Look inside this book.Where the Bush is Burning: A Daily Devotional by [Thomas Tice]

Tag: Mark
Made to Sit Down

Made to Sit Down

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Made to Sit Down

Then He commanded them to make them all sit down in groups on the green grass.

Mark 6:39

As we continue our meditation on the way in which Christ meets our most basic need, we come to verse 39,  ‘Then He commanded them to make them all sit down in groups on the green grass.’  These folks had walked some distance in order to arrive at this location. They had spent all day, in the middle-eastern sun, listening to Christ, and concentrating on the ‘many things’ that He was teaching them. It was the end of the day. They were wearing out. They were tired. Christ instructs His disciples to have the people sit down. In keeping with our theme of Christ meeting our most basic needs, what may we draw from this? Aside from anything else that Christ did, He gave them the opportunity to rest. Although it seems a simple thing, yet, rest is critically important to our general well being. Christ meets that basic need, not just for our bodies, but for our souls as well. With regard to our bodies the Psalmist declares, ‘so He gives His beloved sleep.’ With regard to our soul, Christ says, ‘Come unto me, all you that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.’ He goes on to say, in the next verse that in following and learning from Christ, ‘you will find rest for your souls.’ Here is the second of the basic needs which Christ meets. We find ourselves often weary in body, soul and spirit. We find ourselves laboring and heavily burdened. Christ, by His Personal intervention bring us to a place of rest. ‘He makes me to lie down in green pastures.’ Rest today, Child of Grace, in Christ, Who is Your Shepherd.

O Great Shepherd of the Sheep,
You enable us to rest when we have reached the end of ourselves.
You wrap us in Your Loving Arms; we rest our head on Your Gentle Breast.
Here is peace; here is calm.

Where the Bush is Burning
Tomm Tice
Maniacs Welcome

Maniacs Welcome

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Mark 5:19-20 (NKJV)

However, Jesus did not permit him, but said to him, “Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you.” And he departed and began to proclaim in Decapolis all that Jesus had done for him; and all marveled.
Teaching Many Things

Teaching Many Things

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Teaching Many Things

And Jesus, when He came out, saw a great multitude and was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd. So He began to teach them many things.

Mark 6:34

Christ meets our most basic needs. The miracle before us is the only one recorded by all four evangelists. The pattern of Mark’s writing is very action-oriented. As he begins his account of this miracle in verse 34, he speaks of Christ’s compassion on the multitude because they ‘were as sheep not having a shepherd.’ Mark tells us that the first thing which Christ did was ‘to teach them many things.’ Here is a place for us to stop and meditate today. Christ saw that they were ignorant and He taught them. So it is with us. We are abundantly ignorant of many things. Christ is compassionate towards us and teaches us. He meets the most basic need of our ignorance. Think of the abundance of subjects about which we are naturally ignorant, and about which Christ teaches us. We are ignorant about love, and He being the Personification of love teaches us by His humbling Himself; living for us; dying for us; and now interceding for us. He teaches us how to have a relationship, first with Himself, and then with others. He teaches us to understand Himself, and then how to be gracious to others. He teaches us the importance of communion with Him in every area of life: the physical, mental, spiritual and social. There is no end to the subjects upon which Christ teaches us what we need to know of Him, which then translates into our actions in everyday life.  O Master, teach us more today.

Our Wise and Loving Lord, We praise You that in You resides all wisdom.
We rejoice that You teach us all those things concerning Yourself,
which are most important for us to know.  Continue this day to instruct us,
that we might know You, and how to live before You.

Where the Bush is Burning
Tomm Tice
Preparing for Worship

Preparing for Worship

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Sunday Worship Service

9:30 am

650 Kennedy Drive

Northglenn, CO

Scripture:  Mark 5:1-20

Then they came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gadarenes. And when He had come out of the boat, immediately there met Him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no one could bind him, not even with chains, because he had often been bound with shackles and chains. And the chains had been pulled apart by him, and the shackles broken in pieces; neither could anyone tame him. And always, night and day, he was in the mountains and in the tombs, crying out and cutting himself with stones. When he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshiped Him. And he cried out with a loud voice and said, “What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I implore You by God that You do not torment me.”  For He said to him, “Come out of the man, unclean spirit!” Then He asked him, “What is your name?” And he answered, saying, “My name is Legion; for we are many.” Also he begged Him earnestly that He would not send them out of the country. Now a large herd of swine was feeding there near the mountains. So all the demons begged Him, saying, “Send us to the swine, that we may enter them.” And at once Jesus gave them permission. Then the unclean spirits went out and entered the swine (there were about two thousand); and the herd ran violently down the steep place into the sea, and drowned in the sea. So those who fed the swine fled, and they told it in the city and in the country. And they went out to see what it was that had happened. Then they came to Jesus, and saw the one who had been demon-possessed and had the legion, sitting and clothed and in his right mind. And they were afraid. And those who saw it told them how it happened to him who had been demon-possessed, and about the swine.  Then they began to plead with Him to depart from their region. And when He got into the boat, he who had been demon-possessed begged Him that he might be with Him. However, Jesus did not permit him, but said to him, “Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you.” And he departed and began to proclaim in Decapolis all that Jesus had done for him; and all marveled.

Sermon:  Maniacs Welcome – Tomm Tice

  1. Christ takes on the hardest cases.
  2. Christ destroys the work of the devil.
  3. Christ transforms those whom He touches.

Catechism:  Westminster Shorter Catechism Question #53

Which is the Third Commandment?

The third commandment is, Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain:  for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that take the his name in vain.

1 Exodus 20:7. Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. Deuteronomy 5:11. Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain: for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.

Worship

Joy to the World (Traditional)

O Little Town of Bethlehem

Infant Holy Infant Lowly
A Completed Work

A Completed Work

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A Completed Work

Then He put His hands on his eyes again and made him look up. And he was restored and saw everyone clearly.

Mark 8:25

Christ finishes what He starts. Our text today brings us to the conclusion of the very unusual miracle we have been considering for the past two days. The story ends with the words, ‘and he was restored, and saw every man clearly.’ If we consider the Divine History of Scripture, it leads us to the conclusion that Christ always finishes what He starts. In the matter of creation, Genesis 2 tells us, ‘Thus the heavens and the earth were finished.’ When God would liberate Israel from Egypt, He relentlessly pursued His goal until it was finished, and all of Israel was free. When Christ hung upon the cross, His shout of triumph was, ‘It is finished.’ So it is with those whom He saves, by Free and Sovereign Grace. ‘Being confident of this very thing, that he which has begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.’ Christ will not be content to leave us less than fully sanctified. It was His Touch that brought light to our darkened eyes. It is by our continued exposure to Him, through the means of grace, that we see things more clearly. It is by His Touch that we will ultimately be able to see all things clearly. Christ does not fail to complete every work that He begins. As is true of every other undertaking, so it is with the matter of our sanctification. Christ will finish what He has started, and ‘we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.’

Our Most Holy and Loving Savior,
We long for the day when by Your Grace we see all things clearly.
So finish the work which You have started,
that we may see things as You see them.

Where the Bush is Burning
Tomm Tice

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