Meditating The Word

Today's meditation is on Mark Chapter 7.
I have little use for empty religious traditions. I do not just give God lip service, but I worship him from my heart. The commands I follow are not man-made, but rather those that come from God's Word. I do not substitute God's law, or sidestep it in order to hold onto my own tradition. 
God's law says to honor my father and mother, so I honor them not just in word, but in deed. If they need anything that is within my power to do for them or to give them, I do it. I don't split hairs and try to to get away with whatever I can while appearing to do the right thing.
It isn't what goes into my body that defiles me, but rather what comes from my heart. Under Old Testament law, there were many rules and regulations about what could and couldn't be eaten, but Jesus said that the food I put in my body cannot defile me. It doesn't go into my heart, but passes through my stomach and is eliminated from my body as waste. So in God's eyes, every kind of food is acceptable.
It is my words and my deeds that can pollute me, not food. It is out of the heart that come evil thoughts and schemes, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, lustful desires, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness. All these corrupt things emerge from within and constantly defile a person. So I am careful what I store in my heart. I know that out of my heart come the issues of my life. If there is good treasure there, then I will bring forth good. 
Until next time, be blessed and be a blessing.
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Today's meditation is on Mark Chapter 6
I know that sometimes the hardest crowd is in my own hometown among family and friends. They know my past all to well, with all of my failures and mistakes. Often, they will be the first to be offended by my words and the last to believe me. 
Even Jesus experienced this, and said that a prophet is honored everywhere except in his own hometown and among his relatives and his own family. Even though he was anointed by God the Father to do good and perform mighty works and miracles, because of their unbelief, he was only able to heal a few sick people. No mighty miracles could be performed. And he was amazed at their unbelief.
From this I understand that unless the Gifts of Healings are in operation, it is only through faith that someone can receive their healing. Even though Jesus said I would do the same works that he did, my faith alone is not enough. No one had greater faith than Jesus. So I do not become discouraged when I lay hands on the sick and they do not recover. I know that is between them and God. 
And if I am ridiculed or if I am not welcomed or am treated with disrespect, I do not become offended. I simply shake it off like dust from my feet and go on. Their fate is between them and God. 
Just as Jesus sent out his disciples to spread the Good News, cast out demons and heal the sick, as a follower of Christ, I am called to do the same. 
At times, life and the cares of this world can get overwhelming. And I need to go off by myself to a quiet place and rest. There, in the presence of God, my needs are met. I am fed supernaturally and my soul finds rest. It is part of my daily routine to get alone by myself and talk to Father God. 
No matter what storms I face in life, I am not afraid. I take courage, because I know that Jesus is with me. I keep my mind stayed on him. In him I find perfect peace. 
Until next time, be blessed and be a blessing.
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Today's meditation is on Mark Chapter 5
There is nothing too hard for my Savior. He can cast out an evil spirit, or a legion of evil spirits, returning the demon possessed to perfect sanity. 
God never hesitates. The very moment someone asks for help, believing, help is on its way. His answer is always a resounding YES to all of his promises. 
Length of time means nothing. Whether an illness is recent or has lasted for 12 years, healing can come in an instant. The woman with the issue of blood set a time and a point of contact for her healing. She risked being stoned to death to go out in public and approach Jesus. He didn't even know she was there. But he felt the healing power go out from him when she touched the hem of his robe. Her faith made her well and ended her suffering.  
Just as then, God isn't making a decision now who to heal and who not to heal. Healing has been provided. It's up to me to receive it. And I can only receive it by faith.
There is no sickness, no circumstance -- not even death -- that can't be reversed by the power of God.
So I will not be afraid. No matter what my circumstances look like. No matter what the doctor's report says, or my bank account says, I will have faith in the promises of God. I choose to believe that what God's Word says is true.
Until next time, be blessed and be a blessing.
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Today's meditation is on Mark Chapter 4
When Jesus walked the earth, he spoke in parables. Not to hide the truth from me, but to hide it for me. As one of his followers, I am given revelation knowledge to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of God. So, I look at what he did, and learn from it. I listen to what he said, and understand. I turn to God for forgiveness, and in his unfailing mercy, he has forgiven all of my sins, past and future. 
The foundational parable Jesus taught was the parable of the sower. He said that if I didn't understand the meaning of this parable, I wouldn't be able to understand any of his parables. 
This is how the Kingdom of God operates. The farmer sows the seed which is the Word of God. 
The seed that falls on the footpath represents those who hear the message, only to have satan come at once and snatch it from their hearts. 
The seed on the rocky soil represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy. But because their hearts fail to sink a deep root, they don't endure for long. For when trouble or persecution comes on account of the message, they immediately wilt and fall away.
The seed that fell among the thorns represents others who hear God’s Word, 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. 
And the seed that fell on good soil represents those who open their hearts to receive the message and their lives bear good fruit -- some yield a harvest of thirty, sixty, even a hundred times as much as was planted!
The seed is the same in every case. God's Word never changes and it always has the ability to produce. The difference is the soil. So I prepare the soil of my heart and mind to receive the seed. I till the soil and remove the rocks so the seed can develop deep roots. When trouble comes, the Word remains. I am careful to weed my garden, and don't allow the cares of this world to choke the Word. And if I don't grow weary of guarding God's Word in my heart and mind, I will reap a harvest many times over what was planted.
I will let God's light shine through me. There are no secrets from God. I know that everything that is hidden will eventually be brought into the open, and every secret will be brought to light. So I live my life in a way that is pleasing to him. I listen to God's Word and revelation knowledge comes.
I pay close attention to what I hear. I am diligent to understand the meaning behind what I hear. The closer I listen, the more understanding I am given. According to my longing to understand, much more is added to me. If I listen with an open heart, I will receive more revelation. But those who don't listen with open hearts will lose what little understanding they think they have.
My job is to continue to sow seed. Night and day, whether I'm asleep or awake, the seed sprouts and grows. I don't need to understand how it happens. The earth produces the crops on its own. First a leaf blade pushes through, then the heads of wheat are formed, and finally the grain ripens. And as soon as the grain is ready, the farmer comes and harvests it with a sickle, for the harvest time has come. The same is true in my life. As I plant God's Word into my heart and mind, it will produce a crop on its own. 
Even the mustard seed, though it is the smallest of all seeds, becomes the largest of all garden plants. It grows long branches, and the birds make nests in its shade.
God's Word is as full of power and authority today as it was when Jesus rebuked the wind and told the waves to be silent. At his word, the wind stopped howling and the water become perfectly calm. 
There is nothing to fear. In the authority of his name, I can calm all the storms in my life. 
Until next time, be blessed and be a blessing. 
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Today's meditation is on Mark Chapter 3
I have been chosen, called by God to be his and to do good works here on earth. And what better day is there to do good work than on the Sabbath? I will not harden my heart with religious laws and regulations. But will follow Christ and do what he did.
Jesus is my close companion. He said that the works he did, I would do also and even greater. As a follower of Christ, I have the authority to silence demons and cast them out. I have the authority to heal the sick, and raise the dead. I have the authority to do these things in Jesus' name.
There are those who may say I'm crazy for my beliefs. Perhaps even my flesh and blood family. Some may say that I am demon possessed and that's where I get the power to cast out demons. But satan would not cast himself out.
No kingdom can endure if it is divided against itself and a fragmented household will not be able to stand for it is divided. A family splintered by feuding will fall apart. If satan fights against himself, he will not endure.
Only someone even stronger could overpower and tie up a mighty man and steal his property. And my God is far stronger than the enemy.  
To say that the Holy Spirit who dwells within me and empowers me is evil, is blasphemy. All sin can be forgiven. But blaspheming the Holy Spirit has eternal consequences. God is only good, and there is no evil in him. 
God is my Father. Jesus is my brother. Anyone who does God's will is my true family.
Until next time, be blessed and be a blessing. 
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Today's meditation is on Mark Chapter 2
When Jesus walked this earth, people crowded around him to hear him speak. Over and over, when the sick were healed, he said it was because of their faith. 
So I work to develop my faith by studying the life and works of Jesus. I study, and read, and hear the Word, because I know that is how faith comes. I want the kind of faith that will tear off a roof to receive the promise. 
Even today, miracles are performed. And I shout and sing praises to God. My sins have been forgiven. It was as though I was lame, but can now follow Jesus on the path that he has walked before me. 
Just as healthy people don't need a doctor, but those who are sick, he came not for those who think they are righteous, but for people just like me who are in need of a savior.
He came not to patch me up, but to re-create me from the inside out. Rather than pour the Holy Spirit out on me before I was ready, he renewed my soul first. Only then could I receive the infilling of the new wine of the Holy Spirit. 
He meets my every need. Even the Sabbath was made to meet my needs. I was not made for the Sabbath. Father God demonstrated the need to rest from my work by resting from his on the seventh day after he had created the earth and everything in it. The Sabbath was made for me as a day of physical and spiritual renewal. It is a day when I can rest in him, and in the surety of his promise. 
Until next time, be blessed and be a blessing. 
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Today's meditation is on Mark Chapter 1
I prepare my heart daily to receive God's Word. Jesus came to earth to preach the God News of God, and to make available to me the baptism of the Holy Spirit. 
At last, the fulfillment of the age had come. And now I can experience God's kingdom in its fullness. When I heard his teachings, I turned my life to God and put my trust in the hope-filled gospel.
His call remains the same today as it was 2,000 years ago when he called his disciples. Jesus said, "Come, follow me." And I follow him gladly and share the good news of the gospel with others. 
If he asks me to leave my family and my home, I will do it. I will go wherever he leads me. 
His Words are filled with power and demonstrate God's authority. They are life to me. Just as he silenced demons and cast them out while he walked on this earth, he has cleansed my soul of the demons that used to haunt me. They still obey him. They still know his name. They still tremble before him.
He healed all who were sick of various diseases and tormented by demons. He did this on the promise of the Old Testament prophets that by his stripes, we would be healed. I can now look back at the cross and claim that promise over my life and speak it over the lives of others -- by his stripes I was healed. It's already been done. 
As Jesus did, I spend time alone each day with Father God in prayer and meditation. He gives me his peace and his strength to navigate through this life. 
I study God's Word, because it is through daily study that I learn more about Father God and his true nature. While others pray for God's healing if it's his will, I can already know the will of God by studying the life of Jesus. He healed everyone who came to him and asked. He was willing, even if it meant death on the cross, to provide healing for everyone. 
Until next time, be blessed and be a blessing.
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Today's meditation is on Matthew Chapter 25
Because I do not know the day or the hour that Jesus will return, I stay awake and alert. I prepare as though I will live a long life here on earth, but I live as though he will return any minute.
I am a good steward of what I have been given... both with material things and with giftings and abilities. I do not hide what I have been given in fear of losing it all, but I put my resources to work and increase what I have been entrusted with. I long to prove myself as a loyal and trustworthy servant and faithful steward.
When Jesus returns, I long to hear him say, "Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!"
In God's economy, the one who has will be given more, until he overflows with abundance. But the one with hardly anything even what little he has will be taken from him. 
When Jesus appears in his majestic glory, with all of his angels by his side, he will sit on his glorious throne and separate the righteous from the unrighteous.
Thank God for the robe of righteousness I have in Christ Jesus. I could not earn it on my own, but it was freely given and I gratefully receive it. I am blessed by the Father and have a special place in his heart. I will experience the full inheritance of the kingdom realm that has been destined for me from before the foundation of the world. 
In the meantime, I will do good whenever and wherever I can. I will feed the hungry, and give the thirsty something to drink. I will provide shelter for a stranger, and provide clothing for those in need. I will look after the sick and visit those who are in prison. 
In the eyes of Jesus, whatever I do for the least of my brothers and sisters, I do for him. There could be no better reward than a life of eternal bliss with God.
Until next time, be blessed and be a blessing.
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Today's meditation is on Matthew Chapter 24
Even though deception runs rampant, I will not be misled. Already, there have been people who claim Christ's authority -- some even claim to be Jesus himself! Sadly, they have led many astray. 
As Jesus predicted, there are wars and threats of wars and revolutions, but I will not panic or give in to fear. The breaking apart of the world's systems is destined to happen. I know that these things must take place. But it isn't the end yet, it is still unfolding.
Nations go to war against nations, kingdoms against kingdoms. There are terrible famines, earthquakes and horrible epidemics in many parts of the world, just as Jesus said. But this is just the first of the birth pains, with more to come.
In many countries, Christians are arrested, persecuted, and killed. I know there will be those who hate me, because I follow him. And some Christians will turn away and betray their brothers and sisters. We are already seeing this happen. False prophets will also appear and will deceive many people. 
There will be an increase of lawlessness. Sin will be rampant everywhere--in fact, it already is. And those whose hearts once burned with passion for God and others are growing cold. But I will hold my hope firmly and endure to the end and I will experience life and deliverance. 
Through it all, I will continue to do my part to spread the gospel about the Kingdom, providing others with a demonstration of the reality of God, so that everyone in every nation will hear the good news of heaven's kingdom. Then, the end of this age will arrive.
The day is coming when we will see what Daniel the prophet spoke about—the disgusting destroyer taking its stand in the Holy Place. When these things happen, it will be time to flee to the hills. I won't even take time to pack. If I'm out in the field, I won't return even to get a coat. 
This will be a time of great misery beyond the magnitude of anything the world has ever seen or ever will see. But God, in his mercy, will limit those days for the sake of his chosen ones so they can survive.
If anyone tells me ‘Look, he has returned,' 'the Messiah is over here', or 'the Messiah is over there,' I won’t believe it. I know that there will be imposters falsely claiming to be the Lord. They will even perform great signs and miracle wonders to lead astray, if possible, even God’s chosen ones. Jesus has warned me about this ahead of time so I will be prepared and not led astray.
If someone tells me, ‘Look, the Messiah is out in the desert,’ I won’t bother to go and look. Or, ‘Look, he is hiding here,’ I won’t believe it! For when Jesus returns, it won't be a secret, hidden event. His appearing will burst forth with the brightness of lightning shining rom the eastern sky to the west. But all these signs indicate that the end is near, just as the gathering of vultures shows there is a carcass nearby.
Then, immediately after the anguish of those days, the sun will be darkened, the moon will give no light, the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.
Then at last, the moment that I long for, the sign that the Jesus is coming will appear in the heavens. Those who refused to believe will mourn deeply. I will see my Savior coming on the clouds of heaven with mighty power, great splendor, and glory. He will send out his angels with the mighty blast of a trumpet, and I will be gathered with the rest of his chosen ones from all over the world from the farthest ends of the earth and heaven.
Just like the fig tree, when spring arrives it sends out its tender branches and sprouts leave and I know that summer is near. It will be the same when I see all these things taking place. I will know his return is very near, right at the door. The end of this age will not come until all that Jesus spoke comes to pass. The earth and the sky will wear out and fade away before one of his words loses its power or fails to accomplish its purpose. 
I do not know the day or the hour when these things will happen. Not even the angels in heaven or Jesus himself know. Only the Father knows.
His return will be like it was in Noah's time. People went on with their lives enjoying dinners and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat. They didn’t realize the end was near until the flood came and swept them all away. That is how it will be when Jesus comes.
Two men will be working together in the field; one will be taken, the other left. Two women will be grinding flour at the mill; one will be taken, and the other left.
So I stay alert and keep watch, because I don't know what day he is coming. I make sure that I am ready at any time, because he will come when least expected.
I will be a faithful, sensible servant whom Jesus can depend on to responsibly manage what he has entrusted to me. When he returns and sees that I have done a good job, he will reward me. 
Until next time, be blessed and be a blessing.
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the wedding feast of the Lamb. The invitation has been extended to everyone, but few respond in excellence. I will wear the robe of righteousness provided by Jesus.
In my life, I have been so concerned with making sure I fulfill my earthly obligations. But I now bear the image of God, so I will give back to God all that belongs to him. I will offer myself as a living sacrifice to Father God, who adopted me into his family.  
Jesus has taught me that all of God's commandments can be reduced down to just two. So I will love the Lord my God with every passion of my heart, with all the energy of my being, and with every thought that is within me. And, equally important, I will love my neighbor in the same way I love myself. The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are contained on these two love commandments.
I follow the teachings of those who practice what they preach, and will follow my spiritual leaders example only as they follow Christ. I will not be crushed under the burden of religious obligation, for that is not what God requires. Rather, he has asked me to cast my burdens onto him. 
I do not do things for show, or crave a place of honor. I don't desire a title of respect or to be called a teacher. I have only one teacher -- God. I consider myself equal to my brothers and sisters, not above and not beneath. And I don't refer to anyone on earth as Father, for I have only one Father, and that is Father God in heaven. 
I humble myself as a servant. I choose to have a modest opinion of myself. If I am to be honored, let God be the one who honors me, and not myself. 
I will do everything in my power to open the door of the Kingdom of Heaven for others, and invite them to enter in. And I will do everything in my power to follow the path that God has set before me. I am careful to tithe on all of my income, while not neglecting the most important duties of all: to walk in the love of God, to display mercy to others, and to live with integrity. I place first things first.
I know that outward cleanliness means nothing, if I do not also make sure that I am clean on the inside. I rid myself of greed, self-indulgence, unforgiveness, and anything that would hinder my faith. I know that if I am clean on the inside, the outside will become clean too.
I do not compare myself to others and think that I am in the least bit better or more righteous than they are. For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. 
As a mother hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, Jesus has gathered me to himself. Blessed is he who came in the name of the Lord and provided complete salvation.
Until next time, be blessed and be a blessing. 
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