John 7:14-24 - Judging with Right Judgment

John 7:14-24

14 But when it was now the midst of the feast Jesus went up into the temple, and began to teach. 15 The Jews therefore were marveling, saying, "How has this man become learned, having never been educated? 16 Jesus therefore answered them, and said, "My teaching is not Mine, but His who sent Me. 17 If any man is willing to do His will, he shall know of the teaching, whether it is of God, or whether I speak from Myself. 18 He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory; but He who is seeking the glory of the one who sent Him, He is true, and there is no unrighteousness in Him. 19 Did not Moses give you the Law, and yet none of you carries out the Law? Why do you seek to kill Me?" 20 The multitude answered, "You have a demon! Who seeks to kill You? 21 Jesus answered and said to them, "I did one deed, and you all marvel. 22 On this account Moses has given you circumcision (not because it is from Moses, but from the fathers), and on the Sabbath you, circumcise a man. 23 If a man receives circumcision on the Sabbath that the Law of Moses may not be broken, are you angry with Me because I made an entire man well on the Sabbath? 24 Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment." 

Message: Judging with Right Judgment 

Time: John most likely wrote between A.D. 85 and 90. John's purpose in writing was, "that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name (John 20:31)."

What the Lord is Saying: Jesus is in Jerusalem, having arrived there at the petition of his brothers as all Jews journeyed there for the Feast of Booths. Jesus had stated to his brothers that he would not go with them because he did not want to be at the center of attention as the Jews were seeking to have him killed and this was not yet His time. But here in verse 14 records Jesus going to the temple and people are alarmed at his knowledge and education. 

And as Jesus speaks he mentions once again that He speaks not on His own, but what the Father has sent Him to speak. And the teaching that then is most important is teaching from God. Otherwise a person speaks for His own glory. Jesus' teaching is one to give God all of the glory and there is therefore no unrighteousness in Him. The focus is on obedience to what God has delivered. And so therefore why would someone want to kill Him if He is about His father's business and wanting to give glory to God? 

The multitude respond with surprise, perhaps wondering why someone would kill Jesus over this. 

Jesus then speaks of circumcision and how the Jews did it on the 8th day of the child's life even if that day fell on the Sabbath. Jesus is trying to help them see the hypocrisy of what they state, bothered that He has healed on the sabbath and yet they perform the act of circumcision at times if the 8th day falls on the Sabbath. And so Jesus doing a work of healing on the Sabbath (healing the paralyzed man on the Sabbath) making the point that he should not be judged by which day it is on, but rather the motive of wanting to heal a person and make them well. His point is to not stare at the day of the week, but instead to look at why something is done. In essence, false judgment was Jesus' accusation toward them. 

Can we apply this in other ways? What about the Sabbath day and worshiping on Sunday or Monday or Friday night or some other time than the Sabbath day? Is the day important or is it the motives of the people that gather and worship? The same people want to practice the same thing - worshipping God, so why should it be so important that it is on a certain day. We need to look at the motives. We need to look at what is the intention or overall purpose in doing what we are doing rather than focusing on the letter of the law. There is a danger in this in that we get focused on following the letter of the Law and we start to think that this is all that is really important because we are the only one's that are practicing it correctly. 

I am thinking of a conversation I had with a woman in my office that attends the 7th Day Adventist church that believes that worship can only occur on the Sabbath day. They believe that is the only day. I am fine with them holding on to that day but I don't believe that it is proper then to say other days of worship are invalid. Because then I think we are coming against what Jesus is saying. The day of the week does not matter, but what is the intent of the heart.  

Summary: In Jerusalem, Jesus speaks in the temple, speaking from the will of God, and defends healing on the Sabbath reminding people that we need to remember motives and intention over rule-keeping. 

Promise: By seeking to apply God’s law justly and holding others to the same standard to which we hold ourselves, we can judge with right judgment.

Prayer: O Lord, conversing with people sometimes is difficult and the difference we have in applying and understanding scripture in a certain way is strong. We have so many different brands of churches and beliefs in our world today that I think all have the right focus - to love God and be obedient to Him and yet so many have different definitions of what that means. I pray we as a people can put aside the differences and see what we have in common. Help us to judge rightly and not say one thing and do another. Repair our church body throughout the World and these United States. Help us understand how to be more united. Strike our pride. Thank you for speaking truth here and pricking our heart to understand rightly what You are telling us from the Father. 

Note: If you are interested in other studies/devotions, check out my index of Bible Study's.  

John 5:15-18 - The Father and the Son's Sabbath Labor

John 5:15-18

The man went away, and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well. And for this reason the Jews were persecuting Jesus, because He was doing these things on the Sabbath. But He answered them, "My Father is working until now; and I Myself am working." For this cause therefore the Jews were seeking all the more to kill Him, because He not only was breaking the Sabbath, but also was calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God. 

Message: The Father and the Son's Sabbath Labor

Time: John most likely wrote between A.D. 85 and 90. John's purpose in writing was, "that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name (John 20:31)."

What the Lord is Saying: As I read these passages I often will think about the claim that Jesus is God. It is something I see but it is also something that many people refute. Nowhere does Jesus say, "I am God" in scripture and yet there are many examples of Him having God qualities or performing in the same way as God. 

One of the reasons I think about that is thinking about the different type of creatures there are: God and man, angels/demons. And so Jesus clearly is a man and yet I believe He is a super man and yet supermen are not real. There aren't 3 different types of creatures, meaning a third type being a super man. For Jesus to die for our sins, he must be perfect. Can perfection happen in a man? I don't see this. 

This passage is an interesting look at this idea as Jesus as being God as the Jews of the idea believed He was making Himself equal with God for saying that He and the Father are working in the same way. 

Why did the Jews (or Pharisees as is mentioned in Matthew 12:14) claim Jesus and the Father were equal. It seems to be several things. One is that Jesus healed the man at the pool on a Sabbath day, again mentioned in Matthew and also John 5:9, "It was the Sabbath on that day." God is the only one that can do work on the Sabbath. It is not that Sabbath work cannot be done, but only God can do it. 

In addition, he told the lame man afterwards to pick up and carry his pallet/mat. So he instructed someone to break the Sabbath code of doing anything of extra burden. The man no longer needed the pallet/mat. If he did, it is not Sabbath breaking to use it, but since he can walk now he has no use of it. 

Summary: Jesus is accused by the Jews (Pharisees) of being equal with his Father (God) by doing something only He can do - do work and heal someone on the Sabbath. 

Promise: We are called to do what is necessary to preserve life even on the Lord’s Day.

Prayer: Thank you for your great work God, to do the unexpected and to do what only You can do. I thank you and praise You for loving me and showing Your love to me continually. Help me to shine your love to others always. 

Note: If you are interested in other studies/devotions, check out my index of Bible Study's. 

Revelation 1:10 - The Time of Worship

Revelation 1:10 - I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet.

Message: The Time of Worship

Time: John mentions himself 4 times as author. It was written around the year 95 on John's exile to the island of Patmos after preaching the gospel to Asia. Revelation comes from the Greek word for apocalypse and refers to an unveiling. The book is about the tribulation period with symbolic language, giving us the end of the story -- Jesus will once and for all heal the wounds of sin, reign for a thousand years on earth, then re-create the world into a place that represents God's original design.

What the Lord is Saying: The previous lesson talked about place of worship and helped me see that worship can take place beyond church walls and even beyond a city such as Jerusalem. Jesus was speaking to the Samaritan woman and the Samaritans believed that Mount Gerizim rather than Jerusalem was the place that God needs to be worshiped. But with Jesus words that we are to worship in spirit and truth is the lesson to us today that place is not the issue, but rather the Spirit of God and God's truth is what is key. Now it seems funny to say that church is therefore confined to a day of the week. It seems rather the lesson is to set aside one day, a Sabbath day for Him, as a day that is different from other days to corporately worship. 

And so today's lesson wonders if that day to either Saturday or Sunday or can it be any day. Once again, the words from the Westminster Confession of Faith (WCF) seem necessary to review. I really enjoy the summary of the WCF and what it says. Can't believe I've never really studied these words before. WCF 1.6 

6. The whole counsel of God, concerning all things necessary for his own glory, man’s salvation, faith, and life, is either expressly set down in Scripture, or by good and necessary consequence may be deduced from Scripture: unto which nothing at any time is to be added, whether by new revelations of the Spirit, or traditions of men. Nevertheless we acknowledge the inward illumination of the Spirit of God to be necessary for the saving understanding of such things as are revealed in the Word; and that there are some circumstances concerning the worship of God, and government of the Church, common to human actions and societies, which are to be ordered by the light of nature and Christian prudence, according to the general rules of the Word, which are always to be observed.

What this says is there are specifics and there are concluding thoughts that can be seen from all of Scripture as it pertains to salvation, faith, life, worship and government of the Church. 

The Seventh-day Adventists believe that God instituted the Sabbath as the seventh day and this has never been changed in Scripture and so this is what should remain. There are a few instances in which Jesus mentions the Sabbath but it is in the context of speaking of the Law of Moses. Colossians 2:16 Paul mentions the Sabbath in reference to a teaching. Most every other church practices that since Christ's resurrection occurred on the first day of the week, we seem to have Apostolic precedent for changing the Sabbath from the 7th day to the 1st day. 

Acts 20:7 - And on the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul talking to them, intending to depart the next day, and he prolonged his message until midnight.  

I Corinthians 16:2 - On the first day of the week let each of you put aside and save, as he may prosper, that no collections be made when I come. 

And then also today's passage which speaks of the Lord's day, the only mention of the Lord's day in Scripture. In other words, there are some sort of references. And yet it seems that we focus on Sunday's more because of the resurrection and historically it seems there was a desire to shed the custom's of the Jews and be different and distinct. 

Summary: Christ's resurrection took place on the first day of the week and so there is ample warrant for setting aside Sunday as the time of obligatory Christian worship. 

Promise: Let us take our responsibility to worship and rest on the Lord's day seriously and make the most of our corporate gatherings every week. 

Prayer: Lord, you are good and desire us to worship and know you through our service at church. Lord, it is hard to deal with all of the differences between Christians even today. I pray we can celebrate these differences and be more focused not on who is right but that we are desiring to know You and worship You. 

Exodus 3:18 - Redeemed to Worship

Exodus 3:18 - And they will pay heed to what you say; and you with the elders of Israel will come to the king of Egypt, and you will say to him, 'The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us. So now, please, let us go a three days' journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God.'

Message: Redeemed to Worship

Time: Moses is the most likely author of this book. His education and early tradition make him the likely author and it says in Exodus 24:4 that he wrote what the Lord said. The title Exodus means departure of Israel from Egypt by the hand of God. The book covers 80 years, from 1526 to 1446 with the events at Mount Sinai. God fulfilling promises and his story of redemption are the central ideas. 

What the Lord is Saying:

While this is the 9th topic explored in these studies commemorating the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation, with the first 8 so far focused on doctrinal reform, John Calvin actually listed the reform of Christian worship first in his explanation of the why the Reformation was necessary. 

Previously, I looked at one of the chapters of the Westminster Confession of Faith as I looked at the doctrine of the church and here today am reminded of the first question of the Westminster Shorter Catechism which says:

Q. 1. What is the chief end of man?

A. Man’s chief end is to glorify God, [a] and to enjoy him for ever. [b]

[a]. Ps. 86:9; Isa. 60:21; Rom. 11:36; 1 Cor. 6:20; 10:31; Rev. 4:11

[b]. Ps. 16:5-11; 144:15; Isa. 12:2; Luke 2:10; Phil. 4:4; Rev. 21:3-4

A catechism is a doctrinal manual. It is a summary of doctrines and used to teach children and adult converts. The shorter Westminster Confession of Faith catechism was written in 1646 and 1647 by the Westminster Assembly, a group of 121 theologians that was put together to restructure the church of England more in line with the Church of Scotland and help put to rest some of the  doctrines that were attempting to divide the church. It is in a question and answer format which Martin Luther had used to help children learn. Previously, the practice of memorizing the Lord's Supper, the Ten Commandments, and the Apostles Creed had been the means to learn Christian doctrine prior to the Reformation. One must remember that the printing press and the practice of getting the Bible into individuals hands didn't begin until the 1600s so memorization and listening to lectures early on the Christian faith was the main means of learning Christian doctrine. The scriptures above were added in 1978 by the Orthodox Presbyterian Church.   

So in teaching about Christian doctrine, the first question offered had to do with the chief end of man and that is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever. Thus, we were made to worship the Lord. And so when we practice worship in our life we are fulfilling our purpose for living. 

In Romans 1, my favorite passage of scripture, verse 19-23 speaks to the idea that God is evident in each person for God made this to be and though God is clearly seen through His creation, many people do not give thanks to Him and they exchange the glory or worship of God for something else. It is a reminder that worship is a part of every person. If a person rejects God, they do not cease to worship, instead they worship something else. 

The 7th day of creation and the Sabbath day are a day to set aside work and set aside the day as Holy. Genesis 2:3 says, "Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it..."  The Sabbath day is a day to recall what God has done and remembering what God has done is a part of worship. In Exodus 3:18, the passage highlighted today, the Lord told Moses to go to Pharaoh and command the king to free the Israelites so that they could sacrifice to God or worship Him. 

I am reminded of the Song - We Bring the Sacrifice of Praise written in 1980 in which the first 2 lines echo Jeremiah 33:11

The voice of joy and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the voice of those who say, "Give thanks to the Lord of hosts, For the Lord is good, For His lovingkindness is everlasting"; and of those who bring a thank offering into the house of the Lord. 

Summary: We are people that are meant to glorify God, to worship the Lord. 

Promise: Worship is not incidental -- it is the reason for our existence. In praising the God who made you, you are fulfilling your purpose for existence.

Prayer: As always God, I am marveled by your Word and thankful for the reminder that Life is about giving glory to You. This is why you made me. You have provided so much for me and I am to remember this and thank you for this continually. Thank you for the Westminster Confession and rising up these leaders to express truths that carry on today and speak to the truths of your Word. What a great joy there is in uncovering and rediscovering these truths. Thank you now for this new study I embark on regarding Worship and give me an open mind and heart to what you want to teach me. Help me God to have worship a part of my life. I thank You for the joy in music and the people you have gifted to share music with me that often helps me worship You and remember what You have done for me. 

Ephesians 1:1 - God's Holy People

Ephesians 1:1 - Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God. To the saints who are in Ephesus, and are faithful in Christ Jesus. 

Message: God's Holy People

Time: Paul wrote the letter to the Ephesians sometime in AD 60–61, around the same time he wrote Colossians and Philemon. Ephesians deals with topics at the core of being a Christian - faith and practice, no matter the situation.

What the Lord is Saying: 

Based upon the Apostle's creed, we are looking at 4 truths about the church of Christ: its unity, its holiness, its catholicity, and its Apostolicity. The last 2 lessons looked at our unity which transcends the local body each of us may be involved in and connects us with people throughout history and in other lands. 

In our time on earth, the Christian is both holy and still a sinner. We are set apart to be holy in virtue, being in Christ by faith. Being justified by faith in Christ we possess the righteousness of Christ and yet at the same time we still have a fallen nature, still sin, still walk in His grace, daily toil, daily need to be reminded of His forgiveness and strive to live in a way to glorify Him in all we do. 

When God describes something as holy, it is set apart first and foremost for God's special use. 

Incense - "And the incense which you shall make, you shall not make in the same proportions for yourselves, it shall be holy to you for the Lord." (Exodus 30:37). 

Sabbath - "For six days work may be done, but on the seventh day there is a sabbath of complete rest, holy to the Lord" (Exodus 31:15).

Tithe - "Thus all the tithe of the land, of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the tree, is the Lord's; it is holy to the Lord" (Leviticus 27:30). 

To be holy is to be separated by God for a special use. God sets us part. By the Spirit we become purer and purer in action but in Christ, each of us begins by being Holy, set apart unto God. Thus, as is recorded today by call, each of us are "saints" or called-out one's. 

Summary: By being in Christ, though we still have a fallen nature and sin daily, God has set us apart as holy, as his saints or called-out one's. 

Promise: The church is already holy in position, yet becomes purer in practice. Thus, we pursue personal and corporate holiness. Let us encourage one another to live Holy lives. 

Prayer: O God, thank you for crowning me as Holy and showing me the truth of Your Word and how you have decreed other things as holy: incense, Sabbath and Tithes. Thank you for the clarity of this truth. You have set me apart as holy, as a saint already. Now help me to keep focused on being holy in my life, making me purer and purer each day. And may we exhibit this in our churches, in my church. May we work together to show ourselves distinct and different from the world, so the world will want to come in our doors, to be among us and hear the Gospel preached. Take us there. 

Note: I follow the readings from the Tabletalk Magazine devotional, though I am now working through 2017 devotionals. 2017 is a study of key biblical doctrines celebrating the 500th year of the Reformation. The month of August is about the Body of the Lord - the Church recovered in the Reformation; July was the right use of God's Law; June was justification by faith alone; May about solus Christus - Christ Alone; April, salvation by grace alone; March, the sovereign providence of God; February, the doctrine of revelation, Scripture that sola Scriptura seeks to preserve; January, the doctrine of God. 

Christ's Body

The Body of Christ - The Church is the Body of Christ and Christ loves the church. We are to imitate Christ and see that the Church is how Christ carries out His purposes in the world. The Head of the Church - Christ is Head of the church and he only has final authority and gives life to the church. Life is found only in Jesus Christ our Lord. - The Church We Can See - Belonging to a church is not optional, for anyone. We are meant to live in a community with other believers, to hear the Word of God preached, and to grow. The Church We Cannot See - What we see is the Visible church, the invisible church only God knows because He is omniscient and that is the Church we cannot see. 

Truths about the Church from the Apostles Creed

Church Unity - The church is bigger than our local assembly; there are core beliefs among the invisible church. One People Throughout History - God has only one people; throughout the world there are people that share doctrines and truths despite their being differences in where we attend or belong. 

Deuteronomy 5:12-15 - Keeping the Lord's Day

Deuteronomy 5:12-15 

12 ‘Observe the sabbath day to keep it holy, as the Lord your God commanded you. 13 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 14 but the seventh day is a sabbath of the Lord your God; in it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter or your male servant or your female servant or your ox or your donkey or any of your cattle or your sojourner who stays with you, so that your male servant and your female servant may rest as well as you. 15 You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God brought you out of there by a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm; therefore the Lord your God commanded you to observe the sabbath day.

Message: Keeping the Lord's Day

Time: This book chronicles farewell messages by Moses, the 120 year old leader of the Israelite, primarily intended for the lay person. It covers about one month, at the end of the forty-year period in the wilderness - 1405 BC. It is a renewal of the old covenant given at Mount Sinai to the plains of Moab.

What the Lord is Saying:

The Sabbath Day has always been to me a very easy command to understand, but a very hard command to figure out how to observe. It seems clear - on the sabbath, do not do any work. Once we were lost (a slave in the land of Egypt), but God rescued us and so we set aside a day, an entire day for him. I've had a few moments in my life I think where I have in fact kept the Lord's Day but it seems rare. I remember having Sabbath days of no TV which seemed more like a punishment than a Holy Day. Sunday's lately have become often a day to help my dad and support him. Before that, they were a TV watching day. In Sunday School yesterday, we read about a Sabbath day's walk which was 6/10th's of a mile or 15 minutes and this constituted the longest one could walk on the Sabbath day. I've always wondered about those in the church as well for the Sabbath day is their busiest day of the week. 

I think the difference, as Tabletalk calls out is some people do work on the sabbath out of necessity. I simply think I need to think about my living practice and always remember the importance of resting. Lately I've struggled with this, working at every moment, either on my job or on ministry. I get burned out easily. I think some cultures might have an easier time with resting, like my friends in India because there normal practice is a 6 day work week. 

My rest though needs to look back to God and to think about what He has done through His death and resurrection. 

Summary: Rest is important. Even taking time to exercise I think is rest. Spending time with You God is rest. I need to remind myself of all that God has done for me and that I do not need to keep working, which lends itself to thinking that God is not in control, but I am. 

Promise: It is vital that we are setting apart a day to gather for worship and fellowship, resting from our ordinary vocations. 

Prayer: O God, you are great and wonderful. I need to remember this continually. Keep me focused on You and what You have done for me, but also what you have done for your people throughout time. Bring back the joy of my salvation continually. Lord, instruct me and guide me in understanding how I need to rest each week from my labor. Give me this understanding and help me prioritize this in my life. Be praised O God. 

Note: I follow the readings from the Tabletalk Magazine devotional, though I am a little behind and working through 2017 devotionals. 2017 is a study of key biblical doctrines celebrating the 500th year of the Reformation. The month of July is about the right use of God's Law; June was justification by faith alone; May about solus Christus - Christ Alone; April, salvation by grace alone; March, the sovereign providence of God; February, the doctrine of revelation and the various aspects of the doctrine of Scripture that sola Scriptura seeks to preserve; January, the doctrine of God. 

Bringing me to Christ

The Restraint of the Law - the law is given for lawless, unholy, disobedient people, to restrain us from acting on our sinful thoughts. Restraint and Guilt - the law is meant to restrain Christians and non-Christians alike; so that others may see Christ. The Law's Revelation of Sin - The Law reveals sin, at times making it more desirable, and show the sin which people commit and the complete standard it expects. The Law and Our Powerlessness - We are powerless over the Law and Sin revealed. It is in Christ that we receive forgiveness and the power to resist sin. The Law our Guardian - The law is not a tool of justifying me, but rather it is an instrument to bring me to Christ and show me my need for Him. 

Guiding our Lives

The Guidance of the Law - The Law is a guide in our lives for what pleases God and what it looks like to walk in holiness. The Antinomian Error - We were slaves to sin, but now we are slaves to obedience and righteousness. Judaizing Legalism - The error of Judaizing Legalism is the idea that obedience brings about God's acceptance of us for salvation. The Deadliest Form of Legalism - This legalism is that one would get too focused on external practices instead of focusing on the heart.

The Law is our Guide

The Centrality of Love - Love and the law go hand in hand. We do not belong to God unless we love our neighbor, and we cannot love our neighbor without knowing and doing God‘s law and loving him. Finding Guidance in the Law - God's Word, all if it, is a guide to my life and I am to meditate on it continually. The One and Only God - I seek to trust and love God above all else today. Images and Idols - Pictures, statues, symbols, art, people are not bad; but be careful about placing too much emphasis on these things I see. Using God's Name Frivolously - Blasphemy or using God's name frivolously are examples of taking God's name in vain. 

Acts 17:1-9 - The Role of Reason

Acts 17:1-9
Now when they had traveled through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. 2 And according to Paul’s custom, he went to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures, 3 explaining and giving evidence that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus whom I am proclaiming to you is the Christ.”4 And some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, along with a large number of the God-fearing Greeks and a number of the leading women. 5 But the Jews, becoming jealous and taking along some wicked men from the market place, formed a mob and set the city in an uproar; and attacking the house of Jason, they were seeking to bring them out to the people. 6 When they did not find them, they began dragging Jason and some brethren before the city authorities, shouting, “These men who have upset the world have come here also; 7 and Jason has welcomed them, and they all act contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus.” 8 They stirred up the crowd and the city authorities who heard these things. 9 And when they had received a pledge from Jason and the others, they released them.

Message: The Role of Reason

Time: Clearly written by Luke, this book follows the lives of Peter and then Paul after Jesus' ascension into heaven. The book was completed about 62 AD as Paul sat in prison. It provides an account of the growth of the Church and spread from Jerusalem, from a small group of frightened believers in Jerusalem transformed into an empire-wide movement of people who had committed their lives to Jesus Christ, and it should help us to be bold and have zeal in our walks with God.

What the Lord is Saying:

Does it make sense that what we see has always been? Thus, the idea from the atheist or naturalist is this world in which we live in has always existed or has come about over time ever so gradually. Thus, the universe is eternal. Or does it make more sense that it has been designed. Therefore, it has a designer. For me, as I examine the intricacy of the human body, it is difficult for me to see that this body has simply evolved. Thus, it seems reasonable to believe this. Once I have believed in a designer, it makes sense that only the designer knows how to save me.

In this passage, Acts 17, Paul has come upon Thessalonica. This was a large city with a large population. As Paul entered the City, he did what he did with entering any city, he went straight to the synagogue -- they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. And according to Paul’s custom, he went to them. I find it interesting that Paul does not wait for people to come to him. Instead he goes right to the middle of the crowd that is opposed to his thinking and speaks to them. What an encouragement this is and a scary approach to things. His mission is to show people that Jesus is the Christ. Paul is an evangelist and his goal is to go to all the world and preach the gospel.

There is no problem in waiting for people to come to the church and then in that service to speak directly to them. Yet, this is not our only mission. We are also to go straight to the city centers and speak to those that are thinking another way. And I wonder, are we supposed to go to the churches that are speaking a different way? Are we go and stir the pot in those settings? Paul went straight to the synagogue, to the place that believed something different. And he experienced opposition. I Thessalonians 2:2 says - but after we had already suffered and been mistreated in Philippi, as you know, we had the boldness in our God to speak to you the gospel of God amid much opposition.

This makes me think of the open air preaching that sometimes goes on or that way of the master and living waters has mentioned. Yet, I am not sure that is the application here. The one thing that I see though is we tend to stay in safe environments for our ideal today or our mission today is safety, not conflict. Why? We want to preserve our life.

Paul did not enter the synagogue one time and then leave, but rather for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures. From the Scriptures was how his reasoning was done. And what is amazing to me is at this time, the Scriptures meant the Old Testament for he did not have a New Testament. Perhaps he had his stories and memories of Jesus and what He said while walking on the earth and following His resurrection. But it seems clear that the reasoning he did could be done with the Old Testament writings.

I have been reading the book Unveiling Grace by Lynn Wilder, a former LDS follower and what made the difference in her life was the reading of the New Testament and the words of Jesus. This is what moved her son. It is God's Word that changes lives. Paul knew this. Yet, preaching the words of Jesus either move people to the Son or further away. Both can be expected outcomes.

The other alarming record is that Paul went to the synagogue for three Sabbaths or three weeks. He camped out in this place and continued to speak to them. He continued to proclaim the message that This Jesus who I am proclaiming to you is the Christ." This Jesus is the Messiah. This was his message over and over to them, using the scriptures. And what the response? Well, some of them were persuaded. But the Jews formed a mob and set the city in an uproar. Here is the hard part, some followed, but most did not.

And this passage then turns to Jason. Jason seems to be a citizen of Thessalonica and his crime was -- and Jason has welcomed them. Jason was where Paul probably camped out and stayed. Jason and the other followers and Paul were brought out of their residence and placed before the mob. This recount of Jason and others being dragged out gets several verses. Let's be clear there is those that believe, but there are many more that oppose. And we live in a time period now that those who stir the pot are lambasted. So we can stay safe on the sidelines but then we should not be surprised that we are not having much of an impact on our culture or we can get in the middle and see fruit, but also opposition.

Promise: The reason we use in talking to people is by bringing them back continually to the Scripture, to the Word of God.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for this passage and helping me wake up more to the idea that I am your ambassador and the best way to preach your gospel is by communicating your Word. I need to accept and realize that while some will accept, many will not. Forgive me for remaining silent all to often because of this. I get too comfortable with this world and living in it and don't want anything to rock the boat or upset my place in this world. Lord, I need to come back to Your word and see that it is true to all of life and this is your message I am to carry.

Note: I follow the readings from the Tabletalk Magazine devotional, though I am a little behind and working through 2017 devotionals. 2017 is a study of key biblical doctrines with March being about the sovereign providence of God and looking at how the Bible reveals His control over all things.

Mark 16:1-4 - The Rolled-Back Stone

Mark 16:1-4
1 When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, bought spices, so that they might come and anoint Him. 2 Very early on the first day of the week, they *came to the tomb when the sun had risen. 3 They were saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?” 4 Looking up, they *saw that the stone had been rolled away, although it was extremely large.

Message: The Rolled-Back Stone

Time: Mark's personal connection with Peter gave him the source material for this book. This book was composed probably between AD 57 and AD 59. It's a book that is on the move, leading to the cross. 39 times is the word 'immediately' used. Mark reveals Jesus as God's servant, reaching into the lives of people and effecting physical and circumstantial change.

What the Lord is Saying:

Preface - Jesus has been crucified. On the cross there was a point that darkness fell over the face of the earth, from 12pm to 3pm. Mark does not record what occurred then but after this Jesus felt rejected and exclaimed "My God, why have you forsaken me?" Shortly thereafter he cried out and then breathed his last. The centurion guard there to watch to make sure he was crucified and now dead said, "This is the Son of God." Joseph of Arimathea, a Sanhedrin, asked Pilate if he could take the Body of Jesus and wrap it in linen and to a tomb he had prepared for Jesus. It was a special burial in which he rolled a stone in front of the tomb. Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of Jesus, and Salome were watching from afar.

The custom at this time was o anoint Jesus for burial. He was placed in the tomb on Friday, but no work could be done on Saturday, so instead they came to him on Sunday. Jewish custom was that this had been 3 days when probably it was more like 48 hours, but the Jews counted a partial day Friday as a full day, then Saturday, then Sunday, even though it was also just a partial day. When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, bought spices, so that they might come and anoint Him. Here they are finishing the burial customs.

Very early on the first day of the week (Sunday morning), they *came to the tomb when the sun had risen. Thus it was the light of day, not in the darkness, but in the light. And there was no expectation on their part that He would rise again (despite Him saying 3 times previously that He would). As they arrived, They were saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?” Men had rolled the stone and they obviously did not think they had the strength to roll it.

Looking up, they *saw that the stone had been rolled away, although it was extremely large. So as they were asking who should roll the stone away, they looked up and saw that it had been rolled away already.

Mark provides not much of a description of the events, as compared with more detail that Matthew provides. Mark's explanations are sort of 'matter of fact.' It is interesting over the course of the past year in studying this book of the way in which Jesus is presented. Even as I look at commentaries of these passages, the commentaries can't seem to help but offer more details of these events based upon the words spoken by the other authors. I've been trying to evaluate the text based only on Mark's words. I must admit that it is a challenge to not bring in the other information that I know. I suppose my reason for not bringing in the other author's comments is because Mark must have said what he had for a reason so I wanted to judge it just based upon what He said and who he thought Jesus was.

Overall, I'm still coming to that conclusion myself. There really is just one time that the word of "repent" is recorded by Jesus and that was at the very beginning of this book (1:15). After that there is no mention of that again. And now even in the study of Jesus on the cross, what he writes is not so much what is recorded by Jesus but the response of those around Him.

Summary - Today's summary is not real exciting on some level. 3 women head to the tomb to anoint Jesus' body. It is Sunday morning, at the dawn of light, after the sun has come up. As they approach the tomb they wonder who is going to roll the stone away and see that it is already rolled away. That's it. They arrive and the stone is not obstructing the tomb.

Promise: Unexpected things happen when following God. In some ways, we need to prepare for the unexpected.

Prayer: Lord, continue to help me understand the truth of Your word from this gospel writer. I want to see what He saw and experience what He experienced through Peter. It amazes me what is written, especially because writing things down was not easy in those times. But, your words have been inspired. Lord, you do unexpected things in my life and I need to not be surprised by these events. Help me to discover you as You are.

Mark 15:42-47 - With A Rich Man In His Death

Mark 15:42-47
42 When evening had already come, because it was the preparation day, that is, the day before the Sabbath, 43 Joseph of Arimathea came, a prominent member of the Council, who himself was waiting for the kingdom of God; and he gathered up courage and went in before Pilate, and asked for the body of Jesus. 44 Pilate wondered if He was dead by this time, and summoning the centurion, he questioned him as to whether He was already dead. 45 And ascertaining this from the centurion, he granted the body to Joseph. 46 Joseph bought a linen cloth, took Him down, wrapped Him in the linen cloth and laid Him in a tomb which had been hewn out in the rock; and he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb. 47 Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joseph were looking on to see where He was laid.

Message: With A Rich Man In His Death

Time: Mark's personal connection with Peter gave him the source material for this book. This book was composed probably between AD 57 and AD 59. It's a book that is on the move, leading to the cross. 39 times is the word 'immediately' used. Mark reveals Jesus as God's servant, reaching into the lives of people and effecting physical and circumstantial change.

What the Lord is Saying:

Preface - Jesus has been crucified. He has breathed his last on the cross letting out a loud cry after feeling rejected by God, suffering the wrath of God during a dark time that fell over the face of the earth for 3 hours. Mark records the mocking of Him that occurred. And then calls attention to two women who followed Jesus and supported His ministry - Mary Magdalene and Mary his mother.

When evening had already come, because it was the preparation day, that is, the day before the Sabbath, Jesus breathed His last breath after 3pm on Friday. It is the day before the Sabbath so their is preparation of food for Sabbath day. Enter Joseph of Arimathea came, a prominent member of the Council, who himself was waiting for the kingdom of God. Joseph is a member of the Sanhedrin and one such person who was a follower of Jesus and believed He was who He said He was. He believed Jesus was the messianic King promised. Matthew's gospel records Joseph as being a wealthy man. and he gathered up courage and went in before Pilate, and asked for the body of Jesus. Despite being a prominent man, he still gathered up courage in going in before Pilate to ask for the body of Jesus. At this point, prior to the Sabbath, the body has probably been taken down off of the cross. Normally, crucified bodies were simply thrown into a ditch. Joseph goes to Pilate to ask for the body of Jesus so that a proper burial can be performed. This is the only man that could go before Pilate. The disciples had fled at this point. He was well respected.

Pilate wondered if He was dead by this time, and summoning the centurion, he questioned him as to whether He was already dead. Normally those who had been crucified might not have expired for 2 or 3 days. He sought the centurion's confirmation as the centurion who also confessed Jesus as the Son of God, was responsible of watching the crucifixion and ensuring it was going properly and the body was not tampered with. Pilate confirms with him, an outside source, on whether Jesus is in fact dead. But, it was also important that His burial occur today, one to fulfill scripture, and also to do this work before the Sabbath. And ascertaining this from the centurion, he granted the body to Joseph. Pilate freely gave the body to Joseph, perhaps out of respect, but also perhaps out of compassion. While declaring Jesus to be put to death Mark also states that there was some sort of question by Pilate as to why Jesus was being put to death.

Joseph bought a linen cloth, took Him down, wrapped Him in the linen cloth and laid Him in a tomb which had been hewn out in the rock; and he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb. Joseph has the means to buy a fine linen cloth. He took Him down and wrapped Him in the cloth and proceeded to sprinkle myrrh probably on him. This was a delicate wrapping as He then lays Him in a tomb. This rock was probably a place reserved for himself to be buried. He had hewn it out previously. He places Jesus in this special place. Jesus dies with the wicked but is buried with the rich.

Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joseph were looking on to see where He was laid. Albert Barnes records these words:

The affection of these pious females never forsook them, in all the trials and sufferings of their Lord. With true love they followed him to the cross; they came as near to him as they were permitted to come in his last moments; they followed him when taken down and laid in the tomb. The strong, the mighty, the youthful, had fled; but female love never forsook him, even in his deepest humiliation. This is the nature of true love; it is strongest in such scenes. While "professed" attachment will abound in prosperity and live most in sunshine, it is only genuine love that will go into the dark shades of adversity and flourish there. In scenes of poverty, want, affliction, and death, it shows its genuineness. That which lives there is genuine. That which turns away from such scenes is spurious.

Summary - These sets of verses describe the taking of Jesus' body and placing it in the tomb, wrapping it with a linen cloth by Joseph, one of the respected members of the Sanhedrin, who believed Jesus was the Messiah and was awaiting the Messianic kingdom. Joseph takes care of this burial, prior to the Sabbath and takes Jesus to a nice cave he has probably carved out himself. Mary Magdalene and Mary, His mother, look on.

Promise: Tabletalk of December 6, 2016 - Though Jesus was condemned to death like a common criminal, Jesus enjoyed a magnificent burial of which no lawbreaker could be worthy.

Prayer: Lord, you deserve a great burial as you did not deserve to be crucified. God you ordered these events to occur as they did and they fulfill your prophetic word. You are concerned about the details of our lives as you were of Jesus' death. Thank you for faithful men like Joseph and faithful women like Mary Magdalene and Mary. Help me to be careful and provide you what you deserve.

Mark 3:1-6 - The Pharisees' Hard Hearts

Mark 3:1-6

1 He entered again into a synagogue; and a man was there whose hand was withered. 2 They were watching Him to see if He would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse Him. 3 He said to the man with the withered hand, “Get up and come forward!” 4 And He said to them, “Is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the Sabbath, to save a life or to kill?” But they kept silent. 5 After looking around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored. 6 The Pharisees went out and immediately began conspiring with the Herodians against Him, as to how they might destroy Him.

Message: The Pharisees' Hard Hearts

Time: Mark's personal connection with Peter gave him the source material for this book. This book was composed probably between AD 57 and AD 59. It's a book that is on the move, leading to the cross. 39 times is the word 'immediately' used. Mark reveals Jesus as God's servant, reaching into the lives of people and effecting physical and circumstantial change.

What the Lord is Saying:

Jesus and the Sabbath. I didn't realize how much air time this subject got in the Gospels and specifically here in the Gospel of Mark. Jesus has already commented that his disciples picking grain on the Sabbath wasn't an offense. The Sabbath was made for man, to provide rest, and yet if there is a need, it is okay for someone to do a little work. Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath meaning he has complete authority over this day. Now in Mark 3, I read that Jesus enters the synagogue once again. He started in the Synagogue in Capernaum in the heart of the city before deciding he should get away to the smaller cities, as he didn't want to be found out by the masses and be called out prior to his time. He knew that his mission of being the Messiah would unnerve many.

Jesus has already healed on the Sabbath. And on this day he heals again. Perhaps the message that Mark is taking a moment to present and for all to consider is the stubbornness of those who have been presented with a message and yet continue to ignore it. It says in verse 6 The Pharisees went out and immediately began conspiring with the Herodians against Him, as to how they might destroy Him. And before this already saw their true colors in verse 5 After looking around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart. 

I think this is a reminder that many people simply have a hardness of heart and despite the evidence giving them, they will not change. These Pharisees were that way and they didn't simply hear of Jesus, but had first hand evidence of Him. I'm always reminded of the words of Roy Holt at Tijeras when I gave a message about reaching out to people and he wondered why I was spending so hard trying to get certain people (JW's, Mormons) to come around to the gospel when they clearly had a hardness of heart. Those words have always stuck with me. Roy went on to be with the Lord probably 15 years ago. But, I'm still always reminded that perhaps my time needs to be spent on other things. Prayer needs to continue but people like Derek in London clearly have a hardness of heart and an unwillingness to even consider something else, so it does not seem necessary to continue to try to persuade him. Those are just a few examples from my life. It is sad, but it is true. And the work of the Gospel still must continue.

Promise: Let us pray for the Lord to give us soft hearts and the willingness to obey Him even when it violates traditions found in the Bible.

Prayer: Lord, I'm always amazed that you have saved me. As you have me converse with people in my life, direct me to those that have a desire for you. If there are those, after much talk, continue to deny you, center me on praying rather than conversing and spending my time on this. Thank you for working in people's lives and my confident remains in you to draw people to yourself. People like my son, who desperately needs you, but right now is not listening. Use people beyond me to draw him to you. I pray that he would start looking. Thank you for your great love for all.

Mark 2:28 - Lord of the Sabbath

Mark 2:28
So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.

Message: Lord of the Sabbath

Time: Mark's personal connection with Peter gave him the source material for this book. This book was composed probably between AD 57 and AD 59. It's a book that is on the move, leading to the cross. 39 times is the word 'immediately' used. Mark reveals Jesus as God's servant, reaching into the lives of people and effecting physical and circumstantial change.

What the Lord is Saying: Mark has taken his time to explain the Sabbath over the last 3 days of verses. He mentioned that, if necessary, a person can harvest grain on a Sabbath day if that person is in need. Work can be done on the Sabbath. The Sabbath day has been made for man. We are to focus on the principles and look to the reasons for God's commandments and not get obsessed with the carrying out of them to the point that we get bogged down in the details and forget why they are there. Often times, we think there are no exceptions to rules. Rules are there for a reason, often to protect us. For the Sabbath, we need a day of rest, but often one makes the commandments more precise and expansive than the Lord has, and can even treat the law as merely a list of do's and don'ts by which to then measure one's piety. Piety is a man-made emphasis. God isn't looking for pious people.

On a different note, as I read the Gospels, and specifically study Mark, I am looking for clues that Jesus spoke of his deity. How is he more than a man? Many faiths do not state that he is God. It is true that Jesus does not come out explicitly and say, "I am God" but are there ways in which he spoke and did things that are things only God can do. For instance, he has already said that he forgives sins. He did this with the paralyzed man that was brought to him by the faith of his friends. Today, he asserts that he is the Son of Man and the Lord of the Sabbath.

From Tabletalk:

God created the Sabbath and by His law determines what men and women may and may not do on the day of rest. By taking that prerogative for Himself, Jesus identifies Himself as the Lord and Maker of all things. 

Jesus was very subtle in his speaking. He refers to himself often as the Son of Man. Son of Man is what we all are, in that we have a human origin, as being sons of a human father. But, Son of Man was also referenced in Daniel 7, as referring to an exalted figure. So, even in this passage he states he is a son of man, but also he is Lord of the Sabbath. So here Jesus is communicating he is fully man, but also fully God. He is more than just a man.

Promise: He is the Son of Man. He is Lord of the Sabbath. He has authority over the Sabbath. Though man, he is more than just a man.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the way you spoke. Thank you for describing yourself the way you have. I pray that you would give me greater understanding of you, so that you will help me defend my faith in You and express to others what I believe based upon your word. Give me the words to say and help me to be bold in my words. Draw people to yourself, as this is what I want to see. I praise You. Help me to rest and take that time to rest. Sometimes it will be during the week as well and sometimes I will need a day and sometimes you will need to get my attention by me being sick, like it has happened recently. I want to honor you with all of my life, all of the time. Forgive me for my weakness.

Mark 2:27 - The Purpose of the Sabbath

Mark 2:27
Jesus said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.
Meaning: The Purpose of the Sabbath

Time: Mark's personal connection with Peter gave him the source material for this book. This book was composed probably between AD 57 and AD 59. It's a book that is on the move, leading to the cross. 39 times is the word 'immediately' used. Mark reveals Jesus as God's servant, reaching into the lives of people and effecting physical and circumstantial change.

What the Lord is Saying:

As I have said, Jesus is teaching here in these verses, and telling his people, his followers, even us today lessons. It is interesting what he is teaching and what Mark is communicating. Thus far, the theme I have seen is that Jesus is letting us know that His message is new, different, unconventional and he is expressing overall our need to turn to Him and embrace Him and trust what he is saying. Along the way, it is the Pharisees or those that are known to be religious that are asking the questions. Yesterday, the issue was harvesting for grain on the Sabbath or doing any work on the Sabbath and once again the point is not that it's not good to take a rest, but if there is a need, breaking a code of conduct will not separate man from God. We are not asked to follow a set of rules, but we are called to follow Christ.

Jesus said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath." In Jesus' day, in our day, we tend to look at the religious men, the pastors and teachers and hold them high on a pedestal as the pious men of our day. In Jesus' day and today, the orthodox Jewish people not only say that no work can be done on the Sabbath (recently, I've noticed 7th day Adventists also follow a similar code), but they make a very complete list of what constitutes work - from turning on the air conditioner to driving a car to preparing a meal. For the pharisees tying or untying knots or writing more than one letter of the alphabet were defined as labor that would break the Sabbath commandment.

I admit that often I am a hot or cold person that sometimes lives in extremes. I over-analyze application sometimes and in so doing miss the principle and get too focused on the practice or what should not be practiced. I've always struggled with concepts and understanding them and instead side on actionable items. And this was the problem often with religious zealots in that they over-looked the principle and became more obsessed with what constitutes labor or work on the Sabbath. They lived in fear of perhaps doing something wrong. Like yesterday, obviously a person should not spend their entire Sabbath continuing to harvest the field, but if they had a need for nourishment, was their a problem with picking a little grain. The concept was yes, we need to rest from our labor and trust God, but that doesn't mean necessarily that we can't do anything that constitutes work.

Thus, this could be what Jesus meant when he said The Sabbath was meant for man. God gave us the Sabbath so that we could rest. Rest is easy to understand today because we have so many opportunities to rest and we can rest very easily. In fact, we often rest every evening and then for bulks of time on the weekend. But, in Jesus' day rest was not possible for to survive you had to be always working. But God knew the importance of rest and so he instituted a day for it. The principle was that we need to remember to take it easy. As a person, I don't often take off a full day only because resting happens throughout each day often. Thus, it is not the purpose of the Sabbath to then make a list of what constitutes work and what doesn't. To me, that falls into legalism.

Promise: I am to love the Law of God. But, if it becomes fear or their is concern too much in its breaking, then I miss the point. The reality is obedience to the law is never completely possible. So failure will occur so I need to be more focused on what God is teaching me through the commandments versus getting obsessed with obedience to every detail of it that I conjure up.

Prayer: Lord, thank your for this lesson. I admit being a person that gets bogged down in the details, out of fear that perhaps what I'm doing is breaking the law. Help me to realize why you gave us rules and that I will never be completely obedient to those rules so why do I work so hard to make sure I am. You know me better than I know myself. Teach me to trust you. And help me as a Father, as I relate to my children and teach them that I help them see the principle and don't get too caught up in details.

Mark 2:23-26 - Picking Grain on the Sabbath

Mark 2:23-26
23 And it happened that He was passing through the grainfields on the Sabbath, and His disciples began to make their way along while picking the heads of grain. 24 The Pharisees were saying to Him, “Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?” 25 And He said to them, “Have you never read what David did when he was in need and he and his companions became hungry; 26 how he entered the house of God in the time of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the consecrated bread, which is not lawful for anyone to eat except the priests, and he also gave it to those who were with him?”
Message: Picking Grain on the Sabbath

Time: Mark's personal connection with Peter gave him the source material for this book. This book was composed probably between AD 57 and AD 59. It's a book that is on the move, leading to the cross. 39 times is the word 'immediately' used. Mark reveals Jesus as God's servant, reaching into the lives of people and effecting physical and circumstantial change.

What the Lord is Saying: 

Recently, the readings from Mark have been it seems to prove a point, basically that Jesus comes with a new message and this message is different from the ritual thinking of the past, so choose Christ. As these occur, Mark is often offering questions from the Pharisees or scribes as they tend to be the holders of all things that are traditional in thought in these cities. Today is no different. The issue today is doing work on the Sabbath.

In my lifetime, having grown up in the 70s, I've seen the Sabbath day change. Granted, for the Jew Sabbath is sundown Friday to sundown Saturday, but for me Sabbath has always been Sunday, the day of church. I remember shopping centers and most stores being closed on Sunday but then in the 80s and beyond they began to open and now in the last 20 years church has become much more optional in people's lives which means that Sunday is just another day for many.

But this is a different issue i think. I am talking about a day of rest and Jesus is here pointing out not so much an issue of working on the Sabbath day but I think he is talking more about doing some different from the traditions that have been set up that mark religious piety. Thus, it is a continued conversation about that issue talked about prior in regards to providing forgiveness of sins, not simply healing, and the issue of fasting all the time, versus specific times and for the disciples maybe its not even needed since Jesus is present in their lives and then also the issue of wine skins to express that Jesus once again is doing a new thing. And this Jesus thing even transcends the thinking that one can't work on the Sabbath. I'm not sure if the message is that there is freedom in Christ, though there is obviously. And I'm not sure the focus is that one can't do any work on the Sabbath. To me, it is more of an issue that Jesus and his message transcends all of life and as Paul will mention often in Romans as he speaks to circumcision and caretakers of the law, while Jesus isn't saying those things aren't important, but he is saying that Jesus has brought a new message and salvation is through personal acknowledgment of sin, repentance and believing and following God's Messiah - Jesus. So its not so much what we do but who we are following. And as we get our focus off of works or rituals or duty and instead onto Jesus there is grace. We still need to have a sabbath. We still need to fast from our idols. We still need to drink from our wine skins, but we also need to evaluate life and figure out if we are doing things in order to earn God's acceptance by doing those things or if we are really following Jesus and letting him define our world.

Even my reading of the scripture daily, it can become an idol or something that I feel like I must do. In a way it is, but my real aim is staying focused on learning from Jesus each day and the benefit of living my life in learning of Him. My goal is obedience and following him all my days. So it doesn't then give me the freedom to just sit and watch TV, or go to movies, or view whatever I want from my phone, or work instead of ministry or not attend church or avoid the Lord's Supper or working every day and never resting. Those things are still important in my life but I do them not to earn piety or favoritism from God, but more out of worship. Sometimes I will be faithful, sometimes I may miss the boat, but through it all Jesus acceptance and love for me does not change. So, I can pick grain on the Sabbath, though I may end up spending most of my life not picking grain. But, I can do it and it won't affect my salvation because I already believe.

Promise: I need to focus on Jesus in my everyday life and following him, not simply thinking that following rules or tradition merits God's acceptance. It is Jesus everyday.

Prayer: Lord, keep changing my thinking and conforming it to the message of the gospel. Thank you for reminding me that life is about following you and being in relationship with you. You transcend all of life. Practicing my faith is important, but not if it because a checklist item that I must meet to be spiritual. Instead, help me to be pure in my motives so that practicing my faith becomes something I must do to follow you. Let it be worship. It is worship to spend time with you each day. It is worship to attend church and be in fellowship. Thank you Lord for reminding me of how you transcend life.

Mark 1:29-34 - Healings in Capernaum

Mark 1:29-34
29 And immediately after they came out of the synagogue, they came into the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. 30 Now Simon’s mother-in-law was lying sick with a fever; and immediately they spoke to Jesus about her. 31 And He came to her and raised her up, taking her by the hand, and the fever left her, and she waited on them.

32 When evening came, after the sun had set, they began bringing to Him all who were ill and those who were demon-possessed. 33 And the whole city had gathered at the door. 34 And He healed many who were ill with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and He was not permitting the demons to speak, because they knew who He was.

Message: Healings in Capernaum

Time: Mark's personal connection with Peter gave him the source material for this book. This book was composed probably between AD 57 and AD 59. It's a book that is on the move, leading to the cross. 39 times is the word 'immediately' used. Mark reveals Jesus as God's servant, reaching into the lives of people and effecting physical and circumstantial change.

What the Lord is Saying:

I have just left Jesus exorcising a demon from a man in the synagogue. Jesus is getting personal now. He began with the message - repent and believe - and then he called his disciples to be fishers of men. He shared in the synagogue, speaking with authority and along the way, engages with a man with an unclean spirit (possessed) and removes that spirit from him with only a word. Now, he goes to the house of Simon (the Apostle Peter) and Andrew (both his called disciples) with James and John as well coming along, he comes to a sick woman (Simon's mother-in-law) and heals her. Her response is noted - she serves him. Obviously, this type of healing begins to get everyone's attention as news of this spreads and soon many are coming to him to be healed, putting their faith in him (I would imagine).

A couple of notes:

• This passage mentions Peter's mother-in-law which means Peter was married. Thus, Jesus chose a married man to be an apostle. 
• Andrew seems to also be living with Simon in the same house
• Immediately into the house, immediately to the matter, immediately healed. 
• Mark does note that they came after sundown, thus after the Sabbath day had been completed, as these people still felt like this type of work should not be done until the Sabbath was over. \
• The demons were muzzled
• At various times in the gospels, Jesus does not permit people to speak about him being the Messiah. Jesus did not desire at this time for this to be known by all the people. Therefore, he imposed silence on the evil spirits. 

Exorcisms and healing's are supernatural events. Naturally, upon reading these one has a desire to see these events duplicated. This what is recorded as "they began bringing to Him all who were ill and those demon-possessed." But going beyond the account, Jesus saw a need and met it and those people were forever changed. 

Promise: Jesus continues to be personal, this time healing his disciples' mother-in-law

Prayer: Lord, thank you for your healing touch on our lives and knowing the right time when to reveal yourself to people.