Abide Together: Reflections on Mark 4

In Mark 4 Jesus tells multiple parables to the multitudes who are gathered around Him.  He begins with the parable of the sower and seeds. In each case the sower and seed are the same.  The difference is the soils.  The word of God is presented and there are all different kinds of results in the lives of people.  Only those whose hearts are prepared by the Lord (good soil) are prepared to truly receive the seed and produce fruit.  It takes time for fruit to be produced, therefore we must be patient to see if someone’s heart has been truly changed (born again).  Salvation is by grace through faith alone, but a faith that saves is never alone.  The responsibility of the believer is to faithfully present the word of the gospel and trust God with the results.  Lord, may I be faithful to continually present Your word and trust You with the heart change.  Help me be patient and wait on You to produce fruit in the lives of those You are making new.

– Bryan McKenzie

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Abide Together: Reflections on Mark 3

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In Mark 3 Jesus heals on the Sabbath, appoints the 12, is accused by His family of being crazy, is accused by the scribes of being from Satan, teaches on blasphemy of the Holy Spirit and stresses that it is those who do the will of God who are part of His family.  The truth that sticks out to me the most today is when Jesus appoints the 12 and gives the reasons of 1) so that they would be with Him, 2) so that He could send them out to preach and 3)so that they would have authority to cast out the demons.  The first one is the one that struck me the most.  He appointed them to “be with Him.” Wow what a privilege these men were given and it was not only a privilege but a purpose.  He appointed them “so that” they would be with Him.  Being with Jesus would transform their entire life as He taught them with words and as He taught them with His life.  Then after His death, burial, resurrection and ascension, He would be within them in the person of God the Holy Spirit.  This is the privilege and purpose of every follower of Jesus, that they would be with Jesus.  Lord, thank you for the great privilege and purpose of being with Jesus.  By Your grace, may I embrace this truth moment by moment and in the process would You make me more like Jesus, so that I will do Your will?

– Bryan McKenzie

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Abide Together: Reflections on Mark 2

In Mark 2 I am struck by two things.  First, I am humbled and convicted by the four men who brought their paralyzed friend to Jesus.  They knew that only Jesus could restore this man’s brokenness and they would not let anything keep them from getting their friend to Jesus (not even a roof). When Jesus encountered this man, He said, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”  Jesus knew that his greatest need was spiritual not physical.  The second thing that struck me is Jesus was intentional to go to the outcasts of the world (tax collectors & sinners).  These people knew they were sinful and broken and therefore knew they needed a Savior.  Jesus said He “did not come to call the righteous (those who thought they were righteous), but sinners.”  Lord, by Your grace help me not allow anything to keep me from introducing others to you.  Please, give me opportunity to introduce You to those that are discarded by the world and those who know they are broken and need a Savior.

– Bryan McKenzie

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Abide Together: Reflections on Matthew 28 & Mark 1

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In Mathew 28 Jesus is risen from the dead, appears to His disciples and gives them the great commission to make disciples.  In Mark 1, Mark begins his gospel with John the Baptist followed by the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry.  Jesus’ resurrection in Matthew 28 shows that His death on the cross was not in vain and His payment for sin was accepted by the Father.  His victory over death shows that He indeed was who He said He was, God in the flesh who came to redeem all who would trust in Him as Savior.  Based on His Authority, He commissions the disciples present and those who would follow them to make disciples of all the nations.  This is the mission of the Church, to make disciples.  Lord, help me always be about the mission for which you have called your Church, the making of disciples.  In Mark 1, the word “immediately” stands out, for it is used 10 times in this first chapter.  “Immediately” is used 40 times in the book of Mark.  Its as if Mark, at the very beginning of His gospel, wants to stress a sense of urgency concerning the mission of Jesus. Lord, may I live with an urgency in making disciples by Your grace and for Your glory.

– Bryan McKenzie

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Abide Together: Reflections on Matthew 27

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In Mathew 27 Judas’ false repentance is recorded, Jesus goes before Pilate, the crowds ask for Barabbas over Jesus, Pilate is passive, soldiers mock Jesus, Jesus is crucified, soldiers gamble for Jesus’ clothes, Jesus is insulted by those passing by, the chief priest and scribes mock Jesus, the criminals mock Jesus and the fellowship of the Father and Son is briefly broken for the only time in eternity.  I am stuck as to the way God through Matthew records the total rejection of Jesus by all different kinds of people.  Truly all mankind are born enemies of God (Romans 5:8).  Only His grace can awaken our hearts to the beauty of the cross which results in the reconciliation between God and those who place their faith in Jesus.  Matthew shows this happening when he writes in verse 51, “the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.”  Jesus’ payment for sin broke down the barrier between God and man. The cross is the pinnacle of God’s plan of redeeming people from all over the earth and it seems that it was immediately recognized by the centurion in verse 54. Jesus takes those who mock and hate Him and changes their hearts to love and adore Him.  Lord, thank you for replacing my heart of hate against You and replacing it with a heart that loves You and desires to glorify You.  By Your Grace, help me continually preach Christ and Him crucified.

– Bryan McKenzie

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Abide Together: Reflections on Matthew 26

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In Mathew 26 God through Matthew records the plot to kill Jesus, Jesus’ anointing by the woman, Judas’ betrayal, the Last Passover/First Lord’s Supper, the Garden of Gethsemane, Judas’ betrayal kiss, Jesus’ arrest, Jesus’ before Caiaphas and Peter’s denial. Each of these events is building toward the cross, burial and resurrection – which is the pinnacle of the Bible. The thing that stands out to me in this chapter is Jesus’ words in verse 38 when speaking to Peter, James and John, “My soul is deeply grieved, to the point of death…”  His emotions are at an all time high, yet He says that He will do the Father’s will 3 times.  Jesus says this, because He lived His life based on truth instead of emotions.  When faced with difficult decisions, I must make my decision based on truth and not on my emotions or feelings.  Emotion based decisions bring glory to me and truth based decisions bring glory to God.  Lord, just like Jesus, empower me to make decisions based on Your Truth and not my emotions, so that You alone will be glorified.

– Bryan McKenzie

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Abide Together: Reflections on Matthew 25

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Mathew 25 begins with Jesus presenting the Parable of the Ten Virgins to emphasize the importance of being ready for His return.  Jesus says 5 were ready and 5 were not.  The 5 who were ready represent those who have rejected their own good works and have trusted Jesus to save them and make them right with the Father. The 5 who were not ready represent those who have rejected Jesus as Savior and Lord.  It is imperative that those who have not placed their faith in Jesus as Savior and Lord to do so now, in order to prepare for His imminent coming.  Jesus then uses the Parable of the Talents to teach the importance of being good stewards and He also points out imposters in the visible church.  Two of the servants were found to be good stewards and given more responsibility and privilege in the Kingdom.  The third slave proved to be an imposter who even attacked the character of the Master/God.  Jesus then teaches on the Judgment where He will separate those who truly know Him from those who do not.  Those who have placed their faith alone on Jesus for salvation, which was evident from the fruit in their lives, will be brought into the Kingdom of Heaven.  Those who have rejected Jesus as Savior, which was evident from the lack of fruit in their lives, will go away into eternal punishment.  Lord, may I continually be stressing the imminence of Jesus return and calling people to repentance and faith in Him for salvation from the penalty of sin.  Help me be a good steward with all You have given me for Your glory.  Thank You for producing fruit in and through me, so that my life might make much of You.

– Bryan McKenzie

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Abide Together: Reflections on Matthew 24

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In Matthew 24 Jesus is teaching His disciples about his return. He warns them about people who falsely claim to be Christ, wars, famines and earthquakes that will take place around the time He returns.  He says the tribulation and difficulty will increase before His return.  Immediately after the tribulation He will return in a mighty way.  Those who have rejected Him as Savior and Lord will fear, but those who are of the elect (those who have trusted Him as Savior and Lord) will be gathered by Him.  He tells them that there are signs of His return, but no one except the Father knows the day.  Therefore, people need to be ready for His return.  Lord, help me live with an urgency to tell others of Your blessed Gospel of faith in Jesus that will save them from your just wrath to come.

– Bryan McKenzie

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Abide Together: Reflections on Matthew 23

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In Matthew 23 Jesus warns the crowds and disciples about the scribes and Pharisees.  He warns them that they seek after positions, prestige and power. Jesus summarizes the pride of the Pharisees in verse 12 when He says, “Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.”  A heart seeking Self-exaltation will lead to humiliation and ultimate condemnation. Jesus also gives multiple woes to the scribes and Pharisees calling them hypocrites.  They are all about what looks good on the outside and keeping a good front.  Jesus sums up the scribes and Pharisees in verse 27 when He says, “For you are like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men’s bones and uncleanness.”  It is all about the heart and what is on the inside that matters.  When the heart is dead, the outward actions of a person are meaningless.  When the heart is right, the right actions, attitudes and speech will follow.  The Gospel promises a new heart that gives us the power and desire to honor the LORD.  What we do is not who we are, but who we are has a tremendous impact on what we do.  LORD, by Your grace, empower me to warn people of those who exalt themselves and make the outside the issue.  Help me faithfully proclaim the Gospel of Grace that gives a new heart and makes people sons and daughters of You.

– Bryan McKenzie

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5 Apps You Should Be Using

The smartphone is a wonderful thing. If you are like me, it is the one thing you never go anywhere without. It is my calendar, contact book, personal assistant (thank you Siri), navigation, and–last but not least–my phone. As Christians, there is a danger is spending too much time on devices and neglecting the “Be still and know” part of the Christian life. However, I’ve found that there are some great apps that don’t distract me from spending time with Christ in his Word, but rather help me in the areas of spiritual discipline.

Here are 5 apps that I use consistently that are very helpful:

1. ESV Bible – Free

The ESV Bible app is my preference for the Bible on my phone and tablet. It is very user friendly with the ability to keep notes, make highlights, and even pick favorite verses and passages of Scripture. Crossway recently made this app even better by adding the “Listen” button. In the car and have some time for bible reading? The ESV Bible app will read it to you!

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2. FighterVerses – $2.99

Memorizing Scripture should be a priority for Christians. It not only encourages us to meditate upon Scriptures, but it is there in our heads and hearts for the Holy Spirit to use. DesiringGod has developed a first-class app for Scripture memory. There are built in memorization plans or you can create your own custom memory plan. It has 5 different types of quizzes to help you, plus, many of the passages have songs that will assist you in Scripture memorization! This app is well worth the $2.99 it costs on the app store.


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3. PrayerMate – Free

Having a consistent prayer life is one of the things that many Christians struggle with. PrayerMate is an extremely helpful app in this area! You can input your own prayer lists, divided up by categories that you choose. It allows you to specify how many times a week you would like to pray for a certain thing or person, or it will randomize for you. Each day, when you open the app, it gives you your prayer list for the day. You can also subscribe to prayer feeds from the International Mission Board and other organizations.

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4. The Village – Free

Matt Chandler has had a profound impact on my life through his preaching and teaching. Matt is the lead teaching pastor at The Village Church in a suburb of Dallas, TX. The Village app has all of their sermons organized by series for listening or viewing in HD. You can also stream their music from The Village Church Worship Band. They also have a tab of their latest blog posts. This is a great resource for Christian growth.

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5. Feedly – Free

I spend at least an hour a day reading blog articles on my phone. I follow many different blogs and bloggers. The Gospel Coalition, Tim Challies, Albert Mohler, Denny Burk, and the ERLC are just a few examples of blogs I read at least 3 or 4 times a week. Going to each website to read articles is not efficient. That’s where Feedly comes in. Feedly is an app that organizes all of the blogs that you follow into one app. Each day it brings up the most recent blog posts on the websites of your choice and allows you to sort through them in one place. I highly recommend this app!

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