The FaithOfJesus2 Daily Devotional

Focus:

kjv@Revelation:14:12 @ Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.

( FaithOfJesus thread begun by rRandyP )

Today's Verse:

kjv@Mark:1:14-20

kjv@Mark:1:14 @ Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God,

kjv@Mark:1:15 @ And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.

kjv@Mark:1:16 @ Now as he walked by the sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers.

kjv@Mark:1:17 @ And Jesus said unto them, Come ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men.

kjv@Mark:1:18 @ And straightway they forsook their nets, and followed him.

kjv@Mark:1:19 @ And when he had gone a little further thence, he saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in the ship mending their nets.

kjv@Mark:1:20 @ And straightway he called them: and they left their father Zebedee in the ship with the hired servants, and went after him.

Today's notes:

Context:

Before - Immediately driven
After - With authority commandeth

Key Concepts:

What is God's righteousness observed doing?:

making the good news known, the Kingdom in store for those that subject themselves to their Lord's righteousness
stating that the time is fulfilled and this Kingdom is at hand
Having Jesus preach on His way into Galilee ahead of gathering a group of disciples to learn of and be witness to.

What does this tell us about God's righteousness?:

The work of HIS righteousness is good and much anticipated news having to do with the gathering of all redeemed peoples into a glorious Kingdom. The object is to gather all things unto HIS Son soon to be proven to be worthy by resurrection and ascension.
The time was not right before this nor was it after this, the time is right now. Whatever needed to be done ahead of time now is done. There are steps to the establishment this plan requiring serial completion. For instance, This next step required the completion of John the Baptist's.
The testimony of what these men will witness conveyed to all other men will be a crucial part of the plan moving forward, just as it had been in establishing the plan beforehand. Man does have a part in this overall righteousness once shown that he has no righteousness of his own; his righteousness is in Jesus. These men will be the first to experience it, pointing us to experience it as well.

How is man reacting?:

In the case of the disciples: straightway forsaking all to follow Him. Likely spiritual influence (preparation) upon them.

Notes:

Note what the disciples are straightway consenting to: they don't know what and we are not told that it was ever explained to them. Andrew and another disciple from their time with the Baptist know that this man has been identified as the Messiah and have made this known to at least some of the other men. Some are familiar if not directly associated with each other in some respect. Some we know have been previously introduced to Jesus. Acquaintance and hope however have little to do with the course this path will take and what will be expected of them here on out, nor bears the weight of a personal decision this monumental. Not being foretold the details suggests that the decision was left to be made based upon the expectations they each personally held of this Jesus realistic or not. It also suggests the Lord's allowance (perhaps importance) for previously established personal bonds/interaction amongst members in building His initial team.

Note the weight of influence that the word of the Baptist had on preparing these men to follow.

Key Messages:

What does this say about our present condition?

We are in need of having this message be made known unto us. It is very good news on the grand scale, but news that we at first are likely to reject. Even then we fill the notion with preconception and selfish expectation. It is not something that can be announced and left at that. Because of our present condition, it is something that must transform and transport us into a position of being able to receive HIS wholesale changes into our nature. Otherwise that kingdom is nothing more than a continuation of the present condition.
Be mindful of who you associate yourself with, you never know what those associations may be used by God to do!

Further Resources:

Comment Board:Mark:1:14-20
index:FAITHOFJESUSDEVOTION - Devotional Index
strkjv@Mark:1:14-20 rwp@Mark:1:14-20 mhcc@Mark:1:14-20
FaithOfJesus2 - Devotion Index

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