Saturday, February 29, 2020

Child's Play

Mark 10:13-16

Some of my favorite words are, “Grandma, will you come play with me?” Some of my favorite memories are from times we spent “playing” together. Memories flood my mind from time with my grandson, my own children, my family, my friends, and my own childhood.

What I learn from my grandson and my many memories of playing is this:

Play has no agenda. 
It does not follow a “to-do-list.”  
It does not come from a place of “have to” but a place of “want to.” 
When we play, we lose all sense of self-consciousness and worry about what others might think. 
We lose all sense of time, and we don’t want that time to end! 

Perhaps that was why the disciples were hindering the children from being with Jesus.  They saw them as “less than” because their presence with Jesus didn’t serve any “useful purpose” or advance their agenda.  The children were an unnecessary interruption and distraction from what was “really important” in the eyes of the disciples. 

Yet Jesus tells the disciple to STOP HINDERING the little children from coming to Him! 

He says the Kingdom of God belongs to those like them!!

How is God calling me to spend time with Him with no agenda, no “to-do” or “want” list?

How can I come to Him with my heart of “I want to” instead of “I have to?”

How can I engage in “playing” in God’s plan so that I lose all self-consciousness and worry about what other people think?”

How often do I “lose all sense of time” in His presence and experience playing with Him so much that I wish it wouldn’t end?

How is He is calling me to openly embrace others and see them as “valuable” even though don’t meet my expectations or fit my agenda?  

Does that make you uncomfortable?  Good, because it made the disciples uncomfortable too. 

“I can see Your heart
Eight billion different ways
Every precious one
A child You died to save
If You gave Your life to love them so will I!
Like You would again a hundred billion times
But what measure could amount to Your desire
You're the One who never leaves the one behind!”

Thank you, Lord Jesus, for seeing all of us as Your beloved Children, accepted and valued, those whom you embrace warmly.  Help me to see all people as Your children, not as an interruption or distraction.  I can see Your heart, lead my heart to love as You do. 



Friday, February 28, 2020

Divorce



Mark 10:1-12


These words of Jesus are part of a larger teaching on discipleship. The kingdom of God is about relationships. And close relationships like marriage give us opportunity to daily practice what we profess. Joined together by God in marriage, husband and wife experience a bond so strong that breaking it causes incredible pain for both.

There are three principles that help me understand and apply Jesus’ words. 1) God values people, because we are his, and we were bought with a price. 2) God values covenants, because he is committed to do what he says. His relationship with us is based on a promise, not on a system or rule book. 3) God knows that broken   covenants break people. When a promise is broken, hearts are broken. With these three principles in mind, the issue that Jesus ultimately addresses here is hard hearts. In first century Palestine, a Jewish man could put his wife out of the house and give her a certificate of divorce for almost any reason. So in answer to the Pharisee’s question about the lawfulness of divorce, Jesus replies that Moses permitted it “because of your hardness of heart.”

When we feel hurt or slighted or neglected, our human tendency is fight or flight. Either get even or run. But discipleship demands more. Having a soft heart means being willing to
confront rather than avoid problems, because avoidance always leads to resentment. Having a soft heart means listening without becoming defensive, and forgiving as Christ has forgiven you. But the truth is that whether we are married, single, or divorced, we all struggle to do these things consistently. We need the Holy Spirit’s power to live out of our new nature in Christ rather than our old sin nature.

In your closest relationship, is there anything you need to confront that you’ve been avoiding? Are you listening to understand or listening to respond? Is there anything you need to confess or forgive?

Prayer: Lord, you intend for marriage to be a blessing, but it is fragile, and easily ruined. Please bring restoration to troubled marriages, healing to those who are divorced, and integrity to those who are single. And soften hearts that have become hardened by sin, beginning with mine. Amen.

Thursday, February 27, 2020

The Chopping Block

Mark 9:42-50
*Note: the scripture printed on the Daily Readings bookmark is incorrect. This is the correct passage for today.

Wow, what a passage. I mean, he really holds nothing back here! We're chopping off body parts, we're throwing people in the sea, we're talking about the fires of hell...this passage can be a little startling. But as I read it again, I begin to understand where Jesus is coming from. And it makes even more sense in the context of the season of Lent that we are stepping into.

Where Jesus talks about cutting sin out of our lives, we talk about cutting bad habits or distractions out of our lives, things that might cause us to sin or keep us away from God. In a sense, my giving up social media for 40 days is kind of like cutting off my hand. Social media often feels like a part of me that I can't get rid of, and it definitely causes me to sin. I compare myself to others, I focus on Instagram when I could be focusing on the Lord. I even call sitting on the couch and scrolling through Facebook "rest," when I could be finding real, healthy rest in the Lord. So, I'm cutting it off. At least, for 40 days anyway. And will it sometimes feel like something is missing, like my hand? Yeah, probably. And that just goes to show how messed up our world is. But like Jesus says, "it is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell." And hopefully, during this time, I can refocus that Instagram energy toward my relationship with God.

From dust we came, and to dust we will return. I've been studying Ecclesiastes recently, and I'm reminding myself that when sin tempts me, I just need to remember Solomon's famous words from Ecclesiastes 1: "Meaningless! Meaningless! Utterly Meaningless! Everything is meaningless!" And what he means is that nothing in this world means anything without faith. We come from dust, and we will return to dust. So when I'm tempted to something that isn't in God's will, I remember that that thing isn't important. It's meaningless. The only meaning in life is faith in Jesus, because he is the one who brings life from ashes.
by Kelsey Bacon

Wednesday, February 26, 2020

Good News / Bad News

Genesis 3:19 (NIV)
Ash Wednesday

19 By the sweat of your brow
you will eat your food
until you return to the ground,
since from it you were taken;
for dust you are
and to dust you will return.”  

Last year this time, Pastor Brodie wrote a devotion for Ash Wednesday. I am using part of that writing here for us to consider and take in as we begin this journey once again. This season is a time to examine ourselves, and our lives together in the Body of Christ. It is a time when many of us try to do something good. Some will give up a favorite food or drink in remembrance of Jesus giving up His life for us. Others will take on a new practice. Perhaps more prayer, improved family time, reading our Bible regularly, or serving others.

The key is to continue these practices after Lent. To carry on with the new behaviors we adopted and see how close we can draw to Jesus and to one another.

"Ash Wednesday is the day that we linger with the bad news instead of rushing to proclaim the Good News. The Good News is so good because the bad news is so bad. Sin will run its course, these human bodies will turn to dust one day, we were made from dust and to dust we will return.


Forty-six days from now we will proclaim the Good News of Jesus’ resurrection. Until then let us not forget…we were made from dust and to dust we shall return."  --  Pastor Brodie Taphorn
                                                            
Additional reading for today: Mark 9:33-37


Tuesday, February 25, 2020

Jesus Knew...

Luke 9:43-45

While today’s reading is only a few verses I found two significant things about Jesus in these words.

First, Jesus knew who he was. In verse 44 Jesus refers to himself as the Son of Man. My study bible notes say that this term was used 81 times in the Gospels (I know, that seems like a lot!) and never by anyone other than Jesus. Like so many things that Jesus said, this ties back to the Old Testament and was probably a familiar term to Jewish audiences. Daniel 7:13-14 states the following: 13 “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man,[a] coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. 14 He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed”.

Second, Jesus knew what his purpose was. Verse 44 is the second mention of his coming death in the book of Luke. The first is found in Luke 9:22 and provides a more detailed description of Jesus’ purpose: 22 And he said, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.” Similar passages can be found in other Gospel writings.

It is incredible to think about the fact that Jesus knew exactly who he was, that he was one with “authority, glory, and sovereign power” and yet he was willing to “be delivered into the hands of men and suffer many things”.

In Luke 9:23, the verse immediately following his prophecy of his own death and resurrection, Jesus says “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me”. That does not seem like much to ask when you consider who Jesus was (and is) and what he did for us.

Dear Jesus, thank you for who you are and what you did for us on the cross. Thank you for your obedience and love for the Father and help us to “take up our cross” today and by the power of the Holy Spirit show that same obedience and love. Amen.

Monday, February 24, 2020

What is the Remedy for Unbelief?


Mark 9:17-29

New believers, and even those who possess strong faith, often have sincere questions and doubt about what to believe. Jesus said that unbelief needs prayer! Praying gives God the opportunity to fill our spirit, which makes less room for fear or evil to exist! Being spiritually fed strengthens us with the power of the Holy Spirit who equips us to battle spiritual warfare.

Prayer seems to be the basis for casting out evil spirits as well as preventing them from taking hold. In today’s scripture, the father asks for Jesus to help his sick son but then admits to Jesus that he struggles with his faith. I am amazed by his honesty!

Prayer helps with unbelief. We need our Heavenly Father. We need to spend time with Him in prayer because we possess a deficient spiritual immune system. The remedy is closeness with God.

As Jesus said, “That kind can come out only by prayer”! (Mark 9:29)

Discuss what characterizes “unbelief”?

What do you consider prayer to be? Worship, music, fellowship, bible study...

--Nancy Gleeson



Sunday, February 23, 2020

How to Lead Like Jesus

Mark 8:27-9:8

Do you ever find yourself identifying with Peter? I sure do. In these few verses, he goes from showing a deep understanding of who Jesus is ("You are the Christ" in verse 29) to being rebuked by Jesus for his lack of understanding ("Get behind me, Satan! You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men" in verse 33).

And in the next chapter, he is overwhelmed by Jesus' transfiguration and he inappropriately suggests that the disciples ought to build shelters for Elijah, Moses and Jesus (9:5) - again, he is missing the point of what Jesus wants them to see.

I take heart in Peter's mistakes, because I make them every day. I want to follow Jesus - I long to be salt and light in a world that desperately needs his love and forgiveness. But I often find myself thinking, just as Peter did, that I have better ideas than Jesus does.....

Jesus tells us that the life he offers us is not the same as the way the world works:

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?  Mark 8:34-36

How did Jesus lead? He washed his disciples' feet. He broke bread with sinners - prostitutes, tax collectors, crippled, poor people. He cared about the outcasts, the losers, the refugees. And he asks us to do the same - to take up his cross and follow him.

Jesus built his church on Peter, who was a sinner just like you and me. He takes us where we are, and he gives us grace, mercy and power to show justice and kindness to our neighbor.  Thanks be to God!

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