How good and pleasant it is
when brothers live together in unity!
It is like precious oil poured on the head,
running down on the beard,
running down on Aaron’s beard,
down upon the collar of his robes.

Psalm 133:1-2

TEXT

Mark 14:61-65 (NLT)

But Jesus was silent and made no reply. Then the high priest asked him, “Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?”

Jesus said, “I Am. And you will see the Son of Man seated in the place of power at God’s right hand and coming on the clouds of heaven.”

Then the high priest tore his clothing to show his horror and said, “Why do we need other witnesses? You have all heard his blasphemy. What is your verdict?”

“Guilty!” they all cried. “He deserves to die!”

Then some of them began to spit at him, and they blindfolded him and beat him with their fists. “Prophesy to us,” they jeered. And the guards slapped him as they took him away.

READ

The water of a river that rises in one land flows through many different territories before it returns to the sea from which it was originally drawn.  It passes within the borders of many chiefs and rajahs and princes.  Yet no one can stop it within his territories, for it is not his possession.  It is the common property of all, and wherever it goes it quenches the thirst of all.  So, too, the stream of the water of life comes forth from the infinite ocean of God, and flowing through the divine channels of prophets and apostles irrigates the whole world, quenching the thirst of all and enriching and making fruitful the lives of all peoples and nations.  “And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely” (Rev. 22:17).

—Sadhu Sundar Singh (1889-1929)

Declare

“Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain,
to receive power and wealth and wisdom
and strength and honor and glory and praise!”

Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing:

“To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb
be praise and honor and glory and power,
for ever and ever!”

Revelation 5:12-13

If you, O LORD, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand?
But with you there is forgiveness; therefore you are feared.

Psalm 130:4

TEXT

Mark 14:43-52 (NIV)

Just as he was speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, appeared. With him was a crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests, the teachers of the law, and the elders.

Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them: “The one I kiss is the man; arrest him and lead him away under guard.” Going at once to Jesus, Judas said, “Rabbi!” and kissed him. The men seized Jesus and arrested him. Then one of those standing near drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear.

“Am I leading a rebellion,” said Jesus, “that you have come out with swords and clubs to capture me? Every day I was with you, teaching in the temple courts, and you did not arrest me. But the Scriptures must be fulfilled.” Then everyone deserted him and fled.

A young man, wearing nothing but a linen garment, was following Jesus. When they seized him, he fled naked, leaving his garment behind.

Declare

But you have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God.
You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly,
to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven.

You have come to God, the judge of all people,
to the spirits of righteous people made perfect,
to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant,
and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.

Hebrews 12:22-24

The Lord is your keeper.
The Lord is your shade at your right hand.

Psalm 121:5

TEXT

Mark 14:32-42  (NASB)
They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, Sit here while I pray. He took Peter, James and John along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled. My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death, he said to them. Stay here and keep watch.

Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him. Abba, Father, he said, everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.

Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. Simon, he said to Peter, are you asleep? Could you not keep watch for one hour? Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.

Once more he went away and prayed the same thing. When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. They did not know what to say to him.

Returning the third time, he said to them, Are you still sleeping and resting? Enough! The hour has come. Look, the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise! Let us go! Here comes my betrayer!

READ

“And let us keep the burning thought that we are disciplined to the Kingdom of God- the Absolute Order and the Final Way of Life. All other objectives fail- this cannot. This is an unshakable Kingdom, so amid all the shaking of kingdoms to the dust we will stand unshaken too. We have the one solid reality in a world of make-believe. We can therefore act with abandon, knowing that the sum total of reality is at our back.”

-E. Stanley Jones

Declare

Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful,
and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our “God is a consuming fire.”

Hebrews 12:28

Blessed are all who fear the LORD, who walk in his ways.
You will eat the fruit of your labor; blessings and prosperity will be yours.

Psalm 128:1-2

TEXT

Mark 14:22-25 (RSV)
And as they were eating, he took bread, and blessed, and broke it, and gave it to them, and said, “Take; this is my body.”

And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, and they all drank of it. And he said to them, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many. Truly, I say to you, I shall not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.”

READ

“The homeland of the soul is the Kingdom of God. Every dissatisfied longing, every sense of frustration, every realization that we have missed the way, every consciousness of need unfulfilled is an unconscious crying, ‘My land, my land.’ We know we are made for that ‘land,’ and have the feeling of being prodigals in a ‘far country’ until we come back to our Father’s house.”

-E. Stanley Jones

Declare

Say among the nations, “The Lord reigns.”

The world is firmly established, it cannot be moved;
he will judge the peoples with equity.

Psalm 96:10

I lift up my eyes to the hills— where does my help come from?
My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.

Psalm 121:1-2

TEXT

Mark 14:12-21 (NLT)
On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover lamb is sacrificed, Jesus’ disciples asked him, “Where do you want us to go to prepare the Passover meal for you?”

So Jesus sent two of them into Jerusalem with these instructions: “As you go into the city, a man carrying a pitcher of water will meet you. Follow him.  At the house he enters, say to the owner, ‘The Teacher asks: Where is the guest room where I can eat the Passover meal with my disciples?’  He will take you upstairs to a large room that is already set up. That is where you should prepare our meal.” So the two disciples went into the city and found everything just as Jesus had said, and they prepared the Passover meal there.

In the evening Jesus arrived with the twelve disciples. As they were at the table eating, Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, one of you eating with me here will betray me.”

Greatly distressed, each one asked in turn, “Am I the one?”

He replied, “It is one of you twelve who is eating from this bowl with me.  For the Son of Man must die, as the Scriptures declared long ago. But how terrible it will be for the one who betrays him. It would be far better for that man if he had never been born!”

Declare

The Lord reigns,
he is robed in majesty;
the Lord is robed in majesty and is armed with strength.

Psalm 93:1

Bless the LORD, O my soul,
And all that is within me,
bless His holy name.

Bless the LORD, O my soul,
And forget none of His benefits;
Who pardons all your iniquities,
Who heals all your diseases;
Who redeems your life from the pit,
Who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion;
Who satisfies your years with good things,
So that your youth is renewed like the eagle.

Psalm 103:1-5

TEXT

Mark 14:1-11  (NASB)

Now the Passover and Unleavened Bread were two days away; and the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how to seize Him by stealth and kill Him; for they were saying, “Not during the festival, otherwise there might be a riot of the people.”

While He was in Bethany at the home of Simon the leper, and reclining at the table, there came a woman with an alabaster vial of very costly perfume of pure nard; and she broke the vial and poured it over His head.

But some were indignantly remarking to one another, “Why has this perfume been wasted? For this perfume might have been sold for over three hundred denarii, and the money given to the poor.” And they were scolding her.

But Jesus said, “Let her alone; why do you bother her? She has done a good deed to Me. For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you wish you can do good to them; but you do not always have Me. She has done what she could; she has anointed My body beforehand for the burial. Truly I say to you, wherever the gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be spoken of in memory of her.”

Then Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve, went off to the chief priests in order to betray Him to them. They were glad when they heard this, and promised to give him money. And he began seeking how to betray Him at an opportune time.

REFLECT

“Do not think that love, in order to be genuine, has to be extraordinary. What we need is to love without getting tired. . . be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies.”

-Teresa of Calcutta

What we would like to do is change the world–make it a little simpler for people to feed, clothe, and shelter themselves as God intended them to do. And, by fighting for better conditions, by crying out unceasingly for the rights of the workers, the poor, of the destitute–the rights of the worthy and the unworthy poor, in other words–we can, to a certain extent, change the world we can work for the oasis, the little cell of joy and peace in a harried world. We can throw our pebble in the pond and be confident that its ever widening circle will reach around the world. We repeat, there is nothing we can do but love, and, dear God, please enlarge our hearts to love each other, to love our neighbor, to love our enemy as our friend.”

-Dorothy Day

Declare

Hallelujah!
For our Lord God Almighty reigns.
Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory!
For the wedding of the Lamb has come,
and his bride has made herself ready.

Revelation 19:6-7

I wait for the LORD,
my soul waits,
and in his word I put my hope.

My soul waits for the Lord
more than watchmen wait for the morning,
more than watchmen wait for the morning.

Psalm 130:5-6

TEXT

MALACHI 3:1-4, 4:2  (NLT)

“Look! I am sending my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. Then the Lord you are seeking will suddenly come to his Temple. The messenger of the covenant, whom you look for so eagerly, is surely coming,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.

But who will be able to endure it when he comes? Who will be able to stand and face him when he appears? For he will be like a blazing fire that refines metal, or like a strong soap that bleaches clothes. He will sit like a refiner of silver, burning away the dross. He will purify the Levites, refining them like gold and silver, so that they may once again offer acceptable sacrifices to the Lord.. . .

“But for you who fear my name, the Sun of Righteousness will rise with healing in his wings. And you will go free, leaping with joy like calves let out to pasture.

Declare

Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our “God is a consuming fire.” Hebrews 12:28

Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy.

He who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow,
will return with songs of joy,
carrying sheaves with him.

Psalm 126:5-6

TEXT

Luke 14:28-33 (NRSV)

For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not first sit down and estimate the cost, to see whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it will begin to ridicule him, saying, “This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.”

Or what king, going out to wage war against another king, will not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to oppose the one who comes against him with twenty thousand? If he cannot, then, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks for the terms of peace. So therefore, none of you can become my disciple if you do not give up all your possessions.

Declare

The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it,
the world, and all who live in it;
for he founded it upon the seas
and established it upon the waters.

Psalm 24:1-2

Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion,
which cannot be shaken but endures forever.

As the mountains surround Jerusalem,
so the LORD surrounds his people
both now and forevermore.

Psalm 125:1-2

TEXT

Mark 13:34-37 (NASV)

It is like a man away on a journey, who upon leaving his house and putting his slaves in charge, assigning to each one his task, also commanded the doorkeeper to stay on the alert. Therefore, be on the alert—for you do not know when the master of the house is coming, whether in the evening, at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning in case he should come suddenly and find you asleep.

What I say to you I say to all, ‘Be on the alert!’”

Declare

But you have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the judge of all men, to the spirits of righteous men made perfect, to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.

Hebrews 12:22-24

The Lord is your keeper.
The Lord is your shade at your right hand.

Psalm 121:5

TEXT

Mark 13:24-33 (NASB)
“But in those days, after that tribulation,

the sun will be darkened

and the moon will not give its light,

and the stars will be falling from heaven,

and the powers that are in the heavens will be shaken.

“Then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. And then He will send forth the angels, and will gather together His elect from the four winds, from the farthest end of the earth to the farthest end of heaven.

“Now learn the parable from the fig tree: when its branch has already become tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. Even so, you too, when you see these things happening, recognize that He is near, right at the door. Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.

“But of that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone. Take heed, keep on the alert; for you do not know when the appointed time will come.”

Declare

For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage each other with these words.

-1 Thessalonians 4:16-18

I lift up my eyes to you, to you whose throne is in heaven.
As the eyes of slaves look to the hand of their master,
as the eyes of a maid look to the hand of her mistress, s
o our eyes look to the LORD our God,
till he shows us his mercy.

Psalm 123:1-2

TEXT

Mark 13:19-23 (CEV)

This will be the worst time of suffering since God created the world, and nothing this terrible will ever happen again. If the Lord doesn’t make the time shorter, no one will be left alive. But because of his chosen and special ones, he will make the time shorter.

If someone should say, “Here is the Messiah!” or “There he is!” don’t believe it. False messiahs and false prophets will come and work miracles and signs. They will even try to fool God’s chosen ones. But be on your guard! That’s why I am telling you these things now.

READ

There was a time when I was afraid of this apocalyptic side of the coming of the Kingdom–it seemed materialistic, catastrophic, dependent on force, unethical. I now see my mistake. To separate the “ethic” and the “apocalyptic” is a species of dualistic thinking. . . Jesus did not teach an ethic–that would have made him a moralist, teaching moral ideas. He was not a moralist teaching abstract codes of conduct. He was a proclaimer of a Kingdom–a Kingdom of fact, not a code of morals–and the coming of that Kingdom was the impinging of realism on unrealism, the displacing of unworkable ways with God’s workable way. Now, obviously, that Kingdom must come by continuity and by catastrophe–by a building up from within and a sudden tumbling of old structures.

-E. Stanley Jones

Declare

I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. 1 Corinthians 15:50-52

I lift up my eyes to the hills—
where does my help come from?

My help comes from the LORD,
the Maker of heaven and earth.

Psalm 121:1-2

TEXT

Mark 13:11-18 (TNIV)

Whenever you are arrested and brought to trial, do not worry beforehand about what to say. Just say whatever is given you at the time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit.

“Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child. Children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death.  Everyone will hate you because of me, but those who stand firm to the end will be saved.

“When you see ‘the abomination that causes desolation’  standing where it does not belong—let the reader understand—then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let no one on the housetop go down or enter the house to take anything out.  Let no one in the field go back to get their cloak.  How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! Pray that this will not take place in winter.

DECLARE

“The kingdom of the world
has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ,
and he will reign for ever and ever.”

And the twenty-four elders, who were seated on their thrones before God, fell on their faces and worshiped God, saying:

“We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty,
the One who is and who was,
because you have taken your great power and have begun to reign.

Revelation 11:15-17

My heart is not proud, O LORD,
my eyes are not haughty;

I do not concern myself with great matters
or things too wonderful for me.

But I have stilled and quieted my soul;
like a weaned child with its mother,
like a weaned child is my soul within me.

O Israel, put your hope in the LORD both now and forevermore.

Psalm 131

TEXT

Mark 13:1-8 (NKJV)

Then as He went out of the temple, one of His disciples said to Him, “Teacher, see what manner of stones and what buildings are here!”

And Jesus answered and said to him, “Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone shall be left upon another, that shall not be thrown down.”

Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked Him privately, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign when all these things will be fulfilled?”

And Jesus, answering them, began to say: “Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am He,’ and will deceive many. But when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be troubled; for such things must happen, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be earthquakes in various places, and there will be famines and troubles. These are the beginnings of sorrows.

READ

On my trip to America I was struck by the growing grandeur of the houses of worship and the increasing ornateness of ritual and liturgy. The feeling seemed to be that the millennium lay just on the other side of an elaborate new church building, a vested choir, and stately processions. Europe is filled with stately cathedrals and stale Christianity, with religious processions and with religious paralysis. No, this is not the way to life; and yet, feeling the emptiness within, we add to the outer, hoping that the appearance of life will make life appear. History says it does not.

-E. Stanley Jones

Declare

“Hallelujah!
For our Lord God Almighty reigns.
Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory!
For the wedding of the Lamb has come,
and his bride has made herself ready.

Rev. 19:6-7

TEXT

Luke 12:16-21 (The Message)

Then he told them this story: “The farm of a certain rich man produced a terrific crop. He talked to himself: ‘What can I do? My barn isn’t big enough for this harvest.’ Then he said, ‘Here’s what I’ll do: I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones. Then I’ll gather in all my grain and goods, and I’ll say to myself, Self, you’ve done well! You’ve got it made and can now retire. Take it easy and have the time of your life!’

“Just then God showed up and said, ‘Fool! Tonight you die. And your barn full of goods—who gets it?’

“That’s what happens when you fill your barn with Self and not with God.”

Declare

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil, or fade–kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.

TEXT

Jesus answered by telling a story. “There was once a man traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho. On the way he was attacked by robbers. They took his clothes, beat him up, and went off leaving him half-dead. Luckily, a priest was on his way down the same road, but when he saw him he angled across to the other side. Then a Levite religious man showed up; he also avoided the injured man.

“A Samaritan traveling the road came on him. When he saw the man’s condition, his heart went out to him. He gave him first aid, disinfecting and bandaging his wounds. Then he lifted him onto his donkey, led him to an inn, and made him comfortable. In the morning he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take good care of him. If it costs any more, put it on my bill—I’ll pay you on my way back.’

“What do you think? Which of the three became a neighbor to the man attacked by robbers?”

“The one who treated him kindly,” the religion scholar responded.

Jesus said, “Go and do the same.”

READ

If you, O LORD, kept a record of sins,
O LORD, who could stand?
But with you there is forgiveness;
therefore you are feared.

Psalm 130:3-4

TEXT

Luke 7:41-43 (NIV)
“Two men owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he cancelled the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?”

Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt cancelled.”

“You have judged correctly,” Jesus said.

Declare

But you have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in Heaven. You have come to God, the judge of all people, to the spirits of righteous people made perfect, to Jesus the mediate=or of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.
Hebrews 12:22-24

Blessed are all who fear the LORD, who walk in his ways.
You will eat the fruit of your labor;
blessings and prosperity will be yours.

TEXT

Mark 12:28-34 (RSV)

TEXT

But those tenants said to one another, “This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.” So they seized him, killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard.

‘What then will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the tenants and give the vineyard to others. Have you not read this scripture:

“The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;
this was the Lord’s doing,
and it is amazing in our eyes”?’

When they realized that he had told this parable against them, they wanted to arrest him, but they feared the crowd. So they left him and went away.

READ

The Kingdom of God is the most radical conception ever presented to the human race and it is the most secular–”may thy kingdom come and thy will be done on earth.” It meant nothing less than the replacement of this present unworkable world order, founded on greed and selfishness and exploitation, with God’s order founded on love and service and mutual aid.

-E. Stanley Jones

Declare

My heart is not proud, O LORD, my eyes are not haughty;
I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me.
But I have stilled and quieted my soul;
like a weaned child with its mother,
like a weaned child is my soul within me.
O Israel,
put your hope in the LORD both now and forevermore.

Psalm 131

TEXT

Mark 12:1-6

Jesus then began to speak to them in parables: “A man planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a pit for the winepress and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and moved to another place. At harvest time he sent a servant to the tenants to collect from them some of the fruit of the vineyard. But they seized him, beat him and sent him away empty-handed. Then he sent another servant to them; they struck this man on the head and treated him shamefully. He sent still another, and that one they killed. He sent many others; some of them they beat, others they killed.

“He had one left to send, a son, whom he loved. He sent him last of all, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ (NIV)

READ

“Jesus touched the word ‘sorrow,’ which had been a dull, senseless, degrading, paralyzing thing, and turned it into Sorrow- something that now has redemptive purposes in it. A mere cross, with its writhing victim and its shame, has now become a Cross, a place where redemption is wrought out, turning tragedy into the redemptive purposes of God. Now, Sorrow takes us by the hand and leads us to God, while before it took us by the hand and led is to the clod.”

-E. Stanley Jones

Declare

“Great and marvelous are your deeds, Lord God Almighty.
Just and true are your ways, King of the nations.

Who will not fear you, Lord, and bring glory to your name?
For you alone are holy.

All nations will come and worship before you,
for your righteous acts have been revealed.”

-Revelation 15:3-5 (NIV)

I wait for the LORD, my soul waits,

and in his word I put my hope.

My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning,

more than watchmen wait for the morning.

Psalm 130:5-6

TEXT

Matthew 25:31-46

“When he finally arrives, blazing in beauty and all his angels with him, the Son of Man will take his place on his glorious throne. Then all the nations will be arranged before him and he will sort the people out, much as a shepherd sorts out sheep and goats, putting sheep to his right and goats to his left.

“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Enter, you who are blessed by my Father! Take what‘s coming to you in this kingdom. It’s been ready for you since the world’s foundation. And here’s why:

“‘I was hungry and you fed me,
I was thirsty and you gave me a drink,
I was homeless and you gave me a room,
I was shivering and you gave me clothes,
I was sick and you stopped to visit,
I was in prison and you came to me.’

“Then those ‘sheep’ are going to say, ‘Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry and feed you, thirsty and give you a drink? And when did we ever see you sick or in prison and come to you?’ Then the King will say, ‘I’m telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me—you did it to me.’” (The Message)

READ

“Jesus has been called ‘the Son of Fact.’ We find striking illustration of His concreteness at the judgment seat. To those on the right He does not say, ‘You believed in me and my doctrines, therefore, come, be welcome into my Kingdom.’ Instead, He said, ‘I was an hungered and you gave me food; I was athirst and you gave me drink; I was in prison and you came unto me.’”

-E. Stanley Jones

Declare

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.

1 Peter 1:3-5 (NIV)

How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity!

It is like precious oil poured on the head,

running down on the beard,

running down on Aaron‘s beard,

down upon the collar of his robes.

Psalm 133:1-2

TEXT

Mark 11:27-33

Again they entered Jerusalem. As Jesus was walking through the Temple area, the leading priests, the teachers of religious law, and the elders came up to him. They demanded, “By what authority are you doing all these things? Who gave you the right to do them?”

“I’ll tell you by what authority I do these things if you answer one question,” Jesus replied. “Did John’s authority to baptize come from heaven, or was it merely human? Answer me!”

They talked it over among themselves. “If we say it was from heaven, he will ask why we didn’t believe John. But do we dare say it was merely human?” For they were afraid of what the people would do, because everyone believed that John was a prophet. So they finally replied, “We don’t know.”

And Jesus responded, “Then I won‘t tell you by what authority I do these things.” (NLT)

READ

What but Thy right hand of power
(Power display‘d in perfect love)
Can my confidence restore,
Can my torturing fear remove?
Lord, in this poor groveling soul
Now Thy Spirit‘s power exert,
Now my unbelief control,
Purify and calm my heart.

Master, at Thy feet I wait,
Thy reviving voice to hear:
Raise me to my first estate,
Show Thyself the Finisher,
Perfect what Thou hast begun,
And when all my griefs are past,
And when all my work is done,
Glorify my soul at last.

-A Hymn of Charles Wesley

Declare

“Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain,

to receive power and wealth and wisdom

and strength and honor and glory and praise!”

Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, saying:

“To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb

be praise and honor and glory and power,
for ever and ever!”

Revelation 5:12-13 (NIV)

If you, O LORD, kept a record of sins, O LORD, who could stand?

But with you there is forgiveness, therefore you are feared.

Psalm 130:4

TEXT

Mark 11:20-26

Now in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots. And Peter, remembering, said to Him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree which You cursed has withered away.”

So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God. For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.

“And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.” (NKJV)

READ

“I do not argue the question as to whether anything happens in prayer- I simply testify: it does. It works. It was said of Jesus that he prayed all night upon the mountain, and when he came down in the morning ‘the power of the Lord was present to heal.’ Of course it was. The power of the Lord will be present to heal through us if we give ourselves to prayer.

‘The streams that turn the machinery of the world have their rise in solitary places.’ Those who move this age toward God have moved out of this age to the solitary places. Then they come back with power.”

-E. Stanley Jones, The Christ of Every Road

Declare

But you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the Judge of all, to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.

-Hebrews 12:22-24

The Lord is your keeper.

The Lord is your shade at your right hand.

Psalm 121:5

READ

Mark 11:1-18
As they approached Jerusalem, at Bethphage and Bethany, near the Mount of Olives, He sent two of His disciples, and said to them, “Go into the village opposite you, and immediately as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, on which no one yet has ever sat; untie it and bring it here. “If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ you say, ‘The Lord has need of it’; and immediately he will send it back here.”

They went away and found a colt tied at the door, outside in the street; and they untied it. Some of the bystanders were saying to them, “What are you doing, untying the colt?” They spoke to them just as Jesus had told them, and they gave them permission. They brought the colt to Jesus and put their coats on it; and He sat on it.

And many spread their coats in the road, and others spread leafy branches which they had cut from the fields. Those who went in front and those who followed were shouting:

“Hosanna!
Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord;
Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David;
Hosanna in the highest!”

Jesus entered Jerusalem and came into the temple; and after looking around at everything, He left for Bethany with the twelve, since it was already late.

On the next day, when they had left Bethany, He became hungry. Seeing at a distance a fig tree in leaf, He went to see if perhaps He would find anything on it; and when He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. He said to it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again!” And His disciples were listening.

Then they came to Jerusalem. And He entered the temple and began to drive out those who were buying and selling in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who were selling doves; and He would not permit anyone to carry merchandise through the temple. And He began to teach and say to them, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations’? But you have made it a robbers’ den.

The chief priests and the scribes heard this, and began seeking how to destroy Him; for they were afraid of Him, for the whole crowd was astonished at His teaching. (NASB)

READ

“But Jesus was decisive; He never dodged or compromised—He met the issues fairly and squarely: ‘He entered into the temple, and began to cast out.’ And yet there is a sentence which qualifies this precipitate action. Mark 11:11 says, ‘And he entered into Jerusalem, into the temple, and when he had looked around upon all things, it being now eventide, he went out unto Bethany with the twelve.’ He looked around on all things—surveyed the situation at first hand, got the facts, and then—went out and slept over them! A sound procedure for every reformer: Look around on all things, get the truth at first hand, and then go out and sleep over the matter. See how the thing looks in the morning when emotions have had time to cool off. If the issue is still clear at that time, then go ahead—straight to the temple.”

-E. Stanley Jones

Declare

Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our “God is a consuming fire.” Hebrews 12:28

Blessed are all who fear the LORD,

who walk in his ways.

You will eat the fruit of your labor;

blessings and prosperity will be yours.

Psalm 128:1-2

TEXT

Mark 10:32-52
They were on the road going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking on ahead of them; and they were amazed, and those who followed were fearful. And again He took the twelve aside and began to tell them what was going to happen to Him, saying, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered to the chief priests and the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death and will hand Him over to the Gentiles. They will mock Him and spit on Him, and scourge Him and kill Him, and three days later He will rise again.”

James and John, the two sons of Zebedee, came up to Jesus, saying, “Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask of You.”

And He said to them, “What do you want Me to do for you?”

They said to Him, “Grant that we may sit, one on Your right and one on Your left, in Your glory.”

But Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?”

They said to Him, “We are able.”

And Jesus said to them, “The cup that I drink you shall drink; and you shall be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized. But to sit on My right or on My left, this is not Mine to give; but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.”

Hearing this, the ten began to feel indignant with James and John. Calling them to Himself, Jesus said to them, “You know that those who are recognized as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them; and their great men exercise authority over them. But it is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant; and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”

Then they came to Jericho. And as He was leaving Jericho with His disciples and a large crowd, a blind beggar named Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, was sitting by the road. When he heard that it was Jesus the Nazarene, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

Many were sternly telling him to be quiet, but he kept crying out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

And Jesus stopped and said, “Call him here.”

So they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take courage, stand up! He is calling for you.”

Throwing aside his cloak, he jumped up and came to Jesus.

And answering him, Jesus said, “What do you want Me to do for you?” And the blind man said to Him, “Rabboni, I want to regain my sight!”

And Jesus said to him, “Go; your faith has made you well.” Immediately he regained his sight and began following Him on the road. (NASB)

Declare

Say among the nations,

“The Lord reigns.”

The world is firmly established,

it cannot be moved;

he will judge the peoples with equity.

Psalm 96:10

The LORD has done great things for us,

and we are filled with joy.

Psalm 126:3

TEXT

Mark 10:17-31
As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. “Good teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

“Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, you shall not defraud, honor your father and mother.’”

“Teacher,” he declared, “all these I have kept since I was a boy.”

Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth. Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!”

The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for the rich to enter the kingdom of God.”

The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, “Who then can be saved?”

Jesus looked at them and said, “With human beings this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.”

Then Peter spoke up, “We have left everything to follow you!”

“Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—along with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first.” (TNIV)

READ

“Cast off all bonds of prejudice and custom, and let the love of Christ, which is in you, have free course to run out in all conceivable schemes and methods of labour for the souls of men.”

-Catherine Booth, Messages to Last Christian Mission Congress

Declare

The Lord reigns, he is robed in majesty;

the Lord is robed in majesty

and is armed with strength.

Psalm 93:1

Bless the LORD, O my soul,

And all that is within me, bless His holy name.

Bless the LORD, O my soul,

And forget none of His benefits;

Who pardons all your iniquities,

Who heals all your diseases;

Who redeems your life from the pit,

Who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion;

Who satisfies your years with good things,

So that your youth is renewed like the eagle.

Psalm 103:1-5

TEXT

Mark 10:13-16
Some people brought their children to Jesus so that he could bless them by placing his hands on them. But his disciples told the people to stop bothering him.

When Jesus saw this, he became angry and said, “Let the children come to me! Don‘t try to stop them. People who are like these little children belong to the kingdom of God. I promise you that you cannot get into God’s kingdom, unless you accept it the way a child does.” Then Jesus took the children in his arms and blessed them by placing his hands on them. (CEV)

READ

Walk Humbly: We often read our own notions of “child-like” into the text. But what about this text points to these interpretations? What if Jesus is not referring to the whimsical wonder of a child? What if he is reaching out to the persons in the society who had the least power, status and standing; to those persons others were trying to keep away. What if Jesus really means this: “If you want into my Kingdom, you cannot enter based on your own qualification, status or merit. You must humble yourself to a place like this child.” What would this mean for you?

Declare

“Hallelujah!

For our Lord God Almighty reigns.

Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory!

For the wedding of the Lamb has come,

and his bride has made herself ready.”

Revelation 19:6-7

Unless the LORD builds the house,

its builders labor in vain.

Unless the LORD watches over the city,

the watchmen stand guard in vain.

In vain you rise early and stay up late,

toiling for food to eat—

for he grants sleep to those he loves.

Psalm 127:1-2

TEXT

Mark 10:1-12
He left that place and went to the region of Judea and beyond the Jordan. And crowds again gathered around him; and, as was his custom, he again taught them.

Some Pharisees came, and to test him they asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?”

He answered them, “What did Moses command you?”

They said, “Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of dismissal and to divorce her.”

But Jesus said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart he wrote this commandment for you. But from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’ ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”

Then in the house the disciples asked him again about this matter. He said to them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her; and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.” (NRSV)

Declare

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil, or fade—kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God‘s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.

1 Peter 1:3-5

Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy.

He who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow,

will return with songs of joy,

carrying sheaves with him.

Psalm 126:5-6

TEXT

Mark 9:42-50
“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 round his neck and he were thrown into the sea.

“And if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life maimed 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, pluck 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 their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched. For every one will be salted with fire. Salt is good; but if the salt has lost its saltiness, how will you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.” (RSV)

READ

“We cannot be saved by discipline, but our salvation cannot be effective unless disciplined. There is really no clash between grace and discipline. Paul puts them together in these words: ‘The grace of God has appeared to save all men, and it schools us to renounce irreligion and worldly passions and to live a life of self-mastery, of integrity, and of piety in this present world’ (Titus 2.12, Moffatt).

‘The grace of God schools us…’ It schools us; and it schools us to do two things: ‘to renounce,’ and ‘to live a life;’ to let go and to take on; to renounce and to realize.”

-E. Stanley Jones

Declare

For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage each other with these words.

1 Thessalonians 4:16-18

If you, O Lord, kept a record of sins,

O Lord, who could stand?

But with you there is forgiveness;

therefore you are feared.

Psalm 130:4

TEXT

Mark 9:33-41
They came to Capernaum. When he was in the house, he asked them, “What were you arguing about on the road?” But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest. Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.”

He took a little child whom he placed among them. Taking the child in his arms, he said to them, “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me.”

“Teacher,” said John, “we saw someone driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us.”

“Do not stop him,” Jesus said. “No one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me, for whoever is not against us is for us. Truly I tell you, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to the Messiah will certainly be rewarded.” (TNIV)

READ

“The fact is that I have never seen anyone find spiritual power who did not seek something deeper. Spiritual power is a by-product of the Spirit in the life, making that life Christlike. To seek for spiritual power is very liable to send one off on those tangents of self-glorification and self-assertion that lead straight away from the Christian ideal.

To seek for the Spirit to be made Christlike sends one to a self-surrender that leads straight to the heart of the gospel—a cross. Christ’s power lies in a cross… Our power lies in that same cross. Only those who know how to take up the cross for the world know how to move that world.”

-E. Stanley Jones, The Christ of Every Road

Declare

“You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain,

and with your blood you purchased men for God

from every tribe and language and people and nation.

You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God,

and they will reign on the earth.”

Revelation 5:9

The Lord is your keeper.

The Lord is your shade at your right hand.

Psalm 121:5

TEXT

Mark 9:14-32 (continued)
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 a little boy. The spirit often throws him into the fire or into water, trying to kill him. Have mercy on us and help us, if you can.”

“What do you mean, ‘If I can’?” Jesus asked. “Anything is possible if a person believes.”

The father instantly cried out, “I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!”

When Jesus saw that the crowd of onlookers was growing, he rebuked the evil spirit. “Listen, you spirit that makes this boy unable to hear and speak,” he said. “I command you to come out of this child and never enter him again!”

Then the spirit screamed and threw the boy into another violent convulsion and left him. The boy appeared to be dead. A murmur ran through the crowd as people said, “He’s dead.” 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.”

Leaving that region, they traveled through Galilee. Jesus didn’t want anyone to know he was there, for he wanted to spend more time with his disciples and teach them. He said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of his enemies. He will be killed, but three days later he will rise from the dead.” They didn‘t understand what he was saying, however, and they were afraid to ask him what he meant. (NLT)

READ

What endless scenes of wonder rise
And strike with rapturous surprise,
When Jesus face to face we see
In all His pomp and majesty!
Angels adore the King of kings
Their faces shadowing with their wings,
And saints the o’erpowering vision prove,
In deepest awe of speechless love!
-A hymn of Charles Wesley

Declare

“Amen!

Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks

and honor and power and strength

be to our God for ever and ever.

Amen!”

Revelation 7:12

Blessed are all who fear the LORD,

who walk in his ways.

You will eat the fruit of your labor;

blessings and prosperity will be yours.

Psalm 128:1-2

TEXT

Mark 9:14-32
When they returned to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd surrounding them, and some teachers of religious law were arguing with them. When the crowd saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with awe, and they ran to greet him.

“What is all this arguing about?” Jesus asked.

One of the men in the crowd spoke up and said, “Teacher, I brought my son so you could heal him. He is possessed by an evil spirit that won’t let him talk. And whenever this spirit seizes him, it throws him violently to the ground. Then he foams at the mouth and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid. So I asked your disciples to cast out the evil spirit, but they couldn’t do it.”

Jesus said to them, “You faithless people! How long must I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring the boy to me.” (NLT)

READ

“If the Kingdom of God is Realism —stark realism—as we have found it to be, then where does all this lead us? How do we become realistic in dealing with all this realism? Obviously, much of our thinking, many of our relationships, and most of our institutions will have to be recast and reconstructed. In fact, we will have to be recast and reconstructed if we are to be real in holding to this realism. All our dualisms, all our compartmentalisms, all our inoperative idealisms must come down and we must become unified beings under a unified control.”

-E. Stanley Jones

Declare

The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it,

the world, and all who live in it;

for he founded it upon the seas

and established it upon the waters.

Psalm 24:1-2

The LORD has done great things for us,

and we are filled with joy.

Psalm 126:3

TEXT

Mark 9:9-13
Now as they came down from the mountain, He commanded them that they should tell no one the things they had seen, till the Son of Man had risen from the dead. So they kept this word to themselves, questioning what the rising from the dead meant.

And they asked Him, saying, “Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?”

Then He answered and told them, “Indeed, Elijah is coming first and restores all things. And how is it written concerning the Son of Man, that He must suffer many things and be treated with contempt? But I say to you that Elijah has also come, and they did to him whatever they wished, as it is written of him.” (NKJV)

Declare

For the earth will be filled

with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD,

as the waters cover the sea.

Habakkuk 2:14

My heart is not proud, O LORD,

my eyes are not haughty;

I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me.

But I have stilled and quieted my soul; like a weaned child with its mother,

like a weaned child is my soul within me.

O Israel, put your hope in the LORD both now and forevermore.

Psalm 131

TEXT

Mark 9:1-8
And he said to them, “I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God come with power.”

After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them. His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them. And there appeared before them Elijah and Moses, who were talking with Jesus.
Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters— one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” (He did not know what to say, they were so frightened.)

Then a cloud appeared and enveloped them, and a voice came from the cloud: “This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!”

Suddenly, when they looked around, they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus. (NIV)

READ

“It was not for rest alone that the Master took His three chosen disciples to the mountain top. It was that there they might catch a glimpse of the reality of the glory of His divine nature, for the revelation of which their daily contact with Him had been a preparation. They had seen His miracles, and heard those wonderful words, which no man ever before had spoken; but more was needed than that they should stay there in adoration and amazed wonder. It was very necessary that they should leave their crowded days, and in the mountain’s quiet solitude contemplate the transcendent glory of His divine person…

“So, to hear the voice of our Heavenly Father, we must wait in silence before Him with our whole mind and heart intent on Him; for He still reveals Himself to those who diligently seek Him. And not only this, but those who so seek will have the privilege of the communion of saints, as did those three apostles who, through their connection with Him, enjoyed the fellowship of Moses and Elias.”

-Sadhu Sundar Singh, Meditations on Various Aspects of the Spiritual Life

Declare

“Great and marvelous are your deeds, Lord God Almighty.

Just and true are your ways, King of the ages.

Who will not fear you, O Lord, and bring glory to your name?

For you alone are holy.

All nations will come and worship before you,

for your righteous acts have been revealed.”

Revelation 15:3-4

Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain.

Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain.

In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat—

for he grants sleep to those he loves.

Psalm 127:1-2

TEXT

Mark 8:31-38
He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again. He spoke plainly about this, and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.

But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. “Get behind me, Satan!” he said. “You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.”

Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.” (NASB)

Declare

“You are worthy, our Lord and God,

to receive glory and honor and power,

for you created all things,

and by your will they were created

and have their being.”

Revelation 4:11

Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy.

He who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow,

will return with songs of joy,

carrying sheaves with him.

Psalm 126:5-6

TEXT

Mark 8:27-30 (ESV)
And Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi. And on the way he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?”

And they told him, “John the Baptist; and others say, Elijah; and others, one of the prophets.”

And he asked them, “But who do you say that I am?”

Peter answered him, “You are the Christ.”

And he strictly charged them to tell no one about him. (ESV)

READ

“There are so many religions and each one has its different ways of following God. I follow Christ:

Jesus is my God,
Jesus is my Spouse,
Jesus is my Life,
Jesus is my only Love,
Jesus is my All in All;
Jesus is my Everything.”

-Teresa of Calcutta

Declare

“Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain,

to receive power and wealth and wisdom

and strength and honor and glory and praise!”

Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing:

“To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb

be praise and honor and glory and power,

for ever and ever!”

Revelation 5:12-13

Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion,

which cannot be shaken but endures forever.

As the mountains surround Jerusalem,

so the LORD surrounds his people both now and forevermore.

Psalm 125:1-2

TEXT

Mark 8:22-26
As Jesus and his disciples were going into Bethsaida, some people brought a blind man to him and begged him to touch the man. Jesus took him by the hand and led him out of the village, where he spit into the man’s eyes. He placed his hands on the blind man and asked him if he could see anything.

The man looked up and said, “I see people, but they look like trees walking around.”

Once again Jesus placed his hands on the man’s eyes, and this time the man stared. His eyes were healed, and he saw everything clearly. Jesus said to him, “You may return home now, but don‘t go into the village.” (CEV)

READ

“This gradualistic phase of the coming of the Kingdom was clearly taught by Christ— it comes like silent leaven, grows like a grain of mustard seed, develops like the corn, which is first blade, then corn, then full corn. Jesus emphasized this gradualism and yet He was also emphatic about the catastrophic, apocalyptic coming of the Kingdom. In this He was realistic, for, though gripped by the fact of the sudden cataclysmic coming, He did not overlook or despise the quiet, unobtrusive coming of that Kingdom in individual acceptance and in corporate permeation. His realism is seen when He taught that the Kingdom is coming like lightning and coming like leaven, coming like a blast and growing like a blade, coming with ‘power and great glory,’ and yet as unobtrusive and tiny as a grain of mustard seed—and as growing!”

-E. Stanley Jones

Declare

“You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals,because you were Slain,

and with your blood you purchased men for God

from every tribe and language and people and nation.

You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God,

and they will reign on the earth.”

Revelation 5:9

The Lord is your keeper.

The Lord is your shade at your right hand.

Psalm 121:5

TEXT

Mark 8:14-21
He then left them, got back in the boat, and headed for the other side. But the disciples forgot to pack a lunch. Except for a single loaf of bread, there wasn’t a crumb in the boat. Jesus warned, “Be very careful. Keep a sharp eye out for the contaminating yeast of Pharisees and the followers of Herod.”

Meanwhile, the disciples were finding fault with each other because they had forgotten to bring bread. Jesus overheard and said, “Why are you fussing because you forgot bread? Don’t you see the point of all this? Don‘t you get it at all? Remember the five loaves I broke for the five thousand? How many baskets of leftovers did you pick up?”

They said, “Twelve.”

“And the seven loaves for the four thousand—how many bags full of leftovers did you get?”

“Seven.”

He said, “Do you still not get it?” (The Message)

Declare

“Amen!

Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks

and honor and power and strength

be to our God for ever and ever.

Amen!”

Revelation 7:12

I lift up my eyes to you,

to you whose throne is in heaven.

As the eyes of slaves look to the hand of their master,

as the eyes of a maid look to the hand of her mistress,

so our eyes look to the LORD our God,

till he shows us his mercy.

Psalm 123:1-2

TEXT

Mark 8:1-13 (TNIV)
During those days another large crowd gathered. Since they had nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. If I send them home hungry, they will collapse on the way, because some of them have come a long distance.”

His disciples answered, “But where in this remote place can anyone get enough bread to feed them?”
“How many loaves do you have?” Jesus asked.
“Seven,” they replied. He told the crowd to sit down on the ground. When he had taken the seven loaves and given thanks, he broke them and gave them to his disciples to set before the people, and they did so. They had a few small fish as well; he gave thanks for them also and told the disciples to distribute them.

The people ate and were satisfied. Afterward the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. About four thousand were present. And having sent them away, he got into the boat with his disciples and went to the region of Dalmanutha.

The Pharisees came and began to question Jesus. To test him, they asked him for a sign from heaven.

He sighed deeply and said, “Why does this generation ask for a sign? Truly I tell you, no sign will be given to it.” Then he left them, got back into the boat and crossed to the other side.

READ

“The Kingdom is coming, but primarily and fundamentally the Kingdom is. These emphases on the past and the future are essential but not the essential. The essential thing to be burned into our thinking is the fact that the Kingdom is. ‘Thine is the Kingdom.’ God is ruling, and if man does not accept that rule, then so much the worse for man. If he attempts to put the Kingdom aside, he does not succeed in doing so. He does something else—he puts himself aside, renders himself unfit to live… You can dodge an ideal, but you cannot dodge yourself.”

-E. Stanley Jones

Declare

The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it,

the world, and all who live in it;

for he founded it upon the seas

and established it upon the waters.

Psalm 24:1-2

I lift up my eyes to the hills—

where does my help come from?

My help comes from the LORD,

the Maker of heaven and earth.

Psalm 121:1-2

TEXT

Mark 7:31-37 (RSV)
Then he returned from the region of Tyre, and went through Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, through the region of the Decapolis. And they brought to him a man who was deaf and had an impediment in his speech; and they besought him to lay his hand upon him.

And taking him aside from the multitude privately, he put his fingers into his ears, and he spat and touched his tongue; and looking up to heaven, he sighed, and said to him, “Eph’phatha,” that is, “Be opened.” And his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly.

And he charged them to tell no one; but the more he charged them, the more zealously they proclaimed it. And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, “He has done all things well; he even makes the deaf hear and the dumb speak.” (RSV)

Isaiah 35:5

Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. (NIV)

READ

Open my eyes, that I may see
Glimpses of truth Thou hast for me;
Place in my hands the wonderful key
That shall unclasp and set me free.
Silently now I wait for Thee,
Ready my God, Thy will to see,
Open my eyes, illumine me, Spirit divine!

Open my ears, that I may hear
Voices of truth Thou sendest clear;
And while the wave notes fall on my ear,
Everything false will disappear.
Silently now I wait for Thee,
Ready my God, Thy will to see,
Open my ears, illumine me, Spirit divine!

Open my mouth, and let me bear,
Gladly the warm truth everywhere;
Open my heart and let me prepare
Love with Thy children thus to share.
Silently now I wait for Thee,
Ready my God, Thy will to see,
Open my heart, illumine me, Spirit divine!

-Clara Scott, Open My Eyes That I May See

Declare

For the earth will be filled

with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD,

as the waters cover the sea.

Habakkuk 2:1