Mark 16 - Esther

I love this chapter of Mark. It's so thrilling to read Jesus rose from the dead and the disciples preached everywhere. It is hard to share Gospels with people but I pray that we all should encourage each other to share about Gospels and Jesus.

Mark 15 - Esther

This chapter is quite emotional.

The verse that always move my heart is from verse 34. "My God, my God, why have you deserted me?"

Mark 15 - Nathanael

Let this Messiah, this king of Israel, come down now from the cross, that we may see and believe." Those crucified with him also heaped insults on him.
Mark 15:32 NIV

This accusation/ temptation is very similar to the one Satan used in the wilderness: prove who you are by doing these miracles. Jesus never gave in to a "prove it" type challenge. 

Here he suffers and endures not only physical pain but emotional as well. 
http://bible.com/111/mrk.15.32.NIV

Mark 14 - Esther

It is quite interesting that Jesus has been saying this statement a lot.

"What I'm about to tell you is true." This statement has been giving me more alert and attention that Jesus is going to say something important.

Mark 14 - Jason

Even as it was getting close to the time that Jesus would be betrayed and murdered and then rise from the dead, Jesus knew what was going to happen and how it was going to happen. He told his disciples what would happen, but they either did not understand or did not believe that it would happen that way. Jesus had been proven true with all his other prophecies. Why would they doubt him now? I thought it was interesting that Jesus told Peter, "Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times." How did Jesus know that Peter would do that? How did Peter not know that he would do that? I think it is not easy for us to know our own weaknesses in advance, but Jesus knows our weaknesses and he sympathizes with us. Peter wept bitterly after he had denied knowing the Lord to save himself, but then he felt terrible because he felt separated from God. Maybe he thought he would never get a chance to apologize to Christ in person. I want to always be ready to repent of my sin, and not think that I am too strong to fall. I want to do what I can to flee from evil and not go toward temptation, but I need to also be quick to recognize and take responsibility for my failures, and ask God for help and forgiveness.

Mark 14 - Nathanael

"My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death," he said to them. "Stay here and keep watch."   

Mark 14:34

When I read this it reminded me of times that I was worried about an upcoming situation and how my stomach would be churning, my heart pounding and a sweat breaking out. Jesus had those same feelings except that he knew that he was going to be tortured and die and be separated from God for the first time in his existence. He was in great anguish! 

Peter followed him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest. There he sat with the guards and warmed himself at the fire.  

Mark 14:54

Peter had just promised Jesus that he would follow him even to death, so he is following along at a distance even though the other disciples fled. 

Immediately the rooster crowed the second time. Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken to him: "Before the rooster crows twice  you will disown me three times." And he broke down and wept.
Mark 14:72 NIV

Peter thought he could be strong but here came face to face with his fears and weakness. It is certainly something I have experienced in following Christ. It is shameful but thankfully we have a loving Savior who forgives and restores us and is strong on our behalf in the face of our weakness! 

http://bible.com/111/mrk.14.34-72.NIV

Mark 13 - Esther

"Heaven and earth will pass away. But my words will never pass away." -Mark 13:31

I like this verse a lot. I feel extremely blessed in these days to read His Words everyday.

Mark 13 - Nathanael

What I say to you, I say to everyone: 'Watch!' "
Mark 13:37 NIV

Jesus's warnings about the end time are similar in Mark and Matthew. The key thing that he wants us to knows and do is to live our lives in such a way that we are ready for his return at any moment. 

http://bible.com/111/mrk.13.37.NIV

Mark 12 - Esther

One of the verses that I always like to remember is the most important commandment.

"Love the Lord your God with all of your heart and with all your soul. Love him with all your mind and with all your strength. And here is the second one. 'Love your neighbor as you love yourself.' There is no commandment more important than these." -Mark 12:30-31

Mark 11 - Nathanael

Then the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders looked for a way to arrest him because they knew he had spoken the parable against them. But they were afraid of the crowd; so they left him and went away.  

Mark 12:12

Sometimes the people grasped Jesus's parables clearly as in this case. 

Should we pay or shouldn't we?" But Jesus knew their hypocrisy. "Why are you trying to trap me?" he asked. "Bring me a denarius and let me look at it."  They brought the coin, and he asked them, "Whose image is this? And whose inscription?"  "Caesar's," they replied.  Then Jesus said to them, "Give back to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's."  And they were amazed at him.
Mark 12:15‭-‬17 NIV

Jesus is am amazing teacher, certainly the greatest teacher and debater of all time!

He spoke clearly and concisely and undid even their best traps.

It is interesting about the parallel here between the coin and us that he draws. The coin has the image of Caesar, so give that back to Caesar. He doesn't directly say what we should give to God, but the clear parallel is that we were made in God's image, so we should give ourselves to God! 

http://bible.com/111/mrk.12.12-17.NIV

Mark 11 - Jason

As Jesus explained the result of the cursed fig tree I expected him to say something about any tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and burned. But instead he emphasized that if we act and speak in faith in accordance with the will of God then we can be confident that we have what we ask for! I want to have this faith and trust in the Lord for the big things in life. That way I can live in dependence upon God and not have to worry about anything, and not worry that my actions or words will be useless because I am acting in faith. Lord, please help me to grow in faith and faithfulness and stay close to you each day!

Mark 11 - Esther

The verse that we all should remember.

"So I tell you, when you pray for something, believe that you have already received it. Then it will be yours." -Mark 11:24

Mark 11 - Nathanael

"Truly  I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them.  Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.  And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins."  

Mark 11:23‭-‬25

This is both a powerful and easily misunderstood passage. 

On the misunderstood side, this can be turned into a "name it and claim it - believe it and possess it" type of doctrine. That would put us in the place of God or treat God as some cosmic genie. The belief here is the faith that comes from God. It is directed by him, not us. 

On the other hand, I think wee can become too timid I our prayer. There are times God is leading us and we can be afraid to follow. So we don't take gold of the faith and the amazing power of God's word as described here. 

Jesus replied, "I will ask you one question. Answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things.

Mark 11:29 NIV

Jesus was a master question asker. I want to grow in this area! 

http://bible.com/111/mrk.11.23-29.NIV

Mark 10 - Esther

One of the verses stood out from today's reading.

"With man, that is impossible. But not with God. All things are possible with God." - Mark 10:27

Mark 9 and 10 - Jason

I thought it was interesting when Jesus returned and spoke with the man whose son had a demonic spirit oppressing him. It seems like the spirit was causing the boy to have seizures and fall into fire or water to kill him. The boy's father was asking Jesus' disciples to pray for his son, but he was not sure if they could help him. He asked Jesus for help too, but he was not sure if Jesus could help either. The Lord said, "If you can? Anything is possible for one who believes!" The man replied "I believe; help my unbelief." I also feel like its hard to believe that God will do something. Maybe if I haven't seen a particular healing before, I might doubt that he can do it, or I might doubt that it can happen through prayer and belief in God. I don't want to doubt, so I also need to pray, "Lord I believe; please help and take away my unbelief." Thank you God for your love and mercy!

Mark 10 - Nathanael

There are so many interesting and important things in each chapter it is hard to narrow things down to talk about them! God's word is alive and powerful!

 

Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate."   

Mark 10:9

Good is the author of marriage and the one who is actively involved to bring a man and woman together and make them one. 

Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it."  

Mark 10:15

Jesus both loved and related to children and he holds them up as a model for believers:  without pretence, dependant and humble to name a few characteristics. 

 "Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good—except God alone.  

Mark 10:18 

An important verse for the situation and also for our lives and times. We, like this man, often think of ourselves as good. We think that we are basically close and ready to inherit heaven. We tend to falsely maximize our goodness and at the same time decrease God's goodness and his complete "otherness" - we think of him as being like us. 

The truth is that we are not gious but evil and are wholly in need of a savior! 

Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God."   

Mark 10:27

The great news for us is that God can change any hard heart to know and follow him - no matter how impossible that may seem! 

Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant,  and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all.  For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

Mark 10:43‭-‬45 NIV

Jesus and the kingdom of God turn our normal way of doing things upside down! To be great means too serve others not be served! 

Thank you Jesus for loving and serving us! 

http://bible.com/111/mrk.10.9-45.NIV

Mark 9 - Esther

Two verses that stood out from chapter 9.

"This is my Son, and I love him. Listen to him!" - Mark 9:7

"Suppose someone gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to me. That one will certainly not go without a reward." - Mark 9:41

Mark 9 - Nathanael

Peter said to Jesus, "Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah." (He did not know what to say, they were so frightened.)  Then a cloud appeared and covered them, and a voice came from the cloud: "This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!" 

Mark 9:5‭-‬7

As it says, Peter didn't know what to say. He made the mistake of equating Jesus with Moses and Elijah. But God quickly made clear that Jesus is all together different - he is God's son. He is the one to listen to! 

 Immediately the boy's father exclaimed, "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!"

Mark 9:24 NIV

I love this statement! It expresses honesty, humility and faith ay the same time. It is one that is a prayer for me! 

http://bible.com/111/mrk.9.5-24.NIV

Mark 7 and 8 - Jason

I thought it was interesting how Jesus fed the five thousand with such a small amount of food and this was a huge miracle! God can do so much more than we ask or think! The disciples did not recognize what all had happened because their hearts were hard. I think sometimes my heart gets hard after working a long time and I want to rest. I need to remember to stop and look and pray ans see what all the Lord is doing.

And in Chapter 8 Jesus did the same miracle again feeding the four thousand men with seven loaves of bread and a few fish. He multiplied the food and there were so many leftovers! Still the disciples were worried when they got in the boat and had no food. Jesus had to reassure them that he was not upset about not having food, and they needed to trust him to provide. I also choose to trust God with all my needs and worries. Please help me Lord not let the burden of work overwhelm me or stress me out! 

Mark 8 - Esther

When Peter said that Jesus is the Christ, it amazed me.

Peter believed that He is the Son of Man with the Holy Spirit. It was interesting to see that Jesus warned the disciples not to tell anyone about him.