Tag: God

Mark 9:43

If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, where the fire never goes out.

Jesus and his disciples escaped the crowds by going to a small fishing village called Capernaum, which sits on the edge of the Sea of Galilee. There, Jesus is giving some private lessons to his twelve disciples. Vv. 33-50 of chapter 9 change subject a number of times, leading one to believe that the writer of Mark is giving us just the highlights of the teaching. Vv. 43,45 and 47 follow the same teaching: ‘if x causes you to stumble, get rid of it. It is better to enter heaven impaired in some way than be thrown into hell.’

As usual in the interpretation of verses there is a range of extremes that interpreters see in verses. On the less extreme end, these verses could be interpreted as talking about the church, and that it is necessary to get rid of a member if they are causing other members to stumble. On the other extreme end, Jesus is telling everyone to chop their hands off and get rid of their eyes, as there is no one that has not used these parts of their body for sin. Verse 42 may offer us a clue for what the following verses are referring to:

Mark 9:42

“If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them if a large millstone were hung around their neck and they were thrown into the sea.

This is such passionate language from Jesus. He is passionately against people that cause believers to stumble, and one can imagine that if it is better that someone dies on earth rather that cause a believer to stumble, whatever is in store for them on the day of judgement is not going to be joyful. With this in mind, v. 43 and it’s companion verses would then be talking about the church, or the body of Christ. Two major points remain:

1. Can we apply vv. 43,45,47 to the context of our physical body causing us to sin?

Until a really studied this verse, I thought that it could apply to our literal eyes. I have sinned through my eyes. I don’t know you, but I’m guessing you could attest to the same issues, and so we should all have an ‘eye going away’ party. But notice that the verses say ‘Our x causes us to stumble.’ My eye doesn’t cause me to stumble. My sinful heart wants to sin, and I use my eyes to stumble. Blaming my eye or hand or foot for something I did wrong would not even stand up in an earthly court room, and there is no reason why an infinitely wise God is going to judge with lower standards. Cutting off a body part is not going to stop our sinful hearts. We stumble from the sinful heart; to only way to get rid of that is using God to transform our hearts.

2. Are we the body parts that should be cut off?

Although we have concluded that we shouldn’t cut off our physical body parts because that’s not going to stop us from sinning, what should we do with the body parts (people) in the church who are causing others to stumble. It’s not our place to kill people that are causing others to sin; the role of judgement is God and God’s alone, but it certainly is our place to approach that person in love and help them see what they’re doing is wrong. But what if I am the body part that is causing others to sin? That is the biggest question, and from the passion that God talks about this issue, it is a question that we should all be asking ourselves daily. Are we causing others to stumble? A really quick and easy solution to this problem is to know whether our actions are loving to other people. If you’re loving everyone around you to the standard that God calls us to, you can’t be causing them to sin. They may sin, but you can’t, and shouldn’t take the blame. You can rest easy knowing you have done all that is humanly possible. Of course, this is far easier said and done, but from this verse we can see that God holds a very high standard for us in our interactions with people around us. We are only to love others, and only cause them to see God’s goodness and glory, never stumble.

ASK YOURSELF: How are you causing others to stumble? What can you do within your power to stop them from stumbling and to instead see God’s glory through your actions?

Romans 12:2

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

It’s almost like following Romans 12:2 gives us a superpower in a way; being able to determine what is right and wrong.  By being able to look at a situation or scenario and being able to test whether it is aligned with God’s will, ‘is it good, pleasing and perfect?’, we are able to not only make choices that will affect others in a positive, good and pleasing way, but our choices will affect ourselves in a good and pleasing way. As Paul writes in his letter to the Romans, everything God wills is good, pleasing and perfect. Unfortunately, us humans are not able to truly master the ‘perfect’ part of the test, because we’re not perfect. We even struggle to understand practically what ‘perfect’ means when it comes to God’s will. We know in our hearts that God’s perfect will is everything he does is to lead us into a closer relationship with him, but practically when raging wars happen and millions of die of diseases, it’s very hard to see the ‘perfection’ in that all. Using Romans 12:2 as a guide, we can come up with two steps for looking at the world around us, the situations we are in at home, work and abroad, and determine if it is right or wrong.

Step 1: Renew your minds

‘Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.’

A runner needs to train daily to win the Olympics. A scientist needs to study and research to write their dissertation. A manager needs to constantly refine their strategy to ensure the best outcomes for the company. A Christian is no different. If we want the ability to determine right and wrong, we need to train, and train smart. We need to train our minds to be renewed. But with most efficient training, it’s not about the quantity, it’s the quality of the training that builds strength and increases abilities. We want to renew our minds by being deep in God’s word and understanding who he is, what he stands for, and what the Gospel means for our everyday lives. Going to church once a week, bible study groups once a week isn’t going to cut it. I know I’ve had to make an incredibly conscious decision to study my bible daily and pray daily. It definitely started as a quantity thing; making sure I studied three verses a day and prayed for about two minutes in the morning. But over time, my heart has longed to learned more and more, and I find myself just start praying to God at the most random times, praising him for all he’s doing in my life, even when life is as fun as a bed of live chickens.

Step 2: Test and approve

Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

While you’re renewing your mind, start practicing the testing and approving. Think about everything you do in your day. Choose one task and give it the test; ‘Would this activity be pleasing to God? Is it good for me and others? Would a perfect God approve of it?’ Chances are if there is even an inkling in your head and heart that something might not be pleasing to God, there’s a good chance you should explored further. Don’t just assume ‘it’s not any good or pleasing’, but determine why it’s not good and/or pleasing. If you just do the first half, you’ll probably replace the activity with something else that’s just as not good and just as unpleasing; satisfying the same desire you had before.

Even as I write this, it is a scary process for me. How many things in my life is just me either denying that they are unpleasing to God, and how many things do I not want to change because they bring me fleeting joy and satisfaction? But gaining this ability will enable you to stop future unpleasing activities before they even start, enabling you to focus more on things that will give you real peace, real joy and real strength; God’s got all that covered for you if you seek him out.

Colossians 3:14-17And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

I walked into church on Sunday morning with my mind thinking about business, not God. I was thinking about writing ideas; how I would relax that afternoon. My mind was far away from worshiping God with my brothers and sisters in Christ. I came to this realization as I mindlessly sang along to the worship songs. That’s the thing about when you sing the same songs over and over; although they get stuck in your head, it makes it really easy to forget about what you’re actually singing. Therefore, the question comes: Where’s my passion for God gone, and how do I get it back? I do daily devotions, I write this blog, I do daily prayer, I’m involved in ministries at Church, and yet I don’t feel connected to God.

When do we feel most connected to God? For me it’s when I come to the heart-knowing fact that I am a sinner that falls so far short of God’s interest. That’s when I have meaningful prayer times, read good Christian books and listen to ear-opening good Christian podcasts. Often that heart-knowing fact that I’m a sinner comes after I’ve sinned, but I can’t recommend a diet of sinning to experience that. Instead, I’ll just stay on the diet of sin that I’m already on. I’m always a sinner, even at the moments I think I’m not sinning, I’m boastful in my own strength. I’ll always need Christ to rule in my heart. Colossians 3:14-17 is a fantastic guide to worship. We need to do all with thankfulness in our hearts to God. I have so much to be thankful to God for.

To answer my own question, I believe my passion for God goes when my mind is not constantly dwelling on God. Although I can very neatly go through the motions of prayer, bible study, worship and ministry, they are as helpful as sitting in a room and staring at a blank wall if my heart and mind are not on fire for God, throughout the day, every day of the week.

1 Corinthians 10:31

So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

I firstly acknowledge the blessings I have that I am able to choose the career I want, and access training and technologies that allow me to pursue many different pathways. But all this said, which career do I choose? Paul says in his letter to the Corinthians to ‘do it all for the glory of God’. How much priority should I put on providing for my family versus spreading the gospel? A very high paying job in a management position will have less opportunities to share the gospel than a far lower paying job as a school chaplain, or even a third-world missionary.

I believe providing for one’s family is vitally important. Paul even says so to Timothy:

1 Timothy 5:8

But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

But I think the whole purpose of the gospel is to provide to the needs of those around you. Not the physical needs, but the spiritual needs, which are incredibly vital. Therefore I think the answer to the question is ‘both’. We need to find a career, or enable our careers, to be one in which we can both provide for others (family), and have opportunities to share the gospel. The thing missing from that career? Our own wants and desires. Our own ‘need’ to rise up the corporate ladder or feel worth from our colleagues and/or bosses. I have always struggled with this; knowing I can be fully satisfied by God’s love and don’t need the approval of others. But when we have those criteria in our minds; providing for family, having opportunities to share the gospel and ultimately doing it all for the glory of God, it really opens the doors to many, many, many different careers and opportunities.

Mark 10:27

Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.”

Jesus said to a crowd of followers as he traveled in Judea. Mark 10 is one great quote after another from Jesus. He lays out what it means to be a christian and answers questions that still burn in modern minds like: ‘What must I do to inherit eternal life?’ and ‘Is being rich going to help me when I die?’.

The question that leads into verse 27 comes from one of his disciples in verse 26:

The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, “Who then can be saved?” (Mark 10:26)

And so Jesus answers “With man [being saved] is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.”

The first point to be made about this teaching is that without a proper relationship with God, it is impossible for us to be in heaven. No amount of earthly works will get us into heaven if we don’t know God. For me, this is always a relief to know, because I’ll never be as good on earth as other people I know, but I also know people who act in ways far below the standard God calls for. But in God’s eyes, all of us are on a level playing field, and all of us can ask Jesus into our hearts, which is pretty amazing.

The second point about this teaching is in the second part; ‘all things are possible with God’. ‘All things’ is a lot of things. In my mind ‘all things’ makes me think of getting a million dollars, becoming the world’s best basketball player and/or flying. I don’t know why ‘flying’ but I feel the power of flight would be handy. We know this can’t be the case because of verse 25:

“It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” (Mark 10:25)

Earthly possessions, positions and powers (both social and super) distract us from our spiritual needs for God. So what are ‘all things that are possible with God?’.

Everything. Creating a universe. Rescuing the Israelite from Egypt. Allowing a virgin to give birth, and many other miracles in between. But God only causes things to happen that are in line with his goals, not ours. And one of his top priorities? Forming relationships with us humans, which is mind boggling. So God will give grace upon grace, through his son dying on the cross, so that we can be in a right relationship with him. If he needs to make some miracles happen for a relationship with him to happen, I believe it’s possible for God. The person you believe has no chance to form a relationship with God and be in glory? All things are possible with God.

Don’t give up hope and prayer for the lost.

 

Everybody knows people who are unsaved. That is; people who don’t have a relationship with God and therefore are condemned to spend eternity in hell, in separation from God.

That’s pretty heavy if you can fathom even a glimpse of how wonderful it will be to be in God’s presence for eternity. So the question comes; how much pressure should we put on ourselves to ensure that our family and friends are there to join us in everlasting joy and peace?

John 6:65

He went on to say, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled them.”

Ultimately, it is God that does the final conversion. He is the one who sets the relationship between himself and an unsaved person. There is nothing we can say or do for someone else that gets them into a relationship with God; it can only be done through that person putting his faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. But what is the role we play? Paul says:

Romans 10:14-15

How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher? How will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news of good things?”

It is certainly said many times through the Bible it is our role to display God’s love to others through our words and actions, and ultimately spread the gospel of what Jesus has done for us on the cross. If we are a true believer, displaying God’s love should come naturally to us, whereas telling the literal gospel to a family member or colleague may require a fair amount more courage. We should not, however, put so much pressure on ourselves that it causes us to worry when those dearest to us are not recognizing the need for God in their lives. As long as we are doing what God calls us to do, in the end it comes back to their choices about being in a relationship with God. It’s sad and even devastating when we see our loved ones so lost, but ultimately it’s God and that person that needs to do the toughest parts.

In our sadness and brokenness about the state of the world around us, it’s important to surround ourselves with loving brothers and sisters in Christ, but more importantly we have God to comfort us even in the hardest, most confusing times.