40 days with Christ

Welcome back once again to 40 days with Christ. Today is a big day! You, my friend, have reached the 50% mark!  Halfway through the 40 day series! Let’s begin with a word of prayer.

PRAYER

Father, You know all things.  You are above all things. May we put our hope and our trust in You and not in our own understanding.  In Jesus name we pray, Amen!

SCRIPTURE Mark 8:22-26*

22 They came to Bethsaida, and some people brought a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him. 23 He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. When he had spit on the man’s eyes and put his hands on him, Jesus asked, “Do you see anything?”

24 He looked up and said, “I see people; they look like trees walking around.”

25 Once more Jesus put his hands on the man’s eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. 26 Jesus sent him home, saying, “Don’t even go into the village.”

DISCUSSION

A blind man is taken by the hand. Jesus puts his hands on him and asks him, “Do you see anything?”  The man looks up and says “I see people but they look like trees walking around.”

Now that is an honest answer! I’m encouraged that Jesus didn’t scold that  man or accuse him of not having enough faith.  He simply laid his hands upon him again and then the man’s eyes were more fully opened.

What if this man had simply said, “Yes, thank you Jesus. I do see some things now. This is better than when I was fully blind”?  What if this man had just left his response at that?

I’m so glad he did not do that.  I’m glad he spoke more fully about his experience so that he received a more complete and full healing.

When we first come to Jesus, we start seeing truths that we had never seen before.  We start learning to trust in God in ways we had never trusted Him before.  But that doesn’t mean we will immediately and always see things with perfect 20/20 vision.

It really is okay for us to admit to Jesus that there are times when we do not yet see completely clearly.  Jesus can and does help his followers everyday to learn more, to grow more, and to see things more clearly along the way!

* 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.

Give us five minutes a day and well give you 40 Timeless truths to encourage you along the way. We’ve made it all the way to day #19 together. Lets begin with a quick word of Prayer.

Father, please speak to us through your holy word today. Lead us in the paths that you would have us take. In Jesus name we ask this. Amen!

Yesterday Jesus cut directly to the heart of the matter telling the Pharisees some unpleasant truths about their hearts being far from God. He told them that they were more devoted to human tradition than they were to their Heavenly Father.

BIBLE READING

Mark 7:18-23*

Nothing that enters a person from the outside can make them ‘unclean.’ 19 It doesn’t go into their heart. It goes into their stomach. Then it goes out of the body.” In saying this, Jesus was calling all foods “clean.”

20 He went on to say, “What comes out of a person is what makes them ‘unclean.’ 21 Evil thoughts come from the inside, from a person’s heart. So do sexual sins, stealing and murder. 22 Adultery, greed, hate and cheating come from a person’s heart too. So do desires that are not pure, and wanting what belongs to others. And so do telling lies about others and being proud and being foolish. 23 All these evil things come from inside a person and make them ‘unclean.’ ”

In Jesus’s day, there was a lot of attention paid to what a person touched and how a person wash their hands and even their dishes and cups before eating and drinking. People were concerned about the spiritual implications of putting something that was not clean into their bodies.

Jesus taught that spiritual uncleanness, however, was a matter of the heart. Evil thoughts, sexual sins, stealing, murder, adultery, greed, hatred, cheating… All of these things proceed out of a sinful heart.

Even today some of us anyway take great care about what we put into our bodies. Nutrition and health are multi-billion dollar industries. Those things are not bad. Even so, how much more important is it that we seek to guard our hearts and our minds from within? How much more important is it for us to ask our Lord and Savior to transform us and to make us spiritually clean and healthy from within!

Dear Father in Heaven,

Please help us not to conform to the pattern of this world around us, always seeking and wanting more, but never satisfied.

Instead, we ask You to help transform and change our way of thinking. Please help us to be able to understand and to align ourselves with Your good, pleasing and perfect will for our lives. We ask this in the name of Jesus.

AMEN!

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

Welcome to 40 days with Christ day 18, a daily scripture based word of encouragement for you from the life of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Let’s start with the word of Prayer.

Father in Heaven, no matter how hard we try, please help us to remember that we can never be good enough to earn salvation.   Help us to see the heart of the matter as we learn from your son Jesus and its in his name we pray, Amen!

Our scripture reading today is from Mark chapter 7 picking up in verse 5 through 8.*

5 So the Pharisees and the teachers of the law questioned Jesus. “Why don’t your disciples live by what the elders teach?” they asked. “Why do they eat their food with ‘unclean’ hands?”

6 He replied, “Isaiah was right. He prophesied about you people who pretend to be good. He said,

“ ‘These people honor me by what they say.

But their hearts are far away from me.

7 Their worship doesn’t mean anything to me.

They teach nothing but human rules.’ (Isaiah 29:13)

8 You have let go of God’s commands. And you are holding on to teachings that people have made up.”

The Pharisees and the teachers of the law approached Jesus seeking to put him on the defensive asking Him why his disciples did not

live in accordance with their traditions.  Jesus, however, cut straight to the heart of the matter. Although these religious leaders looked good on the outside, their hearts were far from God. They became so micro-focused upon human Traditions that they ended up disobeying direct commands from God.

Funny thing about human rules. They sometimes get so thoroughly mixed into our Sunday school lessons and church services, we almost forget which things come directly from God in scripture and which things we’ve just grown up hearing people say in church all our lives.

But there is a difference - a big difference.  First Samuel chapter 16 verse 7 says that God does not look at the things people look at.  Man looks at how someone appears on the outside but God looks at what is in the heart.

Let’s pray.

Father in heaven,

We ask you for your help to always place your word above human teachings and traditions, especially ones we may have grown up with even from our youth.  Whenever we vear off your pathway, please help us to see, to learn, to listen, to be humble enough to obey your call. May we always - always! - seek to more fully align our hearts with genuine love for you in Jesus name,  AMEN!

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

Welcome to 40 days with Christ sharing one time was truth with you for the Life of Christ in under 5 minutes daily. Today is Day 17. Lets start off with a word of Prayer.

Father in Heaven, thank you for giving the Word of life in your son Jesus. Help us to understand, to obey and to hold firmly to that word.  In Jesus name, AMEN!

Reading from Mark chapter 6 verses 45 through 50.

45 Immediately Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. 46 After leaving them, he went up on a mountainside to pray.

47 Later that night, the boat was in the middle of the lake, and he was alone on land. 48 He saw the disciples straining at the oars, because the wind was against them. Shortly before dawn he went out to them, walking on the lake. He was about to pass by them, 49 but when they saw him walking on the lake, they thought he was a ghost. They cried out, 50 because they all saw him and were terrified.

Immediately he spoke to them and said, “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” 51 Then he climbed into the boat with them, and the wind died down. They were completely amazed 52 for they had not understood about the loaves; their hearts were hardened.

I wonder what Jesus’s followers thought when it was time to get into the boat. They probably didn’t want to leave Jesus behind.  Scripture says he made them get into the boat and go ahead without him while he dismissed the crowd.

‘How will Jesus get to Bethsaida if he doesn’t come with us?’ they may have wondered.  ‘How long will we need to wait for him there once we arrive?’. But of course, they obeyed their teacher and they went ahead without him.

Then, late at night with the wind blowing against them, the disciples were out in the middle of the lake straining at the oars while Jesus walks right past them on the lake as though he is walking on dry land!

The way I read it, Jesus made great time. He was passing the disciples up!  He could have arrived at Bethsaida before his disciples!  Imagine how surprised they would have been to arrive at their destination after working against the wind all night only to find Jesus already there!

But that was not to be.  For when they saw him walking on the water, they  cried out in terror thinking they had seen a ghost. Jesus tells them not to be afraid.  He climbs into the boat with them and immediately the wind dies down.

And they were amazed!

Lets pray.

Lord Jesus whenever we are struggling against the wind… Whenever we are slow to learn and slow to recognize your mighty power, please come into the boat of our lives with.

Teach us that we need not fear. Please help to calm our hearts.

Your power and your love are truly amazing.

It is in Your name we pray. Amen!

Our goal: In less than 5 minutes to provide you with a Timeless Truth worth thinking about throughout the rest of your day! Let us know how were doing… My email address is [email protected]. Let's start with the word of prayer.

Father in Heaven, You are our provider. The source of every blessing. Thank you for giving us everything we need in Christ Jesus. It is in his name we pray. Amen.

Yesterday Jesus, seeing a crowd of people wandering through life like sheep without a shepherd, had compassion on them and began teaching them many things. Let’s pick back up in scripture where we left off. 

The gospel of Mark chapter 6 verses 35 to 44.

35 By this time it was late in the day, so his disciples came to him. “This is a remote place,” they said, “and it’s already very late. 36 Send the people away so that they can go to the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.”

37 But he answered, “You give them something to eat.”

They said to him, “That would take more than half a year’s wages! Are we to go and spend that much on bread and give it to them to eat?”

38 “How many loaves do you have?” he asked. “Go and see.”

When they found out, they said, “Five—and two fish.”

39 Then Jesus directed them to have all the people sit down in groups on the green grass. 40 So they sat down in groups of hundreds and fifties. 41 Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to his disciples to distribute to the people. He also divided the two fish among them all. 42 They all ate and were satisfied, 43 and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces of bread and fish. 44 The number of the men who had eaten was five thousand.

DISCUSSION

You might remember from yesterday, Jesus had taken his apostles to a quiet remote place so they could get some rest and recharge their batteries so to speak. But when they arrived, a crowd already had formed. Out of compassion, Jesus put rest on the back burner and then taught them late into the day - so late that his disciples became concerned and asked Jesus to send them away so they could buy themselves food before it got too late.

Then Jesus does one of his most popular miracles. He takes five loaves of bread and two fish sets this huge crowd of people - 5,000 men plus who knows how many additional women and children - into groups of hundreds and fifties to give thanks to the Father in heaven and then starts breaking the loaves and dividing the fish.

Everyone ate that day and not only did everyone get plenty to eat. There were 12 basket full of broken pieces of bread and fish leftover! If Jesus could take five loaves and two fish and feed a crowd of 5000 plus and then have 12 baskets full left over to spare, He can most certainly make sure my most basic needs get taken care of from day-to-day!

Let’s pray.

Jesus you are more than capable of meeting my daily physical needs. You fed thousands from five loaves and two fish and had more than plenty to spare.  Thank you for feeding and caring for me daily.  It is 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 back to 40 days with Christ, a daily scripture based encouragement from the life of our Lord Jesus. Always to the point! Always under 5 minutes in length! Lets start with a word of Prayer.

Jesus, thank you for being our guide in life. For you are the way the truth and the life! And it is in your name we pray. AMEN!

Reading from holy scripture, we’re in the 6th chapter of The Book of Mark verses 30 through 34.

30 The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught. 31 Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”

32 So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place. 33 But many who saw them leaving recognized them and ran on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. 34 When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.

Things were getting a little hectic. Scripture tells us that so many people were coming and going that they didn’t even have a chance to eat! So Jesus takes his apostles by boat to a solitary quiet place where they can get some rest.

I don’t know about you but the very moment I finally expect to get a little peace and quiet restfulness is not the moment I want a large crowd gathering around me! And yet Jesus sees past their inconvenience all the way deep down to their need for guidance for they were like sheep without a shepherd. Out of compassion, He teaches them many things.

A sheep without a Shepherd is probably one of the most hopelessly lost animals in the entire animal kingdom. They will quite literally follow one another in line to walk over the edge of a cliff one after another! It isn’t a flattering image to be told that we are like sheep without a Shepherd, but its a true one.

Thank God that Jesus has compassion and that he teaches us many things.

Jesus thank you for showing us your great compassion that even when you were seeking a place for quiet and rest when you saw people in need you were willing to give them what they needed all the more. Without you, we are like sheep without a shepherd. And so we ask that out of compassion for us that you will teach us too. May we listen to, learn from and follow you for you are the Good Shepherd who lays down his life for his sheep. And its in your name we pray, AMEN!

Thanks so much for joining us! Have yourself a wonderful day and I look forward to seeing you again tomorrow for day 16 of our ongoing series 40 days with Christ.

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 now have two weeks under your belt! I’m really impressed. I think you just might make it through the full 40! Of course, don’t forget, although I don’t want you to miss a day or two, if you do… instead of giving up you can always choose to pick back up where you leave off. It still does count even if it takes you 45 or 52 days to complete your full 40! There wont even be a punitive asterisk besmirching your accomplishment!

Lets get started with a word of prayer.

Father in Heaven:

Thank you for allowing us to hear and learn your word of truth!

May we always treasure it and keep it close to our hearts.

In Jesus name we pray, AMEN!

Our scripture reading for today is Mark chapter 6 verses 1 through 6.

Jesus left there and went to his hometown, accompanied by his disciples. 2 When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were amazed.

“Where did this man get these things?” they asked. “What’s this wisdom that has been given him? What are these remarkable miracles he is performing? 3 Isn’t this the carpenter? Isn’t this Mary’s son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren’t his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him.

4 Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own town, among his relatives and in his own home.” 5 He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. 6 He was amazed at their lack of faith.

Jesus Sends Out the Twelve

Then Jesus went around teaching from village to village.

We’ve been told about people being amazed at Jesus. But here we find Jesus amazed at people from his own hometown! But Jesus is amazed not by something good, but instead by their lack of faith. For some reason, it was hard for them to accept that the local carpenter’s son could have such inspired words of truth and could perform such miracles. And so Jesus said that a prophet is honored everywhere except in his own town among his relatives and his own home.

If you’re from America, like most of our listeners and readers then you may have grown up around Christian teachings much of your entire life. Often that’s a good thing. But sometimes familiarity can cause us to underestimate the mighty power and importance of the teachings of Christ. That seems to be the mistake of the people from Christ’s hometown.

Let’s take care not to let our familiarity with the gospel cause us to overlook its importance and its power for our lives and for those around us.

Lets pray.

Father in Heaven,

Please help us not to allow ourselves to become hard-hearted to the truth just because we’ve heard it and been around it all our lives. Help us not to ever take Christianity for granted simply because we’ve grown up around it. Rather, please make your truth permeate our hearts and our minds all the more! May Your Word change our thoughts and lives more fully as we seek to become the people that you would have us to be. We ask and believe these things in the name of your son Jesus, AMEN!

Thanks so much for joining us! You are (of course!) invited to come back again tomorrow for day 15 of our ongoing series 40 days with Christ.

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.

Sharing Timeless truths from the life of our Lord in under 5 minutes daily... Welcome back to 40 days with Christ! Today is day #13!

Let’s start off with prayer.

Father in Heaven, You are mighty and magnificent, an ever-present help in time of need to those who love you. Please help us to truly love You! In Jesus name we pray. Amen.

Yesterday Jesus was on the way to the house of Jairus when he stopped to recognize someone who had touched his cloak in the crowd. Our reading today is Mark chapter 5 verses 35 through 42.

SCRIPTURE - Mark 5:35-42*

35 While Jesus was still speaking, some people came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue leader. “Your daughter is dead,” they said. “Why bother the teacher anymore?”

36 Overhearing what they said, Jesus told him, “Don’t be afraid; just believe.”

37 He did not let anyone follow him except Peter, James and John the brother of James. 38 When they came to the home of the synagogue leader, Jesus saw a commotion, with people crying and wailing loudly. 39 He went in and said to them, “Why all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead but asleep.” 40 But they laughed at him.

After he put them all out, he took the child’s father and mother and the disciples who were with him, and went in where the child was. 41 He took her by the hand and said to her, “Talitha koum!” (which means “Little girl, I say to you, get up!”). 42 Immediately the girl stood up and began to walk around (she was twelve years old). At this they were completely astonished. 43 He gave strict orders not to let anyone know about this, and told them to give her something to eat.

DISCUSSION

What might have been going through the mind of Jairus when people from his own house came to tell him not to bother the teacher any longer? His daughter was dead. It was "too late".

Jesus told him not to be afraid - to just believe - and so he continued to walk with Jesus to his house. When they arrived they already heard crying and wailing. Perhaps Jesus had already healed her from afar for he told them she was not dead but asleep! They laughed at him. How completely astonished they were when he told her to get up and she immediately stood up and began walking around!

Too late for Jesus? Not by a long shot!

Don’t EVER let ANYONE tell you that you’re “too far gone” for Jesus to help you! Things may seem hopeless. Others around you may even be laughing in disbelief. But the real truth is this. No matter what you’ve done… No matter where you’ve been… No matter how far you’ve fallen… It is NEVER “too late” for JESUS!

Let’s pray,

Jesus: You have the power to meet our deepest needs. No matter how bad things get… No matter how far gone or hopeless we may feel… Please help us to remember that it is never too late for us to come to you and for you to put things back into their rightful place. It is never too late for us to put things at your feet and under your control.

And we pray this in Jesus name. AMEN!

Thanks so much for joining us. May you have a very very good day and I hope to see you again tomorrow for day 14 of our ongoing series 40 days with Christ.

* 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.

Give us five minutes a day and we’ll give you 40 Timeless truths to encourage you and your daily walk one for each day! Today is day # 12.

Let’s begin with a quick word of Prayer.

Father in Heaven, thank you for telling us that we can cast our cares upon you because you care about us!  In Jesus name we pray, AMEN!

Our reading today is from Mark chapter 5. Jesus is on his way to the house of a synagogue leader named Jairus to heal the man’s terminally ill daughter. Picking up in first 21 and going through verse 32.

Mark 5:21-34

21 When Jesus had again crossed over by boat to the other side of the lake, a large crowd gathered around him while he was by the lake. 22 Then one of the synagogue leaders, named Jairus, came, and when he saw Jesus, he fell at his feet. 23 He pleaded earnestly with him, “My little daughter is dying. Please come and put your hands on her so that she will be healed and live.” 24 So Jesus went with him.

A large crowd followed and pressed around him. 25 And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. 26 She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. 27 When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, 28 because she thought, “If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.” 29 Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.

30 At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my clothes?”

31 “You see the people crowding against you,” his disciples answered, “and yet you can ask, ‘Who touched me?’ ”

32 But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. 33 Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. 34 He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.”

DISCUSSION:

Ever feel tiny or insignificant? Consider this. Even on his way to the house of someone as important as a synagogue leader, even with people crowded all around him, Jesus stopped everything to look for and to find one quiet person who had reached out and touched his cloak in faith.

Jesus isn’t only interested in those whom the world sees as powerful and important. Jesus is interested in you! And you don’t have to be anyone other than simply who you are in order to be valuable and important to Jesus!

Let’s pray.

Father God,

Even though you are aware of and rule over an entire world full of billions of people each with fears, concerns, joys and pains, thank you for still being aware of and caring for even me. Thank you for your amazing love. And it’s in Jesus name we pray. AMEN!

Thanks for sharing some of your day with me. I hope the rest of yours is very good. Take care and Lord willing, I’ll see you again tomorrow for day 13 of our ongoing series 40 days with Christ!

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 - a daily scripture based word of encouragement from the life of our Lord Jesus Christ. Today is day #11! Let’s start with a word of Prayer. Father in Heaven, Your ways are always best. Help us to love and trust you even when you close a door that we thought you would have gladly opened for us. We pray this in Jesus name. Amen!

Yesterday you’ll remember that Jesus healed a man who had been demon-possessed. Now Jesus is about to depart from the region. The healed man is asking to travel with Jesus and his disciples.

Reading from Mark chapter 5 verses 18 through 20.

18 As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him. 19 Jesus did not let him, but said, “Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” 20 So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed.

Earlier in this series, we saw Jesus walk up the fisherman Simon and Andrew and suddenly tell them to leave their occupation and to follow him. And amazingly, that’s exactly what they did!

Perhaps it is just as surprising however today when we encounter Jesus telling a man who avidly desires to leave his home and to travel with Jesus that he should instead go back to his hometown to tell people how much the Lord had done for him.

How easy it could have been for this man to become discouraged. He wanted to leave everything in order to follow Jesus! And yet he was not allowed to do so.

Like him, we too may have any number of ideas about the ways we think we could be of use of Jesus. But sometimes we discover that Jesus has other plans for us. Of course, Christ’s plans are always best. Scripture tells us that when the man went and told others about Jesus, they were all amazed.

Jesus’ plan for my life might be a little different than his plan for your life. For example, Simon and Andrew needed to leave their home and travel with Jesus physically, but this young man needed to go back to his home to tell his family and neighbors how the Lord had been merciful to him.

We serve the same Father. But we are often called to different areas of service! That might be worth remembering the next time I discover myself accidentally trying to force my own personal gift or calling upon someone else.

Lets pray.

Father in Heaven,

Whenever things don’t go the way we expect or plan, no matter how good our intentions are, whenever we find ourselves tempted to become overly disappointed or perhaps even bitter… Please help us to trust that your plans are best. They aren’t always what we expect and we don’t always understand them at first, but they are always best. When we don’t understand where our life’s pathway is taking us, please help us to walk by faith and not by sight.

In Jesus name, Amen!

Thanks so much for joining us. Have yourself a great day, and I hope we see you again tomorrow for day 12 of our ongoing series 40 days with Christ.