286 - “Mixing personal comfort with Spiritual Reality” Mark 1-3

 Mark 1:1 "Make ready the way of the LORD."  God prepares the way for Christ to enter our world and our hearts.  He has been stirring us for a long time.  Stirring us even this day.  He will baptize us with the Holy Spirit.  "If You are willing, You can make me clean."  Mark 1:40  Clean --- on the outside and inside.  

The young follower Mark came from a home of wealth.  He "mixed personal comfort with spiritual reality."  66LL.  Mark even aborted his ministry trip with Paul and Barnabas and sailed back to Jerusalem alone (Acts 13:1-13).  A failure--but make no mistake, failure never stops God's Plan.  The more we see Christ, the more we see our own hearts and whether we are willing to suffer loss for Him.  

Kingdom Living is serving not entitlement nor comfort; it is denying self and enduring suffering; it is living with hope here and now, real joy.  Kingdom Life is now.  Just like Mark finished well fighting his entitlement to the blessing of this life, may we too keep on believing in the dark, in the silence, even in the blessings.