Devotion
Go preach the gospel!
David Jacobs
The book of Mark was written the shortest length of time from Jesus' death out of all the Gospels. The other Gospels are written with more style and flair, perhaps because they had heard the same stories as Mark but several decades later. The gospel of John, in particular, is filled with tales of the supernatural that are not written about at all in Mark. The gospel of Mark is perhaps the least cited and considered the least important of the gospels by many, but the no-frills attached writing style and seemingly more accurate depiction of Christ makes it my favorite.
In these verses, Christ commands the disciples to do two things: first, go into the world and preach the gospel to every creature. As we know based on the book of Acts and most of the books following the gospels, the disciples took this commandment to heart. Second, everyone that is baptized will be saved, and those that are not shall be damned. Christ may have meant that any person that is not literally baptized is damned, but I think that a more progressive interpretation is more appropriate.
Prayer
All that know of the gospels, and almost all should because the disciples went forth and spread the good news to all creatures, have a choice: to believe or not to believe. If they have heard the news and chose not to believe, they are refusing the baptism by the Holy Spirit. There is no supernatural element, no poetic prose, just the straight facts of the gospel of Mark. We should all appreciate his work. Thanks be to God.
Night Prayer
Let me not be ashamed, O Lord; for I have called upon thee: let the wicked be ashamed, and let them be silent in the grave.
Inspiration
We humble ourselves before the Lord when we come to Him with earthly burdens. We understand we do not have the power to control or fix our problems alone, so we lay our egos down and align our lives with the will of God. We are proud to be His servants and accept His help throughout our struggles. His love is unconditional, and His wisdom parallels none other.
Prayer
Dear Lord, we humble ourselves before You, seeking Your wisdom and guidance all the days of our lives. Thank You for Your presence and unfailing love. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
Devotion
You are a Temple of The Holy Spirit
Frances Taylor
This is a hard saying in today's world. Sexual immorality is so rampant and public that few people believe it to be immoral! People no longer think of sexual behavior outside of marriage as wrong and, in fact, have no problem with going from one person to another quite publicly, broadcasting their behavior on social media and if you're famous enough, on twitter, on TV, in magazines, etc. What happened to "Thou shalt not commit adultery?" I guess I'm old fashioned. I'm not about to condemn anyone who truly loves another and is faithful to them regardless of marriage, but I don't understand and cannot condone random sexual encounters that are not based on love but lust, have no desire for permanency but are literally just to satisfy a sexual itch.
Sorry if I offend anyone, but if we believe that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit to be kept holy, how can we treat them as what – toys, prizes? I'm aware that women have often ...
Morning Prayer
For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee.
Inspiration
Think of a grudge that you held on for a long time. Did you feel better from holding this grudge? Now think about this deeper: what if God held a grudge against us? Wow, how blessed we are that he forgives our sins! He leads by example, forgiving those of us that do exactly what he asks us not to do. We all should all be more forgiving, like God is to us.
Prayer
You sent your only son to the world to die so that we may be forgiven, merciful God. Forgive me, once again, for being too selfish and proud to not forgive those that trespass against me. I wish that I can sin less and ask for forgiveness and guidance when I need it. I thank you for sending your son to us, Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior. Amen.
