Apicontent

“But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has been raised! He is not here. Look, there is the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples, even Peter, that he is going ahead of you into Galilee. You will see him there, just as he told you.” Then they went out and ran from the tomb, for terror and bewilderment had seized them. And they said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid.” —Mark 16:6-8

When pain and heartache come, it’s easy to forget what we know to be true. The angel had come and rolled away the stone to show that Jesus had indeed risen! Fresh air and the morning light filled the tomb where He had been laid. Death had been conquered! A stone could not hold Him. Death could not hold Him. Overwhelmed with wonder, the women were told by the angel that Jesus was not there. He had risen! They were to go and tell the disciples and Peter! How precious of Jesus to single out His friend, Peter. Peter, the one who had betrayed Him. Peter, the one who had vowed to go to the death with his Lord and then turned and disowned Him three times. I can so feel his pain! How many times I have let the Lord down through my actions, or lack of them; or through my words, or lack of them! Yet Jesus remains faithful. Tell Beth!

Jesus is not surprised by our frailties and shortcomings–He expects it from flawed human flesh! Remember what Isaiah tells us:

“ A voice says, “Cry out!” Another asks, “What should I cry out?” The first voice responds: “All people are like grass, and all their promises are like the flowers in the field. The grass dries up, the flowers wither, when the wind sent by the LORD blows on them. Surely humanity is like grass.
The grass dries up, the flowers wither, but the decree of our God is forever reliable.” —Isaiah 40:6-8

“All of us had wandered off like sheep; each of us had strayed off on his own path, but the LORD caused the sin of all of us to attack him.” —Isaiah 53:6

Paul tells us in Romans:

… “There is no one righteous, not even one, there is no one who understands, there is no one who seeks God. All have turned away, together they have become worthless; there is no one who shows kindness, not even one.” —Romans 3:10-12

What God desires from us is to keep our accounts short. We must repent and turn back to Him when we fall. We must go back to the cross and to its power! Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians:

“For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel – and not with clever speech, so that the cross of Christ would not become useless.”
“For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” —1 Corinthians 1:17-18

In the Hebrew-Greek Key Word Study Bible the word translated “repent” is the Greek word Metanoeo meaning “to undergo a moral reorientation of the soul in which one acknowledges the error of his ways and turns toward the divinely prescribed way of truth and righteousness”. It is a turning from unbelief to a “reliance upon His forgiveness and favor.” We can never sin beyond God’s grace and mercy–we need only to go back to the cross. Jesus’ blood shed for us covers all sin–past, present and future! That is good news indeed!

I love the angel’s last line: “There you will see him, just as he told you.” God never changes. If He said it, He meant it!

Take It to Heart

We can stand on the promises of God–He will never let us down!

“Since, I, the LORD, do not go back on my promises.” —Malachi 3:6

“The Preeminent One of Israel does not go back on his word or change his mind, for he is not a human being who changes his mind.” —1 Samuel 15:29

“The sacrifices God desires are a humble spirit – O God, a humble and repentant heart you will not reject.” —Psalm 51:17

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever!” —Hebrews 13:8

“When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought aromatic spices so that they might go and anoint him. And very early on the first day of the week, at sunrise, they went to the tomb. They had been asking each other, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?” —Mark 16:1-3

I love these women! Let me give you a little glimpse of what they had experienced just prior to this verse. They had followed Jesus and cared for His needs (Mark 15:41); they were eye witnesses to His crucifixion (Mark 15:40); they had experienced the three hours of darkness over the whole land (Mark 15:33); they had seen the curtain of the temple torn from top to bottom (Mark 15:38); they had heard the centurion’s confession that “Surely this man was the Son of God” (Mark 15:39); they had felt the earth shake and had seen the rocks split (Matthew 27:51); they were at the foot of the cross and were eyewitnesses to His death (John 19:25) … and now they were confused!

Have you ever opened a 1,000 piece puzzle box and not known where to begin? I suppose these women felt much the same way! They had watched as Joseph of Arimathea took Jesus’ precious body down from the cross and wrapped it in linen and laid it in the tomb. They had observed the stone being placed against the entrance. Wanting to add their touch to their Lord’s burial, they put their own spices, salves, scented oils, and perfumes together to anoint His body. They had walked with Him and saw to His needs on earth, and they were going to ceremoniously see to it that He was embalmed correctly in death. They did the very thing they knew to do.

We can learn an enormous lesson from this. Have you ever been confused and not known the “next step”? I have. A distressing phone call, a hurtful exchange with a friend, a lost job, a death, an unfaithful spouse, a rebellious child, illness–you name it, the list of struggles is endless. When we are standing at a cross-road, we learn from Scripture that is important to simply do the next thing. Abraham went out to cut wood when he was told to sacrifice his son (Genesis 22:1-3); Joseph made up his mind to make the most of his situation when he was sold into slavery by his brothers (Genesis 39:1-6); Peter went back to fishing when his Lord was crucified (John 21:3). And these women went to anoint their Lord. We do the next thing … and Jesus meets us there.

Be assured, if you are seeking to do His will, He will not let you miss it. Sometimes we just have to do the next thing. This is not always easy! It was not easy for the disciples either. Their pain and confusion was just as real as ours. Take heart, believer! Just do the next thing and Jesus will meet you there!

Take It to Heart

“I was once young, now I am old. I have never seen a godly man abandoned, or his children forced to search for food.” —Psalm 37:25

“For the LORD promotes justice, and never abandons his faithful followers.” —Psalm 37:28

“Rely on the LORD! Obey his commands! Then he will permit you to possess the land; you will see the demise of evil men.” —Psalm 37:34

“But the LORD delivers the godly; he protects them in times of trouble. The LORD helps them and rescues them;he rescues them from evil men and delivers them, for they seek his protection.” —Psalm 37:39-40

“Then he came and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “Simon, are you sleeping? Couldn’t you stay awake for one hour? Stay awake and pray that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” —Mark 14:37-38

This particular event takes place in Gethsemane the night before Jesus was to be crucified. Jesus had taken three of His disciples–Peter, James, and John–with Him to pray. Knowing what they would be faced with the following day, Jesus exhorts them to watch and pray so that they will not fall into temptation. He understands them totally. He knows that their hearts are in the right place, but that their resolve may not see them through difficulty.

Jesus knows that our flesh is as frail as the summer flowers. Flesh has not changed in all of time. It is as frail today as it was in the disciples’ day. Therefore, as disciples of Christ today, He delivers to us this same message–watch and pray! When it comes to temptation, Peter tells us:

“Be sober and alert. Your enemy the devil, like a roaring lion, is on the prowl looking for someone to devour. Resist him, strong in your faith, because you know that your brothers and sisters throughout the world are enduring the same kinds of suffering.” —1 Peter 5:8-9

Paul adds:

“Finally, be strengthened in the Lord and in the strength of his power. Clothe yourselves with the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens. For this reason, take up the full armor of God so that you may be able to stand your ground on the evil day, and having done everything, to stand.” —Ephesians 6:10-13

How can we apply this to our own lives? How do we go about thwarting temptation with the realization of our weak flesh? How do we watch and be on guard awaiting His return? Scripture tells us:

“Like a city that is broken down and without a wall, so is a person who cannot control his temper.” —Proverbs 25:28

In the time of Jesus, a city was only as powerful as its walls. When a breach in the wall occurred, the city was vulnerable to the attack of the enemy. In much the same way, we need a wall around us, and that wall is self-control. When there is a weakness in our wall, you can be assured that is where the attack from Satan will come. It is our responsibility to constantly evaluate where our weaknesses lie and strengthen those breaches. How? There are many ways. Here are some I have found helpful in my own life:

• Prayer–Asking God for strength.
• Resolve–Setting my mind on the things of God.
• Hiding God’s Word in my heart.
• Making my thoughts obedient to Christ.
• Keeping short accounts–with God and with others.
• Honestly evaluating my life–asking Jesus to search my heart for things that are not of Him.
• Remembering my flesh is weak, but His Spirit is powerful–I only need to rely on Him!
• Avoiding places, people, or things that can cause me to stumble or fall.

I love the following verses from Hebrews regarding Jesus’ help for us:

“For we do not have a high priest incapable of sympathizing with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in every way just as we are, yet without sin. Therefore let us confidently approach the throne of grace to receive mercy and find grace whenever we need help.” —Hebrews 4:15-16

Take It to Heart

Jesus exhorts us to be on guard for our own good. He told Peter, James, and John: “Watch and pray.” Perhaps they would not have fled had they been obedient to this command. Perhaps Peter would not have disowned Jesus three times and caused himself so much grief if he had been obedient to this command. Perhaps I can avoid my own grief if I am obedient to this command!

“Watch and pray!”

“Now one of the experts in the law came and heard them debating. When he saw that Jesus answered them well, he asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?”
Jesus answered, “The most important is: ‘Listen, Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ The second is: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”
The expert in the law said to him, “That is true, Teacher; you are right to say that he is one, and there is no one else besides him. And to love him with all your heart, with all your mind, and with all your strength and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”
When Jesus saw that he had answered thoughtfully, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” Then no one dared any longer to question him.” —Mark 12:28-34

Hearing the debate, and noticing Jesus giving a good answer, one of the teachers of the law–meaning a scribe or someone who was knowledgeable of the law–approached Jesus with this question: What is the most important commandment? And Jesus’ very simple answer? The Lord our God is one, we are to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. And, He adds, we are to love our neighbor as ourselves. Nothing is greater. With this answer, Jesus referred to what the Jews consider to be one of the most important texts in the Old Testament–the Shema–found in Deuteronomy 6:4-9. Literally the Hebrew word Shema means to heed, listen, and obey. The passage is beautiful:

“Listen, Israel: The LORD is our God, the LORD is one! You must love the LORD your God with your whole mind, your whole being, and all your strength.”
These words I am commanding you today must be kept in mind, and you must teach them to your children and speak of them as you sit in your house, as you walk along the road, as you lie down, and as you get up. You should tie them as a reminder on your forearm and fasten them as symbols on your forehead. Inscribe them on the doorframes of your houses and gates.” —Deuteronomy 6:4-9

God understands we are but dust. Throughout His Word we are compared to sheep numerous times. Typically, sheep are thought to be dumb animals, possibly because they always follow each other around in the flock! God knows we need to be led¸ and we need to be reminded of certain truths lest we forget. This is for our good. He wants us to love Him and listen to Him, because He has the heart of a shepherd! God is asking for whole hearted love, which includes our desires, feelings, affections, passions, understanding, and intellectual capacity. God is not asking something of us that He has not already shown to us. He placed such a value on man–showed such love for him that though we deserved rejection, God, the Father sacrificed Jesus Christ, his only Son for our salvation. Paul tells us in Romans:

“For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. (For rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person perhaps someone might possibly dare to die.) But God demonstrates his own love for us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” —Romans 5:6-8

In addition to our love for God, Jesus tells us to love our neighbor as ourselves. The word neighbor literally means anyone within close proximity–the parable of the Good Samaritan is a perfect illustration of this (Luke 10:37). Loving a neighbor requires that we treating someone as we would want them to treat us–showing mercy and kindness and love even when it is undeserved. Again, this is how God treats us–with undeserved mercy and unmerited favor.

Take It to Heart

God desires our love … as expressed in our obedience to Him. Does your life reflect the love you have for God?

“Then Samuel said, “Does the LORD take pleasure in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as he does in obedience?
Certainly, obedience is better than sacrifice; paying attention is better than the fat of rams.For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and presumption is like the evil of idolatry.
Because you have rejected the LORD's orders, he has rejected you from being king.” —1 Samuel 15:22-23

“For I delight in faithfulness, not simply in sacrifice; I delight in acknowledging God, not simply in whole burnt offerings.” —Hosea 6:6

“With what should I enter the LORD's presence? With what should I bow before the sovereign God? Should I enter his presence with burnt offerings, with year-old calves? Will the LORD accept a thousand rams, or ten thousand streams of olive oil? Should I give him my firstborn child as payment for my rebellion, my offspring – my own flesh and blood – for my sin?
He has told you, O man, what is good, and what the LORD really wants from you: He wants you to carry out justice, to love faithfulness, and to live obediently before your God.” —Micah 6:6-8

“In the morning as they passed by, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. Peter remembered and said to him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered.” Jesus said to them, “Have faith in God. I tell you the truth, if someone says to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. For this reason I tell you, whatever you pray and ask for, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. Whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven will also forgive you your sins.” —Mark 11:20-25

In these verses, we see Jesus giving His disciples a lesson on prayer. I don’t know about you, but for me, prayer is one of the most difficult spiritual disciplines–perhaps because Satan despises it so. You can be sure that anytime you desire to be in God’s Word or spend time with Him in prayer, Satan is going to be trying to distract you. His distractions, coupled with our own flawed self, call for a firm resolve to accomplish effectively this precious gift of prayer. Scripture tells us:

“The prayer of a righteous person has great effectiveness.” —James 5:16

So what did Jesus teach His disciples about prayer? He begins by telling them to have faith in God. What does He mean by that? It boils down to an unwavering trust in God’s power and unfailing goodness. We can have faith in God because, quite simply, He is worthy of our faith. He can be trusted. Has He ever really let you down? Has He walked with you through every valley? Has He always been faithful in the past? Are not His mercies new every morning? Yes, He can be trusted! Our difficulties arise when we desire what is not His desire for us. James says it so succinctly:

“You desire and you do not have; you murder and envy and you cannot obtain; you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask; you ask and do not receive because you ask wrongly, so you can spend it on your passions.” —James 4:2-3

God is not Santa Claus, the Good Fairy, or some other sort of magic genie that is sitting around waiting for us to express our wishes. Neither does He fulfill the Burger King slogan of “Have it your way.” He is far too loving for that. He who formed our inmost being, who knit us together in our mother’s womb, knows what is best for us. God is the giver of every good and perfect gift. He enjoys bestowing bounty on His children. He loves to say “Yes” … but when the answer is “No” or “Wait” we can be sure a greater good is being accomplished in our lives. Remember, Jesus at one time received a “No” from His Father:

“Going a little farther, he threw himself to the ground and prayed that if it were possible the hour would pass from him. He said, ‘Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Take this cup away from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.’” —Mark 14:35-36

In our verses for today then, what mountain is Jesus describing that we can be assured of moving if only we believe that we have received it? It begins by having an understanding of God’s heart which comes from knowing God’s Word. When Jesus taught His disciples the Lord’s Prayer, He told them to pray:

“May your kingdom come, may your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” —Matthew 6:10

God desires earth as it was before the Fall – the beauty (no death), the purity (no sin), the unstrained relationship with man (no selfish flesh) – heaven, so to speak, on earth. He desires for us to be conformed to the image of His Son – whatever it takes – so that we can point others to Him. God desires for none to perish, but for all to come to repentance. He does not delight in death, even of the wicked. I have found that by simply praying God’s Word back to Him, my desires come in line with His. You see, it is not about us, it is all about Him. God alone is to be glorified.

Take It to Heart

“Your kingdom is an eternal kingdom, and your dominion endures through all generations. The LORD supports all who fall, and lifts up all who are bent over. Everything looks to you in anticipation, and you provide them with food on a regular basis. You open your hand, and fill every living thing with the food they desire. The LORD is just in all his actions, and exhibits love in all he does. The LORD is near all who cry out to him, all who cry out to him sincerely. He satisfies the desire of his loyal followers; he hears their cry for help and delivers them. The LORD protects all those who love him, but he destroys all the wicked.” —Psalm 145:13-20

“Acceptance of God’s will brings peace.” —Amy Carmichael

“They came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples and a large crowd were leaving Jericho, Bartimaeus the son of Timaeus, a blind beggar, was sitting by the road. When he heard that it was Jesus the Nazarene, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Many scolded him to get him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”
Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” So they called the blind man and said to him, “Have courage! Get up! He is calling you.” He threw off his cloak, jumped up, and came to Jesus.
Then Jesus said to him, “What do you want me to do for you?” The blind man replied, “Rabbi, let me see again.” Jesus said to him, “Go, your faith has healed you.” Immediately he regained his sight and followed him on the road.” —Mark 10:46-52

Living in darkness, Bartimaeus sits by the side of the road begging for someone to put anything in his cup. Suddenly, he hears the commotion of people heading his way. It’s Jesus of Nazareth! Word about Jesus had already met with Bartimaeus ears. He had heard of the healings. He desperately believed Jesus could bring him out of the darkness into the wonderful light. He began calling out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” The crowds rebuked him:“Pipe down old man!” “Stop all that screaming!” “Be quiet!” But Bartimaeus shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” He had lived in darkness far too long and was desperate for the light.

Jesus stops and says, “Call him.” Jesus is always calling us. Since the fall when God called for Adam until now, God reaches down to man and calls him–what glorious condescension!

“Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God moving about in the orchard at the breezy time of the day, and they hid from the LORD God among the trees of the orchard. But the LORD God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” —Genesis 3:8-9

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke on you and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and my load is not hard to carry.” —Matthew 11:28-30

The disciples approach Bartimaeus with very Good News! “Cheer up! On your feet! He’s calling you.” What better news could there be? The God of all creation was calling him:

“Listen! I am standing at the door and knocking! If anyone hears my voice and opens the door I will come into his home and share a meal with him, and he with me.” —Revelation 3:20

Bartimaeus jumps to his feet and goes to Jesus. “What do you want me to do for you?” asks Jesus. “I want to see,” he cries. He had been in the darkness too long. Nothing had truly been able to fill his cup. A coin here, a coin there, and yet his cup still had a jingle. There was always room for more. Jesus came to fill each one of our cups. “Your faith has healed you,” Jesus said and immediately his sight was restored and he began to follow Jesus.

This healing story is such a perfect example of salvation! We are in desperate need. We realize our need. We understand that we do not have the ability to do anything to rectify the situation. We are hopeless:

“That you were at that time without the Messiah, alienated from the citizenship of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.” —Ephesians 2:12

We call out. Jesus comes. We throw off everything. We confess. Jesus heals us. We follow.

“Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how unfathomable his ways! For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor? Or who has first given to God, that God needs to repay him? For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever! Amen.” —Romans 11:33-36

Take It to Heart

Salvation, indeed, is very good news! Jesus came to set the captives free. He came to comfort all who mourn and to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness the prisoners. I must throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles and follow Him.

“Cheer up! On your feet! He’s calling you.”