For Those Desiring a Deep Christian Faith...
  • Home
    • About
    • Contact
  • Daily Meditation
  • Past Daily Meditations
    • 2023 Meditations
    • January Meditations >
      • January 1
      • January 4
      • January 6
      • January 9
      • January 11
      • January 13
      • January 15
      • January 17
      • January 20
      • January 22
      • January 24
      • January 26
    • 2022 Meditations
    • December Meditations >
      • December 2
      • December 4
      • December 6
      • December 8
      • December 11
      • December 13
      • December 15
      • December 18
      • December 20
      • December 22
      • December 25
      • December 27
      • December 30
    • November Meditations >
      • November 2
      • November 4
      • November 6
      • November 9
      • November 12
      • November 14
      • November 16
      • November 18
      • November 20
      • November 22
      • November 25
      • November 27
      • November 29
    • October Meditations >
      • October 3
      • October 5
      • October 7
      • October 12
      • October 14
      • October 16
      • October 19
      • October 21
      • October 25
      • October 27
      • October 29
      • October 31
    • September Meditations >
      • September 1
      • September 3
      • September 6
      • September 8
      • September 10
      • September 12
      • September 14
      • September 16
      • September 18
      • September 21
      • September 23
      • September 26
      • September 28
    • August Meditations >
      • August 2
      • August 5
      • August 7
      • August 9
      • August 12
      • August 14
      • August 16
      • August 18
      • August 20
      • August 22
      • August 24
      • August 27
      • August 30
    • July 2022 Meditations
    • June 2022 Meditations
    • May 2022 Meditations
    • April 2022 Meditations
    • March 2022 Meditations
    • February 2022 Meditatons
    • 2021 Meditations >
      • January 2021 Meditations
      • February 2021 Meditations
      • March 2021 Meditations
      • April 2021 Meditations
      • May 2021 Meditations
      • June 2021 Meditations
      • July 2021 Meditations
      • August 2021 Meditations
      • September 2021 Meditations
      • October 2021 Meditations
      • November 2021 Meditations
      • December 2021 Meditations
    • 2020 Daily Meditations >
      • January 2020 Archive
      • February 2020 Archive
      • March 2020 Archive
      • April 2020 Archive
      • May 2020 Archive
      • June 2020 Archive
      • July 2020 Archive
      • August 2020 Archive
      • September 2020 Archive
      • October 2020 Archive
      • November 2020 Archive
      • December 2020 Archive
    • 2019 Daily Meditations >
      • January 2019 Archive
      • February 2019 Archive
      • March 2019 Archive
      • April 2019 Archive
      • May 2019 Archive
      • June 2019 Archive
      • July 2019 Archive
      • August 2019 Archive
      • September 2019 Archive
      • October 2019 Archive
      • November 2019 Archive
      • December 2019 Archive
    • 2018 Daily Meditations >
      • December 2018 Archive
      • November 2018 Archive
      • October 2018 Archive
      • September 2018 Archive
      • August 2018 Archive
      • July 2018 Archive
      • June 2018 Archive
      • May 2018 Archive
      • April 2018 Archive
      • March 2018 Archive
      • February 2018 Archive
      • January 2018 Archive
    • 2017 Daily Meditations >
      • January 2017 Archive
      • February 2017 Archive
      • March 2017 Archive
      • April 2017 Archive
      • May 2017 Archive
      • June 2017 Archive
      • July 2017 Archive
      • August 2017 Archive
      • September 2017 Archive
      • October 2017 Archive
      • November 2017 Archive
      • December 2017 Archive
  • Special Bible Studies
    • Do you hold a grudge?
    • Have you actually asked for God's help?
    • Sin is the cause of all your problems
    • Amazing Grace!
    • Are you consumed by worry?
    • Is God punishing you?
    • Spiritual Warfare
    • Stubborn?
    • How often do you pray?
    • Have doubts?
    • Who are you listening to?
    • Emotional Black Holes
    • Unanswered prayers?
    • Have you compromised your faith?
    • Life in the pits...
    • Is your life in a rut?
    • Demonic Influences?
    • Let God Ease Your Burdens!
    • Danger of Success
    • Feeling alone
    • Are you broken-hearted?
    • Feel vulnerable?
    • Is God pushing you?
    • Do you lack faith
    • Being Tested
    • Your Place in Heaven
    • Does your past haunt you?
    • Is worldliness creeping into your life?
    • What is acceptable worship?
    • Angry?
    • Spiritual Radar
    • Can you be obedient to God?
    • Courage in the Face of Trials
    • Does Hell Exist
    • A Sin of Omission
    • When Life Gets Crazy
    • When God is Silent
    • Weakness
    • On Death and Dying
    • Feeling Guilty for no Reason?
    • Is wealth damaging your faith?
    • Satans Games
    • Death and Eternal Life
    • Depression
    • Family Problems
    • False Guilt
    • Food Issues
    • A Lack of Forgiveness
    • Frustration
    • Jealousy or Envy
    • Life out of Balance
    • Lying to Yourself or Others
    • Getting Married
    • Missions and Outreach
    • Prayer Life
    • Repentance
    • Sharing the Faith
    • Socialism
    • Stressed out
    • Impatience
    • Too Hard on Yourself
  • Uplifting Video for the Day
  • Videos for Reflection
    • Videos for Reflection 2
    • Videos for Reflection 3
    • Videos for Reflection 4
    • Videos for Reflection 5
    • Videos for Reflection 6
    • Videos for Reflection 7
    • Videos for Reflection 8
    • Videos for Reflection 9
    • Videos for Reflection 10
    • Videos for Reflection 11
    • Videos for Reflection 12
    • Videos for Reflection 13
    • Videos for Reflection 14
    • Videos for Reflection 15
    • Videos for Reflection 16
  • COVID Vaccine
  • Standing up for God
    • Jatya
    • Archbishop Mouche
    • Pastor Andrew Brunson
    • Our Coptic Christian Friends
    • Petr Jasek
  • Bible Challenge Gateway
  • Faith Issues in the Modern World
    • Chinese Communist Party Chooses Catholic Bishops!
    • Christians Attacked by ISIS in Mozambique
    • The Pope Changes Lord's Prayer
    • Museum of the Bible Washington DC USA
    • Persecution at All-Time High
    • Suicide Bombing in Pakistan Christian Church
    • Attack by Muslim terrorists against Egyptian Church
    • Underground Christians in China
    • More Persecution of Chinese Christians
    • The Growing Church in Iran
    • Christian Parenting Failing God
  • Video Studies
    • Video Bible Study Introduction
    • Prayer in the Bible
    • Faith Hebrews 11
  • Walls of Inspiration
    • Wall of Inspiration 1
    • Wall of Inspiration 2
    • Wall of Inspiration 3
    • Wall of Inspiration 4
    • Wall of Inspiration 5
    • Wall of Inspiration 6
    • Wall of Inspiration 7
    • Wall of Inspiration 8
    • Wall of Inspiration 9
    • Wall of Inspiration 10
    • Wall of Inspiration 11
    • Wall of Inspiration 12
    • Wall of Inspiration 13
    • Wall of Inspiration 14
    • Wall of Inspiration 15
    • Wall of Inspiration 16
    • Wall of Inspiration 17
    • Wall of Inspiration 18
    • Wall of Inspiration 19
    • Wall of Inspiration 20
    • Wall of Inspiration 21
  • Bible Helps
  • Stories of God's Power
  • Comments
  • Bible Challenge Badge Earners
  • Yearly Meditations Template

August 9

“… [Jesus said:] “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.”” (Mark 1:15, NKJV) 
Picture
The words above form the core of Jesus’ very first sermon in the Gospel of Mark.  These words are at the center of Jesus’ teachings.  Jesus believed that the “kingdom of God” was touching the lives of His hearers in that crucial period of history (Mark 1:15a).  He believed that prophecies of that special time were being “fulfilled”.  Anyone who listened to Jesus was asked to respond in two ways.  True disciples were to “repent” and to “believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:15b).  No person can be a true disciple of Jesus without these two responses to the call to faith.  You, dear reader, must continually respond to Jesus in your life by repenting and by believing.
 
Believing in Jesus means putting your faith in the gospel.  To be a part of God’s Kingdom, you need to let go of the lies you believe, the false doctrines that define the world, reject false teachings, and dedicate yourself to the gospel of our Lord Jesus.   Still, belief is not enough.  One other thing was required, as stipulated by Jesus in His sermon.  You need to “repent”.    Repenting means MORE than just saying I’m sorry to God and others.  Repenting means more than admitting you were wrong.  The Greek word used for “repent” in this verse means to “make a U-turn in life”.  It means you need to stop going away from God and start going toward God.  It means you need to walk away from sin and walk toward the holy light.  It means you must actively change things in your life that are wrong.  Repenting will require more than a few words or a quickly uttered prayer.  It will require changes in your life, correction of your actions, amended thoughts, and a gracious attitude.  If you do repentance right, it will change YOU.  You will choose to think and act and respond more like Jesus.
 
Jesus’ call upon the listener to “repent and believe” is simple.  Only two things are required to become a disciple of Jesus.  You must repent.  You must believe.  Sadly, too many people have big problems with these two simple requirements of Jesus.  If they do not come around to following Jesus’ call for these two simple things, they will never truly be disciples of Jesus Christ.  First, some people doubt the gospel.  The question parts of the scriptures.  They question Jesus’ validity.  They second-guess the meaning of scriptures they don’t like or God’s words they don’t want to follow.  Their faith is weakened by such doubt.  Their commitment to Jesus is put on shaky ground by inadequate commitment to faith in Jesus.  Second, all too many who desire to be Christian do not take time to repent.  Some lie to themselves about how much sin has twisted their judgment.  Some don’t want to admit they are imperfect or prone to self-destructive behaviors.  Some are too prideful to admit their own failings.  Some feel undeserving of forgiveness, so they withhold their repentance.  For whatever the reason, those who fail to repent of their sins will never truly feel forgiven and blessed by Almighty God.
 
Belief in Jesus requires continual repentance.  Repentance is a part of true belief.  Belief and repentance go hand in hand in the faithful disciple. 
 
To explain the disconnect between belief and repentance when studying Mark 1:15, John MacArthur wrote the following words in Truth for Today:
 
“If you want to enter the narrow gate you must repent. Many Jews during Jesus’ time believed that just being physical descendants of Abraham was sufficient for entrance into heaven. And many people today believe that simply being churchgoers or morally good people qualifies them for salvation. After all, they reason, God is too benevolent to exclude anyone but the most evil people.
God does desire that everyone enter the narrow gate because He is “not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (2 Pet. 3:9). But you will not pass through the narrow gate unless you follow Charles Spurgeon’s admonition: “You and your sins must separate, or you and your God will never come together. No one sin may you keep; they must all be given up...”” (John MacArthur, Truth for Today, p. 241)
 
If you want to believe in Jesus, repentance should be a common action of your faith.  Repentance should be a regular part of your prayer life.  It should be done as a part of worship (that is why many churches have the “Confession of Sin” as a part of their worship liturgy).  Repentance needs to become second nature to your spiritual thinking.  You should constantly be ready to repent as long as you truly believe in Jesus.
 
In response to Jesus’ first sermon in the Gospel of Mark, are there any doubts of God lingering in your spiritual life.    Are there any sins needing repentance?   Are you repenting in heart, mind, and soul, or just saying the words of confession without a real commitment?  Are you truly sorry for your sin?   A life with Jesus can be the most rewarding, awesome experience of your life.  But, you will never get to enjoy the depths of that relationship without true repentance and a committed belief in the gospel.  Never.
 

click here to view other august Daily Meditations
Proudly powered by Weebly
  • Home
    • About
    • Contact
  • Daily Meditation
  • Past Daily Meditations
    • 2023 Meditations
    • January Meditations >
      • January 1
      • January 4
      • January 6
      • January 9
      • January 11
      • January 13
      • January 15
      • January 17
      • January 20
      • January 22
      • January 24
      • January 26
    • 2022 Meditations
    • December Meditations >
      • December 2
      • December 4
      • December 6
      • December 8
      • December 11
      • December 13
      • December 15
      • December 18
      • December 20
      • December 22
      • December 25
      • December 27
      • December 30
    • November Meditations >
      • November 2
      • November 4
      • November 6
      • November 9
      • November 12
      • November 14
      • November 16
      • November 18
      • November 20
      • November 22
      • November 25
      • November 27
      • November 29
    • October Meditations >
      • October 3
      • October 5
      • October 7
      • October 12
      • October 14
      • October 16
      • October 19
      • October 21
      • October 25
      • October 27
      • October 29
      • October 31
    • September Meditations >
      • September 1
      • September 3
      • September 6
      • September 8
      • September 10
      • September 12
      • September 14
      • September 16
      • September 18
      • September 21
      • September 23
      • September 26
      • September 28
    • August Meditations >
      • August 2
      • August 5
      • August 7
      • August 9
      • August 12
      • August 14
      • August 16
      • August 18
      • August 20
      • August 22
      • August 24
      • August 27
      • August 30
    • July 2022 Meditations
    • June 2022 Meditations
    • May 2022 Meditations
    • April 2022 Meditations
    • March 2022 Meditations
    • February 2022 Meditatons
    • 2021 Meditations >
      • January 2021 Meditations
      • February 2021 Meditations
      • March 2021 Meditations
      • April 2021 Meditations
      • May 2021 Meditations
      • June 2021 Meditations
      • July 2021 Meditations
      • August 2021 Meditations
      • September 2021 Meditations
      • October 2021 Meditations
      • November 2021 Meditations
      • December 2021 Meditations
    • 2020 Daily Meditations >
      • January 2020 Archive
      • February 2020 Archive
      • March 2020 Archive
      • April 2020 Archive
      • May 2020 Archive
      • June 2020 Archive
      • July 2020 Archive
      • August 2020 Archive
      • September 2020 Archive
      • October 2020 Archive
      • November 2020 Archive
      • December 2020 Archive
    • 2019 Daily Meditations >
      • January 2019 Archive
      • February 2019 Archive
      • March 2019 Archive
      • April 2019 Archive
      • May 2019 Archive
      • June 2019 Archive
      • July 2019 Archive
      • August 2019 Archive
      • September 2019 Archive
      • October 2019 Archive
      • November 2019 Archive
      • December 2019 Archive
    • 2018 Daily Meditations >
      • December 2018 Archive
      • November 2018 Archive
      • October 2018 Archive
      • September 2018 Archive
      • August 2018 Archive
      • July 2018 Archive
      • June 2018 Archive
      • May 2018 Archive
      • April 2018 Archive
      • March 2018 Archive
      • February 2018 Archive
      • January 2018 Archive
    • 2017 Daily Meditations >
      • January 2017 Archive
      • February 2017 Archive
      • March 2017 Archive
      • April 2017 Archive
      • May 2017 Archive
      • June 2017 Archive
      • July 2017 Archive
      • August 2017 Archive
      • September 2017 Archive
      • October 2017 Archive
      • November 2017 Archive
      • December 2017 Archive
  • Special Bible Studies
    • Do you hold a grudge?
    • Have you actually asked for God's help?
    • Sin is the cause of all your problems
    • Amazing Grace!
    • Are you consumed by worry?
    • Is God punishing you?
    • Spiritual Warfare
    • Stubborn?
    • How often do you pray?
    • Have doubts?
    • Who are you listening to?
    • Emotional Black Holes
    • Unanswered prayers?
    • Have you compromised your faith?
    • Life in the pits...
    • Is your life in a rut?
    • Demonic Influences?
    • Let God Ease Your Burdens!
    • Danger of Success
    • Feeling alone
    • Are you broken-hearted?
    • Feel vulnerable?
    • Is God pushing you?
    • Do you lack faith
    • Being Tested
    • Your Place in Heaven
    • Does your past haunt you?
    • Is worldliness creeping into your life?
    • What is acceptable worship?
    • Angry?
    • Spiritual Radar
    • Can you be obedient to God?
    • Courage in the Face of Trials
    • Does Hell Exist
    • A Sin of Omission
    • When Life Gets Crazy
    • When God is Silent
    • Weakness
    • On Death and Dying
    • Feeling Guilty for no Reason?
    • Is wealth damaging your faith?
    • Satans Games
    • Death and Eternal Life
    • Depression
    • Family Problems
    • False Guilt
    • Food Issues
    • A Lack of Forgiveness
    • Frustration
    • Jealousy or Envy
    • Life out of Balance
    • Lying to Yourself or Others
    • Getting Married
    • Missions and Outreach
    • Prayer Life
    • Repentance
    • Sharing the Faith
    • Socialism
    • Stressed out
    • Impatience
    • Too Hard on Yourself
  • Uplifting Video for the Day
  • Videos for Reflection
    • Videos for Reflection 2
    • Videos for Reflection 3
    • Videos for Reflection 4
    • Videos for Reflection 5
    • Videos for Reflection 6
    • Videos for Reflection 7
    • Videos for Reflection 8
    • Videos for Reflection 9
    • Videos for Reflection 10
    • Videos for Reflection 11
    • Videos for Reflection 12
    • Videos for Reflection 13
    • Videos for Reflection 14
    • Videos for Reflection 15
    • Videos for Reflection 16
  • COVID Vaccine
  • Standing up for God
    • Jatya
    • Archbishop Mouche
    • Pastor Andrew Brunson
    • Our Coptic Christian Friends
    • Petr Jasek
  • Bible Challenge Gateway
  • Faith Issues in the Modern World
    • Chinese Communist Party Chooses Catholic Bishops!
    • Christians Attacked by ISIS in Mozambique
    • The Pope Changes Lord's Prayer
    • Museum of the Bible Washington DC USA
    • Persecution at All-Time High
    • Suicide Bombing in Pakistan Christian Church
    • Attack by Muslim terrorists against Egyptian Church
    • Underground Christians in China
    • More Persecution of Chinese Christians
    • The Growing Church in Iran
    • Christian Parenting Failing God
  • Video Studies
    • Video Bible Study Introduction
    • Prayer in the Bible
    • Faith Hebrews 11
  • Walls of Inspiration
    • Wall of Inspiration 1
    • Wall of Inspiration 2
    • Wall of Inspiration 3
    • Wall of Inspiration 4
    • Wall of Inspiration 5
    • Wall of Inspiration 6
    • Wall of Inspiration 7
    • Wall of Inspiration 8
    • Wall of Inspiration 9
    • Wall of Inspiration 10
    • Wall of Inspiration 11
    • Wall of Inspiration 12
    • Wall of Inspiration 13
    • Wall of Inspiration 14
    • Wall of Inspiration 15
    • Wall of Inspiration 16
    • Wall of Inspiration 17
    • Wall of Inspiration 18
    • Wall of Inspiration 19
    • Wall of Inspiration 20
    • Wall of Inspiration 21
  • Bible Helps
  • Stories of God's Power
  • Comments
  • Bible Challenge Badge Earners
  • Yearly Meditations Template