2 Corinthians 1:1-7

2 Corinthians 1:1-7  Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, to the church of God in Corinth, together with all the saints throughout Achaia: grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.  Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.  For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows.  If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer.  And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.

Are you called by the will of God?  As surely as Paul was called, each of us is called to fulfill a certain role in the world and IN THE BODY OF CHRIST.  Believe it or not, God did not call spectators: He called workers.  In Jesus' parables, He talks about landlords and servants.  Guess which one we are?  As Christians we have been called to do God's will, yet we still DESIRE TO DO OUR OWN WILL.  Many American Christians like the role of a spectator better than other roles because it doesn't cost us much, just our time.  Or we like to be servants, but only under our own terms, at our convenience.  Unfortunately, we usually would rather sit in the pews and determine whether other servants are serving us well.  "Honey, wasn't the service good today?"  "Yes, but I noticed the worship team was kind of flat on the first song."  "Hmm, they did seem a little off."  "Also, Jane, wasn't too happy with her Sunday school teacher; she forgot their treat today."  "Oh, that's too bad.  Maybe next week she'll remember."  "Well, on the whole, church was good today, wasn't it?"  "Yes, if the pastor just wouldn't preach quite so long."  The Bible says, Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God.  What are YOU by the will of God?  Are we encouragers, builders, people of hope or do we tend to oversee, find fault, tear down the ministry of the church?  Hmm.  Sometimes we don't like to think about that, but we should.  We haven't been called just to be spectators, hanger-ons, or judges; we are called to be an integral functioning parts of the BODY OF CHRIST, and we need to participate faithfully in those God-given roles.  

In this opening passage, Paul indicates to the Corinthians he has suffered in his ministry, but his suffering is beneficial for the rest of the body because he comforts others with the comfort he receives from God.  Otherwise, he can tell others God will be with them through their trials and distresses because God has been with him.  As humans this world's troubles sometimes affect our ability to cope.  We experience sleepless nights and days preoccupied with thoughts of our difficulties.  We need help.  We need the comfort of the Lord; we need the church functioning properly.  When we are too sick, wounded, or troubled to go on, we need the other parts of the body to help us through our ordeals.  A hug, a prayer, or an encouraging word is needed from a brother or sister in Christ.  We cannot be onlookers; we must function as members of the body, sharing Christ's love.  We can give the comfort we have received, as instruments of healing.  We can strengthen the body of Christ by strengthening a broken or bruised spirit.  Paul is saying that none of our heartbreaks or trials are wasted if we yield them to God to use in his church.  We can share our testimony of how God brought us through our times of struggle, encouraging others to keep on going, trusting God in all circumstances.  We can remind others they are heaven bound, and Christ is at the right hand of the Father interceding for them.  As Christians we weep with those who weep, and we rejoice with those who rejoice.  We share in each other's suffering, and we share in each other's comfort, for we are one in Christ--his very body.  Nothing can defeat a healthy functioning body.  Therefore, as you fulfill your calling as a servant in the household of faith, you will not only receive a reward in heaven, but in this life you will also receive grace and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Mark 16:15-20

Mark 16:15-20  He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.  Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.  And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons;  they will speak in new tongues;  they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.”  After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and he sat at the right hand of God.  Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it. 

The above verses are not in the older manuscripts, and many scholars believe they were added to Mark's writing much later.  I happen to believe that, too, but regardless, since God allowed these scriptures, let us address them.  Yes, signs should follow those who believe.  That is why we pray.  We believe God changes situations.  In the New Testament, Jesus and his apostles performed many healings and miracles.  Jesus, the apostles, and the early church all prayed; we are to pray as well.  However, Jesus also submitted to God's will.  In the garden of Gethsemane He prayed, “Abba, Father, everything is possible for you.  Take this cup from me.  Yet not what I will, but what you will.”  (Mark 14:36)   In the Lord's prayer we again see God's will as preeminent: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.  We cannot presume God's will at any one time.  Sure, we want good for people.  I want to believe that everyone should be healed, but I have to leave that up to the Lord.  Of course, when people are bitten by snakes, we pray they will feel no ill effects.  If people accidently drink poison (one of my sons did that when he was very young), we pray they will not die, but we can never be presumptuous, for God knows the beginning from the end.  He alone knows the ramification of all things.   

Jesus said you are not to put the Lord your God to the test.  (Matthew 4:7)  The devil wanted Jesus to throw himself down from the highest point on the temple to prove that God would protect him, that He was someone special.  The mystics and the occultists perform acts to gain respect and a following.  In India we see snake charmers, in our country we see snake handlers, and sadly to say there are also those who drink poison to prove God is with them and they are special.  This is not a faith walk--one that believes in God regardless of the circumstances.  From the beginning of time, all men have died except for a few: Elijah, Enoch, and Jesus.  From its earliest years, the church has been persecuted.  Good people, those God loved and redeemed, have experienced horrible deaths at the hands of sinful men.  Also good people have become sick and died.  Almost all old people die of something detectible.  If life were completely understandable, if all the redeemed lived forever, if Christians were the most prosperous of all people, if God's beloved never had any problems, everyone in the world would be a Christian because Christianity would pay off better than any casino.  But we know better.  God will not allow anyone to enter his kingdom except through the door of FAITH in Jesus Christ.  

Then what about the above scriptures?  I suspect they are accounts of actual events such as Paul being bitten by the viper.  Nothing bad happened to him at that time, for God wanted him to witness to the islanders.  And that is what he did.  Are miracles happening today?  Yes, for God's plans and purposes, not man's.  Should we pray for miracles?  Amen!  God is still testifying of himself through us.  However, we don't test the Lord God.  We don't demand that He has to come across or prove himself in a certain situation.  God does what He wants according to his plan, not ours.  Is this difficult for us?  Yes, for it demands that we have faith regardless of the circumstances.  But, in the final analysis, NOTHING PLEASES GOD MORE THAN FAITH, for it places God in control.  Remember, faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. (Hebrews 11:1)    

This ends the Gospel of Mark.  I'll look in the refrigerator and see what we have for tomorrow.

Mark 16:12-14

Mark 16:12-14  Afterward Jesus appeared in a different form to two of them while they were walking in the country.  These returned and reported it to the rest; but they did not believe them either.  Later Jesus appeared to the Eleven as they were eating; he rebuked them for their lack of faith and their stubborn refusal to believe those who had seen him after he had risen.

Luke 24:13-16  Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem.  They were talking with each other about everything that had happened.  As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; but they were kept from recognizing him. 

How often do we walk along and not recognize that Jesus is with us?  In a world filled with competing activities, thoughts, demands, and voices, we sometimes don't recognize Jesus walking along with us.  We don't hear his footsteps, for we are cloistered within our own needs, thoughts and circumstances.  Jesus' voice seems far away from us in those moments.  In today's passage, Jesus is disturbed with the disciples for their refusal to believe He has been resurrected and is walking among them.  They were refusing to believe those who had seen him after he had risen.  However, the disciples knew full well the circumstances of his horrible death.  Life after that horrible death was hard to accept.  How could Jesus be alive?  The above passage shows us that his disciples were rational men, not hysterical fanatics or mystics.  But Jesus still rebuked them for their lack of faith.  Otherwise, Jesus expected them to believe even though their natural minds said that the resurrection could not have happened.  

Because Christ rose from the dead, we Christians can come to God boldly and present our petitions before him.  Every day by faith, we have the opportunity to believe God is with us and to know Jesus is integrally involved with our lives.  Every day we can chose to believe we are the "peculiar people" spoken of in the Bible, those who have the divine Comforter constantly in our lives, imbuing us with the power of his presence.  Or we Christians can be faithless and not believe any of that.  Regardless of our belief in his reality, Jesus is walking with us.  We are his adopted brothers and sisters, born into the family of God.  Therefore, He will not forsake or abandon us.  However, in our weakness, we sometimes do not believe the spiritual realities of our existence wholeheartedly.  The world just seems too big, too hard for us to understand.  Perhaps our lives are not going the way we planned or there are too many voices, saying too many things. That is when we need to be able to RECOGNIZE HIS PRESENCE.  That is when we need to perceive the Spirit of God within us. That is when we need to hear HIS VOICE and listen to his words.  

Many times I find myself quieting my spirit and listening attentively to a song emitting unconsciously from my lips or a song deep within my heart.  I listen to the words, and usually it is a song of praise to my Lord.  Then I know the Spirit is singing within me.  My outward man may feel fearful or troubled, but inside me there is almost an unconscious song of praise going on, almost as if the song is not connected to me unless I take time to listen.  Other times I'll cry, "Oh Lord, help me, I don't understand."  And I hear a quiet, "I will."  Sometimes, in the tossing and turning in my mind, I'll hear, "I am with you.  I will not leave you."  Then, and only then do I find comfort, for then I hear his footsteps.  I know his presence is near.  In the passage above, they did not perceive Jesus was near, but He was.  Do not frustrate the grace of God by not perceiving that Jesus is near.  He is, and He wants to comfort you today.  If you cannot find comfort in your soul by yourself, call up someone and ask for prayer.  God will comfort your soul through a brother or sister in Christ.  That is a purpose of the body of Christ.  BUT FOR SURE: HAVE FAITH, HE IS NEAR.

Mark 16:6-11

Mark 16:6-11  “Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified.  He has risen!  He is not here.  See the place where they laid him.  But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee.  There you will see him, just as he told you.’”  Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone because they were afraid.  When Jesus rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had driven seven demons.  She went and told those who had been with him and who were mourning and weeping.  When they heard that Jesus was alive and that she had seen him, they did not believe it.

It is interesting to note that the disciples did not believe Mary Magdalene's account of what happened to Jesus.  I suspect they thought she was regressing into spiritual confusion.  However, how could they really believe Jesus was alive, for Jesus did not just die a comfortable death.  His death was a violent one.  Because of the beatings and the crucifixion, the disciples had watched Jesus' blood literally drain out of him.  No one can live without blood, so they knew Jesus did not just fall asleep into some comatose condition.  They knew He was very much dead.

Today, millions of people believe Jesus is "very much dead."  They just cannot believe that the resurrection occurred.  How can life begin again after death, but for us Christians this belief in the resurrection is the cornerstone of our salvation.  Jesus said we must be born again.  When Jesus went into the grave, we went with him.  When He was resurrected, we who believe were resurrected into new life in him.  To be born again the disciples had to believe that Jesus was resurrected.  If they believed only that He died an ignoble death for them, salvation would not be theirs.  But by believing and knowing that Jesus not only died for their sins but was risen in new life as well, they could experience new life for themselves, eternal life.  Some people believe that Jesus was a good man who did good deeds, and we should emulate him.  However, they cannot believe that He was resurrected from the grave.  For them, Jesus' life ended at death, for He was not the Son of God.  And for many, all life ends at the grave.  

But for those of us who believe Jesus was the Son of God, who conquered sin and death, we are made living creatures, for his new life resides in us.  He is resurrected in us.  We feel his presence; we know He lives, for He has transformed our lives and has given us a new perspective on life.  If life is only doing good and then we die, we are most miserable.  Paul says, we might as well eat, drink, and live it up, for tomorrow we may die.  If there is no resurrection, we are hopelessly lost.  But Christ's resurrection truly brings life, now and after death.  We enter into that life through faith.  And because of our faith, God has sent an earnest gift to us in the form of the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit's presence in us is the earnest gift that there is an inheritance to come--life after death.  We who struggle in our faith, who sometimes totter in our faith as an old man walking down the street, can find the assurance of our salvation by experiencing the Holy Spirit's presence in us.  Mary Magdalene was not losing her rational mind, neither were the many others who saw Jesus after his resurrection.  In fact they were so far removed from being irrational that they gave their lives for Jesus' work, even under heavy persecution, for the sake of the resurrected Lord whom they saw.  May we follow their example of commitment and love in sharing the "Good News."

Mark 16:1-6

Mark 16:1-6  When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus’ body.  Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb and they asked each other, “Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?”  But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away.  As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed.  “Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified.  He has risen! 

When the Sabbath was over, when the day of rest was completed, early in the morning the three women went to the tomb of Jesus to anoint his body. There they met an angel who said, He has risen!  What is the significance of all this for us today?  Why is the cross important?  Why is the resurrection important?  The resurrection validates who Jesus said He was, but why the cross?  Why not just a painless death and then resurrection?     God's plan of salvation is so magnificent, so incomprehensible, it rivals our understanding of the structure of space and its billions of galaxies.  Only a marvelous God could have devised such a plan.  Listen carefully, Jesus came to set us free from sin and death by totally emptying himself for us and becoming nothing.  He literally experienced separation from his Father, the Almighty God.  He walked the pathway of "DUST TO DUST," for all human remains will eventually turn to dust or nothingness.  All awareness of life will be gone.  Time will cease into eternity.  Our existence will be gone.  

Jesus took on the form of man, and in that form he experienced all the temptations and vicissitudes of life that flesh experiences, even death.  BUT God would not allow his Son to decay in the grave.  And because of Jesus' act of shedding his blood for the sins of the world, death and the grave were overpowered by this sacrificial act of the godhead.  Jesus who possessed faith in God and who lived that faith was risen first; He became the first fruit.  Then all of us who are in Christ by faith are risen anew in Him, born again--an act of the Creator, the mother God so to speak.  In Christ all things become new.  We no longer serve God through rules and regulations of the past.  We no longer serve him by implementing the shadow of heavenly things here on Earth.  The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming — not the realities themselves.  For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship.  (Hebrews  10:1)  We no longer serve him by observing special days, months,  years.  Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods.  But now that you know God — or rather are known by God — how is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable principles?  Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again?  You are observing special days and months and seasons and years!  I fear for you, that somehow I have wasted my efforts on you.  (Galatians 4:9-10)   

Although Paul spoke these words of correction to the Galatians, showing the foolishness of keeping certain laws, the heart of his message applies to all people.  We don't serve God by observing the shadow of spiritual realities; we are NOW in the presence of God through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.  We don't observe a special day as our Sabbath, for we have entered into our day of rest, Jesus Christ, because of his sacrifice on the cross and his resurrection from the tomb.  Daily we minister before the Lord God in the name of Jesus his Son--the only name where we find salvation and life eternal.  We now enter boldly into the Holy of Holies and come face to face with God, crying, "Abba Father," for we know we are home at last.  The cross and Jesus' subsequent resurrection brought life to the lifeless and eternity with God as part of HIS FAMILY.  We have been made higher than the angels, for we have been BOUGHT BY THE BLOOD OF GOD, not that of sheep and goats or any other observance.  What a creative plan, greater than the galaxies made by his hands, greater than the universe spoken into existence.  WHAT A PLAN!  This was the message of the early church and it is our message.  Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day.  These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.  (Colossians 2:16-17)  Stand fast in the freedom of the cross of Jesus Christ and live a resurrected life!

Mark 15:40-47; Mark 16:1-3

Mark 15:40-47; Mark 16:1-3  Some women were watching from a distance.  Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome.  In Galilee these women had followed him and cared for his needs.  Many other women who had come up with him to Jerusalem were also there.  It was Preparation Day (that is, the day before the Sabbath).  So as evening approached, Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent member of the Council, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, went boldly to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body.  Pilate was surprised to hear that he was already dead.  Summoning the centurion, he asked him if Jesus had already died.  When he learned from the centurion that it was so, he gave the body to Joseph.  So Joseph bought some linen cloth, took down the body, wrapped it in the linen, and placed it in a tomb cut out of rock.  Then he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb.  Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where he was laid.  When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus’ body.  Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb and they asked each other, “Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?”

The women were on a divine mission as God's spies.  Primarily, they were there that day to see where Jesus' body was laid.  Members of the Sanhedrin and the high priest knew about Jesus' prophesy of being resurrected, so I am sure they were not very willing to have Jesus' gravesite known.  In fact, they were so worried about Jesus' body being stolen that they actually had soldiers seal and guard his tomb.  But the Holy Spirit wanted us to know through Mark's account that the women fulfilled God's divine purpose for them that day.  Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where he was laid. 

Joseph was also on a divine mission.  He was to take care of the body of the crucified Jesus.  He was a member of the Sanhedrin who had rejected the council's decision to put Jesus to death, for Joseph in his heart was looking for God's kingdom to be established.  He had not consented to their decision and deed.  He was from Arimathea, a city of the Jews, who himself was also waiting for the kingdom of God.  (Luke 23:51)  As a member of the Sanhedrin, he had heard all the reasons Jesus should be killed, but somehow he believed Jesus was more than a mere man who could be dealt with by death.  So Joseph put his feet to work and went to Pilate to request Christ's body.  Pilate consented.  Before the Sabbath began, Joseph quickly placed it in a tomb cut out of rock.  Then he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb.  Joseph placed Jesus' body exactly where God wanted him to be placed.  The conditions were right for the resurrection, and for the concomitant announcement that he HAS RISEN.  After the Sabbath, early in the morning, the three women who knew where Jesus' body was, came to the tomb to anoint Jesus' body with spices--the rest of the story is well known.  

What role do each of us have to play today?  Will we be in the right place with the right attitude?  The women at the tomb and Joseph were chosen to fulfill necessary roles in the story of Jesus.  We, in the body of Christ, have necessary roles to fulfill.  The Holy Spirit was sent not only to comfort us but to guide us in all aspects of our lives.  We are his children; as children we can be obedient or disobedient.  The Bible indicates that God disciplines his children, the wayward, the uncontrollable, the frightened, the stubborn, the slow learners, all his children.  Jesus says, some sow, some reap; some prepare and some collect the results.  Christians have the will and the ability to do both, but for sure we are not just automatons.  We can say yes or no to everything God wants us to do, but I believe the Holy Spirit has placed a very strong inclination in our hearts to do God's will.  Is it to visit the sick?  Is it to carry out some important task for someone?  Maybe it's to mourn or to rejoice with someone.  Maybe it is just to be a companion to a lonely heart.  God has a task for us this day.  Is there a person who needs a call from you today, a loving hug?  The women and Joseph had a task and they fulfilled it.  CHRISTIANS, GOD HAS BLESSED US WITH WORK TO DO, and He has given us the Holy Spirit to empower us to fulfill those tasks.  James says, "Show me your faith by your works."  Otherwise, show me how much you believe and trust in God by your willingness to work for him.  God bless you today in ALL that you do.

Mark 15:35-39

Mark 15:35-39  When some of those standing near heard this, they said, “Listen, he’s calling Elijah.”  One man ran, filled a sponge with wine vinegar, put it on a stick, and offered it to Jesus to drink.  “Now leave him alone.  Let’s see if Elijah comes to take him down,” he said.  With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last.  The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.  And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, heard his cry and saw how he died, he said, “Surely this man was the Son of God!”

The curtain to the holy of holies was rent that day; the restriction to the presence of the Almighty God was taken away.  Anyone now could enter into God's presence through faith in Jesus Christ the Lord as their savior, for Jesus paid the price for man's recalcitrant spirit and sinful nature.  Jesus, THE WAY, broke down the barrier that separated sinful man from a holy God.  Through faith in Jesus, we are once again created in his image and now known as the "newborn."  The story of the cross is great, but the resurrection is even greater.  For life begins for all of us IN the resurrection.  We die IN Christ at the cross; however, praise God, we are risen IN Christ on the morning of the resurrection.  Christ is risen.  He is risen indeed!  Because He lives, we live also.  Enjoy your new life IN Christ.  Happy Easter!