Walking With Jesus 3: The Wild Things (Mark 1:12-13)

Walking With Jesus 3: The Wild Things (Mark 1:12-13)

by | Aug 19, 2024 | Bible Studies, Christological Reflections, God in the Details, Walking With Jesus

“At once the Spirit sent him out into the wilderness,and he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him.”

Mark 1:12-13, NIV

After His baptism Jesus is sent to the wilderness. The other narratives found in Luke and Matthew give us a lot more detail regarding the temptations that Jesus had to face.

Mark on the other hand, strikingly keeps it short – so short that if you’re not careful you might miss it.

Mark only gives us five points in these 2 verses.

  1. Jesus is sent out by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness (Matthew 4:
  2. He spends forty days in the wilderness.
  3. He is tempted by Satan.
  4. There are wild animals.
  5. And angels attended Him.

When we look at the narratives in the other Gospels (Matt 4 and Luke 4) we find that all these points are there as well – except for one.

Mark chooses to specifically mention that Jesus was in the wilderness with the wild animals.

The word used in the Greek to describe these animals is ‘thérion’ – translated in the King James Version as ‘wild beasts’ it more properly and specifically indicates a brutal, savage and ferocious creature.

A few things come to mind.

First of all is the idea that the wilderness is a dangerous place – full of wild, feral things.

Yet Jesus makes His journey unscathed – unafraid – and victorious.

He makes it through safely and soundly.

In Isaiah 35 we read about the highway – the Way of Holiness that runs through the desolate wilderness of this life – and in verse 9: 

No lion will be there,
   nor any ravenous beast;
   they will not be found there.
But only the redeemed will walk there, (NIV)

Where Jesus is, the wild things are kept at bay.

He is our shield. He is our protection. He is the Hand of God upon our lives.

But it doesn’t stop there.

The wilderness is a desolate place, a barren place.

Isaiah 35:1-2: 

The desert and the parched land will be glad;
 the wilderness will rejoice and blossom.
Like the crocus, 2 it will burst into bloom;
    it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy.
The glory of Lebanon will be given to it,
    the splendor of Carmel and Sharon;
they will see the glory of the Lord,
    the splendor of our God. (NIV)

We see, here in Isaiah, a story of transformation and change. The parched land becomes glad. The wilderness rejoices and blossoms.

In Ezekiel 34 we see a similar promise. The Lord promises the coming of ‘a second David’. We read in verse 25: “‘I will make a covenant of peace with them and rid the land of savage beasts so that they may live in the wilderness and sleep in the forests in safety.”

We see in the Book of Mark a compelling narrative of transformation and renewal – similar to those found in the prophetic passages above. We see exorcisms and deliverance taking place, we see healing, we see restoration – we see Jesus coming into the fray to ‘tie up the strong man’ (Mark 3) – those things that seek to attack the mind, the body and the soul. 

He does so without fear, confronting the spiritual forces of darkness and evil with boldness and power – driving the ‘wildness’ out of a man in the synagogue (Mark 1:21-26). He is found driving the ‘wildness’ out of the man in Gadara (Mark 5:1-20). 

Jesus comes to restore creation.

His creation.

This is what Mark is hinting at. He shows us a Jesus who walks amidst the feral things, the wild things – and brings them to peace. There is no bloodshed with Jesus in the wilderness. He walks through unharmed.

And He shows us the Way of Holiness: Jesus resisting the temptations that the Devil throws at Him. 

When we walk through the desolate places – the wilderness places – surrounded by the brutal, savage, wild things of this world – we are not walking alone. Jesus has gone before us. He is there with us through the indwelling of His Spirit – to guide us through, to lead us onward through the desolation upon that road where there is no lion, where the ravenous beast does not come.

And as long as we walk upon the Way – the Way He came to show us – resisting the Devil, standing firm in our faith and pursuing holiness – as long as we follow Jesus, not looking to the left or the right, our hearts set upon His Way and His Way set within our hearts – the wild things will not devour us.

The wild things of sin and shame will not devour us.

The wildness will be driven out of us by the peace that comes from His presence in our lives.

Reflect:

  1. What are some of the wild things you have encountered in your life? How has Jesus banished them from your land?
  2. Read James 4:4-10. What does it mean to walk on the Way that Jesus has prepared? What does resisting temptation look like? How do we pursue holiness in our daily coming and going in the wilderness of this life?

Prayer: Lord, You are my source and shield. Your hand rests upon me. I pray that You will be with me in the wilderness of this world today and that Your presence will keep the wild things, the brutal things, the ravenous things at a distance. Shut the mouth of the roaring lion that seeks only to devour. Quiet the growling of the enemy. Let Your Word be a light unto my feet today. Help me Lord to submit to You fully – to live a life of purity, obedience and holiness. Help me not look to the left or the right, but give me the wisdom to keep my eyes and my heart set upon You. Keep me from temptation, keep me on Your Way – strengthen me through Your presence. Give me strength to stand strong against the onslaught of the enemy. Let me enter this day boldly, knowing that You are with me. In Jesus Name. Amen.

 

Rest on Us

Rest on Us

by | Jun 18, 2024 | Devotionals, Worship Reflections

“As the Spirit was moving over the waters

Spirit, come move over us”

Rest on us, Maverick City Music

“Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.”

Genesis 1:2:

In the beginning – before the foundations of the Earth was laid – God had us in mind.

Fearfully and wonderfully created in the secret place of a mother’s womb, God has knit together a destiny blueprint for each of us – hiding deep within us potential and purpose.

But many of us find ourselves in a state of emptiness, formlessness and darkness – not yet having truly come into being.

It is interesting to note that the Hebrew word used in Genesis 1:2: for ‘waters’ is ‘mayim’,

The word ‘mayim’, although unrelated etymologically, sounds a lot like our English word ‘mayhem’ – defined as violent or extreme disorder and chaos. What is even more interesting is the fact that the Hebrew ‘mayim’ comes from the root ‘mem’ which is also translated as chaos.

The world is, much like in Genesis 1:2: in a state of emptiness, formlessness and darkness. As a result many of us, our worldview being shaped by the world instead of the world being shaped by our worldview, are in this same state of confusion, desolation and chaos.

But God hovers over the waters – He hovers over our chaos seeking to bring it to order.

He wants to turn the hollowed out earth of our hearts into hallowed ground.

Paul writes the following in his second epistle to the Corinthians: ”Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come:The old has gone, the new is here!”

In the Old Testament the Hebrew word ‘mayim’ is also used to represent, symbolically, the nations – the peoples of the Earth.

God hovers over His people – seeking to bring them to order. To reform. To restore. To make His creation new again.

This act of reformation and restoration takes place through the indwelling of His Spirit – His Spirit coming and resting on us, dwelling in us.

Sanctification is the work of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:16, 1 Peter 1:2)

It is not enough for us to just call on the name of Jesus – how could it be? Calling on the name of Jesus is just the beginning. 

We need to open up our hearts and let Him do His work in us. He calls us to come as we are – unwashed and broken – but not to stay as we are. He wants to transform us. He wants to bring us to that place where we can see the fulfilment of His finished work in us. He wants to bring us to the place where we can see the fulfillment of the promise He has placed in us.

God created each and every one of us with a purpose and a plan. He placed within each of us promise and potential. 

This being said, we are born into the ‘mayim’ of the world – into the chaos of the world – and come to Christ void, formless and out of darkness. We call on Christ and He pulls us out.

This is where His finished work in us begins.

This is where our physical reality starts catching up with His spiritual reality. It has all been ordained – the plans He has for us – it has already been paid for – the healing, the deliverance, the restoration. 

It’s like getting a ticket to a concert.

There is a Kingdom experience that has been made available to each of us. The ticket has been bought by the blood of Christ. We enter into this experience through the door of His sacrifice, but that doesn’t mean we know where to go after that. The indwelling of the Holy Spirit is how God ushers us to our assigned seats – that place from which we get to see God’s story for His children unfold – a story written, produced and directed by the Creator of the Universe.

He calls us out of the chaos of the crowd and into this Kingdom experience.

He calls us out of the chaos and into newness.

And all we need to do is accept the invitation. All we have to do is open up to Him today.

We do this, very simply, through prayer, spending time in His Word and in fellowship with our Christian brothers and sisters. Through the practice of spiritual disciplines we open up to Him, inviting Him to rest on us, to work in us – to be made manifest through us.

All it takes is a yielded yes today. A want and a willingness to seek Him, to see Him, to experience Him.

All it takes is a want and a willingness to accept the ticket that Christ paid for and show up. To say ‘here I am, Lord!’.

And as we do this – as we commit to Him and let Him in we will see our chaos be brought to order, we will see God speak light into our darkness and breathe life into our dry bones.

Prayer: Lord, today I invite You to come and rest on me – come and do Your work in me. Through Your Holy Spirit, lead me deeper into Your Word and Your will for my life. Through Your Holy Spirit, awaken in me a greater need and love for fellowship. Ignite in me, through Your Holy Spirit, a fire that drives me to pray and to seek You in all things so that I might ultimately see You in all things. Guide me in using my time productively, help me redeem my time so that I might experience the fullness of Your Kingdom unfolding around me. Lead me away from the things of this world, and deeper into the heart of the Kingdom. Bring me out of chaos and into order, out of darkness and into light – and let me become an agent and ambassador of Your Kingdom Come in the world around me. In Jesus Name. Amen.

 

More Precious: A Worship Devotional

More Precious: A Worship Devotional

by | Mar 12, 2024 | Devotionals, Worship Reflections

“Lord, you are, more precious than silver.
Lord, you are, more costly than gold.
Lord, you are, more beautiful than diamonds,
And nothing I desire compares with you.”

Lord You Are More Precious Than Silver, Oasis Worship

“5 you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For in Scripture it says:

“See, I lay a stone in Zion,
a chosen and precious cornerstone,
and the one who trusts in him
will never be put to shame.”

7 Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe,

“The stone the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone,””

1 Peter 2:5-7:

What could we ever give – what could we ever do – to really show our gratitude to the One who gave it all for us?

Just like Peter, Paul admonishes us to offer up acceptable spiritual sacrifices. (Romans 12)

In both cases we see a call to repentance and holy living. Peter asks us to set aside malice and evil, the carnal life – and to trade the lusts of the flesh for a craving of pure spiritual milk – so that we may grow in our salvation. Paul, likewise, calls us to hate what is evil, to crucify the flesh and pursue the renewing of our minds and transformation of our lives through our submission to the Word and Will of God in Christ Jesus.

Jesus tells us to store up TREASURES in Heaven.

True prosperity has got nothing to do with silver or with gold.

The Psalmist says: “The law from your mouth is more precious to me than thousands of pieces of silver and gold.” (Psalm 119:72).

Jesus is the law made flesh – the Word incarnate and in our midst.

More precious than silver and gold, He promises true prosperity. The peace of God that surpasses all understanding, a joy unspeakable and full of glory – a life of abundance saturated with the milk and honey of His grace and mercy.

Nothing in all of the universe can compare to His love poured out – the Bread of His body broken for us, and the cup of His blood shed for our souls.

What then is a worthy response? How then should we as the recipients of this gift of grace respond?

We respond in kind. In giving our lives – our bodies, hearts and minds – to the One who gave it all for us.

We respond in kind by getting on the altar of His lovingkindness.

We respond in kind by becoming His hands and feet.

More precious than diamonds, He is the stone the builders rejected – but to those of us who believe He has become precious – the cornerstone and foundation of who we are.

And so we devote our lives to the pursuit of Him – more of Him. And as we find Him we find His will is for us to seek the lost on His behalf.

Our desire for Him and delight in Him transforms us – not only does He become our desire, but His desires become ours as well.

His purpose becomes our purpose.

We lay aside our will and our ways for His.

Prayer: Lord, come and take over. Today I give all of my desires and trade them for delight in You. Lord, let Your desires become my desires. Let my heart be set upon Your ways. Let Your ways be set within my heart. Let the fire ignited by Your love burn in me – all consuming – let it be a hunger that cannot be satisfied. Help me see the ways in which I can pursue You today Lord – turn mere minutes into Manna as I take every opportunity to pray, to praise, to worship You. As I take every opportunity to seek You today. In Jesus Name. Amen.

Holy and Anointed One

Holy and Anointed One

by | Mar 4, 2024 | Devotionals, Worship Reflections

“Your Name is like honey on my lips…
Your Spirit’s like water to my soul…
Your Word is a lamp unto my feet…
Jesus, I love You, I love you…”

Holy and Anointed One, Vineyard Worship

 

How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!

 

Psalm 119:103, NIV

There is no sweeter name than the Name of Jesus. whenever I speak the Name of Jesus it just fills me with such joy – like rivers of living water gushing forth.

The Psalmist writes the following in Psalm 119:103-105:

‭‭Psalms 119:103-105 NIV‬‬

[103] How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! [104] I gain understanding from your precepts; therefore I hate every wrong path. [105] Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.

John describes Jesus as the Word made flesh, the plan of God made manifest in our midst.

In that first chapter of John we also see Jesus as the light of the World, come to show us the way to life everlasting.

Jesus comes to bring life to dry places. Water to our souls.

Like rain from Heaven Jesus comes to refresh and revive us – the love of God poured out.

How can we not love Him?

In Song of Solomon the Bride compares the Groom’s name to that of an ointment poured out.

Honey is very medicinal. I remember hearing about a woman who used honey to soothe the sores and wounds of her dying son – and it was the only thing that worked and brought any relief.

Not only is it used to treat coughs, but because of its anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory qualities it is also used topically for burns and other wounds. Studies have shown that it also has anti-anxiety and anti-depressant benefits as well as reducing the risk of heart disease.

The Name of Jesus is not only sweet – a joy to our Spiritual pallete upon our lips – it is also filled with more obscure significance. Honey, Biblically, typifies the abundance and prosperity of God. The name of Jesus is prosperity to our bones (3 John 1:2). He is healing. His name is healing to our wounds, a salve for our heart-hurts and a balm for our soul-sores.

Honey is a preservative. ‭‭

Psalms 121:7-8 NKJV‬‬

[7] The Lord shall preserve you from all evil; He shall preserve your soul. [8] The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in From this time forth, and even forevermore.

The name of Jesus preserves us.

First He heals us of our fallen state, our sinful nature, our hurts and wounds and sores.

And then He preserves us – preventing decay and decomposition – He sustains us.

The Name of Jesus is like honey upon my lips – a good ointment poured forth.

The Spirit of the Lord is Water to our souls.

Psalm 46:4: “There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells.”

Through the indwelling of His Spirit Jesus is alive in us. He is the river that makes glad the walls of our city – He fills us with His joy and His peace.

Finally, Jesus is a lamp for our feet.

Through the Word Made Flesh – Jesus – God demonstrates how we should live. That’s what Jesus came to do. He came to demonstrate – to show and not just tell – to give us a clear pattern to follow.

Through Him we gain a deeper understanding of the Word – the Will and the Plan of the Father for our lives.

Let us call on the name of Jesus today and be restored. Let us open up our hearts and allow Him to flood the walls of our cities. Let us look to Him today and walk as He would have us walk.

Prayer: Lord, come be the River that makes glad the walls of my city. Come and run deep here in my heart. Come and flood me with Your joy and peace. As I call on You today, Jesus, let me be mindful of the sweetness of Your name. Your name restores and revives – makes me come alive again. Come and heal my hurt. Come and soothe my wounds. Come and bind up my broken heart. Come and make me whole. And as I look to You today and am made whole, let me walk in holiness. Let my life be a living letter written by Your hand. In Jesus mighty name. Amen.

Hi! We’re Andre and Kailie Labuschagne.

Andre has been in ministry for just over 20 years and Kailie is a specialist wellness counselor.

We are passionate about Jesus. He saved us from ourselves – and because of that we want nothing more than to give our lives to Him – after all He gave EVERYTHING for us.

We are passionate about seeing Jesus and His Kingdom come in the lives of everyone we meet – and believe that this can only be done through living out the Kingdom daily and consistently without compromise.

We want to see people healed. We want to see people delivered. We want to see Jesus lifted high.

We want to see revival spread like wild fire.

Jesus said: Repent! For the Kingdom is near!

We proclaim the same message! The Kingdom is here!

We would love to journey with you.

For prayer you’re welcome to contact us:
Men’s contact: Andre Labuschagne 065 370 3806
Ladies’ contact: Kailie Labuschagne: 079 037 4024
For professional counselling: 066 290 6339 / info@raphacontact.co.za
For help with addiction issues: 065 370 3806

 

New Wine

New Wine

by | Feb 25, 2024 | Devotionals, Worship Reflections

“In the crushingIn the pressingYou are making new wineIn the soilI now surrenderYou are breaking new ground”

New Wine, Hillsong

“Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.”

Romans 5:3-5, NIV

The Gospel is and has always been about transformation. It has always been about the process through which God, finding a wretch like me, through His amazing grace, turns me into a son and heir.

In a conversation about fasting Jesus tells the pharisees that new wine is meant to be poured into new wineskins.

And there are a lot of sermons to be written about this phrase, and a lot of lessons to be learned – a wealth of wisdom to mine from this passage – but as I read it all I can think about is the pain in the process.

Everything from the wine to the wineskin is a process of trampling, crushing, pressing, waiting, fermenting – things that our fastfood, instant gratification culture have grown to hate. The grapes are grown with love, patience and vigorous pruning after which the grapes are plucked from their comfort and trampled, crushed, pressed. The barrels the wine gets fermented in is made of wood – a process of cutting, chopping and lashing together with bands of metal (which has gone through a process of melting, forging, forming and shaping) – and finally poured into the wineskins made from the skin of a lamb or a goat which had to offer up its life for the privilege of carrying this new wine.

As Christians we are always going through processes. We don’t realize it – because we want everything now! 

No wonder Paul places such great emphasis on waiting, enduring and  being patient.

It blows my mind that the wineskins are made from the skin of a lamb or a goat – and that this creature had to give his life for this process. An act of surrender.

Are we willing to give our lives to carry the new wine – the anointing – paid for by the suffering of Christ – to a hurting world?

Are we willing to give our lives to carry the new wine – our testimony – begotten by our pain, trials and tribulation – to a hurting world?

You might be in the process right now – but I want to urge you to seek God in the pruning, the pressing, in the crushing – in the pain of the process and surrender. Surrender to His loving hand and I can guarantee you that you will come out on the other side better than you could have ever imagined. Your breakthrough is just on the other side of this process. Your victory is just on the other side of this process – and even more so – someone else’s victory through your testimony is on the other side of this process.

After all, His ways are higher than our ways, His plans are better than our plans. He has plans for you – plans for good and not for evil. Plans for a hopeful and prosperous future.

Trust God in the process. Surrender to Him knowing that He is going to turn your test into a testimony, your misery into a ministry and your mess into a message. Trust God in the process and He will not only restore you but use you to restore others as they hear your testimony, look at your life and taste and see that the Lord is good.

Pray with me: Lord, I yield to Your loving hand, in the pressing and in the crushing. In the breaking of new ground. Lord, I realize that there might be pain in the process. The process might not always be pleasant, but I thank You Lord that Your plans for me are good and that if I trust You, wait on You and yield to You I will come out beautiful on the other side. Give me the strength to push forward and to wisdom to endure. In Jesus mighty name. Amen.