Christianity Oasis Forum

[cimi]

August 7
Friday


SUBTLE
WISDOM

READ:
MARK 8:34-38
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If anyone serves me,
let him follow Me; and
where I am, there My
servant will be also.
__John 12:26
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When I was in college, my co-worker Bud, a fork-truck driver, often enriched my life with his pithy wisdom. We were eating lunch one day, sitting on the back of his fork truck, when I announced that I was transferring to another school.

"Why?" he asked.
"All my friends are transferring," I answered.

Bud chewed his sandwich for a moment and then replied quietly and with subtle irony, "I guess that's one way to pick a school."

His words struck me with rare force. Of course, I thought. But is this the only way to choose a school? Will I follow my friends for the rest of my days, or will I follow Jesus? Will I seek His face and His will and go where He wants me to go?

Twenty-five times in the New Testament, Jesus said to His disciples, "Follow Me." In Mark 8:34, He said, "whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me." No matter what others do or what direction their lives may take, we must do what He asks us to do.

The words of an old song come to mind: "MY Lord knows the way through the wilderness; all I have to do is follow!"
__David Roper
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```````````````````As I walk along life's pathway,`````````````````
```````````````````Though the way I cannot see,`````````````````
``````````````````I shall follow in Christ's footsteps,```````````````
````````````````For He has a plan for me. __Thiesen``````````````
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To find your way through life, follow Jesus.

****************Today's Bible Reading __ Mark 8:34-38***********

34 When He had called the
people to Himself, with His
disciples also, He said to
them, "Whoever desires to
come after me, let him
deny himself, and take up
his cross, and follow Me.

35 For whoever desires to
save his life will lose it, but
whoever loses his life for
My sake and the gospel's
will save it. 36 For what will
it profit a man if he gain
the whole world, and loses
his own soul? 37 Or what
will a man give in exchange
for his soul? 38 For whoever
is ashamed of Me and My
words in this adulterous and
sinful generation, of him
the Son of Man also will be
ashamed when He comes in
the glory of His Father with
the holy angels."

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>INSIGHT<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

Mark's gospel account is believed to have been written primarily
to a Roman audience. It is an action-packed account, with chapter
8 being a good example of Mark's fast-paced telling of the story
of Jesus. In verses 1-9, Jesus feeds a multitude, then He takes a
boat trip across the Galilee (v.10). In verses 11-13, he debates the
Pharisees before teaching the disciples (vv.14-21) and healing a
blind man (vv.22-26). Then, Jesus leads His men to Caesarea Philippi
(vv.27-30), where He questions them in preparation for teaching
them about His coming death (vv.31-33) and the qualities of true
discipleship (vv.34-38). A fast-paced chapter in the midst of a fast-paced book. --BILL CROWDER
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