The Summer Update--June 27

Good morning,

This week we will be reading Mark chapters 11-12. The Lord Jesus Christ is heading into His final week before He is crucified for our sins.

In Mark 11 Jesus makes another reference to prayer. “And Jesus answered them, ‘Have faith in God … Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.’” (Mark 11:22-24)

Our Lord tells us of two crucial elements in prayer. One is having faith in God when we pray. The other is praying for eternal things over temporal things. Our faith is in a Person who lives, dwells, in eternity. Thus to pray to Him is to pray eternally. 

To fully understand this, we must use Scripture to interpret Scripture. Jesus told us, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth where moth and rust destroy … but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven where neither moth nor rust destroys”.

We are earth bound creatures and this life is all we know. But the Bible warns over and over that this life is not the end. After this life comes the Great White Throne Judgment (Revelation 20). It will determine where we will spend all eternity. 

The LORD tells us, “this life is a vapor”, especially when compared to eternity. Our focus, and our prayer life, must be grounded in eternal things. All good and bad in this life, health and sickness, wealth and poverty must be seen with this emphasis. 

Why is faith so important? Hebrews 11:1,6 tells us, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen … without faith it is impossible God …” When we have ‘eyes of faith’ we SEE the King of kings ruling this world. 

What does it mean to have faith? It means to believe in all the evidence that points to our Creator. It means seeing all history governed by God and ruled for His purposes. Most of all it means Jesus Christ is the ONLY path to Heaven.  

Paul tells us, “for we walk by faith and not by sight.” This is how we are to live and how we are to pray. When we do, every prayer will be answered!  

Bible Reading Plan—Week 6

Day 1—Mark 11:1-11

Day 2—Mark 11:12-25

Day 3—Mark 11:27-33

Day 4—Mark 12:1-12

Day 5—Mark 12:13-34

Day 6—Mark 12:35-44

Day 7—OFF

Questions to Ponder:

We are told in Mark 12:28-34 that Jesus was asked which commandment is the most important of all? “Jesus responded … you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.”

1. If this is the greatest commandment, then it seems to me that the greatest sin is to NOT love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. Do you agree or disagree? Why or why not?

2. The things that we love most are the things we spend the most time with … think of most during our day … talk of most … and so on. Is the Lord Jesus Christ your ‘First Love?’ What things are ahead of Him? 

3. If we are honest all of us will say that we are nowhere near loving Jesus this way. What things can you do to increase your love for Him? 

How do I Break My Entertainment Addiction?

How much time do you spend each day on social media, video games, or on You Tube? Here is a short 9-minute podcast to help you think biblically about worldly entertainment. 

The pastor talks about video games, but social media, watching TV or simply being on your phone are just the same. I highly encourage you to watch this video!!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjLID2wf2ik 

Scripture Memory Verse

“But those who hope in the LORD shall renew their strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not grow weary; they shall walk and not faint.” (Isaiah 40:31)

What is your hope in this life based on? Is it money, popularity, or health in this life? The LORD God Almighty tells His people to hope in Him. There are 4 promises for those that ‘HOPE in the LORD.’ Can you find them in this verse?

Have a great week in the Lord.

Steve 

Good morning,

This week we will be reading Mark 9-10. In chapter 9 we read of the ‘transfigured glory’ of the Lord Jesus Christ up on the mountain. 

Here in this miracle the curtain of earth is pulled back as we see, “Jesus transfigured before them, and His clothes became radiant, intensely white as no one on earth could bleach them.”

Peter, James and John “are terrified” and don’t know what to say or do. In fact at the end of Peter’s life he remembers this scene quite vividly and recounts it to his readers. He tells them, “we were eyewitnesses of His majesty.” 

We also hear the Voice of the Father coming out of the Cloud. He declares, “This is My Beloved Son; listen to Him.” This Voice of the Father gave further witness to the deity of Jesus Christ.  

Here in this great scene these three apostles witnessed the majesty, splendor and glory of the Son of God in its most sublime form. They saw the brilliance of the Second Person of the Godhead as He is in Heaven.

May we come to ponder this scene and all that it represents. As C. S. Lewis once brilliantly said, 

‘Either this Man was and is the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool; you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come up with any patronizing nonsense about Him being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.’

Bible Reading Plan—Week 5

Day 1—Mark 9:1-13

Day 2—Mark 9:14-32

Day 3—Mark 9:33-50

Day 4—Mark 10:1-16

Day 5—Mark 10:17-31

Day 6—Mark 10:32-52

Day 7—OFF

Questions to ponder:

In Mark 10:46-52 we learn of the healing of the blind man Bartimaeus and of his great faith. Jesus tells him, “Go your way; your faith has made you well.” 

We need to contrast this with the little faith of the father in Mark 9:22-25. With a doubting heart he requests of Jesus to cast out the demon from his son, “But if You can do anything … Jesus said to him, ‘If you can!’” Our Lord calls him out on his little faith.  

1. Why do you think that Bartimaeus had greater faith than the father of the demon possessed son?

2. One time Jesus went to His hometown of Nazareth, but He did not do many miracles there. The reason for this is given, “And Jesus did not do many miracles there, because of their unbelief.” Why do you think they did not believe on Him in his hometown? 

3. There is a big difference between unbelief and little faith. Unbelief rejects Jesus Christ as the Son of God. Little faith believes in Him, but it is a weak belief. Jesus still healed those with little faith, but not many of those with unbelief. Why do you think this is? 

Prayer Promises

“If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish and it will be done for you.” (John 15:7)

We know in our heart that this promise is not for ‘anything that we want.’ We know it by our life experiences … or we would ask for $1 million and get it. 

So, what are the parameters such that “whatever you wish will be done for you”. We have to look no further than the Lord’s Prayer in Matthew 6. Here we are told how to pray. 

So how do we combine Matthew 6:9-13 (‘the Lord’s Prayer) and John 15:7? In other words, how can we know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that our prayer is heard … and that we have what we request? What does it mean to pray in Jesus’ name? 

May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Love of the Father, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all this week in your Bible reading and prayer time.

Steve