CONNECT Worship Gathering: Mark 6:45-52 Jesus Calms the Storm

Perhaps it was a test of faith that Jesus sent His disciples across Galilee without Him. They had already experienced Jesus calm a storm, heal multitudes, and feed the 5000 men with five loaves and two fish. But for the disciples, seeing was not believing, because in Mark 6:52 their hearts are hardened and they don't understand the meaning of it all. Jesus sends them out to weather the storm as He goes up the mountain to pray. About three O'clock in the morning the storm had set in and the disciples had only rowed about halfway across the lake. Jesus walks on the water and walks just past the boat. The disciples don't recognize Jesus and believe they have seen a ghost and they cried out in terror. Jesus responds by calling out to them, "Don't be afraid, The I AM is here", using the name God gave to Moses in Exodus 3:14. We do well to remember that there is no storm God hasn't seen coming, and we need to understand that storms are for our benefit to learn wisdom to help others through their storms, and to experience God's deliverance from the storm. It is sad that their hearts are still hardened even after this experience - the Greek word for hardened literally means "petrified", turned to stone. Help us, Lord, to have our eyes and hearts opened to You even during the storms, knowing that the God of Creation is with us through Christ. Truth is, God has the opportunity to really shine during the storms, and in the wilderness, where we are struggling with life. Smooth sailing produces nothing but complacent Christians. Let's brave the storm, call out to Jesus, and watch God do amazing things!

CONNECT Worship Gathering: Mark 6:30-44 Jesus Feeds the Multitude

In this text we again find Jesus seeking solitude in the wilderness. But the crowds follow. Jesus is moved with compassion because the people, " were like sheep without a shepherd" (vs.34). This same text appears in Numbers 27 and is a foreshadow of Messiah and His ministry. "Joshua" is the English version of Jesus' Hebrew name, "Yeshua'" יֵשׁוּעַ (Yēšūă‘): 

 Then Moses said to the Lord, 16 “O Lord, you are the God who gives breath to all creatures. Please appoint a new man as leader for the community. 17 Give them someone who will guide them wherever they go and will lead them into battle, so the community of the Lord will not be like sheep without a shepherd.” 18 The Lord replied, “Take Joshua son of Nun, who has the Spirit in him, and lay your hands on him. 19 Present him to Eleazar the priest before the whole community, and publicly commission him to lead the people.

Now Messiah has come. Jesus is indeed the Good Shepherd, and teaches us here to minister to physical needs while we are ministering the deeper spiritual need. In John's report of this miracle Jesus gives His Bread of Life discourse to the crowd that was fed. Jesus says three times that He indeed is the Bread of Life.

 

"Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty...  “I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you cannot have eternal life within you. But anyone who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise that person at the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Anyone who eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him." John 6:35, 53-56

 
We must feast on Christ if we are to be a blessing to others. Time spent with Jesus is prayer, Bible study, worship, taking communion with the people of God, awareness of walking with Jesus throughout the day... are all ways of feasting on Christ for our life and joy, and that we also may be a source of life and joy to others.
 

With this miracle, Jesus demonstrates the laws of multiplication that he preached about in Mark 4 where a seed planted in faith produces thirty, sixty, and a hundred times what was planted.  In the Gospel of John we learn there was a young boy nearby who gave his lunch to the disciples. Perhaps he heard the discussion between Jesus and the disciples when Jesus told them, "you feed the crowd".  Contrast the faith of the disciples to that of the little boy who offered the five barley loaves and two fish. The child offered what he had in faith, while the disciples gave nothing because they couldn't find a human solution to the problem. God wants us to come to Him in child-like faith, offering what we have. There is never a gift too small or too meager, given in faith, for Jesus to take and bless in miraculous ways. With the boy's offering of the five loaves and two fish, all the people were fed with an abundance left over. We can only give what we have, it is God that blesses and multiplies. Our simple acts of love, generosity, and faith-sharing can produce an abundant harvest in some one's heart through the work of the Holy Spirit.

 

Feast on Jesus Christ, the Bread of Life, offer Him what you have, be a blessing to others, and expect great things!

CONNECT Worship Gathering: Mark 6: 6-13 Returning to the Simplicity of the Gospel

Jesus sending out the disciples is a great reminder of the simplicity of the Gospel message. Their orders were simple: dress modestly, be gracious, preach repentance from sin and turn to God, bring healing to people who are sick and harassed by the evil one. Our churches and our lives are filled with stuff. For many of us it is "ministry" stuff. But we don't need most of it - the stuff can easily get in the way. People need a visceral connection with Christ followers who bring healing and truth in their lives through the Holy Spirit. Sharing our faith, acts of kindness and generosity, sitting with the sick or aged - these and many other simple ways are the things Jesus calls us to do. Jesus sent them out in pairs - and we need one another in ministry for accountability but also for the employment of our many varied gifts. Jesus wants us to rely on God for provisions - our daily bread - not on media, technology, or a new small group "how to" book. Christ followers, return to the simplicity of the Gospel - take an opportunity to share Jesus' love with someone.

CONNECT Worship Gathering: Mark 6:1-6 Cooperating with Grace

Amazement is a common theme in the Gospel of Mark. The people of Capernaum were amazed that Jesus spoke with authority (Mark 1:27) and healed many of their sick. Amazement gripped the crowd as Jesus healed the paralytic (Mark 2:12), and raised Jairus' daughter from death (Mark 5:32). In Nazareth the people were astonished at Jesus' teaching, but even so they rejected Jesus (Mark 6:1-3). When Andrew came running with excitement to tell his friend Nathaniel that they had found the Messiah, Nathaniel had replied, "can anything good come from Nazareth?" (John 1:46). The prophets had alluded to it as they wrote about the "Branch" (Hebrew 'natzer') which is where Nazareth derived its name (Zechariah 3:8-9, Isaiah 11:1-2). The people missed Messiah right in their midst. What's worse is that they assumed they knew Jesus, but sadly, they missed all the blessings that Jesus wanted to do there. Because we are free moral agents, we can resist God's gifts as a patient might reject their doctor's care. God will respond to our resistance by removing Himself. We are limited to God's gifts by our human will. In Mere Christianity C.S. Lewis write, "There are two kinds of people in this world, those who say 'God's will be done' and those to whom God says, 'fine, have it your way.' Healing requires not only the power of the healer, but faith and cooperation on the part of the patient. Sadly, here it is Jesus who is amazed at their unbelief in Nazareth (Mark 6:6). I pray Jesus never says this of me. Let us not assume we know Jesus, but to strive to imitate Jesus and learn about Jesus. Let us be good disciples. Let us always cooperate with grace, inviting Jesus to teach, heal, and restore our lives and those around us.

CONNECT Worship Gathering: Mark 5:21-43 Offering Up Our Wounds to Jesus



The Synagogue at Capernaum



         In this text Jesus is on his way to heal Jairus' daughter. He was the leader of the synagogue at Capernaum and was responsible for the upkeep and scheduling of the synagogue. The Pharisees would have watched him closely. In spite of the scrutiny surrounding Jesus, he goes to Jesus to ask him to heal his little daughter. While on the way to perform this miracle the crowd pressed around Jesus. A woman who also needed healing reached out to touch him. She knew Jesus was passing by and this may be her only opportunity to touch the prophet. She had suffered 12 years from constant bleeding, and according to Leviticus 15:25-27, she had suffered much more than physical pain. Her condition made her ceremonially unclean: she couldn't go to worship, she couldn't entertain guests, she couldn't visit any one's home. Anything she touched or furniture upon which she sat were made unclean. In addition to her physical pain, she suffered isolation from family, community, and worship. She was not greeted with smiles by her neighbor's or in the marketplace, for she was unclean. Jesus stopped and turned so she would be restored. How often is our daily agenda interrupted by a "needy" person? By someone we don't want to see coming? We need to imitate Jesus, and allow the upsetting of our agenda to be an opportunity for ministry. Much like the woman's physical affliction, sin separates us from God and from one another, isolating people in hopelessness and despair. We are in the crowd, and we have the answer.

         The woman decided to risk it all, placing her faith in Jesus, "...if I could but touch the tassel of his robe I would be healed." In spite of the crowd, she came up from behind him and was indeed healed. So many were curious about Jesus. So many touched Jesus in this crowd, but only one touched him with faith. Faith was the catalyst that cooperated with grace to heal this woman. The story could have ended there, but Jesus wanted to heal the whole person, to restore her to community, to her family, to worship. So Jesus gave her the opportunity to come forward, and she did, telling Jesus the whole truth. Jesus made the pronouncement, "your faith has made you well." If we are to be healed and offer healing to others, we must bring our wounds to Jesus in faith and honesty. We have the living Christ within us and the power to touch and heal others, sharing Jesus' love, bringing restoration to the lost, broken, and hopeless. The next time someone upsets your daily agenda, remember it is an opportunity for ministry and Jesus wants to use you to bless someone. Become a part of someone's story of redemption by letting Jesus touch others through you.

           Jairus' prayers were answered and in a glimpse of Jesus' commentary on death, "she is just sleeping", we see the resurrection power of Jesus. He commanded them to give her something to eat, because the Jews feared ghosts, and Jesus wanted to assure them this was no ghost, but that the girl was alive and well. Jairus' could have let the Pharisees' criticism of Jesus stop him. He had much to lose by coming to Jesus: his position as leader of the synagogue, the respect of his peers, the increased scrutiny of the Pharisees. But he didn't let any of those things stand in the way of Jesus performing a miracle for his little girl. Again, faith cooperates with grace to accomplish kingdom work. It is through our wounded-ness that Jesus shines, because it is in offering our wounds that we see healing and restoration in Jesus' name!

CONNECT Worship Gathering: Mark 5:1-20 The Healing of the Demon Possessed Man

In this story we find Jesus crossing the Sea of Galilee for one purpose - to heal the demon-possessed man in the region of the Garasenes, on the South East side of the lake. People must had heard the rumor, of the crazy man living among the tombs, who broke all his shackles when people had tried to help him. The apostles must have wondered as Jesus gave the order to head to the region of the Garasenes what exaclty was in Jesus' mind, or was he out of his mind? this was no place for good Jews, for Gentile herdsmen watered their herds of swine numbering in the thousands on the freshwater shore of Galilee. Imagine the pig fodder from 2000 swine? Good Jews didn't go to this area, not to mention the rumored crazy man in the tombs. But Jesus crossed to the other side for this purpose, as he had also crossed the threshold of heaven to be born in a dirty shepherd's cave in Bethlehem - He came to save us.

There is no evidence in this text that the disciples even got out of their large commercial fishing boat. Jesus alone stands on the shore as the man comes running out of the tombs to meet Jesus. Whether it was the demon's repulsion of Jesus or something else, this man realizes only Jesus can help him, and he runs to Jesus. The disciples had just seen Jesus' power over nature in the calming of the storm, and now they would witness Jesus' authority and power over the supernatural world as he healed the man. The miracle caused the townspeople to fear, and they begged Jesus to leave. Jesus went out of his way to heal this man. What do we need to do in our lives to "cross to the other side" to bring Jesus' love to people? We can start by nurturing relationships with lost people, and venture out of our regular circle of connections. We may have to walk through "pig fodder" to help someone, it may be smelly and uncomfortable, even scary, but Jesus calls us to "cross to the other side" wherever that may be for you. I don't want to be like the disicples, still in the boat, never mentiuoned in this story.

In the area of the Decapolis (the ten towns) near the Garasenes an ancient Byzantine church has been uncovered. We know the man had wanted to go with Jesus, but Jesus told him to go home and tell what wonderful things the Lord had done for him. And the text says he preached in the ten towns. Could this have been the man that started the Jesus movement in the Decapolis? That built a church there? Lost people are living among death, as the Garasene man was, and they don't know the way. The Adversary seeks their ultimate destruction, as demonstrated in the herd of swine that met their death. People are souls bound in sin and we must be the light and presence of Christ to bring healing. Pray, think, and brainstorm about ways to nurture relatinships with the lost and "cross to the other side".

CONNECT Worship Gathering: Mark 4: 35-41 Jesus Calms the Storm

The boat in which the disciples were sailing was actually quite large compared to what most people have in mind.  I have a 14 foot aluminum fishing boat, that is my experience. Peter's commercial fishing vessel, however, was 27.5 feet long, 4.5 feet wide, and around 4.5 feet deep. We know this because a 1st century commercial fishing vessel was discovered and recovered during a 1986 drought in the mud of the Sea of Galilee. The boat was finely crafted - made without nails, but rather wooden pegs which when in water would swell perfectly to a tight fit so that the planks and boards held firmly together. We likened the boat to our lives: no matter how much money or education or things we have, the storm which causes us "poverty of spirit" will inevitably come, the storm that will cause us to put complete faith and trust in God. Five of the twelve disciples were seasoned fishermen, they had been in and experienced storms before, but none like this - they were terrified. Why did they wait until they were in true danger before they woke Jesus? Why did they wait till the last minute to call of Jesus? we do the same thing in the business of our lives, and we don't think of Jesus until the wave is already upon us. Jesus showed his power, got up and calmed the sea. Then he utters the words I hope never to hear from the Lord, "haven't you any faith?" It must have stung the disciples, but through the storm they got to see the power of God. While smooth sailing through life is nice, it is through the storms that God gets to shine, and we can experience His amazing power and presence! When you experience a storm, rouse the sleeping Christ within you to calm the raging sea!

CONNECT Worship Gathering: Mark 4:21-34 The Kingdom Parables

Lamps in Jesus' day were small clay pots with a reservoir for oil and a spout out of which a wick came from the reservoir to be lit. A single flame in a dark room is quite bright. We have to imagine a time with no electricity where it would be unthinkable to put a lamp under a bed. A lamp was placed high on the wall on a shelf where its light could be reflected in the whole room. Oil was the fuel of the lamp. The wick was made of fibrous material which soaked up the oil so that it could burn at the end. We likened the oil to the Holy Spirit and we must ask the question, are we filled with the Holy Spirit in a way that lets our lamp shine? John says in his Gospel that light is Jesus Christ himself. We are the clay pot, and we are privileged to have the presence of Christ, the flame, and the gift of God's Spirit, the oil. But are we filled? Are we holding up the lamp that others may see The Way?

Fruit is to be eaten - the more produced the more people can be fed. But we must also remember that plants have humble beginnings, and spring from a tiny seed. This is Jesus' teaching of the growing seed. The farmer scatters seed, but since the sower is God and we are His people, we are expected to prepare good ground in our hearts. We do this by rooting up sin, and doing those things which lead to loving God and loving our neighbor. By acts of love, prayer, and staying in God's word day and night (Psalm 1:2) we make the soil of our heart more fertile. "By night and day, while he's asleep or awake, the seed sprouts and grows." (Mark 4:27) describes the work of the Holy Spirit, without us being aware, ever changes us more into the image of Jesus.

The mustard seed is the smallest of all seeds, but grows into a sizable plant. The kingdom of God started in the greatest humility, in a small shepherds cave in Jerusalem as Jesus was born into this world. Now the branches of the kingdom of God, the Church, spread out through the world. The vine is Christ himself, crucified and resurrected, from which the branches spring. The mustard seed only releases its pungent flavor when crushed, as Christ was crushed. As we are tested the fragrance of Christ will come through us as well. The mustard seed teaches us that we are to be the seasoning of Christ to this world. The mustard was a tenacious plant growing wherever it landed, even breaking through stone. As a result, the Pharisees had rules where it could be planted, but Jesus' new teaching swallowed up the old rules. As mustard would crack stone, so the Kingdom of God would take root anywhere not through the law, but through love. The kingdom is a haven for sinners - the birds of the air nesting in the branches of the mustard bush - we who are wanderers find a home for our souls. As such, the Church should be the open door and home of all who are searching, thirsty, and hungry for God.

CONNECT Worship Gathering: Mark 4:1-20 Parable of the Soils and Allowing the Gardener in the Gate

The farmer throws his seed by means of telecasting - indiscriminately throwing it everywhere. Jesus is the farmer and the seed is the truth of the Gospel. The ground represents our own hearts. On some ground the seed never takes root becasue the birds, or the adversary, comes and takes it away. Some gladly recieve the word but because they have no roots (no discipleship or people to mentor them) they whither and die. Some seed germinates but grows among throns that represent the cares of this world, materialism, worry, and other vices. These are things we all must struggle with on a day to day basis. When we let go of things, and pray for our daily bread, we flourish in trusting God and learn to walk in the Spirit hand in hand with Jesus. This describes the good soil that produces fruit related to our level of devotion and love of Jesus that becomes thirty, sixty, or a hundred fold.

We mustn't make the mistake of assuming we are good soil. There are parts of our hearts where stones must be removed, where weeds and thorns must be removed, and where we must allow the Gardener to plow our hearts. Everyday He gives us the opportunity to do more work in the garden of our souls. Thistles, as we have seen many of along the road this Spring, can sprout up and grow over night. We must quickly do some pruning and allow the Gardener to remove that root of anger, greed, or discontent which drains the life out of the rest of our soul. Today, allow the Gardener to do his work in your soul, unlock all the gates of your heart. Let us be sources of fruit so that we can be food to those who are hungry and in need of healing.

CONNECT Worship Gathering: Mark 3:20-33 Jesus' Teachings on a House Divided, The Unpardonable Sin, and Defeating Satan

Jesus' family thinks he is out of his mind - he won't eat, he won't rest, there's always crowds around him! They didn't understand that the kind of ministry Jesus was doing takes sacrifice and self-denial. How often do we deny ourselves time, material, or rest in order to do ministry? Some of you may do this a lot, and this attitude is prevalent among the workers in any church. Are you also following Jesus' example of getting away to recharge your batteries? Workers in the church also have to be careful, however, to understand that our service is not the root of our devotion. Our ministry can become self-serving and this will easily lead to burnout. Our service must spring, rather, from our devotion and love for Jesus Christ. Jesus always did the work the Father called him to do - no more and no less. If it has been a while since you sacrificed for ministry to others, (exempting mere church attendance) consider where your priorities are - from where are your roots drinking - from the world or from a life planted firmly in Jesus? Or as a worker in the church, do you need to refresh in solitude and God's presence?


The Pharisees have been trumped by Jesus' authority, power, and miracles - so they go down a dangerous road and accuse Jesus of casting out demons by Satan's power. Jesus replies with a very logical statement, a house divided against itself cannot stand. This is true of so many things on so many levels. a person who is double minded, with divided loyalties to the world and to Jesus, will be unstable in everything he does (James 1:8). Likewise, a church divided by loyalties to any other than Jesus will not be healthy or effective. The danger for the teachers of religious law here is attributing to Satan what really are works of the Holy Spirit. Since Jesus works through the power of the Holy Spirit, to slander the Spirit is to cut oneself off from the very means of grace whereby they can be saved. Tthe unpardonable sin is when one attributes to Satan the work of the Holy Spirit. Jesus says this is unforgivable. It is unforgivable because by doing so one severs the only means of grace by which they may be saved.

Jesus' teaching on the strong man is his commentary on how the devil was defeated. Satan is, no doubt, a strong man, for Jesus calls him such. Satan's house is this world's system of power (Ephesians 2:2). But Jesus is the stronger man, who comes into the world world, ties up the strong man, and plunders his goods. The goods, the spoils of this spiritual war, are human souls who were otherwise bound by Satan. Satan's only power is convincing man to trespass God's law and sin against God - this is how Satan binds us. But the one who knew no sin, Jesus Christ, was able to bind Satan by dying in our place and offering forgiveness through his shed blood. Jesus will bind Satan eternally at the end of the age (Revelation 20:1-2). We are set free to love and serve God, and we are free indeed in Christ (John 8:36). Let us learn to live and serve in the rhythm of God's grace and freedom!

CONNECT Worship Gathering: Mark 3:7-19 The Healing Savior and the Calling of the Disciples

In Mark 3:7 We find Jesus healing the multitudes with news about his miracles spreading far and wide. Jesus' healing miracles were all about His identity as the Son of God and his authority as the Son of Man from Daniel 7:14. When Lazarus had died he told His disciples that He was glad that they had not been with Lazarus, because now they would have an opportunity to further clarify their understanding of who Jesus was and believe in Him more deeply. If Jesus had been in Bethany at the time Lazarus was still sick, he would have been obligated to heal him of his illness. The fact that Lazarus was four days dead gave Jesus the opportunity to show his disciples, and everyone else there, that he was not only the light of the world, but truly the "resurrection and the life" (John 11:25, 26) Sickness is an opportunity to look to Jesus, and also an opportunity for ministry. Never will there be a more poignant time to minister to someone than when either they or their loved one is going through crisis or illness. We should be ready at all times with a mission of healing for people, through our prayers and through our presence to show them we care.

All the more profound is the healing of the sinner whose life is in shambles, who is discouraged, who has thrown in the towel - the church should be a place of healing and restoration for those at the end of themselves. Just as people flocked to Jesus for healing, people cannot help but be drawn to a church where members are loving one another and serving the world in love. The challenge we face is raising our level of awareness so as not to let those opportunities slip by. Pray with people immediately if they ask for prayer. Try not to worry about your agenda if you run into someone who needs your listening ear, your prayer, and to know that someone cares.

As we've discussed previously, Jesus chose His disciples strategically through the fishing business, through familial relationships, and through friendships.  Even before calling Peter & Andrew he was preaching from their boats on the shore of Galilee, developing those friendships with them. James and John also threw their fishing nets alongside Peter and Andrew. They all lived in Capernaum. Andrew had a friend named Phillip from their hometown of Bethsaida and Phillip brought his friend Nathaniel into the group. The disciples had to learn humility and forgiveness as the Lord called Matthew the tax collector to follow. Matthew's little brother, James, also became a follower of Jesus. We need to learn to network relationships like Jesus did to make disciples, and then learn to forgive and love the former "tax collectors" among us and work together for the kingdom.

We made note last Saturday that these were ordinary men from ordinary backgrounds. What made them different was that they were willing to follow Jesus to the end. And indeed they did - only John died a natural death of old age after his imprisonment on Patmos. The other disciples followed Jesus to their martyrdom, most in horrific ways. It is encouraging to know, then, that the power is in the message, not in the messenger. We are right to admire the disciples, certainly, but it is the power of the Gospel and Jesus' living presence with us today that will empower us to change the lives of people and impact our world. We are thankful that Jesus saw the disciples as what they could be rather than what they were - he saw their potential.

We also mentioned that Jesus raised the status of women in His ministry, having many women followers among whom were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the less, Joanna, Salome the mother of James and John, and Mary and Martha of Bethany. These courageous women followed Jesus and helped to support his ministry. Along with John, they were the only disciples of Jesus to remain at the cross until Jesus' death. They were the first evangelists to tell the good news that Jesus had been raised from the dead, that they had seen Him, and Jesus would meet them in Galilee.

Brother Arthur Kinyunjui

It was a blessing to meet brother Arthur and hear him speak several times. Every listener could feel his gentle spirituality and love, yet be moved by the weight of his messages and his challenge to us. Of all the things he said that moved me most were these: America is flooded with the Gospel, but Christians in America are withered. Zacchaeus climbed the sycamore tree to see the Lord. But he got far more than he could have ever imagined that day, for Jesus had dinner at the home of this tax collector. Zacchaeus amended his ways, paying back what he had stolen. He not only let Jesus into his home - he let Jesus into his heart to transform him. In America, we have a bible on every table, we have invited Jesus into our homes. We Christians in the West must now invite him into our hearts to change our lives and make us children of God as we minister to people out of our love for Jesus. God bless brother Arthur and his ministry in Kenya.

CONNECT: Loving One Another

We have had six worship gatherings of CONNECT folks and I enjoy our time together immensely. It seems to me that it gets more rich every time. As I was reflecting on this I thought about the reasons for it. I think part of the reason is that I enjoy hearing other people's stories, because when they share their struggles, hurts, victories, and God-moments, I feel personally involved in their journey. I love people more when I know their stories because I feel engaged and have empathy for them, and know how to pray for them. When we share our stories we know that we are not alone in our struggles, that there are others who have been down that road and understand our needs. This also nurtures real friendship between people who are sharing on the level of the soul. As we get to know one another better, we love one another more, and the more difficult it is to criticize someone whom you have identified with in life. I am thankful for the new friends we have made through Grand Cane Baptist Church and the CONNECT Worship Gathering.  I look forward to growing in those friendships further as we share our stories and insights from the Holy Spirit along our journey. This is community. - Jamison

CONNECT Worship Gathering: Mark 2:18-3:5 New Wine, New Garments, New Life

Mark 2:18-3:5 Fasting involves emptying ourselves of worldy substance so that we may focus on being filled with spiritual food and the Holy Spirit. The disciples were truly fasting in the sense that they left their old lives and jobs to follow Jesus in new life. The Pharisees fasted two days a week, but failed to understand other areas of sacrifice in their lives, most importantly, failing to show mercy. Matthew reports in this story that Jesus quotes Hosea 6:6 for the second time following the calling of Matthew - "God wants us to show mercy, not offer sacrifices."  We need to make sure that we are feasting on Jesus, the bread of life, doing good works, and fasting from the world.

In Jesus' day the sabbath was reduced to a set of rules, over 600 by Jesus' day. One couldn't drag a chair across the floor for this would be "plowing the field". Candles had to be lit before sundown because they couldn't be lit after Sabbath had begun. And the disciples were "harvesting grain" by picking and eating a handful of heads of wheat.The Pharisees were about self-righteousness, trying to obey written laws to gain God's favor by their own efforts. You cannot measure your relationship with Jesus by anything but the time you spend with God, whether that is at church or not.  The sabbath was originally intended to remember the Lord and give rest to the people. The Pharisees had turned it into a mere chore. We must be careful not to be guilty of the same thing. We can do nothing to make God love us more or less, but we should do everything, even menial tasks, for the love of God. The following sums this idea up well: Brother Lawrence, a 17th century monk who worked in the kitchen and who was known for continually living in God's presence says in his book, "I would not pick up a straw from the ground unless it were for the love of God." (Practice of the Presence of God)

Jesus uses the imagery of bridegroom and celebration to connect our union with Jesus as his bride, the church. Wine as a symbol of the old testament was that of God's blessing and presence - usually found in the triad of grain, oil, and wine - symbols of the Father, Holy Spirit, and the Son. God through Jesus now poured out His love and grace on humanity and the law, the old wineskin, simply could not contain it. Grace swallows up the law. and we cannot forget Jesus changing the meaning of the passover cup to that of his blood of the new covenant - it is all about grace through Jesus' sacrifice.

This is connected to the teaching of the new patch and the new garment. The old garment is an allegory of our old lives which have been swallowed up in grace. We have a new garment of a new life, clothed in Christ (Galatians 3:27). While the new wine refreshes us from within, the new garment makes our lives new as we are the presence of Jesus to the world through our love, compassion, and generosity. The filling with the new wine should show itself outwardly in our love to the world.

The healing of the man with the withered hand is the perfect demonstration of the previous teachings and shows the contrast between the law and grace. Even though Jesus healed through the spoken word, so they could not accuse him of work on the sabbath, they were blinded to the miracle and withered in their own minds. Jesus intentionally did this on the sabbath and in their presence as a witness to their misunderstanding. May we never anger and grieve Jesus by our "stubborn and hard hearts" when Jesus is working a miracle before our eyes of changing people's lives.

Are you a new wine skin, living in God's grace? Are you allowing God to fill you? Is your motive simpy to do things for the love of God? Are you clothing yourself with Christ by being the presence of Jesus to others? This is the new garment - the love of Jesus. The law cannot contain it - we cannot "measure" it.

CONNECT Worship Gathering: Mark 2:13-17 Dining with Sinners, Following a New Life in Christ

Like many of us, Matthew had his feet in two realities. In the Roman world he was called by his Greek name, Matthias, and he had conspired with the Roman occupiers to become a tax collector, a traitor to his people. Tax collectors were local folk who conspired with the government to confiscate taxes and property from their communities, and this is why people hated them. Tax collectors often levied more than they should, keeping ill-gained profit for themselves. As we see in the story of Zacchaeus, he promised Jesus to return money to people for whom he had been a thief. Matthew's friends, the only people to associate with him, were notorious sinners. These people were considered irredeemable by the religious community - thieves, prostitutes, mercenaries who enforced the tax code and confiscation.

If Matthew's Hebrew name is indicative of the tribe from which he came, Levi, this only added insult to injury for his family and community. He should have given his life to the priestly vocation in service to the worship of God. Instead he chose to side with the violent Roman occupiers for his own personal gain. Fortunately, God doesn't waste any experience. God would use Matthew's skill and learning as a tax collector to be one of only four to write the greatest story ever told. Mathew would have known four languages: Greek, Aramaic, Latin, and Hebrew. He would have been a detailed observer and meticulous record keeper. We should never count someone out, because God can redeem and use anyone!

The calling of Matthew is a good model for how we must love one another in spite of our histories and past sins. Peter & Andrew, James & John would have to forgive this tax collector, who had taxed their families and their fishing businesses. According to Mark, Matthew's tax collecting booth was right on the shore of Galilee - most likely so he could watch the daily catch. Jesus presents Matthew with a new reality when He invited Levi to follow him. Unlike the fishermen who could always go back to fishing, Levi left everything to follow Jesus. The first thing he does is to throw a party for Jesus, and enthusiastically invites all of his friends to meet Jesus. The "sinners" receive Jesus gladly while the Pharisees scoff. Here Jesus gives the model to the church for accepting folks - in his commentary on Hosea 6:6 Jesus says that we need to seek out sinners in order that we may introduce them to Jesus. Who are you in this story? Would rather be dining with sinners and Jesus than scoffing outside with the "righteous" Pharisees? Or are we among the silent disciples?  Let us be about redeeming sinners, inviting and accepting people who've made a mess of life, introducing them to Jesus and the new reality of living in God's wonderful, amazing grace.

CONNECT Worship Gathering: Mark 2: 1-12 Healing of the Paralytic - Model for Networking to Bring People to Jesus

While Jesus stayed at Peter's house in Capernaum, a great crowd gathered to hear him speak. Wouldn't it have been fascinating to be there in Peter's living room as Jesus taught! The crowds, however, were oblivious to the need outside. They wanted to hear Jesus, but were inconsiderate of the paralyzed man outside whose friends were trying to get him to Jesus for healing. They were desperate to see their friend made whole. They could have turned back discouraged when they saw the crowd, but they were determined and got creative. Going up the outer staircase to the roof and removing branches, mud, and straw was a messy business as debris fell inside Peter's living room and guests backed away wondering what was going on. The four men had to work together perfectly in tandem with ropes to get the paralyzed man safely to the floor and right in front of Jesus.

Compare this to our own efforts at getting someone to Jesus - do we love our friends enough to bring them this far with such determination? Do we network, working in tandem together to show people the love of Jesus? Do we mind getting our hands dirty and making a mess? (The mess may be in our own house as it was in Peter's!) Or is it that our minds are so crowded, as was Peter's house, that bringing people to Jesus is not a consideration? We need to raise our sense of awareness of people who need Jesus and pray for opportunities to bring them to Jesus for healing and restoration. We learn from the text that it is the faith of the man's friends, not his own, that Jesus notices and becomes the catalyst for the healing to take place (Mark 2:5). I believe we vastly underestimate our role in bringing people to Jesus with determination, effort, prayers, and perseverance.

Jesus dealt with the man's spiritual issue first - he forgave his sin - them told him to get up, take his mat, and go home. Whatever his paralysis was, it was crippling. We can have similar paralysis when we don't let go of old sins and old habits, even after we are forgiven - our joy is not complete until we let God be God and we let go of our guilt and give it to Him. Jesus heals us and we continue to lie on that mat. Whether emotional, physical, or spiritual, Jesus has the answer for our paralysis and the paralysis of our friends and loved ones. Jesus heals with authority, to the irritation of the religious leaders, and forgives the man's sin which only God can do. We hear Jesus refer to himself as "son of man" a reference to a powerful figure from Daniel 7:13,14.

Who are you in this story? Are you the paralyzed man in need of healing? Are you one of the inconsiderate crowd preventing someone from coming to Jesus? Are you one of the disciples, on the sideline, not even mentioned in this story? Are you one of the friends of the paralytic, determined to get him to Jesus? Let us be about the Kingdom work of bringing paralyzed people to Jesus. Remember that dealing with people is messy, and sometimes frustrating, so don't mind the mess! Let us help one another in our own paralysis through friendship, prayer, and being the healing presence of Jesus to one another and to the world.

CONNECT Worship Gathering: Mark 1 - Called to be healers - restoring the broken

Peter and his family were eager to tell Jesus that Peter's mother-in-law was sick (1:30). They told him right away! At sundown, when sabbath was over, people weren't willing to wait until Sunday to bring the sick to Jesus. Once the sun went down and the ban on work was over Mark tells us that many people brought the sick and demon-possessed to Jesus. They brought them right away! I pray that we would be just as eager to bring the broken, the hurting, and the hopeless to Jesus that they might be restored. We need to pray for a sense of urgency to bring people to Jesus, and pray to have the awareness when opportunities for healing and restoration present themselves.

 In verse 35 we again find Jesus seeking wilderness in order to meet with His Father after a long evening of healing the night before. We must seek wilderness also, in order to refresh, recuperate, and be in God's presence undisturbed. Your isolated place may be the back yard, the bathroom - mine is often in my car! Wherever it is, we need to seek that deserted place where we may commune with God.

Jesus cleansing of the leper (vs. 40) is such a moving and profound story for us. According to the good Dr. Luke, this man was in an advance stage of leprosy (Luke 5:12) which means loss of digits, limbs, and even facial features. Fortunately, he had heard of the healer from Nazareth and sought Jesus out with the courage to come before a holy man. Lepers were social outcasts, unable even to go to market or synagogue. We discussed translational differences when Jesus is "moved with compassion" that is also translated "anger" in some translations. My best guess is that while Jesus was moved with compassion, he may have also been moved with anger at societies' treatment of this man, perhaps even at his disciples (who are not here mentioned) unwillingness to approach the leper. Jesus not only heals the man, but restores him to community (vs. 44). We all have leper's spots as a result of sin - gangrenous abscesses in our souls and conscience that disfigure the image of Christ in us. We must turn to Jesus for forgiveness and healing. Rather than judging people, let us be determined to be healers, bringing the sick to Jesus that they may be restored. I pray that CONNECT will be a place for sinners to receive forgiveness, love, and acceptance. As we teach people to love and obey Jesus, and they submit to the process of healing, they will be restored and become sources of healing for others as well: making disciples that love Jesus and serve the world in love.

CONNECT Worship Gathering: Mark 1 - Kingdom, Networking, & Amazement

We continue in Mark 1 with Jesus preaching about the Kingdom of God which has come, is here, and is coming. The Kingdom of God came when God stepped into time as the Holy Spirit overshadowed Mary and the Son of God, Jesus Christ, was conceived and later born in Bethlehem in a shepherd's cave. The Kingdom of God is here as Jesus' presence with us through the Holy Spirit, working within our souls, forming us into His image as children of God. The Kingdom we refer to as the Lord taught us to pray for will be fully realized when God's will is "done on earth as it is in heaven". (Matthew 6). Our response to God's  love and generosity through His presence should be that of repentance and devotion. "Repent of your sins and believe the good news!" is Jesus' message both then and now. The Kingdom of God emerges through human history as the Church is obedient by loving one another and serving the world in love. The kingdom of God can emerge through us as we are obedient to Jesus. The Kingdom of God will be fully realized when God's will is carried out completely on earth just as it is in heaven. We read in the scriptures that Jesus himself will only be able to accomplish this, but until then we are to be about the work of the Kingdom of God.

In Mark 1:17 when Jesus calls Peter and Andrew to follow him, was not the first encounter with Jesus. John reports in his gospel that Andrew was a follower of John the Baptist and heard John proclaim, "Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!". Andrew enthusiastically follows Jesus asking, "Rabbi, where are you staying?". Jesus replies, "Come and see!" This is still Jesus' invitation to us. In his excitement, Andrew goes and tells his brother Peter. Then Jesus seeks out Phillip, who is from Peter and Andrew's hometown of Bethsiada, who follows Jesus and in his excitement goes to tell his friend Nathaniel. The good Dr. Luke reports that Jesus preached from the fishing boats prior to the call to follow Him. James and John were also fishermen in this circle of industry and were well aquainted with Peter and Andrew for, Luke reports, they were amazed at the miraculous catch of fish after Jesus tells them to throw their nets deeper on the other side. Jesus healed Peter's mother-in-law, and so ministers to Peter and Andrew's family. Jesus had laid a foundation of familiarity, friendship, and ministry with these men well before calling them to come follow him. In the same way, we need to bring in existing groups, networks of people,  and unite them through friendship and ministry. Think about circles of relationships in which you are already familiar that would be good soil for the gospel. When they were ready, Jesus called them, and they dropped everything and followed Him.

 The synagogue in which Jesus healed the man with the unclean spirit was in Capernaum, across the street from Peter's house. The man was in church that day when the unclean spirit responded to Jesus' presence. He was probably a local known by the people and by Peter and Andrew. Yet no one had noticed this poor fellow's miserable condition. Though he was in church, the man nevertheless needed to be loved and ministered to. The people were amazed at Jesus' authority over the unclean spirit. This brings to mind our own baggage that we carry in our lives, our own 'unclean spirits' and 'skeletons in our closets' which can still be healed through the Jesus' authority and power The only judgment here is on the unclean spirit. At CONNECT I hope that we can become close friends in a community of faith where we can share our victories and our failings, thereby loving one another and loving God more. Let's observe the plank in our own eye before we point at the speck in our brother or sister's eye. Let's be sensitive to the needs and sufferings of those around us, and be willing to love, forgive, and heal as Jesus taught us.

CONNECT Worship Gathering: Mark 1 Clearing the Road in the Wilderness

Last Saturday at CONNECT we introduced the Gospel writer John Mark. We talked about John the Baptist, the baptism of Jesus, and the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness. John's message was to repent, be baptized and to, "Clear the road! Make a straight way for the LORD to travel!” The clearing of stones from the road speaks to clearing our lives of sin. While we repent and accept Jesus at a certain point in our lives, clearing our hearts of the 'stones' is an ongoing process. Some stones can be easily cast aside, some require a shovel, and others require a crowbar. Still some require the help and prayers of the Christian community around us as we seek to make a straight path for Jesus in our hearts. The job is ongoing, rain (the spirit) washes away soil revealing more stones and we continue the process of living a life towards repentance. We also must be committed to living towards Jesus if we are going to help others clear the stones from their hearts. Are we being good heralds for Jesus, authentically seeking pure hearts for ourselves even as we announce the Good News to others?


The baptism of Jesus must have been very affirming for the Son of God through the Father's voice of approval and the presence of the Holy Spirit. After this spiritual mountaintop that inaugurated His ministry, Jesus was compelled by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted and where angels ministered to Him. As Abraham, Moses, David, and Jacob wandered in the wilderness they met God, received their callings, and were affirmed in their purpose. We should pay attention to the wilderness experience. Ours may be an emotional, financial, spiritual, or physical wilderness. We may feel spiritually dry or that God has abandoned us. We may question God and his goodness and our purpose. But take heart, it is in the wilderness where we will meet God. If we can understand God is doing a new thing and working in our hearts towards a purpose, we can have hope and push on in faith to a new level of intimacy with God and a fresh purpose in our lives.