July 9, 2013
SCRIPTURE: Mark 1:14-20
OBSERVATIONS/APPLICATION
The good news: God’s better world has arrived, repent and receive it!
Jesus signals the restoration of God’s better world; He is a human being like Adam was created to be, God’s child and God’s reflection, to whom God entrusted authority over all creation (Genesis 1:26-27).
This world, the very world we live in right now with all it’s sin and misery, is once again under Adam’s rule; now Adam (Jesus) and His children (disciples) are spreading into the world extending God’s new order (Matthew 28:18-20).
If we join with Jesus, we enter into the kind of life we were made for, the God life, the good life!
As we live and love like God, following Jesus’ example, we start to see God’s better world arise.
This is good news, our world does not need to stay trapped by injustice, abuse, immorality, misery.
But to experience it, we need to repent (admit what is hindering God’s better world in us) and surrender ourselves to Jesus and to the God-life – the Adam-life – that He models, and that He makes possible for us through the Spirit.
Our task remains the same as Adam and Eve’s, to live ‘like God’ (in His likeness) in the world.
This is evangelism (good news sharing) at it’s fullest: not just telling people about Jesus, but showing people the Jesus life – a life of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, etc.
As we do this, we will draw others back to God, like fishermen gathering in fish.
What do you sense the Lord saying to you?
PRAYER
Lord, believing in You is more than ‘being saved’, it as a way of living with, like and for You in this world, God’s creation Kingdom. Help me live like You, like Adam (was supposed to), like God!
Jesus follower
trying to find His way
John the baptizer was put into prison, and Jesus took that point to follow up with the same message as John. He went around telling people near the sea of Galilee to repent. He also told people that the kingdom of God was near. I wonder what people thought of him. I wonder what they thought of his message. Here is a guy telling people this message that they needed to repent, because God’s Kingdom is imminent.
Do we need to repent today? What is it in this early message of both John and Jesus that I need to pay attention? How do I go about repenting? Is this a general repenting, or for specific things? I understand repenting means to turn around and change course. The Kingdom of God is near. This is one of those phrases that the meaning can change when you emphasize each word separately and think about what may be said. This is a good exercise to do for me. What exactly does the word “Kingdom” mean. What did it mean then, and what does it mean now? Is there some large theology behind that word, and the timing? What does the word “near” mean in this context? We hear words relating to time here and elsewhere that are hard to understand. (I am coming soon??)
We see in the verses following that Jesus talks to a bunch of fishermen and calls a pair of brothers to follow him. I wonder if Peter, Andrew, James, and John heard his message of “repent and prepare for the coming kingdom”? Would this be an attractive option to a more secure life in the family business? In any case, they left all that, and followed this guy with the strange message. I would have found this hard to do.
I pray that as I think on these words that God will show me what it means to repent. I pray that I will turn to God for my strength, and that God will use me to further his Kingdom.
Observations:
John was in prison and Jesus preached the Good News. John began the work and Jesus continued the work. Jesus also called His disciples – the fishermen.
Application:
The Good News is Jesus Christ! The Kingdom is near but not in full. Live today in His Way to be a part of that Kingdom like His disciples – followers of the Way – Jesus’ Way. Jesus’ followers are examples for others to see. They are fishers of men. All followers will show who they are by their love.
Prayer:
Make me a follower straight and true, Lord, that others may see You in me always.
Make me a servant, humble and meek
Lord, let me lift up, those who are weak.
And may the pray’r of my heart always be;
Make me a servant, make me a servant,
Make me a servant, today.