Thoughts From the Bible

Read Mark 4: 1 0 - 19-   Jesus continued to teach the disciples about people in the world. Verses 18 and 19 say,  “And others are the ones sown among thorns. They are those who hear the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for  other things enter in and choke out the word, and it proves unfruitful.”   If there ever was a time when these verses ring  true,  it is now. Our world has become so advanced and there are so many creature comforts available . People are rarely introspective enough to realize they have spiritual needs  all  the stuff of this world cannot satisfy.  I need to  frequently  examine myself and see what I am prioritizing. Am I prioritizing God’s word over the other things in my life? Am I consistently dedicating time to  search for  the motivations of my heart and mind?  I need ton constantly remind myself God is most important and continue to search His wo...

  Read M ark 4: 1 0-17-   Jesus was obvious showing the disciples there were  different kinds  of people who would hear the word of God and respond differently. In verses 16 and 17, He shows the disciples there can be different emotional responses to  hearing about Him,  “ And these are the ones sown on rocky ground; the ones who, when they hear the word,  immediately  receive it with joy. And they have no root in  themselves but  endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution arises on  account  of the word,  immediately  they fall away.”  We have heard the phrase, when the going gets tough, the tough get going. We also know there are those who  don’t   do  tough. Jesus is making it clear we do not want to  be someon e who is  minimally committed. He wants us to be fully committed to Him. Whether good times or bad, He wants us to know His principles will stand through those ti...

Read M ark 4: 1 0- 15-  Jesus was teaching the disciples about parables. While giving meaning to the parable in verses 1 through 10, some did not understand. Jesus wanted those who chose to believe in Him to be able to  understand the parables so they could apply the meanings to their lives.  Verse 13 through 15 say,  ‘And He said to them, “Do you not understand this parable?  How then  will you understand the parables? The  sower  sows the word. And these are the ones along the path, where the word is   sown; when they hear,  Stan  immediately   comes and takes  away the  word  that is sown in them.”’   We have people in the   world today who chose to readily ignore Jesus  Christ,  and anything associated with Him.  They fight to have Jesus  excluded from society in every way they can.  Jesus is telling us Satan has a firm grip on those individuals and will fight to  maint...

Read Mark 4: 1- 9-   Jesus gave the people listening to him a lesson on growing seeds and how to get a good harvest. He was teaching a  spiritual lesson using an example many of the people could relate to  on a daily basis . Verse 8 and 9 say,  “And other seeds fell into good soil and  produced  grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirtyfold and  sixty-fold  and a hundredfold.” and  He said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”   First and foremost , I have the responsibility to make sure my  heart,  and mind is good soil so I can take what I read in the Bible and incorporate it into my daily life.  I also need to be listening to the Holy Spirit so I can be prepared to apply what I learn in the situations I find  myself  daily. It is one thing to be able to repeat what I may have  read,  and it is another thing to be actively watching for what the H oly Spirit may be leading me to do as I ...

Read Mark 3: 31- 35-  Again, Jesus used this situation as a teaching point for the people listening to His teaching. Jesus was not denying His  family but   making His family more inclusive for people.  In verse 35 Jesus said,  “For whoever does the will of God, he is   my brother and sister and mother.”   Jesus does not have levels of acceptance or levels of approval. Jesus loves us all the same and He values us all the same.  Whether it is someone preaching to millions of people or someone caring for a few homeless people at night in the dark, Jesus loves us without  a hierarchy.   I need to remember this when I am looking at the people in my sphere of friends and loved ones. The amount of money and social position they have should not  figure in to how I view them. I need to see everyone equally and help as help is needed without expecting something  from these people in return. This is much easier said than done but Jesus l...

Read Mark 3: 22- 30-  Here is another situation where the scribes were working to find a reason to discredit Jesus. They were  trying to associate Jesus with Satan which they felt would be enough for people to ignore Jesus. Jesus had another opportunity to teach. One principle we can take with us was  written in verses 24 and 25,  “If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand.”   Unfortunately, I have seen churches go from large, vibrant churches to small inconsequential congregations because of division and lack of unity. We have all seen marriages  end  because of two people having different purposes and desires. Jesus is teaching that relationships and organization c annot expect to last if they are divided in their purpose.  I have a responsibility to continue to evaluate what my purpose is and is my personal purpose in line with the principles...

Read Mark 3: 13- 21-  Jesus was doing things for the people that had never been done before. People were astounded by the things Jesus did, and the things Jesus said.   People did not fully understand what was happening. Verse 21 says,  ‘And when His family heard it, they went out to seize Him, for they were saying, “He is out of His mind.”’  Many w e re taken back because th ey did not know the mind of Jesus Christ.  I know I may have been like the others, wondering what was really happening when people were being healed and Jesus was causing such concern among the religious leaders.  I  have to  ask myself this question, “Do I really know the mind of Christ?”  The only way I can do this is to study the scriptures and spend time thinking about the things Jesus did and why He did them. I  need to continue to study what Jesus said and relate those things to the world I am living in and see if these things are consistent. If they are not c...

Read Mark 3: 7- 12-   Jesus knew there was a plan on how He needed to present Himself as Lord of all creation to the world. There was also a timing of His plan that needed to be adhe red to. As Jesus was healing people, those who were demon  possessed  knew who Jesus was. Verses 11 and 12 say,  ‘And whenever the unclean spirits saw Him, they  fell down  before Him and cried out, “You are the  Son of God.” and He strictly ordered them not to make Him known.’  These  two verses show me that there is a spiritual realm that is known to common unclean spirits.  In the physical realm I live in, it is sometimes difficult to fully understand how the spiritual realm works, knowing that Jesus is Lord of it all.  I need to continue to know there is a spiritual struggle that does n ot always  impact  me but is there none-the-less and I need to know my prayers are a way for me to intersect that spiritual realm and listen to Jesus’ voic...

Read Mark 3: 1- 6-   Jesus wanted the people to move away from their legalism and see God more in their daily lives. When there are needs to be met, He wants us to see the need,  not always the circumstances surrounding the need. In verses 4 and 5 Jesus said, ‘ And He said to them, “Is it lawful on the sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?”, but they were silent.  And He looked around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, and said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was restored.’   Jesus showed human emotions,   anger  and grief. He was angered by their shortsightedness and their value or legalism over need. He grieved because they refused to look at their own actions and see what they were doing.  I need to be careful I do  not get caught up in the routine of “how things are supposed to be” and not respond to the needs around me. Not only do I need to run from the whole id...