cooperate with God

Today in the One Year Bible we read from Mark 3:7-30. Jesus is performing tons of miracles, healing people all over. And most people come to Him to be healed. But some, including His family, think He's gone crazy and try to take Him away. Others, mostly religious leaders, say that He's possessed by a demon and that's how He's performing miracles.

When you see God working and doing amazing things, be like the people who flocked up Him, realizing you need His help. Don't be like His family or the religious leaders, fighting Him and resisting His work in your life. Cooperate with what God is doing... and you'll see miracles. 

God, thank You for working miracles in our lives. Help us cooperate. 

the law was made to help you

Today in the One Year Bible we read from Mark 2:13-3:6. Jesus teaches the religious leaders that the sabbath was made for man, not the other way around.

That is true for the sabbath and it's true for all of the law. God gave us the law to help us to live better lives, not to bring us down or kill our joy. So learn His laws and commands and follow them... and you will have a great life! 

God, thanks for teaching us that following Your law brings us a better life. Help us follow You closely. 

bring your friends to Jesus

Today in the One Year Bible we read from Mark 1:29-2:12. Jesus is teaching in someone's house, and there are so many people who have come to Him that no one can get into the house. Some men cut a hole in the roof and lower their friend down, right in front of Jesus. Moved by THEIR faith, he forgives the man's sins and heals him.

Let's be like those friends. Let's care so much about our friends who need Jesus that we're willing to do crazy things to bring them to Him. Because He's moved by our collective faith, not just the faith of the one who needs help. 

God, thanks for teaching us to care about our friends and bring them to You. 

called from... and to

Today in the One Year Bible we read from Mark 1:1-20. Jesus calls James and John, who leave their father in the boat and follow Him.

At first glance, this seems hard on their father. And it was! Like Jesus will later say, unless we "hate" our mother and father and brothers and sisters, we can't be His disciples. "Hate" here is a comparison term. It doesn't mean to loathe them or treat them unkindly. It doesn't mean to disrespect or dishonor them. It means that compared to our love for Jesus, our attitude towards our family seems like hate. In other words, when you make a big decision, you're loving the one you choose and hating the one you don't. That's how the disciples acted regarding Jesus and their father. 

But think about what they left... and what they chose. They did leave everything they knew, and their probably happy life working on the family trade as fishermen. But what they gained was eternal life and a place in the kingdom of God right next to Jesus. What they chose was to be the very first evangelists of the gospel, transforming the world into the Christendom that it became for hundreds of years. What they chose was martyrdom... and their blood became the seeds of the church. 

God, thanks for calling us FROM good things... TO far better things. Help us choose wisely. 

what it means

Today in the One Year Bible we read from Matthew 28:1-20. Jesus is telling His disciples to go make disciples, baptizing them in the trinitarian formula. And then He tells us what that means. He says, "teach these new disciples to obey all the commandments I've given you."

That's what is meant when the church says to make disciples. Not just have them pray a prayer and call Jesus lord and "believe in Him." But instead they are to do what He said to do!

Same thing today, in that we do what He says to do. Don't just call Him lord and then do whatever you want. If we want to say Jesus is our lord, we have to do what He says.

God, thanks for reminding us that we have to obey your commands in order to call you our lord. 

multiple witnesses

Today in the One Year Bible we read from Matthew 27:32-66. We read an account of the crucifixion. And it's interesting that it doesn't EXACTLY agree with the other accounts in the gospels. Matthew's account says Jesus cried out just before He died, but doesn't tell us what He said. Then it says that both thieves ridiculed Him, rather than just one like the other accounts tell us.

This is interesting because it's what you'd expect when several people tell you a story of something they saw. "He shouted, but I didn't hear what He said. Oh yeah, that's right. And then the thieves made fun of Him... wait, you say just one did? That's right! I forgot about that..." Some people see these differences as proof that the gospel accounts aren't true, but the overall agreement with occasional differences is exactly what you'd expect from true accounts from various sources.

What does that have to do with us today? Share YOUR story of what God has done for you. Don't feel that your story needs to be exactly like what another person says about their relationship with God. Be genuine and share your experiences, and God will speak through you and help people find Him. 

God, thanks for giving us our own experience of You. Help us to share You through our own relationship with You. 

at any moment

Today in the One Year Bible we read from Matthew 27:15-31. Jesus is being mocked by the soldiers. Remember that at any moment He could have spoken a word and a thousand angels would have rescued Him.

But He allowed them to do it in order to save the whole human race from damnation. He took it for you... and for me. And even for the very soldiers who were mocking Him! 

God, thanks for sending your son who suffered and died for us... while we were yet sinners.