THE STORY OF JESUS: Mark 11:27-33
“Who gave you authority to do this?” (Mark 11:28)
When God created humans, He gave them to lead for Him (Genesis 1:26-28).
This is our creation design; we all have authority to act for God.
This is authority to be good, to do good, to serve for the good of all.
But when Satan tricked us, we became slaves to his authority.
And he uses that authority to twist our hearts towards selfish authority.
We now look out for ourselves, and push others down on our way to the top.
Human authority now is a twisted mess of ambition, pride, greed, lust for power and cruelty.
Our spirit has become rebellious, and we are blind to God and His authority.
The religious leaders could not recognize or respect Jesus’ authority because it went against theirs.
Similar with John the Baptist, though they knew the people thought of him as a prophet.
Many who reject Jesus do so because they do not want to accept His authority in their lives.
To surrender to Jesus as Lord and Saviour goes against our twisted human nature.
And Satan regularly whispers in our minds that it will not be pleasing to submit to Jesus.
We are blind to Jesus’ authority (from God) because we are greedy for our own authority.
We are blind to our authority (for good) because we are slaves to Satan’s authority.
What a twisted mess this world has become, because we have rejected God’s authority.
The big question I hear from God today is will I surrender to His good authority in my life?
Surrender to Jesus and allow Him to restore me to all God made me to be?
Or stay surrendered to Satan, sin an death, and stay in the twisted mess this world has become.
What do you sense the Lord saying to you?
PRAYER
Lord, You have legitimate authority in my life. You want what is best for me and everyone… unlike Satan. Help me to see my bondage under Satan, and my freedom under You. I surrender to Your authority!
Jesus follower
trying to find His way
I just read your blog now! Crazy how things end up being what I am thinking or feeling about that taps into your writing words or sermons. Crazy God moment! The question for me is how does one become submissive to Christ in a world that is so…well twisted? We learn how to become submissive as a wife to a husband in a marriage. Although, to say the least – I think being submissive to Christ is perhaps more important to learn. We are losing heart. There is no doubt about it. The earth we live in on is hell-breathed it seems. We are caught up in a web tangled of lies, abuse, pain, etc. (No wonder Jesus turned the tables and drove out those selling and buying in the temple – he saw how injustice that was)
Like some vicious cycle that never ends…so as I write this. I asked how does one become submissive to Christ in a world that is so twisted? I hear Him saying this for me. “You Talia, must change your thoughts and actions from a more divine viewpoint rather than living in authority to your old way of self living life based on “worldly” viewpoints.
Easy? No not all. I mean we are born with such drive and selfishness and greed, and whatever negative things we as followers contribute to it’s twisted world. The difference is knowing God doesn’t want to keep us there. He gives us hope! Satan laughs thinking yes, I am winning. I have become the leader of the world now, those Jesus followers will become silent and one by one I will knock them down. Well, I got news for him! The rebellion of him, makes the drive much more real to do good, to be selfless, to bring hope, to bring light in a dim world. We may be losing heart, but we can’t lose hope.
Not even for ourselves but for the thousands of people who are in bondage in the world that don’t even know of His hope. Yes, when we all get to Heaven, what a rejoicing day that will be (remember that song?) things will be set right, and we can finally rest in the arms of His ever lasting love. But on earth He has called us to be that home in the midst of the battlefield. To serve, to be humble, to be gracious to those in need. Any-who – one last thing. Been reading in Mark too as you sent out that email. I really feel Jesus gets all this. I feel he went through the periods of feeling abandonment. His disciples betrayed him, he was an outcast, his own Father he felt forsaken him…that I can only begin to imagine even as he was dying on the cross all those emotions that would flood Him. Yet He knew God had a bigger purpose to set things right as in history times back then, it didn’t seem like the world was any better. Praise God for Easter because as morbid and twisted the world has become, as death as become, sin, dying on a cross which appears like the final outcome. It didn’t end there. It’s NOT the end. The Father’s love and grace for us can give us the assurance and hope because He rose again three days later.
Mark is a heavy one. It’s about identity, transformation. Luke was different in that way. I pray I can learn self-denial. That is impossible without His grace. But there is hope! Okay I am done now! 😀