Luke 8:16-17: Light or Dark?

Luke 8:16-17: Light or Dark?

Luke 8:16-17 paints a good picture of light and darkness in our lives.  Verse 16 reminds us not to cover our lights, but to "setteth it on a candlestick, that they which enter in may see the light." We must do our best to let our Christianity shine brightly in order to encourage, comfort, and even sometimes gently correct others. 

Verse 17 reminds that "nothing is secret, that shall not be made manifest."  Christ knows and sees all.  Even if no other person ever discovers your sins, God will ALWAYS know.  He may even find a way for others to discover your secrets as well.  

It is our choice - live in the Light or hide in the dark.  I choose the Light!

(Luke 8:16-17) No man, when he hath lighted a candle, covereth it with a vessel, or putteth it under a bed; but setteth it on a candlestick, that they which enter in may see the light.

For nothing is secret, that shall not be made manifest; neither anything hid, that shall not be known and come abroad. 

Luke 6:35-36 & 38

 

(Luke 6:35-36) "But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil."

"Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.:

(Luke 6:38) "Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again."

Luke 6:27-34

 

(Luke 6:27-28) "But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you."

(Luke 6:29-34) "And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other; and him that taketh away thy cloak forbid not to take thy coat also. Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again."

"And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise. "

"For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them. And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? for sinners also do even the same. And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again."

Luke 6:20-23

(Luke 6:20-21) And [Jesus] lifted up His eyes on His disciples, and said, "Blessed be ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are ye that hunger now: for ye shall be filled. Blessed are ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh."

(Luke 6:22-23) "Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man's sake. Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in heaven: for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets."

Luke 4:15-21

(Luke 4:15-21) And [Jesus] taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all. And He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up: and, as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read.

And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord."

And He closed the book, and He gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on Him.

And He began to say unto them, "This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears."

Luke 2:8-20

(Luke 2:8-20) And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

And the angel said unto them, "Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger."

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men."

And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, "Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us."

And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger... And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.

Luke 1:26-38: No One Compares to Jesus

Luke 1:26-38: No One Compares to Jesus

Even by His very conception, Jesus proved that nothing is impossible within the will of God. His is the only virgin birth as a sign that He is pure and sovereign.  No one has ever come close to being as loving, tender, bold, brave, wise, fair, and sacrificial as Jesus Christ!

Jesus left a place more perfect than we can ever imagine to live in a sinful, primitive, violent world.  While we marvel at Jesus’ miraculous birth to a virgin, remember the story does not stop there. Jesus was born for the sole purpose of giving up His life thirty-three years later.  Jesus gave up His throne surrounded by angels for a life where His authority was rarely recognized.  He came to this cruel and heartless world in the form of pure innocence and humility.  He would willingly endure excruciating torture.  (The word excruciating exists because of the severe pain suffered during crucifixion.)  Yes, He also knew He would be raised from the dead three days after His death, but He did not endure long hours of agony just to glorify Himself.  He allowed Himself to be beaten raw and pierced through to die a slow death just for you and me! His blood on the cross is the only reason you and I have the option of spending eternity with Him in paradise.  He paid for our sins by hanging in humiliation on a cross with wood splinters buried into an already raw and bloodied back, a crown of literal thorns causing blood to burn his eyes as it dripped down His face.

It is His glorious face we must seek today! Do not throw away His precious gift bought with a terror we could never endure.  Repent of your sins and seek to live a life of holiness so that you can someday see the beautiful face of Jesus and His Father who allowed His son to be ripped from His side for more than three decades.

As you read through the book of Luke and of the shepherds marveling of the baby Jesus, think of how much more magnificent it will be to bow at the throne of the living God! Take a moment and thank Jesus with all your heart for choosing the path of pain and sorrow just so we can have an eternal life of peace and joy!

(Luke 1:26-38)  And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary.

And the angel came in unto her, and said, "Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women."

And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.

And the angel said unto her, "Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end."

Then said Mary unto the angel, "How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?"

And the angel answered and said unto her, "The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God... For with God nothing shall be impossible."

And Mary said, "Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. "

And the angel departed from her.

Luke 1:5-14, 39-41, 57, 67, & 76-80: Prepare the Way for the Lord

Luke 1:5-14, 39-41, 57, 67, & 76-80: Prepare the Way for the Lord

God answered the prayers of Zacharias and Elisabeth because of their faithful obedience to Him.  Not only did God gift them with a son, but He sent an angel to foretell of this special child's birth!  This son was so important to the Kingdom of God, he was filled with the Holy Spirit even in the womb, and his future ministry was prophesied in Isaiah 40:3, (The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, "Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.")

This child was John the Baptist and would prepare the way for Jesus Christ.  What an honor!  May we all prepare the hearts of others for the love of Jesus Christ.

(Luke 1:5-14, 39-41, 57, 67, & 76-80) There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth. And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and they both were now well stricken in years.

And it came to pass, that while he executed the priest's office before God in the order of his course, According to the custom of the priest's office, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. And the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the time of incense. And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.

But the angel said unto him, "Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John. And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth.

And Mary [the mother of Jesus] arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Juda; And entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth. And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost.

Now Elisabeth's full time came that she should be delivered; and she brought forth a son. 

And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying, "And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways; To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins, Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us, To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace. And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his shewing unto Israel."

If you are interested, you can read my writings on Zacharias and John the Baptist here:

Profile of a Doubter, Part 3: Zacharias: https://thankful-julie.blogspot.com/2024/02/profile-of-doubter-part-3-zacharias.html

The Ministry of John the Baptist: https://thankful-julie.blogspot.com/2024/02/the-ministry-of-john-baptist.html

The Book of Luke Quick Preview (Video)

The Book of Luke Quick Preview

I apologize that I am unable to share any videos to Blogger longer than a minute. but you can find the short preview on the Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/juliesbiblejourney

I want to make it clear that all of my dear readers understand that the purpose of sharing my Bible Journal is merely for the sake of helping others realize what the Bible truly says. I pray you read the entire Bible on your own, perhaps read each chapter along with the postings. I also pray you ask the Holy Spirit to speak to your heart as you read and make His holy words come alive to you and give you His understanding as you study.

Before each book of the Bible, I will take a quick video of the book so you can see a preview of what will be shared for that book. Just remember, I am not a very good artist. but I wanted to share with you how God's Word inspires me. These postings are in no way instructional on how to Bible journal. This is not about beautiful art that covers up and distracts from the scriptures on the pages, it is about expressing my love for the holy Word of God. So even when the pages I share are "ugly" or uncreative, I will still be sharing them as God's Word is always beautiful!

A few notes on the videos. I am not a professional and only have my inexpensive phone to record on. Also, I live in the Pacific Northwest where it will be cloudy from now until at least June, so I apologize if the quality of the videos is too dark!

Thank you for reading and watching! To God be all the glory!

"Worthy the Lamb"

I have decided that after I have finished posting each book of the Bible, I want to share a favorite song of mine that I feel beautifully relates to that book.  For the book of Mark, I have chosen this beautiful version of "Worthy the Lamb."  Only Jesus, the Lamb who willingly laid down His life for me, is worthy of my praise! 

YouTube version:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGtkad9VfUw

Worthy the Lamb

Song by

Gaither Vocal Band

Hear the cries of the shackled from the onset of time
For the chains of defeat there's no key
See the tears of the broken, the cries of the slaves
Is there no one worthy to set us free?

Then the crying is stilled as the chorus rings out
The shackled released from their chains
And thousands of voices are swelling the song
Worthy the Lamb that was slain

Worthy, worthy
Worthy the Lamb that was slain
Worthy, worthy
Worthy the Lamb that was slain

Then all the archangels, the saints of all time
Holding their crowns in their hands
Fall down before Him joining the song
Worthy, worthy the Lamb!

Worthy, worthy
Worthy the Lamb that was slain
Worthy, worthy
Worthy the Lamb that was slain

Praise Him, praise Him
Praise the Lamb that was slain
Praise Him, praise Him
Praise the Lamb that was slain
Praise the Lamb that was slain

Mark 16:1-7 & 14-20

 

(Mark 16:1-7 & 14-20) And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint Him. And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun.

And they said among themselves, "Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulchre?" And when they looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away: for it was very great.

And entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment; and they were affrighted.

And he saith unto them, "Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: He is risen; He is not here: behold the place where they laid Him. But go your way, tell His disciples and Peter that He goeth before you into Galilee: there shall ye see him, as he said unto you."

Afterward He appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen Him after He was risen.

And He said unto them, "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover."

So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, He was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.

And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.

Mark 15:12-15, 17-20, 22-26, 33-34, & 37-39

 

(Mark 15:12-15, 17-20, 22-26, 33-34, & 37-39) And Pilate answered and said again unto them, "What will ye then that I shall do unto him whom ye call the King of the Jews?"

And they cried out again, "Crucify Him."

Then Pilate said unto them, "Why, what evil hath He done?"

And they cried out the more exceedingly, "Crucify Him."

And so Pilate, willing to content the people, released Barabbas unto them, and delivered Jesus, when he had scourged Him, to be crucified.  

And they clothed Him with purple, and platted a crown of thorns, and put it about His head, And began to salute Him, "Hail, King of the Jews!"

And they smote him on the head with a reed, and did spit upon Him, and bowing their knees worshipped Him. And when they had mocked Him, they took off the purple from Him, and put his own clothes on Him, and led him out to crucify Him. And they bring him unto the place Golgotha, which is, being interpreted, The place of a skull. And they gave Him to drink wine mingled with myrrh: but He received it not.

And when they had crucified Him, they parted His garments, casting lots upon them, what every man should take. And it was the third hour, and they crucified Him.

And the superscription of his accusation was written over, "The King Of The Jews."

And when the sixth hour was come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. 

And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?" which is, being interpreted, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost.

And the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom.

And when the centurion, which stood over against him, saw that he so cried out, and gave up the ghost, he said, "Truly this man was the Son of God."

Mark 14:6

 

(Mark 14:60-62)  And the high priest stood up in the midst, and asked Jesus, saying, "Answerest thou nothing? what is it which these witness against thee?"

But He held his peace, and answered nothing.

 Again the high priest asked him, and said unto Him, "Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?"

And Jesus said, "I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven."

Mark 13:3-8, 13-14, 21-27, & 32-37: "When shall these things be?"

Mark 13:3-8, 13-14, 21-27, & 32-37: "When shall these things be?"

Mark 13 speaks of Christ's return.  This chapter, as well as Matthew 24 and Luke 21 all make it very clear that it will be "after the tribulation." 

**Fellow believers, please let's not divide on this issue. Prayerfully study God's Word and love one another whether you agree or disagree.**

The Bible gives instructions on what the Christians should do during the tribulation to stay safe.  Verse 14 says, "flee to the mountains." When you read Revelation 12:6, it also says we must flee to the wilderness to be safe.  If we follow God's instructions, we will be kept safe.  If we realize there is not a pre-tribulation rapture and prepare now, we can be safe during times even more perilous than we are seeing now (this will include storing food before the great famine comes mentioned in Revelation 6:5-6).

(Mark 13:3-8, 13-14, 21-27, & 32-37) And as he sat upon the mount of Olives over against the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew asked him privately, "Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign when all these things shall be fulfilled?"

And Jesus answering them began to say, "Take heed lest any man deceive you: For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. And when ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars, be ye not troubled: for such things must needs be; but the end shall not be yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows. And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. But when ye shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not, (let him that readeth understand,) then let them that be in Judaea flee to the mountains. And then if any man shall say to you, Lo, here is Christ; or, lo, he is there; believe him not: For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall shew signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect. But take ye heed: behold, I have foretold you all things."

"But in those days, AFTER that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, And the stars of heaven shall fall, and the powers that are in heaven shall be shaken. AND THEN shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory. AND THEN shall he send his angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven. But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father. take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is. For the Son of Man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch. Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning: Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping. And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch."

Mark 12:28-34

Notice these commandments first want us to acknowledge the sovereignty of God then next commands our devotion to God, and then to love.  Put God first and all else falls into place.

(Mark 12:28-34) And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that He had answered them well, asked Him, "Which is the first commandment of all?"

And Jesus answered him, "The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these."

And the scribe said unto Him, "Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but He: And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices."

And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, He said unto him, "Thou art not far from the kingdom of God." 

Mark 10:43-45

(Mark 10:43-45) [Jesus said,] "But so shall it not be among you: but whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister: And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all. For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many."

Mark 10:2-9

 (Mark 10:2-9) And the Pharisees came to Him, and asked Him, "Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife?" tempting Him.

And He answered and said unto them, "What did Moses command you?"

And they said, "Moses suffered to write a bill of divorcement, and to put her away."

And Jesus answered and said unto them, "For the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept. But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife; And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder [tear apart]."

(Note: The photo is of my husband and me on our wedding day, June 10, 2012!!)

Mark 9:23

(Mark 9:23) Jesus said unto him, "If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth."

Mark 7:6-9

 

(Mark 7:6-9) [Jesus] 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. Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.' 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. And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition."

Mark 6, 7, & 8: Faith and Understanding

Mark 6, 7, & 8: Faith and Understanding

In Mark chapter 6-8, you see the lack of faith and understanding in Jesus' disciples. 

Mark 6:52 says, "For they considered not the miracle of the loaves: for their heart was hardened."  This, of course, is speaking of the miracle Jesus performed a few verses earlier in verses 33-44, where He fed 5,000 people with just five loaves and two fish.  Now, when they see Jesus walking on the water in verses 47-52, the disciples have already forgotten about His miraculous power.

Next, in chapter 7, Jesus is trying to teach the disciples that the dietary laws are not necessary because it is not what enters a man that defiles him.  He begins with a frustrated question that shows Him wondering why His own disciples who are with Him most every day still cannot understand His teachings.

Again, in chapter 8, verses 17-21, Jesus is rebuking the disciples for their lack of faith and understanding.  He reminds them of both the previous miracle in Mark 7, and then a similar incident where He fed 4,000 (verses 1-9). When He tries to teach them that they must "beware of the leaven of the Pharisees," they mistakenly think He is talking about literal bread and not about sin.  Jesus asks them how they have "eyes, see ye not? and having ears, hear ye not?"  Don't they remember all the miracles they have seen this far?  He must have been so frustrated with those that sat at His feet and still were not grasping His teachings. Mark 8:21 He asks, "How is it that ye do not understand?"

I truly believe Jesus says the same words to me.  How can I witness His mighty works, feel His love, and still not get it?  How do I still doubt?  How can I read the words of Christ and still sin?  It is so important that I pray for understanding for my every-day walk.  I want the gift of discernment so that I do not miss the point Jesus is trying to teach me.

I pray for wisdom and faith to grasp all I read in the Bible and when I feel the presence of God.  I pray for remembrance lest I forget what He has already done! I do not want to be a forgetful thick-headed or hard-hearted disciple.  

Change my heart, o God, that I may always both hear and understand all you are trying to teach me!

(Mark 6:37-38, 41-44 & 48-52) He answered and said unto them, "Give ye them to eat."

And they say unto Him, "Shall we go and buy two hundred pennyworth of bread, and give them to eat?"

He saith unto them, "How many loaves have ye? go and see."

And when they knew, they say, "Five, and two fishes."

And when He had taken the five loaves and the two fishes, He looked up to heaven, and blessed, and brake the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before them; and the two fishes divided he among them all. And they did all eat, and were filled. And they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments, and of the fishes. And they that did eat of the loaves were about five thousand men.

And He saw them toiling in rowing; for the wind was contrary unto them: and about the fourth watch of the night he cometh unto them, walking upon the sea, and would have passed by them. But when they saw Him walking upon the sea, they supposed it had been a spirit, and cried out: For they all saw him, and were troubled. 

And immediately He talked with them, and saith unto them, "Be of good cheer: it is I; be not afraid."

And He went up unto them into the ship; and the wind ceased: and they were sore amazed in themselves beyond measure, and wondered. For they considered not the miracle of the loaves: for their heart was hardened.

(Mark 7: 18-23) 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; Because it entereth not into his heart, but into the belly, and goeth out into the draught, purging all meats?" 

And he said, "That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: All these evil things come from within, and defile the man."

(Mark 8:2-9 & 14-21) "I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now been with me three days, and have nothing to eat: And if I send them away fasting to their own houses, they will faint by the way: for divers of them came from far."

 And His disciples answered Him, "From whence can a man satisfy these men with bread here in the wilderness. "

And He asked them, "How many loaves have ye?"

And they said, "Seven."

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. And they had a few small fishes: and he blessed, and commanded to set them also before them. So they did eat, and were filled: and they took up of the broken meat that was left seven baskets. And they that had eaten were about four thousand: and He sent them away.

Now the disciples had forgotten to take bread, neither had they in the ship with them more than one loaf. And He charged them, saying, "Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, and of the leaven of Herod."

And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "It is because we have no bread."

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? Having eyes, see ye not? and having ears, hear ye not? and do ye not remember? When I brake the five loaves among five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up?"

They say unto him, "Twelve." 

"And when the seven among four thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up?"

 And they said, "Seven."

 And He said unto them, "How is it that ye do not understand?"

Mark 5:19-22 & 25-34

(Mark 5:19-22 & 25-34) Jesus... saith unto Him, "Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee." 

And he departed, and began to publish in Decapolis how great things Jesus had done for him: and all men did marvel.

And when Jesus was passed over again by ship unto the other side, much people gathered unto him: and he was nigh unto the sea...

And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years, and had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse, When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched His garment. For she said, "If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole.. And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague.

And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that virtue had gone out of Him, turned Him about in the press, and said, "Who touched my clothes?"

And his disciples said unto Him, "Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me?"

And He looked round about to see her that had done this thing. But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth.

And He said unto her, "Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague."

Mark 4:1-20: The Parable of the Sower

 

Mark 4:1-20: The Parable of the Sower

This is my humble commentary of the “Parable of the Sower (see also Matthew 13:1-23).

This parable begins with, “Behold, a sower went out to sow," and Jesus interprets this as, "The sower sows the word.”  The sower may be a preacher that teaches people the Word of the Lord, or it could even be the Lord who gives us the wisdom.  Remember, in Jesus’ time, He was the people’s teacher, the Living Word of God, as the New Testament had yet to be written!  Either way you view it, the only way to have the Word sown in your heart is to read (or listen to) the Bible.  Having a preacher teach it is a great start but studying on your own and discovering what the Bible really says is always best as many ministers preach messages simply to tickle the ears of their congregation in order to get a bigger offering.  I always insist that none of my readers take my words for granted.  Do your own research.  Read the Bible daily and study all you read and pray for God’s clarity to reveal the Truth of His holy words.

 

Some seed falls by the wayside; and the birds devour it.  Another term for wayside is edge, so you may consider this the seed that plants itself only around the edges of your heart and does not work its way into the heart or mind.  Jesus tells the multitude that birds devour the seed but tells his disciples that the birds represent Satan.  Satan uses television, movies, video games, sports, vanity, and other distractions to keep us from studying the Word so that one never takes the time to cultivate the seed planted.  In a sense, all one is taught of the ways of holiness are devoured as they are forgotten and pushed aside for the pleasures of the world. 

 

The seed that falls on stony ground springs up quickly as if one has accepted what they heard, and it begins to affect their way of thinking.  However, because the soil in their heart is stony, you may easily interpret this as hard-hearted.  The heart does not have much earth because the person is shallow and does not choose to dig deeper into the Word of God and takes everything someone else claims to be the truth as truth.  This person really is a surface-only believer and is not on fire for the things of the Lord.  This is most likely why, when the sun scorches the seed, it withers as it has no roots.  Jesus says these people immediately stumble when faced by trials.

Fear may be the opposite of faith, but do not let anyone tell you it is a sin.  Afterall, Jesus was so afraid of his upcoming crucifixion that he sweat blood (See Luke 22:44), and we all know Jesus was sinless.  So being afraid of life’s trials is acceptable, but we need to remember to do as Jesus did when he was terrified, pray to our Heavenly father for strength.

The thorns that choke the seed are not just the cares of the world that we choose to put above our Lord, but also the pleasures of the world we place as idols above the Lord.  Those that let the Word of the Lord be choked out, put everyone and everything else above time with Jesus.  The Bible, praying, and praise get placed on the back burner so one can watch television, play on the computer, go shopping, eat, exercise, work, spend time with friends, etc.  When we are not daily (or at least weekly, outside of a church) grounded in God’s promises, all the noise of the world chokes out God’s Truths.  I prefer the words of Jesus Christ over anything in the Bible, but when I am down, my next choice would be the Psalms.  In my devotional time this morning, I was reminded of Psalm 23 not only while I was reading the passage in my devotional, but also two songs came on my Kindle that were the words to Psalm 23 (it was on shuffle mode)!   That was no coincidence, especially since I have been dwelling on this same Psalm for several days now.  God wanted to remind me that He is my Good Shepherd, and I do not need to fear even in the scariest of valleys.  Surely, His goodness and mercy are my strength.  If I did not allow myself to dwell in scripture and feel very comforted by the words, my seeds could have been choked out by worry. 

Jesus says the ones who let their seeds be choked out stumble and become unfruitful.  Yes, Christians can stumble and backslide, and even fully turn away and lose their salvation.  However, when one repents, and ONLY when one repents, the Lord will take his prodigal child back (see Luke 15:1-31).  Revelation 2:5 reminds us, “Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place--unless you repent.”  When we repent, Jesus will take us back!  So, even if we stumble, there is hope that our loving Father is quick to forgive the humble heart that asks for forgiveness. 

As I just mentioned above, well, as Jesus mentions, when one allows his seed to be choked out, he becomes unfruitful.  What are the unfruitful works of the flesh: “Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness,  idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” Galatians 5:19-21  

Pay close attention to that list, it is a good reminder that when we fail to let God’s Word seep into the soil of our hearts, one is bound to pursue ungodly actions.  One more note (off the subject a bit, but I feel God wants me to remind you of this), notice the word “sorcery” up there?  Please, if you must watch movies or television, let go of watching all programs that glorify witchcraft, and therefore open the doors wide for Satan's influence in your life.  Notice also that habitual sins of the above will shut you out of the Kingdom of God.  Repentance of sins and discarding unholy ways are keys to having God’s seeds firmly planted in your heart and being fruitful.

Now, let’s go to the end of this parable and see that one who allows the seeds of God’s Word to become firmly planted will produce fruit in various levels.  These seeds are sown in good ground.  This means one who is open and receptive to the things of the Lord. One who is humble enough to admit wrong-doing and work at fleeing from a sinful lifestyle. One who is willing to be taught and eagerly sits at the feet of Jesus waiting to learn something new every day.  One who is not going to let the cares of a fallen world take away their love for their Heavenly Father.  No is perfect, of course, we all make mistakes and do wrong things.  We all have fear and doubt.  But the answer lies in clinging to the seeds planted in your heart.  And clinging even more so to the Author of the Words.  Let Jesus be your comfort, your corrector, and your hope.  When you allow God to take control of your life, it will be much easier to produce good fruit.  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another. Galatians 5:22-26  

People tend to leave out the part that says we must live in the Spirit and crucify our flesh.  Even these verses in Galatians (as well as in the above verses) show that grace is free, but sins are not automatically forgiven unless we repent (If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9, notice the first 5 words.).  We must put aside the unfruitful traits and pursue the fruits of the spirit.  Only then will the seeds in our hearts flourish and grow beautiful fruits.  Fruits that can feed and nurture others.  Isn’t it worth giving even just one other person hope when they go through a tough time.  If I reach only one person out of both blogs that I write, it will be enough.

And again He began to teach by the sea. And a great multitude was gathered to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat in it on the sea; and the whole multitude was on the land facing the sea. Then He taught them many things by parables, and said to them in His teaching: "Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow. And it happened, as he sowed, that some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds of the air came and devoured it. Some fell on stony ground, where it did not have much earth; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of earth. But when the sun was up it was scorched, and because it had no root it withered away. And some seed fell among thorns; and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no crop. But other seed fell on good ground and yielded a crop that sprang up, increased and produced: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred." And He said to them, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!" But when He was alone, those around Him with the twelve asked Him about the parable. And He said to them, "To you it has been given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God; but to those who are outside, all things come in parables, so that 'Seeing they may see and not perceive, And hearing they may hear and not understand; Lest they should turn, And their sins be forgiven them.' "And He said to them, "Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables?  The sower sows the word. And these are the ones by the wayside where the word is sown. When they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts. These likewise are the ones sown on stony ground who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with gladness; and they have no root in themselves, and so endure only for a time. Afterward, when tribulation or persecution arises for the word's sake, immediately they stumble.  Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word, and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. But these are the ones sown on good ground, those who hear the word, accept it, and bear fruit: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred."  Mark 4:1-20

Mark 1:22 & 27-28: Multitudes Followed Jesus

Mark 1:22 & 27-28: Multitudes Followed Jesus

Mark 1:28, states, "Immediately his fame spread abroad throughout all the region round about Galilee."

Jesus was followed by multitudes wherever He went. Some went for healings, while others went just to sit at His feet.  

We can still go to Jesus for healings and to learn at His feet when we read His Holy Word.  We cannot physically see Him, but we can feel Him and even sometimes hear Him. 

He left His Holy Spirit behind to guide us and listens to us from Him throne in Heaven.

If only the whole world would follow Jesus instead of politicians, rock stars, actors, and athletes, then they too could be healed and learn much by sitting at His feet!

(Mark 1:22 & 27-28) And they were astonished at his doctrine: for He taught them as one that had authority, and not as the scribes. 

And they were all amazed, insomuch that they questioned among themselves, saying, "What thing is this? what new doctrine is this? for with authority commandeth He even the unclean spirits, and they do obey Him."

And immediately His fame spread abroad throughout all the region round about Galilee.