Tag: Mark

Mark 16:4 (KJV)
And when they looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away: for it was very great.

All their questions were answered when they looked.  
Any objections, any obstacles were removed simply for the looking. 

Their question was not answered by any man, but by the Lord. They were not yet aware of this truth, but it was the truth. We do not need any of the answers men provide. What we need is that which God provides. 

If they had not gone to look, they might never have known
I see this so often in men and women today. All of their objections concerning 

• The existence of God
• The truthfulness of the Scriptures
• The reality of the Gospel and 
• The effectiveness of salvation 

would be answered if they would come to look. 

The purpose of the witness for Christ is not to convince the naysayer with our good answers. All we need to do is to urge them to come see for themselves. 

To my readers:
Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

Donate to Bible Baptist Church every time you make an Amazon purchase through this link, https://smile.amazon.com/ch/91-1265824

For this and, more than 5300 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

For more resources from Pastor Marvin McKenzie visit http://puyallupbaptistchurch.com.

My books are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org

Mark 16:4 When They Looked

Mark 12:11 (KJV)
This was the Lord’s doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?

To marvel at a thing does not necessarily mean what we think it to means. It is to study, ponder, look upon, and meditate. We generally think of that thing that is marvelous as positive. In the broader sense, it can be something terrible, fearsome, or overwhelming. 

• That the husbandmen would beat the master’s servants and kill his son is a thing to ponder indeed
• That the stone the builders rejected becomes the cornerstone is a matter worth study
• That the Pharisees would seek to lay hold on Jesus is a matter for serious consideration 

And that all of this is the LORD’s doing, that is truly marvelous in our eyes. 

To my readers:
Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

Donate to Bible Baptist Church every time you make an Amazon purchase through this link, https://smile.amazon.com/ch/91-1265824

For this and, more than 5300 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

For more resources from Pastor Marvin McKenzie visit http://puyallupbaptistchurch.com.

My books are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org

Mark 12:11 The Lord’s Doing

Mark 11:18 (KJV)
And the scribes and chief priests heard it, and sought how they might destroy him: for they feared him, because all the people was astonished at his doctrine.

What is often thought is anger is really fear. The scribes and chief priests sought to kill Jesus, not because they were angry with Him, but because they feared him.  

The Bible repeatedly says that this is also why Saul wanted to kill David. 

1 Samuel 18: 12 (KJV)
And Saul was afraid of David, because the LORD was with him, and was departed from Saul. 

1 Samuel 18: 15 (KJV)
Wherefore when Saul saw that he behaved himself very wisely, he was afraid of him.

1 Samuel 18: 29 (KJV)
And Saul was yet the more afraid of David; and Saul became David’s enemy continually. 

This does not change the consequences, but it does provide some understanding. 

Do the right thing. Do it regardless of the consequences and responses. 

Heavenly reward awaits 

To my readers:
Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

Donate to Bible Baptist Church every time you make an Amazon purchase through this link, https://smile.amazon.com/ch/91-1265824

For this and, more than 5300 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

For more resources from Pastor Marvin McKenzie visit http://puyallupbaptistchurch.com.

My books are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org

Mark 11:18 Is That Fear?

Mark 9:14 (KJV)
And when he came to his disciples, he saw a great multitude about them, and the scribes questioning with them.

This would have been an incredibly stressful moment for Jesus’s disciples. He had been away on the Mt. of Transfiguration with Peter, James, and John. I do not mean to imply that the others were lesser apostles, but they were not with Jesus. Had they been with Him, this whole affair would not have happened. 

When Jesus arrived, he found His disciples surrounded by a multitude and being questioned by some scribes. Pressure is on boys!

Jesus immediately relieved the pressure by asking the scribes what their questions were. The scribes never did answer. It was the one who had started the whole thing who spoke up, “I have brought my son to thee … I spoke to thy disciples … they could not.” 

Of course, they could not. They were not Jesus. They were merely disciples of Jesus. 

Later Jesus’s disciples asked why they had not been able to cast out the devils. Jesus said, “this kind can come forth by nothing but prayer and fasting.” Never did He say they could have cast it out by prayer and fasting. The fact is, it can only happen when the Lord does it. 

If only we would set aside our confidence in the flesh, stay with Jesus, and let Him do His work!

To my readers:
Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

Donate to Bible Baptist Church every time you make an Amazon purchase through this link, https://smile.amazon.com/ch/91-1265824

For this and, more than 5300 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

For more resources from Pastor Marvin McKenzie visit http://puyallupbaptistchurch.com.

My books are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org

Mark 9:14 They Could Not

Mark 4:18-19 (KJV)
And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word,
And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.

These days we live on some pretty thorny ground. It would not be difficult for our spiritual lives to become choked and unfruitful. Notice the three things Jesus warns us against:

• The cares of this world
• The deceitfulness of riches
• The lusts of other things

It’s probably not necessary to expand upon them as, I am sure, the Holy Spirit of God, can impress upon our hearts those ways in which we can fall prey to any one of them. 

I only wish to issue the warning. Don’t let such weeds choke out your life for God.

To my readers:
Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

Donate to Bible Baptist Church every time you make an Amazon purchase through this link, https://smile.amazon.com/ch/91-1265824

For this and, more than 5300 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

For more resources from Pastor Marvin McKenzie visit http://puyallupbaptistchurch.com.

My books are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org

Mark 4:18-19 Don’t Get Choked

Mark 2:8 (KJV)
And immediately when Jesus perceived in his spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, he said unto them, Why reason ye these things in your hearts?

There was a problem. 

Jesus had done something that was misunderstood by the scribes. Rather, they misunderstood the person of Jesus. 

Jesus, when seeing the crippled man laid on the bed, forgave his sins. It appears to me that He may have stopped there if it had not been for the misunderstanding of the scribes. The man’s spiritual state was of so much greater consequence than his physical state. 

The Bible says than that, “immediately when Jesus perceived.” It is obvious that He perceived their reasoning immediately. He did not need time to consider it. He didn’t not need the rumors of others to confirm it. He knew immediately what they reasoned in their hearts. 

And He addressed it immediately. 

Jesus is so much wiser than are we. It often takes time for us to know how to address a thing. Haste in action often leads to poor reaction. But at the same time, procrastination leads to little good either. 

The lesson for us is diligence. We have a thing to do. Set out to see how to do it. Then do it without delay.

To my readers:
Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

Donate to Bible Baptist Church every time you make an Amazon purchase through this link, https://smile.amazon.com/ch/91-1265824

For this and, more than 5300 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

For more resources from Pastor Marvin McKenzie visit http://puyallupbaptistchurch.com.

My books are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org

Mark 2:8 Do It

Mark 13:3-4 (KJV)
And as he sat upon the mount of Olives over against the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew asked him privately,
Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign when all these things shall be fulfilled?

Verse one tells us it was all of the disciples who pointed out the magnificence of the Temple, but it was only four of them, Peter, James, John and Andrew who asked privately about His prophecy. 

All of them liked the beauty of their religion. Only a few of them had interest in the truth. 

This same is reflected in our churches still today. The majority of people attend for the good that church does them. Whatever that good is – I think it can be different for different people. These souls have little interest in the more challenging aspects of faith. They have little interest in being alone with the Lord and few others in a private meeting. They are interested in pointing out the value of their faith, but they avoid conversations about the cost of it. 

God, give us a few more of the few. 

To my readers:
First of all, thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. Secondly, I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

Donate to Bible Baptist Church every time you make an Amazon purchase through this link, https://smile.amazon.com/ch/91-1265824

For this and more than 5000 earlier Daily Visits with God visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

For more resources from Pastor Marvin McKenzie visit http://puyallupbaptistchurch.com.

My books are available at:
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My author Page for Kindle/Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/author/marvinmckenzie

Mark 13:3-4 A Few More of the Few

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Mark 12:43 (KJV)
And he called unto him his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury: 

Jesus watched as the people gave into the treasury of the Temple. But He did more than that. He called His disciples and pointed it out to them too. 

Years ago, I did a campaign to raise money for a project in our church. As a part of the campaign I created a chart which divided our church’s people into “giving units.” It doesn’t seem very classy now, but I was young and following the advice of a pastor of a much larger church. There were some people who were upset. It had never occurred to them that I might know what they gave or didn’t give, to the church. Though I did not give names or numbers, it became obvious to them that I had access to their giving records. They were offended. 

Here we learn that Jesus pays attention to people’s giving and He calls attention of it to His disciples. It is, if you will, public knowledge among them. 

My story was years ago. I haven’t looked at the giving records of the people I pastor in more than twenty years. But the point I think is important is that a person ought to be more concerned that God is watching them give than that any man on earth is. 

To my readers:
First of all, thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. Secondly, I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

Donate to Bible Baptist Church every time you make an Amazon purchase through this link, https://smile.amazon.com/ch/91-1265824

For this and more than 5000 earlier Daily Visits with God visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

For more resources from Pastor Marvin McKenzie visit http://puyallupbaptistchurch.com.

My books are available at:
My author spotlight at Lulu.com:
http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/marvinmckenzie

My author Page for Kindle/Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/author/marvinmckenzie

Mark 12:43 Public Knowledge

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Mark 10:1 (KJV)
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.

Again and again.

• The people resort unto Him again and
• Jesus taught them again

This is the great work of Christian ministry. It is never finished. People must never believe they have heard all the Lord has to say. Men of God must never tire of studying to be ready to teach and preach. 

Again and again. 

To my readers:
First of all, thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. Secondly, I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

Donate to Bible Baptist Church every time you make an Amazon purchase through this link, https://smile.amazon.com/ch/91-1265824

For this and more than 5000 earlier Daily Visits with God visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

For more resources from Pastor Marvin McKenzie visit http://puyallupbaptistchurch.com.

My books are available at:
My author spotlight at Lulu.com:
http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/marvinmckenzie

My author Page for Kindle/Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/author/marvinmckenzie

Mark 10:1 Again and Again

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Mark 9:24 (KJV)
And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.

Here is both belief and unbelief in one man. That same contradiction exists in each of us. Some people seem to have a lot or belief, but even in those of great faith there is a measure of doubt, question or unbelief. Some people claim not to believe at all. Outwardly it appears that they are purely atheist. The Bible, and frankly human experience, has convinced me that this is not strictly so. Among the most ardent unbelievers there is a measure of belief, placed there by God. Many times, in extreme circumstances, those so-called atheists have their measure of faith rise to the surface and they too cry out to God. 

I notice that this man says “Lord I believe” in response to the words of Jesus. “It thou canst believe, all things are possible to them that believe.” He has an earnest need, so he says the most natural thing, “Lord I believe.” If I may “embroider”^[1] his words a bit, “Of course I believe. Why wouldn’t I believe? If I must believe, then I do believe.” 

But I think maybe he had a second thought. His need was real, earnest, deep, intense. Saying he believed didn’t make it so. Willing himself to believe didn’t make it so. His heart longed for an answer and, in a moment of honesty, he realized saying he believes is not enough. He cried out once again, “Help thou mine unbelief.” 

I wonder if reviving won’t come when we stop talking about how much we believe God and instead get on our faces and ask Him to help our unbelief?

---

^[1] I recently heard someone use this term instead of embellish. I liked it.

To my readers:
First of all, thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. Secondly, I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

Donate to Bible Baptist Church every time you make an Amazon purchase through this link, https://smile.amazon.com/ch/91-1265824

For this and more than 5000 earlier Daily Visits with God visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

For more resources from Pastor Marvin McKenzie visit http://puyallupbaptistchurch.com.

My books are available at:
My author spotlight at Lulu.com:
http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/marvinmckenzie

My author Page for Kindle/Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/author/marvinmckenzie

Mark 9:24 Help Thou Mine Unbelief

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