If you confess the Lord Jesus with your mouth,
and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead,
you will be saved. Explain more »
Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech:
Like they used great plainness of speech, we should speak plainly. We shouldn't speak cryptically, like the Old Testament, according to the letter of the law. We should speak clearly and simply, about Christ.
And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel,
I'll be more assertive when I preach the gospel.
...we use great plainness of speech...(v12)
Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen.
It is possible for even the Lord's closest disciples to have a lack of belief.
v16,17He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues...
It seems like what He says about belief in the gospel, and what He says about the signs that would follow those who believe, was very much in the context of believing that He rose and again and is alive.
As "Believers," if we want to have the Lord's power for good in our lives, and eternal rewards with Him, then we need to be those who are believing in His resurrection from the dead.
Give ear to my words, O LORD, consider my meditation.
This is what we should pray to the Lord, but it is convicting to think about. Would we really want the Lord to give ear to our words, and to consider our meditations? We should watch our speech, and the kinds of things that we are thinking about.
Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.
When I catch myself letting words and ideas run through my head that would not please the Lord, I'll remember these verses, and change my mind.
Wherefore I beseech you that ye would confirm [your] love toward him.
Instead of just thinking and saying that we love the believers, we should let them know that we love them. Some people are hard to love, sometimes, because they struggle mich with sorrow and sin, like this person who was with the Corinthians. We should demonstrate our love, even to people who are hard to love.
[Be] kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;
I'll think of ways to confirm my love to a certain person who is hard to love.
And they departed quickly from the sepulchre with fear and great joy; and did run to bring his disciples word.
This is the way that we should share messages with people, about Christ. It says that they did run to bring his disciples word.
We should be diligent and excited to preach the gospel, and to bring the Lord's Word to His people.
I'll dedicate a certain amount of time to spend, at minimum, on the seventh day of the week, getting ready to share the Lord's Word with His people.
...In the morning will I direct [my prayer] unto Thee...(v3)
But as for me...(v7)
...that ye might know the love...(v4)
...a door was opened...(v12)
Fear not
Jesus met them
All power is given unto me... Go ye therefore...
And when the centurion, which stood over against him, saw that he so cried out, and gave up the ghost, he said, Truly this man was the Son of God.
In Mark 15, we can see all these sorrowful things that Jesus suffered when He died. That is what our sin causes.
That makes me wonder how I can keep doing those things. If we really love the Lord, we have to hate our sin.
Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time [that] their corn and their wine increased.
People can try to get their gladness from other things, such as vanity (Psalm 4:2). The way that we can really have more gladness, is through righteousness (Psalm 4:5) from the Lord.
With my busy schedule, I'll make sure to finish my time with the Lord before turning to fun activities.
Saying, Sir, we remember that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, After three days I will rise again.
The enemy tries to deceive us into thinking that Christ is not true. But, when we start to think about the ways that we know that Christ is true, then it would obviously be ridiculous to think otherwise. (For example, He made a great difference in my life, that nothing else could.)
To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God:
I'll comfort myself and others, considering how the Bible's testimony of Christ is true, so our labor is not in vain.
And he will shew you a large upper room furnished [and] prepared: there make ready for us.
With a room furnished and prepared,
where the disciples were supposed to make ready,
there was much preparation going on here. In the same way, we should be getting ready for the Lord to come again.
One way to get ready for the Lord, is to be in prayer.
I cried unto the LORD with my voice, and he heard me out of his holy hill. Selah.
We might feel like we have many troubles; but, then we should pray to the Lord about those things, and that will make a difference: He will deliver us.
When I feel like I have many troubles, I'll pray specifically about the things that trouble me, and I'll trust the Lord to deliver me.
I beseech you, brethren, (ye know the house of Stephanas, that it is the firstfruits of Achaia, and [that] they have addicted themselves to the ministry of the saints,)
We should follow the example of Stephanas and his household, in being obsessed with taking care of the needs of holy people.
And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
I'll be more flexible to help out the Lord's people.
And he answered him to never a word; insomuch that the governor marvelled greatly.
We should learn from Jesus, how to keep our mouths shut when we should.
Next time somebody accuses me of something, I'll remember this passage, and how, maybe, I shouldn't answer at all.
...concerning the collection for the saints...
...have addicted themselves to the ministry of the saints...
...they led Him away...
...He answered nothing.
And they crucified him...
Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?
This verse is talking about how vain it is for people to imagine escaping from the authority of God. It also makes me think about how people can imagine all kinds of things that are vain. We shouldn't "waste our minds" on worthless, empty, and sinful imaginations.
Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
When I have a break for a few minutes, instead of letting my mind be filled with worthless thoughts, I'll use my spare time to pray.
And every wise hearted among you shall come, and make all that the LORD hath commanded;
The Lord has given us our wisdom and ability to do good work. We should use it to do work dedicated to Him.
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