Category: Gospels
Kingdom righteousness!
Scripture reading for February 15th: Romans 5
Key Scriptures: Romans 5:18-21 “Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one Man’s obedience the many were made righteous. Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Paul explained to the Roman believers that the first man, Adam, crossed God’s line (trespassed) in disobedience when he took fruit from his wife and ate of the forbidden fruit. Because of this, all men became sinners after the manner of Adam. But Jesus Christ the Son of God, the second Adam, came to earth and perfectly obeyed His Father. He then offered His own sinless body on the cross for payment for sins done by Adam and his offspring. The Law was given to Israel to reveal sin and the sin nature. All sins lead to death which is eternal separation from God. But grace is unlimited towards all who will go to God through Jesus Christ in repentance and faith. Righteousness through Christ’s sacrifice and His obedience is given to all the faithful as a gift of eternal life.
Genesis 2:16-17 “And the Lord God commanded the man (Adam), saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”
Faith confession and prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for Your perfect obedience and perfect sacrifice on the cross to make those who would believe on You righteous and cleanse them of sin’s guilt and shame. Lead me to share Your amazing grace and lead sinners to righteousness and life
John 3:16-17 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him.”
“He has risen!”
Scripture reading for February 5th: Mark 16
Key Scriptures: Mark 16:1-7 “When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint Him. And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. And they were saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?” And looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled back–it was very large. And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were alarmed. And he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, Who was crucified. He has risen; He is not here. See the place where they laid Him. But go, tell His disciples and Peter that He is going before you to Galilee. There you will see Him, just as He told you.”
Early on the first day of the week, the three women who loved Jesus purchased spices and went to the tomb of Jesus to anoint His body for burial. It had been a rushed burial because of the Passover and the Sabbath. The women wondered aloud how they might move the large stone covering the tomb, when to their surprise, it had been rolled away. Going inside, a man dressed in white greeted them with amazing good news. Jesus, Whom they sought, was not there! He had risen from death. The place where He was laid was empty, except for some folded grave clothes. The “man” gave them instructions: “Go and tell His disciples–and Peter.” Jesus would appear to them later in Galilee, just as He had told them.
Psalm 16:10-11 “For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let Your holy one see corruption. You make known to me the path of life; in Your presence there is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”
Faith confession and prayer: Lord Jesus, the empty tomb speaks amazing grace to all who believe in You as the Son of God. Thank You for these women who loved Jesus and testified of the good news they received on resurrection morning! May I have opportunity to share this truth today!
Mark 16:19-20 “So then the Lord Jesus, after He had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by accompanying signs.”
Truly the Son of God
Scripture reading for February 5th: Mark 15
Key Scriptures: Mark 15:34-39 “And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” Which means, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” And some of the bystanders hearing it said, “Behold, He is calling Elijah.” And someone ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a reed and gave it to Him to drink, saying, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to take Him down.” And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed His last. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. And when the centurion, who stood facing Him saw that in this way he breathed His last, he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God.””
As Mark concluded the story of Jesus’ crucifixion and suffering on the cross, he includes one of the last prayers of Jesus. It is a question for God the Father. Jesus asks the Father why He has left Him alone. Bystanders thought Jesus might have been calling for Elijah to come take Him down. Another ran and gave Jesus a sedative in a sponge filled with sour wine. At three in the afternoon on Friday before the Sabbath, Jesus cried out His last cry in a loud voice. “It is finished!” was recorded by another Gospel writer. As the tough Roman Centurion watched Jesus and heard His last words, he came to an amazing revelation of truth. “Truly this man was the Son of God.” He is near to saving faith!
Psalm 22:1 “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are You so far from saving me, from the words of my groanings?”
Faith confession and prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for suffering shame, torture, and death and the feeling of separation from God on my behalf. Truly, You are the Son of God Who finished the work needed for the salvation of all who will believe.
John 19:30 “When Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished,” and He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.”
Condemned and spit upon!
Scripture reading for February 4th: Mark 14
Key Scriptures: Mark 14:60-65 “And the high priest stood up in the midst and asked Jesus, “Have You no answer to make? What is it that these men testify against You? But He remained silent and made no answer. Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?” And Jesus said, “I am, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.” And the high priest tore his garments and said, “What further witnesses do we need? You have heard His blasphemy. What is your decision?” And they all condemned Him as deserving death. And some began to spit on Him and to cover His face and to strike Him, saying to Him, “Prophesy!” And the guards received Him with blows. ”
Mark used Peter as one of his sources of the details of passion week events. The betrayal of Jesus by Judas and the subsequent denial of Peter and all the disciples was a shameful part of the story. This record of Jesus’ trial before the Sanhedrin shows how Jesus was falsely accused by false witnesses and remained silent before His accusers. When asked directly if He was the “Christ”, Jesus spoke the truth very plainly and simply. This declaration of Messiahship and prophetic announcement to those sitting in judgment brought immediate condemnation for blasphemy and acts of disrespect. They spit upon Him and covered His face and turned Him over to abusive Roman guards. All this was in the plan of God to bring about salvation for all who would humbly repent and believe!
Psalm 22:6-7 “But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by mankind and despised by the people. All who see me mock me; they make mouths at me; they wag their heads: . . .”
Faith confession and prayer: Lord Jesus, I am humbled by the scorn and harsh treatment You received. Even Judas betrayed You and the other disciples denied knowing you. This was all before the crucifixion. Thank You for Your sacrifice. Use Me however You want to proclaim Your love and mercy.
Isaiah 53:3, 7 “He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces.” . . . .”He was oppressed, and He was afflicted, yet He opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so He opened not his mouth.”
Stay awake!
Scripture reading for February 3rd: Mark 13
Key Scriptures: Mark 13: 32-37 “But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Be on guard, keep awake. For you do not know when the time will come. It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his servants in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to stay awake. Therefore stay awake–for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning lest he come suddenly and find you asleep. And what I say to you I say to all: Stay awake!”“
Sleep is necessary for our bodies but Jesus was not talking about physical sleep. He was calling His disciples and followers throughout the ages to recognize the spiritual warfare of the end times and the fact that only the Father knows when the last day and hour before the final judgment is. God has given His servants work to do in His absence. Each believer is assigned gifts and talents and responsibilities. Those who are watchmen must stay awake spiritually because the Church will not be caught unaware. No matter when Jesus returns, His Bride will be ready. Jesus reminded the disciples and all: “Stay awake!”
Song of Songs 5:2 “I slept, but my heart was awake. A sound! My beloved is knocking. “Open to me, . . .”
Faith confession and prayer: Lord, I may sleep naturally, but my heart is awakened to You knocking! I don’t know the day or the hour, but I know You are coming for Your Bride! May I be watchful and help others to be ready.
Revelation 16:15 Jesus: “(Behold, I am coming like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake, keeping his garments on, that he may not go about naked and be seen exposed!”)
It’s all about love!
Scripture reading for February 2nd: Mark 12
Key Scriptures: Mark 12:28-31 “And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that He answered them well asked Him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?” Jesus answered, “The most important commandment is ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is One. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.””
Jesus had been disputing with the scribes and Pharisees concerning different current religious and political issues. They were trying to trap Jesus by their questions but were not successful. One scribe asked about the greatest commandment and Jesus gave a simple answer, quoted from the Scriptures of Moses. The greatest commandment was to love God fully and completely and the second greatest was to love your neighbor as yourself. These two commandments summed up the whole law of God. It was all about love and love drew obedience from the heart. The scribe had to agree with Jesus and Jesus told him he was not far from the kingdom!
Deuteronomy 6:3 “Hear therefore, O Israel, and be careful to do them, that it may go well with you, and that you may multiply greatly, as the Lord, the God of your fathers, has promised you, in a land flowing with milk and honey.”
Faith confession and prayer: Lord Jesus, I love You will all my heart, soul, mind and strength through the Holy Spirit You gave me. I desire to love my neighbor as myself. Help me daily to walk in Your love and let Your love flow through me.
Romans 5:5 “. . .and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit Who has been given to us.”
Ask, believe and forgive!
Scripture reading for February 1st: Mark 11
Key Scriptures: Mark 11:20-25 “As they passed by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered away to its roots. And Peter remembered and said to Him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree that You cursed has withered.” And Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God. Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also Who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.”
Earlier in the week Jesus had cursed the fig tree for having no fruit. Peter saw the fig tree now withered and dead from the roots, and called it to Jesus’ attention. Jesus responded with a short but powerful exhortation concerning prayer and its power. Through faith in God, powerful declarations can be made and miracles would come to pass. We must ask and believe in faith that God hears and will answer. It will be ours by faith in God and His Word. However, unforgiveness is a possible hinderance to our own forgiveness and clear access to the Father. We must forgive–let go of offenses and stand on faith for God’s grace. This mountain is one of the hardest to see cast into the sea!
Psalm 51:10 “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.”
Faith confession and prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for Your amazing grace in forgiving me of my sins and helping me find repentance. I want to walk in mountain-moving faith and believe Your Word. Help me to maintain forgiveness towards all others and myself.
Matthew 6:14 “For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”
Greatness through serving!
Scripture reading for January 29th: Mark 10
Key Scriptures: Mark 10:41-44 “And when the ten heard it, they began to be indignant at James and John. And Jesus called them to Him and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many.””
James and John had approached Jesus about positions of honor when Jesus came into His kingdom. They wanted to sit at His right hand and His left and asked shamelessly for this honor. Jesus never rebuked them for asking, but told them that they did not know what they were asking for. But Jesus did ask them if they could drink the cup He would drink and be baptized with the baptism He was soon to undergo. They responded affirmatively, “We are able.” Jesus affirmed that they would indeed drink of His cup and be baptized with His baptism. But the positions of honor belonged to those the Father would choose as worthy. This aggravated the other disciples and Jesus called them all together for instruction. Greatness and honor in Christ’s kingdom would come from service, not seeking position or honor. Jesus set the example by serving us all through giving His life blood as sin’s ransom payment.
Psalm 49:7-9 “Truly no man can ransom another, or give to God the price of his life, for the ransom of their life is costly and can never suffice, that he should live on forever and never see the pit.”
Faith confession and prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for giving Your life as a ransom for my life, serving me and all mankind. As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord Jesus Christ, who is our Reward and alone receives honor.
Joshua 24:15 “And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
Sins terrible consequences
Scripture reading for January 28th: Mark 9
Key Scriptures: Mark 9:42-48 “”Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea. And if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off; it is better for your to enter life crippled than with two hands to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire. And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame than with two feet to be thrown into hell. And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into hell, where the worm does not die and the fire is not quenched. For everyone will be salted with fire.””
Sin is destructive and terrible. Because of sin, man is destined to eternal punishment in the Lake of Fire made for the devil and his angels. Jesus wanted all who followed Him to know the terrible reality of hell and the seriousness of sin that will bring that judgment. Sin is offense against God and God’s law defining sinful acts and attitudes. At its core, sin is selfishness–the desire to be God placed in the human heart because of Adam’s sinfulness and disobedience. The members of our body can lead us into sin so Jesus used radical amputation of hands, feet, and eyes as illustrations of the violent means we should take to avoid sinning. The first step to deliverance is admitting the problem–confession. The next is repentance–a change of mind and direction away from the sinful acts.
Romans 3:23 “. . .for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”
Faith confession and prayer: Lord Jesus, I am again struck by the destructiveness of sin and its terrible affects on the sinner and their family and friends. Forgive me and have mercy on my family and friends. Thank You for taking the judgment for my sins. Hallelujah! You are so worthy of praise!
Romans 3:24-26 “and we are justified by His grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, Whom God put forward as a propitiation by His blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in His divine forbearance He had passed over former sins.”
Don’t let Jesus be ashamed!
Scripture reading for January 27th: Mark 8
Key Scriptures: Mark 8:34-38 “And calling the crowd to Him with His disciples, He said to them, “If anyone would come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and for the Gospel’s will save it. For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? For what can a man give in return for his soul? For whoever is ashamed of Me and of My Words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.””
Peter had just confessed Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God and Jesus began to teach the disciples about his coming death and resurrection. Peter began to rebuke Him and Jesus, looking at the other disciples, turned and rebuked Satan for tempting Him and Peter for having a carnal mind. Then Jesus called the crowd and His disciples to come to Him and stated the cost of following after Him. Each follower would have to take up a cross and be willing to lose their life! They would need to chose between gaining the world and following Jesus as He carried His cross. Following Jesus would bring shame from the world but would bring a bold profession by Jesus before the Father of acceptance and eternal life. Those ashamed of Him and His cross would suffer the ultimate shame of eternal damnation at Christ’s return.
1st John 2:15 “Do not love the world or the things of the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.”
Faith confession and prayer: Lord Jesus, I am willing to take up my cross and to follow You out of love for You and the Father. Deliver me from any love of the world and empower me do Your will and to make You smile on the Day of Your Glory!
Isaiah 53:10 “Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush Him; He has put Him to grief; when His soul makes an offering for guilt, He shall see His offspring; He shall prolong His days; the will of the Lord shall prosper in His hand.”