Daily Word

Matthew 3

Read Matthew 3 – Revival! Meet John the Baptist – he’s an odd duck, hanging out in the wilderness, eating locusts and honey (which I understand to be quite nutritious), wearing strange attire, preaching, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. ” And yet Scripture records that masses were going out to him to be baptized (:5).

Revival is like that, it sweeps through, awakening souls to the deep need to repent and be saved.

Even the religious leaders came out, and John was not about to let them fake it. He called them a brood of vipers and told them there would be no resting on their pedigrees. John’s simple statement is the true sign of a born again life, “Bear fruit in keeping with repentance. ” :8

Beloved, does your life stand up to this? Every day is a second chance for a brand new start.

And in the midst of this revival, Jesus shows up! This was an important moment in his rescue mission. Jesus stepped in the place of sinful man, was baptized and rose from that water… it’s so beautiful… you simply must read it from your bible and not merely this encouragement.

Did you identify with John when he felt ill equipped to baptize Jesus (:14)…. Remember, if Jesus calls you to something, he will make you able. And, as God spoke those words over Jesus, did your heart leap for joy(:17)?

Beloved, pray for revival to sweep through your family, friends, workplace, community, our nation and the whole world. Wear your joy like a banner. The kingdom of heaven is near.

Daily Word

Mark 1

Reflections on Mark 1 – Good News! 

Mark gets right to the ministry of Jesus in this account.  He confirms Jesus in the second verse by the prophecy of Isaiah 40:3, saying it began just as Isaiah wrote.  John the Baptist announced His coming, and Jesus is the one John spoke of; Jesus is Messiah.  John baptised Jesus; Jesus saw the heavens open and heard God’s voice as he came up out of the water, “You are my dearly loved Son, and you bring me great joy,” (:11).   John prepared the way, and was arrested as Jesus took the lead. 

Jesus invites Simon (Peter) and his brother Andrew to, “Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!” And they left their fishing nets to follow Him (:16-18).  Soon thereafter Jesus calls James and John (sons of Zebedee).  They went to Carpernaum and Jesus amazed people by teaching with authority, casting out evil spirits, healing many including the mother-in-law of Simon (Peter). 

Jesus preached and healed people, restricting the demons from speaking – they were well aware of who Jesus was and what He was setting out to accomplish. 

Beloved, take hold of verse :35 “Before daybreak the next morning, Jesus got up and went out to an isolated place to pray.”  Jesus is LORD, and He takes time to get quiet with God and pray.  How is your prayer life?  Do you have a habit of seeking a quiet place to pray?  Let Jesus be your example.  

Now read and meditate on Mark 2.

Daily Word

Genesis 8

Read Genesis 8 – Time is passing. 

Noah, his family and all those animals are floating in God’s hands. The earth is saturated, and God remembers Noah. 

The LORD sends a wind across the earth to dry up the waters.  The boat settles on the mountains of Ararat (eastern Turkey).  Imagine, floating, drifting, endless days of caring for these animals, and the ark finally settles, yet still, two and a half months before other mountain peaks would appear.  After 40 more days, Noah opened a window. 

On over-water flights, most everyone keeps the shades drawn.  Peeking out the window to see nothing but water is eerie, and I am talking about a day of flight.  Noah is more than 9 months into his journey… and it is a journey without a specific destination or arrival time. 

He released a raven, then a dove, but they did not find dry ground.  A week later, he released the dove again, and it returned with an olive leaf in its beak.  Can you imagine what a joyful sign this must have been?  It would still be two more months before God would tell Noah to leave the boat, releasing all the animals, all with the duty to be fruitful and multiply. 

Beloved, notice that Noah lifted the covering and saw the land drying 10 ½ months into his journey (:13), yet they waited for God’s instruction to leave the boat.  Was it tempting to get off the boat ahead of time?  Are you ever tempted to move ahead before the LORD says it’s time? 

The first thing Noah does is build an altar for the LORD, and the LORD is pleased with the aroma of the sacrifice.  God says to Himself, “I will never again curse the ground because of the human race,” :21a.  🌧🕊🌦🙌🌦🕊🌞