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Mark 7 - The Danger of Traditions!

Mark 7 - NIV Enduring Word Commentary So the Pharisees and teachers of the law asked Jesus, “Why don’t your disciples live according to the tradition of the elders instead of eating their food with defiled hands?”  6 He replied, “Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written:  “‘These people honor me with their lips,  but their hearts are far from me.  7 They worship me in vain;  their teachings are merely human rules.’ 8 You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to human traditions.” Commentary The next battle Jesus had with the Pharisees was regarding the ritual cleansing of one's hands before meals. There were passages in the Old Testament which commanded a priest to wash before he entered the temple, but nowhere were the Israelites commanded to wash their hands before they ate. Of course they could as a matter of hygience, but it was not a moral issue or commanded in the Jewish law.  But the Pharisees often a...
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Mark 6 - "Doing the Stuff Jesus Did!"

Mark 6 - NIV Enduring Word Commentary Verses for the Day Jesus Sends Out the Twelve "Then Jesus went around teaching from village to village. 7 Calling the Twelve to him, he began to send them out two by two and gave them authority over impure spirits. ... 12 They went out and preached that people should repent. 13 They drove out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil and healed them." Mark 6:6-7, 12-13 Commentary Jesus continues to go from village to village preaching the Good News of the kingdom, healing the sick, and casting out demons. Since he had a limited time before he would be handed over, condemned, and crucified, he wanted to reach as many people as possible. He also knew that when his three year public ministry was over, the disciples needed to be trained and ready.  There comes a time in a training program when you have enough information. and the only way you are going to learn is by doing it. Just like as human beings we mature through different sta...
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Mark 5 - A Healthy View of The Devil's Power!

 Mark 5 - NIV Enduring Word Commentary Verses of the Day A large herd of pigs was feeding on the nearby hillside.   12  The demons begged Jesus, “Send us among the pigs; allow us to go into them.”   13  He gave them permission, and the impure spirits came out and went into the pigs. The herd, about two thousand in number, rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned. Commentary Jesus continued to do many more signs and wonders, showing that the kingdom of God had drawn near through him. The crowds continued to follow him, wherever he went. He healed a woman who had a bleeding condition, which could often be deadly in his day. The woman had this condition for 12 years, and the doctors could not do anything about it, which left her broke. But after hearing about Jesus, perhaps she thought, " I have one last hope ." So while Jesus was surrounded by the mob of people, she managed to grab his cloak, and instantly she was healed. Now that's some power....
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Do You Want To See Exponential Growth? - Mark 4

Mark 4 - NIV Enduring Word Commentary Verses of the Day Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed.   4  As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up.   5  Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow.   6  But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7  Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain.   8  Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, some multiplying thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times.” Commentary Jesus taught three parables in Mark 4. They all had one thing in common  He spoke about “the seed”, which Jesus tells the disciples is the word of God.  It is very important that you know the Greek word Jesus uses for “the Word” is logos.  The word “logos” is where we get th...
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Greater is He That Is In You Than He That is in the World! - Mark 3

Mark 3 - NIV   Enduring Word Commentary Verses of the Day Jesus Appoints the Twelve 13 Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him. 14 He appointed twelve that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach 15 and to have authority to drive out demons. Commentary When Jesus healed a man with a shriveled hand on the Sabbath, the Pharisees were so angry with Jesus they started to plot against him with Herodians to kill him. Wow! This is only chapter 3, and they want to kill him. It shows how dark their hearts were. Here a man is healed and all they can think of is to look for a way to take him out.  The crowds started flocking to Jesus and closing in on him, because he had healed so many. If I was sick, I would want to get to Jesus too! Even those who where afflicted with "impure spirits", which were demons, were delivered by Jesus. You will see throughout Mark there is a big focus on the authority Jesus has over dem...
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Mark 2 - Jesus Loves Sinners Like You and Me!

Mark 2 - NIV Enduring Word Commentary Key Verses for Today 15 While Jesus was having dinner at Levi’s house, many tax collectors and sinners were eating with him and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. 16 When the teachers of the law who were Pharisees saw him eating with the sinners and tax collectors, they asked his disciples: “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?”  17 On hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” Commentary Jesus begins chapter 2 by performing another miracle. This time a man who was paralyzed was brought in by four men on a mat to see Jesus. Since a crowd was now following him wherever he went, they had to cut a hole in a roof to get an audience with him. When Jesus saw their faith he healed the man.  Next, Jesus does something that would have probably shocked many of those who were following him. The next disciple he called was ...
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Mark 1 - What Day In the Life of Jesus Looks Like!

Mark 1 - NIV Enduring Word Commentary Verses for the Day Jesus Announces the Good News 14 After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. 15 “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!” Commentary Today we begin Mark's gospel, which is the shortest of the 4 gospels at only 16 chapters. The gospel of Mark is the earliest gospel written, and one of the earliest books written in the New Testament. We know it is written before A.D. 70,  because it doesn't talk about the fall of the temple in A.D. 70, which both Matthew and Luke talk about.  Mark is written from the perspective of the apostle Peter. It is fast paced and centers on the actions of power that Jesus manifested. This is reflected in Jesus' words above. Jesus is announcing the Good News. Often we associate the Good News solely with Jesus dying on the cross for our sins. If we believe in him we are saved and obtain eternal....
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