Mark 8 - 2.20.24

SCRIPTURE:  Mark 8:31-33 “ Then He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, be killed, and rise after three days. He was openly talking about this. So Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke him. But turning around and looking at His disciples, He rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan, because you’re not thinking about God’s concerns, but mans! “

OBSERVATION:  Jesus began an ongoing teaching about how He, the Son of Man, must suffer many things! This certainly didn’t sound like good news to His disciples! He had just asked them, “Who do you say I am?”  Peter answered, “You are the Messiah!” As soon as they acknowledged He was the Messiah, Jesus got right down to business and began teaching them about His death and resurrection. But this news didn’t sound good at all to them!  That’s when Peter took Jesus aside and rebuked Him, I think it was because He didn’t understand God’s unfolding redemptive plan yet. Peter was probably confused as to why Jesus, the Messiah would have to suffer such horrible things.  I think Peter’s quirky way of comforting Jesus was to rebuke Him, kind of like saying, “It isn’t so!” But…was Peter showing that He was more concerned about Jesus’ comfort or His character? Comfort is not always God’s will, doing what’s right is! 

APPLICATION:  I learned something after reading what Peter said to Jesus.  I learned that I need to be more careful how I pray for others. God’s will is not always based on what makes us happy, it’s based on what makes us holy. Peter was concerned about Jesus’ comforts more than what Jesus said He MUST DO!  Jesus knew what He must do, and He was willing to do it, even if it meant suffering!  He needed to do it in order to make a way for us to be saved! My sanctification process; the work that God began in me, its purpose is for me to become more like Jesus. When I think about Jesus, He was willing to suffer and die for my sins so I could live for Him!  In order for me to do that, I MUST be willing to die to myself!  God isn’t about making me happy as much as He is about making me holy! 

So, the next time I pray with someone, or give advice, I need to remember the important lesson here: Jesus’ disciples believed He was the Messiah, and when He told them He MUST suffer many things, be rejected and die, He was teaching them AND US that when we follow Him, we should be ready and willing to build our character more than our comforts.  We should be willing to do what’s right according to God’s will, no matter how uncomfortable it gets!

PRAYER:  Oh Lord, I am alive and well, but I pray, as I serve You that I will be willing to die to myself to follow You! Thank You for doing what You knew You must do in order to accomplish God’s will; to die on the cross to pay for my sins!  You gave Your life for me so I could be saved! 

“For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of Me and the gospel will save it.” I pray God will help me think about His concerns more than man’s.

- Robin Orefice

Mark 7 - 2.19.24

Scripture

Mark‬ ‭7‬:‭6‬ ‭NLT

”Jesus replied, “You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you, for he wrote, ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.“

Observation

Some Pharisees and teachers of religious law began to question Jesus about his disciples. They point out to Jesus that his disciples were not following the ancient Jewish traditions of washing their hands before eating or even immersing their hands in water before eating food from the market. Jesus then basically tells these Pharisees and teachers that all the religious rituals and practices they do are mere “lip service” towards God. They only do them so they can look good and more spiritual than others. They have a “holier than thou” attitude, while their hearts are far from God. These Pharisees and teachers seemed to be more concerned about glorifying themselves rather than glorifying God.

Application

God cannot be fooled. God sees our hearts.

”The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”-1 Samuel‬ ‭16‬:‭7‬b
”People may be right in their own eyes, but the Lord examines their heart.“ -Proverbs‬ ‭21‬:‭2‬ ‭

It’s important when we do things for God, we have the right motives behind them. For God sees our hearts. He knows when we are just going through the motions, jumping through those “spiritual hoops”, or checking off boxes so we can feel or appear like better Christians. When in reality we could be acting like the Pharisees and religious teachers mentioned in this chapter. We could be merely giving God good lip service; praising God with our lips, but not with our actions. So let’s not fall into that trap. Let’s remember that God wants our hearts. He desires our relationship over rituals.

Prayer

Father God, I pray that I have a heart that is fully devoted to pleasing You. Help me to stay the course, and be focused. Help me not to stray. Help me not to just go through the motions when serving and worshiping You. You gave me Your all when You gave me Jesus. I pray that I can give You my all in service too. In Jesus name I pray, Amen. 🙏🏽

-Moses Gaddi

Mark 6 - 2.16.2024

Scripture - Pick one verse that stood out to you.

Mark 6:52

for they had not understood about the loaves; their hearts were hardened.

Observation - What about this verse stands out to you?

I knew what the Lord was going to talk to me about in preparation of this SOAP journal. I just knew it. I had been getting wronged all week. I had been doing well on various fronts. So of course when things started to appear not to go my way I knew I wasn’t at fault. I knew that the Lord was going to speak to me in preparation for my journal entry. I just knew that a story about deliverance and a psalm about vindication was headed my way!

I knew I had found my answer when I read that the disciples and apostles, when watching Jesus walk on water, were afraid because of their hardened hearts.

A-ha!

I knew that I was dealing with hard hearted people. I just knew it!

The context of this verse is that Jesus had just prior performed the miracle of feeding the five thousand (which only counts the men who had eaten).

The full section of this verse in NIV Mark 6:47-52 reads:

Later that night, the boat was in the middle of the lake, and he was alone on land. He saw the disciples straining at the oars, because the wind was against them. Shortly before dawn he went out to them, walking on the lake. He was about to pass by them,  but when they saw him walking on the lake, they thought he was a ghost. They cried out, because they all saw him and were terrified.

Immediately he spoke to them and said, “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” Then he climbed into the boat with them, and the wind died down. They were completely amazed, for they had not understood about the loaves; their hearts were hardened.

Application - How will you apply this to your life?

God hears the plans of men and…

As I was preparing to write out my journal, I felt a small voice inside me speaking. A voice I wanted to ignore.

With all my relational and situational struggles here on earth beginning to mount again, as my life began to feel like the wind was against me and I was straining to paddle against that wind, I initially knew I was more like Jesus in this story. There was absolutely no way that God was telling me that I was still on the other side.

But sometimes that still small voice is persistent.

And so it is with a small sigh I begin to examine my own heart today, Lord. Heart check me for areas of hardening. The spiritual kind.

For my life application today I will inspect my heart and pray to God for guidance.

Prayer - Write out a prayer.

Lord, I thank you for the bible verse this morning. Thank you for helping to give me a much needed gut check to my heart. I ask for forgiveness for my sins. Help me to change, Lord. Please help my inclinations towards frustration to be replaced by peace. Please, help me to be reminded of all the amazing things you have done in my life. Thank you for the miracle of Christ. Thank you for being a loving Father. As I inspect my heart today please soften me. Fill me with Your peace. Fill me with Your love. 

And the next time I find myself paddling against the wind. Help me to remember You. Draw me closer to You, Lord. Always and forever.

All these things I pray and ask for in the name of Jesus, amen.