Hi, ho, hi, ho, it’s off to work I go. Paul has a little encouragement for all those in the workplace. As Christians, we are to be the best employees we can be. For the hours of the day we are on the job, an employee’s time and talents belong to his employer. An employee cannot complain, laze around, or do shoddy work, and expect God to bless him. The real test is, “What are our work habits when no one is looking?” because that is the true measure of our integrity and sincerity of heart. And besides, God is always watching and ultimately our work should be as unto Him first and foremost. So put in a good day’s work and be assured, God is pleased.
Because the “Boss” is never away,
Pastor Gerard Deleeuw
Reading Mark’s account, we quickly learn how busy Jesus’ ministry had become. Mark records a Sabbath day in Jesus’ life filled with preaching, bringing deliverance to many possessed of the devil, and later healing Peter’s mother-in-law. That evening many came to the house where Jesus was staying and sought His hand for deliverance and healing as well. Yet our verse tells us the next morning, Jesus arose long before dawn to find a quiet place to pray. While everyone else slept, our Lord found strength at the feet of His Father. We must never allow our busyness to crowd out what we need most, time with the Lord in prayer where He will strengthen us for the day and the task at hand. Have you been too busy to pray much? Learn from Jesus to make time for that first!
Wanting to make more time for prayer each day,
Pastor Jack Abeelen
Having a small pet, I’m very aware of the threat of coyotes that exist in my area. Coyotes are a very clever predator. A lot of times they work in packs and one of the tactics they use is to send one coyote out ahead in front of the pack, and this one coyote will play injured. It will make noises that indicate he or she is hurt and lure unsuspecting dogs or other small animals near this perceived wounded animal. Then once this unsuspecting animal gets close enough, the rest of the pack attacks and has a much easier job taking down it’s prey.
Well, Satan is much like coyotes but his schemes are even more clever. Hence, we are to put on the whole armor of God in order to stand firm as we face him in battle. The idea of “put on” in the original language is to make permanent. We don’t ever take off the armor because when we do, we are susceptible to the devil’s traps, such as those little dogs or cats that are fooled by the “wounded” coyote. The other important word used here is “whole.” We don’t put on some of the armor, the pieces we like, and leave off the others. We take up and put it all on.
As Christians trying to live out an obedient life to God’s Word, we become a great enemy to Satan because we are the only means by which Satan can attack God. So take heed to this charge and be ready at all times because it’s sure easy to be deceived if we aren’t prepared.
Pastor Jason Witt
In the Old Testament, there was a veil that separated us from God. Likewise, Paul writes that there is also a veil that lies on the heart that can be taken away by Jesus. Each and every one of us had that veil that stopped us from seeing and knowing God. God had to do a work in our lives to remove that veil so that we could see what was behind it. Now that the Lord took the veil away, we can know and see Him clearly.
It used to amaze me when I would share with someone that they didn’t get it. It’s because they have a veil over their heart. The Lord is the one that removes it and until the Lord removes the veil, we only need to be faithful and share with them. Then God will do the rest.
Joshua Navarro
At one time or another, we all face disappointment and suffering. Discouragement threatens as our hope seems to fade. We can so easily “lose heart” and give up the desire to press on. In these verses, Paul, no stranger to hard times, provides us with a clear perspective as our attention turns from the physical that we can see to the invisible that we cannot see.
There is a simultaneous process going on in each of our lives. Heartbreak, trials, and time itself take their toll on us physically. One day the warranty will expire! At the same time, the Lord makes sure to do the opposite with us spiritually. Inwardly, we are renewed day by day. The very things that afflict us are used by God to strengthen us as we learn to exchange the temporary for the eternal.
Today, let’s agree with Paul; because of Jesus, we will not lose heart. As we keep our eyes on our Savior, a right perspective will become ours to enjoy, and the temporary darkness of hardship will yield to the bright light of our future in Christ.
Jeff Deal
God’s heart has always been for all nations to behold and enjoy His glory. You can hear it in Genesis when the Lord said, “Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him” (18:18), and again in 22:18 where God promised him, “In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.” The Seed of which He spoke is Jesus.
Jesus also has a heart for the nations so He commanded His church to “Go and make disciples of all the nations” (Matthew 28:19). And yet again He said, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15).
In the culmination of time, John testifies in Revelation 7:9, “After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands…”
Behold God’s heart for the nations. Listen carefully to Jesus’ command to go tell them. We know how history ends. Surely we must obey and bring the light of the glory of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the world. So let’s GO!
Tom Day
You know if you see yourself properly, you begin to mourn over your situation. We equate mourning with death or the loss of life, and when you realize that you are spiritually dead, mourning is the natural reaction. The word “mourn” here means just that, “To wail and lament,” and when you find yourself in that situation, comfort isn’t something that is easily found on its own.
When you are mourning over the death of family and friends, you’ll gather together to seek comfort and hope, but even then it is difficult to find. No amount of good wishes and words of encouragement will bring them back to life. So how inconsolable are we when we find that we are spiritually dead and there is nothing we or anyone else can do to give us life.
But Jesus says here that those who realize their spiritual condition and mourn in their heart, are in a blessed place because they are in a place where God can do what no one else can. Paul said in Romans 6, “We were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.”
So how blessed are we who have found new life in Jesus’ death and resurrection? Our morning has been turned to joy as we find comfort in this place of great blessing!
Pastor Doug Hardin
It should be the aim of all Christians to have lives that are unashamed of the gospel of Christ. Paul lived an uncompromising life and was never afraid to speak the truth out of love. Paul was able to live this way because he knew the gospel of Christ is the only power that leads to salvation.
The Romans were all about power and to this day many people travel to Italy and see remnants of that power that are still preserved. Yet notice what they are called — ruins. As powerful as the Romans were, they did not have the power to save themselves; they were still in need of a Savior. Here Paul writes about the only power that will never fade, the power of God. Unlike the Roman Empire, the power of God is still alive today and salvation still available to those who believe in Jesus. We can live unashamed of the gospel of Christ because of the power it holds. It is the only power that can lead to salvation.
For the King,
Daniel Batistelli
Reading this I am sure you are thinking, “Amen.” I have lived in the world and partaken of the things of the flesh and it wasn’t good. That’s what led you to Christ, the goodness of God! But then some of the things of the world start to set in and we find we are spiritually drained although we have been going to church, reading, and praying. When our minds are set on the pleasures of the flesh more than the pleasures of the Lord, there is only death. Ask the Lord to set your mind on the things of the Spirit and watch as the Lord brings great peace and spiritual fulfillment despite what this world has in store for you today.
Blessings,
Pastor Sean Boehm
It’s important to remember when we give the Gospel, the Good News, we shouldn’t leave Hell out of it. We should let people know God loves them, that’s true. We should let them know that love led to His only Son dying on a cross for their sins, that’s true. We should let them know He’s in Heaven preparing a place for them, that’s true.
But what’s also true is that not accepting Jesus as your Savior leads to eternal separation from God in a place called Hell. Are we trying to scare them? No, but we have to be honest with them. If we just tell people if you accept Jesus you’re going to Heaven, but don’t give them the second part, we’re holding back on the truth. We do it with the best of intentions, so as not to offend or destroy friendships.
If you know someone is heading off a cliff, don’t you warn them? We should take Jude’s advice and have compassion on those who need it but use the fear of God on those who need that also.
Giving all the Good News,
Pastor Ron Kitchell
