about the Bible

...I've really been digging into my Bible a lot lately. I've been reading it for years and have read it entirely through several times. However, there is a big difference between reading to teach (which was my fulltime job up until November) vs. reading to LEARN....

I feel like God has given me a fresh new perspective lately when I study his word... Things I'm seeing that I haven't in a while... It's becoming so alive to me.. and yet, I have suffered so much pain by the church, others who call themselves Christians, etc... Their pain infliction hasn't hurt me just emotionally, but has hurt my family, my finances, my reputation, etc... As I'm reading the Word, God is speaking and showing me that I'm not alone... A lot of the false accusations by the church, jealousy by leaders in the church, oppression in the church, religious biggots, unhealthy traditionalism, etc, happend in Jesus' time too... and even more so. It brought me much comfort. I'm beginning to see things more clearly - especially about much of our modern day traditional churches... And how they actually challenge the character and nature of who Christ really is.

Anyways, as I was studying the Word, here's some notes I made. Hope they make sense to you and speak to you in a fresh way... basically, I just comment any verse that stands out to me, what I feel God may be saying to me, and even ask questions or comments regarding to it.

Mark Chapter 1

Verses 10-13 says that when Jesus was being baptized by John, the heavens opened and the Holy Spirit came down on him like a dove. A voice from Heaven said, "You are my son, whom I love, and I am well pleased with you..."

These words were POWER words from the Father - words of encouragement and support. They were needed to be heard BEFORE Jesus' temptation in the desert. These words were given to encourage Jesus - so he could remember them - to endure the temptation.... Imagine facing such opposition WITHOUT this encouraging powerful pep talk from the Father...

Verse 12 and 13 tells us that he was then led to the desert to be tempted by satan. He was alone, stripped of food, friends, fellowship, probably even the presence of the Father. The desert is a place of loneliness. It's a place of dryness. It's the place where we are tested. Moses, Joseph, Jacob, Abraham - the Israelites - they all had their desert or wilderness experience. Most great people of God will encounter the desert/wilderness at some point in their life. It is the true place of testing and growth... some never make it out.

Fishers of Men - what's your gift?

verses 16-20
Jesus calls fishermen (his first disciples) to be FISHERS OF MEN. Why? Because God calls us in our gifts. He uses our God given talent and skills to do his will - to minister and to share his love and truths to others.

It would be ODD for God to take a mathemetician and ask him to write a book on humanity or love. No, instead, God would lead him to do something with finances, or some form of calculating. The Mathemetician would help people with their finances, or speak to those who understand his lingo. There is so much he can do with his gift - and God will call him to do something related to his talent or gift. You wouldn't see Dave Ramsey writing a book on the gifts of the Spirit or of Prophesy. He would write a book using his own gifting - he'd write one on finances...

Whatever God has gifted us in, that's how he wants to use us. Not everyone is designed to be a head pastor or a worship leader, but we are ALL called to minister through the talents, gifts, and abilities we were given by the FATHER.

~matthew