Mark’s Gospel: Signs
They people got their wish and ate their fill. Jesus sent them away, healed, delivered, informed, inspired and with their bellies full for the journey home.
They people got their wish and ate their fill. Jesus sent them away, healed, delivered, informed, inspired and with their bellies full for the journey home.
Transition means a process of change. And there my friends, lies the terrifying word I try to stay far away from—change.
My tendency to be negative happens because I get too focused on the thing (or person) right in my face, and I miss the bigger picture.
Jesus told them to keep this to themselves, but of course, they did not. Their astonishment would not permit silence. Their testimony is classic:
Because yes, I have tried Plexus. Yes, I have heard about NaPro. And yes, I have thought about (and trying) a Keto diet. Not to mention, I have also heard of that oil.
It is a choice to take this on and to get rid of old thought patterns that will no longer serve us. To make room for what will move us forward.
He explained the truth to everyone. Wickedness is in us all. It is folly to blame it on some outside force.
Lay down your weapons of the past decade and pick up the spiritual weapons of the next decade which are rest, hope, trusting in His sovereignty, and accepting the invitation to “Come up here.”
Two boats… left there.
When they helped Him into the boat, the winds calmed down to normal. In a little while, the waves followed suit.
Eventually, we begin to lose sight of God’s reality and value for our lives. We actually begin to believe we are capable of doing life on our own.
Aside from the seemingly harsh nature of this statement, doesn’t it strike you as odd that Jesus will actually tell some people on judgment day that He never knew them?
And so it is with us. Jesus has called us out. He has sent us into this world to continue His work. In His name, we have power over the enemy.
But what happens when I run out of coffee, have no plans to go camping, and my always delightful kids are making me crazy? Does my joy diminish?
I realized I was asking God for His blessings in my life and telling Him, “No, I don’t want that!” at the same time!
Interestingly enough, He says the way to rest is by taking HIS yoke upon ourselves. He offers us Himself. He is the one doing the work.
So why yes, man at Costco, I am trying to prove something to this world. My children are proof that God’s ways are good. That He is multigenerational.
Believing is health to our bones. Believing is safety to our lives. Believing sets the promises and power of God in motion.
Worshiping God is the most precious thing to me. No matter where I am, it instantly becomes my “thin place” where I can look beyond what I see in the natural.
Miracles will not just be a prophetic metaphor from past times, but a reality that are seen by all in the present time.
The disciples rebuked such a foolish question—the whole crowd was jostling Him! When the woman stepped up, she too fell at His feet.
If we are using alcohol to escape reality, why not tap into the One who can help us survive in our reality?
If we approach reading the Bible as informational rather than transformational, that’s all it will ever be to us—information.
To conform to their wishes, Jesus got back into the boat. The delivered man started to climb in the boat with Him. Who could blame him?