Tag: Jesus

Daily Word

Deuteronomy 10

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Read Deuteronomy 10 – THEREFORE, CHANGE YOUR HEARTS AND STOP BEING STUBBORN. :16 That is from the New Living Translation… Most other versions say CIRCUMCISE THE FORESKIN OF YOUR HEART, and when I read it that way it went a bit over my head.  I think the NLT captures the meaning without losing me on a rabbit trail of circumcision.  Our chapter illustrates that the LORD’s great love and mercy allows for second chances, changed hearts, and that is the main point of every person’s life… CHANGE YOUR HEART AND STOP BEING STUBBORN!

In our last chapter, Moses broke the tablets of the ten commandments, as Israel broke the law with their idol worship.  Then he prayed for Israel and the Lord gave mercy.  Now, the Lord has commanded Moses to carve out two new tablets, and make an ark to hold them.  God hand wrote the ten commandments once more on the new tablets… he listened to Moses pleas and gave Israel a second chance. (:10)

Verses :12-13 hold the answer to the aged old question, “What does God want from me?”  Beloved, fear the LORD your God, and live in a way that pleases him, and love him and serve him with all your heart and soul. Will you be able to do this perfectly? NO, but strive to.  You will not meet God’s standard of perfect holiness on your own; you need a Savior.  Apart from Jesus, even a humanly good person falls desperately short.  Beloved, understand that the law shows you your need for a Savior.  The law condemns, but Jesus redeems!  Hallelujah for God’s great mercy and love – John 3:16-17 says it all!  

The last verse in our chapter :22, reveals that God keeps his promises.  He promised Abraham that he would make his offspring as numerous as the stars (Genesis 15:5) while he and his wife were childless – and now they are indeed as numerous as the stars of heaven.  

Beloved, in what way is Jesus speaking to your heart?

Daily Word

Deuteronomy 6

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Read Deuteronomy 6 – “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. ” :5 Beloved, all things fall into place as you obey this wonderful command.  Jesus sums up all the laws under this as the greatest commandment (Matthew 22, Luke 10).  

The Lord also reminds the Israelites they are moving in to houses they did not build,  drinking from wells they did not dig, etc (:10-12) and He cautions them to always remember it was the Lord who delivered them from slavery in Egypt into this life of plenty. 

Beloved, be very careful with the success and prosperity the Lord blesses you with.   It can be so easy to take credit and take your eyes away from Jesus.  Remember and talk about the good things God has done in your life and teach it to your children. So often the next generation gets lost as they grow up expecting the life they had without understanding these things stem from walking closely with God…. In other words,  getting the number one commandment right.

Beloved, as you read, consider what a love letter these commandments are.  If you feel so much as an inkling of shame for falling short, change your dialog to one of confession, celebration and joy – Jesus paid your debt.   You have a Savior and Redeemer in Him.  

Daily Word

Deuteronomy 5

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Read Deuteronomy 5 – The ‘good person test’… Moses repeated the ten commandments that were given to him on Mount Sinai in Exodus 20.  This always bears repeating.   These are the commandments and they require perfect obedience.  

I don’t measure up.   I strive to, and I miss the mark.  This is the law,  Beloved.   Do you need Jesus? Praise the Lord,  I certainly do!  And Hallelujah for Christ, who died for us while we were still sinners!  

Apart from Jesus,  under the law,  not one of us measures up.   Examine these ten commandments today, and revisit what the law requires. Thank the Lord in prayer, ask for help in areas you fall short.   Pray for wisdom and guidance that you may walk closer to your Savior each and every day. 

Daily Word

Philemon

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Read Philemon – Advocate, amends and acceptance are the themes in this epistle from Paul. 

Paul advocates as a picture of how Jesus advocates for us, when he asks Philemon to “put into action the generosity that comes from your faith as you understand and experience all the good things we have in Christ.” :6  Paul is asking that Onesimus, a runaway slave of Philemon, be received as a brother in Christ.  Paul assures him that Onesimus will be much more valuable now that he is a believer.  

Onesimus will be tasked with the responsibility to return to his past, make amends and work alongside Philemon.  Beloved, part of being a healthy member of God’s family requires that we settle accounts from the past.  One cannot be truly free while hanging on to guilt, unforgiveness or anything that hangs over one’s heart.  Once you accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you are a new creation.  Beforehand, you weren’t too useful, now you have purpose.

Philemon is tasked with acceptance that his slave, who deserves punishment, will now work alongside him as a fellow believer.  That is what putting your faith in action looks like.  We must change our minds about the things “owed” to us, because it all belongs to the Lord anyway.  When Jesus blesses us, that blessing should pour out upon those around us.

Beloved, this is such a sweet epistle to rest in.  Which character do you relate to the most?  Have you been holding on to something, and now sense that the Lord wants you to let it go – entrusting Him with the outcome?  Are you in position to advocate for a believer who needs someone on her side?  What can you do today to share your joy and freedom in Christ with another?

Next we will visit the adventures and adversity that the Israelites encountered alongside Moses in the book of Deuteronomy!  It’s been on my heart to dive into this exciting fifth book of the Old Testament for some time now.  You will find it in the beginning of your bible between Numbers and Joshua.

Daily Word

Mark 16

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Read Mark 16 – Resurrection Sunday!  Hallelujah, He is risen indeed!!!  And how wonderful for us to be setting our hearts and minds on our risen Lord as the Easter holiday approaches. 

Mark records, “Saturday evening, when the Sabbath ended, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome went out and purchased burial spices so they could anoint Jesus’ body.” :1 Then, just before sunrise, the three set out for the tomb, wondering who would roll the stone away for them.  When they arrived it was already rolled aside and they discovered a young man clothed in a white robe sitting on the right side. (:4-5) 

Beloved, ponder the fact that Jesus did not need the stone rolled away to leave the tomb.  He could walk on water (Mark 6), escape crowds intent on killing him (Luke 4) and pass through walls (this happens later on this same Sunday, recorded in John 20).  The stone was rolled away to let the women in… to let us all in so we could better know that He is risen from the dead. 

The angel says it all, “Don’t be alarmed.  You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified.  He isn’t here!  He is risen from the dead!  Look, this is where they laid his body.  Now go and tell his disciples, including Peter, that Jesus is going ahead of you to Galilee.  You will see him there, just as he told you before he died.” 

Beloved, spell check does not like where it says, “is risen”.  It wants to say “has risen”.  But I stand with Scripture, Jesus’s resurrection is eternally present and not past tense in any way! 

When the angel says, “including Peter,” my heart swells.  Peter would need special encouragement over the others as he just denied Jesus three times, as Jesus said he would (14:30). 

Beloved, have you wandered from your faith and returned?  Do you suffer from nagging guilt as I imagine Peter did?  Jesus left a special encouragement to His disciples, with the extra special point for the angel to say, “including Peter”.  Will you trust that Christ is risen for all, including you?  Why don’t you say it out loud right now with your own name, “including _______”!

Our next reading will be Philemon.  It is a short book with only one chapter.  You will find it towards the back of the New Testament, between Titus and Hebrews.

Daily Word

Mark 15

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Read Mark 15 – “For he realized by now that the leading priests had arrested Jesus out of envy,” :10 – Envy is admiration mixed with discontent, and Pilate understood that was the reason Jesus was sent to him… he knew Jesus was innocent and tried to free Him by the tradition of releasing a prisoner before Passover.  Ultimately, Pilate chose approval ratings over justice when the crowd shouted for Barabbas’s release and Jesus’s crucifixion.  Beloved, be on guard against envy, and the desire for approval.  Both are at play here as we see one wrong followed up by another.  

Meanwhile, Jesus is silent.  He was flogged (the whip had lead tipped pieces on the ends meant to tear the flesh from his body), and mocked by the soldiers.  In fact, they did some odd and horrendous things to Jesus, dressing him in a purple robe, giving him a crown of thorns, mock praising Him as King of the Jews, and more.  The Roman soldiers would not have known the prophecies they were fulfilling with their cruelty. Check out Isaiah 53 in the Old Testament.

Nothing that is happening to our Savior, Jesus, is a surprise to Him, and as things play out we can better comprehend why Jesus prayed so earnestly in the garden of Gethsemane (Mark 14:32-40).  May your gratitude grow each time you see the punishment Jesus took on for you.  

It was 9 am when Jesus was hung on the cross with a sign above him stating his crime, “King of the Jews”. :25-26  At noon, darkness fell over the land, and at 3 pm… six agonizing hours later, Jesus cried out, asking God why he had forsaken him. :34  It is stated in the original language and explained.  

Beloved, the scripture reference numbers, such as Mark 15:34, etc, were added to the Bible later, but in Jesus’s time a few words would indicate the passage.  Jesus’s final words can be found in Psalm 22 as prophecy is again fulfilled.  More prophetic, supernatural, and precious things can be discovered throughout Chapter 15.  Will you step up to the extra credit assignment today and also read Isaiah 53 and Psalm 22?  There is so much to be gained in seeing the prophecy given hundreds of years beforehand, fulfilled by Jesus.  May God bless you with wisdom and insight.

Daily Word

Mark 14

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Read Mark 14:27-72 –  Timing is everything.   In 2004 I had just come to the realization that Jesus was real, and surrendered my life to His care and control.  Also that year,  THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST, was released, and I went to see it on a layover in San Diego.  It was filmed in the Biblical languages of the time with English subtitles. I wanted to look away when the betrayal and brutal scenes played across the screen, but the foreign dialog would not give me any hints as to when to look up. I returned to the hotel aching and bewildered. I opened my Bible; surely the filmmaker exaggerated.  My tears streamed as God’s Word told me a truth I could hardly bear, my Savior endured this, knowing beforehand the cost of my sin.  

Jesus says, “Go ahead and sleep. have your rest.  But no – the time has come.  The Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.” :41  The time has come… for betrayal, false witness, mockery and abandonment. The time has come for beating and persecution.  The time has come for Jesus to endure the unimaginable agony of laying His life down, that we might be saved.  Jesus endured this. He knew full well the cost, and He did it anyway.

As I write, I am again on a layover in San Diego.  Scripture blended with my memories.  I recall my younger self,  then an infant in the faith,  as you may be now,  Beloved.  Do your best to read the hard parts and don’t look away.  Remember Jesus said: “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep.” John 10:11

Jesus did all this with steadfast love and determination, for sinners like us. I pray these last chapters of Mark meet you in a personal and unique way, strengthening your faith and filling you with the desire to know Jesus even more. 

Daily Word

Mark 14:1-26

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Reflections on Mark 14:1-26 – Beloved, we are blessed with the ability to take our time, so let’s spend more than one day in Chapter 14.
Meet the woman with the alabaster jar of perfume. Mark does not name her, but in the book of John we are told she is Mary, the sister to Lazarus and Martha (John 11:2). She was praised once before for sitting at Jesus’s feet, and now she is being praised for anointing his head with this expensive perfume. Mary had a special love for Jesus and she was never hindered to show him love, although some of the men at the table didn’t like her actions (:4-5). When they begin to scold her, Jesus tells them to leave her alone, and gives a few reasons why. May you remember her, and remember that your acts of love for Jesus, no matter how big or small, all are seen and priceless to Jesus.

Judas agrees to betray Jesus (:10-11). It breaks my heart that those entrusted to keep and teach the Word of God and the one who walked with the living Word Himself, conspired against Him. It says the religious leaders were ‘delighted’… that is such a lovely word, but their delight was purely sinister. It says Judas ‘began looking’ for an opportunity to betray Jesus…. Beloved, the anticipation to do evil can be titillating… the devil whispers and entices, don’t fall prey to his schemes. Once one acts on sin, the enticing whispers become damning condemnation.

In Judaism, there are seven main festivals. I once did a study on the festivals and discovered that the spring festivals all point to Jesus’s first coming and the fall festivals point to His second. Amazing, right? Everything the Lord calls us to has a multidimensional quality.

Our chapter began two days before Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread (:1). This is a precious detail because the Passover celebration is both a remembrance of when the Lord sent the plague to Israel, killing all the first born, but ‘passed over’ the Israelite homes marked with the blood of the lamb (see Exodus 12), AND it is a dress rehearsal of Jesus’s life and atonement for sinners like me and you! This Passover meal in particular is known as The Last Supper, where Jesus gives instruction on Holy Communion (:22-25).

I would love to go on and on, but my purpose is to encourage you to read the Bible for yourself. Happy reading!

Daily Word

Mark 13

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Reflections on Mark 13 – Jesus speaks of end times events in our chapter.

Now, Jesus had just left the Temple where he tossed the tables and chased out the rotten eggs when one of the disciples said,  “Teacher, look at these magnificent buildings! Look at the impressive stones in the walls. ” Perhaps he was wanting to calm Jesus down after the excitement.

Jesus responds with news they could not have anticipated.   The Temple would be destroyed without a stone standing. 

Later, Peter, James, John and Andrew asked to know more. Jesus cautions them to not be deceived, many would come pretending to be Him. :6. There will be wars and rumors of war (:7), earthquakes and famines(8).  And yes, these things have always happened, but the frequency will increase like never before.  That won’t mean the end, but it will build like birth pains.

The biggest caution comes in verse :14, when we see the abomination that causes desolation, spoken of in the Old Testament prophecy of Daniel.   Jesus said then it’s time to run for the hills (:14). 

Beloved, I cannot comprehend how bad this will be. Verse: 20 tells us not a single person would survive unless the Lord shortened those days.  Most importantly, Jesus tells us to keep watch and be ready,  (:35-37).

This is a tough chapter; no one wants to consider hard times.  But being unaware is worse, like a doctor withholding a bad diagnosis to spare hurting your feelings.  One must be aware.  One must make preparations.  We are all accountable to the preparation of telling others.  We are all accountable to love the Lord with our whole hearts.  We all would be wise to not hold on to the things of this world too tightly because our time here is short. 

Beloved, may you be encouraged by this chapter to live more fully, to love others wholeheartedly, and seek to know Jesus more, both in knowledge (The Word) and love (your personal relationship with Him/prayer), each and every day.

Daily Word

Mark 12

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Reflections on Mark 12 – I love this chapter!  There is much to reflect on, but the verse that truly changed my life is in the section :28-34, and :31 in particular.  Do you have time for a little testimony, Beloved?  

You see, when I started walking with Jesus in full measure, I fully understood and loved the number one commandment to love God with all my heart, soul, mind and strength; :30.  And I thought I was doing an impressive job with the second commandment, to love my neighbor as myself, because I wrongly thought I loved others more than myself.  I carried a lifelong burden of insecurity.  It ruled my life; I was constantly making self-deprecating comments to show others that I held them in higher esteem than myself… Do you know what the truth behind this lie is?  Insecurity was my idol; it came before God, and it devalued His gift of my life.  It kept Jesus’s gift of my Salvation subdued.  It was like getting a gift and loving it, but putting it in the back of the closet for safekeeping… To honor the giver is to delight in the gift.

You can imagine my joy when the Holy Spirit finally helped me see this!  The reality was that I wasn’t truly loving others – I was desperate for approval.  It’s a very hard way to live and a very hard thing for others to be around.  It was not the life Jesus died to give me.  

Beloved, the freedom of this realization was transforming for me!  “The thief came to steal and kill and destroy.  I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”  John 10:10  The more I delight in Jesus, the more I am able to delight in my life and the more love pours out on everyone!  That is the heart of ‘loving my neighbor as myself’.  Hallelujah!

Mark 12 covers many wonderful teachings of Jesus, The Parable of the Evil Farmers, shows the wickedness of the religious leaders.  The trick of Taxes for Caesar was a ploy by those same leaders to trap Jesus.  And the beautiful Widow’s Offering, :41-44, reveals how much Jesus treasures the heart behind the offering.  Beloved, which of these parables or verses was Jesus’s gift to you today?