Mark 6:7-11
Calling the Twelve to Him, He began to send them out two by two and gave them authority over impure spirits. These were His instructions: “Take nothing for the journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in your belts. Wear sandals but not an extra shirt. Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that town. And if any place will not welcome you or listen to you, leave that place and shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.”
There comes a time when faith must move from thought to action. It must go from something we have been taught to something that we live. If faith stays just a thought, it will die, but if it moves from thought to action, it will live and grow, and so will we. The disciples had probably heard many sermons and teachings about faith, but here Jesus sends them out to walk in it! He knows that to grow their faith and ours, we must walk it out. It starts with hearing, but it must end in action. We can’t let it stay in its infancy in our minds and hope to live by it; rather, it must be present in the way we live our lives, thus growing and growing us in the process.
Jesus doesn’t downplay the severity or seriousness of what they are about to face but rather encourages them that they need not worry, for God will provide. Jesus tells them to leave all the things they think they will need and to take the thing He knows they will need – Faith!
The road for any disciple of Christ is marked with trials, temptations, and tribulations, but it’s also marked with His Spirit, His victory, and His promises. So, we, like them, must make a choice before our journey. Will we obey and walk in faith, being fully equipped and supplied by our God for His glory, or will we walk in unbelief and fear, being equipped by the enemy to carry out his deeds? In one way, Christ is saying in these verses to leave the physical and cling to the Spiritual, for in that, your life will be sustained!
Romans 10:17- So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ.
James 2:16-18- If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds.
God bless! I love you all, but His love is unshakeable and unwavering! Glory, honor, and praise now and forever to Papa God, Jesus Christ our King, and the Holy Spirit!
Mark 6:7
Calling the Twelve to Him, He began to send them out two by two and gave them authority over impure spirits.
Christ sent the disciples out with power and with each other! The Christian community that Christ intended for us can not be understated in its importance. It is vital to the ministry that we are called to serve in, for none is an island but we are all to be interconnected in the true faith with each other.
Yesterday, I had the pleasure of meeting a gentleman that serves as an associate pastor in his church. He has a Calvinist background and theology. The lead pastor has a Wesleyan background and theology. In case you don’t know, these two viewpoints are in sharp contrast to each other, yet they are able to set aside those secondary doctrines, or doctrines that divide, and serve the same God together. It’s amazing to hear about things like that. I believe this is how God intended for it to be. He knew that not all of us would think the same way or hold to the same convictions.
But my question for us is this: as long as we are firm on the foundations of faith, unwavering on the truth of the Gospel, then why can’t we serve God together? We create unnecessary divisions amongst ourselves, and in doing so, we weaken our message to the unbelieving world. Christ said that it would be our unity, not our divisions, that would prove the truth about who He is. So we must ask ourselves, what’s keeping us from loving and serving with our brothers and sisters from different denominations? We must be cautious and aware of the doctrines those around us hold, but if they hold to the fact of Christ and the Gospel, then why can’t we join each other in battle?
John 17:20,21- “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.”
God bless! I love you all, but His love bridges the gaps! Glory, honor, and praise now and forever to Papa God, Jesus Christ our King, and the Holy Spirit!
Mark 6:30,31
The apostles returned to Jesus from their ministry tour and told Him all they had done and taught. Then Jesus said, “Let’s go off by ourselves to a quiet place and rest awhile.” He said this because there were so many people coming and going that Jesus and his apostles didn’t even have time to eat.
Do you ever get so busy you forget to eat? Or feel like you’re going from one thing right into another? Like there aren’t enough hours in the day for all you need to accomplish? Or maybe you're like me, and you feel guilty or selfish sometimes for saying no to things. I’m sure the disciples were excited about all they had done and eager to serve some more, but I’m willing to bet they were a bit exhausted and drained. I can totally relate to that, plenty of places to go but no gas in the tank.
I love Jesus’ response to this. It isn’t, “Suck it up, we have things to do,” but rather, “Let’s go together and enjoy some quiet time with one another!” What a beautiful, compassionate, understanding Savior we have! He knows that we need that personal quiet time with Him, that the rest we receive in Him and with Him is crucial in our walks. He doesn’t punish them for being human but rather meets them right where they are, and today, He is saying the same thing to us.
He is asking, but will you go? He is saying, “Come away with Me from the phone, from the worries of work, the demands of ministry, the fast-paced life we live, and spend some intimate, quiet time with Me, and I will give you rest! Then once you're recharged, get back out there and let your light shine for your Father’s glory!”
Matthew 11:28-30 - “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
Matthew 5:14-16 - “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”
God bless! I love you all, but He loves you more. Glory, honor, and praise now and forever to Papa God, Jesus Christ our King, and the Holy Spirit!
Mark 6:41
Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, He gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then He gave them to His disciples to distribute to the people. He also divided the two fish among them all.
Jesus didn’t give thanks because He had enough but because God is enough! He knew His Father and His character and that He would provide, so He thanked Him in advance. Before there ever was a bounty, there was a blessing. Jesus is teaching us here that we are to be thankful in all situations and trust that our God will provide.
It’s easy for us to see or receive the blessing and be thankful, but what about when we’re staring down an impossible situation? Can we still give God glory and be thankful? When we just don’t seem to have enough by our standards, can we look around at all the Lord has given us and be thankful for Who He is and all that He has done?
I remember one time, my wife and I were waiting on the Lord to provide something, and the Holy Spirit confirmed in my heart: we know that the Lord is going to provide one way or another, so when we get to that point, we can either look back and see how we walked in faith or look back and wish that we would have. Our God will provide for His children not because we deserve it or have earned it but because He is a good, good Father who showers His loves down upon us! Give thanks early and often and in all circumstances!
Joshua 21:45- Not one of all the LORD’s good promises to Israel failed; every one was fulfilled.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18- Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.
God bless! I love you all, but His love never fails! Glory, honor, and praise now and forever to Papa God, Jesus Christ our King, and the Holy Spirit!
Mark 6:46
“After telling everyone good-bye, He went up into the hills by himself to pray.”
This is one of those verses that may not seem like it’s that important, but to me, it shows the heart of Christ! This verse comes right after the feeding of the 5000. The Holy Spirit brought to mind that Jesus doesn’t take the food to each person; He has his disciples do it, yet He hangs out to tell them all goodbye. Why?
The answer, I believe, is the Heart of Jesus. He wasn’t concerned with getting the recognition or approval of the crowd. He wanted to feed their souls more than their bellies and knew that taking the time to meet with them all individually would do that! Imagine going into a homeless shelter, where people haven’t eaten in a while, to serve food and preach the Gospel. You better serve that food before you start to share who Jesus is because they probably won’t be able to concentrate over the growl in their stomachs.
I think it’s the same thing here. Jesus knew that what He had to offer them was bigger than any meal this world had to offer, and He wanted to make sure there were no distractions! He goes the extra mile yet again because He knows our flesh is weak and He has the only answer for that! There were 5000 men, not counting women and children, and Jesus made sure everyone got to see Him before they left! He told them all goodbye, not just His favorites or the ones He knew would follow Him for real but everyone, and we as His disciples need to do the same and follow His example!
To me, the biggest miracle here isn’t how many people He fed with earthly food but His heart behind it and the Spiritual food He gave them as they left! Then, He prayed, and I’m willing to bet each one of those people He just met were in that prayer to His Father!
John 13:15: I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.
I love you all! God bless and Glory, Honor, and Praise forever to Papa God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit!!!!
Mark 6:51,52
Then He climbed into the boat with them, and the wind died down. They were completely amazed, for they had not understood about the loaves; their hearts were hardened.
Their hearts were still a bit hard, and yet He loved them anyway! This verse speaks of the great patience and love Jesus has for His people. The disciples had been with Him for a bit, had just returned from preaching His message of repentance, driving out demons in His name, healing the sick, and even took part in a great miracle where Christ fed 5000+ with only a small boy’s lunch! Yet their hearts were still hardened, but Christ doesn’t reject them for it but rather is kind and patient, leading them to where they need to be!
He knew the condition of their hearts before He ever left the lake shore to walk on the water and get into their boat. He went anyway because He knows that sometimes it takes us a while to realize what is so plainly before us.
These verses also speak of our constant battle against a hard heart. For we see that the disciples had every reason not to have any hardness of heart, yet some remained. This tells me that it’s an ongoing battle inside each and every one of us. That though we will have mountaintop experiences with Christ, we are still subject to a hardness of heart in the valley. We must continually be submerging ourselves in Him to help combat the things that desire to harden us against Him. He is our strength, our hope, our Defender, and the only One great enough to free us from sin and death. So today, let’s praise Him for His patient love and willingness to bear with us in our weaknesses and rejoice in the fact that we are still His works in progress!
Romans 9:20-24- But who are you, a human being, to talk back to God? “Shall what is formed say to the one who formed it, ‘Why did you make me like this?’” Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for special purposes and some for common use? What if God, although choosing to show His wrath and make His power known, bore with great patience the objects of His wrath—prepared for destruction? What if He did this to make the riches of His glory known to the objects of His mercy, whom He prepared in advance for glory— even us, whom He also called, not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles?
God bless! I love you all, but His love is patiently waiting for you to come home! Glory, honor, and praise now and forever to Papa God, Jesus Christ our King, and the Holy Spirit!
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