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SCRIPTURE:
“The
disciples had forgotten to bring bread, except for one loaf they had
with them in the boat. "Be careful," Jesus warned them. "Watch out for
the yeast of the Pharisees and that of Herod." They discussed this with
one another and said, "It is because we have no bread." (Mark 8:14-16,
NIV)
OBSERVATION:
I asked myself what do we learn about the
disciples in v.14?
The disciples had forgotten to bring bread
except for one loaf they had with them in the boat.
INTERPRETATION:
I asked myself why is it mentioned that the
disciples had forgotten to bring bread except for one loaf they had with
them in the boat?
I believe it is to show that the disciples still did not get it.
They still were so focused on what they did not have then who they had
with them. Jesus knew what they were thinking in their minds even before
they discussed it with one another so Jesus talks to them about the
Pharisees and that of Herod.
IMPLICATIONS:
I saw important implications for my own life. Anything that is
mentioned in the Word of God is significant no matter how insignificant
I think a verse maybe. In this case, the mention of the disciples
forgetting to bring bread on the boat shows where there focus was on. It
was what they did not have then who they had. They had Jesus with them
and Jesus had already fed the 5000 and even the 4000, yet the disciples
seemed to have forgotten that when Jesus warned them about the yeast of
Pharisees and Herod.
This made me see that I need
to focus on Jesus no matter what I have or don't have because when I
have Jesus, He can take care of the rest. I need to focus on the things
Jesus has already done in my life lest I forget so quickly His miracles
and work in my life. When I do forget I put myself in a position where
my life may reflect the life of the Pharisees or Herod. There is a
reason Jesus warned them about the yeast of the Pharisees and this
implication I hope to dwell in tomorrow.
HOW GOSPEL GIVES ME TESTIMONY
REGARDING F.O.C.U.S:
Yesterday, at Living Acts small group which is part of Oakland
International Fellowship, we had a discussion on having DEPENDENCE ON
GOD instead of BEING SELF-FOCUSED. Two of my favorite verses are from
Proverbs 3:5-6 and Psalm 127:1 among other verses. I realized how many
times that I focus on the surroundings around me instead of on the One
who can change the surroundings around. By having an inward focus, I
have made so many mistakes because I LEANED ON MY OWN UNDERSTANDING. The
Lord Jesus made me realize the last time I did that was not weeks ago
but just on TUES & WED. Until Pastor Hugo and Edwin talked to me for a
combined 3.25 hrs, I did not get it. That's sad. It was because my FOCUS
was INWARD instead of OUTWARD upon the Lord. After the meetings, I WOULD
not do what I had originally intended to do. I am no different from the
disciples for I FORGET OFTEN, the Lord's work in my life because I don't
FOCUS ON CHRIST, as I should. That messes me up and my opportunities. I
don't want that for you or me. So, it is so important to remember God's
Word and apply it in our lives. How timely the WORD OF GOD in Proverbs
3:5-6-7 and Psalm 127:1 to supplement my time this morning in God's
Word. It is the Gospel that helps me FOCUS ON CHRIST for the GOSPEL is
God's Good News for His children and the world. As I look more deeply in
these verses, the nuggets of truth are amazing.
"Trust
in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight."
(Proverbs 3:5-6, NIV)
In this verse alone, I saw 3
COMMANDMENTS OF GOD:
1. Trust in the Lord with all your heart.
2. Lean not on your own understanding.
3. In all your ways acknowledge him.
Sadly, taking POINT 1, I have not
always TRUSTED IN THE LORD with ALL MY HEART because if I did, I would
have been confident to SUBMIT TO THOSE who the Lord placed over me
without worrying about the outcome as long as what they are asking of me
is biblical. I am reminded of Robert Boyd Munger's booklet,
"My Heart Christ's Home" which I read 33+ times and highly
encourage any of you to read it. A Christian would allow Jesus into all
areas of his heart except one closet which he wanted to keep to himself
he later realizes that even though 95% was given to Jesus, it was that
5% that hindered his relationship with Jesus until he gave the whole
title deed of his heart over to Jesus. I need to do that but have not
and I need the Lord's help to do that for I cannot do it on my own. This
morning, the Lord Jesus spoke to me from Psalm 143. It is a
wonderful Psalm that can be turned into prayer being specific of things
happening in our lives. This leads me to POINT 2:
Sadly, taking POINT 2, I don't PRAY as often as I should and do things
my own way and wonder why I messed up. It is simple because I HAVE
LEANED ON TO MY OWN UNDERSTANDING just as the disciples did when they
were talking about forgetting bread. They just did not get it and
neither do I but our Lord is so GRACIOUS AND MERCIFUL. Thank you Jesus.
I have done things my own way and wondered why the Lord did not BLESS
this action and that. This leads me to POINT 3.
Sadly, taking POINT 3, I have not
ACKNOWLEDGED JESUS IN ALL MY WAYS because I time after time, I have felt
SELF-SUFFICIENT which leads back to LEANING ON TO MY OWN UNDERSTANDING
which leads back to NOT TRUSTING THE LORD WITH ALL MY HEART. It is a
cyclic process all because of ME, ME, ME and I, I ,I resulting in the
opposite of WHAT GOD PROMISES US.
If I follow these 3 COMMANDMENTS
faithfully, then I can see the CAUSE-EFFECT result being:
"HE WILL MAKE YOUR PATHS STRAIGHT!"
Wow, the Lord Jesus is here to make
my paths straight but He wants my complete focus on Him and Him alone.
I cannot do it on my own if I don't FOCUS ON PRAYER TO THE LORD. It is
PRAYER TO THE LORD that takes my FOCUS OF ME and PUTS MY FOCUS ON THE
LORD putting my DEPENDENCE UPON HIM. Others can be praying for me but
there is no guarantee they are praying for me and my RELATIONSHIP WITH
THE LORD is not based on what others do for me before the Lord. It
starts with me BEING WITH JESUS instead of DOING THINGS FOR JESUS just
as Jesus shared the story of MARY & MARTHA.
I am so excited when PRAYER or
talking to the Lord becomes central part of my life, I am obeying
Proverbs 3:5 and can be excited that I will reap the benefits of
Proverbs 3:6 my FOCUS IS ON CHRIST instead of myself.
God keeps His promises but
lest I be misunderstood, this does not mean DIRECTING OUR PATHS means
things will work out how I want them to but how the Lord wants them to.
Praise the Lord.
"Since the
Lord is directing our steps, why try to understand everything that
happens along the way!" (Proverbs 20:24, NIV)
It is through prayer God will
reveal His will to us through different means because OUR FOCUS IS ON
CHRIST INSTEAD OF SELF. Jesus wants me to get that just like Jesus
wanted the disciples to get that.
Psalm 127:1 is a wonderful Psalm
about DEPENDENCE ON THE LORD INSTEAD OF SELF.
"Unless the
LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Unless the LORD
watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain." (Psalm
127:1, NIV)
The onus is put on the Lord. It
does not matter how much we LABOR AS BUILDERS or how much WATCHMEN STAND
GUARD, if the LORD does not BUILD or WATCH over us.
Here alone I have seen the GOSPEL
IN ACTION.
No matter how much good, I think I
do without the Lord's presence in my life, it is not good in the sight
of the Lord because I am WORKING IN VAIN. My works do not save me no
matter how much accolades and praise I get from the world because those
works are filthy in the sight of the Lord. I can be a philanthropist who
gives my money to feed every poor person in the world and that WORK IS
IN VAIN without a FOCUS ON CHRIST because the BUILDING DID NOT HAVE
CHRIST'S POWER WORKING IN ME. No matter how carefully, I stand guard TO
WATCH OVER MY LIFE, that I may not mess up my life, TOO BAD and I will
mess up because again WATCHING LIFE WITHOUT HOLY SPIRIT'S PRESENCE will
become vain.
"All of us
have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like
filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins
sweep us away. No one calls on your name or strives to lay hold of you;
for you have hidden your face from us and made us waste away because of
our sins. Yet, O LORD, you are our Father.We are the clay, you are the
potter; we are all the work of your hand." (Isaiah 64:6-8, NIV)
Verses 6-7 show our hopelessness
before a HOLY GOD when our focus is not on GOD but thanks be to GOD FOR
HIS GRACE.
In our weaknesses, we can BOLDLY
SAY WHEN WE DEPEND ON THE LORD:
"Yet, O LORD,
you are our Father.We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the
work of your hand." (Isaiah 64:8, NIV)
We can be confident that God will
do the BUILDING when we realize our HOPELESS because of our SIN & SELF
EFFORT and turn to the ONE WHO WILL HELP US DO THINGS WITH HIS EFFORT.
HIS EFFORT IS HIS WORK IN OUR LIVES BY THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.
It starts with HIS SAVING GRACE AND
LIVING GRACE. Once we realize our hopelessness before an all awesome
HOLY GOD knowing nothing we do will ever take away the stain of our sin
except the LORD'S WORK IN OUR LIVES BY MAKING A PAYMENT WITH HIS BLOOD,
we will never be SET APART TO BE HOLY.
Once we focus on Christ and realize
it is His BLOOD that cleanses us because of what Christ did on the cross
to save us, His RIGHTEOUSNESS is imputed to us. When God looks at us, He
will always look at us as BEING HOLY because of what CHRIST BUILT BY HIS
BLOOD and because CHRIST WATCHES OVER US COVERING US IN HIS BLOOD.
This is exciting to know because
when we are SAVED BY HIS GRACE, we are forever HOLY. Jesus has taken our
past, present, and future sins and nailed it to the cross. Now knowing
God sees us as HOLY and we belong to Him, we can LIVE BY HIS GRACE.
Saving Grace is JUSTIFICATION BY GRACE and Living Grace is
SANCTIFICATION BY HIS GRACE.
It is a process that is made easier
in our lives when we ask the Lord's help to make Proverbs 3:5-6 and
Psalm 127 a reality in our lives. It starts with FOCUS ON THE LORD
THROUGH PRAYER.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 says,
"Be
joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for
this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."
I can quote Scriptures from Genesis
to Revelation or tell you what passages to go to for most verses but IT
ALL MEANS NOTHING when I don't DEPEND ON CHRIST and APPLY HIS WORD IN MY
LIFE.
Self-dependence will not make that
happen because it is SELF-EFFORT.
You cannot have GRACE + SELF-EFFORT
to FOCUS ON CHRIST and LIVE FOR HIM. It has to be ALL GRACE. If we
think, we can contribute anything without the filling of the HOLY
SPIRIT'S work we deceive ourselves. I know for I have been on that path
multiple times and I missed blessings.
It would have been my dream to lead
a particular group but I quit too soon and had issues of DELIVERY,
DISCIPLINE, AND DILIGENCE, that I cannot have that group BUT IT IS GOOD
because it will help me focus on D3.
My mom say leadership without
DELIVERY (Christ's Timing), DISCIPLINE (Christ-focused), and DILIGENCE
(Christ committed), will fail and how true it is.
If I had focused just on the Lord
instead of on self-dependence, it is possible the TIMING of a particular
ministry could have been given to me which is DELIVERY. But I lacked
DISCIPLINE doing things my own way and instead of FOCUSING ON CHRIST,
which led to not being diligent or Christ committed.
I want you to learn from my
mistakes and not repeat them because if you do you will be like how
James described. I have been guilty of that.
"Do not
merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.
Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a
man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself,
goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who
looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to
do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will BE
BLESSED in what he does." (James 1:22-25, NIV)
Lord help me please to apply your
Word and thank you for the promises you give us when we yield to
you! Amen!
I ask
you now dear friend, where is your focus in life?
Dear friend, where our focus is that's where our heart will be too. The
disciples focus was on what they did not have so they were dwelling on
that problem instead of focusing on who was with them. Jesus was with
them and He could have easily fed them like Jesus fed the 5000 or 4000.
When we focus on things we do
not have whether it is a relationship, a prestigious career, material
things, fame, fun, fortune, etc we will be focusing and worshipping the
created than the Creator as Bryan rightfully pointed out yesterday
during small group. Jesus was with the disciples and Jesus will be with
us too. We do not have to focus on things we do not have but can focus
on the One to whom all things belong.
Friend, Jesus knows what you
need and when you need it. We cannot always understand His ways but His
ways are best. We need to keep focusing on Christ in our lives so we do
not focus on things that make us forget about who Christ is and why He
came.
Focusing on Christ also helps
us to overcome the yeast of the Pharisees and Herod which is another
topic in itself. When we focus on Christ, we do not give opportunity to
the enemy that prowls like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.
That is what Satan wants to do. He wants to devour us.
When we focus on humanity and its goodness, we give more credit to
humanistic ideals and morality which themselves will fail because
morality apart from the Gospel of Jesus Christ is no morality at all. On
the surface things may look good and even go fine but eventually they
will crumble.
'The Dark Knight' is a
fascinating movie with an unexpected Gospel centered message woven
throughout the script that addresses the issue of focus too.
My review of it can be seen
online at
http://www.pittsburghstandard.com/JULY2008/ENTERTAINMENT/TheDarkKnight071808.htm
Going back to the passage at
hand, it is so interesting that people of the third world focus more on
Christ than people who are living in wealthier nations, etc. The reason
is those who live in wealthier places etc many times have there focus on
the material things that they do not look to Christ as their focus. The
materialism corrupts their relationship with the Lord as Edwin pointed
out yesterday regarding 'CORRUPT GENERATION'. Our focus on Christ should
lead us to pray that God will deliver us from this corrupt generation
which we are part of too without Christ's focus.
On the other hand, many
times in third world countries, etc the focus is first on Christ,
because they come to depend on Christ for everything in their poverty
too knowing He can deliver them and provide them with the peace,
purpose, power, and pardon as they pray to the One who can deliver.
Friend, we need to focus on
Jesus Christ and the Gospel no matter where we are. Anything less, we
need to heed the warning Jesus gave to his disciples on the boat.
Focusing on Christ means, we forever remember why Jesus came and what
purpose He accomplished.
Jesus came to set mankind free
from the bondage to sin that captivates each one as they are trapped in
Satan's lies. To other's we maybe good but to God without Christ our
works are like filthy rags to Him. That is why God in His love for
humanity sent Jesus Christ to come die for our sin. Yes, friend Jesus
knew only His precious cleansing blood, for life is in the blood, could
wipe away the virus known as sin as His blood became the antidote.
But Jesus was not going to
make people believe in Him in fear but because they wanted to. The thief
on the cross realized that he was a sinner in need of redemption and
Jesus had done no wrong but went to the cross for those that have done
wrong including him.
We need to realize that too
and when our focus is on Christ alone who can redeem us and save us from
the bondage of sin, we will be set free. It won't matter what we have or
who we have when we have that special relationship with Jesus. Jesus
will take care of the rest.
May the Lord help you to
always focus on Christ understanding Salvation! Amen!
"Focus On Christ
Understanding Salvation!" (F.O.C.U.S)/"Where is your F.O.C.U.S in life?"
Prayer:
Dear Lord Jesus, thank you so much for loving me and dying for my sin.
Thank you for coming back to life to save me. Thank you for teaching me
and reminding me when I focus on things I do not have, that takes away
my focus on you. Thank you for reminding me to trust in you Lord with
all my heart so I will not lean on to my own understanding, so you can
direct my path and also reminding me that you alone truly BUILD me up
and WATCH over me. Apart from you, I can do nothing. Help me to be
focused on you knowing all the cattle on the hill and everything belongs
to you. You can give me whatever you want whenever you want if you
choose. Help me to focus on you so that I do not become like a Pharisee
or Herod. I know I am guilty of that when I don't focus on you. Thank
you for the lessons you teach the disciples and help me with the lessons
you teach me. I am so sorry that I am prone to forget the things you
have done for me many times when faced with a crisis. Forgive me Oh Lord
and help me. Thank you that I can focus on you. Thank you for the cross
and what you did on the cross for me. At the cross you died for my sin!
At the cross, you gave your life for me. Thank you so much Jesus. Help
me to live for you and serve you! Thank you Lord so much for your help!
Thank you for hearing my prayer and answering me! In Your Name I Pray
Jesus! Amen!!
May
you experience the POWER OF CHRIST'S RESURRECTION this day, and give Him
the LOCKED areas of your life too so you can experience His PEACE as you
become an ACTOR in the film called LIFE being directed by your DIRECTOR,
JESUS CHRIST who comes to give JOY and PEACE.
You
don't have to be locked away anymore for Christ is here to free you and
give you peace to live out your actions.
How
do you look at GODISNOWHERE?
One
of my pastors, Pastor Hugo shared this example this past Sunday at the
RESURRECTION DAY SERVICE in the combined worship service of Pittsburgh
Chinese Church-Oakland & Oakland International Fellowship:
If
you look at it as GOD IS NO WHERE, you will still be lost in your sin
and be in bondage locked away in your sins and problems finding no
peace.
But
as my pastor spoke to the congregation and spoke to me, I am here to
tell you that GOD IS NOW HERE.
Yes,
friend God is alive and wants to bring a transformation in your life
through the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ for He paid the penalty on
the cross to rescue you and me and came back to life to save us and live
with us.
Yes,
friend that is exciting to know that we can experience HIS SAVING GRACE
& LIVING GRACE.
When
we mess up, we can go to Jesus with our shortcomings and He will forgive
us and restore us to Him and we will find peace in Him.
"Therefore, if
anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has
come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ
and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the
world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he
has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore
Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us.
We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him
who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the
righteousness of God." (Colossians 5:17-21, NIV)
"For the wages
of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our
Lord." (Romans 6:23, NIV)
"But if we walk in the light, as he is in the
light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his
Son, purifies us from all sin. If we claim to be without sin, we deceive
ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is
faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all
unrighteousness." (1 John 1:7-9, NIV)
Friend, we need Jesus because we have been separated from God due to our
sin. Because of our sin, Jesus had to pay the price to become our bridge
so we can reach God now not of our own good works but because of the
finished work of Christ, the Lord on the cross.
"For it is by grace you have been saved,
through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not
by works, so that no one can boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9, NIV)
May
you come to know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Personal Savior becoming
His offspring so you can spend Eternity with Him. He is waiting for you.
Come as you are. Please do not reject the gift of God.
If
you would like to invite Jesus Christ into your heart and make Him a
daily part of your life, you can this very moment. You will never be
alone. You can claim God's promises for you in the Bible and see them
come true, before your eyes, in His wonderful timing. You don't have to
wait for a special time to come to the Lord. You can come right now as
you pray this prayer, meaning it in your heart and finding your new
identity in Christ Jesus.
Make this your prayer. Don’t let
the enemy deceive you into thinking you need all the answers before
coming to Christ. Let me just assure you though you may not have all the
answers right now before coming to Jesus, He will answer them slowly.
Yes, He will for I know our Redeemer will! Amen!
Make this your prayer. Don’t let the enemy deceive you into thinking
you need all the answers before coming to Christ. Let me just assure you
though you may not have all the answers right now before coming to
Jesus, He will answer them slowly. Yes, He will for I know our Redeemer
will! Amen!
Prayer:
Jesus, I thank you for being the Bread of Life. You are the Living Bread
of my life. Thank you for coming from Heaven and giving your life for
the life of the world. You sacrificed yourself for humanity. Thank you
Lord when we eat of you symbolically making you part of our life,
digesting what you teach us by following you, we can be living
Eternally, and the fruit that comes will reflect and resemble your life.
I want that Father God. I want that Lord Jesus! I want that Holy Spirit!
I know of a lot of people who partake of Holy Communion where the bread
represents your body broken for their sin and the juice represents your
blood shed for their sin. When we partake of Holy Communion, we are
reminded that we are remembering you. I want to remember you always Lord
Jesus. But for me to remember you always, I need to know you and
acknowledge everything you said you are. So right now I acknowledge that
you are my Lord and Personal Savior who died and rose again to give me
life from sin. So right now, I come to you and say how sorry I am for my
sin and living a life on my own. I repent of my sin and ask you to
forgive me of my sin with your cleansing blood which I accept. Wash me
and I will be clean from this infection of sin. Come Lord Jesus and
please become part of my life as you live in me and I will live for you.
I thank you Jesus for coming into my heart and making my heart your
home. Thank you for living in me Jesus and I will live for you and serve
you the rest of the days of my life. I do need your Spirit to reside in
me and work in me and through me so I surrender all that I am and will
be to you. Whatever your will is for me, please give me the strength and
willingness to bear it and rejoice in you. Thank you so much Jesus. I
thank you Jesus for becoming my Lord and Personal Savior. I thank you
Jesus you have heard my prayer and have answered me. I thank you that I
am your child Oh God. I thank you for becoming my only Way to Eternal
Life. In Your Name I Pray Jesus! Amen!
