Break time

Ok so I am crazy busy this week and have no time to do a proper study in Mark 9. And then in eight days we will be in America soooo I won't have any time do anything but visit people. So Break time is now! Sorry for those of you who are just getting back after Christmas! Did this year hit you as hard as it hit me? Man I don't know what is going on? So I will be back in April after Easter! God bless and keep your eyes focused on Jesus!

Mark 8

I love that we again find Jesus among a large croud of people. Hungery people at that. And not having food enough for them selves the disciples were probaly a little worried but Jesus was there, He had compassion on them. Doesn't he always? He is always conserned about us and that is a huge encouragment to me! I am also amazed at these people who were fallowing him. They had traveled a long way and I am sure some of the mothers were thinking "we are running low on food", and yet they stayed and listened to Jesus. They loved him and knew that what he had to say was more important that food. Many of them may have been fed the time before and knew that he would take care of them! Jesus took the bread and gave thanks to God for it and gave it. And I love what always happens, when they are full there is leftovers! He always gives to his children abudantly! He is trustworthy over and over again! Even though so many people right now in our time are loosing their jobs and homes we can still trust God to provide for us. Yes we must make wise choises and dicitions but as long as we trust and obey our father in heaven we will be taken care of! What a blessed asurance!
Verse 10 remindes us that there are always those who doubt, who question, who tempt. Jesus had to deal with the Pharisees yet again. This time they wanted signs but Jesus spoke to them saying there will be no signs for them. You would think that after seeing him perform miricles and healing people they would believe. I am glad we have God's word to remind us of what he has done for us. God has saved us and yet we doubt during times of great trouble forgetting that he has promised us that we will face great trials but that he has over come them. I am so greatful that he is patient with me.
He then startes to worn the disciples of the "leaven" or ways of the Pharisees. And they start thinking of bread or their lack there of. Jesus has to explain to them again. Hello! Didn't he just make enough bread to feed four thousand out of seven loaves he will provide for you too. They just did not understand. We are humans and think on a fleshly level, we need to be more sirit minded. I tot today out of 1Tmothy 4 about how we are to exercise godliness for that will profit us not only in this life but for eternity. We need to have our minds transformed, renewed by the Holy Spirit and God's word.
Then as they arrive in Bethsaida a blind man is brought to him and he again heals this time out side the city because this city had refused him earler, but he still had compation on this man who had faith in him.

I am going to stop here for now because I want to study more on verses 27-38. I love this story it gets me all excited and ready to face hard things and I want to save it for next week! I hope you don't mind. Again I want to remind you that your in put is welcomed. I don't know it all or any but I know God speaks to me through his word so I will continue to share with you ladies as long as you want. I also want to remind you that I would love to pray for you! I can't see you or met with you but prayer just helps me connect to people. I would love to minister to you ladies in this way! Thank you for jumping on this bandwagon!
May God Bless you this week!
erin:)

responce to mark 7

I also wanted to say, I know Jesus was perfect and was bringing the truth to the table and like you said it was hard to hear. He was going against all they knew and believed in. So my question or though was did he offend people in a perfect way? So that in doing so he never had to apologize for hurting some one or "offending" them? I am in a different culture and trying to be culturally sensitive but the truth is that God's word is clear on some things and across the board no matter what culture you are from it is hard to hear that you are wrong, but I feel that when I do step on toes I must be sorry. What do you guys think?

Mark 7

Pharisees, they were the proud and self righteous, those who in their own minds were better than every one else. as I read this I saw me! I am at times just like these men clinging to what I think is right and forgetting to LOVE. I often pray asking God to guard my heart and more so my mind. I to often consider my self better than others when I should be doing the opposite. I go to church, I lead a Bible study, I have moved across the globe to share the Gospel to a native people and yet I still fail in this area. I know we are not perfect but when will I ever get it? I fear that I too like these Pharisees might honour Jesus with my lips but my heart will be far from him. that I too lay aside the commandments of God and hold to the commandments of men. I think it is a healthy fear of mine. It keeps me humble and always reminds me that my ways are not his ways and that I need to completely lay my life at his feet every day. I need to cleans my mind with his Holy Word, that I need to confess my sin and run to his arms for forgiveness. This is where these men whet wrong they forgot that it is not what goes in a man that defiles him but what comes out! We can not forget that all thing are good and that we only need to thank God and use all things for his glory.
I love how Jesus leaves the temple and seeks to find a place to rest and of course he is found out and instead of getting up set and telling the people to go away he listens to them and then heals the young girl and the deaf man asking them to tell no one, but of course they tell every one about it. Do you blame them? I could not keep such a miracle quiet either. But they were amazed at his power to heal.
Jesus is so kind even when he is tired he still has patience to listen to a woman's need, he truly cares for us all. I must thank his for his is so good to me also. He is worthy of praise! He is all mighty and powerful. I am so glad I can trust him and his Holy Spirit to keep me safe. I know the devil wants to bring harm to me and that God will allow certain things to come my way but I also know that he is the author and perfecter of my faith and he will not allow these trials or tests over take me but will always provide a way out.
Sorry I have been lagging! but I am back on track this week. I was going through a really trying time last week and it made me think that may be we could also add prayer requests to our blog here. I pray for the ladies who I know are reading this but I would love to be able to pray more specifically and if there are any woman out there who are reading this and haven't contacted me please let me know who you are and how I can pray for you. I am studying Tagalog in the Philippines and feel I could be ministering to those in the US by praying for them! God Bless! See you all next week.