The Book of Mark

I read through the book of Mark in April. They say Mark is the first written of the New Testament, so I wanted to read it first. In this post, I'm going to be talking about some of my thoughts on Mark.

Mark 1 & 2

Verses that stood out:

Mark 1:9-13 "It came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And immediately, coming up from the water, He saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove. Then the voice came from the heaven, "You are my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." Immediately the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness. And Her was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan, and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to Him."

Thoughts: After Jesus was baptized, He went into the wilderness. He knew that His Father was pleased with Him, and wanting to honor His Father, to me, that is one of the ways He was able to not fall into temptation. The wilderness was hard. He's out there by himself with the "wild beasts" and in this hard time is when the devil tries to tempt Jesus. And I think this is a lesson for us. The enemy likes to punch us when we are already down. In life, when we go through the wilderness. When there's already trials, the enemy likes to then pile more and more burden on top of us. Jesus was able to resist. That gives me hope that we, with the help of our Lord, can overcome the temptations of Satan. Why? Because we love our Father, and because of that Love, we want to obey Him.

Mark 1:15,17,18 "and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel." "Then Jesus said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men."They immediately left their nets and followed Him."

Thoughts: Jesus says that the "time is fulfilled." So to me, this means that certain things must take place according to old scriptures and instructions laid by God. Then, He goes on to make a statement. it wasn't a question, it was more of a direct sentence. Follow Me. And immediately, they left all they had and followed Him. The kind of faith they must have had is amazing to me. I believe they were lead by the Holy Spirit to follow Jesus.

Mark 2:17 "When Jesus heard it, He said to them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."

Thoughts: Jesus came to this world for sinners. And He makes that clear in this verse. He died for the sins of the "sick" world. And that just goes to show how selfless and loving He truly is. 

Mark 3 & 4

Verses that stood out:

Mark 3:5 "And when He had looked around at them with anger, being grieved by the hardness of their hearts, He said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored as whole as the other."

Thoughts: Jesus healed on the Sabbath. He ministered on the Sabbath. Something else stood out to me in this verse. It said that Jesus was "grieved by the hardness of their hearts." Sadness, grieving, pain, those are all emotions. Jesus came to earth as a baby, as human flesh. And He very much had emotions. He felt the pain for us. He suffered for us. But here's the thing, do you think that Jesus smiled? We don't hear much about it in the Bible, but I believe that He did! I think that He smiled to ease people's nerves, or to comfort the little children. 

Mark 4:11 "And He said to them, "To you it has been given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God; but to those who are outside, all things come in parables."

Thoughts: Jesus spoke in parables. Why? One reason first come to my mind. Maybe He spoke in parables to meet people where they were at by using analogy's they would understand and be familiar with. 

Mark 5 & 6

Mark 5:36 "As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, He said to the ruler of the synagogue, "Do not be afraid; only believe." 

Thoughts: I love what Jesus said. He is telling this ruler (who believes he just lost his daughter) to no be afraid. To not worry. To not be fearful. But only to believe and have faith.

Mark 6:56 "Wherever He entered, into villages, cities, or the country, they laid the sick in the marketplaces, and begged Him that they might just touch the hem of His garment. And as many as touched Him were made well."

Thoughts: Ah! So many things happen in this chapter! Jesus feeds the five thousand, heals the sick, He walks on water, and calms the sea. So many amazing things to read in this chapter of Mark. We serve an amazing God!

Mark 7 & 8

Mark 7:37 "And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, "He had done all things well. He makes both the deaf to hear and the mute to speak."

Thoughts: Jesus was a Physician. He healed the sick. And performed miracles everywhere He went. Y'all, Jesus still heals the sick today. Jesus still performs miracles in our lives. 

Mark 8:2 "I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now continued with Me three days and have nothing to eat."

Thoughts: He is the Child of God, and yet, He has compassion on us to meet our earthly needs. 

Mark 9 & 10

Mark 9:35 "And He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, "If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all."

Thoughts: We've all heard the phrase, "Last shall be first, and first shall be last." I think that Jesus was trying to teach the disciples how to be humble and meek. They were starting to let their own selfish fame (remember that Jesus drew in large multitudes of people) get to their heads. When we get so caught up in the world, and the positions where we desire to be successful, often times we loose sight of Jesus, and I think that He was warning them of that in this verse. 

Mark 10:13-15 "Then they brought little children to Him, that He might touch them; but the disciples rebuked this who brought them. But when Jesus saw it, he was greatly displeased and said to them, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God. Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it." 

Thoughts: I love these verses so much! Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world... (brownie points if you sing along!) But honestly, Jesus wanted the children to come to Him. He loved them. And He was still teaching His disciples to be humble, have childlike faith, and have a simple trust. 

Mark 11 & 12

Mark 11:25,26 "And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses." 

Thoughts: Jesus is teaching them how to forgive. How to forgive with a willing and soft heart, one that is not hardened. And in that second verse, He tells of the consequence of not forgiving. But here's the thing, I don't think Jesus meant for this to be a fear factor. He never intended to scare people into believing in Him or into forgiving others. He only painted a clear picture. He told facts, and wanted people to be informed. But I don't think He was trying to scare people into forgiving. Because if you truly follow Jesus, then you won't want to hold a grudge against fellow man. If you truly believe in Jesus, then you will want to follow His example by forgiveness those who have done you wrong. You will forgive willingly, not because of fear.

Mark 12:43,44 "So He called His disciples to Himself and said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all those who have given to the treasury; for they all put in out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all that she had, her whole livelihood."

Thoughts: Again, Jesus is teaching His disciples a important lesson. The widow gave ALL that she had, it wasn't much, but it was all of it. We are to give Jesus all of us. All of our hearts, we shouldn't hold anything back. 

Mark 14 & 15

Mark 14:61 "But He kept silent and answered nothing..."

Thoughts: When Jesus was being questioned, He made it a point not to defend himself. Jesus knew this was Gods will. And He was setting the ultimate example how to handles oneself. Sometimes less words really speak more.

Mark 15:13 "So they cried out again, "Crucify Him!" 

Thoughts: This whole chapter. This verse. This verse made me feel a pain deep down. The horrible treatment Jesus got. The torture He endured to save us from our sins. Wow. 

Mark 16

Mark 16:15 "And He said to them, Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature."

Thoughts: Jesus rose from the dead, and this was His message to His followers. To go out into the world and to share the good news of our Savior. To witness to everyone we come in contact with. To love people. 

I hope you liked reading this study of Mark. Have you read the book of Mark recently? If so, do you have any take aways to share? Comment below your favorite book in the Bible!

Also, how do y'all like my new blog header?? I really like it!

Many Blessings,

Brooklyne Elysse

Lend a Helping Hand

Hi everyone! On this wonderful Wednesday, I have two true stories to share with you.

Story #1

Once upon a time, my older sister and I were walking in the mall (going to the mall is a rare occasion.) My mom had forgotten something in the car, so we went back to get it. On our way, we heard this loud thud. We look around and see this older lady, maybe in her sixties, who was sprawled on the ground. She was heavy set, and couldn’t get up. My sister and I rushed over and the first thing that came to our minds was that she needed to stay still. She should not move, because she could have broken something. We told her not to move, but she was not having it. She was struggling to get up, saying that she needed to go to the restroom. 

By this time, maybe four or five people had gathered and was watching this take place. One lady said that she had called someone to help. My sister and I was trying to get her up, but she was too heavy and ended up pulling my sister down beside her, pinning her between the wall and this lady. The same girl who had called someone earlier, brought us a chair. The older lady kept saying that she needed to go to the bathroom, quick. She also was saying how we need to “find some men” to help her up. My sister looked around and saw one of the guys who were watching and asked him if he could help us. He held up his hands and shrugged his shoulders like there was nothing he could do. Seriously?! 

My sister looked at me and said, “Me and you are going to get her up and in this chair…” 

It was a struggle, but me, my sister, and the lady who brought the chair was able to get her up in the chair. We helped the older lady put her shoe, which had fallen off, back on and picked up her purse. She immediately stood up. My sister on one side and me on the other, we started walking her to the bathroom. We got to the bathroom and stood outside the stall. We told her that we would wait for her and asked if she needed anything.

Two guys from security came with a first aid kit, but they wouldn’t come in the ladies restroom. They stood outside and wouldn't let anyone in. The lady who helped us get her up gave them a water bottle to give to us. We heard someone outside, waiting for the bathroom, ask if someone was in trouble. They told her, “No, someone's having a medical emergency.” The lady then said, “Well, I’m a medical professional.” And she walked right in.

Thank goodness someone knew what they were doing! My sister told her that the older lady had fallen. She went right to the sink and washed her hands, all the while asking the lady the right questions. One of which was, are you diabetic? Come to find out, she was.

We knew that there was nothing else we could do to help, and it sounded like the lady had it under control, so we handed her the water bottle and left. A few minutes later, we saw maybe seven or eight medical staff heading to the bathroom. 

It was not by chance that the lady who knew what she was doing, came to the bathroom at the right time and place. 

                                                                     ⭑⭑⭑

Story #2 

I was not actually there for this, but my older sister was, and she told me all about it. She was driving her truck (which is the awesome Ford in the picture, btw!) to Lowes with Papa, my grandpa. They were picking up a pallet full of cinder blocks to make a raised-bed garden. The fork lift loaded it up but they couldn't shut the tail gate. The man who loaded it said it should be fine because the cinder blocks are so heavy. 

Well, turns out, it wasn't fine… 

My sister stopped at a small intersection, and when she went to go, THE WHOLE PALLET OF CINDER BLOCKS SLID OUT THE BACK! Like actually falling out of the bed of the truck! Braking the tail gate and scratching it on its way out and everything.

They got out, and as fast as they could, started putting the blocks back in the truck. One by one. Those cinder blocks are heavy too! 

The two men in a jeep, who had been following them, just drove on by. It was 5 o’clock, so everyone was coming home from work. About sixty cars drove by, and only one lady stopped to ask if anyone was hurt before she kept on driving. Seriously?!

One older man came out of his house that was by the intersection and helped them load them back up. And when they had almost finished, another even older man stopped and helped them. He said, “I can’t help that much, but I can get the smaller pieces that have broken.” 

When they finally had them loaded back up, they drove home.

                                                                       ⭑⭑⭑

Both of these stories had a “Seriously?!” moment. I was just blown away at the fact that most of the people in these two stories didn’t lend a helping hand. They would walk around us, stand and watch, or drive on by. 

Is life too busy to lend a helping hand? Are we a society that doesn't care? Are we so wrapped up in ourselves, that we don’t stop and help out when others are in a bind? Where is the younger generation that helps those in need? 

I’m reminded of the parable of the good samaritan in Luke 10:30-37. We all know this story well. This man was robbed and wounded, he was left to die. Both a priest and a Levite passed by on the other side of the road. But the samaritan, he had compassion, and bandaged his wounds. He brought him to a inn, and payed for someone to care for him. 

The samaritan man lended a helping hand to a complete stranger. He showed mercy on him. He took care of his neighbor as himself. 

Even the smallest attempt to lend a helping hand is noticed. Your efforts are seen. By people like me, who might even write a blog post about you. :) 

Wouldn't you want to be in the category as the lady who gave us a water bottle for the older lady? Or the two elderly men who helped load the truck even when everyone else drove by? 

We are called to be different. Don't blend in with the main flow. Y'all, make a stand for what you know is right! 

I want to challenge you and me, today, to lend a helping hand. Not because you need the community service credits, not because you have to; but because you are able and because you care. 

Luke 10:36,37

“So which of these three do you think was a neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?” And he said, “He who showed mercy on him.” Then Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”

Matthew 22:37-39

“Jesus said to him, ‘You shall love the LORD with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ ”

Have you ever had any similar experiences? What are some ways to lend a helping hand? How can we be more like the samaritan man? How is your week going? 

Lets talk in the comments!

Promises from Heaven

Have you ever made a promise? Promises should not be taken lightly. Big or small, a promise is a promise. Whenever I promise to my sisters, we “sister promise” and lock pinkies. Sister promises are never, EVER to be broken!

In my Thesaurus, it says a promise is a person’s solemn declaration that he or she will do or not do something. Other words for a promise is oath, pledge, troth, vow, word, appointment, arrangement, commitment, engagement, agreement, exc. Whenever I promise, I try my hardest to keep it, and feel trusted when I do. 

Lets talk about three different kinds of promises. (1) I will never promise, 

(2) I will always promise, and (3) I promise the truth promise. 

The Bible is packed full of God’s promises to His children. I chose four promises in bible to write about. At first glance, I probably would not have thought that some of them were promises, but there are. 

The first is in Genesis 9:12-16. 

“And God said: “This is the sign of the covenant which I make between Me and you, and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations:

I set My rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be for the sign of the covenant between Me and the earth.

It shall be, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the rainbow shall be seen in the cloud;

and I will remember My covenant which is between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh; the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh.

The rainbow shall be in the cloud, and I will look on it to remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.”

God gave us the rainbow as a sign. Kind of like the locked pinkies for a sister promise. God promised Noah and his family that He will NEVER, again destroy all flesh with a flood. This is a example of the first, I will never promise.

Skipping over to the next book in the bible, Exodus 13:21-22, we read in this story about a promise that is declared in a different way.

        “And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so as to go by day and night.

He did not take away the pillar of cloud by day or the pillar of fire by night from before the people.”

Using a pillar of cloud and a pillar of fire, God leads Moses and the children of Israel on there journey. Day and night, He is promising to to be with them and show them the way. Today, God promises us in the same way, maybe not a literal, but the promise is the same. To lead us and guide us both day and night. He is promising to ALWAYS be with us! This is a I will always promise. 

1 Kings 18:26-38 tells a remarkable story proving that God is real.

“And it came to pass, at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near and said, “LORD God of Abram,  Issac, and Israel, let it be known this day that You are God in Israel and I am Your servant, and that I have done all these things at Your word.

Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that You are the LORD God, and that You have turned their hearts back to you again.

Then the fire of the LORD fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood and the stones and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench.”

Wow! God sent His fire for Elijah as proof that He is the LORD God of the entire universe! What a powerful God we serve! So, where is the promise in this story? Well, God is promising everyone there that day, and to everyone who reads this story in the bible, that He is powerful and almighty. He is the one TRUE God. Making this the I promise the truth promise.

The last promise from the bible I will write about is in Matthew 2:9-10.

“When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen from the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was.

When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.” 

This promise is a mixture of all three promise types. It is similar to the first rainbow promise in that it has a sign of the covenant, the star. It is also similar to the second pillar of cloud and fire promise because the wisemen followed the star like the children of Israel followed the pillar of cloud and pillar of fire. Last but not least, it is similar to Elijah’s offering promise because it is a I promise the truth promise. You might think that it doesn't sound like that type of promise, but this is they way I see it. God is promising the wiseman that by following the star, they will find baby Jesus, the TRUE King. The One that would die for our sins so that we can have everlasting life with Him. That is TRUE love!

As we study these four promises in the Bible, do you notice a pattern?

Yes, all of the promises came from the sky, the heavens. The rainbow in the sky, the pillars in the sky, the fire from the sky, and the star in the sky. Each one is a promise that God keeps and will never break. 

You might be thinking to yourself that this was in the olden days, things like cloud pillars and fire coming down from heaven just don't happen nowadays. Or you might be thinking that nothing big or magnificent ever happens in the sky that shows us a promise from God.

But promises from heaven still do happen today! Everyday there is something magnificent in the sky! It’s called a sunrise and sunset. Blue, orange, yellow, red, purple, and pink colors light up the sky. Fluffy clouds of all shapes and sizes add to it’s beauty. It IS magnificent! It IS a promise! 

Sunrises are a promise because each morning, when the sun comes up, God is promising to be with us today, and he is reminding us that he sent His only Sun to save sinners like you and I. God made the sun to give us sunlight each day just like Jesus gives us light spirituality. Jesus is the light of the world!

And sunsets are a promise because every night, when the sun goes down, God is promising that the Sun will come again quickly and He will take us to heaven to live forever with our Heavenly Father.

So, next time you see a sunrise or sunset, don’t just think of it as a start or finish of a long day. Think of it as your magnificent promise from heaven!

2 Peter 1:4  

“… by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises…”

Revelation 22:12-13

“And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward [is] with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.

I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.”

Have you ever witnessed a beautiful sunrise and sunset? How about a rainbow? What's one of your favorite promises in the Bible? I'd love to here what you thought of Promises from Heaven!

Leaping for Joy

Lame by birth. His name, unknown. He was helpless.

Everyday, this man was carried to the temple called, Beautiful, to ask for alms. He took donations and charity from the people who came to the temple. One day, as he was laying there, Peter and John came along and saw him. 

Peter says, “Look at us.” 

The man, thinking that they were like everyone else who gave him silver and gold, looks up at them. In Acts 3:6-9, the man receives so much more than he expected.

“Then Peter said, ‘Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up

 and walk.’      

And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength.

so he, leaping up, stood and walked and entered the temple with them- walking and leaping, and praising God.”

And all the people saw him walking and praising God.”

God healed this man! It was a miracle that everyone marveled at! If you read more in this chapter, you will see that this healing opened the door for Peter and John to minister and preach to all who saw that man walk again.

The Bible does not give us much detail about this man, or the situation he was in, but we do know that The Great Physician healed him. As soon as he was healed, he went walking, leaping, and praising God!

God gave this man a gift, the gift of healing. The lame man was so happy to receive this gift, that he was, in fact, leaping for joy! Because of the joy in his heart, and the way he was praising God, he was a witness to all those people. This was quite a testimony!

So, how can we relate to the lame man?

We are sinners, and because of sin, we are lame and broken. But love would not let this be where it all ends. God sent His only begotten son, Jesus Christ to take away the sins of the world. God gives us sinners a avenue. We are given the gift of love, and the choice to let Jesus bear our sins. When we accept this gift of love and forgiveness, we are healed. 

When we realize what great love this is, our hearts will be bursting with the joy of the lame man. Leaping joy! It is my hope that our joy will seep through to those around us, so we can share this gift that is open to the hearts and minds of everyone!

What does the gift of love mean? It means…

1 Corinthians 13:4-8

“Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up;

does not behave rudely, does not seek it’s own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 

does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in truth;

bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 

Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are 

tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away.” 

No matter how many times I read these words, I am blown away!  This is God’s definition for love! God’s gift is the love in 1 Corinthians, a love that never fails. Once we wrap our minds around such an amazing gift, we will want to leap for joy! 

Romans 8:38,39

“For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come,

nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our 

 Lord.”