Sacrificial Offering

41 Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. 42 But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny. 43 Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, "Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. 44 They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on."

Mark 12:41-44


What a lesson from Jesus here that gives us a clear view into the heart of God. God is not as concerned about the amount of our offering as He is about the attitude of our heart. In reality, everything that we have belongs to Him and it pleases Him when we are willing to trust Him with not only all of our money but even more so with everything that we are, our secret innermost longings and desires, our deepest hurts and pains, our biggest dreams and hidden fears, everything that we think about or speak about or do to earn a living, our family members, our loved ones, our child that has not yet been born – absolutely everything belongs to Him and what Jesus is really looking for is a sacrificial offering of all to Him. Do this and He will take what you have to give and multiply it 1,000 times over in order that you could truly experience the love and power of God!

Servant's Heart

38 As he taught, Jesus said, "Watch out for the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and be greeted with respect in the marketplaces, 39 and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets. 40 They devour widows' houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. These men will be punished most severely." Mark 12:38-40


Back in the days of Jesus, the teacher’s of the law were not paid a salary, they were dependent on donations from their patrons for their daily needs and thus many of them were corrupt and they took advantage of people, especially widows for financial gain. As you can see, this behavior was just the opposite of what Jesus was teaching about how to live a Godly life. Jesus, by the very nature of what He did during his ministry on earth, teaches us to be servants rather than seeking to be served. It is only in serving others out of a genuine heart that reflects the unconditional and agape love of God that God can use your life for His Kingdom in this world. Jesus came to earth to serve us by offering His very body as a sacrifice in order that you and I could somehow be reconnected to God in a very real and tangible way. In the same way, you and I should follow Jesus’ example and offer ourselves to others, taking on the nature of a servant and always searching for how we can meet the needs of other people in this world who are lost and in desperate need of the greatest gift of all that we have been grateful to receive, Jesus Christ. Stay focused on others today and strive to be a servant of all – do this and you will begin to understand and know the very heart of God!

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Lord of All

35 While Jesus was teaching in the temple courts, he asked, "Why do the teachers of the law say that the Messiah is the son of David? 36 David himself, speaking by the Holy Spirit, declared:
" 'The Lord said to my Lord:
"Sit at my right hand
until I put your enemies
under your feet." ' [h]
37 David himself calls him 'Lord.' How then can he be his son?"
The large crowd listened to him with delight.

Mark 12:35-37


Jesus was implying here by this question to the Jews whom He was teaching in the temple courts that He, the Messiah, was much more than just a descendant of David but that the Messiah was indeed the Son of God, the Lord of all creation. All who call themselves Christ followers are in a sense surrendering the control and ownership of their lives to Jesus Christ. The dictionary defines “Lord” as: “A person who has authority, control, or power over others; a master, chief, or ruler.” If you call yourself a Christ follower and claim to have a relationship with Jesus, then Jesus should be the Lord of everything that you say and do. Your decision making for even the smallest decisions should be based on discerning the best choice that you can make in regards to how that decision will affect your relationship with Jesus Christ. You are not your own, you have been bought with a price and Jesus Christ is the Lord of your life if indeed you have accepted His awesome gift of love into your heart and life. When the world looks at you do they see Jesus? Surrender to His Lordship today as you rest in His love and live your life for the King!

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Love God - Love Others

28 One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?"

29 "The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. [e] 30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' 31 The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' [g] There is no commandment greater than these."

32 "Well said, teacher," the man replied. "You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him. 33 To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices."

34 When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." And from then on no one dared ask him any more questions.

Mark 12:28-34

Love should be the one thing that consumes the mind, the heart, soul and actions of every believer. This whole idea of being a Christ follower is rooted in love. For it is because of God's compassionate love for His Creation that He created a way through Jesus Christ for you and I to be restored to Him in relationship. God, knowing full well how mankind would turn on Him and choose to live apart from His Holiness, created you and I just the same, with a free will and mind of our own in order that we could choose to love Him of our own accord. Then, when sin was committed by Adam and Eve, who made a choice to be separated from God's will and dominion over their lives, God immediately engaged His plan of redemption that involved the ultimate act of love and sacrifice as He became one of us and died a horrible death of shame and humiliation on a cross in order to restore us and set us free from the bondage of sin and separation from Him. God is love and it is because of his extraordinary love for you and me that we even exist or that we even have any hope for the future or any eternal home in heaven where we will be perfectly reunited with our Creator, Lover and Friend for the rest of eternity. Express your love to our well deserving God today, give Him your heart, give Him your will and your plan for your life today as He will take your love sacrifice and turn it into something indescribable and amazing as He uses your life to share His amazing love with the world around you.

We love you Lord and we long to serve you and worship you and live our lives for you until that day when we can be forever together in perfect peace and happiness!

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God of the Living

18 Then the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to him with a question. 19 "Teacher," they said, "Moses wrote for us that if a man's brother dies and leaves a wife but no children, the man must marry the widow and raise up offspring for his brother. 20 Now there were seven brothers. The first one married and died without leaving any children. 21 The second one married the widow, but he also died, leaving no child. It was the same with the third. 22 In fact, none of the seven left any children. Last of all, the woman died too. 23 At the resurrection whose wife will she be, since the seven were married to her?"

24 Jesus replied, "Are you not in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God? 25 When the dead rise, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven. 26 Now about the dead rising—have you not read in the Book of Moses, in the account of the burning bush, how God said to him, 'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob' ? 27 He is not the God of the dead, but of the living. You are badly mistaken!"


The Sadducees, just as some of us do from time to time, were more concerned about their interaction and relationship with God in heaven than they were about what God would want to do in their lives right then. Here was Jesus Christ, the son of God, standing in front of them, in the flesh and they just didn't get it. Jesus is standing if front of you and me today, in His risen form, by His Spirit. Jesus wants to love you with an everlasting love, not just in heaven, but right now, right where you are He wants to wipe away away your tears and start the process of healing and restoration to your hurting heart. Our God is indeed the God of the living and He wants nothing more than a relationship with you today - a relationship where you put your trust in Him and you seek His will for your life and you live by the power of His Spirit who will come and live inside of everyone who believes and invites Him in. Seek Him today with all of your heart; tell Him your worries and ask Him for guidance as Jesus cares about every little detail of your life and He knows everything that you will encounter today. He can indeed be trusted as His love will never fail. Jump into this awesome love relationship today!

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Trickery

13 Later they sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians to Jesus to catch him in his words. 14 They came to him and said, "Teacher, we know that you are a man of integrity. You aren't swayed by others, because you pay no attention to who they are; but you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it right to pay the imperial tax [b] to Caesar or not? 15 Should we pay or shouldn't we?"
But Jesus knew their hypocrisy. "Why are you trying to trap me?" he asked. "Bring me a denarius and let me look at it." 16 They brought the coin, and he asked them, "Whose image is this? And whose inscription?"
"Caesar's," they replied.
17 Then Jesus said to them, "Give back to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's."
And they were amazed at him.

Mark 12:17

The Pharisees here tried their best to trick Jesus into making a statement that would make Him very unpopular with the Jews that were indeed listening to His teaching. They even used words of flattery to start in an effort to portray that they actually believed in Him and who He was, when in fact they were only trying to subdue the effectiveness of His ministry by trapping Him into making a statement that would not be popular among the Jews. Jesus, as He always did during His ministry here on earth, completely amazed both the Pharisees and those who were listening by His answer. In essence, a relationship with Jesus Christ involves much more than just being obedient with your money. A relationship with Jesus is a daily walk of Faith whereas you think and act under the control of the Spirit who lives inside the heart of every believer. A relationship with Jesus means that you obey the rules of the land, knowing full well that everything that you have and everything that you are belongs to Jesus as you have been bought with a price, the price of Jesus’ blood on the cross. A relationship with Jesus means that you willingly pay taxes, knowing full well that all of the financial resources that God has blessed you with are His and that you are just a steward and manager of what God has given you. Be a good steward today by staying connected to Christ who lives inside and who is longing for a life that would surrender completely to Him.

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Cornerstone

Jesus then began to speak to them in parables: "A man planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a pit for the wine press and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and moved to another place. 2 At harvest time he sent a servant to the tenants to collect from them some of the fruit of the vineyard. 3 But they seized him, beat him and sent him away empty-handed. 4 Then he sent another servant to them; they struck this man on the head and treated him shamefully. 5 He sent still another, and that one they killed. He sent many others; some of them they beat, others they killed.6 "He had one left to send, a son, whom he loved. He sent him last of all, saying, 'They will respect my son.'7 "But the tenants said to one another, 'This is the heir. Come, let's kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.' 8 So they took him and killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard.9 "What then will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others. 10 Haven't you read this passage of Scripture:
" 'The stone the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;11 the Lord has done this,
and it is marvelous in our eyes' "Mark 11:15-17

Yesterday I was feeling a little rejected, a little unloved and unappreciated as a result of my beliefs on a certain subject that is closely related to my faith. This morning Jesus reminds me through this parable how He was rejected and how He was unjustly tortured and killed all the while knowing that it was going to happen and yet willing to suffer through it in order that our relationship with God could be restored and renewed through His sacrifice. And now today, His love abounds, even to those who nailed Him to a cross and even to you and I as we, at times, nail Him to a cross all over again through our sin. He continues to pursue us and to love us in the midst of rejection and in the midst of choices that are not in alignment with His will for our lives because He is love and because His love is so much bigger and so much greater than we could ever begin to comprehend or imagine. Jesus is our cornerstone today as we are forever anchored in His almighty, unconditional and unfailing love that will never let us go!

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Trying to Outthink God

They arrived again in Jerusalem, and while Jesus was walking in the temple courts, the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders came to him. "By what authority are you doing these things?" they asked. "And who gave you authority to do this?" Jesus replied, "I will ask you one question. Answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. John's baptism—was it from heaven, or of human origin? Tell me!" They discussed it among themselves and said, "If we say, 'From heaven,' he will ask, 'Then why didn't you believe him?' But if we say, 'Of human origin' . . . ." (They feared the people, for everyone held that John really was a prophet.) So they answered Jesus, "We don't know."
Jesus said, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things."

Mark 11:27-33

The cool thing about God is that you can never outthink Him! Even your most compelling intellectual argument that your mind may dream up about why this Jesus thing couldn't possibly be true will be seen as foolish nonsense when filtered by the All Powerful Word and Spirit of our Father in Heaven. There have been many who have set out to prove that the Bible and that the accounts of Christianity are wrong and in the process have turned their life over to the power and authority of Jesus Christ. The problem, or better yet, the blessing is that there is something supernatural that happens as you read the Word of God. There is something supernatural that happens as you surrender and do His will out of a heart that is committed to serving Him no matter what the task. There is something supernatural that happens as you set out to do the improbable or even the impossible when measured by human standards of logic and reason and you just trust and obey with a child like faith that will always prove true. Don't try to outthink Him today, just surrender, believe and obey!

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Faith - Belief - Forgiveness

"Have faith in God," Jesus answered. "Truly I tell you, if you say to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and do not doubt in your heart but believe that what you say will happen, it will be done for you. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your

sins."

Mark 11: 22-26

We hear from Jesus this morning how there are two reasons that our prayers as his children are not answered. 1.) We pray with doubting hearts that do not believe 2.) We pray with bitterness in our hearts toward other people, not forgiving them as Christ has forgiven and continues to forgive us for our sins against Him. So, today, pray with confidence out of a sincere heart that God can and will answer your cry for help and be sure to always forgive others and show them the unconditional love and Grace that your Father in Heaven has so lovingly shown to you, though you are undeserving, time and time again. As you communicate with God out of a heart that is truly seeking and surrendering to His call on your life you will find the power within to forgive and to believe in God's loving kindness and providence. Your prayers will change to prayers that honor Him and seek His will and oh how He will answer and come through for you no matter what your circumstance, if you would only believe!

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Hunger and Thirst for Righteousness

The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. 13 Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs. 14 Then he said to the tree, "May no one ever eat fruit from you again." And his disciples heard him say it.

Mark 11:12-14

“Jesus was hungry”, our God knows what it was like to feel pain and hunger and emptiness as the Bible says that Jesus was fully God and fully man at the same time. Jesus understands the condition of the human heart that has been separated from God as a result of original sin. He understands our brokenness and need for restoration and healing and reunion with our Creator. He knows what the future holds and how we will reject Him and spit on Him and eventually murder Him and He understands that all of that needed to happen in order for you and I to be free and alive and restored in relationship to our Father in Heaven who is the only one who can fulfill us and make us whole. Knowing all of this we sense Jesus’ frustration with the Jewish nation and we see by this act here His disappointment in their unbelief and fruitless deeds that were of selfish intent and that yielded no fruit for His Kingdom. Jesus wants you and I to bear fruit as a result of His Spirit being in control of our lives today! He wants you to experience the fulfillment and joy and indescribable peace and love that only come as we let His will and His Spirit shine forth in our lives through surrender. He wants us to hunger and thirst for righteousness in such a way that we are healed and restored by The Master Healer and thus can help to feed all of the other empty and lonely souls with whom we come into contact every day; not by anything that we do ourselves but by simply surrendering our will to His and through surrendering our thoughts to His thoughts in such a way that He can be seen through us and have a positive impact on the lost and lonely and hurting people that are all around us who are in desperate need of a Savior. Let your life bear fruit today for the Kingdom as you live your life for Jesus!

Jesus Has the Crystal Ball

As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples, 2 saying to them, "Go to the village ahead of you, and just as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. 3 If anyone asks you, 'Why are you doing this?' say, 'The Lord needs it and will send it back here shortly.' "

Mark 11:1-3

I love the beginning of this story as it is a good reminder of how our God knows exactly what we are going to encounter today. In fact, God knows how your entire life will play out; He knows the failures that you will make, the successes that you will enjoy, the hurt that you will encounter – He can see it all because He created it; He created you and He loves you despite your shortcomings and brokenness. He has a plan to mold you and shape you and use your life in an extraordinary way as you just learn to love Him more. So, keep your eyes and your mind focused on God’s Spirit today who lives inside and He will guide and direct your path into the abundant life with Him that He had planned for you before the beginning of time. There is no need to fear the future as Jesus has the crystal ball and His faithfulness is perfect and complete and never-ending and His love will consume you, restore you and never let you go.

Ask Him

Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (which means "son of Timaeus"), was sitting by the roadside begging. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!" Jesus stopped and said, "Call him." So they called to the blind man, "Cheer up! On your feet! He's calling you." Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus. "What do you want me to do for you?" Jesus asked him. The blind man said, "Rabbi, I want to see." "Go," said Jesus, "your faith has healed you." Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.

Mark 10:46-52

Sometimes, the realization of a miracle in a person’s life is as simple as having the boldness and humility to ask God to come into your situation and then having the faith to believe that He will answer your call for help. I love how Jesus, who is all knowing, on various occasions throughout His ministry asks questions of people, questions to which he already knows the answer, but questions that prompt faith and action on the part of His followers. What Jesus is longing for more than anything today is for you to cry out to Him with all of your heart; He wants you to tell Him your needs and your hurts and your deep desires in order that His Spirit can come in and do a miracle of restoration on your doubting heart. Sometimes the miracle will be in changed circumstances in your life that are very real and tangible and other times the miracle will be in a changed heart that has been stirred and quieted by our awesome God! Cry out to Him today.

Leadership is to Serve Others

They were on their way up to Jerusalem, with Jesus leading the way, and the disciples were astonished, while those who followed were afraid. Again he took the Twelve aside and told them what was going to happen to him. "We are going up to Jerusalem," he said, "and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles, who will mock him and spit on him, flog him and kill him. Three days later he will rise." Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him. "Teacher," they said, "we want you to do for us whatever we ask." "What do you want me to do for you?" he asked. They replied, "Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory." "You don't know what you are asking," Jesus said. "Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?" "We can," they answered. Jesus said to them, "You will drink the cup I drink and be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared." When the ten heard about this, they became indignant with James and John. Jesus called them together and said, "You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

Mark 10:32-45

As I think about the upcoming election, I wonder what the true motives are of the two candidates; I wonder what the true motives are of my own heart in choosing one candidate over another. I was at a business seminar last week where I heard a speaker suggest that voting for a particular candidate would undoubtedly assure a huge rise in taxes for me personally and at first that sounded like a good enough reason for me to choose the other. After a wake up call this past Sunday from a leader who I respect and admire very much, I am convinced that to base my vote on personal gain is not how God would want me to choose. No, Jesus is very clear here that to be His follower, to be a leader, to be a citizen that reflects His image is to make decisions that are based, not on my own personal gain but on the personal gain of others who may be just a little less fortunate or who may be lonely or lost or unemployed or most of all who need to experience God in the same way that I have been so richly blessed. As you ponder the election in the coming weeks, remember this quote from NBA legend Michael Jordon who once said:, “Heart is what separates the good from the great”. Where is your heart? Is it focused on yourself or focused on others as a result of the great and awesome God that you serve? Choose today to be great by living your life today and every day with a heart that is servant of all.

All Things are Possible

The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, "Who then can be saved?" Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God." Peter said to him, "We have left everything to follow you!" "I tell you the truth," Jesus replied, "no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age (homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields--and with them, persecutions) and in the age to come, eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first."

Mark 10:26-31 (TNIV)

Our God is so amazing! He is so powerful, so loving and so truthful to His word and promises. All things are possible for those who believe and put their trust in Him! I sit here this morning at my desk with tears of joy in my eyes as a result of God’s providence and hand of blessing on my and Paula’s life as a result of activities that have happened this week that were very scary and that could have gone either way. I’ve done nothing to deserve such amazing love and am so humbled by God’s presence and the direction and care that He has for me as He guides my steps and directs me with His love through this crazy yet awesome journey that we have been on together. I give God all the Glory and vow to live for Him and to share His love with everyone that I meet for the rest of my days here on this earth until that wonderful, glorious day when we will meet face to face and spend the rest of eternity together. Praise God from whom all blessings flow, praise Him all creatures here below; Praise Him above, ye heavenly host; Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Surrender your whole heart to Him today, for He is worthy and His faithfulness and love are so amazing and never-ending. I love you Lord!

Child-Like Faith and Obedience

“Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the Kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”

Mark 10:15 (TNIV)


Once again Jesus describes here to his disciples how the attitude and acceptance of Jesus into the life of a believer should be one comparable to that of a little child. God is continually teaching me in a very real way how this child-like faith looks in my every day walk and journey with Him. This past week, Paula and I had a couple interested in purchasing our house that has been on the market for over a year. After two trips from a far away state to have a look, several inquiries on the neighborhood and home owner’s association and countless other questions and emails they decided against it. The cool thing is that a year ago if this had happened I would have been very discouraged and upset and would have had a feeling of helplessness and defeat, however, in a way I am very encouraged as I know deep in my heart that my Father in Heaven has a master plan and that His timing is perfect and that His love is all that we need to sustain us and carry us through. Similarly, today and tomorrow I am going through an assessment process at work that is undoubtedly one of the most important processes that I will go through or have gone through so far in my 20 year career in the tire industry. I feel totally inadequate and have a fear of the unknown and it is just like Jesus to remind me here this morning as I continue on in the book of Mark how this is exactly the way that He would want it; me totally and completely dependent upon Him and on His strength, providence, plan and direction for my life; having the attitude of a little child. God wants you today to do the same, to put your faith completely in Him, to rest in His love and to trust completely in His plan for your life. Remember His words in Jeremiah 29:11 when He says, “For I know that plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.” Trust and rest in God’s amazing love today as you live your life for the King.

Soft Hearts becoming One

Some Pharisees came and tested him by asking, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?" "What did Moses command you?" he replied. They said, "Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce and send her away." "It was because your hearts were hard that Moses wrote you this law," Jesus replied. "But at the beginning of creation God 'made them male and female.' 'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.' So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate." When they were in the house again, the disciples asked Jesus about this. He answered, "Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her. And if she divorces her husband and marries another man, she commits adultery."

Mark 10:2-12 (TNIV)

In exactly two weeks and one day, Paula and I will celebrate 14 years of God softening our hearts in such a way that He is molding and shaping us to become one in Him in this beautiful and blessed gift that He has given both of us in the covenant of marriage. I had an opportunity to share with a colleague yesterday who has been married only for a short time and is struggling just a bit with this process of change and restoration in His marriage how the years with my beautiful wife Paula have not always been easy but how with a little effort and a little help from God’s Spirit that He can and will make it through the tough times in his marriage and will realize that marriage is the most awesome gift from above that he will ever receive from our Father in heaven. God’s plan never meant for us to change spouses like we change cars or houses or to give up when the going gets tough in the sacrament of marriage, no, His plan is to let His Holy Spirit sacrificially change us from the inside out in a way that the bond between a husband and wife would reflect His love, power and grace to the lost and lonely world around us in such a way that they would see and know that Jesus is our Lord and Savior and that He is very much alive and working in the lives of men and women who have committed to love and enjoy each other forever. Let God’s Spirit soften your heart today as you thank Him for the awesome gift of your spouse and as you commit once more to sacrificially love your husband or wife just as Jesus loves you. In the end you will realize as I have that as hard as this process of change in your marriage has been that it is the best gift that you will ever receive on this side of heaven.

Salt - The Power of Grace and Love

Everyone will be salted with fire. "Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with each other."

Mark 9:49-50 (TNIV)

Salt is used to cure, to preserve to add flavor and taste. Our relationship with Jesus, as we walk daily with Him, being directed by His Spirit somehow mysteriously restores our broken hearts in a way that our life with Christ is appealing to others by God’s grave covering up our own sin and weakness and deficiencies. God calls us as his children to be the “salt of the earth”, to be set apart from the sin and selfishness that exists all around us in a world that has chosen to live for themselves instead of surrendering to the miracle of Jesus Christ and the abundant life and relationship that He offers all who call on His name. And so, it is up to you today to live in such a way that your life is so surrendered to the will of God and to the direction of God’s Spirit who lives inside that the world would see Jesus who’s love is so appealing, preserving and so undeserved, but nevertheless, alive and piercing and penetrating the hearts of all who do not yet know Him as their Lord and Savior. Die to yourself today, surrender your life for the cause of Christ in order that the rest of the world could taste and see Jesus through you.

Intentional Holiness

If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, where the fire never goes out. And if your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than to have two feet and be thrown into hell. And if your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, where "'their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.'

Mark 9:42 (TNIV)

Understand today that living a Holy life which enables you to experience God’s presence and love in an extraordinary way does not just happen in this life. Yes, of course, God through His Spirit who lives inside of you will give you all of the power that you need to be victorious and to die to your own selfish and fleshly desires, however, it is up to you to engage this power by intentionally putting boundaries in place that will keep your old ways of the sinful nature at bay. Jesus is very clear here that it takes some intentional action on our part as His followers to resist temptation in order that we could be free to live for Him and in order that we could really live the God given purpose for our lives that is full of abundance, peace, love and every good thing that you could ever imagine! Personally, I want more than anything to be used by God and to experience His love and power in my life and I understand that it is up to me to walk the narrow way that is not always easy at times and that may cause pain to my flesh as I die to my own selfish desires and as I die to my own will in order that God could enact His will in and through my life. Although this process is not easy and there will be times when you will fail, keep in mind two things as you pursue this life of Holiness. 1.) God’s grace and love is big enough to cover any defeat or any shortfall that will happen to you along the journey. 2.) The rewards for your efforts to move toward God and to obey His commands in such a way that you die to your self in order that you could live for Him and begin to really know Jesus in a personal way, don’t even compare to the short lived perceived pleasure that you will experience if you choose to live for yourself. Be intentional today concerning your relationship with Jesus Christ – put aside the things of the flesh that will only cause you pain and separation from God and move toward the narrow road which leads to a love relationship with your Creator that is indescribable and never ending!

Mindful of Others

"If anyone causes one of these little ones--those who believe in me--to stumble, it would be better for them if a large millstone were hung around their neck and they were thrown into the sea.

Mark 9:42 (TNIV)

Be careful today, and every day, how you live if you call yourself a Christ follower. Always pay attention to how your actions and your words may be perceived by other Christians as we read here this morning a very strong warning from Jesus pertaining to how our actions may be a stumbling block to other Christ followers who have different areas of brokenness than you and I do. I recently was blessed by an opportunity to celebrate the release of my first Journey Bread book at a nearby gift shop. The shop owner had offered to supply champagne to the guests from a very sincere and heartfelt motive of just wanting the celebration to be the very best and first class. After praying about this decision as to the refreshments as well as the owner discussing the details of the event with her staff, we all decided that the best thing to do would be to serve punch as to not offend anyone or be a stumbling block to other brothers or sisters who may have a problem with alcohol. You see, it may be perfectly fine for you to have a glass of wine with dinner for instance while to another, a glass of wine would be a sin as it would cause a domino effect in their lives as one glass would not be enough and a downward spiral of drunkenness and separation from God would occur. Always live your life in a way that encourages others to draw near to God, in a way that promotes living a Holy life that is very different from the world around you. The apostle Peter describes how our lives should appear to the world around us in 2 Peter 2:11 when he says: “Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul.” It is easy to forget in these days of relativity and social acceptance that as a Christ follower you are called to a higher standard; a much higher calling that will indeed cause you at times to appear as a stranger to this lost world of sin that is crying out for something different, for someone to share with them this supernatural love that you have been blessed with by our Father in Heaven which causes you to live much differently than other colleagues and friends and family members. Step out and be different today, let your light shine in this dark world so that others may see and know that Jesus is alive and believe.