Mark Chapter 16 - ACC NT Study

(Verses 1-3)
1 When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus' body.
2 Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb 3 and they asked each other, "Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?"

Those who brought spices to anoint Jesus' body were consumed with grief. They concentrated on practical issue. (Rolling away the stone from the tomb no doubt was an impossible task.) However we know from this chapter the stone was already moved prior to their arrival, and great joy would follow when they realized Jesus had risen.

Likewise in our darkest hour, we often tend to concentrate on a practical issue or responsibility. (One that seems like an impossible task.) We usually don't realize God has already removed that obstacle to clear the way for us, and make it possible for joy to return to our lives.

In few words:
Look to Him for a clear path.

Mark Chapter 15 - ACC NT Study

(Versus 33, 34)
33 At the sixth hour darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour.
34 And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?" —which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"

When we feel as though God is far away, perhaps we begin to believe He has forgotten us, or stopped caring about us altogether. We are not alone. Even Jesus felt forsaken at His truest time of need. However we know God had a plan. Jesus would rise again and spend eternity with the Father.

In a few words:
Even though God's plans are not known to believers, they choose to trust in Him.

Mark Chapter 14 - ACC NT Study

(Verses 27-31)
27"You will all fall away," Jesus told them, "for it is written: " 'I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.' 28But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee."
29 Peter declared, "Even if all fall away, I will not."
30"I tell you the truth," Jesus answered, "today—yes, tonight—before the rooster crows twice you yourself will disown me three times."
31But Peter insisted emphatically, "Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you." And all the others said the same.

Peter and all of the disciples pledged they would die with Jesus if necessary. However as scripture tells us in this chapter, Peter did deny Jesus three times before the rooster crowed twice.

Jesus returned to Peter after His Resurrection and reinstated him (John 21:15-17) and told him to "Feed my Sheep" restoring him to serve as a follower of Christ.

Likewise many of us make a pledge during prayer or devotion time, to discontinue unacceptable behavior in our lives. We promise to our Lord and ourselves not to repeat it, yet to fail and do it again. Even though we may have confessed to Him and asked for forgiveness, we may begin to feel unworthy and be tempted to give up following Him. I believe if we make ourselves available to Jesus (In prayer, worship or bible study) He returns to us, restores us and tell us to "Feed my sheep."

In a few words:
Let us thank Him for our continued restoration.

Mark Chapter 13 - ACC NT Study

26 At that time men will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory.
27 And he will send his angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens.

In a few words:
Oh to be His elect children, for the Angels to gather!

Mark Chapter 12 - ACC NT Study

41Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts.
42But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny.
43 Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others.
44 They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on."

In a few words:
Equal sacrifice often means unequal giving.

Mark Chapter 11 - ACC NT Study

(Verses 4-6)
4 They went and found a colt outside in the street, tied at a doorway. As they untied it,
5 some people standing there asked, "What are you doing, untying that colt?"
6 They answered as Jesus had told them to, and the people let them go.

In a few words:
Explain Jesus' plan to others

Mark Chapter 10 - ACC NT Study

The story of the Rich Young Man in this chapter has always been an interesting one to me. I may have a different take on it than others who read it. Check out verses 17-20:

17 As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. "Good teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?"
18 "Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good—except God alone.
19 You know the commandments: 'Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, do not defraud, honor your father and mother.'
20 "Teacher," he declared, "all these I have kept since I was a boy."

It always made me wonder about when the young man told Jesus that he had kept all the commandments. I want to say: Really? Was he so perfect that he was never disprespectful to his parents or never ever lied ever since he was a boy? I wonder if Jesus was calling him out per se' by telling him the following in Verse 21:

21 Jesus looked at him and loved him. "One thing you lack," he said. "Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."

I know Jesus most likely did not mean it this way, but to me His answer was almost like saying: Well, since you are so good and almost perfect, selling everything and giving it to the poor should not be any problem for you. However the young man's reaction reveals his true character in verse 22:

22 At this the man's face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.

In a few words:
Humbly admit our shortcomings to our Lord

Mark Chapter 9 - ACC NT Study

(Verses 17-18)
17 A man in the crowd answered, "Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech.
18 Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not."

(Verses 25-29)
25 When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the evil spirit. "You deaf and mute spirit," he said, "I command you, come out of him and never enter him again."
26 The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, "He's dead."
27 But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet, and he stood up.
28 After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately, "Why couldn't we drive it out?"
29 He replied, "This kind can come out only by prayer."

I have to admit I have never felt I have the gift to do anything miraculous. However I do believe in the power of prayer. I believe anyone who prays from their heart on the behalf of others, in the name of Jesus Christ, performs a humble deed.

In a few words:
God does much with our humble prayers for others.

Mark Chapter 8 - ACC NT Study

(Verses 22-26)
22 They came to Bethsaida, and some people brought a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him.
23 He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. When he had spit on the man's eyes and put his hands on him, Jesus asked, "Do you see anything?"
24 He looked up and said, "I see people; they look like trees walking around."
25 Once more Jesus put his hands on the man's eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly.
26 Jesus sent him home, saying, "Don't go into the village."


In the passage above the blind man could see after Jesus touched his eyes, but his vision was limited. He could see clearly after Jesus touched his eyes a second time.

In a few words:
Repeatedly return to Jesus for clearer vision.

Mark Chapter 7 - ACC NT Study

(Verses 34-37)
34 He looked up to heaven and with a deep sigh said to him, "Ephphatha!" (which means, "Be opened!" ).
35 At this, the man's ears were opened, his tongue was loosened and he began to speak plainly.
36 Jesus commanded them not to tell anyone. But the more he did so, the more they kept talking about it.
37 People were overwhelmed with amazement. "He has done everything well," they said. "He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak."

In a few words:
When it comes to the Gospel, may our ears be opened and tongues be loosened!

Mark Chapter 6 - ACC NT Study

(Verses 7-13)
7 Calling the Twelve to him, he sent them out two by two and gave them authority over evil spirits.
8 These were his instructions: "Take nothing for the journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in your belts.
9 Wear sandals but not an extra tunic.
10 Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that town.
11 And if any place will not welcome you or listen to you, shake the dust off your feet when you leave, as a testimony against them."
12 They went out and preached that people should repent.
13 They drove out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil and healed them.

This passage is true and real, however it is also a good metaphor of Jesus sending us out to share the Gospel. He instructed the disciples to take along the basics. (The clothes they wore, staff and sandals.) I believe they were to trust in God for their needs to be provided otherwise.

It is the same for us. To share the Gospel we only need to take the basics. (Our story, our Bible and the Gospel message.) Otherwise we need only to trust in God, for the opportunity to share our faith, and the words to do so.

In a few words:
The Holy Spirit speaks through believers.

Mark Chapter 5 - ACC NT Study

(Verse 15)
When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons, sitting there, dressed and in his right mind;

This passage reminds me of people I have known, who became followers of Christ. Please don't misunderstand, they were not "possessed by demons" or anything like the description in Mark Chapter 5.
They were however, individuals I thought would never even consider coming to church, let alone accept Jesus as Lord and Savior. And yet they have became great Christian examples for me to follow.

In a few words:
The power of the Gospel changes hearts.

Mark Chapter 4 - ACC NT Study

This passage speaks to me today:
(Verses 35-40)
35 That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, "Let us go over to the other side."
36 Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him.
37 A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. 38 Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, "Teacher, don't you care if we drown?"
39 He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, "Quiet! Be still!" Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.
40 He said to his disciples, "Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?"

Right now I have storms going on in my life. In reality they may be relatively small, however in my mind they seem quite large. And they seem to constantly remind me of potentially negative situations or negative results. Until I take them to Jesus, and ask Him calm my storms.

In a few words:
The worries of this life are quieted by the Savior.

Mark Chapter 3 - ACC NT Study

(Verses 4-5)
4Then Jesus asked them, "Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?" But they remained silent.
5He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored.

In a few words:
May our hearts never be so stubborn that our Lord is angry and deeply distressed.

Mark Chapter 2 - ACC NT Study

True friendship is clearly demonstrated:
(Verses 3-5)
3Some men came, bringing to him a paralytic, carried by four of them. 4Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus and, after digging through it, lowered the mat the paralyzed man was lying on. 5When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven."

Jesus' power and compassion is also clearly demonstrated:
(Verses 10-12)
10But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins . . . ." He said to the paralytic, 11"I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home." 12He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, "We have never seen anything like this!"

Jesus not only knew the heart of the paralytic, but the hearts of the others that carried him.

In a few words:
Have a heart to help others.
Have a heart that allows others to help.

Mark Chapter 1 - ACC NT Study

Can you imagine the pressure?

(Verses 32-33)
32That evening after sunset the people brought to Jesus all the sick and demon-possessed. 33The whole town gathered at the door

The whole town gathering at the door, waiting to be healed and helped. Jesus was God in the flesh, therefore he realized human limitations. He must have faced pressure and fatigue of healing and counseling others. He knew where to go afterward...

(Verse 35)
35Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.

In a few words:
Share your burdens with the one who can lift them.