Recovery Ministries aims to see people of all nationalities recovering from loss, in accordance with the promises they have in Jesus Christ
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TEXT: ‘And the Lord turned and looked’ (Luke 22:61). Sometimes words aren’t necessary, as one look can convey what’s needed to be said, or get things done. Mark’s gospel mentions several times, “He looked” and these two words caught my attention and formed the basis for this teaching. In Part 1, we studied Jesus’ look; in anger at the scribes and Pharisees’ hardened hearts; as a reminder to Peter when he denied Him; and His look of love at the rich young ruler. In Part 2, we study three more “Looks”. 1. Jesus looked in the temple – ‘And Jesus went into Jerusalem and into the temple. So when He had looked around at all things, as the hour was already late, He went out to Bethany with the twelve’ (Mark 11:11) His disciples had wanted Him to look at the magnificence of the temple, but Jesus was more interested in what was going on inside the temple. He didn’t like what he saw. What should have been the house of prayer for all nations, had become a den of thieves. Revelation chapters 2 and 3 record when Jesus looked at the 7 churches in Asia. He commended, criticised, cautioned and cajoled them to do the right thing which would be rewarded. What does Jesus see when He looks inside your church? A text we need to remember is, ‘For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God? Now “If the righteous one is scarcely saved, where will the ungodly...
Learn MoreTEXT: ‘And the Lord turned and looked’ (Luke 22:61). Sometimes words aren’t necessary, as one look can convey what’s needed to be said, or get things done. Mark’s gospel mentions several times, “He looked” and these two words caught my attention and formed the basis for this teaching. 1. Jesus looked in anger At those with hardened hearts – ‘And when He had looked around at them with anger, being grieved by the hardness of their hearts, He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored as whole as the other’ (Mark 3:5). One would have thought the religious leaders would have welcomed with open arms anyone who could heal members of their congregation, but they would rather a hurting person stayed that way in keeping with their religious rules, than be set free by Jesus. It was a constant battle wherever Jesus went but He made sure everyone knew who was trying to stop the miracles. There are churches today where miracles of healing, gifts of the Holy Spirit and speaking with other tongues are not welcome. If ‘Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever’ (Hebrews 13:8), then what He said and did then, should be re-enacted today by the church through the authority of the name of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit. At unhelpful comments – ‘But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. “Get behind me, Satan!” he said. “You do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”’ (Mark 8:33). Peter’s attempt to rebuke Jesus was met...
Learn MoreTEXT: ‘The women who had been companions of Jesus from Galilee followed along. They saw the tomb where Jesus’ body was placed. At the crack of dawn on Sunday, the women came to the tomb carrying the burial spices they had prepared’ (Luke 23:55, 24:1 MSG). The watching women saw Jesus on the cross, when some of His disciples may not have, for they ran away when Jesus was arrested. The women heard Jesus cry, “It is finished” and saw the soldier plunge the spear into His side, confirming His death. They saw Joseph, with the help of Nicodemus, take Jesus’ body down from the cross. After they bound it with strips of linen and spices, they laid the body in Joseph’s tomb and rolled a large stone across the entrance. Early on Easter morning, the women came with more spices to anoint the body of Jesus. The only question they were asking on the way was, “Who will roll away the stone?” They weren’t aware the tomb had been sealed on the orders of Pilate, and a Roman guard of soldiers were stationed to ensure Jesus’ disciples didn’t steal His body and then claim He had risen from the dead. This negated any chance the women had of being able to anoint the body of Jesus, but when they arrived at the tomb they saw: The stone rolled away – ‘Suddenly there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and rolled aside the stone and sat on it’ (Matthew 28:2 TLB). After the great earthquake, the angel descended and rolled away...
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