Maple Carrot Cupcakes
Cupcakes-
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs
1 cup canola oil
1/2 cup maple syrup
3 cups grated carrots (about 6 medium)
Frosting-
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Walnuts, optional
In a large bowl, combine the first six ingredients. In another bowl, beat eggs, oil and syrup. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in carrots.
Fill 18 greased or paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full. Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks. For frosting, combine the cream cheese, butter, sugar, syrup and vanilla in a bowl; beat until smooth. Frost cooled cupcakes. Add nuts if desired. Store in the refrigerator. (Makes 18-24 cupcakes)
Fill 18 greased or paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full. Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks. For frosting, combine the cream cheese, butter, sugar, syrup and vanilla in a bowl; beat until smooth. Frost cooled cupcakes. Add nuts if desired. Store in the refrigerator. (Makes 18-24 cupcakes)
Friday May 29th-Walking in Wisdom
Mark 14
This chapter has a lot that I could talk on but I am going
to focus on the Lord’s Supper.
Participating in the Lord’s Supper is a very serious thing. I did not know how serious till the Lord
showed me. And how was I going to teach
my children to participate?
Mark :22-25 And while they were
eating, He took a loaf [of bread], praised God and gave thanks and asked Him to
bless it to their use. [Then] He broke [it] and gave to them and said, Take.
Eat. This is My body.
He also took a cup [of the juice of grapes], and when He had given thanks, He gave [it] to them, and they all drank of it.
And He said to them, This is My blood [which ratifies] the new covenant, [the blood] which is being poured out for (on account of) many.
Solemnly and surely I tell you, I shall not again drink of the fruit of the vine till that day when I drink it of a new and a higher quality in God’s kingdom.
He also took a cup [of the juice of grapes], and when He had given thanks, He gave [it] to them, and they all drank of it.
And He said to them, This is My blood [which ratifies] the new covenant, [the blood] which is being poured out for (on account of) many.
Solemnly and surely I tell you, I shall not again drink of the fruit of the vine till that day when I drink it of a new and a higher quality in God’s kingdom.
Matt. 26:26-29- While they were eating,
Jesus took some bread, and after
a blessing, He broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat;
this is My body.” And when He had taken a cup
and given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you; for
this is My blood of the covenant, which
is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins. But I say to you, I will
not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it
new with you in My Father’s kingdom.” [Amp.]
I Cor. 11:23-33 - For I received
from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus in the
night in which He was betrayed took bread; and when He had given thanks, He
broke it and said, “This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance
of Me.” In the same way He took the cup also after supper, saying, “This cup is
the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” For as often as you
eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.
Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord. But a man must examine himself, and in so doing he is to eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For he who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself if he does not judge the body rightly. For this reason many among you are weak and sick, and a number sleep. But if we judged ourselves rightly, we would not be judged. But when we are judged, we are disciplined by the Lord so that we will not be condemned along with the world.
So then, my brethren, when you come together to eat, wait for one another. If anyone is hungry, let him eat at home, so that you will not come together for judgment. The remaining matters I will arrange when I come.
Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord. But a man must examine himself, and in so doing he is to eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For he who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself if he does not judge the body rightly. For this reason many among you are weak and sick, and a number sleep. But if we judged ourselves rightly, we would not be judged. But when we are judged, we are disciplined by the Lord so that we will not be condemned along with the world.
So then, my brethren, when you come together to eat, wait for one another. If anyone is hungry, let him eat at home, so that you will not come together for judgment. The remaining matters I will arrange when I come.
These verses
in I Corinthians are what stood out to me, it was when I realized that taking
the Lord’s Supper was a very serious thing.
We are to examine ourselves, while I knew this I did not see the
seriousness of it until I saw the next few verses. For he who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to
himself if he does not judge the body rightly.
Wow! We are to judge ourselves rightly…whatever
does that mean?
II Corinthians 13:5- Test yourselves
to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize
this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you—unless indeed you fail the test?
Psalm 94:12 - Blessed is the man
whom You chasten, O Lord,
And whom You teach out of Your law;
And whom You teach out of Your law;
Have you
truly surrendered yourselves to the Lord Jesus Christ? Are you in the faith? Do you remember the day you accepted Christ
in your life? You may not remember the
exact time or place but you knew that He changed you and was now living in you.
Examine-To inspect carefully, with a view to discover truth
or the real state of a thing [1828
webster’s dictionary]
Psalm 139:23-24- Search me, O
God, and know my heart;
Try me and know my anxious thoughts;
And see if there be any hurtful way in me,
And lead me in the everlasting way
Try me and know my anxious thoughts;
And see if there be any hurtful way in me,
And lead me in the everlasting way
Psalm 26:2 - Examine me, O Lord, and
try me;
Test my mind and my heart.
Test my mind and my heart.
Ps 7:9; Prov 17:3; Jer 11:20; 1
Thess 2:4 – in these verses you will see that it is God who examines and
searches our hearts.
The only way we can truly examine our hearts is by God’s
Word. We go to Him and ask Him to reveal
to us anything that sets itself up against Him.
That He will show us where we are not surrendered to Him. We all sin and quite often sometimes, but He
is faithful!
I John 1:9 - If we confess our sins,
He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all
unrighteousness.
Before receiving the Lord’s Supper, make sure you are His
child, confess your sins and believe
that He has forgiven you, then you are free to participate in the Lord’s Supper
with a clean slate. If you find that you
are not right with the Lord, then I encourage you to not participate until you
have made it right with him or if you need to make it right with someone else.
When my children were young and had accepted Christ as their
Lord and Savior and had been baptized, was when I would walk them through the
process of taking it correctly. I would
do it with them each Sunday that we participated till they truly understood.
II Corinthians 13:14
- The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship
of the Holy Spirit, be with you all.
Lyn
Reading: Mark 13
There are many wonderful accomplishments of man to admire in this day. Just look around at all of the things that man can build. Tall skyscrapers, expansive bridges, beautifully ornate palaces and cathedrals. During the virus crisis, I was impressed when hospitals were erected from nothing in a matter of a couple of weeks. It’s sometimes mind blowing what humans can design and manufacture. It’s ok to admire the talent and accomplishments of humans, but what we have to guard our hearts against, is what is known as humanism.
What is humanism? The dictionary definition is: an outlook or system of thought attaching prime importance to human rather than divine or supernatural matters. Humanist beliefs stress the potential value and goodness of human beings, emphasize common human needs, and seek solely rational ways of solving human problems. In other words, humans are of supreme importance and God is left out of the equation. If you observe, humanism is a popular part of our culture and society.
Jesus warned us against becoming more attached to the secular world than the spiritual. He warned his disciples to place their hope, trust and security in the eternal, spiritual things that He represented vs the temporal beliefs and accomplishments of man because nothing originating from man was going to stand the test of time. This included religious beliefs and practices created by man.
“And as he came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, "Look, Teacher, what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!" And Jesus said to him, "Do you see these great buildings? There will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down."” (V1-2)
Jesus emphasized that everything we are familiar with in this life that we can see, hear, touch, feel, taste, etc is fleeting and will not be forever. What we can cling to, however, that will never change or fade away, are His Words. “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.” (V 31)
When we cling to what cannot be taken from us and cannot be destroyed, we find an anchor that will help us to endure the trials and challenges of this life. By holding to what endures to the end, by embracing who endures to the end...we can remain faithful to the end because He helps us. We can not stand alone. We have to let Him strengthen and equip us.
“And when they bring you to trial and deliver you over, do not be anxious beforehand what you are to say, but say whatever is given you in that hour, for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit.” (V11)
“And you will be hated by all for my name's sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.” (V13)
There are many deceptions, discouragements, enticements and distractions that Satan wants to use to sway our focus, our beliefs, and our allegiances. He wants to derail our time, our interests, and our passions. He will do anything to put us into sleep mode and put our focus on what is of this world. Even “good” causes, and endeavors can shift our focus to man and away from God’s will and purposes. That’s why Jesus warns us to stay alert, stay awake.
“Therefore stay awake—for you do not know when the master of the house will come,
in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning— lest he come suddenly and find you asleep. And what I say to you I say to all: Stay awake."” (V35-37)
Are you going to endure to the end? Are you going to focus more on what wins you the applause of man or God? Are you going to spend your time, resources, and talents on man’s glory or seek to glorify God? Are you going to attend to the voices of man and culture as they try to dictate your worth, identity and value or are you going to find your true value in being “ a child of God”? Where do you find your wonder and awe? Is it in the grand accomplishments of man or the supernatural awe of the Creator of the Universe? For those who set their hopes on the eternal and endure to the end, the reward will be worth it all!
“And then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. And then he will send out the angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.” (V26-27)
Today's Scripture Passage: Mark 12
What do you have to offer Jesus?
The more I read the gospels the more I love Him. God, who left paradise, where He was worshiped day and night, came down to earth to be sought after, tried and crucified for you and me. What can I give Him in return for everything He endured for me?
Perhaps all this time He was only seeking to teach His followers; those who would be left to build His church very soon. We see this is the case in the last paragraph of Mark 12;
"And he sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money into the offering box. Many rich people put in large sums. 42 And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny. 43 And he called his disciples to him and said to them, “Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. 44 For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.” (Mark 12:41-44)
Jesus sat down to teach His
disciples several very important lessons through this one act of the widow.
We’re often impressed by the
size of the gift or act of kindness, but not Jesus. Mark was careful to tell us
that, “Many
rich people put in large sums.” (v. 41) But
the sum of all they were giving did not seem to impress Jesus at all. The truth
is we can give large sums of money as well, or serve others until our hands are
blistered and our back is sore, but it may all be to very little advantage to
us except that it may impress others.
Jesus explains in Matthew 2:21-23, “Not
everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of
heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many
will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name
and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never
knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’
Imagine how sad this scene
will be one day when these people will finally realize that all they had done
was not good enough to admit them into heaven.
Jesus wasn’t saying that unless we give all we have to the church it won’t matter. No, Jesus wanted
them, and us to realize that this widow’s act of generosity was a work of God
in her heart. This is why Jesus valued it as so much, it was God at
work in this widow’s life.
God is not looking for us to
give up all our material possession, or time and talents to help others. All
God desires is our heart, our entire being. He told us as much in Mark 8:34, “…"If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny
himself and take up his cross and follow Me.” Our cross is our purpose,
or reason we’re here.
It
also goes along with His greatest commandment which Jesus had just finished
teaching on, “One of the teachers of the
law came and heard them debating."... “Of all the commandments, which is the most
important?”
“The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel
When we are wholly
surrendered and totally in love with our Savior and Lord, I believe we’ll
discover an endless supply of grace and blessings.
We don’t know what happened to this poor widow
after she gave up all the money she had, but I’m sure she was well cared for by
God all the rest of her days.
How wonderful it would be to
have a heart that is wholly sold out to our Savior and walking so intimately
with Him that we would never have worry about our future.
Jesus wants that for all of us too!
Blessings,
sue
My
study bible says, “Forgiving others is tough work – so much so that many people
would do anything totally distasteful than offer forgiveness to someone who has
wronged them. For a person to pray while
bearing a grudge, however, is like a tree sprouting leaves and bearing no
fruit.”
According to psychology, here are some reasons why
forgiveness is so difficult. One reason
is because we can hold onto memories longer.
We think about the past and hold onto what caused us the hurt.
Another
reason is there is too much anger that causes a lack of self-control. Our emotions can be so strong and blinding
that forgiveness is the last thing on our mind.
But often, we may choose to be angry about a situation because it feels
right to us. It gives us a false sense
of empowerment.
We
may be too scared to forgive in fear of getting hurt again. This defense mechanism is developed over time
to protect us from getting hurt again.
We
may believe that the person who offended us deserves punishment. Interestingly, when we hold a grudge against
someone, it may be our attempt to punish them and how we gain a sense of
self-control and power over being hurt.
But sometimes that punishment can be unresponsive and ineffective if the
person is not aware that they have offended you. In reality, you may be carrying the heavy
burden of a grudge while the other person is moving on with their life.
And
lastly, you may find it difficult to forgive someone if they never made you
feel understood or heard. So, it is
easier to justify your decision to hold onto that resentment. After all, why should you forgive the other
person when they did not treat you well, right?
But this only causes the both of you build your walls higher.
As
we read Mark 11, it is no surprise that this passage on forgiveness ends with
the story of Jesus calling out the people in the temple on having the
appearance of godliness, but having no fruit or substance of a relationship
with God.
Jesus
finishes this section with a reminder of what the fruit of godliness looks like. It is not just outward actions, but an inward
heart change. Specifically, Jesus tells
us that a true disciple of His will forgive others.
Jesus
pulls no punches in this verse. He
starts out by saying that forgiving others is so important that you should even
pause your prayer to do so.
Has
someone ever come to mind while you are praying, and you wonder why? Well, Jesus goes as far to say that, “…forgive
them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.”
What
does Jesus mean by saying that? We see
throughout scripture that God was the first to act on our need for forgiveness
and salvation, and that He did so despite all we did and who we once were. God saved us when we were still enemies
(Romans 5:10). We only love because He
first loved us (1 John 4:19). And if
this doesn’t help to humble us, none of us were even seeking God to begin with
(Romans 3:11). What does that mean that
God will not forgive us if we do not forgive others?
Turn
to Matthew 18:21-35 to read the parable about the man who owed an excessively
big debt and his lender forgave him that debt.
Shortly after, this man refuses to forgive someone else’s much smaller
debt and threatens him with his life.
The previous lender finds out about how awful this man treated the other
and renounces his forgiven debt consequently for treating the other man so
poorly.
What
we learn from this parable is that God takes our life change very
seriously. We are not saved by our
works, and God’s grace and forgiveness is purposed to bring about a change
heart.
God’s
plan is to save us from the punishment for our sins (Romans 6:23), to give us a
new hearts (Ezekiel 36:26), to fill us with new motives (1 Corinthians 10:31),
and new empowerment (1 Timothy 1:7) to live a new life that he has called us to
(Titus 2:11-14).
Here
the kicker – this new life is not an option.
It flows naturally from our forgiveness.
Which
leads me back to the question (which comes first, the chicken or the egg?) does
God forgive us because we forgave others?
Or do we forgive others because God forgives us?
What
we can learn from Jesus’ parable and the rest of scripture, is that God
forgives us and empowers us to forgive others.
But, if we are not actively trying and asking God to help us to forgive
others, then how can we possibly say we have been forgiven by God and love Him
(1 John 4:20)
Or
to put it another way, forgiving others is a sign that we have been forgiven by
God. And any lack of forgiveness towards
others is a sign that we have not experienced God’s forgiveness.
I
apologize this is so long, but I believe we need to understand something here;
forgiveness is always possible, but reconciliation is not.
As
important as it is to note that Jesus calls us to forgive others, it doesn’t
always mean that things will work out.
Simply look at Jesus’ life – we will not be on good terms with everyone,
but we can still forgive everyone.
Paul
reminds us in Romans 12:18 that we are to “live peaceable with all” but only “so
far as it depends on you” recognizing that sometimes the issues we have with
others are simply on their end and there is nothing we can do about it.
This
doesn’t give us freedom to write someone off as a lost cause, as we are called
to love generously and especially those who hate us, but we also shouldn’t bear
the weight of a two-way relationship all on ourselves.
We
can forgive and still not receive reconciliation between ourselves and the
other person if they refuse.
Although
we talk about our empowerment coming from God, we often hinder ourselves to
only self-help methods and motivational talks which is the exact opposite of “empowered
by God”. Not only does self-help and self-motivation only last temporarily, but
God also tells us that nothing we do can be pleasing to Him without our actions
coming out of our faith in Him (Hebrews 11:6).
If our motivation is one of self-attainment and simply doing better, we’ve
completely missed the point.
In
regard to forgiveness, I have heard people encouraged to think about how much
God loves the person you ought to forgive and if that God can forgive them,
then so should you. But this is nothing
more than hype and motivational talk, and not found in scripture.
Of
course, God loves them, He’s perfect.
But how does that help me to love them?
Here
is what the Bible tells us to do:
Instead of focusing on the people you ought to forgive, you need to
focus on the God who has forgiven you.
Scripture tells us that our forgiveness does not come from seeing God
forgive others, but as an overflow of God forgiving us.
When
God forgive us, He doesn’t simply wipe the slate clean and then tell us to try
harder; He gives us His spirit to teach us and help us (John 14:26), to
encourage us (Acts 9:31) and empower us to follow Jesus (2 Timothy 1:7).
The
Holy Spirit is God’s gift to all believers when we are saved! And it is through Him that we become more
like Jesus – including our growth in forgiving others (Acts 2:38).
Do
you need to forgive someone? Do it now.
Do
you need to ask someone for forgiveness from?
Go ask for forgiveness. Do your best
to bring reconciliation, as much as it depends on you.
Forgive
Repent.
Love
others like Jesus.
Have
an amazing summer as we rest from writing,
Lisa
Monday May 25, “Walking In Wisdom”
Memorial Day. A holiday usually celebrated with family, bbq’s and pool parties. But not this year. This year is different. This year people are social distancing, unable to see their families. Others are in despair over how they will feed their children and pay their bills. And sadly, many more are hurting over the loss of a loved one taken from a virus unheard of just a short time ago. This year there doesn’t seem much to celebrate.
Although fondly known as the unofficial kickoff to summer, Memorial Day is actually a day set aside to honor the men and women who gave their lives serving in the United States military. A holiday meant to mourn loved ones who have passed, but more importantly to celebrate the sacrifice of others. And there is no greater sacrifice to celebrate, then of Christ Jesus. He sacrificed His place in heaven ruling with the Father to come to earth. He sacrificed all the pomp and circumstance befitting a King to live as a pauper. He sacrificed His own needs to tend to the needs of others. He sacrificed His pride, allowing His jailers to mock and spit upon Him. He sacrificed His body to be tortured and beaten beyond recognition. And most gloriously of all, He sacrificed His life, dying nailed to a Cross so that we could live eternally.
One of greatest lessons we can learn from Jesus is the beauty of sacrifice; a lesson James and John would soon be taught. While on the road to Jerusalem Jesus “took the twelve aside and began to tell them what was going to happen to Him.” (vs. 32) Yet instead of appreciating the immensity of the suffering Jesus would soon endure, or celebrating the greatness of His sacrifice, the two disciples thought instead about the greatness of themselves. They approached the Lord asking, “Grant that we may sit, one on Your right and One on Your left, in Your glory. But Jesus said to them, ‘You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or be baptized with the baptism which which I am baptized?’ They said to Him, ‘We are able’.” (vs. 36-39)
Without truly knowing the depths of the Lord’s sacrifice, or the agony He was about to suffer, James and John were quick to agree to sacrifice and suffer along with Him. All in the name of become great and bringing glory to themselves. They didn’t understand the true meaning of greatness. For Jesus says greatness isn’t found in power and glory, instead it’s measured by our ability to live lives of sacrifice as servants and slaves to others. “For even the Son of man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.” (vs. 45)
Even in this time of trial, the greatness and sacrifice demonstrated by Jesus is all around us. It can be found it in the medical professionals treating the sick, in the front-line workers keeping the economy running, and in communities helping to meet the needs of others. So yes, this Memorial Day is different. But we still have much to celebrate.
Pico De Gallo
5 Roma Tomatoes, chopped
1 medium Onion, chopped
3-4 Jalapeño or 2 Serrano peppers, seeded and chopped
1 tsp. Garlic, minced
1/4 cup Cilantro, chopped
2 tbsps. tomato paste (optional)
1 tsp. Salt
2 tsps. Lime juice
Today’s Scripture: Mark 9
In today’s scripture in verses 1-8, Mark describes how
magnificently “Jesus assumes his glory during the Transfiguration at the top of
a mountain- shining in dazzling white clothes and revealing himself as worthy
of worship” (iWorship Bible) Imagine the marvelous scene Peter, James and John
witnessed, that they were stunned by the miraculous sight! (vs. 7-8)
After coming down from the mountain: “When they came [back] to the [other nine] disciples,
they saw a large crowd around them, and scribes questioning and arguing
with them.” The father of a suffering
boy explained to Jesus that his boy had been tormented by a spirit for so many
years and he came seeking for help:” I told Your disciples to drive it out, and
they could not do it.”, he said (vs.18b)·
The apostles had failed in their attempt to drive this
spirit out of the boy! Didn`t they have the sufficient faith to do so? (vs. 19) And since
the boy’s father witnessed this, his faith
waivered too!
Then the boy’s father continued saying:
“ But if You can do anything,
take pity on us and help us!” 23 Jesus said to him,
“[You say to Me,] ‘If You can?’ All things are
possible for the one who believes and trusts [in Me]!” 24 Immediately the
father of the boy cried out [with a desperate, piercing cry], saying, “I do
believe; help [me overcome] my unbelief.” (Vs. 22-24) In the nest verses we discover how Jesus with
His love and compassion healed this child!
Have you presented one or more prayer requests to God and are
still waiting for the answer? Has it been a long time? Has this apparent delay
strengthened your faith, or not?
“All things are possible for the one who believes and trusts [in Me]! (9:23)
This promise seems so simple, but it is powerful! We
need to believe and trust in Jesus, in His Faithfulness!
C.H. Spurgeon explains it this way:
“The presence of Christ is victory to His Church: the
absence of the Lord Jesus entails disgraceful defeat. O armies of the living
God, count not on your numbers, rely not on your strength; reckon not upon the
ability of your ministers; vaunt not in human might; nor on the other hand be
discouraged because ye are feeble; if He be with you, more are they that are
for you than all they that are against you. If Christ be in your midst, there
are horses of fire and chariots of fire round about you.”
We have many examples in the Bible, of apparent
delays from God to the prayers of some characters: Abraham and Sarah, Moses,
Elijah and Joseph. How about Hannah, one of my favorites in 1 Samuel 1:
“… but the Lord had given her no
children. 6 Hannah’s rival provoked her bitterly,
to irritate and embarrass her, because the Lord had left her childless. 7 So
it happened year after year, whenever she went up to the house of the Lord, Peninnah provoked her; so she wept
and would not eat.” (Vs.:5-7)
“ Hannah was greatly distressed, and she prayed to
the Lord and
wept in anguish…” 13 Hannah was speaking in her heart (mind);
only her lips were moving, and her voice was not heard, so Eli thought she
was drunk. 14 Eli said to her, “How long will you
make yourself drunk? Get rid of your wine.” 15 But
Hannah answered, “No, my lord, I am a woman with a despairing spirit. I have
not been drinking wine or any intoxicating drink, but I have
poured out my soul before the Lord…”It
came about in due time, after Hannah had conceived, that she gave birth to a
son; she named him Samuel, saying, “Because I have asked for
him from the Lord.” ” (Vs.:12-15, 20)
I waited for 12 years for the birth
of my youngest son, who we named Samuel. But when I became pregnant after the
joyful surprise and we praised God for this miracle, we later discovered my
uterus had many tumors growing on it which made the pregnancy a great risk both
for the child and for me. While seeking God in the midst of this situation, He
took me to 1 Samuel 1, and Hannah`s faith and perseverance were an example for
me!. We praise God that through this difficult situation we experienced a
powerful and Faithful God (Sam is now 23)!!
So remember: “All things are possible for the one who believes and trusts [in Me]! (9:23) Let us seek,
cry and pray, and continue praying like Hannah did. We must keep on believing and never be moved
away from it by what we see or feel. We must stand firm on His promises, and
trust that even that apparent delay is an answer to our prayer requests. But
there is a powerful purpose for this, and as we wait in Him, He will equip us
and strengthen our walk in faith!
Blessings,
Mari
Reading: Mark 8
I read through this chapter many times because there is so much to process and meditate on. What stood out to me, though, was the question Jesus asked his disciples. “Who do you say that I am?” And I thought about how much we hear during our lives about various opinions, concepts, and ideas that others have about Jesus. But, Jesus is asking each of us the same question and we are required to answer that question on a personal level. What would you say if asked by Jesus “ Who do you say that I am?” More importantly than your words, what would your actions reveal about what your heart truly believes?
As the disciples are discussing (and we can assume fretting) because they forgot to pack food for their journey and only have one loaf of bread, Jesus asks: “Why are you discussing the fact that you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive or understand? Are your hearts hardened? Having eyes do you not see, and having ears do you not hear? And do you not remember?” (v17-18). He reminded them about not one, but two occasions where they had been in this same situation and witnessed his miraculous provision. Aren’t we much the same though in our human reasoning. We forget all the times Jesus has provided and helped us. We forget who He really is and how we can trust Him to provide for our needs.
Jesus indeed is glad to show us miraculous signs and wonders but only if those signs and wonders are for a truly seeking and respectful heart. He wants to bolster our faith and enter into a relationship with us. But do we seek Him or what He can do for us? When we have other motives for coming to Jesus, he doesn’t want to waste His time. Just like the Pharisees who had evil motives for asking things of Him. “The Pharisees came and began to argue with him, seeking from him a sign from heaven to test him. And he sighed deeply in his spirit and said, "Why does this generation seek a sign? Truly, I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation."” (v11-12) What are your motives for approaching the lamb of God?
If, like Peter, we confess that we believe Jesus is the Christ, do we then reject the things He tells us or asks of us that we don’t want to hear or face? Do we cling to His words and accept His will or do we let Satan take over our thoughts and control our reactions? This is a spiritual battle that may test our beliefs in Jesus often. But Jesus can rebuke Satan. And just like Peter, Jesus can forgive us and restore us to Him when we are truly repentant. He doesn’t give up on us but He does ask hard things of us. If we believe He is Christ, the Savior of the world, then we know that no matter what He requires of us, He has given us the security of our soul and there is nothing else in this life that matters. “And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it. For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?” (v34-36)
So, ask yourself, as you think about your life and it’s purpose and value.....
If Jesus stood in front of you right now and asked “ Who do you say that I am?”, what would your true answer be? And ask yourself this also. Do you know “of Him” or do you earnestly seek to “ know” Him? He already knows each of us intimately and personally and He longs to make Himself known to us intimately and personally. It’s why He came to earth and suffered so much. We are precious in His eyes but is He precious in our ours?
