Mark 4:9

Verse of the Day Devotion.  Mark 4:9 

“And He was saying, He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” – Mark 4:9 

As was His purpose, Jesus began teaching again to the people. “And He began to teach again by the sea. And such a very great multitude gathered to Him that He got into a boat in the sea and sat down; and the whole multitude was by the sea on the land. And He was teaching them many things in parables, and was saying to them in His teaching,” Mark 4:1-2. He begins teaching those on the shore from the boat. And He is using the tool of parables to present the truth. And he starts off with “Listen to this!” Mark 4:3a. And then He ends with the same idea. He wants those who are there to use their sight and hearing in order to understand what He is saying. It is also an admonition to listen thoughtfully, which shows that the meaning of parables is not necessarily self-evident.

Here is the parable. “Behold, the sower went out to sow; and it came about that as he was sowing, some seed fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate it up. And other seed fell on the rocky ground where it did not have much soil; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of soil. And after the sun had risen, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away. And other seed fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked it, and it yielded no crop. And other seeds fell into the good soil and as they grew up and increased, they yielded a crop and produced thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold.” Mark 4:3b-8. The parable presents an accurate picture of what is known about ancient Palestinian agriculture. Unlike our modern approach, the seed was sown first and then plowed under. The sower held it in an apron with one hand and tossed it with the other. It was not unusual that some would fall upon the hardened path through the field, some where the soil was too shallow, and some among thorns as well as on good ground. Therefore, this was something His audience would understand. And then He ends this with the phrase, ”He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” Mark 4:9.

When Jesus was finished and He was alone with His followers, they asked Him about the parables, and He answered by saying, “To you has been given the mystery of the kingdom of God; but those who are outside get everything in parables, so that they may indeed see but not perceive, and may indeed hear but not understand, lest they should turn and be forgiven.” Mark 4:11-12. His disciples have been given the ‘mystery of the kingdom’ because they left everything to follow Him, thus showing their desire to fully understand what Christ is declaring. Those in the crowds are not given this knowledge immediately, but if they truly desire to know and seek it with everything they have, then they are able to obtain this understanding. We can see this based on what Peter wrote in his second letter. “The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9. God desires that all come to repentance, but the only way they can receive it is if they desire to understand what the truth really is and seek it with all their hearts.

So, what does this parable mean? The disciples appeared not to understand. “And He said to them, Do you not understand this parable? And how will you understand all the parables?” Mark 4:13. And because they were not understanding, He told them the meaning. He starts by telling them what is meant by the seeds. “The sower sows the word.” Mark 4:14. The Word of God is illustrated by seeds. And Jesus then follows with four different results, using the picture of seeds being sown, to show the results of giving the Word to four different groups. First, we read “And these are the ones who are beside the road where the word is sown; and when they hear, immediately Satan comes and takes away the word which has been sown in them.” Mark 4:15. When these people hear the Word, they hear it, but they didn’t take firm hold of it and Satan, in whatever manner he chooses, took it from them causing them not to accept it. Next, “And in a similar way these are the ones on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy; and they have no firm root in themselves, but are only temporary; then, when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately they fall away.” Mark 4:16-17. When these people hear the Word, they immediately accept it, however when trials and persecution comes they immediately give up and fall away. Next we see, “And others are the ones on whom seed was sown among the thorns; these are the ones who have heard the word, and the worries of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.” Mark 4:18-19. Here, the Word of God is sown, but not accepted because the riches and worldly desires take precedence and choke out the truth of His Word. And last, but far from least, “And those are the ones on whom seed was sown on the good soil; and they hear the word and accept it, and bear fruit, thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold.” Mark 4:20. These are those who hear the word, accept it in their heart and do not give it away. They accepted it and lived by it. But not all are as fruitful in the work as others. And as for the thirty, sixty and one hundred-fold, not everyone is going to be as fruitful as everyone else. We will be as fruitful as God gifts us. Notice He does not state those of thirty-fold are looked at as inferior to the sixty or hundred-fold,

There are various ways that God’s Word is received. Some ignore it, some place things at a higher level, and some refuse to be persecuted and decide accepting His Word is not worth it. However, we must go out to these in order to find those who will hear it, accept it, and live it. It is worth it even if only one gets saved. “I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents, than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.” Luke 15:7.  

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries, Inc.

Mark 3:35.

Verse of the Day Devotion.  Mark 3:35 

“For whoever does the will of God, he is My brother and sister and mother.” –  Mark 3:35

While Jesus was speaking to the Scribes who came to question Jesus, His mother and His brothers came. “And His mother and His brothers arrived, and standing outside they sent word to Him, and called Him. And a multitude was sitting around Him, and they said to Him, Behold, Your mother and Your brothers are outside looking for You.” Mark 3:31-32. There is no question about who His mother was, Mary the wife of Joseph. However, not much is mentioned regarding His brothers. However, we do find them named in the Matthew’s gospel. “And coming to His hometown He began teaching them in their synagogue, so that they became astonished, and said, “Where did this man get this wisdom, and these miraculous powers? Is not this the carpenter’s son? Is not His mother called Mary, and His brothers, James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? And His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this man get all these things?” Matthew 13:54-56.

And when they arrived, they called out for Jesus, and Jesus responded. “And answering them, He said, who are My mother and My brothers? This was a rhetorical question which forced attention on a deeper issue, that being an authentic relationship with Him. He was not denying they were family, in the physical sense, but He was looking deeper. So He continues with, “And looking about on those who were sitting around Him, He said, Behold, My mother and My brothers!” Mark 3:34. Now, Jesus was not minimizing their relationship. Mary was His mother, and he did have half-brothers and half-sisters with Mary as the mother and Joseph as the father. What He was speaking of was a spiritual family, and not the physical family. Again, He was not minimizing the relationship with His physical family, but He was introducing the idea of a spiritual family. And our focus verse lays out who His spiritual family was. “For whoever does the will of God, he is My brother and sister and mother.” Mark 3:35. In other words, in a spiritual sense, whoever does the will of God is now a part of the family of God. The Apostle Paul lays out this though beautifully. “But when the fulness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, in order that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God.” Galatians 4:4-7.

God must come first in all areas. We must please Him before anything else. We must do His will ahead of everything else. And those who do will be a member of the family of God, and everyone who does this will be family: brothers and sisters in Christ. “For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus.” Galatians 3:26. This does not do away with our earthly family, however, it must take precedence and will ultimately last forever.   

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries, for their

Mark 3:29

Verse of the Day Devotion.  Mark 3:29

“But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin.” Mark 3:29 

Now, at this time in His ministry, Jesus was followed by a great crowd. “And He told His disciples that a boat should stand ready for Him because of the multitude, in order that they might not crowd Him; for He had healed many, with the result that all those who had afflictions pressed about Him in order to touch Him.” Mark 3:9. He had healed so many that He became known throughout the land because of this.  And He called for a boat that He could be on it and able to speak to the crowd without being interrupted.

Now it happened that the scribes of the Pharisees came down to where He was. It appears that Jesus’ ministry had made an impact on the leadership in Jerusalem, and they came in order to confront Christ. They do not deny Jesus has the power to perform miracles, but how. “And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem were saying, He is possessed by Beelzebul, and He casts out the demons by the ruler of the demons.” Mark 3:22. They were accusing Jesus of being possessed by Satan himself. They believed that because of His power, it could not simply be a demon. They do not accuse him of faking it. They indeed recognize his power to perform miracles, but they deny His power was from God and instead claim it was from Beelzebul.

Then Jesus calls them to Himself and spoke directly to them. “How can Satan cast out Satan? And if a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but he is finished!” Mark 3:23b-26. Jesus said this to show that if He did these things through Satan, then surely Satan’s kingdom was in a civil war and would not stand. Jesus said this to show that Satan would not work against himself; this would be like a house divided against itself. This would cause nothing but contention and discord. If citizens should fall out with their leaders, or with one with another; or if the heads of families quarrel with and divide from one another, the whole would be destroyed. And the same would be said of the kingdom of Satan. Then He points directly at the Scribes. “And if I by Beelzebul cast out demons, by whom do your sons cast them out? consequently they shall be your judges.” Mark 3:26.

Then He adds the following. “But no one can enter the strong man’s house and plunder his property unless he first binds the strong man, and then he will plunder his house.” Mark 3:27. Jesus here calls Satan the strong man and Himself as the One who enters the house and plunders it. Of course, before Satan allows his domain to be plundered, he must be incapacitated. Jesus was not in league with Satan, as the scribes suggested, but had come to the earth, to what is essentially Satan’s house, in order to bind Satan and plunder his goods, which are the souls of men. Note this verse regarding this being Satan’s realm. “We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.” 1 John 5:19.

Then we end with this. “Truly I say to you, all sins shall be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they utter; but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin, because they were saying, He has an unclean spirit.” Mark 3:28-30. This is a difficult idea. But what is important is that the Scribes and Pharisees knew of the coming of the Messiah. And they also knew of what the scriptures spoke of Him. But they refused to accept the truth, and in so refusing to see Jesus as the Messiah, the refused to believe He was doing all this through the Holy Spirit. We read in Isaiah the following. “Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse, And a branch from his roots will bear fruit. And the Spirit of the LORD will rest on Him, The spirit of wisdom and understanding, The spirit of counsel and strength, The spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD.” Isaiah 11:1-2. I believe they knew what this spoke of and should have seen who He really was. But they refused to believe and thus accused Him of being of the Devil. They saw His works, His healings, and heard His teachings. They knew if they spoke of Him as the Messiah they would lose their authority, and so they refused to accept it. They took it a step to far in claiming He was filled with Satan. And because of this, they hardened their hearts and thus lost their opportunity for repentance.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries, for their

Mark 2:27

Verse of the Day Devotion.  Mark 2:27 

“And He was saying to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.” Mark 2:27  

Now Jesus and His disciples were passing through a field planted with grain. “And it came about that He was passing through the grainfields on the Sabbath, and His disciples began to make their way along while picking the heads of grain.” Mark 2:23. As they were walking through the field, the disciples were hungry, and so were picking heads of grain from the plants. This was not illegal according to Jewish law. “When you enter your neighbor’s vineyard, then you may eat grapes until you are fully satisfied, but you shall not put any in your basket. When you enter your neighbor’s standing grain, then you may pluck the heads with your hand, but you shall not wield a sickle in your neighbor’s standing grain.” Deuteronomy 23:24-25. When someone entered their neighbor’s vineyard, they were allowed to eat grapes until they were full. But they could not carry any away. In regard to grain, they could not use a sickle but they could pick by hand and eat.

However, what the Pharisees had an issue with was the day this was done.. “And the Pharisees were saying to Him, See here, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?” Mark 2:24. Now the Sabbath was started after the creation of man. “Thus the heavens and the earth were completed, and all their hosts. And by the seventh day God completed His work which He had done; and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.” Genesis 2:1-3. Note what it says, “Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.”

The Sabbath was not intended to be a bunch or rules, but a time of rest.  It was supposed to help people, not burden them. In contrast to the grueling daily work they did as slaves in Egypt, the Israelites were commanded to take a full day of rest each week under the Mosaic Law. The Pharisees had changed the Sabbath into a burden by adding restrictions well beyond what God’s law said. The act of picking a head of grain and munching on it as one walked along a field should not be considered harvesting, as the Pharisees said. The disciples had not broken God’s law; they had only violated the Pharisees’ strict interpretation of the law.

Jesus then reminded the Pharisees of the original intent of the Sabbath rest. “And He said to them, Have you never read what David did when he was in need and became hungry, he and his companions: how he entered the house of God in the time of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the consecrated bread, which is not lawful for anyone to eat except the priests, and he gave it also to those who were with him?” Mark 2:25-26. The men who were with David were starving and needed food. There was no food other than the bread consecrated to God. Therefore, the priest gave Him the bread. “So the priest gave him consecrated bread; for there was no bread there but the bread of the Presence, which was removed from before the LORD, in order to put hot bread in its place when it was taken away.” 1 Samuel 21:6. The holy bread had served a practical need of David, God’s anointed, and his followers. Just as in Jesus’ day when the grain served a practical need for Jesus, God’s anointed,  and His followers.

And then our focus verse, “And He was saying to them, The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. Consequently, the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.” Mark 2:27-28. Looking at the big picture, the Sabbath was not made for man to follow and obey, it was made for man to rest. The Sabbath was not intended to burden people but to ease their burden. For someone to forbid acts of mercy and goodness on God’s day of rest is contrary to all that is right. Jesus, the Lord of the Sabbath, did what was right and allowed the disciples to pick the grain to have something to eat. We must be careful that we do not place burdens on ourselves or others for the sake of the Sabbath or rules. As believers, set free in Christ, we are not judged by whether or not we keep the Sabbath day. “Therefore let no one act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day, things which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ.” Colossians 2:16-17. Christ is not calling us to follow a bunch of hard rules, but to rest. “All things have been handed over to Me by My Father; and no one knows the Son, except the Father; nor does anyone know the Father, except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him. Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and YOU SHALL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS. For My yoke is easy, and My load is light.” Matthew 11:27-30.   

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries.

Mark 2:17

Verse of the Day Devotion.  Mark 2:17 

“And hearing this, Jesus said to them, it is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick; I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” Mark 2:17 

Jesus again went out to the Sea of Galilee. “And He went out again by the seashore; and all the multitude were coming to Him, and He was teaching them.” Mark 2:13. In this, Jesus was fulfilling the purpose of His coming. “And He said to them, Let us go somewhere else to the towns nearby, in order that I may preach there also; for that is what I came out for.” Mark 1:38. God the Father sent Jesus here to show the world the truth. “The thief comes only to steal, and kill, and destroy; I came that they might have life and might have it abundantly.” John 10:10. Therefore, when there were people interested in hearing what He had to say, He spent time with them, Note the end of the above verse. “and all the multitude were coming to Him, and He was teaching them.”

Now, as He was walking He sees Levi, also known as Matthew. “And as He passed by, He saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting in the tax office, and He said to him, Follow Me! And he rose and followed Him.” Mark 2:14. This was no doubt where the first toll station would have been found for those coming from across the sea. This particular station was probably set up to gather taxes to be given to the Roman leader Herod Antipas. Levi was an official of the Jewish client-king Herod and was not a Roman tax collector. However, they were probably hated as much as those of the Romans, and for the same reasons. Their dishonesty was well known, using intimidation as well as force to collect them. Furthermore the Herodian rulers were at best semi-Jews and were hated as much as the Roman governors. And when Jesus calls him to follow Him, there was no hesitation. He immediately left and followed Him.

Now after the above, Jesus had a meal with Levi at his home. “And it came about that He was reclining at the table in his house, and many tax-gatherers and sinners were dining with Jesus and His disciples; for there were many of them, and they were following Him.” Mark 2:15. Because of Levi’s conversion,  he prepared a meal in which Jesus was invited, along with many other tax collectors along with those who were seen as sinners by the Jews. Now, needless to say this was not taken well by the scribes and Pharisees. “And when the scribes of the Pharisees saw that He was eating with the sinners and tax-gatherers, they began saying to His disciples, Why is He eating and drinking with tax-gatherers and sinners?” Mark 2:16. Today, we do not understand just how outrageous it was for Jesus to associate with outcasts. In ancient Jewish society, fellowshipping at a table was one of the most intimate expressions of friendship. This was why the religious leaders could not understand how Jesus, whom they considered a religious person, would share a meal with such awful people. In fact, they were offended and disgusted that Jesus would not just speak to them but dine with them.

Now the Pharisees were speaking to Jesus’ disciples, and Jesus overheard their words. “And hearing this, Jesus said to them, it is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick; I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” Mark 2:17. What He is saying is that He did not come to minister to the healthy but the sick. And He is referring to their sinful ways. He came here for those who know they are sinners and desire to be forgiven and made whole. But those who believe they are righteous because they do the works they believe make them righteous believe they do not need what Christ offers. The Jewish leadership: Pharisees and Sadducees, and the Scribes believed they were righteous because they believed they followed the Law as God desired. What they did not understand is that man is ‘sick’ if they sin but once. And this applied to all people.

There are many in this world who need to accept the truth of the gospel. And these are the ones who need to hear the message of Christ. We are called to go out to the sick and lost to declare the truth. “And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned.” Mark 16:15-16. Those who are called the ‘sick’ are the ones who are unsaved. And they can only be healed if they recognize their situation and give themselves to Christ. There are many who believe they are healed but have never accepted Christ. But also, we must be willing to go out and present this truth to all who are willing to hear it. For as the Apostle Paul said, “For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” Romans 10:13-15. Let’s go out to the sinners and unsaved, no matter who they are, and help them be healed of their sinful life via the blood of Christ.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries, for their

Mark 1:28

Verse of the Day Devotion.  Mark 1:28 

“And immediately the news about Him went out everywhere into all the surrounding district of Galilee.” Mark 1:28 

After the four disciples began following Jesus, He left with them and went to Capernaum. “And they went into Capernaum; and immediately on the Sabbath He entered the synagogue and began to teach.” Mark 1:21. There must be a period of time between verse 20 and 21 because what is in verses 16–20 could not have taken place on a Sabbath. As soon as He arrived at the city, He entered the synagogue where He began to teach.  It was a common practice for visiting teachers to be invited to read the Scripture and/or speak, a custom from which Paul as well as Jesus benefited. That Jesus was invited to speak indicates he had already established a reputation as a teacher and that this was not one of the first events in his ministry. Jesus was recognized as a teacher even by his opponents, although there is no evidence that he had received any formal training. And we see this in chapter 12 where the Sadducees referred to Him as teacher. “And Sadducees came to him, who say that there is no resurrection. And they asked him a question, saying, Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies and leaves a wife, but leaves no child, the man must take the widow and raise up offspring for his brother.” Mark 12:18-19.

Then we read in the next verse, “And they were amazed at His teaching; for He was teaching them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.” Mark 1:22. The people that were in the synagogue where amazed at His teaching. The reason for the astonishment was that Jesus taught on the basis of his own authority and not by citing previous scholars as did the other teachers of that day. Mark used several different Greek words to indicate that Jesus made a profound impression by his teaching. Certainly he was not a typical rabbi. The scribes derive their authority from the ‘tradition of the elders’, the fathers of Judaism, we might say; whereas Jesus receives his authority directly from the Father in heaven as we see in a previous verse. “and a voice came out of the heavens: Thou art My beloved Son, in Thee I am well-pleased.” Mark 1:11,

Then an event occurs in the synagogue that showed His authority was greater than anyone there, including the teachers in the synagogue. “And just then there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit; and he cried out, saying, what do we have to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are, the Holy One of God! And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Be quiet, and come out of him! And throwing him into convulsions, the unclean spirit cried out with a loud voice, and came out of him.” Mark 1:23-26. The questions the demon asked sought to put Jesus on the defensive and force him to justify his action. The demon knew who He was, for it declared several times who He was. ‘Jesus of Nazareth’ and ‘the Holy One of God’. They also asked Him, ‘what do we have to do with you?’ They wanted nothing to do with Christ as a Savior; they had no interest in him, nor in his redemption. But he had something to do with them, to show his power over them and to deliver men out of their hands. And this He does, casting them out of him. These demons knew His authority, and now the people and the teachers knew also. “And they were all amazed, so that they debated among themselves, saying, What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him. And immediately the news about Him went out everywhere into all the surrounding district of Galilee.” Mark 1:27-28. I cannot say this with total assurance, but I believe God did this for the purpose of showing Jesus’ authority to those in the synagogue, as well as the Jewish leadership.

Miracles obviously play an important role in this Gospel. Mark recorded seventeen individual miracles of Jesus and summarized others. In doing so he devoted more space in proportion to total length than any other Gospel. Nevertheless he did not attempt to employ them as compelling proof of the deity or authority of Jesus. They become proof only when accompanied by faith. They are signs of the advent of the kingdom of God. Especially do the exorcisms denote the breaking down of the reign of Satan and the establishing of the reign of God. And the Scribes, Pharisees and the Sadducees saw this as a potential lessoning of their authority, and this was one of the reasons they did not accept the authority of Christ, not because He did not have it, but that it minimized theirs.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries, 

Mark 1:20

Verse of the Day Devotion.  Mark 1:20 

“And immediately He called them; and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants and went away to follow Him.” Mark 1:20.  

In this section of Mark, we see Jesus walking along the Sea of Galilee where He calls four of His twelve disciples. First, we see the account of the calling of Simon, also known as Peter, and his brother. “And as He was going along by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew, the brother of Simon, casting a net in the sea; for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” Mark 1:16-17. Jesus saw these two casting a net into the sea. Jesus calls out to them saying, “Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” Mark 1:17. Now this was similar to the  Jewish practice of pupils toward their teacher. According Rabbinic literature, ‘a pupil sometimes goes after his teacher, i.e. joins him on his journey and maintains a respectful distance behind him; the following thus displays the pupil’s deference for his teacher, his personal commitment to him, and his desire to learn from the way in which the teacher handles the concrete problems of his journey through life.’ Sounds like what Jesus’ disciples were to do. So, how did Peter and Andrew respond? “And they immediately left the nets and followed Him.” Mark 1:18.

Next, we see a similar story regarding James and John. “And going on a little farther, He saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who were also in the boat mending the nets. And immediately He called them; and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants and went away to follow Him.” Mark 1:19-20. Again, we see James and John are in a boat, but instead of casting their nets to catch fish, they were repairing their nets in preparation for casting them. It was a common practice to repair their nets rather than buying new ones if possible. And notice what happens. They also left immediately and followed Him.

Now, I want to point out a few important ideas here. First, these were not people with fancy credentials. These were common men, and Jesus met them as they labored as common men. Jesus chose these disciples not for who they were, but for what Jesus could do through them. Theologian Warren Wiersbe has this thought, “Surely the good qualities of successful fishermen would make for success in the difficult ministry of winning lost souls: courage, the ability to work together, patience, energy, stamina, faith, and tenacity. Professional fishermen simply could not afford to be quitters or complainers!” And with this invitation, Jesus demonstrated what Christianity is actually about. At it’s core Christianity is not about theological systems, rules, or even helping people, it is about following Jesus. Now, Jesus used His followers to accomplish His desires. It was essential that they understand there is nothing wrong with these deeds, and they needed to be open to doing them.

And today we, who are true followers of Christ, must do the same for we are His disciples today. And what did Jesus say to the Jews who believed? “Jesus therefore was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you abide in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” John 8:31-32. And this is what He is saying to us today. It is not enough to receive God’s truth. We must retain and walk in it. And it is only when we receive the truth, love it, keep it, and walk in it, that we are genuine disciples of Christ. We must devote our lives to Christ and His ways, and not replace some of them with what we desire.

When Jesus called these four to be fishers of men, He called them to do what He did. He was the greatest fisher of men ever. But He wanted others to do the work He did; first these four, then the twelve, then hundreds, then thousands and thousands upon thousands through the centuries; which ultimately refers to us. He wants to use us in doing the work He started, which was making disciples. “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20. And He is not saying we are to do this alone. Note the last part of verse 20. ‘and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’ This is our calling, to make disciples who make disciples who make disciples for Christ. Let us go out there and reach out to everyone, declaring the truth and helping them learn how to do the same.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries, 

Mark 1:1.

Verse of the Day Devotion.  Mark 1:1 

“The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” – Mark 1:1 

We are now going to go through Mark’s gospel. First, let us look at who Mark is.  John Mark, who was often simply called Mark, is the author of the gospel named after him. He was a believer in the early church mentioned directly only in the book of Acts. John Mark is first mentioned as the son of a woman named Mary, whose house was being used as a place for believers to gather and pray. “And when Peter came to himself, he said, Now I know for sure that the Lord has sent forth His angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting. And when he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John who was also called Mark, where many were gathered together and were praying.” Acts 12:11-12. We see that Peter was rescued from prison where Herod had placed him, and was rescued by an angel, so he decides to go to the house of Mary, the mother of Mark, Her home was a place where the Christians gathered to pray and I am sure to be discipled. Later, Mark is mentioned as a companion of Barnabas and Paul during their travels together. “And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem when they had fulfilled their mission, taking along with them John, who was also called Mark.” Acts 12:25. And, John Mark was also Barnabas’ cousin. “Aristarchus, my fellow prisoner, sends you his greetings; and also Barnabas’ cousin Mark (about whom you received instructions: if he comes to you, welcome him).” Colossians 4:10. And lastly, Barnabas desired to forgive John Mark’s failure and to give him another chance. Mark had deserted Paul and Barnabas in Pamphylia. Paul took the more rational view: pioneering missionary work requires dedication, resolve, and endurance. Paul saw John Mark as a risk to their mission. Luke, the writer of Acts, does not take sides or present either Paul or Barnabas as being in the right. He simply records the facts. It’s worth noting that, in the end, two groups of missionaries were sent out, one group including Mark, which caused twice as many missionaries to spread the gospel. God had a plan.

Mark begins his gospel account, as our focus verse declares, that Jesus is the Son of God. The word ‘gospel’ literally signifies good news, and particularly the good news regarding the way of salvation by the Lord Jesus Christ. And he quotes the prophet Isaiah who is declaring the words that would be spoken by the messenger who would declare His coming. The words here are the words of Isaiah, however I will quote from Malachi similar words. “Behold, I am going to send My messenger, and he will clear the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple; and the messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight, behold, He is coming, says the LORD of hosts.” Malachi 3:1. This describes the ministry of John the Baptist, who was the messenger God sent to declare the way of Jesus. He says that John came here to prepare the way of Jesus, to clear the way for Him, which means he will prepare the hearts of the Jews to see He is their promised Messiah, the Son of God.

And here is how John prepared the way. “John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And all the country of Judea was going out to him, and all the people of Jerusalem; and they were being baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins. And John was clothed with camel’s hair and wore a leather belt around his waist, and his diet was locusts and wild honey. And he was preaching, and saying, After me One is coming who is mightier than I, and I am not fit to stoop down and untie the thong of His sandals. I baptized you with water; but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” Mark 1:4-8. He came to prepare the hearts and minds of the Jewish people to hear the message of Christ.

And this is a picture of what we are called to do. We cannot save anyone but we can prepare people to accept the salvation provided by Jesus. Mark at the end of his gospel, says “And He said to them, Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.” Mark 16:15. We cannot save them, but we can prepare them to accept the salvation offered by Christ. So see yourself working, continuing the work John the Baptist started so that many can be saved. In doing so, you may never know all the people you have helped prepare to receive Christ’s salvation.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries, for their

Isaiah 66:2

Verse of the Day Devotion.  Isaiah 66:2 

“For My hand made all these things, thus all these things came into being, declares the LORD. But to this one I will look, to him who is humble and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at My word.” – Isaiah 66:2 

Again, we see ‘the heavens and the earth’, the last time was in the previous chapter. “For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; And the former things shall not be remembered or come to mind.” Isaiah 65:17. In Isaiah 66:1, He is not necessarily speaking of a new one, but simply the idea of the heavens and earth. Now, the first time this phrase appears is in the first verse in the Old Testament as He speaks about the original creation. “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Genesis 1:1. Now, in all three of these, it speaks of ‘everywhere’, for there is nothing outside of the heavens and earth in His creation. And everything is His temple, for it says, “Heaven is My throne, and the earth is My footstool.” Isaiah 66:1a.

Therefore, the Lord asks “And where then is a house you could build for Me? And where is a place that I may rest?” Isaiah 66:1b. The reference to God’s throne and house is somewhat confusing. This appears to be a quotation or a reference to a previous statement that God’s presence cannot be limited to Solomon’s temple. “But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain Thee, how much less this house which I have built! Yet have regard to the prayer of Thy servant and to his supplication, O LORD my God, to listen to the cry and to the prayer which Thy servant prays before Thee today; that Thine eyes may be open toward this house night and day, toward the place of which Thou hast said, ‘My name shall be there,’ to listen to the prayer which Thy servant shall pray toward this place. And listen to the supplication of Thy servant and of Thy people Israel when they pray toward this place; hear Thou in heaven Thy dwelling place; hear and forgive.” 1 Kings 8:27-30. Solomon says that there is no way the temple they have built can contain Him, for the highest heaven cannot. It seems to mean the heaven in its most extended compass. Solomon combines with his belief in Yahweh’s special presence in the temple, the strongest conviction that He is no local or finite deity but is ever present everywhere. Then Isaiah continues, speaking for God, “For My hand made all these things, Thus all these things came into being, declares the LORD. But to this one I will look, To him who is humble and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at My word.” Isaiah 66:2. We may want to build God something, but what can we build that is worthy of God? Instead, what God really wants from us is a poor and a contrite spirit, and to tremble at His word. Contrite is literally ‘lamed’ or disabled, here used with spiritual significance: one who is aware of the damage wrought by sin, of personal inability to stand upright before God.

I want to end this devotion with a quote from Charles Spurgeon. “Are you one of those who trembles at God’s word? “They tremble at the searching power of God’s Word. Do you never come into this place and sit down in the pew, and say, ‘Lord, grant that thy Word may search me and try me, that I may not be deceived’? Certain people must always have sweets and comforts; but God’s wise children do not wish for these in undue measure. Daily bread we ask for, not daily sugar.” What Charles is asking is does God’s word make a difference in us? When we go to church, do we simply sit in a pew or chair and listen, or do we take what is in God’s word and examine our lives, seeing if we need to make any changes in order to please God with our lives. Too many attend church so they can say the attended church. However, we should attend church in order to learn where we do not live up to what God wants and make any changes necessary to become who He desires us to be, as well as giving Him all the praise, glory, and honor we can give Him, which is what He so deserves.  Let us look at our time in church not as something simply to do, but as a time to honor Him with our obedience and worship. The church is not His throne or temple, it is where we can focus our attention and focus on Him. It is for His people to come together and worship Him and support each other. What could be better?

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries, 

Isaiah 65:17

Verse of the Day Devotion.  Isaiah 65:17

“For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, and the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind.” – Isaiah 65:17 

This new paragraph begins with an announcement of God’s marvelous work, starting with ‘behold, I’ to emphasize the amazing fact that God ‘will create’ a new heaven and a new earth. Now earlier, the kingdom that God will establish was not described earlier in these terms. Earlier in Isaiah we read, “Terror and the pit and the snare are upon you, O inhabitant of the earth! He who flees at the sound of the terror shall fall into the pit, and he who climbs out of the pit shall be caught in the snare. For the windows of heaven are opened, and the foundations of the earth tremble. The earth is utterly broken, the earth is split apart, the earth is violently shaken. The earth staggers like a drunken man; it sways like a hut; its transgression lies heavy upon it, and it falls, and will not rise again.” Isaiah 24:17-20. And “Lift up your eyes to the heavens and look at the earth beneath; for the heavens vanish like smoke, the earth will wear out like a garment, and they who dwell in it will die in like manner; but my salvation will be forever, and my righteousness will never be dismayed.” Isaiah 51:6. In both of these, there is the idea to the heavens and the earth will need to be replaced due to the condition of the earth in the last days. I like the way theologian Gary V. Smith. “This new world with its transformed people will be so completely different that God’s servants will not remember the ‘former world’ of sin, suffering, hunger, death, and destruction. In fact, this new world will be so different that even the more positive aspects of the former things will probably fade from memory.” Then in the next two verses, we see that all will rejoice, both of His people and God. “But be glad and rejoice forever in that which I create; for behold, I create Jerusalem to be a joy, and her people to be a gladness. I will rejoice in Jerusalem and be glad in my people; no more shall be heard in it the sound of weeping and the cry of distress.” Isaiah 65:18-19.

Then in the next set of verses, it speaks of the sadness that will no longer be in the new heaven and earth. “No more shall there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not fill out his days, for the young man shall die a hundred years old, and the sinner a hundred years old shall be accursed. They shall build houses and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit. They shall not build and another inhabit; they shall not plant and another eat; for like the days of a tree shall the days of my people be, and my chosen shall long enjoy the work of their hands. They shall not labor in vain or bear children for calamity, for they shall be the offspring of the blessed of the LORD, and their descendants with them.” Isaiah 65:20-23. Isaiah is using concrete examples that explain why there will be no crying or mourning in the kingdom. They are examples drawn from this current world in order to help Israel understand. He is showing all those things that caused His people pain and suffering, to be in sorrow or to weep. All of the above are simply examples of those things that cause people, in the time of Isaiah, to weep.

And finally, we read in the last three verses what we shall experience in the New Kingdom. “They shall not labor in vain or bear children for calamity, for they shall be the offspring of the blessed of the LORD, and their descendants with them. Before they call I will answer; while they are yet speaking I will hear. The wolf and the lamb shall graze together; the lion shall eat straw like the ox, and dust shall be the serpent’s food. They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain, says the LORD.” Isaiah 65:23-25. God explains this new setting by describing a state of complete harmony and oneness among animals that formerly were enemies. In the future, the wild meat-eating wolf (the predator) and the defenseless little lamb (the prey) will graze together in peace and unity. In addition, the ferocious lion (the predator) will eat straw with the ox (the prey). Although animals can sometimes represent people, there is no indication that these animals are symbolic of anything other than animal life. We see this as well in earlier verses. “The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together; and a little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall graze; their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. The nursing child shall play over the hole of the cobra, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder’s den. They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.” Isaiah 11:6-9. 

What a beautiful picture of what we have to look forward to in the new heavens and earth and all the ‘junk’ in this world will go away. And we can look forward to this promise given by God. “Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.” 2 Peter 3:11-13.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries,