Put Out

Luke 8:54 And he put them all out, and took her by the hand, and called, saying, Maid, arise.   (KJV)

There was an opportunity for those who were in the house to see Jesus perform a wonderful miracle.  They choose rather to scorn Him, to laugh at Him, to respond to His invitation with disbelief and ridicule.

They saw her and her condition in accordance with the wisdom of man and chose not to listen to the wisdom of God.  As a result, Jesus put them out before performing His miracle.  Now the only thing they knew when she walked out of the house was that they were wrong, and Jesus was right. 

There is only shame in that understanding.  There is no recognition of the power of God.  There is no wonder, no awe, no rejoicing, no worship of Jesus in simply saying, "Wow, she really was sleeping."

Oh, Mark; don't make Jesus put you out.

Great Expectations

Luke 1:54 He hath holpen his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy;   (KJV)

Mary had great expectations for the child she was carrying, and with good reason.  That child was, after all, the Son of God.  She was to give birth to the Savoir of Israel!  How excited she was to carry so great a salvation to the world.  How joyfully she told the story.  How expectant she was for that day to come. 

I wonder how disappointed she was when people rejected her message.  I wonder how shocked she was to see people reject her Son. How appalled she must have been at the incredible unbelief they showed as they tried to silence Him, and eventually murdered Him.

I don't know at what point Mary realized that Jesus must rise from the dead in final victory and all that took place was God's incredible plan, but it must have difficult for her to watch.

I am still surprised when people reject the Truth, the Way, and the Life.  I have approached people over and over again with great enthusiasm in my heart and confidence that they will listen and accept Jesus Christ, only to heart them scoff, mock, and even attack Him.  Yet He will be victorious, and I will rise in victory with Him!

Good Enough Wasn't

Luke 1:35 And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.   (KJV)

Of John the Baptist God said he would be filled with the Holy Spirit.  Couldn't a man, filled with the Holy Spirit of God, fulfill the law and be made a perfect sacrifice?  No.  Even with complete filling of the Holy Spirit, man's heart is still deceitful above all things and desperately wicked (Jer 17:9).

I don't know much about John's life: how closely he walked with God, what sins he committed, what his strengths and weaknesses were.  I know he was used mightily, and though he was filled with the Spirit of God even in the womb, yet he was not without sin.

God wouldn't accept "approximately" right.  He wouldn't allow something to be "close enough".  He loved us too much to give us second best, as good as second best was.  Oh, praise God!  He gave is the best!  He didn't have to.  He had no obligation.  The thing that compelled Him was his love for is.  How incredible that is.  "He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for is all." Romans 8:32a.

God, grant me the incredible pleasure of understanding the depth of that truth more deeply every day.

Get Smart

I want to fully know that which passes knowledge.  How about you?

Ephesians 3:14 For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,  3:15 Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,  3:16 That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;  3:17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,  3:18 May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;  3:19 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.   (KJV)

Desire Without Knowledge

Mark 10:38
But Jesus said unto them, Ye know not what ye ask: can ye drink of the cup that I drink of? and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?   (KJV)

I see another reason we desire things and do not receive them.  We do not know what we ask.  To sit at Jesus' right and left hand would be incredible.  To desire to do so would be fruitful as it would drive me to be more obedient.  A person could not get much closer than to sit on the right our left side of the King.With that position would also come power.  With that power also comes responsibility, and with that responsibility comes the prerequisite to learn to be faithful.  Hence the question, "Can ye drink of the cup that I drink of, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?"

Oh that I could honor my Lord in such a fashion.

Pigs or Peace?

Mark 5:15-17
(15) And they come to Jesus, and see him that was possessed with the devil, and had the legion, sitting, and clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid.  (16) And they that saw it told them how it befell to him that was possessed with the devil, and also concerning the swine.  (17) And they began to pray him to depart out of their coasts.   (KJV)

Well that's odd.  The man who was possessed of devils; the man who caused the villagers and countrymen to run in fear for their lives; the man who had done so much harm to the village that they repeatedly tried unsuccessfully to bind, was now sitting, clothed, in his right mind, no longer a threat, and the one person who was responsible for this wonderful miracle was asked to leave.

What?  Really?  No, wait, hit the rewind button.  Play that again.  I thought you said they asked Jesus to leave rather than praising Him, thanking Him, and inviting Him to stay and bless them more.  Oh, they did ask Him to leave.  That's wild.  Why?

The cost was to great.  They saw that the price to save this man was an entire heard of pigs.  One soul isn't worth that, is it?  It would be different if it would have been his own herd, but it was someone else's.   What would be lost if Jesus stayed longer?  No, no, no, He must go.  So go He did.

What about me?  What will I pay for someone's soul?  What am I willing to lose that I may gain the rich blessings of God: yeah that I may win Christ?  Will I choose the pigs over the peace?  Will I lose the pigs that I might win the Prince, or are the swine and the son of greater value?  Will I count all things as dung for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ, that I might win Him (Phi 3:10)? 

Well, what's your answer?

Seeded the Man

- Mark 1:23-24
(23) And there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit; and he cried out,  (24) Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God.   (KJV)

This one sent me to prayer.  Have you tried to give the Gospel to someone only too have them "kick you to the curb"?  I go out weekly and knock on doors, attempting to give the gospel to people only to have done of them respond like this man did to the preaching of Jesus.

Sometimes people get downright angry, as I am sure this man appeared.  It is heart breaking to realize that he knew who Jesus is; he confessed who Jesus is, and even though he knew the truth, his first words were, "Let us alone."  Have you heard those same words spoken before?  Had it amazed you that someone could be that hard against Jesus Christ of Nazareth, the Holy One of God?  It does me.

Yet it wasn't the man speaking at all.  It certainly appeared to be the man, but it was the demon who possessed him.  The man was trapped, bound, a prisoner in his own body.  I don't know what sin, or sins got him to that point, but none the less he was.  Why was he in the synagogue if he was in such a state? 

He probably made it a regular part of his weekly routine.  He may have known that Jesus would be there, but probably not.  Nether satan or his demons are omniscient.  Imagine his shock when Jesus appeared and began to speak.  But I digress: the question was, why was he there?  He obviously hated God and had no intention to listen to the Word of God.  Yet there he was, and probably sitting in the same pew he sat in every week; comfortably passing the time, thinking about what he was going to eat for lunch and wondering why the preacher was going over.  Do you know what I'm saying?

Such is the case with people in churches all over this country.  Churches led by men who have the form of godliness but denying the power thereof (2 Tim 3:5).  You see, when Jesus spoke, he did so with authority, not as the scribes and pharisees (Matt 7:29).  He had the power of God, He was filled with the Holy Spirit of God.

What do we do when confronted with a person like this man?  We most likely, as I do, turn and go away, mumbling something about the fact that he will meet God one day and regret his decision.  Jesus saw past the words.  Jesus saw the man.  He saw the person.  He knew the state of that man.  He loved that man and would not accept the words of wickedness as that his final answer.  He healed him.  He made the second effort. 

Even when Jesus could not, because of the hardness of the hearts of Israel, save them, He stood and cried, "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent into thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chicks under her wings, and ye would not!"  Matt 23:7

We could, at the very least, pay for those that despitefully use and persecute us (Matt 5:44). - Mark 1:23 (KJV Strongs), Mark 1:24 (KJV Strongs) - recorded in CadreBible 15/May/2012 08:37

Keeping Up Appearances

Matthew 26:25 Then Judas, which betrayed him, answered and said, Master, is it I? He said unto him, Thou hast said.   (KJV)

I wonder of it was difficult for Judas to ask that question. After all the miracles, after all the wonders, after all the doctrine, after all the love Judas had already covenanted to betray Jesus.  Did he feel remorse at all?

After all the insight Jesus had revealed, after all the knowledge, wisdom, and prophecy revealed Judas now had the boldness to ask the question to which he already knew the answer.  Why did he ask?

The others asked out of concern.  They had no idea that Judas was the betrayer. They understood when Jesus said that one of them would betray Him, that meant it could easily have been them.  Were there times that each of then had harbored some resentment toward Jesus while with Him? Whatever the reason, each understood at that moment the wickedness of their own hearts.

Judas understood something the others did not.  He understood that he was the man.  So, why did he ask?  He could have kept silent.  Then again everyone else was asking.  Wouldn't they notice that he was the only one not asking?  Why not just keep up appearances?  No one will be the wiser.  Not even Jesus could know what is buried in his heart, or so he thought.

Didn't he remember that God looked on the heart of man and was not fooled by the outward appearance?  (1 Samuel 16:7)  Did he not believe it was true?  Perhaps he acknowledged all of that, possibly even believed it, but he certainly didn't believe that Jesus is that very same God.

Are you keeping up appearances?  The people around you may be fooled, but be sure, your sins will find you out (Numbers 32:23).

Galatians 6:7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.   (KJV)

Wake Up

Matthew 25:5 While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.   (KJV)

The wise did exactly as the foolish.  There was no difference in their actions, conversations, or appearance. The only difference we see is the fact that the wise were prepared whereas the foolish were not.  The wise had oil for their lamps.

The oil is a symbol of the Holy Spirit.  The wise had the Holy Spirit, the foolish did not.  We cannot always tell who is saved and who is not.  Its not always the saved who act like the world, but sometimes it is the world acting like the saved that brings the difficulty.  Eventually the lack of the power of the Holy Spirit in the lives of the lost becomes apparent.  The lamps going out was a sure sign that the lost were lost.  Why didn't the wise warn the foolish before it was too late?

They were busy.  They were sleeping.  They were comfortable.  They were not watching.  Let it not be said of me that I slept.

Romans 13:11 And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.   (KJV)

First Things First

Matthew 18:3
And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.   (KJV)

The question from the disciples that brought this remark was from Jesus was, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?"  Jesus started at the basics.  He was speaking to His disciples, who anyone else would have assumed already knew how to get to heaven, but Jesus reminded them again that the first thing was to be converted.  Remember, Judas was among them. 

Let's not forget that even in a crowd of professing Christians, there is a strong probability that at least one isn't saved.  Maybe its you?

Don't neglect the first thing.

Open, Open, Open

Matthew 11:12 And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.   (KJV)

Many years ago there was a certain women's clothing store that had a nationally advertised annual sale.  Oddly enough, I do not remember the name of the store, but I do remember some details of the advertisement.  One of those details is a woman anxiously waiting outside, peering in the store with her hands flat on the glass on either side of her face.  As her fingers contracted towards each other, and then stretched back out again in a steady rhythm, she was chanting, "open, open, open..." with each movement of her hands.

There have been other large sale events that have attracted hundreds, and dare I say thousands, of people to gather outside the store before it opened. Many of those people waiting more than twenty-four hours in hopes of gaining the reward of getting one of the limited supply specials the store was offering as part of the sale.  And when those doors open: well, you've seen the results of the Black Friday sales on the evening news.  You may have even taken part in the craziness yourself.

Talk about the violent taking it by force. 

John the Baptist came to advertise the coming of the kingdom of heaven.  Jesus was the fulfillment of his preaching.  Multitudes took advantage, and like the woman pictured outside of the store, and like the multitudes of deal hungry shoppers on Black Friday, they were anxious to storm in the gates of heaven. 

"From the days of John the Baptist until now..."  This was a recent occurrence, and a limited one. In the context of the passage Jesus was giving a commendation of the ministry of John.  The result of his ministry was summed up in the above statement.

I wonder, how excited are we at the preaching of the coming kingdom of Heaven?

Job Security

Numbers 31:2-3.
(2) Avenge the children of Israel of the Midianites: afterward shalt thou be gathered unto thy people.  (3) And Moses spake unto the people, saying, Arm some of yourselves unto the war, and let them go against the Midianites, and avenge the Lᴏʀᴅ of Midian.   (KJV)

Shortly after the Marine Corps and just before college I worked as a laborer for a construction outfit on an industrial job.  My dad had taught me that when I work, I was to work like a man and do my best.  This was reinforced in the Marines. 

I applied that principal at this job as well.  It wasn't long before I became known as a "company man" among my peers.  That was not a term of endearment.  Being called a company man was akin to being called a brown noser.

One day, a well meaning co-worker came to me and tried to "help me out".  He explained that if everyone worked as hard and diligently as I did, it wouldn't be long before the job was over and we would all be layed off and out of work.  So, by working at a slower pace, I would be increasing my job security. 

I explained that when it came time for lay offs to start, those who produced the best results would be the last to go.  Therefore, I was increasing my job security.  I also pointed out that this wasn't the last job this company had to do, and they would need people to complete those jobs.  The first to be selected would be those who had proven to be "company men".  "Job security," I said, "comes from being valuable to your employer." He shook his head and walked away.  Two weeks later the lay offs started and he was gone.

Moses had the same opportunity to work himself out of a job.  He had one last task to perform, then he would be "layed off".  He had the choice of delaying the inevitable, or getting right to work.  He got right to work.  Though that particular job is over, he is still working for the same Employer and reaping the benefits of it.

The question is, "Will I be like Moses, or like the wicked and slothful servant in Matthew 25:14-30?"