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)