Mark 4:20... 1-19 for context
At least once every year I tell my guys that the Bible isn't just two-dimensional text on a page, but that it is three dimensional - meaning I can read the text, you can read it, the neighbors can read it and we can all come out with different lessons to learn from it. Last year I had the privilege of leading The Forge, one of OSUXA's best guys bible study groups. Last semester we went over the parables of Christ, and probably the most memorable of them to me was the Parable of the Sower. We learned quite a bit from it then, but, I just came across another point. Till now I accepted that the seed and the Word were the same thing, and just left it there. However, this is calling for the Word to multiply. To grow from just a kernel into fruit that can do the same thing. God didn't sow the word just out in some random patch to look nice. No, the Word sown in you is called to grow into a full head of grain that can be planted in other patches of dirt. On top of that you were not designed to produce a kernel, but a full head so that you can spread the word 30, 60, or even a 100 times more! Daunting task, maybe, but so was walking when all you could do was crawl.
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Just thought this was interesting, when Jesus saw the faith of the paralytic man's friends He healed the guy. Intercessory prayer is a huge part of the christian walk, because it is part of what bonds us together. Knowing someone is praying for me makes my day, and it also causes the chain of me praying for them in return. I know for many it seems pointless because you don't actually see the work of it. However, in my opinion, prayer partners are just as important to a christian as stage hands are to any performance. Yeah you don't see them (shouldn't see stage hands), and they really do not ever get the credit they deserve, but without them the show could completely flop. Missionaries, Pastors, Sound Guys, Children's Church coordinators, and others like them often forget to pray for themselves; it is up to us their friends to keep them in prayer, tear back the roof, and lower them to Christ. By our faith let others be healed. Mark 1:21-28
Reading my devo and an interesting point comes out from the passage above. Jesus was teaching at the temple, and while there a man who was in the synagogue who was possessed by an impure spirit cries out. This man wasn't possessed and walked into church to cause chaos, and this wasn't a spirit who came to church to possess someone. No, this person had been at church the whole time. Many times we think of possession as something we see in Supernatural where their eyes go black and they have powers, or we think about Legion super strong crazy man that lives in a graveyard. How often do we think of the average Joe? How many are being oppressed right under our noses? They come to church though, they are in their right mind, they are nice people how could they be under the power of darkness? Well the man in Mark 1:23 was such. How often to we brush aside someone that needs the Power of Christ as just being diagnosed with Schizophrenia, Anxiety, or Depression. Maybe they are just addicted to Alcohol, Substance Abuse, or Pornography. Maybe, just maybe, these people are legitimately struggling to be free from these "symptoms". Perhaps they have tried church, accountability partners, a psychologist, or medication. When what they really need is the power and presence of Christ. You might say well Christ needs to reach down and help them, what if He has been trying to but His hands won't move because they think its is a job for the feet; and the feet are too tired so they think it is a job for the heart. Its time for the church to go mobile and realize we are the body of Christ, we are His hands, His feet, and His heart. We are the ones that need to reach out to those in need, find them in their darkest hour, be the beating heart they can lean on and know it will be alright. Yes it is Christ's job to save, but as His body it is our job to take Him where He is needed so His power and presence can set the captive free! I think it would be perfectly safe to say that the church of Christ was never in all its history so fully, so skillfully, so thoroughly, and so perfectly organized as it is today. Our machinery is wonderful; it is just perfect, but it is machinery without power. When things do not go right, instead of going to the real source of our failure, our neglect to depend on God and look to God for power, we look around to see if there is not some new organization we can get up, some new wheel that we can add to our machinery. We have altogether too many wheels already. What we need is not so much some new organization, some new wheel, but “the Spirit of the living creature in the wheels” we already possess.
I believe that the devil stands and looks at the church today and laughs in his sleeve as he sees how its members depend on their own scheming and powers of organization and skillfully devised machinery. “Ha, ha,” he laughs, “you may have your Boy Scouts, your costly church edifices, your multi-thousand-dollar church organs, your brilliant university-bred preachers, your high-priced choirs, your gifted sopranos and altos and tenors and bases, your wonderful quartets, your immense men's Bible classes, yes, and your Bible conferences, and your Bible institutes, and your special evangelistic services, all you please of them; it does not in the least trouble me, if you will only leave out of them the power of the Lord God Almighty sought and obtained by the earnest, persistent, believing prayer that will not take no for an answer.” But when the devil sees a man or woman who really believes in prayer, who knows how to pray, and who really does pray, and, above all, when he sees a whole church on its face before God in prayer, “he trembles” as much as he ever did, for he knows that his day in that church or community is at an end. I know I may lose friends on Facebook over this, but I feel this needs to be said. Living in America is not like watching Doctor Who. As a whovian I can say Matt Smith, the best of all the doctors, is my Doctor. I can say this because it is a fictional plane that i am voicing my opinion over. America is not a work of fiction. America is real, i was born into Bush Sr. as my president, then Bill Clinton was my president, after that Bush Jr. was my president, and when i was able to vote - even though i didn't vote for him Barack Obama was my president. Now whether i like it or not Donald J. Trump is my president, there is no way around this. Unless God calls one of us home, i leave my citizenship, or he becomes corrupt in office, Trump is my president. Its like any job you may not like your manager but when asked who your boss is y9ur opinion is invalid.You dont like Trump fine but saying he isnt your president doesnt change a thing because unless you leave the countrybhe is your president, he is my president, and God help us he is the president of our home. So do him and us a favor pray for him. Pray God molds him into the president God wants him to be, it's gonna take faith to pray this prayer and believe it will come to pass.
So at every summit one of my favorite places to visit is the store. This time I knew I wanted to get a new devotional book. I had just finished most of Olive Tree's 365 devotional, it is part of the bible app that I use most, which is great because it has a variety of focuses on life and it takes excerpts from a bunch of pastors and evangelists sermons and books, my favorite are usually by Charles Spurgeon and D.L. Moody. Another favorite I used for quite some time and is all over my Instagram is another 365 devotional with sermon portions and stories from Smith Wigglesworth. If you do not know these men, look them up... like now. This blog post can wait. Talk about moving in faith, stories of Wigglesworth just gets you pumped. Where was I? Oh yes TWMS looking for a devotional, and one of the assistants brought out a few for me to look at, one stood out. It is called Fearless: How Jesus Changes Everything by George O. Wood. This is a really great one and I have only been through a few pages of it. Basically Dr. Wood goes through the entire book of Mark, breaking it down in chunks of one to four verses. If you don't have a devotional that you use or a method at all I suggest one of these options, just click on the titles and the link will take you to where you can get them.
But, here's the thing you have to read them. Each one takes around 15 minutes, and I am not the fastest reader. Everyday set a time when you can read at least one (especially if it is a 365 devo, because that is the point of them). Then if you aren't already in a place to talk to God, get to one and talk to Him about it. See what He thinks, find out what point He wants you to dwell on. After all that pray about it, if there is a challenge ask God to help you with the challenge and to keep it at the front of your mind so you won't forget it. Devotional time is something every Christian needs. It builds your faith in God, strengthens your walk with Him, and it helps you become more knowledgeable about His word. When you get to the point where you feel you can just sit and chat with God about anything and everything, start asking Him what He wants you to read then jot down what He says and what comes to mind; let Him become the author of the next devo you get. |
Brian J AbrahamI am on the leadership team with OSU Chi Alpha...we are not a frat. Check us out on Facebook or on our site. Archives
July 2018
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