Category - Devotionals

2/01            John 4:1-2
Jesus[a] knew the Pharisees had heard that he was baptizing and making more disciples than John (though Jesus himself didn’t baptize them—his disciples did).

JESUS
Jesus had no misconceptions.  He knew exactly what He was doing and why.  We often fool ourselves.  We are not truthful to our hearts.  We do wrong things and pray for a right outcome.  Lord help us to be transparent and do the next right thing.

2/02            John 4:3
So he left Judea and returned to Galilee.

JESUS
Jesus did not worry about PR.  He knew what He was supposed to do and went about His work with a sense of awareness of His timetable.  He followed the Father completely each and every day.

2/03            John 4:4-5
He had to go through Samaria on the way.  Eventually he came to the Samaritan village of Sychar, near the field that Jacob gave to his son Joseph.

MINISTRY
Jesus was focused on ministry.  Jews didn’t go through Samaria when they were traveling from Galilee to or from Jerusalem.  Jesus did.  He cared about people.  When we care about people the place of service is irrelevant.

2/04            John 4:6-8
Jacob’s well was there; and Jesus, tired from the long walk, sat wearily beside the well about noontime.  Soon a Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, “Please give me a drink.”  He was alone at the time because his disciples had gone into the village to buy some food.

MINISTRY
When you are worn out are you able to recognize a ministry opportunity?  Jesus did.  This woman at the well would be ignored by most.  Mainline religious folk would categorize her as an outcast and move on.  Jesus knew her need and took time to minister to her.  Everyone we meet has needs.  We are in the need filling business.

2/05            John 4:9
The woman was surprised, for Jews refuse to have anything to do with Samaritans.  She said to Jesus, “You are a Jew, and I am a Samaritan woman. Why are you asking me for a drink?”

MINISTRY
Ministry overcomes culture.  We minister to those in need.  Everyone is in need.  We are called to minister wherever we go.  When we keep the Son in our eyes ministry becomes second nature to us.

2/06            John 4:10
Jesus replied, “If you only knew the gift God has for you and who you are speaking to, you would ask me, and I would give you living water.”

WORLD
The world cannot comprehend ministry nor can it comprehend meeting needs.  In the world everyone is evaluated by a worth scale that excludes ministry to people.  Living water is what we have to give to those in need.  We recognize their physical needs and also their spiritual needs and are able to minister to both.  People count with the Lord.

2/07            John 4:11-12
“But sir, you don’t have a rope or a bucket,” she said, “and this well is very deep. Where would you get this living water?  And besides, do you think you’re greater than our ancestor Jacob, who gave us this well? How can you offer better water than he and his sons and his animals enjoyed?”

MINISTRY
Many people who need ministry don’t know what ministry is nor do they understand it when someone ministers to them.  We are called to minister to those in need not to make them realize we are ministering to them and then become grateful for what we have done.  We minister out of obedience and love.

2/08            John 4:13-14
Jesus replied, “Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again.   But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.”

MINISTRY
We minister to people.  Sometimes they receive it and sometimes they don’t.  Sometimes they respond negatively towards us.  But no matter the response minister to the needy.

2/09            John 4:15
“Please, sir,” the woman said, “give me this water! Then I’ll never be thirsty again, and I won’t have to come here to get water.”

NEED
The world is lost.  It does not know what it needs.  Jesus always knows our need.  When we turn to Christ and submit out life He will walk with us and guide us to meet our need.  We don’t have to plead or beg to get our need met because Jesus knows what we need and He loves us.  Today let Jesus show you the way.

2/10            John 4:16
“Go and get your husband,” Jesus told her.

NEED
I know you say you need this but is that really your need.  We often find Jesus touching us as to our need and we try to throw Him off the path to our real need.  We ask questions, drag our feet, and make excuses when in fact the only one we are fooling is ourselves.  Jesus knows all about us.  Go to Him and work through to the truth.  Then you can change.  Jesus loves you.

2/11            John 4:17-18
“I don’t have a husband,” the woman replied.  Jesus said, “You’re right! You don’t have a husband—for you have had five husbands, and you aren’t even married to the man you’re living with now. You certainly spoke the truth!”

NEED
We need truth in our life.  We need to face the truth.  We need to understand the magnitude of our sin, the way it separates us from Christ.  Repent, turn away, from your sin and you will experience the wisdom, mercy and grace of Jesus.  Let Christ have control of you.

2/12            John 4:19-20
“Sir,” the woman said, “you must be a prophet.  So tell me, why is it that you Jews insist that Jerusalem is the only place of worship, while we Samaritans claim it is here at Mount Gerizim, where our ancestors worshiped?”

NEED
This item of need was irrelevant to the woman’s need.  Jesus ignored this question because He knew this wasn’t part of the woman’s problem.  She was an outcast to her own people.  This false front was moved aside by Jesus.  He listened but was going to deal with the real problem.  Let the Lord deal with you and He will deal with the real problems you are facing.

2/13            John 4:21-23
Jesus replied, “Believe me, dear woman, the time is coming when it will no longer matter whether you worship the Father on this mountain or in Jerusalem.  You Samaritans know very little about the one you worship, while we Jews know all about him, for salvation comes through the Jews.  But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way.

TRUTH
Mankind is desperately lost and cannot fix his/her broken relationship with God.  God has provided a way for mankind to be saved.  That is the way for us to go.  Ask Jesus to forgive us of our sin and make us righteous before the Father.  In Christ we have a relationship with God.  Without Christ we are dead in our trespasses and sin.

2/14            John 4:24
For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.”

TRUTH
Jesus is the truth.  He is the only way to the Father.  In Christ we have an entre into the family of God.  Jesus is our savior.  The Good News for us is that Jesus lived a perfect life, suffered for our sin, died to pay the price of our sin and was raised from the dead by the power the power of God.  Jesus reigns as the King of kings and Lord of Lords.  Jesus loves you.

2/15            John 4:25
The woman said, “I know the Messiah is coming—the one who is called Christ. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.”

OUTSIDERS
Outsiders always have a potential attitude.  Things aren’t their fault.  Everything will be fixed then.  They have very little recognition of the now.  A Christ centered life is a now life.  I recognize my responsibility as a child of the King.  Do the next right thing and do it now.

2/16            John 4:26
Then Jesus told her, “I Am the Messiah!”

LOST
The lost are dead in their trespasses and sin.  They cannot see spiritual truth.  Jesus is standing before this woman and she doesn’t even recognize Him.  Be careful how you live your life.  You nor I want to miss an opportunity for interaction with Christ the Lord.

2/17            John 4:27
Just then his disciples came back. They were shocked to find him talking to a woman, but none of them had the nerve to ask, “What do you want with her?” or “Why are you talking to her?”

SHEEP
All of us have gone astray like a flock of sheep.  We fail to ask the right questions to our own hurt.  We do not experience the fullness of Christ in our daily life.  What do you want me to do Jesus?  That is the question.

2/18            John 4:28-30
The woman left her water jar beside the well and ran back to the village, telling everyone, “Come and see a man who told me everything I ever did! Could he possibly be the Messiah?”  So the people came streaming from the village to see him.

RECOGNITION
When we see Jesus it will change the way we act and the way we live.  We are no longer living a life of uncertainty.  In Christ we have eternal life and a certain job that we are to be about.  Talk with Jesus.  Are you living the way you should?

2/19            John 4:31-33
Meanwhile, the disciples were urging Jesus, “Rabbi, eat something.”  But Jesus replied, “I have a kind of food you know nothing about.”  “Did someone bring him food while we were gone?” the disciples asked each other.

FOOLISH
Even His disciples didn’t connect the dots.  They really didn’t understand who Jesus was.  Do you understand that Jesus is the Son of God and that He is alive and living in His children here on earth.  He is our elder brother and He gives us His righteousness.  Isaiah 64:4-9 tells us that “all our righteousness is like filthy rags.”   We are saved by His work and His righteousness.

2/20            John 4:34-36
Then Jesus explained: “My nourishment comes from doing the will of God, who sent me, and from finishing his work.  You know the saying, ‘Four months between planting and harvest.’ But I say, wake up and look around. The fields are already ripe[e] for harvest.  The harvesters are paid good wages, and the fruit they harvest is people brought to eternal life. What joy awaits both the planter and the harvester alike!

FOCUS
Our leader Jesus gives us a model to follow for a growing and strong Christian lifestyle-focus on the Lord.  We don’t think about Jesus when we are in trouble, we think about Him all the time.  He is our constant companion.

2/21            John 4:37-38
You know the saying, ‘One plants and another harvests.’ And it’s true.  I sent you to harvest where you didn’t plant; others had already done the work, and now you will get to gather the harvest.”

WORK
There is no limit to the amount of good we can do if it doesn’t matter who gets the credit.  All that I do I do for the glory and honor of the Lord Jesus.  He is God’s everything.  Without Jesus we can do nothing at all.  In Christ we will live, grow and multiply for we will properly represent Him at every opportunity.

2/22            John 4:39-41
Many Samaritans from the village believed in Jesus because the woman had said, “He told me everything I ever did!”  When they came out to see him, they begged him to stay in their village. So he stayed for two days, long enough for many more to hear his message and believe.

WISDOM
The wisdom of God is to know Jesus.  He is our Savior and brings real life and light into our lives.  Jesus is the Messiah and He came so that we might have life.  Think about Jesus and what He means to you.  When the people saw the change in the woman at the well they knew that they wanted that kind of change in their life.

2/23            John 4:42
Then they said to the woman, “Now we believe, not just because of what you told us, but because we have heard him ourselves. Now we know that he is indeed the Savior of the world.”

KNOW
A relationship with Jesus is a personal relationship.  There are no grandchildren in the family of God.  We must come to the point where we too can say that we have heard but now we know that Jesus is Lord and Savior.

2/24            John 4:43
At the end of the two days, Jesus went on to Galilee.

MINISTRY
Most of the ministry of Jesus was in the Galilee.  He was a country person and He loved to be in the small towns around the Sea of Galilee.  Now He was again returning to Galilee.  He knew His course and that there was little time left to complete His work here on earth.  Just a thought, if the Son of God was moving with purpose and meaning maybe that is the way we should be living.  Our focus should be on the task the Lord has assigned us.  Busy about His work.

2/25            John 4:44-45
He himself had said that a prophet is not honored in his own hometown.  Yet the Galileans welcomed him, for they had been in Jerusalem at the Passover celebration and had seen everything he did there.

PEOPLE
People have such short memories.  Even the best of us seldom have pure intentions for people are selfish, self-centered beings.  All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.  Let Jesus come into your heart and your life.  Live for Him and with Him.  Bend your knee to the Lord.

2/26            John 4:46-48
As he traveled through Galilee, he came to Cana, where he had turned the water into wine. There was a government official in nearby Capernaum whose son was very sick.  When he heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went and begged Jesus to come to Capernaum to heal his son, who was about to die.

Jesus asked, “Will you never believe in me unless you see miraculous signs and wonders?”

BELIEVE
Lord I believe, help my unbelief.  This government official knew that Jesus could save His son and He came to find Jesus and to get Him to come to Capernaum to heal his boy.  Jesus began pointing out His character and nature-He didn’t come to just work extraordinary works so that we might be impressed.  He came to die for me and you and He was already beginning His march to the Cross.  The miracles Jesus worked were small things compared to the work He did for humanity by dying on the cross in Jerusalem and being resurrected by the power of God.

2/27            John 4:49-50
The official pleaded, “Lord, please come now before my little boy dies.”  Then Jesus told him, “Go back home. Your son will live!” And the man believed what Jesus said and started home.

BELIEVE
Do you believe in Jesus?  If you do you will begin a process of change this moment that will take you the rest of your life consummate.  You can live a life totally committed to Jesus.  So many are needed to tell the world about Jesus, will you?

2/28            John 4:51-54
While the man was on his way, some of his servants met him with the news that his son was alive and well.  He asked them when the boy had begun to get better, and they replied, “Yesterday afternoon at one o’clock his fever suddenly disappeared!”  Then the father realized that that was the very time Jesus had told him, “Your son will live.” And he and his entire household believed in Jesus.  This was the second miraculous sign Jesus did in Galilee after coming from Judea.

ANYTHING
Jesus can do anything.  He can equip us to serve as His co-worker in this world.  Jesus will help you to be just like the Father created you to be.  Be strong in the Lord and in His might and Jesus will work with you to become more like Him.  People need to always be growing into Christ-likeness.  I plan to keep doing this.  Join with me and let’s serve the Lord together.

01/01          John 2:1-2
The next day Jesus’ mother was a guest at a wedding celebration in the village of Cana in Galilee.  Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the celebration.

MARY
Mary loved her son and was willing to listen to Him even when she didn’t understand what was happening.  When you love Jesus you obey Him.  What are you doing that Jesus has directed you to quit doing?  What are you not doing that Jesus has called you over and over to do?  Do it and you will be changed.

01/02          John 2:3-5
The wine supply ran out during the festivities, so Jesus’ mother spoke to him about the problem. “They have no more wine,” she told him.  “How does that concern you and me?” Jesus asked. “My time has not yet come.”  But his mother told the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”

MARY
Again Mary believes her son and does what He has asked her to do.  The end result is amazing and far beyond what anyone had though about.  Jesus is announcing His arrival as a change agent in the world.  He changes us from dead without Christ to alive in Christ Jesus.

01/03          John 2:6-9
Six stone water pots were standing there; they were used for Jewish ceremonial purposes and held twenty to thirty gallons each.  Jesus told the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” When the jars had been filled to the brim, he said, “Dip some out and take it to the master of ceremonies.” So they followed his instructions.  When the master of ceremonies tasted the water that was now wine, not knowing where it had come from (though, of course, the servants knew), he called the bridegroom over.

AMAZED
The servants were amazed.  They knew who had done this.  This first miracle is significant of the rest of His ministry.  Jesus is always changing the good to best, the worst to excellent, a failure to victory.  Jesus is alive and He is here with us even now.

01/04          John 2:10-11
“Usually a host serves the best wine first,” he said. “Then, when everyone is full and doesn’t care, he brings out the less expensive wines. But you have kept the best until now!”  This miraculous sign at Cana in Galilee was Jesus’ first display of his glory. And his disciples believed in him.

JESUS
Jesus will help us deliver a life that glorifies the Lord until the day we crossover into heaven.  Our life is but a mist.  We are here and gone.  But when we leave we are going to be with Jesus.  Rejoice about your unique and valuable life.  Jesus died for you.

01/05          John 2:12
After the wedding he went to Capernaum for a few days with his mother, his brothers, and his disciples.

JESUS
Capernaum, the hometown of Jesus was only 20 miles from Cana so it was an easy walk.  This was a relaxed time for Jesus and His disciples.  This was a time of rest before they would head to Jerusalem.  We all need rest.  Even the Son of God had to take a bit of a rest.  An old saying says that exhaustion makes cowards of us all.  Be careful with your life and get enough rest or you may find your self overwhelmed by the world.

01/06          John 2:13
It was time for the annual Passover celebration, and Jesus went to Jerusalem.

JERUSALEM
The entire land bustled with activity getting ready for the Passover.  The roads were congested.  It was a festive time of year.  Jesus was going to Jerusalem.  Everything Jesus did was preceded by fervent prayer.  We know He prayed about this trip and was ready for the things that He would face.  Have you prayed about your day?  I know we often think our lives are unimportant but that isn’t true.  Jesus places great value on you and your life.  He died for you.  He has a plan for you life and you will need to spend time with Him in prayer to know each day how to deal with that day.  Stay on track.  Spend time with Jesus.

01/07          John 2:14
In the Temple area he saw merchants selling cattle, sheep, and doves for sacrifices; and he saw money changers behind their counters.

JESUS
This made Jesus angry.  I suspect that you like me have sometimes felt that we were angry for the Lord.  Somebody offends the church and we might be ready to jump back at them.  Did you spend time with Jesus today?  Do you know how Jesus would have you react?  Make sure you are on solid ground when you get angry for the Lord.

01/08          John 2:15-16
Jesus made a whip from some ropes and chased them all out of the Temple. He drove out the sheep and oxen, scattered the money changers’ coins over the floor, and turned over their tables.  Then, going over to the people who sold doves, he told them, “Get these things out of here. Don’t turn my Father’s house into a marketplace!”

MERCHANTS
These merchants were crooks and scalawags.  They charged usurious fees, extorted money from the people, sold unclean animals at exorbitant prices, had kickback arrangements with the religious leaders and many other evil things that were besmirching the House of God: the Temple.  Jesus knew this and demanded that these evil ones immediately leave the Temple area.  Remember the importance of bringing a clean heart before the Lord.  Our faith isn’t just another part of our busy lives, it is our life.

01/09          John 2:17
Then his disciples remembered this prophecy from the Scriptures: “Passion for God’s house burns within me.”

JESUS
Jesus was totally committed to the Father.  He spent the time He needed with the Father to live a perfect life.  We too can live a perfect life before God but we cannot do it without devoting ourselves to the Lord.

01/10          John 2:18
“What right do you have to do these things?” the Jewish leaders demanded. “If you have this authority from God, show us a miraculous sign to prove it.”

MIRACLE
Always the people wanted a miracle.  Jesus had already done so many miracles.  One more miracle on demand wouldn’t change how these leaders thought.  They hated Jesus.  We must be careful not to think that we can’t do anything for the Lord because we can’t do miracles.    Miracles don’t change people, Jesus does.  Tell them about Jesus.  We do not have to fear anyone.  If God is for us who can be against us?

01/11          John 2:19
“All right,” Jesus replied. “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”

TRUTH
Jesus always told the truth.  Even if the people didn’t want to hear the truth Christ told the truth.  We should examine our conversations.  Are we committed to telling the truth or just to tell a convenient word?  Speak the truth with kindness.

01/12          John 2:20
“What!” they exclaimed. “It took forty-six years to build this Temple, and you can do it in three days?”

VISION
We are so limited in our wisdom and knowledge.  Even the most brilliant of us knows so very little about our universe.  Jesus created all things and knows all things.  We can have fellowship with Him.  He will tell us what we need to know for our daily life.

01/13          John 2:21-22
But by “this temple,” Jesus meant his body.  After he was raised from the dead, the disciples remembered that he had said this. And they believed both Jesus and the Scriptures.

SACRIFICE
Jesus gave His life as a sacrifice for us.  He died in our stead.  Think today about the magnitude of His sacrifice for you.  Remember when you were dead in your trespasses and sin.  Can you imagine still being lost and away from God?  Thank Jesus today for His gift of life to you.

01/14          John 2:23
Because of the miraculous signs he did in Jerusalem at the Passover celebration, many people were convinced that he was indeed the Messiah.

SIGNS
Many folks think that if they saw a sign from Jesus that they would believe.  Faith is believing without seeing.  Christ was here and He died for us.  His sacrifice pays the price of our sin.  A miracle will not help us see that any better than the Word of God presents it to us now.

01/15          John 2:24
But Jesus didn’t trust them, because he knew what people were really like. No one needed to tell him about human nature.

PEOPLE
People are dead in their trespasses and sin.  Jesus is a choice.  Tragically too few choose Jesus.  Many choose to live fearful lives that testify to the meaninglessness of life without Christ.

01/16          John 3: 1-2
After dark one evening, a Jewish religious leader named Nicodemus, a Pharisee, came to speak with Jesus. “Teacher,” he said, “we all know that God has sent you to teach us. Your miraculous signs are proof enough that God is with you.”

PEOPLE
People do a lot of talking.  Sometimes they even talk just to hear themselves talk.  Nicodemus was talking and not connecting.  He was on the fence.  He wanted to believe in Jesus but he didn’t.  Make sure you aren’t sitting on the fence waiting for another miracle to bolster your belief.  Believe in Jesus.

01/17          John 3: 3
Jesus replied, “I assure you, unless you are born again, you can never see the Kingdom of God.”

JESUS
Jesus knew what was in the heart of Nicodemus.  He got straight to the point-Nicodemus until you believe we can’t talk.  His point went right over Nicodemus’ head.  Lest you believe you will not have the life and light to discuss spiritual things.  Believe in Jesus and you will be saved.

01/18          John 3: 4
“What do you mean?” exclaimed Nicodemus. “How can an old man go back into his mother’s womb and be born again?”

JESUS
Jesus was speaking plainly and Nicodemus was just not getting it.  People too often just don’t get it.  They want to decide how they are going to develop a relationship with God.  They want their way.  There is only one way to the Father and that is through Jesus Christ the Lord.

01/19          John 3: 5-6
Jesus replied, “The truth is, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit.  Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives new life from heaven.

LINE
We cannot cross the line from human life to spiritual life except through Jesus Christ.  Christ gives us new life.  Holy Spirit life comes from Jesus and is a gift that we can receive by believing in Him.

01/20          John 3: 7-8
So don’t be surprised at my statement that you must be born again.  Just as you can hear the wind but can’t tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can’t explain how people are born of the Spirit.”

SPIRIT
We are not in control.  Try as we might our life is at the mercy of time.  Pain, sorrow, loss and other things that plague us happen and we are helpless to stop them.  What we can do is accept Christ as Lord and He will give us new life.  That new life will equip us to deal with all of the ups and downs of life and a solid foundation to overcome that vagaries and frustrations of life.  Life in Christ is a life that is under the control of the Lord.

01/21          John 3: 9
“What do you mean?” Nicodemus asked.

DEAD
Nicodemus did not have spiritual life.  He may have gotten it later but at this point he was lost.  Christ had already outlined what new life meant and how the Lord was willing to freely give this new life.  Anytime you talk with someone that is lost they will not understand what you are talking about when you talk about spiritual things.  They may know the right answers but if they don’t know Jesus they don’t have spiritual life.

01/22           John 3:10-15
Jesus replied, “You are a respected Jewish teacher, and yet you don’t understand these things?  I assure you, I am telling you what we know and have seen, and yet you won’t believe us.  But if you don’t even believe me when I tell you about things that happen here on earth, how can you possibly believe if I tell you what is going on in heaven?  For only I, the Son of Man, have come to earth and will return to heaven again.  And as Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the wilderness, so I, the Son of Man, must be lifted up on a pole, so that everyone who believes in me will have eternal life.

POWER
Jesus has the power to give us new life, eternal life, that is like the life that He has.  We can come into the family of God and be a partner together with Jesus sharing the Good news.  This is a choice that we have to make.

01/23          John 3:16
“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

LIFE
God’s Word to you is that you can have eternal life.  This life is in the Lord Jesus and we can only have it by faith in Him.  Listen to the Word of God and if you don’t know Jesus ask Him into your heart today.

01/24          John 3:17-18
God did not send his Son into the world to condemn it, but to save it.  “There is no judgment awaiting those who trust him. But those who do not trust him have already been judged for not believing in the only Son of God.

TRUST
Trust is a choice.  Do I believe God and accept His gift or do I think that I can do it myself?  Trust God.  Learn about Him.  Spend time with Him and rejoice.

01/25          John 3:19-21
Their judgment is based on this fact: The light from heaven came into the world, but they loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil.   They hate the light because they want to sin in the darkness. They stay away from the light for fear their sins will be exposed and they will be punished.  But any who do what is right come to the light gladly, so everyone can see that they are doing what God wants.”

LIGHT
Jesus Christ is the light of the world.  We can choose to accept Him as Lord and Savior.  But many people refuse to bend the knee to Christ.  They are arrogant and stubborn thinking that they can provide for themselves.  This is tragic.  We cannot demand that God do things our way.

01/26          John 3:22-23
Afterward Jesus and his disciples left Jerusalem, but they stayed in Judea for a while and baptized there.  At this time John the Baptist was baptizing at Aenon, near Salim, because there was plenty of water there and people kept coming to him for baptism.

JESUS
Jesus knew everything that was happening.  He bent His will to the will of the Father and proceeded to do those things that would take Him straight to the cross.  The Lord knows what you are struggling with and what you will struggle with in the future.  He is seeking time with you so that He can equip you to accomplish your plan that the Father has laid out for you.  Spend time with Jesus.

01/27          John 3:24-26
This was before John was put into prison.  At that time a certain Jew began an argument with John’s disciples over ceremonial cleansing.  John’s disciples came to him and said, “Teacher, the man you met on the other side of the Jordan River, the one you said was the Messiah, is also baptizing people. And everybody is going over there instead of coming here to us.”

JOHN
No one was greater than John.  Jesus paid him a high accomplishment.  John simply wanted to do those things that were pleasing to the Father.  He did.  We might say no but the truth is that John did exactly what the Father called him to do and he gave his life to do it.

01/28          John 3:27
John replied, “God in heaven appoints each person’s work.

VALUE
God assigns each one of us work to do.  We choose whether we will accept His assignment.  His personal attention to our life gives us value.  Each one of us has significant value and as a creation of His we have built in value.  Next time you are feeling like a failure or feeling lonely and blue remember God loves you.

01/29          John 3:28-31
You yourselves know how plainly I told you that I am not the Messiah. I am here to prepare the way for him – that is all.  The bride will go where the bridegroom is. A bridegroom’s friend rejoices with him. I am the bridegroom’s friend, and I am filled with joy at his success.  He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less.  “He has come from above and is greater than anyone else. I am of the earth, and my understanding is limited to the things of earth, but he has come from heaven.

WISDOM
Wisdom comes from God.  It is an insight that we cannot learn by study but instead is a step from known to known through the unknown.  John spoke as directed by the Spirit of God.  We now have knowledge as a result of the wisdom given by God to John so that we would hear proclamation that Jesus came to us from the Father.

01/30          John 3:32-34
He tells what he has seen and heard, but how few believe what he tells them!  Those who believe him discover that God is true.  For he is sent by God. He speaks God’s words, for God’s Spirit is upon him without measure or limit.

JESUS
Jesus said that we would have the opportunity to have a greater ministry than He had.  We only have to obey the Father and trust Him to do the kind of ministry that Jesus did.  He healed the sick, raised the dead, loved the poor and the down and out and He was always careful to do all those things that gave glory to God.  Go and do likewise.

01/31          John 3:35-36
The Father loves his Son, and he has given him authority over everything.  And all who believe in God’s Son have eternal life. Those who don’t obey the Son will never experience eternal life, but the wrath of God remains upon them.”

OBEY
Obey Jesus.  Do what He says.  Live the way He lived.  Get to know Him better each day.  Obey Jesus.

12/1            John 1:1
In the beginning the Word already existed. He was with God, and he was God.

GOD
Jesus is God.  He is totally God and totally man.  Divine and human in every respect; and He is totally able to understand the pain and suffering that mankind experiences.  When you pray to Jesus you are praying to God.  When you spend time with Jesus you are spending time with God.  Jesus Christ is the Lord God.

12/2            John 1:2-3
He was in the beginning with God.  He created everything there is. Nothing exists that he didn’t make.

GOD
Jesus is the creative activity of God.  He is God and He created everything.  We cannot exist without Jesus.  His blessings cover those who are saved and those who are lost, He is God’s everything.

12/3            John 1:4-5
Life itself was in him, and this life gives light to everyone.  The light shines through the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.

LIFE
Jesus brings us life.  His life covers us and fills us with life.  What are you struggling with?  Christ will bring real life to your troubles and woes.  Sit with Him and express yourself.  Christ will change the way you see yourself and the way you see your struggles.  Often He will give us an immediate change of heart.  Sometimes it will take a bit of time for everything to work through to us.  Jesus is bigger than anything that challenges us.

12/4            John 1:6-9
God sent John the Baptist to tell everyone about the light so that everyone might believe because of his testimony.  John himself was not the light; he was only a witness to the light.  The one who is the true light, who gives light to everyone, was going to come into the world.

JESUS
Jesus is foretold and forth told.  John the Baptist tells one and all that HE is coming.  I want you to know that Christ has come and He came that you and me would have eternal life beginning right now.  Nothing can separate us from His love, nothing can condemn us and we do have the right to claim all of His promises for our life each day!  Jesus is Lord.

12/5            John 1:10
But although the world was made through him, the world didn’t recognize him when he came.

ALWAYS
The preexistent Christ created everything there is and His greatest creation, mankind, denies His existence.  That is just unbelievable that the world will claim darkness over Jesus.  You have chosen Christ.  Believe in Him and know that He has you on His heart this very moment.  Jesus loves you.

12/6            John 1:11
Even in his own land and among his own people, he was not accepted.

SAW
They saw His miracles.  They heard Him teach.  They walked with Him many places in the land.  But they didn’t believe Him.  Jesus was just another person to them.  Believe in Him and He will give you life.  There is nothing complex about that.  Trust in the Lord and He will be with you.

12/7            John 1:12
But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God.

CHILDREN
We belong to Him and as a result of believing in Him we have become children of God.  We belong to the KING, the Lord High God.  Rejoice in Him and accept His peace and your life will be useful and useable.

12/8            John 1:13
They are reborn! This is not a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan – this rebirth comes from God.

SPIRIT
By the power of the Lord, His Spirit, we are given a spiritual birth.  We have a difficult time understanding this birth but we know and we experience it.  The comes alive to us because we are a part of the Family of God and now hear the Spirit speak to us in the Word of God.  That Word is alive and is to us.  We hear Him as He speaks to us and know Him as Lord and Savior.

12/9            John 1:14
So the Word became human and lived here on earth among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the only Son of the Father.

JESUS
The Darling Son of the Lord is our elder brother.  Jesus is alive.  He lives in us.  He lives to guide us.  His concern for us even transcends our own concern because Jesus knows what we will face.  When tragedy or challenge strikes Jesus will stand together with you.  The Lord Jesus wants to be totally involved in your life.

12/10          John 1:15
John pointed him out to the people. He shouted to the crowds, “This is the one I was talking about when I said, ‘Someone is coming who is far greater than I am, for he existed long before I did.'”

JESUS
John knew.  He knew because the Spirit revealed Christ to him.  You know if you have accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior.  The Lord has come to us and one day He is coming back to claim His bride and His children.

12/11          John 1:16-17
We have all benefited from the rich blessings he brought to us – one gracious blessing after another.  For the law was given through Moses; God’s unfailing love and faithfulness came through Jesus Christ.

GRACE
The sun is not diminished by shining.  Grace pours out of Christ, grace upon grace and is not diminished by the amount of grace given to each one of us.  He is gracious and provides bountiful grace.  His precious grace gives us what we need and cannot earn.  Jesus the Lord provides each one of us exactly what we need.  His grace is more than we ever expect and far greater than what we need.

12/12          John 1:18
No one has ever seen God. But his only Son, who is himself God, is near to the Father’s heart; he has told us about him.

GOD
The more fully you see grace the greater grace becomes.  God is always ahead of us and we can never outrun His grace.  The greatness of Christ’s love explains the greatness of the Father’s love.  The Lord has come and dwelt among us and we are blessed by His presence.

12/12          John 1:18
No one has ever seen God. But his only Son, who is himself God, is near to the Father’s heart; he has told us about him.

GOD
The more fully you see grace the greater grace becomes.  God is always ahead of us and we can never outrun His grace.  The greatness of Christ’s love explains the greatness of the Father’s love.  The Lord has come and dwelt among us and we are blessed by His presence.

12/13          John 1:19-23
This was the testimony of John when the Jewish leaders sent priests and Temple assistants from Jerusalem to ask John whether he claimed to be the Messiah.  He flatly denied it. “I am not the Messiah,” he said.  “Well then, who are you?” they asked. “Are you Elijah?””No,” he replied.”Are you the Prophet?” “No.”  “Then who are you? Tell us, so we can give an answer to those who sent us. What do you have to say about yourself?”  John replied in the words of Isaiah: “I am a voice shouting in the wilderness, ‘Prepare a straight pathway for the Lord’s coming!'”

VOICE
John the Baptist was a voice.  He submitted himself to God and let the Lord speak thru him to the people.  He prophesied the coming Messiah.  He lived His live in submission to God and was used by the Lord to tell people that Jesus was coming.  One more step in the fulfillment of the prophecies predicting that Messiah would come.  John the Baptist was a workmen clearing a road for the coming Lord.

12/14          John 1:24-27
Then those who were sent by the Pharisees  asked him, “If you aren’t the Messiah or Elijah or the Prophet, what right do you have to baptize?”  John told them, “I baptize with water, but right here in the crowd is someone you do not know, who will soon begin his ministry. I am not even worthy to be his slave. ”

NOTHING
I am nothing but Jesus, Jesus is everything.  Jesus is God’s everything.  He is Lord and ruler of all things.  Creator God, loving Messiah, Savior of Mankind, the Lord Jesus Christ is the one and only son of God sent to save us from our sin.

12/15          John 1:28-29
This incident took place at Bethany, a village east of the Jordan River, where John was baptizing. The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look! There is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!

JESUS
Have you got problems today?  Do they seem insoluble?  Can you not see your way through to a solution to your problem?  Take it to Jesus.  He loves you and will stand with you to work through this problem.  God has a plan for your life.  He has called you to become a member of His family.  Trust the Lord.  Believe in Jesus and He will save you.

12/16          John 1:30-31
He is the one I was talking about when I said, ‘Soon a man is coming who is far greater than I am, for he existed long before I did.’  I didn’t know he was the one, but I have been baptizing with water in order to point him out to Israel.”

JESUS
God has provided a solution to your deepest need.  Jesus is the solution.  Jesus is the way, the truth and the life.  Jesus loves you.  Surrender your heart to Christ for He cares for you.  Believe in Jesus and He will never depart from you.

12/17          John 1:32-35
Then John said, “I saw the Holy Spirit descending like a dove from heaven and resting upon him.  I didn’t know he was the one, but when God sent me to baptize with water, he told me, ‘When you see the Holy Spirit descending and resting upon someone, he is the one you are looking for. He is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’  I saw this happen to Jesus, so I testify that he is the Son of God. ”

JESUS
Jesus Christ is Lord of all.  He reconnects us with the Father.  John attested to who Jesus was, Jesus was the Son of God.  He is beloved by the Father and He loves us.  Feeling blue?  Spend time with Jesus and He will help you.

12/18          John 1:35-36
The following day, John was again standing with two of his disciples.  As Jesus walked by, John looked at him and then declared, “Look! There is the Lamb of God!”

JESUS
He is the sacrificial lamb for my sin and your sin.  He is the sacrifice for everyone who has ever lived.  We are given the right to choose Jesus.  He has already chosen us.  If no one else has ever given you the right to choose which way you should go, Jesus has.  Jesus would that each one of us have an abundant life.  Sin and evil get in the way and drag us away from doing those things that benefit us.  Jesus always has our best interests at heart.  He died for us so that we might have the right of free choice.

12/19          John 1:37-39
Then John’s two disciples turned and followed Jesus.  Jesus looked around and saw them following. “What do you want?” he asked them. They replied, “Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are you staying?”  “Come and see,” he said. It was about four o’clock in the afternoon when they went with him to the place, and they stayed there the rest of the day.

JESUS
Jesus is looking for followers who will follow Him and not something else.  The Lord is single minded and single focused.  We cannot serve Him and everything else we find in our lives We must choose whom we will follow, Jesus or self.

12/20          John 1:40
Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of these men who had heard what John said and then followed Jesus.

JESUS
It was very clear to those He would call to follow Him who He was.  Jesus was different than the ordinary person.  He was devoted to the Father and was concerned for the weak.  Later Peter testified that He was the Messiah.  Who do you think Jesus is?  If you believe that He is the Messiah then Jesus will change your life.

12/21          John 1:41
The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother, Simon, and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means the Christ).

JESUS
Jesus was fully man and fully God.  We don’t understand exactly what that means but we know what it means to us.  Jesus knows all about me and He still loves me.

12/22          John 1:42
Then Andrew brought Simon to meet Jesus. Looking intently at Simon, Jesus said, “You are Simon, the son of John – but you will be called Cephas” (which means Peter).

JESUS
Jesus knows us from the inside out.  What are you not discussing with the Lord?  Take time now to discuss it and you will discover that the Lord has a plan for you.  Are you troubled?  Take it to Jesus and He will deal with your trouble.  Whatever your need is take it to Jesus.

12/23          Matthew 2:1-8
Jesus was born in the town of Bethlehem in Judea, during the reign of King Herod. About that time some wise men from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem, asking, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We have seen his star as it arose, and we have come to worship him.”  Herod was deeply disturbed by their question, as was all of Jerusalem.  He called a meeting of the leading priests and teachers of religious law. “Where did the prophets say the Messiah would be born?” he asked them.  “In Bethlehem,” they said, “for this is what the prophet wrote: ‘O Bethlehem of Judah, you are not just a lowly village in Judah, for a ruler will come from you who will be the shepherd for my people Israel.’ ”  Then Herod sent a private message to the wise men, asking them to come see him. At this meeting he learned the exact time when they first saw the star.  Then he told them, “Go to Bethlehem and search carefully for the child. And when you find him, come back and tell me so that I can go and worship him, too!”

MAGI
Wise men from the east came to see the baby Jesus.  Go to Jesus and talk with Him about your need.  Do it now not later.

12/24          Matthew 2:9-12
After this interview the wise men went their way. Once again the star appeared to them, guiding them to Bethlehem. It went ahead of them and stopped over the place where the child was.  When they saw the star, they were filled with joy!  They entered the house where the child and his mother, Mary, were, and they fell down before him and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.  But when it was time to leave, they went home another way, because God had warned them in a dream not to return to Herod.

MAGI
Wise men were elated to find Jesus.  When we come to the Lord Jesus we are blessed with joy and peace.  If you have lost your joy and peace go back to Jesus and you will get it back.

12/25          Luke 2:1-8
At that time the Roman emperor, Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire.  (This was the first census taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria.)  All returned to their own towns to register for this census.  And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee.  He took with him Mary, his fiancée, who was obviously pregnant by this time.  And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born.  She gave birth to her first child, a son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the village inn.

MANGER
The Lord of glory was born in an animal trough in a cave in Bethlehem.  What difficulties have you shackled?  Take it to Jesus; He knows how to handle hardship and difficulty.

12/26          Luke 2:8-20
That night some shepherds were in the fields outside the village, guarding their flocks of sheep.  Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terribly frightened, but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news of great joy for everyone!  The Savior – yes, the Messiah, the Lord – has been born tonight in Bethlehem, the city of David!  And this is how you will recognize him: You will find a baby lying in a manger, wrapped snugly in strips of cloth!”   Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others – the armies of heaven – praising God: “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to all whom God favors. ”  When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Come on, let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this wonderful thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”  They ran to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger.  Then the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child.  All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished, but Mary quietly treasured these things in her heart and thought about them often.  The shepherds went back to their fields and flocks, glorifying and praising God for what the angels had told them, and because they had seen the child, just as the angel had said.

SHEPHERDS
Tough, ingenious men faced unbelievable difficulties on a daily basis to take care of their sheep.  The Lord cares for you.  He will not turn you away and will keep you from stumbling.  Spend time with the Lord and He will direct your path.

12/27          John 1:43-44
The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Come, be my disciple.”  Philip was from Bethsaida, Andrew and Peter’s hometown.

JESUS
Christ knew each person He was calling to follow Him.  Have you heard His call?  Are you following Him?  What will it take for you to follow Jesus?  Choose this day who you will follow, self or Christ.

12/28          John 1:45-46
Philip went off to look for Nathanael and told him, “We have found the very person Moses and the prophets wrote about! His name is Jesus, the son of Joseph from Nazareth.”  “Nazareth!” exclaimed Nathanael. “Can anything good come from there?” “Just come and see for yourself,” Philip said.

JESUS
Predicted in the Old Testament and recognized in the New Testament, Jesus is the Son of God.  We have a relationship with the Father because we have accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior.

12/29          John 1:47-48
As they approached, Jesus said, “Here comes an honest man – a true son of Israel.”  “How do you know about me?” Nathanael asked.And Jesus replied, “I could see you under the fig tree before Philip found you.”

JESUS
Jesus knows all about us.  He never forgets us nor does He ever leave us.  Rejoice today, Jesus is Lord and He is Lord of where we are.  Jesus fixes the broken things in our life.

12/30          John 1:49
Nathanael replied, “Teacher, you are the Son of God – the King of Israel!”

JESUS
Wisdom comes from the Lord.  Nathanael speaks here under the influence of the Holy Spirit.  He is announcing the true King of Israel-Jesus Christ the Son of God.  We are not alone.  We are not at the mercy of the world.  Our background does not disqualify us.  Jesus changes everything and makes us children of God.

12/31          John 1:50-51
Jesus asked him, “Do you believe all this just because I told you I had seen you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than this.”  Then he said, “The truth is, you will all see heaven open and the angels of God going up and down upon the Son of Man.”

JESUS
We belong to the Lord.  Everything we have and all we are belongs to Him.  My responsibility is to love the Lord, love others and share with others what Jesus has done for me.  Evangelism is simply reporting what the Lord has done to me to everyone I know.  But first, I must learn to connect with others.  People won’t believe me until they trust me.

11/01          Psalm 66:1-2
Shout joyful praises to God, all the earth!  Sing about the glory of his name! Tell the world how glorious he is.

WONDERFUL
The Lord is wonderful!  He loves you and me.  He offers us salvation in Christ.  He seeks to have a relationship with us.  God is so great and glorious beyond anything we can think or see.  The Lord is mighty to save and glorious.

11/02          Psalm 66:3-4
Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds! Your enemies cringe before your mighty power.  Everything on earth will worship you; they will sing your praises, shouting your name in glorious songs.”

WONDERFUL
How wonderful is the Lord!  He is mighty and loving and caring-the eternal Lord of all things cares about us.  He is seeking that we might know Him.  Jesus is Lord and He cares about us.  The Lord is good and His plans are perfect.  In Him is the Godhead bodily.  Our God is a great God!

11/03          Psalm 66:5-7
Come and see what our God has done, what awesome miracles he does for his people!  He made a dry path through the Red Sea, and his people went across on foot. Come; let us rejoice in who he is.  For by his great power he rules forever. He watches every movement of the nations; let no rebel rise in defiance.

MIRACULOUS
Our God is a great God who cares about every aspect of our life.  Trouble, talk with God.  Fear, ask for His healing.  Change me Lord, first change me before I trouble you with my petty peeves and selfishness.  The Lord is good and He will bring good into our life.

11/04          Psalm 66:8-12
Let the whole world bless our God and sing aloud his praises.  Our lives are in his hands, and he keeps our feet from stumbling.  You have tested us, O God; you have purified us like silver melted in a crucible.  You captured us in your net and laid the burden of slavery on our backs.  You sent troops to ride across our broken bodies. We went through fire and flood. But you brought us to a place of great abundance.

REPENTANCE
The Lord is calling us to change.  Change from our selfishness to care for the orphan and widow.  Change that your days may be long with the Lord.  Today is the day you give all of your self to the Lord.  Ask Him to lead, guide and direct your life every day and all days.

11/05          Psalm 66:13-15
Now I come to your Temple with burnt offerings to fulfill the vows I made to you –  yes, the sacred vows you heard me make when I was in deep trouble.  That is why I am sacrificing burnt offerings to you – the best of my rams as a pleasing aroma. And I will sacrifice bulls and goats.

OFFERING
An offering is part of the ceremony in the temple.  They bring their offering as an attempt on their part to please God.  He says that it pleases Him for us to accept Jesus.  He says it pleases Him when we follow Jesus.  He prefers our obedience over an offering.  A relationship with us is what the Lord is seeking.

11/06          Psalm 66:16-17
Come and listen, all you who fear God, and I will tell you what he did for me. For I cried out to him for help, praising him as I spoke.

HELP
God will help us if we ask.  The Lord does not force Himself on us.  Today ask Him to help you.  We need help for the choices we make in life.  Jesus will give you the help you need.  We need help to discern the right way to go in our life.  Jesus will give us step by step guidance.  Ask Him for help today.

11/07          Psalm 66:18-20
If I had not confessed the sin in my heart, my Lord would not have listened.  But God did listen! He paid attention to my prayer.  Praise God, who did not ignore my prayer and did not withdraw his unfailing love from me.

CONFESSION
We need to recognize that we are sinners.  We are in need of forgiveness.  Lord I need your help today.  If we are willing to acknowledge our sin the Lord will forgive us of that sin.  Speak with Him now and ask Him to forgive you of your sin.  Confession clears our mind and opens us up to cleansing from the Lord.

11/08          Mark 9:1
Jesus went on to say, “I assure you that some of you standing here right now will not die before you see the Kingdom of God arrive in great power!”

JESUS
Jesus is alive and well and lives in each believer.  If you have asked Jesus into your heart He is at work guiding you in your daily life.  Spend time with Him.  Talk with Him.  Let His activity in your life control you every day.

11/09           Mark 9:2-3
Six days later Jesus took Peter, James, and John to the top of a mountain. No one else was there. As the men watched, Jesus’ appearance changed, and his clothing became dazzling white, far whiter than any earthly process could ever make it.

JESUS
Jesus seeks to develop our understanding of Him.  It takes quiet times; prayer and obedience to change so that we are more like Jesus every day.  Our goal is to be as much like Jesus as we can be by the time we go to be with Him.  On that day our aim is to hear “well done.”

11/10          Mark 9:4-6
Then Elijah and Moses appeared and began talking with Jesus.  “Teacher, this is wonderful!” Peter exclaimed. “We will make three shrines – one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”  He didn’t really know what to say, for they were all terribly afraid.

JESUS
How should we pray?  Peter shouldn’t have spoken.  What can I pray about?  We can talk with Jesus about anything.  He will correct and guide us in pray.  Talk with Him.  Jesus is Lord.

11/11          Mark 9:7-8
Then a cloud came over them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.”  Suddenly they looked around, and Moses and Elijah were gone, and only Jesus was with them.

JESUS
Jesus is God’s everything.  We start with Jesus; He is the way, the truth and the life.  We grow with Jesus, He is our guide.  We go home to be with Jesus.  He is everything we need for a growing, eternal relationship with the Father.

11/12          Mark 9:9
As they descended the mountainside, he told them not to tell anyone what they had seen until he, the Son of Man, had risen from the dead.

JESUS
Jesus came to die for our sin.  He knew it and willingly did it.  He died for you and for me before we knew Him.  Today spend a few extra minutes with Him.  Let Him know your problems and share your joys.  Pray for those suffering around the world.  Get to know Jesus better because we will spend eternity with Him.

11/13          Mark 9:10
So they kept it to themselves, but they often asked each other what he meant by “rising from the dead.”

JESUS
Jesus arose from the dead by the power of the Father.  He was totally committed to doing the Father’s will.  I must never forget this picture of absolute submission to the will of God.  Jesus gave us a very simple picture of His absolute surrender-He died for us.  Am I, are you, willing to do God’s will today?  Doing anything less is a sin.

11/14          Mark 9:11
Now they began asking him, “Why do the teachers of religious law insist that Elijah must return before the Messiah comes?”

JESUS
Our best and brightest do not understand God.  We are finite creatures and therefore are not able to comprehend the infinite.  God came in the flesh and died for us.  That is a picture so that we might understand that He loves us.  Even then we cannot fully comprehend the magnitude of what the Lord has done.  Let Jesus bless you today.

11/15          Mark 9:12-13
Jesus responded, “Elijah is indeed coming first to set everything in order. Why then is it written in the Scriptures that the Son of Man must suffer and be treated with utter contempt?  But I tell you, Elijah has already come, and he was badly mistreated, just as the Scriptures predicted.”

JESUS
Jesus reveals the Father to us.  He also validates the prophecies in the Old Testament.  As we listen to His Words in Scripture He will equip us to live in and grow in Him in a pagan society.  The world destroys life.  Jesus values and builds life.

11/16          Mark 9:14
At the foot of the mountain they found a great crowd surrounding the other disciples, as some teachers of religious law were arguing with them.

RELIGION
We are not following religious leaders, we follow the risen Lord, Jesus Christ, our savior.  Our faith is alive and growing.  Christ is alive in us.  Let Jesus have control of your life and He will build new life into you.

11/17          Mark 9:15-16
The crowd watched Jesus in awe as he came toward them, and then they ran to greet him.  “What is all this arguing about?” he asked.

JESUS
We never surprise Jesus.  He knew what they were doing.  They learned so slowly, just like us.  Know this today, Jesus loves you and is seeking your best good.  Remember that.  Write it down.  If you believe this it will solve a lot of the problems you will face.

11/18          Mark 9:17-18
One of the men in the crowd spoke up and said, “Teacher, I brought my son for you to heal him. He can’t speak because he is possessed by an evil spirit that won’t let him talk.  And whenever this evil spirit seizes him, it throws him violently to the ground and makes him foam at the mouth and grind his teeth and become rigid.  So I asked your disciples to cast out the evil spirit, but they couldn’t do it.”

HEALING
Healing isn’t done through our power.  God always heals by His power.  When we are used by the Lord to heal someone it is because we are weak and He is strong.  If you need to be healed ask the Lord Jesus for that healing.  The Lord uses people that are surrendered to Him as His agent for His healing.

11/19          Mark 9:19
Jesus said to them, “You faithless people! How long must I be with you until you believe? How long must I put up with you? Bring the boy to me.”

BELIEVE
This is amazing but true.  Do you believe the Lord?  If you do then you can choose to have an abundant life.  You can choose to be used by God.  You and you alone are the decision point as to how much the Lord can use you.  Believe in Jesus and He will live in you and give you life.

11/20          Mark 9:20-22
So they brought the boy. But when the evil spirit saw Jesus, it threw the child into a violent convulsion, and he fell to the ground, writhing and foaming at the mouth.  “How long has this been happening?” Jesus asked the boy’s father. He replied, “Since he was very small.  The evil spirit often makes him fall into the fire or into water, trying to kill him. Have mercy on us and help us. Do something if you can.”

NEED
People need Jesus.  He was this man’s only hope.  When we exhaust every other avenue we will often turn to Jesus.  Today, turn to Jesus first with your need.  Talk with Him about it and what you should do.  When He tells you what to do, do it.

11/21          Mark 9:23-24
“What do you mean, ‘If I can’?” Jesus asked. “Anything is possible if a person believes.”  The father instantly replied, “I do believe, but help me not to doubt!”

HELP
We need help.  Even when we think we are doing fine we need help.  Jesus is our Lord and He will help us.  Spend time with Him today.  Tell Him what you need and take time to listen to Him.  He will tell you what to do.

11/22          Mark 9:25
When Jesus saw that the crowd of onlookers was growing, he rebuked the evil spirit. “Spirit of deafness and muteness,” he said, “I command you to come out of this child and never enter him again!”

JESUS
Jesus knows how we are and what we are.  He speaks to our need.  Too often we are sidetracked by our wants and the truth is it is our needs that we should be talking with Him about.  Jesus will help us to see clearly the difference between our needs and our wants.

11/23          Mark 9:26
Then the spirit screamed and threw the boy into another violent convulsion and left him. The boy lay there motionless, and he appeared to be dead. A murmur ran through the crowd, “He’s dead.”

HEALING
Non-believers do not accept the fact that the Lord will sometimes use healing to solve a person’s problems.  Healing is relegated to the realm of myth and mysticism.  The Lord can do anything He chooses to do.  He chose to die for us on the cross paying the price for forgiveness of our sin.  Do not stop praying for healing if you need to be healed.  The Lord is listening and He hears you.

11/24          Mark 9:27-29
But Jesus took him by the hand and helped him to his feet, and he stood up.  Afterward, when Jesus was alone in the house with his disciples, they asked him, “Why couldn’t we cast out that evil spirit?”  Jesus replied, “This kind can be cast out only by prayer. ”

JESUS
Jesus is divine and man at the same time.  He knows how important it is to spend time with the Father.  We see Him praying many times.  It was His character to go to the Father in lengthy times of prayer.  Are you praying?  Are you spending time with God?  This is important.  Find a quiet place to be with the Lord.

11/25          Mark 9:30-31
Leaving that region, they traveled through Galilee. Jesus tried to avoid all publicity in order to spend more time with his disciples and teach them. He said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be betrayed. He will be killed, but three days later he will rise from the dead.”

JESUS
Jesus told the disciples exactly what would happen to Him in the coming days.  They didn’t understand what He was saying.  It didn’t dawn on them that Jesus was going to sacrifice Himself for us until after it happened.  It is easy to criticize them but what about you.  Is the Lord trying to tell you something over and over and you just aren’t getting it?  How will you find out?  Ask Him.

11/26          Mark 9:32
But they didn’t understand what he was saying, and they were afraid to ask him what he meant.

FEAR
We serve the Lord of all things, Jesus.  He is the creator of all things and in charge of all things.  Yet we let fear back us away from doing the very things the Lord is calling us to do.  Do what Jesus says.  Live like Jesus lives.  He will handle the fear.

11/27          Mark 9:33-37
After they arrived at Capernaum, Jesus and his disciples settled in the house where they would be staying. Jesus asked them, “What were you discussing out on the road?”  But they didn’t answer, because they had been arguing about which of them was the greatest. He sat down and called the twelve disciples over to him. Then he said, “Anyone who wants to be the first must take last place and be the servant of everyone else.”  Then he put a little child among them. Taking the child in his arms, he said to them, “Anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me welcomes my Father who sent me.”

SERVANT
A child is without guile.  A child loves without reservation.  There is no I in servant.  Who will we serve?  Will we refuse to let Jesus have control of our life?  Choose.

11/28          Mark 9:38-40
John said to Jesus, “Teacher, we saw a man using your name to cast out demons, but we told him to stop because he isn’t one of our group.”  “Don’t stop him!” Jesus said. “No one who performs miracles in my name will soon be able to speak evil of me.  Anyone who is not against us is for us.

DEMONS
Demons fear Jesus.  They don’t fear me or you.  If we are going to deal with demons we must first build a close relationship with Jesus.  If we aren’t close to Jesus we won’t be able to deal with demons.

11/29          Mark 9:41-42
If anyone gives you even a cup of water because you belong to the Messiah, I assure you, that person will be rewarded.  “But if anyone causes one of these little ones who trusts in me to lose faith, it would be better for that person to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone tied around the neck.

REALITY
The reality is that our Lord Jesus Christ, Father God and Holy Spirit are infinite.  We are finite.  This is am important message to us.  The Lord is serious and He is warning us.  Take heed.  Be an open handed person.

11/30          Mark 9:43-50
If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better to enter heaven with only one hand than to go into the unquenchable fires of hell with two hands.   If your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better to enter heaven with only one foot than to be thrown into hell with two feet.   And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out. It is better to enter the Kingdom of God half blind than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, ‘where the worm never dies and the fire never goes out.’  “For everyone will be purified with fire.   Salt is good for seasoning. But if it loses its flavor, how do you make it salty again? You must have the qualities of salt among yourselves and live in peace with each other.”

KINGDOM
There is a kingdom lifestyle that we are called to live.  We are different than the world.  We belong to Jesus.  He clearly outlines how we are to live and what we are doing that must be changed.

10/1            Mark 7:1-2
One day some Pharisees and teachers of religious law arrived from Jerusalem to confront Jesus.  They noticed that some of Jesus’ disciples failed to follow the usual Jewish ritual of hand washing before eating.

RITUAL
We can get sidelined by rituals.  We forget that the Lord is interested in a real relationship.  We let ourselves live on auto pilot-we read the Word, say our prayers, recite our memory verses and forget to talk with the Lord.  We don’t stop long enough to hear His response.  A growing Christian life includes time to let the Lord guide us.  Rituals give us control of our life.  Our daily goal is to let Jesus have control of our life.

10/2            Mark 7:3-4
(The Jews, especially the Pharisees, do not eat until they have poured water over their cupped hands, as required by their ancient traditions.  Similarly, they eat nothing bought from the market unless they have immersed their hands in water. This is but one of many traditions they have clung to – such as their ceremony of washing cups, pitchers, and kettles.)

CEREMONY
Ceremony replaced relationship for the Pharisees.  Ceremony can be controlled.  Relationships are alive and require sacrifices and decisions.  The religious leaders had opted for ceremony-it framed life in a way they could control.  We strive to grow.  We seek to be filled with the Lord so that our life will be like His life.

10/3            Mark 7:5
So the Pharisees and teachers of religious law asked him, “Why don’t your disciples follow our age-old customs? For they eat without first performing the hand-washing ceremony.”

NEW
Jesus brought a new ethic in the flesh.  They didn’t see it.  He was the One they had been looking for and they missed it.  Be careful what customs you call your faith.  We must be open to the movement of the Holy Spirit and the clear guidance of the Lord as we spend time in His Word each day.

10/4            Mark 7:6-7
Jesus replied, “You hypocrites! Isaiah was prophesying about you when he said,  ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far away. Their worship is a farce, for they replace God’s commands with their own man-made teachings.’

HEART
The Lord looks upon our hearts.  He wants to know if we have accepted Him by faith and believe in our heart that He is Lord.  His call to us today is to let Him have control of our life.

10/5            Mark 7:8-9
For you ignore God’s specific laws and substitute your own traditions.”  Then he said, “You reject God’s laws in order to hold on to your own traditions.

SUBSTITUTE
Are you living your life with a substitute god?  Is there something other than Jesus that has your heart?  Set them aside and give your heart, your life to Jesus.  Jesus is first for there is no other way for us to be saved than Jesus Christ.

10/6            Mark 7:10
For instance, Moses gave you this law from God: ‘Honor your father and mother,’ and ‘Anyone who speaks evil of father or mother must be put to death.’

TRADITION
Strict adherence to the Scribal law made it impossible for a person to follow the Ten Commandments, God’s law.  Jesus is beginning this passage with an example to show how foolish this kind of thinking is.  We are responsible to God which makes us responsible to the people we live with in this world.  God is not mocked nor can we absolve ourselves by some rule we made no matter the intention.  Following Jesus is based on His Words not our tradition.

10/7            Mark 7:11-13
But you say it is all right for people to say to their parents, ‘Sorry, I can’t help you.  For I have vowed to give to God what I could have given to you.’    You let them disregard their needy parents.  As such, you break the law of God in order to protect your own tradition. And this is only one example. There are many, many others.”

COMPLETION
This is the completion of Jesus’ example.  How foolish of us to figure out how we are going to get out of being honest and use our law based on our interpretation to invalidate the obvious meaning God had by His Word.  Be careful.  Pay attention to the things you do.  Serve the Lord.

10/8            Mark 7:14-16
Then Jesus called to the crowd to come and hear. “All of you listen,” he said, “and try to understand.  You are not defiled by what you eat; you are defiled by what you say and do! “Anyone who is willing to hear should listen and understand.

DIRECT
This was a revolutionary idea.  It wasn’t a parable.  It was straightforward.  What we think about controls us.  The trappings of our life do not create our ethics.  We are to be careful about the people that we listen to and follow.  That is why Christ gives us a new heart when we come into the family of God.  Jesus helps us to get it.  Kingdom thinking is the key to right living.

10/9            Mark 7:17-19
Then Jesus went into a house to get away from the crowds, and his disciples asked him what he meant by the statement he had made.  “Don’t you understand either?” he asked. “Can’t you see that what you eat won’t defile you?  Food doesn’t come in contact with your heart, but only passes through the stomach and then comes out again.” (By saying this, he showed that every kind of food is acceptable.)

VALUE
Our life is useable and useful.  We determine how useful we will be by the way that we think.  Do we let the Lord control our heart?  Do we think about spiritual things all the time?  Where is our head?  We cannot change by being in the world and visiting in the church.  One or the other and it is our choice.  Jesus is Lord.

10/10          Mark 7:20-23
And then he added, “It is the thought-life that defiles you.  For from within, out of a person’s heart, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, eagerness for lustful pleasure, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness.  All these vile things come from within; they are what defile you and make you unacceptable to God.”

CLOTHES
Clothes are important.  Dressing up at church and when we go out is viewed as important.  We can see clothes.  We can’t see a person’s heart.  Jesus says what is important is our heart.  Sin is a product of an unclean heart.  Jesus can cleanse our heart.  He gives us a new heart when we come into the family of God.  Our new heart can and should reject evil.

10/11          Mark 7:24
Then Jesus left Galilee and went north to the region of Tyre.  He tried to keep it secret that he was there, but he couldn’t. As usual, the news of his arrival spread fast.

SPEAKER
When Jesus went somewhere the people crowded around to hear Him speak.  He worked physical miracles in their presence.  They knew this and they were desperate for any glimmer of hope in their life.  Jesus knew this and He was deeply moved by their need.  Do you have a need today?  Take it to Jesus.  He will not turn you away.

10/12          Mark 7:25-27
Right away a woman came to him whose little girl was possessed by an evil spirit. She had heard about Jesus, and now she came and fell at his feet.  She begged him to release her child from the demon’s control.  Since she was a Gentile, born in Syrian Phoenicia, Jesus told her, “First I should help my own family, the Jews.  It isn’t right to take food from the children and throw it to the dogs.”

RESPONSE
Did she just want healing or did she really believe in Jesus.  Our relationship with Jesus the Son of God is a heart relationship.  He gives us life.  Whatever it takes for us to get that life is important for us to do.  The woman knew that she wasn’t a Jew but she also knew that Jesus was Lord and she wanted Him.

10/13          Mark 7:28-30
She replied, “That’s true, Lord, but even the dogs under the table are given some crumbs from the children’s plates.”  “Good answer!” he said. “And because you have answered so well, I have healed your daughter.”  And when she arrived home, her little girl was lying quietly in bed, and the demon was gone.

JESUS
What are you lacking to accomplish God’s plan for your life?  Talk with Jesus about that need.  Let Him know what you think and move forward with confidence that the Lord will answer you.  The joy will be the journey of experiential awareness knowing that His way of answering you will create a joyous experience in you.

10/14          Mark 7:31
Jesus left Tyre and went to Sidon, then back to the Sea of Galilee and the region of the Ten Towns.

PURPOSE
Jesus wants us to see that He like the Father is moving with purpose.  This was a predominantly Gentile area and Jesus would do some unique things here.  As you think about your life think about the opportunities that you have had to do what the Lord has called you to do.  Most of them probably started as ordinary, normal events maybe so much so that you weren’t even thinking about doing God’s work.  But, when you were aware of His activity in the event you also became aware of what the Lord had done leading up to that event.  Jesus is Lord life including the things that transpire in our life.

10/15          Mark 7:32-34
A deaf man with a speech impediment was brought to him, and the people begged Jesus to lay his hands on the man to heal him.  Jesus led him to a private place away from the crowd. He put his fingers into the man’s ears. Then, spitting onto his own fingers, he touched the man’s tongue with the spittle.  And looking up to heaven, he sighed and commanded, “Be opened!”

HEALING
Jesus was willing to heal those who came to Him.  Do you want to be healed?  Go to Jesus.  Spend time with the Lord.  Tell Him you problems.  Ask Him what to do.  Pray for the weak.  Ask Him if you need healing.

10/16          Mark 7:35-37
Instantly the man could hear perfectly and speak plainly!  Jesus told the crowd not to tell anyone, but the more he told them not to, the more they spread the news, for they were completely amazed. Again and again they said, “Everything he does is wonderful. He even heals those who are deaf and mute.”

WONDERFUL
Do you feel that everything Jesus does is wonderful?  I do.  I do because I have spent time with Him to know Him.  I do because He is worthy of all honor and praise and glory.  Do you know Jesus?  If you do, keep growing in knowledge of Him.  Ask the Lord to guide you into all knowledge of Him.

10/17          Mark 8:1-2
About this time another great crowd had gathered, and the people ran out of food again. Jesus called his disciples and told them, “I feel sorry for these people. They have been here with me for three days, and they have nothing left to eat.

LESSON
The disciples didn’t get it.  His examples weren’t gelling in their mind.  They didn’t think of Him as the consummate Lord and Savior.  They saw Him as only a man.  Jesus is Lord.  Until we see and understand that we too will fret about issues and decisions to be made instead of throwing ourselves at His feet.  Jesus help me with my unbelief.

10/18          Mark 8:3
And if I send them home without feeding them, they will faint along the road. For some of them have come a long distance.”

PEOPLE
People were willing to pay a great price to hear everything Jesus said.  He was hope for them.  He gave them a ray of change.  Christ in turn felt deep compassion for them including their need for food.  When you look at those around you that are hurting do you feel contempt or compassion?  Your answer to that will give you an insight on your relationship with Jesus.  Jesus had compassion for the multitudes.

10/19          Mark 8:4-8
“How are we supposed to find enough food for them here in the wilderness?” his disciples asked.  “How many loaves of bread do you have?” he asked.”Seven,” they replied.  So Jesus told all the people to sit down on the ground. Then he took the seven loaves, thanked God for them, broke them into pieces, and gave them to his disciples, who distributed the bread to the crowd.  A few small fish were found, too, so Jesus also blessed these and told the disciples to pass them out.  They ate until they were full, and when the scraps were picked up, there were seven large baskets of food left over!

FEEDING
Although a quick reading of this passage would tend to lead us to think only of the feeding.  Jesus fed all of them.  The key focus is for us to see that Jesus is able.  He is able to save us.  He is able to use us.  He is able to make His plan for out life come to fruition.  Our prayer is simply thy will be done in me.

10/20          Mark 8:9
There were about four thousand people in the crowd that day, and he sent them home after they had eaten.

REALITY
The reality is that we have to deal with flesh and bone issues each day.  God’s Word to us is that He knows the reality of life that each one of us faces.  Therefore, He is able to meet our need.  No matter how great or how small Jesus is able to meet our need.

10/21          Mark 8:10
Immediately after this, he got into a boat with his disciples and crossed over to the region of Dalmanutha.

ACTION
The Lord Jesus works hard.  His Word to us is that we should be busy about our master’s work but making sure that we have balance in our life.  All of his travel had purpose.  Jesus was striving to help the people and train His disciples.  They didn’t understand what Jesus was trying to do but they would.  Spend time with Jesus.  Get to know Him.

10/22          Mark 8:11
When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had arrived, they came to argue with him. Testing him to see if he was from God, they demanded, “Give us a miraculous sign from heaven to prove yourself.”

PHARISEES
They were always trying to discredit Jesus.  Jesus was a threat to their authority.  They liked standing before the people as God’s only representative.  They loved their rules and regulations and had a high level of disdain for Christ.  They really were not seeking to know Jesus.  They wanted to destroy Him.

10/23          Mark 8:12
When he heard this, he sighed deeply and said, “Why do you people keep demanding a miraculous sign? I assure you, I will not give this generation any such sign.”

SIGN
They were simply seeking a way to discredit Jesus.  They had no faith in Him or the Father.  They were close minded on matters of the Gospel.  They didn’t believe Jesus and there was nothing He could say or do that would change that.  Faith in Christ is the key to knowing and growing in Jesus.

10/24          Mark 8:13-16
So he got back into the boat and left them, and he crossed to the other side of the lake.  But the disciples discovered they had forgotten to bring any food, so there was only one loaf of bread with them in the boat.  As they were crossing the lake, Jesus warned them, “Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and of Herod.”  They decided he was saying this because they hadn’t brought any bread.

MISSED
The disciples missed His point again.  We are so much like them.  This world is not our home.  We are called to missionary zeal in proclaiming the Gospel-Messiah has ransomed us from sin and He has come that we might have life.  Believe in Jesus.

10/25          Mark 8:17-21
Jesus knew what they were thinking, so he said, “Why are you so worried about having no food? Won’t you ever learn or understand? Are your hearts too hard to take it in?  ‘You have eyes – can’t you see? You have ears – can’t you hear?’  Don’t you remember anything at all?  What about the five thousand men I fed with five loaves of bread? How many baskets of leftovers did you pick up afterward?” “Twelve,” they said.  “And when I fed the four thousand with seven loaves, how many large baskets of leftovers did you pick up?” “Seven,” they said.  “Don’t you understand even yet?” he asked them.

SIN
Sin blinds us to the things of the Gospel.  Jesus is Lord and yet we continue to struggle with actualizing that in our life.  Let Jesus lead you.  He will not turn you in the wrong direction.  Let Him have control of your heart and walk in His peace and power moment by moment.  Jesus is Lord.

10/26          Mark 8:22-26
When they arrived at Bethsaida, some people brought a blind man to Jesus, and they begged him to touch and heal the man.  Jesus took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village. Then, spitting on the man’s eyes, he laid his hands on him and asked, “Can you see anything now?”  The man looked around. “Yes,” he said, “I see people, but I can’t see them very clearly. They look like trees walking around.”  Then Jesus placed his hands over the man’s eyes again. As the man stared intently, his sight was completely restored, and he could see everything clearly.  Jesus sent him home, saying, “Don’t go back into the village on your way home.”

FAITH
Jesus tells us that our faith lets His power work in and thru us.  Believe in Him.  Life is right now.  Today is the time for our faith to grow.  Live in the present not in the maybe.  Spend time with Jesus right now.  If only a few minutes take time to talk with Him.

10/27          Mark 8:27-30
Jesus and his disciples left Galilee and went up to the villages of Caesarea Philippi. As they were walking along, he asked them, “Who do people say I am?”  “Well,” they replied, “some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say you are one of the other prophets.”  Then Jesus asked, “Who do you say I am?” Peter replied, “You are the Messiah.”  But Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about him.

REVELATION
God reveals spiritual things to us.  They are never counter to His revealed will in His Word.  His revelation never calls us to do evil.  Be careful how you dream things up for there are many deceiving spirits.  Read the Word, do the Word and grow in Christ.

10/28          Mark 8:31
Then Jesus began to tell them that he, the Son of Man, would suffer many terrible things and be rejected by the leaders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He would be killed, and three days later he would rise again.

JESUS
Jesus willingly sacrificed His life for you.  He did it while you were still dead in your trespasses and sin.  He did it because there is no other way to the Father than Jesus.

10/29          Mark 8:32-33
As he talked about this openly with his disciples, Peter took him aside and told him he shouldn’t say things like that.  Jesus turned and looked at his disciples and then said to Peter very sternly, “Get away from me, Satan! You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God’s.”

REVELATION
We must be careful as we live our lives.  Sin so easily finds us and so often we are such willing associates.  Stay with Jesus by spending time with Him in prayer, reading the Word of God and immediate obedience.

10/30          Mark 8:34-35
Then he called his disciples and the crowds to come over and listen. “If any of you wants to be my follower,” he told them, “you must put aside your selfish ambition, shoulder your cross, and follow me.  If you try to keep your life for yourself, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will find true life.

JESUS
We are called to follow Jesus.  He is the focus of life and our life.  He gives us everything we need to lead an abundant life.  We walk with Him, we talk with Him, we read of Him and we obey Him.  Life is simple when we are focused on Jesus.

10/31          Mark 8:36-38
And how do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul in the process?  Is anything worth more than your soul?  If a person is ashamed of me and my message in these adulterous and sinful days, I, the Son of Man, will be ashamed of that person when I return in the glory of my Father with the holy angels.”

ETERNITY
This world is a veil of tears.  Life isn’t fair and none of us will get out of this world alive.  Therefore, it makes sense to follow Jesus.  He gives us wisdom for living no matter what we face.  He is our life and in Him we find life.  Follow Jesus and you will never perish but have everlasting life.

9/1              Mark 6:1-2
Jesus left that part of the country and returned with his disciples to Nazareth, his hometown.  The next Sabbath he began teaching in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astonished. They asked, “Where did he get all his wisdom and the power to perform such miracles?

DOUBT
Doubt is difficult to deal with.  We doubt anything and everything.  The evil one knows this and uses doubt to trip us up.  We do not have to doubt Jesus.  He is worthy of our confidence.  He is committed to us and has our best interest at heart.

9/2              Mark 6:3-6
He’s just the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James, Joseph, Judas, and Simon. And his sisters live right here among us.” They were deeply offended and refused to believe in him.  Then Jesus told them, “A prophet is honored everywhere except in his own hometown and among his relatives and his own family.”  And because of their unbelief, he couldn’t do any mighty miracles among them except to place his hands on a few sick people and heal them.  And he was amazed at their unbelief. Then Jesus went out from village to village, teaching.

LIMITATION
The only limitation on Jesus is the limitation that we place on our faith.  We must remember that the Lord uses weak people for it is in our weakness that He is strong.  He is Lord of all and of all things.  Let us surrender our life to Him and trust Him to use our life with our best interest in mind.

9/3              Mark 6:7
And he called his twelve disciples together and sent them out two by two, with authority to cast out evil spirits.

VICTORY
We live in victory Jesus has already won the battle.  The victory is not based on perishable things, like wealth and position and honor and things of that ilk.  Victory is based on the saving work that Jesus did on the cross.  He has saved you.  He has conquered death and hell.  Now, walk by faith in the victory of Jesus Christ.

9/4              Mark 6:8
He told them to take nothing with them except a walking stick – no food, no traveler’s bag, no money.

JESUS
Jesus is all we need.  He is sufficient.  Are you trusting Him for your needs today?  This was an important mission for the disciples.  He has called you to an important mission.  His plan for your life will require your trust.  Trust Jesus with all of your heart and He will lead, guide and direct you now.

9/5              Mark 6:9-11
He told them to wear sandals but not to take even an extra coat.  “When you enter each village, be a guest in only one home,” he said.  “And if a village won’t welcome you or listen to you, shake off its dust from your feet as you leave. It is a sign that you have abandoned that village to its fate.”

DETAILS
The Lord of all was concerned with the details of the disciples’ trip.  His instructions to them were specific and direct.  They knew their message was important.  They also knew that many would not accept what they had to say.  We must be careful when we are at work serving the Lord.  People count with Jesus so much that He will permit them to make a mistake.  Don’t you make a mistake.  Make sure that your actions do not detract from your message.

9/6              Mark 6:12-13
So the disciples went out, telling all they met to turn from their sins.  And they cast out many demons and healed many sick people, anointing them with olive oil.

JESUS
Jesus is in the healing ministry.  People count with Jesus.  He knows their need and will meet that need.  Let Jesus heal you.  Ask Him to show you how to live in Victory.  Name it…Jesus is Lord.  Claim it…He is Lord of me.

9/7               Mark 6:14-15
Herod Antipas, the king, soon heard about Jesus, because people everywhere were talking about him. Some were saying, “This must be John the Baptist come back to life again. That is why he can do such miracles.”  Others thought Jesus was the ancient prophet Elijah. Still others thought he was a prophet like the other great prophets of the past.

JESUS
He was then and is now a stumbling block to those who are opposed to God.  Evil declares Him to be ineffective.  The world demands that Jesus show it who He is.  Jesus is Lord and the world denies it.  Jesus is the Messiah and the world keeps looking for One to come who will dance to their tune.  Evil is always trying to create a god it can control.

9/8              Mark 6:16
When Herod heard about Jesus, he said, “John, the man I beheaded, has come back from the dead.”

JESUS
Herod was the King and he didn’t know who Jesus was.  He could have known but he was so focused on doing life his way.  What a tragedy not to know Jesus.  I pray that today you will let someone know about your relationship with Jesus.

9/9              Mark 6:17-19
For Herod had sent soldiers to arrest and imprison John as a favor to Herodias. She had been his brother Philip’s wife, but Herod had married her.  John kept telling Herod, “It is illegal for you to marry your brother’s wife.”  Herodias was enraged and wanted John killed in revenge, but without Herod’s approval she was powerless.

EVIL
John the Baptist was killed for proclaiming the truth.  He told about Jesus the coming Messiah.  He warned people about evil and called them to repentance.  Even today people are dying for their faith.  More than 65,000 were put to death last year for simply telling about Jesus.  What a wonderful right we have.  We can talk about Jesus and not face any fear for our life.  Tell everyone you know about Jesus.

9/10            Mark 6:20
And Herod respected John, knowing that he was a good and holy man, so he kept him under his protection. Herod was disturbed whenever he talked with John, but even so, he liked to listen to him.

LISTEN
Do you listen to the call of ministry?  Are you connecting with the Lord or simply passing bye?  The spiritual life isn’t a sometimes thing, it is all the time.  Be sure you are serious with your faith and are not a tourist.

9/11            Mark 6:21-23
Herodias’s chance finally came. It was Herod’s birthday, and he gave a party for his palace aides, army officers, and the leading citizens of Galilee.  Then his daughter, also named Herodias, came in and performed a dance that greatly pleased them all. “Ask me for anything you like,” the king said to the girl, “and I will give it to you.”  Then he promised, “I will give you whatever you ask, up to half of my kingdom!”

JESUS
Jesus is alive.  Following Christ is a full time activity.  There are no sabbaticals in a Christ like life.  The Christian life isn’t a hobby.  Daily time with Jesus and a full surrender of our actions is required to stay close to the Lord.  Follow Him.

9/12            Mark 6:24-25
She went out and asked her mother, “What should I ask for?”Her mother told her, “Ask for John the Baptist’s head!”  So the girl hurried back to the king and told him, “I want the head of John the Baptist, right now, on a tray!”

EVIL
When we choose to plot our own course in life we always run into evil.  Be careful how you live.  Be careful when you make decisions.  Life is hard and harsh.  Without Jesus you will make wrong decisions.  Herod made a terrible decision which gave an opening for evil.  Be strong in the Lord and do the next right thing.

9/13            Mark 6:26-28
Then the king was very sorry, but he was embarrassed to break his oath in front of his guests.  So he sent an executioner to the prison to cut off John’s head and bring it to him. The soldier beheaded John in the prison, brought his head on a tray, and gave it to the girl, who took it to her mother.

SAD
Yes, the king was sad but self focused.  He knew what he should do and then didn’t do it.  How sad if we when we do the wrong thing and know we are doing the wrong thing.  Stay close to the Word of God and spend time with the Lord God and you will have the strength to make right decisions.

9/14            Mark 6:29
When John’s disciples heard what had happened, they came for his body and buried it in a tomb.

REALITY
Some days are tough.  All we can do is what we can do.  The disciples were stunned but they did what they could.  There may be a day in your life when things are overwhelming and when it is just do the next right thing.  One step at a time with the Lord will get you to the right place.

9/15            Mark 6:30
The apostles returned to Jesus from their ministry tour and told him all they had done and what they had taught.

MINISTRY
Ministry involves people.  We are an important part of what the Lord is doing in the world today.  He uses us to connect with people.  We are proclaimers, encouragers, prayer warriors, servants and many other things as they relate to people.  People count with the Lord and He is using us to make sure they know Jesus.

9/16            Mark 6:31
Then Jesus said, “Let’s get away from the crowds for a while and rest.” There were so many people coming and going that Jesus and his apostles didn’t even have time to eat.

REST
Rest is important for all of us.  Someone once said that lack of rest will make cowards of us all.  Be sure you do all of your ministry work, and personal work and that you do not forget to rest.  Be strong in the Lord and do not fear for He is with you.

9/17            Mark 6:32-33
They left by boat for a quieter spot.  But many people saw them leaving, and people from many towns ran ahead along the shore and met them as they landed.

JESUS
The presence of Jesus will turn a wilderness into a paradise.  He welcomed the people.  Jesus set about to minister to them.  The people were attracted to Jesus.  When you meet Jesus you will want to be with Him all the time.  Loving the Lord changes our reference point for what we will do with our life.

9/18            Mark 6:34
A vast crowd was there as he stepped from the boat, and he had compassion on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he taught them many things.

JESUS
There is no one like Jesus.  He has our best interest in mind.  He knows us and knows what we need.  Here, He began to teach them many things and the people were grateful for His teaching.  They needed help and Jesus gave them the help they needed.

9/19            Mark 6:35-38
Late in the afternoon his disciples came to him and said, “This is a desolate place, and it is getting late.  Send the crowds away so they can go to the nearby farms and villages and buy themselves some food.”  But Jesus said, “You feed them.” “With what?” they asked. “It would take a small fortune to buy food for all this crowd!”

SUPPLY
Jesus knew that He was sufficient to meet the needs of the people here in the wilderness.  They trusted Him.  In fact, the people believed in Jesus as much as or more than the disciples probably because they saw Him in a different way than the disciples did.  When Jesus is all you have He will be the only one you trust.  Jesus cares about us individually and corporately.  He is able to see what we need.  He can see what you need.  You may not even know what you need right now but Jesus knows.  Talk with Him.  Jesus is Lord.

9/20            Mark 6:38-39
“How much food do you have?” he asked. “Go and find out.” They came back and reported, “We have five loaves of bread and two fish.”  Then Jesus told the crowd to sit down in groups on the green grass.  So they sat in groups of fifty or a hundred.

SUPPLY
Jesus is adequate to meet our need.  He is an abundant supply of God’s grace and will exactly fit every need we have.  Do not discount the Lord’s abilities.  His Word to you is that He is Lord of all.  Ask Him for exactly what you need and He can exactly meet that need.

9/21            Mark 6:41-44
Jesus took the five loaves and two fish, looked up toward heaven, and asked God’s blessing on the food. Breaking the loaves into pieces, he kept giving the bread and fish to the disciples to give to the people.  They all ate as much as they wanted, and they picked up twelve baskets of leftover bread and fish.  Five thousand men had eaten from those five loaves!

JESUS
Jesus is able to meet our need.  He is the creator.  He is the living Son of God.  He can do what He needs to do to accomplish the Father’s purpose.  He loves us, you and me and He is seeking our best good.  Where are you in your spiritual journey?  Do you need a miracle to accomplish what the Lord has called you to do?  Talk with Jesus.  He will meet your need.

9/22            Mark 6:45
Immediately after this, Jesus made his disciples get back into the boat and head out across the lake to Bethsaida, while he sent the people home.

JESUS
He meet their need before He sent them home.  He cares for you and me.  He will never leave us alone.  He will never fail to accomplish His purpose.  He is always glorifying the Father.  Now is the time to surrender your all to Jesus.  Now is the time to let Him heal your heart.  Now is the time.  Jesus meets our need now.

9/23            Mark 6:46
Afterward he went up into the hills by himself to pray.

JESUS
Spend time with Jesus.  Do not forget to discipline yourself to spend time with Him.  He is waiting to hear from you.  Whatever it is that is sidetracking you set it aside and spend time with Jesus.  You will never be sorry for the time you spend with the Lord.

9/24            Mark 6:47-49
During the night, the disciples were in their boat out in the middle of the lake, and Jesus was alone on land.  He saw that they were in serious trouble, rowing hard and struggling against the wind and waves. About three o’clock in the morning he came to them, walking on the water. He started to go past them, but when they saw him walking on the water, they screamed in terror, thinking he was a ghost.

JESUS
Jesus can do what you need done.  He is the creator.  He is not bound by the restrictions that we are.  He has defeated death.  He seeks to build a relationship with us so that we can build relationships with others.  Do not fear.  Jesus is Lord.

9/25            Mark 6:50
They were all terrified when they saw him. But Jesus spoke to them at once. “It’s all right,” he said. “I am here! Don’t be afraid.”

JESUS
His Word to you today is do not fear.  Whatever you are facing, Jesus can handle it.  What do you need?  Take it to Jesus.  What has you stopped?  Jesus can give you the strength to see it through.  He is Lord of life.  The Messiah is involved in this life with you.

9/26            Mark 6:51
Then he climbed into the boat, and the wind stopped. They were astonished at what they saw.

JESUS
You will be astonished at your perspective when you consult Jesus.  He brings calm and peace to us.  He will give us the strength to stand in the face of the world.  If you are feeling stampeded and overwhelmed talk with Jesus.  Open the Word of God and read Scripture that is relevant to your situation.  Most often you will find the Psalms will speak to the current crisis.  Jesus will speak to you and bring God’s Word alive in your heart to deal with the crisis.

9/27            Mark 6:52
They still didn’t understand the significance of the miracle of the multiplied loaves, for their hearts were hard and they did not believe.

BLIND
The disciples were blind to many of the spiritual teachings of Jesus.  So are we.  Ask the Lord to give you wisdom to deal with your life.  He will give it freely and in abundance.  Our goal is to live from victory to victory and we can only do that when Christ is always in control of us.

9/28            Mark 6:53-55
When they arrived at Gennesaret on the other side of the lake, they anchored the boat and climbed out. The people standing there recognized him at once, and they ran throughout the whole area and began carrying sick people to him on mats.

FAITH
The people were overrun with disappointment and had lost hope.  Jesus brought them hope.  His healings overcame much disappointment.  Today the situation for people hasn’t changed much.  A modern writer said that most people were living lives of quiet desperation.  Don’t let that be you.  Spend time with Jesus.  Experience His healing touch.  Let the Lord Jesus have your heart and control of your life.

9/29            Mark 6:56
Wherever he went – in villages and cities and out on the farms – they laid the sick in the market plazas and streets. The sick begged him to let them at least touch the fringe of his robe, and all who touched it were healed.

JESUS
When we turn to Jesus He brings healing into our life.  The world honors and commands.  Jesus serves and helps.  What do you need today?  Take it to Jesus.  What are you struggling with even this very moment?  Stop where you are and ask Christ to help you deal with it.  He will and will be with you every step of the way to healing.

9/30            Psalm1:1-5
A psalm of thanksgiving. Shout with joy to the LORD, O earth!  Worship the LORD with gladness. Come before him, singing with joy.  Acknowledge that the LORD is God! He made us, and we are his. We are his people, the sheep of his pasture.  Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and bless his name.  For the LORD is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and his faithfulness continues to each generation.

AMEN
The Lord is true.  He loves you.  He will not desert you.  He will stand with you as you struggle day by day to live your life and be yourself.  Many spend their whole being something they aren’t.  Ask the Lord to make you whole and holy.  His actions will make you yourself.

8/1              Mark 4:1
Once again Jesus began teaching by the lakeshore. There was such a large crowd along the shore that he got into a boat and sat down and spoke from there.

JESUS
Jesus was concerned for people.  His ministry was focused on people.  He died for people, you and me.  His love for us is immeasurable.  Spend time with Him for He cares for you.  Getting to know Jesus will be the best investment you can ever make.

8/2              Mark 4:2-9
He began to teach the people by telling many stories such as this one:  “Listen! A farmer went out to plant some seed.  As he scattered it across his field, some seed fell on a footpath, and the birds came and ate it.  Other seed fell on shallow soil with underlying rock. The plant sprang up quickly, but it soon wilted beneath the hot sun and died because the roots had no nourishment in the shallow soil.  Other seed fell among thorns that shot up and choked out the tender blades so that it produced no grain.  Still other seed fell on fertile soil and produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as had been planted.” Then he said, “Anyone who is willing to hear should listen and understand!”

LISTEN
Do you understand this parable?  If you will listen you will.  For many people Jesus is just a name they know.  They go to church, quote some Scripture and even act as if they are followers of Jesus but they don’t know Jesus.  When we listen to Christ He will permeate every aspect of our lives.  All of our decisions will be discussed with Him.  He will give us Godly advice and direction.  Our path will not waver nor will we go the wrong way.  Listen to Jesus and He will guide you in the way you should go.

8/3              Mark 4:10-13
Later, when Jesus was alone with the twelve disciples and with the others who were gathered around, they asked him, “What do your stories mean?”  He replied, “You are permitted to understand the secret about the Kingdom of God. But I am using these stories to conceal everything about it from outsiders, so that the Scriptures might be fulfilled: ‘They see what I do, but they don’t perceive its meaning. They hear my words, but they don’t understand. So they will not turn from their sins and be forgiven.’  “But if you can’t understand this story, how will you understand all the others I am going to tell?

SURRENDER
Give your life to Christ.  Call out to Him and ask Him to forgive your sin and to come into your life and guide you.  Believing this we are changed by the indwelling Spirit of God.  He will nurture and guide us.  When we are faced with fear He will give peace.  Nothing can take us out of His hand.  Jesus is here and He is here in us.

8/4              Mark 4:14
The farmer I talked about is the one who brings God’s message to others.

PROCLAIM
Tell everyone you know about Jesus.  When we are filled with the Spirit we cannot hold it in.  We will tell about Christ and what He is doing in us.  We will tell others that this same Jesus that owns us can do the same thing for them.  Our life is different when we are filled with the Spirit and we let that light of God in us shine before man.

8/5              Mark 4:15
The seed that fell on the hard path represents those who hear the message, but then Satan comes at once and takes it away from them.

JOYLESS
A hard heart that is wakened by revival returns to its cold, hard state when the individual leaves the presence of God.  The one who was singing the loudest and proclaiming his fidelity the most quite often is the one who didn’t ask Jesus into his heart, he was simply caught up in the moment.  Ask the Lord to quicken your heart, to give you a soft heart filled with the Lord Jesus Christ.

8/6              Mark 4:16-17
The rocky soil represents those who hear the message and receive it with joy.  But like young plants in such soil, their roots don’t go very deep. At first they get along fine, but they wilt as soon as they have problems or are persecuted because they believe the word.

JESUS
We start with Jesus.  He is the Savior.  We stay with Jesus, we want to know Him in every way we can.  We grow with Jesus.  One day we will spend eternity with Jesus.

8/7              Mark 4:18-19
The thorny ground represents those who hear and accept the Good News, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the cares of this life, the lure of wealth, and the desire for nice things, so no crop is produced.

JESUS
If a person starts off without Jesus they will not have experienced new life in Christ.  The only way to the Father is through the Son, Jesus Christ.  A person trying to live a Christian life without Christ will soon flounder.  Jesus is life and His Spirit in us give us life.  We cannot fake new life in Christ.

8/8              Mark 4:20
But the good soil represents those who hear and accept God’s message and produce a huge harvest – thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted.”

JESUS
When we give our heart to Jesus, He will never leave us.  A relationship with Christ is an eternal relationship.  Accept Jesus and He will accept you.  He will give you the wisdom, mercy and grace that you need today and everyday forever.  Ask Him to forgive you of your sin and take over your life.  He will.

8/9              Mark 4:21
Then Jesus asked them, “Would anyone light a lamp and then put it under a basket or under a bed to shut out the light? Of course not! A lamp is placed on a stand, where its light will shine.

JESUS
When Christ comes into our heart we will tell others about it.  We cannot hide Jesus.  We will be different.  We will have life.  We will want to tell others, indeed we will tell others what Jesus has done in us.  We have a new life in Christ.  It is a life that will be pleasing to God and attractive to others.  The world is dead in its trespasses and sin.  People are looking for God they just don’t know it.

8/10            Mark 4:22-24
“Everything that is now hidden or secret will eventually be brought to light. Anyone who is willing to hear should listen and understand!  And be sure to pay attention to what you hear. The more you do this, the more you will understand – and even more, besides.

JESUS
We do a lot of talking in our daily life.  Time with Jesus will cause us to stop our incessant chatter and listen.  We need to listen as we read the Bible.  We need to listen as we spend time with Jesus.  Getting to know Him is critical for our daily abundant living.  The world is always attacking us emotionally.  Listening to Jesus is the only way we can grow in Christ likeness.  When we listen carefully to Him we will hear what He calls us to do.  We will know peace.  We will experience growing in spiritual strength.  We will know the Lord.

8/11            Mark 4:25
To those who are open to my teaching, more understanding will be given. But to those who are not listening, even what they have will be taken away from them.”

JESUS
Do you every take time to ask Jesus a question and listen for the answer?  Do you seek answers to issues and listen for direction?  It is important that we understand that our relationship with the Lord is not a one-way street.  Jesus wants to give us direction for our life but if we are always talking and never listening we will never hear what Christ is saying.

8/12            Mark 4:26-28
Jesus also said, “Here is another illustration of what the Kingdom of God is like: A farmer planted seeds in a field, and then he went on with his other activities. As the days went by, the seeds sprouted and grew without the farmer’s help, because the earth produces crops on its own. First a leaf blade pushes through, then the heads of wheat are formed, and finally the grain ripens.

GROWTH
There is no magic way to grow.  The process takes time.  We spend time with Jesus in Bible reading and study.  We spend time with Jesus in prayer.  We need to spend time with Jesus just listening.  Listen for His voice.  Listen for His gentle hand of guidance.  Listen for His presence.  Jesus loves you.

8/13            Mark 4:29
And as soon as the grain is ready, the farmer comes and harvests it with a sickle.”

GRAIN
We are created by God.  He has a plan.  We cannot fathom the activity of God in the world nor are we able to comprehend how the Lord is going to finish His creation plan.  We never have enough information to judge others.  With just this in mind we need to realize that the Lord will determine when the end comes.  That applies to individuals and time itself.  We know that Jesus loves us and that we are going to be with Him.  We know that for sure.

8/14            Mark 4:30-32
Jesus asked, “How can I describe the Kingdom of God? What story should I use to illustrate it?  It is like a tiny mustard seed. Though this is one of the smallest of seeds, it grows to become one of the largest of plants, with long branches where birds can come and find shelter.”

JESUS
Our tiny exercise of faith, Lord forgive me, is the beginning point of our growth to become like Jesus.  Spend time with Him and He will make you to become the person you were created to be.  We want to be like Him and He will help us to accomplish that.

8/15            Mark 4:33-34
He used many such stories and illustrations to teach the people as much as they were able to understand.  In fact, in his public teaching he taught only with parables, but afterward when he was alone with his disciples, he explained the meaning to them.

JESUS
Jesus will teach us the things we need for living a holy life.  He knows what makes us tick and will fix and equip us in those areas that are in need of fixing and equipping.  We can trust Jesus.  We can trust Him with our life.  We can live daily knowing that He wants to give us the things we need for real life.  Rejoice for the Lord loves you and is seeking your best good!

8/16            Mark 4:35-36
As evening came, Jesus said to his disciples, “Let’s cross to the other side of the lake.”  He was already in the boat, so they started out, leaving the crowds behind (although other boats followed).

TIME
We need time to prepare for life.  We need time to grow.  Our preparation and growth will be in direct proportion to our time with Jesus.  We need to pull away from the madding crowd.  We need to establish a habit of spending time every day quietly before the Lord.  Lord what would you have me do and then sit quietly while He answers.

8/17            Mark 4:37-38
But soon a fierce storm arose. High waves began to break into the boat until it was nearly full of water.  Jesus was sleeping at the back of the boat with his head on a cushion. Frantically they woke him up, shouting, “Teacher, don’t you even care that we are going to drown?”

LIFE
Life happens everyday.  The Lord knows the end from the beginning and He loves us.  Do you think that He is going to lead us into a dead end?  Faith is not based on our know in detail what is going to happen.  Faith is our confidence that the Lord who loves us is leading us in the right direction from this moment unto eternity.  God is good.  All the time.

8/18            Mark 4:39
When he woke up, he rebuked the wind and said to the water, “Quiet down!” Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was a great calm.

LIMITATIONS
The Lord is not limited.  He can do anything.  We are limited in every area of our lives but we know Him and He loves us.  We are not alone nor are we at the mercy of the world, the flesh or the devil.  God is in control and He is in control of our life.

8/19            Mark 4:40-41
And he asked them, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still not have faith in me?”  And they were filled with awe and said among themselves, “Who is this man, that even the wind and waves obey him?”

FAITH
Faith is a gift from the Lord.  He gives it to us as we give ourselves to Him.  Work at your relationship with Him.  You will discover that your faith is growing.  You have a choice whether you will live courageously by faith or not.

8/20            Mark 5:1-5
So they arrived at the other side of the lake, in the land of the Gerasenes.   Just as Jesus was climbing from the boat, a man possessed by an evil spirit ran out from a cemetery to meet him.  This man lived among the tombs and could not be restrained, even with a chain.  Whenever he was put into chains and shackles – as he often was – he snapped the chains from his wrists and smashed the shackles. No one was strong enough to control him.  All day long and throughout the night, he would wander among the tombs and in the hills, screaming and hitting himself with stones.

JESUS
We sometimes forget that Jesus came for each one of us.  That person that is hurting you, or mistreating you Jesus came for them.  As you struggle day to day dealing with the ups and downs of life, purpose to pray for those who hurt or abuse you or maybe someone who has just been difficult.  Pray for the lost.  Everyone needs Jesus.

8/21            Mark 5:6-9
When Jesus was still some distance away, the man saw him. He ran to meet Jesus and fell down before him.  He gave a terrible scream, shrieking, “Why are you bothering me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? For God’s sake, don’t torture me!”  For Jesus had already said to the spirit, “Come out of the man, you evil spirit.”  Then Jesus asked, “What is your name?” And the spirit replied, “Legion, because there are many of us here inside this man.”

JESUS
The demons know Jesus and tremble.  He is the ruler.  The universe is under His authority.  One day He will come back and take His children out of this world and will sit in judgment of sin and the world.  Victory was predetermined.  Christ is in control.  When we know Jesus as Lord we do not have to fear for we belong to Him.

8/22            Mark 5:10-14
Then the spirits begged him again and again not to send them to some distant place.  There happened to be a large herd of pigs feeding on the hillside nearby.  “Send us into those pigs,” the evil spirits begged.  Jesus gave them permission. So the evil spirits came out of the man and entered the pigs, and the entire herd of two thousand pigs plunged down the steep hillside into the lake, where they drowned.  The herdsmen fled to the nearby city and the surrounding countryside, spreading the news as they ran. Everyone rushed out to see for themselves.

JESUS
Jesus spoke and the evil spirits had to leave the man.  He can speak to our biggest need.  What do you need?  Ask Him to help you.  He will help you and will not ever leave you.  Spend time with Jesus so that you can make sense out of your life.

8/23            Mark 5:15-17
A crowd soon gathered around Jesus, but they were frightened when they saw the man who had been demon possessed, for he was sitting there fully clothed and perfectly sane.  Those who had seen what happened to the man and to the pigs told everyone about it, and the crowd began pleading with Jesus to go away and leave them alone.

JESUS
Jesus healed people who were in great need.  His healing was at the direction of His Father and by the power of His Father.  Jesus is alive and well.  He continues to serve by the power of the Father.  Do you have a great need for healing?  If you are not saved you need healing.  Ask Jesus to come into your heart and forgive you of your sin.  He will.  Then you will be a member of the family of God.  Do you have another need?  Ask Jesus and He will help you.

8/24            Mark 5:18-20
When Jesus got back into the boat, the man who had been demon possessed begged to go, too.  But Jesus said, “No, go home to your friends, and tell them what wonderful things the Lord has done for you and how merciful he has been.”  So the man started off to visit the Ten Towns of that region and began to tell everyone about the great things Jesus had done for him; and everyone was amazed at what he told them.

WITNESS
The formerly demon possessed man simply told others what Jesus had done for Him.  He believed it and could show physically what Christ had done for him in his healing.  You too can share with others what Christ has done for you.  The more you know Him the more you have to tell.  Spend time with Jesus and get to know Him.

8/25            Mark 5:21-24
When Jesus went back across to the other side of the lake, a large crowd gathered around him on the shore.  A leader of the local synagogue, whose name was Jairus, came and fell down before him, pleading with him to heal his little daughter. “She is about to die,” he said in desperation. “Please come and place your hands on her; heal her so she can live.”  Jesus went with him, and the crowd thronged behind.

BELIEVE
Jairus believed that Jesus could and would heal his daughter.  Do you believe that Jesus can heal your life?  If you do He can.  If you don’t then you will continue to struggle to come to grips with your life.  Jesus gives us a guide for living and a plan for our life.  Get to know Jesus.  Follow Him and believe in Him and grow your relationship.

8/26            Mark 5:25-34
And there was a woman in the crowd who had had a hemorrhage for twelve years.  She had suffered a great deal from many doctors through the years and had spent everything she had to pay them, but she had gotten no better. In fact, she was worse.  She had heard about Jesus, so she came up behind him through the crowd and touched the fringe of his robe.  For she thought to herself, “If I can just touch his clothing, I will be healed.”  Immediately the bleeding stopped, and she could feel that she had been healed!  Jesus realized at once that healing power had gone out from him, so he turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my clothes?”  His disciples said to him, “All this crowd is pressing around you. How can you ask, ‘Who touched me?'”  But he kept on looking around to see who had done it.  Then the frightened woman, trembling at the realization of what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and told him what she had done.  And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace. You have been healed.”

HEALING
Do you need healing so desperately that you are willing to do whatever it takes?  Go to Jesus with that kind of desperation and you will find Him healing you.  Give Him your heart and He will help you to grow your faith.  Believe in Him and He will direct your path.

8/27            Mark 5:35-36
While he was still speaking to her, messengers arrived from Jairus’s home with the message, “Your daughter is dead. There’s no use troubling the Teacher now.”  But Jesus ignored their comments and said to Jairus, “Don’t be afraid. Just trust me.”

JESUS

Trust Jesus.  He is concerned about you and your life.  The future belongs to Him.  You can be confident that your future will only improve for one day we will stand with Jesus as He bears testimony of our relationship to the Father.  He is in control and will never let us go.

8/28            Mark 5:37
Then Jesus stopped the crowd and wouldn’t let anyone go with him except Peter and James and John.

JESUS
Jesus knows what is going on.  You are never out of His sight.  He is trustworthy and faithful.  What you are doing and want to do are important to Jesus.  Ask Him for the wisdom, mercy, and grace that you need to grow.  He will give you what you need.

8/29            Mark 5:38-39
When they came to the home of the synagogue leader, Jesus saw the commotion and the weeping and wailing.  He went inside and spoke to the people. “Why all this weeping and commotion?” he asked. “The child isn’t dead; she is only asleep.”

TRUTH
Jesus is the truth.  We can find our way with Him.  We can find out where we should go if we will ask Him.  Do not be fooled.  Jesus has your best interest at heart.  Let Him have your loyalty.  Believe in Christ and He will make you an eternal member of His family.

8/30            Mark 5:40
The crowd laughed at him, but he told them all to go outside. Then he took the girl’s father and mother and his three disciples into the room where the girl was lying.

JESUS
Jesus is never confused about what to do.  He knows what is needed and how to do it.  What do you need fixed?  What is out of sync in your life?  Take it to Jesus.  Get to Know Him.  He will fix you.

8/31            Mark 5:41-43
Holding her hand, he said to her, “Get up, little girl!”  And the girl, who was twelve years old, immediately stood up and walked around! Her parents were absolutely overwhelmed.  Jesus commanded them not to tell anyone what had happened, and he told them to give her something to eat.

MIRACLES
A miracle is a supernaturally caused event-an even different from what would have occurred in the normal course of events.  Jesus will do what needs to be done when we are in need.  He will intervene in your life if that is the need.  I encourage people to keep a daily diary of their time with the Lord.  I also ask them to keep a list of answered prayer.  Your answered prayer list is where you will see His divine activity in your life.

7/01            Mark 2:1-3
When Jesus returned to Capernaum several days later, the news spread quickly that he was back home.  Soon the house where he was staying was so packed with visitors that there was no more room, even outside the door. While he was preaching God’s word to them, four men arrived carrying a paralyzed man on a mat.

MIRACLES
The people of Galilee were seeking someone to make their life better.  They were convinced that God would destroy the Romans by force.  Their new king from God would provide the leadership for that force.  Jesus came as a servant.  He did not bruise even a reed.  The people of Capernaum saw Him as someone who could ease the discomfort of their life.  They didn’t recognize Him as the Lord.  Be careful in your life.  Are you surrendered to the Living Lord?  Or are you seeking only to get Jesus to do stuff for you that will ease your life?

7/02            Mark 2:4-5
They couldn’t bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, so they dug a hole through the roof above his head. Then they lowered the man on his mat, right down in front of Jesus.  Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, “My child, your sins are forgiven.”

NEEDS
People who arrive as quickly as these folks crowding around Jesus come for one reason-the miracles that Jesus performed.  There were two types, those who needed healing and those who wanted to see Jesus heal.  He offers us His friendship.  Is Jesus your friend?

7/03            Mark 2:6-7
But some of the teachers of religious law who were sitting there thought to themselves, “What is he saying? This is blasphemy! Only God can forgive sins!”

CONTROL
These religious leaders thought they had God under their control.  Religion was their profession.  They were the pros.  They felt that they knew what offended God.  Of course they didn’t have a clue about the things that disturbed God.  The Lord is interested in our hearts.

7/04            Mark 2:8-9
Jesus knew immediately what they were thinking, so he asked them, “Why do you question this in your hearts?  Is it easier to say to the paralyzed man ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or ‘Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk’?

KNOWLEDGE
Jesus knows everything about us.  Amazing and impossible for us to understand but the truth is that Jesus is never without perfect knowledge.  We however never have perfect knowledge, in fact we often don’t even have partial knowledge about what is going on in front of our eyes.  With that in mind, remember that when you go to Jesus to talk with Him about your daily life, He is the only one that knows what is going on.

7/05            Mark 2:10-11
So I will prove to you that the Son of Man has the authority on earth to forgive sins.” Then Jesus turned to the paralyzed man and said, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!”

JESUS
Jesus is the creator of all things.  He knows what we need.  When we come to Him He will meet our need.  This man needed healing to walk.  Jesus did exactly what the man needed.  Speak your need to the Father and He will answer you.

7/06            Mark 2:12
And the man jumped up, grabbed his mat, and walked out through the stunned onlookers. They were all amazed and praised God, exclaiming, “We’ve never seen anything like this before!”

HEALING
The world cannot heal like Jesus heals.  The world is dead in its trespasses and sin seeking to go its own way.  The world seeks to supplant God and present itself as the power.  God in Christ is all power.  He knows all things and is victorious over the world, flesh, and the devil.  Jesus simply speaks healing and it is done.

7/07            Mark 2:13
Then Jesus went out to the lakeshore again and taught the crowds that were coming to him.

JESUS
Jesus felt deep compassion for the masses.  He knew they were struggling just to survive.  Jesus taught them that the Lord would meet their needs.  He taught that following the world always leads to death.  Follow Him and you will be led in a victorious life.  All power and honor and glory to the risen lamb, Jesus,  He loves us and would that we not be overcome by the world.

7/08            Mark 2:14
As he walked along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at his tax collector’s booth. “Follow me and be my disciple,” Jesus said to him. So Levi got up and followed him.

FOLLOW
Jesus calls each one of us to follow Him.  We have to be His child to hear what He is saying to us.  Follow the Lord.  Spend time cultivating your listening skills.  Jesus will give you wisdom, mercy, grace and understanding and He will not leave you.

7/09            Mark 2:15
Later, Levi invited Jesus and his disciples to his home as dinner guests, along with many tax collectors and other disreputable sinners. (There were many people of this kind among Jesus’ followers.)

JESUS
Jesus loves each one of us as if there were no other of us.  You are loved.  When we discover His love for us we so desperately want to have it and keep it that we will gladly do whatever we must to be in fellowship with Him.  The mistake people make is that without Jesus we are all sinners and disreputable.

7/10            Mark 2:16
But when the teachers of religious law who were Pharisees saw him eating with tax collectors and other sinners, they asked his disciples, “Why does he eat with such scum?”

PEOPLE
Jesus loves people most of all.  He came and lived a perfect life for us then willingly went to the cross and died for us.  On the third day He was raised from the grave by the power of God.  He is alive now seated at the right hand of the Father in heaven.

7/11            Mark 2:17
When Jesus heard this, he told them, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.”

SIN
Sin is rampant in the world.  We are surrounded by it and sin assails us at every opportunity.  We are at war with the powers and principalities of the air.  Christ is the one who saves us.  If we believe in our hearts that Jesus is Lord and ask Him to save you, the Word says He will save you unto eternity.

7/12            Mark 2:18-20
Once when John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting, some people came to Jesus and asked, “Why don’t your disciples fast like John’s disciples and the Pharisees do?”  Jesus replied, “Do wedding guests fast while celebrating with the groom? Of course not. They can’t fast while the groom is with them.  But someday the groom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.

QUESTIONS
The religious leaders always asked the wrong question.  They thought they controlled God.  They refused to listen to the Lord.  Jesus turned the tables on them.  They had just witnessed a great miracle and yet instead of bowing down and worshipping Jesus they were wasting His time asking questions for which they already had the answer.  The religious leaders were off track.  Jesus noted that they were outside the will of God.

7/13            Mark 2:21
“Besides, who would patch old clothing with new cloth? For the new patch would shrink and rip away from the old cloth, leaving an even bigger tear than before.

OLD ORDER
The world is dead in its trespasses and sins.  The way of the world is against the way of God.  Christ came into our world to save us from our sin.  His way is redemptive.  His way is totally different than the way of the world.  Christ calls us to surrender to Him and let Him give us direction for living.

7/14            Mark 2:22
“And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. For the wine would burst the wineskins, and the wine and the skins would both be lost. New wine calls for new wineskins.”

CHRISTIANITY
The world is committed to doing things without full knowledge and on its own.  The world is a place where the fittest survive.  Christianity is committed to everyone surviving and taking care of the needy.  When we come to Christ and serve Him we learn to love the unlovely.  Our life in Christ is a life committed to putting people first.

7/15            Mark 2:23-24
One Sabbath day as Jesus was walking through some grainfields, his disciples began breaking off heads of grain to eat.  But the Pharisees said to Jesus, “Look, why are they breaking the law by harvesting grain on the Sabbath?”

THINGS
The world only sees things.  It is committed to the those things that are passing away.  Christianity is committed to people.  People count with the Lord.  People have great needs and are always in need of direction for living.  Christ comes to us to give us the things we need and to teach us the ways of God.  When we are of the world we live a life of solitude and we are always striving to fill a need we can’t quite identify.  Christ touches us in that area of need and meets it.  Jesus is Lord and He will give us the very things that we need for real life.

7/16            Mark 2:25-26
Jesus said to them, “Haven’t you ever read in the Scriptures what David did when he and his companions were hungry?  He went into the house of God (during the days when Abiathar was high priest) and broke the law by eating the sacred loaves of bread that only the priests are allowed to eat. He also gave some to his companions.”

NEED
What is your need?  Christ is in the need meeting business.  Christ will meet you where you are and take you to where you need to be.  Let Jesus have control of your life and He will guide you on the right path.

7/17            Mark 2:27-28
Then Jesus said to them, “The Sabbath was made to meet the needs of people, and not people to meet the requirements of the Sabbath.  So the Son of Man is Lord, even over the Sabbath!”

LORD
Jesus loves you.  He loves you because He chose you to be in His family.  When we accept His Word about us we will become part of His family.  God is at work in the world to find those who love Him.  Tell everyone about your relationship with Jesus.  Tell them about your answered pray.  Tell others about your sweet relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ for He is indeed Lord of all.

7/18            Mark 3:1-2
Jesus went into the synagogue again and noticed a man with a deformed hand. Since it was the Sabbath, Jesus’ enemies watched him closely. Would he heal the man’s hand on the Sabbath? If he did, they planned to condemn him.

JESUS
Notice that Jesus was available and willing.  His enemies hated Him and Jesus knew this.  Jesus also knew that this man had a great need.  Christ is in the need meeting business.  Take your need to Him.  Jesus is not afraid to meet your need.

7/19            Mark 3:3-4
Jesus said to the man, “Come and stand in front of everyone.”  Then he turned to his critics and asked, “Is it legal to do good deeds on the Sabbath, or is it a day for doing harm? Is this a day to save life or to destroy it?” But they wouldn’t answer him.

RELIGION
Religion wants you to meet its need.  Jesus came to meet the needs of people.  He shows the Pharisees how they could be useful in the Kingdom and they totally missed the point.  Their hatred for Jesus clouded their minds.  Jesus knew this man’s need and was willing to meet the man exactly where he was.

7/20            Mark 3:5
He looked around at them angrily, because he was deeply disturbed by their hard hearts. Then he said to the man, “Reach out your hand.” The man reached out his hand, and it became normal again!

HEALER
Jesus the Creator is our healer.  He is serious about meeting our need.  Spend time getting to know the Lord.  Talk with Him about every need that you have.  You will be amazed at how important you are to Jesus.  He will meet your need.

7/21            Mark 3:6
At once the Pharisees went away and met with the supporters of Herod to discuss plans for killing Jesus.

FOCUS
Religion focuses on its needs.  Christianity focuses on peoples needs.  Jesus is concerned about you and your life.  He will walk with you as you face each day.  Jesus will give you wisdom, mercy and the grace that you need to do what the Lord has called you to do.  Grow in your relationship with Christ.  Spend time with Him.

7/22            Mark 3:7-8
Jesus and his disciples went out to the lake, followed by a huge crowd from all over Galilee, Judea,  Jerusalem, Idumea, from east of the Jordan River, and even from as far away as Tyre and Sidon. The news about his miracles had spread far and wide, and vast numbers of people came to see him for themselves.

PEOPLE
People are dealing with a life that at times is overwhelming.  They seek to be independent.  They want their way from birth.  Jesus knows the way that we should go and He is able to deal with each individual life.  He will teach us the right way.  There is no “silver bullet” for living.  Life is a daily activity.  We have great needs and Jesus will meet those needs.

7/23            Mark 3:9
Jesus instructed his disciples to bring around a boat and to have it ready in case he was crowded off the beach.

DETAILS
Jesus deals with details.  Too often we think “oh, that is too much detail to talk with Jesus about.”  It isn’t.  Jesus is concerned about everything in our life.  He loves us so much more than we ever realize.  He is especially concerned about each one of us.  We are special to Him.  The details of our life are important to Jesus.

7/24            Mark 3:10
There had been many healings that day. As a result, many sick people were crowding around him, trying to touch him.

HEALING
Jesus could do miracles.  His miracles were to show the people who He was.  He was the King of all Kings and Lord of Glory.  All the people saw was the miracles.  It didn’t occur to them to think about who He was.  Instead they focused on the miracles.  Who do you think Jesus is?  Is He the Lord of your life?

7/25            Mark 3:11-12
And whenever those possessed by evil spirits caught sight of him, they would fall down in front of him shrieking, “You are the Son of God!”  But Jesus strictly warned them not to say who he was.

DEMONS
The evil spirits know about Jesus.  They know who He is and they tremble in fear of Him.  Jesus wants a relationship with you.  He wants you to get to know Him.  Spend time with Jesus today and every day.  Claim Him as Lord and leader of your life.

7/26            Mark 3:13-19
Afterward Jesus went up on a mountain and called the ones he wanted to go with him. And they came to him.  Then he selected twelve of them to be his regular companions, calling them apostles.  He sent them out to preach, and he gave them authority to cast out demons.  These are the names of the twelve he chose: Simon (he renamed him Peter), James and John (the sons of Zebedee, but Jesus nicknamed them “Sons of Thunder”), Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James (son of Alphaeus), Thaddaeus, Simon (the Zealot), Judas Iscariot (who later betrayed him).

CHOSEN
Jesus chose the disciples and gave them a ministry.  He was very specific with what they were to do.  His instructions were to be carried out by them.  He has also chosen you and is calling you to serve.  Jesus has a specific activity that only you can do.  Surrender to Him today and serve the Lord.

7/27            Mark 3:20
When Jesus returned to the house where he was staying, the crowds began to gather again, and soon he and his disciples couldn’t even find time to eat.

MINISTRY
It is hard to minister to lost people.  They want us for what we can do for them.  They are not interested in ministering together with us.  Are you doing that for which you and only you were created?  Is Jesus filling you with the Holy Spirit so that you can serve in kingdom work?  All of us are called.  All of us have an opportunity to serve.  Ask the Lord what He wants you to do and He will tell you.

7/28            Mark 3:21
When his family heard what was happening, they tried to take him home with them. “He’s out of his mind,” they said.

WORLD
The world and sometimes other Christians will fail to see the ministry that you are doing as God called.  Others will try to control us.  His call is easy but what makes it hard is our trying to do it on our own.  Jesus called you and He will direct you.  He will take you along a victorious path and you will be effective.  Give the Lord have your plans and then seek to listen to His plans for you.

7/29            Mark 3:22
But the teachers of religious law who had arrived from Jerusalem said, “He’s possessed by Satan, the prince of demons. That’s where he gets the power to cast out demons.”

EVIL
Evil always points at good and declares it evil.  Remember that the lost are dead in their trespasses and sin.  We must know the Word of God and we are charged with the responsibility of knowing good from evil.  It is important that we not mistake the evil things we do for good.  Also, that we not declare the activity of God as evil.  Know the Lord and He will instruct you in the proper way to go.

7/30            Mark 3:23-30
Jesus called them over and said to them by way of illustration, “How can Satan cast out Satan?  A kingdom at war with itself will collapse.  A home divided against itself is doomed.  And if Satan is fighting against himself, how can he stand? He would never survive.  Let me illustrate this. You can’t enter a strong man’s house and rob him without first tying him up. Only then can his house be robbed!   “I assure you that any sin can be forgiven, including blasphemy; but anyone who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven. It is an eternal sin.”  He told them this because they were saying he had an evil spirit.

EVIL
It is easy to recognize evil.  It goes against God.  It claims its exception to the things of God.  Evil is always independent from the things of God.  It goes its own way.  It whispers in our ear that this time will be okay.  Listen to the Lord.  He will put His finger on sin and he will never give you a pass.  Sin is always sin.

7/31            Mark 3:31-35
Jesus’ mother and brothers arrived at the house where he was teaching. They stood outside and sent word for him to come out and talk with them.  There was a crowd around Jesus, and someone said, “Your mother and your brothers and sisters are outside, asking for you.”  Jesus replied, “Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?”  Then he looked at those around him and said, “These are my mother and brothers.  Anyone who does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.”

GOD’S WILL
Do God’s will.  It is easier to live right than to justify living wrong.  Today we are living in a nation that is calling sin good and good sin.  Be careful who you follow.  The world is always against the things of God.  People count with Jesus but in the world might makes right.

06/01          Mark 1:1
Here begins the Good News about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God.

JESUS
Jesus is the Good News from God.  He lived a perfect life.  He willingly died for us to pay the price for our sin.  He chose us even when we were dead in our trespasses and sin.  We didn’t come looking for Him, He was looking for us.  The really Good News is that God came for us.

06/02          Mark 1:2-3
In the book of the prophet Isaiah, God said, “Look, I am sending my messenger before you, and he will prepare your way.    He is a voice shouting in the wilderness: ‘Prepare a pathway for the Lord’s coming! Make a straight road for him!’

EVANGEL
John the Baptist fulfilled this role.  He came declaring that Messiah was coming.  You and I are charged with the responsibility to tell everyone that the Messiah has come.  We tell it with our lives and our oral testimony.  Be busy about the Lord’s work, Jesus is coming soon and then He will come in judgment.

06/03          Mark 1:4
This messenger was John the Baptist. He lived in the wilderness and was preaching that people should be baptized to show that they had turned from their sins and turned to God to be forgiven.

OBEDIENCE
The Lord calls us to obedience.  Once we start to be obedient everything else falls in place.  Too many want everything to fall in place and then they will obey.  The Lord tells us to trust and obey Him.

06/04          Mark 1:5
People from Jerusalem and from all over Judea traveled out into the wilderness to see and hear John. And when they confessed their sins, he baptized them in the Jordan River.

CONFESSION
When we confess our sin Jesus forgives us.  The problem is that sometimes our confession is not so that we can change and do right, it is simply a passing act of religious fervor that leads on to doing things the way we have already done them.  Jesus calls us to a life of obedience to Him.  Confession includes our changing to become more like Jesus.

06/05          Mark 1:6-8
His clothes were woven from camel hair, and he wore a leather belt; his food was locusts and wild honey.  He announced: “Someone is coming soon who is far greater than I am – so much greater that I am not even worthy to be his slave.    I baptize you with   water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit!”

JESUS
Jesus came so that we might have a relationship with the Father.  The Holy Spirit indwells us and will guide us.  We cut our relationship with Jesus when we disobey Him.  Obedience is the required path for us to walk when we are seeking a close relationship with Jesus.  Obedience takes discipline.  Listen to the Lord and do what He says.

06/06          Mark 1:9-10
One day Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee, and he was baptized by John in the Jordan River.  And when Jesus came up out of the water, he saw the heavens split open and the Holy Spirit descending like a dove on him.

JESUS
Jesus was the Son of God.  He lived and walked on this earth in ancient Israel about 2,000 years ago.  Everyone saw this happening.  Let this Word from God encourage your faith.  Jesus really came to save us from our sin.

06/07          Mark 1:11
And a voice came from heaven saying, “You are my beloved Son, and I am fully pleased with you.”

JESUS
Jesus was obedient to the Father.  He always did what His Father said.  This is an important lesson for us.  Jesus was fully man and fully God and it took Him a lot of time to keep in close relationship with the Father.  Spend time with Jesus every day.

06/08          Mark 1:12
Immediately the Holy Spirit compelled Jesus to go into the wilderness.  He was there for forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was out among the wild animals, and angels took care of him.

JESUS
Jesus had a tough time but He dealt with all of the issues in His life by maintaining that close relationship with the Father.  Can we do any less?  If the Son of God had to spend a lot of time in prayer and fellowship with the Father how much greater is my need.  Discipline yourself unto obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ.

06/09          Mark 1:14
Later on, after John was arrested by Herod Antipas, Jesus went to Galilee to preach God’s Good News.

GOOD NEWS
The Lord has come.  This is Good News.  We are not alone.  Our life has meaning.  The Lord has made each one of us a part of His plan.  His plan is that all might be saved to a relationship with Him.  People count with God.  Without God man is dead in his trespasses and sin.

06/10          Mark 1:15
“At last the time has come!” he announced. “The Kingdom of God is near! Turn from your sins and believe this Good News!”

CALL
The call for each one of us is to turn from our sins and believe in the Good News of Jesus.  No one is exempt from this requirement of repentance.  If a person has not repented of their sin and believed in Jesus they have not made a profession of faith.  The Good News is that we can choose to be in the family of God.

06/11          Mark 1:16-18
One day as Jesus was walking along the shores of the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother, Andrew, fishing with a net, for they were commercial fishermen.  Jesus called out to them, “Come, be my disciples, and I will show you how to fish for people!”  And they left their nets at once and went with him.

CALL
Jesus calls us to come to Himself.  Each one of us and anyone of us can make this decision to follow Jesus.  He is calling all of us.  Listen, He is saying your name.  “Come,” Jesus says.

06/12          Mark 1:19-20
A little farther up the shore Jesus saw Zebedee’s sons, James and John, in a boat mending their nets.  He called them, too, and immediately they left their father, Zebedee, in the boat with the hired men and went with him.

CHOICE
Following Jesus is a clear choice.  We change from what we were to a follower of Jesus.  Those that follow Him will become more like Him day by day.  God is love.  He loves people.  Jesus died for people.  His most recognizable trait is His love.  Can we say that about ourselves?

06/13          Mark 1:21
Jesus and his companions went to the town of Capernaum, and every Sabbath day he went into the synagogue and taught the people.

JESUS
Jesus will teach us about Himself.  He will guide us into what we need to read, say and do.  His love will call us to prayer.  When we love Jesus we will love those we are with.  Life is always to be lived where we are and never where we aren’t.

06/14          Mark 1:22
They were amazed at his teaching, for he taught as one who had real authority – quite unlike the teachers of religious law.

JESUS
Jesus said that He and the Father were one.  When we see Jesus we have seen the Father.  Jesus is our teacher.  He is our role model.  The more we learn about Jesus the more we know how to live our life.  The more of what we learn about Jesus that we put into practice the more we will become like Christ.

06/15          Mark 1:23-24
A man possessed by an evil spirit was in the synagogue, and he began shouting, “Why are you bothering us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are – the Holy One sent from God!”

JESUS
Jesus is Lord.  He is Lord over all things.  When He is Lord of our life He will teach us the way in which we should go.

06/16          Mark 1:25-26
Jesus cut him short. “Be silent! Come out of the man.”  At that, the evil spirit screamed and threw the man into a convulsion, but then he left him.

AUTHORITY
Jesus has authority over all things.  When we surrender our life to Him He will exercise authority in our life teaching us how we should live and guiding us in the right way we should go.

06/17          Mark 1:27-28
Amazement gripped the audience, and they began to discuss what had happened. “What sort of new teaching is this?” they asked excitedly. “It has such authority! Even evil spirits obey his orders!”  The news of what he had done spread quickly through that entire area of Galilee.

JESUS
Jesus knows all about us.  He is able to deal with any issue in our life.  Jesus will walk with us everyday of our life.  He will teach us to accomplish the plan He has for our life.  He will sustain us.  He will never leave us.

06/18          Mark 1:29-31
After Jesus and his disciples left the synagogue, they went over to Simon and Andrew’s home, and James and John were with them.  Simon’s mother-in-law was sick in bed with a high fever. They told Jesus about her right away.  He went to her bedside, and as he took her by the hand and helped her to sit up, the fever suddenly left, and she got up and prepared a meal for them.

JESUS
Jesus will meet our every need.  He will not fail us.  His only requirement is our belief.  This is not our believing that we will be successful for indeed we may not be successful in the eyes of the world.  Our belief is in His love and His call.  He will not forsake us and nothing can ever separate us from Him.

06/19          Mark 1:32-33
That evening at sunset, many sick and demon-possessed people were brought to Jesus.  And a huge crowd of people from all over Capernaum gathered outside the door to watch.

WORLD
The world is only interested in things that are passing away, those things that fulfill personal wants and aspirations.  Jesus is interested in the things that will outfit us for eternity.  The things we need to live before the Father from this moment until forever.  Christ equips us to move from this life into the next without any difficulties.  The Lord is with us and overcomes every obstacle to life.

06/20          Mark 1:34
So Jesus healed great numbers of sick people who had many different kinds of diseases, and he ordered many demons to come out of their victims. But because they knew who he was, he refused to allow the demons to speak.

EVIL
Evil is well acquainted with who Jesus is.  Evil is seeking to devour us.  Evil wants us to go our own way, do it our self, so that it can control us.  We have no power in the face of evil.  We cannot over come evil.  Only Jesus can.  He is Lord and He has already faced evil and won the battle for our life on Calvary.  All we have to do is accept the offer of Jesus-eternal life.

06/21          Mark 1:35
The next morning Jesus awoke long before daybreak and went out alone into the wilderness to pray.

JESUS
Jesus was Lord but He had to spend a great deal of time in prayer.  His prayer time kept Him in constant touch with the Father.  Prayer enabled Christ to keep His focus and strength to deal with the world.  Jesus was equipped by the Holy Spirit and beloved by the Father.

06/22          Mark 1:36-37
Later Simon and the others went out to find him.  They said, “Everyone is asking for you.”

PEOPLE
People will generally seek to have their needs met first.  People will look for anyone they think can meet their needs.  Jesus knew what each person was looking for and knew that surrender wasn’t one of those things.  We can only come to Jesus in surrender.  Jesus is Lord.

06/23          Mark 1:38
But he replied, “We must go on to other towns as well, and I will preach to them, too, because that is why I came.”

GOSPEL
The Gospel message is for each one of us.  Jesus has come that we might have life and that life is in Him.  We will no longer be alone Jesus will be with us.  The world is searching for things that are passing away.  Jesus gives us life and that more abundantly.  We are cleansed from our sins and made whole.  Jesus brings us into the family of God and gives us the ability to have a relationship with the Father.

06/24          Mark 1:39
So he traveled throughout the region of Galilee, preaching in the synagogues and expelling demons from many people.

JESUS
Jesus expels evil.  Evil cannot survive when Christ is around.  Very simple, we need the Lord and when we are in Christ we are free from any other control. We are able to become more like Jesus because He is with us showing us the way.

06/25          Mark 1:40
A man with leprosy came and knelt in front of Jesus, begging to be healed. “If you want to, you can make me well again,” he said.

HEALTH
Jesus brings spiritual health to us.  We are no longer dead in our sin.  We are alive in Christ.  Christ will take us by the hand and lead us in the way we should go.  He will give us what we need.  His will is that we honor and glorify the Father just as He, Jesus, does.

06/26          Mark 1:41
Moved with pity,   Jesus touched him. “I want to,” he said. “Be healed!”

LOVE
The response by Jesus to a person that needs help is never decided by the position of the person.  This man wasn’t prayed up.  This man did not know Jesus and he wasn’t coming for any other reason than that he wanted to be healed.  Jesus healed the man because the man asked Him for healing.  What do you need?  Jesus is not going to wait until you have done enough or put yourself in a favored position.  Jesus loves you and He will meet your need at the point of your need.

06/27          Mark 1:42-44
Instantly the leprosy disappeared – the man was healed.  Then Jesus sent him on his way and told him sternly, “Go right over to the priest and let him examine you. Don’t talk to anyone along the way. Take along the offering required in the Law of Moses for those who have been healed of leprosy, so everyone will have proof of your healing.”

JESUS
Jesus was showing His deep compassion for the needy.  He also will show us the same kind of compassion as we come to Him with our needs.  The Lord will talk with you and He will let you know what He will do.  Spend time with Him and get to know Him.  Let His presence change you.  We need changing.  We need leading.  Bend your knee to Him.

06/28          Mark 1:45
But as the man went on his way, he spread the news, telling everyone what had happened to him. As a result, such crowds soon surrounded Jesus that he couldn’t enter a town anywhere publicly. He had to stay out in the secluded places, and people from everywhere came to him there.

PEOPLE
People are hurting.  These folk didn’t know who Jesus was but they knew they needed help.  They were desperately seeking a solution to their plight.  The tragedy in this world is that when folks discover that they can’t manipulate Jesus to do their bidding they often walk away.  Jesus is Lord not a genie or butler.  It is He who created us and we need to be faithful in our relationship with Him.  If we aren’t it will harm us and the only one fooled will be us.

06/29          Psalm 75:1-5
We thank you, O God! We give thanks because you are near. People everywhere tell of your mighty miracles.  God says, “At the time I have planned, I will bring justice against the wicked.  When the earth quakes and its people live in turmoil, I am the one who keeps its foundations firm.  “I warned the proud, ‘Stop your boasting!’ I told the wicked, ‘Don’t raise your fists!  Don’t lift your fists in defiance at the heavens or speak with rebellious arrogance.'”

THANKS
Gratitude is the attitude for a follower of Jesus.  We are grateful for our daily bread.  We thank the Lord for His rich blessings and His wonderful presence.  We need the Lord.  Surrender you heart to Him and let Jesus come into your life to give you the direction that you need.  Jesus is a friend who will never leave you.

06/30          Psalm 75:6-10
For no one on earth – from east or west, or even from the wilderness – can raise another person up.  It is God alone who judges; he decides who will rise and who will fall.  For the LORD holds a cup in his hand; it is full of foaming wine mixed with spices. He pours the wine out in judgment, and all the wicked must drink it, draining it to the dregs.  But as for me, I will always proclaim what God has done; I will sing praises to the God of Israel.  For God says, “I will cut off the strength of the wicked, but I will increase the power of the godly.”

JESUS
Jesus is God’s everything.  Christ makes us whole, cleansing us of our sin.  Jesus gives us His right standing so that we can have a relationship with the Father.  Praise God from whom all blessings come.  Thank you Lord.

05/01          1 John 3:1
See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are! But the people who belong to this world don’t recognize that we are God’s children because they don’t know him.

CHILDREN
We are children of God.  Think about how we respond to our children.  We listen to them and strive to meet their needs.  God really knows what all of our needs are and He loves us.  Our Father is willing to meet all of our needs and He knows what those needs are.

05/02          1 John 3:2
Dear friends, we are already God’s children, but he has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is.

CHANGE
There is a great change that takes place when we become a member of God’s family.  On that day when we go to be with the Father we can only imagine the magnitude of the change that will take place in a fraction of a second.  We will see God.  We will know Him.  We will be like Him.  Wow what a day we are looking forward too.

05/03          1 John 3:3
And all who have this eager expectation will keep themselves pure, just as he is pure.

CHANGE
We have the spirit of God with us and are able to comprehend spiritual things.  This knowledge will lead us to become more like Jesus.  As we grow in knowledge of the Father we will become more aware of His holiness and purity.  This should cause us to strive to be more like Jesus.  This will encourage us to let the Lord have control of our life and lead us into a life like the Father’s, one of holiness and purity.

05/04          1 John 3:4-5
Everyone who sins is breaking God’s law, for all sin is contrary to the law of God.  And you know that Jesus came to take away our sins, and there is no sin in him.

SIN
We must be sensitive to our sin.  Too many people are sensitive to other peoples sin and excuse their own.  Do not excuse sin.  Ask the Lord to make you sensitive to your sin, confess it and turn from it.  Let Jesus cleanse you from your sin.

05/05          1 John 3:6
Anyone who continues to live in him will not sin. But anyone who keeps on sinning does not know him or understand who he is.

SIN
We cannot stand in the presence of God and continue in sin.  Our sin is an obstacle between us and the Father.  Jesus died for our sin and He is the one who forgives our sin.  Christ is looking for us to rely on Him for everything we need in life and one of those key elements of a Christ like life is forgiveness.  Ask Jesus and He will forgive you.  We must get serious about dealing with sin in our life.

05/06          1 John 3:7-8
Dear children, don’t let anyone deceive you about this: When people do what is right, it shows that they are righteous, even as Christ is righteous.  But when people keep on sinning, it shows that they belong to the devil, who has been sinning since the beginning. But the Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil.

SIN
We cannot destroy sin.  Try as we might, as hard as we might and we will not eradicate sin.  But when we turn to Jesus and let Him have control of us He will lead us in the way we should go.  Jesus will remove the stain of sin from us and give us the wisdom we need so that we will not sin.  His righteousness is given to us.  He forgives our sin.

05/07          1 John 3:9
Those who have been born into God’s family do not make a practice of sinning, because God’s life is in them. So they can’t keep on sinning, because they are children of God.

SIN
If I am serious about Christ I will let Him have control of me.  I will let Him give me the strength to deal with sin in my life.  Jesus will change me from the inside out and all of those things that I did do I will no longer do.  Holiness comes from a position of humility under the tutelage of Jesus.

05/08          1 John 3:10
So now we can tell who are children of God and who are children of the devil. Anyone who does not live righteously and does not love other believers does not belong to God.

OWNERSHIP
When we accept Jesus as Lord we are members of the family of God.  We have a new heart and have His righteousness.  Therefore we will deal with people like Jesus would deal with them.  Even though they mistreated Him He still loved them.

05/09          1 John 3:11
This is the message you have heard from the beginning: We should love one another.

LOVE
Love is an action.  It isn’t a thought, a dream, something we will do one day, love is the way that we treat some one right now.  If I love you I will value you.  If I don’t love you I will mistreat you.  How we treat others tells us whether we love them or not.

05/10          1 John 3:12
We must not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and killed his brother. And why did he kill him? Because Cain had been doing what was evil, and his brother had been doing what was righteous.

ACTIONS
Our actions tell us who we love and express the way we love.  If you do not love someone we will ignore them, treat them harshly or in a multitude of other ways communicate that we don’t think much of them.  This is wrong and when we do things this way we are wrong.  We are to confess our sin and He will be faithful and righteous to forgive us of our sin.

05/11          1 John 3:13
So don’t be surprised, dear brothers and sisters, if the world hates you.

WORLD
The world is in bondage to sin.  It will react against you in a negative way when you are committed to living for Jesus.  The world hates Jesus and will do whatever it costs to express that hate.  The world will let you talk about Supreme Being, Heavenly Father and on and on but the world hates Jesus.

05/12          1 John 3:14
If we love our Christian brothers and sisters, it proves that we have passed from death to life. But a person who has no love is still dead.

CHANGE
When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior it changes us.  We are no longer in bondage to sin.  Satan does not have a claim against us.  When we continue in bondage to sin we have not accepted Jesus.

05/13          1 John 3:15
Anyone who hates another brother or sister is really a murderer at heart. And you know that murderers don’t have eternal life within them.

ACTIONS
Look at your life.  How are you living?  Is Jesus the center of your life?  Is God in control of you?  If you’re actions are unchanged then you have not given yourself to Jesus.  The Christian life is not a cafeteria line.  We serve God or the Evil One-our choice.

05/14          1 John 3:16
We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters.

SACRIFICE
Jesus gave His life for us.  He died on the cross.  His example calls us to give Him our priorities.  Everything we do is subject to His direction.  Spend time with Jesus.  Ask Him what He would have you do.

05/15          1 John 3:17
If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but shows no compassion—how can God’s love be in that person?

LOVE
Love is a requirement when you are a member of God’s family.  We are called to love the unlovely.  His example is meant for us-He died on the cross for those who killed Him as though they were His friends.  He died for you and for me when we didn’t know Him.  His example for us is a call to live our life caring for the needy and being a friend to the friendless.

05/16          1 John 3:18-20
Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions.  Our actions will show that we belong to the truth, so we will be confident when we stand before God.  Even if we feel guilty, God is greater than our feelings, and he knows everything.

ACTIONS
In our society we are focused on talk.  We talk about what we do, what someone else will do or what we should do.  In fact we talk so much that we have forgotten that talk is simply that, talk.  Until we actually do it our talk is meaningless.  The road to perdition is paved with good intentions.

05/17          1 John 3:21-22
Dear friends, if we don’t feel guilty, we can come to God with bold confidence.  And we will receive from him whatever we ask because we obey him and do the things that please him.

BE
We are called to BE doers of the Word and not hearers only.  Do what the Lord tells you to do.  Do it with joy.  Do it now.  Do it to the best of your ability.  Then your conscience will be clear, your heart will be devoted and your reward in heaven will be great.

05/18          1 John 3:23
And this is his commandment: We must believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as he commanded us.

BELIEF
Our belief is in a man, the Lord Jesus Christ.  It is not a trust we put in someone that has come along with a new idea.  Jesus, fully God and fully man, came to pay the price of our sin.  He died on the cross for us and was raised from the dead by the power of God.  He was with God and is God and He walked among us.  He knows our pain and sorrows.  He calls us to believe in Him and receive eternal life.

05/19          1 John 3:24
Those who obey God’s commandments remain in fellowship with him, and he with them. And we know he lives in us because the Spirit he gave us lives in us.

HOLY SPIRIT
The Holy Spirit of God indwells the heart and mind of those that name Jesus as their Lord and Savior.  He convicts us of our sin.  He guides us in the way we should go.  He quickens our mind when we face an obstacle so that we will know the right thing to do.

05/20          Isaiah 61:1
The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me, for the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted and to proclaim that captives will be released and prisoners will be freed.

JESUS
Jesus the Messiah has come to us so that we might have pardon for our sin and new life in the family of God.  Jesus is alive and He lives in us.  Jesus gives us right standing with the Father.  He has provided our pardon.

05/21          Isaiah 61:2
He has sent me to tell those who mourn that the time of the Lord’s favor has come, and with it, the day of God’s anger against their enemies.

SALVATION
Salvation is available to anyone willing to ask Jesus to forgive them of their sin and believe that Jesus is Lord.  Whosoever will may come.  That is a promise from the Father to us.  There is new life in Jesus Christ and it is available to you.

05/22          Isaiah 61:3
To all who mourn in Israel, he will give a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive praise instead of despair.  In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks that the Lord has planted for his own glory.

VICTORY
Jesus has won the victory.  Whatever the circumstances of our life might be we are living in victory if we have asked Jesus to be our Lord and Savior.  The world, the flesh and the devil seek to trip us up but we belong to Him and in Him we are living in victory.  Jesus is Lord and He is alive and well in us.

05/23          Isaiah 61:4-5
They will rebuild the ancient ruins, repairing cities destroyed long ago.  They will revive them, though they have been deserted for many generations.  Foreigners will be your servants.  They will feed your flocks and plow your fields and tend your vineyards.

VICTORY
Do not fear.  Jesus Christ is Lord and He is Lord of all things.  If we call upon Him and let Him have our hearts we will have eternal life that begins right now and will never end.  Don’t let the world dissuade you for you are victors in Christ.  Jesus is God’s everything and He brings everything we need to live a victorious life.

05/24          Isaiah 61:6
You will be called priests of the Lord, ministers of our God.  You will feed on the treasures of the nations and boast in their riches.  Instead of shame and dishonor, you will enjoy a double share of honor.  You will possess a double portion of prosperity in your land, and everlasting joy will be yours.

VICTORY
Do not despair for Christ has won the fight.  Our life is blessed and protected by the Lord Jesus Christ.  Christ is our king and we will participate with Him the victory He has won.  This present travail will soon be done and our reward received for the victory has already been won.

05/25          Isaiah 61:8-9
“For I, the Lord, love justice.  I hate robbery and wrongdoing.  I will faithfully reward my people for their suffering and make an everlasting covenant with them.  Their descendants will be recognized and honored among the nations.  Everyone will realize that they are a people the Lord has blessed.”

BLESSED
We are blessed with every good thing from God in Jesus Christ.  He is our salvation and righteousness.  In Him we live a life free from fear and slavery.  Jesus is Lord of all things and He is our Lord.

05/26          Isaiah 61:10-11
I am overwhelmed with joy in the Lord my God!  For he has dressed me with the clothing of salvation and draped me in a robe of righteousness.  I am like a bridegroom in his wedding suit or a bride with her jewels.  The Sovereign Lord will show his justice to the nations of the world.  Everyone will praise him!  His righteousness will be like a garden in early spring, with plants springing up everywhere.

JESUS CHRIST
Jesus Christ is everything to us.  He is our strength and salvation.  Our bright morning star that creates in us everything that is of beauty.  His light has come into our lives and we radiate His beauty, His perfection because He lives in us.  He is the Lord of everything including us.

05/27          Philippians 4:4
Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again – rejoice!

REJOICE
The people of God rejoice.  The people of God can rejoice.  Do not let this world get you down.  Know that the end of this life is simply a beginning of real life for then we will stand face to face and see Jesus in all of His radiance and glory.  He will fill us to overflowing with His beauty.  We will see Him as He really is and we will know that every promise that He has given us is true and correct.  Rejoice in the Lord for He is indeed Lord of all things.

05/28          Philippians 4:5
Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon.

RETURN
Live as if your life would end this very hour.  Keep short accounts for forgiveness for we do not know the day or the hour when we will go to be with the Lord and we want to be found faithful.  Jesus is coming back.

05/29          Philippians 4:6-7
Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.  If you do this, you will experience God’s peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

WORRY
Worry will try to rob you of your joy.  Worry will seek to grab your freedom in Christ.  Develop and attitude of gratitude to Jesus and He will keep you in perfect peace.  Ask Him for His peace every time you sense worry rearing its head.  Lord forgive me for my unbelief and fill me with your peace.  His peace is the appropriate foundation for joy.  Rejoice in the Lord for He is our peace.

05/30          Philippians 4:8
And now, dear brothers and sisters, let me say one more thing as I close this letter. Fix your thoughts on what is true and honorable and right. Think about things that are pure and lovely and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.

FOCUS
Keep your eyes on Jesus.  Read His Word, spend time in prayer and get busy living a life that is totally controlled by Jesus.  When you sense obstacles arising against your focus, stop where you are, ask the Lord to deal with whatever it is that is troubling you and He will equip you to walk that very moment in His joy and peace.

05/31          Philippians 4:9
Keep putting into practice all you learned from me and heard from me and saw me doing, and the God of peace will be with you.

COPY
Paul says to do what He is doing and you will be doing the things that the Lord is calling you to do.  Paul is a great role model for us.  Keep your eyes on Jesus and do what He calls you to do.  Do the next right thing and you will never go astray.