God Refuses to Become a Debtor to Any Man!

Matthew 19:29 - And every one that hath forsaken houses ... or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.

PULPIT QUIP: "God refuses to become a debtor to any man!"  (Missionary David H. Hillis)

Application: Giving / Tithing / Missions / Sacrifice / Loss within God's will, etc.

Same note at parallel Gospels, Mark 10:29-30; Luke 18:29-30.  Also at Philippians 4:19 (in context) and at Job chapter 42.

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Speaking From the Heart

Isaiah 59:13b ...conceiving and uttering from the heart words of falsehood.

Cross refs: Mark 7:21-23; Matthew 12:34

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The Book of Acts Summarized in 2 Verses

Mark 16:19-20 - So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God. And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.

This is the Book of Acts summarized in two verses. And without the Book of Acts, this is all we would have to tell what happened in the gap between the Gospels and the Epistles.

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The Night Before the Cross (from Mark chapter 14)

All of the notes but one are cross referenced to Matthew in this post, and the same notes will be made in Luke. One note below is unique to Mark.

Mark 14:29 - But Peter said unto him, Although all shall be offended, yet will not I.

See note (here) at Matthew 26:33. Same note at Luke 22:33.

Mark 14:38 - Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak.

See note (here) at Matthew 26:41.

Mark 14:47 - On Peter cutting off an ear, see notes at Luke 22:49 (coming to this blog on April 2).

Mark 14:50-52 - And they all forsook him, and fled. And there followed him a certain young man, having a linen cloth cast about his naked body; and the young men laid hold on him: And he left the linen cloth, and fled from them naked.

This incident is one of the very few that are unique to Mark's Gospel. No other account mentions this young man, therefore many believe this young man to be John Mark himself, which is quite plausible. Of course if his identity truly mattered to us, God's word would have named him. Resist the danger of speculation, I Timothy 1:4.

Mark 14:54 - And Peter followed him afar off...

See note (here) at Matthew 26:58. Same note at Luke 22:54.

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By Prayer and Fasting

Mark 9:29 - And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.

Fasting is omitted from this verse in the corrupted Greek text and the modern English Bible versions. See note here at Matthew 17:21. The modern versions remove almost all references to fasting in the New Testament.

Mark 9:50 - Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his saltness, wherewith will ye season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace one with another.

Quote also given in Matthew and Luke at different times of Christ's ministry, but the last sentence of verse 50 is unique to Mark in this situation. It answers to the apostles' disputing among themselves who should be the greatest, vv. 33-34.

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Evangelism Is That Easy!

Mark 5:19 - Howbeit Jesus suffered him not, but saith unto him, Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee.

Evangelism is that easy!

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Four Bring One to Christ

Mark 2:3-4 - And they come unto him, bringing one sick of the palsy, which was borne of four. And when they could not come nigh unto him for the press, they uncovered the roof where he was: and when they had broken it up, they let down the bed wherein the sick of the palsy lay.

NOTE: Let no one claim he has come to Christ who himself is not willing to bring others, regardless of the difficulty.

Mark 2:10-11 - But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (he saith to the sick of the palsy,) I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy bed, and go thy way into thine house.

"But that ye may know..." Miracles are always confirmatory signs of the message and the messenger. Same note at Matthew 11:2-5.

Mark 2:21 - No man also seweth a piece of new cloth on an old garment: else the new piece that filled it up taketh away from the old, and the rent is made worse.

See note at Matthew 9:16-17.

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Baptism for Remission of Sins?

The "Church of Christ" related denominations ("Campbellites") teach that Acts 2:38 gives water baptism as the way to receive remission of sins.

Acts 2:38 - Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

And so is it "baptized...for the remission of sins" or not?

Mark 1:4 clears it up. "John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins."

Baptism is "baptism of repentance." The remission of sins is tied to repentance (see Luke 24:47) and baptism is simply a testimony that this repentance has taken place.

Noted at Mark 1:4 and cross referenced at Acts 2:38; Luke 24:47.

VM