The Whole Bible?
We’re going to change up how we do our weekly blog posts. Instead of having a single, long-form post, we will link to a blog post that’s from our archives, and then share the full content of two of our most popular recent social media posts.
I hope you enjoy the new format!
Archive Post:
DO I HAVE TO READ THE WHOLE BIBLE?
Let’s start with the answer…and then I’ll tell you a story.
No. No you don’t have to read the whole Bible. A preacher or other faith leader may have told you that you have to read the whole Bible. You don’t.
Now for the story, and why you may end up reading the whole Bible anyway…click here to read the story and to understand why you do NOT have to read the whole Bible, but you might want to do so!
Social Media Post 1:
And he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.”
-Mark 16:6-7 ESV
“Tell His disciples and Peter.” The last time we saw Peter in the book of Mark, he was broken and weeping because he realized he had denied Jesus three times just as Jesus predicted. But here, immediately following the resurrection, the women are specifically told to not just tell the disciples, but also to tell Peter. You see, Peter had denied Jesus, but Jesus never denied Peter. I believe that when Peter wept after the denial, it wasn’t just the shame of bitterness and failure, but there were also tears of repentance. And it is the same for us. Jesus had already forgiven Peter and was calling him back into relationship. Beloved, we are like Peter. We will sometimes fail. But Jesus never fails. And Jesus never wavers in His love. And Jesus is always with you, ready to welcome you back into relationship. I don’t know who needs to hear this today, but your secret sin, the one that makes you ashamed and feel like a failure to God, it no longer has to rule your life. There is hope and healing available. Confess your sin to a trustworthy sister or brother, and seek forgiveness from God, because He’s already there, waiting to welcome you back into a full and glorious relationship with Himself.
Social Media Post 2:
Jesus said to them, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's.” And they marveled at him.
-Mark 12:17 ESV
You and I, we have responsibilities in life. Family, work, church, etc. We also have activities that we do for enjoyment or relaxation. Playing games, watching movies, going out for coffee, sports, and many others. Often our responsibilities and activities for enjoyment and relaxation overlap. For example, many of us love going to church, being part of worship, learning, and serving. And a lot of people really enjoy their jobs. But amongst all the responsibilities and activities we must remember this. “Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and to God the things that are God’s.” Confused yet? Here’s the point. All of our responsibilities and activities are secondary to our relationship and obedience to God. We “render to Caesar” when we carry out required, or even enjoyable activities that don’t directly improve our relationship with God. They don’t necessarily harm it, they may not be by nature wrong, but they don’t draw us closer to Him. I am NOT saying we need to stop all such activities. Some are just part of life, and others bring joy to our spirits, which the Lord wants us to have. But our greatest joy comes from being close to God. Let us not allow the good, but temporary joy to keep us from the true joy of being close to our Lord!
If you have follow-up thoughts, feel free to reach out to me directly via our contact form. Also, if you’d like to learn more about me and why I create all this content about following Jesus, check out my About page.
Love you Jesus follower!