The American Wisdom Series 
 http://www.americanwisdomseries.com

Presents 

MARK

Chapter 6

Caution to students of God's Word - Please remember two things when using our studies: #1. Our commentary is not God's Word. It is only our interpretation or understanding of "His Word" and even though we try our best to be accurate we may or may not be correct. #2. The King James translation, or any other translation, of the original Hebrew text has some words which were given different translations at different places probably because of the interpreters preconceived ideas of what they think God meant to say. For example: According to the notes in the "Dake's Annotated Reference Bible" the Hebrew word hayah in the KJV is Trans. (became) 67 times, (becamest or came to pass) 505 times, (become) 66 times, and (come to pass) 131 times, but for some reason in Genesis 1:2 it is translated (was)! That sure changes the way a person perceives the original creation of the earth, doesn't it?  Gen. 1:2 And the earth was (became) without form, ... Having said that, let us continue with our "Key Knowledge" lessons. These are pamphlets containing knowledge, we believe, you must have to fully and accurately unlock and understand the Word of God.

John 15:26
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:

John 16:13-14
[13] 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. [14] He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.

This Bible Study was originally written by Roger Christopherson,
 published at http://www.theseason.org/ 

You can view it at the season`s web site (address above) as originally published
or here, as now edited by people at
 
The American Wisdom Series  

Without the leading by the Holy Spirit, there is no understanding of the truths, for all the truth of the Scriptures are revealed to us by God's Spirit.

 Now here is our revised study of:

MARK

Chapter 6

"Christ's Teaching [1-6]."
"Mission of the Twelve [7-13]."
"Herod Accuses Jesus of being John, Risen from the Dead [17-29]."
"Teaching and Miracles of Jesus [30-56]."

Mark 6:1 "And He went out from thence, and came into His own country; and His disciples follow Him."

Jesus and His disciples are now coming back home to their own country, to Galilee.

Mark 6:2 "And when the Sabbath day was come, He began to teach in the synagogue: and many hearing Him were astonished, saying, "Form whence hath this man these things? and what wisdom is this which is given unto him, that even such mighty works are wrought by his hands?"

The people in the synagogue where Jesus' family worshipped heard the things that Jesus was teaching, and they were amazed at the knowledge that He had. They knew Jesus' family, but they did not know Him. Jesus caused the blind to see and the sick to walk, and the wisdom that Jesus had went far beyond the teachings of the higher educated of that day. The point that this is trying to make is that the people that you grow up around, no matter what you do will always think of you as common.

Jesus grew up amongst these people as a boy, and in time the uncle of His mother Mary, Joseph of Arimathea had taken Jesus on long trips with Him, after Jesus was at the age of twelve. This is well recorded in historical accounts in Glastonbury, and elsewhere. However the people here in his families home church thought of Jesus to be no more than the son of a carpenter. Usually the level of understanding of a carpenter does not bring forth the wisdom that exceeds the teaching levels of the universities of the day.

They were amazed with the authority that Jesus spoke, and the miracles that He was able to do.

Mark 6:3 " "Is not This the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not His sisters here with us?" And they were offended at Him."

We know from this verse that Jesus had four brothers, and at least two sisters, for the word "sisters" is plural in the Greek text. These of course were half brothers and half sisters, for Jesus' true Father was the Heavenly Father. These members of the congregation were more than offended, they were stumbling and confounded at the wisdom that Jesus had shown them. Here was a local boy, one of their own, that knew far more than any one of the community.

God will give wisdom to whom He chooses, and in this case Jesus was the Messiah. When the Word of God comes into a person and he or she is touched with the Holy Spirit, there will be a difference. The people in that immediate community may not see the difference in that person in their mind, for that boy will always remain what their image of him is for His entire life. As far as the people in Galilee are were concerned, Jesus would always be a carpenter, so what is He doing with all this wisdom and power? It simply didn't make sense to them.

If God blesses you with the mantle of wisdom and knowledge, you will not be respected in your home community as you would in other places where your past is not remembered. In other places, people look at the gift, rather than looking at the individual. It is the gift from God that is precious.

Mark 6:4 "But Jesus said unto them, "A prophet is not without honour, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house."

It is hard to give special honor to a person that lives in the same house that you do. You see all his earthly habits, and know him to be a human just like you are. He gets dirty and needs a bath just like every one else does, and he became common in the sight of His family, friends and neighbors. This is all a natural thing.

The point that this is making is that it is very difficult to separate the person from the gift. If a person had a habit and did something that you didn't like, that is what you remember the most. Though Jesus didn't sin, He was human, and as a human He did all the things that Humans do. Jesus Christ was God in the flesh.

John 1:14 "And the Word [God] was made flesh, and dwelt among us [Jesus Christ in the flesh], (And we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth."

Though Jesus didn't mess up, we who God chooses will mess up many times in our lives. Those that observe our shortcomings, will not forget those things and this is why it makes is very difficult to operate amongst these people. Rather than looking to God for the miracles that have taken place, looking at the individual places a mental block in the minds of family and friends. This is why Jesus could do no mighty work for His own community except for the laying of hands on a few sick people and healing them.

Jesus is the Messiah, so what prevented Jesus from doing a mighty work in His home town? The answer is so simple it will blow right over you. Sick people have more faith then the people that have their health. The sick want relief and it is a lot easier to find faith and get religion when things aren't going right. There was no faith in this church in Jesus as the Messiah, for they did not know that Jesus was the Messiah. All they saw in Jesus was that He was the carpenter's boy, the son of Mary the lady that worshipped with them in the local synagogue. Even though they marveled at the teachings and the wisdom that He had, they just could not see beyond the hammer in His hand.

When a person has grown up in his or her community with a bad reputation, and in time, comes to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ: That person accepted Christ and God turned him or her into a real preacher, yet in the minds of that community of unbelievers the things of the past will remain with that person all his or her life. It simply will not be much good trying to plant seeds in this community of unbelievers, for being unbelievers they simply do not understand the great change that will come into a persons life by their accepting Jesus Christ into their life. So what Jesus is saying here is for us to use a little common sense, and get over into the next town to do our witnessing and planting the seeds. They will have more faith in God, rather than looking at the man.

Mark 6:5 "And He could there do no mighty work, save that He laid hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them."

His own community never received Jesus as the Christ, and He did very little work in that community because of their lack of faith.

Mark 6:6 "And He marvelled because of their unbelief. And He went round about the villages, teaching."

Just as the people did not receive John the Baptist in his home town, they did not receive Jesus here in Nazarath. They did listen to the teaching, and that is as far as it went. Instead of seeing the man, they sat in amazement wondering where Jesus got His information. The truth of Jesus' teaching sailed right over their head.

Mark 6:7 "And He called unto Him the twelve, and began to send them forth by two and two; and gave them power over unclean spirits;"

The law requires two witnesses, and Jesus is sending the twelve disciples out by two's. Remember that Jesus had just driven six thousand demons out of a man, and now Jesus is giving this authority and power to His diciples to do the same thing, as they go out to witness. Jesus didn't make the demons go back to where they came from, but He released them on the earth. The demons will remain on the earth, but now He gives the power to control and send these demons to the abyss, over to his disciples. That power and authority is in the name of Jesus.

There are many things that the Father can do, but God prefers to give us the power and authority. He expects us to do those things for ourselves. Have you ever wondered why God never did a certain thing for you, well if you exercised the power and authority that He has placed within you, you could do those things for yourself. God gave you authority, what more do you want. The point here is, we must use the authority that is instilled within us.

Mark 6:8 "And commanded them that they should take nothing for their journey, save a staff only; no scrip, no bread, no money in their purse:"

The "staff" is a club, it is something that you travel with for your protection. Many of the roads were dangerous and you needed protection, similar to today. Jesus instructed His disciples that when they went, don't take a begging bag with them, no bread nor money in their wallets. God expects His own people to be able to earn their keep, and not be a burden on the ones that they are ministering to. You simply cannot be a beggar and claim to be a servant of the living God. Watch out for the beggars, for in their begging it does not do anyone any good. Begging tares down the act of faith, and takes away the giving as God would have it. The "vow" is not a commitment to God, but to the one that is begging for the vow. It becomes a commitment to a person the vow is made to and not to God. However, once you make a commitment to a vow, God expects you to keep it, when it is within the will of God. God only blesses that which is given of free-will and joyfully.

Mark 6:9 "But be shod with sandals; and not put on two coats."

Jesus is telling His disciples to travel light and keep it simple. Don't wear things or do things that will draw attention away from what you are trying to teach and do.

Mark 6:10 "And He said unto them, "In what place soever ye enter into an house, there abide till ye depart from that place."

There was a certain ritual that was given when a guest entered into a house to stay for a while. The best meal was prepared and there was much ado put on for the sake of the visitor. Jesus is telling His disciples that when they came into a town, and entered into a house to stay, don't go from house to house, but the first house that welcomes you, stay there until you depart from that community. Jesus is telling His disciples whether then or now, when you go out to do a work, pay attention to the work and avoid the rituals where ever possible.

Note that when God sends out teachers and evangelists, he doesn't want them to be taken away from the focus on the work itself.

Mark 6:11 "And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear you, when ye depart thence, shake off the dust under your feet for a testimony against them. verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment, than for that city."

It is great to go into a city or place to share the Word of God where there are people open to that Word. However, there are many that just do not want any part of the truth from God's Word. When these disciples kicked the dust off their feet, they made it pretty clear that things were just not right.

This is also demonstrated in the game of baseball today. Then the umpire makes a call, and the manager goes out to argue with the call, the second that the manager kicks dust on the shoes of the umpire, the manager is gone, out of there and into the showers.

When one of God's disciples kicked the dust off their sandals and into the face of the community that rejected the teaching of God's Word. It becomes obvious that that town will be rebuked.

Mark 6:12 "And they went out, and preached that men should repent."

Remember that Jesus Christ had not died on the cross yet, so the repenting as of this date was not in the name of Jesus, otherwise Salvation would have been first.

Mark 6:13 "And they cast out many devils, and anointed with oil many that were sick, and healed them."

The casting out of "Devils" which is to say, "evil spirits", is the easiest thing in the world to do when you have the faith to know that He has given us that authority and power to do it. Those evil spirits will run from you and flee from you, for you have the power to bind them in the name of Jesus and send them right back into the abyss where they came from. Evil spirits represent all that which is negative.

It is important to anoint with oil, [olive oil] those that are sick, because it is a command of God. Anointing is important and should come first even before baptizing. In the Greek text it is # 1637 in Strong's Greek dictionary; "elaion, el'-ah-yon; an olive (the tree or the fruit)." It is the oil that comes from the fruit of an olive tree. You see both names of God in the sacred sense; "el", and "ah", and though we are required to uses this oil by God, the oil doesn't have the power to heal and make right, but it is the faith of the one instructed to do that. It is your obedience to God's Word that does the healing and drives out the evil spirits from before you.

The use of the olive oil is to be used after Christ's death, just as it was prior to His death. James 5:14 instructs us; "Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him [her] with the oil in the name of the Lord [in the name of Jesus the Christ]." The oil used is olive oil and the anointing is in the name of Jesus, for it demonstrates that you believe and have the faith that Christ can heal.

Christ does the healing and the oil shows obedience to His Word. Sometimes the believer must do something that might look silly to others. It is our act of obedience to God, because He said to do it. So the disciples anointed the people in the town where they went, and this definitely was olive oil.

Mark 6:14 "And king Herod heard of Him; (for His name was spread abroad:) and he said, that John the Baptist was risen from the dead, and therefore mighty works do shew forth themselves in him."

King Herod knew that John the Baptist was a good man, and that he always told the truth. At this time John the Baptist was dead, killed by Herod himself, when he got drunk at his feast and allowed a young girl to cause him to sware an oath to her. In that oath which will be covered later, she asked for John the Baptist's head on a charger, and for the oath, Herod beheaded John.

Now after the beheading, Jesus came along saying much of the things John said, and people flocked to hear Jesus just like they did John. King Herod is now thinking that Jesus is John the Baptist returning from the dead to show many mighty works. So this documents that Herod felt very bad about what he had done.

Mark 6:15 "Others said, That it is Elias. And others said, That it is a prophet, or as one of the prophets."

They were saying many things about Jesus, from the king to the entire kingdom, but not one of them said, "He is the Messiah, the Christ."

Mark 6:16 "But when Herod heard thereof, he said, "It is John, whom I beheaded: he is risen from the dead."

I'm sure that the sight of Jesus put the fear of God in Harod, John and Jesus were about the same age, and from the same family. Elizabeth was the cousin of Mary, and the two were born six months apart. Just the sight of Jesus made Herod think of that drunken night when he killed John, and now to see all these thing coming to pass, is it any wonder that he thought Jesus was John the Baptist risen from the dead. Herod was not converted, but he knew the truth with he heard the truth. Herod was just too comfortable in the sin life that he was living.To him it was like entertainment.

Mark 6:17 "For Herod himself had sent forth and laid hold upon John, and bound him in prison for Herodias' sake, his brother Philip's wife: for he had married her."

The sin that Herod was still living in was his marriage to his brother Philip's wife. This was an illegal act both in the eyes of God's law and all sets of common law.

Mark 6:18 "For John had said unto Herod, "It is not lawful for thee to have thy brother's wife."

Mark 6:19 "Therefore Herodias had a quarrel against him, and would have killed him; but she could not:"

Herodias was sitting as the queen of the land, and she felt she could do what ever she wanted to do. When John started to state this sinful act publically, Herodias wanted to silence John. Remember that the Romans ruled the world, and King Herod was set over one small part of that kingdom. The authority for taking a man's life was not in her power.

Mark 6:20 "For Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just man and an holy, and observed him; and when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly."

Herod respected John, and knew that John was a man of God. Herod knew that John the Baptist was the real thing and he watched what John did, and listen gladly when he preached.

Mark 6:21 "And when a convenient day was come, that Herod on his birthday made a supper to his lords, high captains, and chief estates of Galilee;"

Herod was going to have a birthday party for himself. He invited all the important people of his kingdom, the military and political leaders as well as those that were wealthy. It was a party for the sake of making a name for himself, showing them what a great king that he was. This was going to be a drunken party.

Mark 6:22 "And when the daughter of the said Herodias came in, and danced, and pleased Herod and them that sat with him, the king said unto the damsel, "Ask of me whatsoever thou wilt, and I will give it thee."

Herod is sitting in a drunken state when his step-daughter, the daughter of Herodias and his brother Philip, came in to dance before Herod and all the people at the party. Herod liked to be pleased with earthly things, and this is one of the reasons that he would not follow the teaching of John. When this young girl danced, he was taken by her, and he gave her a wish using the seal of His office to enforce the his words.

Mark 6:23 "And he sware unto her, "Whatsoever thou shalt ask of me, I will give it thee, unto the half of my kingdom."

It seems that many kings recorded in God's Word have been in trouble over sex and idle words uttered while in an drunken and uncontrolled state of mind.

Mark 6:24 "And she went forth, and said unto her mother, "What shall I ask?" And she said, "The head of John the Baptist."

That old evil witch now had here chance to get back at John the Baptist for drawing attention to her wicked ways. She took advantage of her own teenaged daughter and had her request the head of John the Baptist.

Mark 6:25 "And she came in straightway with haste unto the king, and asked, saying, "I haste unto the king, and asked, saying, "I will that thou give me by and by in a charger the head of John the Baptist."

After a short conference with her mother, Herod's step daughter came back into the room and stated that she wanted the head of John the Baptist on a charger. "By and by" meant "right now". Herodias knew that she would never get the opportunity again if time went by and Herod sobered up.

Mark 6:26 "And the king was exceeding sorry; yet for his oath's sake, and for their sakes which sat with him, he would not reject her."

Herod had all the high men of respect of the kingdom sitting with him, and they are all in a drunken state. They all heard the promise that Herod gave to this girl, and the king even put his seal behind this promises. Now in his drunken state, the king is extremely sorry for the words that he had said, and the other men sat by to see just how good the king was with his word. A drunks mouth can sure get him in a lot of trouble.

Mark 6:27 "And immediately the king sent an executioner, and commanded his head to be brought: and he went and beheaded him in the prison,"

Herod killed John the Baptist, knowing that John was a just man. Herod enjoyed hearing John the Baptist preach, and listening to what he had to say, yet in this stupor of drunkenness he has allowed himself to be caught in this situation. Though there is no record of Herod making any form of repentance on this act of sin, Herod could have at a later date repented for his sin for he knew the sin that he had committed. If he had repented of his sins, he would be saved just like you or I are upon repentance. It was impossible to commit the unforgivable sin in the day of Herod.

Mark 6:28 "And brought his head on a charger, and gave it to the damsel: and the damsel gave it to her mother."

What a gift to give to your mother, the head of the preacher that called her for the wickedness that is in her life.

Mark 6:29 "And when his disciples heard of it, they came and took up his corpse, and laid it in a tomb."

We know that John the Baptist was not Elijah, and that he was rejected by the people. However when John came preaching, he came in the spirit of Elijah. John the Baptist preformed the Elijah ministry for the first advent of Christ, as it is written in Malachi 4:5, 6.

Malachi 4:5 "Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord:"

The spirit of Elijah will come to prepare the way for the second advent.

Malachi 4:6 "And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse."

Notice that there are two fathers given that the children will turn their hearts to, the one is Satan, while the other is Jesus Christ. Before the coming of Jesus at the second coming, there will be no fence dwellers, people that can't make up their minds between Jesus and Satan. All people will either be committed to Jesus or to Satan, and many will commit themselves to Satan in ignorance, for they do not know the Word of God, nor what it says of the times and events of that day. They don't know what the enemy Satan looks like, and their perceptions of the time of deception, or also known as the time of the great tribulation, is so distorted that they will actually believe Satan to be the Christ. Why? There traditions and doctrines have led them into believing false teaching; even the false teaching from within today's Christian church.

We are reminded in Revelation 9:4 of this day which determines as to which father you will be drawn to during this time of the Great tribulation. The preparation as to which father you will follow is determined before either of those fathers come. Those fathers are Satan who come at the sixth trumpet, and Jesus the Christ who returns at the seventh or last trumpet. The problem for the world will be identifying which is which. One will be a counterfeit of the other, he will have similar supernatural powers, and will appear, in many people's mind to be the other. One is a fake and a great deceiver.

Revelation 9:4 "And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads."

Editor's Note: DO YOU HAVE THE KNOWLEDGE YOU NEED TO WAIT FOR CHRIST'S RETURN or WILL YOU WORSHIP SATAN WHEN HE COMES TO EARTH CLAIMING HE IS CHRIST!

Live Link to-Will you Endure til the end 

When Satan comes at the sixth trumpet, he will not be out to destroy anything but the souls of people who will allow themselves to be deceived. He will bring peace and prosperity with him, and most will think that he is actually the Christ. With his supernatural powers, Christians will flock to be with him and do his service, for they will have been taught to do so within their church doctrines. The two points to remember from this verse are "what the seal is", and "where the seal is made and kept".

The "seal" is God's Word, all of it from cover to cover. [Have you read it? Studied it? Book by Book, Chapter by Chapter, and Veres by Verse? Does tour church teach the Bible that way or do you sit in your pew Sunday after Sunday listening to a "ONE VERSE REV," ]

Within God's Word are all the details concerning Satan, and his coming at this end time. It tells us what he will be doing, and the events of what the world will be doing. When you have the seal or the Word of God in your "forehead", then there is no way that you can be deceived. Of course "in their foreheads", means "in their minds". God's elect and those sealed in their mind with the truths concerning the coming of Satan in our generation know what to expect, and they know that if they are still in their flesh body, anything that they see and person that claims to be the Christ is a fake. For we shall not see Christ's return while we are still in our flesh bodies. Did you know that?

This is the spirit of Elijah, he will be the one that prepares the minds of people to accept and be prepared for the coming of the true Christ. He will be the one that teaches the elect of God the Word to where Satan the deceiver will not be appealing to them, for in their mind the elect of God will know Satan for the fake he is. The people in John the Baptist's day were not prepared to receive Jesus as the Christ and true Messiah, and thus John's coming was only in the spirit of Elijah. In the words of Christ, John was not Elijah because they would not receive him and listen to receive the words that he had to say.

The scriptures told us that they would not receive Jesus on his first advent, so their will be a second advent.

Zechariah 9:9 ""Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy king cometh unto thee: He is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass."

This is the is as it was at Jesus Christ's first coming [advent]. When He rode into Jerusalem to receive the praise of the people the first time he came riding on a young donkey.

Zechariah 9:10 "And I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim, and the house from Jerusalem, and the battle bow shall be cut off: and He shall speak peace unto the heathen unto the heathen, and His dominion shall be from sea even to sea, and from the river even to the ends of the earth."

This is Christ's second coming [advent] when He shall come not on a lowly ass but on a great white horse, conquering the nation of the earth. Jesus will come back to establish His Millennium kingdom right here on earth.

Mark 6:30 "And the apostles gathered themselves together unto Jesus, and told Him all things, both what they had done, and what they had taught."

Jesus sent His twelve apostles out to teach the things that they had been taught, and they are giving a report back to Jesus. They are very pleased with the things that they had witnessed.

Mark 6:31 "And He said unto them, "Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while:" for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat."

They had been going continually through the towns healing and teaching the things that Jesus had instructed them. Now that they had returned, they were tired and needed rest. It was time to take it easy and unwind and let the physical side of them recuperate. There is nothing wrong with this? of course not, for it allows you to freshen yourself to where you can continue in the work. This is also the time for you to refill your lamp with the knowledge of His Word, to better equip yourself for the job ahead.

Mark 6:32 "And they departed into a desert place by ship privately."

If you are doing God's Word, this will happen to you also, just when you think that you are going to enter into a time of rest, something will come up to demand your time and attention.

Mark 6:33 "And the people saw them departing, and many knew Him, and ran afoot thither out of all cities, and outwent them, and came together unto Him."

Lets get a few things clear from the start. The people knew Jesus and the disciples, they had been around and what they did, drew attention. When they had departed before, they went to this same place and now that the are leaving again. The people form all these cities have gotten the word as to where Jesus and His disciples are heading for. The boat moves at a slow rate of speed, and a person walking fast can easily walk around the shore of the sea of Galilee, and arrive at the other side before Jesus and the apostles would arrive. They even know exactly what dock their ship will be docked at. These apostles aren't about to get any rest with all these people ready and waiting. As they went to the other side, think of all the others that this crowd gathered up in addition to greet them at their arrival.

Mark 6:34 "And Jesus, when He came out, saw much people, and was moved with compassion toward them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd: and He began to teach them many things."

God's true children always seek the truth from His Word. Most people if taught in the truth and have the knowledge in their mind, want to do what is right all the time. They want to please our heavenly Father. Good teachers know how to take the Word, and teach it in such a fashion that the listener knows that God is real, and they will have faith in Him. Our Lord Jesus Christ knew these spiritually starved people were hungry for the spiritual truths that were withheld from them by their religious leaders. Those Kenite leaders that sat in the seat of the Levites, yet did not teach the law of Moses.

Jesus saw these people as sheep that had no shepherd to lead them. Sheep know their shepherd and they love their leader. In their minds they know exactly who the shepherd is and they simply cannot be deceived. Jesus said in John 10:25-30, talking of His sheep.

John 10:25 "Jesus answered them [these religious Jews that confronted Jesus], "I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in My Father's name, they bear witness of Me."

Jesus told these Kenite Jews that, all the things that I have accomplished bear witness that they were the Father's works. Jesus is telling them that if they really knew the Words of Moses and the other prophets, you would have known that these works and Words were prophesied long ago.

John 10:26 "But ye believe not, because ye are not, of My sheep, as I said unto you."

Jesus identified them in John 8:44; "Ye are of your father the devil, and the lust of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it."

Satan was the father of all lies, and his son, Cain, through Eve was the first Murderer. This is where the Kenites get their name, from their father "Cain" Strong's numbered Hebrew dictionary records this name of the Kenites in # 7014; "Qayin, kah'-yin; Kajin, the name of the first child, also of a place in Pal., the name of the first child, and of an oriental tribe:-Cain, Kenite (s)."

So lets go to # 7017 "Qiyniy, (I Chronicles 2:55) kee-nee; from 7014, a Kenite or member of the tribe of Kajin:-Kenite." This tells us absolutely that those referred to are not of the tribe of any of Jacob's sons, or the house of Israel or of the house of Judah. They are Orientals that are the offspring of the first murderer Cain. These are the ones that took over the duties of the Levitical scribes as recorded in I Chronicles 2:55, and so adjusted the religious teachings that their traditions became the priority of what was taught in the temple at Jesus time.

I Chronicle 2:55 "And the families of the scribes which dwelt at Jabez [Jerusalem], the Tirathites, the shimeathites, and Suchathites. These are the Kenites that came of Hemath, the father of the house of Rechab."

The scribes are the ones that kept the records of the temple and the people of the house of Judah. They are not the children of any of the sons of Jacob, Isaac or Abraham, but of their father Rechab. They are Orientals, the same place that Cain went to take his wife after he murdered his brother Abel. They are the ones Ezra and Nehemiah called Nethimins, that had so infiltrated into the house of Judah while they were captive that there was not one Levitical priest that came out of Babylon with them, to go back to set up the Temple worship in Jerusalem. It is the offspring of Cain that are the scribes and priests that constantly plotted to kill Jesus for Jesus brought the light of the prophets to the sheep of God, the children of Israel, and identified these Orientals for exactly who they were.

Editor's Note; You do know about the two sowers of seed, don't you?

Live Link to-"Two Sowers of seed; both the good and the bad"

Please read Live Link to-What happened in the garden

Though these Kenites sit in the seat of Moses, they lie like their father Satan, and plot to be murderers like their father Cain. These are the strong things that Jesus is telling them, for Jesus is revealing their hidden secrets that they have been able to to keep hidden since the time of the captivity in Babylon.

John 10:27 "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me:"

Live Link to-"Do you know who you really are?"  Are you a Israelite?
Live Link to-
"Israel's Lost Tribes"

Kenite Pharisees, scribes and the Sadducees do not have the ears to hear the truth with understanding no matter how you tell them. If they are not of Christ, they simply cannot understand what you are saying. It is like a mental block that God has placed on their minds to keep them spiritually blind. On the other hand, Christ's sheep or those of the elect, and those of the free will, will read God's Word and hear it and know that the Words are from God, for the Holy Spirit of God reveals the truth with understanding.

John 10:28 "And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand."

Just as Jesus is given the power over death from the Father, so also Christ has given us the power over spiritual death to all those that believe on His name. Perish means more than the physical body going back to the dust of the earth at death; it means the death of the soul in any form. To perish is to even be blotted out of the memory of the mind of a soul (person) that has eternal live.

When anyone repents of their sins, and believes on the Lord Jesus Christ, Who is the only way to God the Father, then that soul is guaranteed by Jesus Christ Himself that there is no way anyone, or anything that can separate that soul from the eternal life and rewards promised to them in His Word.

John 10:29 "My Father, which gave them Me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of My Father's hand."

Our Heavenly Father is the strongest force in the universe, for He controls all forces. Though Satan claims to be strong, he is but a created soul, and all the supernatural powers that Satan has or will have is given him by our Heavenly Father for the sake of fulfilling some part of the plan of God. When you are in God's hand, there is no force that can pluck you out of His hand.

John 10:30 "I and my Father are one."

What Jesus is telling us here is that when you accept Him, the Holy Spirit of the Father is in you, and you are in Him. This happens with anyone. It is a true statement that the Father and Christ are one, but the point is that God is with every one that has accepted Christ. The Spirit of God enters you at the point of repentance, and when you believe in Jesus name. Jesus name is our credentials for all that we do, for we are saying that we accept the blood of Christ to be the covering for our sins, and receive the power of all of His promises.

Jesus Christ is our Shepherd, and He is the one that feeds us and gives us the strength that we have for living our lives. He is the Word that was made flesh to dwell with us, and He is the one that literally keeps the wolf away from our door. Jesus sheep look to Him for everything, and that is the way that Christ saw these people standing there on the dock waiting for their ship to come in. These people had no one to doctor themselves and take care of their spiritual needs. The wolves at the door were their own spiritual leaders, these Kenites that presented themselves as their shepherd, but were nothing more than wolves in sheep's clothing.

Jesus is the same yesterday as He is today and will be forever. Just as Jesus sought to protect His sheep in these days so He stands guard over us today. Jesus has given us authority then and that same authority in His name is still the covenant that is in effect today. Jesus is our Shepherd, and in the power that He has given us, we can keep the wolves away from the door in Jesus name. It is only when we are in Jesus love and care that we can have peace of mind, and commune with our heavenly Father.

Mark 6:35 "And when the day was now far spent, His disciples came unto Him, and said, "This is a desert place, and now the time is far passed:"

Remember that this is the same day that the apostles had returned from their time of ministry, and Jesus had decided that they would leave the crowd that had formed, enter the ship and go to the other side of the sea. They were seeking rest from the work that they had done, and now it was late in the day as they were approaching the other side of the lake. There was a massive crowd waiting for them, and there were no facilities to feed and take care of such a number of people. Jesus' disciples are reminding Him that this place that they are docking is in a wilderness, and there are no places to provide for their eating.

Mark 6:36 "Send them away, that they may go into the country round about, and into the villages, and buy themselves bread: for they have nothing to eat."

In the spiritual sense, Christ very body was the spiritual bread that would feed them. The whole purpose for Christ coming to this earth was to give food for the soul. It is from this food that the soul can attain eternal life, for those that would believe on His name. So Jesus is going to use this opportunity to document many things.

Mark 6:37 "He answered and said unto them, "Give ye them to eat." And they say unto Him, "Shall we go and buy two hundred pennyworth of bread, and give them to eat?"

Jesus knew that there was no food to feed these people before He made the statement. Yet He told them to, you go out there and feed these people. This would just about clean out their pockets, but it was only about thirty or forty dollars of today's dollars.

Mark 6:38 "He saith unto them, "How many loaves have ye? go and see." And when they knew, they say, "Five, and two fishes."

The disciples back to Jesus was that they had five loaves and two fishes. When this type of numbers are given, we have to go into biblical numerics to get the full understanding. The bread being the body, and of course five in biblical numerics stands for "grace". Grace would come only through Jesus' death on the cross which brings for the unmerited favor that we receive from God. Grace is a gift that we receive that we simply do not deserve. However, through repentance in Jesus name, we are accepting the life that Jesus gave us through his death. Our saying, "In Jesus name", we are telling God that Jesus death gives us our authority to approach His throne, and that is why we can come boldly to the throne of God. He gave us the power and the authority to do what we do.

The fish has always been symbolic of Christianity. Every Christian should know why this is, and the Greek letters are a cipher. They are "iota" the "i", the eighth letter of the Greek alphabet. This continues on through the spelling for fish in the Greek tongue; "ichthus". These letters are a cipher that means "Jesus Christ Son of God Savior".

The name "Jesus" is "Iesous", i.e., "Jehoshua", the name means "YHVH's [Father's] Savior". "Christ" of course means the "Anointed one". Jesus was anointed with the oil of truth from God, and that Word flows through Him and into us. The "Son of God" is Jesus credentials that He is the "only begotten of the Father". "Savior" tells us that He is the one that paid the price, so that our believing on Him, He become our Savior. This is why the fish has become the symbol of Christianity, and when the fish sign was given in the early days, it meant that the people were Christians.

Mark 6:39 "And He commanded them to make all sit down by companies upon the green grass."

Notice that what is done was not as a mob action, but is an orderly fashion.

Mark 6:40 "And they sat down in ranks, by hundred, and by fifties."

They were very regimented in the way and order that they were to be fed with the bread and the fish.

Mark 6:41 "And when He had taken the five loaves and the two fishes, He looked up to heaven and blessed, and brake the loaves, and gave them to His disciples to set before them; and the two fishes divided He among them all."

As Jesus took the bread and break it, and the fish to be passed out, and there was enough for everyone to eat and be filled. Though many say they can't believe this, this is just a small part of what God did when he fed the millions of Israelites, passing through the wilderness for those forty years. Bread and manna are virtually the same thing, and just as God allowed the manna to be placed on the ground daily for His people, so this manna or bread is being spread around so that all the people can be fed and nourished. God can feed and provide for whom ever He so chooses.

It is also important that you notice the order of the things that are to be done. Did Christ feed the multitude? The answer is "NO", He did not. Jesus Christ gave the bread that had been blessed and multiplied to His disciples and they gave it to the people to be eaten. There is nothing new under the son, and this is how Christ expects it to be done even today. Jesus gave us the bread, which is His body the Word of God, and we are to use that bread to feed those around us.

The famine that is spoken of that shall come in the final generation, or generation, is not for the bread that we eat daily at our tables, but for the Word of God. Amos 8:11; "Behold, the days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord." The famine is for the "hearing the Word of God".

God has given to each of us His Word, and it is our responsibility to study that Word for understanding and to pass that bread of spiritual food on to others. This is how God gets His work done, He uses people to do His Work.

Mark 6:42 "And they did all eat, and were filled."

Mark 6:43 "And they took up twelve baskets full of fragments, and of the fishes."

Remember they started out with five loaves of bread and two fishes, yet after the five thousand were fed, there were twelve baskets of the fragments of bread and fishes left over. Here is the number twelve again. Remember the number twelve from the prior chapter, the twelve year old girl brought back to life; and the old lady that was healed from her blood issue that she had for twelve years? Again this is symbolic of the whole house of Israel: Both nations of Israelites, the house of Israel and the house of Judah.

Even after Jesus had fed these many that were not of Israel, there was
still enough spiritual food to be passed on to all the tribes of all Israel, not just for Judah and its house. This indicates that the feeding of His word is open even to the Gentiles, as well as to Israel
.

Mark 6:44 "And they that did eat of the loaves were about five thousand men."

The men alone were numbered about five thousand men, and with their families, this became quite a group. Again "five" is the number that represents "grace".

Mark 6:45 "And straightway He constrained His disciples to get into the ship, and to go to the other side before unto Bethsaida, while He sent away the people."

Immediately after the feeding Jesus ordered His disciples to get into the ship and go to the other side. "Bethsaida" means the "house of fish". It was a fishing community.

Mark 6:46 "And when He had sent them away, He departed into a mountain to pray."

Jesus separated Himself from His disciples to commune with the Father. This was to let His disciples know that soon He would be separated from them, and that He would be crucified as the prophecies foretold. Though they would be alone, God would be with them in Spirit anyway. Though Jesus was ascended into heaven, He has not departed from us, for His Spirit, the Holy Spirit is with us and in us to open our minds and direct our ways. So He is going to teach us this lesson.

Mark 6:47 "And when even was come, the ship was in the midst of the sea, and He alone on the land."

So these disciples were all in the ship heading for the other side, and Jesus was still on the shore, having gone into the mountains to pray.

Mark 6:48 "And he saw them toiling in rowing; for the wind was contrary unto them: and about the fourth watch of the night He cometh unto them, walking upon the sea, and would have passed by them,"

Jesus knew the toil and trouble that His disciples were having rowing their ship against the wind and waves. Jesus was finished with his prayer session and He was heading across the sea to where He would meet them on the other side. As Jesus was passing right by His disciples, He would have continued walking on the sea to the other side, for they were to meet at Bethsaida, the fishing port on the other side.

There are many critics that say that they were not on the sea but in a desert, and the disciples were going to the other side when they saw a mirage. Well the forth watch is three to six A.M. and there is no sun anytime at this hour on any desert, and you don't row boats on any desert. They are trying to spiritualize away the truth with their fairy-tales, and there are many that will listen and believe those kinds of lies.

In that Jesus was walking on the water, indicated that in the future He would be with them in Spirit only.

Mark 6:49 "But when they saw Him walking upon the sea, they supposed it had been a spirit, and cried out:"

The disciples saw Jesus as He passed by, and they just didn't recognize who He was. They saw the spirit form, and they cried out in fear. The point to be made here is that Jesus is as much with us today and He was with these disciples out there rowing on that tossing sea.

Mark 6:50 "For they all saw HIm, and were troubled. And immediately He talked with them, and saith unto them, "Be of good cheer: it is I; be not afraid."

No, we are never alone when Jesus is with us. He promised us that He will never leave us nor forsake us. All believers believe this and have the faith for certainty that this is how it is.

Mark 6:51 "And He went up unto them into the ship; and the wind ceased: and they were sore amazed in themselves beyond measure, and wondered."

This is Jesus own disciples that had sat by and heard the teaching of Jesus, and now they have seen that power that Jesus had to even control the wind and the waves of the sea. This is the second time that Jesus had calmed the waters and yet they still sat in amazement at what they were witnessing before their eyes. Compare this boat that the disciples were in to your Christian boat that you are riding in today. If it doesn't float, than sink it and build you a good one, one that will stand up through all the storms that come against you, that makes you feel secure and one that you can trust in. Build that boat using Christ as the keel or foundation of the structure.

If your traditions let you down, then sink that boat and get into the Word of God where you know there is safety.

Live Link to-WHAT DOES YOUR CHURCH TEACH

Mark 6:52 "For they considered not the miracle of the loaves: for their heart was hardened."

Even though these disciples had witnessed the feeding of the thousands of people with the five loaves and two fishes, their hearts had been closed to the supernatural within their daily lives. Their minds were closed to it. They came to expect that at supper time the food would be on the table, and they lost sight of who provided it, and to give thanks for what they would receive. Jesus is about to teach them a lesson over this, and that lesson goes on even into the next chapter. The lesson is in the miracle of the loaves, and Mark leaves the lesson for those that have the insight to understand. Matthew 16 gives us a good explanation of this.

Matthew 16:11 "How is it that ye do not understand that I spake it not to you concerning bread, that ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees?"

Matthew 16:16 "Then understood they how that He bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees."

Christ was questioning His disciples, and asking them if they had any bread. Then He asked them about the leaven that is within the bread. Are they speaking of the bread that you eat at the dinner table? No, anytime you get a large group of people together and all they are looking for is a little biscuit or some little muffin, which would be a small miracle, they can see with their physical eyes but they are not looking for the in depth teaching of Christ. There level of thinking won't stretch to the level of their eternal soul, but is only what they can see with their eyes and handle with their hands.

The only thing that the people saw in Christ was someone to heal their immediate needs and to put a meal on the table. Jesus' disciples fell into a chore of feeding the people for their physical needs, and overlooked the Spiritual miracle that was taking place right in their hands and before their eyes.

Christ expects that when you gather a group of people together that traditions will form, even concerning food, and when you become too busy in doing those things that go to make up those traditions, those traditions will rub off on you and you will miss the spiritual application of what is to be learned and taught. After Christ jolted their memories that He was not speaking of the leaven and bread that you eat, but at the truths within the Word of God, and how the false doctrines and traditions of the Kenite Pharisee and Sadducees would twist the truth.

Jesus Christ is telling us to be aware of the traditions of men and their doctrines that would pollute the Word of God. The traditions of the elders and deacons of a church will in time take the place of the Word of God. In time those of that church will not know the difference between what is truth from God's Word, and what are the lies, and twisted customs that were created for what ever reason, to replace or take priority over God's Word. In most cases these things of the leaven seem to be the right thing to do, harmless, and in accordance with God's Word, but they lead to other things that are not. Know this that if it is not in the Word of God, and backed up by God's Word, then it is a fake and the leaven of the Pharisees.

Mark 6:53 "And when they had passed over, they came into the land of Gennesaret, and drew to the shore."

They tied the ship up and went ashore.

Mark 6:54 "And when they were come out of the ship, straightway they knew Him,"

Though the disciples had Jesus with them in the ship, it wasn't until they were ashore that they finally knew exactly who He was. For some reason their minds were closed to Jesus identity while out there on the sea, and the dimension that Jesus was in. They knew that some spiritual form was with them, but Jesus in the flesh did not tally in their minds. Now on shore they were back to this physical dimension which they could readily understand.

Mark 6:55 "And ran through the whole region round about, and began to carry about in beds those that were sick, where they heard He was."

The people in this fishing community knew exactly who Jesus was, and they ran all over their region to get the sick and bring them to Jesus for healing.

Mark 6:56 "And whithersoever He entered, into villages, or cities, or country, they laid the sick in the streets, and besought Him that they might touch if it were but the border of His garment: and as many as touched Him were made whole."

The people believed because of the reputation that Jesus had gained from the past healings. Every community that Jesus entered, they lined the sick people up in the streets so that they could just touch the hem of Jesus garment as He walked by. Jesus' fame spread through out the entire region. Jesus Christ is the Son of God, the Savior that gives eternal life, as well as healing the sick.

                               
To study the Bible is the noblest of all pursuits; to understand it, the highest of all goals.  We pray that with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, you accomplish both.


The American Wisdom Series

is

Published by:

Rhine Publishing Co.
E-mail address - americanwisdomseries@verizon.net

Here at the American Wisdom Series our goal is to make you think about and question the wisdom of the current:
doctrine of many of our Christian churches, (The Man on a White Horse)
political direction of our country, (The Man on a Red Horse)
economic direction our country has taken, (The Man on a Black Horse)
 and teaching of our schools and media, (The Man on a Pale Horse)

The Four Hidden Dynasties of the New World Order Revelation 6:1-8
"The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse"
Did you know all four are being ridden by Satan?
Click #1848, &#1011 or #1012 to learn more.

.