“and when they hear, immediately Satan comes and takes away the word which has been sown in them.” Mark 4:15 Takes Away – If you understand (eido – remember yesterday?) the parable of the sower, then you will understand why there is a war going on over the lost. The first causalities are these poor…
And He said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? And how will you understand all the parables?” Mark 4:13 Understand – Without seeing the Greek text, you have no idea what Jesus is saying here. That’s because there are two different Greek verbs used in these two instances of the word “understand.” Translating…
And He was saying to them, “To you has been given the mystery of the kingdom of God; but those who are outside get everything in parables.” Mark 4:11 Has Been Given – Have you been given the mystery of the kingdom? If you are called as one of His brothers or sisters (the ones…
And He was saying to them, “To you has been given the mystery of the kingdom of God; but those who are outside get everything in parables.” Mark 4:11 But – Jesus distinguished between those who were called and those who heard. The called ones were given the opportunity to peer into the mystery of…
There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus Romans 8:1 No Condemnation – It seems as though all of my life I have been reminded that I am not good enough. Leftover childhood trauma made me an overachiever, but every overachiever knows that under the skin is a fragile human…
“Render the hearts of this people insensitive, their ears dull, and their eyes dim, otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and return and be healed.” Isaiah 6:10 Otherwise – God’s plan includes punishment. Oh, did you think that God will always forgive? Have you been duped…
“for whoever does the will of God, this one is My brother, and My sister and mother.” Mark 3:35 Does – Where do your loyalties lie? Who do you treat as blood-relatives? Who is in your family? According to the Master, everyone who does the will of the Father is kin to you. Oh, and…
“And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand.” Mark 3:25 Divided – The number of times this passage has been applied to the political realm makes it a very familiar saying, often quoted when someone is pressing for unity. But using it as a call for political…
And when His own people heard of this, they went out to take custody of Him, for they were saying, “He has lost His senses.” Mark 3:21 Lost His Senses – Jesus was crazy. That is the conclusion of all those who knew Him since childhood. He said things that no one could believe. He…
And after looking around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” Mark 3:5 With Anger – There is no such thing as gentle Jesus, meek and mild. That characterization of Jesus exists only in children’s rhymes and picture books. When you read the…
