What is Worth More?

“For what does it benefit a man to gain the whole world [with all of its pleasures], and forfeit his soul? For what will a man give in exchange for his soul and eternal life [in God’s Kingdom]?”
Mark 8:36 & 37 (AMP)

Peter had just declared in response to Jesus’ question – “But who do you say I am?” that Jesus was the Messiah. Hold onto that thought because Peter is about to be Peter. Jesus started telling the guys what is going to happen to him. Peter pulls Jesus aside and tells him – tells the Messiah – hey dude stop talking like that. Jesus didn’t care for Peter’s reprimand and responded by saying “Get away from me Satan! You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God’s” (Mark 8:32-33 NLT). Can you imagine the look on Peter’s face? Does that “Get away from me Satan” line sound familiar? Jesus actually says the same thing to the real Satan when he tempts Jesus with the world – See Matthew 4:8-10.

Jesus then calls the crowd to come and join the group for a lesson about the cost of being his follower. Someone who wants to sincerely follow him must; give up having things their own way, and pick up a cross to follow him. Jesus tells the crowd – try to hang on to your life and you will lose it. But if you give up your life for me and the Good News you will save it. In today’s world many might consider that too high a price. Then Jesus asks the questions of the week.

What is worth more than our souls? The right answer should be nothing, but what does how we act and live reveal about what we think? Think about the things that take your attention off God. Things like money, politics, acceptance according to worldly standards, being right, etc. What might you add to the list?

Let me know your thoughts. Know someone who might be encouraged by this email – please share. I will be praying for you. Until next week – Your soul is worth everything, especially to God, so don’t give it to the world.

Important Questions

“Who do people say I am? … But what about you? Who do you say I am?”
Mark 8:27 & 29 (NIV)

Among the many questions that Jesus asked, the questions this week were important at the time Jesus asked them and we are still important today.

Jesus had just healed a blind man in Bethsaida. Jesus and His crew were headed to the villages in the vicinity of Caesarea Philippi. As they walked Jesus asked them – who do the people think I am? The guys respond some think you are John the Baptist or Elijah or one of the other prophets. Then Jesus asked them, “What about you guys, who do you say I am?” Peter speaks right up saying, “You are the Messiah.” In Mark and Luke, Jesus responds to Peter’s answer by telling them not to tell people who I am. However, Matthew gives us a bit more. Jesus has more to say to Peter. Jesus says, “Blessed are you Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and a bunch more important stuff before he tells them not to reveal his true identity to anyone else. Read it for yourself in Matthew 16:13-20.

There are lots of opinions out in the world about who Jesus is. Most agree He is a historical figure. Many might agree that He was a religious leader. A lot of people think he was just a man, who was a philosopher and taught about morals. Some religions outside of Christianity would even say he is included in their idea of the divine.

If someone came up to you while you were out taking a walk and asked you who would you say Jesus is? What would your answer be? Our answer to Jesus’ question is important not only to the mission we are all called to but to our own identities. It’s the difference of either being lost in the world or being a child of the King. Being hopeless or hope filled. Being fearful or courageous. It’s about living a life built on shifting sand or a solid rock. It’s about darkness or light. It’s about sharing in the anxiety of the world or sharing the Good News. Choose wisely, as for me and my house we will serve the Lord Jesus – a man yes, the Savior yes, the Creator of the world yes. Jesus isn’t just an idea of the divine - HE is the Divine.

Let me know your thoughts. Know someone who might be encouraged by this – please share. I will be praying for you. Until next week – Be prepared to give an answer for the hope you have.

The Kingdom

 “What shall we say the kingdom of God is like, or what parable shall we use to describe it?”          Mark 4:30 (NIV)

In a time when the world feels out of control, it is a good time to remember that those who follow Jesus, those who have allowed His grace to transform their hearts – are dual citizens. Citizens of whatever worldly nation we find ourselves residing and more importantly citizens of the Kingdom of God. A Kingdom unlike any earthy kingdom, a kingdom that is both already here and still coming. But what is this Kingdom like? That’s the question Jesus is looking to answer.

As Mark tells it, after John the Baptist had been arrested, Jesus went to Galilee to preach God’s Good News. What was that Good News? “The time promised by God has come at last! The Kingdom of God is near! Repent of your sins and believe the Good News!” (Mark 1:14-15 NLT).

Jesus, in answering this week’s question, compares the Kingdom to a mustard seed planted in the ground. A tiny seed that grows into a plant that is big and strong enough that birds can nest in the shade of it. The Kingdom has been planted and it is growing or should be growing.

What else do we know about the Kingdom? The Kingdom belongs to those who come with a childlike faith (Mark 10:14). It belongs to those who are poor in spirit, who mourn, who are meek, who hunger for justice, who are merciful, who are pure in heart, who are peacemakers, who are persecuted (Matthew 5:3-10). Seeing and entering the Kingdom requires transformative heart change – we must be born again (John 3:3). It is both among us and within us (Luke 17:20-21). We are to seek – actively, intentionally, pursuing it first (Matthew 6:33). Its leader is a humble and sacrificial servant. He lightens the burdens of His people. He calls us sons and daughters. The Kingdom works completely opposite of the kingdoms of the earth.

The Kingdom is real, it is physical, and God rules. It is hard for the self sufficient to enter. It is here and yet still coming. It is growing and spreading. We who are the transforming followers of Jesus should make our Kingdom citizenship primary and we should be letting the light of the Kingdom shine.

Let me know your thoughts. Know someone who might be encouraged by this – please share. I will be praying for you. Until next week – Seek first His Kingdom and you will have all you need.

This Little Light

 “Do you bring in a lamp to put it under a bowl or a bed? Instead, don’t you put it on its stand?”      Mark 4:21 (NIV)

My first thought when reading this week’s questions is the old song “This little light of mind, I’m gonna let it shine…, you know the one I’m thinking about. But taking a closer look there is a much deeper conversation happening here, one that perhaps should cause us to pause and reflect.

Let’s dive in. Jesus had just finished telling the parable of the sower to a large crowd gathered on the shore. So large that Jesus was teaching from a boat just off shore. Jesus finishes by saying: “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear” (Mark 4:9). Jesus’ way of saying, “If you know, you know.” Later, when Jesus was alone with the disciples and a few others, they asked Him about the parables. I imagine them saying something like, “Why do you tell these hard to understand stories?”

Jesus’ response feels like a rebuke, a kind of “are you guys ever going to get it” response. He tells them that “the secret of the Kingdom of God has been given to them…” (so they should understand) and for everyone else He tells these stories so that only those with the eyes to see and ears to hear will understand and also learn about the Kingdom of God. Jesus continues telling them that if they don’t understand this parable how will they understand the rest of them? Jesus explains the story to them. That’s where this little light comes in – well He asks the question about using a lamp anyway.

Basically, a lamp is meant to push back the darkness. Jesus, in John 8:12 says that, “I am the light of the world…” Jesus pushes back the darkness to reveal everything that is being hidden, that means the brokenness of humanity is called out into the light. It also means allowing those who believe in Him to see what is hidden from those who don’t believe and in so doing multiply His light.

Statistics indicate there are roughly two billion Christians in the world, which should mean that the light of Jesus is being multiplied by two billion. I feel like it would be really bright and there shouldn’t be any darkness and yet there is darkness, a darkness that feels like it is growing. I wonder how many believers are hiding their light?

Let me know your thoughts. Know someone who might be encouraged by this post – please share. I will be praying for you. Until next week – Let Jesus fill you completely with His light and then let that light shine in the world around you.

It's Not About the Bread

 “You of little faith, why are you talking among yourselves about having no bread? Do you still not understand? Don’t you remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered? Or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered? How is it you don’t understand that I was not talking to you about bread?”                                                  Matthew 16:8-11a (NIV)

Sometimes, when I read about Jesus’ interactions with His disciples, the ones he was planning to leave in charge of the mission, I wish I could see his face and hear his voice, when they act like the humans that they are.

Time to back up and get the full picture of what leads to these questions. Jesus and the guys had been busy – healing people, teaching, feeding the multitude and then the religious leaders turned up to test Jesus by asking him to show them a miraculous sign from heaven. Jesus says nope and He and the guys leave. They cross the lake and the guys realize they hadn’t brought any bread with them. While they are looking at each other, I can imagine them being like – I thought you were getting the bread, no I thought you were getting it. When Jesus declares” “Watch out! Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” It would seem the guys heard Jesus but didn’t actually listen to Him, cause they start arguing about not having bread.

Here’s where this week’s questions come in and where I imagine the look on Jesus’ face. You know the kind of look that might be accompanied with something like: “Dudes why are you fighting about bread? Weren’t you listening to what I said? We have fed the multitudes with very little and had left overs, so I am not worried about lunch or dinner, plus I specifically said Pharisees and Sadducees. Then Jesus repeats His warning about the yeast of the religious leaders. The disciples have a light bulb moment and are like “Oh, He’s talking about the deceptive teaching of those guys – duh!”

Now I feel a little need to cut the guys some slack. Sure they had witnessed and participated in some miraculous things, but they were living this out live, up close and in person. The Book hadn’t been written yet they couldn’t step back and see the whole picture and well they were human. We have the book and can see the broader picture but we still don’t always listen to what Jesus is saying – because we are just human too.

Jesus says, don’t worry but we do. Don’t fear but we do. Beware of the yeast of the leaders – but we have a tendency to believe what we see in our social media feeds instead of His truth.
There are people in the world who do rightfully worry about what’s for lunch – but most of us have our daily bread. We need to guard our hearts and minds by filling both with the truth that calms our fears and brings us rest and peace in the midst of the storms of life.

Let me know your thoughts. Know someone who might be encouraged by this – please share. I will be praying for you. Until next week – Beware of deceptive teaching and fill your mind with Jesus.

A Brood of Vipers?

“You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good?”
Matthew 12:34 (NIV)

So much to unpack around this question. First, in case you didn’t know vipers are snakes. Venomous snakes. Snakes generally speaking on solitary creatures, that said newly hatched baby snakes are sometimes called a brood. Second, in Jewish symbolism, vipers/snakes are symbolic of Satan. So, basically, Jesus was calling the group of men he was addressing a bunch of baby snakes or more accurately – children of Satan.

Okay, but who was Jesus talking to and why this very significant insult? Good question. This question comes in the middle of a discussion of kingdoms divided against themselves and a discussion about good fruit versus bad fruit.

Here’s the Reader’s Digest version. A demon possessed man is brought to Jesus – Jesus chases the demon out and the man is healed. The ordinary people who witnessed this praise God and wonder if Jesus is the Messiah. The Pharisees in the group are not happy. They are thinking, oh that wasn’t God’s work, this guy Jesus drove that demon out by the power of the devil. Jesus knows their thoughts and responds by saying that any kingdom divided against itself will fall. In other words, Satan can’t cast out his own minions without endangering his own kingdom. Jesus gives some more descriptions about what that looks like and mentions blaspheming the Holy Spirit and then turns the discussion to fruit trees. That’s where our question of the week comes in.

Jesus’ frustration with the religious leaders result in this insult and the question about does any good come out of their mouths? Jesus continues with good trees bear good fruit and bad trees bear bad fruit. Explaining that when it comes to people good things come from good hearts and evil things come from evil hearts.

So what does it mean for us? We need to remember that our hearts are meant to be filled with the good promises of God. We need to remember that we are called to unity – not division, to love, compassion, wisdom, mercy and grace. These are the kind of things that build up instead of tearing down.

Let me know your thoughts. Know someone who might be encouraged by this – please share. I will be praying for you. Until next week – cultivate a Kingdom heart as you follow Jesus.

What Are You Looking For?

“What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swayed by the wind? If not, what did you go out to see” A man dressed in fine clothes?... Then what did you go out to see? A prophet?”
Matthew 11:7-9a (NIV)

Sometimes I think Jesus must have had a great sense of humor. The above passage comes off as a series of rapid fire questions, where I can imagine Him holding up a finger as an indication no one should say anything in response.

Perhaps we should back up a bit and come in at the beginning of this episode in the ministry of Jesus. John’s disciples had turned up with another question for Jesus. This time they wanted to know if Jesus was the Messiah or should they be watching for someone else? This seems an odd question to me because it seems like John and the Holy Spirit clearly identified Jesus when Jesus got baptized – but I digress. Jesus could have said, “Yes, yes I AM He.” But He didn’t instead he told them to go back to John and tell him all that they had witnessed – see Matthew 11:1-6 for everything Jesus said. As John’s crew is leaving, Jesus starts asking the crowd around Him these questions and not giving anyone a chance to answer.

Three, what did you go to see questions. The first one answered with another question – “A reed swayed by the wind?” Not a reed, what then? The second also answered with a question – “A man dressed in fine clothes?” Of course not, well-dressed people are found in palaces and fancy houses, so what then? A prophet, were you looking for a prophet? Then Jesus is like a “Yes” that’s it and “I tell you more than a prophet. This is the one about whom it was written: “I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way for you.” Jesus says a lot more about John – but we’ll leave that for some other time.

So now I have some questions for you. What are you looking for… in your wilderness, on the mountain top, when you go to church, when you read the Bible, when you pray?

Let me know your thoughts. Know someone who might be encouraged by this – please share. I will be praying for you. Until next week – Seek HIM and you will find all you need.