Mark 1:1-8 New King James Version
John the Baptist Prepares the Way
1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. 2 As it is written in [a]the Prophets:
“Behold, I send My messenger before Your face,
Who will prepare Your way before You.”
3 “The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the Lord;
Make His paths straight.’ ”
4 John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance [b]for the remission of sins. 5 Then all the land of Judea, and those from Jerusalem, went out to him and were all baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.
6 Now John was clothed with camel’s hair and with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. 7 And he preached, saying, “There comes One after me who is mightier than I, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to stoop down and loose. 8 I indeed baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
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.
Do I need a fresh start with God?
Do you need a fresh start with God?
Do we, being the Body of Christ, being the Church, need a fresh start with God?
If we do, in as much as we are going to be authentic and honest in the presence of a knowing God the opening verse of the gospel of Mark has something for us.
It speaks of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who came to offer new beginnings to all who seek God’s mercy and strength in a time of need.
Mark’s opening words immediately remind us of the first verse of the Bible: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1).
Mark apparently wanted his readers to immediately remember that God is always present and always at work in the very beginning of all good things.
When God created the world, everything was good.
But Adam and Eve sinned against God, and things began to go wrong.
But that was not the end of the story, for God immediately set out to restore what was lost, and his work centered on the coming of His Son, Jesus Christ.
Individually and Corporately (the church), what does this mean for us?
Well, we know God loves us and did not turn away from his rebellious creation.
God came into the world through Christ Jesus to save us from our sin and its consequences.
Because Jesus came to die in our place, paying the price for our sin, all who believe in him are not under sin’s curse anymore.
They are given a new beginning, and that is what the gospel (“good news”) is all about.
Have you, have we (the church) received a new beginning through Jesus Christ?
How would we know we have received a new beginning through Jesus Christ?
How are we to Tell if Something Is truly a ‘God Thing’
Exodus 3:14-15 Complete Jewish Bible
14 God said to Moshe, “Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh [I am/will be what I am/will be],” and added, “Here is what to say to the people of Isra’el: ‘Ehyeh [I Am or I Will Be] has sent me to you.’” 15 God said further to Moshe, “Say this to the people of Isra’el: ‘Yud-Heh-Vav-Heh [Adonai], the God of your fathers, the God of Avraham, the God of Yitz’chak and the God of Ya‘akov, has sent me to you.’ This is my name forever; this is how I am to be remembered generation after generation.
“It’s a God thing” is a common enough way, believers and non-believers, to describe an event or situation people believe was influenced or guided by God.
The circumstances that surround what happened occur in such a way that only God himself could have orchestrated them, or that is at least how it appears.
Yet, like Moses, how can we ever decipher if something is a “God thing” or not?
To be clear in answering this question, I will only speak to the way God moves in the lives of his children.
I am doing this because God’s primary motive in the lives of unbelievers is to bring them to salvation in Christ.
1 Timothy 2:1-7 New King James Version
Pray for All Men
2 Therefore I [a]exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, 2 for kings and all who are in [b] authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and [c]reverence. 3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time, 7 for which I was appointed a preacher and an apostle—I am speaking the truth [d]in Christ and not lying—a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.
However, once you and I and the church gets saved, God desires to make you more like Christ and to position you to accomplish his purpose for your life.
So, with that context established, let’s consider a few different ways we can know if something is a “God thing.”
1. When it brings our attention, focus back to Christ
John 15:26-27 New American Standard Bible 1995
26 “When the [a]Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, that is the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify about Me, 27 [b] and you will testify also, because you have been with Me from the beginning.
In the world today, it is not the politicians nor the global power brokers but it is the Holy Spirit who is the one who shifts and orchestrates the events in our life.
When he is at work, he will always point your focus and attention back to Christ.
The Holy Spirit does this because salvation is found only in Jesus’ name.
Acts 4:8-12 New American Standard Bible 1995
8 Then Peter, [a]filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “[b]Rulers and elders of the people, 9 if we are [c]on trial today for a benefit done to a sick man, [d]as to how this man has been made well, 10 let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel, that [e]by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—[f]by [g]this name this man stands here before you in good health. 11 [h]He is the stone which was rejected by you, the builders, but which became the chief corner stone. 12 And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.”
However, Jesus Christ is also our model and the one we strive to be like.
As Christians, when the Holy Spirit is at work in your life, he aims to transform you so you look like Christ.
For this reason, everything he does brings Christ into the center.
If you can’t point to Christ, if you can’t glorify Christ, or if it doesn’t challenge you to become more like Christ, then you must question if God is really in it.
One of the simplest ways to know if something is God is to look at who is getting the glory.
If Christ is not being glorified, then God is not in it.
It does not matter how “spiritual” an experience you have; if Jesus is not at the center, then God has no part in it.
That’s why you can’t always judge something by how it makes you feel or the result. It would be best to consider whose direction that event is moving you in.
2. When it confirms God is aware of your situation
Isaiah 38:1-6 New American Standard Bible 1995
Hezekiah Healed
38 In those days Hezekiah became [a]mortally ill. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came to him and said to him, “Thus says the Lord, ‘Set your house in order, for you shall die and not live.’” 2 Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord, 3 and said, “Remember now, O Lord, I beseech You, how I have walked before You in truth and with a whole heart, and have done what is good in Your sight.” And Hezekiah wept [b]bitterly.
4 Then the word of the Lord came to Isaiah, saying, 5 “Go and say to Hezekiah, ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of your father David, “I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; behold, I will add fifteen years to your [c]life. 6 I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city.”’
There may be times in our lives when we pray secretly for things, and God responds to our secret cries.
In Isaiah 38, the prophet Isaiah told Hezekiah he would die.
In response, he cried out to God and wept bitterly before the Lord in prayer.
Isaiah had no knowledge that Hezekiah was praying for God’s mercy, yet when he came to Hezekiah, he brought an answer to the prayer that Hezekiah prayed.
It was a God Thing – God was at work.
There may be things you pray for or situations you are going through.
In this season, maybe someone brings the right word or even the right provision that you need.
Especially when you have never expressed it to anyone else.
You could go for prayer, and someone prays for your need without you telling them what your need is.
Or, you could sit in church one day, the pastor “reads your mail,” meaning they preach as if they know exactly what we are going through, we never told them.
Situations like these are what God uses to show that he is completely aware of your situation and that he has not forgotten you.
3. When it meets a need at just the right time
Ecclesiastes 3:11 New American Standard Bible 1995
God Set Eternity in the Heart of Man
11 He has made everything [a]appropriate in its time. He has also set eternity in their heart, [b]yet so that man will not find out the work which God has done from the beginning even to the end.
When God is truly in something, he has a way of showing up at just the right time and providing exactly what you need.
It is not a coincidence when you hear the right word, the right song, the right encouragement, or receive the right provision at the moment you need it.
I know sometimes we wish we didn’t have to experience it this way. However, the only way you will ever know God is authentically faithful is if you must be in a situation where he can prove his faithfulness to you and you praise God for it.
4. When it Rightly aligns with the word of God
2 Timothy 2:14-19 New King James Version
Approved and Disapproved Workers
14 Remind them of these things, charging them before the Lord not to [a]strive about words to no profit, to the ruin of the hearers. 15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 16 But shun profane and [b]idle babblings, for they will [c]increase to more ungodliness. 17 And their message will spread like cancer. Hymenaeus and Philetus are of this sort, 18 who have strayed concerning the truth, saying that the resurrection is already past; and they overthrow the faith of some. 19 Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: “The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of [d]Christ depart from iniquity.”
A recent blog I read celebrated the idea of a “never-ending vacation.”
Faced with all the ugly long term prospects of an unfulfilling relationship, an unfulfilling job, and the constant demands of everyday life, many people dream of “just leaving it all behind” and heading for a place with no responsibilities.
While it can surely be good and desirable thing to have a change of pace in life, the temptation to run away from all our responsibilities will lead to trouble and will inevitably and perhaps permanently, damage the relationships in our lives.
In 2 Timothy 2 the apostle Paul mentions two individuals who ran away from home spiritually.
Apparently they got caught up in false teachings about the resurrection and undermined the hope that believers had in Christ.
The false teachers aggressively painted a picture that misled people to wander from the good news of Jesus—that we are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, who died for our sins and rose again so that we can live forever with him.
No matter how much we might enjoy learning new things in life, we need the “solid foundation” of scriptural truth that we can depend on to provide us with our spiritual home. We need a place where we are known and accepted in grace.
2 Timothy 3:10-17 New King James Version
The Man of God and the Word of God
10 But you have carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, perseverance, 11 persecutions, afflictions, which happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra—what persecutions I endured. And out of them all the Lord delivered me. 12 Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. 13 But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. 14 But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, 15 and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for [a]instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
Let’s be careful about the stories we tell and the “chatter” we might engage in.
This means we are responsible for knowing and correctly applying what God has said in his word. When you know what his word says, here is what happens.
Ephesians 4:11-16 New King James Version
11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the [a]edifying of the body of Christ, 13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14 that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— 16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.
So many people easily deceive themselves and believe that God is orchestrating activities that contradict his word.
Unfortunately, because they are not studious, they are unfamiliar with his word, they don’t and wont always recognize that God is not any part of it.
If you want to be sure if something is a genuine God thing, check to see how it aligns with the holy scripture. If it doesn’t, then you know what the answer is.
In all that we say, do, we should ask ourselves, “Does it point people to Christ?”
5. When you look at the results (but not always)
Isaiah 55:8-11 New American Standard Bible 1995
8 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord.
9 “For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways
And My thoughts than your thoughts.
10 “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven,
And do not return there without watering the earth
And making it bear and sprout,
And furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater;
11 So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth;
It will not return to Me empty,
Without accomplishing what I desire,
And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.
One Thanksgiving, our pastor once told this story to the children in our church.
He showed the children and the congregation a pumpkin and an acorn, and he said he could never figure out why God had created such a small seed for a large tree and why he had created such a large oversized gourd for such a small plant.
It seemed that in a creation that was proportional an oak tree should have a large seed, about the size of a pumpkin, and a small plant like a pumpkin vine should have a small seed, about the size of an acorn.
But then he went on to explain to the church that one day while he was walking through the woods, looking at the leaves an acorn fell and hit him on the head–and suddenly he realized that God must always know exactly what he is doing.
Often in our life we see and experience things that don’t seem to make sense to us, just as often we are all called to trust that God truly knows what he is doing.
God reminds us of this when he says, “My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways … As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
Even in the confusion of life, we can be assured that when things do not make sense to us, God knows what he is doing and we can all trust him to care for us.
John 19:28-30 New American Standard Bible 1995
28 After this, Jesus, knowing that all things had already been accomplished, to fulfill the Scripture, *said, “I am thirsty.” 29 A jar full of sour wine was standing there; so they put a sponge full of the sour wine upon a branch of hyssop and brought it up to His mouth. 30 Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.
For example, Jesus followed the Father in perfect obedience, getting him nailed to a cross. In the short term, that outcome did not look so good. However, in the long term, “It is Finished” meaning that his obedience paid for our salvation.
So yes, results absolutely matter, but not more than your obedience to what God desires you to do.
While results can indicate that God is doing something supernatural, we must measure those results according to God’s standards and not worldly priorities.
Otherwise, we may consistently think God is doing something he is not part of.
Little is much when we know God is absolutely in it – it is His thing – not ours!
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Psalm 84 New American Standard Bible 1995
Longing for the Temple Worship.
For the choir director; [a]on the Gittith. A Psalm of the sons of Korah.
84 How lovely are Your dwelling places,
O Lord of hosts!
2 My soul longed and even yearned for the courts of the Lord;
My heart and my flesh sing for joy to the living God.
3 The bird also has found a house,
And the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young,
Even Your altars, O Lord of hosts,
My King and my God.
4 How blessed are those who dwell in Your house!
They are ever praising You. [b]Selah.
5 How blessed is the man whose strength is in You,
In [c]whose heart are the highways to Zion!
6 Passing through the valley of [d]Baca they make it a [e]spring;
The early rain also covers it with blessings.
7 They go from strength to strength,
[f]Every one of them appears before God in Zion.
8 O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer;
Give ear, O God of Jacob! Selah.
9 Behold our shield, O God,
And look upon the face of Your anointed.
10 For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand outside.
I would rather stand at the threshold of the house of my God
Than dwell in the tents of wickedness.
11 For the Lord God is a sun and shield;
The Lord gives grace and glory;
No good thing does He withhold [g]from those who walk [h]uprightly.
12 O Lord of hosts,
How blessed is the man who trusts in You!
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). 