Searching for the Truth in the King James Bible;
Finding it, and passing it on to you.
EDITOR:
Steve
Van Nattan
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Mark
1:1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God;
2
As it is written in the prophets, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face,
which shall prepare thy way before thee.
3
The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make
his paths straight.
4
John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the
remission of sins.
5
And there went out unto him all the land of Judaea, and they of Jerusalem, and
were all baptized of him in the river of Jordan, confessing their sins.
6
And John was clothed with camel's hair, and with a girdle of a skin about his
loins; and he did eat locusts and wild honey;
7
And preached, saying, There cometh one mightier than I after me, the latchet of
whose shoes I am not worthy to stoop down and unloose.
8
I indeed have baptized you with water: but he shall baptize you with the Holy
Ghost.
9
And it came to pass in those days, that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and
was baptized of John in Jordan.
10
And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the
Spirit like a dove descending upon him:
11
And there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I
am well pleased.
12
And immediately the spirit driveth him into the wilderness.
13
And he was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted of Satan; and was with
the wild beasts; and the angels ministered unto him.
14
Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the
gospel of the kingdom of God,
15
And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye,
and believe the gospel.
16
Now as he walked by the sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting
a net into the sea: for they were fishers.
17
And Jesus said unto them, Come ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers
of men.
18
And straightway they forsook their nets, and followed him.
19
And when he had gone a little farther thence, he saw James the son of Zebedee,
and John his brother, who also were in the ship mending their nets.
20
And straightway he called them: and they left their father Zebedee in the ship
with the hired servants, and went after him.
21
And they went into Capernaum; and straightway on the sabbath day he entered into
the synagogue, and taught.
22
And they were astonished at his doctrine: for he taught them as one that had authority,
and not as the scribes.
23
And there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit; and he cried out,
24 Saying,
Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come
to destroy us? I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God.
25
And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him.
26
And when the unclean spirit had torn him, and cried with a loud voice, he came
out of him.
27
And they were all amazed, insomuch that they questioned among themselves, saying,
What thing is this? what new doctrine is this? for with authority commandeth he
even the unclean spirits, and they do obey him.
28
And immediately his fame spread abroad throughout all the region round about Galilee.
29 And forthwith,
when they were come out of the synagogue, they entered into the house of Simon
and Andrew, with James and John.
30
But Simon's wife's mother lay sick of a fever, and anon they tell him of her.
31 And he
came and took her by the hand, and lifted her up; and immediately the fever left
her, and she ministered unto them.
32
And at even, when the sun did set, they brought unto him all that were diseased,
and them that were possessed with devils.
33
And all the city was gathered together at the door.
34
And he healed many that were sick of divers diseases, and cast out many devils;
and suffered not the devils to speak, because they knew him.
35
And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed
into a solitary place, and there prayed.
36
And Simon and they that were with him followed after him.
37
And when they had found him, they said unto him, All men seek for thee.
38
And he said unto them, Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there
also: for therefore came I forth.
39
And he preached in their synagogues throughout all Galilee, and cast out devils.
40 And there
came a leper to him, beseeching him, and kneeling down to him, and saying unto
him, If thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.
41
And Jesus, moved with compassion, put forth his hand, and touched him, and saith
unto him, I will; be thou clean.
42
And as soon as he had spoken, immediately the leprosy departed from him, and he
was cleansed.
43
And he straitly charged him, and forthwith sent him away;
44
And saith unto him, See thou say nothing to any man: but go thy way, shew thyself
to the priest, and offer for thy cleansing those things which Moses commanded,
for a testimony unto them.
45
But he went out, and began to publish it much, and to blaze abroad the matter,
insomuch that Jesus could no more openly enter into the city, but was without
in desert places: and they came to him from every quarter.
Chapter One: Messiah Introduced
Why the small print?
This is to make and effort to let you know what part of this study is my personal view on the verses under discussion. The Bible is the final authority-- I may be wrong.
Acts 17:10 And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews.
11 These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.If you see something in my applications and commentary that startles you, you are not "noble" to God if you do not dive into the King James Bible and compare my comments against the Word of God. And, if you disagree with me based, NOT on the Word of God, but simply because what I say violates your denominational creed, or your favorite Mega Church Famous Amos, you are nothing but a bigot. Shame!
A. The prophesied preacher arrives. 1:1-8
Verse 1-2: The beginning of the Gospel- In the Prophets.
Vs. 2- Cf. Malachi 3:1 Note the partial fulfillment in Christ's first coming. He shall come finally "suddenly" to the temple.
Mark's Gospel starts out suggesting that the book's objective is to prove that Jesus fulfilled Old Testament prophecy. This would be needed to reach Jews with the Gospel, and it is very persuasive today of course.
Verse 3: See Isaiah 40:3
a. Voice in the wilderness- Fulfilled in John the Baptist.
John the Baptist came before the Gospel message based on the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The repentance he preached was for Jews only who were "saved" in the Old Testament era but were backslidden.
b. Highway- Not yet. Cf. Isaiah 11:16; 19:23 It is strictly a kingdom highway.
This command will be fulfilled when Messiah returns in power and great glory after the Great Tribulation. The Jews are being addressed, and they will prepare Christ a way or path when he returns. This was partially fulfilled at the Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem-
Mt. 21:1-11; Mk. 11:1-11; Lk. 19:29-44; Jn. 12:12-19Verse 3-6: "Wilderness" Hebrew- Jeshimon. It means a place of horror and desolation.
Where does God start His greatest work? Discuss today:
Example of the ungodly start of a ministry-- Robert Schuler in Your Church has Possibilities, The First Step to a great church is a big parking lot and be near the freeway. Schuler denied the reality of the Gospel message in that he mocked at the destiny of the wicked-- hell. He also was a committed Unversalist, that is, he taught that all men would be saved no matter what they believed. He was also a 33rd Degree Freemason. THAT is the First Step in pastoring a local church that insures that God cursed the thing up front. And, the glorious monument to Schuler ended up bankrupt and bought by the Roman Catholic Church.
Verse 5: What follows repentance?
Answer: Confession of sin.
Again, since the message was to Jews of the Age of Law, there was no "altar call" to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. Beware of mixing this repentance and confession with the post- Calvary era of salvation.
Discuss:
Confession of sin today in the Church Age is to Jesus Christ (I John 1:9) and to each other: James 5:16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
Do saints confess sin to each other today?
NO! Very uncommon. They explain it to each other.
Verse 6: Diet of a servant of God:
Locusts- Protein: Build the brain.
Honey- Carbohydrates: Fuel the brain. Kids rejoice in carbohydrate treats that are sweet, and modern sweetness is not natural but highly processed. Honey is good food!
Compare New Age, Yoga, Health cult-- Eating meat is made to seem barbarian and gross. This is because Satan teaches his followers to avoid protein so that they will be weak and have a spaced out mindset.
Verse 7: John, in prophesying the coming of Messiah, makes it very clear that he, John, is not the main event.
Spirit of a TBN preacher? NO!
Modern preachers and evangelists almost always find a way to exalt themselves while seeming to give glory to God. This is seen in Independent Baptist and other groups in the flowery introductions that are given before the man speaks. It is wicked.
Here is a man making false prophecies that are 100% designed to exalt himself.
Verse 8: Holy Ghost comes when Jesus sends Him, NOT alone, and not on demand! Cf. John 20:21-22
Note: Father sends Son, Son sends Holy Spirit.
Modern Charismatics teach that the believer claims, calls, persuades, or coerces the Holy Spirit to come and empower them. That is a lot of bunk and lies.
B. Entry of the Prophesied Savior- 1:9-11
Verse 9- Was this the Baptism of repentance? Absolutely not.
Why not? Discuss this.
Answer: Jesus was without sin. Why did Jesus come for baptism? This was the FULFILLMENT of the repentance and seeking anew of the Messiah. Jesus validated John's message, baptism, and the response of those who were baptized as he too was baptized.
Verse 10- "Straightway" used 19 times in Mark "Immediately" 17 times. Mark seems to be impressed with the immediacy of Jesus' works. Jesus did not need to drink a cup of tea and talk about politics between his mighty acts. He was on a mission. He never spoke of hurry, but he WAS immediate.
What does this tell us about Jesus? Urgency. Yet, we never read that He became impatient in urgency. There is a nutty "Christian song" called He's On Time. Jesus is not on time-- he is master of time and eternity. He is omnipresent and acts on his schedule without any constraint of time. Time is MY enemy, not his.
How is this NOT like us?
Listen to a baboon convention singing My god Is On Time.
Verse 10-11- Here is the Godhead as clear as day, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit! Note the unity of action and the unity of agreement in the Godhead. This is the unity of action that should be the model of the Lord's Church in all their endeavors.
C. Testing of the Sinless Savior- 1:12-13
Verse 12- Who is in charge during testing?
Answer: Jesus and, according to Luke 4:1, the Holy Spirit
Discuss Charismatic lust to do warfare with Satan. Is this the testing work of the Holy Ghost?
Who tempts to sin? Cf. James 1:13
Verse 13- See Luke 4:1-14.
Note vs. 14 in context of Mk. 1:12!
Discuss: Are we tested to break us? Cf- I Cor. 10:13
Read the full account of Jesus' temptations by Satan:
Luke 4:1 And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,
2 Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered.
3 And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread.
4 And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.
5 And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.
6 And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it.
7 If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine.
8 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
9 And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down from hence:
10 For it is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee:
11 And in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.
12 And Jesus answering said unto him, It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.
13 And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season.Note that in vs. 1 Jesus was lead into temptation. He did not go looking for it.
Note that Satan appealed to the same three things that got to Eve in Genesis 3-- the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life.
Note that Jesus resisted Satan by quoting the Word of God, Deuteronomy all three times.
Note in vs. 13 that Satan left Jesus "for a season". Temptation by Satan is frequent and never ends until we go to be with the Lord. James 4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
D. The Messianic Ministry, it is still our model as Christians today- 1:14-45
1. Repent- 14-15
Verse 14-
Gospel of the Kingdom of God- Is it unique from our day?
Revelation 14:6 And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people,
If the Gospel preached in the coming Great Tribulation is everlasting, then there is a sameness to the Gospel, whether it be in Genesis when Adam fell, in Moses' day when the Law was given, here when Jesus preached, of in the Church Age. What is that difference?
Genesis 15:6 And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.
Answer: Not much. Note end of Vs. 15- Repent and believe.
Galatians 1:6 I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:
Beware of hyper-dispensationalism which puts the Gospel in seven boxes-- each different.
Salvation is defined in Eden and in Daniel's 70th week by The Lord Jesus Christ. Cf. Rev. 14:6
Verse 15-
Note tone of the first Messianic sermon- Time is up... Repent. Is this different from today? Noah's day?
Acts 17:22-31. Note vs. 30. Dispensation of Grace is same.
Acts 17:22 Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars' hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious.
23 For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you.
24 God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands;
25 Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things;
26 And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;
27 That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:
28 For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.
29 Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device.
30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:
31 Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.End of Church age- Laodiceans- Revelation 3:19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
In the Tribulation Wrath- Object of God- Rev. 16:9-11
Discuss: Do we include repentance when we give the Gospel? When you hand out "Gospel" tracts- Check them out carefully. Is the Gospel presented in a patented way, as with the "Four Spiritual Laws" of Campus Crusade? This is American marketing, NOT the Gospel.
2. The command to follow- 16-20
Peter and fishing:
- Fishing (not for men) is where Jesus found him.
Jesus did not go walking through a seminary or Bible college, put up a display of his mission board, talk about great opportunities to "make a difference," whatever that means. Jesus did not make Peter fill out a 25 page application, and Jesus did not send Peter off to candidate school and later go on deputation to "raise support."
- Fishing is where Peter saw Christ's power- Luke 5:1-7
- Fishing was how Peter paid income tax- Matt. 17:24-27
- Fishing is where Peter went when he was confused, he went fishing- John 21:1-3
- Once commissioned as an Apostle, Peter never again went fishing.
At least there is no record of it. Peter certainly must have joined in with the fishermen where ever he was as he preached the Gospel. He may have told fishing stories to start a conversation. But, he left his first love and found a better one in serving Christ and his Church- John 21:21-22
Peter left his vocational nets and fished for men as Christ predicted.
This does not forbid the Christian servant and Bible teacher (pastor) from the possibility of working part time to feed his family. Paul mended tents to pay his personal expenses, but once the local church was established, he either became dependent on the generosity of the members, or he left town to start another church up the road.
3. Teaching Doctrine- 21-22
First- Teaching was in the synagogue, on Sabbath.
Paul followed same pattern. ILL: Acts 17:10-11
Heb. 10:25- The local church assembly is for teaching doctrine. Jesus was in the equivalent of the local church after Pentecost.
Street preachers and evangelists who stand in the market place and preach Christian doctrine to the ungodly are idiots. They cannot "receive it". It is even getting rare to find people who can take in sound doctrine in the church house. They are "poor and blind and naked."
I Tim. 4:13- What about those who refuse to be taught doctrine?
Second- They were astonished with what? vs. 22
Singing? Personality? College he attended? Program? His funny stories?
No- With his authority! Is this typical of the man or of God?
1 Thessalonians 1:5 For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake.
1 Thessalonians 2:7 But we were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherisheth her children:
Titus 3:8 This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men.
9 But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain.Who are the "scribes" today? Seminary PhDs, gurus who write great heavy books, like John Gill and John Calvin, books which are often quoted more than the Bible itself.
Nicolaitans and scholars- Quote each other-- They are the ones Jesus hated, that is, he hated their DOCTRINE.
Revelation 2:15 So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate.
These hirelings refuse to disagree with a degreed man who is in their club. They have dialogue which never comes to the point. Their genteel diplomacy is sickening in group meetings and Bible studies.
What is the antidote for wimpy Christianity? Steel in the spine is no good if it is only found in the church house.
Review: The Messianic model-
1. Repent and believe- The first word. Verse 15
2. Command? Follow me.
3. Teach what? Doctrine!
What is the difference between Doctrine and Theology? Theology is the notions of allegedly wise men who make a "system" of Bible doctrine. Doctrine is propositional truth without commentary.
4. Warfare with Satan- 23-29
Satan is hostile to Christ. War is the order of the day.
1 Timothy 1:18 This charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before on thee, that thou by them mightest war a good warfare;
Jesus was at war and NEVER complained about it. Do you? Are you shocked at the war? Why? There are two errors common today-- SEEKING warfare, and AVOIDING warfare. Satan WILL attack you if you are a faithful servant of Christ, AND Satan will also attack you if you are a wimp. There is NO armor for your back in Ephesians 6.
Verse 23- Where was the devil? Synagogue! The most deadly attacks of Satan come when the believers are assembled for fellowship and Bible teaching. Satan hates that moment for this reason?
Matthew 18:20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.
Satan goes to church every Sunday. He by far prefers a Fundamental Baptist church to the Roman Catholic Mass. He already is the lord of the Mass. He wants to disrupt the Bride, not the Prostitute church. Do you wonder why the world overlooks the zeal of heretics but attacks your Christian liberty? Come now, do not be stupid.
Do you let him in?
I visited a church in Plano, Illinois where a man filled with devils was disrupting the local church horribly. The pastor told me that two pastors before him had confronted the man before the board and members, and they all turned on those pastors and ran them off. This was otherwise a sound Bible church.
The pastor had elders or deacons sequestered in his office at every service, and they prayed continually against the attacks of the man. Why could they not find victory? This devil possessed man said the most spiritual sounding things in Sunday School and during the worship hour. He stood and gently made a comment. Most of the older ladies and some men thought the comments were very spiritual. Actually, the comments were pure sexual filthy innuendo. The irony was that when there were no ladies present, he made the most vile and demeaning comments about women. I heard it in Sunday School before the morning worship. Only men who had worked in the worst of the vile world or had been in the US Army knew the meanings.
The pastor told me that when the man stood while I was preaching that I should jump right to the Blood of Jesus and quote Scripture about the Blood.
When I was later preaching about mission,s and teaching about being a faithful witness wherever we are, Satan got mad of course. The man grabbed the top of the pew in front of him and started rising.
WAR!!! I made a shift totally out of context and said, "When we get to Ethiopia we intend to teach the people there that the Blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin." The man stopped half way up, tried to keep standing, glared at me in pure hate, and finally collapsed in a heap in the pew. There is NO time to be diplomatic in such a situation. There is only one thing in order- ATTACK!
Why did the pastor not run the man off? Well, two good men before him tried that, and he felt like that was not the answer. So, until the Holy Spirit drove the devil off, the leading men of the church felt they must hold the battle line and pray. Does that sound wimpy? Well, Jesus did not always run off the devil-- he simply confronted him, defeated him, and the devil left him "for a season." Satan will come back and back and back. He does not believe he can lose. He is totally deluded.
When the Holy Spirit allows such attacks, the men of the local church are forced to deal with Satanic power as a very real thing, which makes stronger leaders. When the training cadre in Basic Training in the Army have not seen live combat, they are dull and unconvincing. This was one of the main (and unspoken) reasons of the Vietnam War. This is why the US Army is often superior to other armies. It is not about technology, as some people imagine-- it is about experience in previous combat. This does not justify the ongoing lust for war, but it certainly explains some things. Likewise, spiritual warfare must not sought-- it will come soon enough.
I have learned by experience an important lesson: When you know someone is a servant of Satan, and they begin to talk or move about at a gathering of the brethren, DO NOT wait to see what they will finally do that is offensive. Doing this comes from our American notion that a man is innocent until proven guilty. If you have knowledge of Satanic attack, STOP IT BEFORE THE OFFENSE. Why? Answer: These attacks are filthy and fill the minds of innocent people with garbage they must not have to deal with. Many jackboot preachers seem to get a morbid delight from letting the devil dirty the meeting so that people understand how bad Satan really is. That is wicked thinking. The sheep are to be defended BEFORE they are rent by the teeth of the wolf.
Does Satan have to fight for the world? Eph. 2:1-2. Answer: NO!
Satan attacks the Church- I Kings 22:19-22; Zech. 3:1-2; I Peter 5:8-9; I Thess. 2:18; Eph. 6:11-12; II Cor. 11:12-15.
Verse 24- Devils recognize Christ in you.
I was shopping for my wife one day in Barstow, California in the High Desert where we lived. I had dealt with a lot of Satanic issues that come my way, and I knew I was known by Satan.
As I turned around the end of an aisle, my mind a bit idle, looking for some item, I looked down the aisle, and a woman with a cart in her hands was staring at me with a look of terror. I had never seen the woman before. She suddenly turned her cart around and fled in a hurry. I did not figure it out at first. Later, as I as again searching for some item in the middle of an aisle, the same woman came into the aisle from the far end. I became a bit curious, and she suddenly saw me, and she again turned around in a rush and fled.
Satan knows who you are. He does not fear you. Do not get a big head over this. He is in terror on he who is IN you. 1 John 4:4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
Verse 25- Lesson- Don't jabber with devils. Why?
Ans. 1- They will not speak to the Glory of God. It is absolutely folly to carry on a conversation with devils. I do not care what your good intentions are. Devils need to be dispatched at once, or they need to be told to keep quiet. Why?
Ans. 2- They are liars. John 8:44; I John 2:22.
Verse 26- Devils are violent. I Peter 5:8; Matt. 4:24; 17:15;
Why does Satan long to torment men with fire? Rev. 20:10. Answer:
Revelation 20:10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
Misery loves company. Also, I personally believe that when Satan said, "I will be like the Most High" before he was tossed out of heaven, he did not repent of that. One of the powers God has is to condemn rebels to hell fire. Satan craves the substitute of fire in this life so that he can burn people like God can. Nice guy, right?
Verse 27-29- "What new doctrine is this?" (27)
How is it that deliverance is a "new doctrine?" Discuss. Is it so today?
The reason I put up this video is to show two things. The woman manifested Satan when the alleged Christian prophet touched her. And, the prophet lead her by the hand. 1 Corinthians 7:1 Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman. This is the OLD doctrine of devils empowered by Satan, not Christ. The woman showed no demonic activity until the alleged prophet touched here. The people watching Jesus saw the genuine, AND THEY KNEW IT.
Bible colleges and especially seminaries do NOT teach men to stand against Satan in warfare. For this reason, they are shocked and sometimes their churches suffer because they do not take Satan seriously. Their Satan is found in the Systematic Theology outline under Angelology.
5. Healing as a sign to the Jews- 30-34
As you can see, Mark's discussion of the birth, genealogy, youth, and even baptism are all either deleted of condensed compared to the other three Gospels. This seems to imply that the Holy Spirit lead Mark to emphasize the sign ministry of Jesus. Paul made this clear in one of his epistles- 1 Corinthians 1:22 For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:
The Gospel of Luke was written to a Greek proselyte, so he was given wisdom, while Matthew was meant to validate the genealogy of Jesus for Jews, and The Gospel of John written to the Church possibly to make it very clear what the Gospel really was. But, God gave all four Gospels to all of humanity. Why? When God repeats himself twice, it is to show the importance of the thing. When God repeats something four times it must be taken as possibly the most urgent message on the Bible. And, it is.
First, in vs. 30-34, Jesus did not call the fever a demon making her sick. Sickness, unless there is a clear manifestation of devils with it, is disease and part of the curse of sin.
If modern faith healers were duplicating Christ's healing ministry, why do they have to have a crowd? Why do the have someone there to brag on them? Why do they not heal the sick as they walk through life daily-- why the big meeting or tent site? I am reminded of the TV show long ago of Ed Sullivan when he said, "Tonight we have a really big show."
Here is a Charismatic heretic who says sickness is of the devil and,"it is not God's will for you." This heresy has caused many weak Christians to believe they did something wicked which brought on demon possession in the form if sickness. The alleged faith healer in the video is probably possessed of devils himself-- at the very least, he is teaching doctrines of devils.
There is a false teaching that all sickness is caused by devils who enter people and make them sick. Devils may indeed make people sick, but to say that all sickness is demonic is heresy.
John 9:1 And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth.
2 And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?
3 Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.
4 I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.Also, God may allow Satan to "buffet" us in our bodies in order to restrain some temptation in us to pride of some other evil.
2 Corinthians 12:7 And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.
8 For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.
9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.Sign to the Jews- As in Matt. 11:1-5- Please read the cross reference- important!
We need to clear this up. John the Baptist was the prophet who prepared the way for Jesus before Jesus was manifest to Israel. The prophetic message was the Jesus would be the Messiah, and he would fulfill off prophecies about the Messiah. So, when John asked Jesus if he was indeed the Messiah, Jesus did not say, "Yes, and you better simply believe it." Jesus gave the sign proofs of miracles and authority over devils (who Jesus created long before) so that John could make the connect between the prophets and Jesus.
For this reason, the best thing we can say about Charismatic Christians who crave manifestations every time they meet together is that they are very immature and beggarly to behave like Jews from 2000 years ago and demand a sign. Galatians 4:9 But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage.
Why do "faith healers" take an offering? Jesus never took an offering after healing the sick.
Also, why do they not walk on the water as Jesus did?
Read about healing in the Church age- Cf. James 5:13-16; II Cor. 12:7-9.
6. Christ exalted (He must increase)- 35-45
Here are the words of John the Baptist as to the ministry of Jesus:
John 3:28 Ye yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before him.
29 He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom's voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled.
30 He must increase, but I must decrease.Verses 35-45 show the "increase" of Jesus.
Notice verse 37- All men sought Jesus. They no longer are seeking John the Baptist because they have found the Messiah. When alleged Christians seek a faith healer, or a famous Amos preacher like John MacArthur or Rick Warren, they are wicked. They refuse to move on to follow only Jesus.
Notice verse 38 and 45- Jesus was on the move, and he avoided the "really big show" mentality. When did you ever hear of a faith healer who stayed in the desert and made people find him? And then, as in verse 42 through 44, when did you hear of a faith healer who told those he healed not to tell anyone.
Also, please note the Jesus told the man to go and present himself to the High Priest and offer the sacrifice of cleansing commanded by Moses in the Law. Jesus came to fulfill the law, not to trash it. Matthew 5:17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
Cf. Luke 5:15-16; John 2:24-25
Ultimately, Jesus would be lifted up in a way no phony faith healer would want to be lifted up. John 12:32 And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. 33 This he said, signifying what death he should die.
As you can see, we are finding the Gospel of Mark not only reveals the Son of God, The Lord Jesus Christ. This Gospel also clears up all sorts of errors in the modern Church. Serious study of the Bible will always do this, and anyone who claims to want to study the Bible, without examining himself and the modern church movement, is a fraud.