40 days with Christ

Mark 12:28-31

Jesus' hyperbole about how difficult it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of heaven is a difficult teaching.  It not only sounds difficult, it sounds hopelessly impossible!

Some scholars have suggested ways to make Jesus' illustration of a camel going through the eye of a needed seem less impossible.  But I'm not inclined to reinterpret it that way for Jesus also went on to say plainly, "With man this is impossible"!

No, our hope is not in somehow making our entrance into the kingdom of heaven less impossible with man.  Our only hope is in what Jesus went on to say after that...

"With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God!"

With God, all things are possible.  Although we don't deserve it, God can grant us entrance into the kingdom of heaven.  

May all who love Jesus continue to be generous and willing to share as we store up eternal treasures in heaven! 

Mark 10: 17-23

Congratulations on building a very positive habit of daily devotionals.  Today is Day #27!

SCRIPTURE:  Mark 10:13-16

13 People were bringing little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them, but the disciples rebuked them. 14 When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. 15 Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” 16 And he took the children in his arms, placed his hands on them and blessed them.

DISCUSSION

Those poor disciples...  Each day - it seems - they are making yet another mistake.  But is that really so very different from what we do today?

I think the best we can sometimes do it try to honestly learn from our mistakes.  People were bringing little children to Jesus.  The disciples told the people to stop.  But when Jesus saw this, He was angry. He said to his disciples, "Let the children come to me.  Don't keep them away.   God's kingdom belongs to people like them.  What I'm about to tell you is true.  Anyone who will not receive God's kingdom like a child will never enter it.  

Each day it seems they are making yet another mistake.  But is that really so very much different from you or me today? I think the best we can sometimes do is honestly try to learn from our mistakes.  Today's disciple mistake, is that of telling people not to bring children to Jesus. 

Hey, Jesus was a very important person with very important things to be concerned with.  He can't be bothered with greeting and praying and blessing the children can he?  This angers Jesus.  By the way, don't let anyone tell you Jesus never got angry. He did.  He just never let it cause him to sin. Big difference!  Jesus speaks words of truth, teaching them what they need to hear, telling them that anyone who will not receive God's kingdom like a little child will never enter it. 

You know, there are quite a few different approaches to developmental psychology. But one thing is pretty much, common to all of them. There is simply a lot that a young child doesn't understand and cannot do on their own.  They look to and count upon their parents for support and understanding.  And that's the way we are in the Kingdom of Heaven.  There is simply a lot we don't understand and cannot do on our own. 

Let's pray,

Father in Heaven, Please help us to follow you. Help us to be like children trusting in you and depending upon you - for you tell us that this is the only way that we will enter the kingdom of heaven. We ask this and we believe that you can make it so.  In the name of your son Jesus we pray, AMEN!

New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Dear Father in Heaven.  Please help us as we grow in you to learn what it truly means to be great in the kingdom of heaven.  It is in Jesus name we pray. Amen.

Reading for Mark chapter 9 verses 33 to 37

33 They came to Capernaum. When he was in the house, he asked them, “What were you arguing about on the road?” 34 But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest.

35 Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.”

36 He took a little child whom he placed among them. Taking the child in his arms, he said to them, 37 “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me.”

Can yu imagine yourself as one of Christ disciples walking down the road arguing with one another about which one of you is the most important person?   You finally reach your destination and then Jesus asks, “What were you arguing about on the road?” No wonder they kept quiet.

What would you or I say?

Of course Jesus already knew what they had been arguing about.  So he took the opportunity to teach them about true greatness. “If you want to be first”, he told them, “you must be the very last. You must be the servant of everyone.”

Want to be the top dog in the Kingdom of Heaven?  Numero Uno?  The very best of them all?  Then voluntarily become a servant of everyone.  Think about someone else’s needs and care for them!  Seek the greater good of someone else. Discover what it means to see things of true importance.

Lets pray.

Father please help us to grow into the people You would have us become.

Teach us the joy of voluntarily and sincerely caring about others.

Teach us what true greatness is all about.

In Jesus name we ask this, AMEN!

New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Welcome to 40 days with Christ. You made it all the way to day number 26.  26 is my wife Angela’s favorite number. She can’t tell me why she loves that number. Her birthday is October 26th. So she never has to remind me about her birthday each October. She just reminds me of her favorite number. Funny how that works. Lets pray!

Dear Father, Help us to continue in our faith established and firm. May we never move away from the hope that you hold out to us in the gospel. We ask this in your son Jesus’s name. Amen!

Our reading today is Mark chapter 9 verses 38 through 41.

38 “Teacher,” said John, “we saw someone driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us.”

39 “Do not stop him,” Jesus said. “For no one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me, 40 for whoever is not against us is for us. 41 Truly I tell you, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to the Messiah will certainly not lose their reward.

Sometimes we see someone doing something good in the name of the Lord Jesus, but still we figure that they must be doing something wrong because well, they aren’t one of us! Baptist, Methodist, charismatic, ecclesiastical, denominational, non-denominational, you know, whatever is unfamiliar to us often seems just plain weird.  John ran into someone driving out demons in the name of Jesus and he tells Jesus that he told the man to stop because he wasn’t one of the apostles.

Jesus said do not stop him.  Anyone who is not against us is for us. What I’m about to tell you is true suppose. Someone gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to me.  That one will certainly not go without reward.

Lets pray,

Father in heaven. We recognize that it is normal human nature for us to be wary of things that we don’t understand.  And so we asked you today to help us to remember not to judge others who do good in your name and not to jump to conclusions. No matter how different they are from us and no matter how strange they may appear to us, may our focus be instead on the person of Jesus and on the inward, man, not on outward appearances.  And its in Jesus name we pray, Amen!

New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Welcome to 40 days with Christ today is day 24.

PRAYER:  Father in heaven, in Holy Scripture, Colossians testifies that Jesus is before all things and in Jesus all things hold together.  In everything may Jesus occupy the place of supremacy in our lives.  And it is in His name we pray. Amen!

SCRIPTURE:  Mark 9:2-8*

2 After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them. 3 His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them. 4 And there appeared before them Elijah and Moses, who were talking with Jesus.

5 Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” 6 (He did not know what to say, they were so frightened.)

7 Then a cloud appeared and covered them, and a voice came from the cloud: “This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!”

8 Suddenly, when they looked around, they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus.

DISCUSSION:

It is hard to overstate the magnificent position of respect that Moses and Elijah had in the history of God’s people Israel.   When Moses led the Israelites out of slavery, God told Moses to strike the water with his staff and the Red Sea parted open.  In 2nd Kings 2, when Elijah rolls his coat up and strikes the Jordan River with it the water parts to the right and to the left so that both Elijah and Elisha cross the river on dry Ground.

God gave the Ten Commandments directly to Moses and Moses passed them along to the people.

Elijah prayed for fire from heaven to come down to consume the idols of Baal and it happened!

When it came time for Moses to Die the Lord first showed him the promised land and then the Lord took him. He was 120 years old yet his eyes were not weak nor his strength.  The Lord himself buried Moses and no one to this day knows where his grave is.

When it was time for Elijah to leave earth,  suddenly a chariot and horses appeared with fire all around them. Elijah was carried into heaven in a strong wind. His body was never found either.

I guess it makes sense that when Moses and Elijah appeared and started talking with Jesus that Peter would suggest to make three shelters.  One for Moses, another for  Elijah and another for Jesus.

But God had OTHER plans!  A cloud surrounded them and a voice came out of the cloud saying “This is my son and I love him.  Listen to him.”

When they looked around, who did they see? Elijah and Moses were nowhere to be found. Only Jesus remained.

Let’s pray. Father in Heaven, please help us to put Jesus in the proper position of full authority in our hearts. And in our lives help us to put Jesus in the Supreme place of authority that he deserves for we know that one day every knee shall bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.  Help us to confess it now!

It is in the name of Jesus we ask this and believe, Amen.

New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Jesus travelled from Galilee to get baptized by John.  

At first, John the Baptist attempted to talk Jesus out of the whole thing.   John felt like he needed to be baptized by Jesus - not the other way around!  But Jesus reassured John that getting baptized was the right thing for Jesus to do.  So John baptized Jesus in the Jordan river.  When Jesus came up out of the water, heaven came open!  He saw the Spirit of God come down upon Him!  The Lord spoke from heaven saying “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased!”

Welcome to 40 days with Christ day 22.  Let’s start with a word of Prayer.

Dear Father in heaven, please help us not to view things from an earthly perspective.  Rather, please help us to see things the way You would have us to see them. We ask this in Jesus name, Amen.

Our reading today in Mark chapter 8 verses 31 through 37.

31 Jesus then began to teach his disciples. He taught them that the Son of Man must suffer many things. He taught them that the elders would not accept him. The chief priests and the teachers of the law would not accept him either. He must be killed and after three days rise again. 32 He spoke clearly about this. Peter took Jesus to one side and began to scold him.

33 Jesus turned and looked at his disciples. He scolded Peter. “Get behind me, Satan!” he said. “You are not thinking about the things God cares about. Instead, you are thinking only about the things humans care about.”

You Must Pick Up Your Cross

34 Jesus called the crowd to him along with his disciples. He said, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must say no to themselves. They must pick up their cross and follow me. 35 Whoever wants to save their life will lose it. But whoever loses their life for me and for the good news will save it. 36 What good is it if someone gains the whole world but loses their soul? 37 Or what can anyone trade for their soul?

Peter must have been riding mighty high.  He had just been commended.  He had been told that his insight into Jesus being the Christ had not been inspired by man, but by God himself.  And so perhaps he thought emboldened to pull Jesus aside after Jesus started teaching that he would have to suffer, that the teachers of the law would not accept him and that Jesus must be killed and after 3 days rise again… That did not at all fit Peters idea of what was supposed to happen when the Christ came to Israel.  And so scripture tells us that he took Jesus to one side and began to scold him.  To scold Jesus?!

“Jesus, we can’t have you suffering and dying and all that. You’re the Christ after all!”

Jesus told Peter “Get behind me Satan, you’re not thinking about the things of God.  Instead you’re thinking about human things.”

From divine inspiration to Satan’s mouthpiece in the same chapter. We’re all a lot like Peter as strange as it may seem even in God’s Church even in the very presence of Jesus. Its easier than we might think for us to get our focus pulled away into thinking about things from a worldly point of view rather than from Jesus’s eternal and spiritual point of view.

Let’s pray.

Jesus, Please help us to say ‘no’ to ourselves.  Help us to pick up the cross you have laid before us and to to align ourselves with your eternal point of view. Please help us to stay on track with your help. It’s in your holy name we pray, Amen!

New International Reader's Version (NIRV) Copyright © 1995, 1996, 1998, 2014 by Biblica, Inc.®. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Welcome back to 40 days with Christ as we wrap up week number three. Lets get started with a word of Prayer.

PRAYER:  Dear Father in Heaven, as we look to your word, help us to recognize Jesus for who he truly is and it is in Jesus name we pray. Amen.

SCRPITURE:  Matthew 16:13-18

13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”

14 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”

15 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”

16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”

17 Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. 18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” 20 Then he ordered his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.

DISCUSSION

Jesus was getting quite a reputation. There was no shortage of opinions floating around about who He was and what his significance would be to the nation of Israel.

Some said he was fulfilling the role of great heroes from the past like Elijah,  Jeremiah or perhaps a high-profile teacher from the very recent past like John the Baptist.

But Jesus asked, “Who do you say I am?”

Peter answered, “You are the Christ.  You are the son of the Living God>”

Jesus affirmed him saying,

“this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven”.

In our modern world today many people are willing to say Jesus was a good inspirational leader or religious teacher.  Some even say he might be a human Prophet like Elijah or Jeremiah.  But amid all the competing noise and confusion, can you hear Jesus asking “But what about you? Who do you say I am?”

Can you like Peter answer that Jesus is the Christ the son of the Living God.  If you can, no mere man showed this to you.

Christ’s Holy Father in Heaven has displayed this to us in his holy word.

CLOSING PRAYER:  Jesus, You are the Christ the son of the Living God.  All glory be to you forever and ever and ever. Amen!