Today's Reading: Mark 4: 21-25
**For a simple and good way of Daily Devotion method please click this link: Subject Shifting Devotion.pdf.
Please click this link to read Mark 4: 21-25
Bible Study
Yesterday in Mark 4: 1-20 Jesus through the parable of the Sower talks about who's the insider and who's the outsider. Those who are the insider are those who are willing to prepare the good soil for the seeds of the Word of God to grow producing a crop of thirty, sixty or even a hundred times(folds).
In this chapter Jesus gives us two tests to verify whether we are the insider who can produce a crop of thirty, sixty or even a hundred time:
1. Your life will shine for Jesus: You will be like a lamp on its stand to give light to your whole family and other people.
2. You will change from "to get" to "to give": The real key of whether you have prepare your soul to be like good soil to let God's Word grow in you is only one word - give. If you still stay in a worldly lifestyle than you will be still in the mode to get everything and not to give everything because the Work of God grow in you and that you are becoming more like Jesus. That's the meaning of the Cross! Before you die and rise with Christ on the Cross you are a person full of pride, self-centered and always want to get something from Jesus. After you are willing to die on the Cross with Christ then you will become a humble disciple of Christ, Christ-centered and always want to give something, even everything for the sake of Jesus and His Kingdom.
Eugene Peterson gives a very good translation to verse 25:
"Giving, not getting, is the way. Generosity begets generosity. Stinginess impoverishes."
Mark 4: 25
Which way is your lifestyle? Giving or getting?
Have a time to be still and give the Holy Spirit space to speak through the passage of scripture we have just read. Offer this time up to God as you listen to him, while listening to "Gabriel's Oboe"
My Spiritual Journal
What I heard from Jesus today is: The way is to give not to get!
Today I met a friend who asked another friend a very frank question, "What do you want to get from your church?" I challenged her to re-think about this question. I said, "What you just asked is perhaps the key of the difference between a follower of Jesus or a disciple of Jesus. A follower just like all those hundreds and thousands of people following Jesus who wanted to get something from Jesus. But a true disciple of Jesus is willing to be sent by Him and to give everything he or she has for Jesus and His Kingdom. Base on this important question we had almost a two hours sharing about lifestyle of Christlikeness and a worldly lifestyle. A very fruitful discussion and sharing indeed!
So, what I got from Jesus is a challenge to you of which way you are in, what kind of lifestyle you are having and pursuing, giving or getting?
Dear Lord Jesus,
Help us to practice a lifestyle to be more like you that we can give more. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.
Chinese praise song - 这一生最美的祝福 The Most Wonderful Blessing of My Life
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