Lesson 900

(Lesson 900)(02-15-14) Mark 10:17-22

"And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life? And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God. Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother. And he answered and said unto him, Master, all these have I observed from my youth. Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me. And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions."

If we, as "Cristians" today, were asked to simply auction off everything we own and give away the money, because our faith required it, how many do you believe would do it?

I would venture to say there would be very, very few, if any at all.

Wealth, and the pursuit of it, are what we modern, bloated, and grossly overstuffed "Christians", have come to be all about. Our belief in, and reliance on, God, where belief is actually present at all, comes in second to our money.

In the modern "Christian" mind, whether or not the things we do are considered "sins" is measured by how much the action effects us financially. If we want to do a deal with someone that will earn us a bunch of money, even though the deal requires that we be dishonest and take advantage of someone through that dishonesty, its not today consider a sin, its just "business" so long as we faithfully occupy the same pew every Sunday. Yet if someone, in public, dares to say a word that is considered socially unacceptable, in the eyes of the self-righteous hypocrites of today's "Christianity", he has sinned horribly! Then, on Sunday the preacher will rebuke him harshly for having used profanity. That same preacher, however, will pat the "business" man on the back for providing a "decent" living for his family.

Which, in your mind, is the sinner?

In today's quote, after the young man asked what he must do to inherit eternal life Jesus responded, "Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me."
We know that upon putting our faith in Jesus, sin, as far as our eternity is concerned, is justified and will no longer be counted against us, yet the sins we commit against each other in the flesh (and as described above) directly affect, not only our own physical lives, but the lives of those around us as well.

Therefore, we should do all that we do in accordance with the two very explicit examples Jesus left us with in Matthew 22:37-39, "Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself."

These, for some, are very difficult rules to follow when they come between us and our money.~

Lesson 903

(Lesson 903)(02-18-14) Mark 10:32-45

"And they were in the way going up to Jerusalem; and Jesus went before them: and they were amazed; and as they followed, they were afraid. And he took again the twelve, and began to tell them what things should happen unto him, Saying, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be delivered unto the chief priests, and unto the scribes; and they shall condemn him to death, and shall deliver him to the Gentiles: And they shall mock him, and shall scourge him, and shall spit upon him, and shall kill him: and the third day he shall rise again. And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, come unto him, saying, Master, we would that thou shouldest do for us whatsoever we shall desire. And he said unto them, What would ye that I should do for you? They said unto him, Grant unto us that we may sit, one on thy right hand, and the other on thy left hand, in thy glory. But Jesus said unto them, Ye know not what ye ask: can ye drink of the cup that I drink of? and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? And they said unto him, We can. And Jesus said unto them, Ye shall indeed drink of the cup that I drink of; and with the baptism that I am baptized withal shall ye be baptized: But to sit on my right hand and on my left hand is not mine to give; but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared. And when the ten heard it, they began to be much displeased with James and John. But Jesus called them to him, and saith unto them, Ye know that they which are accounted to rule over the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and their great ones exercise authority upon them. 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."

In the beginning of today's lesson Jesus warns His Apostles of His upcoming death, burial, and resurrection.

We should note the reaction of James and John upon hearing that their savior Jesus was about to be killed, was to try to secure for themselves a special place in heaven. Their response to what Jesus had just told them was so very typical of today's "me first" Christianity.

Jesus asked James and John if they were willing to go through what He was about to suffer. When they agreed they would, Jesus assured them that they would indeed suffer for His sake.

He also said that positioning in heaven was not to Him, it would be God the Father that would determine who sat where in His kingdom.

NOTE: A thorough study of the New Testament ministry of Jesus, demonstrates that it is attributed to Him as having used some grammatical variation of the word "baptize", a total of nine times during His ministry. Today's lesson contains six of those uses. It is very important to note that none of these six usages imply that water is the medium into which"baptism" is to occur. In each usage, Jesus was referring to the suffering He was about to endure as He was crucified to remit the sins of the world.

Contrary to what many modern isms contend, the "baptism" Jesus referred to in today's lesson, as well as the "baptism" Peter mentioned in 1Peter 3:21, "The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:" had nothing, at all, to do with water. Peter made that clear with the parenthetical comment in the quote wherein he says "not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God". In other words, washing by water had nothing to do with the baptism to which he was referring.

There will be much more said on this issue as these lessons continue.~

Lesson 902

(Lesson 902)(02-17-14) Mark 10:28-31

"Then Peter began to say unto him, Lo, we have left all, and have followed thee. And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel's, But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life. But many that are first shall be last; and the last first."

Today's lesson is short on words, but long on the meaning and the intent within those few words.

Jesus first promised that anyone who would devote his/her life to the ministry of His gospel would be rewarded hundreds of times over to include all manner of worldly possessions as well an assurance of eternal life upon His return.

Jesus then went on to say, "But many that are first shall be last; and the last first."

This foretold that there would be a great shift among Jesus' disciples and that some who, at that time, appeared to be the most avid would eventually prove themselves to be devoted the least, and that some who seemed the most disinterested, at the time, would eventually set the example for the rest.

This prophesy would be fulfilled when there was great dissension within the Church between some of the older Jews and the Gentile disciples who had been taught and converted by Peter and Paul.

Paul, the Apostle who had not at that time even been selected by Jesus, would undergo a great spiritual transformation turning from persecuting the early Christians to eventually becoming the most devout and vocal leader of the Church.~

Lesson 901

(Lesson 901)(02-16-14) Mark 10:23-27

"And Jesus looked round about, and saith unto his disciples, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God! And the disciples were astonished at his words. But Jesus answereth again, and saith unto them, Children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. And they were astonished out of measure, saying among themselves, Who then can be saved? And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible."

Today's lesson is a continuation of yesterday's in that it deals with those whose devotion is to their wealth instead of to God and His saving grace through Jesus Christ.

Jesus said, "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.".

Although there is no possible way to determine whether Jesus was referring to an actual live camel, or to a rope, as is suggested by use of the Aramaic definition. It is equally impossible to determine if Jesus was referring to an actual sewing needle or to a very small gate in the city wall, as some contend. Neither interpretation matters since it is impossible to put a camel through the eye of a needle when any of the above definitions are applied.

Therefore, if we were to take what Jesus said literally, it would be impossible for a rich man to be saved, or to enter into the kingdom of God.

We know, however, that it IS possible for the rich to enter the kingdom of God because Jesus died for both the poor and the wealthy. His redemption is there and free for whomever chooses to accept it.

In my un-educated opinion, Jesus was referring to those who aspired to enter the kingdom under the conditions set out in Mosaic law. This is probably accurate in that later in the same conversation Jesus said, "With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible." Through Jesus' own words we know it IS possible for the wealthy to enter the kingdom of God seeing that Jesus died for both the poor and the wealthy.

The purpose of this lesson is to demonstrate that no amount of worldly wealth, or prestige, and no amount of worldly "good deeds" have any bearing upon whether or not one can enter the kingdom, (The Church). That is strictly determined by whether or not one places his/her total faith in Jesus Christ for the redemption of his/her eternal soul. "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)~

Lesson 899

(Lesson 899)(02-14-14) Mark 10:13-16

"And they brought young children to him, that he should touch them: and his disciples rebuked those that brought them. But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein. And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them."

This lesson includes the misunderstood and false foundation for another totally un-scriptural tenet of Roman Catholicism.

Jesus, when He placed the child upon knee, said, "Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of SUCH is the kingdom of God."
This statement is taken by Roman Catholicism as meaning that one is to be "Christined" or "baptized" into the "church" as a child in order to be accepted into the Church. That is not at all what Jesus meant. Jesus was describing the mental attitude and innocence of those who would make up His Church.

We must note that Jesus said His Church would be made up of "such" as children. That simply means that His Church will be made up of those whose minds are as pure and open as the minds of children.

In essence He said that in order to be a part of His Church, we must be capable of completely abandoning all other doctrines and beliefs, fully opening our minds to the new concept of justification and salvation by grace, and ridding ourselves of the restrictions of the law.

As we are told in James 2:10, those who choose to hold on to parts of the law are still be bound to obey the entire law. Those who cannot let go of the law cannot be the beneficiaries of the new law of faith. (James 2:10) "For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all."

Therefore, Jesus was NOT saying that the kingdom of God, (His Church), must be made up of children. He was saying that His Church will be made up of those who are capable of totally accepting the sin justifying sacrifice He provided through His death, burial and resurrection.~

Lesson 898

(Lesson 898)(02-13-14) Mark 10:1-12

"And he arose from thence, and cometh into the coasts of Judaea by the farther side of Jordan: and the people resort unto him again; and, as he was wont, he taught them again. 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. And in the house his disciples asked him again of the same matter. And he saith unto them, Whosoever shall put away his wife, and marry another, committeth adultery against her. And if a woman shall put away her husband, and be married to another, she committeth adultery."

In today's lesson dealing with marriage and divorce, Jesus made it very clear that God made us male and female solely for the purpose of marriage. According to Jesus, (God in the flesh) He made NO allowance for the concept of divorce without penalty, neither did He make allowance for "marriage" between two males or two females. Therefore the concept of homosexual marriage is a non-starter so far as the teachings of Jesus are concerned.

We should, however, take into account how we as Christians are to deal with those who reject Jesus Christ outright and live their lives according to their own rules. We are to simply ignore them and leave them to the judgment of God. (Luke 9:5)"And whosoever will not receive you, when ye go out of that city, shake off the very dust from your feet for a testimony against them."

There is NOTHING in the New Testament that councils Christians to chastise or ridicule those who choose not to obey the will of God. The actions of divorcees and/or homosexuals is not our responsibility, Christians, as born again sinners ourselves, are given NO right to judge or condemn ANYONE. We can love the sinner and despise the sin!

(Romans 3:19-25) "Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;
I am a divorcee forgiven by the grace of a loving God! Far be it from me, a sinner saved by the grace of God, to take it upon myself to Judge the actions of other sinners. God has already judged both myself and them."

Sadly the "christianity" of today, for the most part and in direct disobedience to what Jesus taught, has taken it upon themselves to judge the "sins" of everyone. Instead of simply spreading the good news of eternal salvation for EVERYONE and setting examples that demonstrate the many benefits of walking a narrow line, they ridicule and condemn creating a great almost un-crossable chasm between the redeemed and the lost.
That was not Jesus idea when He said, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." (Matthew 22:37-40)~

Lesson 897

(Lesson 897)(02-12-14) Mark 9:36-50

"And he took a child, and set him in the midst of them: and when he had taken him in his arms, he said unto them, Whosoever shall receive one of such children in my name, receiveth me: and whosoever shall receive me, receiveth not me, but him that sent me. And John answered him, saying, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name, and he followeth not us: and we forbad him, because he followeth not us. But Jesus said, Forbid him not: for there is no man which shall do a miracle in my name, that can lightly speak evil of me. For he that is not against us is on our part. For whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because ye belong to Christ, verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward. And whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea. And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. For every one shall be salted with fire, and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt. Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his saltness, wherewith will ye season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace one with another."

In this lesson, Jesus teaches us that there are people outside our denominational circle, who are also capable of doing good. He said that so long as a good deed is done in His name it is a Christian act and should be accepted as such.
There is an example of how we should approach those who unintentionally abuse the gospel of Christ in Acts 18:24-26, "And a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man, and mighty in the scriptures, came to Ephesus. This man was instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in the spirit, he spake and taught diligently the things of the Lord, knowing only the baptism of John. And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue: whom when Aquila and Priscilla had heard, they took him unto them, and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly."

Apollos was apparently teaching Mosaic law as the new doctrine of grace through faith.

Just as Aquila and Priscilla did with Apollos, in in this quote, if we encounter someone who is attempting to teach the gospel of Christ but who are in some way doing it wrong or are uneducated about it, we are not to stop them from teaching, we are to simply correct them and allow them to continue.

The second part of today's quote, in some ways, seems to be saying that in order to achieve eternal life we are to live without sin, even to the point of ridding our bodies of the parts that might contribute to sin in our lives. Thank God that when Jesus died on the cross, he removed the penalty of sin from those of us whom have placed our faith in Him. The saved are no longer bound by the rules of Mosiac law and our sins have been "justified" by the divine sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ. "But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being JUSTIFIED freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:" (Romans 3:21-24)~

Lesson 896

(Lesson 896)(02-11-14) Mark 9:31-35

"For he taught his disciples, and said unto them, The Son of man is delivered into the hands of men, and they shall kill him; and after that he is killed, he shall rise the third day. But they understood not that saying, and were afraid to ask him. And he came to Capernaum: and being in the house he asked them, What was it that ye disputed among yourselves by the way? But they held their peace: for by the way they had disputed among themselves, who should be the greatest. And he sat down, and called the twelve, and saith unto them, If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all."

In today's lesson Jesus again told His Apostles that He would soon be killed so that His divine soul redeeming ordeal could be completed. Again, they were unable to understand what He meant and were afraid to ask.

The latter part of this lesson tells us how the Apostles argued among themselves as to who should be considered the most important. After sensing their discussion, Jesus made it very clear that anyone wishing to be "first" would thereby be demoted to last and that there would be no "greatest" among His Apostles.

Based on what Jesus said directly to Peter and the others, this text clearly disproves the Roman Catholic contention that Peter was set apart as the "father", or the "greatest" of the Apostles. Therefore, the very foundation of Roman Catholicism was established on a false premise.~

Lesson 895

(Lesson 895)(02-10-14) Mark 9:11-30

"And they asked him, saying, Why say the scribes that Elias must first come? And he answered and told them, Elias verily cometh first, and restoreth all things; and how it is written of the Son of man, that he must suffer many things, and be set at nought. But I say unto you, That Elias is indeed come, and they have done unto him whatsoever they listed, as it is written of him. And when he came to his disciples, he saw a great multitude about them, and the scribes questioning with them. And straightway all the people, when they beheld him, were greatly amazed, and running to him saluted him. And he asked the scribes, What question ye with them? And one of the multitude answered and said, Master, I have brought unto thee my son, which hath a dumb spirit; And wheresoever he taketh him, he teareth him: and he foameth, and gnasheth with his teeth, and pineth away: and I spake to thy disciples that they should cast him out; and they could not. He answereth him, and saith, O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him unto me. And they brought him unto him: and when he saw him, straightway the spirit tare him; and he fell on the ground, and wallowed foaming. And he asked his father, How long is it ago since this came unto him? And he said, Of a child. And ofttimes it hath cast him into the fire, and into the waters, to destroy him: but if thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us. Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief. When Jesus saw that the people came running together, he rebuked the foul spirit, saying unto him, Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him. And the spirit cried, and rent him sore, and came out of him: and he was as one dead; insomuch that many said, He is dead. But Jesus took him by the hand, and lifted him up; and he arose. And when he was come into the house, his disciples asked him privately, Why could not we cast him out? And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting. And they departed thence, and passed through Galilee; and he would not that any man should know it."

In the first part of today's quote, Jesus assured His Apostles that Elias (John the Baptist) had already come and fulfilled the prophesies.

Jesus then proceeds to remove an evil spirit from a young boy, a spirit His Apostles, herein, are said to have been unable to exorcize.

I find this portion of the quote very puzzling and very odd that Jesus is recorded as having said, "This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting." That statement runs totally contrary to what Jesus taught throughout His ministry. He said over and over that faith alone can accomplish whatever the believer requires to be done. Yet, to remove this particular spirit, prayer and fasting were also required. It makes no sense in the context of Jesus overall ministry.

The statement also seems to be in contrast to what Jesus is recorded to have said earlier in this same text, "O FAITHLESS generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him unto me." In this earlier comment, Jesus once again makes it known that faith was the key to removing the evil spirit. Jesus seems to be saying, herein, that the Apostles didn't have enough faith to remove the spirit, He ridiculed them for that lack of faith. If the removal had required something more (prayer and fasting) Jesus would have simply explained why they failed and proceeded to remove the spirit.

Again, I believe the original text of the gospel of Mark did not contain the reference to "prayer and fasting" as being required to remove certain spirits. I believe it was added to legitimize the Roman Catholic ritual of "exorcism".

We have studied about this particular healing before in Matthew 17:15-18, "Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is lunatick, and sore vexed: for ofttimes he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water. And I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him. Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him hither to me. And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that very hour." Notice there is NO mention of the ritual of "prayer and fasting" mentioned in Matthew's account.

The account of this same event as recorded in Luke 9:38-42 make no mention of "prayer and fasting as having been required to cast out the evil spirit, "And, behold, a man of the company cried out, saying, Master, I beseech thee, look upon my son: for he is mine only child. And, lo, a spirit taketh him, and he suddenly crieth out; and it teareth him that he foameth again, and bruising him hardly departeth from him. And I besought thy disciples to cast him out; and they could not. And Jesus answering said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you, and suffer you? Bring thy son hither. And as he was yet a coming, the devil threw him down, and tare him. And Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, and healed the child, and delivered him again to his father."

John's account makes no mention of the event at all.
I advise that everyone prayerfully take from from what I've said today, whatever you are drawn to take, As I have said before, it is NEVER my intent to mislead anyone.~

Lesson 894

(Lesson 894)(02-09-14) Mark 9:1-10

"And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That there be some of them that stand here, which shall not taste of death, till they have seen the kingdom of God come with power. And after six days Jesus taketh with him Peter, and James, and John, and leadeth them up into an high mountain apart by themselves: and he was transfigured before them. And his raiment became shining, exceeding white as snow; so as no fuller on earth can white them. And there appeared unto them Elias with Moses: and they were talking with Jesus. And Peter answered and said to Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias. For he wist not what to say; for they were sore afraid. And there was a cloud that overshadowed them: and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him. And suddenly, when they had looked round about, they saw no man any more, save Jesus only with themselves. And as they came down from the mountain, he charged them that they should tell no man what things they had seen, till the Son of man were risen from the dead. And they kept that saying with themselves, questioning one with another what the rising from the dead should mean."

This text describes the transfiguration of Jesus as He appeared with Moses and Ilias. The Apostles marvelled at the sight and were dumbfounded by it.

In the presence of the Apostles with Moses and Ilias, God the Father called out from heaven, again declaring that Jesus was/is His Son.
After Moses and Ilias had gone and the group were coming down the mountain, Jesus told His Apostles to tell no one what had happened until after He had "risen from the dead". That statement confused the them because they did not yet know Jesus was to be crucified.

I assume that the "transfigured" Jesus is whom we will see descending from heaven when He returns to retrieve His saints.~

Lesson 893

(Lesson 893)(02-08-14) Mark 8:34-38

"And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it. For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels."

It is easy to understand the intent of this lesson, it is simply saying that we as Christians, are to abandon all other beliefs or isms and place our faith wholly in Jesus Christ. We are to totally dedicate our lives unashamedly to the principals laid out in the gospel Jesus taught.

However, some of what appears in this quote calls into question the possible intent of those who later translated, transliterated, or those who otherwise had authority over the content of the text.

This translation, as well as others of the book of Mark, recount Jesus as having said, "let him deny himself, and take up his CROSS, and follow me."

Although I fully understand the intention of the text, I can't imagine why that part of the statement was made. It serves absolutely no purpose other than to lend credence to the symbol of the cross. A symbol, by the way, that should have no significance at all until after Jesus was crucified.

The statement would have meant the exact same thing, actually made better sense, and would have been just as forceful, if those words had been left out leaving 'let him deny himself and follow me'.

The cross is an important symbol of "Christianity" to many, but none more so than the Roman Catholic "church". We must remember that Constantine's vision of a "cross" was the reason he supposedly chose the Roman Catholicism of Paganism in the first place. (Study Constantine and His influence on the written word.)

Since there was no awareness, during the time of His ministry, that Jesus would eventually die on a "cross", that statement would have made no sense at all at the time. Therefore, I believe the statement "take up thy cross" was added to Marks account by the Roman Catholic "church" long after the writing of the original text.

The bible is the un-disputable word of our living God, but we are told in 2 Timothy 2:15,"Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, RIGHTLY DIVIDING the word of truth."

If there are any questions, PLEASE ask. It is never my intent to confuse of mislead anyone.~

Lesson 892

(Lesson 892)(02-07-14) Mark 8:31-33

"And he began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and of the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. And he spake that saying openly. And Peter took him, and began to rebuke him. But when he had turned about and looked on his disciples, he rebuked Peter, saying, Get thee behind me, Satan: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but the things that be of men."

In today's lesson, Jesus makes a statement to Peter that, in my opinion, completely destroys the Roman Catholic theory concerning their creation of the papacy and Peter as the "father" of the "church", or the first pope.

When Peter began to ridicule Jesus in the above quote, Jesus said, "Get thee behind me, Satan". Jesus referred to, who according to Roman Catholicism, the supposed "father" of the "church", as Satan.

In the other account of this conversation, Matthew 16:23, Jesus said to Peter, "Get thee behind me, Satan: THOU ART AN OFFENCE TO ME: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men."

Neither Luke nor John make any mention of this conversation at all.

I am stunned that people, who were/are supposedly knowledgeable of the overall concept of the gospel of Jesus Christ, could/can come away from this lesson, and Matthew's account of the same exchange, believing that Peter was anointed the "father" of the Church.

How on earth could it be reasoned that the one Apostle who was "an offence" to Jesus and the one whom Jesus referred to as "Satan" could still be declared the "father" of the Church?

Matthew's account of this conversation simply established Peter as the first member of the Church, Jesus, since Peter was the first chosen of His Apostles, was saying, in essence, that His Church began with Peter as its first member. Peter was NEVER given authority over the Chruch.~

Lesson 891

(Lesson 891)(02-06-14) Mark 8:22-30

"And he cometh to Bethsaida; and they bring a blind man unto him, and besought him to touch him. And he took the blind man by the hand, and led him out of the town; and when he had spit on his eyes, and put his hands upon him, he asked him if he saw ought. And he looked up, and said, I see men as trees, walking. After that he put his hands again upon his eyes, and made him look up: and he was restored, and saw every man clearly. And he sent him away to his house, saying, Neither go into the town, nor tell it to any in the town. And Jesus went out, and his disciples, into the towns of Caesarea Philippi: and by the way he asked his disciples, saying unto them, Whom do men say that I am? And they answered, John the Baptist: but some say, Elias; and others, One of the prophets. And he saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Peter answereth and saith unto him, Thou art the Christ. And he charged them that they should tell no man of him."

This lesson further demonstrates the Power of Jesus over all manner of human problems, including blindness. In essence, it demonstrates Jesus' power over sin.
We must remember that every bad or unpleasant thing we encounter in this life is the fault of the sin that was brought upon us by the disobedience of Adam.

Therefore when Jesus, as in today's lesson, returned the blind man's sight, or upon another occasion cleansed a leper of his/her disease, or caused a lame person to walk. He was doing nothing more than removing, from that person, the penalty of sin.

Those of us whom have believed in Jesus Christ were given that same healing power if we could only muster as much faith in the outcome as Jesus had, sadly there are few, if any, who are able to muster that much faith.

We can, however, lean on the healing power of the Holy Spirit of God simply by calling on Him in humble prayer.

Therefore, there is never a need for a saved person to suffer because we were given the following promise, "And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you. Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full." (John 16:23-24) ~

Lesson 890

(Lesson 890)(02-05-14) Mark 8:10-21

"And straightway he entered into a ship with his disciples, and came into the parts of Dalmanutha. And the Pharisees came forth, and began to question with him, seeking of him a sign from heaven, tempting him. And he sighed deeply in his spirit, and saith, Why doth this generation seek after a sign? verily I say unto you, There shall no sign be given unto this generation. And he left them, and entering into the ship again departed to the other side. 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?"

This lesson is very descriptive of much of "Christianity" today. Herein, Jesus warns of the "leaven of the Pharisees".

Just as were those disciples, present with Jesus as He taught, many today are obviously confused by what Jesus meant when He said "Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees".

During the entire ministry of Jesus, the scribes, Pharisees and Sadducees, were spreading the seed of doubt and continually insisting that the Jewish people should ignore Jesus and adhere strictly to the Law of Moses.(As they wrongfully applied it.)

Today, almost all the known "Christian" denominations, teach that in order to see heaven, we must live our lives according to a set of rules that have been either gleaned from Mosiac law, or simply made up to best suit those who teach them.

There are only two commandments demanded of today's true Christian people. Jesus very clearly defined them in Matthew 22:37-40, "Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets."

The "leaven of the Pharisees" is any doctrine, or set of tenets, that attempt to take the sin remitting, soul saving power of God's grace away from what was accomplished by, and attained through faith in, the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus Christ. The vast majority of today's isms attempt to do just that, they try to place the burden of sin back on the individual instead of allowing for the fact that Jesus came solely to bear the burden of ALL sin, past, present and future for those who would believe in Him.
1 John 3:8-9, "He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. "

This quote should be read over and over by those who claim to have their faith in Jesus Christ! John, very clearly, says that "He that committeth sin is of the devil", that means that if sin can be charged against a person, that person of OF THE DEVIL, and IS NOT secure within the saving grace of God.

Now, the last portion of Johns statement defines those who have been forgiven, or "justified", "Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God."
This cannot be made clearer! A person who has placed his/her faith in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ CANNOT commit sin, period.
John also very clearly defines the purpose of Jesus coming when he said, "For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil." This quote does not say that Jesus came to simply bruise the works of the devil (sin), He came to "destroy" those works.

The very purpose of the birth, life, death, burial, resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ was to remit the sins of all those who would believe in Him. Therefore, it behooves us to, "Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees."~

Lesson 890

(Lesson 890)(02-04-14) Mark 8:1-9

"In those days the multitude being very great, and having nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples unto him, and saith unto them, 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."

Today's lesson relates the miracle of the seven loaves and a few small fishes. Jesus' actions demonstrated the compassion Jesus felt toward those around Him. Knowing they

were hungry, Jesus would not send them away without first providing them with food for their journey home. Using only the small amount of food that was available to Him, Jesus fed them all with plenty of food left over.

The example Jesus set for us, in this quote, should be a priority for true Christian people today. We should always think first of the welfare of those who, for whatever reason, might not be able to fend for themselves.

In the second of the "great" commandments we are told to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. If we truly do that, we will never allow those around us to suffer while we have the means by which to ease that suffering.~

Lesson 889

(Lesson 889)(02-03-14) Mark 7:24-37:

"And from thence he arose, and went into the borders of Tyre and Sidon, and entered into an house, and would have no man know it: but he could not be hid. For a certain woman, whose young daughter had an unclean spirit, heard of him, and came and fell at his feet: The woman was a Greek, a Syrophenician by nation; and she besought him that he would cast forth the devil out of her daughter. But Jesus said unto her, Let the children first be filled: for it is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it unto the dogs. And she answered and said unto him, Yes, Lord: yet the dogs under the table eat of the children's crumbs. And he said unto her, For this saying go thy way; the devil is gone out of thy daughter. And when she was come to her house, she found the devil gone out, and her daughter laid upon the bed. And again, departing from the coasts of Tyre and Sidon, he came unto the sea of Galilee, through the midst of the coasts of Decapolis. And they bring unto him one that was deaf, and had an impediment in his speech; and they beseech him to put his hand upon him. And he took him aside from the multitude, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spit, and touched his tongue; And looking up to heaven, he sighed, and saith unto him, Ephphatha, that is, Be opened. And straightway his ears were opened, and the string of his tongue was loosed, and he spake plain. And he charged them that they should tell no man: but the more he charged them, so much the more a great deal they published it; And were beyond measure astonished, saying, He hath done all things well: he maketh both the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak."

Today's lesson relates how Jesus continued to work miracles of healing as He traveled throughout the region.
The experience with the Greek woman, related in today's quote, is unique in that it is the first example of Jesus relating the Jewish tradition of separation from the Gentiles.

It is very important to note that the ministry of Jesus and the original twelve Apostles was aimed explicitly toward a Jewish audience and would remain so until Jesus ordained the Apostle Paul to minister to the Gentiles. This is contention is borne out by what His instructions were to the Apostles as He sent them out to teach, "These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not:" (Matthew 10:5)

Jesus, while referring to the Jews as "children", referred to the Greek woman and all Gentiles as "dogs" and said, "for it is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it unto the dogs."

Jesus did, however, because of her faith, heal the Greek woman's daughter as she had requested.

We must understand that throughout His ministry Jesus was bound by Mosaic law to refrain from associating with Gentiles, however, even during the time when the Jewish leadership was desperately searching for a way to silence Him, Jesus was willing to heal and redeem the souls of everyone who believed in Him, including the Gentiles. ~

Lesson 888

(Lesson 888)(02-02-14) Mark 7:17-23:

"And when he was entered into the house from the people, his disciples asked him concerning the parable. 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."

Just like many today, even the Apostles of Christ did not understand the lesson that was contained in the parable that Jesus laid out in yesterday's text.

Jesus plainly said that it is not the things mankind eats or drinks, nor is it those with whom he/she might keep company that defiles, it is the evil that lies in ones own heart that makes mankind unclean.~

Lesson 887

(Lesson 887)(02-01-14) Mark 7:1-16:

"Then came together unto him the Pharisees, and certain of the scribes, which came from Jerusalem. And when they saw some of his disciples eat bread with defiled, that is to say, with unwashen, hands, they found fault. For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, except they wash their hands oft, eat not, holding the tradition of the elders. And when they come from the market, except they wash, they eat not. And many other things there be, which they have received to hold, as the washing of cups, and pots, brasen vessels, and of tables. Then the Pharisees and scribes asked him, Why walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashen hands? He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctines 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. For Moses said, Honour thy father and thy mother; and, Whoso curseth father or mother, let him die the death: But ye say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, It is Corban, that is to say, a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; he shall be free. And ye suffer him no more to do ought for his father or his mother; Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye. And when he had called all the people unto him, he said unto them, Hearken unto me every one of you, and understand: There is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile him: but the things which come out of him, those are they that defile the man. If any man have ears to hear, let him hear."

In spite of the importance of today's quote it is one of the most ignored lessons in the entire New Testament.

This lesson applies to the vast majority of "Christianity" today, just as much, or maybe even more so, than it did to the "scribes", "Pharisees", and "Sadducees" of Jesus day. Far too many of today's "Christians" dwell more on their own outward appearance than they do on the actual substance of the message they were commanded, by Jesus, to bring.

For example, today's "Christians" are much more apt to be condemned for failure to show up at "chruch" two or three times a week than they are to be condemned for failing to provide for the needy in the community.

Although there still are and will always be, those who do their very best to adhere to the gospel of Jesus Christ, just as He taught it, they are more and more being overrun by those who fit Jesus description of the "scribes" and "Pharisees".

Our Christian responsibility to the gospel of Christ is simple. We are to teach everyone we can reach that Jesus is the virgin born Son of a our living God, that He lived, taught, was crucified, died, was buried, and rose again as a living sacrifice for the souls of all who would simply place their faith in Him. His life was ordained and dedicated so that those of us who believe in Him would be released from the bondage of sin that was imposed on God's chosen people by Mosaic law.

Just as Jesus so clearly taught in today's lesson, it is NOT the outward appearance or actions of mankind that matters in our commitment to Jesus Christ and to His gospel. It is the intent, and content of one's heart that truly matters. Everything we do is fine, so long as our actions fit within the restrictions Jesus placed on us when He gave us these two great commandments, "Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." (Matthew 22:37-39)~