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Good morning my “Walking with Jesus” friends,
Here’s a good word from THE Word of God, the Bible, that I hope will bring you HOPE today. . .Psalm 105:1-4.
“Give thanks to the LORD, call on His name; make known among the nations what HE has done.”
Celebrate that generations of missionary work has brought the Gospel and Name of Jesus to almost everyplace in the world, and people are calling on God for His help, from even the remotest places. today Jesus is known there! Have you discovered the power of PRAISE?
“Sing to Him, sing praise to Him; tell of all His wonderful acts.”
Yes, even in the midst of global plagues like COVID-19, those who know Jesus have so much to praise Him for. The Bible and history are full of many amazing, truthful stories which tell of God’s wonderful miracles, on behalf of desperate humanity. Which are some of your favorite stories proving the power of God? How is He unleashing that power today where you live?
“Glory in His holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice.
Look to the LORD and His strength, seek His face always.” (Psalm 105:1-4)
Seeking the ‘face of God’ means we worship Him in relationship, for He is our Heavenly Father, and we are confident He loves us, and understands our situation better than we do! We look to Him and His strength for the COVID-19 plague and all the resulting economic chaos, which nearly overwhelms us. Our hearts are confident in HIM as we trust HIM today! Do you agree with these verses my friends?
Let’s rejoin Jesus as we are walking together with Him toward Easter 2020.
Let’s pick up the journey in Mark 1:14 where we learn that John the Baptist has been imprisoned by king Herod. The ‘Baptizer’ in his boldness, had confronted the Jewish king Herod for the immoral affair that he was publicly living. (Matt. 14:3-5) Later, as you may remember, John was beheaded by Herod.
Jesus was launching His ministry in Galilee with this proclamation: “The time has come. The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news.” (Mark 1:15) Do you remember at the wedding when the wine ran out, Jesus had told His mother “My time has NOT YET come…” (John 2:4) Now, only a few months later, He says His time had come. What do you suppose had changed? May I offer this perspective?
1. 5 men had been following Jesus for a short while and had seen some miracles and begun getting to know Him. They were John, Andrew, Simon Peter, Philip and Nathanael, all of whom would soon become Jesus’ disciples.
2. John the Baptist was in prison, and Jesus knew he would soon be executed. John had completed his mission of announcing Jesus.
3. Jesus had been Baptized, had 40 days of empowering time with His Father in the desert and had victoriously battled Satan in the desert. He was recently rejected by His hometown and was ready now to formally launch the mission for which He had come to earth. Jesus’ time had come!
So let’s walk with Jesus in Mark 1:16-34 and let’s see how Jesus engages four men in not just walking with Him but learning five keys of living strategically as a follower of Jesus.
“As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake…and He said ‘follow Me and I will make you fishers of men’. At once they left their nets and followed Him.” This was not the first time Jesus had met them, as we have seen in John 1. Andrew and his brother Simon Peter had already spent many days with Jesus. They had returned to their fishing because it was their business, they had bills to pay, mouths to feed. But they knew time with Jesus would be adventurous, and being self-employed, they had the freedom to take some time off, to walk with Jesus.
Mark tells us a short walk down the beach, they encountered brothers John and James, also fishermen who worked with their Dad, Zebedee. Evidently Zebedee gave them permission to take some time off and join Jesus, Andrew and Simon Peter. So now let’s walk with them, my friends, and we’re going to experience some amazing things with Jesus!
Capernaum was the main regional town, right on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. If you visit there today, the ruins of this town are well preserved, including some of the Synagogue which is where Jesus and these four men went.
Jesus began to teach there, the people were amazed, and suddenly a man stood up in the audience and confronted Jesus! Mark 1:23,24 tells us he was a man possessed by an evil spirit and Jesus used His superior power to bind that spirit, cast it out of the man and free the man from this demonic force!
Mark writes “The evil spirit shook the man violently and came out of him with a shriek.” I think it’s safe to say Andrew & Peter, James & John had never experienced anything quite like this before! But it was more than an experience… it was a life lesson that true followers of Jesus have the God given authority to teach God’s Word with authority, and when led by the Holy Spirit, to confront Satan’s dark kingdom in the authority of the Name of Jesus!
Mark 1:27 says “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 evil spirits and they obey Him.’ News about Jesus spread quickly over the whole region of Galilee.” This was another “Defining Moment” that would change the lives of Jesus’ followers. Satan is always opposed to God and God’s people and God’s work. But Jesus both defeated the devil’s temptations in the desert and here bound and cast a demon out of a man! The Spiritual battle is very real, but Jesus empowers His followers to live victoriously!
Mark then tells us Jesus and His four friends went to Simon Peter & Andrew’s home, and found Simon’s mother-in-law sick in bed with a fever! Of course this tells us Peter was married! Do you see what Jesus does? “So Jesus went to her, took her hand and helped her up. The fever left her and she began to wait on them.” (Mark 1:31) Remember, school is in session… so what do you suppose Jesus wanted His four friends to learn here? Jesus is compassionate and caring, and has the power to heal from disease in an instant!
Mark tells us after they’d had some supper, “That evening after sunset, the people brought to Jesus all the sick and demon possessed. The whole town gathered at the door…” What does it mean my friends? What did Jesus want these four men to understand? I think it is this: NEEDS bring people to Jesus! It’s what is happening all around our world right now with COVID-19 and the economic chaos. Health and money are the two most important things to most people, and both are in serious danger for many, many people. That’s why I believe all around the world people are crying out for God in desperation!
Mark 1:34 says “…Jesus healed many and drove out many demons…” Go ahead, walk around with Jesus, watch Him lovingly touch sick people, lame and blind people, and watch them receive healing! Watch Jesus confront demons and cast them out of people, and watch people return to their sound mind and natural personalities, freed from the evil which held them. This is what happens when Jesus walks among a group of people desperate for His help, who trust Him to heal them! Years later, these four men with Jesus were doing the same thing, after Jesus had returned to heaven!
Can you imagine how weary Jesus was when finally He lay down to sleep that night? Mark tells us that when Simon awoke the next morning, Jesus was not there, so he went looking for Jesus. Do you see in vs. 35-37 where he found Him and what He was doing? This was another ‘defining moment’. Jesus had gotten up early and gone out to a ‘solitary place’, to meet with God His Father. But why?
Now watch this friends, because this is something Jesus did often. He needed to be confident He was fully aligned with His Father, doing and saying what His Father wanted, as He was accomplishing the mission for which He came to earth.
Jesus knew the word would spread, and when morning came, there would likely be more people with more needs. Too easily you and I are swayed by the demands or expectations of people in our lives, right? For Jesus and His friends, there would ALWAYS be people who had expectations and needs. These four men needed to learn how and when to say “NO”, and follow God’s lead to something or somewhere else.
But there’s another dangerous thing Jesus and these men would face… applause! The grateful people from the night before likely spread the word quickly about the miracles they experienced, and in their new joy, brought their needy friends to Jesus. Notice what Simon and the others said to Jesus when they found Him out alone praying: “Everyone is looking for You!”. (vs. 37) Grateful people, wanting to thank Jesus for how He helped them, and bringing others who had needs!
But look at this my friends. Jesus had been out with the Father, early in the morning, in a quiet place. He’d received guidance for this day, and so Jesus said “Let us go somewhere else – to the nearby villages – so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.” Do you see it my friends? Jesus was able to maintain His focus, stay the course toward accomplishing His God given mission, because He had spent time with the Father that morning, receiving fresh guidance!
That was a huge lesson for Andrew, Simon Peter, James and John, for they too would face exactly the same situation, many times! Have you and I learned this important lesson my friends? Are we spending quality time, each day with Jesus, so we can discern His guidance of us as we follow HIM this week, especially in these very uncertain times?
Oh Lord Jesus, we sure thank you for showing us, and these four men, some very important lessons of how to ‘Walk with Jesus” in these challenging days! Help us to understand the power of your Word and your Name, in battling the enemy of our souls. Help us to understand NEEDS bring people to Jesus. Help us to prioritize time alone with you to LISTEN, so we can live our lives fully aligned with You!
Click to read today’s chapter: Psalm 105; Mark 1. (At the top you can choose a different translation.)
Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here.
Pastor Doug Anderson 262.441.8785
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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