GOD’S WILL
Today’s Reading: Mark 3
Click scripture link to read online or HERE to listen online (then click the symbol of the audio speaker above the scripture portion on the right-hand side).
Capernaum has many traces of earlier societies. Found among its ruins is this grinding wheel which could work even today.
GOOGLE MAPS – See where Reynold took the photo Click HERE.
Key Verse: Mark 3:35
…For whoever does the will of God is My brother and My sister and mother.
In the first three chapters, the word “immediately” is used 11 times. Peter told the stories to Mark, who wrote them down. Peter was an “immediately” man. He believed in “do it now.” Jesus mentored him in this.
The healing of the withered hand united three religious groups in opposition to Jesus. An unclean “religious spirit” motivated them. Even “His own people” (probably relatives) thought Him “out of His mind” (verse 21). The warning against the one who “blasphemes against the Holy Spirit” (verse 29) is most serious. The primary work of God’s Spirit is in bringing people to Jesus for Salvation. Rejecting Jesus until death is unforgivable because one never asks for forgiveness.
Finally, how do we do “God’s will?” We live our lives as a true “brother, and sister, and mother” to Jesus (Jesus’ true Father is God and Joseph had passed away). All I must do is follow Jesus ever so closely.
PRAYER FOR TODAY:
Lord God, I pray fervently that I will do Your will, acting “immediately” on that which You’ve taught me through Your Word. May this daily blog light up “God’s will” so that I may see You with insight and live accordingly. In Jesus’ Name, Amen!
100 PERSONAL WORDS:
My blog photo from two days ago is of the synagogue in Capernaum. It’s a third century structure, but you can see the original foundation from the time of Jesus when you visit. In our Holy Land tour this November (you are invited – click here for info), I plan to read Mark 3 to our group on this very spot, God willing. It brings the activities of Jesus alive for us all. My mother and father visited this sight on their honeymoon in 1924. They were missionaries next door to Israel, in Egypt. I lived as a child on these stories and over and over I looked at their pictures. Miss Brown, a missionary in Jerusalem, loaned my parents her Model T Ford car. Dad said he backed up the hills of Palestine (before Israel became a modern state), because the car’s gas supply was gravity fed, and if the tank was lower than the engine, he’d run out of gas. Well, that’s not really important, but I enjoy telling these stories.
Yours to help us all do “God’s will,”
David
Love your words of encouragement through these writings pictures bring back memories of my trip to Israel this March
Please pray for me today that God’s will be done in my family gathering. I need strength and protection from the evil one.
We pray for Your loving arms around Ger, today, Heavenly Father, as she gathers her family together, at her home, to celebrate this day. Let the presence of the Holy Spirit be felt with an ever-flowing sense of peace calm gentlness and love in the hearts mouths and bodies of everyone present. We bow down to You, dear Lord, that old patterns of relating dissipate and fade away as the newness from Your grace takes over. May Your blessing upon Ger be visible as a glowing sister of Christ to her family members that it so inspires them. We pray for Your mercy grace and love to all of Ger’s family, Lord, to enjoy a beautiful day, together! We give You all the thanks glory and praise for the blessings You have afforded in her life on the beautiful eastern shores. Amen!
Have a great day with your family, Ger!!!
Amen!
Psalm 46:10 (NIV)
He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.”
Amen Sister Beverlee. I stand in agreement with your prayer for Christ’s beloved Ger!
I enjoy following your blog. I find wisdom and enlightenment . Thank YOU for sharing YOUR thoughts and<3 with me. You are a good big brother I have grown to love! May THE LORD continue to BLESS you ENCOURAGE you, Help you and GIVE you HIS BEST!
We were raised not to do work on Sundays. To this day I feel guilty even doing laundry on a Sunday. My sister who goes to church every Sabbath says that’s just living in bondage. Some day I hope to be able to intelligently argue that point. There’s so many good books and people out there. Answers can be found if we just seek them. Jesus healed a man’s hand on a Sunday and justified it.
Thanks Reynold for the grinding wheel pic.
So then Mark is just writing down what Peter has told him?
I love your story about the gravity-fed gas supply on the borrowed car Rev. DM. Had nine brothers so always heard and saw how things worked.
God bless us all this beautiful Saturday.
It is rather funny to hear people refer to God’s way as bondage. I wonder if their child told them they didn’t feel like following the rules of the house because it is bondage what kind of response would they give that child?
Anyway God is all about free choice, you are free to follow the standards He put out there– all designed for our benefit, not His, or not.
But like St. Paul said, we all need to follow our conscience and those who have a weaker conscience should not be made to feel bad for doing what they believe is right. If you feel doing laundry on the Sabbath is dishonoring God, then don’t do laundry, but don’t do it, to honor God, not out of fear of punishment. If you do laundry, do it to honor God without fear.
You don’t have to convince others to do anything, just explain why you chose to do it. If you chose to honor the Sabbath, by not doing any work, explain why you are doing it— as a means to honor God, not because someone has a gun to your head forcing you do something you really don’t want to do.
But just be prepare there will be some who will mock you for it, but others will watch and when they see your sincerity and see God blessing you for willingness to listen to Him and do what He prescribes is best for you, then you might win then over with your silent witness. Be at peace— and God bless
Amen!
Thank you Donna.
Our thoughts and prayers will be with you all as you tour Israel in November 2014. I still remember David telling us all to “Fear not” as CNN told us of the numerous missiles flying from Gaza at that time.
I too appreciate your fascinating stories and never worry if you exceed your self imposed quota of a 100 words!
Shalom,
Graham.
2012 Holy Land Yellow Bus.
Pray I get the money for me and my husband to go to yhe Holy Land
Ger I will pray I know what its like with family gathering esspecially when
they don’t know God the way you and I do.
Hope you have a nice Saturday
Lianne
This is my reply to your last statement in today’s blog……..it may not be really important but we LOVE hearing your stories and this is what makes your writing so enjoyable and worth reading!! I like the way you are able to intertwine God’s word with interesting little tidbits of personal information. Thank you David Mainse!
Amen!!!:-)
Mark 3 spoke to me so deeply as did your message, David Mainse. Every point in your summary was crucial. Jesus healed the man with the withered hand (v. 5). Religious rules and regulations gravely held onto by organizations, churches, groups and individuals are meaningless compared to having compassion and love for one another. Healing through the Spirit of God is what matters and will bring unity where there is division. The healing of the withered hand spoke metaphorically–as within, so without. Love inside our hearts minds spirits and souls will transform into our outer physical wellness. Even “His own people” (probably relatives) thought Him “out of His mind” (v. 21). That holds so true when we are dismissed as crazy because of our love faith belief in God and worship to Jesus–amen! Indeed, the warning against anyone who “blasphemes against the Holy Spirit” (v. 29) is vital. The primary work of God’s Spirit is leading people to salvation through Jesus Christ. Rejecting Jesus until death is unforgivable because one never asks for forgiveness.
According to Matthew Henry’s commentary, Christ purchased forgiveness for the greatest sins and sinners. Many of those who reviled Christ on the cross (which was a blaspheming of the Son of man, aggravated to the highest degree), found mercy, and Christ himself prayed, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they have done.” This was blaspheming the Holy Ghost, for it was by the Holy Spirit that Jesus cast out devils, and they refuted that it was by the unclean spirit (v. 30). By this method they would outface the conviction of all the gifts of the Holy Ghost after Christ’s ascension, and defeat them all, after which there remained no more proof, and therefore they should never have forgiveness, but were liable to eternal damnation. They were in imminent danger of that everlasting punishment, from which there was no redemption, and in which there was no intermission, no remission.
Carrying out “God’s will” on earth as it is in heaven, we follow in Jesus’ footsteps. Thank you David Mainse–amen! Blessings fellow saints!
David
Thank you Thank you Thank you
This blog has been a God Send
I’m on my second go round and getting more and more out of my readings with your help and encouragement
This past year this blog has helped me thru some extremely difficult times
and I do feel that this has been an answer to my prayers
Thank you Rev. David for the simple and clear way you explain the scriptures.
I had a good laugh reading your story about your Dad having to drive the backwards up the hills
Marks’ gospel was the first one presented to me and opened my understanding to receive Jesus in my heart in 1970.
once again, thank you Reynold for the unique picture!
I certainly am gleaning insights from the 2nd time round..PRAISE THE LORD! I’m thrilled to meet new readers! I often go to my catechism and review what I learned ever so many years ago! the 3rd article..I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ my Lord, or come to Him; but the HOLY SPIRIT has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me the true faith.” I am so thankful and overwhelmed! I chuckled at the story about driving the car backwards up the hill, you gotta do what you gotta do! My dad used his belt to keep the car going. A belt broke and we were 20 miles from home in the spring on Sunday after church, lots of mud on Alberta country roads (decades ago) we made it home. It’s interesting how those memories are important. Thanks to David Mainse. I also have found it very healing to remember some of the memories because I didn’t have the happiest childhood, alcohol was a problem, but I had parents, grandparents, uncles, aunts who were Christian people. Somehow in all the growing up, some of my relatives were not as kind as Jesus was and this was very confusing to me. Because I was told, do this, be this, act this way, but my role models were a little different. I was very confused HOWEVER because I knew that God forgave our sins, I knew that I was supposed to forgive all those who hurt me , and with God’s help I did. (it took years) forgiveness is a never ending road so I am still in the forgiveness process but I am praying that my children will forgive me. And with God’s help I am getting better at saying “well, maybe there might be another answer or another reason why things are this way or that way”
Discipline is what I needed to read the Scriptures daily HOWEVER if I miss a day, I can always make up for it tomorrow. PRAISE GOD FROM WHOM ALL BLESSINGS FLOW!
David,I simply want to say, I love your stories and am thankful for your teachings. God truly blesses who ever listens. Thanks be to God.