I have been sharing Elevation Church’s weekly sermons because Pastor Steven Furtick has opened 2020 with an amazing series. This past weekend he delivered what I feel is one of his best sermon’s to date and it touches on a parable Jesus delivers in Matthew 25. Watch this when you have time today. If you don’t have time, you should make it. This message is worth it. You’ll learn what it means to #flipthebag, and how to tell the devil, “it’s still a million.”

February 5

²³So Jesus called them over to him and began to speak to them in parables:  “How can satan drive out satan?  ²⁴If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.  ²⁵If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.  ²⁶And if satan opposes himself and is divided, he cannot stand; his end has come.”  (Mark 3:23-26)

This is the first half of the first example of Jesus teaching in parables to His audience.  In Mark 3, teachers of the Jewish Law were accusing Jesus of being possessed by “Beelzebub” (Beelzebub is Satan’s highest servant) and that is why Jesus could do miracles like driving out demons from people under their possession.  Jesus rebukes that statement by explaining that a house divided cannot stand, and while this is considered a “parable,” it is the easiest parable that Jesus speaks, because it makes perfect sense.  I think this is just the warm-up, as you will see in the month ahead; some of Jesus’ parables will make you scratch your head and raise an eyebrow, and say “huh?”  But do not feel bad; even Jesus’ disciples had a hard time understanding the Rabbi’s riddle-like teachings.  And many times in the Gospel, the author’s include Jesus’ own explanation of the parables He just dropped.

So why did Jesus choose to teach in parables?  Well, according to Matthew 13:35, Jesus spoke in parables to fulfill the prophecy from Psalm 78:2.  Matthew 13:35 states:

³⁵So was fulfilled what was spoken through the prophet:

“I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter things hidden since the creation of the world.”

Tomorrow we will discuss Psalm 78.

Reading plan:  Mark 4:1-20

Deeper reading plan:  Numbers 10-14

Prayer and meditation:  continue to pray for your request from day 1 and pray that you will easily understand the hidden messages of Jesus and the Bible.

Fitness challenge:  Week six of our 7×14 challenge.  2 sets of 14, incorporate a 1-2 second pause at the apex of each rep.

1.  Standard push-up                2.  Sit-up or crunches

3.  Air squats                                4.  Hand-release push-up

5.  Leg lifts                                    6.  Lunges (7-each leg)

7.  4-count flutter kick