Now in this time…and in the age to come

One of the aspects I try to convey is what I call practical every day Christianity.  What's in it for me now?  What I mean by that is what practical benefit on a day to day basis is there from being a Christian.  Eternal Life is the ultimate benefit but for some people, especially younger people, that can seem to be so far in the future as to not be "real".  On the other hand paying the bills and dealing with day to day life is very concrete.  I hope that makes sense.

For example Scripture tells us that God knows all of our needs and if we will trust Him, He will provide.  That is a very concrete benefit for the here and now. 

Well here is a Scripture that I ran across today that I think answers the question very succinctly. 

Mark 10:29-31(NKJV)

So Jesus answered and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel’s, 

who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time—houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions—and in the age to come, eternal life. 

But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”

Turns out Jesus addressed this topic directly.  The benefits of being a Christian are both for the here and now and for in the future for eternity.

I'd also like to point out one other thing.  There are many who criticize wealthy Christians.  "Why don't they give more of their money away?" and things like that.  Well look again at the Scripture above.

Jesus says whoever has given up things (including material things) for God will receive them back 100 fold in this time.  Now is this an isolated instance of this idea?  Nope.  Think back to the Parable of the Talents.  In that example those who were good stewards of their talents were given more responsibility and material things.  It even said that those who didn't steward their abilities well for God would lose what they had and it would be given to those who did do well.

So my point is that when you see a wealthy Christian consistently using his/her talents and material things for the good of God, why would you be surprised that they keep getting even wealthier.  It's what Jesus said would happen. 

Why is fear such a dominate force in so many people's lives?

I have written about fear many times.  My belief that fear is an outward manifestation of an inner lack of faith.  Scripture tells us that fear and faith can't live in the same body.

So why is fear such a dominate force in people's lives?  Check out the following Scripture.

Mark 9:5-6(NKJV)

Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; and let us make three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah”—

because he did not know what to say, for they were greatly afraid.

Mark 9:30-32(NKJV)

Then they departed from there and passed through Galilee, and He did not want anyone to know it. 

For He taught His disciples and said to them, “The Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill Him. And after He is killed, He will rise the third day.” 

But they did not understand this saying, and were afraid to ask Him.

What struck me in these verses was that even the disciples let fear control them to a certain extent.  Let's take the first Scripture for example. 

Peter, James, and John go up the mountain with Jesus and they see Moses and Elijah and the disciples are afraid.  Why???  Why were they afraid?  They were with Jesus.  What was there to fear?

In the second Scripture they were afraid to ask Jesus to explain something.  Again, why???  Why would they fear asking Jesus anything?  Did they really think Jesus was going to bite their head off or something just for asking for an explanation? 

I hear people all the time talking about their fears.  For me it is like hearing fingernails on a chalk board.  I had a conversation with a young lady recently and all she talked about was her fears.  After about 5 minutes I asked if I could offer her some advice.  She said yes.  I told her "stop talking about your damn fears all of the time.  The way you talk, I'm amazed you can even get out of bed in the morning.  Stop letting fear control your life!"

But reading the above Scripture and seeing how much even the disciples were controlled by fear it got me to wondering why fear is such a strong influence.  I believe the Holy Spirit has given me the answer.

One of the strongest responses in the human body is the fight or flight response.  It is our survival mechanism that is hard wired in us.  So fear is a very natural response.  But it is also a response that we need to learn to harness and control. 

That is where faith comes in.  Faith is a decision.  Just because we are Christians doesn't makes us immune to our body's natural responses.  The difference should be in how we respond to fear.  We need to develop the discipline to recognize fear and immediately insert our faith over that fear. 

Does that make sense?  It is a bit of a change in thought for me.  I had it in my mind that Christians should be able to totally preempt fear.  Noticing today how the disciples were controlled somewhat by fear even though they were with Jesus Himself, helped me see the error in my thinking.  Pretty cool how the Holy Spirit leads us in our daily walk as long as we keep seeking!

Sometimes Jesus is open to reasoning

One of the great things about Jesus is that we are developing a relationship.  That means we can talk and reason with Jesus.  Sometimes He says no at first but if we reason with Him He will sometimes change His mind.  Pretty cool!

Mark 7:24-29(NKJV)

From there He arose and went to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And He entered a house and wanted no one to know it, but He could not be hidden. 

For a woman whose young daughter had an unclean spirit heard about Him, and she came and fell at His feet. 

The woman was a Greek, a Syro-Phoenician by birth, and she kept asking Him to cast the demon out of her daughter. 

But Jesus said to her, “Let the children be filled first, for it is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.”

And she answered and said to Him, “Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs under the table eat from the children’s crumbs.”

Then He said to her, “For this saying go your way; the demon has gone out of your daughter.”

The ministry style of Jesus vs. the ministry style of many churches today.

So many churches today don't have the courage to preach the Gospel.  They water things down to make it "easier" for people to accept.  Let's compare that to how Jesus handled those who wouldn't believe.

Mark 6:10-11(NKJV)

Also He said to them, “In whatever place you enter a house, stay there till you depart from that place. 

And whoever will not receive you nor hear you, when you depart from there, shake off the dust under your feet as a testimony against them. Assuredly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city!”

Isn't it interesting that Jesus didn't tell His disciples to pander to those who wouldn't believe.  Jesus didn't take a Kumbaya approach to the unbelievers.  Seems to me that Jesus took the approach that they heard the message, they exercised their free will and rejected Jesus, Jesus accepted their free will decision and didn't try to talk them into it, and Jesus said that they will pay the consequences for their decision.  Case closed.

Big difference, isn't it? 

Things that make you go hmm. (credit to Arsenio Hall for that phrase)

Ever find things in the Bible that just make you wonder?  Make you go hmm?  I ran across one today that I had never noticed before.

Have you ever noticed that when Jesus did miracles for believers, He often told them not to tell anyone.  Here is an example from today.

Mark 5:40-43(NKJV)

And they ridiculed Him. But when He had put them all outside, He took the father and the mother of the child, and those who were with Him, and entered where the child was lying. 

Then He took the child by the hand, and said to her, “Talitha, cumi,” which is translated, “Little girl, I say to you, arise.” 

Immediately the girl arose and walked, for she was twelve years of age. And they were overcome with great amazement. 

But He commanded them strictly that no one should know it, and said that something should be given her to eat.

So this is what I noticed today. 

Remember the story of Jesus going to Gadarenes?  The crazed guy who is inhabited by a legion of demons?  Remember how the demons immediately recognized Jesus as the Son of God? 

Well check this out.

Mark 5:18-20(NKJV)

And when He got into the boat, he who had been demon-possessed begged Him that he might be with Him. 

However, Jesus did not permit him, but said to him, “Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you.” 

And he departed and began to proclaim in Decapolis all that Jesus had done for him; and all marveled.

So why did Jesus tell this guy to go tell everyone about the miraculous thing Jesus had done for him when Jesus told so many people in His own country not to say anything? 

Hmm?

And He said to them, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”

Mark 4:9(NKJV)

And He said to them, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”

One of the things that stands out to me about Jesus' ministry style is that He didn't go around trying to be "culturally relevant" and He didn't go around watering down the message to make it easier to understand so that more would become Christians.  As I read Mark 4 it seems to me that Jesus purposely made the message a bit hard to understand.

Mark 4:10-12(NKJV)

But when He was alone, those around Him with the twelve asked Him about the parable. 

And He said to them, “To you it has been given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God; but to those who are outside, all things come in parables, 

so that      ‘Seeing they may see and not perceive,     And hearing they may hear and not understand;     Lest they should turn,     And their sins be forgiven them.’” 

Now we know from other Scripture that Jesus wants all to be saved.  So why would he purposely make it harder to understand? 

I think the reason is that if things are too easy people don't value them.  It's kind of like the seed that is planted but there is no root.  It doesn't last.  By making people work a little bit to understand I think makes the understanding more valuable and long lasting. 

Contingency Plans, or always be prepared as the Boy Scouts say.

I love the lesson Jesus teaches us here.  Always be prepared.  Have a contingency plan.  Check this out.

Mark 3:7-9(NKJV)

But Jesus withdrew with His disciples to the sea. And a great multitude from Galilee followed Him, and from Judea 

and Jerusalem and Idumea and beyond the Jordan; and those from Tyre and Sidon, a great multitude, when they heard how many things He was doing, came to Him. 

So He told His disciples that a small boat should be kept ready for Him because of the multitude, lest they should crush Him. 

What strikes me about this is that Jesus really doesn't need a contingency plan does He?  We are told that God has angels constantly on duty to make sure that Jesus doesn't even stub a toe, so why worry about having a boat on standby?

Personally I think Jesus does some stuff just for our benefit.  To give us an answer to "what would Jesus do" in different circumstances.  I think that is the case here.  Jesus didn't really need to have a contingency plan here but He wanted to send the message that it is a good idea. 

Good lesson to keep in mind!