Cross My Heart Ministry

The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’
There is no commandment greater than these.”
Mark 12:31

 The greatest commandment is to love God and the second greatest is to love our neighbor. The order here is extremely important.  Only by loving God FIRST are we able to truly love our neighbor.

This is true even when (perhaps especially when) our “neighbor” is our beloved mate.

Consider these wise words from C.S. Lewis:

When I have learnt to love God better than my earthly dearest, I shall love my earthly dearest better than I do now. Insofar as I learn to love my earthly dearest at the expense of God and instead of God, I shall be moving towards the state in which I shall not love my earthly dearest at all. When first things are put first, second things are not suppressed but increased.
—C. S. Lewis (in a 1952 letter)

 We must love God first and foremost – our love for Him makes it possible for us to love not only our dearest…but our dear children…dear parents… and every dear (and not-so-dear) neighbor!

We must love God first and best.

Before leaving this verse behind, let’s look at the little phrase Jesus tucks in as a qualifier on how we are to love our neighbor.  He says “as yourself.”  Does that give a little squeeze to your conscience?  Jesus knows us – perhaps better than we know ourselves.  We are indeed selfish in our nature.  Are you thinking, “I’ve moved beyond that all-about-me attitude.  That girl was left behind in high school.”

Here’s a way to gauge your “me-ness”:  when you look at photos taken at your last family vacation, the girls night out, your class reunion, daughter’s birthday party, son’s graduation, or any photo that includes you and other people….who do you look at first?  What makes it a “good” photo– worthy of your Facebook profile?  We look at ourselves Am I right?  Even if hubby’s eyes are closed….if it’s a good hair day for moi, it’s getting tagged for all to see!

No matter how much we would like to deny it, we are basically selfish creatures.

If you want to be challenged and inspired on the subject of loving God and loving others, I encourage you to read I John…consider these verses from I John 4:10-11 –

This is love:
not that we loved God,
but that he loved us
and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.
Dear friends, since God so loved us,
we also ought to love one another.

An awareness of God’s love for us both compels — and propels — us to love one another.  God loved us FIRST!  We aren’t the initiators.  We are the responders! And when we love Him, we are able to love others — as ourselves.

Who is the neighbor God is asking you to love this week?  Would you ask God for the desire to love…the strength to love…and the wisdom for how to love well?  Would you ask Him to fill you – consume you – with His love– so that it will overflow in love for your neighbor?

How about a love challenge for April?  Each day for the next 30 days, choose one neighbor to specifically and deliberately love.  Choose a word of kindness or an act of kindness to fulfill the second greatest commandment.  Go ahead & love someone! Share some ideas with the rest of us on how we, too, can fulfill the second greatest commandment.

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Here’s the link to the teaching lecture for Mark 12:28-31

http://fbcsiloam.podbean.com/2014/03/13/ladies-bible-study-mark-lesson-23-laura-macfarlan-%E2%80%94-3-13-14/

Love the Lord your God
with all your heart
and with all your soul
and with all your mind
and with all your strength.
Mark 12:30

 When Jesus was asked, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?” He gave the response found above.  It’s good to think and pray and ponder about loving God with heart…soul…mind….and strength.  We memorize it.  We say it.  We agree with it.  But do we do it?  And – how exactly can we do it?

I’ll leave you on your own with heart, soul, and mind – today I want to focus on strength.

If I asked you about loving God with all your strength, I’m guessing many of you would respond, “Honey, that would not be much!”  If someone asks, “Got strength?” you might respond, “None left!”

Maybe you can identify with Psalm 38:10:

“My heart pounds, my strength fails me; even the light has gone from my eyes.”

If that describes you, then perhaps it’s time to claim the promise of Psalm 29:11:

The LORD gives strength to his people; the LORD blesses His people with peace.

Isn’t it interesting to note the connection between strength and peace in this verse.  The challenges and issues of this world that zap us of our strength are also the very things that rob us of our peace.

When we have no strength, we can call on Him to give us his.  And when we are given His strength, it comes with the added blessing of His peace!

And when His strength becomes our strength, we can proclaim:

I can do everything through him who gives me strength. Philippians 4:13

Even our strength to love Him is a gift from Him! What a joy to love our great God – the source of all joy, love, and every good thing we are blessed to enjoy!

Photo Attribution: http://www.cafepress.com/mf/28749919/got-strength_tshirt?productId=664281942

“Go to the village ahead of you, and just as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ tell him, ‘The Lord needs it and will send it back here shortly.’ ”
Mark 11:2-3

As follows of Jesus, we are Christian soldiers “in the Lord’s ARMeeee!” (as we sang in Sunday School as little children.)

A good solider obeys the command of his general without question.  Can you place yourself in the boots (eerrrr….sandals….) of the two disciples who received the instructions laid out above in Mark 11:2-3?

How difficult do you think this was for them?  Did they hesitate…question…feel a little uneasy about taking a donkey that wasn’t theirs?

The bottom line:  verse four begins, ”They went…”  They found the colt and it all happened just like Jesus said.  He even provided the script, they read their lines, and it all unfolded beautifully.  Just like He said.

It seems so easy when we read it.  But, of course, we get to see the end of the story.  Obedience often brings blessing and reward on the back end, but it’s the front end that requires faith: The accepting of the assignment and the disregarding of the fear and trepidation, setting aside all the what-ifs that come to the forefront of our minds, as we consider the price of obedience.

How is Jesus asking you to obey Him today?  It might not be some THING He wants you to bring to Him…but some ONE.  (And maybe that someone could be described as a……donkey….)  All the more reason, it will require a step of FAITH to walk in obedience.

Faith is required when our own resources are depleted – when our own ability to alter the situation fails.  When we have no more options on our own…when we are not only at the end of our rope–we are hanging by a string….we let go, we let HIM, and we plunge forward in what seems like reckless obedience and ….wait for the miracle!

Where do you need to be a good solider and say, “Yes, Sir!” to General Jesus – trusting that HE has a plan and victory is assured?

Will you kick and buck and resist like a stubborn donkey….dig your heels in and refuse to obey….or will you submit by faith to Jesus and go where (or to whom) He sends?

Obedience in God’s economy requires faith.

The woman of God submits to God in faith.

You can listen to this week’s teaching lecture covering Mark 11:1-26 here:  http://fbcsiloam.podbean.com/2014/03/01/ladies-bible-study-mark-lesson-21-laura-macfarlan-%E2%80%94-2-27-14/

Photo attribution:  http://blog.eastmanhouse.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/US-Navy-salute.jpg

“Rabbi, I want to see.”
Mark 10:51

From the moment Bartimaeus heard Jesus he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me.” When he was rebuked and told to be quiet, he shouted all the louder, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

Jesus rewarded his tenacity and his persistence. He allowed him to come.  When Jesus asked Bartimaeus, “What you want me to do for you?” Bartimaeus did not hesitate.  His answer was direct, immediate, and straightforward.  He knew what He wanted and he knew Jesus could provide.

He responded, “I want to see.”

We may look at that and think, “Well, of course, he wants to see. Of course, that is his greatest need. Of course, that’s what he would say to Jesus –the man is blind!  What else would he ask for?”

The marvelous truth for us to see here is not that Bartimaeus asked to see – – but who he asked. The faith of Bartimaeus is on display. There’s a whole crowd of people there. The disciples are there. But his request is made to Jesus alone. His words are simple. His request, though obvious, requires a miracle. In asking Jesus for sight he is declaring his faith that Jesus is able. He knows that Jesus has the power to make him see.

Do you need to say not –Lord I want to see—but:

• Lord I want to love.
• Lord I want to forgive.
• Lord I want to serve.

Or maybe it is Lord I want to see – –

• I want to see his perspective.
• Lord I want to see how she feels.
• Lord I want to understand– I want to have a heart of compassion and grace.

Like the blind beggar, each statement is an acknowledgment of what I am lacking AND a declaration of faith that HE can provide.  And each may well require as much of a miracle as making a blind mind see.

What do you need to step out in faith and ask Jesus for today?

Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said,
“If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all.”

Mark 9:35

 In the 1987 romantic comedy film The Princess Bride, the fictional character Vizzini repeatedly used the word “inconceivable” to comment on unfolding events.  Finally, the character Inigo Montoya responds, “You keep using that word, I do not think it means what you think it means.”

And I think Jesus Is essentially saying the same thing to the twelve disciples here in verse 35. They had been arguing over who was the greatest, but He says to them, “I don’t think you understand what real greatness is – in fact, you don’t have a clue!”

And He uses this opportunity to teach them the difference between an earthly kingdom and a spiritual kingdom. It’s a spiritual principle I like to call it the upside-down-logic of scripture:

“If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all.”

The way up is down. It’s in direct opposition to what an earthly kingdom principle would be. If you want to be first, you have to choose to be last and in fact you must be the servant of all. That is real greatness.

The challenge from Jesus is to choose servanthood. In an earthly kingdom, this is a sign of weakness. But in God’s kingdom –in his spiritual kingdom– being a servant is the means to real greatness.

How is God calling you and me to step and do something great today?

Just be sure you remember what that word really means!

They came to Capernaum.
When he was in the house, he asked them,
“What were you arguing about on the road?”
 But they kept quiet because on the way
they had argued about who was the greatest.
Mark 9:33-34

We may have come a long way in the fields of medicine, technology, construction, transportation, and education, in the last 20 centuries, but one thing hasn’t changed much in 2000 years:  human nature. We are still jockeying for position, wanting to be deemed the favorite, and desiring to be a little bit ahead( or a lot ahead) of the next guy.  It’s not just high school girls today that play the popularity game.

Apparently there’s been no small amount of conversation and even arguing as the disciples walked along the road to Capernaum.  This trip comes quickly on the heels of the Transfiguration where Peter, James, and John were invited to travel with Jesus to the top of the mountain while the other disciples remained behind. So that almost sets up a scenario for the others to feel a bit jealous or left out.

Can’t you just hear the questions: What happened up there on the mountain? What did Jesus say? What did you see? What did you do there?

And can’t you just see Peter welling up like a big toad and responding, “Well I’d like to tell you – – but Jesus made us promise to keep it all a secret.”

Everyone wants to be his favorite – to be the greatest.

Jesus, of course, knows what they were arguing about. They may have made an attempt to keep it from him, but this is Jesus! Of course he knows! And so he asked them, “What were you arguing about on the road?”

And of course they don’t want to answer. They are embarrassed, ashamed. His question makes them feel awkward.

Think back to an argument, disagreement, or difference of opinion you may have had this very week. Perhaps it was with your husband, your mother, or even a friend. Would you have felt embarrassed or ashamed to know that Jesus was listening in on your conversation?

How would it change even the way we fight if we were constantly aware of the presence of Jesus?

Some of you may be familiar with Brother Lawrence, who lived 1614 – 1691. After being converted at the age of 18, Brother Lawrence joined a monastery where he was assigned lowly tasks of cooking and cleaning.  He began to develop a means of worshiping God by tying together his daily working tasks with service to God.

Work became worship.

The wisdom of brother Lawrence lives on today in his writing. His book —Practice of the Presence of God— is a timeless treasure for Christians down through the ages.

He says: “Men invent means and methods of coming at God’s love, they learn rules and set up devices to remind them of that love, and it seems like a world of trouble to bring oneself into the consciousness of God’s presence. Yet it might be so simple. Is it not quicker and easier just to do our common business wholly for the love of him?”

In what common business – – or common conversation – – do we need to practice the presence of God? As we remind ourselves of the presence of Jesus, common tasks become holy.  Scrambling eggs…doing laundry…feeding a baby…changing the sheets….carpooling the kids…paying the bills….all can become holy tasks, when viewed as part of our call, our assignment, and when done to honor Jesus.

Where would an awareness that Jesus is an unseen but ever present witness change our attitudes, our thoughts, and our words?

The woman of God practices the presence of Jesus.

Photo attribution:  www.wikipedia.com