MK 14:8 She hath done what she could: she is come aforehand to anoint my body to the burying.

This is a well known account to all of us.  Jesus said that it would be.  He said, "Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world, this also that she hath done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her."  I have heard many sermons about her, and most likely you have also.  Much can be said about her.  What I want to bring out today is that, "She hath done what she could"

Her heart was right.  She loved the Saviour.  Love is not empty emotion.  Real Biblical Love will always result in action.  It is a love that motivates to action and not an emotional frenzy.  She Loved Jesus and thus had to do something.  She did not make any excuses.  She did not say the only ointment that I have is too expensive.  Or I don't have time or any other common excuse people have.  She loved Jesus and thus did what she could.  She spent some of her time and some of what she had on Jesus.  Others spoke against her, but Jesus commended her for it.  She was more concerned about doing something for Jesus than what others thought or said.  Out of Love she did what she could for her Saviour. 

That is really all that Jesus asks of us.  He does not ask us to do what He does not enable us to do.  His requests of us are NOT unreasonable.  After all that He has done for us, we should do all that we can for Him. 

I dare say that most of us can do a whole lot more than we do.  Can Jesus say of us that we have done what we could?   

MK 13:14 But when ye shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not, (let him that readeth understand,) then let them that be in Judaea flee to the mountains:

In the past and even today some will try to discredit the book of Daniel.  Why?  The answer is simple, they do not like what the prophecies of Daniel say is going to happen.  They like to think that we are going to get better and better.  And finally get so good that we will bring in the kingdom.  That unbiblical idea comes from the prideful heart of man.  Things are not going to get better, they are going to get worse.  And then is going to come a tribulation period the likes that this world has never seen.  God's wrath is going to be poured out upon this world.  Some do not like that and try then to discredit books like Daniel.  If they say they believe Jesus but not Daniel.  Well that is an impossibility because Jesus validated Daniel as a prophet, and Jesus validated Daniel's writings.  The book of Daniel has the stamp of approval from God manifested in the flesh.  That is good enough for me. 

There are many other times where Jesus validated the Old Testament as being the Word of God.  Jesus never, ever, hinted that some parts may be wrong or need changed, or that it only contains the thoughts of God.  No sir!  On the contrary, Jesus taught that the Old Testament is the Word of God.  We can trust the Word of God, both the Old and New Testament.

The Sadducees did not believe in a resurrection from the dead.  They believed that when you die that it is the end.  They come to Jesus trying to trap Him in His words.  They think they have a situation that cannot be answered.  They refer to a law of Moses that said if a man has no children and dies, that his  brother is to marry his  widow and have children by her.  The child would be considered the son of the brother who died.  In this way the family line would be carried on. The Sadducees come up with this scenario of 7 husbands and then ask their question.   

MK 12:23 In the resurrection therefore, when they shall rise, whose wife shall she be of them? for the seven had her to wife.

MK 12:24 And Jesus answering said unto them, Do ye not therefore err, because ye know not the scriptures, neither the power of God?

MK 12:25 For when they shall rise from the dead, they neither marry, nor are given in marriage; but are as the angels which are in heaven.

Jesus told them they erred because they did not know the scriptures.  No where in God's Word does it say that life in heaven will be like life down here. The Sadducees had made a false assumption that was not based on the Word of God.  

Jesus explains to them that there is no marriage in heaven.  Jesus also tells them that they don't know the power of God.

All false teaching comes from these two things.  Not knowing the scriptures and not knowing the power of God. 

People who teach a works salvation don't know the scriptures.

Tit 3:5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;

And people who teach a works salvation do not know the power of God.  They don't understand that God has the power to forgive sin.

People who teach that you have to join the Bible of the month club have the same problem.  They don't know the scriptures.  God promised to preserve His Word.

Psa 12:6 The words of the LORD [are] pure words: [as] silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. Psa 12:7 Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.

And they don't know the power of God.  If God has the power to inspire His Word, then He has the power to preserve them.

Instead of falling for false teaching, we need to know the scriptures and the power of God.

MK 11:17 And he taught, saying unto them, Is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer? but ye have made it a den of thieves.

Using God's house incorrectly is not a new problem.  God's house is to be a house of prayer.  It is supposed to be used for communing with God.  We are to gather at God's house (Heb 10:25) to hear from God thru the preaching and to take our petitions to Him in prayer. 

I know you can pray alone anywhere and God will hear you.  However, there is something special about gathering with other believers for prayer. 

Mat 18:19 Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. Mat 18:20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.

We are told that God's house is to be called a house of prayer.  Obliviously that implies that some serious praying is going on. 

We are instructed to assemble.  We are given a promise that when we gather that Jesus is in the midst of us, and that if we agree about what we are praying for, then it will be answered.  (Of course we must pray in God's will and not in the flesh). 

God's Word is simple and clear on the matter.  Gather together for prayer.  So why is it that the least attended service is the prayer meeting?

I will suggest a few  reasons.  I am sure you can add to the list.  1) We don't really believe in the power of prayer.  Oh, many give lip service to it.  And they will insist that they do believe in the power of prayer.  But they are proving that they really don't when they never show up to pray.   2) We don't want to spend our time in prayer.  It takes time out of our busy schedules.  Most would rather sleep in or watch more T.V.  Many think their time is more valuable than prayer.  3)  We don't want to be inconvenienced by the consequences of prayer.  What I mean by that is.  If you pray for more visitors to your church, then God most likely will ask you to witness more.  If you pray for more workers in Sunday school, God might just ask you to help out.  4) We don't want to invest our hearts and our feelings into it.  We don't really want to get a burden for the lost.  We don't want to shed any tears.

All of these excuses are just that.  Lousy excuses.  Not one of them is biblical.  We really have NO valid excuses for not having a lot of prayer going on in the church building. 

And we wonder why this nation is in the state that it is.

MK 10:52 And Jesus said unto him, Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole. And immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way.

The physical healing of this blind man was a picture of spiritual healing.  From a lost sinner who could not see to being saved by faith (see previous note on Mark Ch. 10).

And notice what the man did after he received his sight.  He followed Jesus in the way.  What an example for us to follow.  After you get saved, you are then to follow Jesus.  It is wrong to accept the free gift of salvation and then turn your back on Jesus and walk in a different direction.  We should be grateful and we should love Him because He first loved us.  This man did not delay.  He did not receive his sight and then wait for a year to start to follow Jesus.  No he started immediately. 

He also followed Jesus in the way.  This implies that there is a specific way.  It was not just any old way.  The way was not random.  It is NOT like Jesus to wonder around without a purpose.  After you are saved Jesus has a plan for you.  He has a purpose for your life.  His way is best, his plan is perfect.  We do not need to understand it, we just need to follow.

MK 9:1 And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That there be some of them that stand here, which shall not taste of death, till they have seen the kingdom of God come with power.

The kingdom of God as in the literal kingdom with Jesus sitting on a throne in Jerusalem has not yet happened.  Obviously all the men that stood there when Jesus said this have died long ago.  Is this a conflict?  NO.  Jesus was not referring to the coming literal kingdom.  Many believe that He was talking about what he was about to show them.   

MK 9:2 And after six days Jesus taketh with him Peter, and James, and John, and leadeth them up into an high mountain apart by themselves: and he was transfigured before them.

MK 9:3 And his raiment became shining, exceeding white as snow; so as no fuller on earth can white them.

They got to see a glimpse of Jesus' glory.  His glory was veiled while He walked the earth.  They got to see a glimpse of what Jesus will look like when He does come in all His glory to set up His literal 1,000 year reign on the earth. 

Jesus came the first time as a lamb led to the slaughter.  He game the first time in humility.  He came to minister and not to be ministered unto.  He came to go to the cross and pay for our sin. 

When He comes back it will all be different.  He is not coming in humility, He is coming in glory.  He is coming to reign with a rod of iron.  He is coming as the Lion of the tribe of Judah.  He is coming back in glory.  And 3 of the disciples had the privilege of getting a sneak preview of His glory. 

They also got to see many souls saved and added to the kingdom in power.  3,000 got saved at Pentecost and a short time later another 5,000 got saved after the preaching of God's Word. 

MK 8:38 Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.

The context of this verse is talking about salvation and not about your witnessing after salvation.  Verse 38 says therefore, so you must look at the verses before it to understand what is being talked about. 

MK 8:36 For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?

MK 8:37 Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

The implied answer to verses 36 and 37 is you cannot do anything, or give anything in exchange for your soul.  You cannot work your way to heaven.  The context here is salvation. 

The meaning of verse 38 is that whoever is ashamed of Jesus and His Words and therefore rejects Him as saviour will be rejected by Jesus when He comes back. 

Many people will not accept Jesus as saviour because they are ashamed of what others might think.  Or they are ashamed of the shed blood, or the virgin birth, or the teaching of His deity. 

People who accept Jesus are not ashamed of Him.

Rom 10:11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.

This does not mean that you are always as bold in your witness as you should be after you are saved.  It simply means to get saved you cannot be ashamed of Jesus.  It means that you will call upon Him to save you.  Read Romans 10:11 in its context. 

Rom 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

Rom 10:10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

Rom 10:11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.

Rom 10:12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.

Rom 10:13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

MK 7:5 Then the Pharisees and scribes asked him, Why walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashen hands?

Men who pride themselves in keeping the traditions of men over the Word of God will often attack those who hold to salvation by grace.  This is nothing new. 

MK 7:6 He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.

Jesus responds to them and calls them hypocrites.  He refers to an Old Testament prophecy of Isaiah and applies it to them.  When you are doing the traditions of men instead of obeying the Word, then all you are doing is lip service.  You might be talking a good talk, but the fact is that something is very wrong with your heart.  God says that your heart is far from Him.

MK 7:7 Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

Obeying the commandments of men is worthless.  It is vain worship.  Nothing will come from it.  It is empty and will not save you from hell. 

MK 7:9 And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.

The commandments of God and the tradition of men do not go hand in hand.  They are contrary to each other.  You cannot have it both ways.  To keep the traditions of men you have to reject the commands of God.

A good example is on salvation.  God says, Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: [it is] the gift of God: Eph 2:9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

God made it very clear in His Word that you are saved by grace and you ARE NOT saved by works.

To say that salvation is only thru the Catholic church is against the Word of God.  That is a works salvation.  It is only a tradition made up by men.  To believe that you must reject the Word of God. 

MK 6:7 And he called unto him the twelve, and began to send them forth by two and two; and gave them power over unclean spirits;

Albert Barnes has a good comment on this verse, "And began to send them forth by two and two.  In order that they might support and encourage each other in their work.  Amid the trials and opposition with which they would meet, mutual counsel and aid would greatly lighten their burdens and alleviate their calamities.  Mutual counsel might also contribute to their success"

Jesus knows that our flesh is weak.  He knows that it is better for man to not go it alone.  Having a soul winning partner helps you in many ways.  It helps your boldness in your witness.  It helps your faithfulness if you have a partner; someone who is counting on you and  expecting you to show up and go with him.  And it is more enjoyable to have someone to talk to on the way to the street you are door knocking.  Having a partner is also good in that you have someone who can help you get better.  Your partner can see things that you are doing wrong that you cannot. 

I have went out many times by myself and many times with a partner.  Going alone always beats not going at all, but I would always rather go out with someone. 

Jesus set a good example for us to follow.  We should go out two by two.  His plan is always the best plan. 

MK 5:15 And they come to Jesus, and see him that was possessed with the devil, and had the legion, sitting, and clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid.

This man had been possessed and Jesus cast out the devil out of him.  Before the man did wicked things to hurt himself, before he could not think straight, before he was wild and could not be contained.  Before he was in bondage to the Devil.  After he met Jesus all that changed.  He is now clothed and in his right mind. 

Most of us were never possessed, but before we got saved we had a lot of the same characteristics.  A lost man will often do things in the name of wicked fun that hurts his body.  A lost man can not think straight.  They often do not have a rational mind.  Especially on things like booze, adultry, greed and so on.  A lost man is often wild and out of control.  A danger to himself and to others. 

Salvation changes all of that.  You become a new creature in Christ.  Just like this man, your thinking changes, your actions change, your motivations change. 

If you said a prayer, but there has been zero change in you, then you need to consider that you might not have gotten saved. 

ACTS 3:19 Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord.

Getting saved is not just repeating some empty words.  It is praying for God to save you with a repentant heart. 

The people tried everything to solve the problem with this man, but they could not.  It was out of their capability.

Many people will cry about the state of our society.  They will try  legislation to fix it.  They will try more police to fix it.  They will try all kinds of social programs to fix it.  They will put their trust in education to fix it.  The truth is that all of that CANNOT fix the problem.  The solution is to get people saved. 

MK 4:8 And other fell on good ground, and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased; and brought forth, some thirty, and some sixty, and some an hundred.

In verse 8 Jesus talks about seed that fell on the good ground and in verse 20 He tells us the meaning of it.

MK 4:20 And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred.

The good ground are those who not only hear the word but also receive it.  And notice it does not stop there.  They also bring forth fruit.  Oh they will bring different amounts.  Some will be more productive than others.  But they will produce some.

There are two things I want to mention about this.  First be careful how you judge someone who is producing less fruit than you.  The one that produced a hundred fold was considered good ground just like the one who produced only 30.

Second, how is your fruit?  Are you producing anything for the Lord.  Every heart that is good ground will produce something.  Here is where we need to examine our hearts.  If our hearts are cold and stony, we need to repent of that and ask God to help us.  Ask Him to change your heart so that it is good ground.  A ground that can produce fruit for Him.

MK 3:2 And they watched him, whether he would heal him on the sabbath day; that they might accuse him.

MK 3:3 And he saith unto the man which had the withered hand, Stand forth.

MK 3:4 And he saith unto them, Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath days, or to do evil? to save life, or to kill? But they held their peace.

MK 3:5 And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he saith unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it out: and his hand was restored whole as the other.

MK 3:6 And the Pharisees went forth, and straightway took counsel with the Herodians against him, how they might destroy him.

The Jews had 39 classifications of what they called “work” to be forbidden on the Sabbath day. Those 39 of course were main headings and under each of them were the endless details that went beyond being absurd.  For example, on the Sabbath, you could administer medical practice to keep one’s condition from getting worse, but, you could not administer medicine to make one better; that would be work!  You could carry a child on the Sabbath, but not a stone. If you carried a child with a stone in hand … violation!  They would make Sabbath rules, find ways around them, and make more sub-rules to prevent the violations, etc.

They were constantly trying to accuse Jesus of breaking the Sabbath.  Jesus was never guilty of breaking the Sabbath as God intended it.  He was only offending their man made rules that they added to it.  And notice Jesus' reaction.  "when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts"

Jesus was angry at them for adding to the Word of God, and He was grieved for the hardness of their hearts.  They should have been joyful to see a man healed.  Instead they were so mad about it that they went out to conspire to kill Jesus. 

Jesus was teaching them that the Sabbath was made for man and not the other way around.  Man was not made for the Sabbath.   Jesus was trying to teach them that they were wrong.  And instead of getting right, they got angry. 

People today will often change God's Word.  They will add this or that to it or take some things out.  And still just ignore other parts.  And just like the Pharisees they will get mad when corrected. 

God says don't change His Word and people will go join the bible of the month club.  You tell them what God's Word says about that and they just get mad. 

God says that a pastor is to be the husband of one wife.  You tell someone that who listens to a female pastor and they just get mad. 

The same thing goes for music, witnessing, giving, ect.  Instead of getting mad what we should do is change our thinking to conform to the Word of God. 

MK 2:3 And they come unto him, bringing one sick of the palsy, which was borne of four.

MK 2:4 And when they could not come nigh unto him for the press, they uncovered the roof where he was: and when they had broken it up, they let down the bed wherein the sick of the palsy lay.

MK 2:5 When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee.

The Bible says, "When Jesus saw their faith".  Biblical faith will always result in action.  Faith is not something that stays in your head.  Biblical faith will be exercised.  Real faith will always cause us to act.  You exercise faith in the secular world in  many ways every day.  For example when you sit in a chair you are having faith that the chair will not break.  When you ride in an airplane you are exercising faith in the pilot.  When you eat a bowl of cereal, you are exercising faith that it is not poisoned. 

These men and the man on the cot had faith that if they could just get to Jesus that he would be healed.  Because of their faith they carried the man to the house, then they lifted him up to the roof, then they  uncovered the roof and broke it up, and finally let down the bed.  This was faith that you could see because you can see the action that the faith drove. 

They could have stayed home and said that they had faith, but that is not having real faith.  That kind of faith is not real.  It is useless.  It is lifeless. 

You see many people today that claim faith but you see no action at all.  They say that they believe that gospel tracks work, but they don't put any out.  Why not?  The truth is that they really don't have faith in it or they would do it.  They say that they have faith in the Bible but they don't do what it says. 

Many will say they have faith in Jesus, but they don't go to Church, they don't give, they don't witness, they don't separate from the world.  In fact you see no change in them at all.  That is a false faith.  That is a dead faith.  

Real Biblical faith is a faith that can be seen because it will result in actions.  Now understand that there is a growing process.  You learn to exercise more and more faith as you grow in your Christian walk.  But even a new Christian will have some visible evidence if he has real faith. 

MK 1:30 But Simon's wife's mother lay sick of a fever, and anon they tell him of her.

Simon is another name for Peter.  Peter is who the Catholics falsely claim was the first pope.  The whole Catholic system was not invented by men until hundreds of years later.  Popes are not allowed to have wives, but here we see that Peter clearly had a wife.  Just to be clear, Peter was not the first pope. 

MK 1:31 And he came and took her by the hand, and lifted her up; and immediately the fever left her, and she ministered unto them.

Peter's mother in law was sick and they tell Jesus about it.  Jesus comes and takes her by the hand, lifts her up and immediately she is healed.  The physical healing of Jesus is a picture of His spiritual healing.  Look at the parallel here.  She was sick, we are all born spiritually sick.  We are all born with a sin nature.  She could not heal herself, we cannot heal ourselves.  We cannot cure our sin.  We cannot work our way to heaven.  Her sickness made her incapable of doing good works.  Her sickness had her bedridden.  Our sin makes us incapable of doing works to please God.  The Bible says that all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags.  If she was not healed she would die.  If we are saved we will spend an eternity in the lake of fire, which is the second death. 

Other's brought Jesus to her.  Most people who get saved had someone who introduced Jesus to them.

Jesus took her by the hand and lifted her up and immediately she was healed.  When we receive Him as our Saviour, Jesus immediately lifts us up to a new position as a son of God.  This change is immediate.  There is no waiting period.  Three is no probation.  There is no loosing it.  He lifts us up and sets us on the Rock Christ Jesus. 

And immediately after she is healed, she starts ministering to them.  She starts working for Christ.  We don't work to get saved, but we are to work after we are saved. 

Eph 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

After you get saved you are to get busy serving your Lord and Saviour. 

MT 28:5 And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified.

MT 28:6 He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.

Here we have some of the greatest words in the Bible, "he is risen".  The sin penalty had been paid in full.  There was no reason for Him to stay dead.  No more payment needed to be made.  The resurrection proved it, because the wages of sin is death.  If the penalty had not been fully paid, then he could not have risen.  He rose proving that provision had been made for us to be saved.

Death had no power to hold Him.  Jesus had the power to raise Himself.  His resurrection shows us that He has the power over death, hell and the grave.  It shows us that He has the power to also raise us.  This is great news.  News that demands to be shared with others. 

MT 28:7 And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead; and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: lo, I have told you.

MT 28:8 And they departed quickly from the sepulchre with fear and great joy; and did run to bring his disciples word.

The angel told them to go tell others the news and to do it quickly.  They obeyed this command and ran to bring his disciples word. 

Are you involved in telling others the great news that He is risen?  Are you telling others that Jesus paid for their sin?  Are you sharing the good news with others about how they can be saved and know for sure that heaven will be their home?

MT 27:24 When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it.

Pilate knew that Jesus was innocent.  Pilate declared Jesus a just person.  And yet he sent Christ to be crucified.  He refused to make a stand for Christ.  Pilate's reason was one of inconvenience.  There was a tumult being made because of Jesus.  If he released Him, there would be riots.  His job would be at risk.  Trouble would come if he received Christ and took a stand.  It would cost him professionally.  It would cost him time to deal with the results of accepting Christ.  He chose peace now over eternal torment in hell. 

Many people make the same choice today as Pilate did.  They know that if they accept Christ it will cause some problems.  If they are in an evil trade, then it will cost them their jobs.  If they are not in an evil trade, it will still cause some issues at work.  They will have a changed life and co workers will notice.  No more being involved in the dirty joke telling.  No more going to the bar with the gang after work.  Teasing and ridicule will result.  It will be an inconvenience. 

Then they think what about my family.  They are all of a different religion after all.  Aunt Suzy will be mad.  They think that their parents will never forgive them.  It is going to cause problems at family get togethers.  Some people will hear the gospel and understand it.  But they realize that accepting Christ is going to cause a tumult at work and with their family.  Knowing this many will chose peace now over an eternity of torment. 

Don't make that mistake.  Accepting Christ does bring some inconvenience today, but it is also the greatest thing you can do.  The joy and peace you get today far outweigh any inconveniences that may come.  And isn't just a little trouble today worth an eternity of peace in heaven?

MT 26:33 Peter answered and said unto him, Though all men shall be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended.

MT 26:34 Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, That this night, before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice.

MT 26:35 Peter said unto him, Though I should die with thee, yet will I not deny thee. Likewise also said all the disciples.

Peter gets all the attention for saying that he would never deny Jesus.  But notice that Peter was not the only one who said it.  Verse 35 says, "Likewise also said all the disciples." They all said that they would never be offended.  And yet when the hour came they all fled and forsook Him. 

We can all think too highly of ourselves.  We can look at something and say I would never do that.  We can be absolutely convinced of it.  We can look at what someone else is doing and think how awful and vile, and say I would never do that.   Be careful.  All of us have the old wicked sin nature still in us.  We need to realize that if circumstances were different that could be us. 

Some people will say I will never quit going to church like aunt Suzy did, and then later, when they get their feelings hurt, you find them doing the same thing that Suzy did.  I have seen men stand up and give a testimony of how great the pastor is and then 6 months later they are trying to get him fired. 

People will say that they will never be controlled by booze.  They are only social drinkers after all.  Then later they turn into alcoholics.  On and on the examples could go. 

We should never have a boastful attitude about how we would never fall.  Our attitude needs to be by the grace of God I will not fall into that. 

Jesus made mention of this in the model prayer.

Mat 6:13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil:

We need to realize the wickedness that  is in our hearts and pray to God to keep us from falling into sin.  We need to pray for His power to keep us from doing wrong. 

To the White House,

I have had recent experience with our health care system.  My wife had to have surgery this month.  Her bladder had fallen and needed to be lifted and attached and also a web put in to hold it.  The surgery was serious enough for a hospital stay.  Our total out of pocket expense including deductible was less than 2,000 dollars. 

The surgeon was excellent, the care of all the people who worked at the hospital was wonderful.  They were all very helpful, professional, and kind.  The hospital was state of the art and kept very well.  In short this surgery will have benefits to my wife for the rest of her life.  And all for about the price of a few pieces of furniture.  It really is a deal.  You cannot even buy a used car for 2,000 dollars. 

We had zero problems with the health care insurance company.  No delays of any kind.  No appeals needed.  In short the entire process went smooth and uneventful.

You don't need to be messing up our health care system.  From my personal experience the system is working really well.

Sincerely

Bryan Hansen

MT 25:35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:

MT 25:36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.

MT 25:37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?

MT 25:38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?

MT 25:39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?

MT 25:40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

When you minister to a brother in jail, or a brother who is sick, poor, or hungry, Jesus considers it as doing it to Him.  The person who you are ministering to is also His child.  He loves that person just as much as He loves you.  That saved person who is having trouble has the same Holy Spirit living in his heart that you do. 

I have seen men refuse opportunities to minister to someone simply because they would only be ministering to a small handful of people.  They have this un-biblical idea that ministering to the few or the one is not worth the effort. 

There are churches in small towns that are doing without a pastor because men will not submit to minister to the few.  God loves the church of 17 people in a small town to.  When you minister to them Jesus considers it as ministering to Him.  If God calls you to minister to a small group, don't pass up the opportunity to be in God's will.   

Please visit my website

http://www.thewordteaches.com

 Thanks Bryan

And check out this great link site.

 

  

 

 

MT 24:1 And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple.

MT 24:2 And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.

Man is often impressed by the physical.  We live in a physical world and it is easy to let our focus get on physical things.  In verse 1 the disciples were impressed with the buildings of the temple.  They were impressed enough with them to come to Jesus to show him the buildings. 

Jesus is not impressed with them.  He tells the disciples that those buildings are temporary.  He said, "There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down."  The buildings are not what is important.  No matter how well your building is built, it will not last.  The main focus is not to be on the buildings. 

Our buildings are just a tool.  They only give us a place to meet.  The buildings are not the church.  The local church is made up of the believers.  But over and over today you see people being impressed with the size of your buildings or how well they look.  And too many people look down on small churches who do not have a nice building or no building at all.  They are looking at the wrong things.  Their focus is stuck on the physical. 

If you have been involved very long in trying to get people to come to your church you know this to be true, some people will make their decision to come or not based on your buildings.  This is the wrong reason to choose which church you are going to go to.  You need to base your decision on the preaching and teaching ministry of the Word of God, and not on the buildings.

If your church only has a small building, then be thankful for the small building that God gave you.

If your church has no building and are meeting in a school, then be thankful you have a place to meet. 

Don't fall into the sin of coveting someone else's building.

And if you have a nice fancy big building, never get lifted up in pride about it.  Don't be showing off your buildings like the disciples were the temple.  Remember they are just a tool that God gave you, and that one day they will be no more.  Concentrate on the eternal.  Keep winning souls and ministering to people.