Possessions - How do you use them?

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Bible Reading - Mark 11:1-19  

Imagine that I just bought a new car. It is just the model I dreamed about, the pearlescent metallic paint is looking great, the alloys are really cool and the leather seats are ….well what can I say! I have only one problem. Someone has asked me to take a new family (with their children, mucky feet etc) on a very important journey. What should` I do?

 

The passage we are reading today can teach me a lot about how I use the things I own. I do not know how the man came to meet Jesus or if and when he had agreed to give the Him the use of his donkey and colt. All we know about this man is that his house was at a crossroads, the village was not far from Bethany (a village that often frequented), the animals were kept outside and the man knew who the Lord Jesus was.

 

The Lord Jesus knew just how the man would behave. He knew that the man would be quick to respond to the request and generous, v.3. He knew that he was responsible and would not let anyone walk away with his property, v.5. He knew that he would lend the animals to Him willingly, v.6. I wonder what the Lord Jesus would say about me.

 

What did the man achieve by giving his animals to Jesus?

 

1. He helped fulfil scripture as recorded in Matthew chapter 21 verse 4, on the day the Lord Jesus came into Jerusalem as Messiah.

2. He showed his obedience to the Master.

3. He used what he had for the Lord.

4. He hid in the shadows but allowed the Lord Jesus to walk in the limelight.

 

Searching Questions – Do I use what I have for the Lord Jesus? Do I bring the Lord Jesus out into the open or do I promote myself by how I live? 

PS - these lessons are aimed at people who are already believers in Jesus Christ.

God’s plan for public services

 

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Today’s suggested Bible reading - Mark 10:28-52

The Lord Jesus really shook people up, particularly his disciples, with his teaching. I can only imagine the shocked looks on their faces when he announced that for anyone to be great in his Government, they would need to serve everybody, v44.

 

How different to the way this world operates! Power goes to people’s heads. When they get important jobs, they want to be recognised for their status. There are certain things that they don’t do anymore. Some privileges go with power. 

 

It is so different, or it should be, in the world of the Christian. The Lord Jesus was teaching that only humble people are really great. Only people who serve others can be recognised as important, v43, 44. I am not sure about you, but I know that this teaching is not the natural way that I think. So, I need to pray and ask for the Lord’s help to understand this teaching. I also need His help so that my behaviour is ‘in line’ with the teaching.

 

I wonder how this teaching should affect how I behave. Will I be more interested in what I can do to help others from now on, Phil 2:4? Would I be happy to work hard if it saved another person the effort? Are there any jobs that I think are beneath me that really I should do for the Lord Jesus?

 

One of the great things about this truth is that the Lord Jesus is not asking us to do something He will not do. He came to serve and not to be served, v45. The biggest proof was His death. He laid down His life to pay for my salvation. Is there anything that I would not do for Him? 

What is a friend?

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A genuine friendship is the binding and bonding together of two people. Friendship is always preceded by self-giving. The first friend in the Bible was God Himself. God's first gift to Adam was another friend. God determined from the beginning that 'it was not good for man to be alone'. Friendship is based on the type of love, which is a desire for and a delight in the well-being of the one loved. This leads to an active and self-sacrificing effort on their behalf. God, Himself is the very essence of friendship.

A friend is someone we can be ourselves with. A friend is someone who knows our weaknesses and respects our strengths. It has been said:'The only way to have a friend is to be one'. A friend is a source of sunshine when we are under the weather; who believes in us when we cease to believe in ourselves. A friend is a source of celebration when we feel there is nothing to celebrate. A friend is someone who walks in when the rest of the world walks out. 

Look at me I’m great!

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Short Reading – Mark 9:30-37​Longer Reading – Mark 9:30-50

Key Verse – Mark 9:34

The human mind is an amazing thing. I have the ability to listen to someone talking and at the same time be thinking my own private thoughts, which could be a million miles away from what the other person is saying.

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In Mark chapter 9, the Lord was teaching his disciples about his betrayal, death and resurrection on the third day. The disciples did not understand what the Lord meant nor did they want to admit it or to ask him questions. I have noticed that I am a bit like that. My questions and doubts are no different from anyone else’s but I often do not ask simple questions in case I look silly. Join me in trying to be more honest; it will be better for all of us in the long run.

 

While the Lord was speaking the disciples were carrying on another discussion in the background. The sad thing was that the Lord Jesus was telling them about his future suffering while they were discussing which one of them was the most important, v. 34. My first reaction is to be quite critical – imagine me talking about how great I am while the Lord is explaining how He is going to suffer. On reflection, I have to admit that often I am so taken up with my life and the things that are going on in it that I fail to appreciate what the Lord suffered for me. 

That day the disciples were to learn a lesson that I need to learn. To be first in God’s kingdom, I need to be last of all; to be great in God’s eyes I need to be small in my eyes.

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