Mark his words . . .

If I had three years to live and the power of God to do whatever He asked, what would those years look like? What would I do? Who would I talk to? How would my life change?

Mark is the second book in the New Testament. He did not walk with Jesus but writes from hindsight about the short but busy years of Jesus’ ministry. He was a native of Jerusalem (Acts 12:12), a companion of Simon Peter (1 Peter 5:13), and the cousin of Barnabas (Colossians 4:10), familiar with the life of Christ and the early church. His book was cited as “the interpreter of Peter” because when it is compared with Peter’s sermon in Acts 10:34–43 it is similar yet adds greater detail.

Mark presents Jesus as the servant of God. He uses the Greek word eutheos forty-two times. It means “immediately” and describes how Jesus ministered to needy people. The book I am reading outlines Mark by focusing on the schedule Jesus kept.

Introduction & Preparatory events	1:1-13
First tour of Galilee—Miracles and parables	1:14–4:34
Tour of Decapoli	4:35–5:43
Second tour of Galilee	6:1–29
Retreat to the desert	6:30–52
Third tour of Galilee	6:53–7:23
Tour of the north country	7:24–9:29
First announcement of passion	8:31
Fourth tour of Galilee	9:30–50
Second announcement of passion	9:31
Tour of Perea and Judea	10:1–52
Third announcement of passion	10:33
Ministry in Jerusalem	11:1–13:37
The passion and resurrection	14:1–16:20

Just a quick glance at the first part of Mark shows me that Jesus had a full calendar. My Bible has His words in red letters revealing His priorities.

Call sinners to repentance: “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” (Mark 1:15)

Call those who repent to follow Him: And Jesus said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” (Mark 1:17)

Deal with evil forces: He met a man with a demon, one of Satan’s workers who lies and destroys, but Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent, and come out of him!” (Mark 1:25)

Prayer and reaching out to everyone: “And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed. And Simon and those who were with him searched for him, and they found him and said to him, ‘Everyone is looking for you.’ And he said to them, ‘Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out.’ And he went throughout all Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons. (Mark 1:35–39)

Healing: And a leper came to him, imploring him, and kneeling said to him, “If you will, you can make me clean.” Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand and touched him and said to him, “I will; be clean.” (Mark 1:40–41)

Healing also that His power to forgive was made known:

And immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they thus questioned within themselves, said to them, “Why do you question these things in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, take up your bed and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the paralytic— “I say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home.” (Mark 2:8–11)

Calling sinners to new life: And as he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him. (Mark 2:14)

And the scribes of the Pharisees, when they saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, said to his disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?” And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.” (Mark 2:16–17)

Mark goes on but this is enough to give me thoughts for today. If I could do what Jesus did, my focus would change. His attention was on the spiritual and physical needs of others. He didn’t spend time in self-indulgence or trying to make Himself comfortable or popular. He simply did what He could to show sinners that He was their Savior, the One who could deal with their spiritual enemies and make them whole.

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I’m not Jesus, but You live in me. How can I get out of the way and let Your life shine out of my life? How can I better serve You by serving others? Enable me to be quick to respond as You open my eyes to Your plans for each day.

The Spirit is not my genie in a bottle

This morning I asked my husband to pray when giving thanks for our food that I would have the self-control to eat properly that day. Since the source of self-control is the Holy Spirit, I wanted to be filled with Him instead of letting my appetites dictate things to me, like it is okay to eat dessert when my stomach is already full.

Within an hour, the Lord speaks to me through Tozer. He says, “Let us never pray that we may be filled with the Spirit of God for secondary purposes.”

This is a mild rebuke. I’m not to think that the Spirit of God is my servant when it should be the other way around! As Tozer writes, God wants to fill me with His Spirit in order that I know Him and am absorbed in Him. His purpose is that in the fullness of the Spirit Jesus Christ will be glorified in me. My attitude should be like the psalmist who declared:

As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God? My tears have been my food day and night, while they say to me all the day long, “Where is your God?” (Psalm 42:1–3)

It is not wrong to ask God for help, even for help with personal issues like a sweet tooth, or any other form of self-absorption. He delights in our humble requests and knows that we cannot fulfill our calling without Him, yet as today’s devotional reading says, the major purpose of the Holy Spirit is to lift my mind to new ideals and give me “conceptions of things so much in advance of our present experiences” that I long for higher ground, not merely that my waistline still fits my clothes.

In other words, by wanting self-control or any other fruit of the Spirit, like love, peace, joy and gentleness, my motivation should go beyond the warmth and good feelings that fruit produces in me. Instead of being selfish about it, God wants that fruit to feed and nourish the lives of others. The tree never eats its own fruit; it merely displays it. The eating is for others.

Last night we were hosts to another couple who join us in praying for our families. I’ve been thinking that I am not a natural hostess who thinks of the needs of my guests, but last night we were blessed by our Bible study and prayer time. My heart was thrilled at the Lord’s teaching and I found myself taking care of my guests without any effort. When the Spirit comes in, selfishness and self-effort go out.

How does this apply to that prayer request to my hubby? It was a self-centered catering to my vanity. How can I ask him to pray that the Holy Spirit will give me what I need so I can be more self-centered and vain? Duh.

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Jesus, Your patience is incredible, as usual. In my desire to stay thin or be thinner, I’m focused only on me. But when my focus is on You and Your glory, I will have what I need for that, and all the side benefits that the fruit of the Spirit gives, the joy for others becomes my joy as well. The peace and love for others warms my heart too, as does patience, goodness, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness and even self-control. Keep my desires, hungers and thirsts centered on You, knowing that You will take care of whatever else I need.