"You Can't HANDLE the Truth!" - BTG- Mark 14B

Blogging through the Gospels with Amy from Mom's Toolbox.

----

Reading:  Mark 14: 43 -72


Scripture:  Mark 14: 61-63

61 But Jesus remained silent and gave no answer.

Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?”

62 “I am,” said Jesus. “And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.”

63 The high priest tore his clothes. “Why do we need any more witnesses?” he asked. 64 “You have heard the blasphemy. What do you think?”

They all condemned him as worthy of death.


Observation:


Jesus wouldn't defend himself, but he did not deny himself either.

The saying   'If you can't handle the answer, then don't ask the question' comes to mind here.  The Pharisees and Saducees were WAITING for the Messiah.  The entire Hebrew nation was WAITING for the Messiah.

When Jesus answered " I AM," the reaction should have been celebratory.  The whole place should have filled with leaping, dancing, cheering -- pinatas, streamers and party whistles!

They were so sure that the Messiah would be like them, that they couldn't see the reality of their Redeemer right in front of them.

Application:


I do not ever what to be so adamant about my plan, or my expectations, that I do not see what God is trying to do right in front of me.


Prayer:


Thank you, Lord, for your patience.
Thank you for sustaining me through the busiest week professionally that I remember having -- ever.
Thank you for giving me the gifts, blessings, and opportunities that you have given me.  Help me to have the wisdom and discernment to see what you want me to do.

You are my lifeline.
Amen.

Blogging Through the Gospels: Mark 14A

Blogging through the Gospels with Amy, from Mom's Toolbox.   To be completely honest- I do not know how I would have survived the last month if I had not accepted the challenge that Amy offered.  The Lord has carried me through house/apartment hunting,  through packing and moving, through concerts and other drama....  If you are reading this and are feeling like you need SOMETHING to kick start or rejuvenate your walk with God, then I HIGHLY recommend joining us.  You don't need to blog it.... but it is so cool to share the ideas and revelations that we are learning!

-----------------------------------------------

Reading: Mark 14: 1 - 42

Scripture:


Mark: 14 0 35 - 36

35 Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him. 36 “ Father,” he said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.”


Observations:


Jesus knew the plan.  He was part of the triune committee that designed the plan.
But when faced with the reality of it, he prayed for a way out.

It is okay to be overwhelmed in our situations.  But the bottom line is whether or not we are going to surrender and trust.

Application:

In Psalm 139 David writes:

7 Where can I go from your Spirit?

Where can I flee from your presence?

And if we really believe that, then in every situation we need to remember that not only is God in control, but He is holding us in the palm of His hand.

It is incredibly comforting to me as we are embarking on an incredible journey that is teaching us to live entirely by faith (with a whole lot of discipline).  Even if situations explode, and things go horribly wrong, we are not alone.  And even if it was not a part of OUR plan, it was most likely part of HIS plan.

And even if the events were not His design, they can be turned into something beautiful.

Romans 8: 28

 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Prayer:


Heavenly Father,
Thank you for the reminder that you are the author and finisher of our faith.
Thank you for the reminder that before the foundation of the world, you knew me.

Lord, I release the tension, fear and anxiety that I am holding regarding the concert this evening.
Help me to find the perfect thing to honor my Seniors graduating.  Help me to hold it together through the concert without falling apart.  You have carried me this far.  Why do I act like you are dropping me off at the side of the road??

Thank you for the oasis of peace amidst the craziness of this week.
Amen.

Don't LET yourself be distracted - BTG Mark 13

I am blogging through the Gospels with Amy from Mom's Toolbox, and have been learning so much.
You should check it out!

----------------------------------------------------------

Reading:  Mark 13

Scripture:  Mark 13 : 35 - 36



35 “Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back—whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. 36 If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. 37 What I say to you, I say to everyone: ‘Watch!’”


Observation:


We have no idea when Jesus is going to return.
We have no idea what the day is going to bring.

The one thing that we can be sure of is: We will not last forever, and we are nearing the end of this chapter of Earth's existence.

We must not ALLOW ourselves to be distracted from our focus on our MISSION to bring the Gospel to all people, whether our influence is in our neighborhood, city, state, country or world.

We must not ALLOW ourselves to be distracted by the cares and trivialities of this life.


Application:


I am exhausted this morning.  This is the busiest week that I have ever had professionally, and as a mother of two with a husband that is working nights, having to arrange childcare and child transportation and juggling a lot of details, I am wiped out-- and the week is not even half over yet.

While I was LISTENING I decided to try keeping my eyes open so that I wouldn't fall asleep. (Although I am sitting on a couch, with a foam roller wedged up against my spine, so I am not exactly comfortable... but I am that tired.)   All of a sudden I was looking at the movies on the table in front of me and how guilty I feel for not exercising.  Then I shook it off and looked up at the blinds.  Then I started thinking about how we have to clean the blinds, windows and wash the curtains before we move.   At that point the divine light bulb went off, I closed my eyes, and listened to my God warn about distraction.

In this passage, it is talking about watching and waiting expectantly for the return of our Savior.  But in our walk with the Lord, we need to be watchful, attentive and focused.  I know myself, and my bed felt so comfortable this morning, but I KNEW that I needed to hear from my God today.

Distractions come in all forms.
TV Shows.
TO DO Lists
Busy Schedules
Lazy Schedules
Music -- even Christian music
Family
Friends

It is so easy to lose our focus, and forget our mission ---  even sometimes when we are doing good things.  It is so easy to get distracted.

What I heard from my God today was to control my mind.  Take captive every thought, and not to ALLOW my mind to get distracted.

Prayer:


Lord -- help me.  This is a big area for me.  I know that we have been trying to deal with it half-heartedly for some time.  But I sense the urgency.

Thank you for meeting me here again this morning.
Amen.

Be Authentic. Don't Fake it. - BTG - Mark 12

Another amazing day of Blogging through the Gospels with Amy from Mom's Toolbox.


Words cannot express how much the simple SOAP acronym is changing my life. Being a part of this challenge, and the little blogging community going through it together, is just so awesome, and encouraging.

-----------------------------------------------

Reading: Mark 12


Scripture:    
Mark 12 : 40

40 - They devour widows’ houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. Such men will be punished most severely.

Observations:

Pride. The teachers of the law are all about status, and importance, and being the IT crowd. If there were paparazzi in those days, they would be following the teachers of the law. The make grand shows over following the obscure details, and have no heart for the people they are supposed to be teaching at all.

No wonder people are still confused.

How do you get to the heart of God when the teachers are shouting "UnCLEAN!" rather than praying over the hurt, lost and in need of healing?

How do you see the heart of God when the teachers are blinded by the scriptures hanging from their foreheads, rather than living the MEANING of the words He gave us?

Application:

Be Authentic. Don't Fake it.

When praying to my Lord, it would be better to sit in silence than to talk to fill up space.

If I am going to live my faith out in the real world, then be real.

It is better to struggle with the idea of a Real, Living, Active, Compassionate and Loving GOD than to reduce Him to something that is barely worth worshiping at all.

It is better to struggle to accept His love, than to preach on things that don't have anything to do with the HEART of God.

God is bigger, better, more awesome, more majestic (running out of words...) than I could ever comprehend. Yes.... I have trouble grasping His goodness. But it is exciting to be in this place. To be realizing that the depth of my Savior's love for me is more profound than I could have imagined?? Yes. I will wrestle with that -- GLADLY.

Because that is much more enticing than someone who acts like they have it all together, when all they focus on are the things that don't matter.

In the end:

Denominations won't matter.

Service styles will be irrelevant.

What you wear to church on Sunday will be forgotten.

In the end:

Your Father loves you with an everlasting love.

His Son died for YOU (and for many) so that you would have EVERLASTING LIFE.

Let the focus be on the TRUTH, and let everything else fade away . . .

Prayer:

My God,

There are at least three different praise songs filling my heart right now.

Help me to carry them with me through the day.

Help me to feel your peace during this extremely busy and stressful week.

Let me never stop focusing on your heart. Help me to always remember your love.

Thank you, so very much, for revealing yourself to me every. single. day. in the area that I need it the most.

Awed by you,

Amen.

Believe with Confidence- BTG Mark 11

Blogging through the Gospels with Amy from Mom's Toolbox has changed my life, and revitalized my walk with God.  She lays out the plan at her site, and the instructions, step by step.  I cannot encourage starting this for yourself ENOUGH!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Reading:  Mark 11


What I heard today:  Believe with confidence!

Scripture:  Mark 11: 23 - 24

I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him.

Therefore I tell you,  whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

Observations: 


Believe, even in the impossible.  Nothing is impossible for God!
Doubt is the opposite of belief.

Application:


The last month has been an education in just how much I can truly trust God with EVERYTHING.

We prayed, believing fully that He would show us where He wants us to live.
He has.

We prayed, believing fully that HE would work the financial details out.
He has.

I prayed, fully trusting on my God to get me through a difficult situation.
He did -- and in a beautiful and unexpected way.  A woman that I HAD NOT MET or even SPOKEN to at church stopped me yesterday, informing me that the Lord had brought my face to her mind in my very time of need last week.  She prayed.  I felt peace.

My God really, really does care about every detail.
I approach my Father with CONFIDENCE, knowing that I am not insignificant to Him.
I approach my Father with CONFIDENCE, knowing that He has been waiting with the solution, waiting with the peace that I am seeking.

I have no reason to doubt Him. He has proved Himself faithful.
Even though it is incomprehensible - that the creator of the Universe would pay detailed attention, and make detailed PROVISIONS for our lives...

We can believe with confidence!


Prayer:


Wow, Lord...
Thank you so much for the reminder.  I still cannot wrap my head around you, and will never be able to understand how you are able to be ALL things to ALL people.
Thank you for reminding me that not only am I significant to you, I am beloved.


What a great way to start the day.
Thank you, Lord.

Amen.

Blogging Through the Gospels: Mark 9

SO EXCITED!  If you are reading and blogging along with Amy at Mom's Toolbox, then my words for today might look familiar to you.  I am blessed and humbled to share my thoughts (which... NO surprise here... over a week ago when I prepared them, it was of course EXACTLY what I needed to hear for that day) with everyone!

Reading: Mark 9

Scripture:  Mark 9 :21 - 24

21 Jesus asked the boy’s father, “How long has he been like this?”

“From childhood,” he answered. 22 “It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.”

23 “‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.”


24 Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”

Observation:

This poor man has watched his son be possessed by a demon, or "impure spirit," as the NIV calls it, since his childhood.  I imagine, like any parent desperate to help a hurting child, that he tried many different avenues for help.  When he had heard about Jesus, and that the men who were his disciples, performing miracles, and healing people day after day, I wonder if he was afraid to hope, but even more afraid not to try?

When the disciples were unable to cast out the spirit, the poor man must have seen the final possibility and hope of a cure slipping away.

In humility, and possibly desperation, he asks, "if you can do anything, please take pity on us and help us."

I imagine at Jesus' next words, the man's posture completely changing, and hope coming back with full force.

"I do believe!  Help me overcome my unbelief!"


Application:

My God wants me to trust Him with everything, and FOR everything.

It's not:

"Lord, if you can provide-"

or

"Lord, if you could help me-"

I need to believe Him with absolute confidence and certainty that He loves me intimately, carefully and watchfully-- even though He is the God of this universe of billions of people.  I don't need to understand how He can be all things to all people, I just need to actively make Him my ALL in ALL.

As a woman in a very self-sufficient day and age, I learned quickly to solve my own problems.  I need to remember that in every area that I have completely trusted my God, He has never failed me.  But there are some areas that are quite a bit more scary to let go of.... especially in those last few days before the next paycheck.  Today my God is telling me:

"If I can provide?"

So I surrender.
I do believe.
Forgive my unbelief.

Prayer:


My Gracious God,
You are so patient with me.
I know that I am going to look back and feel so foolish for the little pockets of fear and worry that I have clung to for so long.  I know in my head that you love me more than I could imagine.  Help me to feel it in my heart, and let it seep into every corner or my mind, and into every pocket of fear and worry that I hold.  Help me to let go.

I do believe.
Forgive my unbelief.

Amen.

Moving Update: Time to start packing!!!

We are MOVING!

We found a place that we loved, that we had to crunch the numbers (just a little bit) and commit to really, actually buckling down on our finances in order to make it work, and we met with the landlord yesterday, and we got it!!

It is a two bedroom house attached to a dentist office right in the heart of town!

The paint is new, the layout is great, and we fell in love with it when we walked into the kitchen-- and that isn't even the best part of the house!

The bedrooms have built in drawers -- so cool, and lots of closets.

The bathrooms are TINY -- we have been very spoiled by our bathrooms in our previous places, but it's okay.  Bathrooms are not a deal-breaker.  :)

So-- Saturday, May 28th is MOVING day!

And then on Monday, I will be with my band kiddos for the Memorial Day Parades.  But I won't have to go far!!

Things that are falling into place?

-- We can start moving things in now.   Basically-- every single day, I could load up the van/car and take stuff to the house.

-- Internet and electric are all set up, and we are getting a great deal on just internet!  Woot!  

-- My parents are sending us $$ to pay for the U-Haul truck!! Wow! We so weren't expecting it, but really, really appreciate it!

-- Our pastor is going to round up some guys from our church to help us on Moving Day!

-- My husband is taking the Friday before AND the Tuesday after Memorial Day off for packing/unpacking purposes.

We brought our first load over to the house yesterday, and we showed Soccer Boy. He was pretty excited!

Here he is in his and Cuddle Bug's room, even though it's empty.   He is very literal.

Our Bay Window ( <3 ) in the kitchen, and the back door.

A view of the kitchen from the living room. Lots and lots of counter space! Lots and lots of cupboard space!  And see?  Our Kitchenaid already looks right at home!

Soccer Boy showing off Mommy and Daddy's room... again, even though it's empty.

And our nice beautiful big living room, with the one piece of furniture that is over there at this point... our bean bag.  :)