Saturday, June 13, 2009

GOOD NEWS RISES...

SCRIPTURE

Mark 4:1-20 (NRSV)
The parable of the sower

Again he began to teach beside the sea. Such a very large crowd gathered around him that he got into a boat on the sea and sat there, while the whole crowd was beside the sea on the land. He began to teach them many things in parables, and in his teaching he said to them: "Listen! A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil, and it sprang up quickly, since it had no depth of soil. And when the sun rose, it was scorched; and since it had no root, it withered away. Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no grain. Other seed fell into good soil and brought forth grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirty and sixty and a hundredfold." And he said, "Let anyone with ears to hear listen!"

When he was alone, those who were around him along with the twelve asked him about the parables. And he said to them, "To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside, everything comes in parables; in order that
'they may indeed look, but not perceive,
and may indeed listen, but not understand;
so that they may not turn again and be forgiven.'"

And he said to them, "Do you not understand this parable? Then how will you understand all the parables? The sower sows the word. These are the ones on the path where the word is sown: when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that is sown in them. And these are the ones sown on rocky ground: when they hear the word, they immediately receive it with joy. But they have no root, and endure only for a while; then, when trouble or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away. And others are those sown among the thorns: these are the ones who hear the word, but the cares of the world, and the lure of wealth, and the desire for other things come in and choke the word, and it yields nothing. And these are the ones sown on the good soil: they hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirty and sixty and a hundredfold."

MEDITATION—Today is Saturday Psalmody! Today, the meditation is offered as a psalm from my heart. If you would like a more traditional devotion, please search the archives for a title that appeals to you! (smile)


GOOD NEWS RISES...

My Lord and My God

How I need GOOD NEWS.

Please ,

speak to me afresh

I need to hear from you.

For this bad news world

With all its trials and tribulations

Heartaches and failures

Hatred and division

Striving, scraping, and scrapping

Has worn me thin

Torn me down

Bowed my head

Beaten upon me until

I

Just

Can’t

Get

Up…

How I long to run away

To just give up

To hide my face

To weep until I am dry

And no more tears will come…

My Lord and My God

How I need GOOD NEWS

For I know and believe

By faith---

That there is GOOD NEWS

For me…

I sit in silence

Pondering my life

Realizing

that for today GOOD NEWS

May simply mean

That you love me

And that Your extravagant Spirit

Extends to me unconditional love

Unmerited mercy

And life everlasting…

GOOD NEWS

Means that Jesus did go to the cross

He did bleed, suffer, and die

He did make reparation for my sin—

But not for my sin only,

But for the sin of the whole wide world!

GOOD NEWS

Means that Jesus did not stay dead

But, He was resurrected; just as He said!

GOOD NEWS

Means that the angels

Did herald your great victory

Over sin, death and the grave

And they bid the women GO

And TELL the story…

Jesus is risen!

He is risen indeed!

GOOD NEWS Rises

In my heart

Even at the most distressing of times

When my sin,

Or the sin of others

Tries to choke GOOD NEWS out of my life…

GOOD NEWS rises

When the cares of this world—

The lust for fame,

fortune, success,

and popularity,

threaten to destroy my joy.

GOOD NEWS rises

In every time

And every place

In every circumstance of life

Reminding me

Calling me

Beckoning to me…

JESUS LIVES!

And because He lives*

I can face tomorrow

And because he lives

All fear is gone

Because I know

He holds my future

My life is worth the living just

Because He lives!

GOOD NEWS rises…

Lord, please let me be swift in sharing it with others. Amen.


Acknowledgements

*“Because He Lives” was written by William J. Gaither


ANNOUNCEMENTS

Congratulations to the people who have recently put all of their hope in Jesus! We celebrate your re-birth-day and promise to hold you in our prayers!

If you would like to put all of your hope in Jesus today, please visit my blog entitled, “Putting All Your Hope In Jesus” located at
http://aintathatgoodnews.blogspot.com/2009/04/putting-all-your-hope-in-jesus.html

If you have additional questions about how to become a friend and follower of Jesus, please see the devotion entitled, "Come to Jesus"
http://aintathatgoodnews.blogspot.com/2009/03/come-to-jesus.html

Pastor Yolanda is now publishing another blog entitled, “A Spoken WORD” in celebration of Holy Hip Hop, Gospel/Christian Rap and Spoken Word. Please check it out @ http://aspokenword.blogspot.com/

You are invited to follow Pastor Yolanda on Twitter www.twitter.com/PastorYolanda

Good News has now added a Prayer Ministry. http://www.kindlejoy.com/groups/goodnews

You are invited to leave comments or questions regarding today’s devotional. These comments are public.

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Thanks for reading and please come again. Pastor Yolanda extends a very special welcome to all of our friends reading outside of the United States of America! We are honored that you are sharing with us today.

From Pastor Yolanda's blog http://aintathatgoodnews.blogspot.com

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