verseoftheday

But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-oving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. James 3:17NIV Yes I want that! Where can I find it? That package is not found somewhere, but it's a person. James paints a picture of Jesus for us Read it again :) He is the wisdom that came from heaven and entered the story. Here's the meaning of that first word: pure "hagnos" pure (to the core); pure inside and out; holy because uncontaminated (undefiled from sin), i.e. without spoilation even within (even down to the center of ones being); not mixed with guilt or anything condemnable. I just know that this is not me. At the core there is always something that spoils...but Jesus? This is who He is! And when he touches us, this is what we get...His purity becomes ours. How we are seen by the Father because of what Jesus did And one day all that is spoiled and contaminated at our core will be ...

Instantly the leprosy disappeared, and the man was healed. Then Jesus sent him on his way with a stern warning: "Don't tell anyone about this. Instead, go to the priest and let him examine you. Take along the offering required in the law of Moses for those who have been healed of leprosy. This will be a public testimony that you have been cleansed." But the man went and spread the word... Mark 1:42-45 NLT You can read about the requirements of the law in Leviticus 14. There's doves, lambs, sacrifices, shaving all your hair, oil, and time. 8 days of ceremony. To make sure. To thank God. Did this man just get so excited he ignored all that? Or because he had been a leper he had no hope of meeting the requirements of the law? Or did he realise that all the requirements of the law had been met in what Jesus did. In who Jesus is. Maybe all of the above was true, and it's just as true for us: We have no hope of meeting the requirements of the law Who J...

Friday! Proverbs! A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion. Proverbs 18:2 ESV Isn't that true! The person who comes immediately to mind is Donald Trump : always seems to have an opinion and fires it out. But then I find that's me too. I find I have opinions on guns, And gun control. And I've no real interest in understanding anyone else's position. I like my opinions. And if I do that it one area, well I can do it anywhere. It takes effort to understand. To listen To understand what it's like to walk in someone else's shoes. To hear their heart Why is it so hard? Sometimes it's because it might show me that I'm wrong. I don't like that. Understanding is an act of love. When I am understood, I am heard, valued, appreciated. Loved. So I'm going to try to love people by seeking to understand them. #proverbs #wisdom #somethingtochewon #lovepeople #seektounderstand

And a leper came to him, imploring him, and kneeling said to him, "If you will, you can make me clean". Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand and touched him and said to him, "I will; be clean." Mark 1:40-41 ESV Mark gives us a bit more to this account... This man is a leper. He has to live outside the city. Outside the gate. Away from the care and protection of the community. He has to warn people of his disease, and not to touch him. He is untouchable. Jesus is not only moved with compassion, but steps into his area of hurt and loss. Into the ugliness. He doesn't have to touch to heal, but he does. Deliberately. Steps into the persons need and loss. Jesus did that then, and he does it now. Steps into our area of greatest hurt to bring healing. Into our mess To bring life. And he asks us to follow him into the lives of others in the same way... #lovepeople #speaklife #lovelikeJesus #gospelofmark

Moved with compassion, Jesus stretched out His hand and touched him... Mark 1:41 NASB If we want to be like Jesus, followers, Christians, then we are called to follow His example. He was moved by compassion. Sometimes we run out. Maybe that's just me. On the same day as the Christchurch shooting, March 15, 45 migrants drowned in the Mediterranean off the coast of Spain. Men. Women. Children. What is Jesus antidote to compassion fatigue? Love the person in front of you, the people in your life, the ones He has led you to. Be moved by their story. Their need Their hurt Their heart Jesus reached out. He calls us off the sidelines and into the arena, to reach out, to step towards... maybe in some small way today, maybe a big way, stretch out your hand. Towards. In compassion. #gospelofmark #thisisourGod #movedbylove #lovepeople

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea... Psalm 46: NIV 1-2 Part of the earth gave way on Friday. The illusion that we were safe from horrendous acts of mass violence. Against the innocent. People praying. Vulnerable. And it can make us fearful. The psalmist sings this song... In the time of trouble, in the place of fear, choose to trust. Trouble Fear Trust Some would put trust in walls, security, barriers, strength. Trust in God. He is the same in the day of trouble, of crumbling earth as in the day of sunshine. Trust Even though Even though we hurt, struggle, wrestle Even though our hearts ache for others loss. Even though. Trust. He is our refuge #refuge #trust #trustGod #eventhough

He who isolates himself pursues selfish desires; he rebels against all sound judgment. Proverbs 18:1 Our hearts ache for the community in Christchurch that has been ripped apart by the perverse and destructive actions of what seems like one person. The Bible speaks about the human heart everywhere, and yesterday's proverb has been lived out to the extreme. When we isolate ourselves, stop seeing people as image bearers, follow some corruption of thought from small seeds through to destructive thoughts and actions... rebelling against all sound judgement... to the point that believing that taking other's lives was a good thing. This was lived out in front of us in Christchurch yesterday. May we, in the face of this hurt and destruction, do the opposite. Not isolate ourselves in a bubble of selfishness but step towards those who"s lives have been shattered. Step towards those who are fearful Martin Luther King said only light can drive out darkness, and only love can...

And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed. Mark 1:35 ESV For Jesus the battle was on. He was teaching, healing, casting out demons, leading his team of disciples, travelling...and praying. Often for me prayer has been something I'll slip in when I have time, or in response to a situation. Jesus is modeling something different. Deliberate Time Alone Uninterrupted Seems difficult in our world to find that kind of space. Maybe Jesus was struggling with that too, which is why he got up very early, so no one else knew, and ducked off somewhere quiet. Paul talked of closing his door. This is not the only time Jesus did this. Prayer was his habit. I wonder if my mission would be clearer, my focus better, my walk with God more secure, my questions, doubts, challenges and troubles...I wonder if I would see and respond to those things differently if I was more deliberate in my prayer. If I ju...