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There is more…

Mark 16:9-20
9 When Jesus rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had driven seven demons. 10 She went and told those who had been with him and who were mourning and weeping. 11 When they heard that Jesus was alive and that she had seen him, they did not believe it.

12 Afterward Jesus appeared in a different form to two of them while they were walking in the country. 13 These returned and reported it to the rest; but they did not believe them either.

14 Later Jesus appeared to the Eleven as they were eating; he rebuked them for their lack of faith and their stubborn refusal to believe those who had seen him after he had risen.

15 He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. 16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. 17 And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; 18 they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.”

19 After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and he sat at the right hand of God. 20 Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it.

As Christians, our message and our ministry is given to us by Jesus Himself! The message is the Gospel, which is the good news of Salvation through Jesus Christ. Our ministry is to share the news with the whole world throughout our entire lives.

In these final scenes from the Gospel written by Mark, we see the doubters. We see those that require proof, and many of those that needed proof were those that loved Jesus so much. They were blinded by their ability to see with their eyes. So many walking in this world lost, waiting for you to speak to them about Jesus.

There is a spot in this verse that emphasizes the importance of baptism. It is an intrigal part of a person’s walk in faith. It is an outward and visible demonstration of that faith. But, there is so much more to the act of baptism. You must believe in Jesus. If you don’t believe and are baptized, then you missed the point. Salvation is not a box that you can just check off yhrough being submerged in eater and then move on. You must truly believe in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! There is no way around it.

Seek God’s will, don’t go your own way. An example for you…I did something today that I had someone ask why I don’t do more of. My answer was, “Because God hasn’t told me to.” My intentions, should be His intentions. My acting should come from the will of God. You see, David Keith can mess things up. God is always perfect. His plan never fails.

Don’t be confused by the snakes that are all around you. There are so many different people out there that don’t know their own hearts and where they stand in God’s eyes. Understanding God’s will in our lives takes time and patience, which are two amazingly powerful commodities that this world easily forces us to forget.

How do you find Him? Seek Him daily. In prayer, through reading, and through loving others, you will find Him. It is complex simplicity. In other words, to know who He is is one thing, but to truly know Him is where the magic happens. Seek Him and you will find Him. It is where eternity is real. #JesusSaves

Amen
DK

Jesus had said He would rise again. They had not truly understood the message. He is Risen…

Mark 16:1-8
16 When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus’ body. 2 Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb 3 and they asked each other, “Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?”

4 But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away. 5 As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed.

6 “Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. 7 But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.’”

8 Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid.

So much has happened leading up to this point. Each is of the accounts of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John all specify that Jesus was not present in the tomb. He had risen, just as He said that He would. No doubt now right. Well, not quite.

The women were on their way to finish the annointing of the body of Jesus, but He was was not there. An angel was there, and he specifically said that Jesus would meet them in Galilee. Go there he said. Jesus is waiting for you. They ran to tell the others.

Remember that Peter had denied Jesus three times. Well, Jesus mentions Peter specifically. Wow! How He loves us. He knew Peter’s heart. Recall that it was Peter that stepped out of the boat on the waters and walked toward Jesus only to fall into the water. It was Peter that attacked the guards as they sought to arrest Jesus. Peter loved Jesus so.

What does this mean for us? Try as you may to push Him away. Try as you will to do it your way. Jesus will come get you. You may not “know” how to ask Him, but however you ask Him, He will come for you. You are His beloved creation. With all of your weaknesses. With all of your shortcomings. With all of your sin, you are His.

Lift up your eyes to the undefeated one. Seated on high, mountains bow down to Him. There is no other name than the name of Jesus. He did it. Game over. The win of all wins. The Championship of the Universe that defeated sin. Holy is the name of Jesus. The King has come. Light of the world reaching out for us. There is no other name! #JesusSaves

Amen
DK

It had all been prepared way beforehand. This was the way it should be…

Mark 15:42-47
42 It was Preparation Day (that is, the day before the Sabbath). So as evening approached, 43 Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent member of the Council, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, went boldly to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. 44 Pilate was surprised to hear that he was already dead. Summoning the centurion, he asked him if Jesus had already died. 45 When he learned from the centurion that it was so, he gave the body to Joseph. 46 So Joseph bought some linen cloth, took down the body, wrapped it in the linen, and placed it in a tomb cut out of rock. Then he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb. 47 Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joseph saw where he was laid.

Pilate was surprised that Jesus was dead so soon. It wasn’t that people had not dies so quickly before as they were crucified. It is that Pilate had not heard of it. This time was different. God had prepared the way, and Nicodemus and Joseph were ready to do their part.

This burial was a very important part of the process. It must be done correctly. After all, He would be resurrected soon. It is so beautiful to see how much God loves His son that He prepared the way for a him to come back home. Guess what?  He has prepare our way as well.

It should be no surprise that He knows you personalky. It should not come as a shock that He loves you enough to care about even the smallest thing that you do this day. He loves you. It is not the kind of love that you are used to. Our love pales in comparison what He feels for us. We try. We read. We press. But, it will not happen without Him.

So, today, let us love. Love like Jesus loves. That doesn’t mean we won’t fail. We are destined to. But, what it does mean is that we need to hand it to Him. Once we accept Him, He will take over and teach us. But you do remember the hardest lessons you ever learned don’t you? Well, get ready. If you thought those were difficult, here it comes. Again He tells though, do not be afraid. As hard as they are, the beauty and release far outweigh the pain. It is Santification. Trust in Him and learn.

I pray that we all continue to grow in Him this day. And that tomorrow we ask for fresh blessings, so that we can bless others. Be an empty vessel for Him. It is through us that His Kingdom will grow. #JesusSaves

Amen
DK

The hearts of many were changed on this day. The world would soon follow…

Mark 15:33-41
33 At noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. 34 And at three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”).

35 When some of those standing near heard this, they said, “Listen, he’s calling Elijah.”

36 Someone ran, filled a sponge with wine vinegar, put it on a staff, and offered it to Jesus to drink. “Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to take him down,” he said.

37 With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last.

38 The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. 39 And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, saw how he died,[c] he said, “Surely this man was the Son of God!”

40 Some women were watching from a distance. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joseph,[d] and Salome. 41 In Galilee these women had followed him and cared for his needs. Many other women who had come up with him to Jerusalem were also there.

Surely this man was Son of God. What an amazing thing to be said of someone. I hope that my fellow man sees me in this way when I die. It would be the greatest honor.

I used to dream of being the best player to ever play basketball, and the winningest coach ever to work the profession. Now, those wants are non-existent when compared to being a man of God. A Son of God.

Jesus died so that I could have this gift of salvation. He died so that I would live. How could I not place Him first. Now, here is the amazing thing about putting God first. Victory begins to chase you. No longer concerned with chasing the victories of this world, victory will begin to chase you. It will find you in areas you had no idea even existed.

From this day forward, as you put God first, watch how the blessing of your life will be multiplied exponentially. But do not do it only for the promise of the blessing. Do it because you want make the life of another better. Because you want to love others. You want to love Christ, love yourself, and love your neighbor. The the way that He instructed us to. #JesusSaves

Amen
DK

Mark 15:21-32
21 A certain man from Cyrene, Simon, the father of Alexander and Rufus, was passing by on his way in from the country, and they forced him to carry the cross. 22 They brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means “the place of the skull”). 23 Then they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it. 24 And they crucified him. Dividing up his clothes, they cast lots to see what each would get.

25 It was nine in the morning when they crucified him. 26 The written notice of the charge against him read: the king of the jews.

27 They crucified two rebels with him, one on his right and one on his left. [28] [a] 29 Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads and saying, “So! You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, 30 come down from the cross and save yourself!” 31 In the same wa
y the chief priests and the teachers of the law mocked him among themselves. “He saved others,” they said, “but he can’t save himself!

32 Let this Messiah, this king of Israel, come down now from the cross, that we may see and believe.” Those crucified with him also heaped insults on him.

He would come down soon enough, as we all know. He would come down from the cross and rise again. He would be resurrected through the power given to Him by His Father. By our Father.

To have seen this scene play out in front of them must have been difficult for all those that loved Him so much. It is hard for me to read it. I have to wonder though, would I have known that it was truly Him? Would I have been sure. This was to be a time of many questions for the closest followers of Christ.

Over the three days that Jesus lay in the tomb, the Apostles would all wonder and question whether it was all real. They had heard Him speak. They had seen Him perform all the miracles that matched prophecy. All the pieces seemed to fit perfectly, but there was doubt. There were questions. Questions I am sure that linger in the minds of many believers today.

But…there was FAITH as well, and it only needed to be as big as as mustard seed. Just a tiny bit of faith, and mountains will move at the sound of His name. At the sound of Jesus. Even if the questions outweighed the faith, it is enough. He will come in and take it from there. That is His promise to us.

Question. Ponder. Doubt. It’s ok. All of those things will lead you to read His word, and as you read the Bible, you will find your answers. Not in words, but in the relationship that is formed through the reading of His word. Try it today. Answers to your questions are waiting. Truth is waiting. #JesusSaves

Amen.
DK

Mark 15:16-20
16 The soldiers led Jesus away into the palace (that is, the Praetorium) and called together the whole company of soldiers. 17 They put a purple robe on him, then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on him. 18 And they began to call out to him, “Hail, king of the Jews!” 19 Again and again they struck him on the head with a staff and spit on him. Falling on their knees, they paid homage to him. 20 And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him out to crucify him.

It is an ugly seen. One that was played out over and over again against the disciples of Christ this was, however, the Son of God. This was the Messiah. He set the precedence for what will come for all believers. For you and I. If that scares you, it’s okay. Over 300 times we are told to not be afraid in the Bible. Yet it can be a bit daunting.

We are told that wonderful prosperity and blessings will befall us, while at the same time persecution will come at that same time. Not quite what Jesus experienced on this day, but persecution none the less. You see, when you accepted Him as you Savior and Redeemer, you entered the battle. You entered the war. It greets you when you awake in the morning. It will never cease. Don’t be afraid, for He is with us.
How do we battle then? What do we do? Read. Read the Bible. Read not for just your own preparation, but in order to witness to and save as many of your brothers and sisters as you can during your lifetime. You battle with Jesus in front of you. He has you all through the battle if you ask Him to. Try and battle on your own and it’s over. You have already lost. Battle with Jesus, and you will never lose. After all, IT IS FINISHED. There is nothing to be afraid of.

Battle ready!! #JesusSaves
Amen
DK

Fear of anything but God the Father is death. Fear of God = REVERENCE…

Mark 15:1-15
Very early in the morning, the chief priests, with the elders, the teachers of the law and the whole Sanhedrin, made their plans. So they bound Jesus, led him away and handed him over to Pilate.

2 “Are you the king of the Jews?” asked Pilate.

“You have said so,” Jesus replied.

3 The chief priests accused him of many things. 4 So again Pilate asked him, “Aren’t you going to answer? See how many things they are accusing you of.”

5 But Jesus still made no reply, and Pilate was amazed.

6 Now it was the custom at the festival to release a prisoner whom the people requested. 7 A man called Barabbas was in prison with the insurrectionists who had committed murder in the uprising. 8 The crowd came up and asked Pilate to do for them what he usually did.

9 “Do you want me to release to you the king of the Jews?” asked Pilate, 10 knowing it was out of self-interest that the chief priests had handed Jesus over to him. 11 But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have Pilate release Barabbas instead.

12 “What shall I do, then, with the one you call the king of the Jews?” Pilate asked them.

13 “Crucify him!” they shouted.

14 “Why? What crime has he committed?” asked Pilate.

But they shouted all the louder, “Crucify him!”

15 Wanting to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. He had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified.

The mob mentality. Clarity can become fogged over as we are surrounded by throngs of people if you don’t know God is with you. We must be reminded as we swim in this world of sin, that the only way through it, the only way to make the right decision, is by asking God to help. By fostering a deep personal relationship with the Holy Spirit.

The crowd had not known this, although Jesus had taught to them, spoken to them, and warned them, they refused to listen. Fear can be powerful. It is apparent that those standing in the mob before Jesus ,asking for Him to be crucified, we’re scared. Fear filled them. Fear of what others would think. Fear of the “What-if”.

Here is what is perhaps the most amazing part of this entire scene, at least in my mind. This was how it was to okay out. This is the plan put into action. The fear of man, placed in the crowds hearts by the evil one, became the way in which Jesus would put into action God’s perfect plan. It is through the weakness of man that God’s Will was carried out.

When I first read this as a young boy I thought, how could they do this. I wondered why they would not let Him go. Wouldn’t the world be a much better place today if He had not been crucified? I soon rrslized that this was His plan. His time to save us. This needed to happen. Sin was carried to the cross at Calvary, never to return. Jesus said, “It is finished.” Friends…it is finished. Now thank Him. Every single day…thank Him!

Happy New Year! Jesus loves you! Invite Him into your life this year. Become a friend of Jesus TODAY! Give us this day our daily bread. #JesusSaves

Amen
DK

Mark 14:66-72
66 While Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant girls of the high priest came by. 67 When she saw Peter warming himself, she looked closely at him.

“You also were with that Nazarene, Jesus,” she said.

68 But he denied it. “I don’t know or understand what you’re talking about,” he said, and went out into the entryway.

69 When the servant girl saw him there, she said again to those standing around, “This fellow is one of them.” 70 Again he denied it.

After a little while, those standing near said to Peter, “Surely you are one of them, for you are a Galilean.”

71 He began to call down curses, and he swore to them, “I don’t know this man you’re talking about.”

72 Immediately the rooster crowed the second time. Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken to him: “Before the rooster crows twice you will disown me three times.” And he broke down and wept.

For Peter, this must’ve wounded him deeply. Jesus knew him so well. He knew that Peter would do this on this night at this time. But rather than be angry with Peter, Jesus let it happen. Why? Why let him suffer?

The answer is this…God knows us. He knows everything about us. He knows every move we are about to make and will ever make for the rest of our lives. The answer is that He wants us to know ourselves. It is through this pain that we are able to learn who we are. To know who we are down deep…To our core. To our soul. To our hearts.

God allows the hard things to happen to us because He sees us as Sons of God. As His own sons. And in doing so, He does what my every perfect father should do. Discipline us, and punish us. The same way that a father must discipline his children. It is for our own benefit. As we go through this crucible of sanctification, we are given the opportunity to press towards God. To hand our lives over to Him so that He can be glorified, and that we can receive grace and mercy.

Through this denial of Jesus three times, Peter learned about himself and he was broken. Jesus will come back and pick Peter up and give him three chances to rebuild himself. Jesus did this for Peter. He did this for us on the cross. Step toward Jesus now. His forgiveness is waiting. #JesusSaves

Amen
DK

More effort was taken by man to remain in unbelief than given to believe…

Mark 14:53-65
53 They took Jesus to the high priest, and all the chief priests, the elders and the teachers of the law came together. 54 Peter followed him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest. There he sat with the guards and warmed himself at the fire.

55 The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for evidence against Jesus so that they could put him to death, but they did not find any. 56 Many testified falsely against him, but their statements did not agree.

57 Then some stood up and gave this false testimony against him: 58 “We heard him say, ‘I will destroy this temple made with human hands and in three days will build another, not made with hands.’” 59 Yet even then their testimony did not agree.

60 Then the high priest stood up before them and asked Jesus, “Are you not going to answer? What is this testimony that these men are bringing against you?” 61 But Jesus remained silent and gave no answer.

Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?”

62 “I am,” said Jesus. “And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.”

63 The high priest tore his clothes. “Why do we need any more witnesses?” he asked. 64 “You have heard the blasphemy. What do you think?”

They all condemned him as worthy of death. 65 Then some began to spit at him; they blindfolded him, struck him with their fists, and said, “Prophesy!” And the guards took him and beat him.

The extent that man will go in order to save face in front of man, often exceeds what is done to simply love. This is evident in the conduct of the teachers of the law in theses verses. In order to gather so many in an attempt to sink Jesus would have required copious amounts of time and energy. Time that would be wasted.

Which brings me to this question: How much time have you wasted trying to be right as opposed to simply listening, waiting, and receiving the love of our Lord a Savior Jesus Christ? Don’t answer. We live in a state of distraction and sin. We are human. Not only that, Jesus wants us to question, inquire, and seek. It sparks the relationship that is key to our faith. It is Sanctification.

As we move toward Him, the layers of our lives are peeled back to reveal truth. The peeling back of those layers is painful, but necessary. Many will seek immediate help. Alcohol, drugs, and destructive co-dependant relationships are the obvious ones. Sometimes they aren’t so obvious unless you look for them. Whichever they may be in your lives or the lives of those you love, know that God is with you and them most closely st this time. It is the process.

Jesus loves you more than you can imagine. There is nothing you could ever do to change thst or push it away. Stop fighting it. Give Him the keys. He knows what He’s doing. God bless you. #JesusSaves

Amen
DK