Sun, Jan 25th - 9:23PM
Mark 11:1-11
1: And when they came nigh to Jerusalem, unto Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount of Olives, he sendeth forth two of his disciples,
2: And saith unto them, Go your way into the village over against you: and as soon as ye be entered into it, ye shall find a colt tied, whereon never man sat; loose him, and bring him.
3: And if any man say unto you, Why do ye this? say ye that the Lord hath need of him; and straightway he will send him hither.
4: And they went their way, and found the colt tied by the door without in a place where two ways met; and they loose him.
5: And certain of them that stood there said unto them, What do ye, loosing the colt?
6: And they said unto them even as Jesus had commanded: and they let them go.
7: And they brought the colt to Jesus, and cast their garments on him; and he sat upon him.
8: And many spread their garments in the way: and others cut down branches off the trees, and strawed them in the way.
9: And they that went before, and they that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna; Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord:
10: Blessed be the kingdom of our father David, that cometh in the name of the Lord: Hosanna in the highest.
11: And Jesus entered into Jerusalem, and into the temple: and when he had looked round about upon all things, and now the eventide was come, he went out unto Bethany with the twelve.
This is the beginning of the week before Christ is crucified. How much will things change within a few days. By the end of the week the cry will be to crucify him. The people were expecting a messiah that was going to overthrow the Romans and establish the Jewish kingdom once again. They didn’t understand that Jesus was coming to establish an heavenly kingdom. They didn’t understand the purpose of the events that were about to take place. Well 2000 years later we have the benefit of the Bible to explain all things to us. But sadly so many still don’t understand or refuse to understand and believe. Jesus came to be the sacrifice for our sins that through him we might have redemption and be able to have a relationship with God through him and only through him for no one else has died for our sins but Jesus. Muhammad, Buddha, or any other god or prophet can bring to God but Jesus and through his blood which was shed for us on the cross.
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Sun, Jan 25th - 1:13AM
Mark 10:46-52
46: And they came to Jericho: and as he went out of Jericho with his disciples and a great number of people, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the highway side begging.
47: And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out, and say, Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me.
48: And many charged him that he should hold his peace: but he cried the more a great deal, Thou Son of David, have mercy on me.
49: And Jesus stood still, and commanded him to be called. And they call the blind man, saying unto him, Be of good comfort, rise; he calleth thee.
50: And he, casting away his garment, rose, and came to Jesus.
51: And Jesus answered and said unto him, What wilt thou that I should do unto thee? The blind man said unto him, Lord, that I might receive my sight.
52: And Jesus said unto him, Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole. And immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way. What made Bartimaeus whole? His faith that Jesus was the Son of God and that he had the power to make him whole. When others tried to silence him he would not be stopped but sought Jesus even harder because he knew it was only Jesus that could make him whole. Many today want to down play the role of faith in our walk with God. They say faith isn’t important. How silly. The Bible talks about faith over and over again. It is faith that Jesus is the Son of God and that only through him that we can have salvation that brings us into a relationship with him. It is by faith that we believe and confess that Jesus is the Son of God and our Savior. Don’t ever be deceived by any that would say faith isn’t important in our walk with God.
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Fri, Jan 23rd - 11:17PM
Mark 10:35-45
35: And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, come unto him, saying, Master, we would that thou shouldest do for us whatsoever we shall desire.
36: And he said unto them, What would ye that I should do for you?
37: They said unto him, Grant unto us that we may sit, one on thy right hand, and the other on thy left hand, in thy glory.
38: But Jesus said unto them, Ye know not what ye ask: can ye drink of the cup that I drink of? and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?
39: And they said unto him, We can. And Jesus said unto them, Ye shall indeed drink of the cup that I drink of; and with the baptism that I am baptized withal shall ye be baptized:
40: But to sit on my right hand and on my left hand is not mine to give; but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared.
41: And when the ten heard it, they began to be much displeased with James and John.
42: But Jesus called them to him, and saith unto them, Ye know that they which are accounted to rule over the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and their great ones exercise authority upon them.
43: But so shall it not be among you: but whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister:
44: And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all.
45: For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.
How many times had Jesus taught on humility and now these two brothers make this request in front of the others? You imagine how the others must of felt and the hard feelings it could of caused? Being a Christian is all about humility and rejecting pride. As Christians we must surrender our lives and submit to the will of God. Being a Christian is all about serving others. We are to love our brother. To love our brother we must care for our brother, that includes his physical needs and spiritually needs. Christ said we are to pick up our cross and follow him. We all have a responsibility to help spread the Gospel. This requires a certain amount of sacrifice on our part so we can spread the Gospel to our fellow man. If we truly care for our fellow man we would want him to hear the truth so that he to may have the salvation that we have.
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Thu, Jan 22nd - 5:10PM
Mark 10:32-34
32: And they were in the way going up to Jerusalem; and Jesus went before them: and they were amazed; and as they followed, they were afraid. And he took again the twelve, and began to tell them what things should happen unto him,
33: Saying, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be delivered unto the chief priests, and unto the scribes; and they shall condemn him to death, and shall deliver him to the Gentiles:
34: And they shall mock him, and shall scourge him, and shall spit upon him, and shall kill him: and the third day he shall rise again.
This is the third time Jesus tells of his coming death and resurrection. This is the reason Jesus came to earth, to offer himself as a sacrifice for our sins that through him we might have forgiveness of our sins. Let no one lie to you and say Jesus walked on the earth for any other reason then this. He is the one and only way to the Father. No one else, no other so called god or prophet or religious figure can be the way to God because only Jesus gave himself for our sins that we might have a relationship with the Father. All of us can have this relationship when we turn from our sins and accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior.
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Wed, Jan 21st - 9:46PM
Mark 10:17-31
17: And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?
18: And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God.
19: Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother.
20: And he answered and said unto him, Master, all these have I observed from my youth.
21: Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me.
22: And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions.
23: And Jesus looked round about, and saith unto his disciples, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!
24: And the disciples were astonished at his words. But Jesus answereth again, and saith unto them, Children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God!
25: It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.
26: And they were astonished out of measure, saying among themselves, Who then can be saved?
27: And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.
28: Then Peter began to say unto him, Lo, we have left all, and have followed thee.
29: And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel's,
30: But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life.
31: But many that are first shall be last; and the last first.
Why is it hard for the rich to enter heaven? Because they put their trust in their money instead of God. Their money gives them a false sense of protection and hope. Well material gain is just temporary to this earth. The rich and poor are all the same to God. We will all have to stand before the judgment seat of God.
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Tue, Jan 20th - 9:59PM
Mark 10:13-16
13: And they brought young children to him, that he should touch them: and his disciples rebuked those that brought them.
14: But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.
15: Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein.
16: And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them.
What was Jesus saying here? I believe he is telling us we must come to him like little children. God is often described as the Father and believers as children. Little children trust and follow their parents without question. I am talking about very small children here, us parents know as they get older things change. But a small child clings to its parents for comfort and support. When a child is scared, worried, or needs help they turn to their parents. I believe this is what Jesus is talking about here. We should come to the Father trusting without question that he will protect us and that he has our best interest at heart because he loves us.
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Mon, Jan 19th - 10:22PM
Mark 10:1-12
1: And he arose from thence, and cometh into the coasts of Judaea by the farther side of Jordan: and the people resort unto him again; and, as he was wont, he taught them again.
2: And the Pharisees came to him, and asked him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife? tempting him.
3: And he answered and said unto them, What did Moses command you?
4: And they said, Moses suffered to write a bill of divorcement, and to put her away.
5: And Jesus answered and said unto them, For the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept.
6: But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female.
7: For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife;
8: And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh.
9: What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.
10: And in the house his disciples asked him again of the same matter.
11: And he saith unto them, Whosoever shall put away his wife, and marry another, committeth adultery against her.
12: And if a woman shall put away her husband, and be married to another, she committeth adultery.
Marriage is one of those hot topics that causes a lot of debate not only in the religious community but society at large. No matter what society’s take on marriage the Bible is very clear about marriage. First it is suppose to be between a man and a woman. Verse 6, from creation God made male and female. Second it is meant to be permanent, verses 9, let no man put asunder or split apart. Another topic is the fact that so many households today are single parent households or unmarried couple households. It is a crying shame so many men fail to live up to their responsibilities. A mark of real man is that he lives up to his responsibilities instead of running from them. If you are a father of child rather it was an accident or whether you are married to the mother that child is your responsibility. Another starling trend is the number of children being brought up in unmarried couple households. First the Bible is clear about sex outside of marriage, second doesn’t a child deserve to have parents that are committed to each other enough to make it permanent?
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Sun, Jan 18th - 11:33PM
Mark 9:42-50
42: And whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea.
43: And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:
44: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.
45: And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:
46: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.
47: And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire:
48: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.
49: For every one shall be salted with fire, and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt.
50: Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his saltness, wherewith will ye season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace one with another.
Don’t be mistaken God hates sin. Sin is disobedience to the will of God. God expects and demands obedience. Jesus here aint telling anybody to go out and maim themselves he is saying it would be better to go thru life maim then go to hell because of sin. He is telling us to put out of our lives those things that cause us to sin or others to sin. In verse 42 he is saying it is better to tie a milestone around your neck and jump into the sea then to be judged for driving another away from him. We can drive them away either by causing strife or by leading them away from the truth in him either by tempting them with sin or by false teaching. Either way it aint going be good for the person that leads or drives someone away from God. Salt is a preservative. We are to be the preservative of the world. An example of morality in an immoral world. We are to preserve the truth of Christ in a lost world that is not interested in the truth of Christ.
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Sat, Jan 17th - 11:42PM
Mark 9:38-41
38: And John answered him, saying, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name, and he followeth not us: and we forbad him, because he followeth not us.
39: But Jesus said, Forbid him not: for there is no man which shall do a miracle in my name, that can lightly speak evil of me.
40: For he that is not against us is on our part.
41: For whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because ye belong to Christ, verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward.
There is much arguing that goes on among Christians over doctrinal differences. Most of these differences really mean very little thing in the grand scheme of things. Belonging to a certain denomination isn’t what is going to get you into heaven. The only thing that is going to get you into heaven is being saved through the blood of Christ. The disciples here were jealous that someone else was doing miracles in Jesus name besides them. So many churches believe that they have the only way to heaven and if you don’t worship their way you are going to hell. Like I said the way to heaven is through the blood of Christ not what church you belong to. Now don’t get me about what I saying. If a church is teaching anything unbiblical they should be challenged. Anybody that knows me knows I often challenge Universalist on their beliefs because they deny the true path to salvation and their beliefs are leading people to hell. I am talking about the little things that can so easily divide Christians such as the types of songs to sings during worship services, rather to pray aloud or silent prayers, rather the service should be loud and joyful or quiet and respectful, etc. Whoever has been saved by the blood of Christ is our brother or sister not just the members of your congregation or your denomination. We should all have the same goal to bring the lost to Christ.
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Fri, Jan 16th - 10:37PM
Mark 9:33-37
33: And he came to Capernaum: and being in the house he asked them, What was it that ye disputed among yourselves by the way?
34: But they held their peace: for by the way they had disputed among themselves, who should be the greatest.
35: And he sat down, and called the twelve, and saith unto them, If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all.
36: And he took a child, and set him in the midst of them: and when he had taken him in his arms, he said unto them,
37: Whosoever shall receive one of such children in my name, receiveth me: and whosoever shall receive me, receiveth not me, but him that sent me.
Jesus taught the importance of humility in serving God many times during his ministry on earth. To serve God we have to submit to his will. One of the biggest things that keep people from coming into a relationship with God is pride. We are to proud to submit to his will. We want to do our own thing with no constraints on our life. It is the arrogance of man that keeps him from admitting that he is a sinner and that he needs a Savior. It is this pride and arrogance that is leading mankind away from God and on a path to hell.
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Thu, Jan 15th - 9:10PM
Mark 9:30-32
30: And they departed thence, and passed through Galilee; and he would not that any man should know it.
31: For he taught his disciples, and said unto them, The Son of man is delivered into the hands of men, and they shall kill him; and after that he is killed, he shall rise the third day.
32: But they understood not that saying, and were afraid to ask him.
The very reason Jesus came to earth was to die for our sins. He came to earth to be a sacrifice for us. Don’t be fooled by any that would say he came for any other reasons. He was the very Son of God that offered himself a sacrifice for us. No other so called god or prophet or religious figure did this for us, so they can’t be the way to heaven. Notice any time Jesus mentions his death he always mentions that he will rise again. Many doubt the doubt the resurrection of Christ but they forget we worship a almighty God and nothing is to powerful for our God. As Paul says if Christ didn’t rise then our faith is in vain. But thank God he did rise and he will return again for us just as he promised.
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Tue, Jan 13th - 9:50PM
Mark 9:14-29
14: And when he came to his disciples, he saw a great multitude about them, and the scribes questioning with them.
15: And straightway all the people, when they beheld him, were greatly amazed, and running to him saluted him.
16: And he asked the scribes, What question ye with them?
17: And one of the multitude answered and said, Master, I have brought unto thee my son, which hath a dumb spirit;
18: And wheresoever he taketh him, he teareth him: and he foameth, and gnasheth with his teeth, and pineth away: and I spake to thy disciples that they should cast him out; and they could not.
19: He answereth him, and saith, O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him unto me.
20: And they brought him unto him: and when he saw him, straightway the spirit tare him; and he fell on the ground, and wallowed foaming.
21: And he asked his father, How long is it ago since this came unto him? And he said, Of a child.
22: And ofttimes it hath cast him into the fire, and into the waters, to destroy him: but if thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us.
23: Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.
24: And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.
25: When Jesus saw that the people came running together, he rebuked the foul spirit, saying unto him, Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him.
26: And the spirit cried, and rent him sore, and came out of him: and he was as one dead; insomuch that many said, He is dead.
27: But Jesus took him by the hand, and lifted him up; and he arose.
28: And when he was come into the house, his disciples asked him privately, Why could not we cast him out?
29: And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.
This is a story of faith and lack of faith. Why couldn’t the disciples cast out the demon? Perhaps their faith had slipped at seeing the power of the demon or perhaps they weren’t strong enough in faith yet to deal with this particular one. Then Jesus arrives on the scene. The father of the child asks Jesus if thou can do anything? If he truly knew who Jesus was he should of known the Son of God had power of all things even Satan and his demons. Jesus replied if thou believe all things are possible to him that believes. Now Jesus didn’t mean for us to ask to be rich or king of the world. He meant if we believe we have a Father in heaven and we ask in faith for the things we need he will provide according to his will. His will not ours. God isn’t some magical genie that grants wishes for us. He is our almighty Father that provide for his children’s needs. Then in verse 29 Jesus provides one of the answers to grow stronger in faith. Prayer and worship brings us closer to God. As we draw closer to God our faith will grow stronger in God.
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Sun, Jan 11th - 9:43PM
Mark 9:1-13
1: And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That there be some of them that stand here, which shall not taste of death, till they have seen the kingdom of God come with power.
2: And after six days Jesus taketh with him Peter, and James, and John, and leadeth them up into an high mountain apart by themselves: and he was transfigured before them.
3: And his raiment became shining, exceeding white as snow; so as no fuller on earth can white them.
4: And there appeared unto them Elias with Moses: and they were talking with Jesus.
5: And Peter answered and said to Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias.
6: For he wist not what to say; for they were sore afraid.
7: And there was a cloud that overshadowed them: and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him.
8: And suddenly, when they had looked round about, they saw no man any more, save Jesus only with themselves.
9: And as they came down from the mountain, he charged them that they should tell no man what things they had seen, till the Son of man were risen from the dead.
10: And they kept that saying with themselves, questioning one with another what the rising from the dead should mean.
11: And they asked him, saying, Why say the scribes that Elias must first come?
12: And he answered and told them, Elias verily cometh first, and restoreth all things; and how it is written of the Son of man, that he must suffer many things, and be set at nought.
13: But I say unto you, That Elias is indeed come, and they have done unto him whatsoever they listed, as it is written of him.
This is what is called the transfiguration of Jesus. I believe this event took place to reveal to the disciples who Jesus truly was. God spoke from heaven and said this is my beloved Son, hear him. He was not just a mere prophet but the Messiah himself. Jesus had revealed he would soon lay down his life. These disciples would be the ones in trusted to spread his message after his death but first there had to be no doubt in their hearts about his true nature. He was the Messiah, the Son of God.
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Sat, Jan 10th - 10:40PM
Mark 8:31-38
31: And he began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and of the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.
32: And he spake that saying openly. And Peter took him, and began to rebuke him.
33: But when he had turned about and looked on his disciples, he rebuked Peter, saying, Get thee behind me, Satan: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but the things that be of men.
34: And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
35: For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it.
36: For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?
37: Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
38: Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels. Jesus was telling the disciples what will become of him. He was revealing his purpose for coming to earth. He spoke very clearly that he was going to die but he would rise again after three days. Peter still was not understanding what Jesus was saying. He thought he could talk Jesus out of allowing himself to be taken by the authorities. Peter was thinking in the flesh again. He wasn’t paying attention to the message of Jesus’ words. He didn’t understand that the very reason that Jesus came to the earth was to die for us. Peter was caught in the same trap as a lot of people are. They try to understand Jesus through earthly understanding instead of spiritual understanding. He was acting in the flesh instead of the spirit. Jesus said when we follow him we must leave this kind of thinking behind. We must be part of the world physically but spiritually we are to be of the kingdom of Heaven. We have to leave the desires and the thinking of this world behind and concentrate on the things of above. We are to set ourselves apart from the world and its ways. They will hate us for it but Jesus said whosoever is ashamed of me in this world I will be ashamed of when I return. This world is temporary but the kingdom of heaven is eternal.
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Fri, Jan 9th - 11:21PM
Mark 8:27-30
27: And Jesus went out, and his disciples, into the towns of Caesarea Philippi: and by the way he asked his disciples, saying unto them, Whom do men say that I am?
28: And they answered, John the Baptist: but some say, Elias; and others, One of the prophets.
29: And he saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Peter answereth and saith unto him, Thou art the Christ.
30: And he charged them that they should tell no man of him.
A lot of people today that claim to be followers of Christ still don’t understand who he is. I have heard people say he is just another great teacher. Then they compare him to Buddha, Mohammed, even Gandhi. I have heard he is just one of many ways to God. I have heard one person say he was really an awesome guy and we should try to follow his teaching. Well all of these is wrong. Jesus is the Son of God, born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, he died for our sins, he arose the third day, he is coming back someday, and he is the only path to God. New age teaching wants to reduce him to some great teacher among many. Don’t be fooled by this heresy. The Bible is very clear about who Jesus is and the only path to God.
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Thu, Jan 8th - 6:03PM
Mark 8:22-26
22: And he cometh to Bethsaida; and they bring a blind man unto him, and besought him to touch him.
23: And he took the blind man by the hand, and led him out of the town; and when he had spit on his eyes, and put his hands upon him, he asked him if he saw ought.
24: And he looked up, and said, I see men as trees, walking.
25: After that he put his hands again upon his eyes, and made him look up: and he was restored, and saw every man clearly.
26: And he sent him away to his house, saying, Neither go into the town, nor tell it to any in the town.
Many like this blind man begin to see the light gradually. At first they are a little confuse about what they are seeing but slowly all come to light. We have to have patience with people who are slow to come to the realization of Christ. They are prone to be confused about the message of the Gospel and are going to have a lot of questions. Those that are mature in Christ have a responsibility to be a mentor to those who are new in Christ. Jesus is very clear about what awaits those who would drive any away from the Gospel. Jesus said it would be better to have a milestone tied around their neck and be tossed into the sea then to face judgment for driving away a new believer. That would include driving them away from the truth of the Gospel with false teaching.
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Wed, Jan 7th - 11:20PM
Mark 8:14-21
14: Now the disciples had forgotten to take bread, neither had they in the ship with them more than one loaf.
15: And he charged them, saying, Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, and of the leaven of Herod.
16: And they reasoned among themselves, saying, It is because we have no bread.
17: And when Jesus knew it, he saith unto them, Why reason ye, because ye have no bread? perceive ye not yet, neither understand? have ye your heart yet hardened?
18: Having eyes, see ye not? and having ears, hear ye not? and do ye not remember?
19: When I brake the five loaves among five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? They say unto him, Twelve.
20: And when the seven among four thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? And they said, Seven.
21: And he said unto them, How is it that ye do not understand?
Jesus rebukes the disciples for failing to understand who He was. They have been traveling with Him, seeing Him perform miracles, He had been instructing them and they were slow to catch on. As we read further on through the Gospels we see that the disciples slowly begin to understand who Jesus was and the purpose of His message. Sadly 2000 years some still are slow to grasp who Jesus and His message. I am no Biblical scholar and don’t claim to be one but it amazes me when some get it wrong so bad. Sometimes it is innocent and just simple misunderstanding but then you have others who outright misquote the Bible and take verse out of context to promote certain religious beliefs. The Bible is very clear about the path of salvation. It is through Jesus, by repenting, accepting Him, and following Him. People that teach any other way do so by taking verses out of context to try to prove their doctrine. These people do this not by accident but to promote a false doctrine that is contrary to the message of the Gospel. By today’s standards the Bible is not politically correct and they have a hard time with that but that doesn’t change the message of the Gospel. It is through Christ that we have salvation, there is no other way, and without Him you face the judgment of God.
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Tue, Jan 6th - 5:31PM
Mark 8:11-13
11: And the Pharisees came forth, and began to question with him, seeking of him a sign from heaven, tempting him.
12: And he sighed deeply in his spirit, and saith, Why doth this generation seek after a sign? verily I say unto you, There shall no sign be given unto this generation.
13: And he left them, and entering into the ship again departed to the other side.
Jesus had by this time had already performed several miracles and still they didn’t believe. They had hardened their heart to Jesus and his message. Today people still have hardened their heart to the Gospel. No matter the evidence in the Bible and 2000 years of Christian history they refuse to believe in the existence of a God and the message of his Son. We as believers can only remain faithful to the Great Commission and present the Gospel and pray that they might soften the heart enough to hear the good news of the Gospel. If they refuse to believe we have done our part. They themselves will have to answer to God on why they refuse to believe, repent of their sins, and accept Christ as their Lord and Savior.
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Mon, Jan 5th - 10:43PM
Mark 8:1-10
1: In those days the multitude being very great, and having nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples unto him, and saith unto them,
2: I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now been with me three days, and have nothing to eat:
3: And if I send them away fasting to their own houses, they will faint by the way: for divers of them came from far.
4: And his disciples answered him, From whence can a man satisfy these men with bread here in the wilderness?
5: And he asked them, How many loaves have ye? And they said, Seven.
6: And he commanded the people to sit down on the ground: and he took the seven loaves, and gave thanks, and brake, and gave to his disciples to set before them; and they did set them before the people.
7: And they had a few small fishes: and he blessed, and commanded to set them also before them.
8: So they did eat, and were filled: and they took up of the broken meat that was left seven baskets.
9: And they that had eaten were about four thousand: and he sent them away.
10: And straightway he entered into a ship with his disciples, and came into the parts of Dalmanutha.
This is the second time Jesus feeds a large crowd of people. The disciples had already seen Jesus feed a large crowd once before. So why were they doubting a large crowd could be fed? We see from reading the Gospels that the disciples were slow to catch on to who Jesus was and the power he held. We have the benefit of hindsight but to the disciples the message and authority of Jesus was something new. We have the benefit of the Bible to explain to us who Jesus is and his authority as the Son of God and our Savior. The Holy Spirit is our guide in the study of the scriptures. The Bible aint hard to understand to those who allow the Spirit to guide them in their understanding. It is when we cloud our study with human understanding that the Bible becomes confusing. We worship a supernatural God that moves in supernatural ways. Believing what is written in the Bible is a matter of faith. Human intellect will never explain the supernatural events of the Bible. Science will never prove what is written in this verses. Believing this event actually happen is a matter of faith. Because I believe all things are possible with our almighty God I believe this event is very true.
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Sun, Jan 4th - 3:06PM
Mark 7:31-37
31: And again, departing from the coasts of Tyre and Sidon, he came unto the sea of Galilee, through the midst of the coasts of Decapolis.
32: And they bring unto him one that was deaf, and had an impediment in his speech; and they beseech him to put his hand upon him.
33: And he took him aside from the multitude, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spit, and touched his tongue;
34: And looking up to heaven, he sighed, and saith unto him, Ephphatha, that is, Be opened.
35: And straightway his ears were opened, and the string of his tongue was loosed, and he spake plain.
36: And he charged them that they should tell no man: but the more he charged them, so much the more a great deal they published it;
37: And were beyond measure astonished, saying, He hath done all things well: he maketh both the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak.
They bought a deaf mute to Jesus for healing. This man couldn’t hear so Jesus used a different method to heal this man instead of just speaking his healing into being. He put his fingers into his ears and unto his tongue and by his touch the man was healed. We see Jesus using different methods in his performing healings. Each case had a purpose behind it. Sometimes he spoke it into being, some was healed by his touch, sometime the person wasn’t even present. Everything Jesus did had a purpose behind it. The woman that was healed by touching the hem of his garment was healed because of her faith, the Greek’s woman daughter wasn’t present but was healed by the faith of her mother. Everything was done to prove the power of God Almighty over all things. God uses different circumstances, different means, and different people to bring us to him. Some people come to know the Lord through a close family member or friend, sometimes it’s a significant event that brings us to him. It could be a song, a movie, a radio show, or a TV show that touches our heart. God knows what it takes to get though that hard shell that sin puts around her heart. But it is still up to that individual to accept Christ and follow Christ when God is presented to them.
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Sat, Jan 3rd - 12:23PM
Mark 7:24-30
24: And from thence he arose, and went into the borders of Tyre and Sidon, and entered into an house, and would have no man know it: but he could not be hid.
25: For a certain woman, whose young daughter had an unclean spirit, heard of him, and came and fell at his feet:
26: The woman was a Greek, a Syrophenician by nation; and she besought him that he would cast forth the devil out of her daughter.
27: But Jesus said unto her, Let the children first be filled: for it is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it unto the dogs.
28: And she answered and said unto him, Yes, Lord: yet the dogs under the table eat of the children's crumbs.
29: And he said unto her, For this saying go thy way; the devil is gone out of thy daughter.
30: And when she was come to her house, she found the devil gone out, and her daughter laid upon the bed.
The reply of Jesus might seem harsh at first but we must understand the context of what is said. Jesus was using this opportunity to make a point. Jesus came to his own people at first, the Jews, they were the children he was making reference to. The Jews were God’s chosen people, the children of God but it was through the Jews that all nations will be blessed by God. It was only after the Jews rejected Christ and had him put to death was the disciples instructed to bring the Gospel to the Gentiles. It was because of the Jewish rejection of the Gospel that the Gospel was brought to the Gentiles. But as we see all though the time of the Gentiles had not come yet Jesus awarded this woman’s faith and healed her daughter. Jesus died for all people that though him they may have salvation from their sins. God has not rejected anybody. The only person that keeps us from God’s love is ourselves through our own stubborn rebellion. God accepts all that come to him through His Son Jesus Christ. It is only by accepting him do we have access to the Father. As Jesus said He is the Way. There is no other way to come to God. Don’t be deceived by any that will try to teach any other way to God because only Jesus died for your sins to enable you to have access to God.
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Fri, Jan 2nd - 3:40PM
Mark 7:1-23
1: Then came together unto him the Pharisees, and certain of the scribes, which came from Jerusalem.
2: And when they saw some of his disciples eat bread with defiled, that is to say, with unwashen, hands, they found fault.
3: For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, except they wash their hands oft, eat not, holding the tradition of the elders.
4: And when they come from the market, except they wash, they eat not. And many other things there be, which they have received to hold, as the washing of cups, and pots, brasen vessels, and of tables.
5: Then the Pharisees and scribes asked him, Why walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashen hands?
6: He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.
7: Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
8: For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do.
9: And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.
10: For Moses said, Honour thy father and thy mother; and, Whoso curseth father or mother, let him die the death:
11: But ye say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, It is Corban, that is to say, a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; he shall be free.
12: And ye suffer him no more to do ought for his father or his mother;
13: Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.
14: And when he had called all the people unto him, he said unto them, Hearken unto me every one of you, and understand:
15: There is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile him: but the things which come out of him, those are they that defile the man.
16: If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.
17: And when he was entered into the house from the people, his disciples asked him concerning the parable.
18: And he saith unto them, Are ye so without understanding also? Do ye not perceive, that whatsoever thing from without entereth into the man, it cannot defile him;
19: Because it entereth not into his heart, but into the belly, and goeth out into the draught, purging all meats?
20: And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man.
21: For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,
22: Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness:
23: All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.
The Pharisees had a very ritualistic form of worship that they thought made them right with God. Jesus pointed out that it is what is in our heart that makes us right with God. Man is often concerned on outward appearances while God judges us by what is in our heart. You can fool your fellow man but you can never fool God. God knows where your heart is. No amount of rituals, no amount of charity, no amount of love can every earn your way to heaven if your heart is not right with God. The only way to truly be right with God is to be born again through his Son Jesus Christ. God is not interested in us following rituals to worship Him, He wants his believers to worship Him in spirit and in truth. And our guide in true worship is the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is our conscience in our walk with God. If we are truly walking with God in spirit and in truth we will have no desire for the things listened in verses 21 and 22. These are the things that keep us from having a closer walk with God. These are the things that defiles us with God. These things are called evil things in verse 23. God is a holy God and can have no part with anything evil. But thank God we have an advocate with the Father that we can seek forgiveness through when we slip in our walk with God. He is the one that makes us clean again when we have defiled ourselves with the things of the world. Only the blood of Jesus can make us pure in the sight of God.
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Thu, Jan 1st - 3:25PM
Mark 6:53-56
53: And when they had passed over, they came into the land of Gennesaret, and drew to the shore.
54: And when they were come out of the ship, straightway they knew him,
55: And ran through that whole region round about, and began to carry about in beds those that were sick, where they heard he was.
56: And whithersoever he entered, into villages, or cities, or country, they laid the sick in the streets, and besought him that they might touch if it were but the border of his garment: and as many as touched him were made whole. These people flocked to Jesus because they knew Jesus was the only one that offered hope in their distress. They had faith that Jesus had the power to heal them. All that came to him in faith was healed. We should never under emphasis the importance of faith in our relationship with God. As the Bible says without faith it is impossible to please God. This people came to Jesus in faith and in faith they received their award.
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Name: steven collier
