Luke 2

Since this is Christmas week, I wanted to look at Luke 2. Our pastor spoke on it on Sunday and their were some things I didn't know about the Christmas Story.

Bethlehem: the city where David was born, not the City of David. Both Joseph and Mary were descendants of David, so they needed to return there for the census. It was a difficult journey through 70 miles of mountainous terrain.

The manger: "And she gave birth to her firstborn son and she wrapped Him in cloths and laid Him in a manger." v.7 The stable is mentioned no where in scripture and it is only from the mention of a manger that we derive He was born in a stable. It could have also been a cave where animals were protected.

Savior: "...for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior who is Christ the Lord." v.11 This is one of only two places in the gospels where Christ is referred to as Savior.

Prophecy: "Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name, 'Immanuel." Is 7:14 Immanuel: God with us. =)

Turtle Doves: ...On the second day of Christmas my true love gave to me... "...and to offer a sacrifice according to what was said in the Law of the Lord, ' A pair of turtle doves or two young pigeons.' v. 24 At the dedication of a child in the temple they needed to offer a sacrifice of a lamb or doves/pigeons. Mary's offering shows that she and Joseph were poor. Get this, a woman who bore a son was ceremonially unclean for 40 days...if she bore a daughter it was twice that! What's up with that??

Simeon: I didn't believe I hadn't heard this before Sunday. LOL He was in the temple at the dedication of the Child. Get this, "And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ." Simeon took the Baby into his arms and blessed God and said, "Now Lord, You are releasing Your bond-servant to depart in peace, According to Your word; For my eyes have seen Your salvation, which You have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light or revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of Your people of Israel." v. 26, 29-32

Wow!
Blessed Christmas!

Romans 11

In Bible times, it was very common to graft olive trees. A branch from a good olive tree was taken and grafted onto a wild olive tree. The wild olive tree, called agrielaios, did not produce very good fruit. But the good cultivated olive tree, called kallielaios, did produce very good fruit. Wild olive trees would grow up and take up space with it's root system. To keep from having to cut down a tree and plant a new seedling, a branch from the good tree would be grafted onto the wild tree. This good branch would then produce fruit while getting nourishment from the wild tree root system. Several branches would be grafted onto a wild tree.

In Romans 11:17 we read, "But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became partaker with them of the rich root of the olive tree..."

God was using the grafting process to make a very important point. Instead of grafting a good branch onto a bad tree, God took a bad branch and grafted it onto a good tree. This was opposite of the way the first century people grafted olive trees. God had a good tree with a good root system. The Israelite nation was the tree with the root system of the patriarchal law, mosaical law, and the new law. The Gentiles were represented by the wild olive tree. God took the wild olive tree, the Gentiles, and grafted them into the good tree and it's root system.
The reference to the branches being broken off means that Jews who did not accept Christ were unacceptable to God. They were cut from the tree. This shows that just because someone has a sincere heart and believes in God does not mean that person will be acceptable to God. A person must believe in and obey Jesus Christ to be acceptable to God.

Only God has the power to graft a wild tree branch onto a good tree and have that branch produce good fruit. I am glad that God is a loving God and wants all men to be saved. I am glad he gave us the Bible so that we can know how to serve Him.
...Taken off the web.

I just wanted to add that in v. 23 it says, "...if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again."
There is always a chance to change your mind and come to Christ.

Romans 10

This short chapter has a few well-known and to-the-point versus. Paul is talking to the Jews who once again were missing what God had planned for them. "All the day long I have stretched out My hands to a disobedient and obstinate people." v.21

But for the rest of us, these verses are simple and direct answers to, "How can I be saved?"

"For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes." v. 4

"...that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation." v. 9-10

"For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him, for 'Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.'" v. 12-13

The streamline right to the heart of salvation.

The chapter starts with "...my heart's one desire":

Refiner's fire. My heart's one desire
is to be Holy. Set apart for you my Master,
Ready to do Your will.

Romans 9

"I will have mercy on Whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion." v. 15

"O man, who answers back to God? The thing molded will not say to the Molder, " Why did You make me like this?...Or does not the Potter have a right over the clay, to make from the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for common use?" v. 20-21

I spent the last few days reading a sermon given by Charles Spurgeon in 1862 on "God's will and Man's will". If you have a chance to read it, I highly recommend it. He really puts light on the whole predestination arguement and talks about the providence of God clearly. www.spurgeon.org/sermons/0442.htm

Providence: God conceived as the power sustaining and guiding human destiny.

"If we could imagine that one human action had eluded the prescience or the predestination of God, we could suppose that the whole might have done so, and all things might drift to sea, anchorless, rudderless, a sport to every wave, the victim of tempest and hurricane. One leak in the ship of Providence would sink her, one hour in which Omnipotence relaxed its grasp and she would fall to atoms." CH Spurgeon. "He hath not let slip the reins of the great chariot of Providence, and think you that when Christ goeth forth in the chariot of His grace it is with steeds unguided, or driven only by chance, or by the fickle will of man?"

We have no problem believing that God gives us gifts...we do not give ourselves gifts. Likewise with His mercies.

It is much like an eternal circle. Draw a circle: God's will chooses us ------>We choose to love Him and believe -------->We receive salvation and eternity with Him ------->God's will chooses us -------> and so on.... It truly is a mysterious working and not something we should worry about.

"Soul, if thou art anxious after Christ, He is more anxious after thee. If thou hast only on spark of true desire after Him, that spark is a spark from the fire of His love to thee. He has drawn thee, or else thou wouldest never run after Him. If you are saying, 'Come to me, Jesus,' it is because He has come to you, though you do not know it. He has sought you as a lost sheep, and therefore you have sought Him like a returning prodigal. He has swept the house to find you, as the woman swept for the lost piece of money and now you seek Him as a lost child would seek a father's face. Let you willingness to come to Christ be a hopeful sign and symptom." Spurgeon...Wow!

I will leave you with this quote - also from Spurgeon. I love the picture it brings.

"The hen goes clucking about the farm-yard all day long; that is the general call of the gospel; but she sees a hawk up in the sky, and she gives a sharp cry for her little ones to come and hide under her wings; that is the special call; they come and are safe." When danger is lurking, where do you run?

Romans 8: 29-30

"For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified."


This verse is a warm security blanket. Once you are saved, you become one of the firstborn called by God. Back in the day, the firstborn was the only true heir. And also, since the called was predestined, you can not lose your salvation. But the rub, of course, is when do you know YOU (ME) were truly saved. IE: truly called by God to be His elect. Pretty high position to say about yourself, right? But then again, those who are not called, don't know it and don't care. The Bible does say that not all are saved but it is God's desire that everyone come to an intimate relationship with Him. But being omniscience, He knows. It is not up to us what happens to the innocent - babies - or the people "in the jungle" that never have a chance to know who Christ is, or of the Bible. It is already determined.


I was going to get into a whole, Calvinism vs Arminianism", but I'll let you do your own study on that. This is a simple, 5 point chart, that shows the different camps. http://the-highway.com/compare.html

According to Arminianism:
Salvation is accomplished through the combined efforts of God (who takes the initiative) and man (who must respond) - man's response being the determining factor. God has provided salvation for everyone, but His provision becomes effective only for those who, of their own free will, "choose" to cooperate with Him and accept His offer of grace. At the crucial point, man's will plays a decisive role; thus man, not God, determines who will be recipients of the gift of salvation.

According to Calvinism:
Salvation is accomplished by the almighty power of the Triune God. The Father chose a people, the Son died for them, the Holy Spirit makes Christ's death effective by bringing the elect to faith and repentance, thereby causing them to willingly obey the gospel. The entire process (election, redemption, regeneration) is the work of God and is by grace alone. Thus God, not man, determines who will be the recipients of the gift of salvation.

Romans 8

Romans 8 is a very familiar chapter to me, filled with promises. The first one being:
"Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.' v.1

But the explanation for that is in v.2:
For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death."

The Spirit has replaced the law, the law that only condemned us. The replacement is a new simple law, and that is the law of faith, that will give us life. There is even more explanation if you continue reading into verses 3 and 4.
"He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you." v. 8

Praise You, Abba Father!

"...you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, 'Abba! Father!'. The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ..." v.15-17

Have you ever heard the explanation an adoptive parents gives their child - that the child is even more special than the natural born because he was chosen. Wow. An amazing promise! But the last part of the verse is a reminder:

"...if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him."

"Suffer" is a relative term...especially here in America.
....to come to a knowledge of (something) by living through it - see experience

...to feel deep sadness or mental pain - see grieve

I liked both these synonyms, especially the second one. I do grieve that I can not always be faithful to my God or obey or be everything He would like me to be.

"For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eager; we wait eagerly for it." v. 24-25
"My hope is in You, God; My strength is in You Lord; My life is in You, Jesus!"

"In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness, for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words." ..."He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God." v. 26-27
I make use of this verse often, when I just don't know how to pray.

Starting in v. 31 to the end of the chapter, John MacArthur calls, "A hymn of security". I thought that very appropriate. It is a reminder of our security in walking with Christ.

"But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, or any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." v. 37-39

And all God's children say, AMEN!

Romans 7

God never meant for us to be able to keep the laws He gave. He meant them to show us that we are not worthy of holiness; He gave them to humble us, to see that we needed to reach out to Him for help. Reaching for Christ to stay away from sin, not only saves us for eternity but gives us a richer life here on earth. But it is not of our own power, but the power of Christ within us.
"But now we have been released from the law, having died to that by which we were bound, so that we serve in newness of the Spirit and not in oldness of the letter." v.6

"For while we were in the flesh, the sinful passions, which were aroused by the Law..." v. 5
I thought the word "aroused" was interesting. Our rebellious nature wants to do the very thing we are told not to; restrictions add a desire - almost a need - to do the opposite. Why is that? Well one, it is our nature, our nature that needs God's power. And two, for me, it is (was) almost compulsory for me to rebel against any kind of authority. I never liked feeling "squashed" under someone else's power and spent my young life disobeying and running from authority, authority that had been put in place by God to protect me. IE: my mom, my first husband, my first relationship with Christ, my first bosses, etc. I learned a valuable lesson the hard way. And like a wild horse, I was finally broken and I am the better for it, though I still struggle from time to time.

"Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!" v. 24-25
"'Body of this death': Tradition says that an ancient tribe near Tarsus (where Paul is from) tied the corpse of a murder victim to its murderer, allowing its spreading decay to slowly infect and execute the murderer." John MacArthur
Wow, something we should try today? LOL

Praise God for His word and Paul's example:
"For what I am doing I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate...For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want." v. 15-19
We (I) are not alone in our struggle. But greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world.

This video below makes me smile! I love this kind of music from the 70's. Fills me with such joy. Check out Johnny Cash - the man in black!

Romans 6

Sanctification.

Christ's resurrection was for more than our salvation; He rose again so that we might experience an amazing life here on earth as well.

"...Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life." v.4

"But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness." v.17

Form. "The Greek word means 'mold' such as a craftsman would use to cast molten metal. God pours His new children into the mold of divine truth." Wow! John MacArthur.

God does not expect us to be able to go through our daily lives avoiding sin all by ourselves. He has sanctified us; God is producing actual righteousness in the believer so that our lives may be abundant!

...life is worth the living just because He lives!

Romans 5

"...Adam who was a type of Him who was to come." v. 14

I'm pretty sure no other religion, belief or philosophy claims that one man's sin (Adam) affected the whole future of humanity. In the same way no other religion, belief or philosophy claims that one Man's act of selflessness (Jesus) saved that same humanity.

"But the free gift is not like the transgression. For if by the transgression of the one the many died, much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many." v. 15

This chapter is filled with many verses similar to the one just stated.

Honestly, you have to believe it all or it doesn't work. The Bible, from Adam to Jesus is a love story of God and His relationship with us. There is not just Adam and original sin but there are other things: the parting of the red sea, Elijah, the virgin birth, the transfiguration, and the most important, the Resurrection of Christ, to name a few. These things - though I believe the Bible as an accurate, true account - still take faith to believe. They are supernatural. The whole Book is about the Omnipresent, Omnipotent, and Omniscient God and His care for us. It is not a philosophy book. Though filled with amazing knowledge, insight, and direction, It also needs to be looked at in It's entirety.

"But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." v. 8 "

Then one of my favorite verses:
"...but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance, and perseverance, proven character, and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us." v. 3-5

Romans 4

"Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness. Now to the one who works, his wage is not credited as a favor, but as what is due. But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness, just as David also speaks of the blessing on the man to who God credits righteousness apart from works." v. 3-6

The word "credited", "credit", appears in this chapter 9 times. The Greek word means to take something that belongs to someone and credit to another's account. It is a one-sided transaction. I love this from the thesaurus: permission to defer payment. God credits us with His righteousness for no other reason than our faith and belief...and we don't have to pay for our sin. Praise God!

"Blessed are those whose lawless deeds have been forgiven, and whose sins have been covered. Blessed is the man whose sins the Lord will not take into account." v. 7-8

Romans 3

The first part of the chapter, v.1-8, seems like complicated rhetoric. It goes back and forth between our unrighteousness and lies vs God's righteousness and truth. But J. MacArthur sums it up very simply: "By contrast, like a jeweler who displays a diamond on black velvet to make the stone appear even more beautiful." I love that! "...our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God,..." v. 5

"...there is no distinction, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus, who God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith." v. 22-25

Propitiation, a placard. In the Hebrew it means: the mercy seat, the cover to the ark of the covenant. Christ's death was done publicly, for all to see. All the world knows that Jesus Christ was slaughtered for our sins - the lamb of God was sacrificed and His blood sprinkled on the alter to save each one who believes.

Switching gears, v. 10-18 are key verses from Psalms declaring all our unrighteousness. I want to particularly point out v. 13. "Their throat is an open grave, with their tongues they keep deceiving, the poison of asps is under their lips; whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness..."

"As an unsealed open grave allows those who pass to see and smell what is inside, the unregenerate person's open throat - that s, the foul words that come from it - reveal the decay of the heart." J. MacArthur Wow.

I wanted to bring this up because words can be a nemesis. Words can break spirits; they can cause chaos in any environment. I am particularly thinking about the work place. A few wrongly placed negatives can turn co-workers against each other. This just happened where I work, and I was the culprit...not meaning to, but did just the same. I have been memorizing a verse about asking God to guard my words and let them be always be good. FAIL!...our unrighteousness spot lights God's righteousness.

Romans 2

"...for in that which you judge another, you condemn yourself, for you who judge practice the same things.". v. 1


That verse, in a nut-shell, is what the whole chapter is about. The church, starting as early as Paul's first churches and continues to this day, seem to practice judgement of each other. Maybe it came from having to follow the law for hundreds of years, or just our human nature to feel ourselves better than someone else; whatever the reason, it is always our downfall. It has been my experience that the very thing someone boasts that he is so much better at, will be the very thing that will eventually bring him down, ie: morality/adultery. How many pastors have fallen to this because they didn't recognize in themselves the possibility of their own desires. I was trying to think of other examples of this. Can you come up with a couple that you have seen along your path in life?


"...God will judge the secrets of men through Christ Jesus." v. 16


Ultimately, it is the deep secrets of our heart, that if we don't acknowledge and hand over to God, has a greater chance of finding fluidity. There is a song or a story about how you let Jesus into the rooms of your heart but there is one closet you don't want Him to go into, you don't want Him to see. The content of that closet needs to be cleaned out. Do you know how good you feel when you go into conquer the disaster area of a closet that, though painful in the beginning to start sorting through and throwing things away, leaves you with a feeling of peace and relaxation and cleanliness?

One note on a particular word "stubbornness". v. 5 "But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation...".
The English word, "sclerosis" - as in arteriosclerosis, a hardening of the arteries) comes from the Greek word. Stubbornness, rigidity, callous is a result of the hardening of the heart.

Romans 1

Just reading the first few verses, I am totally excited! This book is filled with so many truths and Paul's love for the gentiles and his unwavering devotion to God. Paul never could get to the Roman church he so loved. This epistle - this letter - is the closest he got. Paul was a roman himself, a second generation pharisee before his conversion on the road. He most likely was martyred under Nero's reign.


Also, an interesting note, "His letters are weighty and strong, but his personal presence is unimpressive and his speech contemptible." 2 Cor. 12:10 Paul was not a good looking man...I guess you can't have it all. LOL


Romans is not, by any means, politically correct. Paul states in no uncertain terms what is considered depravity in the sight of God. Paul mentions a few times in this chapter that God "gave them over" to their sins. This means: the wrath of abandonment, which is removing restraint and letting people go to pursue their sin and its consequences. I have known such wrath. Better this wrath and be able to repent and return to and enjoy once again a loving relationship with God.

One of those, "God gave them over": "God gave them over to degrading passions, for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward on another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error." v. 26-27

I quote this verse for two reasons. 1. The obvious, I think. This the number one topic of debate in this state or maybe not even debate but giving total and complete acceptance to this sin. The pros for this keep bringing up this countries prior bans on "inter-racial" marriages. The difference is that the Bible never mentions a sin between a man and a woman of different races - but quite the opposite; where it very much mentions the sin amongst same sex.

And 2. "Paul mentions women first to show the extent of debauchery under the wrath of abandonment, because in most cultures women are the last to be affected by moral collapse." J. MacArthur. Wow! What does that say about the day that we are living.

But let's end on a good note, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes..."v. 16

Have a Blessed Day!

Mark 16

His burial and His resurrection.

Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and other women were on the way to the tomb. The discussion, "Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?" v. 3 This interaction between the two women is only recorded in Mark.

I love this part. "Entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting at the right, wearing a white robe, and they were amazed. And he said to them, 'Do not be amazed; you are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who has been crucified. He has risen; He is not here." v.5-6

This video was written by Don Francisco...fantastic story song. Sung by Dolly Parton - listen to the words - I love the pictures in the end during the chorus, "I'm Alive." Very powerful.

Mark 15

Man alive, my blogging has slowed to a snail's pace. Shoot. I'm going to have to rename my blog: A Lifetime By His Side...which it should be, anyway! LOL

Mark 15 is the crucifixion. None of the gospel accounts give a detailed analysis of the actual crucifixion process. - The below passage does a pretty good job...it was the most heinous form of capital punishment. However, it was prophesied in Psalm 22:11-20

" Be not far from me, for trouble is near; For there is none to help. Many bulls have surrounded me; Strong bulls of Bashan have encircled me. They open wide their mouth at me, as a ravening and a roaring lion. I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint; My heart is like wax. It is melted within me.
My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue cleaves to my jaws; and You lay me in the dust of death. For dogs have surrounded me; a band of evildoers has encompassed me; They pierced my hands and my feet. I can count all my bones. They look, they stare at me; The divided my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots.
But You, O Lord, be not far off; O You my help, hasten to my assistance, Deliver my soul from the sword..."

At the end, Jesus cries out, "Eloi, Eloi, Lama Sabachthan?; My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?" v.34

That is right from Ps. 22 as well, v. 1: "My God, My God, why have Your forsaken me?" Wow!

Mark 14 con't

"Judas immediately went to Him, saying, 'Rabbi!' and kissed Him." v. 45

I never thought about this before, but the fact that Judas kissed Him is huge. The kiss on the cheek in that culture represented respect but moreover it showed the closest love and affection. Then, "They laid hands on Him and seized Him." v.46 What perversion and hypocrisy on Judas' part. The more I learn about Judas the more I realize that his heart was hard and despicable and he more than deserved whatever was coming to him.

This is an interesting side note: A young man was following Him, wearing nothing but a linen sheet over his naked body; and they seized him. But he pulled free of the linen sheet and escaped naked." v.51-52 I don't know about you, but I don't remember this. John MacArthur, "This perhaps was Mark himself. If the mob under Judas' guidance had first gone to Mark's mother's house in search of Jesus - possibly where the last Passover was observed by Jesus and the 12 - Mark could have heard the noise, suspected what was happening, and hurried to follow the multitude." The first "streaker"...LOL

The chapter ends with Peter's three denials. I'm sure Peter was so disappointed in himself but to me it was understandable. In America when someone follows a criminal off to jail or carries signs showing allegiance for someone in custody, nothing will happen to that person. But back in Peter's time, allegiance could get you arrested and end up suffering the same as the accused. And unfortunately Peter, and well as the other 10, did suffer and die for Christ's sake.

Mark 14 con't

Jesus prays in the garden of Gethsemane. Jesus "began to be very distressed and troubled." v.33 This word, trouble, in the Greek refers to terrified amazement. I don't think I've ever heard a better description of what Jesus must have been feeling at the time of these prayers. Knowing the agony (not a deep enough word) He was about to face while also knowing that these actions were going to save the world as prophesied. What glory was going to be accomplished at such a cost!

When was the last time you felt terrified amazement?

"Abba Father! All things are possible for You, remove this cup from Me, yet not what I will but what You will." v. 36

Verse 36 is really so far out of our grasp to understand. I can't get past complete terror He was feeling and knowing there was no way out. As a physical being, I would imagine, He was begging God. However, only through prayer could He receive the unimaginable peace that He would need to face the next few days. That same peace is ours when time is spent in prayer. If we are anxious, guess why? We don't need mediation we need "prayeration". LOL

Mark 14

This is another incredibly long chapter. It takes us from the Lord's supper, Jesus' arrest, all the way to Peter's three denials. I am going to take it one thing at a time.

Judas Iscariot: the name "Iscariot" means "man of Kerioth", Kerioth being a small town south of Jerusalem. "Thus, Judas was not a Galilean like the other disciples. It is clear that Judas never had any spiritual interest in Jesus - he was attracted to Him because he expected Jesus to become a powerful religious and political leader. He saw great potential for power, wealth, and prestige though his association with Him." John MacArthur. I don't know where Mr. MacArthur gets that Judas had "no" spiritual interest in Jesus or the potential for power, etc., but it would make sense. Interesting to also note that whenever the 12 disciples are named, Judas is always named last.

The Last Supper, though beautiful imagery of what was to be, these verses here really are kind of freaky, scary, in that the bad guy, Judas, was reclining with them at the table, "'Truly I say to you that one of you will betray Me - one who is eating with Me.' They began to be grieved and to say to Him one by one, 'surely not I?' And He said to them, ' It is one of the twelve, one who dips with Me in the bowl. For the Son of Man is to go just as it is written of Him; but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good for that man if he had not been born.'" v.18-21

What do you suppose Judas was thinking while Christ was talking? Did he want to change his mind at that time knowing that Jesus already knew his plan and basically said that he was condemned? I would have been terrified! Maybe he was but felt compelled to go through with it anyway since now it was out in the open.

Mark 13

Chapter 13, this sermon, is known as the Olivet Discourse because Jesus delivered it on the Mount of Olives just east of the temple. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temple_in_Jerusalem.

"And Jesus said to him, 'Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left upon another which will not be torn down.'" v.2 And, certainly it was in AD 70.

This chapter is dedicated to the end of the age when Jesus will return. It starts with the tribulation and then moves to His second coming. I am not going to do much comment. There are so many different camps on Eschatology (the study of the end times). I was taught one thing as a kid - scared me to death - and believe another as an adult, though I still feel unsettled with the topic until I get a chance for more study. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_eschatological_views

No matter your view, however, the belief that is shared is that Jesus will return: "Then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. And then He will send forth the angels, and will gather together His elect from the four winds, from the farthest end of the earth to the farthest end of heaven." v. 26-27

This says to us: "Therefore, be on the alert-for you do not know when the master of the house is coming, whether in the evening, at midnight or when the rooster crows, or in the morning - in case he should come suddenly and find you asleep. What I say to you I say to all, 'Be on the Alert!'" v. 35-37

If we are going to go through the tribulation or anytime we might be persecuted for our faith, our belief in Christ: "When they arrest you and hand you over, do not worry beforehand about what you are to say, but say whatever is given you in that hour; for it is not you who will speak, but it is the Holy Spirit." v.11 This brings to mind the young girl at Columbine that had the gun in her face and was asked to denounce Christ. She did not; she proclaimed His name, and was killed.

One particular note in v.14. Jesus says, "...let the reader understand..." Why would Jesus say "reader" when He was speaking in person? John MacArthur says, "This indicates that Jesus was not issuing these warnings to the disciples or to others of their generation who would not experience this event, but to believers in the end time. Those who will read these truths will be prepared and 'understand' the trials they are enduring." Did Jesus say that or did Mark add that as he was writing? Thought it was interesting.

The quotes in the video below are directly from Mark 13. Be sure to watch it to the end. I love the very last picture. Wow!

Mark 12, con't

"What commandment is the foremost of all? Jesus answered, 'The foremost is: Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is one Lord and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength. The second is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these." v. 28-31

Well, I guess, that just about says it. Tough though, huh? Interesting what I learned about the ten commandments: "The rabbis had determined that there were 613 commandments contained in the Pentateuch, one for each letter of the Ten Commandments. -Are you kidding me! LOL - Of the 613, 248 were seen as affirmative and 365 as negative. Those laws were also divided into heavy and light categories,, with the heavy laws being more binding than the light ones. The scribes and rabbis, however, had been unable to agree on which were heavy and which were light." John MacArthur

Seriously, what bondage!

So much of the world is striving for peace, reaching out to one another. However, the world is forgetting the prerequisite for loving one another; to love our God with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength. You can't achieve the one without the other.

Mark 12...

The next three chapters in Mark I read in Yosemite. They are filled with a lot of food for thought; I underlined a lot and read a lot of commentary.

Let's start with v.19 where the Sadducees approach Jesus with a question. To preserve tribal names, families and inheritance in case of a death (the head of the household), the widow was to marry his brother. So this particular question was: what if the woman loses 7 husbands (7 brothers), which one would be her husband in heaven?

Jesus' answer, "For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven." John MacArthur's interpretation, "Marriage was designed by God for companionship and the perpetuation of the human race on the earth. Jesus was emphasizing the fact that in heaven there will be no exclusive or sexual relationships. Believers will experience an entirely new existence in which they will have perfect spiritual relationships with everyone else."

This is huge for me, since I have had more than one husband. Note, however, Jesus says nothing about us losing our identities, personalities, or knowledge. For example, will I know my children as my children? I believe so. Jesus says in v. 26-28 "But regarding the fact that the dead rise again,...I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? He is not the God of the dead but of the living;..." I love what my commentary says, "Even though all 3 were dead, God was still their God just as much as when they were alive on earth - and more so in that they were experiencing eternal fellowship with Him in heaven." Wow!!

Rereading these verses today since Yosemite was good timing. On Saturday, after having a complete night's rest (that I never seem to have), a sleep where I never woke up in the night, I was thinking, "what if death is like that sleep, where you have no thought, no memory, no existence, you just never wake up?" First off, I don't like the idea of that and second, I don't need to worry about it because these verses just answered that for me!! Yea!

Mark 11

Here we see Jesus entering Jerusalem. In modern day we refer to this entry as palm Sunday. He and the disciples were very well known here for their teachings and miracles and the people were very excited to see the entrance of the upcoming King.

" Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord; Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David; hosanna in the highest!" v. 9-10

The highlighted part of the verse is only recorded in Mark and emphasizes that Jesus was fulfilling prophecy. Wow, a sharp contrast to what this same crowd would do to Him later!

"On the next day, when they had left Bethany, He became hungry, Seeing at a distance a fig tree in leaf, He went to see if perhaps He would find anything on it, and when He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. He said to it, 'May no one ever eat fruit from you again!'" v.12-14

I thought this seemed awful harsh for this poor fig tree - it wasn't the fig trees fault, after all. The fig tree was unique because usually when there were leaves there was fruit. But not this tree. The highlighted section, once again only Mark records, to let you know the unusual nature of this particular tree.

John MacArthur, "Jesus cursed the tree for its misleading appearance that suggested great productivity without providing it. It should have been full of fruit, but was barren. The fig tree was frequently an Old Testament type of the Jewish nation and in this instance Jesus used the tree by the road as a divine object lesson concerning Israel's spiritual hypocrisy and fruitlessness."

Next Jesus goes to chase the sellers out of the temple and says, "My House shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations." v. 17 The highlighted part, only recorded in Mark, was taken from Isaiah 56:7, and was addressing the gentiles. Jesus was in the only part of the temple where Gentiles were permitted to be.

Now, my favorite part of the chapter, " Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be taken up and cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is going to happen, it will be granted him. Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them and they will be granted you." v.23-24

"Jesus' point is that if believers sincerely trust in God and truly realize the unlimited power that is available through such faith in Him, they will see His might powers at work." MacArthur

I love this, of course. But case in point: my daughter has just graduated from college and can not find a job in her chosen field. There has been much prayer on my part and hers, but seemingly to know avail. She has done everything she needs to do as far as applying, but nothing. So the question is, what are we doing wrong? How do we truly realize the unlimited power that is available to see His mighty powers?...Doesn't Jesus want the best for her? I was thinking, maybe, He wants to be sure that she (and I) realize that the amazing job he has in line for her is only from Him and not of her own doing, but a gift.

No more blogs for the next week in that we are on our way to Yosemite and I'll be (hopefully) doing my writing by hand to implement when I get back.

Mark 10

"Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." v.25

Words to heed on our quest for the "American Way of Life". Wealth tends to breed self-sufficiency and a false sense of security, leading those who have it to imagine they do not need Christ. My husband and I were just talking about this the other day. With the year anniversary of Michael Jackson's death, we were talking about other "kings": King of Rock n Roll died at 42, King of Country, Hank Williams, Princess of the people, Princess Diana, Queen of the bomb-shells, Marilyn Monroe, Queen of MGM musicals, Judy Garland, and numerous others that died young. These people were rich and famous but lived very short, tortured lives, leaning on money and fame rather than Christ. Outside of Elvis, I'm pretty sure none of the rest got to enter the kingdom of heaven; the earth was their reward.

However, Jesus did say, "With people it is impossible, but not with god; for all things are possible with God." v.27

I learned from my commentary, "The Jews believed that with alms a man purchased salvation, so the more wealth one had, the more alms he could give, the more sacrifices and offerings he could offer, thus purchasing redemption." Wow, what a prison! There are religions today that pose as Christian, like Jehovah Witnesses, Mormon, that believe the same way.

The passage just before this one talks about divorce and how if you leave your spouse - except for infidelity on his part - and remarry, you commit adultery. - Well, I'm sunk! LOL - It was just one more example that it is impossible for us to be without sin, and our salvation lies only in a relationship with Christ and not of ourselves. "With people it is impossible, but not with God;"...our hope, my hope is in Him.

Starting in v. 35 we see James and John asking to sit at the right and left side of Jesus in Glory. Jesus challenges them, "You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized? They said to Him, We are able." And Jesus said to them, " The cup that I drink you shall drink; and you shall be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized. But to sit on My right or on My left, this is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared." v.38-40

In other words, Jesus is talking about His torture, His death; and indeed, James and John did in fact endure suffering, torture and death. But these things would have to be for the Love of Jesus and of God because they would not be able to earn the honors they were seeking. "Honors in the kingdom are bestowed not on the basis of selfish ambition, but of divine sovereign will." MacArthur.

In actuality, the whole of salvation in strictly an act of divine sovereign will. No pulling up of your own boot straps.

Mark 9

The transfiguration. A lot goes into this and even more to take from it.

Before Peter, James and John, Jesus is transfigured into gleaming white and radiance and is joined by Moses and Elijah. I wrote to a pastor friend for help with the significance of this. His words:

"The Jews often called the Scriptures the "Law and the Prophets." Jesus Himself used the phrase in that way (Matt 22:40). Moses was considered the human author of the Law as he was the writer of the first five books of the Bible. Elijah was the most notable historical prophet, though he did not write a prophetic book like Isaiah, Jeremiah, etc. To have the two of them together would have been a testimony to the Jews that the Scriptures were pointing to and being fulfilled in Jesus. That's the message behind their appearance to Christ in the transfiguration: they foretold of His coming and His life and works were totally fulfilling their prophecies -- which countered the accusations from the Scribes and Pharisees that Jesus was somehow living outside the Law (by eating with sinners!) and had no connection to the prophecies that foretold the Messiah."

Another very confusing, for me, part of the chapter is verse 11: "Elijah must come first." (It turns out that I really had no idea about who or the significance of Elijah until now.)

My same pastor friend, "... goes back to the prophet Malachi (ch's 3 & 4) who promised that an un-named messenger would precede the Messiah's coming (3:1), and that Elijah specifically would come before the big day of judgment (4:5). Jesus said that John fulfilled Malachi's prophecy about the coming messenger (Luke 7:27) and many believe that Revelation 11 speaks of Elijah and records the fulfillment of Malachi's prophecy about the great prophet's actual return in the very last days. I would agree with that expectation. John came in the "spirit and power of Elijah" in that he was a great prophet, really, the "Last of the Great Old Testament Prophets" and in God's eyes his importance was ranked up there with the most notable."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transfiguration_(Raphael) A picture we are all very familiar with. The painting also shows the next part of the chapter, starting with verse 14 where a demon-possessed boy is delivered. The disciples could not rid the boy of the spirit, Jesus needed to do it. We are reminded here that we need to go to Christ and God's power for help in life.

The father of the boy says to Jesus, "But if You can do anything, take pity on us and help us". v. 22

Jesus' reply, " 'If You can?' All things are possible to him who believes." v. 23.

I need to heed the father's response, "I do believe, help my unbelief." v.24

My doubting, goes without saying. Regularly I need to admit to Jesus that I am doubting but want so much to believe and trust Him. I am a worrier to the 10th degree and that essentially is unbelief that Jesus is in control and hears my prayers. I can't even go into my worries, they are numerous - they keep me awake at night. From having kids in college and one looking to start her career, to if the motorhome will fit into the campsite in Yosemite, to what day shall I pay a particular bill, etc. Ridiculous.

"Father, I do believe. Help my unbelief."

My last comment on this chapter. v. 40 (This chapter has taken me all week.) "For he who is not against us is for us."

But by the same token, "He who is not with Me is against Me;and he who does not gather with Me, scatters." Mt 12:30.



Father, I do believe; help my unbelief.

Mark 8

Jesus is teaching His disciples, "...that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. And He was stating the matter plainly." v.31-32

The disciples, especially Peter, did not want to believe that the Messiah was going to die. But they, like the world today didn't hear the whole message...He would rise again after three days. Jesus always includes the two together: the death and resurrection. The gospel message means nothing without the two being together. The resurrection is just as important if not more than the death on the cross. It is in His resurrection that He appears to Paul, the apostle that wrote most the New Testament. To not believe in the resurrection, is not to be a Christian because it is the completion of the whole story as prophesied in the Old Testament.

These next words are very well known, but takes faith in Jesus Christ to pull off:
"If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. for whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's will save it. For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul? v. 34-36

These things are not natural for us. We naturally want the world and want attention on us. We are selfish. What Jesus is asking here is impossible without a personal relationship with Him. We cannot will ourselves to deny ourselves and our love of the world. It takes a supernatural strength only given by spending time with Him in prayer and in His word.

Mark 7

Even by the middle of the first century AD, the elders of the Jewish Church had added so many extrabiblical laws to follow, the Jews were living in bondage. And it still continues today. Christ meant then and means now, Freedom.

"This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far away from Me. But in vain do they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the precepts of men." v.6-7

Jesus sits the disciples down to teach them that they can eat anything; the food isn't what mattered. I believe the elders did this because it is easier to follow those "physical" laws instead of keeping yourself pure from this list below:

"Do you not understand that whatever goes into the man form outside cannot defile him, because it does not go into his heart, but into his stomach, and is eliminated?" (Thus He declared all foods clean.) "That which proceeds out of the man, that is what defiles the man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed the evil thoughts, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries, deeds of coveting and wickedness, as well as deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride and foolishness. All these evil things proceed from within and defile the man." v. 20-23

Mark 6

Jesus returns to Nazareth, His home town.

"A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and among his own relatives and in his own household." v. 4

The people of Nazareth saw Jesus differently, in that they knew Him as a baby, young boy and knew His family. Joseph had been a carpenter and in usual practice Jesus would have also been just a carpenter. "The common earthly position of Jesus and His family caused the townspeople to stumble - they refused to see Him as higher than themselves and found it impossible to accept Him as the Son of God and Messiah." My commentary's words.

They also knew of Jesus "illegitimate" birth. Never really thought about this before...but the rumors that must have flown over Mary not having been married to Joseph when she got pregnant and had a baby.

I know from experience that my witness with my own family is pretty void. They've known me my whole life: my pitfalls, awful decisions and times I hid from God. They are very aware of my beliefs but my own example over the years has not been a good representation of a Christian. Conversion with any of my family members will be not of my doing, (it never is) but the hand of God.


I love this! Enjoy...

Mark 5

In verse 2 we meet a demon posses ed man that lived in the "tombs" of Gerasenes. My commentary, "The 'tombs' - common dwelling places for the demented of that day - were burial chambers carved out of rock hillsides on the outskirts of town. If the man and his possible companion were Jews, for whom touching dead bodies was a great defilement, living inn such an area was an added torment." Interesting.

I don't know about you, but every time I read in the Bible about the demon-possessed, I think of the exorcist! LOL Well, Jesus was the best because He healed these people for real. This particular man had a 'legion' of demons in him. Imagine how much more awful he must have been if you picture Linda Blair that had only one. Jesus sends this legion into the near-by swine and they ran into the sea and drowned.

It was a great miracle because it really showed a stark contrast between the way the man was before and then after therefore, showing Christ's deity. "They came to Jesus and observed the man who had been demon-possessed sitting down, clothed and in his right mind, the very man who had had the "legion"; and they became frightened." v. 15 "He said to him, 'Go home to your people and report to them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He had mercy on you." v. 19

Some people don't believe in demons or evil spirits. But to me if there is good there is the unlikeness, evil; if there is excellence there will be horror. I don't believe we see the demons today like they did back in Biblical times, but then again we don't need to, do we? The world, especially America and No. Europe, Japan, etc., is so deeply involved with themselves and their own egos that they never even look to the spiritual, let alone, Jesus. So Satan doesn't have to work very hard.

The second part of this chapter is about physical healing, again. Mark spends a lot of time on Jesus' miracles and less on His teaching. What caught my attention here is the people's complete faith that if they asked or touched Jesus, they would be healed. I wish I could have that kind of faith. When something goes wrong with my body I pray, but honestly I only half believe I can be "supernaturally" healed; I wish I could believe more wholly, without any doubting. Or even to go deeper, maybe I believe that Jesus can heal, just that He won't heal me. I'm not worthy. Hmm

Mark 4

Most of Mark 4 is repeats of different parables we heard in Matthew: the soils, the lamp, the mustard seed.

Then this one new parable:
"The kingdom of God is like a man who casts seed upon the soil, and he goes to bed at night and gets up by day and the seed sprouts and grows - how, he himself does not know. The soil produces crops by itself; first the blade, then the head, then the mature grain in the head. but when the crop permits, he immediately puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come". v. 26-29

Very clearly, these verses describes the Christian walk, how we grow once we've accepted Christ as our Savior and start to learn. It can be fast growth or slow, just like the different plants, depending on who we are and how we are nurtured. Plants with a tropical atmosphere and lots of rain grow and flower quickly. Plants that grow in an area without much water and hard soil, grow more slowly, but are made to endure.

I thought this article on plant growth was a perfect analogy:

What after all is more important - how the garden looks 3 months after being built, or how it looks and feels five years later?...The Strawberry tree from Southern Europe is an ideal specimen for a Mediterranean and mild winter garden. It is evergreen, growing slowly to about 8-9 meters. It has an interesting sculptural form, becoming twisted and gnarled in maturity, and a uniquely beautiful peeling bark, revealing a reddish-brown trunk...There are in fact a number of advantages in growing slow growing trees over fast ones. The primary one being that they are much easier to shape and train in the early years than many rampantly growing trees.

When I first became a Christian I was like a plant in a tropical forest. I sprouted up quickly and my flowers were bright and beautiful. But over time, they withered. My life has been a series of fast growing Hawaiian delights that would die once I gave into circumstance or trial. But there has been a constant strawberry tree that has been growing slowly beneath the surface that has and will endure. That tree has withstood the refining fire, the lack of water, some bad soil, but still stands. My faith is true and secure, "twisted and gnarled in maturity, and a uniquely beautiful peeling bark."

Mark 3

"If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. If a house is divided against itself, the house will not be able to stand." v. 24-25

True words. It is the weakest link theory. I've noticed at my work that when new management came in, the number one way they chose to receive power was by bringing discord amongst employees - pitting each of us against another. We lost morale and then a huge turn over took place. Friends who let gossip about one another get in will not remain friends, or at least, lose trust. We have to stand up for each other. Husband and wife teams. Brothers and sisters.

I was thinking, there is another side to this. An alcoholic family or a family that is involved with child/spousal abuse can continue those evils unless someone talks. As soon as someone speaks out about the abuse help can get in, and the evil house is brought down. But those with something to hide tend to be strong in keeping it quiet.

Where love is there will be no division. Discussion yes, but no dissension.

Mark 2

Jesus, after being out in the unpopulated areas, returned home. " He was at home." v.1 Most likely Peter's home. Made me think. I'd never really considered where Jesus might have lived while he was on earth. Maybe I thought He "poofed" back to heaven, or something every night. LOL Wow, to have the Son of God stay at my house!

Anyway, at Peter's home some men drop a paralytic in from the roof (they could not get him to the doorway because of the crowds) and Jesus first forgives the man of his sins. The Jews believed that sins were the cause of certain affliction and it could be that this man thought that of himself as well. Then Jesus healed the man and he got up and walked out. This was a huge testimony to His claim to be God and I'm sure it was instrumental in spreading the Good News because there were so many people there.

Next we meet Matthew, named Levi, the tax-collector. Tax collectors were thought of worse than they even are today because if they collected more taxes than Rome required they got to keep the money; so they were taking money for their own wealth from their own people! Good chance Matthew knew of his sin and was ready for forgiveness as he got up and followed Jesus. I am reminded once again that God can call and use anyone. You don't need a pedigree to be loved by God or be a powerful witness for Him.

Verse 23 to the end of the chapter talks about a recurring topic throughout the gospels: The Sadducees and Pharisees were always trying to catch someone working on the Sabbath. Jesus' reply this time, "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. So the son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath." v.27-28 John MacArthur, " God instituted the Sabbath to benefit man by giving him a day to rest from his labors and to be a blessing to him. The Pharisees turned it into a burden and made man a slave to their myriad of man-made regulations. Jesus claimed He was greater than the Sabbath, and thus was God."

I had a dream last night about this very thing. I can't even keep the rules at work without fighting authority, sometimes. I am greatful for this freedom with Jesus.

One of my favorites. Enjoy.

Mark 1

Mark begins with a quote from Isaiah 40:3 and Mal. 3:1:

"Behold, I send my messenger ahead of You, Who will prepare Your way; The voice of one crying in the wilderness, make ready the way of the Lord, Make His paths straight." This verse reminds me of the song from Godspell, "Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord. " Remember that? LOL

Enter, John the Baptist. Jesus is baptized. "Immediately coming up out of the water, He saw the heavens opening, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon Him; and a voice came out of the heavens: 'You are My beloved son, in You I am well-pleased.'" v.10-11 John did not see it necessary to baptize Jesus, but Jesus was insistent. Baptism does not save us from our sins but it is an outward sign of a declaration that we are followers of Christ. If Jesus was baptized then obviously we should be too. Most of the chapter is telling of many healings by Christ and casting out of demons. But we do meet Simon (Peter) and Andrew fishing, also James and John. Note: James and John may have been Jesus' cousins in that their mother and Jesus' mother may have been sisters.

Jesus heals Peter's mother-in-law. This is important because this verse tells us that Peter was married. I wonder how I would feel if my husband took off for three years to follow somebody. I imagine his wife, after seeing this miracle, was all for Peter to take off with Jesus.

Jesus meets a leper and was "moved with compassion, Jesus stretched out His hand and touched him" v. 41 and the leper was healed. This was huge! Jesus asked him not to tell anyone because doing so would make it difficult for Jesus to enter a city without being mobbed. But the leper did, of course, I would have told everyone, pushing Jesus to do his ministry out in unpopulated areas. But the people found Him anyway.

Mark

I am excited to be back in the gospels. Honestly, I don't think I've ever read Mark all the way through. A couple things I learned about him from my Bible commentary: His name was John Mark. He never knew Christ like Matthew, Luke and John. He traveled with Paul during his first missionary journey but left early because of the persecution - can't blame him - but Paul did, and they had a falling-out. Wow, no idea. Reminds me that these men were "real" human men used by God in a Holy way, and not of themselves. You can read more about who Mark was in the below mentioned link.
http://www.1way2god.net/bio_mark.html

My new word for today: vacillate, is how John MacArthur describes Mark in his younger years. Meaning: to sway from side to side, to show indecision and waver.

Mark accompanied Peter, and the gospel of Mark is basically Peter's memories of Jesus. Mark is also aimed at the Roman gentiles vs the Jewish people like Matthew.

Acts 28

I had a good cry last night. Something little happened to start the tears, but then they just continued to flow throughout the night. The reason being, I believe, a couple real tough months, mostly with my health; after 2 1/2 hours in a dentist chair yesterday, I finally gave in to the tension and I let it all out last night. This blog is so far behind where I wanted it to be at the beginning of the year, mostly due to a thousand doctor/dentist appointments before work that is making me feel older than my years. As the dentist was working on my yesterday I tried to pray, I tried to be grateful that I am living in this age of dentistry, but I fell short.

But here we are at the end of Acts. After sailing into St. Paul's Bay, they were received kindly by the natives, until Paul got struck by a viper. The natives believed he was a murderer or something because after surviving the sea he had been struck by the snake to die. But Paul didn't die so then they thought he was a god. Paul began to heal the sick on the island. Fever and dysentery were widespread in the ancient world....making my illnesses look like nothing, I suppose. But remember, Paul is still a prisoner.

They waited three months to sail, went to Syracuse on the way, and finally made it to Rome. "When we (Luke was with them.) entered Rome, Paul was allowed to stay by himself, with the soldier who was guarding him." v.16 Luke does not really expand on how it came about but Paul was given huge liberties while awaiting trial before Caesar. "And he stayed two full years in his own rented quarters and was welcoming all who came to him, preaching the kingdom of God and teaching concerning the Lord Jesus Christ with all openness, unhindered." v. 30-31

The end of Acts.
John MacArthur, "Luke wrote Acts before the end of Paul's first Roman imprisonment (A.D. 60-62). That date is the most natural explanation for the abrupt ending of Acts - which leaves Paul awaiting trial before Caesar. Surely Luke, who devoted more than half of Acts to Paul's ministry, would have given the outcome of that trial, and described Paul's subsequent ministry, second imprisonment and death, if those events had happened before he wrote Acts. Luke's silence about such notable events as the martyrdom of James, head of the Jerusalem church, the persecution under Nero and the fall of Jerusalem (A.D. 70) also suggests he wrote Acts before those events transpired."

Acts 27

Paul is finally loaded onto a boat with other prisoners to set sail to Italy. Jesus had promised him early on that he would return to Rome. Paul had appealed to Caesar, and his wish was being granted.

Acts 27, however, is a detailed account of the awful excursion the ship experienced once it set sail. For 14 days the ship was tossed and turned and began breaking apart. No one on board could eat due to the sea sickness. Paul's last of 6 visions appears here, "Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before Caesar; and behold, God has granted you all those who are sailing with you. " v. 24. Paul encouraged everyone to hang on, "for not a hair from the head of any of you will perish." v. 34 I guess this is where we get out saying " not a hair on your head".

Due to all the bumping and flailing, they do not get to Italy. They land on an island called Malta: an island, 17 miles long and 9 miles wide, about 60 miles south of Sicily. This bay is known today as St. Paul's Bay.

Click on this link to learn more about St. Paul's Bay and see what it looks like today.

http://www.wikipedia.org/search-redirect.php?search=St.+Paul%27s+Bay&language=en&go=++%E2%86%92++&go=Go

Acts 26

Paul goes about, once again, telling his story from Pharisee to Christian, as his defense. He ends with, "that the Christ was to suffer, and that by reason of His resurrection from the dead He would be the first to proclaim light both to the Jewish people and to the Gentiles." v.23 Festus shouts out, "Paul, you are out of your mind! Your great learning is driving you mad." v.24

Paul assures Festus that he is not out of his mind, "but I utter words of sober truth. For the king knows about these matters, and I speak to him also with confidence, since I am persuaded that none of these things escape his notice, for this has not been done in a corner." v. 26

The king responds by admitting that he knows Paul is trying to convert him. Wow...Paul is not as concerned with his defence as he is in proclaiming The Good News to those who are listening to him. Paul said to Agrippa, "I would wish to God, that whether in a short or long time, not only you, but also all who hear me this day, might become such as I am, except for these chains." v. 29

After Paul's defence, both Agrippa and Festus agreed, "This man is not doing anything worthy of death or imprisonment...This man might have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar." v. 31