Mark 2:22-26

We need to be careful not to call good evil or evil good. 

The Holy Spirit is within and we need to listen carefully to Him. When we have done all we can… we need to stand firm putting on the full armor of God. In the unity of the Holy Spirit we are to go out and show the world the fruit He matures in us in Christ Jesus. 

When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are in peace. Luke 11:21

Jesus’ reply in parables was actually a threefold message that contrasted unity and disunity. Nothing—including Satan’s kingdom—can stand if it is divided.

¹⁴ Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, ¹⁵ and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; ¹⁶ above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. ¹⁷ And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; ¹⁸ praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints (Ephesians 6:13-17)

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.” (Galatians 5:22)

Mark 3:22-26

      ²² And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, “He has Beelzebub,” and, “By the ruler of the demons He casts out demons.”

²³ So He called them to Himself and said to them in parables: “How can Satan cast out Satan? ²⁴ If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. ²⁵ And if a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. ²⁶ And if Satan has risen up against himself, and is divided, he cannot stand, but has an end. 

²⁵ It is enough for a disciple that he be like his teacher, and a servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more will they call those of his household! 

Matthew 10:25

⁴⁸ Then the Jews answered and said to Him, “Do we not say rightly that You are a Samaritan and have a demon?” 

John 8:48

²⁰ And many of them said, “He has a demon and is mad. Why do you listen to Him?” 

John 10:20

²⁰ But if I cast out demons with the finger of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you. ²¹ When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are in peace. 

Luke 11:20–21

Colossians 1:9-14

I ask for wisdom daily to overcome the every day trials of this life by remaining steadfast in His love. I pray always for His will to be accomplished and carried out in my life while allowing me to  spiritually discern the working of Satan to destroy it. 

The battle we all fight is spiritual against the powers of darkness. Without the Holy Spirit we can do nothing. Pray that we can patiently hold onto the joy that comes with our salvation and increase His Kingdom by sharing the Good News of the Gospel of love in Christ Jesus. It is only through His birth, death and resurrection that redemption came to man.

As soon as  Paul heard of the new faith of the Colossians, he began interceding with God for them, asking Him to give them knowledge, wisdom, strength, and joy. Wisdom is the practical outworking of knowledge, and that knowledge cannot be separated from the spiritual understanding that comes through the discernment given by the Holy Spirit. A believer’s strength comes from God alone.The kingdom from which believers have been rescued is the kingdom of darkness.

The slavery from which believers are released is not physical but spiritual. They are freed from bondage to sin by forgiveness of sins through the blood of Jesus Christ.

Colossians 1:9-14

⁹ For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; ¹⁰ that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; ¹¹ strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy; ¹² giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. ¹³ He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, ¹⁴ in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.

⁵ that you were enriched in everything by Him in all utterance and all knowledge, 

1 Corinthians 1:5

² And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. 

Romans 12:2

²⁷ Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel, 

Philippians 1:27

¹⁶ that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, 

Ephesians 3:16

¹⁰ Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 

Ephesians 6:10

¹² For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 

Ephesians 6:12

Jeremiah 44:7-10

We must be doers of God’s Word.

Christians are to be a beacon of hope. They are a living reminder of God’s great love and compassion for man. Our actions for good reflect God’s mercy and grace. Our lack of action based on fear reflects Satan and the tactics he uses to to stop us.

We either believe God is and He is in total control OR we take our place among  the  unbelievers in fear. The battle is His to win. The fight we face is not physical but spiritual and we can be instruments of His plan by helping  those caught in  the crossfires of Satan’s plan to kill, steal and destroy mankind.

The Book of Jeremiah, perhaps more vividly than any other book of the Bible, reveals the inner struggles of a prophet of God. Indeed, the prophet’s anguish over the message of judgment upon his people and the coming destruction of the land was at times overwhelming. Yet despite his anguish, Jeremiah fulfilled his ministry of proclaiming God’s judgment against the people of Judah for their idolatry, their unfaithfulness to the covenant, and their obstinate disobedience of His will. Long acknowledged as one of the great prophets of the Old Testament, Jeremiah serves to this day as an example of someone who remained faithful to the word of God despite countless hardships.

The present generation of Jews had learned nothing from the past failures of  the nation. The people were not broken in heart, only more stubborn

Jeremiah 44:7-10

⁷ “Now therefore, thus says the Lord, the God of hosts, the God of Israel: ‘Why do you commit this great evil against yourselves, to cut off from you man and woman, child and infant, out of Judah, leaving none to remain, ⁸ in that you provoke Me to wrath with the works of your hands, burning incense to other gods in the land of Egypt where you have gone to dwell, that you may cut yourselves off and be a curse and a reproach among all the nations of the earth? ⁹ Have you forgotten the wickedness of your fathers, the wickedness of the kings of Judah, the wickedness of their wives, your own wickedness, and the wickedness of your wives, which they committed in the land of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem? ¹⁰ They have not been humbled, to this day, nor have they feared; they have not walked in My law or in My statutes that I set before you and your fathers.’

¹¹ Say to them: ‘As I live,’ says the Lord God, ‘I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! For why should you die, O house of Israel?’ 

Ezekiel 33:11

¹⁴ Happy is the man who is always reverent, But he who hardens his heart will fall into calamity. 

Proverbs 28:14

John

There is no power higher, there is only One in control, the Triune God. Love Him above all and love others as much as you do you and your families. Those who know to do right and do not…bear the greater responsibility.

We do not war against people or places, we war against the powers of darkness, and he has already lost the battle to Jesus.

Jesus acknowledged that Pilate had the power to take His life, but only because God allowed him that power. Caiaphas, had the greater sin because as a religious leader he had that much greater a responsibility to recognize the Messiah. 

John 18:36-37

³⁶ Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here.”

³⁷ Pilate therefore said to Him, “Are You a king then?”

Jesus answered, “You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.”

John 19:10-11

¹⁰ Then Pilate said to Him, “Are You not speaking to me? Do You not know that I have power to crucify You, and power to release You?”

¹¹ Jesus answered, “You could have no power at all against Me unless it had been given you from above. Therefore the one who delivered Me to you has the greater sin.”

²⁸ just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” 

Matthew 20:28

¹⁷ For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. 

John 3:17

⁵³ When I was with you daily in the temple, you did not try to seize Me. But this is your hour, and the power of darkness.” 

Luke 22:53

Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. 

Romans 13:1

¹⁴ Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, That all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, Which shall not pass away, And His kingdom the one Which shall not be destroyed. 

Daniel 7:14

⁵ and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, 

Revelation 1:5

Luke 6:1-19

Things I have learned through Luke 6:

1.Common sense and doing good are always the right choice. 

2.The wisest decisions are always filtered through prayer. 

3.God chooses whom He wills not us. 

4.Miracles can and do happen when we ask them in His name. 

5.Never call good evil or evil good.

Jesus pointed out that if David and his men could violate the Law to satisfy their hunger, His disciples could do the same. Jesus may have been attempting to show that the Law was never intended to be applied so absolutely that it would take precedence over the necessities of daily life. Jesus chose to do good. The plots of the Pharisees represented doing evil and destroying. That was truly breaking the Sabbath. 

Luke 6:1-19

6 Now it happened on the second Sabbath after the first that He went through the grainfields. And His disciples plucked the heads of grain and ate them, rubbing them in their hands. ² And some of the Pharisees said to them, “Why are you doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath?”

³ But Jesus answering them said, “Have you not even read this, what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him: ⁴ how he went into the house of God, took and ate the showbread, and also gave some to those with him, which is not lawful for any but the priests to eat?” ⁵ And He said to them, “The Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath.”

Now it happened on another Sabbath, also, that He entered the synagogue and taught. And a man was there whose right hand was withered. ⁷ So the scribes and Pharisees watched Him closely, whether He would heal on the Sabbath, that they might find an accusation against Him. ⁸ But He knew their thoughts, and said to the man who had the withered hand, “Arise and stand here.” And he arose and stood. ⁹ Then Jesus said to them, “I will ask you one thing: Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy?” ¹⁰ And when He had looked around at them all, He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he did so, and his hand was restored as whole as the other. ¹¹ But they were filled with rage, and discussed with one another what they might do to Jesus.

¹² Now it came to pass in those days that He went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God. ¹³ And when it was day, He called His disciples to Himself; and from them He chose twelve whom He also named apostles: ¹⁴ Simon, whom He also named Peter, and Andrew his brother; James and John; Philip and Bartholomew; ¹⁵ Matthew and Thomas; James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon called the Zealot; ¹⁶ Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot who also became a traitor.

¹⁷ And He came down with them and stood on a level place with a crowd of His disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem, and from the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear Him and be healed of their diseases, ¹⁸ as well as those who were tormented with unclean spirits. And they were healed. ¹⁹ And the whole multitude sought to touch Him, for power went out from Him and healed them all.

¹⁶ Therefore some of the Pharisees said, “This Man is not from God, because He does not keep the Sabbath.” Others said, ^j“How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?” And there was a division among them. 

John 9:16

⁴ But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, “Why do you think evil in your hearts? 

Matthew 9:4

²³ If a man receives circumcision on the Sabbath, so that the law of Moses should not be broken, are you angry with Me because I made a man completely well on the Sabbath? 

John 7:23

³⁵ Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed. 

Mark 1:35

And when He had called His twelve disciples to Him, He gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease. 

Matthew 10:1

Job 1:6-12

In the Old Testament God’s family was the Israelites. In the New Testament God’s family is not limited to just one group of people but all creation has the means in which to enter in through Jesus. We see things now through a clouded lens the Father sees everything crystal clear. His ways are beyond our understanding and are so far above our limited thinking. 

“I am” is all knowing, all powerful and  present in every situation. 

Allow God to be God knowing that He is in total control. He will work everything out for the good of all those who believe in His salvation through the cross of Jesus Christ. We are the Body of Christ.

Stay true, trusting in His course for man and He will give you peace in all things!

God had placed a hedge of protection around Job and his household. No harm could come to him unless the Lord permitted it. Believers today should take great comfort from the biblical teaching that the Lord protects His people. Satan asserted that Job would surely curse God if his prosperity and blessings were removed.That Satan must receive permission from the Lord to lay a hand on Job indicates that God limits Satan’s power. Satan’s actions are limited by God’s sovereign control. 

Job 1:6-12

⁶ Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them. ⁷ And the Lord said to Satan, “From where do you come?”

So Satan answered the Lord and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it.”

⁸ Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil?”

⁹ So Satan answered the Lord and said, “Does Job fear God for nothing? ¹⁰ Have You not made a hedge around him, around his household, and around all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. ¹¹ But now, stretch out Your hand and touch all that he has, and he will surely curse You to Your face!”

¹² And the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your power; only do not lay a hand on his person.”

So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.

⁸ Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 

1 Peter 5:8

¹⁴ And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’ ” 

Exodus 3:14

² He dug it up and cleared out its stones, And planted it with the choicest vine. He built a tower in its midst, And also made a winepress in it; So He expected it to bring forth good grapes, But it brought forth wild grapes. 

Isaiah 5:2

¹⁰A fiery stream issued And came forth from before Him. A thousand thousands ministered to Him; Ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him. ^sThe court was seated, And the books were opened. 

Daniel 7:10

Mark 3:1-5

Protect your heart…out of it comes compassion, mercy and grace. Don’t grieve the Holy Spirit.

In order to do the will of the Father a soft, pliable, teachable spirit is a necessity. The world will try to destroy your compassion don’t let it. 

Satan would like nothing better than to make us complacent in a world set for self destruction.

It is possible, as Paul exhorts, to be angry and not sin. Jesus demonstrated this righteous anger. He was grieved with sin but did not sin Himself by retaliating or losing control of His emotions.

Mark 3:1-5

3 And He entered the synagogue again, and a man was there who had a withered hand. ² So they watched Him closely, whether He would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse Him. ³ And He said to the man who had the withered hand,  “Step forward.” ⁴ Then He said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they kept silent. ⁵ And when He had looked around at them with anger, being grieved by the hardness of their hearts, He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored as whole as the other.

³² The wicked watches the righteous, And seeks to slay him. 

Psalm 37:32

²⁰ So they watched Him, and sent spies who pretended to be righteous, that they might seize on His words, in order to deliver Him to the power and the authority of the governor. 

Luke 20:20

Acts 13:46-48

He came to His own and His own received Him not.

God knew that Jesus would be rejected by the very ones that were meant to embrace Him. He sent Him anyway. God knew that He without sin would suffer terrible physical and mental afflictions for the sins of man. He sent Him anyway. God knew that that they would place Him in a another’s tomb and that it would appear that He was despised and rejected. God allowed it anyway. Why? Because God loved man that much! God wanted His creation to have the chance to choose Him and have that love returned to Him. The real shocker…Jesus loved His Father so much that He willingly gave up His life for yours. There is no greater love than this.

A person who convinces himself that he does not need forgiveness from the Holy One has already condemned himself.

Acts 13:46-48

⁴⁶ Then Paul and Barnabas grew bold and said, “It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken to you first; but since you reject it, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles. ⁴⁷ For so the Lord has commanded us:

‘I have set you as a light to the Gentiles,

That you should be for salvation to the ends of the earth.’ ”

⁴⁸ Now when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord. And as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed.

⁵ Surely you shall call a nation you do not know, And nations who do not know you shall run to you, Because of the Lord your God, And the Holy One of Israel; For He has glorified you.” 

Isaiah 55:5

⁶ “I, the Lord, have called You in righteousness, And will hold Your hand; I will keep You and give You as a covenant to the people, As a light to the Gentiles, 

Isaiah 42:6

⁶ Indeed He says, ‘It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant To raise up the tribes of Jacob, And to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also give You as a light to the Gentiles, That You should be My salvation to the ends of the earth.’ ” 

Isaiah 49:6

¹⁶ For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. 

Romans 1:16

³² A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, And the glory of Your people Israel.” 

Luke 2:32

Luke 12:46-48

To whom much is given much is required. When our eyes see and our ears hear and understand the truth of salvation we are without excuse. It is up to us, by our words and in our actions, to spread the Good News wherever we are placed.

The parable suggests degrees of God’s punishment: The faithful are rewarded, the ignorant are disciplined a little and the disobedient are disciplined moderately. In each case, the stewardship of the servant is evaluated.

Luke 12:46-48

 ⁴⁷ And that servant who knew his master’s will, and did not prepare himself or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. ⁴⁸ But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few. For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more.

⁴¹ Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you say, ‘We see.’ Therefore your sin remains. 

John 9:41

²² If I had not come and spoken to them, they would have no sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. 

John 15:22

³⁰ Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, 

Acts 17:30

¹⁷ Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin. 

James 4:17

¹³ although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. 

1 Timothy 1:13

Philippians 1:3-11

God is faithful , full of mercy and grace.

When we sincerely want to change our character into His…He listens. We can pray knowing that whatever we ask in the precious name of Jesus, without doubting, we receive.

Be grateful for all the people that He has placed in your life…they are His loving gifts. 

In all things with prayer and supplications ask for His intervention in your life and theirs. The love we show to others in His name draws them to the Cross of Salvation.

Every time God brought the Philippians to his mind, with joy Paul gave thanks. Paul had become convinced some time in the past that God would complete His good work among the Philippians, and his confidence remained unshaken.

The word translated affection literally means the internal organs, regarded by the first-century reader as the center of the deepest feelings. Whereas the heart is the seat of reflection, Paul now speaks of his affection, his deep feelings for the believers. In modern terminology, Paul revealed that he had the “heart” of Jesus Christ. His feelings for the Philippians were like those of Jesus Christ, who loved them and died for them.

Philippians 1:3-11

³ I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, ⁴ always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy, ⁵ for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now, ⁶ being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ; ⁷ just as it is right for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart, inasmuch as both in my chains and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers with me of grace. ⁸ For God is my witness, how greatly I long for you all with the affection of Jesus Christ.

⁹ And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, ¹⁰ that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, ¹¹ being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

⁴ I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given to you by Christ Jesus, 

1 Corinthians 1:4

¹⁶ do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers: 

Ephesians 1:16

² We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers, 

1 Thessalonians 1:2

¹⁰ For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. 

Ephesians 2:10

⁶ which has come to you, as it has also in all the world, and is bringing forth fruit, as it is also among you since the day you heard and knew the grace of God in truth; 

Colossians 1:6

⁸ By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples. 

John 15:8

Mark 2:18-22

Change will do you good! 

We will never get new results with old behavior.

The metaphors in the two parables were drawn from the culture of the times. When patching a garment the patch had to be washed prior to placement or it would shrink and tear away from the garment it was sown onto, likewise, if new wine was placed in old wineskin the fermenting of the fruit would eat away at the brittle skin and cause it to burst. The same holds true today.

A pliable new wineskin can take the expansion.

The new wine of the Holy Spirit requires a shift in paradigm. Jesus called for change in our worldly way of looking at the world to discerning everyday life spiritually. We need to break free from the fear of change.

The comparison implies that the newness of His message, and of the new covenant to follow, cannot fit into the old molds of Judaism. The Old Testament was preparation for the new.

^{Mark 1:15: "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news."}

^{Paul understood this. To his friends in Rome, he said, "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds" (Rom. 12:2). And to those in Philippi, "Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus" (Phil. 2:5).}

^“I believe the Lord wants to unleash a gushing river of new wine into the church today, but He is directing us to prepare our wineskins. What is old must be renewed by the Spirit, what is outdated must be remodeled, and what is ineffective must be replaced. God wants to do a new thing. Don’t resist it.

~ ”New Wine, Old Wineskins and the Fear of Change J.Lee Grady

Mark 2:18-22

¹⁸ The disciples of John and of the Pharisees were fasting. Then they came and said to Him, “Why do the disciples of John and of the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?”

¹⁹ And Jesus said to them, “Can the friends of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them they cannot fast. 

²⁰ But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast in those days. ²¹ No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; or else the new piece pulls away from the old, and the tear is made worse. ²² And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine bursts the wineskins, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But new wine must be put into new wineskins.”