Seeking Jesus Day Twenty-One - Mark 11:1-14

Rejoice, O people of Zion!     Shout in triumph, O people of Jerusalem! Look, your king is coming to you.     He is righteous and victorious, yet he is humble, riding on a donkey—     riding on a donkey’s colt. Zechariah 9:9 Just read that verse in Zechariah, friend, and marvel. Our Jesus knew the scriptures and He fulfilled them. Right down to riding on a donkey's colt. Don't you want to know more? How did he meet the owners of this unridden donkey? How long had they waited for the mysterious day when the disciples would show up and ask for the donkey? Who returned it afterward? Whatever the answers are to those largely irrelevant questions ... Jesus fulfilled what Zechariah was allowed to see in advance. […] Read more »

Other-focused Prayer. Look Around.

Four-part series: Pursuing an Effective Personal Prayer Life. Our foundational goal here at Sweet Selah Ministries is to encourage daily quiet times with God. We are all about the sweetness that comes when we selah (stop) and simply choose to be with God for a short while—or a long while. Our time alone with Him fuels us for the rest of the day. We meet God through the pages of His living Word, the Bible. We read and meditate and write to Him about what He says to us in the pages of the Book of books. And then we pray. In this series on pursuing an effective personal prayer life, we are going to look at three different types of prayer and help you […] Read more »

Seeking Jesus Day Twenty - Mark 10:32-52

Let's look at our scene change for the second half of Chapter 10. Mark 10:32:  "They were now on the way up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them. The disciples were filled with awe, and the people following behind were overwhelmed with fear. Taking the twelve disciples aside, Jesus once more began to describe everything that was about to happen to him."  Do you see where Jesus was at this point? He was walking ahead of them and no one was trying to chat with Him. Instead, the disciples were "filled with awe" and the people were "overwhelmed with fear." They are on their way to Jerusalem. Jesus has set his heart toward the ultimate purpose for which He came. And He […] Read more »

Seeking Jesus Day Nineteen - Mark 10:1-31

It's all about relationships today, friends. Jesus talks first about divorce, a painful topic in every century. Divorce often happens because of a heart that hardens, doesn't it? One or both are tired of trying or being hurt and so they are just plain done. Jesus says that is not how it is supposed to be, and I think we all agree that it's not. It just sometimes is that way. The tearing apart of something that is supposed to be permanent hurts. Let's give lots of love and comfort to those who have walked that agonizing path. If forgiveness is needed? God forgives. If healing is needed? God heals. In all cases, though, let's love each other. If you want to ponder this subject […] Read more »

Seeking Jesus Day Eighteen - Mark 9:30-50

I'd like to examine Mark 9:30-31a for a moment. Let's read it:  "Leaving that region, they traveled through Galilee. Jesus didn’t want anyone to know he was there, for he wanted to spend more time with his disciples and teach them ..." Have you noticed the repeated refrain of Jesus wanting to spend time alone and/or alone with His disciples? We teach "selah" times here at Sweet Selah Ministries. Jesus knew the value of quiet teaching times soaking in the presence of God. This time, I think He was actually blessed with the quiet "selah time" He sought. At least, Mark does not immediately announce a crowd showing up! He modeled such grace and compassion when His alone times were interrupted, as should we, but He never […] Read more »

Seeking Jesus Day Seventeen - Mark 9:1-29

Today, we look at the magnificent Transfiguration of Jesus. My! What a moment that must have been. Let's look at Mark 9:6 for a moment: "He said this because he didn't really know what else to say, for they were all terrified." This is one of the verses that lead us to believe Mark might have interviewed Peter as his source for this gospel. Who else would know why Peter would blurt out what he did about building shelters for Moses, Elijah and Jesus? Peter knew why he said it. He was terrified and while some of us freeze and can't speak under such circumstances, others among us feel the need to fill the air space with words!! Hear these words from Charles Swindoll as […] Read more »

Seeking Jesus Day Sixteen - Mark 8:22-38

So, did you find it curious that Jesus healed the blind man "half way" at first? I did. It's true of all of us, though, that sometimes we only see things dimly. Paul states that as long as we are on earth, our sight is a bit fuzzy: "Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely" (I Corinthians 13:12 NLT). Right after this, Peter demonstrates poor vision, doesn't he? He starts out soaring high as he declares Jesus to be Messiah, but then he falls with a thud when he rebukes […] Read more »