Category Archives: devotional

Get out of the children’s way (Mark 10/14-15) August 19, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Hosea 1-7

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Mark 10:14-15
Jesus (to the disciples): Let the children come to Me, and don’t ever stand in their way, for this is what the kingdom of God is all about. Truly anyone who doesn’t accept the kingdom of God as a little child does can never enter it.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

I’m visiting my two year old grandson today. It’s always interesting to watch these little guys as they explore the world around them. He’s fascinated by so many things we just take for granted as old folks. We forget the wonder of the world around us. It’s good to stop and watch the world through the eyes of a two year old again every once in a while.

A few minutes ago a landscaping crew came to the neighborhood to mow several lawns around his house. He loves to watch them. He’s fascinated by the sound, the smells, the way the workers race through the yards with their mowers and neatly cut and trim the yard then finish up by blowing the grass off all the sidewalks. We see it as work. A chore that must be done every other week throughout the summer. He sees it as a minor miracle to watch the grass change shape from that scraggly mess to a beautiful carpet he can play run and play on.

He’s fascinated by trash. I know. It sounds a little weird. He probably gets the weird side from my gene pool. But he likes to find trash because he likes to open the trash can. It has one of those foot pedals that opens the lid when you step on it. He’s just heavy enough to push the pedal down, open the lid, and deposit his find. So far, he’s found trash for the can. My granddaughter like to do the same thing at that age, but with keys, phones, remotes. So we’re happy Gideon likes trash.

Little children teach us a multitude of things when we watch them. They don’t care about the color of other children’s skin. They just play together. They ask each other why one is brown or tan or white, but they play together great. Kids are fascinated by older kids. Just watch a two year old around a crowd of older kids and see where his eyes go. He’ll immediately start watching what the three and four year olds are doing. Kids love to ape their slightly older peers.

Put him down and in just a few minutes he’ll be trying what the older kids were doing. He might not do it well, but he’ll keep trying and eventually, he’ll learn the task. The same thing happens with language, behavior, mannerisms, all sorts of things. Winning and losing doesn’t matter to them when they play together, they just play. It’s the fun of the game that interests kids and they seem to get along.

That is until adults intervene in their playing together. Then the color of skin seems to matter. The rules must be followed. There has to be winners and losers with every game. Someone has to be the best. If you don’t get it right, you’re labeled and either given special help or distracted and encouraged to do something else so you won’t be embarrassed by your failure. We adults really mess kids up sometimes with thinking we know what’s best, you know?

Jesus said some pretty smart things during His short ministry. All of them are really good. This is one of His great one. “Don’t ever stand in the children’s way, for this is what the kingdom of God is all about.”

How much do we stifle our children by trying to mold them into something the world says they should be? How much do we crush their spirit by trying to make them into what we want them to be? I’m not saying we should let our kids just run wild and always do what they want and live carefree without discipline and always do what they want. That would be irresponsible and negligent as a parent. But God made each of us different and we forget that children are inquisitive by nature. We should encourage that curiosity and help them learn and absorb all of the beauty of God’s creation around them.

We should teach them self discipline. We should teach them about God’s love and His will for all humankind. We should help them explore His goodness, grace, and mercy. We should emulate children in their trust and love and acceptance of all people.

Don’t get in the way of the children. The kingdom of God is all about them, their behavior, their curiosity, their innocence, their love and acceptance. Jesus says, get out of their way and instead follow their example. So go find a two year old and learn from him. 

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

An important institution (Mark 10:3-12) August 18, 2016

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Proverbs 17-18

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Mark 10:3-12
Jesus: What did Moses say to you?
Pharisees: Moses permitted us to write a certificate of dismissal and divorce her.
Jesus: Moses gave you this law as a concession because of the hardness of your hearts. But truly, God created humans male and female in the beginning. As it is written in the Hebrew Scriptures, “For this reason, a man will leave his father and mother to marry his wife, and the two of them will become one flesh and blood.” So they are no longer two people, but one. What God has joined together in this way, no one may sever.
In the privacy of their dwelling that evening, the disciples asked Him about this teaching, and He went even further.
Jesus: If any husband divorces his wife and then marries another woman, he commits adultery against her. And if a wife should divorce her husband and marry another, then she commits adultery against him.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

Jesus must have been mistaken when He said this stuff. God certainly didn’t mean for us to be stuck with the same person forever if we can’t get along, right? God wants us to be happy and if that means we need to get away from the person we married divorce is okay, right? These words are just an old fashioned, arcane philosophy that only prudes believe in. No one believes this stuff anymore, right?

We certainly act that way as a society. We even act that way within our churches when you look at the statistics. In fact, there are now more divorces in our churches than outside our churches. I hope that is because we still believe more in marriage than the rest of the world and we not just living together, but that’s another message. Even in the church, divorce is no longer the taboo it once was. If we don’t like our spouse any more, we just quit. We don’t spend the effort to make marriage work. We just jump in and out of relationships as if God doesn’t care.

All you need to do is read Jesus’ words again and you’ll see that God does care, though. He intends marriage to last for as long as you live. He intends for marriage and family to be the bedrock of our communities and our society. When you take a look around at the number of broken homes, is it any wonder we have the problems we have today?

Family and home is where we should feel safe and learn about love and security. But if husband and wife are bickering, failing to understand love and work on relationships, then how will their children learn to love? If husband and wife decide that their spouse is not important and can be thrown aside, with all the damage that broken relationship brings, how can their children learn differently as they grow?

We have bred a society that accepts divorce and brokenness as the norm. We have decided as a society that it’s okay to jump in and out of relationships as quickly as you change careers or jobs. We think it doesn’t hurt anyone, so why not try another spouse and throw the old relationships away. We have decided if our current spouse isn’t making us happy for the moment that it’s okay to find someone else who will.

The problem is that no one can make us feel happy or sad or wanted or discarded. We own our feelings. It’s time we figure out that we can control our feelings and feelings are not what love is about. Love and marriage and family is about a lifelong commitment to each other. Remember what Jesus said about the marriage relationship and divorce? The certificate of divorce that Moses inserted into the law for strict reasons unfaithfulness were allowed by God only as a concession because of the hardness of their hearts. Divorce was never part of His plan. It was never something He wanted or condoned.

God allows divorce just like He allows sickness and disease and sin and death. Does He want those things in the earth? Absolutely not! But He allows them because we choose not to abide by His law. We fail to follow Him and so suffer the consequences that come with it.

Our society is suffering the consequences of forgetting what Jesus said in these few verses. We have taken marriage vows lightly. We jump into marriage without taking seriously the responsibilities and commitments that come along with the vows we took. We let Satan lure us into thinking relationships don’t matter. And so we see the rise of divorce and the dissolution of families. Our children and their children pay the price. Those broken homes permeate our society and result in the broken lives that just continue the cycle of disruption in the home, the school, the workplace, everywhere you look.

Divorce affects everyone. It have never been God’s plan. We need to turn this ship around in our society and make marriage the important institution God intended it to be once again. 

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Be salt to those you meet (Mark 9:49-50) August 17, 2016

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Psalms 96-98

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Mark 9:49-50
Jesus: Everyone will be salted with fire, and every sacrifice will be seasoned with salt. Salt is a good thing; but if it has lost its zest, how can it be seasoned again? You should have salt within yourselves and peace with one another.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

My wife likes salt. In fact, when she was growing up, her dad accused her of salting salt pork. She’s one of those who puts salt on food before she tastes it because she knows it won’t be salty enough for her. She just likes salt. She salts meat, she salts vegetables, she even salts fruit sometimes before she eats it. She doesn’t just like salt, she loves salt.

I mention this, because after you’ve lived with her a while and sit at her banquets (she is a great cook, by the way), and you go to someone’s house who is subject to a low sodium diet, food just doesn’t taste the same. You stab a big juicy piece of beef on your fork and stuff it in your mouth, chomp down on it and …. blah! There’s something missing. It’s just not the same. You know there is something not quite right about the flavor. Or you dig into that baked potato that looks so good sitting on your plate, raise a big steaming hunk to your lips and as soon as it passes your teeth and touches your tongue… There it is again. That bland nothingness that should have been such a succulent experience.

Then it hits you! “Could you pass the salt, please?” Yes, you can use other spices to help your palatte, pepper, salsa, all those herbs with names I can never pronounce or remember which goes with which dish, but salt… that’s the one that goes with everything. It’s the universal donor to make things good. Jesus said it, so it must be true, right? Salt is a good thing; but if salt as lost it’s zest, how can it be seasoned again?

Jesus told His disciples, those who followed His teachings, they were the salt of the earth. They seasoned their environment. They made the world good. They made it a place that was no longer mundane, distasteful, unattractive, blah. As the salt of the earth, we are to be that universal ingredient in God’s creation that acts as that spice everyone wants. We are to be that seasoning that causes people to be like my wife, something you just can’t get enough of. Someone you want around you all the time and in every situation.

As I write these words I’m reminded of my very good friend who passes away unexpectedly a few days ago. He was that kind of person. He was the salt of the earth. Loved by everyone, a friend to everyone. He called himself just a package car driver as a UPS driver for 43 years, but in that time, his life touched thousands of people with his humor, compassion, and genuine love for people. You were his friend whether you wanted to be or not. Gery understood what it meant to be salt and he sprinkled the seasoning of God’s love everywhere he went.

Watching Gery’s life over the last two decades of our friendship helps me understand these words of Jesus and how we are to express His love in a world that needs Him desparately. Gery thought of himself as just a UPS package car driver. He just did his job, picking up and delivering packages to the many people on his route every day. But to his customers, he was much more than the UPS guy.

The company would call a customer, “We need more information for the address you’ve given us.” “No you don’t. You don’t know my driver.” Gery would deliver. He saw a rattlesnake at the edge of an elderly widow’s porch when delivering a package on day. Most folks would just leave. Gery stopped to kill the snake, looked for others, left a note to warn the lady, and encourage her to have a professional check for more. Those who knew Gery aren’t surprised he often ran late on his route, because he often performed those little acts of kindness that brought joy to others. But he also completed his work every day with excellence.

Salt within us. Seasoning to sprinkle on those we meet and make their lives just a little better because we touched them in a way that made their day just a little brighter or a little richer or brought just a little more joy into their life because we were there. That’s what Jesus is talking about. Just a UPS package car driver? No, Gery was Jesus to those he met every day. And on a rainy Monday morning in the middle of the workday, there was standing room only at his memorial celebration as friends and family paid tribute to his life, remembering the impact this package car driver made on the community he served.

So what does that tribute and Jesus words mean for you and me? Just a package car driver? No. Just a clerk? No. Just a nurse or a doctor or a soldier or a CEO? No. We are not just a…name what ever you might do as an occupation. If you are like Gery, and do what Jesus tells you to do, you are Jesus to everyone you meet every single day. 

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Burns, amputees, and hell (Mark 9:43-48) August 16, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – 1 Chronicles 5-9

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Mark 9:43-48
Jesus: If your hand turns you away from the things of God, then you should cut it off. It’s better to come into eternal life maimed than to have two hands and be flung into hell— where the worm will not die and the fire will not be smothered.
If your foot trips you on the path, you should cut it off. It’s better to come into eternal life crawling than to have two feet and be flung into hell— where the worm will not die and the fire will not be smothered.
And if your eye keeps you from seeing clearly, then you should pull it out. It’s better to come into the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be flung into hell, where the worm will not die and the fire will not be smothered.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

Through the years as part of the Army Medical Department and then for several years after as I’ve dealt with various medical units in training, various contract relationships, or even my own health care, I’ve come in contact with a lot of veterans injured in combat or training accidents. Military members sometimes pay a heavy price to defend our way of life in this country. Some of those whose faces I see as I write these words wear permanent scars from horrible burns. Some lost arms or legs or eyes. I’ve seen first hand the devastation combat brings to individuals caught by that nameless bullet or bomb or improvised explosive device. Life after those sustaining some of those injuries can get pretty tough.

The average burn patient suffers through nineteen surgeries over two or three years before able to function, but still carry the physical and psychological scars that caused the event. Amputees spend weeks and months learning how to use new prostheses, but they can never take the place of the arms and legs God gives us. Life is tougher for these veterans as a result of the injuries they suffer. Sure we have some treatments and mechanical devices that make recovery from those disabilities better than in years past, but still life is not the same.

So why do I mention these veterans and the plight they face as amputees and burn victims? If you’ve seen what they go through and the struggles they face, then read Jesus’ words, His words make a whole different impact on you. He says if going through life as an amputee will help you make it to heaven, do it. If being blind helps you avoid sin, it’s better to be blind. It’s better to suffer all these infirmities than to face the fires of hell.

Some say Jesus was just making a point. He wasn’t really talking about a place that exists and lasts forever. It’s like telling kids the boogy man will get them if they don’t behave. The only problem with that line of thinking is that Jesus never wavered on His concepts of heaven and hell. He consistently talked about a judgment day on which everyone will be judged and separated based on the lives we lead now. Some will have eternal rest with Him and some will be eternally damned to hell which He describes as a lake of fire which will never be quenched.

I guess there are two ways you could approach what He says about judgment and heaven and hell. You could agree with Him and follow what He says and know you will live with Him forever in heaven. Or you can choose not to believe Him. You can live your own life, do what you want, ignore what He tells us to do and just assume that what Jesus says about heaven and hell is just a fairy tale to make people get along better in society.

You can do either one of those. It’s you choice. But there is one huge catch at the end. If there is a judgment day coming. If there is a heaven and a literal eternal hell and we will end up in one place or the other based on our behavior and beliefs in this life, then if you follow the former philosophy, you’ll be okay. If you follow the latter philosophy, you’ll be in huge trouble on judgment day.

So then, here’s the issue, does it hurt anyone to do the right things always? Does it hurt to follow God’s decrees? Does it hurt to obey the ten commandments and the other commands God gives that tell us how to love others the way we love ourselves? Doesn’t it build a greater community and build greater character to live the life He shows us through His example? If not, then doesn’t it make sense to do what He says? If you’re right and there is no hell, but you followed Jesus and His teachings, then you’ve still found your way to heaven. If you’re wrong and find on judgment day there is a hell and you’ve lived by your rules instead of His, well… That sounds like a pretty bad gamble in my book. 

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Give God the praise (Mark 39-42) August 15, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Numbers 1-4

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Mark 9:39-42
Jesus: You shouldn’t have said that. Anyone using My name to do a miracle cannot turn quickly to speak evil of Me. Anyone who isn’t against us is for us. The truth of the matter is this: anyone who gives you a cup of cool water to drink because you carry the name of your Anointed One will be rewarded.
But if anyone turns even the smallest of My followers away from Me, it would be better for him if someone had hung a millstone around his neck and flung him into the deepest part of the sea.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

John tries to stop others from driving out demons in Jesus’ name. Jesus gives this reply. Don’t stop them. They’re doing something good. If the demons depart because they are using my name, then don’t stop them. Someone is being freed from the power of the demons. Let hem get on with the work they are doing. My name is being lifted up and glorified by their actions so let it go.

How much do we get caught up in the jealousy John displayed that day as He tried to stop this other group from doing good? Well, that church on the corner isn’t part of my denomination, so they shouldn’t be inviting my people to their meeting. That church over there doesn’t do things the way we do, so they can’t be part of the kingdom. That denomination doesn’t sing the way we do, so they obviously must not be Christian. That group doesn’t emphasize the same things we do, so we are obviously more holy than they are, right?

It’s so easy to get caught up in the petty discord Jesus saw with His disciples as He addressed John that day. Let them use My name to do My work! Let them see the things that happens when people hear My name and exercise their faith in Me. Even if you don’t agree with the person doing the work, recognize that when they do miracles in My name, they can’t turn around and contribute that work to someone or something else, because they invoked My name to accomplish it. My name is glorified before the people.

So what if those people are making a profit by using Jesus’ name? What if they are charletons and are just trying to exploit the power of His name to line their own pockets with gold? Does that make a difference in how we should treat them?

Jesus says if they are healing and performing miracles “using His name” leave them alone. Why would He say that? I think there are a couple of reasons we can consider.

First, we do not have the ability to judge someone else’s heart. How can we really determine if the person is doing what they do for personal reasons or for God if the outcome praises Jesus? If Jesus’ name is lifted, who are we to determine the motive behind the act? We are not God and cannot judge men’s hearts. What may look like personal gain to us, may not be. We can see some outward appearances, but sometimes those outward appearances can be deceiving. Remember, the Pharisees thought Jesus and evil person because He ate at the homes of tax collectors and prostitutes. What was His answer to them? “Those that are well, don’t need a doctor, but those that are sick.” He went to those who needed His touch.

Second, if God doesn’t want someone to perform miracles in His name, the miracle won’t happen. It’s not the one using Jesus’ name that determines the outcome, it’s Jesus. God is the one who performs the miracle, we humans only act as His instruments. So if we wish to complain that someone is doing miracles in God’s name, you better tell God to stop, not the person doing it. We have no power to do God-like things. Only God does. He lets His name be used as He wills.

Third, it’s God’s business to sort out the charletons from the real Christians. He’s the one who can look into our hearts and know why we do the things we do. There will be an accounting for our actions one day and He will be the judge, not us. He will determine if we used His name appropriately or not. He will know if we glorified Him through actions we took in His name or tried to build our own ego and reputation by using His name. You and I can’t figure that out about other people, but God will with His perfect knowledge.

So with all that said, when someone is doing good things in Jesus name, regardless of what you think their motive, regardless if you think they are doing it for their personal gain or God’s glory, if good is being done. Jesus says if His name is being lifted up, leave them alone. Be glad His name is being praised for the work being accomplished. Get rid of the jealous streak and instead, give God the praise for the work He is doing through someone else.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Are you a good representative? (Mark 9:37) August 14, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – 1 Timothy 1-3

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Mark 9:37
Jesus: Whoever welcomes a child like this in My name welcomes Me; and whoever welcomes Me is welcoming not Me, but the One who sent Me.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

Jesus’ comments about the linkage between a child and Him and His Father started me thinking about the roles and responsibilities of representatives and ambassadors. As a nation, we have ambassadors all over the world representing the President and our country. They work as employees of the State Department, but each ambassador is approved by the Secretary of State and the President to sit in those positions. They are his voice to the leader of the country in which they serve. It’s an important responsibility.

As a republic, a form of government in which we elect individuals to serve as representatives for us to write and enforce legislation that governs the way our states and our country operates from day to day. These individuals also hold significant positions because they are our supposed to be our voice in governing. They represent us to make decisions that are in the best interest of the country, not single individuals, isolated groups, corporations, special interests, or their own advancement. Our representatives are supposed to look out for the welfare of the masses while making sure individuals are not harmed in the process. It’s a big job and a difficult one. One I’m afraid many of our representatives in government have forgotten over the last several decades, but that’s the role they are supposed to play in the republic as elected officials.

So that means elections are important. The honesty, integrity, and character of the representatives we choose for those critical positions determine the integrity and character of the nation as a whole because they set the tone from the top of the government. People tend to follow those who lead and if the leaders show poor character, those they lead tend to follow their example. Conversely, when leaders live lives of high moral character, those they lead tend to follow their example and live on a higher moral plain. That tells us that we should be careful in selecting those who will lead us into the next years.

This is an important thing. Paul tells us we should be good citizens. If you’re of voting age, you should register, avail yourself of all the information about the candidates running for all the offices up for reelection, pray about and for the candidates, and vote your conscience. Then whoever our nation, state, and cities elect, remember to pray for them. Remember that God allows men and women to hold positions of authority. They are there with His permission.

So that’s my citizen speech for the day, but there is another side to this representative, ambassador thought that come with this chain of thought. We consider ourselves the elect if we are followers of Jesus. The New Testament calls us the elect. God has elected us as His representatives on earth when He adopts us into His family. So what does that mean for us?

It means we should represent Him well. Perhaps using our politically elected officials is not such a good example these days since the majority of Americans are displeased with both Houses of Congress and the President. But then when you consider that polls for the last several years find no distinction in the behaviors of those who call themselves Christian and those who do not, maybe it is a good comparison. How do you think God feels about His elect when we fail to represent Him well on this foreign soil?

God expects us to represent Him here. He expects us to keep His reputation and His Name unsullied. God wants others to see His love in us. He wants us to share His grace and mercy to a world that sorely needs grace and mercy. That doesn’t mean condoning bad behavior. It doesn’t mean tolerance of evil. It doesn’t mean acceptance of things contradictory to God’s word. It means doing for others just what God did for you, extend His grace and mercy and love to those He created. Sharing His message of forgiveness. Introducing them to the one who can make a real difference in this world.

So here we are. In every election cycle some of those we chose as our representatives are rejected from their positions and someone else is chosen to take their place. What will God do if we do not carry out our responsibilities as His representatives, His ambassadors? What will He do if we behave in manners that tell the world He doesn’t matter? His law is just rubbish and we can do what we choose? Can we just assume that once we ask forgiveness we can do anything we want and drag God’s reputation through the mud by calling ourselves by His name yet living the same life as Satan’s minions?

That’s just not logical. Granted, some things God does don’t seem logical to us at times because we don’t have the mind of God. But throughout His word, He makes pretty clear that He treasures His reputation and the value of His name. I’m not sure I’d use the title of His company, Christian, and then live like the world. I’m not sure He’d let me stay in office very long. My election might be short-lived. So are you a representative of Christ or not? A good question for citizens of His kingdom.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

The servant of all (Mark 9:33-35) August 13, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – John 5-6

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Mark 9:33-35
At last, they came to Capernaum where they gathered in a house.
Jesus: What was it I heard you arguing about along the way?
They looked down at the floor and wouldn’t answer, for they had been arguing among themselves about who was the greatest of Jesus’ disciples.
Jesus: Whoever wants to be first must be last, and whoever wants to be the greatest must be the servant of all.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

There is a lot of talk about servant leadership, especially in Christian circles. We’re told if you want to really make an impact on the world you need to lead, but you need to serve the people you lead. You need to show others the way, guide them to the truth, teach them about God and His plans for this world and for all humankind, but do it as a servant. Leader and servant are pretty contradictory terms when you think about it.

A leader is defined as a person who leads: as a : guide, conductor b (1) : a person who directs a military force or unit (2) : a person who has commanding authority or influence c (1) : the principal officer of a British political party (2) : a party member chosen to manage party activities in a legislative body (3) : such a party member presiding over the whole legislative body when the party constitutes a majority d (1) : conductor c (2) : a first or principal performer of a group

While a servant is defined as one that serves others ; especially : one that performs duties about the person or home of a master or personal employer.

So how do you help others find their way to Christ, lead them toward Him, guide them to the truth, do the things that are described as the roles of a leader and yet live the life of a servant? Isn’t that an oxymoron, to ask someone to be both, to be a servant-leader? Does Jesus know what He’s saying when He tells us to lead from the back of the line instead of the front? How can we do that? What does He really mean?

I think the answer comes in two areas. First, we must check our character and our attitude. Jesus starts His ministry with the Sermon on the Mount. You can read it in Matthew chapters five through seven. He opens that sermon with a section we have title the Beatitudes. Stick a pause after the first sylable and you get His meaning in that sermonette. They are the Be Attitudes. He asks us to change how we think about ourselves and about others. He asks us to love God and love our all of His creation. He asks us to let God change our internal wiring so the way we think is transformed to the way He thinks about things. He wants our character, our attitude to mimic His.

When our character comes in line with His, we see others on an equal footing. All races, all socio-economic levels, all nationalities, both genders, all ages, everyone is created by God and for His purposes. When we recognize that, our attitude toward them changes. We begin to love all people. We begin to sorrow for those who cannot see the truth of God’s word because it is available to them and they know what it says about Jesus, the only way into God’s kingdom. If they choose to rebel against God, it is to their eternal peril. When we see the doom individuals bring upon themselves through God’s eyes, it should break our hearts.

The second thing this servant leader concept brings to mind is we must not only have Jesus’ attitude, but we must act like Jesus. No one can say Jesus did not serve those around Him. He proved Himself a servant day after day as He fed and healed and exorcised demons and preached and raised the dead and did anything and everything He could to ease the misery of those with whom He came in contact. Jesus served. I think He often served to the point of exhaustion. It why He sometimes had to get away and be alone with His Father. He just had to rest. He even washed His disciples feet as an example of His servanthood.

So are we to wash the feet of those we lead? Maybe. That’s not so necessary today since most people wear shoes and socks and we don’t have animals defecating in the streets anymore. But the point Jesus makes is that nothing is too demeaning for leaders to do if it furthers God’s kingdom. Nothing is below the level of what a leader should be willing to perform as we work along side those who work for us.

I have to tell you, the military and most organizations have their organization charts upside down. If we really focused on who is important in an organization, it’s the people at the bottom of those charts that do the work that make the products and clean the offices and answer the phones. Yes, the CEOs and the generals make decisions and take a lot of risk with their careers as they lead those within their organizations, but without all those people below them, the missions would never be accomplished. As a leadership consultant, I often shock those senior folks by showing those charts just that way, upside down, to get the point across. The people at the top should be the servant of all those they lead.

Jesus was a servant and He is the Son of God. If He can lower Himself to perform the lowliest task of the lowest servant in the household, washing animal feces off the feet of the guests before dinner, don’t you think we should serve those we lead as well? People flocked to His leadership style. If you want to be first, be last, the servant of all.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Help my unbelief (Mark 9/16-29) August 12, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Daniel 7-12

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Mark 9:16-29
Jesus (to the scribes): What are you debating with My disciples? What would you like to know?
Father (in the crowd): Teacher, I have brought my son to You. He is filled with an unclean spirit. He cannot speak, and when the spirit takes control of him, he is thrown to the ground to wail and moan, to foam at the mouth, to grind his teeth, and to stiffen up. I brought him to Your followers, but they could do nothing with him. Can You help us?
Jesus: O faithless generation, how long must I be among you? How long do I have to put up with you? Bring the boy to Me.
They brought the boy toward Jesus; but as soon as He drew near, the spirit took control of the boy and threw him on the ground, where he rolled, foaming at the mouth.
Jesus (to the father): How long has he been like this?
Father: Since he was a baby. This spirit has thrown him often into the fire and sometimes into the water, trying to destroy him. I have run out of options; I have tried everything. But if there’s anything You can do, please, have pity on us and help us.
Jesus: What do you mean, “If there’s anything?” All things are possible, if you only believe.
Father (crying in desperation): I believe, Lord. Help me to believe!
Jesus noticed that a crowd had gathered around them now. He issued a command to the unclean spirit.
Jesus: Listen up, you no-talking, no-hearing demon. I Myself am ordering you to come out of him now. Come out, and don’t ever come back!
The spirit shrieked and caused the boy to thrash about; then it came out of the boy and left him lying as still as death. Many of those in the crowd whispered that he was dead. But Jesus took the boy by the hand and lifted him to his feet.
Later He and His disciples gathered privately in a house.
Disciples (to Jesus): Why couldn’t we cast out that unclean spirit?
Jesus: That sort of powerful spirit can only be conquered with much prayer [and fasting].

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

I don’t know about you, but it seems the older I get, the more I hear the word cancer. Maybe because the population is growing, there is just a greater number of cases. Maybe it is more prevalent in society. Maybe I’m more attuned to it because I am getting older and I know that if you live long enough you will get cancer of some sort. But it’s not just the word cancer I hear. It seems there is just more illness around than I remember 30 or 40 or 50 years ago. I’m amazed at the number of clinics, emergency rooms, and hospitals being built in San Antonio right now. It seems they go up almost at the speed of fast food restaurants. Every day it looks like a new one springs up on another corner somewhere in the city.

So what does this growing population of sick and ill people in San Antonio have to do with today’s scripture? Well, let me press a little further with my sickness story. With all these hospitals and emergency rooms and clinics going up, obviously I get to see a lot of sick people when I visit someone in one of those facilities. And most often when I visit, I get an opportunity to pray with the person I’m visiting and with the family that is there.

Many times people get better. Sometimes when they get better, even the doctors are amazed at how quickly and completely the patient recovers. Often these are Christian people who have prayed for God to intervene on behalf of their loved one who has suffered some injury or illness that seems out of control and almost beyond repair by the medical community. Then they are shocked at the recovery. They are surprised by what the medical world said was an unexpected disappearance of the disease. They are stunned at the outcome that science can’t explain.

Why? Didn’t they ask for God’s intervention? Didn’t they pray expecting results? Did they just mouth some words and expect nothing to happen when they lifted their prayers to heaven and ask for healing?

More often than not, astonishment is the reaction I see on the face of even Christians when God heals His children when they pray. Shouldn’t we expect God to do what we ask if we pray in His Name and in His will? If we pray, not expecting anything to happen, do we have faith to believe He can? Why would God answer our prayers if we don’t expect Him to? Why should we be astonished when God does what we ask? Why, when we go to Him in earnest prayer and He answers in tangible ways do we carry with us any emotions other than praise and thanksgiving?

Maybe we don’t see much physical healing in our churches today because we really don’t have faith to believe God can do what He says. Maybe we don’t see forgiveness in our church because we don’t have enough faith to know He really can forgive us of our sins. Maybe we don’t see revivals sweeping across our land today because we who call ourselves Christians have lost what it takes to call down God’s Spirit on us in true faith and know He will answer when we ask Him.

The man who came to Jesus with His demon possessed son got it right that day. Maybe we need to get on our knees and emulate Him today. Lord, I do believe. Help me with my unbelief.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Just as it is written (Mark 9:12-13) August 11, 2016

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Proverbs 16

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Mark 9:12-13
Jesus: To be sure, Elijah does come first, and restores all things. Why then is it written that the Son of Man must suffer much and be rejected? But I tell you, Elijah has come, and they have done to him everything they wished, just as it is written about him.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

Peter, James, and John get to see first hand the glory of Jesus as He talks with Moses and Elijah on the mountain top one day. He is clothed in garments brighter than the sun. The three of them are not just bathed in light, but radiate light so bright that the men cannot look at them. These three, the inner circle of Jesus’ closest disciples witness the most amazing sight they have ever seen. They have no doubts at this point that Jesus is the incarnate God. He came from heaven to rescue His people from the oppression and burden the guilt of sin lays upon each of us.

They fall on their face as the three figure in front of them converse. They don’t know what the three talk about in the short distance beyond them. They speak quietly among themselves and the disciples are so overwhelmed with the spectacle in front of them that the words would not register with them even if they could hear. These three just remain awed by the presence and power of Jesus, Moses, and Elijah.

After a few minutes, the light fades, Moses and Elijah are gone. Jesus stands alone and returns to His three friends. They rise and Peter offers the suggestion to build three tabernacles in honor of the three figures they just witnessed on the mountain top. Jesus refuses. Then the questions about the days leading up to the final judgment. Isn’t Elijah supposed to usher in the Messiah?

And Jesus answers their question implying John the Baptist served as Elijah, the prophet in the wilderness proclaiming the coming of the Messiah. The one heralding the good news that the Anointed One had come to redeem His people from the evil of this world. Peter, James, and John, the three closest friends of Jesus would become the pillars of the early church. Because of what Jesus shared with them in these intimate moments, they would never falter from the faith. These moments would cement their knowledge that Jesus was God incarnate.

But in this exchange, Jesus mentions one more thing at the end that many forget when they look at Jesus’ life and the way His lives of those around Him turned and twisted during His time on earth. “Just as it is written about him.” In those few words we can be assured that Jesus is who He said He is. Many around the world today will tell you that Jesus was a good man, a prophet, a wise teacher, but God? No. They just can’t believe it.

But look at these few words and then think about the probability that Jesus could fulfill all the prophecies about Him if He were not the Messiah. Some might say, “Well, He just studied the scriptures and followed along to make sure He did what the prophecies said.” But that doesn’t quite work, does it? How would He influence His virgin birth? Don’t think that’s possible. How would He influence Joseph and Mary leaving Bethlehem and escaping Herod’s murder of all the infants as a child less than two years old? Don’t think that hold much merit either, but there’s prophecy about it. How could Jesus make His parents live in Bethlehem, then Egypt, then resettle in Nazareth so all the prophecies could be fulfilled about Him before He was a teenager? Not possible unless He really is the Messiah.

Then look past His childhood. He did all the things the Old Testament said He would do. He taught, He prophesied, He healed, He became the sacrificial lamb for us. He did everything scripture talked about. So maybe His everyday actions as an adult could be a checklist of things He needed to do as Messiah. Maybe if we really stretched we could come up with a checklist and say someone could figure out how to create that itinerary.

But if He could make the checklist from the scriptures, how could He get the scribes and Pharisees and chief priests and Romans to play along? After all, they didn’t want anyone to recognize Him as the Messiah. They were doing their best to discredit Him, right? So why would they fulfill scripture by hanging Him on the tree, crucifying Him? Why would the Romans cast lots for His garments? They didn’t know they were fulfilling centuries old prophecy and certainly wouldn’t have if they knew. Why would they not break His legs as was their custom when they wanted to make sure they were speeding up the execution process? It would have taken little more effort or time snap Jesus’ shins than to thrust a spear into His side. So why fulfill prophecy if Jesus were not the Messiah? The Romans didn’t know any better. The Pharisees and chief priests would certainly have stopped it if they remembered.

What’s the probability that anyone could fulfill the prophecies about the Messiah in the Old Testament that Jesus fulfilled? Peter Stone and Robert Newman wrote a book several years ago entitled Science Speaks that determined the probability of the fulfillment of just eight of those prophecies – 1 in a quadrillion. That’s one with seventeen zero’s behind it. You have a better chance of being struck by lightning or winning the lottery. So just based on statistical analysis alone, I’d say odds are pretty good Jesus is the Messiah. Just as it is written. What do you think?

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

What is life worth? (Mark 8:34-9:1) August 10, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Psalms 93-95

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Mark 8:34-9:1
Jesus: If any one of you wants to follow Me, you will have to give yourself up to God’s plan, take up your cross, and do as I do. For any one of you who wants to be rescued will lose your life, but any one of you who loses your life for My sake and for the sake of this good news will be liberated. Really, what profit is there for you to gain the whole world and lose yourself in the process? What can you give in exchange for your life? If you are ashamed of Me and of what I came to teach to this adulterous and sinful generation, then the Son of Man will be ashamed of you when He comes in the glory of His Father along with the holy messengers at the final judgment.
Truly, some of you who are here now will not experience death before you see the kingdom of God coming in glory and power.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

I did another one of those quick Google searches today after reading these words of Jesus. His question about what can you give in exchange for your life made me think about the number of suicides that take place in our country every day. So I looked up the number. The websites admit that the number is probably not completely accurate. Some of those that commit suicide are probably not captured in the statistics represented in figures we get in the category called suicide given to us by those who perform autopsies and report those things to the authorities across the country.

You might wonder why someone wouldn’t report correctly, but there are a lot of reasons. If a person runs their car into a tree, is it an accident or suicide? The coroner doesn’t know and will more than likely call it an accident. If someone takes the wrong combination of prescription medications and dies in their sleep, is it an accident or suicide? The coroner often doesn’t know and will more than likely call it an accident. Often only the person who commits the act knows the answer and most often, the one writing the cause of death on the death certificate will shy away from calling a death a suicide because of the impact on the family when a death is declared a suicide.

You see, most insurance companies do not pay life insurance and sometimes even related health insurance costs to the beneficiaries if death is a result of suicide, so the family instantly suffers significant financial burdens. The family also suffers the pain, emotional, and psychological stigma that goes along with suicides. “Why didn’t I see it? What could I have done to prevent it? Did I contribute to it? Could I have done anything different over the last days or weeks or months to make him or her feel different about themselves to stop this senseless act? Am I or my children now predisposed to follow in their footsteps? How do I prevent it from happening again in my family?”

What is the number of people who throw their life away in desperation every day? That quick Google search says its about 117 a day in the United States. 117 decide there is nothing else to live for and the only way out is to just stop living. They love themselves little enough and feel others love them little enough that taking their own life is the best way to solve their problem. What a tragedy.

Jesus talks about the value of life. What can we give in exchange for our life? He, the creator of all things, says there is nothing more valuable than life. We could gain the whole world and it would not be worth our life. That’s how valuable one person, one soul, one life is to God. Somewhere along the line in the last several years we quit teaching our children just how valuable life is. Somehow we stopped valuing life as the precious commodity God created.

We can blame that failure on the violent television shows and movies or the violent video games our kids play. We can blame the failure on nature of the comics they read or the books they are exposed to in school and the literature that’s popular. But the truth is the failure comes as a result of what we teach our children and grandchildren in our homes as parents and grandparents. It’s the truths we pass down from generation to generation and instill in them by living those truths in front of them each day that teach them life, every life is worth more than all the wealth in all the world.

How do we fail in that effort? What do you tell your children about terrorists? They are still souls Jesus died for? How do you talk about gang members on the street? Jesus died for them. What do you say when your elementary school-aged child brings home the slang titles of a different race? God created them, too. Each person on earth is created by God. He died on a cross for their sins just as He died on the cross for yours and He died on the cross for mine.

Until we recognize the value of every life and begin to teach our children and their children the value of every life, we will continue to see society throw lives away. It might be by suicides or murders or abuse of children and the elderly or negligence of a race or socioeconomic group, but we will throw some group of people away as unimportant. But Jesus thinks every life is so important and so valuable that He gave His own life to redeem each one. What is each life worth to Him? Everything including His own.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.