Mark 2:7
   There are many in this day who try to say that Jesus never claimed to be deity. That’s just silly. Jesus claimed his deity in ways that only those who were knowledgeable about Scripture would recognize. No, he didn’t just walk up to people and say “Hey, I’m God.” He did it in such a way that people’s minds would have to be open to truth in order to recognize his identity. The Jewish leaders obviously understood what this forgiving of sins meant. They realized that Jesus was claiming deity.

Bible Reading: Luke 13:1-14:35

Scripture Memory: James 5:13 “Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms.”

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you for being more than enough. We are so glad to know that you always have all that we need. You can give us lessons in sufficiency that heal us, rather than hurting us. You can give us the secret to true satisfaction. May we allow you to teach us from your infinite knowledge rather than looking again to our limited resources for truth. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise you, Amen.

Prayer Requests: Pray for a man recovering from several surgeries. Pray for a family that experienced a house fire.

Journal Entry #15037

Mark 2:6
   Though opposed by them greatly, Jesus did draw quite a retinue of the Jewish experts to his teaching. He knew that they would immediately understand what he had just said. He knew that certain thoughts would arise in their minds.

Bible Reading: Luke 11:1-12:59

Scripture Memory: James 5:13 “Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms.”

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you for not leaving us. You never cease to care for our lives. We can never be alone. What a blessing that is! You keep us and lead us. You do not abandon us when things get tough. We can never find you to fail us. You are always dependable, faithfully being the wonderful person you are. Your glory overwhelms us! Thank you for not leaving us alone! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise you, Amen.

Prayer Requests: Pray for a woman’s unspoken requests. Pray for a baby’s delivery tomorrow.

Journal Entry #15036

Mark 2:5
   The Jews had a very real sense of the reality of sin in the life of those who were the victims of various diseases. However, they had a tendency to think that those who were not plagued were righteous. Jesus does not deny that disease is the result of sin in one’s life, though he points out to his disciples in another place that this is not always the case. Furthermore, Jesus tried to help the so-called ‘righteous’ Jews see that they were indeed sinners too.
   He forgives this man’s sin because he sees that the man and his friends have faith in him. He knew that this man would have been told that his ailment was due to his sin. This word from the Master removed that stigma.

Bible Reading: Luke 9:1-10:42

Scripture Memory: James 5:12 “But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation.”

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you for your work in our lives. Often, when I think I am listening to you, it seems as if you begin to challenge me more and make things hard. I need to realize that it is then that you have begun to work all the more in my life. When we listen to you, you can then mold us into the image of Christ. To be like him is all that any of us can ask for. He is eternal, and he is holy. Being Christ-like gives our humanity a new existence and meaning. Life is, then, a journey towards Christ-likeness for the believer. Makes us like him, Father, so that we may truly love you, and our fellow man. Give us his heart, so that we may not be destroyed by a sinful one. You are so gracious to us to allow us to know you and to have this hope within us! Thank you! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise you, Amen.

Prayer Requests: Pray for a woman who is sick. Pray for a man recovering from surgery.

Journal Entry #15035

Mark 2:4
   Though this may seem comical to us, it is not at all strange. The construction of homes in this region at that time would have been more than conducive to this sort of thing. The roof, as it was constructed, would require little more than one’s own bare hands and some elbow grease for this ‘uncovering’ operation. Beyond that, the hole could be easily repaired and they might have actually ended up leaving it in better shape than it was in to begin with. If only it were that easy today!

Bible Reading: Luke 8:1-56

Scripture Memory: James 5:12 “But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation.”

Prayer: Heavenly Father, the uncertainty of life is just overwhelming sometimes. Though we know that the circumstances of our lives are not as all-important as they seem, we get very easily distracted by them. Call us back to a focus upon you. Your power and love hold out to us the better way. We can see the situations of our life in a different light through your Word. May we never forget your glorious holiness and mercy! You are so wonderful to us! We marvel at your every characteristic. Your virtues are beyond words to describe. Thank you for Christ in our lives! He makes such a difference to us. Without him, we could have no hope. Thank you for hope in him! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise you, Amen.

Prayer Requests: Pray for a family that just lost a loved one to a fire. Pray for a man who is recovering in the hospital. Pray for a man who is recovering from a serious disease.

Journal Entry #15034

Mark 2:3
   There may have been more than just the four with this paralytic. Indeed, his family may have all come with him. Or, he may have been an individual of some influence before his present condition had come about. Either way, he had at least four with him, who brought him to Christ.

Bible Reading: Luke 6:1-7:50

Scripture Memory: James 5:12 “But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation.”

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you for your forgiveness! Give us an attitude of forgiveness. May we constantly reflect your wonderful love for us in our dealings with others. We think somehow that we have a right to be mad at those who we feel have wronged us. And, that is just not true. Make us sweet by your power, Father. May we live to understand your love and forgiveness in every way. May our lives be full of both! You are truly amazing in your grace towards us. By Christ you have given us more than we could ever dream of hoping for! Thank you! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise you, Amen.

Prayer Requests: Pray for a woman with pneumonia. Pray for a man recovering from several surgical procedures. Pray for a man who is not feeling well.

Journal Entry #15033

Mark 2:2
   The house was jam-packed. There were people outside of the house, standing outside the door. They too wanted to be inside, and were trying to listen to Jesus as he preached. This is how the worship of Christ should be attended. Eagerly, unashamedly, and regardless of the crowds, we should attend to the worship of the Lord just as these came to see him in the house that day.

Bible Reading: Luke 4:1-5:39

Scripture Memory: James 5:11 “Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.”

Prayer: Heavenly Father, may we be ever attentive to you. We have a tendency to hear you when we want to and ignore your Word the rest of the time. We often come to you only when we think we need something. Our ears work only as we want them to. May we be humbled to remember that our ears belong to you. We must put them to work in your service. Though you have given us great freedom through the blood of Christ, it is the freedom to hear that which we could otherwise never hear. You give us the ability to listen to things that will make us better for the hearing. Let us open ourselves as vessels to receive your Word. For you to dump your truth into us is a great blessing! How can we ever thank you enough for the privilege? In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise you, Amen.

Prayer Requests: Pray for our missionaries. Pray for preachers this morning.

Journal Entry #15032

Mark 2:1
   So, after remaining aloof for some time, he returns to the city. Jesus always was careful to maintain as best of a balance as possible between time to minister and time to spend with the Father. He did not just go, go, go. This is not to say that active and busy ministry is wrong. But, it shows the good minister of the cross that our reliance must be on our relationship and connection with the Almighty, not constant activity.

Bible Reading: Luke 2:1-3:38

Scripture Memory: James 5:11 “Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.”

Prayer: Heavenly Father, may we trust you to help us in busy times. We cannot find our strength in ourselves. Business alone is not enough to make our lives effective. We must have you to energize our efforts. We need your constant help in every part of our day. May we rely on your strength to sustain us through this day, dear Father! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise you, Amen.

Prayer Requests: Pray for a man recovering from surgery. Pray for a woman’s knee.

Journal Entry #15031

Mark 1:45
   There has been much speculation about why Jesus was unable to go into the towns after this. However, it was not due to any inability on his part. But, it had become impractical for several reasons. First, because this man did not listen, and told people he was healed before it had been proclaimed by the priests, there were probably strange rumors going around. To touch a leper was to become unclean, so why would this healer do that? Of course, many might fail to believe and want to see for themselves. Secondly, his fame was spreading such that mobs would attract to him. Jesus had no desire for the disorganized and violent nature of mobs. Finally, he chose to let people seek him out, rather than singling out too many.

Bible Reading: Luke 1:1-80

Scripture Memory: James 5:11 “Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.”

Prayer: Heavenly Father, we often cannot understand how to go forward in our lives. We seem to take a step forward, and then two steps back. We are confused and disillusioned. But you bring clarity and focus to our lives by filling our hearts with your truth. Thank you for your Word and for the understanding that you give us by your Spirit! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise you, Amen.

Prayer Requests: Pray for a man recovering from a neck injury. Pray for a woman with a bad job situation.

Journal Entry #15030

Mark 1:44
   Jesus told the man to follow the law’s guidelines on this cure. He wanted the man to allow the Jewish officials to pronounce him clean. Then he would be able to share this amazing miracle. There were several who were healed by Christ who failed to listen to his instructions after their healing.

Bible Reading: Mark 15:1-16:20

Scripture Memory: James 5:10 “Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience.”

Prayer: Pray for a man having surgery today. Pray for a man in the hospital.

Prayer Requests: Heavenly Father, so often our eyes are closed to your working. We keep ourselves ‘under the radar’ so to speak by living in the flesh. May we get our hearts clear again and see your wonderful plans. You know how to guide us, and will lead us step by step. You will give us a clear path to follow, if we will trust your hand. Thank you for your work in our lives! how could we ever praise you enough? In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise you, Amen.

Journal Entry #15029

Mark 1:43
   Though often we seem to think that Jesus was trying to hide his miracles, this cannot be construed here. Jesus reminded the man of the law. He was not to simply pronounce himself clean, but to follow the laws governing this disease.
   Jesus’ attention to this detail is as remarkable as the miracle itself. Like our salvation from sin, the miracle was not done without also fulfilling the law. What Jesus does sets aside the law only because it satisfies it. The law has not been negated, or broken, but superseded by a better solution. The first has made way for the second. Grace fulfills the law and then some.

Bible Reading: Mark 13:1-14:72

Scripture Memory: James 5:10 “Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience.”

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you for the examples you give us in your Word. We can see the lives of others who have struggled along, yet they were sure they could trust your care. You haven’t let your people down. You bless and keep us. It is only through knowing you that we can discover the best way for our lives. We would try to take the easy way out on our own. But, you are able to show us the joy we can find in the hard times. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise you, Amen.

Prayer Requests: Pray for a family that just lost a loved one.

Journal Entry #15028