You have heard the testimony of Jesus Christ.  Now I ask you, do you believe?  Maybe there are some things you learned from the book of Mark that you didn't know- maybe you were refreshed in the foundation of who Jesus was on earth.  Either way, what are you going to do with what you learned?  Are you going to , "Proclaim the gospel to the whole creation," like it says in Mark 16:15? Do you believe Jesus when He says, "Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned" {Verse 16}?  What are you going to do with this information?  What questions do you have?  Where is the Spirit of God challenging you?  
Jesus is no longer dead.  As we read in this chapter, He rose from the dead- and sits at the right hand of the Father in heaven.  He is no longer a carpenter, He is a king.  And He reigns and is preparing His kingdom for those who believe with their hearts and confess with their mouths that He is Lord.  What does this mean to you?  What does this mean for you?

~Leanne~

WOW.  Read it again if you're not saying "Wow" with me.  Anybody catch it?  I'm sure by the title of this study thought you can all assume what "wowed" me from this short text.  If not, let me explain it.
First of all, we learn from verse 5 that Pilate was "amazed" at Jesus. Second, we learn that Pilate believed Jesus was innocent of what the Council was charging him of- not only in verse 14 but also in verse 10, we learn Pilate, "...perceived that it was out of envy that the chief priests had delivered him [Jesus] up."  Pilate thought Jesus to be innocent- we can even wonder if Pilate believed Jesus was in fact, the Christ.  We can also back up these thoughts with Matthew 27:19, "Besides, while he [Pilate] was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent word to him, 'Have nothing to do with that righteous man, for I have suffered much because of him today in a dream."  And verse 24: "So when Pilate saw that he was gaining nothing, but rather that a riot was beginning, he took water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, "I am innocent of this man's blood; see to it yourselves."  So, even after we discover that Pilate assumed Jesus to be innocent, he still grants the crowd their wish and sends Jesus to be crucified.   Pilate chooses to satisfy a crowd, rather than choosing to satisfy God.  At the time, it is not known whether or not Pilate did believe Jesus to be the Son of God, or whether he just had no solid case against him, but either way- he took a chance.   Could have he not been favored by the people? Could he have lost his place as governor?  Could the crowd have made such a riot that killed him or put him in danger?  Maybe. Maybe all this could have happened.  As Christians, we are promised persecution, because Jesus was persecuted.  As human beings, we are people-pleasers.   We like people liking us, we like our reputation to be in good standing, we don't like opposition.   What would you have done in Pilate's position?  How about today- do you choose to satisfy the crowd rather than God?  Do you choose what the crowd wants rather than what God wants?  Are you willing to give up your position, reputation or life for the sake of Christ?  Pilate wasn't.  I'm sure in the depth of his being, he dealt with the shame for the rest of his earthly life.  We don't have to get mad at Pilate though for his decision to be unfaithful to Jesus, because God knew ahead of time what Pilate would do and God used Him- believing or not- to bring about His plan for Jesus on earth.  We as Christians, however, have a purpose from God- and it's not to be unfaithful- but rather, faithful to Jesus.  God wants to use us for His glory, His purposes and to build His kingdom.  That might just mean an unpopular earthly role, it might mean opposition, it might mean your life.  But are you faithful to Him, or faithful to the crowd?

~Leanne~

Preparing to spend quiet time with the Father, Jesus asked James, John and Peter to stand watch, only to find them sleeping.  This reminds me of the warning we just read about in Chapter 13 to "stay awake".  Throughout the Paul's letters in the New Testament, we are told to be on guard and James, John and Peter were told the same thing by Jesus personally, and they failed to do so.  
How does Jesus find us?  Are we on guard or does He find us asleep?  Jesus responded to Peter (also called Simon), "Simon, are you asleep? Could you not watch one hour?  Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation.  The spirit is indeed willing, but the flesh is weak."  This is significant, even for us today because Jesus tells us through Paul's letters, to be on guard (i.e. Ephesians 6:10-20) lest we fall into temptation.  Let Jesus find us on guard rather lazy and asleep.  Let Him find us prepared for battle, prepared for temptation, prepared for the lion who is prowling around looking for someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8).  
Even when you think you are strong, your flesh is weak.  Stay in prayer and stay on guard.

~Leanne~

     This chapter prepares us for the end times- the things to happen before Jesus returns.  It's an ugly chapter, and it gives me a sense of human fear but also anticipation.  The fear comes from not wanting to face pain, physical persecution and suffering, and taking this text literally, the end of times sounds chaotic, full of hatred and disastrous.  My anticipation, on the other hand awaits my King to gather me up with Him and His angels in the clouds.  I look forward to meeting my Maker.  
     Two things grabbed my attention while reading this chapter:  Verses 36-37 where it talks about staying awake, and verse 10- that the gospel must first be proclaimed to all nations.   
     I think it's amazing what full-time missionaries do.  Joey and I have always had an interest in missions since we've been married (Joey much longer than that).   Missionaries are ordinary people, called by God to "Go" and proclaim the gospel to other nations- some known nations, some that are being discovered.  What an amazing honor it is to have such a calling placed on your life.  If this is something that Jesus says needs to happen before He can return, I encourage you to do your part!  What does that mean for you?  I'm not sure, but ask God and I'm sure He'll let you know.  Maybe it's praying for a missionary from your church, maybe it's financially supporting missions, or maybe-just maybe, it's going into full-time missions yourself or as a family. 

To the end of the earth for the end of the world?  I think so!

~Leanne~

    
     I find this story to be so significant because it teaches us about giving.  Jesus doesn't exalt the rich who wrote a big check to the church, because they probably wouldn't even notice the money leaving their bank account.  (I modernized it a bit!)  Instead, Jesus highlighted the poor widow- the woman with nothing.  She gave not out of obligation, or because she had extra to give, she gave because her heart loved Jesus and the church and she gave out of reverence and love for it.  How many of you, first of all, tithe?  (Tithing, I believe, is a minimum of 10% to the local church.)  For how many of you is that a sacrifice?  For how many of you even notice that you wrote that check or gave that amount?  I don't believe this passage is commanding us to give all that we have like the widow, however, I do believe it challenges us to look at how much we give in comparison to all that we have.   If you write a check and barely notice that money has been given, I challenge you to ask God, should I give more?  In today's society especially, we see money as ours- as a means to gain more earthly things- the more you receive the more you can buy.  I challenge you to change your thinking (including my own!)  What if we had the view that the more we receive, the more we give?  I wholeheartedly believe that the money we receive through working, is provided solely by God, and that at any given time, it can all be taken away.  I believe that God commands us to steward His money wisely, and the first test of that is by reserving the first tenth of your gross income to God.  God is not an Indian-giver, but I do believe He is testing our greed, our faith in Him and our obedience to His word.  If He didn't give you the money to begin with, how could you tithe, spend or live the way you do?  Honor Him first, and give Him His portion.  Second, I believe that God gives us more so that we can bless others financially.   Again, it can be a test.  Honestly, if Joey made more money, there would be things I would want to "upgrade" in our lives... like eating at a nice restaurant once a month, going on a mini-vacation annually, buying a car 5 years old or so, etc. (I could go on...)  But the test is in the heart.  If God gives me more, will I hoard it to myself or be more generous?  Over the last two years, and even more so in the last couple months that we've experienced generosity, I my heart has grown in desire to be a generous giver.  That means, buying gifts for birthdays and just because's,  but also to give when you see a need...even if that means buying someone a used car, or paying a month of their rent/mortgage.  My heart swells up just thinking about the blessing it would be to me to anonymously give generously.  With all my heart, I believe God wants us to be generous.  I believe He provides more, so that we can change our way of living within reason and still maybe with sacrifices, but more so that He can provide through us.  
     The rich people that dropped in large amounts of monetary offerings didn't do so sacrificially- they did it because they could.  If their hearts weren't turned to Jesus, and their paycheck had been low one month, do you think they still would have given as much?  At all?  The poor widow had nothing- in fact, Jesus said that what she had was all she had to live on.   I honestly don't understand what she would have done that day to eat, but I do know that she trusted God to provide- something the rich people did not have to do in their abundance.  God does provide abundance, but again, I think then we are also being called to sacrificially give. 

     I am challenging you today, to ask Jesus what He wants you to give.  Are you giving sacrificially?  

~Leanne~

  Oh Peter.  So we learn in verse 12 that Jesus was hungry and he goes over to a fig tree to eat some of its fruit, but the tree was bare.  Jesus spoke, "May no one ever eat fruit from you again."   The next day, Jesus and his disciples passed by the fig tree that Jesus rebuked and Peter said, "Rabbi, look!  The fig tree that you cursed has withered."  Really, Peter?  Jesus did say that no one would eat from it again!  As soon as I read Peter's response, I knew I had to write about it, because I had a similar response today regarding God's provision.  When Jesus says He will do something He will do it- that's the point He was making in verse 22-24: And Jesus answered them, "Have faith in God.  Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be taken up and thrown into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him.  Therefore, I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours."  Can you imagine how our prayer life might change if we truly believed God for who He is and did not doubt?  
     So, my testimony for today... Joey and I need a van.  We've been a one-car family for 6 months now, and it's been rough since we live in the sticks where most of my friends, my church, the grocery store etc., is up to 12 miles away- a far walk with two kids and one on the way!  Anyway, we honestly believed that somehow God would provide a van for us.  Honestly, my husband was a little more confident in this area than I was, but I did believe that it could happen.  There were several vans that were brought to our attention, but we didn't have peace about any of them.  We didn't have the funds to purchase one and we really preferred not to go in debt anymore to get one.  We inwardly hoped that one day we would come home to a van on our driveway.  Some of you laugh, but we know of a family who had just that.  We weren't looking for a free hand out, but we do know that God could have provided that way.  Well, He didn't.  I was getting a little discouraged, as our finances have been tight the past few years, and I was afraid of what it would look like if we went in debt for a van.  Anyway, another van was brought to our attention from people that Joey's family know.  Considering this one gave us peace.  Not sure why, but it did.  We arranged with the bank to take a loan out for the amount it was selling for- no problems there. Okay, great, we're going to get a van!  But there was something still inside of me that was disappointed in God.  We had prayed since Joey's car stopped working 6 months ago that God would provide a car, or the funds to get one.   Then we found out we were pregnant!  That made things even more pressing, as the one car we do have only fits two car seats.  We needed a van!  Anyway (getting to the good part...), today I was opening bills, and one of the payments for a bill we have for $120 went to $0, which we totally didn't expect.   The great thing?  Our banker figured our van payment to be roughly $125!  God provided financially for us so that we could afford this van we felt peace about pursuing!  Did God provide the way I thought He would?  Absolutely not.  But He provided, and I'm glad He did it in a way I never would have thought! 
     How does this tie into Mark 11- specifically verse 21 when Peter marveled at how powerful Jesus was- that even a fig tree obeyed him?  Peter had doubt in his heart about the curse Jesus put on the fig tree, otherwise he wouldn't have been so surprised that Jesus' words came to pass.  I too, had a little doubt in my heart that Jesus was going to provide for this need we had.  We had prayed for so long, and honestly, I had believed along with my husband that God would provide somehow.  When I opened the envelope to read a bill, I marveled that God did provide, just like at one time, I had trusted.  My reaction was like,  'Really God, you provided for us?!'  I had given up hope because He didn't do it quickly at the beginning when our car first died, or the way I thought He was going to do it.  But I can tell you there was a purpose for all that... maybe I will write about that in another blog.  I am grateful that God was merciful to me, even with the little doubt I had in my heart.  I know that God was just waiting for the perfect time to provide, and trust me, it was unexpected.  Thank you Jesus.

Anyway, lesson today is, don't doubt!  Jesus says once again, "Truly, I say to you whoever...does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him.  Therefore, I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours."


~Leanne~

    Jesus had just encountered a young man with great wealth.  This man came to Jesus and asked how he can inherit eternal life.  The young man called Jesus, "Good teacher," but Jesus gently rebuked him because no one except God is good, and knowing this young man's heart, he did not believe that Jesus was God.  He then began listing a few of the commandments, knowing the man was religious in his ways, and right with his actions, but also knowing his heart did not belong to God.  Then Jesus spoke into the man's life where He knew the man struggled with idolatry- his wealth.   Jesus said to him, "You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me."  The man left, bothered by Jesus' remark.  Why do you think this is so?

     As with many of us, we place too much importance on things that are meaningless if we live kingdom-minded rather than earthly-minded.  Sure, if you only live for this world, wealth can get you places, can buy you great things and place temporary happiness in your life.  However, for those who live kingdom-minded, (that is, putting into action the instruction of the Lord while living on earth, being prepared for heaven, advancing the gospel, and storing up for ourselves treasures in heaven) wealth isn't much.  Yes, of course it will still get you places and buy you great things, but it can (and often does) rob your heart from where it belongs.   When you accept Christ, and decide to follow Him, it means laying down your life to follow Him- all that you are, all that you have, all that you know, all that you dream of.  It means surrendering to His ways, His plans, His purpose.  It doesn't mean that all your hopes and dreams, all your possessions and all that you are are tossed in the trash, but rather, Jesus gives you a new hope, a new desire, a new purpose and He might even build on goals and things you already have!  When you choose to follow Jesus, you must be willing to give up all that you have.  When Jesus called the disciples, they left all that they owned, all that they knew, their families- to follow Jesus. 
     For the rich young man, his wealth was too important to him.  His security was in his wealth, so much that he couldn't let it go to follow Christ.  In my opinion, and I'm sure the opinion of many other believers, money is thing that wages war against peoples' hearts the most.  That's why I believe Jesus says in Matthew 6:24~ "No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other.  You cannot serve God and money."  In the world, money becomes the security of many, in otherwords, it becomes their god.  They work hard for it, they steal for it, they save it, they spend it, they love for it, they quarrel with family members over it, they pretend they have plenty of it, they become a slave to it.  Many people, if Jesus said, "Sell all that you have, give to the poor and follow me," would say, "No way! What would I do? Who will I be? What will I have?  How will I survive?"   That is the attitude the rich young ruler had, and that is why he chose not to follow Jesus, but rather his wealth.  
     Although money is probably the most common, I believe many of us (including believers) have one thing, or more, that has a bit of our hearts.  If Jesus came to you and said, "I want that, all of it, if you are going to follow me,"  what would be the thing(s) that you would wrestle or try to talk your way out of surrendering?   As you mature in your walk with Jesus I believe you begin to be more aware of the things that rob your heart.  For me, it is also wealth.  Although I am not in any financial sense, wealthy in comparison to other people in North America, I would have a hard time if Jesus said, "I want you to be content if you had less."   I know part of my heart desires to not be rich necessarily, but to be comfortable.  It's not a sin to have enough money for comfort, but it is a sin if you are letting it be your functional savior.  For me, I place too much of my pride, security and identity in what my home looks like, how we eat at our dinner table, what we can or cannot afford, etc.  I can tell God has been pruning this sinful area in my life since I haven't been working (3 years ago) because on one income, we had to downsize our budget, which included what our home looks like, how we eat at our dinner table and what we can and cannot afford.  It was hard for me at first when my husband would say, "I'm sorry hunny, we just can't afford that right now."  I guess, I really didn't ever want to hear those words.  But trust me- I've heard it many times in the last 3 years!  And you know what? It's been okay!  I've learned to be content with less- including one car, which Joey takes to work everyday.  God has used this season to purify my heart that I might give Him more of me.  I'm not gonna lie, I still struggle with it once in awhile, I know where my flesh wrestles with my spirit.  But unlike the rich young man, I decide, daily, to surrender all that I am, all that I have and all that I hope for to Jesus, because I would rather follow Jesus and have nothing than have anything and everything and not know Him.

~Leanne~

    The Greatest.  Who wouldn't want that title?  We have people competing in sports to be the greatest.  We have people who do record-breaking things to be awarded the greatest.  We have ceremonies, Grammies, Oscars, races, You Tube videos,  contests, tv shows- all based on the question:  So you think you're the greatest?  
     Shows that Joey and I enjoy watching clips of is the X Factor, Britain's Got Talent or American Idol.  It's funny, emotional, stunning, ridiculous- all at the same time. The shows are a perfect example of people wanting to be great, thinking they are great, and trying to prove to the world that they are great.  It's up to the judges (or the audience) to tell them whether they truly are or not.  You have people on there that honestly think they are good at singing (or whatever talent) and they are outright horrendous!  If you have seen one of these shows, you probably just chuckled, because you can recall a performer that was simply terrible.  At the end of their audition, or sometimes in the middle when they're cut off, they're told they are not the greatest- in fact, they are the worst.  These shows exist because people want to be great.  We watch these shows and laugh or praise the performers.  But you don't have to turn on a television to see people desiring to be the greatest.  You can look in your workplace, your community maybe even your church.  This is what the disciples were arguing about on their way to Capernaum.  "I am the greatest disciple!" "No, I am- remember all that I did for Jesus?" Can you imagine their conversation?  Jesus, knowing their discussion, says in verse 35: "If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all."  Maybe I'm wrong, but I don't recall a show that people competed to be the most servant-like or the least among people.  If a show was ever invented, I bet they'd have to pay people big bucks to be on the show.  People don't naturally desire to be last, least or a servant.  I'm sure all of us on some level, Christian or non-Christian, struggle with desiring to be great.   Instead, our desire should be Jesus.  He is the only one that can take that prideful attitude to be great and turn it into servant-mindedness humility. 

~Leanne~

     The text I am writing from is Mark 8:14-21.   After I read this, I was thinking, Are you kidding me? The disciples still don't get that Jesus can provide???  I mean, after all, Jesus did just feed 4000 people with 7 loaves of bread a few small fish!  And that wasn't his first time doing miraculous things!  The disciples had been with him to feed the 5000 men, not including women and children, they witnessed Jesus healing people left and right, removing demons out of people and they're now worried about a loaf of bread to feed them?  Geez!  Wait a second.  Remember that time when you're paycheck wasn't so great, and you had an extra bill to pay?  Do you remember how you were worried that you wouldn't have enough money to pay it?  Do you remember when you needed your roof shingled and you didn't have the money... is your roof shingled now?  How about the time when- before you were married- immigration said you'd have to be separated from Joey until the paperwork was approved which could take months?  Um... did you not cross the border the very same week with no problems whatsoever?  Do you remember when you were going to be separated from your husband, very pregnant, until your house sold so you could move to your new house?  Just wondering... how long did the house take to sell?  6 weeks? No realtor? Really.  Hmmmm. And just for kicks, what were you asking for the house?  Oh, and how much did you get?  You mean, I provided completely for you??  
     These are all the times when I doubted God and His provision, even though He had come provided time and time again.  In the circumstance, we let our flesh control our emotions, our thoughts, our attitudes. We judge God based on our circumstance, rather than trusting in who He is and letting Him deal rightly and perfectly with our circumstance.  Yes, there are definitely times when God doesn't work the way I would (or not as speedy!), but His way is perfect, every single time.  
     I encourage you to keep a journal.  A journal of the times God answers prayer, and all the times He provides for you- big and small.  When you face a circumstance, like the disciples did with no bread, you can look through your journal and remind yourself that God is God and He promises to provide.  {Philippians 4:19} Instead of letting your flesh overtake your mind, renew it by letting God show you again, all the ways He has come through.  
   So, when I read this text I thought the disciples were ridiculous!  Now, I'm pretty sure I have fallen in their footsteps many times.  Let us not forget who Jesus is, what He has done, and what He will do.

~Leanne~

    Jesus said, "There is nothing outside a person that by going into him can defile him, but the things that come out of a person are what defile him."  What does this mean? Let's look at the definition on Dictionary.com:

  So Jesus is saying that things you put into your mouth can't make you foul, dirty or polluted because whatever you eat, comes out of your body sometime after.  However, almost everything we do, comes out of what's in our hearts.   We give because our hearts are generous, we kill because our hearts are evil, we serve because our hearts are loving, we covet because our hearts are discontent.   Actions can reveal much about a person's heart.  They can say, "I love Jesus" but unless their hearts overflow with characteristics of His transformation in our lives, then you can measure a person's maturity by the things that overflow from the heart.  What is your heart overflowing with?  Love? Hate? Generosity? Jealousy? Humility? Lust? Forgiveness? Bitterness?  I challenge you to take a good look at what comes out of your heart.  If you are courageous and truly want to rid yourself of ungodliness, ask someone that you love and trust what they see coming out of your heart.  Surrender your heart to Jesus, again and again.  He will take the filth and turn it into goodness. 

~Leanne~

    A sheep without a shepherd.  This almost brings tears to my eyes.  Maybe you're not digging this verse (34) as much I do, but for me, I feel sad for these sheep that are walking aimlessly around, not having a shepherd to follow.  It doesn't bring me to tears when I think about the animal sheep wandering around, as much as it does when we realize that Jesus isn't talking specifically about the animal sheep.  He is talking about human souls, that are wandering around, so desperate to find their way, so hungry for a leader who will lead them honestly and truthfully, deeply desiring a Shepherd to love them and show compassion to them.  There are these lost sheep among you, and among me. They are seeking a shepherd to follow, but keep following the wrong leader.   They might not even realize it's Him they need to follow, so instead, they "follow their dreams".  The dreams, become idols, until one day they are fulfilling anymore, then something else replaces it.  This is the cycle of life for most human beings on the planet who don't know Jesus.  Jesus is my Shepherd.  I am not walking around aimlessly trying to find my purpose in life.  He alone is my purpose.  What does that mean exactly?  My entire self, is devoted to Him and all that He asks of me.  Everything I do is to glorify Him.  I tell you, that as a sheep with a Shepherd, you never go hungry, you never go thirsty for He alone satisfies.  
    Jesus had compassion on the people because they were lost, but they were seeking someone to lead them.  So, Jesus took the opportunity and taught them.  Sure, some of them did not believe in Him truthfully, but some did.  Are there sheep without a shepherd that you know of?  Are there any people you know that are desperately seeking a shepherd, but just don't know their true Shepherd is Jesus?  Take the opportunity to teach them who He is.  I believe wholeheartedly that God puts seekers in our path as an opportunity for us to join Him in what He is doing.  God seeks out His sheep.  If they are walking aimlessly by you, show them who your Shepherd is. 

~Leanne~

     The title of this article is actually a quote from Jesus in verse 36 of Mark 5:  "Do not fear, only believe." This statement resonates with me and settles deep in my soul.  As humans, we fear.  We are not able to do everything, we can't control all things, there are disasters, accidents, disease and death.  In life as we know it, there are babies dying of complications; husbands having affairs on their wives; wives running off with childhood sweethearts; children murdering their grandmas with a hatchet; people without a stable mind blowing people apart in movie theaters, hurricanes tearing through cities- states, destroying them; people that we know personally, dying from a major accident- and yet Jesus said, "Do not fear."  Do you know that some form of "Do not fear" is mentioned 365 times in the Bible. (according to a few online references)? Some sites were saying Jesus wants us not to fear every 365 days of the year!  What a great thought! But in Mark 5, it doesn't just end with do not fear, but also, "only believe".   There are so many things our flesh can fear in this world, if we don't trust Jesus and His plan.  But as believers we are called to believe rather than fear.  How does this change your circumstance right now, or the one you had last year, or the one you will face in 6 months?  If we set our minds on Christ and be reminded of Jesus' words here, would we have more confidence in Him and honestly be fearless of worldly things?  There is one thing we are called to fear, and that is God, so in that fear of God, comes fearlessness of the world.  Remember, John 16:33~ "In this world you will have tribulation (disasters, accidents, disease, death).  But take heart; I have overcome the world."  Jesus tells not to fear,  because in Him, WE DON'T HAVE TO!  Isn't that amazing?  When the world is falling down around us, we can be fearless and know that He is in control.  We need to put away our fleshly tendencies to fear, and rather put on our identity in Christ and believe.   

~Leanne~

    Do you yearn for God's Word?  Do you crave His knowledge and wisdom?  Do you look forward to the things God reveals to you personally?  The word "measure" means "attitude" in this text.  If you anticipate God's instruction, if you get excited about His Word, if you thirst for righteousness, then it will be given to you.  God wants us to be hearers of His Word but also doers.  James 1:22-25 says, "But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.  For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror.  For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like.  But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing."  We are blessed by knowledge and wisdom, when we hunger for it.  To reiterate what James said- if we hear the Word of God but don't do what it says, we are hearing it, but not receiving it.  I encourage you to be doers, not just hearers.  To connect this text with Mark 4: if all you are is a hearer and don't obey what you hear and let Jesus change you with His Word, then a hearer you may always be.  If you do what you hear and let Jesus transform you by His Word, then you will grow into deeper understanding of who He is and what the Word says about Him.  You will not only be given knowledge but also blessing. 
Are you only hearing what the Word says, or are you doing what it says too? Are you letting it change your heart or are you trying to live life under your control? Are you hungry for God's Word and His instruction?  I challenge you to answer these questions- then respond as the Holy Spirit prompts. 


~Leanne~

 "And when his family heard it, they went out to seize him, for they were saying,   "He is out of his mind." Have you ever been told you are "out of your mind" for the sake of the gospel?  Maybe God asked you to do something, and others thought you were crazy.  Now it's one thing for your coworkers and acquaintances to think you're nuts... but what about when it comes to your own family or your best friend?  There are things I've done in my life, because I felt the Lord ask me to do so, that people thought I was "out of my mind" and I believe there are some who don't want to call me a friend anymore because they don't want to be associated with someone that on fire for Jesus!  Everyone is in a different place in their relationship with Jesus, but I believe that from the very start Jesus asks us to do bold things.  Let's look at the disciples for instance.   Looking back in Matthew 4, Jesus called Simon and Andrew first.  They were fishermen who probably had a steady, secure, family-owned business.  Jesus said, "Follow me."  They couldn't take their business with them, but rather, they had to quit what they knew to be familiar, comfortable and secure to follow Jesus.  James and John left their father, it says in verse 22, immediately.  What does "immediately" mean?  They probably didn't have much of a goodbye.  They probably couldn't say, "Dad, I'll only be gone a couple months..."  Maybe their father said, "James, John, you guys are out of your minds!"  
    Answering Jesus' call on your life, is the first step of boldness, because it requires obedience, and stepping away from life as you know it.   As you continue your walk with Jesus, I believe He will continue to call you to things that are not ordinary, maybe weird to the worlds' eye, maybe even crazy to your family.  God wants to do extraordinary things through ordinary people, and that requires obedience, no matter what people think of you, or what people say about you. 
    A few examples I have of times when Joey and I were thought of as a little "out of our minds" is when we felt Jesus tell us to get off birth control, when our plan was not to have children until we were financially prepared, and after we'd spent some time travelling.  We obeyed God, and a year later we conceived.     About a year ago now, the Lord pressed on our hearts to get rid of our tv.  At the time, we didn't understand, especially since it was a new 50" plasma.  But we got rid of it, and now we understand that the tv for us, was an idol in our lives.      Although many believers would understand, I still got some smack from coworkers and friends when I quit drinking all together.  People questioned why, as if I could get my addiction under control on my own.  When Jesus asked me to quit completely, (and after a few times falling back) I quit.  I have been sober just over 3 years.     Even now, as we still don't feel peace about being on birth control, there are people, including family, who might think we're out of our minds for being willing to put our family number in the hands of God, especially living on one income.  But until I have peace from God about using birth control of a sort, I will trust that He will provide the money, our needs, and my sanity for as many kids as He provides until then.    
    If you don't receive any opposition from anybody, I would question whether you are more concerned about what people will say, or more concerned about doing the will of God.  God wants us to be light in this world, and sometimes that does mean doing things that people think are crazy.  But to God be all the glory.  There is always a purpose for the will of God, whether we understand it or not.   If we follow Jesus, seek Him and obey all that He asks, we probably won't be popular with the world- but that's good- because we are called to not conform with the world.  We are called to be different. 

Matthew 5:10-12~
    "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.  Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you."


~Leanne~

The Pharisees, throughout the gospels, are always following Jesus around, ready to call Him out on what they thought was against the Law (or their religion).  Just in this chapter alone, the Pharisees challenged Jesus on His authority four times.  When Jesus healed someone, they called Him a blasphemer; when Jesus ate with tax collectors and sinners, they questioned his behavior;  they criticized Him when He and His disciples didn't fast; and when His disciples grabbed heads of grain on the Sabbath, they judged Him.  These eyes, that were on Jesus- the skeptical, judging, unbelieving, gossip-starting, chaos stirrers- are watching everything you do too.  Some of them may not be sure about this "Jesus" that you worship, and want to see evidence of Him in your life specifically.  But most, are the ones ready to pounce on your mistakes, gratifying their doubts about Jesus and call out things that you do that oppose the world, mostly to humiliate you.  The great thing is Jesus never made a mistake, and He corrected the Pharisees' thoughts regarding the Law.  The reality is though, we do make mistakes, and the skeptics will notice.  However, we can also correct the thinking of the unrighteous, explaining that following Jesus doesn't mean we don't make mistakes, and we can explain the hope in Christ when we do.  Jesus asks us to be salt and light in this world, reflecting Him in all that we do-because the world will notice, so that when people see our good deeds, they might praise our God.  But what happens when they see us in our most ungodly times?  May they see Christ reflected in us by the way we handle our shortcomings.  May we own up to our sin, confess it, ask for forgiveness from the witness of it, repent and get closer to Jesus.  May we rest in His grace, and may the Pharisaical eyes see that.  Remember, it's the chief priests, the Pharisees and the scribes that sought out Jesus' death.  Jesus could correct them, show them love, be the best example- but their hearts were still hardened toward Him.  The same will be true for us.  There are some people whose hearts are hard, and will reject Jesus for the rest of their God-given life.  It's unfortunate, but there is nothing we can do about it, except pray that the Holy Spirit would one day soften their hearts toward Him.
     Whose eyes are on you? May you not give them reason to mock your Father, or call you out in your sinfulness. Instead, may they see the fruit of your devotion and transformation of your heart and give reason to glorify your Father in heaven.


~Leanne~

       While reading this chapter, something struck me as something important to share.  Notice, that when we hear about Jesus' temptation, it wasn't until after He was baptized and at the beginning of Jesus' public ministry.  Now we know that Jesus was man, so we know then, that He faced temptation His entire life, just like the rest of us.  However, we don't hear about Jesus' life before this time, except for His birth in Matthew and Luke's gospel.  Regardless, I think this is something we need to consider in our own lives.  We constantly see people around us who do not confess Jesus as Lord, and they seem to go day by day sinning, with no remorse.  This is true- because they do not have the Holy Spirit's conviction in them to point out the sin.  Of course there is a line of morality that is pretty much the same for the believing and non-believing alike.  But as far as sin?  An unbeliever is not familiar with what that is, at least- not the complexity and eternal consequence for it.   If you are a believer, remember back to when you were first confessing Jesus as your Lord. Do you remember a lot of opposition and temptation?  Even now, as you are led by God into obedience, do you find that you face the spirit of darkness luring you into a direction other than what God has asked of you?  This is my experience. It seems that when God asks me to do something, obey in a specific area, etc., that Satan will try to counter God and attack me from the other side.  Look at the story of Adam and Eve.  Remember it?  God told Adam and Eve not to eat of the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, lest they die- yet Satan said, "Did God really say...?"  Instead he twisted God's words and told Eve that if she ate from it she would be like God.  
The reason I am writing about this specifically is part to encourage and part to exhort you.  If you are a believer, you belong to Jesus.  Satan doesn't like that so much.  So when you decide to confess Jesus as Lord, do something radical for Him, change your sinful ways to become more godly, obey God in something He has asked you, enter into ministry etc., Satan will attack you then.  He does not want you to confess Jesus as Lord, do anything radical or bold for Jesus' sake, become more godly, obey God or go into ministry!  So, it seems to be that at those definitive moments, temptation and obstacles will be at their maximum levels.  We have a perfect example of our awesome Savior who conquered temptation at it's highest, when He was probably the most vulnerable we see Him in Scripture.  We learned in Matthew 4, that Jesus was 40 days without food after He fasted.  You guessed it: one of the ways Jesus was tempted, according to Matthew and Luke, was that Satan challenged Him to turn the rocks into bread to eat.  We need to learn from this that Satan knows us to a point.  He knows our weaknesses, he knows when we are vulnerable- and it's at those times that the attack will be stronger.  But it's also at those times, that we can call out to our God who is mightier than any attack of the devil to rescue us and deliver us from temptation.   
So what is God calling you to?  What is He asking you to repent from?  How is He asking you to obey?  How is Satan tempting you?  How is He enticing you away from what God has commanded you?  Does it seem the temptation is harder to resist?  How are you going to respond?  
I don't exhort you to obey Jesus and resist the devil because it's easy.  It's not.  Temptation wouldn't be temptation if it wasn't hard.  But Jesus does give us a way out- call out to Him.  Jesus is our example, you can face temptation and walk away from it sinless.  It is possible.  I speak from experience of letting temptation lure me to sin, and also from holding fast to Jesus and running away from the temptation.  
Please email me if you need prayer in this, it can be difficult if you are facing it alone and no one knows how the devil is tempting you.  If not with me, share with someone close to you who will pray with you and encourage you.

What's your next step?

~Leanne~