WEEKLY BIBLE STUDY

[B-Man]

 

 

This morning’s Gospel reading is Mark 1:14–20:

 

After John had been arrested, Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the gospel of God: “This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.”

As he passed by the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting their nets into the sea; they were fishermen. Jesus said to them, “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Then they abandoned their nets and followed him. He walked along a little farther and saw James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John. They too were in a boat mending their nets. Then he called them. So they left their father Zebedee in the boat along with the hired men and followed him.

 

What does commitment mean to us? In secular terms, and particularly in America, we tend to think of commitment in legal terms. We think about contracts, pledges, promises, and perhaps even oaths — but in utilitarian terms. Even the classic values of honor and duty have tended to become more transactional in nature generally, and in some cases discarded entirely.

 

{snip}

 

Not every choice in life requires this level of commitment, of course. However, we seem to have lost the true core of what duty, honor, and commitment are. Marcus knew that much, even if he didn’t grasp how hope and joy could flow through a true commitment to the one God. Instead, we seem to expect hope and joy without any serious commitment to duty and honor, which is equally empty as duty and honor without hope and joy. In Christ, all of these come together in His plan for salvation — but only if we’re willing to go all in.

 

https://hotair.com/ed-morrissey/2024/01/21/going-all-in-sunday-reflection-n606274

 

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[B-Man]

 

 

 

This morning’s Gospel reading is Mark 1:21–28:

 

Then they came to Capernaum, and on the sabbath Jesus entered the synagogue and taught. The people were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes. In their synagogue was a man with an unclean spirit; he cried out, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!” Jesus rebuked him and said, “Quiet! Come out of him!” The unclean spirit convulsed him and with a loud cry came out of him.

All were amazed and asked one another, “What is this? A new teaching with authority. He commands even the unclean spirits and they obey him.” His fame spread everywhere throughout the whole region of Galilee.

 

“We are children of light,” we sing, pray, and proclaim in church. Paul proclaims it, for instance, when he exhorts the church at Ephesus to “live as children of light” (Ephesians 5:8), and again in 1 Thessalonians 5:5: “You are all children of the light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness.”

 

Light is good, darkness is bad. That much we receive intellectually from scriptures, especially in the New Testament. “We are children, children of the light,” the hymn reminds us, “we are shining in the darkness of the night.”

 

But are we? Do we? Or are we afraid of the light of God and shrink away from its power and conviction?

 

More at the link:  https://hotair.com/ed-morrissey/2024/01/28/from-darkness-to-light-sunday-reflection-n607831

 

 

 

[B-Man]

 

 

 

God Most High, gracious and glorious, blessed is the one who comes in your name. Lead us now on the road to the cross. May we follow with faithfulness and joy, shouting hosanna in the highest heaven; through Jesus Christ our Savior and Lord.

 

[B-Man]

 

 

 

[Cinga]

IT IS FINISHED..... 😪

 

[Fansince88]

Its Friday but Sundas's coming! https://youtu.be/QS2wPotScZY?si=WWGV9KlADeohmSGx

[devnull]

22 hours ago, Cinga said:

IT IS FINISHED..... 😪

 

 

 

 

[Fansince88]

This is so worth the watch. Sight and sound theaters in Lancaster PA do a tremendous job with their stories. 

https://www.sight-sound.tv/videos/jesus-streaming-free-easter-weekend-2024

[B-Man]

 

 

God, may we feel the warm embrace of your love on this sacred day. 

 

May the glory of Jesus's resurrection remind us that with You, nothing is impossible or without hope.

 

We pray in Your name. Amen.

 

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[Cinga]

John 20 11-16

¹¹ Now Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb ¹² and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot.

¹³ They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?”

“They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put him.” ¹⁴ At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus.

¹⁵ He asked her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?”

Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.”

¹⁶ Jesus said to her, “Mary.”

She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means “Teacher”).

 

I wanted to take this opportunity to shed a little light on what happens here. Notice Mary, who had spent a lot of time with Jesus and knew Him well, didn't recognize Him in His Resurrected body and thought He was the gardener. It wasn't until He called her by name that her eyes were opened to Him! I'm also sure you are also familiar with the story on the Road Emmaus when Jesus walked with the 2 Disciples yet they didn't recognize Him until later that evening when He broke bread. 

While there are lots of good lessons out there which pretty much focused on Jesus calling you by name but there is something else. And that is familiarity with Jesus, meaning how well do you know Him, how familiar do you stay in His Word? The closer we stay to Him, the more we see and recognize His works in out life.

I think you know how much I focus on the verbiage as much as the Word. I might have mentioned to you I once spent 2 week studying trying to figure out who Melchizedek could possibly be? The question I has was that in Hebrews we learn Jesus is a High Priest in the Order of Melchizedek but he had visited Abraham in Genesis so who was this person that a Priesthood that Jesus belonged to was named for? Wouldn't he have to be greater than, or equal to the Lord? 

It was back in the 90s and the internet wasn't much help yet and books and more books weren't helping me very much. Finally one day I heard the Lord speak to me with humor in His voice "My son, read that again...." and I knew He meant Genesis so I did....

 

Genesis 14:18-20 (emphasis mine)

18 Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High, 19 and he blessed Abram, saying,
“Blessed be Abram by God Most High,
    Creator of heaven and earth.
20 And praise be to God Most High,
    who delivered your enemies into your hand.”
Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.
 

There it is... First know that Salem means Peace, so this is the King of Peace breaking Bread and Wine with Abraham. Now tie it all together knowing that Abraham would have to be Blessed by someone greater than him, and knowing Jesus response to the Pharisees, "Before Abraham, I AM!" I pray you have experienced that awesome feeling of childish joy I felt as the Spirit rejoiced WITH me over what He had shown me

 

And it all comes down to familiarity.... How well do you stay familiar with the Word of God?

 

HAPPY RESURRECTION DAY to all my Brothers and Sisters in Christ as we Rejoice and share the knowledge of the Gift we have in Him!

 

 

Edited March 31 by Cinga

[Ann]

I know you all like Annie Agar and might be interested in this (I have not listened to it)
 

 

[Cinga]

 

The Lion of Judah is not going to be happy with current events

 

Ezekiel 38:19-20

Quote

19In My zeal and fiery rage I proclaim that on that day there will be a great earthquake in the land of Israel. 20The fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the beasts of the field, every creature that crawls upon the ground, and all mankind on the face of the earth will tremble at My presence. The mountains will be thrown down, the cliffs will collapse, and every wall will fall to the ground.

 

Edited April 13 by Cinga

[B-Man]

 

16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.

19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.

20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed.

21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.