~Where Did THAT Come From?~

Do you ever read what Jesus says in the word, and think "wow, that was harsh" or "where did that come from?" {Like something is said "out of the blue"..}

Like when He told Peter, "get behind me Satan"(Matthew 16:23), right after He had said some amazing things to him...

Or when He said to the Pharisees, "you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men's bones and everything unclean." (Matthew 23:27)

The one in particular that I am talking about today baffled me when I first read it...

Matthew 12:46-50: While Jesus was still talking to the crowd, His mother and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak to Him. Someone told Him, "Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to You." He replied to him, "Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?" Pointing to His disciples, He said, "Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother."

Umm... Hello? Honor your mother and father? (I was confused... until I read it in Mark)..

On a side note: I LOVE the gospel of Mark! Guys just want you to say it, and not hear the whole process... Us ladies want to go on a journey with you... Mark is a man after a woman's heart, he GIVES THE DETAILS!!! Not that he put all the stories and parables in his book, but when he did, it was so much more detailed... Many "WOW!" moments for me...

I heard someone talk about how there are titles in the bible, and it makes us think that each part is a new story, or that they are not connected with what you just read. So, I started reading it as if the titles weren't there. Like in my bible, (an NIV version) it has this story in different parts. One of the titles says "Jesus and Beelzebub" and the other says "Jesus' Mother and Brothers", but THEY ARE connected, and it is all the same account. I am going to add emphasis to things that stood out to me, as I read it in his account. And I feel, it showed me why He gave the answer He did that day...

Mark 3:20-35:

Then Jesus entered a house, and again a crowd gathered, so that He and His disciples were not even able to eat. When His family heard about this, they went to take charge of Him, for they said, "He is out of His mind."

And the teachers of the law who came down from Jerusalem said, "He is possessed by Beelzebub!" By the prince of demons He is driving out demons."

So Jesus called them and spoke to them in parables: "How can Satan drive out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. If a house is divided against itself it cannot stand. And if Satan opposes himself and is divided, he cannot stand; his end has come. In fact, no one can enter a strong man's house and carry of his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man. Then he can rob his house. I tell you the truth, all the sins and blasphemies of men will be forgiven them. But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; he is guilty of an eternal sin.

He said this because they were saying, "He has an evil spirit."

{{{{then they put in the new title: "Jesus' Mother and Brothers", but it is still a continuation, not a new story.}}}}

v. 31: Then Jesus' mother and brothers arrived. Standing outside, they sent someone in to call Him. A crowd was sitting around him and they told him, "Your mother and brothers are outside looking for you."

"Who are my mother and my brothers?" He asked.
Then He looked at those seated in a circle around Him and said, "Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does God's will is my brother and sister and mother."

See!! Isn't it awesome!! Mark, I thank you for making it clear in your gospel! And see guys, sometimes you do need to hear all the details. ;-)

Now, it makes sense! And, it also made me think that people, and sometimes even those closest to you, like your family (and maybe even those who got a visit from an angel telling about you) will not always understand what the Lord has called you too. (I know it would bother me if my kiddos were going without food, and not resting.) But when the Lord has called you to something, you just have to keep pressing forward. Even at the risk of being misunderstood by those who know and love you and are even closest to you...

Be blessed by His word!

Love,

Tracy

~LOGOS~

OH MY GOSH, I LOVE HIS WORD AND I LOVE HOW HE CAN AND WILL ANSWER THROUGH IT!! I literally feel like I am high right now because of what I found!! Yay, Thank You Lord!!!!!!!!

I have been wondering and reading and asking the Lord about healing... The word says that He healed everyone that He encountered, except for when He went to His hometown. It says that He couldn't heal very many because of their unbelief... Matthew 13:54-58: He returned to Nazareth, his hometown. When he taught there in the synagogue, everyone was amazed and said, "Where does He get this wisdom and the power to do miracles?" Then they scoffed, "He's just the carpenter's son, and we know Mary, His mother, and His brothers--James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas. All His sisters live right here among us. Where did He learn all these things?" And they were deeply offended and refused to believe in Him. Then Jesus told them, "A prophet is honored everywhere except in His own hometown and among His own family." And so He did only a few miracles there because of their unbelief.

So as I have been talking to the Lord about healing, I have been thinking on people who have been healed and haven't... I have walked in both of those shoes and one very recently... I tell Him that I believe as much as I can or even understand, so what is the deal... I know that part of the answer is: true intimacy with Him... But, I think I came across another part of the answer this morning... I was reading in Matthew, but I will use some of the same story out of Mark. I like how they both tell the story...

The Parable of the Sower (Matthew 13)

1 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. 2 Such large crowds gathered around him that He got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. 3 Then He told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. 9 Whoever has ears, let them hear.”

10 The disciples came to Him and asked, “Why do you speak to the people in parables?”
11 He replied, “Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. 12 Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. 13 This is why I speak to them in parables:
“Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand.

14 In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah:
“‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. 15 For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.’

**Ok, I have read this before, many times, but there is something that I NEVER SAW... He tells them that the secrets to the kingdom of heaven has been given to them {the disciples} but not to the other people that He was talking to... The disciples are given the secrets {understanding}... So Jesus says, "whoever has will be given more, whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken away... MEANING: whoever has understanding will be given more, and whoever does not, it will be taken away... That does not seem fair, especially if you don't understand!!! But then I saw the reason why they do not have understanding in the next few verses.

vs. 14b: “‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.

{{Why don't they hear and why don't they see?? The next verse gives the answers...}}

vs, 15: "For this people’s heart has become calloused;

The rest of the verse says: ~they hardly hear with their ears, and (they) have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts and turn {{which means repent}}, and I would heal them.

I think it is sooooooooo interesting that Jesus all of the sudden brings healing into this whole conversation.. What in the world?? So, then I wondered, "how did the people's hearts become calloused?" Jesus gives the answer in the meaning of the sower.. {I will use both Matthew & Mark's account at different times because one might explain or give clearer picture to what Jesus was saying.}

Matthew 13:18: Listen to what the parable of the sower means: vs.19: When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches it away what was sown in his heart. {{then Jesus gives an explanation of the ground that the seed is sown. (the ground is our hearts & condition of them) that is how the enemy can take the seed of the word away.}}

vs. 19b: This is the seed sown along the path.

vs. 20: The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. vs. 21: But since he has no root, he last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away. {{notice that trouble and persecution come because of the word.. Not sure how the trouble and persecution come, it could be that the person hears the truth, but lets others talk him out of that truth or cause him to doubt the word, or give him a hard time because he believes... He has not no root in the word, so he is not able to stand, so he quickly falls away... so the enemy is able to steal the seed...}}

vs. 22: The one who received the seed that feel among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful.

{{ I like the way Mark says i}}t: v. 19: but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desire for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. {{again the enemy can steal the word from us, making it not work for us, because of all the things we worry about in this life.. **that is one I struggle with**... the enemy can also steal it because we can be deceived by riches and the desire to get/buy things.... so, the answer is coming to Him instead of using "retail therapy" to try and fill that void.}}

{{I like how Mark conveys the last part of the parable.} v. 20: Others like the seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it and produce a crop-thirty, sixty or even a hundred times what was sown." {{the key to the people with the good soil is, they hear the word AND ACCEPT IT (they believe it & understand it. Why, because their hearts aren't calloused, they haven't closed their eyes, & ears... There roots go down deep in the word, so persecution and trouble may come, but they aren't swayed. Worries may come and money may come and go, but they know Who they can go to and focus on, but they are not swayed)..}}

These are things that popped into my head and that the word says to me, and that I am saying to myself: {Will I close my eyes and ears or will I hear and accept?}

{Jesus is the only way.} 1 John 2:23 Anyone who denies the Son doesn’t have the Father, either. But anyone who acknowledges the Son has the Father also. ~ close your eyes and ears or HEAR IT & ACCEPT IT...

{Love your enemies.} Matthew 5:43-44:43 “You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’and hate your enemy. But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! ~close your eyes and ears or HEAR IT & ACCEPT IT...

{{He is the Lord that heals you.}} 3 John 1:2: Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers. Exodus 15:26b: "For I am the LORD who heals you." ~close your eyes and ears or HEAR IT AND ACCEPT IT...

Luke 6:37-38:37 “Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. 38 Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.” ~close your eyes and ears or HEAR IT AND ACCEPT IT...

Mark 16:16-18: “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. 17 And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; 18 they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.” ~close your eyes and ears or HEAR AND ACCEPT IT...

Could you imagine what would happen if we totally surrendered and totally believed Him and the word... Became doers and not hearers only... Hmmmmm....

Blessings, Peace & Courage to you!

Love,

Tracy