Friday, September 10, 2021

Mark 3 Devotions by Stephen Taylor

Mark 3:11,12

Whenever the impure spirits saw Him, they fell down before Him and cried out, "You are the Son of God." But He gave them strict orders not to tell others about Him.

Even the demons declare who He is, but do we? I want to contrast something this morning. The demons were given orders not to speak, and so they couldn't. We are given orders to tell of Him, but do we? As the redeemed of the Lord, are we sharing about our Redeemer? The demons had to be commanded not to speak and tell others of Him, but as believers, we sometimes have to be coerced to do the very thing the demons did freely. Granted, their intent was not to glorify God, nor was this an act of repentance or a confession of faith, but at its most basic level, do we see the disparity and need for us to change?

At times, the enemies of God declare Him louder and bolder than the children. We who have been redeemed are given a great responsibility to share the God who set us free. Free not to wander aimlessly with no point or purpose but free from sin and death with a plan and a purpose given to us by God. Each one of us is to be a living example of Jesus Christ, each one of us living more in the Spirit than in the flesh, each one of us declaring His praises and His truth more than we declare anything else.

This is not a post to discourage or beat us down but rather to encourage and lift us up. To remember the high calling we have been given and the steep price our God paid for us to have it! We must share Him and all He is. We can't wait for those around us to figure it out on their own. The enemy blinds minds and helps harden hearts each and every day. There is but one who can heal and restore both of those things and so much more, JESUS CHRIST! Who can you tell about Jesus today, and let it not just be with words but in actions! If our faith was a gun, the bullets would be our words, but our actions are the driving force that makes the words hit or miss the mark!

Psalm 9:1- I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart; I will recount all of your wonderful deeds.

Psalm 40:5- O LORD my God, you have performed many wonders for us. Your plans for us are too numerous to list. You have no equal. If I tried to recite all your wonderful deeds, I would never come to the end of them.

Psalm 107:2- The redeemed of the LORD shall say so, Those whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy

God bless! I love you all, but His love is worthy of us declaring for all of our days! Glory, honor, and praise now and forever to Papa God, Jesus Christ our King, and the Holy Spirit!

 

Mark 3:13-15

Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to Him those He wanted, and they came to Him. He appointed twelve that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach and to have authority to drive out demons.

Jesus never changes, and His call still stands, but will we hear it and obey? Jesus called them, but they had a choice, whether to go up on that mountainside with Him and receive what He had for them or stay down at the base of the mountain with the crowds. Each one of us has that same choice, whether to go and be with Him or be just another face in the crowd.

Christ called them to Himself, and I think it’s crucially important to see what He lists first after He appoints them. He doesn’t tell them to go do works first but to be with Him. He is teaching them and us that the works come out of the relationship; the relationship doesn’t come out of the works. We can’t pour from an empty cup, and we can’t fill our cup from a tainted well. We must be filled by Him, with Him, and for Him! There is but one source of Living Water, and it only comes from the Living Well!

Christ desires that relationship with us over “what we can do for Him.” It’s important to serve Him, and the fruit we produce will point to Who we belong to, but let us not deceive ourselves; Christ desires all of our hearts and not just a portion or piece of our lives. We must first be fully His if we want to be fully used by Him. Many people (myself included) have set out with the best intentions to do things for Christ, but in the end, we fall short because if we aren’t filled with the Spirit, we will run out of juice! So today, let’s focus upon the Source and rest in Him; let us not fret and worry about what we can do for Christ but rather make it a priority to spend time with Him!

John 12:32- And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.”

Revelation 3:20- Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.

God bless! I love you all, but His love is calling! Glory, honor, and praise now and forever to Papa God, Jesus Christ our King, and the Holy Spirit!

 

Mark 3:20-22

Then Jesus entered a house, and again a crowd gathered, so that He and His disciples were not even able to eat. When His family heard about this, they went to take charge of Him, for they said, “He is out of His mind.” And the teachers of the law who came down from Jerusalem said, “He is possessed by Beelzebul! By the prince of demons He is driving out demons.”

The crowds loved Him, but the ones closest to Him didn’t understand Him. His family thought He had lost it, and the people who by man’s definition were supposed to be His coworkers hated and even called Him an enemy. How would we respond to this? It would hurt, it would be painful, it would be lonely, it would be heavier than we could imagine, and it would change us if we let it! But not Christ; He doesn’t let this change Who He is or why He came but rather loves and teaches right through it! What an amazing God we serve!

We have to be prepared for this; some of those who are supposed to be our biggest supporters might turn out to be our biggest opposition and we must respond as Christ did; Truth in love. Christ was never out of balance, He never substituted anything for truth and love. It’s not one or the other but both working together.

When the Lord first drew me to Himself, I thought I had arrived. I thought that the journey was to the Cross and then it was smooth sailing from then on. Spoiler alert: that’s not the case! The Cross isn’t the finish line, but rather the starting block, and what happens after the Cross can have eternal consequences on those around us.

So, will we face these challenges head on as Christ did and continue to walk a path that is pleasing to our God? Or will we get off into the folds of the flesh and respond out of it? Spirit or flesh, you and I can only please, serve, and live in one or the other. Which one will it be today?

Galatians 5:16,17- So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want.

Romans 8:5- Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit.

God bless! I love you all, but His love never waivers or backs down! Glory, honor, and praise now and forever to Papa God, Jesus Christ our King, and the Holy Spirit!

 

Mark 3:33-35

“Who are my mother and my brothers?” He asked. Then He looked at those seated in a circle around Him and said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.”

 

As I read this yesterday, the note I took on it was “welcome to the family!” What a blessing it is to be considered Jesus’ family! He has bridged the gap. He has made the way, but have we accepted His invitation into His family?

 

One day, there will be the biggest and best family reunion in Heaven. We will gather around His table and dine in His Presence, and the only thing stopping you from being there is you! This isn’t a party for the elite but for the lowly! This isn’t an event you can buy a ticket to or earn a seat at but only through your relationship with Christ can you go! What freedom there is in knowing that!

 

Jesus doesn’t just say you can come to His house but that you can come as His family! Family was huge back in this culture, and who you were related to mattered, so to be related to a human king was something, but to be related to the King of kings is everything!

 

There is a prerequisite in this verse. It says that whoever does God’s will is His family, so are we walking in the will of God? Do we live a life based on the Bible or on our own moral code? Do we follow and believe the whole Word of God, or do we pick and choose the parts that fit our lifestyle? I believe that in order for us to do the will of God, we must first read and learn the Word of God, and then we will be better equipped to know how to follow and obey Him! If we know Who He is and what He gave for us to save us, then we will have a better chance of walking in loving obedience to His will and His ways through the power of the Holy Spirit!

 

Isaiah 33:6 - He will be the sure foundation for your times, a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the LORD is the key to this treasure.

 

God bless you all! I love you all! Glory, Honor, and Praise now and forever to Papa God, Jesus Christ, our firm foundation, and the Holy Spirit who leads us in all areas that we surrender to Him!

 

 

 

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