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Mark 10:17-31 -- How willing are you to give up everything? Your home, your job, the life you've built for yourself. Jesus typically doesn't ask us to give up those things but He does ask us to be willing to give them up. Here the rich ruler wants to experience all the goodness that God has to offer but is unwilling to give up his earthly possessions in order to have that. How many times has God told you to let go and you've continued to hold on? For those of us that are unwilling to let go; we too one day will walk away saddened as He turns to us and says; "Depart from me, for I never knew you" - Matthew 7:23 Friends, this world with all of its trinkets and flashy objects hold nothing of Kingdom value for any of us. Jesus makes it very clear that we will be all the more blessed and rewarded because we let go of the things of this world. Don't look at your neighbor, your co-worker, or even your friend thinking that have so much more than me -- know that because you follow Jesus and are willing to give up everything for Him -- you have much more than they. Nothing wrong with being last; because in eternity, all of that will be corrected. God bless you as you seek Him today.

Mark 8:34-38 -- Deny yourself -- what you want, your agenda, your desired outcome. Those that deny themselves and seek solely the will of God are in short supply these days. Why is that? Is it because we want what's coming to us -- after all we've worked hard, don't we deserve it? When I was in the 7th grade a substitute teacher gave us an assignment of writing a three page, double spaced paper on: "How I See the World". My paper was filled with comments about how everyone was for themselves -- that even though they seemed to sincerely care; really all they cared about was themselves. I got an "F" on that paper -- and the teacher told me in front of the class, how horrible it was -- that I was nothing but a pessimist. Now understand that I was growing up in the sixties; where racial tension was high -- where political division was quite prevalent -- this was how I saw the world. Look around friends -- look at the world we live in. I don't see where a lot has changed. In a lot of ways; it has gotten worse (my opinion). Are we more worried about what we can gain or achieve; than we are about loving one another as we've been called to be. What are we exchanging for our soul? Instead of always standing up for what we believe; especially when it comes to our faith -- where do we compromise? So yes, I guess I am a bit of a pessimist when it comes to human nature -- not that I do it all right, all the time. But here's what I know now that i did not know in the 7th grade: God is bigger than our selfishness -- He is bigger than our negativity towards our fellow man. My prayer is that when He returns we'll have a better handle on ourselves simply because we've submitted our life, our desires, our attitudes to Him -- and that we would not be ashamed of that. If we do that; then what we gain ; will far outweigh what we lose, even what we think is most important. God Bless!!!

Mark 3:20-35 -- Isn't funny how when people don't agree or are afraid of the message they rely on name calling to get their view point across. Does this sound familiar? Today, people are just as apt to resort to name calling before even trying to discern the truth. And what those that leave us with? DIVISION!!! Jesus said that a house divided cannot stand. I believe that this country, our world, even the church is so divided in these days that I'm not sure that Jesus' words won't be realized in many of our lifetimes. Destruction, not just physical, but spiritual destruction is the inevitable result of a world turned on itself. Is there a cure, a way to stop the inevitable? Unity of the church, unity of God's people is the way that we defeat the strong man, in this case the source of our division and that is Satan. He is the one we are fighting, not each other. But he has turned the hearts of many and instead of being transformed we are merely conforming. Which means we would rather be right than to be loving. We would rather be heard, than to be truthful. Which in my opinion is a type of blasphemy because it's putting ourselves in the position of God. Which, by the way, none of us are good at. Notice who Jesus calls his mother, his brothers. Verse 35; “For whoever does the will of God, he is My brother and sister and mother.” It is not God's will for us to be a divided people, it is not God's will for us to slander one another and spew hatred -- it's God's will for us to be of one mind and edifying and loving. How much longer can we as a society hold up against the strains of division? I do not know; but I think when it starts to fall apart we will see the final chapter of God's story -- Jesus coming as King and Lord to restore what we have so negligently destroyed. May God guard your heart and mind in Christ Jesus as you seek to live at peace with everyone.