Psalm 90; Leviticus 1, 2; Mark 5:1-20

I am so amazed at how we have so much freedom to worship God with joy and expectation. Not only for when we are united with Him in heaven, but even now here on earth. I read Leviticus and I see how restrictive coming to God was. How the offerings, sacrifices had to be done in a particular way. I see how forgiveness was something that had to be continuous and costly. It makes me appreciate Jesus all the more. His sacrifice and forgiveness are eternal and cost me nothing.

But that is only the beginning of worship. Now that we am free of the burden’s that come with sin we can live a life devoted to the pursuit of knowing Him more and seeking out our calling and purpose. Living a life of joy and thanksgiving because of Jesus. Even in Mark this is shown out. After Jesus rescues this man from the darkness, from the demon possessed life, he tells him this.

“But Jesus said, No, go home to your family, and tell them everything the Lord has done for you and how merciful he has been.” Mk 5:19 NLT

He doesn’t tell him he has go and do anything or be anything. Just go, live your life, tell your story. And he does.

“So the man started off to visit the TEN TOWNS of that region and began to proclaim the great things Jesus had done for him.” Mk 5:20a NLT

We all have this same incredible opportunity and potential. Think about your life and the amazing things God has done. As I was reminded in church this past week, God is an awesome story teller and he is continuing to add new chapters to your life and mine. Tell your story and let others be amazed. Worship God with your life.

God, I pray that my life is a reflection of the joy and freedom that you have given me. Even when I am going through hardships and pain, help me to remember how blessed I am and to be thankful for the story you are writing for my life. Make my life an act of worship that testifies of your Glory.

In Jesus Name, Amen

Allen (allen4myfamily)

Exodus 39, 40; Mark 4:21-41

Just a regular person, reading the Bible.

Notes in Exodus: ephod made with great skill, care; stones that represent tribes; a reminder to the priest that he represents them; all done, just as the Lord commanded. HOLY TO THE LORD. Bread of Presence; cloud over the tabernacle; fire at night so the whole family of Israel could see it; this continued throughout all their journeys.

Mark: lamp on a stand; seed and harvest; listen and understand! Even the wind and waves obey.

All done, just as the Lord commanded. A running refrain in these chapters in Exodus. When it was easy to get lost in the details of craftsmanship, His command repeats. The details, the order, the process–why so much attention devoted to these things? But these are not the images impressing upon me. It is His repeating command. It is HOLY TO THE LORD. It is this Bread of Presence, and a visual presence by day and night, so that the whole family of Israel could see it.

The cloud of the LORD hovered over the Tabernacle during the day, and at night fire glowed inside the cloud so the whole family of Israel could see it. This continued throughout all their journeys. (Exodus 40:38 NLT)

Jesus speaks of a lamp on a stand, and I think of Old Testament days and God’s presence with them that the whole family (of Israel) could see. Now God with us, in us. This light that can glow for a whole family to see.

Garments woven and adorned in the Old Testament, HOLY TO THE LORD. That He would care of these details, how much more does He care for our details?

I read lightly of a tossing boat and the disciples’ concern, just a sentence or two. But I stop to play it in real-time–my own storm, my own fears, my own cries. Lord, don’t you care that I’m drowning?

I read His rebuke in the turbulence, “Silence! Be still!” And I’m standing on the deck with the disciples as He turns and says,

“Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?”

HOLY TO THE LORD. God’s presence through the journey. He speaks into my life today.

Footnote: Mark 4:24–The measure you give will be the measure you get back.

Thank you, Lord, that you meet us where we are.

Courtney (66books365)

 

 

Exodus 36-38; Mark 4:1-20

And the seed that fell on good soil represents those who hear and accept God’s word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted! ~ Mark 4:20

If there’s one thing I’ve learned about God, between reading today’s lesson and having this baby growing inside of me, it’s that God is in the details.  Yesterday, we got to see our daughter for the first time in detail; from her little hands—which she kept putting in front of her face—to her little toes, to the different chambers of her heart, to her brain, and even her kidneys.  I knew the books I’d been reading said that she was developed, but there’s something different about seeing it for myself.  Just in the way she moved and interacted with us, my husband and I agree that she already has my personality.

This verse in Mark really stood out to me, because it’s a lot like being told you’re pregnant.  At the beginning, you don’t see or feel anything, so you’re taking it by faith that a son or a daughter is really growing inside your tummy.  Now that I’m 20 weeks along, more and more people say to me how they can see her (well, see my tummy), but it didn’t start with their taking it to heart and cultivating something new.  It started with me.  And that’s what these verses are teaching us today.  When God gives us a Word—as He gave to Moses in detail about how to build the Tabernacle, Ark, and even down to the lampstands—or about how a baby girl will grow inside of us, it is our job to hear His Word, accept it as Truth, and let it produce something amazing in our lives.

Exodus 34,35; Mark 3:20-35

Mark 3

21 When His family heard about this, they went to take charge of him, for they said, “He is out of his mind.”  22  And the teachers of the law who came down from Jerusalem said, “He is possessed by Beelzebub! By the prince of demons he is driving out demons.”

Observation:

Jesus was driving out demons, performing miracles on the sabbath, hanging out with sinners, and teaching others about God.  He was gathering great crowds of people because He spoke as someone with authority.  His family thought that “He was out of his mind.”  The so called experts of the time thought that He was the prince of demons.  Why is it that we routinely try to assign the credit due to God to someone or something else?  Why can we not see the actions of God as His alone.  Why can we not recognize him for His actions and offer up the appropriate praise.  Would we really rather assign a good work to Satan than give the credit to God, as the teachers of the law did?

Application:

My God is a God of action. He is constantly working.  I should be able to easily see the signs of this action in my life.  I must focus on seeing these signs and assign the praise to the one who is worthy!  I need to stop looking for other sources.  Jesus is the source of life and is worthy of all praise, I need look no further.

Prayer:

Father may you help me to recognize the wonderful works you do in my life.  Help me to praise you in all things and guide me to stop seeking other answers for events in my life.  Help me to seek You constantly.  Continue to show me your love, grace, and mercy, in Jesus name, Amen.

Ed (edsorrell)

Exodus 31-33; Mark 3:1-19

I suppose since the Sabbath is a topic in both our Old and New Testament readings for today it deserves some attention.

In Exodus 31 we read God’s final words to Moses before he goes back down the moutain. It’s interesting that out of all commandments for God to repeat he repeats the commandment to observe the Sabbath. The 10 Commandments were given back in Chapter 20, and here God repeats that one commandment before Moses returns. The penalty for breaking the Sabbath commandment is pretty steep – death!

Then in Mark we fast forward to Jesus’s day. In Mark 2 Jesus is already questioned about his Sabbath practices when he and the disciples were picking grain to eat. Jesus says “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.” And now in Mark 3 the Sabbath issue continues when Jesus heals on the Sabbath. After that event we read that the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus. We know that they were trying to trap Jesus, but after reading Exodus 31 you see how they figured they had a good case against him. After all, Exodus 31 tells us the penalty is death!!

So…  how seriously do I take the Sabbath? How seriously should I take it? To tell you the truth, it’s one of my least favorite Sermon topics. But here it is, my day to blog, and I have both Old and New Testament references so I am going to spend some time reflecting…  Maybe it stands out to me because I’m just getting out of a season at work that required nights and weekends with no days off. Sometimes even nights ON the weekends! Maybe??  Maybe. I know that I need rest. I have experienced the physical and emotional toll that this season has taken.

I think eveyone gets the concept of rhythms of work and rest. But it’s good to have those reminders, that it’s not just good sense but it’s a commandment. And Jesus tells us that it was made for man. And God thought it was pretty important and even reminded Moses of it after giving him the commandments and lots of other laws.

Lord, help me to understand that this is an important law, and it is for my benefit. Help me understand this truth and live it out. As I complete this difficult season, let me get back to the rhythm of work and rest the way it was meant to be.

suegraff