Isaiah 59

 As I looked at the beginning of this chapter I concluded that the problem was the people. The solution however is not the people. In verse 16, we see that God says there is no one to intercede, no one to intervene so God will do it. God will do what is needed. This was true in ancient Israel and it is ultimately true in the person of Jesus, God in the flesh. 

Jesus brings salvation and He will one day bring justice to the entire world. Jesus will do it all; Justice and Mercy, forgiveness and retribution. Jesus will bring both because there is no justice without retribution. The question of course is whether the retribution going to be paid by Jesus or ourselves. 

Numbers 12

 

What stands out in this chapter isn't that God brings correction or God isn't pleased but that Moses isn't complaining. Moses isn't crying out to God about his brother and sister. Moses we are told is humble and it is God who is angry over how they are treating His humble servant. Moses cries out at other times but this time he is waiting and God steps in. There is a time to bring a complaint to God but perhaps we should be more like Moses and let God handle it. 

Photo by Mark Paton on Unsplash

Mark 8

 

Mark 8:22-29

 When they arrived at Bethsaida, some people brought a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him.  So He took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village. Then He spit on the man’s eyes and placed His hands on him. “Can you see anything?” He asked.

The man looked up and said, “I can see the people, but they look like trees walking around.”

Once again Jesus placed His hands on the man’s eyes, and when he opened them his sight was restored, and he could see everything clearly.  Jesus sent him home and said, “Do not go back into the village.”

Then Jesus and His disciples went on to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. On the way, He questioned His disciples: “Who do people say I am?”

They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.”

 “But what about you?” Jesus asked. “Who do you say I am?”

Peter answered, “You are the Christ.”

And Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about Him.

 

Seeing Clearly

Chapter 8 begins with another long teaching section, three days and Jesus again has compassion and tells the disciples to feed the crowd.

They had only 7 loaves and once again Jesus provides with 7 baskets left.

12 baskets = 12 tribes (geography) 7 baskets = 7 days (complete)

Pharisees demand a sign, Jesus says no.

WHY? The truth is that they claim they want one, but they really don’t. We see later in the resurrection of Lazarus that though they said it was real they still denied Jesus. They even consider killing Lazarus (the sign) Signs won’t change your heart.

Leaven of the Pharisees and Herod = Pride puff up to look like more than it is. They tried to look good but compromised so they could get what they wanted.

***BLIND MAN

Jesus took him outside. Jesus wasn’t trying to just get a following.

Yet this miracle fits perfectly here as it is a picture of the people around him.

***Jesus came to the world that was blind to the truth and gave them truth from his lips.

Why did Jesus spit? This miracle was more than just a healing it was a picture/illustration to those around as to their own spiritual life.

John Calvin said Jesus did the miracle this way to prove his sovereignty. He can do the miracle the way he wants to.

Jesus laid his hands on his eyes.

We need both what comes from Jesus lips, we need his touch.

epitithémi: To lay upon, to place upon, to put on (lay a burden on)

This man was probably not born blind as he knew what trees looked like.

After first touch some sight was restored but not all of it.

Jesus needed to touch him again for his sight to be fully restored.

This is a picture of the disciples and also of us.

We often need more than one touch from Jesus so that we can see.

The Disciples did.

****Jesus is at Caesarea Philippi. The gates of Hell.

1.    Located between Dan and Manasseh

2.    Temple to Caesar (rise to godhood)

3.    Temple to Pan (party in hades)

***Who do People say that I am?

Peter gets it right.

Peter has as it were both received Jesus word and the touch of God.

Jesus begins to make things clearer.

***Mark 8:31-33 He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again. He spoke plainly about this, and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. “Get behind me, Satan!” he said. “You do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”

But Peter isn’t seeing clearly. He tries to teach Jesus what a messiah is.

Satan- accuser

Get behind me – Follow don’t lead.

***We make the same mistakes when we look at things from a human perspective rather than a Godly one.

The good news is that God will correct up. (This is GOOD!)

We need to have our minds set on the things of God not on the ways of humanity/world.

Now Jesus begins to teach the crowds.

This is important because what Jesus is going to say isn’t just for the few, the radical, or the chosen ones. Jesus is going to teach something that is true for ALL of His followers.

***Mark 8:34-38 Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life  will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.”

***The Way of the Disciples:

1.    Deny themselves

2.    Take up their cross

3.    Follow Him

Deny Themselves:

Augustine: How hard and painful does this appear! The Lord has required that whoever will come after im must deny himself. But what he commands is neither hard of painful when he himself helps us in such a way so that the very thing he required may be accomplished. For whatever seems hard in what is enjoined, love makes easy. (Sermons on NT Lessons)

Way of the Cross:

“The cross is laid on every Christian. The first Christ-suffering which every man must experience is the call to abandon the attachments of this world. It is that dying of the old man which is the result of his encounter with Christ. As we embark upon discipleship we surrender ourselves to Christ in union with his death—we give over our lives to death. Thus it begins; the cross is not the terrible end to an otherwise god-fearing and happy life, but it meets us at the beginning of our communion with Christ. When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die.”

― Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship

***We live a culture that is adverse to pain. We look at pain as the ultimate defeat.

Yet, there are things worth fighting and suffering for. They are usually the things that really matter.

There is some truth to the old phrase, “No pain, no gain.”

How does one lose?

1.    Gain things rather than salvation

2.    Try to buy your own salvation

3.    Ashamed of Christ / Embarrassed by the Gospel

CONCLUSION:

I was recently asked if everyone has to be deeply committed to God (as the apostles). I paused for a moment because although I know that God has much patience, the call to Christ is to follow him not just believe in him. Paul makes it clear that if we are to follow Christ, be disciples, we have to die to sin and live unto God. This, of course, isn't some drab, puritan-looking life, but it is a surrender of everything. However, the answer I had to give was, YES. We are called to be just as deeply committed to Christ as any apostle or saint of old. We are called to follow Christ not just believe in Him.

What that looks like for each of us is different in some ways but in other ways, it means that we should be the same. We should all want to be a part of a group of believers (yes, a church). We should be spending time getting into the Word of God (faith comes by hearing the Word).

Yet for some, they believe but struggle with wanting to go to church or reading the Bible. What can you do?

****Pray!

James tells us that if we lack, we need to ask God. He is speaking of wisdom but the wisdom to begin loving the church and the Word is something we may really need. So, ask. Pray, "God, help me love your church," and "God, help me love your Word."  Prayer works, this is why Jesus tells us to pray for our enemies because when we pray for them, we can learn to love them as he commands.

You may say what if the prayer isn't fully sincere? Pray anyway. I have learned from my own experience that God will answer prayers offered in faith even when that faith is lacking. 

What if you're struggling with the thought of making this kind of commitment? You know you should but part of you doesn't. Then I will give the same advice. Pray, Pray, pray.

What if you feel God isn't listening? You know the answer...PRAY!

 

 

 

 

Psalm 47

 

Let's sing to God! Clap your hands! Shout unto God! These are all things we can do to worship God. There is much argument over what should and shouldn't be done in worship. However, we have the Psalms that give us much to learn from. Whatever we do should be directed to God and as Paul would say in Romans and Corinthians not to try and cause offense. So sing to God our King. 

KING means he's in charge not us.

Photo by Samuel Regan-Asante on Unsplash 

Numbers 11

 

Be careful who you listen to. In this chapter, it was the rabble, the mixed multitude, who had traveled with Israel who started the complaining. The problem was that Israel rather than correcting the complaints joined in. For me, this is a reminder that we need to make sure and listen to the people of God and not the people who are hanging out with the people of God. Be careful who you listen to. As Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15:33 "Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.”

Later in the chapter, the Spirit of God falls on Eldad and Medad and they prophecied. They were elders but they weren't the ones chosen to join with Moses but God had other plans. They may not have been chosen by men but God chose them. Moses showed great wisdom and let God elevate who he wanted. 

Photo by Den on Unsplash

Numbers 10

 

There is a clear order in how things went in the wilderness which is very admirable. It is a reminder to me that God does things in dignity and order. At the end of the chapter, we hear the words of Moses when the ark set to and when it stopped. These words are a reminder to me that though God goes forth and conquers his foes his resting place is in Israel (with us).

Photo by Martin Adams on Unsplash

Isaiah 58

 God begins by condemning the fasts (not eating) of the people because though they are giving up food they aren't living for Him. To say it another way, they gave up food but wouldn't give up their sins. What I find interesting is the promise that ends this chapter. If the people would live right (give up their sins) and fast correctly then God promises they would "Feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob." The end of serving God faithfully is a feast. Amen. 

Photo by Rumman Amin on Unsplash

Numbers 9

 As we read through the book of Numbers we will see Israel didn't always do the right thing. When we get into Deuteronomy we will see other ways the people of Israel do wrong. However, it seems that at least in one aspect they did it right and that was if it was time to move. What does that tell us? First, don't see only the wrong people have done. Israel did a lot of good, yet to hear many preachers, Israel in the desert was filled with generally bad people. They got it right a lot actually. However, this takes us to the second thing we need to look out for in ourselves. Just because you are doing a lot of good that doesn't mean that you're okay. If I'm a brittle diabetic and say I obey my diet and only eat an entire sheet cake once a week then I'm not okay. I'll probably be dead soon. The great six days don't erase the choice I made on the seventh. For now, I want to rejoice that Israel got this right.

Photo by kaouther djouada on Unsplash

Mark 7

 Here again, are my notes for my sermon this week. Remember these are my notes (I don't read these) and there are lots of spelling and grammar mistakes. 

Mark 7:1-23

 The Pharisees and some of the teachers of the law who had come from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus and saw some of his disciples eating food with hands that were defiled, that is, unwashed. (The Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they give their hands a ceremonial washing, holding to the tradition of the elders. When they come from the marketplace they do not eat unless they wash. And they observe many other traditions, such as the washing of cups, pitchers and kettles.)

So the Pharisees and teachers of the law asked Jesus, “Why don’t your disciples live according to the tradition of the elders instead of eating their food with defiled hands?” He replied, “Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written:“ ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.’ You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to human traditions.”

And he continued, “You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your own traditions! For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and mother,’ and, ‘Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death.’ But you say that if anyone declares that what might have been used to help their father or mother is Corban (that is, devoted to God)— then you no longer let them do anything for their father or mother. Thus you nullify the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And you do many things like that.”

Again Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “Listen to me, everyone, and understand this. Nothing outside a person can defile them by going into them. Rather, it is what comes out of a person that defiles them.” After he had left the crowd and entered the house, his disciples asked him about this parable. “Are you so dull?” he asked. “Don’t you see that nothing that enters a person from the outside can defile them? For it doesn’t go into their heart but into their stomach, and then out of the body.”

He went on: “What comes out of a person is what defiles them. For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come—sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and defile a person.”

That Which Defiles:

Helping the Community

As we begin this section, we see that the Pharisees are criticizing the disciples. At this point the disciples as well as Jesus are doing ministry. The Disciples at this point have been out preaching and bringing miracles. So now instead of just one person out there preaching and doing miracles there are 12 more.

So the Pharisees are both criticizing these but indirectly criticizing Jesus.

Jesus and his disciples are bringing something we have heard about previously a teaching and power. Jesus and the disciples represent a threat to their position and power. Previously when people had religious questions or needed help they looked to the priest, they looked to the Pharisees, now they are being pushed to the sidelines.

Before we get started, we need to understand the motivations of the people making the claims. It’s like if someone criticizes a church or even a policy be it political or ecclesiastical (church), sometimes the question we need to ask is why are they doing it. Unfortunately the reason reveals not a concern about being right but a concern about losing something politically its usually power or greed, but sometimes it about losing the ability to do something else or many times in the church the permission to sin.

We don’t see it right off the bat in this section but looking through the gospels it is clear that the Pharisees didn’t want to lose power or prestige. ****

So what is the complaint?

1.    They eat with unwashed hands (could spread disease)

2.    They weren’t respecting the elders.

3.    Jesus wasn’t teaching then well (Implied)

God gave command about washing but not to the extent that the Pharisees took it.

By the way, they were correct. Washing as often as they said would be a benefit to the community. Unwashed hands we know today are one of the main reasons diseases are transmitted.

The traditions of the elders if followed meant people were less likely to get sick. The traditions would help the community. Helping the community was what the elders were to do.

The problem was they weren’t bringing it up as a concern for the health of people. They were trying to discredit the competition. ****

They were trying to trap Jesus

1.    Yes, I’m wrong.

2.    I don’t respect the elders

***Jesus sets the issue aside and deals with the bigger issue.

***Jesus is going to address three groups

1.    Pharisees

2.    Crowd

3.    Disciples

 

The Pharisees

Jesus says they are like the people Isaiah Prophesied about.

“Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written:“ ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.’

Jesus was saying that these people worshipped God, but their hearts were in the wrong place and they used human rules to bypass the intent of the law.

Church Father Irenaeus said of this in is book Against Heresies: It this their rabbis suppress some of the commandments, add new ones, and gave others their own interpretations, thus making the law serve their own purpose.

They used the traditions of the elders, so they could do what they wanted to do.

The tradition of washing was to help the community, help others. The Pharisees it seemed were doing it not as a method of helping but doing it to make others think that they were.

It like a person using hand sanitizer when the nurse is watching so they look like they care, but really they don’t care.

Jesus had a great example. CORBIN

The idea was that you could give something to God and therefor bypass giving it to your parents.

The even could give it to God and then didn’t have to give it to their parents.

They could tell their parents who the law said they were to honor. I would help you. but I gave the money to God (if you need it ask him).

Example: you need a house but sorry I gave it to the church. Then redeem it for 2/5 value and pocket the difference.

Redemption in the OT was there to help but the Traditions of the Elders changed it so it added to their greed.  

Today it might be I would have helped you but I gave it to the church in your honor (not a bad thing but could be).

Jesus was pointing out that they had a heart problem. They weren’t trying to help the community by pointing out what the disciples had done, they were doing it for selfish purposes and trying to look spiritual.

By the way, Jesus was hoping to help them not condemn them in front of others. This wasn’t Jesus writing an “open letter”

The CROWD

“Again Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “Listen to me, everyone, and understand this. Nothing outside a person can defile them by going into them. Rather, it is what comes out of a person that defiles them.”

Jesus told the crowd not “eat whatever you want,” he was telling the crowd you need to deal with the what is on the inside of you that is what is going to get you into real trouble.

EXAMPLE: A person cussing, the real problem is why.

Jesus throughout his ministry was trying to deal with mankinds real problem, their heart and the sin that comes out of it.

The DISCIPLES

After he had left the crowd and entered the house, his disciples asked him about this parable. “Are you so dull?” he asked. “Don’t you see that nothing that enters a person from the outside can defile them? For it doesn’t go into their heart but into their stomach, and then out of the body.”

He went on: “What comes out of a person is what defiles them. For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come—sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and defile a person.”

You’re DULL- You haven’t got it yet?

By this time, they had listened to Jesus quite a bit. Though not recorded in Mark they had listened to the Sermon on the mount in at least some form at least twice and I would say it was realistic to say a lot more than that. Just in that message it is clear that the real problem is on the inside.

****Jesus wasn’t saying they shouldn’t wash their hands he was saying that the real issues come from inside you.

Evil (evil, wicked, malicious, particularly as active)[1] comes from within

***YET: if the inside is changed, then the outside will do what is right.

(Once it knows to)

Jesus did address the Pharisees brought up. However, Not by telling them to wash their hands but dealing with their real problem. Their heart.

Because when the inside is changed then what you do will change. Then you can be a benefit to the community.

You want to truly help your community? Let Jesus change your heart.

Jesus isn’t looking for you just to do your equivalent of washing your hands, he wants what will cause you to be good in every circumstance.

***

How do you change your heart?

1.    Make Jesus Lord

2.    Learn from his Word

 

---

[1]

Alexander Souter, A Pocket Lexicon to the Greek New Testament (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1917), 210.)

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Psalms 46

Look to the East!

 I'm a fan of Lord of the Rings both the books and the movies (We don't talk about the Hobbit movie). Yes, there is a lot of violence but the themes are strong. Now what could that have to do with this passage?  Verse five speaks of God coming to help at the break of day. There is a scene in the Two Towers at the battle of Helm's Deep where it looks like all is over. Yet, They choose to ride out to meet the enemy they can not defeat and yet, they remember that Gandalf promised he would be there on that day at the break of day. The scene is epic and to me a great reminder that God comes at the right time to deliver. 

For the Christian, there is hope even if we do die as life for us doesn't end in death. So even in defeat for the Christian, there is no defeat. 

Here is a YouTube link to that scene (for as long as it lasts,) 

Numbers 8

(Reminder: Photos don't perfectly correlate with posts)

 Let them cut off all their hair? Why? I have my ideas but some of the commentators I have looked at it is a sign/image of cutting off everything extra from their lives. The priests were supposed to be physically perfect. Hair could hide deformities, if the hair is gone then nothing is hidden. To say it another way for us today, those in leadership need to be willing to have their life exposed. God calls us to be accountable. I could go on but it's something to think about. 

Photo by Kenny Eliason on Unsplash

Numbers 7

 

There is a man I know that is sometimes very wise. I should listen to him more often than I do. The problem is that person is me. Reviewing this chapter and what I have written about this chapter before, I should be grateful for what I don't have. 

If you need to know what I wrote look here. https://biblereflections4you.blogspot.com/

God Bless.

One other thing I am noticing is that there are a lot of animals offered for fellowship offerings. "The total number of animals for the sacrifice of the fellowship offering came to twenty-four oxen, sixty rams, sixty male goats and sixty male lambs a year old. These were the offerings for the dedication of the altar after it was anointed" (verse 88). Remember, the fellowship offering was shared with the giver. It was meant to be eaten with others before God. To say it another way, This dedication was a giant 12-day feast. This was as if it were a big celebration where the participants would eat well. God isn't against a good (moral) party.

Do we have to be committed?

I was recently asked if everyone has to be deeply committed to God (as the apostles). I paused for a moment because although I know that God has much patience, the call to Christ is to follow him not just believe in him. Paul makes it clear that if we are to follow Christ, be disciples, we have to die to sin and live unto God. This, of course, isn't some drab, puritan-looking life, but it is a surrender of everything. However, the answer I had to give was, YES. We are called to be just as deeply committed to Christ as any apostle or saint of old. We are called to follow Christ not just believe in Him. 

What that looks like for each of us is different in some ways but in other ways, it means that we should be the same. We should all want to be a part of a group of believers (yes, a church). We should be spending time getting into the Word of God (faith comes by hearing the Word). Yet for some, they believe but struggle with wanting to go to church or reading the Bible. What can you do?

Pray!

James tells us that if we lack, we need to ask God. He is speaking of wisdom but the wisdom to begin loving the church and the Word is something we may really need. So, ask. Pray, "God, help me love your church," and "God, help me love your Word."  Prayer works, this is why Jesus tells us to pray for our enemies because when we pray for them, we can learn to love them as he commands. 

You may say what if the prayer isn't fully sincere? Pray anyway. I have learned from my own experience that God will answer prayers offered in faith even when that faith is lacking.  

What if you're struggling with the thought of making this kind of commitment? You know you should but part of you doesn't. Then I will give the same advice. Pray, Pray, pray. 

What if you feel God isn't listening? You know the answer...PRAY!

Isaiah 57

 "I will expose your righteousness and your works, and they will not benefit you" (verse 12, NIV). God isn't speaking to the righteous here but to those who have chosen to look to other gods. Here is a reminder that unbelievers can do good things and even righteous things. There are times when it may seem that some unbelievers do even more good in the world than Christians. The problem is it doesn't help them when it comes to pleasing God. It would be like a lawyer saying to a judge, yes. he committed treason, but he did pay his taxes on time this year. The one doesn't erase the other. When it comes to God by rejecting him we commit reason and telling ourselves that since we have been good at times doesn't erase the greater crime. I might say it makes it worse because something in you knew there was a standard of righteousness and you chose to reject the standard giver.   

Side Note: The cup is still a good reminder that we should be doing good, just don't depend on that saving you.

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Numbers 6

 In the Old Testament and in the New we see that some people choose to make a special vow to God. The Nazarites in the Old Testament went the extra mile of commitment choosing to give up family connections if it would mean that it would make them unclean. The Nazarites choose to avoid not just drunkenness, but anything closely associated with it (all grapes products).  They chose to give up trying to look presentable by styling their hair or beards, but just let them grow uncut.  In the New Testament, they chose to follow God and give up what isn't sin but what is culturally expected. 

The two things we need to consider today are not to expect others to live up to our calling (if it is beyond Scripture) and not to condemn those who choose to go further than you as being like Pharisees, holier-than-thou, or other insults. Respect those who go further than you and respect those who do not feel God is calling them to a level of commitment that is beyond what is required for Christians in the Word of God.

As this chapter ends, God tells the priest that they are to put God's name on the Israelites so they will be blessed. A reminder to those in ministry that God's calling to spiritual leaders is not to bless people but to put God's name in them so they can be blessed by Him. Numbers 6:17 

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Mark 6

 For now, I'm going to share my sermon notes as my reflection. 

Trusting while alone

Mark 6

Last week we traveled with the disciples to the Gennesaret (Gadarenes). In the rest of the chapter, we see Jesus healing the woman who had an issue of blood for 12 years and the 12-year-old girl who Jesus raised. Interesting parallel there that we won’t get into today.

Then in Chapter 6, we see Jesus being rejected by his hometown. This is the one place they don’t bring the sick to Jesus. 

Then Jesus sends forth the 12 to do short-term ministry to preach and to do miracles. (Even Judas) He is teaching them to trust God to provide as he tells them not to prepare for the work.

9-11 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.”

Herod hears of Jesus and “knows” it’s John the Baptist raised. (but does nothing?) 

Apostles return (verse 30-32) The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught. Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place.

The Apostles were tired, and hungry. Jesus sought to give them rest.

Jesus isn’t against his people finding rest. Actually, that was one of the reasons for the Sabbath. 

But they weren’t going to get it because others wanted Jesus. Very probably because people who were supposed to be quiet talked. 

There is often a lot of extra work that has to be done because people don’t know when to keep quiet. 

Yet- Jesus has compassion.

(33-34) But many who saw them leaving recognized them and ran on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them.  When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.

How did Jesus show compassion? He taught! Why?

Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu is credited with saying “You can give a man a fish and feed him for a day or teach a man to fish and feed him for a lifetime.” 

Jesus was trying to give them what they really needed truth. 

What we all really need from Jesus isn’t a miracle it is the truth that can change our hearts and lives. 

By this time it was late in the day, so his disciples came to him.

(35-38)“This is a remote place,” they said, “and it’s already very late. Send the people away so that they can go to the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.” But he answered, “You give them something to eat.” They said to him, “That would take more than half a year’s wages! Are we to go and spend that much on bread and give it to them to eat? ”How many loaves do you have?” he asked. “Go and see.” When they found out, they said, “Five—and two fish.”

The Disciples saw the need and maybe even their own. Their solution was to send them away. 

Jesus however wasn’t just concerned with their spiritual lives. He was concerned with their physical lives. 

Often in the church we tend to lean one way or the other or to get the priority out of line. But Jesus is concerned with you physical wellbeing. He just isn’t willing to make life easy at the expense of your soul. 

Jesus is the guy who will say in Mark 9:42-48 “If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than to have two hands and go into hell, into the unquenchable fire. If your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame than to have two feet and be thrown into hell. And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, where ‘their worm never dies, and the fire is never quenched.’”

So don’t ever think Jesus is just here to make life on earth easy. He would love to make life everything it can be and yes one day it will be, but for now there are bigger if you don’t mind my saying, “There are bigger fish to fry” and maybe more loaves to make.

Jesus looks at his disciples and say feed them. 

They don’t look to see what they have they begin by seeing the impossible.

Jesus has to tell them to look to see what they have.

By the way, Jesus knew they didn’t have enough.

Jesus didn’t need the fish and loaves to feed the people but he wanted the disciples to give what they had.

This is what God does. He allows us to participate in his work. 

What is a little? Jesus said the 

What do you have?

Not much? Moses had a staff, Joseph had a dream, Gideon had 300 men to take on 135,000, David had a sling. The widow had enough oil and floor for one loaf and a few sticks, Elisha had a hand-me-down cloak, Mary didn’t have a husband (no man at all), yet they all had something that made the difference they were following God. 

Now if you take your little and strike out on your own, you’ll fail. However, with God?

Mark 10:27 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.”

5 loaves and 2 Fish? (ourselves?)

Whether this analogy is true or not the disciples gave what they had. 

They feed 5000. 

If God sends you, he will provide! (unless you live into sin, Sampson)

Jesus didn’t just provide he provided for the next part of the ministry.

Consider the disciples are tired. They have been fed now but it’s been a long day. It was supposed to have been a day off yet, it became a working day.

Now Jesus sends them over to the other side (does this sound familiar?) and Jesus deals with the crowd. Then Jesus goes up into a mountain to pray.

O.T, a lot of people went up into a mountain to hear from God. 

The disciples (note that they are being called disciples again) are in the middle of the lake struggling. Jesus saw them but it wasn’t until early in the morning maybe around 4 AM does Jesus come to them.

Yet Jesus does come, walking out across the lake to them whether it’s to join them or as I heard one bible scholar say Jesus was there to lead the way. 

But whichever it was, that’s not what happened. They didn’t call out to him at first nor were they inspired by this miracle. They became afraid. 

The Greek word carries the idea of cowering in fear. When your cowering you’re not rowing.

They quit doing what they should have been doing, trying to get to the other side. 

They looked at the circumstances and saw only one possibility.

GHOST!

They couldn’t even after all they had seen, imagine that Jesus out on the water was Jesus. 

What does Jesus do?

He enters the boat and calms the winds. 

What went wrong? 

Mark explains they hadn’t learned the lesson of the loaves. They hadn’t learned to trust God, because their hearts were hardened. 

There are people out there that say if God performed a miracle they would believe. It’s not true. If your heart is hardened, you won’t submit to God no matter how many miracles you may see. 

The proof? Pharoah (these words are the same one to describe Pharoah) 

God did that!? Consider this the same sun that melts butter hardens clay. It’s not the sun which caused the hardening, it was something in the heart. 

Lesson:

1. Don’t harden your heart, learn.

2. Give God all that you have.

3. Don’t quit because of fear.

4. Trust God to provide the rest.

Photo by Ramin Khatibi on Unsplash

Proverbs 11

 Here is a challenge for next month or maybe some other time. There are 31 verses in this chapter. Take one a day for a month and ponder the one corresponding to that day or maybe write down what they are teaching you. 

Here is my day one.

1. "The LORD detests dishonest scales, but accurate weights find favor with him."

Since I don't have a business where I measure out product, I could say this doesn't apply to me. That is wrong. I do work for people the people of my church. Thankfully, they expect me to give of my time to do the work of a pastor. There may be some who look at that work differently than I do but I have to give an honest return for what they give me to the best of my ability.  Just to look at my work currently at Selma Christ, I am just over halftime which means I need to give at least 22-28 hours towards ministry work each week. I won't break that down here but if I was doing this for myself (and I have) I would start by tracking what I'm doing and where I'm putting my time. This is especially important since I don't have a time clock. The question is am I earning my wage or am I stealing. To those of you who do have time clocks, a reminder, just because you're on the clock doesn't mean you're working. 

Why is this important? It ensures that I am not cheating people and, more importantly, that I am pleasing God. 

Photo by Manasvita S on Unsplash

Numbers 5

 In the first part of this chapter, God reaffirms the need for what we would call a quarantine. Those who were unclean were to get away from people until they were clean again. This simple precaution would keep sickness from running rampant through the general population. In the New Testament, we see the like in the early church when Paul commands that the unrepentant person claiming to be a Christian is put out of the church. The idea is the same, if sin is left untreated in the church it will spread.

Yes, I do understand that this can lead to abuse. However, saying that church discipline should never take place because of abuse is like saying no rapist should stand trial because we know that there have been people who go to jail who were innocent. 

Photo by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash

Numbers 4

 The Kohathites clan was to carry the sacred things from inside the tabernacle. There is a warning that they are not to look at them or touch them at the risk of death. Yet, the priests were to prepare the Tabernacle before the Kohathites entered it. The priests were to prepare the place. This is much like an electrician ensuring the outlets are connected correctly and covered before letting people come in and start plugging things in. Typically, if the electrician has done the job correctly the chance of death is nearly zero.  So, what does this have to do with the church? 

I have been in conversation recently with clergy and laity about the importance of communion. The questions are about how often and what liturgy it is to be or could be. There are two great opinions about frequency, either as often as possible or regularly but not too often. The first group looks at the frequency in the early church as the example we should follow. The latter is that we don't want communion to become just another ritual we go through. Both would agree that communion isn't just a ritual but something sacred, that is why we call it a sacrament. In this conversation was also brought up the warning associated with communion and this is where it links to Numbers 4. 

Paul says in 1 Corinthians 11: 27-33 (NIV) "So then, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup. For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves. That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep. But if we were more discerning with regard to ourselves, we would not come under such judgment. Nevertheless, when we are judged in this way by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be finally condemned with the world."

The pastor presenting the communion is responsible for giving the proper warning before communion is presented. We (since I am clergy), like the priests of old, need to be sure everything is as ready as it can be before people partake of the body and blood of the Lord (even if they are just symbols). Paul makes it clear that taking communion in an unworthy manner may lead to death. It behooves all clergy to do their part like the priest and the electrician so that no one is hurt.

Isaiah 56

 

No matter who you are what station, position, or background, be faithful in obeying God. The importance here isn't where you come from but obedience. There have been some who want to emphasize God's call to all without acknowledging obedience. It is as if God's willingness to bring in the "least, last, and lost" as so many call them that they ignore that God and Jesus demand obedience. Therefore it's if you are the "least, last, and lost" but are disobedient then destruction awaits you as it does the "privileged" who disobey. This is why God is warning them to obey.  

Photo by Maksym Kaharlytskyi on Unsplash