Posts Tagged ‘Mark’
Lectionary Scripture 6-24-12
June 18, 2012Pastor’s Ponderings, Wonderings, Wanderings
June 15, 2012Our Bible Study time each week for the past 7 weeks has been centered around the book “Heaven” by Randy Alcorn. Dr. Alcorn does a wonderful job of reaching into the Bible and gleaning scriptures that refer to Heaven. This week we took up another book called “90 Minutes in Heaven” by Don Piper. I recommend either of these books as a very rewarding and inspirational read. In each of these books I am reminded that there is a very great reward that none of us living today deserve so let’s give thanks for our belief in Jesus Christ. It is just that belief that gets us that reward and there is nothing else required of us.
When I think about this gift God has given us it turns my heart towards the loving relationship that He desires us to have with Him. He loves us no matter what we do and that love poured out upon everyone on this earth helps me to think about returning that love to Him. Not because it is required but because when I think about Him my heart is warmed and His love is reflected in me and from me. When am I reflecting that love? When I am visiting those who are homebound! When I am smiling at those whom I meet each day! When I am helping someone in need! When I am doing the things that reflect God’s love for His world. I have to look at all of these things not as things I do but as God’s love for us being poured out from me as a willing vessel.
You see I truly believe that if you love someone you do things for them because you love them. God loves us and has done and is doing for us just because He loves us. Our response to that love should be that we show our love for Him by being His willing vessels that pour His love out on the world.
Smile at someone today! Better yet smile at everyone today! Smile because you know God loves you and because you know you love God! It is a marriage made in Heaven!
Pastor Randy
Lectionary Scriptures for 6-17-12
June 11, 2012Lectionary Scriptures for 6-10-12
June 8, 2012Pastor’s Ponderings, Wonderings, Wanderings
May 2, 2012
The sun might be setting in this picture but heaven is alight with God’s presence.
Our Bible Study for the past couple of weeks is over Randy Alcorn’s book “Heaven”. There are five sessions left so if the topic is of interest to you come on by on Wednesday nights. We have a covered dish fellowship meal at 5:30, prayer at 6:15 and we start watching the video about 6:30. You are welcome at all or part of the evening. So many of us have heard so much about Heaven, about what it is like and what we will be doing. So many different ideas and many of them have nothing to do with scripture. The Rev. Dr. Randy Alcorn bases all of his ideas and statements on scripture throughout the Bible. Here is an excerpt from his book.
“A fundamental article of the Christian faith is that the resurrected Christ now dwells in Heaven. We are told that his resurrected body on Earth was physical, and that this same, physical Jesus ascended to Heaven, from which he will one day return to Earth (Acts 1:11). It seems indisputable, then, to say that there is at least one physical body in the present Heaven.
If Christ’s body in the present Heaven has physical properties, it stands to reason that others in Heaven might have physical forms as well, even if only temporary ones. It also makes sense that other aspects of the present Heaven would have physical properties-so that, for example, when Christ is seen standing at the right hand of God(Acts 7:56), he is actually standing on something. Otherwise we would have to conclude that the resurrected (and thus, embodied) Christ has been floating for two thousand years in a realm without material substance. (He could, of course, but does he?) If we know there is physical substance in Heaven (namely, Christ’s body), can we not also assume that other references to physical objects in Heaven, including physical forms and clothing, are literal rather than figurative?”
We hope to find many scriptural answers to the many questions we have. At least we will hear scripture quoted to support Randy Alcorn’s opinions and we can make educated, spirit-led decisions about our future life eternal.
With a first name like Randy, I just have to listen to him.
Have a blessed week,
Pastor Randy Branch
Lectionary Scripture for April 8, 2012 – Easter Sunday
April 2, 2012Pastor’s Ponderings, Wanderings, Wonderings
February 13, 2012
Mark 1:40-45 – 40 A leper came to him begging him, and kneeling he said to him, “If you choose, you can make me clean.” 41 Moved with pity, Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, and said to him, “I do choose. Be made clean!” 42 Immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean.
As I read this scripture from the Gospel of Mark I was struck with the desire this outcast had to be healed from this disfiguring, crippling, slow death disease. Jesus shows us His compassion in His willingness to heal this man. We see the Leper’s desire in his daring to even think about approaching a group of Jewish men walking down the road. This leper came to Jesus even though he knew that if he got within 50 paces the Law said that the men were within their right to throw stones at him to keep him at a safe distance. He also was required by Law to shout unclean whenever he was coming upon people. Can you just imagine the compassion that led Jesus to walk up to this man and touch him even though under the Law Jesus would be considered unclean himself. I don’t know but it seems to me that Jesus was there alone with the Leper. The disciples probably kind of hung back to keep the proper distance.
This thought pattern led me to think of how many of us truly seek healing from the touch of Jesus Christ. Many of us are plagued by diseases of the heart, mind and soul. Our spirits are held back and our spiritual growth is stunted because we hang on to the disease we have. It could be drugs or alcohol or sex or pornography or greed or selfishness or jealousy or many other diseases that cripple our souls. Jesus wants us to seek Him out like this leper did. He wants us to call out to Him because we want to be healed by Him. He can and will set us free from the disease that is plaguing us. Is the life you lead making you feel unclean? Do people shun you because of your actions? Seek out Jesus and call on Him. Seek His healing touch. Then go out and tell everyone who healed you.
Have a blessed week,
Randy
Pastor’s Ponderings, Wonderings, Wanderings
January 7, 2012Great Granddaughter meets Great Grandparents. Georgia Ann got to meet her great grandparents Friday the 6th. Her great-grandfather will turn 92 on January 8th and Georgia will turn one month on the 12th. This age difference got me to thinking about all that my dad has seen and all that Georgia has an opportunity to see. The changes that have happened during my father’s 92 years have been amazing for his life and for the way he lived it. Georgia’s life will be filled with changes that will be even more amazing and will affect the way she will live her life in astounding ways.
I hope to baptize Georgia in the next few months. Georgia’s parents will accept responsibility for her spiritual growth and someday she will go through confirmation classes and confirm her belief in God and Jesus Christ. As I think about all that Georgia has to experience as she grows I am excited as the promise of scientific knowledge grows exponentially. The wonderful things that she will see and the changes that will affect her life will be many and many will be brand new discoveries. While there will be many changes it is our hope that her belief in God and her parents efforts at sharing their beliefs with her will be a solid foundation that gives her the one constant that will help her center her life. Her belief will help to center her life around consistent moral values that will lead her through all the changes that will take place in the world around her.
It is a new year with lots of new experiences for us all. Allow your beliefs to center your heart and mind around all the changes that take place in your life. Those who do have a much better chance at enjoying life as it comes to them.
Our baptism is the beginning of a new life in Jesus Christ. We are called to grow in our knowledge of His way and in His Spirit. Remember your Baptism and remember your covenant relation with your God.
Randy
Pastor’s Ponderings, Wonderings, Wanderings
January 3, 2012
I am the one with just his nose sticking out. The one in the yellow is my brother Jim who lives in Utah. We are at Snow Basin which is just down the road from where he and Dianne live. Beautiful country with more post card picture scenes than you can shake a stick at. The trail we are about to ski is down the hill to the right.
In reading this scripture from Mark we see Jesus begin His ministry. We see Him subject Himself to John’s Baptism. John was offering baptism as a means for the Jewish people to show their repentance and return to righteousness.
Obviously Jesus did not need this baptism for repentance or righteousness but instead subjected Himself to it to show us the right and good way. He set this example for us as a way to start our lives anew. His baptism was the start of His ministry and is to be the start of ours also.
Our baptism in Jesus Christ is also a time of revelation to us about our lives. Just as God revealed to Jesus that He truly is the Son of God He reveals to us that we are His children. If we are truly repentant and seeking righteousness we will see our lives, the sin in them and work towards righteousness in Jesus Christ. What Christ came to give us is the realization that His blood has washed us clean and given us the freedom to worship Him even if we are living in sin. Our baptism is a sign of who we are in this world, a people living with sin in and around us but forgiven by the sacrifice Jesus has made for us. His baptism gives us the revelation that we are His children, washed clean and living in His righteousness.
How we live our lives in Christ is kind of like learning to snow ski. You just have to point your ski’s downhill and use the skills you have learned, hope that what you know will get you to the bottom of the slope and know that next time it will be a little easier. When we fall we get back up and get going again in the direction that leads to the bottom of the hill. Living our lives in Christ is knowing Him as our Savior in a way that we want to carry His message to the world. We sometimes start out with very few skills but know that our knowledge of and in Him will get us started down the right trail. We may make mistakes that we can learn from and make our trail easier next time. The most important point to realize is that Christ gives us the courage to step out in faith that will lead us down the path to guiding others into His saving grace.
In order to begin skiing we must point our ski’s downhill, give a little push, choose our path and know that if we fall we can get back up and try again. In order to become a child of Christ we must push ourselves to the altar, choose our path and know that if we fall we can get back up and try again.
God’s Peace and Blessing to all,
Randy
Wesley United Methodist Church, Orange TX 