Daily Bible Reading with DragoNate #138

Divorce

Mark 10

I pray blessings on you as you read.

(v. 7-9) " 'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.' So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man no separate.' " (v. 11-12) "He answered, 'Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her. And if she divorces her husband and marries another man, she commits adultery.' "

My Thoughts

Divorce is a very tough subject and it is never pleasant. When there are children caught in the middle, divorce is even worse.It causes a lot of stress for the kids and some even blame themselves for their parents' splitting. Even friends and family feel it. So if anyone thinks it only affects the couple, they would be wrong.

God is not happy with divorce. Marriage is supposed to be a sacred, special thing that joins two people into one. This joining is not only relationship wise, but also by blood when there are children and spiritually. It is a sacred bond, which is why God frowns upon divorce. Not only that but the people involved, especially the children, end up hurt most of the time.

Marriage is not something that should be done on a whim, but is should be able to last forever. If a relationship between two people is not strong, there is no way that marriage should be considered. Either it will end in divorce or both people will be living a lie and trying to force something to work that just isn't going to. Remember the 'until death do you part...' part. That is a vow, right?

In my opinion, divorce should only be considered in situations that make the marriage twisted. For example, when there is adultery involved or other kinds of betrayal. Even then, couples have fixed their marriages after those kinds of situations and renewed their love for one another. So even in that kind of situation, divorce should be a final decision, but steps should be taken to try to fix things.

If it is an abusive relationship, then I do think divorce should be considered, especially if it is extreme. I don't believe that God would want someone to stay in an abusive relationship just because they got married to that person. Obviously this situation is pretty extreme, and depending on how bad the abuse is, divorce may not actually be an option and running away is the only thing that can be done.

If there is any negativity in your marriage, then please think about trying to fix it before anything else. Seek out help if needed, and pray. Do not leave God out of any of this.

Prayer Time

Now you talk to God about what you read, and you can even read this chapter of the Bible for yourself before you do.

Let me know your thoughts on this reading as well.

Thank you for taking the time to read, I pray that what you have read blesses and inspires you! Godbless!

Daily Bible Reading with DragoNate #67

Healed by Faith

Mark 5

I pray blessings on you as you read.

(v. 30) "At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, 'Who touched my clothes?' " (v. 34) "He said to her, 'Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.' "

My Thoughts

There was a woman who was not well and she touched Jesus' clothes because she had faith saying, "If I just touch His clothes, I will be healed." Jesus asked the crowd who touched Him. He's Jesus! He should have known who touched Him, right? Well, He wasn't asking because He didn't know, He asked because He wanted to make note of her faith.

This woman had just a little bit of faith, and she didn't want it to be known either because she exercised her faith in Jesus secretively. She didn't come forward right away because she was afraid. She was ceremonially unclean because of her condition and it would have been a horrible thing for her to touch a holy person like Jesus as such.

Jesus was happy about her faith, as small as it was, and wanted to make note of it. See, Jesus can use small things and minuscule amounts to do great things and to accomplish much. Nothing is to small for Him to use. Even if you have just a teeny bit of faith, even with doubts, Jesus can use it.

Don't ever be worried that your faith isn't good enough. If you hold onto that small amount of faith, lots can be done. If you hold onto that small bit of faith, Jesus can make it grow so that it is huge and you have an abundance. This woman was healed by her faith from a problem that has only gotten worse no matter how much treatment she got. Imagine what else could be done through faith!

Stay strong in your faith and let it grow ever stronger. God is faithful toward us, so we should be faithful to Him as well.

Prayer Time

Now you talk to God about what you read, and you can even read this chapter of the Bible for yourself before you do.

Let me know your thoughts on this reading as well.

Thank you for taking the time to read, I pray that what you have read blesses and inspires you! Godbless!

Daily Bible Reading with DragoNate #52

Take Up Your Cross

Mark 8

I pray blessings on you as you read.

(v. 34-38) "...'If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father's glory with the holy angels."

My Thoughts

What does Jesus mean when He says for us to deny ourselves and take up our cross? To follow Him is obvious, but to deny ourselves is a bit less. What that means is to deny ourselves what we want, how we want to live and the like. To take up our cross is basically to sacrifice ourselves for Jesus, just as He did for us when He died on the cross.

That seems a bit harsh, doesn't it? To deny ourselves how we want to live and the things that we want. In reality, it isn't that bad. It just means that we need to live the way that God wants us to, in a way that honors Him. That isn't so hard is it? You are not required to give up everything you have or everything that you want. All you have to do is not dwell on those things.

Don't let material things, like money, control you. Hold onto your possessions with an open hand. If you hold onto these things too tightly, you won't be able to hold onto God. Don't be stingy or selfish with your stuff either. If you have something that you really don't need anymore, and someone else needs it, I am sure that you can spare it. Everything we have is given to us by God for us to enjoy, but not for us to worship.

Take up your cross. Be willing to sacrifice your life for Jesus. We may not literally die for Him, but we do need to be willing to do so. There are people in certain parts of the world today where followers of Christ are dying for their faith, and I pray that you would protect and deliver your people from their enemies, Father God.

Has anyone ever told you that they would die for you, or have you ever told someone that? I'm sure you have at least heard that before. Jesus didn't say that. Jesus did that. He actually did die for each and every one of us. If we want to truly follow Him, we need to sacrifice ourselves for Him. I want to live all out for Jesus because without Him, nothing has meaning. That is how I feel and that is what I will strive for every day.

Previous PostNext Post

Prayer Time

Now you talk to God about what you read, and you can even read this chapter of the Bible for yourself before you do.

Let me know your thoughts on this reading as well.

Thank you for taking the time to read, I pray that what you have read blesses and inspires you! Godbless!

Daily Bible Reading with DragoNate #27

Jesus Came to Save the Lost

Mark 2

I pray blessings on you as you read.

(v. 16) "...'Why does he eat with tax collectors and 'sinners'?' (v. 17) On hearing this, Jesus said to them, 'It is not the healthy that need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.'"

My Thoughts



Community is an important thing for us as Christ followers. We should have community with within the church that we attend. Churches always have different groups that you can be a part of. Groups like men's and women's support or study groups, small groups, evangelical groups and more. There are also different ways to get involved in the church by volunteering with children's ministry, becoming part of the choir and/or orchestra, becoming an usher or maybe a greeter.

You aren't required to be a part of any of these things if you don't want to. They make you feel more like a part of the church than just someone who attends. Community is just being with others. If you always sit with certain people at church, that is community. You can always invite more people to sit with you as well. Everyone can bring a friend! Or, if you know of someone who is new to the church, invite them to be a part of your group.

While community with each other is great, we need to do the same with those who don't follow Christ. If we keep our faith from those who don't share it already, we are causing a problem. Jesus came for those who don't know God so that they could come to know Him. That is why Jesus spent so much time with people who didn't go to church. If you have a lot of friends who don't follow Christ, don't think for a moment that it is a bad thing. They will see Jesus in you. Whether or not they choose to follow Jesus is not your place to say, only they can make that choice. Your place is to be a positive influence on them so that they have a role model to follow.

As Jesus said, it is the not the healthy who need a doctor. Those that are already saved by their faith in God have their place in Heaven when they die. We can always grow stronger in our faith for sure. People cannot, however, grow stronger or improve in something that is not a part of them. It is our job to share Jesus with the world in His place. Don't be afraid to show your faith. Be confident. If someone doesn't like you because of it, that is their problem and they need to grow up a bit more.

The next week from when you read this, try to be a bit more outgoing with your faith. If you see someone who is hurting or sad, or going through a hard time, ask them if you can pray for them, if you get a chance. If not, pray for them anyway, silently in your head, God knows your thoughts.

Previous PostNext Post

Prayer Time

Now you talk to God about what you read, and you can even read this chapter of the Bible for yourself before you do.

Thank you for taking the time to read, I pray that what you have read blesses and inspires you! Godbless!