Mark 8:11-13 Amplified Bible
11 The Pharisees came out and began to argue [contentiously and debate] with Him, demanding from Him a sign from heaven, to test Him [because of their unbelief]. 12 He groaned and sighed deeply in His spirit and said, “Why does this generation demand a sign? I assure you and most solemnly say to you, [a]no sign will be given to this generation!” 13 Leaving them, He again boarded the boat and left for the other side.
The Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.
Prove Yourself Proving Yourself Right and Smarter
Who is this man?
Why does he believe he is better and smarter than me?
Why does he believe he has any authority over me?
Why does he believe he is closer to God, seeks after God, knows God, trusts God better and much more smarter than I do? Who does he believe he is, God’s Son?
Seeking hearts in Jesus’ day could see proof of his divinity with an honest and humble observation. Even some who weren’t seeking saw Jesus as God’s Son as well. However, those who “came… to argue with him” and who were “seeking after him, testing him” and demanding a “sign… to prove his authority” could not see.
One more miracle, another sign, and yet another display of power would never be enough for them to believe. So much of our faith is knotted to our own heart.
Are we seeking for truth? Are we seeking God? Are we seeking after God, not to believe, not to trust, but only test God to see how well we match up with God?
So we yearn only to prove, approve, affirm our own personal belief in our own self righteousness? Do we yearn for what is really life? These are some crucial questions for us as each we seek not only to know, but also to believe in, Jesus.
Helping Your Unbelief – Come Humbly, Seek Honestly
Generally, School teachers and college professors often experience two types of questioners: those who ask humbly with genuine interest and those who aim to challenge the teachers depth of education intelligence in an adversarial manner.
The former clearly seek to understand. The latter are more interested in their advancing their agendas, reinforcing their opinions, or simply looking smart.
Unlike the crowds of people who witnessed, marveled over Christ’s miracles, the Pharisees often challenged Jesus’ teaching and public ministry in order to test Him and to validate themselves, their authority and to undermine Him.
They weren’t there to see His wonderful works and consider whether He was actually the person He claimed to be. They were there to trip Him up, trap Him.
Jesus responded to the crowds that followed Him with compassion instead. He had displayed divine kindness for those who came to Him in humility of heart, honestly, sincerely recognizing their selfless versus all of their selfish needs.
He turned away no one who came genuinely seeking truth. But He met the antagonistic religious leaders with righteous frustration—divine impatience for those who came seeking only and exclusively, to prove their own position, demonstrate their own faulty self righteousness and to challenge His claims.
There are two ways to ask a question: humbly or arrogantly.
And the Teacher always knows the difference.
Some people who say they are religious still get nothing out of the Bible’s teaching. They listen to sermons Sunday after Sunday, looking for reasons not to rest wholly on Christ’s completed work. They ask questions aimed at holding the Lord at arm’s length, then wonder why they don’t find satisfactory answers.
That is not the way of the child of God. With humble meekness and an honest curiosity, we should seek to learn from our Teacher and, when our hearts are troubled, come to Him humbly, asking for help to be open to the answer and without demanding Jesus “give us a sign,” follow our agenda or expectations.
If you have a big brain, the Bible is able to satisfy your intellect. If you have a big head, you’ll find pride distorts our ability to see the clarity, truth of God’s word.
Christ is more than ready, willing and able to cater to intellectual integrity, but He is entirely unwilling to pander to arrogance.
We all have questions for Jesus about this world, about our life, about the way we should go. Jesus will never turn away those who come to Him, and He will welcome His brothers’ and sisters’ requests if they are in God’s plan, purpose.
But in addition to considering your questions, consider your heart. Ask your questions, but first pray, think through how you are asking: are you motivated by humble honest faith seeking understanding or by pride seeking to be right?
Those who have ears, let them humbly, honestly, meekly, sincerely, hear!
Those who have eyes, let them humbly, honestly, meekly, sincerely, see!
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Father, I believe, but I want to believe more strongly and more completely. I don’t want my faith to be narrow or shallow — just a mere emotional cloud that is here today and gone tomorrow. Guide my heart and my mind as I seek to know truth, your truth, about who you are and what you want of me. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.
Psalm 15 Amplified Bible
Description of a Citizen of Zion.
A Psalm of David.
15 O Lord, who may lodge [as a guest] in Your tent?
Who may dwell [continually] on Your holy hill?
2
He who walks with integrity and strength of character, and works righteousness,
And speaks and holds truth in his heart.
3
He does not slander with his tongue,
Nor does evil to his neighbor,
Nor takes up a reproach against his friend;
4
In his eyes an evil person is despised,
But he honors those who fear the Lord [and obediently worship Him with awe-inspired reverence and submissive wonder].
He keeps his word even to his own disadvantage and does not change it [for his own benefit];
5
He does not put out his money at interest [to a fellow Israelite],
And does not take a bribe against the innocent.
He who does these things will never be shaken.
Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.
Loving God, Living God, Loving Hope, Living Hope, Loving Living Life His Way! "Many things are possible for the person who has hope. Even more is possible for the person who has faith. And still more is possible for the person who knows how to love. But everything is possible for the person who practices all three virtues." - Brother Lawrence (1605-1691), Practicing the Presence of God (1692). 