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On 4/04/2024 8:57 am, ChristRose wrote:

Context

Mark 8 serves as a pivotal chapter
within the Gospel of Mark, bridging
Jesus' ministry in Galilee with His
journey towards Jerusalem. The preceding
chapters (up to Mark 7) depict Jesus
performing miracles, teaching in
parables, and facing growing opposition
from religious leaders. Mark 8
intensifies the focus on Jesus’ identity
and the cost of discipleship, setting
the stage for the events leading to His
passion, death, and resurrection.
Following this chapter, Mark 9 continues
with the theme of discipleship,
including the Transfiguration, teachings
on true greatness, and further
predictions of Jesus' suffering.

Main Theme

The main theme of Mark 8 revolves around
the revelation of Jesus' identity as the
Messiah and the demands of true
discipleship. This chapter marks a
turning point in the Gospel, where Peter
confesses Jesus as the Christ, and Jesus
begins to teach openly about His
suffering, death, and resurrection. The
call to discipleship is underscored by
the requirement to deny oneself, take up
the cross, and follow Jesus,
highlighting the cost and commitment
associated with being His follower.

Natural Divisions

1. Feeding the 4,000 (Mark 8:1-9)

Jesus miraculously feeds 4,000 people
with just seven loaves of bread and a
few small fish, demonstrating His
compassion and divine power. This
miracle also serves as a sign of Jesus'
ability to provide for His followers'
needs.

2. The Pharisees Demand a Sign (Mark
8:10-13)

The Pharisees ask Jesus for a sign from
heaven, testing Him. Jesus refuses,
lamenting their lack of faith and
inability to recognize the signs already
given through His miracles.

3. The Leaven of the Pharisees and Herod
(Mark 8:14-21)

Jesus warns His disciples about the
corrupting influence of the Pharisees
and Herod. This section underscores the
importance of discernment and the
dangers of spiritual blindness.

4. Healing of a Blind Man at Bethsaida
(Mark 8:22-26)

Jesus heals a blind man at Bethsaida, a
miracle that symbolizes the gradual
understanding of His disciples regarding
His identity and mission.

5. Peter's Confession of Christ (Mark
8:27-30)

Peter declares Jesus as the Christ,
marking a crucial point in the Gospel.
This confession underlines the
recognition of Jesus’ messianic identity
despite misunderstandings about His
mission.

6. Jesus Predicts His Death and
Resurrection (Mark 8:31-38)

Jesus teaches His disciples about His
upcoming suffering, death, and
resurrection, challenging their
expectations of a political Messiah and
emphasizing the sacrificial nature of
His kingdom.

Attitudes to Possess

1. Faith Over Demand for Signs

Believers should trust in Jesus’
provision and presence, not constantly
seeking new signs or wonders to bolster
faith.

2. Vigilance Against Corruption

Christians must be alert to the
influence of corrupt teaching and
hypocrisy, embodying discernment in
their spiritual lives.

3. Understanding of Christ’s Mission

Followers of Jesus need a deep
understanding of His sacrificial death
and resurrection, embracing the gospel
in its full context.

Actions to Take

1. Deny Oneself

Christians are called to put aside their
own desires and priorities, focusing
instead on following Jesus’ example of
selflessness and service.

2. Take Up the Cross

Believers must be willing to face
hardship, persecution, and even death
for the sake of Christ, understanding
the cost of discipleship.

3. Follow Jesus

Following Jesus involves a commitment to
live according to His teachings and
example, embodying His love and grace in
daily life.

Word of Exhortation for the Believer

As you walk the path of discipleship,
remember that following Jesus is both a
profound privilege and a profound
challenge. It requires a heart willing
to surrender fully to His will, eyes
open to see His truth, and hands ready
to serve in His love. Let the journey of
faith in Mark 8 inspire you to deeper
commitment, unwavering faith, and
renewed zeal for the Lord. In embracing
the cross, you find true life and the
joy of being in Christ.

You see how these sinner religionists are always talking about their
bible theology; talkers not doers, or as I call them, shouldas...

(KJV)
Job 42:5 I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine
eye seeth thee.
Job 42:6 Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.

(KJV)
Luke 9:24 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever
will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.

And no matter how many times you tell them theology can't save them,
they just carry on in their way.

Why? Why do they do it?

It is an attempt to create a sanctuary for not losing their life (sin).







Michael Christ

Invitation for the Unbeliever

If you find yourself on the outside
looking in, wondering about the truth of
Jesus Christ, Mark 8 extends a
compelling invitation. Jesus' identity
as the Messiah, His sacrificial love
demonstrated through His death and
resurrection, offers hope and
redemption. This chapter is not just
ancient history; it's a personal call to
each of us. Trusting in Jesus as your
Savior, embracing His death and
resurrection as the payment for your
sins, means stepping into a life
transformed by His love and power. It’s
an invitation to true life, eternal
life, and it's extended to you today.

--
Have you heard the good news Christ died
for our sins (†), and God raised Him
from the dead?

That Christ died for our sins shows
we're sinners who deserve the death
penalty. That God raised Him from the
dead shows Christ's death satisfied
God's righteous demands against our sin
(Romans 3:25; 1 John 2:1-2). This means
God can now remain just, while forgiving
you of your sins, and saving you from
eternal damnation.

--
God is God in all His Being.

Jesus is the everlasting Father, Jesus is God, Jesus is the Lord. John
10:30  I and Father are one. If you can't see that the Lord Jesus is the everlasting Father you are not born again and can't see the Kingdom of God.

Colossians 2:9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.

Rom 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were
YET sinners, Christ died for us.

Jeremiah 10:23 O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it
is not in man that walketh to direct his steps.

Psalms 53:1 The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. Corrupt
are they, and have done abominable iniquity: there is none that doeth good.

Proverbs 12:15 The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise.

"To seek your own will is to seek your own glory."

"If God is not first in everything He is not first in anything."

"What makes the bible the truth? The resonance (voice, the Person) of
God. When you find Him you have found the author."

"All men were born sinners. Why? Because all men were born not loving
God with all their heart, soul, and mind. An abomination. Therefore,
sin is not what you do; it is what you are."

"Compromise will condemn you."

"There are no sinners in Christ Jesus."

"My sons are born of Me. In them is no darkness at all."

"You can't learn righteousness. Haven't you had enough time already to
know that?"

"The way of truth is the testimony of life."

"I merely speak the truth, what is revealed to me, and the cards fall
where God intends."

"Nothing that is produced is produced without first being faith."

"You can only find proof of God through faith because that is how we all
live, by faith."

"It is not what you do that matters, it is how you treat Me."

"Keep going forward. Forget about the past. Lift up your head, look
ahead."

"You cannot be free and free indeed with guilt in your heart."

"Priority is everything."

"The truth doesn't need evidence, it is evidence."

"There is no greater possession a man has than his own will, to squander
it or to place it where it truly belongs."

"An atheist is a fool who thinks truth is found in living a lie."

"Saying "prove it" [as a foundation] is merely an ignorant straw man, to
an ignorant straw man."

"Wait, rest, be still, and know."

"No man can wash his own hands!!!"

"I find this in the Christianity religions: 'Nobody's perfect' they say,
and they use that as an excuse not to do what is perfect."

The Atheist: "They don't believe and put their faith in a Creator (the obvious). So no evidence and proof is to be found!!"

"The world is the way it is because God can't compromise who He is."

"Man is not the centre of being."

"Man is incompatible with the natural world because of his sinful nature."

"And then the Lord said, "I see everything."

"Man has no greater idol than his own will."

"Where is God hiding? He isn't."

"If you don't keep all the scriptures, you can't keep any of them."

"You can't prove anything because everything depends on a person's
willingness to believe."

"Atheists are ultimately trying to be pointlessness, meaninglessness,
and purposelessness in their point, meaning, and purpose."

"The last day of creation will be the last day of time. God is always
full of hope."

"The veil of the temple was rent in twain, not to have a book pass
through it so that a sinner could play God."

"A phylactery does not a heart for God make. Not back then, and not today."

"No one in heaven is better (or higher) than what makes it heaven. Such
is the love of God."

"The definition of an atheist: A man full of bluster and bullshit
pretending he is the meaning of life."

"Free will is not power; it is the choice that I allow; that choice is
still according to my power," says the Lord.

What does a fool do? A fool looks for a "nothing" in a "something" in
order to explain the existence of existence.

"Unless you do all because He is who He is, all your religion is in vain."

"Every man is subject to God; He judges every man, and He is reality.
 What a gift in a fallen world!"

"Love MUST be a choice or it is nothing but a law!"

"Why were all men born sinners? So that God could reveal Himself, so
that we would behold the glory of God, and that we should bring forth
the glory of God"

"God does not and will not arbitrate for any man to love Him! If God
isn't everything to you, He is nothing to you where the rubber meets the
road."

"It is the unforgivable sin not to love God with all your heart, soul,
and mind. What do you have that is lasting? It is not so much being
punished; it is what you are left with."

"Love isn't worth anything without first a free will choice for God to
birth it in a man."

"The point of salvation: desperation. Anything less than that is self-righteousness."

"A sinner is not a believer in God; a sinner is a believer in sin."

"A piece of dirt is not the promised land; that is only a reflection.
The promised land is knowing Me, says the Lord."

"It is all about God or it is all about idolatry."

"The Lord Jesus is coming soon. He has always come soon."

"There is no revolving door of self-worship in a son of God's life!"

"There is no such thing as random!"

"You can't truly love without it being with all your heart."

"No one can see God without their whole heart. Unless you can see God,
you know nothing."

"You can't learn God, God has to reveal Himself to you."

"No sinner is sinless in any way."

"Only God is life; only the Kingdom of God of His "Nature" is life."

"What you believe is just a leaning on your own understanding; faith is
a leaning on the one you have chosen to trust."

"God uses the "letter" to crucify a man and raise him from the dead."

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