Read the Bible in a Year (22OCT19)

DAILY REMINDER – Today, October 22’s Bible reading is Mark 15-16.

NEXT DAY REMINDER – Tomorrow, October 23’s Bible reading is Luke 1. May God bless you with the reading of His WORD.

MARK MOMENT – (22OCT19) “Very early in the morning, the chief priests, with the elders, the teachers of the law and the whole Sanhedrin, made their plans. So they bound Jesus, led him away and handed him over to Pilate” (Mark 15:1). The religious leaders were successful in their plans to arrest Jesus without causing a riot; and now, they were about to give him over to the Roman governor. They could care less with what He was charged with – just as long as it was something where they could finally be done away with Him. They had great hatred in their hearts for Him, and all the laws of God, which they claimed to abide by, were disregarded for their own self-interest. Jesus would finally go to His death, but the religious leaders had no idea that the disciples were about to take the world by storm through the leading of the Holy Spirit.

There is still a hatred for Jesus as it was during His day. Many Christians are being persecuted around the world just for being followers of Christ. Even here in the west, the hatred towards Christians and Christianity is increasing. The attempt to silence conservative voices may look as if it is just political, but it is actually an attack on Christianity and will increase as time progresses. The modern-day Sanhedrin are trying to rebuild the third temple according to the TempleInstitute.com, and there are Jews who are trying to pass the Noahide laws, which on the service looks similar to the Ten Commandments, but underneath, it aims to denounce and persecute anyone who says that Jesus is the Son of God.

Recently, there was an uproar in the religious community regarding an “alleged” statement to an Italian journalist from Pope Francis, which the Vatican denies according to The Catholic World Report online magazine, that Jesus was not divine nor God. Rather true or not, many people want to discount the divinity of Jesus. Breibart News reported on an interview where Madonna stated that there was something poetic and sexual about Jesus being naked on a cross. The world is delusional in their ideology of Jesus. They would rather deny Him rather than submit to Him. Nevertheless, one day, everyone will be made to bow before Him and acknowledge Him as the Son of the Living God. The Bible says: “It is written: ‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord,
‘every knee will bow before me; every tongue will acknowledge God.’  So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God“ (Romans 11-12). Something to ponder….

QUESTION OF THE DAY - (22OCT19) “’Are you the king of the Jews?’ asked Pilate. ‘You have said so,’ Jesus replied” (Mark 15:2). Jesus was now in the presence of the Roman governor who was to decide His fate as to if He would be freed or crucified. Pilate knew that Jesus had not done anything worthy of death and that Him standing before him was out of the religious leaders’ selfish ambitions. Nevertheless, he figured that he had a job to do and did not want to cause any chaos between Rome and the Jews. Out of his own curiosity, he questioned Jesus as to his kingship. Jesus responded to Pilate’s question, but Jesus refused to answer any questions in defense of himself. Pilate, of course, found this to be strange. After offering the crowd a choice as to which prisoner they wanted to be released to them between Barabbas and Jesus, he complied with the crowd’s request by freeing Barabbas and sending Jesus to be crucified.

Isn’t it sad how just a few days before, the crowd was singing Hosanna to the Son of David, but now, after being bribed by the religious leaders, they were demanding that Jesus be crucified? Where were the people whom Jesus had done miracles for and had followed him all throughout His ministry? Was there no one to stand for Him? Was there not anyone who would speak on His behalf? How many of us today remain silent when we know that we should be standing against evil and for Christ? Many of us are no different from those who sent Jesus to the cross. Anytime we do not stand for truth but go along to get along, we are denying the King of Kings to appease the crowd. The Bible says: “Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven” (Matthew 10:32-33). Jesus did not hide His identity when He was asked by the leaders of His day and nor should we hide our beliefs in Christ from the world even if persecuted for His name’s sake. Something to ponder….

MARK MOMENT – (22OCT19) “When Jesus rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had driven seven demons. She went and told those who had been with him and who were mourning and weeping. When they heard that Jesus was alive and that she had seen him, they did not believe it” (Mark 9:9-11). Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of Jesus, and Mary the mother of James had gone to the tomb early Sunday morning to anoint Jesus’ body which was the custom of their day. They, however, were shocked to see that the stone had been rolled away from the tomb which Joseph of Arimathea had placed Him in. They saw an angel who told them that Jesus was not there but had risen. The angel gave them instructions to go tell the disciples the good news. Jesus also appeared to the women as well, but the disciples did not believe them. Later, Jesus appeared to the disciples himself and rebuked their unbelief. Jesus had told the disciples prior to His death and resurrection that He would rise again, so when the women told them the good news, they should have been waiting in expectation, but their doubt caused them to ignore the women and discount their eyewitness accounts.

There are many Christians who feel that women have no place in ministry. They take a statement from the Apostle Paul in that he did not allow a woman to teach or have authority over a man in order to say that women were not be in ministry. “ I do not permit a woman to teach or to assume authority over a man; she must be quiet” (1 Timothy 2:12). Even though Paul wrote this, one must understand the context for which he was writing which we will discuss further once we begin reading Timothy’s book. For now, we will follow the example that Jesus gave. Therefore, who did Jesus appear to first and tell to go spread the Good News? It was to the women. Who did the angel tell first to go and tell of Jesus’ resurrection? It was the women. The men were in doubt, but the women were the first ones to believe and evangelize the Gospel. In other words, one could say that women were the first evangelists after Jesus’ resurrection. But, if there is any doubt as to a woman’s role in ministry, this is what the book of Joel says as well as Peter having reiterated it himself: “And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days” (Joel 2:28-29; Acts 2:16-18). This lets us know that both men and women have a work to do in ministry. Women are able to preach and teach just like their male counterparts, and at the same time, respect the male’s authority as leaders of the home, etc. Whereas the men did not believe and many are failing to step up to the plate even in today’s time, women are rising to the occasion to do the work of the Lord. According to many statistics, women significantly outnumber men in the church. They are also the ones carrying the ministries financially compared to their male counterparts. Therefore, women, rather in front or in the pews are the ones helping the Gospel of Christ to grow across the world. Women have a great work to do and the Lord is looking for willing vessels, rather male or female, that He can use to accomplish His will. Something to ponder….