Are you ignoring the message of the cross?
3 Mar 26
Today's devotional: taken from YouVersion, Devotions on F.I.R.E. Year One
Readings:
Numbers 30
Numbers 31
Mark 9:30-50
Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me (Mark 8:34).
Are you ignoring the message of the cross?
Jesus clearly tells His disciples, “The Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill Him. And after He is killed, He will rise the third day” (Mark 9:31). Shortly thereafter Jesus asks His followers what they were discussing on the road. Mark records, “But they kept silent, for on the road they had disputed among themselves who would be the greatest” (Mark 9:34). They will once again show their gross insensitivity (Mark 10:32-45). Jesus doesn’t correct the disciples for desiring to be great, but does strive to change their selfish worldview on how to become great. “If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all” (Mark 9:35).
Employment Point: Don’t ignore the message of the cross and become self-centered.
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Reflections
Just did a training on Saturday and the core of the training actually falls on having a servant heart. We find that people do not understand and a lot of times, they bring with them a mentality that says “I know already, what is there to learn?” Or “I have x number of years of experience under my belt, is there anything that I do not know?” That is exactly where the problem lies.
I’m not saying experience doesn’t count. It counts for sure! Because those experiences will help and also guide others to avoid mistakes. It teaches others what textbooks cannot teach! However, one needs to understand in the God’s kingdom, experience is not everything. The Lord calls not the qualified but qualifies the called. He will use the least of people to shame the prideful. So we need to keep reflecting and do self-checks on ourselves. Whether we are feeling too complacent, whether we are full of pride or ego. It is exactly those things that are preventing us from growing. Making us stagnant. Because we believe that we are already good. No need to learn, or relearn.
In a simple organisational setting, it is also the older workers who refused to change who will become obsolete. The world changes, technology advances but they are stuck in an era that belonged to the olden times. Without any upgrading of skills or refusing to learn new things, often times they find that they cannot catch up with what’s happening. Not forgetting that there are some form of stubbornness involved. It is almost certain where that is leading to. Which is why you see some people till this day who doesn’t know how to use the handphone, know nothing about computers, etc. they are extreme cases.
When we look at our spiritual life it is also largely similar. When we stopped learning and tell ourselves we already know, that is where danger starts. Worse yet if it is a case when we know that we are unsure and yet we are not doing anything to savage that. Perhaps the love of other things took over the place of Jesus or perhaps, we are just being too comfortable doing something else.
“These are the regulations the Lord gave Moses concerning relationships between a man and his wife, and between a father and his young daughter still living at home.”Numbers 30:16 NIV
- Somehow the man in a woman’s life has some kind of lordship over their life in the olden times, with the exception if they are widows or divorced then whatever they say as vows are binding to the Lord. If however their husband or father heard their vows and disagrees then their vows are nullified. In a way, we see how God see the importance of how God wants us to honour our parents and our husband, besides Him.
- From the commentary-However, we need to read this through the eyes of the New Testament, and in particular through the words of the apostle Paul – that in Christ there is neither male nor female (Galatians 3:28). This passage in Numbers is responding to a cultural context, not establishing a principle about gender.
“Among their victims were Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur and Reba—the five kings of Midian. They also killed Balaam son of Beor with the sword.”
Numbers 31:8 NIV
- we read in the earlier chapter that Balaam refused to pronounce a curse on the Israelites. However, he found a way to earn his wages. That was to entice the people of Israel with prostitutes and idolatry. He could not curse Israel directly, so he came up with a plan for Israel to bring a curse upon themselves. Israel therefore fell into sin.
- Jesus speaks of Balaam when He warns the church in Pergamum of their sin: “There are some among you who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin so that they ate food sacrificed to idols and committed sexual immorality” (Revelation 2:14). Satan’s tactics haven’t changed all that much. If he cannot curse God’s people directly, he will try the back-door approach, and idolatry and sexual immorality are his go-to temptations.
- let us not forget, that the wages of sin, is death.
“He took a little child whom he placed among them. Taking the child in his arms, he said to them, “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me.””Mark 9:36-37 NIV
- while reading this verse today, it was as if He is saying that kids have a pure heart. No quest for power or ambition. Just straightforward reliance on their father (Lord) for everything, including to guide them and hold them. What a wonderful picture of love.
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The Unrelieved Quest
BY OSWALD CHAMBERS
March 03
Jesus said, “Feed my sheep.” — John 21:17
This is love in the making: Peter, having confessed how deeply he loves Jesus, is told to add action to emotion and feed God’s sheep. The love of God was not created; love is God’s very nature. When we receive the Holy Spirit, we are united with God so that his love is manifested in us. But this isn’t the end of the story. The ultimate goal is that we may be one with the Father as Jesus is. “Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one” (John 17:11). What kind of oneness is this? Such a oneness that the Father’s purpose for the Son becomes the Son’s purpose for us: “As the Father has sent me, I am sending you” (20:21).
After Peter recognized the depth of his love for Jesus, Jesus made his point: Spend it. Don’t declare how much you love me. Don’t testify about the marvelous revelation you’ve had. “Feed my sheep.” This is a challenging request, because Jesus has some extraordinarily funny sheep! Bedraggled, dirty sheep; awkward, headbutting sheep; sheep that have gone astray (Luke 15:3–7). God’s love pays no attention to such quirks and differences. If I love my Lord, I have no business being guided by personal preference. I simply have to feed his sheep. There is no relief and no release from this part of the call.
Beware of letting your natural human sympathy decide which sheep you’ll feed. You are called to spend God’s love, not pass off a counterfeit version of it. That would end in blaspheming the love of God.
WISDOM FROM OSWALD
Am I getting nobler, better, more helpful, more humble, as I get older? Am I exhibiting the life that men take knowledge of as having been with Jesus, or am I getting more self-assertive, more deliberately determined to have my own way? It is a great thing to tell yourself the truth.
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Reflections
The words I highlighted in bold is kind of funny but it also tells the truth. There are just many kinds of people in our midst and there are many who need help. But let’s not also forget that they needed help because these sheep are all lost.
Indeed we cannot be choosing who we should be helping. The Lord placed certain people in our midst to train us for specific ministries and it is through those ministries that we learn our skills. There are specific purposes and needs that we are supposed to meet for His people and it is no coincidence that we happened to be there for a time like these.
The call for Jesus is not just for us to know Him or hear His word. It is for us to internalise all these things and put it into action. He is teaching us how to apply it in our daily life and to use these gifts to bless the others as well. No gifts are meant to be kept but it is meant to be used, dispensed, shared with others so others may also benefit or be encouraged by us.
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Lent devotion Day 14/53
taken from YouVersion, Lent for Everyone
Lent for Everyone is a devotional created and written by N.T. (Tom) Wright. For each day of Lent, there is a reading chosen from the Gospel of Matthew, plus a reflection by Wright. These readings have grown out of a project encouraging Lent reading in Northern England. This is the second in a three-volume series based on the Revised Common Lectionary of the Church of England.
Today’s reading:
Matthew 10:16-42
WEEK 2: TUESDAY
Let's stand on the edge of the crowd and listen as Jesus gives his twelve disciples these next instructions. Some of the Twelve are looking decidedly uncomfortable, but there's nothing they can do about it. Jesus has called them and they're going to have to get on with it.
These words are uncomfortable. Jesus is telling them it's going to be tough. Not just tough in the sense of hard work with no pay and an uncertain future. Tough in the sense that people are not going to like the message. In particular, in this passage, it's clear that word is going to get back to the officials, whether in the Jewish communities or the wider world. And those officials may well take action.
You might have thought that the news that God was becoming king would be something his ancient people, the Jews, were eager to hear. In a sense, you'd be right. But several of them, particularly those in power like the Sadducees, and those who supported King Herod, didn't really want God to be king, or not just now. They were doing all right out of their own position, thank you very much, and didn't relish the idea of being taken down a peg or two. Especially by a bunch of wandering Galileans with news of a strange would-be king who was doing all sorts of things that no respectable king would ever get up to.
What about non-Jewish rulers? Obviously, news that the God of Israel was becoming king would be a threat to them. There had been revolutionary movements before, shouting 'no king but God' and meaning 'no, we don't want to pay Caesar's taxes!' Jesus can forsee that it's going to be as bad, if not worse, as it was then. Families will be divided. Persecution and even assassination may follow.
So what do you think, hearing all this and seeing the reaction? It may all seem quite unrealistic in today's comfortable western world. But the demands of the kingdom are no less today than they were then. As we find ourselves drawn in from the edge of the crowd, Jesus turns to us. What is he going to say? Are we prepared, in our own day, to follow his way even if people sneer, or threaten, or accuse us?
Jesus knew it was urgent. 'You will not have gone through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes,' he said (verse 23). This is very puzzling. It looks as though Jesus is talking about 'the Son of Man' as someone other than himself. He also seems to be saying that this cataclysmic event ('the coming of the Son of Man') will occur not just in their life- time but within a year or two at most. What's more, we might assume that Matthew wouldn't have reported Jesus as saying something like this unless he thought it was true. So what is it about?
The answer, as we shall see more fully in due course, is that this is heavily coded political language. Jesus is alluding to the picture we find in Daniel 7, a very popular passage at the time. It was widely read as a revolutionary text, speaking of the 'coming' or vindication of 'one like a Son of Man' — this figure 'coming' not to earth, but to God, to receive power and glory. At the moment, all the bystanders would hear would be a reference to 'the great event God has promised, through which his people will be vindicated'. Jesus would later show them there was more to it again than that. But for the moment they — and we, listening in — need to know that God's purpose is going ahead and that we, caught up to our surprise within it, need to act urgently to play our part in sharing the good news of his kingdom.
TODAY
Give us courage, good Lord, to follow you and to bear whatever suffering or insults may come as a result.
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Let’s pray:
Regardless of what happens Father, we thank You that You are always here for us. We praise You for all Your goodness and all the blessings, as well as the disciplines that You have installed in our lives. Thank You Father for all the open doors as well as the closed ones so we know for sure which routes we shall take. Thank You Lord that we can just lean on You and let You lead the way. In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen 🙏🏻
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