Yesterday i had to go to a Office. People told me, you just need this and it will be enough. Even a lady on the phone, working in this Office, told me so. But then i came there, and what i had with me was not enough, not at all. I had to go home and collect all the different additional papers i would need. I am still collecting. I need even things from Switzerland too - i always think this is like being willing to enter heaven. Many people say - you just need this ore that - but in the end, when they arrive, did we studied the Bible to find out what God wants from us. Are we ready to enter, ore did we just listen to some peoples opinion and because it sounded so nicely ore human ore what ever interesting, kind of deep, we just took it and never really checked it with the Bible.

Mk16,9-20 It is a longer time since i read the end of Mark. Amazing what is in this last 11Verses. Jesus appears Maria of Magdala FIRST. She had 7demons before she first met Jesus. Jesus drove them all out. He is meeting Maria first, before all other disciples. - - Then in a different form, he appears to 2other disciples, not 2 of the 12close disciples. Maria and this 2 disciples always went to the other disciples and told them: "Jesus is risen and alive - we saw him."REALLY. But they never believed. This 11 close Jesus Disciples never believed. But then Jesus is appearing to them, when they were sitting at the table.

What is Jesus doing? "

he rebuked them for their lack of faith and their stubborn refusal to believe those who had seen him after he had risen. 

" - in the german translation is even written:"for 

ihre Herzenshärtigkeit.

"
Not believing is hardness of my heart. When i talk to people at TU, i can see it. But when i think about me and my unbelief, i have a very heart time to see that my heart is hard ore stubborn. In fact, i was even surprised now, when i was reading through this verses, that Jesus is described as rebuking, in german 'schalt'. Wow - the attitude of God towards unbelief!
And then Jesus just moves on. I catch the unbelief-challange ore i don't. Either i have ears to hear or i do not hear.
Jesus tels them now: 

15 He said to them, Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. 

16 Whoever believes and is baptised will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.

Preach the good news
Whoever believes and is baptized will be SAVED
Whoever does not believe will be condemned
And he promises them wonders as a prove, that God is with them
And then he is moving up, into the sky - into heaven. Sitting next to his father now. At the right side -
To be saved - Jesus is not making any secret out of it. Believe & Baptism (what kind of Baptism, if not to be saved, the context here is saving - Jesus makes this context).
To just believe without baptism = does it make sense then? Why not believing Jesus this second last paragraph before going up, back to his father?
To not believe and be baptized, baptized for what? = Does this make sense?
-
But i am so challenged by the believe! How do i feel, if people do not believe me, ore do not believe in me, the good in me? It is very heart, very painful. 'Look at him, he is just like this', 'Look at him, still the same - why is he doing it anyway?', 'Yeah - he will never change:-)',... / The disciples just could not believe, that God could change death into life again / ore the disciples could just not believe, that Jesus would NOT appear first to them, if he would rise from death, because they are so important / ore ...
How is my life, if i stop believing? It becomes dark again. I am sure Jesus is very clear on that - CHRISTOPH - BELIEVE! Other wise it becomes dark around you, and empty, and painful without meaning, and sad without hope, and ...
Faith is a gift from God. It is the give of a soft heart. God can change my heart!
God please give me faith today - that i can believe you, believe in you, have faith, that today miracles are possible, that i can see, what you prepared for me out there.
To believe God - to walk believing in him: the best life i can imagine. I know it. Still need to learn to life what i know - do be adopting what God wants to give me in every single moment of my life.