Mark 1:14-22 ~ repent and believe

Mark 1:14-22

14 Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, 15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”

16 Passing alongside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. 

17 And Jesus said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” 

18 And immediately they left their nets and followed him. 19 And going on a little farther, he saw James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, who were in their boat mending the nets. 20 And immediately he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants and followed him.

21 And they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath he entered the synagogue and was teaching. 22 And they were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes.

Isaiah 7 tells us so much about the Birth of Jesus, society and economic conditions. With Ahaz, the king of realism to give up to the Assyrian Empire - using what God says tells us of our treasure and heart - to give up the solid gold Temple to keep power. Even if it's puppet power. Ahaz didn't want to even ask God for a sign, as God was doing what Mike Pence finds a bedrock of our lives today - God was speaking to Ahaz. History would show their conversation bore much fruit.

Jesus arrives in as the Temple is a tool of Herod and Herod a tool of Rome. The Essenes leave to give the world the Dead Sea Scrolls and tell us the Temple is spiritually devoid.

Jesus arrives when people are not expecting much of God. There is enormous wealth and many people line up for sustaining money.

The message of Jesus is this - Repent and Believe. Jesus isn't just speaking of personal flaw, mistake and sin - Jesus is saying repent of thinking God is small and not personally useful in the hunt for sustaining money and life. Of course, Jesus is saying personally examine what removes us from God. Of course. We all deeply know about keeping the path of Love and care and communication to God - our Father - who Loves us.

Jesus was saying He agrees John has prepared His path. Personal repentance. Jesus fully agrees with John the Baptist's God-given message.

Jesus is saying - Believe God is the Almighty.

One of the loveliest aspects of Community Worship - being with the faithful. Our physical bodies God gives us to put all of our brain, all our mind, all our soul into worship of God. We feel God is available. If we need to hold on to the robe of Jesus, we are invited. Yet in Community Worship, we are with the people who feel - in God - we live, move and have our being. God is here. We tell our Father - we Love Him.

God is saying as we recognize how God warms and loves us, God is speaking in warming our hearts.

We are answering the Living Word of God. We are telling Our Loving, Caring, Good Father - we believe. We repent for our self-doubts the war on our faith. We open our hearts again to our Father.

Jesus begins by saying, "Repent and Believe." Is this harsh? Jesus certainly tells us He wades into Life - with all heart. With all Love. Jesus has to fully state- belief. Repent - knock out the tarnish, the dust, the hopelessness of doubt. Jesus is here.

When you are praying - collect and remember God miracles. Your miracles. God is Alive. He is Working.

Praying - Grief over death - when we have recovered from losing someone we love - we can remember God's Grace to us to heal. The prayer looks promising now. We are blessed remembering healing. And healing from sorrow is huge in prayer and in Hope. When most of the young are asked to pray for grief from death recovery - we can do the best we can. Grief transferred to Living Hope - suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

My father lived a wonderful life. Alcoholism causes early death. And as he aged - the depressant took firm hold of all his mind. Daddy left a wake of things to forgive. We worried about him. He had loved Jesus we knew, but he had left all the ones who loved him best. To become comfortable with the death of someone you love - is to fully trust the Goodness of God's Love.

To lose a child is to believe God must know something you have no clue to cover. To contemplate the Heavens and see the Planning of God. And as life unfolds - to realize God's Plan Truly is Good and Truly Exists. Believe God.

Prayer Warrior Skills are with us when we believe in Jesus as Living Hope over Death. We can pray with our own assurance instead of the gloom of 'Oh no grief - horrid' recalling the new vision of Hope and applying this relief in prayer upon the suffering Child of God.

Remember your miracles.

Cancer. One of our family, actually two, have recovered from stage 4 Cancer. We can apply the Works of God to the prayer request.

Hip surgery, knee surgery, back surgery. The name of the person you know God favored so well. The same healing. The same willing Good Father.

For loved ones to know and Love Jesus and His Love. I remember my grandmother saying her hopeless son would never leave her prayers. In his 7th decade, my uncle loved Jesus. My mother and I wept because we knew how important this was to Grandmother. What we can't do - Jesus can. Jesus is willing.

Hope. Job searching. I think of my mother's friend Carolyn. Diligent in her job. Married to a Navy man - who left her. She wasn't sure she felt free of her marriage. Everyone told her to be reasonable. She'd been divorced 10 years - biological clocks. She would shake her head.

One Tuesday, she came home to her apartment to find someone sitting on her door front bent over. She ran to her car. Danger. As she arrived in the car, she looked up and in the almost homeless man, realized this was her husband. He was still in the Navy and in end stages of Brain Cancer. He didn't want his family, he wanted his 10 year divorced wife. She nursed him for just under a year and he died. Carolyn quietly said she knew God had a plan for her.

Carolyn married a man who assured her he was Christian. 5 years of abuse followed. One day she realized God had given her freedom from this. Carolyn boldly divorced. And at the age of 43, realized no children had happened. No lasting marriage. Her job. Steadfast. And then one day her work caused her to meet a fine professional man who offered her a - job - no marriage. And they were blessed with a child. A happy life. Blessed. We ask for jobs - we look for Blessing.

After volunteering with women in crisis, I realized the strength God gives us when we rely on Jesus Christ. And life looked very different. We do not answer prayers. God, Himself, is the Spirit giving Life. We are loved and we can tell our Father again we remember His Glory and Willingness. New stories are being collected as we pray.

We allow God to be God when we Pray. God assembles our heartfelt prayers in His Plan. We believe God is a Loving and Good Father. And His Plan will be Hope and Future. Carolyn waited quite a few years. She believed God.


Jesus said repent from putting God in the same old box. Believe.

James 2:23
Scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness," and he was called a friend of God.


Prayer is like the Gospels. We bring our friends who have had God's Wonders to our prayers. Give thanks. Give wonders of God. Pray and never lose Hope.

Mark 2
4 These men could not get near Jesus because of so many people. They made a hole in the roof of the house over where Jesus stood. Then they let down the bed with the sick man on it.

5 When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the sick man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”



Abba,

We ask Your Blessings, knowing Goodness of Jesus.

Jesus heals as Sins are Forgiven. We answer, "I have faith, help me to have more."

And in bringing God the Good News of Jesus as Living and Working - we are blessed. And in being Blessed - have blessings, and blessings and blessings in our on-going talking with You, Loving, Father.

We know Scriptures, we know the Power of God. In the name of Jesus, we ask Jesus and Your Holy Spirit prays with us. Interceding, mediating. Drawing us in the Love Jesus has for His Father. The Love our Father has for Jesus. The Love in the Holy Spirit and our Father's Joy in us. And placing the Holy Spirit in us - Abba increase and move us - in Your Love.

Let the Circle be Unbroken. God's Unending Love holding our loved ones. Placing us with Him. Today and Always.

His Love coming boldly to all around the world to increase the awareness of His Love and Glory. Blessing our Nation with peace and those who pray for Peace.

The Love You have for us, directing us, healing us, abundant Life, abundant Hope, encouraging us, teaching us. Enabling us upon the Path and Plan You have for us.

Amen in Jesus.