Mark 1 ~ The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

Mark 1

The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

2 As it is written in Isaiah the prophet,

“Behold, I send my messenger before your face,
who will prepare your way,
3 the voice of one crying in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the Lord,
make his paths straight,’”

9 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. 11 And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”

14 Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, 15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”

Scripture for Today Blogspot has been publishing since 2007. This is the first post where a friend has died.

Mary made these scarves for us and that was a beautiful day. Mary told me that day I had enormous changes coming my way and she could see that. Tricia has always had a special place in her heart for Mary. Saying being a widow, or single, is a challenge.

We help each other, listen to one another and I expect, part of my life's greatest joy has come from this group. We discovered the ability to hush each other up and listen to the harder parts of life. Several of us have had a lot of healing from being able to express ourselves.

There is a Word in Scriptures saying - Be still and know I am God.

We did that. We pressed down polite 'don't tell me' and listened. One of us recovered so much from maternal abuse that she went on from a medical condition pressing on her - to find a man who wants to marry her and she is raising a teenager again. Not just existence but Joy.

We did that. We inverted a pecking order and asked all of us to express who we are -

Today, Mary has gone on to be with Jesus.

We did that. We Prepared a way of the Lord. We encouraged, prayed, communicated and even held Mary's comatose hand to pray with her. Later we reasoned, the body may sleep, but the soul is awake. And we would have done more if asked.

What would Jesus say to our group?

“You are my beloved Children; with you I am well pleased.”

For Mary - her time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. He helped her eighty years end rather quickly. We all agreed that suffering is awful. Mary said she was ready - she just wanted to go quickly. Mary knew about repentance and believed in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

Mary will see the 12 pearl gates. She will know the hills and highways of Heaven Isaiah told her about. But mostly Mary will see what she longed to see - Jesus.

How do we know this - our discussions sometimes ran His Course -

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. 14 

For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. 15 For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 

For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 

Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. 18 

Therefore encourage one another with these words.


And this -

1 Thessalonians 4:13
But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope.

I know Mary because we have worshiped Jesus together.

1 Peter 1:3
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!

In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable
and undefiled
and will not fade away,
reserved in heaven for you, 5
who are protected by the power of God
through faith for salvation

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!