Sooie, Pigs, Sooie

Mark 5
Jesus suffered him not, but saith unto him, "Go home to tell thy
friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for
thee, and hath had compassion on thee."

LET IT GLOW

There was a man who was possessed of unclean spirits, devils, that
lived in caves. When the man saw Jesus, he worshipped Jesus. Then
Jesus commanded the many devils to come out of the man and enter
swine, about 2,000 scripture says. The swined ran into the sea and
drown.
I wonder if the owner of the pigs was calling them, "Sooie, pig, sooie,"
as they ran towards the water. (The owner lost his swine because of this
man's deliverance.) Just a thought. I hear the phrase often
since I live in "Razorback Country", which is near the University
of Arkansas, whose mascot is the razorback hog. Perhaps you have
heard us "call the hogs" at ball games. (Free Tidbit)

I often tell friends about the great things the Lord did for us while
we lived elsewhere for 17 years. I know He had compassion on me
and my family.

LET IT GROW

In verse 22, a ruler of the synagogue, Jairus, came to Jesus. His
daughter was dying and and he asked Jesus to come lay hands on
her so she would be healed and live. While Jesus and Jairus were on
their way, they were interrupted, and Jesus took time to heal the woman
with the 12 year blood issue. By that time, a messenger told Jairus that
his daughter was dead so don't bother the Master.

What did Jesus say to the ruler? He said, "Be not afraid, only believe."
Then Jesus went to the girl and told her rise. Immediately she did, and
walked, also. What was the reaction of the people? They were
astonished with great astonishment, verse 42 tells us.

I find it unusual that Jairus was a ruler in the Jewish synagogue, who
came to Jesus with his problem. His group of people were the very ones
who conspired to kill Jesus-the scribes and Pharasees. However, he
didn't let their attitude about Jesus influence him and keep him from going
to Jesus for help. (If he had, would his daughter have lived?)
He obviously had the faith that Jesus was talking about because Jesus
healed Jairus' daughter.

Do I allow others to keep me from going to Jesus? Do I let their
attitudes influence me? What do I miss when I do?

LET IT GO

Tell of the great things the Lord has done for me.
Share His compassion.
Don't allow others to discourage me from going to Jesus and
following Him.
Do I allow others to keep me from Jesus?

Tooty-Fruity

Mark 4
Let us pass over unto the other side.
                                               Mark 4:35b

LET IT GLOW

Jesus had a purpose for going to the other side of the sea-so the
disciples would experience His peace and power, and so a man
would be delivered from unclean spirits.

Does Jesus want me to pass over to the other side? Are there
attitudes and things that I need to leave behind and go? Do I need
to stop living by sight and pass over to living by faith?

Israel crossed over the Jordan River into the Promised Land. They
left an old way of life, one spent wandering in the desert, and entered
into a new way of life, trusting God to defeat their enemies and
lived in very fruitful land..

I don't want to miss out on my "Promised Land" because of lacking
faith to pass over to the other side.

LET IT GROW

One of my favorite desserts is ice cream. A fond childhood memory of
mine is my sitting on top of the old, blue, handcranked  ice cream
freezer as my dad turned the crank while sitting on the back step.
(The weight pushed down the ice and salt rock around the container of
liquid, supposedly.) It was worth every minute of having a cold bottom
and listening to his complaints of sore arms.  Oooh, that lucious first
summer's bowl of banana or strawberry homemade ice cream that Mom
mixed up. It was out of this world! What I wouldn't give to have one
now.

When I read the scriptures about the sower, the seed, and the ground,
it reminded me of ice cream. Yes, ice cream. You see, my heart is like
the ground where the seed is sown. The seed is God's Word.

My heart can be like "Rocky Road" ice cream-rough with chucks of
sin, where Satan snatches God's Word away.

My heart can be like "Blackberry" ice cream-dark spots where the
materialism, world, and riches choke out the Word of God.

My heart can be like "Tooty-Fruity" ice cream-sweet, lucious. The fruit
of the Spirit is evident and spread around to others. It brings forth fruit
that is thirtyfold, sixty, and one humdred fold as much as God's Word
grows in my heart.

I definitely want my heart to be like Tooty-Fruity ice cream. (I hope
there is such a flavor. If not, then I invented a new kind.)

LET IT GO

Have faith to follow Jesus when He leads me to cross over to the other
side.
Allow God's Word to grow in me so I can be sweet as Tooty-Fruity.

A Strong House

Mark 3
For He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
Hebrews 13:5

LET IT GLOW

In this chapter, where did Jesus go?

• the synagogue (verse 1)
• to the sea (verse 7)
• up the mountain (verse 13)

Wherever I go, I take Jesus with me because He is living in my heart.
Like Hebrews tells us, He won't leave us.
I take Him to church, work, walking, to the store, on vacation.
Am I taking Jesus places He wants to go or does  not want to go?

LET IT GROW

The house I live in is probably 80 years old. Four years ago, a very
high wind came through and blew against it. Still  the house stands. Its
foundation is strong.
The wind was so powerful that it uprooted many trees around the house
and took the tops of two trees on both sides of the house. It collasped
our barn and part of an old chicken house. How powerful my God is!
I am grateful that His hand of protection was on our house.


"And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand,"
Jesus was speaking in verse 25.

I remember the song from Sunday School as a child: " The Wise Man
Built His House Upon the Rock." In the song, the rains came down and
the floods came up, but the house on the rock stood still. What
happened to the house built on sand? It went splash. So build your life
on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will stand firm.
 (Matthew 7:24-27 is the story.)

My house, which is my life, is built upon the Lord Jesus Christ and His
teachings. I want to stay in agreement with His Word,and  obey.
If I don't, then my life to be divided and  fall apart.

I want a strong house, family, that withstands the storms.(So far, it has
stood 37 years.) It  needs to keep Jesus as its foundation. When the
children were home, we would discuss family matters with each other
and be in agreeement. The family stood firm and was not divided, so it
did not  fall apart.


LET IT GO

Be aware of where I am taking Jesus throughout the day.
Keep God's Word in my heart.
Have unity in my family.

What a Dinner Party!

Mark 2
But that ye may know that the Son of  man hath power on earth to forgive
sins, (he saith to the sick of the palsy.)        Mark 2:10

LET IT GLOW

Jesus ate at the home of a publican, Levi. Other dinner guests were
tax collectors and disreputable sinners. What a dinner party!
When the Pharisees saw this, they asked the disciples,"Why does he eat
with such scum?"
Publicans were tax collectors; they took bribes; they were corrupt;
they were ornery and sinful (my description).

When Jesus heard this, He told them, "Healthy people don't need a
doctor-sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they
are righteous, but those who know they are sinners. (verse 17 NLT)
[my emphasis]

I am so grateful that Jesus, who is the "Bread of Life" and the "Living
Water", spiritually speaking, dines with me, a sinner. His Word daily fills
me and sustains me.

Jesus was selective all right. He chose to eat with people who needed
Him as Savior, like me.

Do I share this Bread and Water with other sinful scum like me? Am I
selective with whom I eat?


LET IT GROW

In the first part of chapter 2, we read a familar story of the four friends
who took their paralyzed friend to Jesus for healing. I think they cared
a lot about this man  because they carried him through town on a mat.
Also, I think they had a lot of faith in Jesus' healing power.

When the five arrived at the house where Jesus was staying, it was
crowded. So crowded that they could not get inside, so the friends
carried the paralytic up on the roof. They lowered him down in front
of Jesus. What determination and love. They didn't say,"Oh well, we
tried" and left. No, these friends did whatever it required to get their
friend to Jesus.

In verse 5, Jesus seeing their faith said to the paralytic, "My son, your
sins are forgiven."  Wait. Hold the phone. Did He say the man's sins
were forgiven? That's blasphemy! Only God can forgive sin. These
were the thoughts of the scribes. Of course, Jesus could read their
thoughts.

Jesus asked the scribes which was easier to say the man's sins were
forgiven or to heal him.
"But in order that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on
earth to forgive sins," He said to the paralytic, "I say to you, rise, take up
your pallet and go home." verses 10-11 NAS

Jesus proved that He had the power, authority, to forgive sins. Praise
God! Immediately the man stood up, picked up his mat, and went
outside.

How did the onlookers react? They were amazed and praised God. "We
never seen anything like this," they said.

LET IT GO

Do I love my friends enough to do whatever it takes to bring them to
Jesus?
I don't want to be selective with whom I eat, but share Jesus with all.

Immediately

Mark 1

LET IT GLOW


When my children were growing up, I often responded to their "Mom"
call with a "Wait a minute." That wasn't what they wanted to hear and
they would keep calling me until I came to them.
I am so glad that Jesus doesn't wait, but answers immediately.

The word immediately is used over 40 times in the book of Mark.
It means now, instantly, promptly, instantaneously, directly, straightway.

I found this word, immediately, or its synonyms, used 10 times in
chapter 1:

1. when the Spirit like a dove came upon Jesus-verse 10
2. when the Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness-verse 12
3. how soon Simon Peter and Andrew followed Jesus-verse18
4. when Jesus called James and John as disciples-verse 20
5. when Jesus taught in the synagogue at Capernaum-verse 21
6. how the news about Jesus spread-verse 28
7. when they went to Simon & Andrew's house-verse 29
8. when they told Jesus of Peter's mother inlaw's sickness -verse30
9. how soon the leper was healed-verse 42
10. when Jesus sent the healed leper away-verse 43

Jesus didn't waste time. He had the Father's power and He changed things
immediately. When He spoke to or touched someone, His command
happened right them.
How do I respond to Jesus? Is it later, when I make the time? The
disciples responded immediately when Jesus called them.

LET IT GROW

And in the early morning, while it was still dark, He arose and
went out and departed to a lonely place, and  was praying there.
Matt. 1:35 NAS

Jesus went alone and prayed. It was dark and early in the morning when
He went.Since Jesus is my example, I should pray early in the morning,
alone, in a quiet place. My prayer time is sometimes outside on the porch
swing; sometimes it is in my living room; sometimes it is while I'm walking
on the treadmill. I call it my "meeting with Jesus" time. Do you have a
special place and time to meet with Jesus in prayer?

LET IT GO

Be faithful in my prayer time.
Listen, then immediately respond when Jesus calls me.

Woman's Work is Never Done

Matthew 28
And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I
know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here: for He
is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.
                               Matt.28:5-6

LET IT GLOW

It sure is a nice feeling when housework is caught up, dishes and laundry
are done and I can relax. It doesn't last very long though, because it is
soon time for another meal, someone changes their dirty clothes, or
something needs to be put away. Whoever canned the phrase "woman's
work is never done" must have been a woman. Do I hear an amen?
But that's life. We serve our family out of love.

In today's scripture, we see three women, Mary Magdalene, Jame's
mother Mary, and Salome (Mark 16:1) going to Jesus' tomb to annoint
His body for burial. They were up and at it at the crack of dawn. This
work took priority before their housework. They couldn't have done it
earlier because of the sabbath. What do I do at dawn? Am I reading
God's Word and praying?

Did they let the earthquake stop them from fulfilling their purpose?
No, in fact they were blessed with an encounter with one of God's
angels. What if they had been too sleepy or too busy with housework to
make the walk to the graveyard? Would they have missed this
experience of a lifetime?

An angel encouraged the trio to see for themselves that Jesus' body
was not in the tomb. They did and knew for a fact, first hand, saw with
their own eyes, that "Jesus had risen!"  With fear and great joy the
women ran to tell the disciples. Hey, wait a minute. Why had the men not
come to check it out, to see if Jesus had risen as He said He would?
Where were these guys? They went back home and life was back to
the usual, fishing.

At any rate, this trio was blessed and double blessed-they had an
encounter with the RISEN LORD JESUS. In verse 9, Jesus spoke
to the ladies, "All hail." They knew who He was, no question about it.
How did they react? The women fell down at His feet and worshipped
Jesus. Oooh, should we do any less?

LET IT GROW

This group of women were on a mission trip. The angel told them to go
quickly and tell his disciples that Jesus was risen from the dead, and He
would meet them in Galilee. They encountered Jesus and He told them
to do the same thing. Was this an important message or what?

Go quickly, go tell, go ye. Sounds like a lot of going to me. I like to go.

At the end of the chapter and the end of the book of Matthew, we read
about Jesus giving the 11 disciples the Great Commission in verse 19-20:

"Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the
Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Teaching them to observe
all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you
alway, even unto the end of the world.

Where is Jesus sending us? Into our world, next door, around the block,
in another state, or in another country He sends us. Why? Our purpose
is to share the good news of our Risen Savior.

LET IT GO

Here I am Lord, ready to go into my world with the greatest news of all
times-Jesus Christ has risen from the dead! Remind me throughout my
day that "I am on a mission trip." Use my mouth to share Your love
around my world. I want to teach Your Word. I want to obey Your
calling. I want to support and pray for other missionaries as they go and
tell.

Not my will but Your will be done.

What Shall I Do?

Matthew 27
Pilate saith unto them, What shall I do then with Jesus which is called
Christ? They all say unto him, Let him be crucified. Matt. 27:22

LET IT GLOW

Monday I was leaving for the dentist with ten minutes to spare. I thought
that was good for a Monday morning. When I backed out of the
driveway, there was a cow coming down my country road. I thought to
myself, "What shall I do? Oh, I have plenty of time to open the gate and
let her into the pasture." NOT
The cow trotted in the opposite direction. I got into my car and drove
after her. She turned around and went back, into my driveway. Her
baby was even bawling on the other side of the fence. How hard is it to
just walk through the gate? Apparently the c-o-w wanted to do it her
way, because she never did go in for me. I called the owner and left
with her trotting down the road.

She must have been put back into the pasture because after 2 hours I
returned and she was no where around.
I realized that I have been like that old cow-stubborn, going my own
way when Jesus opened the gate for me. Many times.

What shall I do with Jesus? Do I take Him with me throughout the week,
or leave Him at church? Do I talk with Him along my country road of
faith? Do I listen to Him as I read His Word?
Pilate listened to those around him. He should have listened to his heart
and to his wife. What shall I do with Jesus?

LET IT GROW

In verse 46, Jesus said,"My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken
Me?" His Father turned away from Jesus. Why? Because God cannot
look upon sin. Jesus had everyones' sins upon Him.

Who else forsook Jesus while He was on the cross?
priests, Pharisees, Saducees, the crow, Judas, religious people,
Roman leaders, disciples (except Peter and John), followers (except
the 3 Mary's, Martha, and Lazrus) and Salome, one thief on the cross,
Joseph the tomb owner

Jesus didn't come down; He stayed and endured the pain of the cross.
He loved you and me so much that He took our place so we don't have
to pay for our sins. What love!

Just a small crowd remained faithful to the end to Jesus.
Where are the 5,00 men and the 4,000 men He fed?
Where are all those people He healed? Those He cast demons
out of?

They forsook Jesus. I don't want to forsake Jesus. I want to be
a true and faithful servant to the end.

LET IT GO

Surrender my life to Jesus.
Seek His way, not mine, then do it when I find out what it is.
Go through the gate when He opens it.
Stay with Jesus, don't forsake Him.