Love One Another

I was reading Mark 2 the other day and I found it interesting that when Jesus preached everyone listened.  Not only did they listen but there was standing room only.  It was so bad that a group of friends cut a hole in the roof so that they could lower their friend down.  Jesus was in demand; he was the cat’s meow, the hot topic.  What has happened since then?

Jesus is still Jesus, he is still alive, and he is still reaching out to people but why are people not interested in his message anymore?  Do people not need his help anymore?  Are preachers all just so very lousy that no one can stand to listen to them?  Did we, the Church, stop sharing the message of hope?

This leaves one to ponder what is wrong with the Church today?  What traditions do we have today that if Jesus walked in and saw he would look at it and just openly rebel and we would question him about it?  What is it that we have missed about sharing the gospel that he was all over and that it drew people to him?  I live in a nation that is very generous to those who are less fortunate.  I go to a church and work with other churches who will bend over backwards to help the lost, the down trodden, and those in need.  The churches I have belonged to have shown unconditional love to those of the world trying to accept them where they are at so that they will become Christians as well but they don’t, Why?

What I have not seen very much of is the unconditional love of your brother.  For an outsider the mainstream Christian religion looks like a group of people who love God, Love them but love their brother when it is convent.  We say to our brothers, “You better get your life right then come back and talk to me”, “I would be more willing to help you if you did more at church”, “If you really believed in Jesus bad things would not happen to you”, “I can’t help you right now but I will keep you in my prayers”.  What happened to just loving someone when they needed it?  Not because they deserved it but because that’s what Jesus wants us to do.

 

We struggle with loving one another when we are at our worst but that is when we need it the most.  The world looks at us and says why would I want to be a part of this “hating group”?  Jesus says they will know we are Christians by our Love…maybe the world is not seeing that Love.  I am going to take every opportunity I can to extend the unconditional love I was freely given to those around me and maybe it will spread.

Reflections on Mark 9

This life is not about me but about Christ who can be found only in belief.  In the heart of a Child you can see belief, you can see Christ.  In the heart of men is found an unwelcome tenant, a cancer of the soul, a speaker of lies, named logic.  Why do we allow logic and reasoning, skills of the mind, to rule over emotion.  Emotion given as a gift from God.  Have you ever read a tombstone that said, "He lived his life with great logic and reasoning?"  In the end these are not the things that matter...the mind and the things of the mind are left behind.  The soul is the only thing left.  Where is your souls focus?  Is it like a child and focused on belief in Christ?  This is what God is interested in...where is your hearts focus?

In my Sunday morning class the question was asked; "When we get to heaven will we know if loved ones did not make it?"  One young man said it all when he said; "In eternity we will all be looking up.  Some will be in heaven looking up at God in all of his glory others will be in hell looking up at heaven and realizing the mistake they made."  It is that heart like a child that will lead us to belief in Christ and that belief is the first step to receiving the Gift.  I would much rather be looking at His Glory then to be looking at what I missed out on.

Lord help me to have a heart of a child, an unfading belief in Your Son, a desire to worship You forever, and grant me the peace on earth to share your message with those around me.  May the Glory be Your's and Your's alone.  Forever and ever through your Son Jesus the Truth, the Word, the Christ.

Reflections of Mark 1

God loves us and we must reflect that love.  Be careful that others see it as a reflection of Christ and not as if from us.  We must not wait to share this message it must be brought to everyone now!  For Jesus is the POWER!!  He has a plan, a plan of LOVE that we do not understand but if we are willing he is always willing.

In my study of Mathew 20 I find that there is a lot of work to do in the kingdom of heaven.  This work is hard and everyone, regardless of performance, is promised the same reward...eternal life in heaven.  Jesus knows we may not like this hard work and what is going to happen but he wants us to relax...it will be ok...he is the King.  We think we are strong enough to bear this work load but we are not able to without Him.  Jesus is our King and yet he serves us...as an example of how we are to work.  He understands better than we do and has compassion on us when we are hurting; we just need to be faithful and follow him.

Eph. 3:16-21

...That according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith--that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.  Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Thoughts on 10-13-10

As I read Mt. 17 today my thoughts were on the fact that Jesus is the Son of God and even though I have seen miraculous things and truly believe I still try to make some earthly covenant to ground Christ. I also read that we are not to fear God, a weak faith is no good and a strong faith is required. The disciples did not understand why Jesus had to die on the cross for our sins and I am not sure I fully understand why he wanted to die for mine. Sons of God are saved but strangers will perish...we need to all be sons.

All of this lead me to one conclusion...a path to follow more or less.

I need to Fear God when I think I understand him,

Because I have no real understanding of him I must walk by faith,

If I walk by faith, I will have no fear,

God Loves ME more then I will ever understand.