The Rebellion of People Whom God Loves

Is. 1:1-9 NLT 

  1 These are the visions that Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. He saw these 2 Listen, O heavens! Pay attention, earth! This is what the LORD says: “The children I raised and cared for have rebelled against me. 3  Even an ox knows its owner,  and a donkey recognizes its master’s care— but Israel doesn’t know its master. My people don’t recognize my care for them.” 4  Oh, what a sinful nation they are— loaded down with a burden of guilt. They are evil people,  corrupt children who have rejected the LORD. They have despised the Holy One of Israel  and turned their backs on him. 

   5 Why do you continue to invite punishment?  Must you rebel forever? Your head is injured, and your heart is sick. 6 You are battered from head to foot— covered with bruises, welts, and infected wounds— without any soothing ointments or bandages. 7 Your country lies in ruins, and your towns are burned. Foreigners plunder your fields before your eyes and destroy everything they see. 8 Beautiful Jerusalem stands abandoned like a watchman’s shelter in a vineyard, like a lean-to in a cucumber field after the harvest,  like a helpless city under siege. 9  If the LORD of Heaven’s Armies had not spared a few of us,  we would have been wiped out like Sodom,  destroyed like Gomorrah.

We start a challenging investigation when we begin to read the Book of Isaiah. The prophet was famous for telling it like it was, where God was concerned. He didn't play political games with the privileged and the leaders. He was directed to speak for God and that was what he did. Many of us today run scared when it comes to speaking God's written word boldly fearing that the state and its minions will charge us with some crime. We must speak boldly for the Lord according to His inspired written Word. We must never make exception or attempt to soften what God says, but should put it forth accurately. It doesn't matter if other religions don't like what God's Word says. It doesn't matter if groups of people who have chosen to live in defiance of God's moral laws and principals think the Bible is 'hateful' or 'hate-speech.' What matters is that we just speak it forth.

In Isaiah's day the people of God were also trying to make exception for the truth of God's Word. They trying to have privilege for those in control of the government, and the Truth of the Scriptures were often laid to rest in favor of personal privileges for the religious leaders. In his writing of what God instructed, Isaiah condemned the people of Israel for their corruption. Of course not all Israelites were corrupt, just the ruling class. The poor were at their mercy and could do nothing to stop them. The Israeli rulers often cheated and persecuted the poor to line their own pockets. Come to think of it, that may not be so different from some political leaders and top administrators in major church bodies today.

God's Word given to Isaiah is pretty clear that those of us who call ourselves God's people are playing with fire when we live faithless to His teaching, priorities, and principles. The 'Chosen People' of Isaiah's day had to bear some pretty heavy consequences wherein God tried to get their attention. In modern times, the Church of God through faith in Christ may have to bear some consequence for our ineffective lifestyles. Revelation chapters 1-3 contain some pretty stern warnings by Christ to members of His churches, just like Isaiah contained warnings to those 'chosen people' for their own lack of faithfulness. God said they had rebelled.

Have we rebelled as members in the Church of Jesus Christ? Have you?

Your servant in Christ's love
Dan
drdanelliott@gmail.com

On whom are you focused for living today? Yourself? or God?

Mark 1:4-13 NLT    

  4 This messenger was John the Baptist. He was in the wilderness and preached that people should be baptized to show that they had repented of their sins and turned to God to be forgiven. 5 All of Judea, including all the people of Jerusalem, went out to see and hear John. And when they confessed their sins, he baptized them in the Jordan River. 6 His clothes were woven from coarse camel hair, and he wore a leather belt around his waist. For food he ate locusts and wild honey. 

  7 John announced: “Someone is coming soon who is greater than I am—so much greater that I’m not even worthy to stoop down like a slave and untie the straps of his sandals. 8 I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit!” 

  9 One day Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee, and John baptized him in the Jordan River. 10 As Jesus came up out of the water, he saw the heavens splitting apart and the Holy Spirit descending on him like a dove. 11 And a voice from heaven said, “You are my dearly loved Son, and you bring me great joy.” 

  12 The Spirit then compelled Jesus to go into the wilderness, 13 where he was tempted by Satan for forty days. He was out among the wild animals, and angels took care of him.

The Apostle Mark had a way of compressing lengthy episodes into a line or two. He would have made a good staff writer for Readers' Digest, I suspect. He gives us three episodes in these few verses, each of which has occupied full length books by other authors.  But, then Mark was writing for an audience of ONE-- the Lord God who inspired him. And he wrote to fulfil God's purpose and communicate God's message so it was not up to him to make the book sell-able. He simply told the story he knew in his heart-- Jesus Christ came from God, became human, fulfilled the long-prophesied sacrifice for humanity's sin, over came death, and returned to God to reconcile all who would believe back to God.

He describes the ordained herald of the Anointed Lamb of God-- John. The key point of John baptising was that Christ submitted himself to be baptized in public view, to fulfil all. While all were confessing their Sins, the One who knew no sin was baptized for their confessions, as he would later pay for their sins with his life. John's own testimony about the Christ was sufficient to settle the matter but the human leaders began to resist from that very point and continued until they had been manipulated by Satan to take the life of the Lamb of God. Of course none of them understood that they could never 'take' what was given so freely by Christ and by God.But John's voice was not the only voice. There was the voice of God, Himself saying "you are my loved Son, and you bring me great Joy."

After the baptism, Mark fast-forwards the story to Christ in the wilderness facing temptation for forty days. Other Gospel writers fill in the details, but they were not as important to Mark. His point was the Christ suffered temptation. In the other Gospel accounts we learn how potentially overpowering those temptations were. Hunger and dehydration after 40 days without food OR water! Who among us could endure that and even live?  Then being challenged to perform miracles to prove his power, if only to satisfy his needs would have been a test that few, if any of us, could have faced in our own strength, had we lived those 40 days. Afterword, the famous short cut-- just worship me and you won't have to go through all this stuff, I'll go away and leave them all alone" was what the Enemy said. Of course he lied. He could do nothing but lie so never can a promise by Satan be taken as worth anything at all. But Mark sums all this up in the phrase "tempted by Satan for 40 days." And when it was over, mark points out that God restored Christ to wholeness after his ordeal by having angels care for him.

There are other Scriptures that mention angels who care for us, as well, though we don't focus on them much and there are only a few. From some we know that even those angels don't want our attention but care for us to help us focus our attention on God and The Lamb of God, The Lord Jesus Christ.

On whom are you focused for living today? Yourself? or God?
Your servant in Christ's love

Dan

drdanelliott@gmail.com

Ready to Do Some Fishing?

Mark 1:14-20 NLT 

  14 Later on, after John was arrested, Jesus went into Galilee, where he preached God’s Good News. 15 “The time promised by God has come at last!” he announced. “The Kingdom of God is near! Repent of your sins and believe the Good News!”

  16  One day as Jesus was walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew throwing a net into the water, for they fished for a living. 17 Jesus called out to them, “Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!”18 And they left their nets at once and followed him. 

  19 A little farther up the shore Jesus saw Zebedee’s sons, James and John, in a boat repairing their nets. 20 He called them at once, and they also followed him, leaving their father, Zebedee, in the boat with the hired men.

This part of the Gospel story always amazes me. Here were these guys working at their day-jobs and Jesus calls them to follow.  He didn't just invite them to his church on Sunday, or to a one night a week Bible study. He didn't just ask them to simply listen to him preach and reflect. Jesus invited them to stop what they were doing for their full time livelihood and follow Him around, learning to minister in the new way-- through the love of Christ. He invited them to leave the kingdom of this world and step into the Kingdom of God-- which He explained was 'near.' Later on we see him explain to one of the more friendly of the Pharisees that he was "not far form the Kingdom." But these guys are 'near to it and by responding to Christ's invitation they could be stepping directly into it.

To the fisher-persons Jesus invites them to come and learn how to fish for people, catching them for the Kingdom of God. Later in the story, He invites the intellectual Nathanael to come and discover God's greater truths. The hated tax collector was invited to find a place of belonging and 'be my disciple.' You and I are called to follow Christ as well. Notice how these who became apostles responded. They left it all to follow. They had their struggles but they followed. They didn't all become 'apostles' that first day or event the first year. They were trained and chosen according to God's plan. Christ did not reveal to them what their whole life plan was to be in ministry but taught them for three years to learn to live in a day-by-day trusting faith and obedience with what they knew for the moment.

Have you realized that you, too, are called by Christ to follow without reservation? He may not have asked you to leave a job. To the contrary you may want to leave it but He asks you to stay there and be His 'salt' and 'light' in that place. He may not ask you to go to some exotic far off place, but rather to remain where he has planted you to be His witness. The whole world is now a mission field. Down town or suburban Los Angeles is no less dark and lost than the jungles of South America or the plains of Arabia. Darkness fills the earth and we are called to catch persons for God wherever we are.

Ready to do some fishing?

Your servant in Christ's love

Dan

drdanelliott@gmail.com

Has the News about Jesus Spread Quickly Throughout your Region?

Mark 1:21-28 NLT  

  21 Jesus and his companions went to the town of Capernaum. When the Sabbath day came, he went into the synagogue and began to teach.  22 The people were amazed at his teaching, for he taught with real authority—quite unlike the teachers of religious law. 

  23 Suddenly, a man in the synagogue who was possessed by an evil spirit began shouting, 24 “Why are you interfering with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!” 

  25 Jesus cut him short. “Be quiet! Come out of the man,” he ordered.  26 At that, the evil spirit screamed, threw the man into a convulsion, and then came out of him. 

  27 Amazement gripped the audience, and they began to discuss what had happened. “What sort of new teaching is this?” they asked excitedly. “It has such authority! Even evil spirits obey his orders!” 28 The news about Jesus spread quickly throughout the entire region of Galilee.

God's word tells us in many places about the authority associated with even the name of Jesus Christ. Just his name will eventually bring every being to their knees. The authority of God present was always where Jesus stood. When Jesus spoke, God spoke. Demons recognized this but people were so self-absorbed that they most often could not. The same is try today in the 21st century. God's Word speaks about truth but mankind refutes Truth with man's lies. Demons lie to humans to get them to speak falsehoods to the face of God, though they, themselves are powerless to do so.

Those demons were fearful that Jesus had come to destroy them. One day He will, along with all evil and evil ones, as well as all humans who refuse God's grace and prefer their own lies. It is a foolish thing to deny God. When you hear of the brilliant people of science, Dawkins, Hawking, and the like refute God, remember they are willingly embracing lies. When one embraces lie long enough then one loses the ability to discern truth when faced with it. Our society is lead by people embracing lie and fearing truth. God's people today must pray that His grace will turn the hearts and minds of these who are so confounded by the evil in the world that they cannot sense real Truth.

For whom are you praying today?
Your servant in the Lord's Love

Dan

drdanelliott@gmail.com

Jesus got up and went out to an isolated place to pray

Mark 1:29-35 NLT  

  29 After Jesus left the synagogue with James and John, they went to Simon and Andrew’s home.
Mark 1:30 Now Simon’s mother-in-law was sick in bed with a high fever. They told Jesus about her right away. 31 So he went to her bedside, took her by the hand, and helped her sit up. Then the fever left her, and she prepared a meal for them. 

  32 That evening after sunset, many sick and demon-possessed people were brought to Jesus. 33 The whole town gathered at the door to watch. 34 So Jesus healed many people who were sick with various diseases, and he cast out many demons. But because the demons knew who he was, he did not allow them to speak. 35  Before daybreak the next morning, Jesus got up and went out to an isolated place to pray. 

Jesus was on a mission. There were few spare moments in his days. He was going about His Father's Business and there was nothing more important to him.  What was His father's business? Reconciling fallen and lost humanity to God. Problem was, most of humanity didn't want to believe it was lost nor did it want to surrender the self-will necessary to be reconciled. Mark gives us this condensed version of Jesus' ministry hopping from encounter to encounter and painting the busy picture of our busy redeemer. One can well imagine that at the end of his days this man of God was pretty spent. But you rarely saw him show the tell-tale signs of fatigue. He was always giving. Having just delivered a man from demons, he heals Peters mother in law. Having done that, more people came whom he healed and/or delivered from yet more demons. Jesus' who cared about individuals and wanted not to make a show of any person had to endure the 'whole town' looking on, in lack of faith most usually. Powerful demonic forces that had over powered their human captives were no match for him, but they came one after another, after another, after another.

Mark didn't describe how tired Jesus must have been that evening at Peter's house but he did reveal an even more important fact. Verse 35 points out that, in spite of how little sleep Jesus was permitted to get, yet he got up early to go out and be alone with God the Father "in an isolated place." Why? because that was the only time Jesus' days were not jam-packed with needy people seeking him for a myriad of reasons and needs. Even Jesus had to be refreshed, refilled, and restored. Giving out God's power endlessly requires a time when we can be alone with and focus upon God Himself, just for Himself, and for ourselves. Tasks and needs become secondary to our need for communing with God. And most of us neglect that when we don't have to.

Can we forsake an hour of sleep in order to become refilled with the presence of God Himself and be refocused upon God's purposes instead of our own or those of the people who surround us?
Your servant in Christ's love

Dan

drdanelliott@gmail.com

Asking God, Accepting His Will, Telling Everyone

Mark 1:40-45 NLT  

  40 A man with leprosy came and knelt in front of Jesus, begging to be healed. “If you are willing, you can heal me and make me clean,” he said. 41  Moved with compassion, Jesus reached out and touched him. “I am willing,” he said. “Be healed!”42 Instantly the leprosy disappeared, and the man was healed. 43 Then Jesus sent him on his way with a stern warning:  44 “Don’t tell anyone about this. Instead, go to the priest and let him examine you. Take along the offering required in the law of Moses for those who have been healed of leprosy. This will be a public testimony that you have been cleansed.”

  45 But the man went and spread the word, proclaiming to everyone what had happened. As a result, large crowds soon surrounded Jesus, and he couldn’t publicly enter a town anywhere. He had to stay out in the secluded places, but people from everywhere kept coming to him.

I like the faith of this suffering leper. First, we notice that he kneeled. Jews did not kneel before other people, only God, He recognized Jesus' status as God With us, by his posture. Next he submitted himself to God's will. He was expressing his request to be certain, but also his willingness to be have his request go unanswered because of the greater will of the Lord.
    Our requests are to be as such. "If you are willing, Lord, I ask that________." And we ought to be as equally faithful in accepting God's answer either way it goes, whether in favor of our request or for a greater purpose. It was God's will to heal him and Jesus did so immediately and without fanfare. It happened so quietly that few may have noticed. Jesus speaks to him privately and firmly to fulfill the scriptural requirements for those healed of Leprosy, though so few had ever been healed that it would be surprising to the Pharisees and Priests had he done so first.
    This man's joy spilled out as he went. He could not help testifying to what God had done for him. His joy is understandable, though it did seem to cause Jesus to have to stay out of the towns for a time. We aren't sure if that was by God's design or it was a problem. Nevertheless, I can appreciate this formerly suffering hopeless man now cleansed. When one has NO hope, and then suddenly has ALL hope, staying quiet is not really an option.
     How about you today? Have you presented your request before God in total submission to whatever His will might be? Have you received an answer from God on something? Have you shared that joy with all whom you know? What might happen if you did?
Your servant in Christ's love

Dan

drdanelliott@gmail.com

Are You Ready to be Amazed and Praise God?

Mark 2:1-12 NLT 

  1 When Jesus returned to Capernaum several days later, the news spread quickly that he was back home. 2 Soon the house where he was staying was so packed with visitors that there was no more room, even outside the door. While he was preaching God’s word to them, 3 four men arrived carrying a paralyzed man on a mat. 4 They couldn’t bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, so they dug a hole through the roof above his head. Then they lowered the man on his mat, right down in front of Jesus. 5 Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, “My child, your sins are forgiven.”

  6  But some of the teachers of religious law who were sitting there thought to themselves, 7 “What is he saying? This is blasphemy! Only God can forgive sins!” 

  8 Jesus knew immediately what they were thinking, so he asked them, “Why do you question this in your hearts? 9 Is it easier to say to the paralyzed man ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or ‘Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk’? 10 So I will prove to you that the Son of Man has the authority on earth to forgive sins.” Then Jesus turned to the paralyzed man and said,  11 “Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!”

  12 And the man jumped up, grabbed his mat, and walked out through the stunned onlookers. They were all amazed and praised God, exclaiming, “We’ve never seen anything like this before!”

Why do you suppose those religious leaders were present? Most people were there to honestly hear Jesus teach. They were present to check to see what He was teaching. It is a bit like when a school teacher is teaching a lesson, sometimes a school leader comes to watch and make sure the teacher is doing it right and with the correct information. Teachers usually don't like that very much because teaching is their task. However, Jesus loved these leaders as much as the others so He taught them. It was only they who usually would ask questions anyway so it proved to be useful. Jesus could count on them asking the hard and challenging questions. A teacher who thoroughly knows his stuff never worries about being challenged but embraces the challenges as teachable moments.

As the Lord was shaping hearts and minds in the crowded room, compassionate friends broke through the roof and lowered their paralyzed friend right in front of the Lord. Notice that neither they nor the man had to say anything!  The friends took a great personal risk damaging another person's roof but they were so convinced Jesus could help this man that they did not hesitate. Apparently they were ready to bear any consequence to bring their friend to a state of wellness and wholeness. This faith impressed Jesus. Staring at so much lack of faith, whenever Jesus saw faith in action, he marveled at it.  But the teachable moment was there in front of him so He first forgave the man's sins. He didn't need to say it to make it happen but he wanted the man to know, and those present to know that He could forgive sins. 

The religious leaders bit the bait and protested. They opened the door for Jesus to give a powerful observable answer. Teachers should always teach with an observable objective in mind and this one was about the forgiving of sins, rather than the healing of a man. So as they protested he responded with their own words used against them and then healed the man as proof that he had authority to forgive sins. They could say nothing more. They did not repent but begin to add all these lost confrontations together, and eventually would decide to kill Jesus because they could not defeat him any other way. What a surprise would await them even then!

The rest of the people present were all amazed and praised God" the passage tells us. How about you? Are you amazed at Jesus Christ? Do you praise God for what Christ did, has done, is doing, and will do in your life?

Your servant

Dan

drdanelliott@gmail.com