Skip to main content

We Can

“You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said. “Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?” Mark 10:38

James and John were asking (through their mother) for special consideration in the Kingdom. Mrs. Zebedee asked that her sons sit in the seats of honor right beside Jesus and His Father. Jesus asks them a hard question: “If that is what you want, do you think you can face and go through all that I am about to go through, even to the point of dying?” Without really knowing what they were saying, they answered, “We can.”

We want God to give us special attention and honor, but in doing so we don’t always understand what we are asking for. He was not speaking of a dunk in water here. He was speaking of immersion in a life of sacrifice, becoming “obedient to death, even death on a cross.” James and John would face difficult days ahead. James was shortly hereafter executed for his faith. And while John outlived the other disciples, at one point he was boiled alive in oil and miraculously survived. They did drink from the same cup as Jesus.

The question for us is are we willing? Praise the Lord He delivers all those who drink from this cup and uses them for His glory and honor. Be encouraged today if you are in a time of baptism in difficulty, the Lord knows how to protect and deliver His own out of peril.

Prayer Focus: Lord, thank You for Your grace to us. Help me today, when I don’t even know what I am asking, to receive what You have for me with hope and trust so that You will be glorified in all things.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Generosity Draws

“And God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all that there were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone who had need. Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means “son of encouragement”), sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles’ feet.” Acts 4:33-37 I had the opportunity recently to offer something of value to some friends. It was passes to a golf tournament. I only had two, so I started checking with them one at a time. The first several were not able to take advantage of them, but something struck me. In declining, each of them expressed appreciation. Generosity had touched them. Joseph from Cyprus was a generous person. It was shown in two ways. He was generous with his possessions. He sold some property he owned to provide for needy people. And he was so gen...
Post a Comment
Read more

Storyteller

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.” Acts 1:8-9 These are the last words Jesus speaks to his Apostles just before ascending into heaven. Not what they were expecting. They were wondering when Jesus was going to set up His Kingdom on earth. As He was ascending into heaven He reveals we are the ones to accomplish the task. Jesus’ departure is not desertion; it is a commission to be the storytellers of truth to the rest of the world. Frequently, we look at this scripture in relationship to our life. We perceive Jerusalem as our own community, Judea as our city, Samaria as our country and the ends of the earth as the world. Christ informed the apostles they will have the power of the Holy Spirit to reach these people. Notice the word “and...” Jesus didn’t say...
1 comment
Read more

Religious Adjustments

“So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith.” Acts 6:7 Immediately after Pentecost, the word of God spread. Part of the group of people who responded to the Gospel were Jewish priests. Not just a few, but “a large number” of them. Think about it. They were well versed in the Hebrew Bible (our Old Testament) and the traditions and teachings of the rabbis. But all of that was challenged by the Gospel, and they now became “obedient to the faith.” This was a massive change with great implications. I find that there are a lot of people around us who while not necessarily living a “practicing” faith, have a faith tradition background. And there are some like the priests of Jesus’ day who are regularly following their tradition. What will they do, what do we do, when the Gospel challenges or overrides our traditional beliefs? We can either reject the Gospel and hold tight to our tradition ...
Post a Comment
Read more