Mark 1:40-45

1. Position yourself to hear God

2. Pore over the passage and paraphrase the main points

3. Pull out the spiritual principles

4. Pose the question

5. Plan obedience and pin down a date

Mark 1:40-45 (NIV)

Jesus Heals a Man With Leprosy

⁴⁰ A man with leprosy^[a] came to him and begged him on his knees, “If you are willing, you can make me clean.”

⁴¹ Jesus was indignant.^[b] He reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” ⁴² Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cleansed.

⁴³ Jesus sent him away at once with a strong warning: ⁴⁴ “See that you don’t tell this to anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.” ⁴⁵ Instead he went out and began to talk freely, spreading the news. As a result, Jesus could no longer enter a town openly but stayed outside in lonely places. Yet the people still came to him from everywhere.

Paraphrase

• A man with leprosy knelt in front of Jesus begging to be healed
• Jesus had compassion on him and healed him
• Jesus told the man to go to the Priest and take an offering with him so that people will know that he was healed
• The man disobeyed and told everyone he saw what happened.  This hindered where Jesus could go

Principles

• Jesus shows compassion to this man and his healing is immediate, complete cleansing and Jesus used touch to do it.
• We need to honour the law of God
• Disobedience hindered Jesus in how free he could come and go in places.  Obedience should be our top priority.

Questions

• What sins do I need to be cleansed from? 
• What sins do I need to talk to Jesus about?
• Am I pursuing obedience with Jesus or justifying my sin?

Mark 1:29-34

1. Position yourself to hear God

2. Pore over the passage and paraphrase the main points

3. Pull out the spiritual principles

4. Pose the question

5. Plan obedience and pin down a date

Mark 1:29-39New International Version (NIV)

Jesus Heals Many

29 As soon as they left the synagogue, they went with James and John to the home of Simon and Andrew. 30 Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they immediately told Jesus about her. 31 So he went to her, took her hand and helped her up. The fever left her and she began to wait on them.

32 That evening after sunset the people brought to Jesus all the sick and demon-possessed. 33 The whole town gathered at the door, 34 and Jesus healed many who had various diseases. He also drove out many demons, but he would not let the demons speak because they knew who he was.

Jesus Prays in a Solitary Place

35 Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. 36 Simon and his companions went to look for him, 37 and when they found him, they exclaimed: “Everyone is looking for you!”

38 Jesus replied, “Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.” 39 So he traveled throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons.

Paraphrase

• Simon’s mother in law was sick and Jesus healed her
• The whole city came to Jesus and He healed many including those who were demon possessed – He didn’t allow the demons to speak
• Rising early Jesus went out into the wilderness and spent time with His father before preaching to more people and healing them

Principles

• Jesus is personal with people and He gets involved.
• Jesus was in complete control when healing people and the demons had no authority
• Jesus ministered to many but He knew when to stop and spend time with His Heavenly Father

Questions

• Do I truly believe that Jesus is personal to me?
• Do I try and help Jesus when He has complete authority over all things?
• Am I running on empty because I haven’t followed Jesus example of spending time with the Father

Plan

• Develop a strong prayer life, pray scripture.

Mark 1:21-28

1. Position yourself to hear God

2. Pore over the passage and paraphrase the main points

3. Pull out the spiritual principles

4. Pose the question

5. Plan obedience and pin down a date

Mark 1:21-28 New International Version (NIV)

Jesus Drives Out an Impure Spirit

²¹ They went to Capernaum, and when the Sabbath came, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach. ²² The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law. ²³ Just then a man in their synagogue who was possessed by an impure spirit cried out, ²⁴ “What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!”

²⁵ “Be quiet!” said Jesus sternly. “Come out of him!” ²⁶ The impure spirit shook the man violently and came out of him with a shriek.

²⁷ The people were all so amazed that they asked each other, “What is this? A new teaching—and with authority! He even gives orders to impure spirits and they obey him.” ²⁸ News about him spread quickly over the whole region of Galilee.

Paraphrase

• Jesus was teaching in the synagogue with authority
• A man with an unclean spirit cried out and the spirit knew who Jesus was
• Jesus was known throughout the region as one who had authority and one who had power

Principles

• Jesus can be trusted in what He says.  He is different to other teachers
• Jesus has power over the enemy
• Jesus teaching spreads because it is radical and life changing

Questions

• Do I spend enough time getting to know Jesus through His Word?
• Do  really know that I don’t need to be afraid of the enemy because Jesus is all                 powerful?
• Does Jesus’s teaching change my life because it should?

Mark 1:14-20

Mark 1:14-20

1. Position yourself to hear God

2. Pore over the passage and paraphrase the main points

3. Pull out the spiritual principles

4. Pose the question

5. Plan obedience and pin down a date

Mark 1:14-20(NIV)

Jesus Announces the Good News

14 After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. 15 “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”

Jesus Calls His First Disciples

16 As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 17 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” 18 At once they left their nets and followed him.

19 When he had gone a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John in a boat, preparing their nets. 20 Without delay he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him.

Paraphrase

• John was put in prison (see Mark 6) and Jesus went to Galilee preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom of God.  He called men and women to repent and believe the Gospel.
• Jesus picked ordinary men doing an ordinary job to follow Him
• They left their fisherman jobs immediately to follow Jesus, there was no delay
• These men were going to be fishers of men not fishers of fish from now on

Principles

• I am an ordinary person also but God works through the ordinary person if they are willing to be submissive to His will
• I need to be obedient to His calling and act on it.  This is not passive but active.
• Jesus would train the fishermen to be fishers of men and He trains us throughout our life if we seek to live a life for Him

Pose the Question

• Do I have an urgency to share the Gospel and teach truth about Jesus to those who don't know Him
• Do I respond immediately to God's calling on my life?
• Do I truly believe that God will work in and through me for the extension of His Kingdom

Plan Obedience

• Praying that I will be truly obedient no matter the cost.  

Mark 1:9-13

1.Position yourself to hear God

2.Pore over the passage and paraphrase the main points

3.Pull out the spiritual principles

4.Pose the question

5.Plan obedience and pin down a date

Mark 1:9-13 New International Version (NIV)

The Baptism and Testing of Jesus

9 At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 Just as Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. 11 And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”


12 At once the Spirit sent him out into the wilderness, 13 and he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted[a] by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him.


Paraphase

• Jesus was baptised by John the Baptist in the Jordan River and the spirit of God descended upon Him like a dove.
• God spoke to His Son and expressed His love and pleasure for Him.
• Jesus was in the desert for 40 days being tempted by Satan but he was not alone as angels attended to His needs

Principles

• Jesus had the Holy Spirit come upon Him. That same Holy Spirit is in ever believer.
• God speaks to us at different times assuring us of His great love
• Jesus experienced desert times and so can we. The enemy seeks to tempt us in different ways and yet we are not alone in those times.

Questions

• If I truly believe that the same Spirit that was in Christ is also in me then how should my life look? Do I trust Him to do a work in and through me?
• Do I live my life believing that God loves me more than anyone else ever could?
• How do I manage spiritual dryness or wilderness moments in my life? Do I trust God through them and rely on Him to see me through?

Plan Obedience

• To remember that I don't do life alone but have the Holy Spirit within me to guide, counsel and teach me what I need to know.

Introduction to our study in Mark

Our time in Mark will be slightly different to our time in Judges.  We will be taking smaller chunks of scripture and delving deep.  However, due to this I hope to be posting more often.  We will be using a Bible study method by Priscilla Shirer to do that.  Priscilla Shirer is a Bible study teacher and speaker from the States and you can check her out at http://www.goingbeyond.com/ if you are interested.

Priscilla Shirer uses the 5 P's of Bible Study.  This is explained below from her website at Going Beyond.  As I said we will be using this method as we work through the Gospel of Mark.


AS YOU BEGIN YOUR TIME WITH THE LORD EACH DAY

1. Position yourself to hear from God. Engaging in the spiritual disciplines of silence and solitude always assists in hearing God through the Scriptures.

AS YOU LOOK INTO THE PASSAGE YOU ARE STUDYING

2. Pore over the passage and Paraphrase the major points. Take time to fully engage in each verse you read. Don’t just skim over it; meditate on it. Then paraphrase what you’ve read from each verse either in your workbook or a separate journal.

3. Pull out the spiritual principles. Close your Bible and look at the paraphrases you’ve written down. For each one, record the spiritual principle that it is designed to convey. Is there a command to follow? Is there a promise to heed? Is there an attribute of God revealed?

4. Pose the question. For each of the spiritual principles you’ve pulled out, form a personally directed question. In your daily living, are you following the command, heeding the promise, depending on that attribute of God? As you ask yourself questions from the text, you will find a divine dialogue begin to develop as the Holy Spirit brings answers, conviction, and challenge.

5. Plan obedience and Pin down a date. Consider what God would have you do as a result of the conversation you’ve had with Him and then plan to obey Him. If possible, pin down a date so that you can remain accountable.

New Study - The Gospel of Mark

The break is over and so it is time to dig deep again and start a new study.  This time we will move from the OT to the NT and study the book of Mark.  I am looking forward to getting into this book and seeing what we learn from it and how we apply the truths to our lives.  I will be back with you soon with the first lesson.  Hope you will join me in it.  :)