Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Day 72 of Reading the Bible in 90 Days


Good morning, this is day seventy-two of the read the bible in 90 days with understanding. We will gracefully finish the book of Mark today and move on into the gospel of Luke.

Mark 10


1And 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.
2And the Pharisees came to him, and asked him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife? tempting him.


Here we get Mark's version of the marriage question from the Pharisees. Jesus said in Matthew that it is not lawful, and the Pharisees brought it up because Moses said it was okay. Moses was only the deliver driver. The owners of the law is God, Moses only delivered the message, so Moses had no laws. The one law that he added on his own, God came in the flesh and corrected that mistake.


6But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female.
7For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife;
8And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh. Here I want to point out that Jesus is quoting Genesis. For people to believe that Genesis is a fairytale, you would have to believe that Jesus is also. Jesus tells us that separating permanently from your wife or husband was and is never allowed by God.


11And he saith unto them, Whosoever shall put away his wife, and marry another, committeth adultery against her.
12And if a woman shall put away her husband, and be married to another, she committeth adultery.


That is cut and dry. We have read, earlier about David and how bad God hurt him for his act of adultery. If you have recently divorced without the cause of physical abuse or fornication, monitor you life and hope you can be punished now than at judgment.


Jesus then touches and bless the children and tells us that we should always receive the children for it is like receiving Him and who sent Him.


24And 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!
25It 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. This saying amazed the disciples so much that they asked who then can be saved? I suppose they figured everyone loved riches. It seems like it in todays world. Go ask your average millionaire to give away all his money and start from scratch. I bet he couldn't do it.


45For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many. If we want to be great, we have to be as Jesus was, ministering to others and not being served.

Mark chapter 11


1And when they came nigh to Jerusalem, unto Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount of Olives, he sendeth forth two of his disciples, Here is the "triumphant entry" into Jerusalem told from Mark's view. Keep in mind Jesus is coming into Jerusalem from the mount of Olives, which is symbolic of how He will return to the earth the second time. He will have crushed the mountain in His strength and be in the wilderness before He comes into the land.


9And they that went before, and they that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna; Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord: As I said last chapter, the people were joyful, screaming out "hosanna" which means, saved now, they really believed that Jesus was going to restore the kingdom of Israel as written in prophecy. The forgot He first needed to die to forgive their sins.


24Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.
25And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.
26But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.


Jesus after cursing the fig tree and it withered, Peter remembered the tree and showed Jesus. Jesus then gave us a top secret tip; in that when you pray to the Father in His name, believe that you will receive it and you will have it. Also forgive all people. You cannot pray to the Father with a grudging heart.

Mark 12


Here we the parable of the vineyard. Now it's a parable if one does not want to understand it; but it is clear as day once you have read through the entire Hebrew Bible or Old Testament as we have. I will tell the story clear of parables and dark sentences so it's easy to understand.


God planted a nation and called the Israel, protected them, gave the the best of everything, the best laws, statues, and judgments, then went back to Heaven on His throne leaving the nation to His priest and rulers to keep and dress for Him. God sent a prophet to get some of fruit, the righteous of the nation; but they caught the prophet beat him up and sent him away with nothing.


He sent more prophets, and the stone some, wounded others, and sent them back to God shamefully. God sent more prophets, and the priest and rulers killed them and killed other. God had only one son that He loved; and sent Him saying they will respectfully fear my Son; but the priest and rulers thought to themselves, if they killed the Son, the nation and earth will be theirs. So they killed Him and through Him out of nation.


Reading all of this with this understanding; what do you think God will do to the priest and rulers when He Himself comes to visit them. He will destroy those priest and rulers and give His nation to the saints. And as Jesus custom was, He told the priest and Pharisees who He was speaking with that they clearly have not read the scriptures (v1-9).


10And have ye not read this scripture; The stone which the builders rejected is become the head of the corner:
11This was the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes? And it is marvelous in all the saints eyes as well.


In attempt to get Jesus to speak falsely, they tried to get Him regarding the taxes and paying them to Caesar, they tried to get Him on the resurrection, and they just could not get Jesus. How can you trip up the author of the world?


24And Jesus answering said unto them, Do ye not therefore err, because ye know not the scriptures, neither the power of God?
27He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living: ye therefore do greatly err. Jesus told the Sadducees that they greatly error in their understanding of the scripture. When someone has no knowledge it is because the are erring in the scriptures and do not know the power of God.


32And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he:
33And 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. This is what a scribe answered Jesus regarding what is the great commandment. He basically said to obey the Lord rather than burning sacrifices. Jesus told the scribe that he is not that far from the kingdom; because he had some sense. I like how the scribe said to love the Lord with all the heart and will all the understanding...
It is good to understand who you love and understand why you love them.

Mark 13


1And as he went out of the temple, one of his disciples saith unto him, Master, see what manner of stones and what buildings are here!
2And Jesus answering said unto him, Seest thou these great buildings? there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down. This chapter is the equivalent to Matthew's chapter 24. He will break down the second coming among other things.


14But 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:


Here again is the urgent warning. This man and his organization will be standing in the temple in Jerusalem, where the Jewish people will build it. And this man will be placed inside this temple in the what is called the "Most Holy" place. When you see this get out of town because TNT drama is coming to this earth.


So we must stay watching and praying to see the sign and have enough faith to do the work we have to do at that time.

Mark 14


1After two days was the feast of the passover, and of unleavened bread: and the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might take him by craft, and put him to death.
2But they said, Not on the feast day, lest there be an uproar of the people.


Here comes the passover, the actual passover in which Jesus will be killed. He had to die on the passover, because Jesus is our passover lamb, which we'll find out in detail later. He died for the sins of the people, so He is the passover lamb as to what it represented in the days of Israel as a nation.
The eat the passover then they go to the mount of Olives and pray and sing hymns.


27And Jesus saith unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered.
28But after that I am risen, I will go before you into Galilee.


Jesus laid out all that would happen to Him, even quoted scripture that describes what will happen to Him and His disciples. He told of Himself raising from the dead and meeting them back in Galilee. It all fell on deaf ears.


34And saith unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful unto death: tarry ye here, and watch.
35And he went forward a little, and fell on the ground, and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him.
36And he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt.


Listen to our Lord. He did this for us; and He sure did not want to die. He was a flesh and blood man at the time like we are and we know the feeling of when we can sense or smell death. It's a lonely and horribly scary feeling, even for Jesus, whose decision here put the whole creation in jeopardy. If He had given up, this would not be pretty for anyone.


The chief priest came and took him at the betrayal of Judas and brought Jesus before the High Priest. They sought people to come and bare false witness against Him.


61But 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?
62And 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.


This and one or two other times in the entire time of Jesus life, where He openly declared that He was the Messiah, the son of God.


70And he denied it again. And a little after, they that stood by said again to Peter, Surely thou art one of them: for thou art a Galilaean, and thy speech agreeth thereto.
71But he began to curse and to swear, saying, I know not this man of whom ye speak.
72And the second time the cock crew. And Peter called to mind the word that Jesus said unto him, Before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice. And when he thought thereon, he wept.


It is powerful what fear of death can do to a being. Here Peter, who Jesus gave the keys to the kingdom to, who walked with Jesus for over three years, vehemently denied Jesus, even telling them, he has never heard of such a man. I am amazed at that and I can see that happening to many people in the last days when the tribulation is under way.

Mark 15


1And straightway in the morning the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council, and bound Jesus, and carried him away, and delivered him to Pilate.
2And Pilate asked him, Art thou the King of the Jews? And he answering said unto them, Thou sayest it.


They did the normal progression, the court system, take the prisoner to Pilate and so forth.


14Then Pilate said unto them, Why, what evil hath he done? And they cried out the more exceedingly, Crucify him. Pilate, the Roman, was trying to let Jesus go, but the Jews pushed hard to have Him crucified. They put Pilate in a hard place because they were going to report him to Caesar if he did not crucify Jesus.


25And it was the third hour, and they crucified him.
26And the superscription of his accusation was written over, THE KING OF THE JEWS.
27And with him they crucify two thieves; the one on his right hand, and the other on his left.
28And the scripture was fulfilled, which saith, And he was numbered with the transgressors.


Not one scripture went unfulfilled. Everything was done that was written.


37And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost.
38And the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom.
39And 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.


Seeing all the drama that took place as Jesus died, many believed that He was the Messiah, even people who were not from Israel.


40There were also women looking on afar off: among whom was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the less and of Joses, and Salome; The mother who gave birth to Jesus, watched in horror as He passed.

Mark chapter 16


1And 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.
2And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun.


The Sabbath had now past, and the women were coming up early on the first day of the week as the sun was rising, according to Mark's gospel. However, when they got there, Jesus was already gone. The question remains did He rise on Sunday? Another thing to file is that fact that His body was not there either. We have this belief that when one dies; their spirit leaves the body and goes and meets with it's heavenly body. This is not the case; the current body is simply made new.


9Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven devils.


Now we can take this verse and read it a different way for it to make sense. The reason is because as it reads, it sounds like Jesus did rise on Sunday as oppose to Monday or Saturday. However, take the same verse and say, now when Jesus was risen, it was early on the first day of the week when He appeared first to Mary Magdelene. The sentence only implies that He appeared to Mary on the first day of the week; it doesn't imply that He rose on the first day of the week.


14Afterward 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.


Jesus was upset at these brothers for their unbelief. How does the Lord walk with you for three years plus and tell you what will befall Him and you do not believe? If anyone was to believe right away; it was His disciples. You could have been down for a moment but when the women told you He is alive, they should have been in celebration and asking to be lead to Him. This is why it is good to ask questions. When Jesus would tell the disciples that He was going to die; they would not ask Him even though they were confused. If something is not clear, ask and ye shall receive.


15And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
16He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
19So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.
20And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.

Luke 1


1Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us,
2Even as they delivered them unto us, which from the beginning were eyewitnesses, and ministers of the word;
3It seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first,


Moving on into Luke, Luke let's his readers know that he was given perfect understanding of all things concerning the gospel and scriptures. This is the level we want and need to get towards before it is all over.


5THERE 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.
6And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. If this is how to be blameless and righteous before God; then the keeping of the commandments are good. The commandments were not to hard for them to keep if they did so blameless before God. So how do we figure today that God nailed them to the cross because He knew they were to hard to keep?


Zacharias was in the temple doing his daily work, lighting the candles when an angel appear next to him. 11And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense.
12And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.
13But 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.


It has to be troubling when you think you are alone and all of the sudden another person is in the room with you. The angel let him know that what he had been praying for was answered and he will have the son, and to name him John.


This John is going to be a special person the angel tells Zacharias: 16And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God.
17And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.


Expect What You Pray For


18And Zacharias said unto the angel, Whereby shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years.
19And the angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak unto thee, and to shew thee these glad tidings.


Zacharias prayed for a son and then questioned Gabriel about it because he felt he was pretty old and his wife to. Gabriel let him know who he was dealing with. Zacharias was talking to a being that stands in the presence of God. Do not doubt or lack faith. Take the news and run with it. Gabriel silenced him for his unbelief until the baby will be born.


Six months later, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to 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. This is the same Gabriel who took the message to Zacharias, and the same one who spoke with Daniel, now he is speaking with Mary.


30And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.
31And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.


This name Jesus came straight from Heaven.


32He 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:
33And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.


What the angel tells Mary sounds like what we read all over the bible, that Jesus, the son of God will reign on David's throne over the house of Israel forever.
As Zacharias got his speech back once his son was born he praised God.


67And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying,
68Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people,
69And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David;
70As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began:


What the prophets speak, it comes to pass. This concludes our reading today. Peace and grace in the name of the Most High God, even Jesus.


--
Peace & Grace

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