Mineral Springs Church of Christ Podcast

Sometimes it's hard to believe that Jesus was tempted in all things just as we are. Lee Henson uses the story of Jesus' temptation by Satan in the wilderness to show that, indeed, Jesus faced the same temptations we do: lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and pride of life. We are tempted, but God will always provide a way of escape; the key is staying alert and looking for the way out. When we realize everyone is tempted, we will understand that we must submit to God, stand with Jesus, and resist Satan. In our submission, we can stand up to the devil through the power of God.

Stephen Woods of Dallas, Texas, uses Mark 9:14-29 and the story of Jesus healing a boy with a demon to compare those who were present at the scene to their counterparts today and see how they react to Jesus. The groups consist of 1) the boy and his father; 2) the crowd of onlookers; 3) the scribes; and 4) the disciples. The boy and his father represent those who need help, relief. The onlookers want to see something new, different, and exciting; they like seeing Jesus and what He can do but may not be interested in accepting him. The scribes, men who spent their time writing copies of the law, came with their preconceived ideas; they knew the law but were unwilling to allow God to change them. They were there to stir up trouble. Finally, the disciples are there. One would think they were close enough to Jesus to know what they needed to know, but that was not necessarily true. If they did, why couldn't they cast the demon out of the boy themselves? They had the power. Jesus had given it to them. Jesus says that faith is required, and the way to build faith is to draw closer to God. They find out that with faith, all things are possible. When you consider these four groups, to whom do you relate?

God always hears His people's grief. Willie Williams III of Dallas reminds listeners that while God is always concerned for and listening to the prayers of His people for relief, the answers to those prayers will not always be immediate. He may be preparing a Moses to lead His people out of bondage. He may be preparing a Gideon to lead a small army. Be assured God is always there, but know that the relief we desire may be delayed because God is preparing not just an answer, but the best solution to our problems whether that be a preparation of ourselves, another person, or a situation. “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts (Isaiah 55:8-9).

Mike Ireland of Searcy, Arkansas, reminds listeners that God is a God of grace, using Ephesians 2: 1-10 as his text. The apostle Paul reminds the Ephesians in the first three verses how they were, and it is not a complimentary picture. They were dead in their transgressions and sins, disobedient, depraved, and doomed. Ephesians 2:4-5 reveal that God took care of the terrible predicament they and all humans are in. Ireland says that we have trouble with grace because we don't get rewarded for what we do! We are created for good works (Eph. 2:10), but we do those works because we're saved, not in order to be saved. God credits the righteousness of Christ to us. He doesn't owe us. His grace takes the burden away. We are His workmanship; we are His poem, and as such, we are a reflection of the author. We should say thank you throughout our lives.

Jimmy Hubbard of near Batesville, Arkansas, reminds listeners that while many things have changed over the years, God has not. He still calls people everywhere to repent. Hubbard expounds upon the definition of repentance from a Biblical perspective and tells listeners that a refusal to repent brings dire consequences today just as it did during Bible times. He urges the audience to examine their lives. Are we doing more for ourselves than for God? Are we seeking everything else and leaving God to second place? Many things have changed, but God is still God, and He still calls men to repent. 

David Blevins of Ottawa, Kansas, tells listeners that so many miracles surrounded no other event as much as that of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. This event's magnitude was marked by six miracles as well as two miracles that were requested but refused by Jesus culminating in the greatest miracle of all: the resurrection of Christ. It was in these signs (miracles) that God's presence in the crucifixion was displayed.

David Blevins of Ottawa, Kansas, tells listeners that so many miracles surrounded no other event as much as that of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. This event's magnitude was marked by six miracles as well as two miracles that were requested but refused by Jesus culminating in the greatest miracle of all: the resurrection of Christ. It was in these signs (miracles) that God's presence in the crucifixion was displayed.

Ken Dye tells the story of a poor little boy who really wanted to see a circus. He begged his father to get to go, and the father finally agreed he could if he finished his chores first. After finishing his chores, the father gave him a crumpled dollar bill and sent him on his way.  As the little boy drew near the town, he heard the band, and his excitement grew. He came to Main Street, and he saw the circus parade; he saw sights he had never seen: trapeze artists, elephants, and clowns. At the end of the parade was a clown with big floppy shoes and a big red nose. The little boy ran up to the clown and handed him his dollar and turned and went home. You see, the little boy thought he had seen the circus, but he had only seen the parade. As Christians, we must raise our vision to a higher horizon. We're a part of how God works. We want to learn how God works and be a part of the spiritual process. Through the story of Zechariah and John the Baptist in Luke 1, Dye tells listeners that amazing things happen when we serve and pray. 

Have you noticed that as we have more opportunities for connection, we are becoming more and more disconnected? Matt Carter reminds listeners that as God's people, we represent a living example of connection. We are united. We are one. The Bible doesn't say become one. It says we are one.! As such, we must clothe ourselves from God's closet. We are to put on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.  Being clothed with Christ affects the way we treat one another, and yet it has been said that most American Christians never enter a deep enough experience of community to even put passages like Colossians 3:12-17 into practice. Do we deliberately orchestrate our lives so that we don't have to do the hard things God has commanded? It is worth an examination of our lives to find out.

Sight is complicated! Not only does it involve physical eyes, but it also involves background knowledge and context. We don't all see the same things in the same way, and we don't always understand what we are seeing. Kraig Martin of Harding University in Searcy, Arkansas, discusses Jesus' healing of two blind men as recorded in the gospel of Mark to help listeners understand the nuances of sight. Neither of the blind men could physically see before their encounter with Jesus, who restored their physical sight. Physical blindness, however, is not the only blindness one can experience. We tend to interpret what we see based on our knowledge and sometimes our preconceived ideas. Peter believed Jesus was the Christ, the Messiah, but he imagined Him as an earthly king, one who would defeat and expel the Romans, one who would restore the kingdom of Israel. For a time, he saw what he wanted  to see. Jesus had to open Peter's eyes, like he did for all the disciples, healing Peter's blindness to the reality of the Messiah's kingdom. Through Jesus, we can experience true sight that will reveal to us the beauty of the kingdom of God.