The heart without love is easily offendable. It looks for offense and strikes back to defend. It leaves a trail of broken relationships in its wake. But the heart of love is hard to offend because it thinks of others ahead of itself. It has no need to defend or protect because love is its strong tower. Where ever the heart of love goes, healing and reconciliation happen. Are you overly sensitive and easily offendable? Ask God to examine your heart.
Jesus taught the principle that “two are better than one” (Eccl.4:9). He trained His disciples in team evangelism. We see this pattern repeated in the book of Acts with Paul and Barnabbas and other duos. Christianity is not a solo act. We are called to be the Body of Christ. We are called to a team. Do you have a partner sharing your life mission?
Jairus, the synagogue ruler, had begged Jesus to come to his house to heal his daughter, but before they could arrive, people came saying she was already dead. At this, Jesus spoke to Jairus to calm his heart and focus his mind, pointing him away from fear and towards believing. Do you have a mixture of fear and faith in you? The voice of Christ calls us to “only believe.”
The disciples were afraid of the storm outside the boat until they awoke Jesus. Then, they were afraid of the One inside the boat. We say that we believe and trust Jesus fully. Yet when life’s storms come, we discover the true measure of our faith. The disciples thought they knew the size of Jesus’ power, but it took a terrifying tempest to enlarge their understanding.
How we handle money and possessions reveals much about our hearts. The one with integrity not only repays their debts, but gives generously to those in need. The one with a wicked heart avoids even repaying what is owed, much less being a giver to others. Has your heart’s believing in Christ affected your hand’s behavior as regards money? Integrity is having your heart and hands in agreement.
David wrote this psalm describing ways to offer yourself to God and the outcome of such a life devoted to Him. “Trust” – Put your faith in the Lord. “Delight” – Find your joy in the Lord. “Commit” – Decide in advance to do things God’s way no matter what. “Be still” – Remember to listen for the Lord’s voice in prayer. His answer will quiet your fretting heart. Have you tried approaching the Lord in these four ways?
This was Jesus’ reply when challenged by the Pharisees about eating at the tax collector Levi’s (Matthew’s) house. The Pharisees were separatists. They would not associate with sinners. But Jesus came to save sinners. How should today’s church be affected by this? How do we resolve the tension between being holy and being evangelists? Simple. Follow Jesus.
The Gospel of Mark is unique among the four in that it was written in present rather than past tense. Mark’s action-oriented writing is marked by a favorite phrase “and immediately,” which is found throughout. Each gospel presents a different perspective of Jesus. Matthew sees Him as King, Luke as Son of Man, and John as Son of God. But Mark presents a man of action, Jesus the Servant of all. And whatever Jesus does, He does “immediately.” Is there any urgent need requiring your immediate attention?
As soon as the tabernacle was finished, the cloud of the Lord filled it. From that day on, the people of Israel moved out when God’s glory moved out of the tabernacle. And stayed put as long as the glory remained. God taught them to depend on Him for daily direction. Where is the glory of God staying or moving in your life today?
An angel clothed in white with an appearance of lightning announced the resurrection to the women as they came bearing spices for Jesus’ body. They expected a morning of mourning, but they left sprinting with surprise. Have you yet fearfully peered into Death’s tomb and discovered that the Christ has left it empty?