Day 79/260: Read Mark 11

Forgiveness is so very important. Without forgiveness, we are lost in sin. Did you know that God’s forgiveness is available to all men? Here’s the thing, though: if we are not willing to forgive those who have done us wrong, God will not forgive us.

“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 you your trespasses.”

Forgiveness is dependent on repentance; if you do not repent, God will not forgive. He is willing to forgive, though. The same must be true of us.

Whether someone asks for our forgiveness or not, we must be willing to forgive. Even if they never repent, we must be willing to forgive. It’s not easy, but it’s important.

Jesus, hanging on the cross in physical and emotional anguish, said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.” Some of them never repented, but Jesus still had the attitude of forgiveness.

Have you ever held a grudge for a much lesser offense? Commit yourself to develop an attitude of forgiveness, regardless of another’s desire to get right.

Memory (Fill in the blanks)

Mark 9:50. “Salt is ___________, but if the ___________ loses its flavor, how will you season it? Have ___________ in yourselves, and have peace with one another.”

Pray

Pray for those who have sinned against you, and pray for forgiveness of your own sins.

Day 78/260: Read Mark 10

The Christian life, while rich with blessings, is not an easy life. Suffering accompanies faithfulness. Those who teach differently have overlooked this plain teaching in the revealed Word.

Paul told Timothy, “Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution” (2 Timothy 3:12). We may not suffer to the same extent as those in the first century, but we will be mistreated by those around us.

Yet, there are certainly blessings, both in this world and the next. “Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel’s, who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time—houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions—and in the age to come, eternal life.”

Yes, you will have to give up certain things in this life to be faithful to God. Human relationships may be broken. In sacrificing those things that keep you from Christ, though, you gain so much more that keeps you near Him: a church family that wants to help you go to heaven with them!

Memory (Fill in the blanks)

Mark 9:50. “___________ is good, but if the salt loses its ___________, how will you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have ___________ with one another.”

Pray

Pray for the strength to say “no” to things and people that hinder your faith.

Day 77/260: Read Mark 9

Who is hurt by our sin? You may have heard someone say, “Let him have his fun. He’s not hurting anyone but himself.” But is this true?

Do we not influence those who are around us? And do the things we do (or neglect to do) have an impact on others? Your sin will not only cost you in eternity, but may influence others to miss out on God’s blessings as well.

Jesus warns, “But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea.” You may not realize it, but you are setting an example for others—in the home, in the church, at work, and on the internet. Take care what kind of example you are setting.

Is there a specific temptation with which you are dealing, that is preventing you from obeying God fully? Get rid of it! Uninstall the app that is causing you to stumble, don’t talk to people who make it easy to gossip and slander, and stay away from the places that lead you into sinful activities.

Hell is for eternity. Three times, Jesus says, “Their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.” Unbearable, but avoidable. Obey the gospel and live faithfully.

Memory (Copy into a notebook 5-10 times)

Mark 9:50. “Salt is good, but if the salt loses its flavor, how will you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace with one another.”

Pray

Pray for opportunities to set a proper example for those around you.

Day 76/260: Read Mark 8

Jesus begins to unfold the Father’s plan of redemption to His disciples, telling them of His pending crucifixion and resurrection. What was Peter’s reaction? Peter “took Him aside and began to rebuke Him.”

From the human perspective, Peter was right. He didn’t understand God’s plan and saw a way to prevent Christ from suffering. He didn’t want to see his friend hurt. Without knowing the whole story, the apostle’s action could be considered commendable.

But that’s just it: it’s not the human perspective that matters. Making statements without knowing the whole story often gets one into trouble.

Here’s how God revealed this concept to the people in Isaiah’s day: “‘For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,’ says the Lord. ‘For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts’” (Isaiah 55:8-9).

All the bad stuff that happens in life can be used for the glory of God. We may not see it now, because we don’t have the whole story. “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28).

Memory (Read aloud 5-10 times)

Mark 9:50. “Salt is good, but if the salt loses its flavor, how will you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace with one another.”

Pray

Pray for the wisdom to let God’s plan take shape, regardless of your current circumstances or troubles.

Day 75/260: Read Mark 7

Mark Twain wrote, in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, “The less there is to justify a traditional custom, the harder it is to get rid of it.”

Traditions are fine and good if we understand the basis and the basis is truth. Oftentimes, however, traditions are a hindrance rather than a help to obeying truth.

Jesus criticized the Pharisees’ traditions because they elevated their traditions to the level of—and at times contrary to—God’s revelation. Their traditions were so important to them that they were “laying aside the commandment of God” even to the point of rejection of His Word.

As a result of their man-made traditions, the Pharisees’ worship became useless. Jesus makes reference to Isaiah 29:13 when He says, “This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrine the commandments of men.”

May we ever follow God’s Word and test the teachings of men by the inspired revelation. Be like the Bereans in your study, who “received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so” (Acts 17:11).

Memory (Recite to a friend without looking)

Mark 4:25. “For whoever has, to him more will be given; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.”

Pray

Pray for wisdom to follow God’s Word and reject teachings that contradict what He has revealed.

Day 74/260: Read Mark 6

In Matthew 8, a centurion came to Jesus pleading for his servant to be healed. It is written that Jesus “marveled” at this man’s faith. “Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!” (Matthew 8:10).

In contrast to this event, we have the faith of those of “His own country” in Mark 6. The people heard His teaching and witnessed His mighty works, but “were offended at Him.” He was nothing special; He was just a carpenter. They knew His family.

“A prophet is not without honor except in his own country, among his own relatives, and in his own house.” The Savior’s miraculous work was limited in this area; “He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them.”

Mark writes, “And He marveled because of their unbelief.”

In one instance, He marveled because of faith; in another, because of the lack of faith.

How would He react to you? Have you put your full trust in Him, obeying Him, believing both the promises and warnings He has issued? Would Jesus marvel at your faith, or the lack thereof?

Memory (Fill in the blanks)

Mark 4:25. “For whoever has, to him more will be ___________; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be ___________ ___________ from him.”

Pray

Pray for a faith that would make the Savior marvel. Pray for the wisdom to trust and obey His Word.

Day 73/260: Read Mark 5

The power of Christ is shown in three ways in this chapter: power over the spiritual realm, power over physical maladies, and even power over death itself. Notice how people viewed His power.

The people who saw the demons depart the man and enter the swine wanted no part of Jesus. “Then they began to plead with Him to depart from their region.” The formerly possessed man wanted to join Jesus.

The ruler of the synagogue and the woman with a flow of blood both had faith that Jesus could heal; the ruler requested His assistance, while the woman wanted only to touch the hem of His garment.

Jesus went with the ruler of the synagogue, even though they had been informed of his daughter’s death. He said, “The child is not dead, but sleeping,” and He was ridiculed in response.

How do we react to the power of Jesus? Are we ashamed and want to send Him away, or do we want to go with Him? Do we truly believe, or do we ridicule?

How do we view the gospel? Paul tells us that the gospel “is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16). Are you ashamed, or do you believe?

Memory (Fill in the blanks)

Mark 4:25. “For whoever ___________, to him more will be given; but whoever does ___________ ___________, even what he has will be taken away from him.”

Pray

Pray for stronger faith in the power of Christ; pray for opportunities to see and tell of His power.

Day 72/260: Read Mark 4

Are you ever afraid because of your circumstances? That’s what happened to the disciples in the boat. They knew that Jesus was in the boat with them, but they didn’t consider His power to overcome the great windstorm.

The storms of life are different for everyone. For some it is the loss of a loved one. For others it is a change in careers. Many face health struggles, while many others deal with financial woes. For some, the very thought of getting out of bed in the morning is an obstacle to overcome.

God has given us so much, and has blessed us with many tools to deal with these struggles. Do not ignore the power of prayer; neither should we discount medical and mental health professionals that are equipped to help us through physical and emotional struggles.

“Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?” Strengthen your faith in Christ: read His book (Romans 10:17), pray (James 1:5), and utilize the help He provides through the church and the world.

Do not be ashamed to ask for help. Do not be afraid to seek guidance from medical and mental health providers. The professionals in those fields are blessings from God.

Memory (Copy into a notebook 5-10 times)

Mark 4:25. “For whoever has, to him more will be given; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.”

Pray

Pray for strength in the face of struggles, and for help from those blessed by God who provide guidance.

Day 71/260: Read Mark 3

Have you ever thought about how your outlook colors your opinion? If you look for the bad in someone, you’re going to find it. But if you look for the good, you can usually find it.

The Jewish leaders of the first century had a negative opinion of anyone who challenged their power, and were always on the lookout for reasons to reject a person who drew attention away from their authority and leadership.

The scribes and Pharisees were very interested in what Jesus said and did, but not for the right reasons. They weren’t seeking truth; they wanted to diminish his popularity among the people. “So they watched Him closely…so that they might accuse Him.”

Jesus turned the situation around on them, asking, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” They couldn’t answer His question without revealing their evil intentions. The Lord did what needed to be done—He healed the man.

Notice the Savior’s attitude toward the hard-hearted Pharisees. He “looked around at them with anger,” but also He was “grieved.” Anger because they should have known better, and grief because He knew the end result of their attitude.

Memory (Read aloud 5-10 times)

Mark 4:25. “For whoever has, to him more will be given; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.”

Pray

Pray for a proper attitude, thinking the best of others and giving them the benefit of the doubt whenever possible.