Gospel of Mark

I've been reading the Gospel of Mark. So far, Jesus has preformed many, many, MANY miracles and I'm only half way through chapter 7!
Christ is the picture of compassion, of selflessness and true love. He brought healing to the sick, He made the lame walk and freed those who were under bondage. 
Groups of people followed Him wherever He went and He never sent them away. "And Jesus when He came out, saw a great multitude and was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd." Mark 6:34 He is a God even the demons worship [Mark 5]. 
He is a God we can trust completely. "He commanded them to take nothing for their journey except a staff - no bag, no bread, no copper in their money belts - but to wear sandals and not to put on two tunics." [Mark 6:9] The disciples were called out to preach the good news and the Lord wanted them to rely completely on Him alone. The Lord has a perfect plan for our lives too. Specific and one that requires our reliance upon Him alone. We may not all have to go out without bread or money, but wherever we are called it will be for the glory of God alone.   
As well as reading the word, I have been reading Crazy Love by Francis Chan. What a convicting, encouraging and compelling book that challenges my walk with Jesus to grow deeper, wider. 
Here is a small excerpt I read this afternoon:

"People who are obsessed with Jesus aren't consumed with their personal safety and comfort above all else. Obsessed people care more about God's kingdom coming to this earth than their own lives being shielded from pain or distress"

I wrote this as I read that:

"I feel compelled to pray for a life like this. Lately I have been so consumed by fear of even just the dark I cannot even get out of bed in the early morning to sit with You. I pray that my greatest concern would be others knowing You. I pray that as I desire to live a life that pleases You, others would come to know you and love You."

I desire that my life would not only reflect Jesus, but that it might draw others into a love for Him as well. "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." 2 Timothy 1:7 Christ has given power over fear to those who suffered even to death for His name. I feel pathetic saying I struggle with fear of the dark, but I know my God cares and wants to give me power over that small fear. I want to be used for His kingdom and for His glory. 


My point is, God is great, He is compassion, He is LOVE. He's powerful, mighty and so beautiful! He has a plan for each of us. He is hope. Let's be His hands and feet as we move into the Christmas season, but not only for the season, let's choose to continue to serve "the least of these" every chance we get, everyday, giving our time, our talents. We won't regret it. 


Gather in His greatness, guys, we won't leave parched. 


Love, Jess

Why He Came

"Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance."

Mark 2:17

I haven't blogged all week because I have been meditating on this verse. I was chewing it over, really wanting to understand God's heart in the matter of why He came to earth from a comfortable, beautiful, majestic throne in Heaven. 

He came out of LOVE. He came to heal the broken hearted, the lowly, the wretched, the lost, the homeless, the lame. He came to heal the hearts of those who were in need spiritually, the ones who were always failing and falling and wanting to be made clean but weren't sure how to get there. He came to show them how to be clean and He made it so remarkably easy. He said to them:

"This is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life..."

John 6:40

Believe in Him to have everlasting life! He came to call the sinners to see their sin and repent. It's easy with all we are blessed with to forget our need for God, but no thing we have on this earth will give us hope like Jesus will. He's calling sinners still, He's calling us to Himself so that we may have everlasting life. Believe Him and gain hope, peace, love. He is the Great Physician, He wants to heal your wounds today. Call upon His name and you will be satisfied. Christ is sufficient. His Word is sufficient. 

Be blessed today, readers, knowing that there is a God who loves you and is calling sinners to His table to repent and have salvation. We are ALL sinners, so we are all being called to Himself. What love! Give Him all you've got and be amazed today!

Love, Jess

Great is His Faithfulness

It is a good morning. When there is so much hustle and bustle in our days and even our nights, we can get so bogged down with complaints and fill our thoughts with only what is wrong, but, what is good? I am so compelled to share the GOOD news today, as I should everyday, but today especially. 

God is faithful, ALWAYS. I have been reading through the gospels. I am currently in Matthew, so I guess you can say I just started. As I read, I have been praying I would fall more in love with the Lord by seeing His character lived out in His word, and I can say joyfully today He is answering my prayer as I continue reading.
  

"Put your sword in its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword. Or do you think that I cannot now pray to my Father, and He will provide me with more than twelve legions of angels? How then could the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must happen thus?" 

Matthew 26:52-54

When Jesus was betrayed, He already knew He had been betrayed. He knew what was coming and although He prayed the cup of the cross would pass from Him, He went with love for us to do the will of His Father so that the Scriptures would be fulfilled and in turn so would our joy. What a loving God! He has so much to offer us and it is all free. 

I pray for all of those who aren't sure about Jesus, that you will be convinced of who He is, that He died for you, so that you may have life and life abundantly; a future and a hope. 

As I shared in my post yesterday, He is a God full of mercy, compassion and grace. He loves you, is jealous for you and longs for you to come to him. Don't hesitate to call Him your God and to live for Him. It is a choice you will NEVER regret making.

For those of you who do believe in Jesus I have a few encouraging quotes that have blessed me:

"Let us rejoice in the Lord always; let us show to the world that we are a happy and a blessed people, and thus induce them to exclaim, 'We will go with you, for we have heard that God is with you." C.H. Spurgeon

"Some blessings come early,

some come late, and some

don't come until heaven, but

for those who embrace the gospel

of Jesus Christ, they come"

Jeffrey R. Holland

Praise God! Love, Jess

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He is Calling Your Name

"He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. He counts the number of the stars; He calls them by name. Great is our Lord, and mighty in power; His understanding is infinite." Psalm 147:3-6


This is a call to all those whose hearts are broken. If God can count the number of stars and call them by name, how much more does He call Your name? You are important to Him. His word says that He created you for His good pleasure. What love! His understanding is infinite; He knows your every need, every sorrow, every thought, every weakness, every burden, stress and struggle. He understands your every worry, sweet reader. He is great and mighty in power, ready and waiting to call you His own. He is bigger than the things weighing on your heart tonight, He sees them and wants to help you carry that load. 


"if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." Romans 10:9


Praise God for making the gift of salvation FREE! Believe He is who He says He is and that He was raised by God from the dead and you will be saved!


His yoke is easy and His burden is light. He is great in mercy and the fullness of joy. Peace awaits your hurting and weary heart, sweet reader. He is a well of unending mercy that you can dive right into, and you can be certain that you will NEVER come up dry. 


Praise the Lord!


Jess

Thirst

"I remember the days of old; I meditate on all Your works;

I muse on the work of Your hands.

I spread out my hands to You;

My soul longs for You like a thirsty land. Selah"

Psalm 143:5-6

My soul longs for You like a thirsty land, My God of ever quenching waters. You are a never ending flow of rightness to my soul. You soak me in the fruits of Your Spirit, never failing me. I never come up dry when I meet with You. You remind me of the humble posture I am to take before You with my hands spread out towards You, and You so willingly and generously pour those living waters over me, Your parched child. 

I long to lift my soul to You and You alone. That You would cause me to hear Your lovingkindness in the morning, and cause me to know the way in which I should walk [Psalm 143:8]. 

Teach me to do Your will, Jesus. For You are my God and Your Spirit is good. Fill me with good. I long to be filled to the brim with Your good. 

You, my muse, You move me to praise. The works of Your hands overwhelm me. You created all things for me to enjoy, and I praise You for caring so much, just for me. 

Drench me today, and tomorrow and everyday. May I be satisfied in You, but always longing for You, never having enough of You, my God. 

Sweet Like Honey

Praising the Lord this morning for a sweet, chilly and quick run that I was able to enjoy today. For a warm shower and a bowl of cereal to fill my grumbling stomach. Praising Him for my home and my family who always take care of me. For my job, for my husband's job and for the Lord's constant provision. 

When I have so much how could I ever have a heart of complaint, gossip and slander? On that, I have a few verse to share, and praise the Lord for continuing to meet me right where I am.

"Deliver me, O Lord, from evil men;

Who plan evil things in their hearts;

They continually gather together for war.

They sharpen their tongues like a serpent;

The poison of asps is under their lips.

Selah"

Psalm 140:1-3

Our tongues are powerful weapons. I certainly have struggled with this over a long period of time and, sadly, have fallen into this description. I did a study of The Book of James a while back when the Lord made it absolutely clear that this was something in my life that was so displeasing to Him, and something He took very seriously. All the verses spoke to me, but there is one verse in James the Lord reminds me of when I desire to slander or gossip about someone. 

"With it [the tongue] we bless our God and Father,

and with it we curse men, who have been made

in the similitude of God."

James 3:9

If we love our Father, we are called to love every single person that was made in His image. We are called to have the fruits of the Holy Spirit in every circumstance and conversation that comes our way. Of course, we are human, we do fail, continually. His mercies are new every morning. He is strong, and He gives us freely the power to overcome these temptations.  

As I read on in the Psalms this morning, the Lord gave me a simple verse to pray daily, and when, "my desires for pleasure that war in my members" [James 4:1] rise up in frustration or anger towards someone and I am tempted to gossip to someone else about it. Again, I praise Him for always meeting me where I am, in my struggles and in my joy. His word is alive and gives us everything we need to live the life He desires of us. 

"Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth;

Keep watch over the door of my lips.

Do not incline my heart to any evil thing,

to practice wicked works

with men who work iniquity;

and do not let me eat of their delicacies."

Psalm 141:3-4

I pray today that this is written on my heart and that the Lord would call it to remembrance every time my flesh rises up. As that last part says, "delicacies", sometimes gossip looks appetizing. When everyone around you, in school, at work, is gathering together to talk about the latest "he said, she said", and maybe you want to snack on what their serving, let me remind you of what the psalms say about His words,

"How sweet are Your words to my taste, 

sweeter than honey to my mouth!"

Psalm 119:103

His words are sweet to our lips. They bring life and not death. His words are better, His ways are better. Let His name be on our lips today, of the One who brings life and life abundantly. 

I'd love to hear about how the Lord has spoken to You in your times of struggle. What promises has He given to You? What verses has He given to You to help you in your times of temptation?

Let's rejoice together in how great our God is!

May His love today cover You like waves, 

Jess

The Cry of My Heart

This is a short post that was intended for yesterday, November 2nd, 2011.

"Search me, O God, and know my heart;

Try me, and know my anxieties;

and see if there is any wicked way in me,

and lead me in the way everlasting."

Psalm 139:23-24

Praise You, Lord who leads me in a way everlasting. Psalm 139 is such a precious and descriptive Psalm of how much you care for me. How much time You desire to spend with me and on my life. I thank You that I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Jesus, even before I come to You, You know all my anxieties, every little and big thing that burdens my heart. You see all the wicked ways of me and You desire to take them and replace them with all the fruits You give. 

You are the one who searches hearts, search mine today. Lead me in the way everlasting.

He is My Hope

"The Lord will perfect that which concerns me; Your mercy, O Lord, endures forever; do not forsake the works of Your hands." 

Psalm 138:8

I had to repeat that over and again this morning, "You will perfect that which concerns me; Your mercy, O Lord, endures forever."

Praising a God who is patient with me as I struggle to overcome my flesh. Praising Him for giving me strength to overcome. My God who is mighty to save. You fill me Holy Spirit, reminding me I do not wage war against this flesh alone. I have all the power of God. 

It as been a daily struggle to get out of my warm bed to spend time with Jesus. I've been praying my desire would be stronger to be in His Word that it would be to sleep. He so gently promises me the treasure that awaits me there is so much more rich and full and warm and rewarding than an extra 30 minutes of sleep. And every time I make the choice to get up, His promise is kept, He ALWAYS speaks a word to my feeble heart, my wicked, deceitful heart. 

I take hope in Your promise Lord that You will prefect that which concerns me. As I choose each morning to come to Your table and sup with You, You will make me full. You will cover me in mercy, forgiveness, and love. You will never fail me even though I continually fail you. You will endure and I give You thanks today. 

Give thanks to the Lord, to You who alone does great wonders, to You who by wisdom made the heavens, to You who laid out the earth above the waters, to You who made great lights, the sun to rule by day and the moon and stars by night, to You who remembers us in our lowly state, to You who rescues us from our enemies, to You who gives food to all flesh, to You who parted the Red Sea, to You who lead Your people through the wilderness, YOUR MERCY ENDURES FOREVER. 

"I will praise You with my whole heart;

before the gods I will sing praises to You.

I will worship toward Your holy temple,

and praise Your name.

For Your lovingkindness and Your truth;

For You have magnified Your 

word above all Your name.

In the day when I cried out, You

answered me,

And made me bold with strength in my soul."

Psalm 138:1-3

I love you Jesus and all Your ways. Thank you for Your promises that I can gather in everyday. Make me more like You as I seek You and find my hope in You.