Tag Archives: Choose

Marching into Mark Chapter 13

Marching into Mark Registry,
the collection of these studies
(First 100 days of 2023, day 86, March 27 )

On Facebook, you can join us at Itty Bitty Bible Study Group.

It doesn’t matter which version you choose. It can be digital or paper. You can use one of those fancy coloring bibles and do a page or coloring along with the passage.

I will mostly do Holman Christian Standard Bible because of their copyright freedoms.

The Images that I use are from Knowing Jesus and are available as downloads in every format that I can imagine for screen savers and wallpapers.

Mark 13 (Parallel Stories in Matthew 24)
- Mk 13:1-2 The Temple
- As He was going out of the temple complex, one of His disciples said to Him, “Teacher, look! What massive stones! What impressive buildings!”
- Mk 13²Jesus said to him, “Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left here on another that will not be thrown down!”
- Mk 13:3-13 The End Times
  - Mk 13⁶Many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am He,’ and they will deceive many.
  - Mk 13⁸For nation will rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, and famines.^[a] These are the beginning of birth pains.
  - ⁹“But you, be on your guard! They will hand you over to sanhedrins,^[b] and you will be flogged in the synagogues. You will stand before governors and kings because of Me, as a witness to them.
  - ¹¹So when they arrest you and hand you over, don’t worry beforehand what you will say. On the contrary, whatever is given to you in that hour—say it. For it isn’t you speaking, but the Holy Spirit.
  - ¹³And you will be hated by everyone because of My name. But the one who endures to the end will be delivered.
- Mk 13:14-22 Great Tribulation
- Mk 13 ¹⁴“When you see the abomination that causes desolation^[e] standing where it should not” (let the reader understand^[f]), “then those in Judea must flee to the mountains! ¹⁵A man on the housetop must not come down or go in to get anything out of his house. ¹⁶And a man in the field must not go back to get his clothes. ¹⁷Woe to pregnant women and nursing mothers in those days!
- Mk 13¹⁹For those will be days of tribulation, the kind that hasn’t been from the beginning of the world,^[h] which God created, until now and never will be again!
- Mk 13²⁰Unless the Lord limited those days, no one would survive.^[i] But He limited those days because of the elect, whom He chose.
- Mk 13²²For false messiahs^[j] and false prophets will rise up and will perform signs and wonders to lead astray, if possible, the elect.
- Mk 13:24-27 AFTER THE TRIBULATION
- Mk 13²⁴“But in those days, after that tribulation:
- Mk 13:24 The sun will be darkened,
  and the moon will not shed its light;
- Mk 13:25 the stars will be falling from the sky,
  and the celestial powers will be shaken.
- Mk 13²⁶Then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory.
- Mk 13 ²⁷He will send out the angels and gather His elect from the four winds, from the end of the earth to the end of the sky.
- Mk 13:28-31 Parable of the Fig Tree
- Mk 13²⁹In the same way, when you see these things happening, know^[k] that He^[l] is near—at the door!
- Mk 13³¹Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away.
- Mk 13:32-37 No One Knows
- Mk 13³²“Now concerning that day or hour no one knows—neither the angels in heaven nor the Son—except the Father.
- Mk 13³³Watch! Be alert!^[m] For you don’t know when the time is coming.
- Mk 13³⁵Therefore be alert, since you don’t know when the master of the house is coming—whether in the evening or at midnight or at the crowing of the rooster or early in the morning. ³⁶Otherwise, he might come suddenly and find you sleeping. (Remember the 10 Virgin Parable)
- Mk 13³⁷And what I say to you, I say to everyone: Be alert!”
- WATCH AND BE ALERT!

More discussion about these stories in Mindfully Meditating in Matthew 24.

A good place to see the four gospels compared is from Synoptic Gospel Parallels.

Mindful Meditating

choose a verse,
set a timer for 5 minutes, or whatever works for you.
example: Mark 13:33
repeat to yourself, and at each word, enunciate the next word in the sentence starting with the first word…

example:

Mk 13³³Watch! Be alert!^[m] For you don’t know when the time is coming.
WATCH! Be alert! For you don’t know when the time is coming.
Watch! BE ALERT! For you don’t know when the time is coming.
Watch! Be alert! FOR you don’t know when the time is coming.
Watch! Be alert! For YOU don’t know when the time is coming.

and so on. This will cause you to look at the verse more intently, and may have you memorize it before your five minutes are done.

Songs for Meditation

I wish we’d all been Ready – Larry Norman

This is the Kingdom – Elevation Worship

We Declare that the Kingdom of God is Here – Ron Kenoly

Coloring – I use coloring to help me focus on the fullness of a verse.

Mark Coloring page – Ministry to Children – simple enough to finish in an hour or less

Jesus Returns in the Clouds – Sermons4Kids

Quick Questions – if you have time, or to think about over the course of the day, and jot down thoughts later. Some thoughts to dig deeper.

What does this discussion about the tribulation and collecting of the chosen tell us about the end?
1. NeverThirsty gives a few views on the Rapture and Tribulation. They maintain a PreTribulation Rapture.
2. GotQuestions discusses the aspects of MidTribulation Rapture
3. GotQuestions goes over a general understanding of the four views of when the Rapture happens.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hi!
My hope in the midst of despair and my joy in the face of depression is because of my relationship with Jesus Christ. If you do not have one, or are not sure you will join him in heaven, please check out these links:

Got Questions provides a detailed explanation of The Roman’s Road.
Billy Graham’s version of the Plan of salvation.

Thanks for joining me in this journey,
In His hands and under His wings,
~Christi
Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

M. Christine Wildman

“The Lord does not give me rules, but He makes His standard very clear.
If my relationship to Him is that of love, I will do what He says without hesitation.
If I hesitate, it is because I love someone I have placed in competition with Him, namely, myself.” – from My Utmost for His highest

Copyrights and Legal-eze
There are many organizations that support children and families. Here are ones that we are blessed to be a part of. Please consider sponsoring a child – the life you change could be your own.

Naomi’s Heart Ministries
Obed’s House Ministries
The son of a friend will be interning with CRU – previously known as Campus Crusades for Christ. If you’d like to support someone I can vouch for in this area, please consider going to Matthew Plant’s donation page.

Marching into Mark Chapter Twelve

Marching into Mark Registry,
the collection of these studies
(First 100 days of 2023, day 82, March 23 )

On Facebook, you can join us at Itty Bitty Bible Study Group.

Passage
Mark Chapter Twelve

It doesn’t matter which version you choose. It can be digital or paper. You can use one of those fancy coloring bibles and do a page or coloring along with the passage.

I will mostly do Holman Christian Standard Bible because of their copyright freedoms.

The Images that I use are from Knowing Jesus and are available as downloads in every format that I can imagine for screen savers and wallpapers.

Mark 12 (parallel stories in Matthew 21 and 22)
- Mk 12:1-12 The Vineyard Owner and Tenants
- Mk 12⁷“But those tenant farmers said among themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him, and the inheritance will be ours!’
- Mk 12⁹“Therefore, what will the owner^[c] of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the farmers and give the vineyard to others.
- The Stone the Builders Rejected
  - The stone that the builders rejected
    has become the cornerstone.^[
  - This came from the Lord
    and is wonderful in our eyes?”
- Mk 12¹²Because they knew He had said this parable against them, they were looking for a way to arrest Him, but they were afraid of the crowd. So they left Him and went away.
- Mk 12:13-17 God and Taxes
- Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not? ¹⁵Should we pay, or should we not pay?”
- Mk 12¹⁶So they brought one. “Whose image and inscription is this?” He asked them.
- Caesar’s
- Mk 12¹⁷Then Jesus told them, “Give back to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” And they were amazed at Him.
- Mk 12:18- 27 Resurrection? Yes or No?
- Mk 12¹⁸Some Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Him and questioned Him:
- Man had a wife and died, brother married her, no offspring
- Times seven brothers
- Woman died
- Whose wife is she in the resurrection?
- Mk 12²⁵For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage but are like angels in heaven. (-Jesus said)
- Mk 12²⁶Now concerning the dead being raised…
- Mk 12²⁷He is not God of the dead but of the living. You are badly deceived.”
- Mk 12: 28-34 Greatest Commandments
- Mk 12²⁸One of the scribes approached. … he asked Him, “Which command is the most important of all?”
- Mk 12³⁰Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.
- Mk 12“The second is: Love your neighbor as yourself.^[r] There is no other command greater than these.”
- Scribe replied
- Mk 12³³And to love Him with all your heart, with all your understanding,^[s] and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself, is far more important than all the burnt offerings and sacrifices.”
- Jesus said
- Mk 12:34 “You are not far from the kingdom of God.”
- Mk 12: 35-37 David’s son the Messiah?
- Mk 12:38- 40 Beware of the Scribes
- Mk 12⁴⁰They devour widows’ houses and say long prayers just for show. These will receive harsher punishment.”
- Mk 12:41-44 The Widows Gift
- Mk 12⁴³Summoning His disciples, He said to them, “I assure you: This poor widow has put in more than all those giving to the temple treasury. ⁴⁴For they all gave out of their surplus, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she possessed—all she had to live on.”

More discussion about these stories in Mindfully Meditating in Matthew 21 and MMM22

A good place to see the four gospels compared is from Synoptic Gospel Parallels.

Mindful Meditating

choose a verse,
set a timer for 5 minutes, or whatever works for you.
example: Mark 12:34
repeat to yourself, and at each word, enunciate the next word in the sentence starting with the first word…

example:

Mk 12:34 “You are not far from the kingdom of God.”
YOU are not far from the kingdom of God.
You ARE not far from the kingdom of God.
You are NOT far from the kingdom of God.
You are not FAR from the kingdom of God.

and so on. This will cause you to look at the verse more intently, and may have you memorize it before your five minutes are done.

Songs for Meditation

The Greatest Commandment – Integrity Worship

Greatest Commandment – Seeds Family Worship

This is the Kingdom – Elevation Worship

We Declare that the Kingdom of God is Here – Ron Kenoly

Coloring – I use coloring to help me focus on the fullness of a verse.

Mark Coloring page – Ministry to Children – simple enough to finish in an hour or less

No coloring page for the Greatest Commandment, I’m sorry.

Quick Questions – if you have time, or to think about over the course of the day, and jot down thoughts later. Some thoughts to dig deeper.

What is up with the Sadducees and the resurrection? Who are they?
1. Crosswalk has an article, 8 things to know about the Sadducees – it’s very interesting.
How do you feel about God and paying taxes?
1. GotQuestions has some input on what Jesus meant when he said this.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Got Questions provides a detailed explanation of The Roman’s Road.
Billy Graham’s version of the Plan of salvation.

Thanks for joining me in this journey,
In His hands and under His wings,
~Christi
Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

M. Christine Wildman

“The Lord does not give me rules, but He makes His standard very clear.
If my relationship to Him is that of love, I will do what He says without hesitation.
If I hesitate, it is because I love someone I have placed in competition with Him, namely, myself.” – from My Utmost for His highest

Naomi’s Heart Ministries
Obed’s House Ministries
The son of a friend will be interning with CRU – previously known as Campus Crusades for Christ. If you’d like to support someone I can vouch for in this area, please consider going to Matthew Plant’s donation page.

Marching into Mark Chapter 11

Marching into Mark Registry,
the collection of these studies
(First 100 days of 2023, day 82, March 23 )

On Facebook, you can join us at Itty Bitty Bible Study Group.

Passage
Mark Chapter Eleven

It doesn’t matter which version you choose. It can be digital or paper. You can use one of those fancy coloring bibles and do a page or coloring along with the passage.

I will mostly do Holman Christian Standard Bible because of their copyright freedoms.

The Images that I use are from Knowing Jesus and are available as downloads in every format that I can imagine for screen savers and wallpapers.

Mark 11
- Mk 11:1-11 Triumphal Entry
- Mk 11²and told them, “Go into the village ahead of you. As soon as you enter it, you will find a young donkey tied there, on which no one has ever sat. Untie it and bring it here.
- and they did
- Mk 11 ⁷Then they brought the donkey to Jesus and threw their robes on it, and He sat on it.
- Mk 11⁹Then those who went ahead and those who followed kept shouting:
  - Hosanna!
    He who comes in the name
    of the Lord is the blessed One!^[b]
  - The coming kingdom
    of our father David is blessed!
    Hosanna in the highest heaven!
- Mk 11¹¹And He went into Jerusalem and into the temple complex. After looking around at everything, since it was already late, He went out to Bethany with the Twelve.
- Mk 11:12-14 Cursing the Fig Tree
- Mk 11¹⁴He said to it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again!” And His disciples heard it.
- Mk 11:15-19 Tables Turned
- Mk 11¹⁷Then He began to teach them: “Is it not written, My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations?^[c] But you have made it a den of thieves!”
- Mk 11:20-26 Two Lessons from the Fig Tree
- Have Faith
- Mk 11²⁰Early in the morning, as they were passing by, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots up.
- Mk 11²²Jesus replied to them, “Have faith in God.
- Mk 11²⁴Therefore I tell you, all the things you pray and ask for—believe that you have received^[e] them, and you will have them.
- Forgive and be forgiven
- Mk 11²⁵And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven will also forgive you your wrongdoing. [²⁶But if you don’t forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your wrongdoing.]”^[f]^[g]
- Mk 11: 27- 33 By Whose Authority
- Priests, Scribes and Elders ask – by what Authority
- Jesus asks “by what authority did John baptize?”
- Priests, Scribes and Elders fear the people – “we don’t know.”
- Mk 11:33 And Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”

More discussion about these stories in Mindfully Meditating in Matthew 21

A good place to see the four gospels compared is from Synoptic Gospel Parallels.

Mindful Meditating

choose a verse,
set a timer for 5 minutes, or whatever works for you.
example: Mark 11:24
repeat to yourself, and at each word, enunciate the next word in the sentence starting with the first word…

example:

Mk 11²⁴Therefore I tell you, all the things you pray and ask for—believe that you have received^[e] them, and you will have them.
THEREFORE I tell you, all the things you pray and ask for – believe that you have received them and you will have them.
Therefore I tell you, all the things you pray and ask for – believe that you have received them, and you will have them.
Therefore I TELL you, all the things you pray and ask for – believe that you have received them, and you will have them.

and so on. This will cause you to look at the verse more intently, and may have you memorize it before your five minutes are done.

Songs for Meditation

This is the Kingdom – Elevation Worship

We Declare that the Kingdom of God is Here – Ron Kenoly

Coloring – I use coloring to help me focus on the fullness of a verse.

Mark Coloring page – Ministry to Children – simple enough to finish in an hour or less

Jesus cleansing the Temple Coloring Page – SuperColoring

Jesus Clears the Temple – ColoringHome

Quick Questions – if you have time, or to think about over the course of the day, and jot down thoughts later. Some thoughts to dig deeper.

Why did people put branches and stuff on the path before Jesus as he entered Jerusalem?
1. GotQuestions talks about the significance of the triumphal entry.
What is the point about cursing the fig tree?
1. The Gospel Coalition has a great explanation about what we can learn from the fig tree.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Got Questions provides a detailed explanation of The Roman’s Road.
Billy Graham’s version of the Plan of salvation.

Thanks for joining me in this journey,
In His hands and under His wings,
~Christi
Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

M. Christine Wildman

“The Lord does not give me rules, but He makes His standard very clear.
If my relationship to Him is that of love, I will do what He says without hesitation.
If I hesitate, it is because I love someone I have placed in competition with Him, namely, myself.” – from My Utmost for His highest

Naomi’s Heart Ministries
Obed’s House Ministries
The son of a friend will be interning with CRU – previously known as Campus Crusades for Christ. If you’d like to support someone I can vouch for in this area, please consider going to Matthew Plant’s donation page.

Marching into Mark Chapter 10

Marching into Mark Registry,
the collection of these studies
(First 100 days of 2023, day 80, March 21 )

On Facebook, you can join us at Itty Bitty Bible Study Group.

Passage
Mark Chapter Ten

It doesn’t matter which version you choose. It can be digital or paper. You can use one of those fancy coloring bibles and do a page or coloring along with the passage.

I will mostly do Holman Christian Standard Bible because of their copyright freedoms.

The Images that I use are from Knowing Jesus and are available as downloads in every format that I can imagine for screen savers and wallpapers.

Mark 10(cross referencing – Matthew 19)
- Mk10:1He set out from there and went to the region of Judea and across the Jordan. Then crowds converged on Him again and, as He usually did, He began teaching them once more.
- Mk 10:2-12 Jesus’s opinion on Divorce
- Mk 10:²Some Pharisees approached Him to test Him. They asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?”
- ⁶But from the beginning of creation God^[a] made them male and female.
  - For this reason a man will leave
    his father and mother
    [and be joined to his wife],
  - and the two will become one flesh.
  - So they are no longer two, but one flesh.
- ⁹Therefore what God has joined together, man must not separate.”
- ¹¹And He said to them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her.
- ¹²Also, if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.”
- Mk 10:13 -16 Welcome the Children
- Mk 10¹⁴When Jesus saw it, He was indignant and said to them, “Let the little children come to Me. Don’t stop them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.
- Mk 10¹⁵I assure you: Whoever does not welcome[e] the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”
- ¹⁶After taking them in His arms, He laid His hands on them and blessed them.
- Mk 10:17-22 The Rich Young Ruler
- Mk 10¹⁷As He was setting out on a journey, a man ran up, knelt down before Him, and asked Him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
- Jesus – Why do you call me Good? And Keep the commandments
- ²⁰He said to Him, “Teacher, I have kept all these from my youth.”
- Jesus – You must go and sell all and give to the poor.
- Mk 10²²But he was stunned^[h] at this demand, and he went away grieving, because he had many possessions.
- Mk10:23-31 The continuation of Riches
- Mk 10²³Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, “How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!”
- Stunned the disciples –
- Mk 10:24…Again Jesus said to them, “Children, how hard it is^[i] to enter the kingdom of God! ²⁵It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.”
- The Who Can be Saved????
- Mk 10²⁷Looking at them, Jesus said, “With men it is impossible, but not with God, because all things are possible with God.”
- But we’ve left all to follow you!
- Mk10²⁹“I assure you,” Jesus said, “there is no one who has left house, brothers or sisters, mother or father,^[j] children, or fields because of Me and the gospel, ³⁰who will not receive 100 times more, now at this time—houses, brothers and sisters, mothers and children, and fields, with persecutions—and eternal life in the age to come. ³¹But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”
- Mk 10:32-34 Jesus Tells of His Death a Third time
- Mk 10:35-45 James and John ask to sit at Christ’s Right Hand
- Mk 10⁴³But it must not be like that among you. On the contrary, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, ⁴⁴and whoever wants to be first among you must be a slave to all. ⁴⁵For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life—a ransom for many.”^[l]
- Mk 10:46-52 Blind Bartimaeus
- Mk 10:⁵¹Then Jesus answered him, “What do you want Me to do for you?”
- “Rabbouni,”^[m] the blind man told Him, “I want to see!”
- ⁵²“Go your way,” Jesus told him. “Your faith has healed you.” Immediately he could see and began to follow Him on the road.

More discussion about these stories in Mindfully Meditating in Matthew 19

A good place to see the four gospels compared is from Synoptic Gospel Parallels.

Mindful Meditating

choose a verse,
set a timer for 5 minutes, or whatever works for you.
example: Mark 10:31
repeat to yourself, and at each word, enunciate the next word in the sentence starting with the first word…

example:

³¹But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”
BUT many who are first will be last, and the last first.
But MANY who are first will be last, and the last first.
But many WHO are first will be last, and the last first.
But many who ARE first will be last, and the last first.

⁵²“Go your way,” Jesus told him. “Your faith has healed you.”
GO your way, Jesus told him. Your faith has healed you.
Go your way, Jesus told him. YOUR faith has healed you.
Go your way, Jesus told him. Your FAITH has healed you.
Go your way, Jesus told him. Your faith HAS healed you.

and so on. This will cause you to look at the verse more intently, and may have you memorize it before your five minutes are done.

Songs for Meditation

This is the Kingdom – Elevation Worship

We Declare that the Kingdom of God is Here – Ron Kenoly

Coloring – I use coloring to help me focus on the fullness of a verse.

Mark Coloring page – Ministry to Children – simple enough to finish in an hour or less

Jesus heals the Blind man – Super Coloring

Quick Questions – if you have time, or to think about over the course of the day, and jot down thoughts later. Some thoughts to dig deeper.

What does Jesus mean by the first shall be last and the last shall be first?
1. Got Questions explains this from Matthew’s Gospel.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Got Questions provides a detailed explanation of The Roman’s Road.
Billy Graham’s version of the Plan of salvation.

Thanks for joining me in this journey,
In His hands and under His wings,
~Christi
Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

M. Christine Wildman

“The Lord does not give me rules, but He makes His standard very clear.
If my relationship to Him is that of love, I will do what He says without hesitation.
If I hesitate, it is because I love someone I have placed in competition with Him, namely, myself.” – from My Utmost for His highest

Naomi’s Heart Ministries
Obed’s House Ministries
The son of a friend will be interning with CRU – previously known as Campus Crusades for Christ. If you’d like to support someone I can vouch for in this area, please consider going to Matthew Plant’s donation page.

Lent Day 20 – The True Vine

Image by Felix Wolf from Pixabay

Lent Devotions
Lent Week Three – for Catch up.
Lent Week Four started March 5, 2018, March 23, 2019, and Feb 22, 2023

Lent Day Twenty
The True Vine

Music

You are the Vine – True Vine Music

Scripture Passage

John 15:1-19

“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vineyard keeper. ²Every branch in Me that does not produce fruit He removes, and He prunes every branch that produces fruit so that it will produce more fruit. ³You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. ⁴Remain in Me, and I in you. Just as a branch is unable to produce fruit by itself unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in Me.

Devotion

Actually, we are going to discuss John 15:1-19.

1 “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vineyard keeper.
⁵“I am the vine; you are the branches.
- Jesus is speaking, so HE is the true vine.
²Every branch in Me that does not produce fruit He removes, and He prunes every branch that produces fruit so that it will produce more fruit.
⁸My Father is glorified by this: that you produce much fruit and prove to be^[a] My disciples.
- Branches are to produce fruit
⁴Remain in Me, and I in you. Just as a branch is unable to produce fruit by itself unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in Me.
⁵…The one who remains in Me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without Me.
- Branches need to remain in the Vine
²Every branch in Me that does not produce fruit He removes,
⁶If anyone does not remain in Me, he is thrown aside like a branch and he withers. They gather them, throw them into the fire, and they are burned.
- Not remaining in Him is disastrous.
⁴Remain in Me, and I in you. Just as a branch is unable to produce fruit by itself unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in Me.
⁷If you remain in Me and My words remain in you, ask whatever you want and it will be done for you.
- There are benefits to remaining in the Vine

How do we ‘get into’ the vine?

Romans 11: ¹⁷But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root^[b] of the olive tree, ¹⁸do not be arrogant toward the branches. If you are, remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you. ¹⁹Then you will say, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” ²⁰That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand fast through faith. So do not become proud, but fear. ²¹For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you.

Romans 11: ²²Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God’s kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off.

Romans 11:²⁴For if you were cut from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, the natural branches, be grafted back into their own olive tree.

Yes, the Romans passages are talking about an olive tree, and the John passage is talking about a Vine, but I believe they are talking about the same concept.

There were those that were part of the Vine/Tree.
The disobeyed/unbelief
The vinedresser, husbandman found other healthy branches
They were grafted in

Now – just as in the John passage, if you don’t remain in the Vine you will be cut out, there is the warning to these branches that if they, the grafts, were to fall into unbelief, they would not be spared the outcome of the natural branches.

Once we are engrafted into the Vine or tree, it is our responsibility to remain in the vine/tree. IT IS OUR CHOICE!

How do we remain in the Vine?

In yesterday’s Lent, Day 19, we looked at how believing was a condition for receiving the Spirit of Truth.

Romans 11:²⁰That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand fast through faith.

In The Itty Bitty Bible Study Ephesians 2, I talk about how

Ephesians 2⁸For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— ⁹not by works, so that no one can boast.

This bears repeating:

Romans 11: ²²Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God’s kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off.

We are IN the Vine/Tree because of God’s grace!

We love because HE first loved us. 1 John 4:19

Lent Day 19 talks about how we show our love to God – John 14 ¹⁵“If you love me, keep my commands.

And then, we produce much fruit. John 15⁸My Father is glorified by this: that you produce much fruit and prove to be^[a] My disciples.

Matthew 13²³But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.

Ephesians 2:10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

We have been given the opportunity to be engrafted into the Vine, by grace through faith so that we can do good works and produce much fruit. It’s up to us to stay there – to remain – to abide.

There’s one more point – but I don’t know how to make it fit into this devotion. I do want to point it out. Jesus says:

John 15 ³You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.

YOU ARE ALREADY CLEAN because of the word I have spoken to you!

Ephesians 5:²⁵Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her ²⁶to make her holy, cleansing^[a] her by the washing with water through the word,²⁷and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.

This says that husbands should follow Christ’s example, loving the church, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word. If there’s no earthly husband, we have the heavenly Bridegroom that will still wash us, as we go to Him in prayer and study.

Let’s stay engrafted!

Let’s stay clean!

Worship

I am the Vine – ILP Music

Remain in Me, I am the Vine – Steve Angrisano

~~~~~~~

Got Questions provides a detailed explanation of The Roman’s Road.
Billy Graham’s version of the Plan of salvation.

Thanks for joining me in this journey,
In His hands and under His wings,
~Christi
Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

M. Christine Wildman

“The Lord does not give me rules, but He makes His standard very clear.
If my relationship to Him is that of love, I will do what He says without hesitation.
If I hesitate, it is because I love someone I have placed in competition with Him, namely, myself.” – from My Utmost for His highest

Naomi’s Heart Ministries
Obed’s House Ministries
The son of a friend will be interning with CRU – previously known as Campus Crusades for Christ. If you’d like to support someone I can vouch for in this area, please consider going to Matthew Plant’s donation page.

Marching into Mark Chapter Six

Marching into Mark Registry,
the collection of these studies
(First 100 days of 2023, day 73, March 14 )

On Facebook, you can join us at Itty Bitty Bible Study Group.

Passage
Mark Chapter Six

It doesn’t matter which version you choose. It can be digital or paper. You can use one of those fancy coloring bibles and do a page or coloring along with the passage.

I will mostly do Holman Christian Standard Bible because of their copyright freedoms.

The Images that I use are from Knowing Jesus and are available as downloads in every format that I can imagine for screen savers and wallpapers.

Mark 6 (cross referenced to Matthew 9, 10 and 14)
- Mk 6:1-6 Rejected
  - Hometown Boy – Nazareth
  - Preached – they dismissed him
    - ²When the Sabbath came, He began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard Him were astonished. “Where did this man get these things?” they said. “What is this wisdom given to Him, and how are these miracles performed by His hands?
    - ³Isn’t this the carpenter, the son of Mary, and the brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And aren’t His sisters here with us?” So they were offended by Him.
    - They also probably remembered the whole mess about Mary’s pregnancy – but that’s not Bible.
  - Because of their unbelief – few miracles were done there.
    - ⁵So He was not able to do any miracles^[a] there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them. ⁶And He was amazed at their unbelief.
- Mk 6:7-13 Commissioning the Twelve
  - ⁷He summoned the Twelve and began to send them out in pairs
  - and gave them authority over unclean spirits.
  - ⁸He instructed them to take nothing for the road except a walking stick: no bread, no traveling bag, no money in their belts.
  - ⁹They were to wear sandals, but not put on an extra shirt.
  - ¹¹If any place does not welcome you and people refuse to listen to you, when you leave there, shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.”
  - ¹²preached that people should repent.
  - ¹³And they were driving out many demons,
  - anointing many sick people with olive oil, and healing them.
- Mk 6:14-29 Death of John the Baptist in Detail
  - ²⁹When his disciples^[i] heard about it, they came and removed his corpse and placed it in a tomb.
- Mk 6:30- 34 The Apostles returned
  - and Jesus tried to get them to a quiet place
  - People found them and surrounded them
  - ³⁴So as He stepped ashore, He saw a huge crowd and had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. Then He began to teach them many things.
    - Mindfully Meditating on Matthew 10
- Mk 6:35-44 Feeding the 5,000
  - Got late
  - Master – send them away so they can eat
  - ³⁷“You give them something to eat,” He responded.
  - What DO you have?
  - five loaves and two fish
  - Jesus sat the people down in an orderly fashion
    - ⁴¹Then He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke the loaves. He kept giving them to His disciples to set before the people. He also divided the two fish among them all.
    - ⁴²Everyone ate and was filled.
    - ⁴³Then they picked up 12 baskets full of pieces of bread and fish.
    - ⁴⁴Now those who ate the loaves were 5,000 men.
      - Mindfully Meditating in Matthew 14
- Mk 6:45 -52 Sent the Apostles ahead in a boat
  - ⁴⁶After He said good-bye to them, He went away to the mountain to pray.
  - ⁴⁸He saw them being battered as they rowed,^[l] because the wind was against them.
  - Around three in the morning^[m] He came toward them walking on the sea and wanted to pass by them.
  - ⁵⁰for they all saw Him and were terrified.
  - Immediately He spoke with them and said, “Have courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”
  - ⁵¹Then He got into the boat with them, and the wind ceased. They were completely astounded,
    - MMM14
    - Dear Peter
- Mk 6:53 – 56 Healings all around
  - ⁵⁶Wherever He would go, into villages, towns, or the country, they laid the sick in the marketplaces and begged Him that they might touch just the tassel of His robe. And everyone who touched it was made well.

A place to see the four gospels compared is from Synoptic Gospel Parallels.

Mindful Meditating

choose a verse,
set a timer for 5 minutes, or whatever works for you.
example: Mark 6:50
repeat to yourself, and at each word, enunciate the next word in the sentence starting with the first word…

example:

⁵⁰for they all saw Him and were terrified. Immediately He spoke with them and said, “Have courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”
HAVE courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.
Have COURAGE! It is I. Don’t be afraid.
Have courage! IT IS I. Don’t be afraid.
Have courage! It is I! Don’t be afraid.

and so on. This will cause you to look at the verse more intently, and may have you memorize it before your five minutes are done.

Songs for Meditation

Little is Much if God is in It – Bible Baptist Church

This is the Kingdom – Elevation Worship

We Declare that the Kingdom of God is Here – Ron Kenoly

Coloring – I use coloring to help me focus on the fullness of a verse.

Mark Coloring page – Ministry to Children – simple enough to finish in an hour or less

Jesus Walking on the Water – SuperColoring

Quick Questions – if you have time, or to think about over the course of the day, and jot down thoughts later. Some thoughts to dig deeper.

1. 1. Why do you think that Jesus was rejected by his hometown?
    1. is this the answer”
      1. ⁴Then Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown, among his relatives, and in his household.”
  2. How can we apply Jesus asking the disciples What do YOU have? YOU feed them?
    1. Got Questions discusses it from both Matthew and Mark.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Got Questions provides a detailed explanation of The Roman’s Road.
Billy Graham’s version of the Plan of salvation.

Thanks for joining me in this journey,
In His hands and under His wings,
~Christi
Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

M. Christine Wildman

“The Lord does not give me rules, but He makes His standard very clear.
If my relationship to Him is that of love, I will do what He says without hesitation.
If I hesitate, it is because I love someone I have placed in competition with Him, namely, myself.” – from My Utmost for His highest

Naomi’s Heart Ministries
Obed’s House Ministries
The son of a friend will be interning with CRU – previously known as Campus Crusades for Christ. If you’d like to support someone I can vouch for in this area, please consider going to Matthew Plant’s donation page.

Mindfully Meditating on Matthew Chapter 22 or MMM22

Mindfully Meditating on Matthew Catalogue , the collection of these studies
(First 100 days of 2023, day 53, Feb 22)

Passage Matthew Chapter Twenty-Two

It doesn’t matter which version you choose. It can be digital or paper. You can use one of those fancy coloring bibles and do a page or coloring along with the passage.

I will mostly do Holman Christian Standard Bible because of their copyright freedoms.

Matthew 22
- Mt 22:1-14 Parable of the Wedding
  - Invited the expected company
    - Mt 22:3
      - ³He sent out his slaves to summon those invited to the banquet, but they didn’t want to come.
    - God invites His children to the Wedding and sends his servants with the invitations (Evangelists, Prophets)
  - Invited them again – two busy
    - Mt 22: 5
      - ⁵“But they paid no attention and went away, one to his own farm, another to his business.
    - Those who’s lives are full of the hard road, the thorns, the rocky road, or just the cares of this life.
  - and then some attacked his servants
    - Mt 22:6
      - ⁶And the others seized his slaves, treated them outrageously and killed them.
    - Martyrs, preachers of Jesus, Prophets of God, Jesus, Disciples/Apostles, first century church.
  - Mt 22:7 King dealt with the children
  - Mt 22:8-11 Invite everyone
  - Mt 22:10- 12 Mt 22:one had no wedding robe
    - ¹²So he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without wedding clothes?’ The man was speechless.
    - I was taught that when you invited people to the wedding feast, you provided a garment – so this man didn’t bother to wear it. The analogy is that Christ provides us with a white robe to wear to the marriage supper of the Lamb where we are the bride.
  - Mt 22:13 We must be fulfilling the requirements of Christianity, follower of Christ, or we will be cast out.
    - ¹³“Then the king told the attendants, ‘Tie him up hand and foot,^[c] and throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
    - Question in the QQ portion – what does this say about someone that has come into the family of Christ but defiles their wedding robes?
  - Mt 22:14
    - ¹⁴“For many are invited, but few are chosen.”
- Mt 22:15-22 Taxes again
  - 21 Then He said to them, “Therefore give back to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”
  - MMM17
- Mt 22:23-33 Resurrection of the dead discussed
  - a test from the Sadducees
    - ²³The same day some Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came up to Him and questioned Him:
    - seven brothers and same wife
  - Jesus rebukes them
    - ²⁹Jesus answered them, “You are deceived, because you don’t know the Scriptures or the power of God.
  - A new thing explained
    - ³⁰For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage but are like^[i] angels in heaven.
    - Interesting concept
  - God of the Living
    - ³¹Now concerning the resurrection of the dead, haven’t you read what was spoken to you by God: ³²I am the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob?^[j] He^[k] is not the God of the dead, but of the living.”
- Mt 22:34- 40 Another test by the Pharisees
  - ³⁵And one of them, an expert in the law, asked a question to test Him: ³⁶“Teacher, which command in the law is the greatest?”^[l]
  - Answer
    - ³⁷He said to him, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.^[m]
    - ³⁹The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.
    - ⁴⁰All the Law and the Prophets depend^[p] on these two commands.”
- Mt 22:41-45 Jesus turns the tables
  - Mt 22: 45 Who is the Messiah?
    - ⁴⁵“If David calls Him ‘Lord,’ how then can the Messiah be his Son?”
  - His answer was clear enough to them that they no longer asked Him any questions.
    - ⁴⁶No one was able to answer Him at all,^[t] and from that day no one dared to question Him anymore.

Mindful Meditating

choose a verse,
set a timer for 5 minutes, or whatever works for you.
example: Matt 22:37
repeat to yourself, and at each word, enunciate the next word in the sentence starting with the first word…

example:

³⁷He said to him, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.
LOVE the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.
Love THE Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.
Love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.

…and so on. This will cause you to look at the verse more intently, and may have you memorize it before your five minutes are done.

Here’s a great song! Love the Lord your God with all your soul

Parable of the Wedding Feast coloring page by Super Coloring

Quick Questions – if you have time, or to think about over the course of the day, and jot down thoughts later.

What does the wedding garment represent?
1. This page had great answers to this question! I got lost in it!
Does the casting out of the person that is in the wedding room, but not wearing clean clothes mean that there can be those that profess Christ, but can still be cast out?
What is the point that Jesus was making about the Messiah being the Son of David?
1. Bible Blender has a good explanation with extra texts

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Got Questions provides a detailed explanation of The Roman’s Road.
Billy Graham’s version of the Plan of salvation.

Thanks for joining me in this journey,
In His hands and under His wings,
~Christi
Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

M. Christine Wildman

“The Lord does not give me rules, but He makes His standard very clear.
If my relationship to Him is that of love, I will do what He says without hesitation.
If I hesitate, it is because I love someone I have placed in competition with Him, namely, myself.” – from My Utmost for His highest

Naomi’s Heart Ministries
Obed’s House Ministries
The son of a friend will be interning with CRU – previously known as Campus Crusades for Christ. If you’d like to support someone I can vouch for in this area, please consider going to Matthew Plant’s donation page.

Mindfully Meditating on Matthew chapter 19 or MMM19

Mindfully Meditating on Matthew Catalogue , the collection of these studies
(First 100 days of 2023, day 50, Feb 19)

Passage Matthew Chapter Nineteen

It doesn’t matter which version you choose. It can be digital or paper. You can use one of those fancy coloring bibles and do a page or coloring along with the passage.

I will mostly do Holman Christian Standard Bible because of their copyright freedoms.

author note – no video this time because I am having too many migraines from the eye surgery, and I have to give up something. My apologies.

Matthew 19
- Mt 19:1-12 Divorce and Remarriage
  - I’m just going to post what God says – if you have other opinions, or go with other understandings, you have grace to follow Christ according to the knowledge that He provides for YOU!
  - Pharisees trying to trick him
    - ³Some Pharisees approached Him to test Him. They asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife on any grounds?”
  - something about the genders and creation that makes the joining important
    - ⁴“Haven’t you read,” He replied, “that He who created^[a] them in the beginning made them male and female,”
    - ⁵and He also said:
      - “For this reason a man will leave
        his father and mother
        and be joined to his wife,
        and the two will become one flesh?^[c]
    - ⁶So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, man must not separate.”
    - I don’t understand how this goes with Jesus saying that in the new kingdom there is no giving or taking in marriage.
      - Matt 22:30 For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage but are like angels in heaven.
    - I have not studied this except as to how it applied to me, and this verse kept Jim and I married through the tough times.
  - Hard hearts – what does this mean about the laws???
    - ⁸He told them, “Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because of the hardness of your hearts. But it was not like that from the beginning.
      - I’m trying not to get too deep here…but Jesus is in Deep Water!
  - The disciples say
    - ¹⁰His disciples said to Him, “If the relationship of a man with his wife is like this, it’s better not to marry!”
  - Jesus says:
    - ¹¹But He told them, “Not everyone can accept this saying, but only those it has been given to. ¹²For there are eunuchs who were born that way from their mother’s womb, there are eunuchs who were made by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves that way because of the kingdom of heaven. Let anyone accept this who can.”
    - For more see 1Corinthians 7:1-16
- Mt 19:13-15 Bring the Little Children
  - ¹⁴Then Jesus said, “Leave the children alone, and don’t try to keep them from coming to Me, because the kingdom of heaven is made up of people like this.”
    - Did the Disciples forget about who was the greatest in Heaven?
      - MMM18 Or Matthew 18
- Mt 19:16-22 What must I do to have eternal life?
  - ¹⁶Just then someone came up and asked Him, “Teacher, what good must I do to have eternal life?”
  - Keep the Commandments
  - ¹⁸“Which ones?” he asked Him.
  - Jesus summarizes the whole OT set of laws
    - Do not murder;
    - do not commit adultery;
    - do not steal;
    - do not bear false witness;
    - honor your father and your mother;
    - and love your neighbor as yourself.
      - Other than the Loving God part – these are the ones Jesus’s Father wrote on the Mountain! Ex 20:1-17
  - ²⁰“I have kept all these,”^[i] the young man told Him. “What do I still lack?”
  - KICKER FROM JESUS
    - ²¹“If you want to be perfect,”^[j] Jesus said to him, “go, sell your belongings and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me.”
  - ²²When the young man heard that command, he went away grieving, because he had many possessions.
    - Was his possessions really what Jesus was getting at?
- Mt 19:23-24
  - ²³Then Jesus said to His disciples, “I assure you: It will be hard for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven! ²⁴Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.”
    - WHY????
- Mt 19:25
  - ²⁵When the disciples heard this, they were utterly astonished and asked, “Then who can be saved?”
- Mt 19:26
  - ²⁶But Jesus looked at them and said, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
- Mt 19:27
  - ²⁷Then Peter responded to Him, “Look, we have left everything and followed You. So what will there be for us?”
- Mt 19:28-30 God’s got us taken care of
  - - Matt 6:21
      - For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
    - Matt 6:24
      - “No one can be a slave of two masters, since either he will hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot be slaves of God and of money.
    - Mt 6:21-34
      - ²⁵Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?
      - ³³But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
      - ³⁴Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
    - Matt 7 7:7-12
      - ⁷“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.
    - Philippians 4:19
      - And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
    - 1 Peter 5:7
      - ⁷Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
- Mt 19:30 ³⁰But many who are first will be last, and the last first.

Mindful Meditating

choose a verse,
set a timer for 5 minutes, or whatever works for you.
example: Matt 19:26
repeat to yourself, and at each word, enunciate the next word in the sentence starting with the first word…

example:

²⁶But Jesus looked at them and said, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
BUT with God all things are possible.
but WITH God all things are possible.
but with GOD all things are possible

…and so on. This will cause you to look at the verse more intently, and may have you memorize it before your five minutes are done.

Jesus loves the little children from StAnnesHelper.com to color

Quick Questions – if you have time, or to think about over the course of the day, and jot down thoughts later.

What do you think it means that divorce was allowed by Moses?
1. your answer
Do you think the disciples forgot all the teaching about who is the greatest in the Kingdom, about the children?
1. your answer
What do you say it takes to be saved?
1. Your answer
2. There are two plans of salvation just below if you need them.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Got Questions provides a detailed explanation of The Roman’s Road.
Billy Graham’s version of the Plan of salvation.

Thanks for joining me in this journey,
In His hands and under His wings,
~Christi
Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

M. Christine Wildman

“The Lord does not give me rules, but He makes His standard very clear.
If my relationship to Him is that of love, I will do what He says without hesitation.
If I hesitate, it is because I love someone I have placed in competition with Him, namely, myself.” – from My Utmost for His highest

Naomi’s Heart Ministries
Obed’s House Ministries
The son of a friend will be interning with CRU – previously known as Campus Crusades for Christ. If you’d like to support someone I can vouch for in this area, please consider going to Matthew Plant’s donation page.

Mindfully Meditating on Matthew chapter 16 or MMM16

Mindfully Meditating on Matthew Catalogue , the collection of these studies
(First 100 days of 2023, day 47, Feb 16)

Passage Matthew Chapter Sixteen

It doesn’t matter which version you choose. It can be digital or paper. You can use one of those fancy coloring bibles and do a page or coloring along with the passage.

I will mostly do Holman Christian Standard Bible because of their copyright freedoms.

Matthew 16
- Mt 16:1-4 Signs
  - ⁴A wicked and adulterous generation looks for a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah.” Jesus then left them and went away.
  - Itty Bitty Bible Study on Jonah
- Mt 16:5-12 Yeast discussions
  - ⁵When they went across the lake, the disciples forgot to take bread. ⁶“Be careful,” Jesus said to them. “Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”
  - ⁹Do you still not understand? Don’t you remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered? ¹⁰Or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered?
  - ¹²Then they understood that he was not telling them to guard against the yeast used in bread, but against the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.
- Mt 16:13-17 The Son of Man
  - ¹³When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”
  - ¹⁶Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
  - ¹⁷Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven.
- Mt 16:18-20 Peter and keys to kingdom
  - ¹⁸And I tell you that you are Peter,^[b] and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades^[c] will not overcome it.
    - see question below
  - ⁹I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be^[d] bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be^[e] loosed in heaven.”
- Mt 16:21-23 – Jesus reveals Jerusalem events
  - Jesus is going to be killed
  - Peter says no, never
  - ²³Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”
  - Poor Peter!
- Mt 16:24-28
  - ²⁴Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. ²⁵For whoever wants to save their life^[f] will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. ²⁶What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? ²⁷For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done.
  - Jim Elliott – He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.

Mindful Meditating

choose a verse,
set a timer for 5 minutes, or whatever works for you.
example: Matt 15:18
repeat to yourself, and at each word, enunciate the next word in the sentence starting with the first word…

example:

⁹I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be^[d] bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be^[e] loosed in heaven.”
I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven;
I WILL give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven;
I will GIVE you the keys of the kingdom of heaven;
I will give YOU the keys of the kingdom of heaven

…and so on. This will cause you to look at the verse more intently, and may have you memorize it before your five minutes are done.

A Matthew Coloring Page by Ministry to Children – though it can be good for adult meditating.

I’m sorry, no coloring pages for Who do you say that I am, or the yeast of the pharisees.

Quick Questions – if you have time, or to think about over the course of the day, and jot down thoughts later.

Is Peter the Rock or his confession the Rock?
1. GotAnswers explains it this way.
2. More on Peter from my Lent Story.
To whom are the keys to the Kingdom given?
1. Christianity.com sees it this way.
2. GotQuestions discusses it as well.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Got Questions provides a detailed explanation of The Roman’s Road.
Billy Graham’s version of the Plan of salvation.

Thanks for joining me in this journey,
In His hands and under His wings,
~Christi
Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

M. Christine Wildman

“The Lord does not give me rules, but He makes His standard very clear.
If my relationship to Him is that of love, I will do what He says without hesitation.
If I hesitate, it is because I love someone I have placed in competition with Him, namely, myself.” – from My Utmost for His highest

Naomi’s Heart Ministries
Obed’s House Ministries
The son of a friend will be interning with CRU – previously known as Campus Crusades for Christ. If you’d like to support someone I can vouch for in this area, please consider going to Matthew Plant’s donation page.

2023 The First 100 days – day 21 – Wisdom and Praise

2023 The first 100 days – wisdom and praise – January 21

Image by Giulia Marotta from Pixabay

Wisdom and Praise Collection

Psalms 21, 51, 81, 111, 141 and Proverb 21

Most of today’s Psalms deal with Praise and so there is a great and joyful theme. Two deal with crying out for repentance, one leading to praise and the other leading to a request.

Proverbs is dealing with wicked and the righteous, nagging wives and pride. There’s some Go To verses in here.

Let’s dig in!

Psalm 21 – Joy and Praise
- Ps 21:1-2
  - Lord, the king finds joy in Your strength.
    How greatly he rejoices in Your victory!
    ²You have given him his heart’s desire
    and have not denied the request of his lips.Selah
- Ps 21:3-7 Blessings the Lord imparts to the King
  - 7 For the king relies on the Lord;
    through the faithful love of the Most High
    he is not shaken.
- Ps 21:8- 12 Protection and Deliverance
- Ps 21:13 Declaration of faith
  - Be exalted, Lord, in Your strength;
    we will sing and praise Your might.
- Songs for Psalm 21
  - In your strength the King shall rejoice by Karl Kohlhase
  - Psalm 21, Victory by Jason Silver
  - Psalm 21 Praise your Power by Psalms Project
  - Song of the King (Psalm 21) by My Soul Among Lions
Psalm 51 KJV – Repentance
- Ps 51:1-3
  - 1 Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.
  - ²Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.
  - 3 For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me.
    - Hosea 14:2
      - Bring your confessions and return to the LORD. Say to Him: “Take away all our iniquity and receive us graciously, that we may present the fruit of our lips.
    - Acts 3:19-21 NIV
      - ¹⁹Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, ²⁰and that he may send the Messiah, who has been appointed for you—even Jesus. ²¹Heaven must receive him until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets
    - Colossians 2:13-14 NIV
      - ¹³When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you^[a] alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, ¹⁴having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross.
    - Psalm 4:1
      - Answer me when I call, God, who vindicates me. You freed me from affliction; be gracious to me and hear my prayer.
- Ps 51:4 The truth of whom we sin against
  - ⁴Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest.
- Ps 51:5 original sin discussion point
  - Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.
- Ps 51:6
  - ⁶Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom.
    - Proverb 2:6
      - For the LORD gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding.
    - James 1:5
      - Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God—who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly—and it will be given to him.
    - Proverb 8:5
      - You who are simple, gain prudence; you who are foolish, set your hearts on it.
    - Revelation 21:8
      - But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
    - Romans 8:5
      - Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.
- Ps 51:7-12 the cry for repentance and forgiveness
  - ⁷Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
    - Ex 12:22 , Leviticus 14, Numbers 19:18
  - ⁸Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice.
    - Psalm 35:10, Isaiah 35:10,
  - ⁹Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities.
    - Isaiah 44:22, Acts 3:19, Col 2:14,
  - ¹⁰Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.
    - Matt 5:8, Acts 15:9, Ps 24:4, Luke 11:13,
  - ¹¹Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.
  - ¹²Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.
    - Psalm 9:14, Psalm 13:5, Psalm 35:9,Ps 119:116
- Ps 51:13 Evidence of change
  - ¹³Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee.
- Ps 51:14-15 Prayer for deliverance
  - Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation: and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness.
  - O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise.
    - Ps 26:9, Ps 39:8, Ps 35:28
- Ps 51:16-17 Not sacrifices, but a clean heart
  - ¹⁶For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering.
    - Ps 40:6, W&P day 20, Hebrews 10,
  - ¹⁷The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.
    - 1 Sam 15:22, 2 Kings 22:19, Psalm 147:3
    - Ps 34:17-18
      - The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them;
        he delivers them from all their troubles.
        ¹⁸The Lord is close to the brokenhearted
        and saves those who are crushed in spirit.
- Ps 51:18-19 the Conclusion
  - ¹⁸Do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion: build thou the walls of Jerusalem.
  - ¹⁹Then shalt thou be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness, with burnt offering and whole burnt offering: then shall they offer bullocks upon thine altar.
- a few Songs for Psalm 51
  - Create in Me a Clean Heart by Keith Green
  - Create in Me a Clean Heart by Maranatha Singers
  - Create in Me a Clean Heart by Just Hymns
  - Psalm 51, Create in me a Clean Heart by Jason Silver
  - Lord Have Mercy on Me by Esther Mui
  - Psalm 51 (Wisdom in the Secret Heart) by Shane and Shane
  - Psalm 51 by John Michael Talbot
  - Psalm 51 A broken Spirit and Contrite Heart by Sons of Korah
  - Psalm 51 (Have Mercy on Me O God) by Graham Kendrick Music
  - Create In me a Clean Heart by the Acapella Company
Psalm 81 NIV – Joy and Praise
- Ps 81:1-2
  - ¹Sing for joy to God our strength;
    shout aloud to the God of Jacob!
    ²Begin the music, strike the timbrel,
    play the melodious harp and lyre.
- Ps 81:3-4 Ordained Celebrations
  - ³Sound the ram’s horn at the New Moon,
    and when the moon is full, on the day of our festival;
    ⁴this is a decree for Israel,
    an ordinance of the God of Jacob.
- Ps 81:6-7 affected deliverance
  - “I removed the burden from their shoulders;
        their hands were set free from the basket.
    ⁷In your distress you called and I rescued you,
        I answered you out of a thundercloud;
        I tested you at the waters of Meribah.^[c]
- Ps 81:8-10 Promises …
  - Hear me, my people, and I will warn you—
        if you would only listen to me, Israel!
    ⁹You shall have no foreign god among you;
        you shall not worship any god other than me.
    ¹⁰I am the Lord your God,
        who brought you up out of Egypt.
    Open wide your mouth and I will fill it.
- Ps 81:11-12 … and failure
  - But my people would not listen to me;
    Israel would not submit to me.
    ¹²So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts
    to follow their own devices.
    - Acts 14:16
      - In past generations He allowed all the nations to go their own way,
    - Micah 4:5
      - Though all the peoples each walk in the name of their gods, we will walk in the name of Yahweh our God forever and ever.
    - R0mans 1:28
      - And because they did not think it worthwhile to acknowledge God, God delivered them over to a worthless mind to do what is morally wrong.
    - Job 21:14
      - Yet they say to God: “Leave us alone! We don’t want to know Your ways.
- Ps 81:13-16 God’s plea with His people
  - “If my people would only listen to me,
    if Israel would only follow my ways,
- Songs for Psalm 81
  - Sing for joy to God Our Savior – by Psalm Musicals
  - Ps 81 Sing Aloud to God our Strength by Jason Silver
Psalm 111 – Psalm of Praise
- Ps 111:1
  - Hallelujah!^[a]
    I will praise the Lord with all my heart
    in the assembly of the upright and in the congregation.
- Ps 111: 2-9 Praise the Works of the Lord
  - 2The Lord’s works are great,
    studied by all who delight in them.
    ³All that He does is splendid and majestic;
    His righteousness endures forever.
- Ps 111:10 Declaration
  - The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;
    all who follow His instructions^[b] have good insight.
    His praise endures forever.
- Songs for Psalm 111
  - Psalm 111 by Jason Silver
  - Holy and Awesome is His Name by Esther Mui
  - Psalm 111:O Give the Lord by Michael Card
  - Psalm 111(Praise Him) by Scottish Psalmist
  - Psalm 111: Praise the Lord by Nathan C George
Image by reenablack from Pixabay

Psalm 141 – Psalm of repentance From David’s Prayer Journal
- Ps 141:1-2
  - Lord, I call on You; hurry to help me.
    Listen to my voice when I call on You.
    ²May my prayer be set before You as incense,
    the raising of my hands as the evening offering.
- Ps 141:3 Go To Verse; Wisdom and Praise 18
  - Lord, set up a guard for my mouth;
    keep watch at the door of my lips.
    - James 1:26
      - If anyone thinks he is religious without controlling his tongue, then his religion is useless and he deceives himself.
    - Ps 34:13
      - Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from deceitful speech.
    - Pr 13:3
      - The one who guards his mouth protects his life; the one who opens his lips invites his own ruin.
        
        “It’s better to keep silent and let other’s think you are a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt”
    - Ps 39:1
      - I said, “I will guard my ways so that I may not sin with my tongue; I will guard my mouth with a muzzle as long as the wicked are in my presence.”
- Ps 141:4-6 yielding to discipline
  - 5 Let the righteous one strike me—
    it is an act of faithful love;
    let him rebuke me—
    it is oil for my head;
    let me^[a] not refuse it.
- Ps 141:8-10 Prayer for protection from Sin
  - But my eyes look to You, Lord God.
    I seek refuge in You; do not let me die.^[f]
    ⁹Protect me from^[g] the trap they have set for me,
    and from the snares of evildoers.
    ¹⁰Let the wicked fall into their own nets,
    while I pass by safely.
Proverb 21 wicked, nagging, pride, and other such sins
- Pr 21:2
  - - All a man’s ways seem right to him,
      but the Lord evaluates the motives.^[a]
      - Proverb 16:2, 9, 25
- Pr 21:3
  - Doing what is righteous and just
    is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.
    - - Isaiah 1:11
        
        “What are all your sacrifices to Me?”
        asks the Lord.
        “I have had enough of burnt offerings and rams
        and the fat of well-fed cattle;
        I have no desire for the blood of bulls,
        lambs, or male goats.
      - Ps 40:6
        
        You do not delight in sacrifice and offering; You open my ears to listen. You do not ask for a whole burnt offering or a sin offering.
      - Psalm 51:16-17
        
        You do not want a sacrifice, or I would give it;
        You are not pleased with a burnt offering.
        ¹⁷The sacrifice pleasing to God is^[a] a broken spirit.
        God, You will not despise a broken and humbled heart.
      - Hosea 6:6
        
        For I desire loyalty and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.
      - Matthew 9:13
        
        Go and learn what this means: I desire mercy and not sacrifice. For I didn’t come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
      - Romans 12:1
        
        Therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your spiritual worship.
      - Hebrews 13:15
        
        Therefore, through Him let us continually offer up to God a sacrifice of praise, that is, the fruit of our lips that confess His name.
      - Psalms 69:30-32
        
        I will praise God’s name with song
        and exalt Him with thanksgiving.
        ³¹That will please Yahweh more than an ox,
        more than a bull with horns and hooves.
        ³²The humble will see it and rejoice.
        You who seek God, take heart!
- Pr 21:5 Plans of man vs plans of God
  - The plans of the diligent certainly lead to profit,
    but anyone who is reckless certainly becomes poor.
    - 1 Samuel 2:9
      - He guards the steps of His faithful ones, but the wicked perish in darkness, for a man does not prevail by his own strength.
    - Ps 37:23
      - A man’s steps are established by the LORD, and He takes pleasure in his way.
    - Ps 37:31 NIV
      - The law of their God is in their hearts; their feet do not slip.
- Pr 21:13 Generosity
  - The one who shuts his ears to the cry of the poor
    will himself also call out and not be answered.
    - James 2:13 NLT
      - There will be no mercy for those who have not shown mercy to others. But if you have been merciful, God will be merciful when he judges you.
    - Matthew 5:7NIV
      - Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
- Pr 21:17
  - The one who loves pleasure will become a poor man;
    whoever loves wine and oil will not get rich.
- Pr 21:21
  - The one who pursues righteousness and faithful love
    will find life, righteousness, and honor.
    - Matt 5:6
      - Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness are blessed, for they will be filled.
    - Pr 15:9
      - The LORD detests the way of the wicked, but He loves the one who pursues righteousness.
- Pr 21:23
  - The one who guards his mouth and tongue
    keeps himself out of trouble.
  - see Psalm 141:3 above
- Pr 21:31
  - A horse is prepared for the day of battle,
    but victory comes from the Lord.
    - Ps 20:7 NIV
      - Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.
    - Ps 33:17
      - The horse is a false hope for safety; it provides no escape by its great power.
    - Jer 17:5
      - This is what the LORD says: “Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who draws strength from mere flesh and whose heart turns away from the LORD.

~~~~~~~

Got Questions provides a detailed explanation of The Roman’s Road.
Billy Graham’s version of the Plan of salvation.

Thanks for joining me in this journey,
In His hands and under His wings,
~Christi
Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

“The Lord does not give me rules, but He makes His standard very clear.
If my relationship to Him is that of love, I will do what He says without hesitation.
If I hesitate, it is because I love someone I have placed in competition with Him, namely, myself.” – from My Utmost for His highest

Naomi’s Heart Ministries
Obed’s House Ministries
The son of a friend will be interning with CRU – previously known as Campus Crusades for Christ. If you’d like to support someone I can vouch for in this area, please consider going to Matthew Plant’s donation page.

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