Mark 4:11 - Ya gotta choose

"He told them, “The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables" (Mark 4:11, NIV)

In this statement, Jesus clearly indicates that there is a line to be crossed. Some are inside and some are outside.

The question is how do you determine the line of demarcation? Perhaps there is a clue in Chapter 3 of Mark and Chapter 12 of Matthew. Jesus' enemies ascribed his supernatural power to Satan. Clearly they could not deny that Jesus was doing miracles but they were unwilling to ascribe them to the power of God.

In the 21st Century, enough time has passed that some attempt to get away with ascribing all of the miracles recorded in the Gospels as being in the category of myth, something that smart people know could not happen and must be made up.

The line of demarcation seems to be a decision around who Jesus is. Those who accept him as coming from God and doing God's work are in and those who reject Jesus as coming from God are out.

It doesn't matter if you ascribe Jesus' miracles to Satan or to myth, denial of who Jesus is and what he came to accomplish carries serious consequences. To misunderstand Jesus is to put your soul in jeopardy.

Acts 6:2 - The priority

"So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, “It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables." (Acts 6:2, NIV)

What struck me when I read this is that while the physical needs of the widows are considered, priority is given to the spiritual needs. In other words, it is a good thing to feed the people but it is a better thing to bring them the word of God.

This is relevant to my recent encounters with the emergent church movement. To me, it seems as though this movement has reversed this priority, making the message secondary to the physical well being of the community.

Jesus told Satan that man does not live by bread alone, but his existence depends on "every word that proceeds from the mouth of God".

What I take away from this is that I cannot go wrong is giving priority to reading and studying Scripture.

John 12:43 - Where should I look for praise?

"for they loved praise from men more than praise from God." (John 12:43, NIV)

"Hello, my name is Mark McIntyre and I love praise from men more than I love praise from God." This would be my opening statement at a 12 Step meeting for Praiseaholics.

I must own that this is true of me more often that I would like to admit. I see from the record of Christendom that I am not alone.

Perhaps this is a question that we should ask when making decisions. "Am I doing this to get praise from men, or am I doing this as an act of worship?" Is my motivation to please God or to get a pat on the back?

To have the pleasure of God as my motivation requires that I am yielded to the leading of the Holy Spirit. So not only is this an issue of motivation, it is also an issue of who is in control.

The problem is that I like being in control. Or, more correctly, my flesh, my sinful nature, likes being in control. This too, is something that I share with the rest of humanity going all the way back to our first parents and the choice they made in the Garden.

So, do I yield myself to God and allow myself to be used for his glory or do I pursue my own ends? I choose the former but often fall into the latter. As I have grown the ratio has shifted toward yielding, but I am a long way from where God or I would like me to be. May today provide more evidence of the shift toward yieldedness.

John 6:68 - We're out of options

"Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life." (John 6:68, NIV)

This is one of my most treasured verses in the Bible.

The problem with the Christianity of my childhood was that there was an answer for every question. Or, more correctly, it seemed as though only questions that could be answered were allowed to be asked. As a result, it was a belief system which was very tidy, but often very shallow.

Sooner or later, we run across the questions that cannot be answered. They often begin with "why" such as "Why did God allow . . .?"

It is when I run into the brick wall of unanswerable questions that I return to this verse and find that I am comforted. I am comforted that while I cannot answer all the hard questions, I find that Jesus Christ and the belief system that bears his name offer better answers than any other belief.

Atheism has nothing to offer other than an excuse to party while you're still able. Other religions offer a set of tasks that I will not be able to accomplish which will provide me with an uncertain future. Governments and human leaders are rife with failure and compromise, no help will come from that quarter.

Like the disciples, I have no where else to go but to Jesus. Specifically, I can go to the Cross to find help in dealing with these problems. At the Cross, I find a fellow sufferer, one who experienced the pain of fallen humanity. There I find one who paid the price for my failure and gives me a new day to do better. There I find one who tells me that no matter what happens, I will not be alone, he will be with me.

There is only one option, but it is a really, really good one.

Luke 19:27 - You're not gonna like this . . .

"But those enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them—bring them here and kill them in front of me.’ " (Luke 19:27, NIV)

Jesus told the parable of the minas to those who criticized him for being the guest of Zacchaeus. This verse is found at the end of this parable.

The hearers are those who should have been able to recognize who Jesus was and receive him gladly. Yet, they rejected him as their Messiah and King.

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus made a similar statement, although before today I never put these two together. In Matthew 7:23 Jesus states that in the final judgment there will be some to whom he says "I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!" (NIV) Again this will be said not to overt sinners but to religious people who did things in Jesus' name.

Two questions come to mind. First, do I accept Jesus' right and authority to be King and act accordingly? Second, are the things I do in response to my relationship with Jesus or am I out doing my own thing in Jesus' name?

Honesty demands that I acknowledge that while I do seek relationship and seek to respond based upon that relationship, my fallen self asserts itself more often than I would like. These verses serve as a reminder to the result that giving self free rein will bring. Self brings heartache and separation. Selflessness brings relationship. "The first shall be last . . . "

Luke 13:17 - Do they understand the implications?

"When he said this, all his opponents were humiliated, but the people were delighted with all the wonderful things he was doing." (Luke 13:17 , NIV)

Perhaps this thought struck me as a result of this being toward the end of the election season. I have seen video of crowds roaring approval for candidates that are throwing out promises that they will be unable to fulfill due to the economic reality that there is no free lunch, someone has got to pay. I get the sense that there is a lot of emotion and very little thought which is driving the response of the crowd.

In the same way, I doubt that many understood the implications of what they were seeing when Jesus performed miracles. I assume that some who viewed these events came to faith as a result of the miracles. I also assume that some, hearing the preaching of the Apostles following Pentecost, then understood what they had seen and came to faith. Yet, my guess is that there were others, perhaps a majority, who enjoyed the spectacle of the miracles, and pursued no further reflection as to the implications of what they were seeing.

I am reminded of Paul's words to Timothy:

"For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear." (2 Timothy 4:3, NIV)

Too often, we are willingly duped by those who make us promises. We want to believe that our political party has the answers, that the one promising us full bellies and economic security is the one to lead us. We need to look past the spectacle and the promises to see what the implications are.

Jesus made no promises of prosperity or ease in this life. He does promise grace to endure. He does promise to be with us. He promises rewards for obedience. Yet, often His way is the harder one and it is easy to be drawn away.

In all the clamor of this election season, I pray we hear God's voice calling us to repentance which leads to relationship. I pray that we understand that human government cannot fix what is wrong with our society. I pray that we understand that no matter who wins in the elections, God's plan cannot be thwarted and that the Messiah who was rejected some 2000 years ago will indeed reign one day. This election is one event in the process leading up to that culmination.