we are there for them, but for many reasons, we gradually remove ourselves from them. Sometimes because of the intransigent nature of their illness or condition or because we feel our prayers are not working, we do not know how to respond. However, regardless of circumstances, we know that Jesus prayed, and we should pray. He visited the sick, we should visit the sick. He prayed for impossible situations, we should pray for impossible situations. Jesus placed his hands on people when He prayed, we should do likewise. Jesus was persistent, we should be persistent.

They came to Bethsaida, and some people brought a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him. He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. When he had spit on the man’s eyes and put his hands on him, Jesus asked, “Do you see anything?” He looked up and said, “I see people; they look like trees walking around.” Once more Jesus put his hands on the man’s eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. (Mark 8:22-25) Jesus taught us how to pray in Luke 11: He said to them, “When you pray, say: “‘Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread. Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation.’” Then he said to them, “Suppose one of you has a friend, and he goes to him at midnight and says, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, because a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have nothing to set before him.’ “Then the one inside answers, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is already locked, and my children are with me in bed. I can’t get up and give you anything.’ I tell you, though he will not get up and give him the bread because he is his friend, yet because of the man’s boldness he will get up and give him as much as he needs. “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.

Faith is believing that God is good, that He hears us, and that He is willing to change circumstances, the realities of life, when we pray. We must believe that or we will stop praying, we will stop visiting the sick, we will stop praying for people to be free from their bondages. Yesterday, I happened to meet a Christian man in a grocery store who had a need. He told me about not being able to sell his house in California. I commisurated with him, and then right after he left, Jacqueline and I prayed for his house to be sold. But I thought then, how much better would it have been if I would have grabbed his hand, and agreed with him in prayer that his house would sell quickly. No, I let the physicality of the moment slip by, and threw a prayer out after he had left my presence. I think God wants us to pray when we are with the afflicted, the troubled, the discouraged, not later. How many times do we say, "I will pray about that," rather than praying for that situation at the time the person expresses it to us. Jesus went to the people, Jesus laid his hands on them. We also should go and lay our hands on people who are in need, knowing that Jesus is in the room and He cares and wants to touch them through us.