Dan Carr, Editor
The Holy Spirit and…Us (Part 2)
World intelligentsia increasingly believes that if there is a God, He does not interact with people and if you claim you know God, you are mentally unstable and a danger to society. Simultaneously, the Bible remains the best-seller, the top of the list of the ten best selling books of all time. So, who is snowing who (whom?)
I thought it best if I conclude this short treatment of The Holy Spirit and Us by simply including some outstanding verses from the Bible.
The Spirit of God was active in creation.
…the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters in Gen.1:2.
The Spirit of God Draws and Strives with the Spirits of Men.
And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be a hundred and twenty years (Gen 6:3).
And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: (Joh 16:8)
No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day. (Joh 6:44)
And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. (Joh 12:32)
Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye. (Act 7:51)
The Spirit of God Gives Birth to Everyone Who Becomes a Child of God.
Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. (Joh 3:5)
The Spirit of God Baptizes His Own into the Body of Christ.
For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. (1Co 12:13)
The Spirit of God Dwells in His Own People.
But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. (Rom 8:9)
The Spirit of God Leads His People.
For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. (Rom. 8:14)
The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: (Rom 8:16)
The Spirit of God Impregnated Mary with Child and Became His Father.
And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. (Luk 1:35)
The Spirit of God Led and Empowered Jesus to do All of His Miracles.
Then was Jesus led up of the spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. (Mat 4:1)
And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased. (Luk 3:22)
But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you. (Mat 12:28)
For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him. (Joh 3:34)
The Spirit of God Raised up Jesus from the Dead and will Raise Us up from the Dead.
But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. (Rom 8:11)
And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, (Luk 4:1)
The Spirit of God Led and Empowered the Early Church.
But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. (Act 1:8)
And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him. And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord's Christ. And he came by the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law, (Luk 2:25-27)
And there stood up one of them named Agabus, and signified by the spirit that there should be great dearth throughout all the world: which came to pass in the days of Claudius Caesar. (Act 11:28)
We are Commanded to be Filled with the Holy Spirit Today.
And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; (Eph 5:18)Ω
John Mark—Barbara Carr
"And there followed Him a certain young man, having a linen cloth cast about his naked body; and the young men laid hold on him: And he left the linen cloth, and fled from them naked" (Mar 14:51-52) .
A few weeks ago at the regular Friday night prayer meeting at Mrs. Creech's house, there was a discussion on Mark 14:51-52 and the young man who ran away naked.
So, who was the young man who was caught and got away naked? Most everyone agreed it was John Mark. Someone with a Henry Morris Study Bible read the comments: "This 'young man' almost certainly was John Mark himself—otherwise who would know about and write about such an incident?" We know that his mother was wealthy and had a big house in Jerusalem and we assume that he lived with his mother. In this big house was a big upper room that served as a meeting place for the Last Supper and for the 120 who waited until the Holy Spirit came on the day of Pentecost.
The Bible says: "…a linen cloth cast about his naked body." Morris continues: "Mark had probably retired for the night in an adjacent room and had overheard their very fascinating, and obviously significant conversations there in the upper room of his mother's home. When they [Jesus and the disciples] left to go to the garden, continuing their conversation as they walked, he quickly decided to grab a linen cloth and follow them at a discreet distance."
As he followed a short distance behind, he suddenly saw a big crowd of people coming from the chief priests, scribes, and the elders on their way to take Jesus. When everyone scattered, so did he, but he was caught by the "young men." He was able to escape by casting off the linen cloth.
Listening to this discussion of whether or not it was John Mark encouraged me to do a study about him. I have enjoyed the study and learned much. Who was John Mark? He was a disciple of Jesus —maybe in his early teens or twenties. His mother was one of the several Marys in the gospels. In Acts 12:12, Jesus has been crucified and risen from the grave; the day of Pentecost has passed. Herod has killed James the brother of John with a sword and has arrested Peter, intending to kill him soon. The church has gathered in Mary's house to pray for Peter.
"And when he [Peter] had considered the thing, he came to the house of Mary the mother of John, whose surname was Mark; where many were gathered together praying." (Act 12:12)
John Mark was a nephew to Barnabas. Since, Barnabas was a Levite more than likely John Mark was also. He had been taught the scripture and was from a prosperous family. Paul wrote from prison:
"Aristarchus my fellow prisoner saluteth you, and Marcus, sister's son to Barnabas, (touching whom ye received commandments: if he come unto you, receive him;)" (Col 4:10)
Apparently John Mark's mother was a woman of means and had a home large enough for the church to meet there. Morris states that in verse 17 of Mark 14 the word "cometh" is used indicating Mark's own personal perspective on the events about to take place. He describes Jesus and the twelve as "coming" not "going." It sounds as though he, Mark, was already there.
"And he will shew you a large upper room furnished and prepared: there make ready for us"
(Mar 14:15). "And in the evening he cometh with the twelve." (Mar 14:17)
John Mark was probably an associate of Peter. Peter refers to him as "my son" in I Peter 5:13. Peter loved him as a son in the faith. In Acts 12:12, we read that many had gathered together to pray for Peter's deliverance at Mary's house.
The first reference I find of John Mark accompanying or joining Paul and Barnabas is in Acts 12:25 "And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem, when they had fulfilled their ministry, and took with them John, whose surname was Mark" (Act 12:25).
In chapter 13, John Mark decided to go home. No reasons were given in the Bible for this departure. "Now when Paul and his company loosed from Paphos, they came to Perga in Pamphylia: and John departing from them returned to Jerusalem"(Act 13:13).
"Why he departed from them is unknown. It might have been from fear of danger; or from alarm in traveling so far into unknown regions" (Barnes). Gill says: "What was the reason of his departure, whether for the sake of seeing his mother at Jerusalem; or because he did not like, but grew weary of the travels, labours, and fatigues of the apostle, and his company; or did not choose to go among the Gentiles, is not certain."
We can see from Acts 15:38 that Paul thought John Mark's departure was blameworthy. Paul believed it so strongly that he was unwilling to have him as a companion again. "And Barnabas determined to take with them John, whose surname was Mark. But Paul thought not good to take him with them, who departed from them from Pamphylia, and went not with them to the work. And the contention was so sharp between them, that they departed asunder one from the other: and so Barnabas took Mark, and sailed unto Cyprus;"(Acts 15:37-39).
Paul resented John Mark's departure and it caused a "sharp contention" between him and Barnabas. The next time we hear Paul mention John Mark's name is in II Timothy 4:11. This passage proves that Paul was reconciled to him, desired his company. "Only Luke is with me. Take Mark, and bring him with thee: for he is profitable to me for the ministry" (2Ti 4:11).
In Col:4:10 all was forgiven. "Aristarchus my fellowprisoner saluteth you, and Marcus, sister's son to Barnabas, (touching whom ye received commandments: if he come unto you, receive him;)" (Col 4:10)
Mark's early years of wavering evidently gave way to great strength and maturity and in time he proved himself even to Paul. Peter's influence on Mark in his younger years was no doubt instrumental in helping him out of the instability of his youth and into the strength and maturity he would need in the work to which God had called him. God used him to write the Gospel of Mark which presents Jesus as the suffering Servant of the Lord. He demonstrated the humanity of Christ more clearly than any of the other evangelists, emphasizing Christ's human emotions
According to tradition, around A.D.68 Mark was tied to several horses and they dragged him through the streets until he was dead (Wikpedia). I hope you have enjoyed reading about Mark as much as I did. Ω
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