Thanks for joining us on this journey of building a consistent habit of reading our Bibles every day. The Bible reading plan we are using this year can be found here: One Year Bible or here on the Bible app. As always, if you miss a day, don’t feel compelled to go back and catch up. Just skip it and start back on today’s date. I am reading the NLT this year, but feel free to use whatever version you prefer. Now here are some thoughts from today’s readings:
You have all heard his blasphemy. What is your verdict?” “Guilty!” they all cried. “He deserves to die!”
– Mark 14:64
We need to embrace the weirdness of the gospel. That’s what the Pharisees had an issue with. The truth is, they really aren’t far off from many “Christians” today. They believed God was real and believed a Messiah was coming, but they spent their lives trying to prove every messiah a fake instead of spending their time looking for the real thing. When the real One came it was so strange they completely missed it. I mean, to be fair, let’s gain some perspective here. How would you take it if some random carpenter had a cult that thought he was God? Yeah, that’s what I thought! Me, too.
Many who call themselves Christians today are really unbelievers who would SAY that Jesus is God, but that’s where their belief stops. The problem often is, they want to stay away from all of the weirdness that comes with honestly believing that. Like, if Jesus is a alive and wants to talk to us, than we should pray. All the time, really. And about everything! Even crazier, shouldn’t we expect Jesus to respond? Is that weird? Maybe. But to embrace the true gospel, you have to embrace this and all the weirdness that comes with it. Following Christ isn’t going to help your social status. There will be times you seem strange to others. Out of place even. But that’s okay, because you are. And that’s just how God wants you.
What “weird” things have caused you to shy away from God, Church, or maybe letting other people know you’re a Christian?