Mark 16:15-20 - An Unusual Text

Mark 16:15-20

And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved, but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who have believed: in My name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues, they will pick up serpents and if they drink any deadly poison, it shall not hurt them, they will land hands on the sick, and they will recover." So then, when the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God. And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them, and confirmed the word by the signs that followed.

Message: An Unusual Text

Time: Mark's personal connection with Peter gave him the source material for this book. This book was composed probably between AD 57 and AD 59. It's a book that is on the move, leading to the cross. 39 times is the word 'immediately' used. Mark reveals Jesus as God's servant, reaching into the lives of people and effecting physical and circumstantial change.

What the Lord is Saying: The end of Mark is disputed as to whether verses 9-20 were part of the gospel or were added on later. In verse 15, the words are recorded that Jesus is sending His disciples into the world to preach the world. The idea is very similar to Matthew 28:19-20 in which are relayed Jesus' final instructions to his people to do the same, "Go and make disciples."  

So what is this text saying? 

For one, something will have to the person that doesn't believe, "he who has disbelieved shall be condemned." This is a clear statement, but whether in the New Testament or Old Testament there has always been the message of those that are chosen and those that are not. The difference here in these verses is the idea that the chosen one's are not as much ordained by God but have a choice - they can believe or not believe. And yet throughout our Old Testament, even the words or actions of others is part of the plan of God. In our free will choices, God's sovereignty holds true. I still to this day wrestle with idea of free will as I don't understand if we really have it, if God works out our free will choices for His purposes. But I suppose that is another matter to ponder in another lesson. The point here is simply there are the "have's" and the "have not's." There are the saved and there are the condemned. To believe is to believe in the gospel or the good news. 

This gospel I think is more broad than it is narrow. It is the kingdom of God on earth and the kingdom of God one day in heaven. The bottom line is we preach these words of this text and try to hold true to those words and its meaning. Mark started his book by starting with "the beginning of the gospel" by announcing it's coming and in verse 14 Jesus preached the gospel saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand, repent and believe in the gospel." Jesus gives actions - repent and believe. But once again the gospel is not clearly described. There is instead some idea that everything that Jesus says is the gospel. He will give us actions that we will need to do. 

Going back to this text here in March 16 at the end. After Jesus in these words differentiates people into those who believe and those who do not, he now speaks more directly about the fruit of those who believe - basically those that believe will carry out some actions that, in this day and age, are rather supernaturally: 

• in My name they will cast out demons
• they will speak with new tongues
• they will pick up serpents and if they drink any deadly poison, it shall not hurt them, 
• they will land hands on the sick, and they will recover

In other words, these believers will carry out some things that will clearly set them aside as believers. 

Thus, there are some supernatural events that will occur. God works and God will work through His people, for His glory. He will do supernatural things and His people will do them. 

We are followers. Yes. We make responses. Yes. But we also are commissioned to do great things in people's lives. As believers, we will do things that will catch people off guard. We will do things that for some will be great things people see and point people back to God and for others it will only give them reasons to disbelieve more. 

And this passage concludes with a more radical statement, "they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them, and confirmed the word by the signs that followed." We are to go out and preach - everywhere. And as we do this, the Lord is with us and working with us in this preaching and supporting. Yes, he is in heaven, but he is still working. He is with us which means a part of Him must be present with us and to this we will say it is His spirit. And through this working, the words of the Gospel will be confirmed by the signs or the supernatural things we do. 

Look out for the supernatural. It will be in the believer's life. 

Prayer: O God, you are rich in mercy and love. And you want me to be your messenger. I believe and You work. You give me belief in You that is supernatural and in response you will do supernatural things through me. Forgive me God for wanting to only focus on the supernatural and give myself praise for when those events happen. Help me to see that they will happen as we have faith and trust in You. But no matter what keep me focused on preaching the gospel. Keep me focused and thanks for working for me and through me and helping me carry out these truths in our world. 

Note: If you are interested in other studies/devotions, check out my index of Bible Study's.

Isaiah 52:7 - Our Highest Calling

Isaiah 52:7 - How lovely on the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who announces peace and brings good news of happiness, who announces salvation, and says to Zion, "Your God reigns!"

Message: Our Highest Calling

Time: Isaiah prophesied from 739–681 BC to a nation that had turned a deaf ear to the Lord. He wanted to see the nation of Judah return to serving God with humility and love for their neighbors. But he was called to pronounce judgments to on a people offering meaningless sacrifices in the Temple and committing injustices throughout the nation. It provides the most prophetic picture of Jesus in the entire Old Testament.

What the Lord is Saying: As I close out this month's issue, it has as usual taken me longer than expected. I haven't done a great job getting through the lessons these past 2 months. The first lessons on Baptism were engaging, but then I started reading daily from the Bible as well and the last two months have had some illness creep in and not been waking up in a timely manner to do stuff each day. After baptism were lesson's on the Lord's Supper, the other sacrament and then lessons on preaching or teaching God's word. 

Today's lesson is about the vocation of ordained pastors or ministers and how we think of them in our culture. I suppose I have always had a lot of respect for pastors. It is true that I wish the church took the bi-vocational role of pastor that the Mormon church takes rather than full-time pastors. I think there are many great people in our church body that could be the pastor as churches start focusing I think too great on rating churches based upon preaching and how good the sermon meets people's needs. I suppose I am similar in this way. We've now been at our church since November 2021 and we have yet to find a way to get plugged in. 

Pastors or priests in our culture are not viewed in high manner. I think of the show Young Sheldon we have watched recently. Mary, the mom, started out in the first almost 4 seasons involved in church and then got disengaged when she felt like the church was not welcoming her because her son got a girl pregnant. The culture portrays this but unfortunately rather accurately. But the pastor in that series was a person that was kind of not real bright and did not have a wife that was engaged in the church. It also showed a youth pastor that was possibly getting involved with Mary or tempted in that direction, giving the idea that authentic living is not a high standard. 

And yet we should have the highest respect for our preacher. What makes a preacher special is his calling to carry the message of the gospel to the Church. This is a significant vocation. In many ways he is our leader in carrying this message to God's people. And yet all of us has this mission. 

More recently I have been engaged in conversations with two pastors in Uganda and through my correspondence watching how they are involved in ministry to their body. It definitely goes beyond Sunday morning. They seem to be real active throughout the week in going to the people, to their homes, to their residence and having home group times with them. It is interesting to hear of their work. People are coming to faith in the process. I can't help but wonder how deep faith is in these interactions. But I am so impressed with their zeal and passion and commitment to God. 

And so today's verse is a fitting one: How lovely on the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who announces peace and brings good news of happiness, who announces salvation, and says to Zion, "Your God reigns!"

This verse is a great anthem of the pastor and the high esteem and role we are to have towards him. And right now I am still of the opinion that this is a male vocation. 

Summary: We are to have a high value on our pastors and preachers who are our leaders in bringing the good news of the Gospel and God's word to the people. 

Promise: The highest calling that any of us will ever have is to be a witness to the gospel. Some of us are called to witness to the gospel full time as ordained preachers and teachers of God’s Word. Others of us will witness to the gospel in the course of fulfilling other vocations. Let us thank God for this high calling and ask Him to give us the courage to proclaim the gospel where He has put us.

Prayer: Thank you God for the high calling each of us has to proclaim the Gospel. Thank you for calling people to be your ambassadors for truth in sharing this with others through full-time ministry. Thank you for the missionaries as well as the pastors that are serving You. I appreciate those individuals I have had in my life. Help me to honor them more. Help us as the church to champion truth and not simply to show up to church with the hopes of entertaining our intellect but to be challenged and answer the call. I pray for me and my wife right now that we would seek to get involved in some way. 

Acts 17:16-34 - Novelty in Preaching

Acts 17:16-34 - Now while Paul was waiting for them in Athens, his spirit was being provoked within him...he was reasoning in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing Gentiles...he was preaching Jesus and the resurrection. Paul stood...and said..."God...does not dwell in temples made with hands....He made from one, every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times, and the boundaries of their habitation, that they should seek God,...for in Him we live and move and exist...God is now declaring to men that all everywhere should repent." Some men joined him and believed. 

Message: Novelty in Preaching

Time: Clearly written by Luke, this book follows the lives of Peter and then Paul after Jesus' ascension into heaven. The book was completed about 62 AD as Paul sat in prison. It provides an account of the growth of the Church and spread from Jerusalem, from a small group of frightened believers in Jerusalem transformed into an empire-wide movement of people who had committed their lives to Jesus Christ, and it should help us to be bold and have zeal in our walks with God.

What the Lord is Saying: We often have a thirst for new and improved. There is nothing wrong with improving a product but sometimes it begs to question what was wrong with the past. Yet it is true that our culture prizes novelty and the present. Our marketplace thrives on this, with new releases of phones, technology continues to improve and we must have the latest. 

I've always enjoyed pastors and teachers that simply take the Word of God and read through it verse by verse and preach it. This way, you get the whole package of truth instead of wading through it and packaging it a certain way. Granted, those types of messages can be appealing at times. It is great to hear the Bible presented clearly. I'm all for that, but we also need to be a people that looks at every part. 

Lately, I've been reading through the Bible, one chapter at a time each day and taking notes. Thinking about this God that doesn't change. And yet reading chapters like Ezekiel that speak of his wrath on kingdoms that do their own thing and elevate themselves over him. Hard subjects at times, but I am reading them nevertheless, trying to understand what they mean and how they fit into the larger picture. 

Jeremiah 6:16, "The Lord says, "Stand by the ways and see and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is, and walk in it."" We can look to the past to help plan out our present days. 

It is good to discover truths in the Bible that perhaps we have not seen before. It is also good to find truths that remind us of falsehood or falling away from our faith. On this sense it is good. But we need to be careful that we are not constantly on a hunt to find new ways of saying the same things that have been said before. 

Summary: There is novelty in preaching to encounter God's word and discover truths that we have not seen before. 

Promise: So often we think it takes courage to say something new, in our day, however, the truly courageous stand for what is true, regardless of its age. May we have the courage to proclaim the old truths of God's word as the only answer to the problems of this new era. 

Prayer: O God, your ways are perfect and true. You God know what we need and Your word is alive. Only today in reading from Ezekiel I discover truths of righteousness and sin and justice that I have never discovered before. Thank you for this discovery and the joy that reading your Word brings. Keep us alive to this preaching. But guard us into the feeling that we must invent new ways constantly. Help us to not do anything that distances the application of Your word and understanding of it. It is true we can find your truth in our world and what it values but it is also not hard to find clarity in your truth. We do not have to search for it by what the world offers. Give us wisdom. 

Acts 6:4 - Preaching and the Preacher's Task

Acts 6:4 - But we will devote ourselves to prayer, and to the ministry of the word. 

Message: Preaching and the Preacher's Task

Time: Clearly written by Luke, this book follows the lives of Peter and then Paul after Jesus' ascension into heaven. The book was completed about 62 AD as Paul sat in prison. It provides an account of the growth of the Church and spread from Jerusalem, from a small group of frightened believers in Jerusalem transformed into an empire-wide movement of people who had committed their lives to Jesus Christ, and it should help us to be bold and have zeal in our walks with God.

What the Lord is Saying: I have previously in these lessons, for these 10th month of lessons that celebrate the 500th year of the Reformation back in 2017, been looking at the focus for this month of the sacraments. While others hold to many varied sacraments, the reformers believe that two sacraments reign supreme - the Lord's Supper and Baptism. I have taken my time in studying each of these. What is clear in the study of these is these sacraments need the Word of God to come alongside them. They need clear explanation and scripture to be spoken as they are performed to provide context and meaning to them, otherwise it is taking another meal or taking another washing of some sort. 

Reformers such as Martin Luther and John Calvin became popular as they spoke, but the focused their hearers not on themselves but rather the Word of God. They labored in their study of the word of God to speak many sermons and teach the Word of God to their congregations. As I have studied them and even looked at later teachers like Charles Spurgeon and then into the 20th century like Charles Swindoll and John MacArthur, it is clear that all of these teachers have an incredible zeal to preach the Word of God in multiple times and multiple ways, going over and over the teaching of God's word. In other words, it is clear that their most important task is to preach and teach. As today's verse mentions in Acts 6:4, "They were devoted....to the ministry of the word." 

And as they did this preaching their lives and ministries, more importantly, have been blessed. People in churches often want their pastors to assume a lot of different roles, but we should only really expect our pastors to preach and teach God's word to us. 

Summary: Sacraments must carry with them the study and preaching of God's Word. 

Promise: God's word tells us that the primary task of pastors is preaching and teaching, so that is what we should expect above all from our preachers. 

Prayer: O God, you are glorious and God and your ways are right and true. I am thankful for the good teachers of the Word that you have placed in my life. I am amazed at their many lessons and teachings of the Word of God. For me, I am most thankful for Norm Boshoff as you drew me into fellowship and then later Tom Nelson who amazed me of this love and devotion of Your Words and then his great communication of those words. Thank you God for using these men to bring further excitement and joy to me in reading Your Word. And thank you for my mom and her great devotion to You and that daily excitement she set before me to also have that joy and desire to study and read Your word and walk with you every day in every way. You have placed great people in My life and I am so thankful for this. 

Romans 4:11a - Signs and Seals of the Covenant of Grace

Romans 4:11a - and he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while uncircumcised.

Message: Signs and Seals of the Covenant of Grace

Time: Paul wrote Romans from Corinth as he prepared to leave for Palestine. Phoebe (16:1,2) was given the great responsibility of delivering the letter to the Romans believers. At this time, Rome had a population of 1 million, many of whom were slaves. The Romans church was doctrinally sound, but it still needed rich doctrine and practical application. Rome had massive buildings but also slums.

What the Lord is Saying: Today's lesson title describes one definition of the term sacrament and now I move to a new set of lessons on sacraments. This is a word that is not familiar to me and is not something that I have learned growing up in a Baptist church. In my last lesson on Worship, I had a lesson on Sacraments in Worship and in that lesson I looked at the history of this word "Sacraments" and how it came to be defined both by the Reformers (Protestants) and the Catholics which seem to be the two main body of religious people during the 16th century. 

Sacraments was clearly a controversial subject not only between Protestants and Catholics but even between the Protestants today. And this seems to be one of the reasons we have different denominations because of how we have defined this interpretations and churches. Even a church known as the Church of Christ who state they are non-denominational are a church that hold to specific sacraments. 

Thus, this new series of lesson will focus on the Reformers view of sacraments and what they are and what they look like or should look like in our lives and churches today. As Tabletalk records:

In contrast to some traditions that view the sacraments as mere memorials and testimonies, traditional Reformed theology affirms that the sacraments convey the promises and grace of God to the elect, but in contrast to Roman Catholicism, traditional Reformed theology understands the efficacy of the sacraments as rooted in the work of the Spirit and faith, not the actual performance of the sacramental rites. 

Interesting words here and lots to unpack. 

First with the definition. The English word sacrament comes from Latin. And the root of the word is the same as the meaning of "holy" or "consecrate." As such, sacraments are holy mysteries. But this mystery is not an unknown as it is a means to reveal truth. They are specific rites or acts to reveal truth and set God's people apart from the world. Baptism, the Lord's Supper and even preaching are sacraments. 

In today's verse, Romans 4:11a, Paul remembers the old covenant sacrament of circumcision. And he states that what this sacrament of circumcision did was describe a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while uncircumcised. So circumcision was a physical representation of an inward decision or faith. It was an outward sign of that which occurred on the inside. It revealed to people what had occurred on the inside. It is a visible mark that God owns us. 

Thus, these sacraments and the practice of them become a representation to the outside world that we belong to God. Obviously, not everyone who practices the sacraments is a true representative or part of the remnant (Jeremiah 23:3), but it is meant to be a mark of the visible church. 

I think of tattoo's and the prominent place they now have in our world. I have a co-worker that has several tattoo's on her body to chronicle in this permanent way a remembrance of her brother who died and also her kids. When seeing these tattoo's therefore there is no doubt or should be no doubt of what has occurred with her on the inside. My son-in-law has a tattoo on his arm of a nail cross that relays his commitment to Christ and my daughter has also added these tattoo's, though small of a cross and also a New Mexico symbol. They are not ashamed therefore in these ways to press something on their bodies permanently to express who they are or the truth that they want to convey to others. Signs point beyond themselves to something else. 

In my life, what do I show others - my life, my words but also a baptism and the Lord's Supper observance but also other avenues of my life. 

Summary: Sacraments are signs that point beyond themselves to something else and convey the promises of grace and God. 

Promise: For those who believe in Jesus Christ for their salvation, justification, and sanctification, the sacraments provide further confirmation that God cleanses us and nourishes us in Christ. 

Prayer: O Lord, thank you for this lesson and these truths about sacraments and revealing to me an understanding of this. I definitely know this has been a subject that has divided many people that are part of Your fold, Your remnant. Lord, give me understanding and help me to understand this subject and what it means to my life as a follower of Yours. Thank you for the truth of Your Word and I pray Holy Spirit that You would continue to reveal truth to me through these times that I have in Your Word and that I would listen and that I would obey. 

Matthew 28:18-20 - Preaching Christ and His Commandments

Matthew 28:18-20 - Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, ... teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."

Message: Preaching Christ and His Commandments

Time: Matthew, one of the 12 apostles, is credited with this book, despite the fact that he did not sign it. Dating it's writing is difficult, but most agree it to be AD 60-65 since it does not mention the destruction of the temple in AD 70. A Jew, he includes 50 direct citations and many other indirect citations from the Old Testament. 

What the Lord is Saying: 

In our previous lessons, we have been speaking of how the church is larger than our local body and is made up of all believers throughout history from all nations and tribes. The church continues to grow and we continue to reach the unreached. As I think about this idea that we have a core understanding of what is in scripture, it is important to now further clarify or define what that core understanding is exactly. The key is that churches are Apostolic. We have already determined this. How do we test whether a church is Apostolic? Here is a start on that subject of what churches should do and believe in order to conform to what our Lord teaches. 

It starts with the preaching of the biblical gospel and the teaching of the whole counsel of God. A church needs to be committed to faithfully preaching the Word of God. The Word of God is our only infallible authority and makes preaching of it a priority. As the text today and the words of Jesus states, churches are teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. Thus, the entire word of God needs to be preached. All the texts, not just certain texts, but all of it has riches we need to hear. 

Summary: The Church needs to be committed to preaching the Word of God, all of it. 

Promise: The primary criterion we should have if we need to find a church is faithfulness to the Word of God, otherwise a person is joining a social club. 

Prayer: Thank you God for giving me a love for your Word. I know you gave me a wonderful mother that instilled this love in me and then you brought pastors into my life like Tom Nelson who examined it thoroughly in all its facets. Thank you for giving me this thirst to understand it and hear it preached. Keep me grounded in this and keep drawing people and churches and pastors to the faithful examination of it, so that it is preached and nothing else. 

Note: I follow the readings from the Tabletalk Magazine devotional, though I am now working through 2017 devotionals. 2017 is a study of key biblical doctrines celebrating the 500th year of the Reformation. The month of August is about the Body of the Lord - the Church recovered in the Reformation; July was the right use of God's Law; June was justification by faith alone; May about solus Christus - Christ Alone; April, salvation by grace alone; March, the sovereign providence of God; February, the doctrine of revelation, Scripture that sola Scriptura seeks to preserve; January, the doctrine of God. 

Christ's Body

The Body of Christ - The Church is the Body of Christ and Christ loves the church. We are to imitate Christ and see that the Church is how Christ carries out His purposes in the world. The Head of the Church - Christ is Head of the church and he only has final authority and gives life to the church. Life is found only in Jesus Christ our Lord. - The Church We Can See - Belonging to a church is not optional, for anyone. We are meant to live in a community with other believers, to hear the Word of God preached, and to grow. The Church We Cannot See - What we see is the Visible church, the invisible church only God knows because He is omniscient and that is the Church we cannot see. 

Truths about the Church from the Apostles Creed

Church Unity - The church is bigger than our local assembly; there are core beliefs among the invisible church. One People Throughout History - God has only one people; throughout the world there are people that share doctrines and truths despite their being differences in where we attend or belong. God's Holy People - By being in Christ, though we still have a fallen nature, God has set us apart as holy, as his saints. True Catholocity - God's people includes men and women from every tribe and every tongue that hold to the biblical gospel. The Apostilic Church - we are fellow citizens with all people from all tribes and tongues throughout history, united by being built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets teaching, thus apostolic, with Christ Jesus being our cornerstone.

Acts 17:1-9 - The Role of Reason

Acts 17:1-9
Now when they had traveled through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. 2 And according to Paul’s custom, he went to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures, 3 explaining and giving evidence that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus whom I am proclaiming to you is the Christ.”4 And some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, along with a large number of the God-fearing Greeks and a number of the leading women. 5 But the Jews, becoming jealous and taking along some wicked men from the market place, formed a mob and set the city in an uproar; and attacking the house of Jason, they were seeking to bring them out to the people. 6 When they did not find them, they began dragging Jason and some brethren before the city authorities, shouting, “These men who have upset the world have come here also; 7 and Jason has welcomed them, and they all act contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus.” 8 They stirred up the crowd and the city authorities who heard these things. 9 And when they had received a pledge from Jason and the others, they released them.

Message: The Role of Reason

Time: Clearly written by Luke, this book follows the lives of Peter and then Paul after Jesus' ascension into heaven. The book was completed about 62 AD as Paul sat in prison. It provides an account of the growth of the Church and spread from Jerusalem, from a small group of frightened believers in Jerusalem transformed into an empire-wide movement of people who had committed their lives to Jesus Christ, and it should help us to be bold and have zeal in our walks with God.

What the Lord is Saying:

Does it make sense that what we see has always been? Thus, the idea from the atheist or naturalist is this world in which we live in has always existed or has come about over time ever so gradually. Thus, the universe is eternal. Or does it make more sense that it has been designed. Therefore, it has a designer. For me, as I examine the intricacy of the human body, it is difficult for me to see that this body has simply evolved. Thus, it seems reasonable to believe this. Once I have believed in a designer, it makes sense that only the designer knows how to save me.

In this passage, Acts 17, Paul has come upon Thessalonica. This was a large city with a large population. As Paul entered the City, he did what he did with entering any city, he went straight to the synagogue -- they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. And according to Paul’s custom, he went to them. I find it interesting that Paul does not wait for people to come to him. Instead he goes right to the middle of the crowd that is opposed to his thinking and speaks to them. What an encouragement this is and a scary approach to things. His mission is to show people that Jesus is the Christ. Paul is an evangelist and his goal is to go to all the world and preach the gospel.

There is no problem in waiting for people to come to the church and then in that service to speak directly to them. Yet, this is not our only mission. We are also to go straight to the city centers and speak to those that are thinking another way. And I wonder, are we supposed to go to the churches that are speaking a different way? Are we go and stir the pot in those settings? Paul went straight to the synagogue, to the place that believed something different. And he experienced opposition. I Thessalonians 2:2 says - but after we had already suffered and been mistreated in Philippi, as you know, we had the boldness in our God to speak to you the gospel of God amid much opposition.

This makes me think of the open air preaching that sometimes goes on or that way of the master and living waters has mentioned. Yet, I am not sure that is the application here. The one thing that I see though is we tend to stay in safe environments for our ideal today or our mission today is safety, not conflict. Why? We want to preserve our life.

Paul did not enter the synagogue one time and then leave, but rather for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures. From the Scriptures was how his reasoning was done. And what is amazing to me is at this time, the Scriptures meant the Old Testament for he did not have a New Testament. Perhaps he had his stories and memories of Jesus and what He said while walking on the earth and following His resurrection. But it seems clear that the reasoning he did could be done with the Old Testament writings.

I have been reading the book Unveiling Grace by Lynn Wilder, a former LDS follower and what made the difference in her life was the reading of the New Testament and the words of Jesus. This is what moved her son. It is God's Word that changes lives. Paul knew this. Yet, preaching the words of Jesus either move people to the Son or further away. Both can be expected outcomes.

The other alarming record is that Paul went to the synagogue for three Sabbaths or three weeks. He camped out in this place and continued to speak to them. He continued to proclaim the message that This Jesus who I am proclaiming to you is the Christ." This Jesus is the Messiah. This was his message over and over to them, using the scriptures. And what the response? Well, some of them were persuaded. But the Jews formed a mob and set the city in an uproar. Here is the hard part, some followed, but most did not.

And this passage then turns to Jason. Jason seems to be a citizen of Thessalonica and his crime was -- and Jason has welcomed them. Jason was where Paul probably camped out and stayed. Jason and the other followers and Paul were brought out of their residence and placed before the mob. This recount of Jason and others being dragged out gets several verses. Let's be clear there is those that believe, but there are many more that oppose. And we live in a time period now that those who stir the pot are lambasted. So we can stay safe on the sidelines but then we should not be surprised that we are not having much of an impact on our culture or we can get in the middle and see fruit, but also opposition.

Promise: The reason we use in talking to people is by bringing them back continually to the Scripture, to the Word of God.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for this passage and helping me wake up more to the idea that I am your ambassador and the best way to preach your gospel is by communicating your Word. I need to accept and realize that while some will accept, many will not. Forgive me for remaining silent all to often because of this. I get too comfortable with this world and living in it and don't want anything to rock the boat or upset my place in this world. Lord, I need to come back to Your word and see that it is true to all of life and this is your message I am to carry.

Note: I follow the readings from the Tabletalk Magazine devotional, though I am a little behind and working through 2017 devotionals. 2017 is a study of key biblical doctrines with March being about the sovereign providence of God and looking at how the Bible reveals His control over all things.

Mark 16:20 - The Gospel Goes Forth

Mark 16:20
And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them, and confirmed the word by the signs that followed.]

Message: The Gospel Goes Forth

Time: Mark's personal connection with Peter gave him the source material for this book. This book was composed probably between AD 57 and AD 59. It's a book that is on the move, leading to the cross. 39 times is the word 'immediately' used. Mark reveals Jesus as God's servant, reaching into the lives of people and effecting physical and circumstantial change.

What the Lord is Saying:

Preface - The Gospel of Mark records Jesus coming on the scene and preaching a message of "repent and believe." Mark records Jesus' 3 year ministry as he navigates through towns in Judea with His 12 disciples. As Jesus goes many come to follow Him and see Him. Some are there in hopes of being healed while many are also there to listen to Him teach. Along the way also scribes and chief priests question Him at various times and seem to be threatened by Him. Jesus speaks in a way that many are not accustomed to hearing. He talks of His authority and refers to Himself often as the Son of Man, thus living as fully man. But, He also does things like calm the sea, cast out demons, heal paralytics, forgives sin, raises a daughter from the dead. Mark often records brief information about Jesus and often focuses on the people around him and the impact of what Jesus is saying. Jesus talks about his death and resurrection 3 times. He challenges the disciples to do as He does but they struggle with this. The disciples struggle with applying the truths that Jesus asks them to do. Eventually Jesus comes to Jerusalem and prepares to die. The disciples still don't believe it. But Jesus fulfills the prophecies. He says one will betray Him and Jesus does. He is seized by the Jewish leaders at night and then turned over to Pilate with the hope that he will die. Pilate takes it before the people and the pronouncement of crucifixion falls on Jesus. He admits he is the Son of God and the people call Him the king of the Jews, something he does not deny. He is beaten, scourged, spit on, mocked and receives much pain. Mark is specific about the crown of thorns and the pain of those thorns from beatings with a scepter. Eventually Jesus ends up at the cross, already very weak. Even on the cross He is mocked. The area grows dark for 3 hours on Friday with Him on the cross as He seems to deal with God's wrath. He feels God the Fathers rejection and cries out and then dies. He is buried that same day, before the Passover and then appears to Mary Magdalene, and the disciples. It takes the disciples a while to believe He has risen. Jesus confronts their hardened hearts, but then also commissions them to preach the Gospel - the message of believing and being baptized. They will do great things in His name. He ascends to heaven and takes His seat at the right hand of God.

This book has been exciting to study as I come now to the end of it. It's a message from Peter through Mark. I think it's the first time I've really studied one of the Gospels. I've listened to sermons before and read through it several times, but it has been great to study it more completely. I've been trying to discover the message that Mark presents of Jesus. He does speak of Jesus being fully man and fully God, as is evidenced by the many attributes of God. There are some very clear statements about Him being God. I'm not sure if people realized though what was going on and who He was. Some did but Mark doesn't always present many details about these occurrences in the life of Jesus. It seems that it will take Jesus leaving for them to really understand His message. But, it is clear Jesus did what He set out to do - come to earth as man, live it, experience it alongside us but with the authority of God and then died on the cross, experiencing darkness on the cross and rejection and then dying finally. He rose on the 3rd day, but not really 2 full days later. He appeared and then went to heaven.

This final verse now speaks of this going forth of the disciples and their message to the world.

And they went out and preached everywhere - they were obedient to His commission to preach the gospel throughout the world. But the did not go alone as they went while the Lord worked with them. Jesus is gone from walking beside them physically but He is still with them spiritually and with us. They walked and He as Lord worked. Jesus' position now is clear. He is God. He is holy. His is on mission. And He confirmed the word by the signs that followed. Much would occur now in future events. Miracles followed them as they went forth. Whether those same signs still follow us today is unclear. Many would say those signs were only present during the earthly lives of the apostles, thus ending around 100 AD. The thought is the throughout history, miracles have been present at some times, but not present at other times.

At this point there is exuberance by the disciples in taking the message. Again, they are beginning to follow Him now that He is gone in the way Jesus expected while He was with them. The faith has been received now. And much will be different going forward.

Summary - The message of the Gospel now goes forth, everywhere.

Promise: From Tabletalk December 20, 2016 - When God saves His people, He equips them to preach the gospel according to their abilities where they find themselves. The gospel message is not something we can keep to ourselves, but we must proclaim the lordship of Christ to our children, our spouses, our friends, our family, and our communities. Let us pray for boldness to preach the gospel, and let us make disciples where God has called us.

Prayer: O Lord, thank you for being with us as the message of You and Your Gospel goes forth throughout this world. There are signs of You all the time. Give me wisdom to see these. Even as the world continues to be contrary to your message, shine bright through Me and all the Christians of this world who are your true followers. I pray we would love you with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength and then love one another with the same degree of love that each of us loves ourselves. Continue to help me Jesus understand You and Your message and Your gospel. I do want to carry the light. But you must work with me, through me and in me as you have said you would. I pray your light stays visible for me at all times.

Mark 16:14-15 - Commissioning the Disciples

Mark 16:14-15
14 Afterward He appeared to the eleven themselves as they were reclining at the table; and He reproached them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who had seen Him after He had risen. 15 And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.

Message: Commissioning the Disciples

Time: Mark's personal connection with Peter gave him the source material for this book. This book was composed probably between AD 57 and AD 59. It's a book that is on the move, leading to the cross. 39 times is the word 'immediately' used. Mark reveals Jesus as God's servant, reaching into the lives of people and effecting physical and circumstantial change.

What the Lord is Saying:

Preface - Jesus has risen from the dead on the first day of the week, Sunday, after being crucified on Friday following his arrest and seemingly conviction for rightfully being King of the Jews. The news of his resurrection was given first to 3 women and then he appeared for the first time to Mary Magdalene, followed by 2 of the disciples, however after hearing from these individuals, people are not believing that Jesus has in fact raised from the dead.

Between verse 13 and 14 is another appearance of Jesus to his disciples - Afterward He appeared to the eleven themselves as they were reclining. Jesus is appearing to them in the evening now of Sunday, the first day of the week. The disciples are now known as the eleven as Judas, the 12th, has killed himself following him betraying Jesus. But, it is said that Thomas is not even with them at this time, but still the group is referred to as the Eleven. They were reclining at the table and eating when He appeared to them.

and He reproached them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who had seen Him after He had risen. Jesus confronts their unbelief, their stubbornness in not believing despite His appearance to others. It is a situation that remains true to this day as many will not believe unless they see Him or have some sort of visible proof. They are not willing to take the Words of other witnesses. But, this is important for us today as well for we are believing now based upon the testimony of others. However, his focus is not on the evidence, but rather the condition of their hearts. They begin with a hardness of heart so that the evidence does not even matter, whatever the evidence may be. This is the problem with a hardened heart as it makes a decision even before the evidence is presented.

Yet despite this unbelief, it is them that he tasks to go into all the world and preach. And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation." On the surface this seems surprising. Today, wouldn't we look for the most qualified individuals prior to giving them this task. All to often this is how we choose people today, based upon their resume's and past performances, but Jesus then commissions these men that throughout His ministry have shown over and over that they are not the most qualified. Could this be because man's position is not what is important, but God's position and His mission will always save lives. So Jesus gives them the task despite their hardness of heart. He rebukes them, but then commissions them. One note is that Mark is always careful to show the failures of the disciples. He is often more interested in how people responded to Jesus rather than Jesus' message itself.

Summary - After speaking to Mary Magdalene and others on the road (perhaps disciples) he comes back to his original disciples (less Judas who is deceased) and reproaches them for their unbelief and for not even looking at the evidence, but first having a hardness of heart. Yet despite this denial of Him, He tasks them to go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. They are still the one's that He will use.

Promise: Past failures do not mean that we cannot be used of God today.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for using the undeserved. You show me continually that You can work through any person. Help me to not be so caught up in qualifications that I miss the work that You are doing. Help my unbelief and thinking a certain way before the evidence is presented. Help me to have an open-mind.

Mark 13:9-10 - Bearing Witness To Christ

Mark 13:9-10
9 “But be on your guard; for they will deliver you to the courts, and you will be flogged in the synagogues, and you will stand before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them. 10 The gospel must first be preached to all the nations.

Message: Bearing Witness To Christ

Time: Mark's personal connection with Peter gave him the source material for this book. This book was composed probably between AD 57 and AD 59. It's a book that is on the move, leading to the cross. 39 times is the word 'immediately' used. Mark reveals Jesus as God's servant, reaching into the lives of people and effecting physical and circumstantial change.

What the Lord is Saying:

Preface - Christ is in the middle of giving his Mount of Olives presentation or what is known as the Olivet Discourse on the future of Jerusalem and the temple. The previous four verses spoke of warnings that would occur - such as false teachers, wars, rumors of wars, and natural disasters, such as earthquakes. These would be come and the people of God need to be careful to not heed the teachings of those that will seek to coerce and mislead them, and also we are not be frightened.

But beyond these warnings are admonitions and commands that Jesus gives. But be on your guard. In essence, don't assume all is good all the time. Continue to carry out your duty amidst all of these disasters and misleading and deception that are occurring. It is somewhat to sad to see the number of people that have been deceived. It's rather alarming to see. That so many people can be convicted into the think that their truth is the right way is chilling. for they will deliver you to the courts which means people will end up in courts that they think will give them a fair trial but they will not. This nation of ours (USA) is becoming more and more secular and we cannot be surprised of the unjust way in which Bible believing people are being treated now. Yet, still we need to press on and continue the message that Christ has given us: to preach repentance and believe in His name. and you will be flogged in the synagogues; It is easy for me today to see this application to today's time. But for many they would be taken before the Sanhedrin (the ancient Jewish court system). It was normal in these times, in order to keep order, to beat people, scourge them or flog them. and you will stand before governors and kings for My sake; apostles would appear before Gallio (apostle Paul), Festus (apostle Paul's final hearing), Felix (Paul and other Judeans), Herod (John the Baptist), Agrippa (Paul), Nero (Peter and Paul), Domitian, and others. as a testimony to them - We do not simply accept these flogging and punishments, but do it for the testimony of Jesus.

The gospel must first be preached to all the nations.

“The fulfilment of this part of the prophecy we learn chiefly from the writings of the New Testament, which inform us that the gospel was preached by Paul in Arabia, and through the vast tract from Jerusalem to Iconium in Lycaonia, and in Galatia, and through all Asia Minor, and in Greece, and round about to Illyricum, and in Crete and Italy, probably also in Spain and Gaul. Besides, the gospel reached much farther than this apostle carried it; for we find him writing to Christians who had never seen his face. Also, we have still remaining Peter’s epistles to the converted Jews in Pontus, Asia, Cappadocia, and Bythynia. Probably the gospel was preached in these and many other countries by the Jews who sojourned there, and who, having come to Jerusalem to the passover, were converted on the day of pentecost. The Ethiopian eunuch, converted by Philip, would carry it likewise into his country. But whatever way it happened, the fact is certain, that in most of these countries churches were planted within thirty years after Christ’s death, or about ten years before the destruction of Jerusalem." - James Macknight (1721-1800) Scottish Minister

So this literally took place. The gospel was indeed preached to the known world at the time before the destruction of Jerusalem. This is also encouragement for me to preach the gospel, wherever I go and to support others who do this, like Shane and Alicia who are in India, which I discovered is the world's second biggest country with 1.3 Billion people. Wow. I had no idea.

Summary - This passage has relevance mostly to 2,000 years ago and its immediate prophetic fulfillment of the disciples and followers experiencing persecution for their faith. It was prophesied that the Gospel would also be preached and it was before the destruction of Jerusalem.  

Promise: Faithfulness to Christ may lead to difficult times, trials, and even arrest before governing authorities. But, through all of this we are to be witnesses and continue to proclaim the gospel. 

Prayer: O Lord, you are beautiful, thank you for tough times. Remind me that I can go through them because you have been so great to me and it is all for your glory. Thank you for the men and women that have come before me and have shown me what it means to suffer and die for the sake of Your Name. Lord, I struggle at times today knowing what it really means to suffer for You with all of the creature comforts I have and I often think that much of life now is protecting myself against that suffering. I think of the missionary that died recently in Cameroon after raising support for 3 years and then being there for just 2 weeks. That is hard to reconcile, but you will be glorified no matter what. Keep me focused on You day in and day out, teaching me what it means to follow you.

Mark 7:36-37 - The Crowd's Response to Jesus

Mark 7:36-37
36 And He gave them orders not to tell anyone; but the more He ordered them, the more widely they continued to proclaim it. 37 They were utterly astonished, saying, “He has done all things well; He makes even the deaf to hear and the mute to speak.”

Message: The Crowd's Response to Jesus

Time: Mark's personal connection with Peter gave him the source material for this book. This book was composed probably between AD 57 and AD 59. It's a book that is on the move, leading to the cross. 39 times is the word 'immediately' used. Mark reveals Jesus as God's servant, reaching into the lives of people and effecting physical and circumstantial change.

What the Lord is Saying:

Preface: Jesus speaks to all the people, going beyond just the scribes, and declares clearly that when speaking of being clean, the key is what comes out of a person, not what is taken in. Jesus goes to the region of Tyre and Sidon in an attempt to get away from ministry in Galilee for a time, perhaps in hopes of getting away from the crowds. But news of him is there as well and a woman appears to him requesting that an unclean spirit (demon) be removed from her daughter. Once again here, the emphasis seems to be on the disciples and teaching about the faith he is looking for in people. Jesus continues his journey, arriving in the region of Decapolis, and this time the healing of a deaf man is mentioned, fulfilling a prophecy from Isaiah 35:5. Jesus touches the man placing his fingers into his ear and touches his tongue giving him speech.

After healing the man, giving hearing and speech to this man He gave them orders not to tell anyone; Jesus had come to this region for a purpose and it seemed to teach his disciples and preach a message but he had to have know the impact healing would have had on people who were suffering. In this time, there was no medicine or hospitals or care that could occur when sickness or disease afflicted people. Upon being wounded, many simply died or suffered for long periods. So for Jesus to come and heal people must have produced a crazy amount of hysteria in this region. And yet He still had a mission: for people to repent and believe and believe in the Gospel of God.  And he knew his work would not just incite good people to want him but also incite religious people to be concerned about him and make a commotion as well. And sure enough the more He ordered them, the more widely they continued to proclaim it. 

Tabletalk devotional states: the common first-century Jewish expectation regarding the Messiah was for a conquering king who would overthrow Rome’s control of Palestine. If Jesus was widely acclaimed as the Messiah, it could inspire revolutionary zeal among the people and cause the Romans to arrest Jesus before it was time for His crucifixion.

Mark records that they were utterly astonished, saying "He has done all things well; He makes even the deaf to hear and the mute to speak." I think Jesus was really most concerned about teaching the disciples. The key to his ministry and its effectiveness seems to be the work of the disciples in proclaiming that message and he wants them to be properly equipped as we are to be equipped today. Often we get caught up in the power that God has over people, often healing people from something they previously thought was a part of their lives always, that they had been afflicted with, but Jesus clearly wants people to see the eternal result of the gospel and forgiveness of sin. It is almost as if he is saying, "Don't miss the real reason I have come."

Summary: Jesus is here to preach the gospel, to save sinners, to forgive. But he is also there for people to give them new life.

Promise: God is good all the time. To echo the words of Mark, I can apply them to all that Jesus is and he does do all things well.

Prayer: Lord, help me to not miss the message of who you are and what you are doing. I pray that we would embrace your words and see them as life changing. Thank you for the way you are working in people's lives. Keep us focused on the truth of your message.

Mark 3:13-15 - Twelve Apostles

Mark 3:13-15
13 And He went up on the mountain and summoned those whom He Himself wanted, and they came to Him. 14 And He appointed twelve, so that they would be with Him and that He could send them out to preach,15 and to have authority to cast out the demons.

Message: Twelve Apostles

Time: Mark's personal connection with Peter gave him the source material for this book. This book was composed probably between AD 57 and AD 59. It's a book that is on the move, leading to the cross. 39 times is the word 'immediately' used. Mark reveals Jesus as God's servant, reaching into the lives of people and effecting physical and circumstantial change.

What the Lord is Saying:

Earlier, Jesus called 4 men to follow him, stating that he would make them fishers of men (1:16-17). Now here in Chapter 3 is the full calling of all disciples. Mark doesn't mention all by their names. Jesus goes up to the mountain (probably a place for him to pray) and from this high place summoned those whom He Himself wanted. This wasn't a collaboration. He chose the ones he wanted. And they came to Him. He called, they came. They were discovered first before they were apostles.

And He appointed twelve. They were set apart.

1. So that they would be with Him. Will apostles ever be established again, because their purpose was to be with Him. This was the initial reason for calling them - to be with Him. 
2. and that He could send them out to preach; he was called to preach repentance and belief. So, now his disciples would carry the same message. Jesus knew he wouldn't always be around, and he wanted his disciples to preach. He wants to work through and use other men. 
3. and to have authority to cast out the demons. It continues. As I look at these passages, I am a little startled, I suppose, of how much the casting out of demons is mentioned.  

Promise: The words of the Apostles carry the same authority as the words Christ spoke while on earth. 

Prayer: Thank you God for the way you appointed others to carry your message. Thank you that you use people to preach and carry your message.