faith 2.0

Mark 11 

22 Then Jesus said to the disciples, 

“Have faith in God. 

23 I tell you the truth, 

you can say to this mountain, 

‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ 

and it will happen. 

But you must really believe it will happen 

and have no doubt in your heart. 

24 I tell you, 

you can pray for anything, 

and if you believe that you’ve received it, 

it will be yours. 

25 But when you are praying, 

first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, 

so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too.”

faith

Mark 10

 13 One day some parents brought their children to Jesus 

so he could touch 

and bless them. 

But the disciples scolded the parents for bothering him.

14 When Jesus saw what was happening, 

he was angry with his disciples. 

He said to them, 

“Let the children come to me. 

Don’t stop them! 

For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children. 

15 I tell you the truth, 

anyone who doesn’t receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.” 

16 Then he took the children in his arms 

and placed his hands on their heads 

and blessed them.

greatest

Mark 9 

33 After they arrived at Capernaum and settled in a house, 

Jesus asked his disciples, 

“What were you discussing out on the road?” 

34 But they didn’t answer, 

because they had been arguing about which of them was the greatest. 

35 He sat down, 

called the twelve disciples over to him, 

and said, 

“Whoever wants to be first must take last place 

and be the servant of everyone else.”

36 Then he put a little child among them. 

Taking the child in his arms, he said to them, 

37 “Anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf welcomes me, 

and anyone who welcomes me welcomes not only me 

but also my Father who sent me.”

following

Mark 8 

34 Then, calling the crowd to join his disciples, (Jesus) said, 

“If any of you wants to be my follower, 

you must give up your selfish ambition, 

take up your cross, 

and follow me. 

35 If you try to hang on to your life, 

you will lose it. 

But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, 

you will save it. 

36 And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world 

but lose your own soul? 

37 Is anything worth more than your soul? 

38 If anyone is ashamed of me and my message in these adulterous and sinful days, 

the Son of Man will be ashamed of that person 

when he returns in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”

what defiles

It’s not what goes into your body that defiles you; 

you are defiled by what comes from your heart, what you say & do.

And then he added, 

“It is what comes from inside that defiles you. 

For from within, 

out of a person’s heart, 

come evil thoughts, 

sexual immorality, 

theft, 

murder, 

adultery, 

greed, 

wickedness, 

deceit, 

lustful desires, 

envy, 

slander, 

pride, 

and foolishness. 

All these vile things come from within; 

they are what defile you.”

Jesus speaking in Mark 7:15, 20-23

no matter what happens

 No matter what happens,

always be thankful,

for this is God's will

for you who belong to Christ Jesus.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NLT, 1st ed.)

pleasing

 1 Thessalonians 4 

1 Finally, dear brothers and sisters, 

we urge you in the name of the Lord Jesus 

to live in a way that pleases God, 

as we have taught you. 

You live this way already, 

and we encourage you to do so even more. 

2 For you remember what we taught you by the authority of the Lord Jesus.

3 God’s will is for you to be holy, 

so stay away from all sexual sin. 

4 Then each of you will control his own body 

and live in holiness and honor; 

5 not in lustful passion like the pagans who do not know God and his ways. 

6 Never harm or cheat a fellow believer in this matter 

by violating his wife, 

for the Lord avenges all such sins, 

as we have solemnly warned you before. 

7 God has called us to live holy lives, 

not impure lives. 

8 Therefore, anyone who refuses to live by these rules is not disobeying human teaching 

but is rejecting God, 

who gives his Holy Spirit to you.

sowing

 Mark 4

3 “Listen! A farmer went out to plant some seed. 

4 As he scattered it across his field, some of the seed fell on a footpath, 

and the birds came and ate it. 

5 Other seed fell on shallow soil with underlying rock. 

The seed sprouted quickly because the soil was shallow. 

6 But the plant soon wilted under the hot sun, 

and since it didn’t have deep roots, 

it died. 

7 Other seed fell among thorns that grew up and choked out the tender plants 

so they produced no grain. 

8 Still other seeds fell on fertile soil, 

and they sprouted, 

grew, 

and produced a crop that was thirty, 

sixty, 

and even a hundred times as much as had been planted!” 

9 Then he said, 

“Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.”

10 Later, when Jesus was alone with the twelve disciples and with the others who were gathered around, they asked him what the parables meant.

11 He replied, “You are permitted to understand the secret of the Kingdom of God. But I use parables for everything I say to outsiders, 12 so that the Scriptures might be fulfilled:

‘When they see what I do,
    they will learn nothing.
When they hear what I say,
    they will not understand.
Otherwise, they will turn to me
    and be forgiven.’”

13 Then Jesus said to them, “If you can’t understand the meaning of this parable, how will you understand all the other parables? 14 The farmer plants seed by taking God’s word to others. 15 The seed that fell on the footpath represents those who hear the message, only to have Satan come at once and take it away. 16 The seed on the rocky soil represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy. 17 But since they don’t have deep roots, they don’t last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God’s word. 18 The seed that fell among the thorns represents others who hear God’s word, 19 but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life, the lure of wealth, and the desire for other things, so no fruit is produced. 20 And the seed that fell on good soil represents those who hear and accept God’s word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!”

blesses

 Matthew 5

3 “God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him,
    for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.
4 God blesses those who mourn,
    for they will be comforted.
5 God blesses those who are humble,
    for they will inherit the whole earth.
6 God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice,
    for they will be satisfied.
7 God blesses those who are merciful,
    for they will be shown mercy.
8 God blesses those whose hearts are pure,
    for they will see God.
9 God blesses those who work for peace,
    for they will be called the children of God.
10 God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right,
    for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.

11 “God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are my followers. 12 Be happy about it! Be very glad! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, the ancient prophets were persecuted in the same way.

scum

Just about every time I read this story in the gospels about Jesus called Matthew to be His disciple I try to share it here.

I do it for one reason:

Jesus hung out with "scum" - "notorious sinners".

And it seems that there were many of these kinds of people who followed around after Him.

I hope each time I share this story it will encourage each of us to ask this simple question:

Because of our connection to Jesus, are we the kind of person that the "scum" & "notorious sinners" of our day actually make an effort to hang out around us?

Mark 2

13 Then Jesus went out to the lakeshore again and taught the crowds that were coming to him. 

14 As he walked along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at his tax collector’s booth. 

“Follow me and be my disciple,” Jesus said to him. 

So Levi got up and followed him.

15 Later, Levi invited Jesus and his disciples to his home as dinner guests, 

along with many tax collectors and other notorious sinners. 

(There were many people of this kind among Jesus’ followers.) 

16 But when the teachers of religious law who were Pharisees saw him eating with tax collectors and other sinners, they asked his disciples, 

“Why does he eat with such scum?”

17 When Jesus heard this, he told them, 

“Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do. 

I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, 

but those who know they are sinners.”

word

In an era when a lot of Christians are more interested in chasing after power & handing down judgement, maybe we should remember these words written by Paul, from prison...

Colossians 4 

5 Live wisely among those who are not believers, 

and make the most of every opportunity. 

6 Let your conversation be gracious 

and attractive 

so that you will have the right response for everyone.

living

Colossians 3 

1 Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. 2 Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. 3 For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory.

5 So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. Don’t be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world. 6 Because of these sins, the anger of God is coming. 7 You used to do these things when your life was still part of this world. 8 But now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language. 9 Don’t lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds. 10 Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him. 11 In this new life, it doesn’t matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave, or free. Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us.

12 Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. 13 Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. 14 Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.

16 Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. 17 And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.

the least

Matthew 25 

31 “But when the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit upon his glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered in his presence, and he will separate the people as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will place the sheep at his right hand and the goats at his left.

34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. 36 I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’

37 “Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? 39 When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’

40 “And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’

41 “Then the King will turn to those on the left and say, ‘Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons.[d] 42 For I was hungry, and you didn’t feed me. I was thirsty, and you didn’t give me a drink. 43 I was a stranger, and you didn’t invite me into your home. I was naked, and you didn’t give me clothing. I was sick and in prison, and you didn’t visit me.’

44 “Then they will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and not help you?’

45 “And he will answer, ‘I tell you the truth, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me.’

46 “And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous will go into eternal life.”

supreme

Colossians 1

 15 

Christ is the visible image of the invisible God.
    He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation,
16 for through him God created everything
    in the heavenly realms and on earth.
He made the things we can see
    and the things we can’t see—
such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world.
    Everything was created through him and for him.
17 He existed before anything else,
    and he holds all creation together.
18 Christ is also the head of the church,
    which is his body.
He is the beginning,
    supreme over all who rise from the dead.
    So he is first in everything.
19 For God in all his fullness
    was pleased to live in Christ,
20 and through him God reconciled
    everything to himself.
He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth
    by means of Christ’s blood on the cross.

21 This includes you who were once far away from God. You were his enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions. 22 Yet now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, he has brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault.

467

 Don’t worry about anything; 

instead, 

pray about everything. 

Tell God what you need, 

and thank him for all he has done. 

If you do this, 

you will experience God's peace, 

which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. 

His peace will guard your hearts and minds 

as you live in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:6-7 (NLT, 1st ed.)

LGLO

Matthew 22 

34 But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees with his reply,

 they met together to question him again. 

35 One of them, an expert in religious law, tried to trap him with this question: 

36 “Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?”

37 Jesus replied, 

“‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, 

all your soul, 

and all your mind.’ 

38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 

39 A second is equally important: 

‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 

40 The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”

Boil it all down - love God, love others - LGLO

attitude

Philippians 2 

5 You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.

6 Though he was God,
    he did not think of equality with God
    as something to cling to.
7 Instead, he gave up his divine privileges;
    he took the humble position of a slave
    and was born as a human being.
When he appeared in human form,
8     he humbled himself in obedience to God
    and died a criminal’s death on a cross.

9 Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor
    and gave him the name above all other names,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
    in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord,
    to the glory of God the Father.

serving others

Matthew 20

 20 Then the mother of James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Jesus with her sons. She knelt respectfully to ask a favor. 21 “What is your request?” he asked.

She replied, “In your Kingdom, please let my two sons sit in places of honor next to you, one on your right and the other on your left.”

22 But Jesus answered by saying to them, “You don’t know what you are asking! Are you able to drink from the bitter cup of suffering I am about to drink?”

“Oh yes,” they replied, “we are able!”

23 Jesus told them, “You will indeed drink from my bitter cup. But I have no right to say who will sit on my right or my left. My Father has prepared those places for the ones he has chosen.”

24 When the ten other disciples heard what James and John had asked, they were indignant. 25 But Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. 26 But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave. 28 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

whole armor

Ephesians 6 

10 A final word: 

Be strong in the Lord 

and in his mighty power. 

11 Put on all of God’s armor 

so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. 

12 For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, 

but against evil rulers 

and authorities of the unseen world, 

against mighty powers in this dark world, 

and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.

13 Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor 

so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. 

Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. 

14 Stand your ground, 

putting on the belt of truth 

and the body armor of God’s righteousness. 

15 For shoes, 

put on the peace that comes from the Good News 

so that you will be fully prepared. 

16 In addition to all of these, 

hold up the shield of faith 

to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. 

17 Put on salvation as your helmet, 

and take the sword of the Spirit, 

which is the word of God.

18 Pray in the Spirit at all times 

and on every occasion. 

Stay alert 

and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.

another beginning

 Today I again started to read through the book of Psalms.

When I started reading the Bible every day without fail (RTBEDWF) back in mid January, 2003, I had heard that Billy Graham read a psalm every day.

I figured if it was good enough for Billy, it was good enough for me ;-)

It's been over 7000 days since then.

I figure I've read through the book of Psalms probably 47 times.

I always see something new or different in the 150 psalms within this book.

I always tell people the smartest thing I've ever done was read the Bible every day without fail.

And it's been remarkable in the 19 years since I've been doing that how so many times, hundreds of times, something in Psalms has spoken directly to what's going on in my heart & mind.

That's the supernaturally amazing part of reading the Bible every day without fail - RTBEDWF

Psalm 1

1 Oh, the joys of those who do not
    follow the advice of the wicked,
    or stand around with sinners,
    or join in with mockers.
2 But they delight in the law of the Lord,
    meditating on it day and night.
3 They are like trees planted along the riverbank,
    bearing fruit each season.
Their leaves never wither,
    and they prosper in all they do.

4 But not the wicked!
    They are like worthless chaff, scattered by the wind.
5 They will be condemned at the time of judgment.
    Sinners will have no place among the godly.
6 For the Lord watches over the path of the godly,
    but the path of the wicked leads to destruction.