Category: Faith

Resurrection Sunday – Preaching a Gospel of Repentance and Forgiveness

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He’s Alive – Don Francisco

In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight.’”

Now John wore a garment of camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region about the Jordan were going out to him, and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.

But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

“I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”

Matthew 3:1-12 ESV

As he [Jesus] said these things, a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said to him, “Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts at which you nursed!”

But he said, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!”

When the crowds were increasing, he began to say, “This generation is an evil generation. It seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah. For as Jonah became a sign to the people of Nineveh, so will the Son of Man be to this generation. The queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, something greater than Solomon is here. The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here.“

Luke 11:27-32 ESV

Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him [Jesus] both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.

Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”

And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.”

Acts 2:36-39 ESV

The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him.

Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, for “‘In him we live and move and have our being’; as even some of your own poets have said, “‘For we are indeed his offspring.’

Being then God’s offspring, we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man. The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.”

Acts 17:24-31 ESV

Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?

But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed. He will render to each one according to his works: to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury.

Romans 2:4-8 ESV

Mark 16: God’s Word is Trustworthy and True

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Read through the Bible in 2 Years: Mark 16

When Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome arrive at Jesus’s tomb, they were alarmed to see the stone rolled away and the tomb empty. They discovered an angel sitting in the tomb who said to them,

“Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.”

Mark 16:6-7 ESV

This week in my study of Joshua for Community Bible Study, I’ve been thinking a lot about telling the truth. That led me to thinking about God and His Word being 100% true and trustworthy. And like my March 17 post, here we have it again, Jesus tells the truth. He is trustworthy. He isn’t like Lucy with Charlie Brown and a football, saying one thing, only to change His mind a minute later. If God said it, you can believe it.

“Every word of God proves true.” (Proverbs 30:5a)

If you want to have your faith strengthened, take a little time today to watch this video titled “Jericho Unearthed” from Expedition Bible about the archaeological findings at Jericho.

Heavenly Father, You have told us what is true. You have given us Your Word that we might know You and follow You by faith, being fully convinced of what we cannot see. You are trustworthy and Your Word is true. Strengthen us to believe You and obey You, even when it’s hard and even when it’s scary. We pray in the Name of Jesus Christ who is the truth, the life, and the only way to You. Amen.

Mark 12: An Unbroken Thread of Loving God and Loving Others.

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Read through the Bible in 2 Years: Mark 12.

I’m trying to look at this chapter as a sum, a whole, a complete thought with an unbroken red thread running through it, rather than a bunch of little unrelated vignettes.

First, Jesus tells a parable about the owner of the vineyard who will come and destroy the tenants and give the vineyard to others, for the stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone, and this was the Lord’s doing and it is marvelous in His eyes.

And Jesus said, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”

And then Jesus said to some others, “Have you not read in the book of Moses, in the passage about the bush, how God told Moses, ‘I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ He is not God of the dead, but of the living.”

And then a scribe asked Jesus, “Which commandment is the most important of all?” And after Jesus answered him, the scribe said, “You are right, Teacher. You have truly said that He is one, and there is no other besides Him. And to love Him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself, is much more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.” 

Jesus saw that the scribe had answered wisely, yet later Jesus said, “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes and like greetings in the marketplaces and have the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts, who devour widows’ houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.”

And the chapter ends with Jesus praising a poor widow who gave everything she had to live on more than the rich who give large sums out of their abundance.

I see condemnation of pride and self-sufficiency, and praise of humility and trust in God. I see praise of love for God and others and condemnation of love of self. I see God wooing His people who come by faith and condemning those who come by pretense.

I want to come to the Lord on my knees, in humble gratitude for His mercy to me.

Heavenly Father, You are worth my all. Everything I have is from You. I want to give it all back to You. None of it belongs to me. None of it is mine. It’s all Yours. You are the eternal God, the God of the past, the present, and the future. I want to love You with my all and love others the way You have loved me. By Your power and strength and grace at work in me, I give myself back to You. In the Name of Jesus Christ my Savior and my God, I pray. Amen

Lord, I Give You my Heart. Shane and Shane.

Mark 10: Having the Faith of Bartimaeus

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Read through the Bible in 2 Years: Mark 10

And as [Jesus] was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a great crowd, Bartimaeus, a blind beggar, the son of Timaeus, was sitting by the roadside. And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

And many rebuked him, telling him to be silent.

But he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

Mark 10:46b-48 ESV

Oh, Heavenly Father, give me faith like Bartimaeus. I want to want YOU more than I want the approval of man. I want to trust You so much that I would willingly embarrass myself to do Your will. I want to cling to You with every ounce of my being. In the Name of Jesus Christ, my Savior and Lord I pray 🙏🏼 Amen.

Mark 9: Fame or Faithfulness?

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Read through the Bible in 2 Years: Mark 9

And [Jesus and His disciples] came to Capernaum. And when [Jesus] was in the house he asked them, “What were you discussing on the way?”

But they kept silent, for on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest. And he sat down and called the twelve.

And he said to them, “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.”

And he took a child and put him in the midst of them, and taking him in his arms, he said to them, “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me, receives not me but him who sent me.”

Mark 9:33-37 ESV

For as much as I love teaching and writing for adults, I think my true calling is to teach children. They have my heart. There is something so special about the childlike faith of a child, their wonder and interest in learning new things, that really gets me excited.

I’m afraid that in the past I preferred focusing my energies on adults because it was a straighter path to becoming “known,” to garnering a larger audience. Like Jesus’s disciples who were arguing about which of them was the greatest, I fear that I was looking for fame, rather than simply being faithful to the Lord’s call.

Which reminds me of the lesson I taught this morning to the 5th-12th graders at my local Community Bible Study class. Here’s an excerpt from the lesson I shared after our study on Joshua 1-5. I hope it blesses you.

So, this week we began our study of the book of Joshua. This year we have already studied Ruth, 1st and 2nd Kings, and Job. These five books feature some of the most famous people in the Bible, people like Ruth, King Saul, King David, Job, and now Joshua.

But what about the two spies whom Rahab hid… Their names were not recorded for us in the scriptures, but they were still vitally important to God. Those two men’s faith was just as valuable as Rahab’s. Or what about the priests who carried the ark of the covenant, or the 12 men who carried the stones, across the Jordan – was their faith any less remarkable?

What about the parents who circumcised their children by faith? Or all those Israelites who kept the Passover by faith?

According to Statista.com, in a 2021 survey, 3,670 American teens between the ages of 13-17 were asked, “What do you want to be when you grow up?”

What do you think these top 5 professions have in common?

Our culture is way too focused on being famous and way too lax about being faithful, simply doing the next thing that God has called us to. We are chasing after “fame and fortune,” instead of  “God and goodness.”

If you have been born again, then you have been given the gift of the indwelling of the Holy spirit. The Holy Spirit of God dwells in you. Think about that.

And now He is calling you to just do the next thing, do the next deed of faith.

That may be as simple as reading your Bible and completing your Bible study lesson and then coming here and sharing with your classmates what God taught you that week. That may be as simple as sitting next to or striking up a conversation with someone you don’t know very well. That may be as simple as telling the truth when you want to lie.

Whatever it is, I want you to listen to the Holy Spirit and follow Him. He will never lead you astray.

He might ask you to step out in faith someday, to follow the example of Rahab and hide a fellow believer who is being persecuted for their faith.

He might ask you to step out into your own Jordan River in sharing the gospel with someone, whether a stranger or a friend, trusting that He will keep His promises to be with You as you take that first step.

Your name may never appear on any timeline or any top 10 of anything. You may never be a world-famous athlete or gamer or musician. You may never be a social media influencer or have a YouTube channel with millions of followers and you may never invent anything world-changing.

But, oh think of it, think of this, your name, YOUR name, can be written in the Lamb’s Book of Life! And if your name is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, you can KNOW beyond any doubt that He has a good plan and purpose for you!

Heavenly Father, I pray that You will raise up more parents and more teachers who will invest their lives in training up children in the way that they should go so that the next generation will place their trust in You. Please, Father, stop us from this crazy pursuit of becoming rich and famous, and help us instead to be faithful to do the next thing. By Your grace and for Your glory. Amen.

Mark 8: On Seeing, Hearing, Remembering, and Understanding.

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Read through the Bible in 2 Years: Mark 8

Mark 7 ends with Jesus healing a deaf man with a speech impediment, followed in Mark 8 with Jesus feeding a crowd of 4,000 people with only seven loaves of bread and a few fish, and then  Jesus healing a blind man. 

And right in the middle of all these miracles, Jesus’s own disciples are concerned that they don’t have enough bread to which Jesus says,

“Why are you discussing the fact that you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive or understand? Are your hearts hardened? Having eyes do you not see, and having ears do you not hear? And do you not remember? When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?”

They said to him, “Twelve.”

“And the seven for the four thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?”

And they said to him, “Seven.”

And he said to them, “Do you not yet understand?”

(Mark 8:17-21)

Heavenly Father, Thank you for giving me eyes to see the beauty of creation, sunrises and sunsets, flowering trees and birds of every color, puffy white clouds and stars in night skies. But even more than that, thank You for opening my eyes to see You. I see You in creation, and I see You in the Scriptures, and I see You in my life. Thank You for giving me ears to hear the music of creation. Falling rain and rumbling thunder, singing birds and babbling babies, roaring lions and bleating lambs, they all sing your praises. But even more  I thank You for giving me ears to hear Your voice. I hear You speak by Your Spirit in my heart, and I hear You speak by Your Word on the page. I hear You, Lord. Thank You. Now, please, help me, Father, to understand and remember what You have spoken and what You have revealed. Help me to fix my mind on the things that are above, the truth of who You are, Your goodness and power and faithfulness, Your wisdom and love. For the glory of Your Name and the good of Your people. Amen.

Evidence

Mark 7: He Maketh No Mistake.

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Read through the Bible in 2 Years: Mark 7.

Do you know how often I mess up in a day?

Let’s just look at just yesterday, a regular day in my life. To start off the day, I turned off my alarm and stayed in bed much later than I should’ve, then found myself hurrying through my time in the Word. At lunch I burned a small bowl of diced carrots in the microwave. Carrots? Yes, carrots. Who does that? Then, in the afternoon, I started cleaning out my office so my daughter could use it as her bedroom, but I got distracted and ended up spending two hours going through a tub of memorabilia that I found in the closet. In the evening, I was grumpy and short-tempered with my husband for no good reason at all. And I’m sure this list doesn’t cover a tenth of all the decidedly un-well things I thought, said, or did yesterday.

But God. God does ALL things well. All things. Well. He does all things WELL.

And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, “He has done all things well. He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”

Mark 7:37 ESV

And because He does all things WELL, I have nothing to fear as I trust in Him.

He Maketh No Mistake

My Father’s way may twist and turn
My heart may throb and ache,
But in my soul I’m glad to know,
He maketh no mistake.

My cherished plans may go astray,
My hopes may fade away,
But still I’ll trust my Lord to lead,
For He doth know the way.

Tho’ night be dark and it may seem
That day will never break,
I’ll pin my faith, my all, in Him,
He maketh no mistake.

There’s so much now I cannot see,
My eyesight’s far too dim,
But come what may,
I’ll simply trust and leave it all to Him.

For by and by the mist will lift,
And plain it all He’ll make,
Through all the way, tho’ dark to me,
He made not one mistake.

– A.M. Overton, 1932 (More info here)

Heavenly Father, all Your ways are perfect and right and just and wise. I have nothing to fear for You are always with me, guiding me and helping me. Day after day, You lead me and take care of me for I am Your little lamb and You are my good shepherd. You do all things well. In the Name of Jesus Christ my Savior and Lord I pray. Amen.

All Things Well – Amen Quartet

Mark 5: What are you Begging Jesus for?

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Read through the Bible in 2 Years: Mark 5.

The man, possessed by a legion of demons, “begged [Jesus] earnestly not to send them out of the country.” In fact, the legion of demons even “begged [Jesus] saying, ‘Send us to the pigs; let us enter them.’”

When the people of the area heard about what happened, they “began to beg Jesus to depart from their region,” while the newly-delivered man, finally freed from the demons, “begged [Jesus] that he might be with Him.” (Mark 5:10, 17, 18 ESV)

What is the reaction of our friends and loved ones, the people of our communities, when they encounter Jesus?

  • Do they ask to be with Him … or do they ask to be free from Him?
  • Do they ask Him to be near Him or far, far away?
  • Do they want to be delivered of the demons  holding them captive, or do they prefer to remain in the comfortable life to which they’ve grown accustomed?

More importantly, what is our own reaction to meeting Him?

  • Does our fear of His awesome power and holiness drive us to our knees in reverence, or does it drive us to run from Him in terror?
  • Do we fall at His feet and beg Him to take us with Him?
  • Do we pursue Him night and day, hungry to touch even the hem of His garment?
  • Do we proclaim to our friends how much the Lord has done for us, or do we hide our light deep beneath a bushel?

Heavenly Father, I’m begging You to be near me, to walk with me, to hold my hand, to be my ever-present companion and help. I need You every hour. I want to be Your mouthpiece, shouting Your praises from the rooftops and from home to home as I go. Please, Father, bless me to be a blessing – to You and to my fellow man. For Your glory and our good I pray in the Name of Jesus Christ who has promised to be with me wherever I go. Amen.

Mark 4: Of Rocky Soil and the Scorching Sun

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Read through the Bible in 2 Years: Mark 4

Spring has sprung here in the Mid-South. Temperatures are rising, and trees that were bare last month are covered with pink, purple, and white buds. Colorful daffodils, tulips, and hyacinth are poking happy faces through newly green yards. 

Sunshine is our spring-time friend, bringing growth and warmth, so I was grappling with the idea that the sun is also responsible for scorching those seeds that have fallen on rocky ground, causing them to wither away.

Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil, and immediately it sprang up, since it had no depth of soil. And when the sun rose, it was scorched, and since it had no root, it withered away.

Mark 4:5-6 ESV

But after more thought, I realized how much sense that makes. The pain that the Lord used to draw me to seek Him could just as easily have caused someone to fall away from Him. Truly and thankfully, our lives are in the good hands of the Master Gardener.

Heavenly Father, I pray that I would be Your faithful disciple, putting down roots deep into Your Word, that the trials of life will make me stronger not weaker, better not bitter. I pray for my many countrymen who are still teetering on the fence, reluctant to jump in with both feet, unaware of the protection that Your presence offers. For Your glory and their good I pray that You will water the soil and prepare the ground of their heart that the seeds of the gospel will find a people ready to bear fruit. In the Good and Gracious Name of Jesus Christ I pray. Amen.

Mark 3: Giving Thanks in ALL Circumstances.

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Read through the Bible in 2 Years: Mark 3

Jesus called the twelve men whom He desired and they came to Him. One of those twelve men was Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Him.

As hard as it is for me to understand why God puts hard people and hard situations in my life, I want to trust Him, that this is His will for me and that His will is always right and good. Jesus ‘s own family thought He was “out of His mind.” (Mark 3:21) Why should I expect any less?

Give thanks in all circumstances;
for this is the will of God
in Christ Jesus for you.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 ESV

Heavenly Father, I know that no plan of yours can be thwarted. I know that You know all things, past, present, and future. You know what is in the hearts and minds of all men. You are perfectly wise and work perfectly to accomplish Your purposes. Help me, Father, to trust You enough to give thanks in every circumstance, trusting that You are on Your throne and that You are good. In the Name of Jesus Christ, my Savior and my Lord, I pray. Amen.

The Lord is My Salvation – Shane and Shane