This thread will be richly supplied with scripture reading and prayers...also helping out with morning devotion and also for proper studying of the word...

Mark 13:1-23 (Good News Translation)

God’s Word: Offering Us True Joy

Introduction

Mark 13:1-23: Jesus explains to the disciples what will happen to the Temple and to his followers in the future. He foretells the destruction of the Temple and the persecutions his followers will suffer.

Today’s Scripture: Mark 13:10

Before the end comes, the gospel must be preached to all peoples.

Today’s Reading

1 As Jesus was leaving the Temple, one of his disciples said, “Look, Teacher! What wonderful stones and buildings!” 2 Jesus answered, “You see these great buildings? Not a single stone here will be left in its place; every one of them will be thrown down.” 3 Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, across from the Temple, when Peter, James, John, and Andrew came to him in private. 4 “Tell us when this will be,” they said, “and tell us what will happen to show that the time has come for all these things to take place.” 5 Jesus said to them, “Watch out, and don't let anyone fool you. 6 Many men, claiming to speak for me, will come and say, “I am he!” and they will fool many people. 7 And don't be troubled when you hear the noise of battles close by and news of battles far away. Such things must happen, but they do not mean that the end has come. 8 Countries will fight each other; kingdoms will attack one another. There will be earthquakes everywhere, and there will be famines. These things are like the first pains of childbirth. 9 You yourselves must watch out. You will be arrested and taken to court. You will be beaten in the synagogues; you will stand before rulers and kings for my sake to tell them the Good News. 10 But before the end comes, the gospel must be preached to all peoples. 11 And when you are arrested and taken to court, do not worry ahead of time about what you are going to say; when the time comes, say whatever is then given to you. For the words you speak will not be yours; they will come from the Holy Spirit. 12 Men will hand over their own brothers to be put to death, and fathers will do the same to their children. Children will turn against their parents and have them put to death. 13 Everyone will hate you because of me. But whoever holds out to the end will be saved. 14 “You will see “The Awful Horror” standing in the place where he should not be. ” (Note to the reader: understand what this means!) Then those who are in Judea must run away to the hills. 15 Someone who is on the roof of a house must not lose time by going down into the house to get anything to take along. 16 Someone who is in the field must not go back to the house for a cloak. 17 How terrible it will be in those days for women who are pregnant and for mothers with little babies! 18 Pray to God that these things will not happen in the winter! 19 For the trouble of those days will be far worse than any the world has ever known from the very beginning when God created the world until the present time. Nor will there ever be anything like it again. 20 But the Lord has reduced the number of those days; if he had not, nobody would survive. For the sake of his chosen people, however, he has reduced those days. 21 Then, if anyone says to you, “Look, here is the Messiah!” or, “Look, there he is!”—do not believe it. 22 For false Messiahs and false prophets will appear. They will perform miracles and wonders in order to deceive even God's chosen people, if possible. 23 Be on your guard! I have told you everything ahead of time.

Reflect:
The word “apocalypse” comes from the Greek word apokalypsis which means a revealing or unveiling. Mark 13 is sometimes referred to as the “Little Apocalypse” because Jesus foretells of future events. What are your thoughts when reading what Jesus tells his followers?

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, empower me to be a faithful witness to you and to share the Good News of your love and salvation. Amen. Prayer Concern:
Christians who are being persecuted for their faith in Jesus

Mark 12:35-44 (Good News Translation)

God’s Word: Offering Us True Joy

Introduction

Mark 12:35-44: Jesus points to the behavior of the teachers of the Law as behavior to be avoided inasmuch as they seek praise and exhibit false piety. He commends a poor widow for her offering of two coins which were worth more than the offerings from the rich since she gave what she needed to live on.

Today’s Scripture: Mark 12:44

“Others put in what they had to spare of their riches; but she, poor as she is, put in all she had – she gave all she had to live on.”

Today’s Reading

35 As Jesus was teaching in the Temple, he asked the question, “How can the teachers of the Law say that the Messiah will be the descendant of David? 36 The Holy Spirit inspired David to say: ‘The Lord said to my Lord: Sit here at my right side until I put your enemies under your feet.’ 37 David himself called him “Lord”; so how can the Messiah be David's descendant? ” A large crowd was listening to Jesus gladly. 38 As he taught them, he said, “Watch out for the teachers of the Law, who like to walk around in their long robes and be greeted with respect in the marketplace, 39 who choose the reserved seats in the synagogues and the best places at feasts. 40 They take advantage of widows and rob them of their homes, and then make a show of saying long prayers. Their punishment will be all the worse! ” 41 As Jesus sat near the Temple treasury, he watched the people as they dropped in their money. Many rich men dropped in a lot of money; 42 then a poor widow came along and dropped in two little copper coins, worth about a penny. 43 He called his disciples together and said to them, “I tell you that this poor widow put more in the offering box than all the others. 44 For the others put in what they had to spare of their riches; but she, poor as she is, put in all she had—she gave all she had to live on. ”

Reflect

The teachers of the Law were Jewish scholars who studied the Law of Moses and tried to teach others how to live by what the Law taught. Jesus shows how these teachers liked to be noticed for what they were doing. Some of them accepted sums of money from widows for giving advice or praying for them, and sometimes widows gave over their houses in payment (see verse 40). What does Jesus say about these teachers? Do you think Jesus’ commending the widow for her offering was also a condemnation of widows being exploited by the teachers of the Law? Are there situations today where people are bereft of resources due to the exploitive behavior of others?

Pray

Lord God, open my eyes and heart this day to the needs of others. Teach me to share my resources generously and to extend your love to all I meet this day. Amen.

Prayer Concern

Widows

4th dec 2014. Mark 13:24-37 (Good News Translation)

God’s Word: Offering Us True Joy

Introduction

Mark 13:24-37: Jesus tells his followers to be ready for the coming of the Son of Man because no one knows the day or hour. Christians interpret the coming of the Son of Man as Christ’s Second Coming.

Today’s Scripture: Mark 13:26

Then the Son of Man will appear, coming in the clouds with great power and glory.

Today’s Reading

24 In the days after that time of trouble the sun will grow dark, the moon will no longer shine, 25 the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers in space will be driven from their courses. 26 Then the Son of Man will appear, coming in the clouds with great power and glory. 27 He will send the angels out to the four corners of the earth to gather God's chosen people from one end of the world to the other. 28 Let the fig tree teach you a lesson. When its branches become green and tender and it starts putting out leaves, you know that summer is near. 29 In the same way, when you see these things happening, you will know that the time is near, ready to begin. 30 Remember that all these things will happen before the people now living have all died. 31 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. 32 No one knows, however, when that day or hour will come—neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son; only the Father knows. 33 Be on watch, be alert, for you do not know when the time will come. 34 It will be like a man who goes away from home on a trip and leaves his servants in charge, after giving to each one his own work to do and after telling the doorkeeper to keep watch. 35 Watch, then, because you do not know when the master of the house is coming—it might be in the evening or at midnight or before dawn or at sunrise. 36 If he comes suddenly, he must not find you asleep. 37 What I say to you, then, I say to all: Watch! ”

Reflect

How does Jesus describe the coming of the Son of Man? Why does Jesus tell his followers to be watchful? How do you prepare for the unexpected? What does this passage say to you with regard to living faithfully?

Pray

Lord Jesus, as I await your coming in power and glory, keep me faithful. Open my heart to be ever ready to receive and welcome you. Amen.

Prayer Concern

Those experiencing anxiety about the future

Jeremiah 23:1-8 (Good News Translation)

God’s Word: Offering Us True Joy

Introduction

Jeremiah 23:1-8: Israel’s leaders were supposed to care for the people; for not doing so, they will be punished. In today’s reading, the prophet speaks the LORD’s message of the coming of a righteous king from the line of David who will rule with justice.

Today’s Scripture: Jeremiah 23:5a

The LORD says, “The time is coming when I will choose as king a righteous descendant of David.”

Today’s Reading

1 How terrible will be the LORD's judgment on those rulers who destroy and scatter his people! 2 This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says about the rulers who were supposed to take care of his people: “You have not taken care of my people; you have scattered them and driven them away. Now I am going to punish you for the evil you have done. 3 I will gather the rest of my people from the countries where I have scattered them, and I will bring them back to their homeland. They will have many children and increase in number. 4 I will appoint rulers to take care of them. My people will no longer be afraid or terrified, and I will not punish them again. I, the LORD, have spoken. ” 5 The LORD says, “The time is coming when I will choose as king a righteous descendant of David. That king will rule wisely and do what is right and just throughout the land. 6 When he is king, the people of Judah will be safe, and the people of Israel will live in peace. He will be called ‘The LORD Our Salvation. ’ 7 “The time is coming,” says the LORD, when people will no longer swear by me as the living God who brought the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt. 8 Instead, they will swear by me as the living God who brought the people of Israel out of a northern land and out of all the other countries where I had scattered them. Then they will live in their own land. ”

Reflect

By what name will the righteous king be known (verse 6)? What does this name mean to you? Reread verses 5 and 6. How is the righteous king described? How is the new future described? Do you ever envision a time when all people will live in peace?

Pray

You, Lord God, are the living God who rescues us from sin and death and offers us eternal salvation. Teach me to do what is right and just and to extend your redeeming love to all I meet. Amen.

Prayer Concern

Those working to bring humanitarian aid to war-torn countries

Today’s Scripture: Nehemiah 8:10b

“Today is holy to our Lord, so don’t be sad. The joy that the LORD gives you will make you strong.”

Today’s Reading

1 By the seventh month the people of Israel were all settled in their towns. On the first day of that month they all assembled in Jerusalem, in the square just inside the Water Gate. They asked Ezra, the priest and scholar of the Law which the LORD had given Israel through Moses, to get the book of the Law. 2 So Ezra brought it to the place where the people had gathered—men, women, and the children who were old enough to understand. 3 There in the square by the gate he read the Law to them from dawn until noon, and they all listened attentively. 4 Ezra was standing on a wooden platform that had been built for the occasion. The following men stood at his right: Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah; and the following stood at his left: Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam. 5 As Ezra stood there on the platform high above the people, they all kept their eyes fixed on him. As soon as he opened the book, they all stood up. 6 Ezra said, “Praise the LORD, the great God! ” All the people raised their arms in the air and answered, “Amen! Amen!” They knelt in worship, with their faces to the ground. 7 Then they rose and stood in their places, and the following Levites explained the Law to them: Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, and Pelaiah. 8 They gave an oral translation of God's Law and explained it so that the people could understand it. 9 When the people heard what the Law required, they were so moved that they began to cry. So Nehemiah, who was the governor, Ezra, the priest and scholar of the Law, and the Levites who were explaining the Law told all the people, “This day is holy to the LORD your God, so you are not to mourn or cry. 10 Now go home and have a feast. Share your food and wine with those who don't have enough. Today is holy to our Lord, so don't be sad. The joy that the LORD gives you will make you strong. ” 11 The Levites went around calming the people and telling them not to be sad on such a holy day. 12 So all the people went home and ate and drank joyfully and shared what they had with others, because they understood what had been read to them. 13 The next day the heads of the clans, together with the priests and the Levites, went to Ezra to study the teachings of the Law. 14 They discovered that the Law, which the LORD gave through Moses, ordered the people of Israel to live in temporary shelters during the Festival of Shelters. 15 So they gave the following instructions and sent them all through Jerusalem and the other cities and towns: “Go out to the hills and get branches from pines, olives, myrtles, palms, and other trees to make shelters according to the instructions written in the Law.” 16 So the people got branches and built shelters on the flat roofs of their houses, in their yards, in the Temple courtyard, and in the public squares by the Water Gate and by the Ephraim Gate. 17 All the people who had come back from captivity built shelters and lived in them. This was the first time it had been done since the days of Joshua son of Nun, and everybody was excited and happy. 18 From the first day of the festival to the last they read a part of God's Law every day. They celebrated for seven days, and on the eighth day there was a closing ceremony, as required in the Law.

Reflect

Why did Ezra, Nehemiah, and the priests explain the Law to the people? What or who helps you to understand the Scriptures? Today’s reading concludes with a description of the Festival of Shelters which commemorates the wilderness wanderings following the exodus from Egypt. The shelters are constructed of myrtle, olive, and palm branches as symbols of God’s protection, and the people live in these shelters for seven days to remember the wandering of their ancestors in the desert and God’s care of them at that time. In what ways are events in the worship life of your community of faith commemorated?

Pray

Lord God, as I read your Word, give me eyes and ears to understand your teachings. With joy I feast today on your Word. In your holy name I pray, Amen.

Prayer Concern

Those who prepare biblical commentaries