WORD From The Woods

Jude: 4-23
“For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. Now I want to remind you, although you once fully knew it, that Jesus, who saved a people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe. And the angels who did not stay within their own position of authority, but left their proper dwelling, he has kept in eternal chains under gloomy darkness until the judgment of the great day— just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities, which likewise indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural desire, serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of eternal fire. Yet in like manner these people also, relying on their dreams, defile the flesh, reject authority, and blaspheme the glorious ones. But when the archangel Michael, contending with the devil, was disputing about the body of Moses, he did not presume to pronounce a blasphemous judgment, but said, “The Lord rebuke you.” But these people blaspheme all that they do not understand, and they are destroyed by all that they, like unreasoning animals, understand instinctively. Woe to them! For they walked in the way of Cain and abandoned themselves for the sake of gain to Balaam's error and perished in Korah's rebellion. These are hidden reefs at your love feasts, as they feast with you without fear, shepherds feeding themselves; waterless clouds, swept along by winds; fruitless trees in late autumn, twice dead, uprooted; wild waves of the sea, casting up the foam of their own shame; wandering stars, for whom the gloom of utter darkness has been reserved forever. It was also about these that Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied, saying, “Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of his holy ones, to execute judgment on all and to convict all the ungodly of all their deeds of ungodliness that they have committed in such an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things that ungodly sinners have spoken against him.” These are grumblers, malcontents, following their own sinful desires; they are loud-mouthed boasters, showing favoritism to gain advantage. But you must remember, beloved, the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. They said to you, “In the last time there will be scoffers, following their own ungodly passions.” It is these who cause divisions, worldly people, devoid of the Spirit. But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. And have mercy on those who doubt; save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh.”


    Last week we looked at the first part of the letter from Jude , where he called believers to be bold and contend for the faith. In this next passage, he warns the church about false teachers and all sorts of ungodly people, who would rebel against God and His people. He also boldly talks about the judgment that awaits those who continue in their rebellion. He points back to the evil and rebellious cities, Sodom and Gomorrah and how they were destroyed by fire. Jude says that Sodom and Gomorrah serve as an example of the eternal judgment that all who die in their sin and rebellion will face. In today’s christian culture, there is very little talk about pointing out false teachers or calling people out in their sin and rebellion. It’s become all about how Jesus loves us and just wants us to be happy. The Lord Jesus Christ does love us, and wants us to have joy in Him and joy in our fellowship with each other. But the point of our life on earth is first and foremost to glorify Him. And the Lord will have nothing to do with evil. Jude didn’t hold anything back! He says that the Lord comes with tens of thousands of His holy ones to execute judgment on all the ungodly sinners who have committed all kind of evil rebellion against Him. After Jude gave this warning, he calls the church to build up each other in the faith, praying to the spirit, keeping yourselves in the love of God and waiting for the mercy of Christ that leads to eternal life! That’s the gospel! Sin and rebellion leads to eternal destruction in judgment, the gospel of Christ leads to eternal life! Jude says it’s an act of mercy to point out the judgment that is coming on the ungodly and present them with the gospel. He actually compares it to snatching them out of the fire, because that’s exactly what happens when someone is saved by Christ, they are saved from the fire of eternal judgment! It’s true that God is love, it’s because of HIs love for us that He made a way for us to be saved at all. But it is not loving for us to avoid harsh talk about judgement of sin. I think Jude makes it clear that it’s actually unloving to not talk about it, to not call sin what it is and point people to the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. This is all part of contending for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints.


God bless, have a great week, and boldly contend for the faith!
-Terry-

WORD From The Woods
Jude: 1-3
“Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James,To those who are called, beloved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ: May mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you. Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints.”


    I shared this short series on the book of Jude a couple of years ago, but I want to share it again. It’s an interesting little letter with some matter-of-fact language, that has some good teaching for us today.
     Jude was one of Jesus’ brothers by Mary and Joseph. It’s interesting that he mentions that he is the brother of James but never mentions being the brother of Jesus. Instead, Jude says that he is a servant of the Lord Jesus. He could have claimed that he was related to Jesus by flesh and blood, but he doesn’t, he only claimed to be tied to Jesus in the spirit by means of salvation through the blood of Christ. This is really significant, and points us to the reality that nothing in our flesh can get us to God! It’s only by surrendering our heart to Christ and being covered by the blood of His sacrifice on the cross that we’re saved! The intro to this letter is short and sweet. This letter is written to the church, the true followers of Christ, the “called,” those who have been called and saved out of darkness, loved by God, and kept in Christ. Next week, we’ll look at the harsh words Jude has for false teachers and those who rebel against God. But for the believers in Christ, he says that mercy, peace, and love will be multiplied to you. He goes on to point out our common salvation. In whatever walk of life you’re in, whatever time, place, and culture you live in, we are all united in one common community of faith in Christ Jesus. Jude says he found it necessary to write to this community, the Church, to appeal to us to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to us, through the life, death, and resurrection of Christ! The word contend means to earnestly struggle and fight for something with everything that’s in you. Jude calls us to stand up and fight for our faith because it’s necessary. Why? Because there is an enemy of Christ, the devil, who is always at work trying to destroy the cause of Christ, and as Christians, we are called to represent Him in this world and fight for the faith! Next week, we’ll take a look at what Jude says concerning the judgment that comes on those who rebel against Christ. Until then, keep your eyes fixed on the King and stand for Him!


God bless and have great week! -Terry-

WORD From The Woods
    This week we will finish up our study in the Gospel of Mark. The 12 verses that we're looking at today are in brackets in most modern translations because there is a lot of debate as to whether or not they were part of Mark's original gospel account. Let's take a look at this passage and then I'll share some thoughts on it.
Mark 16:9-20
[Now when he rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons. She went and told those who had been with him, as they mourned and wept. But when they heard that he was alive and had been seen by her, they would not believe it. After these things he appeared in another form to two of them, as they were walking into the country. And they went back and told the rest, but they did not believe them. Afterward he appeared to the eleven themselves as they were reclining at table, and he rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who saw him after he had risen. And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.” So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by accompanying signs.]]


     As I said, there is a lot of debate as to whether or not Mark's original Gospel account ended with verse 8 or if it included verses 9-20, which is known as the "longer ending of Mark."  The reason that there is some question about this passage's authenticity, is that it's not found in some of the oldest and most reliable manuscript evidence that we have found to date. It's thought by most scholars that this passage was added later because of the abrupt ending of Mark with verse 8. Whether or not this was written by Mark himself under the direction of the Holy Spirit doesn't really matter to me, what does matter is whether or not it is in concert with the rest of scripture or whether it contradicts it. I think this is a great opportunity to talk about how we should read the bible in general. We must always read a scripture in light of scripture and we must look at the context of large portions of scripture, rather than looking at it in small bits. This passage is a perfect example, the reason that I'm not worried about it and most scholars aren't, is that it doesn't say anything that isn't in complete harmony with the rest of scripture. There has been some obscure teaching based on verse 18 that says believers will be able to pick up snakes and drink poison without being harmed, but a clear reading of scripture in light of scripture will lead you to Acts 28:3-4, where Paul is bitten by a venomous viper and is protected by The Lord as a sign to confirm his apostolic authority. These non-normative miracles surrounded the apostles in the early stages of the Church after Pentecost as God's way of saying to the world that the apostles were indeed sent by the one true God. You see here how someone could take just these 12 verses in Mark and come up with an obscure doctrine of letting snakes bite people or drink poison to test God, but when we look to the whole of scripture we can understand what was really being taught. The fact that the authenticity of this passage is questioned shouldn't shake our confidence that the modern bible translations we have are God's inerrant word. As I've said, this passage is in harmony with the rest of scripture, and with the thousands of very old manuscripts that have been discovered and the science of textual criticism, we can be sure that what we have in our modern translations is God's word.  It's vitally important to us as followers of Jesus, that we learn to accurately and responsibly study God's word. Always remember to interpret scripture in the light of other scripture and take into account the greater context of a passage by reading it in large portions rather than singling out small bits and pieces.  I've included some commentary from the ESV Study Bible below to give you some more information about this passage in Mark.
God bless and have a great week! -Terry-
-Commentary from the ESV Study Bible-
16:9–20 “Longer Ending of Mark.” Some ancient manuscripts of Mark's Gospel contain these verses and others do not, which presents a puzzle for scholars who specialize in the history of such manuscripts. This longer ending is missing from various old and reliable Greek manuscripts (esp. Sinaiticus and Vaticanus), as well as numerous early Latin, Syriac, Armenian, and Georgian manuscripts. Early church fathers (e.g., Origen and Clement of Alexandria) did not appear to know of these verses. Eusebius and Jerome state that this section is missing in most manuscripts available at their time. And some manuscripts that contain vv. 9–20 indicate that older manuscripts lack the section. On the other hand, some early and many later manuscripts (such as the manuscripts known as A, C, and D) contain vv. 9–20, and many church fathers (such as Irenaeus) evidently knew of these verses. As for the verses themselves, they contain various Greek words and expressions uncommon to Mark, and there are stylistic differences as well. Many think this shows vv. 9–20 to be a later addition. In summary, vv. 9–20 should be read with caution. As in many translations, the editors of the esv have placed the section within brackets, showing their doubts as to whether it was originally part of what Mark wrote, but also recognizing its long history of acceptance by many in the church. The content of vv. 9–20 is best explained by reference to other passages in the Gospels and the rest of the NT. (Most of its content is found elsewhere, and no point of doctrine is affected by the absence or presence of vv. 9–20.) With particular reference to v. 18, there is no command to pick up serpents or to drink deadly poison; there is merely a promise of protection as found in other parts of the NT (see Acts 28:3–4; James 5:13–16). (See The Reliability of the New Testament Manuscripts.)

WORD from the woods
Mark 15:42 - 16:8
     “And when evening had come, since it was the day of Preparation, that is, the day before the Sabbath, Joseph of Arimathea, a respected member of the council, who was also himself looking for the kingdom of God, took courage and went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Pilate was surprised to hear that he should have already died. And summoning the centurion, he asked him whether he was already dead. And when he learned from the centurion that he was dead, he granted the corpse to Joseph. And Joseph bought a linen shroud, and taking him down, wrapped him in the linen shroud and laid him in a tomb that had been cut out of the rock. And he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb. Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Jesus saw where he was laid. When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. And they were saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?” And looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled back—it was very large. And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were alarmed. And he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.” And they went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had seized them, and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.”
     The resurrection of Jesus is something that a lot of churches talk about on Easter Sunday but then forget about the rest of the year. That’s why I waited until a few weeks after Easter to go through this passage. This is the most vital part of the gospel, and it's something that should be celebrated often! Many churches take communion once a month in remembrance of the sacrifice that Jesus made on the cross, this is something that should be remembered and celebrated often, but we tend to forget about the awesome hope of resurrection. Many people around the world went to see Mel Gibson's movie "The Passion of The Christ", and I thought the movie was historically accurate and well done up to the point of Jesus' death. But, that's where Mel Gibson's gospel story ended. There was no emphasis at all on the resurrection, and sometimes we get so caught up in Jesus' suffering and death that we forget to finish the story as well. I remember growing up listening to Paul Harvey's radio show, and at the end of each show he would finish the broadcast with his signature line, "now you know, the rest of the story, Paul Harvey, good day," I think we need to take time to remember the rest of the story. One of the reasons that the early church started meeting on Sunday, the first day of the week instead of the sabbath, was to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ each week because Christ was raised on the first day the week. The resurrection is such a vital part of the gospel, here's what Paul had to say about it in 1 Corinthians 15:12-14.
    "Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain."
    The resurrection of the dead is something that we can't escape, even unbelievers will be raised from the dead to face judgment and will live for eternity in bodies of flesh and blood. John 5:28-29 says,
    "Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment."
      The resurrection and eternal life of a follower of Christ will be completely different than that of one who has rejected salvation. The eternal life of a believer is not merely a physical existence, but it's a new life spiritually in which we will forever be in communion with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! There will be no separation between us and God because of sin. The eternal existence of an unbeliever may involve physical life but it will be an eternal spiritual death where a person will forever be in the torment of being totally separated from the goodness of God, this will be a torment worse than any physical death could ever be. The fact is that we were created by God in his image to be eternal beings, because of our sin there is an unnatural separation between us and the lover of our soul. When we put our faith and trust in Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we can experience a renewed life and restored relationship with Him, but the relationship we have with Him now is just a taste of what it will be like after the resurrection when we will spend the rest of eternity worshipping our Creator, forever separated from sin!

    God bless and have a great week! -Terry-


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WORD From The Woods


Mark 15:1-41
     “And as soon as it was morning, the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council. And they bound Jesus and led him away and delivered him over to Pilate. And Pilate asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” And he answered him, “You have said so.” And the chief priests accused him of many things. And Pilate again asked him, “Have you no answer to make? See how many charges they bring against you.” But Jesus made no further answer, so that Pilate was amazed. Now at the feast he used to release for them one prisoner for whom they asked. And among the rebels in prison, who had committed murder in the insurrection, there was a man called Barabbas. And the crowd came up and began to ask Pilate to do as he usually did for them. And he answered them, saying, “Do you want me to release for you the King of the Jews?” For he perceived that it was out of envy that the chief priests had delivered him up. But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have him release for them Barabbas instead. And Pilate again said to them, “Then what shall I do with the man you call the King of the Jews?” And they cried out again, “Crucify him.” And Pilate said to them, “Why, what evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Crucify him.” So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified. And the soldiers led him away inside the palace (that is, the governor's headquarters), and they called together the whole battalion. And they clothed him in a purple cloak, and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on him. And they began to salute him, “Hail, King of the Jews!” And they were striking his head with a reed and spitting on him and kneeling down in homage to him. And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the purple cloak and put his own clothes on him. And they led him out to crucify him. And they compelled a passerby, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to carry his cross. And they brought him to the place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull). And they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it. And they crucified him and divided his garments among them, casting lots for them, to decide what each should take. And it was the third hour when they crucified him. And the inscription of the charge against him read, “The King of the Jews.” And with him they crucified two robbers, one on his right and one on his left. And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads and saying, “Aha! You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself, and come down from the cross!” So also the chief priests with the scribes mocked him to one another, saying, “He saved others; he cannot save himself. Let the Christ, the King of Israel, come down now from the cross that we may see and believe.” Those who were crucified with him also reviled him. And when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” And some of the bystanders hearing it said, “Behold, he is calling Elijah.” And someone ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink, saying, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to take him down.” And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God! There were also women looking on from a distance, among whom were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome. When he was in Galilee, they followed him and ministered to him, and there were also many other women who came up with him to Jerusalem.”


    The entire bible is ultimately focused around one central theme, which is the problem of mankind's sinfulness and God's plan of redemption for mankind. Most people, whether they have trusted in Jesus for salvation or not, have heard about Him and that He was crucified. We've all heard people say that something was a "game changer," well, the crucifixion of Jesus was the "game changer" of all time! This event even split time in two, we have B.C. (before Christ) and A.D. (Anno Domini) which means "the year of The Lord." The crucifixion of our Savior was not just a big deal, it was the biggest deal of all time! I don't really need to make this point to true followers of Christ, we should already understand how important this was. I could spend several weeks on this passage, talking about the many different details surrounding the crucifixion that fulfilled Old Testament prophecy, these are important things to study and are great apologetic tools to have, but I want to get back to the basics today. I don't know about you, but I've been saved for a long time, I tend to forget how incredible the sacrifice Jesus Christ made for us on the cross really was! I think it's important for us to step back once in a while and think about what really happened here! God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, the three persons of the Godhead were all present at the creation of the universe. God simply spoke and the entire universe came into existence from nothing! This same God, carefully, thoughtfully, and purposefully knit us together in our mother's womb. We were created by God to love, serve, and glorify Him, and to enjoy a relationship with Him for all eternity. We have each made the conscious choice countless times, to sin against our Creator. Because of our rebellion against Him in sin, we deserve to be put to death and spend eternity separated from God. God sent His Son, to be the perfect, sinless sacrifice to take our punishment for sin, and offer us a reconciled relationship with Him for all eternity! It's vitality important for us to remind ourselves of the awesome reality of God's plan of redemption. It's also important for us to remember that every time we sin, our sin is what nailed our Savior to the cross. Because of the unfathomable grace that has been showered upon us through Christ's redemptive work, it's easy for us to become jaded and cavalier about our own sin. It's why we see hundreds of married pastors and church leaders who have been caught on "secret" adultery dating websites. If you think that you and I are immune to such a fall, you’re wrong. Like the Casting Crowns song "slow fade" says, it's a series of very small compromises that led men like King David, to fall into sin. As you go about your week, be reminded of the awesomeness of what Christ did for us on the cross, and let the Holy Spirit empower you to live a Christ-like example before the world around you!

God bless and have a great week! -Terry-

WORD From The Woods
Mark 14:53-72
    “And they led Jesus to the high priest. And all the chief priests and the elders and the scribes came together. And Peter had followed him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest. And he was sitting with the guards and warming himself at the fire. Now the chief priests and the whole council were seeking testimony against Jesus to put him to death, but they found none. For many bore false witness against him, but their testimony did not agree. And some stood up and bore false witness against him, saying, “We heard him say, I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and in three days I will build another, not made with hands.’” Yet even about this their testimony did not agree. And the high priest stood up in the midst and asked Jesus, “Have you no answer to make? What is it that these men testify against you?” But he remained silent and made no answer. Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?” And Jesus said, “I am, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.” And the high priest tore his garments and said, “What further witnesses do we need? You have heard his blasphemy. What is your decision?” And they all condemned him as deserving death. And some began to spit on him and to cover his face and to strike him, saying to him, “Prophesy!” And the guards received him with blows. And as Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant girls of the high priest came, and seeing Peter warming himself, she looked at him and said, “You also were with the Nazarene, Jesus.” But he denied it, saying, “I neither know nor understand what you mean.” And he went out into the gateway and the rooster crowed. And the servant girl saw him and began again to say to the bystanders, “This man is one of them.” But again he denied it. And after a little while the bystanders again said to Peter, “Certainly you are one of them, for you are a Galilean.” But he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, “I do not know this man of whom you speak.” And immediately the rooster crowed a second time. And Peter remembered how Jesus had said to him, “Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.” And he broke down and wept.”
    This passage is about when Jesus went to trial before the high priests when they were trying to find evidence that he had committed a religious crime deserving of death. I think this is very similar to the trial that our world today puts the Lord through. We live in a country that was founded by Christians who framed this nation with biblical principles. Today, this same nation puts God to the test in nearly every decision. Whether people want to admit it or not, the things that are going on in this country from massive amounts of debt to rampant promiscuity and abortion, are all ways of saying, "is God really who He says He is, and is what He says really true?" We're in a scary place in this country when every step we take as a nation, is taken while shaking our fist at the Creator and Lord of all.  When the high priests asked Jesus if He was the son of God, He said, "I am, and you will see the son of man, seated at the right hand of power, and coming with the clouds of heaven." The reason that this infuriated the religious leaders so much is that they knew Jesus was using judgment language from the Old Testament, not only was He claiming to be God but He was telling them that He was coming in judgment against them. And if you study first-century history, you'll see how that judgment unfolded. As Christians, we can see the world around us challenging our Lord in everything, and I'm sure that judgment looms on the horizon. The question I have is, when we are asked the same question that Peter was asked, what will our response be? Remember, Peter assured Jesus that he would never deny his Lord and that he would go to the grave before doing such a thing. Peter lived with Jesus and knew him face to face and he still fell into fear and denied Jesus three times that night when Jesus was on trial. If the apostle Peter could fall into fear of persecution, then it would be very possible for any one of us to do the same.  The challenge I take away from this passage is to stand up in our culture and be a confident witness for Christ when the world around us is putting Him on trial.  When we see the world persecuting our Lord what will our response be? Our Lord is most definitely on trial in this culture and if we choose to boldly follow Him, we will face persecution, but it's only temporary and the spiritual blessing we receive from Him will strengthen us to endure to the end!
God bless and have a great week! -Terry-

WORD From The Woods
Mark 14:32-50
     “And they went to a place called Gethsemane. And he said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” And he took with him Peter and James and John, and began to be greatly distressed and troubled. And he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death. Remain here and watch.” And going a little farther, he fell on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. And he said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” And he came and found them sleeping, and he said to Peter, “Simon, are you asleep? Could you not watch one hour? Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” And again he went away and prayed, saying the same words. And again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were very heavy, and they did not know what to answer him. And he came the third time and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? It is enough; the hour has come. The Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand.”  And immediately, while he was still speaking, Judas came, one of the twelve, and with him a crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders. Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, “The one I will kiss is the man. Seize him and lead him away under guard.” And when he came, he went up to him at once and said, “Rabbi!” And he kissed him. And they laid hands on him and seized him. But one of those who stood by drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear. And Jesus said to them, “Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs to capture me? Day after day I was with you in the temple teaching, and you did not seize me. But let the Scriptures be fulfilled.” And they all left him and fled”    
    This passage has always fascinated me because we see Jesus, the all-powerful, all-knowing creator of the universe praying to the Father, that He would remove the cup of betrayal, torture, and death that was coming to him. Jesus knew exactly what was about to take place, yet he still went to the Father in prayer about it. We rarely, if ever go to our heavenly Father in prayer about things that we already know (or think we know) the outcome of. We tend to go to The Lord in prayer only when we're desperate and have no idea what to do. If Jesus Christ, the second person of the Trinity, went to the Father in prayer about something he already knew, how much more should we as weak, finite humans go to our Father in heaven about all things? This passage underscores the weakness of mankind and our desperate need to literally wake up and pray! Jesus had been telling his disciples for some time, that he would be delivered over to be executed, but they still didn't get it. They couldn't even stay awake for one hour and pray with their Messiah about what was about to take place. It's easy to look at this passage and say "how could those pathetic disciples fall asleep so quickly?" How many times have you and I fallen asleep or let our minds drift to another place when we're praying or reading the word? I think that one of the reasons this passage was included in three of the gospels is to show us that in our own weakness, we are normal, not to make an excuse but to show us that even Christ's inner circle still struggled with the same things we do.  Another person that I'd like to look at is Judas, like I said last week, we like to point our long self-righteous fingers at Judas in condemnation. Judas was part of Jesus' inner circle as well as the rest of the twelve, in fact, he was probably the most trusted since he was entrusted with the group's finances. Jesus certainly loved Judas very much, it must have been so painful for him to watch his close friend fall to temptation and betray him for financial gain. I'm sure that as Jesus prayed and wept desperately to the Father in the garden that night, he was lifting his friend Judas up in prayer. As you go out this week, I hope that this passage will remind and encourage you to take everything to God in prayer, even those things that you already think you understand. If there are situations where people have hurt and betrayed you, lift them up in prayer, not in a self-righteous way hoping that God will show them how wrong they were, but that God would restore the relationship and that He would be glorified in the process because of the riches of His great mercy. 
God bless and have a great week! -Terry-


   

WORD from the woods
Mark 1:14-20
   "Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” 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. And Jesus said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” And immediately they left their nets and followed him. 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. And immediately he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants and followed him."
  This is a short passage, but I think its message is huge. Before Jesus began His earthly ministry, John the Baptist was preparing the way by telling them it was time, the long-awaited Messiah was here so repent and believe the gospel. John wasn’t telling them that the Messiah was coming just to love them and be their buddy. He called them to repentance, which means to stop in your tracks and change directions, turn from the path you’re on, and start down a completely different one. He was calling people to wake up and turn from their sin because the Kingdom of God was at hand. The  Messiah, the King was coming! Yesterday, we celebrated the glorious resurrection of that very King, Jesus Christ. And not only did that King rise from the dead, He also ascended to His throne in heaven where He sits as the resurrected, glorified Messiah, our Savior, and King! That’s why His call for these men to follow Him was so important. And over 2,000 years later, He is still calling people to repent, believe the gospel, and follow Him. The Kingdom of God was and still is at hand, the day of salvation is now. With everything going on in the world today, we don't know what the future holds, and that makes turning to Christ today so much more important. As Christ-followers, we need to communicate the same message that Christ did in this passage, instead of the popular "Jesus just wants to love on you and give you your best life now message." Jesus does want to love us, but millions of people around the world are facing the reality of trials and tribulations like never before. Christ doesn’t promise deliverance from trials if we follow him, he promises something far greater, He promises deliverance from the curse of sin!  Look at Christ's call and the Disciples’ response. Jesus doesn't just want us to trust Him with our death so we can have eternal life in heaven. He wants our life, He wants it now and for eternity! When Jesus Christ called these men, they responded by literally dropping their nets leaving all they knew, and following Him with their whole hearts. Now, I'm not saying that we should all leave our jobs to follow Christ. Many people are called out of their jobs to follow Christ. Many are called to follow Him faithfully right where they’re at. What Christ wants is our heart, all of it.  I truly believe that God has called me to be a logger, but not just a logger, a logger that proclaims the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Wherever you’re at in life, Christ’s call is to turn and follow Him today!  Our King has called us to be the light of the world as we go on day to day in this life. What is your response to the call of Christ to repent and believe the gospel, and follow Him? I hope and pray that it would be to follow Him as these fishermen did, with your whole heart!


God bless and have a great week! -Terry-

WORD From The Woods

Mark 10:46 - 11:11
    “And they came to Jericho. And as he was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a great crowd, Bartimaeus, a blind beggar, the son of Timaeus, was sitting by the roadside. And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” And many rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” And Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” And they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take heart. Get up; he is calling you.” And throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. And Jesus said to him, “What do you want me to do for you?” And the blind man said to him, “Rabbi, let me recover my sight.” And Jesus said to him, “Go your way; your faith has made you well.” And immediately he recovered his sight and followed him on the way.  Now when they drew near to Jerusalem, to Bethphage and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples and said to them, “Go into the village in front of you, and immediately as you enter it you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever sat. Untie it and bring it. If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord has need of it and will send it back here immediately.’” And they went away and found a colt tied at a door outside in the street, and they untied it. And some of those standing there said to them, “What are you doing, untying the colt?” And they told them what Jesus had said, and they let them go. And they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks on it, and he sat on it. And many spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut from the fields. And those who went before and those who followed were shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest!” And he entered Jerusalem and went into the temple. And when he had looked around at everything, as it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the twelve.”
  
    Yesterday we celebrated Palm Sunday and the beginning of Holy Week. Palm Sunday is the day that we remember the triumphal entry of the Messiah, the Savior, and Shepherd-King of His lost sheep. His sheep were lost because they were spiritually blind and unable to see in a dark and sinful world. I think this is why we find the healing of the blind man, Bartimaeus, and the Triumphal Entry of Jesus together in the same context. Jesus had great compassion for those he healed of their various physical problems, and that was part of why he healed them, but the real reason he healed so many people was to demonstrate the fact that he came to heal people's souls! He came to bring us out of spiritual death and darkness, into new life with Him! I love they way Bartimaeus calls to Jesus, "Jesus, have mercy on me," he knew that he didn't deserve healing, both physically or spiritually, but he called on the abundant mercy of the Savior.  When Bartimaeus was told to stop, he persisted even louder! Jesus told him that his faith had made him well, this wasn't some healing power that Bartimaeus discovered within the depths of his own faith, but because he placed his faith and trust in Jesus Christ alone to save him spiritually. I also love his response when Jesus tells him to go his way, he immediately follows Jesus on HIS way! Jesus' way was now Bartimaeus' way! The cry of Bartimaeus was the same cry of the people of Jerusalem when Jesus entered, the people were crying out "Hosanna," which simply means, "please save us." The people of Jerusalem were so hungry for their long-awaited messiah that they called out to him with praise honor and worship, begging for him to save them! They spread out their coats and branches just so Jesus wouldn't have to ride in on the dirty streets, this was a way of honoring Him as King.  I pray that we can learn to have a heart like this toward our Messiah, that we would praise, honor, and worship Jesus as our Savior and our Lord, willing to make his way our way! That we would lay everything down at His feet, longing for Him to save us from spiritual blindness! Are we willing to jump up and follow Jesus on his way as Bartimaeus did? Let this awesome account of the Savior-King coming to His people, stay on your heart and mind this week as we prepare to celebrate His death and resurrection this coming weekend.

God bless and have a great week! -Terry-

WORD From The Woods


Romans 16
   “I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant of the church at Cenchreae, that you may welcome her in the Lord in a way worthy of the saints, and help her in whatever she may need from you, for she has been a patron of many and of myself as well. Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, who risked their necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks but all the churches of the Gentiles give thanks as well. Greet also the church in their house. Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who was the first convert to Christ in Asia. Greet Mary, who has worked hard for you. Greet Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen and my fellow prisoners. They are well known to the apostles, and they were in Christ before me. Greet Ampliatus, my beloved in the Lord. Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ, and my beloved Stachys. Greet Apelles, who is approved in Christ. Greet those who belong to the family of Aristobulus. Greet my kinsman Herodion. Greet those in the Lord who belong to the family of Narcissus. Greet those workers in the Lord, Tryphaena and Tryphosa. Greet the beloved Persis, who has worked hard in the Lord. Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord; also his mother, who has been a mother to me as well. Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and the brothers who are with them. Greet Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints who are with them. Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you. I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive. For your obedience is known to all, so that I rejoice over you, but I want you to be wise as to what is good and innocent as to what is evil. The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Timothy, my fellow worker, greets you; so do Lucius and Jason and Sosipater, my kinsmen. I Tertius, who wrote this letter, greet you in the Lord. Gaius, who is host to me and to the whole church, greets you. Erastus, the city treasurer, and our brother Quartus, greet you. Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith— to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen.”


    I’m always amazed at the passion Paul shows for the people he wrote to as he closed his letters!  You can tell by his words how committed to Christ he was, but also how much he cared for the people he was called to minister to. These weren’t just acquaintances he saw at church and then forgot about until the next time. These were deep relationships with people that he had been involved with, in real discipleship where they were ministering to one another and growing together in the Lord. These people did life together! We desperately need more of these kind of relationships with other Christians! We’ve become so superficial in American Christian culture, we just don’t build deep relationships and engage in real discipleship with other believers. If we want to be really effective at sharing the gospel with the world around us, we have to be effective at living the Christian life, not only in our relationship with Christ but also in our relationships with other believers. We’re all part of the body of Christ, and our relationship to one another is a direct testimony about Christ, to the world around us. The Christian life is not just about Jesus and me. It’s a community of faith in which, we are all vital members of the body of Christ! This is a big part of what Fellowship of Christian Loggers is about. Connecting Christians in the timber industry to be able to encourage and strengthen each other, and be a more effective witness where they’re working day after day. Please reach out to us if we can help to encourage and equip you, to build relationships and disciple folks in your part of the world, and if you aren’t already, we can help get you involved in a solid local church. It’s never been so easy in the history of the world to stay connected with one another as it is today with our awesome technology, but we have to be careful not to hide behind it. We can never replace face to face conversation, and just doing life together. I can reach around the world to you guys in a matter of seconds through the gift of internet technology, but it’s up to each one of us to put our boots on the ground where we live and work for Christ and to His glory each day!


God Bless and have a great week! -Terry-