Category: Mark

The privileges that come with being one of God’s chosen…

Luke 2:13-17
13 Once again Jesus went out beside the lake. A large crowd came to him, and he began to teach them. 14 As he walked along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax collector’s booth. “Follow me,” Jesus told him, and Levi got up and followed him.

15 While Jesus was having dinner at Levi’s house, many tax collectors and sinners were eating with him and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. 16 When the teachers of the law who were Pharisees saw him eating with the sinners and tax collectors, they asked his disciples: “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?”

17 On hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

I often think about all of the people that I have avoided in my life because I judged them either for the way they looked or acted. The reason being is that they made me feel uncomfortable. They required me to move out of my comfort zone, and that was hard for me.

As I have grown older, I have found some amazing relationships through working in the power of the Holy Spirit rather than the power of David Keith. It’s not even a contest. I am powerless without Him. I am the sick that needs the doctor. I am the sinner that requires my Father’s love. I am the one that needs Jesus. I need Him every day. Without Him I am wretched, blind, and lifeless. Thank God He came for me.

The more I get to know Christ and develop a close and intimate relationship with Him, the more I find that His words are becoming my words. His wants are my wants. His love is my love. I am becoming more and more like Him.

By no means do I say that I have all the answers or that I have this whole thing figured out. I mess up daily. That’s beside the point. Jesus made me a promise, and every single day that I wake, I stretch for that promise of His love, all well knowing that when the race is finished, I will be honored to even sweep my Father’s floor in Heaven. But He has more for me. Way more. I am headed towards His will. No matter how beautifully difficult it may be.

Amen. Maranatha.
DK

What you see is not always what you get…

Mark 2:1-12
1 A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home. 2 They gathered in such large numbers that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them. 3 Some men came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. 4 Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus by digging through it and then lowered the mat the man was lying on. 5 When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”

6 Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, 7 “Why does this fellow talk like that? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?”

8 Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, “Why are you thinking these things? 9 Which is easier: to say to this paralyzed man, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, take your mat and walk’? 10 But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the man, 11 “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” 12 He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”

Nobody had ever seen anything like this. This is God in the flesh. This is the Creator and savior, all rolled into one. He took on the form of man and walked perfectly through our world, never sinning, never failing, always true. A shining example for the entire world to witness.

The picture is of a man wanting healing of his affliction, in this case paralysis. His friends, four of them, take him to the roof of where Jesus is and lower him down because there is no way to get through the throngs of people. After all of this, Jesus says, “Your sins are forgiven.” And in that moment, the man’s heart broke because he wanted to walk. He could not see the true healing…the forgiveness of sin. Ultimately, that is His greatest gift, SALVATION, freedom from sin. But more was wanted. That was not enough.

Sound familiar? It should. We are human. And…we are HUMAN. Made in the image of God Himself. Given this Earth to rule over by our mighty creator. So, Jesus turns, lets them know that their way of thinking is wrong, but He does it so peacefully. The true gift is freedom from sin. RECEIVE! #JESUSSAVES

AMEN. Maranatha.
DK

In finishing my first Chapter of the Gospel of Mark, I realize how to the point he is in his writing. I am enjoying it. I love the humanity on display in this story. Our beautiful weaknesses…

Mark 1:40-
40 A man with leprosy came to him and begged him on his knees, “If you are willing, you can make me clean.”

41 Jesus was indignant. He reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” 42 Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cleansed.

43 Jesus sent him away at once with a strong warning: 44 “See that you don’t tell this to anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.” 45 Instead he went out and began to talk freely, spreading the news. As a result, Jesus could no longer enter a town openly but stayed outside in lonely places. Yet the people still came to him from everywhere.

Jesus was not about the spectacle. We are the ones that did that. As humans, we tend to have this inherent need to profess everything we see and hear, be it good or bad. Jesus gave explicit instructions to the man He had just healed not to tell anyone about the miracle. The man did it anyway. Can you really blame him, though? I would be jumping for joy and shouting out what Jesus had done for me if my disease was healed.

Jesus had a plan. A perfect plan to save us from ourselves. It was put into place at the perfect time. He was given the perfect followers to help Him establish His ministry. He saved all of us and made us all…PERFECT. Yes, He did. He removed all sin and left nothing but forgiven people to walk the Earth until His return. All we have to do is accept His free gift of freedom, salvation, healing, Love, Hope, Joy, and undying happiness. Once we do, He will smile upon you and lay out His perfect plan for your life. HIS PLAN. Not yours.

It’s better than you could ever imagine. #JesusSaves

Amen. Maranatha.
DK

He was surely receiving His instructions from God at this time…

Luke 35-39
35 Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. 36 Simon and his companions went to look for him, 37 and when they found him, they exclaimed: “Everyone is looking for you!”

38 Jesus replied, “Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.” 39 So he traveled throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons.

Jesus did not make a move without consulting His Father first. The time at which He did this was important, as it was obviously the first thing that Jesus did every day. It is what we should do. Pray first thing in the morning.

As we pray, whether we hear Him or not, instructions will be given to you through the Holy Spirit. With His plans in place, everything will be perfect, even as we walk through the valley of the shadow of death. Even as trials hammer on us from all sides. Even as we are attacked by Satan himself, God’s plan is perfect.

I pray for God’s perfect plan for us by the will of God alone. I pray your happiness and mine do not come from what this world provides. Rather, I pray that our happiness comes directly through the glorification of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Amen. MARANATHA!
DK

Jesus continues to heal to this day, and will continue to do so tomorrow…

Mark 1:29-34
29 As soon as they left the synagogue, they went with James and John to the home of Simon and Andrew. 30 Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they immediately told Jesus about her. 31 So he went to her, took her hand and helped her up. The fever left her and she began to wait on them.

32 That evening after sunset the people brought to Jesus all the sick and demon-possessed. 33 The whole town gathered at the door, 34 and Jesus healed many who had various diseases. He also drove out many demons, but he would not let the demons speak because they knew who he was.

As Christians, Jesus left us with the power to heal and to drive out demons. Jesus did this for a mass number of people on this day. However, He could not let the demons speak, for they knew who He was. If they were to say His name at this time, it would do Him no good. Jesus possessed the power to prevent demons from speaking against Him. He left us that power as well. The Holy Spirit.

Amen. Maranatha.
DK

Authority of Jesus!

Mark 1:21-28
21 They went to Capernaum, and when the Sabbath came, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach. 22 The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law. 23 Just then a man in their synagogue who was possessed by an impure spirit cried out, 24 “What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!”

25 “Be quiet!” said Jesus sternly. “Come out of him!” 26 The impure spirit shook the man violently and came out of him with a shriek.

27 The people were all so amazed that they asked each other, “What is this? A new teaching—and with authority! He even gives orders to impure spirits and they obey him.” 28 News about him spread quickly over the whole region of Galilee.

Jesus taught as one with authority, not like those that taught the law. Not like the teachers of the law. What does this tell us? True power is in the hands of God, not law. Also, many times law will go directly against what God teaches. This happens because man will always pervert the law and make it conform to our wants.

There is a response to this. Jesus came to save us from the law. Save us from burying ourselves in the law. Thank you Jesus. Thank you for our salvation through you.

Amen.
DK

Faith! It only needs to be the size of a mustard seed…

Mark 1:16-20
16 As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 17 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” 18 At once they left their nets and followed him.

19 When he had gone a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John in a boat, preparing their nets. 20 Without delay he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him.

As Jesus walked past them, they dropped what they were doing and followed Him. It’s exactly what we will do as soon as we see Him.

But why wait? He is coming. No need to sit around and wait. Jesus has called and given us the authority to take care of things until He returns. He left us with the Holy Spirit.

Let it all go. All the distractions, all the wants, even all the needs. Get rid of them and watch Him take your hand and guide you to perfect harmony. Not easy. Perfect. The way that these men followed Jesus.

Amen.
DK

Jesus is announcing His ministry.

Mark 1:14-15
14 After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. 15 “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”

Jesus brings good news. Jesus did not come to judge. He did come to make us remember all of our sins. Jesus came to save us and forgive us. Don’t be fooled.

Repent means “change.” Change your beliefs. Focus on the fact that Jesus loves you, not that our sins hung Him on the cross. They didn’t. Jesus picked up our sins and carried them off, never to be seen or heard from again. Leave them gone. Don’t go get those. It is FINISHED!

Amen.
DK

Jesus had arrived. A while back I had asked a pastor friend of mine if I could see Jesus as a man in His thirties who felt the need to be baptized as a man…

Mark 1:9-13
9 At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 Just as Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. 11 And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”

12 At once the Spirit sent him out into the wilderness, 13 and he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted[g] by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him.

Many times I have felt the inability to share the Gospel, as if I was unqualified. As I have read over this past year, I have come to know that I am qualified. Not by man, but by Jesus. He qualified me. He qualified all of us.

As Jesus approached John the Baptist to be baptized, I wondered why God Himself would need to be baptized at all. After all, He is God. The answer, I learned, is that Jesus had to fulfill prophecy. As He did, confirmation came directly from the Father in Heaven. The confirmation came in a very obvious form for all of us to see.

There are times in our Christian lives that we will be required to seemingly “submit” to what this world would have us do. Whether through worldly educational institutions or by everyday interactions with others. It is important that all plans we make, however wonderful they may seem to us, are laid at the foot of God for approval. This is done through prayer and surrender to God. It is what Jesus did.

As we learn to do this, His plan will take hold of all we do and our plans will succeed in the perfect way. Beyond any human understanding.

Thank you, Jesus!
Amen.
DK

John the Baptist was very aware of what his role was for the coming of the Messiah…

Mark 1:1-8
1 The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah,[a] the Son of God,[b] 2 as it is written in Isaiah the prophet:

“I will send my messenger ahead of you,
    who will prepare your way”[c]—
3 “a voice of one calling in the wilderness,
‘Prepare the way for the Lord,
    make straight paths for him.’”[d]
4 And so John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5 The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River. 6 John wore clothing made of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. 7 And this was his message: “After me comes the one more powerful than I, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. 8 I baptize you with[e] water, but he will baptize you with[f] the Holy Spirit.”

John was to prepare the way for the Messiah, Jesus Christ. His humility and understanding were obvious in his every action. People adored him, but he did not take the praise for himself. Instead, John the Baptist chose to glorify God and announce the coming of the one that would free all of us.

He knew, and he proclaimed it loudly as he did God’s will. As should we. We should walk with the understanding that we have been given a duty for the coming of Jesus Christ. We must ask for understanding not from what our own eyes and ears and hearts say, but from what God Himself has placed in us: the Holy Spirit.

What a great feeling to know that our way is prepared and set according to the perfect plan that God has for us. It may seem perfect, but what God is able to do with even the most desperate and wretched and lost people on this Earth is nothing short of a miracle. Trust Him. Believe in Him. Worship Him.

Amen.
DK