Day 9 of our Questions for Mark bible study and here is the devotional question of the day.

“What situations in your life are causing you to fear? Talk with Jesus about how you can choose faith over fear.”

Mark 5:15 And they come to Jesus, and see him that was possessed with the devil, and had the legion, sitting, and clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid.

Fear takes on many forms. Which form of fear are we talking about here? Only Jesus can look into the hearts of man and know for certain which fear is there. For the next few seconds try and put yourselves in their position and ask yourself what you might fear. That is all we really can know is how fear might affect us. Take this little piece of advice from a combat veteran, fear isn’t always what you think it will be for you.

Do you have something settled in your mind? Maybe you see a couple of issues. Good. It is always helpful to see another’s point of view about fear. It was only during this study that this thought occurred to me, having never heard it taught in this way.

Here it is; “What is this Jesus going to cost me?”

Two thousand pigs ran into the sea and drowned. It matters not if it were one man’s pigs or the whole region’s pigs, it cost somebody something. Sadly this is one of the realities of salvation. Not everyone is going to be happy for you in your salvation.

Those individuals who see change in you and begin to fear how that might affect their lives could be business partners, co-workers, spouses, children, neighbors, friends and let us not forget your dealer. A dealer does not have to be a drug dealer, but sometimes is just that. A dealer is someone who uses you for his own selfish gains and takes unfair advantage of your weaknesses.

Day 8 for the Questions for Mark study and here is the devotional question.

“As you consider carefully what you read, what are the key details of the Kingdom parables?”

The reading is Mark 4:21-34 and several parables are covered briefly. Here is my careful consideration of the homework assignment.

1 Corinthians 1:26 For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:

There will always be a large group of intellectual bible readers with all kinds of opinions about what the Word says and none of them get it. The key to this understanding is given in the last line of the reading assignment.

Mark 4:34 But without a parable spake he not unto them: and when they were alone, he expounded all things to his disciples.

His disciples didn’t get it either and Christ had to explain those parables in private. At that time Christ had not been resurrected, faith in Christ was not a requirement to receive the Holy Ghost and the Spirit of Truth was not in them.

I called this devotional “Listen Up” for only one reason, the truth of the scriptures comes from a higher place than your intellect. You can study by intellect everything that anyone has ever said about these scriptures, comprehend them, agree with them, even quote them, but if your source of truth isn’t the Spirit of Truth which dwells inside you, you don’t get it.

John 14:17, 15:26, 16:13 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me: Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.