He paid the price

Scripture: Mark 14:18 And as they sat and did eat, Jesus said, Verily I say unto you, One of you which eateth with me shall betray me.

Observation: In this chapter, we see Jesus establishing what we today call communion. However, before he establishes communion with the disciples, he must first deal with the sin in the room. One of his disciples has fallen to "The Love of Money", and is soon to betray Jesus for money.

Application: As the Apostle Paul articulates in 1 Cor 11:27-30, we should not partake of communion when we have known sin that we have not been cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ. 1 John 1:9 says"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleans us from all unrightousness". This is the way to prepare for communion, and for any other day or hour in this life. When we accept the forgiveness of Jesus Christ, we are clean and ready to fellowship with him. Jesus died for our sins, past, present and future. Let us accept his life, and dedicate our life to him.

Prayer: Dear Jesus, thank you for you love. Thank you that you loved us enough to lay down your life for ours. Let us never consider lightly what you have done for us. Let our lives be dedicated to you this day, and every day, in your precious name.

Do what you can

Scripture: Mark 14:8 She hath done what she could: she is come aforehand to anoint my body to the burying.

Observation: Jesus said of this woman, "She did what she could". Should not we also do what we can? We may not all be able to preach, teach, sing, or play an instrument. But God's power will be made perfect in us when we do what we can with what we have. This woman had a bottle of perfume, and an ear open to God.

Application: What do you have that God can use? All of use are created in God's image. We all have gifts and abilities that can honor God. Who would have thought a bottle of perfume could honor God? Abilities with people, business, sports, crafts, academics, and on and on, can all be used to glorify God. God teaches us through this verse to take what we have, do what we can, and be faithful to our creator.

Prayer: Father, help us to be faithful to you. Show us what we can do. Let us give you all of the honor and respect that you are do. Let us be found faithful of the

Passion for Eternity

Scripture: Mar 13:1-37 And as he went out of the temple, one of his disciples saith unto him, Master, see what manner of stones and what buildings [are here]! And Jesus answering said unto him, Seest thou these great buildings? there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down. And as he sat upon the mount of Olives over against the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew asked him privately, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what [shall be] the sign when all these things shall be fulfilled? And Jesus answering them began to say, Take heed lest any [man] deceive you: For many shall come in my name, saying, I am [Christ]; and shall deceive many. And when ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars, be ye not troubled: for [such things] must needs be; but the end [shall] not [be] yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these [are] the beginnings of sorrows. But take heed to yourselves: for they shall deliver you up to councils; and in the synagogues ye shall be beaten: and ye shall be brought before rulers and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them. And the gospel must first be published among all nations. But when they shall lead [you], and deliver you up, take no thought beforehand what ye shall speak, neither do ye premeditate: but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye: for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Ghost. Now the brother shall betray the brother to death, and the father the son; and children shall rise up against [their] parents, and shall cause them to be put to death. And ye shall be hated of all [men] for my name's sake: but he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. But when ye shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not, (let him that readeth understand,) then let them that be in Judaea flee to the mountains: And let him that is on the housetop not go down into the house, neither enter [therein], to take any thing out of his house: And let him that is in the field not turn back again for to take up his garment. But woe to them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! And pray ye that your flight be not in the winter. For [in] those days shall be affliction, such as was not from the beginning of the creation which God created unto this time, neither shall be. And except that the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh should be saved: but for the elect's sake, whom he hath chosen, he hath shortened the days. And then if any man shall say to you, Lo, here [is] Christ; or, lo, [he is] there; believe [him] not: For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall shew signs and wonders, to seduce, if [it were] possible, even the elect. But take ye heed: behold, I have foretold you all things. But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, And the stars of heaven shall fall, and the powers that are in heaven shall be shaken. And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory. And then shall he send his angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven. Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When her branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is near: So ye in like manner, when ye shall see these things come to pass, know that it is nigh, [even] at the doors. Verily I say unto you, that this generation shall not pass, till all these things be done. Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away. But of that day and [that] hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father. Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is. [For the Son of man is] as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch. Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning: Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping. And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.

Observation: In Mark 13, Luke 21, and Matthew 24 we see three listeners perspective on a very crucial teaching Jesus gave his disciples which we call the olivet discourse. Jesus is answering his disciples question on when the temple in Jerusalem will be destroyed. Jesus answers not only the destruction of the temple, but he also tells them about when he will return again. Jesus tells his disciples that all the earth will see him coming in the clouds of heaven with great power and glory. In this teaching Jesus says that this generation will not pass away before these things happen, but he also says that no one knows the hour that they will occur. It appears that the reference to this generation not passing away is applicable to the destruction of the temple, and that the reference to no one knowing the hour is applicable to the return of Jesus Christ.

Application: Jesus tells us to watch for his return, and to be ready! He also warns us against false teaching and impostors. God loves us, and he wants us to be with him in this perfect place he has created for us. He doesn't want us to miss it. His heart yearns for us, and like the perfect father, he has given us the information we need to be successful.

Prayer: Thank you Jesus that you have prepared a place for us. It will be so wonderful to leave the cares of this world behind, and enjoy eternal bliss with you and with our loved ones. Help us to watch and know the things we need to do in the coming troubles that will proceed your return. Let us keep our eyes fixed on you, the author and finisher of our faith! Amen

Number One

Scripture: Mar 12:28-30 And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all? And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments [is], Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this [is] the first commandment.


Observation: Often the scribes and Pharisee liked to try to trick Jesus. Lesson for us, Never try to trick God! It is almost humorous to think about that. However in this instance, Jesus received and honest question from an honest scribe. What is the Number One commandment? Jesus' answer was straight forward. He quoted from Deuteronomy 6:4-6. However, his quote was slightly different than the Hebrew text we have today. Deuteronomy says " Love the Lord God with all of your Heart, Soul, and Might. Jesus said, " Love the Lord your God with all of your Heart, Soul, Mind, and Strength". In Deuteronomy the word "Might" could be translated "everything you have", so perhaps "Mind and Strength" is simply a translation of "Might". Or perhaps something in the language of the day made that a clearer explanation of the Hebrew used Deuteronomy.

Application: Many argue that today's amplified and paraphrased translations are not the Word of God. In this verse, I see Jesus amplifying the Hebrew into the language of his day. He clearly articulates that God wants everything from us. He wants to be Number One in our life. If God is not Number One in our lives, we need to make some adjustments.

Prayer: Thank you Jesus that you have made your Word clear to us. Thank you for making it plain, so that we can understand it. Thank you for giving your life, so that we can live eternally in heaven with you. Help us dear Lord, to keep you first in your lives. Let us make Jesus Christ, the author and finisher of our faith, Number One in our lives this day and ever day here to come. Amen

The Power of God

Scripture: Mark 12:24 - And Jesus answering said unto them, Do ye not therefore err, because ye know not the scriptures, neither the power of God?

Observation: How can we comprehend the power and ability of God? Consider all the stars and solar systems in the universe... created by him, spoken into existence? Consider the billions of people on this planet, he knew them all before the beginning of time. The scriptures tell us of his power and ability, it is there for us to understand.

Application: There are several other scriptures that use the same Greek word for power. They tell us that this power that Jesus spoke about is something that he gave to his disciples, and others. The scriptures also tell us that if we can believe, we can do all things in this same power. This authority is ours to use in his name, according to his will, and his purposes. His power is in the scripture, and in his spirit that lives inside those who are called by his name. Reference to this power and ability can be found in: Mark 5:30, Mark 9:30, Luke 9:1, Luke 10:19, Luke 24:49, Acts 1:8

Prayer: Dear Jesus, thank you for your word. Lord, just as you opened the eyes of your disciples to the scriptures, I pray that you would open my eyes to the scripture so that I might see your Glory. I pray that I would understand the power and purpose you have ordained for my life. In Jesus Name

Healing the Blind

Scripture: Mar 10:46 - 52 And they came to Jericho: and as he went out of Jericho with his disciples and a great number of people, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the highway side begging. And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out, and say, Jesus, [thou] Son of David, have mercy on me. And many charged him that he should hold his peace: but he cried the more a great deal, [Thou] Son of David, have mercy on me. And Jesus stood still, and commanded him to be called. And they call the blind man, saying unto him, Be of good comfort, rise; he calleth thee. And he, casting away his garment, rose, and came to Jesus. And Jesus answered and said unto him, What wilt thou that I should do unto thee? The blind man said unto him, Lord, that I might receive my sight. And Jesus said unto him, Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole. And immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way.

Observation: Whenever Jesus would heal or deliver someone, almost without exception, he would ask them to say or do something. In this instance, he asks Bartimaeus what he would like Jesus to do for him. There are many things Bartimaeus could have said. If he had doubted that Jesus could have healed him, he could have asked for riches so that he could at least get off the street. It took faith for Bertimaeus to ask for healing.

Application: Jesus wants us to have faith. He wants us to demonstrate our faith, to speak it or do it. Faith enables the work of Christ to be manifest in our lives. We as children of the most high God are given free will, a choice, and we must choose to accept the best that God has for our lives.

Prayer: Dear Jesus, let us no longer suffer along with what we can provide for ourselves. Thank you that there is so much more for us as the children of the most high God. Let our yes be yes, and our no be no, and when we ask something let us ask in faith believing that you are more than able to meet our needs. Let your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven... this day. Amen

In what do you trust?

Scripture: Mar 10:24 - 25 And the disciples were astonished at his words. But Jesus answereth again, and saith unto them, Children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.

Observation: The Mark 10:25 hyperbole of a rich man and the camel through the needle's eye is often quoted. However, of greater significance is the preceding verse which really gives the hyperbole its context. The point is, that it is virtually impossible for someone who trusts in riches to go to heaven. Trust in the Textus Receptus is the greek word peitho, which implies trust, confidence, or persuasion. There is also a friendship aspect to the word. Our money tends to become our friend, and we tend to put our confidence in it. It will save us from poverty, provide for us, and provide for our family after we are gone ... right?

Application: How many times have we seen what we thought was a sure thing evaporate in front of us. We tend to be pretty sure of ourselves. The whole gambling industry is built around people's confidence in their ability to beat the odds. But the fact is, we can't trust in ourselves. The gambling industry does make a huge profit every year, and droves of people end up in bankruptcy. The only sure place to put your trust, and your money, is in the hands of the all mighty God. He is the only one who is always faithful. He is the only one who loves us without expecting anything in return. He is the only one who knows what is best for us.

Prayer: Thank you Jesus that we can trust in you. Let us put our trust and our confidence solely in you Lord Jesus. Let us seek you first, each day, and place our full love and attention on you. Amen.