Thoughts on Mark 13 and 14
Peter was confident. He was a leader. He usually stepped boldly into the fray, no matter what it was about, slinging a fisherman’s net, a sword, or words. So as a follower of Jesus he was true to his nature, boldly declaring his heartfelt intentions and loyalty. When Jesus told the group of 11 they would all abandon Him when He was arrested and crucified, Peter declared he would never do that, even if others did. The others all said the same kinds of things. Peter declared he would even go to death with Him, but never deny Him. He was truly sincere.
But he was sincerely wrong. He wouldn’t believe it until after it happened just the way Jesus predicted it would: this very night you yourself will deny me three times before the rooster
crows. Then it hit him like a ton of bricks.
I always find it difficult to start reading passages like Mark chapter 14, the record of the arrest and trial of Jesus. The events are so painful, and not only because of the obvious suffering of Jesus, but painful because I see my own failures and fears reflected in the disciples’ behavior. They were all confident in themselves that they would never abandon the Lord; they refused to believe they would ever run away and leave him in the lurch. Even after He told them they would.
And they all did.
Jesus had repeatedly warned them of what was coming for Him, His arrest and death. But they hadn’t accepted it and so were unprepared for it. They had refused to believe what Jesus had told them several times. Peter’s insistence that he would never deny the Lord only served to blind his eyes and mind to the awful reality coming upon them.
Then in the garden of Gethsemane, when Jesus took Peter, James and John further into the garden with him, He said to them, ‘Watch with me while I pray. Watch and pray that you do not enter into temptation.’
We know they gave in to sleep rather than stay awake and pray. Three times Jesus gave them a chance to “watch and pray” while He went and agonized in prayer alone. They failed each time.
Most of us will sympathize with the disciples and feel guilt for the times we have slept rather than stay awake and wrestle in prayer; I know I do. We have an especially hard time when we are not quite sure what is going on yet have sensed God prompting us to pray for something.
We know, don’t we, the truth of Jesus’ words “the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak”?
Oh how weak in ourselves we truly are! We want to do what is right but struggle so often. And not just in the area of prayer but in the way we live out our lives day after day.
So what of Jesus’ “end of the age” warnings to his followers (Mark 13)? He instructed them, and in so doing, us, about what was going to come in the future before His return. Jesus has told us to not be misled about who He is and His return to earth; to be on our guard, for both persecution and opportunity to testify about Jesus will come; our lives will be threatened and some will be put to death, even by loved ones. We are warned to take heed to (pay attention to and obey) Jesus’ teachings; and keep on the alert to read the signs of His coming and live in readiness for it. At least 6 times in this chapter Jesus gave strict warnings to be alert and on our guard when He was describing things to come!
We are living in those very times Jesus was talking about. We are the ones who are called upon to be alert and awake, guard against being misled, live in radical obedience to Christ and watch for his appearing. We are the ones called on to stand for Jesus even when it means losing our lives for Him.
As I read the account of Peter’s confident denial that he would ever deny the Lord, when Jesus announced that all His followers would desert Him in the end (Mark 14), it struck me that these “end of the age” warnings of Jesus (Mark 13) are very much like His commands to Peter, James and John in the garden of Gethsemane. He told them to watch and pray. They were confident in themselves that all was well with their spiritual lives. They would never do anything to hurt Jesus. But they did, to their amazement and shame.
Scripture states that in the end there will be a great falling away from the faith, that “the love” of many will grow cold. I am sure everyone who professes faith in Christ today would deny they’d ever do anything like Peter did, who denied the Lord to save his own skin. But are we so far superior to Peter?
Am I confident in my loyalty to Jesus, but ‘asleep’? Are we, the church of Jesus Christ, asleep? Are we thinking of only our own plans and goals, our stomachs full and our heads drowsy with sleep, heedless of Jesus’ warnings and instructions to us? Are we trusting in our own good intentions? And, oh, we are truly sincere in our intentions and loyalty to Jesus.
When we were on staff at the U.S. Center for World Mission, I remember founder Ralph Winter calling believers to a “wartime” lifestyle, recalling the government-imposed disciplines on lifestyle during World War II, appealing to us to self-impose such disciplines for the sake of advancing the Kingdom of God. In the same vein, Randy has been teaching for years the truths from the Bible about the Kingdom of God, and calling us to align our lives with God’s purposes, the subject of the book Mission as Life: Making the Kingdom of God Your Family’s Passion. We are not to pursue the “American Dream” lifestyle but the Kingdom of God lifestyle.
Do we know what God’s Kingdom and purposes are? Are we changing our lifestyles to reflect them? We are confident that we believe and know God’s truths; are we doing them? Are we truly “taking heed” to Jesus’ warnings and instructions?
I ask myself these questions (you just get to listen in). I do not want to deceive myself. He has given us His Word, and His spirit to help us understand it. I do not want to ignore the unpleasant things Jesus told us and grab hold of the “promises” that feel good and safe, that make me feel special.
And one day wake up to realize I have abandoned the Lord.
Just as He warned His disciples of His imminent death, Jesus has given us warnings of things that will happen before His imminent return. I do not want to have deaf ears to the hard things He has to say, trusting in a manufactured spirituality which will culminate in my failure to stand for Jesus. I want to be among those who “take heed” to, and obey, Jesus’ instructions and commands. I want to evaluate my life by the Word of God and make changes consistent with obeying Jesus’ words, being alert and ready for His imminent return.
Imminent means “about to happen”….
“Take heed, keep on the alert; for you do not know when the appointed time will come. It is like a man away on a journey, who upon leaving his house and putting his slaves in charge, assigning to each one his task, also commanded the doorkeeper to stay on the alert.”
“Therefore, be on the alert—for you do not know when the master of the house is coming, whether in the evening, at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning—in case he should come suddenly and find you asleep.”
“What I say to you I say to all, ‘Be on the alert!’” (Mark 13: 33-37)
Ya’ll, we are the “all”.
Friday, February 24, 2012
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Every Thursday we on staff at Mustard Seeds pray together. We meet now on that day as the day designated to pray for revival and the out-pouring of God’s spirit in our county.
Today I turned to John 11 and read that passage. You know, the account of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. There is so much emotion in this chapter. Not only were Martha and Mary and many of their friends and neighbors weeping for the loss of Lazarus, who had died 4 days earlier, but Jesus was deeply moved in his spirit and also wept. He loved these friends Lazarus, Martha and Mary.
Death is an unwanted intruder. Jesus told his disciples Lazarus died so God could be glorified, and so “the Son of God may be glorified through it.” Jesus had to stay away so he wouldn’t short circuit God’s plan. It was very difficult, heart rending for Jesus.
But the thing which jumped out at me was this: when Jesus, having been directed to the tomb in a cave, cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth”, John says “the man who had died came forth.”
The man who had died came forth.
There was no question the man, Lazarus, had died. He was dead. He had been lying immobile in the tomb for 4 days.
But at the command of Jesus, the man who had died…came forth! He came hopping out on his own power! He who had been dead was now alive!
The man who had died came forth bound hand and foot in grave clothes…but he came out. Jesus told those standing there to “unbind him and let him go.”
As I read these amazing words I got choked up, for I saw in my mind’s eye the people of my county of McDowell, so dead spiritually, come forth alive at the command of Jesus! This could happen. We desire it to happen. We have been praying God send forth his spirit to do a powerful, mysterious work in those who are blind and dead spiritually.
We have also been praying God send forth his spirit to awaken and strengthen his church, first of all. Why? Because of that second command of Jesus, “unbind him, and let him go.”
Those who come to Jesus have all sorts of “grave clothes” bound tightly around them. They have old sins to shed and new ways, the ways of God, to learn. We, God’s church, are the ones who have to “unbind” and “let go” the newly alive!
We have to be in the Word, teaching and encouraging one another and then we have to reach out, teaching and serving those coming to Christ.
There is a harvest coming. I pray we, His people, are ready for it. I pray God pour out his spirit on us and the needy world of the spiritually blind and dead around us, wherever we live.
Today I turned to John 11 and read that passage. You know, the account of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. There is so much emotion in this chapter. Not only were Martha and Mary and many of their friends and neighbors weeping for the loss of Lazarus, who had died 4 days earlier, but Jesus was deeply moved in his spirit and also wept. He loved these friends Lazarus, Martha and Mary.
Death is an unwanted intruder. Jesus told his disciples Lazarus died so God could be glorified, and so “the Son of God may be glorified through it.” Jesus had to stay away so he wouldn’t short circuit God’s plan. It was very difficult, heart rending for Jesus.
But the thing which jumped out at me was this: when Jesus, having been directed to the tomb in a cave, cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth”, John says “the man who had died came forth.”
The man who had died came forth.
There was no question the man, Lazarus, had died. He was dead. He had been lying immobile in the tomb for 4 days.
But at the command of Jesus, the man who had died…came forth! He came hopping out on his own power! He who had been dead was now alive!
The man who had died came forth bound hand and foot in grave clothes…but he came out. Jesus told those standing there to “unbind him and let him go.”
As I read these amazing words I got choked up, for I saw in my mind’s eye the people of my county of McDowell, so dead spiritually, come forth alive at the command of Jesus! This could happen. We desire it to happen. We have been praying God send forth his spirit to do a powerful, mysterious work in those who are blind and dead spiritually.
We have also been praying God send forth his spirit to awaken and strengthen his church, first of all. Why? Because of that second command of Jesus, “unbind him, and let him go.”
Those who come to Jesus have all sorts of “grave clothes” bound tightly around them. They have old sins to shed and new ways, the ways of God, to learn. We, God’s church, are the ones who have to “unbind” and “let go” the newly alive!
We have to be in the Word, teaching and encouraging one another and then we have to reach out, teaching and serving those coming to Christ.
There is a harvest coming. I pray we, His people, are ready for it. I pray God pour out his spirit on us and the needy world of the spiritually blind and dead around us, wherever we live.
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Thoughts on Mark 11
Who was this anonymous donor? We are not told, but he played an important role in Jesus’ ministry. There are numerous Old Testament prophecies which were fulfilled by Jesus during his life on earth, riding a donkey into Jerusalem is just one of them. But Jesus didn’t even own a donkey. He had to borrow one.
I was struck by this account of Jesus telling two of his disciples to go into a nearby village, as they approached Jerusalem, and without asking anyone, just start untying a young donkey to bring it to Jesus. Rather audacious, don’t you think! I’m not sure I’d be too keen on doing that. I was taught to ask before taking what belongs to another. What if someone confronts them?
Sure enough, some fellows standing there said, “Hey! What do you think you’re doing untying that donkey?” Good neighbors. They weren’t going to let some strangers walk off with their friend’s transportation! You want neighbors like these guys.
Thankfully, Jesus had told the two disciples what to say if this situation came up. “Tell them the Lord has need of the donkey; and he (the owner) will let you take it with you.” Um, that’s it? Ok, Jesus. If you say so. And they did what he said, on his “say so”.
Jesus needed a donkey to fulfill prophecy. He knew this. He had studied the scriptures from the time he was a child. He knew who he was and what he had to do to accomplish the Father’s will. Somehow now, when he needed this mode of transportation, he knew where to get it.
And he got it. There was a man who knew in his heart that “the Lord” would need something from him, and he was ok with it. He immediately gave assent when the disciples declared who needed the donkey. Jesus’ need was met through the willingness of this anonymous donor.
For nearly 20 years (February 13, 1992 marks Mustard Seeds’ twenty year anniversary) Randy and I have relied on God to move the hearts of men and women like the anonymous man in Mark 11, to provide the means needed to accomplish what we discerned to be God’s will for the ministry. And Mustard Seeds has received what has been needed all these years from the hands of many donors, both anonymous and known.
Today we continue to look to the Lord to provide what is needed and he tells us to “go get the donkey”, because he needs it. And we’ve seen the need being met by the willingness of the owner of the donkey, the donors. Of course, we don’t go after literal donkeys! It is the supply of the financial and personnel needs which are most pressing in ministries of the Lord today.
We have recently been praying for God to “release” the funds, the metaphorical donkeys, needed to continue the work He is calling us to do. Rather than shrinking the ministry in these economically tight times, and Mustard Seeds has been feeling the effects like many other ministries, we are being given new vision for expanding the ministry of teaching and leading his people into deeper commitment to Kingdom lifestyles, taking it “nationwide”.
Who will join us as new donors, anonymous or otherwise, to accomplish these goals? Those men and women whose hearts have been touched by God to do whatever “the Lord” requires of them to accomplish his purposes.
Many have blessed the Lord by being ones who willingly give of their means so the Lord can fulfill his work through Mustard Seeds. They have blessed us over these 20 years, and blessed countless individuals and families both in West Virginia and those across the country who have been touched by the ministry of Mustard Seeds and Mountains.
Who was this anonymous donor? We are not told, but he played an important role in Jesus’ ministry. There are numerous Old Testament prophecies which were fulfilled by Jesus during his life on earth, riding a donkey into Jerusalem is just one of them. But Jesus didn’t even own a donkey. He had to borrow one.
I was struck by this account of Jesus telling two of his disciples to go into a nearby village, as they approached Jerusalem, and without asking anyone, just start untying a young donkey to bring it to Jesus. Rather audacious, don’t you think! I’m not sure I’d be too keen on doing that. I was taught to ask before taking what belongs to another. What if someone confronts them?
Sure enough, some fellows standing there said, “Hey! What do you think you’re doing untying that donkey?” Good neighbors. They weren’t going to let some strangers walk off with their friend’s transportation! You want neighbors like these guys.
Thankfully, Jesus had told the two disciples what to say if this situation came up. “Tell them the Lord has need of the donkey; and he (the owner) will let you take it with you.” Um, that’s it? Ok, Jesus. If you say so. And they did what he said, on his “say so”.
Jesus needed a donkey to fulfill prophecy. He knew this. He had studied the scriptures from the time he was a child. He knew who he was and what he had to do to accomplish the Father’s will. Somehow now, when he needed this mode of transportation, he knew where to get it.
And he got it. There was a man who knew in his heart that “the Lord” would need something from him, and he was ok with it. He immediately gave assent when the disciples declared who needed the donkey. Jesus’ need was met through the willingness of this anonymous donor.
For nearly 20 years (February 13, 1992 marks Mustard Seeds’ twenty year anniversary) Randy and I have relied on God to move the hearts of men and women like the anonymous man in Mark 11, to provide the means needed to accomplish what we discerned to be God’s will for the ministry. And Mustard Seeds has received what has been needed all these years from the hands of many donors, both anonymous and known.
Today we continue to look to the Lord to provide what is needed and he tells us to “go get the donkey”, because he needs it. And we’ve seen the need being met by the willingness of the owner of the donkey, the donors. Of course, we don’t go after literal donkeys! It is the supply of the financial and personnel needs which are most pressing in ministries of the Lord today.
We have recently been praying for God to “release” the funds, the metaphorical donkeys, needed to continue the work He is calling us to do. Rather than shrinking the ministry in these economically tight times, and Mustard Seeds has been feeling the effects like many other ministries, we are being given new vision for expanding the ministry of teaching and leading his people into deeper commitment to Kingdom lifestyles, taking it “nationwide”.
Who will join us as new donors, anonymous or otherwise, to accomplish these goals? Those men and women whose hearts have been touched by God to do whatever “the Lord” requires of them to accomplish his purposes.
Many have blessed the Lord by being ones who willingly give of their means so the Lord can fulfill his work through Mustard Seeds. They have blessed us over these 20 years, and blessed countless individuals and families both in West Virginia and those across the country who have been touched by the ministry of Mustard Seeds and Mountains.
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