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ATB blog

Read, Reflect, Repeat

3/26/2022

1 Comment

 
If you are like me you can read a passage of scripture, reflect on it for awhile hoping that the Holy Spirit will empower understanding, and then at another time read again and find another meaning we may not have seen the first time around.  Thus, my daily reading through the book of Mark uncovered this today:

Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, (10:43)

I have no problem comprehending that verse, but there is a comma followed by this:
and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. (10:44)

Wait a minute, I can be a servant and that makes me humble enough, but a slave to all? A slave has a master, and that means you are my master, or does that mean He is my master and I should be the same kind of slave He was to us all? Either way it is extremely humbling and destroys much of today's modern Christianity philosophy.

We tend to make people want to come around to our standards of belief, our way of thinking, as if they should "come up" to where we are. Instead, we should meet them where they are at without judgement and with a spirit of Jesus foot washing attitude. Like eating with sinners and tax collectors, and in so doing we teach them how our master really is, accepting. loving and merciful.

We can all say the words, think we are walking the talk, but these verses humble us to a point of becoming like missionaries in our own neighborhoods looking to act like we are last so that we can put our neighbors first. In plain words it is not how much we have that we can show to others how much the Lord has blessed us with. 
Instead, it is how much of ourselves we can give away to say to others you need to see less of me, and more of Him in me.

Then I serve, then I am His slave, then I become great, only then do I finish first.  Read, Reflect, Repeat!
1 Comment
Randy Maddox
3/27/2022 07:02:52 am

I agree with all of this. One of the biggest dangers, for decades, in my opinion has been this teaching of "The Prosperity Gospel". In short, proponents of that way of thought tend to say, "Hey, Trust Jesus and He'll BLESS you Financially beyond your wildest dreams and make you rich (with Physical Possession or Wealth)". I always turn a deaf ear when I hear that reasoning. No, to me, the "Riches" we have been given were Paid by Christ Alone @ The Cross. His total and complete sacrifice, of which I had to be one of the most unworthy to receive, was given by Him anyway. In recent times, this World we live in has looked for answers to The Pandemic, Food Supply Chain Shortages, and now the Crisis in Ukraine. People tend to look to government for some solution to the problems confronting this world, when truly we need to turn to, or turn BACK to, Christ, and Christ alone. The Gift of Grace that I have received from Jesus is more than enough to sustain me, and let me know, when all seems hopeless in this world, and when I begin get depressed, I simply need to also Read and Reflect. And I need to "REPEAT", as in Daily Bible Study and Prayer. If I miss even a day, then just like cheating on a diet, that can become 2 days, then a week has gone by and I realize I've been so busy with Worldly Things that I haven't been "in my Bible" in a week. As a UGA Dawg graduate, I fully understand the phrase, "HUNKER DOWN", and I have to remind myself daily, the BEST place for me, is to "Hunker Down" in God's Word, where I will find direction for whatever confronts me that day and also encouragement and faith to know that whatever that next obstacle might be, JESUS will be by my side 24/7.

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    Glenn Yankowski

    Glenn is an ex-Marine Viet Nam vet who is also a recovering alcoholic, clean and sober for 30 years. He has been involved in start up and ongoing recovery ministry at North Atlanta Church and Campus for the last two decades. He has a passion for outreach and to spread the message that the answer to lasting and fulfilling recovery from addiction is in a relationship with Jesus Christ. He and the ATB team are available to assist in your questions or needs on an individual basis and will do so maintaining complete confidentiality. You may e-mail him at sgtski@bellsouth.net.

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