Some times when life is heavy it feels like I am burdened with a tremendous weight or pulling a sleigh full of stuff. I feel bogged down. Sometimes the sleigh gets heavier as I go. Another 5 pound weight of hurt is added because of a hurtful thing said, another 50 lbs because of something I did and feel guilty for and so life goes. Heavier and heavier the load gets until Satan has rendered me useless.
Isn't it grand though when we remember that God forgives, that he is there for us in every valley and wants us to live weightless and free.
Kari Jobe - The More I Seek You w/lyrics
Beautiful Things - Gungor Lyric Video
Brandon Heath Your Love - Fisher of Men
Thursday, 31 January 2013
Deny myself, really? (Mark 8:34-38)
Could Jesus really be asking me to deny myself for the furthering of his kindom?
Mark 8:34-38 (http://www.biblegateway.com)
New International Version (NIV)
The Way of the Cross
34 Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 35 For whoever wants to save their life[a] will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. 36 What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? 37 Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? 38 If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.”
Tuesday, 29 January 2013
Is my heart pure (Mark 7:20-23 )
Is my heart pure? What am I doing to maintain it, to feed it so that it is pure and my thoughts are pure?
Mark 7:20-23 (http://www.biblegateway.com)
Mark 7:20-23 (http://www.biblegateway.com)
New International Version (NIV)
20 He went on: “What comes out of a person is what defiles them. 21 For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come—sexual immorality, theft, murder, 22 adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. 23 All these evils come from inside and defile a person.”
with out honor in your home town???
Could it be that a person could be without honor in their own home town, amongst their own people? Do you ever feel like you have to go else where to be appreciated, to be recognised? Have you ever thought that you have gifts and talents that people close to you are just not recognising? Jesus knew too what it was like not to be appreciated.
Mark 6:1-6 (http://www.biblegateway.com)
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.
Mark 6:1-6 (http://www.biblegateway.com)
New International Version (NIV)
A Prophet Without Honor
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,[a] 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.
Monday, 28 January 2013
your faith has healed you (Mark 5:25-34)
Can you imagine to having such faith in someone, that simply toughing them would make you well?
Mark 5:25-34 (http://www.biblegateway.com)
Mark 5:25-34 (http://www.biblegateway.com)
New International Version (NIV)
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.”
God still heals today, we have experienced it.
Kari Jobe Healer
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.”
God still heals today, we have experienced it.
Kari Jobe Healer
demon posessed pigs (Mark 5:1-2, 11-13)
Growing up on a pig farm, I often thought the pigs were kinda stupid, ok really, really stupid. They were relentless in snorting and snouting around and pestering ya, kinda like they were demon possessed. The below story reminds me of them and at times I wished they would have rushed into a lake and drown.
Mark 5:1-2, 11-13 (http://www.biblegateway.com)
Mark 5:1-2, 11-13 (http://www.biblegateway.com)
New International Version (NIV)
They went across the lake to the region of the Gerasenes.2 When Jesus got out of the boat, a man with an impure spirit came from the tombs to meet him..............11 A large herd of pigs was feeding on the nearby hillside. 12 The demons begged Jesus, “Send us among the pigs; allow us to go into them.” 13 He gave them permission, and the impure spirits came out and went into the pigs. The herd, about two thousand in number, rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned.
Sunday, 27 January 2013
Am I like a cactus
What kinda Christian am I, am I prickly like a cactus or am I warm and welcoming? Am I rule based or love based? What am I doing to sell Christianity as something that is appealing?
If I am quick to judge and point out a flaw, is that Christ like? In the bible Jesus loved on the tax collectors and on the prostitutes and shoved the rules in the face of those who put rules first and tried to corner him with them like say those Pharisee types.
Perhaps we should love first. Maybe if I love God with all my heart, following him and trying to live pure would be a by product. Maybe trying to abide by rule first and love latter isn't the way to go. It doesn't seem like that was Jesus example.
And Jesus said the greatest commandment is to ......Love
Matthew 22:36-40
If I am quick to judge and point out a flaw, is that Christ like? In the bible Jesus loved on the tax collectors and on the prostitutes and shoved the rules in the face of those who put rules first and tried to corner him with them like say those Pharisee types.
Perhaps we should love first. Maybe if I love God with all my heart, following him and trying to live pure would be a by product. Maybe trying to abide by rule first and love latter isn't the way to go. It doesn't seem like that was Jesus example.
And Jesus said the greatest commandment is to ......Love
Matthew 22:36-40
New International Version (NIV)
36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’[a] 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[b] 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’[a] 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[b] 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
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