THE STORY OF JESUS: Mark 13:1-8
“Do you see all these great buildings, every one will be thrown down.” (Mark 13:3)
These were the first words I thought of on September 11, 2001.
I don’t mean that God was punishing the US, or the people in the towers.
But our grand buildings often represent our arrogance, our own version of Babel.
“What magnificent buildings”, but God sees beneath and behind them to the heart.
He sees the greed and injustice that often build these temples to human pride.
God is not impressed with our buildings or numbers, programs or events.
He sees the people, both inside and outside the buildings.
He is impressed by – or not – the hearts of each person He sees.
Think of all that you have ‘built’ in your life – homes, jobs, savings, possessions.
Do you think God is as impressed by them as you are?
Are those ‘things’ truly helping you build God’s kingdom, or getting in the way?
Have you invested into building your character and calling?
As a Jesus follower, is my life honorable to the Lord?
Am I using all that I am, all that I have, to make God’s kingdom impressive?
What do you sense the Lord saying to you?
PRAYER
Lord, You have not called me to build programs, institutions, not even the ‘church’. You have called me to BE a disciple, and to MAKE disciples. May this become my legacy, a legacy that endures!
What do I marvel at? Magnificent buildings? Beautiful sunsets? Man’s accomplishments? God’s creativeness?
All to often we look at what our hands have done and here we read that all of our building will come to nothingness. All of man’s creativeness comes to nothingness. It will not last. Only my relationship – our relationship – to the Lord will be everlasting. Only His kingdom is everlasting.
1. Not what my hands have done
Can save my guilty soul;
Not what my toiling flesh has borne
Can make my spirit whole.
Not what I feel or do
Can give me peace with God;
Not all my prayers,
And sighs and tears
Can bear my awful load.
2. Thy work alone, O Christ,
Can ease this weight of sin
Thy blood alone O Lamb of God,
Can give me peace within.
Thy love to me O God,
Not mine, O Lord, to Thee
Can rid me of
This dark unrest,
And set my spirit free!
3. Thy grace alone, O God,
To me can pardon speak;
Thy power alone O Son of God,
Can this sore bondage break.
No other work, save Thine,
No other blood will do,
No strength save that,
Which is divine,
Can bear me safely through.
4. I bless the Christ of God;
I rest on love divine;
And with unfaltering lip and heart,
I call this Savior mine.
His cross dispels each doubt,
I bury in His tomb
My unbelief,
And all my fear,
Each lingering shade of gloom.
5. I praise the God of grace,
I trust His truth and might
He calls me His, I call Him mine,
My God, my joy, my light
?Tis He Who saveth me,
And freely pardon gives
I love because
He loveth me,
I live because He lives!