Mark 14:1-9
Jesus Anointed at Bethany
It was now two days before the Passover celebration and the Festival of Unleavened Bread. The leading priests and the teachers of religious law were still looking for an opportunity to capture Jesus secretly and put him to death. 2 "But not during the Passover," they agreed, "or there will be a riot."
3 Meanwhile, Jesus was in Bethany at the home of Simon, a man who had leprosy. During supper, a woman came in with a beautiful jar of expensive perfume. She broke the seal and poured the perfume over his head. 4 Some of those at the table were indignant. "Why was this expensive perfume wasted?" they asked. 5 "She could have sold it for a small fortune and given the money to the poor!" And they scolded her harshly.
6 But Jesus replied, "Leave her alone. Why berate her for doing such a good thing to me?  7 You will always have the poor among you, and you can help them whenever you want to. But I will not be here with you much longer.  8 She has done what she could and has anointed my body for burial ahead of time.  9 I assure you, wherever the Good News is preached throughout the world, this woman's deed will be talked about in her memory." (NLT)
How will you and I be remembered? Will we be remembered for doing good deeds for Jesus? Our lives need to be completely and fully wrapped up in Jesus. He is the beginning and the end. We need to start our day with Jesus and end our day with Jesus. We need to take care of the poor among us but always through Jesus and showing them Jesus. Jesus is the way in which we live our lives, Jesus’ word is the truth that we need to speak to others and we need to live our lives according to the principles Jesus lived by. As the memory of this woman lives on for the good deed she did for Jesus so we must live our lives to be doing good deeds unto Jesus.

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Mark 13:34-37
34 "The coming of the Son of Man can be compared with that of a man who left home to go on a trip. He gave each of his employees instructions about the work they were to do, and he told the gatekeeper to watch for his return.  35 So keep a sharp lookout! For you do not know when the homeowner will return — at evening, midnight, early dawn, or late daybreak.  36 Don't let him find you sleeping when he arrives without warning.  37 What I say to you I say to everyone: Watch for his return!"  (NLT)
Watch for His return and keep a sharp lookout! Be ready and be working the Lords will for you until He comes. Do not be like the foolish that goof off, play or fall asleep because the master will return at any moment and will be caught. But be found doing the masters instructions so when He comes you will hear “well done good and faithful worker enter into my rest.”
Therefore always be a doer of the Word.

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Mark 13:32-33
32 "However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows.  33 And since you don't know when they will happen, stay alert and keep watch. (NLT)

Stay alert and keep watch. Our responsibility is to keep doing the will of God for our lives, to stay alert and watch for His coming. It is not for us to stop and wait but for us to go forward and do good works. We do not know when all these things will happen so we must keep on keeping on until that day. Continue sharing God’s grace, mercy and love through the power of the Holy Spirit to lift up the name of Jesus.

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Mark 13:28-31
28 "Now, learn a lesson from the fig tree. When its buds become tender and its leaves begin to sprout, you know without being told that summer is near.  29 Just so, when you see the events I've described beginning to happen, you can be sure that his return is very near, right at the door.  30 I assure you, this generation will not pass from the scene until all these events have taken place.  31 Heaven and earth will disappear, but my words will remain forever.  (NLT)

Jesus has given us everything we need to know. His word shows us what we need to see. His words will not fade away but will last forever. Many have tried to stamp out the Bible but it remains. God’s Word is powerful and we can trust His Word because it does last forever. Even Satan himself cannot stop God’s Word and Jesus by His death has stopped Satan in his tracks and he has been sentenced. Let us rejoice with Christ and in His triumphant return.

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Mark 13:24-27
24 "At that time, after those horrible days end,
the sun will be darkened,
the moon will not give light, 
25 the stars will fall from the sky,
and the powers of heaven will be shaken.  
26 Then everyone will see the Son of Man arrive on the clouds with great power and glory.   27 And he will send forth his angels to gather together his chosen ones from all over the world — from the farthest ends of the earth and heaven.  (NLT)

Everyone will see the Son of Man, Jesus Christ, coming in the clouds with great power and glory. Everyone will see and every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that Jesus is Lord. What a glorious sight this shall be when all of Jesus’ followers shall be gathered together with Him forever. Be in prayer as to what Jesus wants you to be doing and go do it. Do it in the power and glory of our Lord Jesus Christ so that His name shall be lifted up. It may seem hard now but soon we will be with Him forever. This is temporal but to be with Jesus is forever, Amen.

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Words of Encouragement

Mark 13:21-23
21 "And then if anyone tells you, 'Look, here is the Messiah,' or, 'There he is,' don't pay any attention.  22 For false messiahs and false prophets will rise up and perform miraculous signs and wonders so as to deceive, if possible, even God's chosen ones.  23 Watch out! I have warned you!  (NLT)

There is only one Messiah and that is the Lord Jesus Christ and no others. Anyone claiming to be the Messiah other Jesus is a false messiah even if they perform miraculous signs or wonders. A lot of things can be made to look real but are not. Satan even wants to lead God’s elect astray. The message for us is Watch out! I have warned you! Be in the word, know it well, follow the Holy Spirit's leading and put all your trust and faith in Jesus.

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Mark 13:12-20
12 "Brother will betray brother to death, fathers will betray their own children, and children will rise against their parents and cause them to be killed.  13 And everyone will hate you because of your allegiance to me. But those who endure to the end will be saved. 
14 "The time will come when you will see the sacrilegious object that causes desecration standing where it should not be" — reader, pay attention! "Then those in Judea must flee to the hills.  15 A person outside the house must not go back into the house to pack.  16 A person in the field must not return even to get a coat.  17 How terrible it will be for pregnant women and for mothers nursing their babies in those days.  18 And pray that your flight will not be in winter.  19 For those will be days of greater horror than at any time since God created the world. And it will never happen again.  20 In fact, unless the Lord shortens that time of calamity, the entire human race will be destroyed. But for the sake of his chosen ones he has shortened those days.  (NLT)
Our allegiance and loyalty must always be with Jesus. We must put Jesus above everything else and those who do and endure to the end during these times will be saved. Therefore during this time pray for your friends and family to come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. Now is the time and today is the day of their salvation. Share the Gospel and live the Gospel for the Kingdom of God is near. Give praise to the Holy One of God for His sacrificial gift to you.

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Mark 13:8-11

8 Nations and kingdoms will proclaim war against each other, and there will be earthquakes in many parts of the world, and famines. But all this will be only the beginning of the horrors to come.  9 But when these things begin to happen, watch out! You will be handed over to the courts and beaten in the synagogues. You will be accused before governors and kings of being my followers. This will be your opportunity to tell them about me.   10 And the Good News must first be preached to every nation.  11 But when you are arrested and stand trial, don't worry about what to say in your defense. Just say what God tells you to. Then it is not you who will be speaking, but the Holy Spirit.  (NLT)

It is true each day brings us closer to the day when Christ shall return. But before He does wars, famines, earthquakes and many other disasters will take place. But we are not to worry but to trust and to look to Jesus for all things. We should not be shocked when these events happen for Jesus has told us ahead of time that these things will happen. He has told us these things so that we can be prepared ahead of time. As for now and then we have the opportunity to tell them about Jesus Christ and His Salvation. It is always about Jesus, so don’t wait to the last minute but share what God has given you to share by the Holy Spirit.

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Mark 13:1-7

As Jesus was leaving the Temple that day, one of his disciples said, "Teacher, look at these tremendous buildings! Look at the massive stones in the walls!"

2 Jesus replied, "These magnificent buildings will be so completely demolished that not one stone will be left on top of another." 

3 Later, Jesus sat on the slopes of the Mount of Olives across the valley from the Temple. Peter, James, John, and Andrew came to him privately and asked him, 4 "When will all this take place? And will there be any sign ahead of time to show us when all this will be fulfilled?"

5 Jesus replied, "Don't let anyone mislead you, 6 because many will come in my name, claiming to be the Messiah. They will lead many astray.  7 And wars will break out near and far, but don't panic. Yes, these things must come, but the end won't follow immediately. (NLT)

Number one,  "Don't let anyone mislead you.” Know your Bible and what it says, Jesus said that He would send you the Holy Spirit and He would teach you all things. You need to rely on the Holy Spirit and let Him fill you and guide you.

Number two, “Don't panic.” Jesus said that He would never leave you nor forsake you. There will be wars near and far but these are merely birth pains and the end will not follow immediately.

And lastly, put your full faith and trust in the Lord Jesus. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength, love others as yourself and focus your attention on the Lord Jesus who called you to a higher calling.

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Mark 12:41-44

41 Jesus went over to the collection box in the Temple and sat and watched as the crowds dropped in their money. Many rich people put in large amounts. 42 Then a poor widow came and dropped in two pennies.   43 He called his disciples to him and said, "I assure you, this poor widow has given more than all the others have given.  44 For they gave a tiny part of their surplus, but she, poor as she is, has given everything she has."  (NLT)

Giving has always been a matter of the heart. Where is your heart? Is it for the Lord Jesus Christ or is it on something else? You must realize that with God there is no middle ground, you cannot be for the Lord and for something else at the same time. You cannot be on both sides of the fence at the same time, you either are for Him or you’re not. You either give from your surplus or you give Him your all. You either give from your heart or you don’t. You cannot have both. It is important for us as Christ followers to examine ourselves and to see where our heart is at as we walk with Christ. Is it for Him or for you? We can learn from the widow that her heart was for God and she gave out of her love for Him.

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Mark 12:38-40
38 Here are some of the other things he taught them at this time: "Beware of these teachers of religious law! For they love to parade in flowing robes and to have everyone bow to them as they walk in the marketplaces.  39 And how they love the seats of honor in the synagogues and at banquets.  40 But they shamelessly cheat widows out of their property, and then, to cover up the kind of people they really are, they make long prayers in public. Because of this, their punishment will be the greater." (NLT)
God requires us to be humble. When someone is arrogant they can only see themselves. God wants those who see Him as the one who created them. The arrogant believe everything they do and everything they have is because of them. They love the praise of men because they only love themselves and because of that their reward is what they receive here on earth. In James 4:6-7 "God sets himself against the proud, but he shows favor to the humble. So humble yourselves before God." (NLT) God gives grace to the humble.

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Mark 12:35 - 37
Whose Son Is the Messiah?
35 Later, as Jesus was teaching the people in the Temple, he asked, "Why do the teachers of religious law claim that the Messiah will be the son of David?  36 For David himself, speaking under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, said,
'The LORD said to my Lord,
Sit in honor at my right hand
until I humble your enemies beneath your feet.'  
37 Since David himself called him Lord, how can he be his son at the same time?" And the crowd listened to him with great interest. (NLT)
The problem that the teachers of the law had was that they only could see one side of the coin. Was Jesus the son of David? Yes and Jesus came from the linage or loins of David but Jesus was also the Son of God or God in the flesh. Therefore Jesus was David’s son and David’s Lord. Jesus is to reign as King in the Kingdom to come and David is a subject in that Kingdom. The teachers never understood who the Christ was outside of being David’s son. The Holy Spirit spoke through David explaining that God the Father said to God the Son to sit in honor at the right hand of the Father until He humbled His enemies beneath His feet. It is wonderful that we serve the real Lord and King of Heaven.

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Mark 12:32-34
32 The teacher of religious law replied, "Well said, Teacher. You have spoken the truth by saying that there is only one God and no other. 33 And I know it is important to love him with all my heart and all my understanding and all my strength, and to love my neighbors as myself. This is more important than to offer all of the burnt offerings and sacrifices required in the law."
34 Realizing this man's understanding, Jesus said to him, "You are not far from the Kingdom of God." And after that, no one dared to ask him any more questions. (NLT)

The truth is that there is only one God and there is no other god but Him. God requires us to love Him first and then to love others as He loves us. This is more important than to offer any kind of sacrifice. Hate is the absence of love as darkness is the absence of light and evil is the absence of good. God sent Jesus to be the light to the world and to remove darkness, hate and evil. As Christ followers we are to be light to the world, to love where hate abounds and to fight evil with good works unto Christ. This man was very close to the Kingdom of God all he needed to do was to accept Jesus for who He really was-- the Savior of the world, the Messiah. Follow Him.

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Mark 12:18-27
Discussion about Resurrection
18 Then the Sadducees stepped forward — a group of Jews who say there is no resurrection after death. They posed this question: 19 "Teacher, Moses gave us a law that if a man dies, leaving a wife without children, his brother should marry the widow and have a child who will be the brother's heir.   20 Well, there were seven brothers. The oldest of them married and then died without children. 21 So the second brother married the widow, but soon he too died and left no children. Then the next brother married her and died without children. 22 This continued until all the brothers had married her and died, and still there were no children. Last of all, the woman died, too. 23 So tell us, whose wife will she be in the resurrection? For all seven were married to her."
24 Jesus replied, "Your problem is that you don't know the Scriptures, and you don't know the power of God.  25 For when the dead rise, they won't be married. They will be like the angels in heaven.  26 But now, as to whether the dead will be raised — haven't you ever read about this in the writings of Moses, in the story of the burning bush? Long after Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had died, God said to Moses, 'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.'   27 So he is the God of the living, not the dead. You have made a serious error." (NLT)
We as followers of the Lord Jesus Christ need to study and know what the Scriptures say. We also need to know what Scriptures mean and know the power of God. Is it not wonderful that we serve one God and that God is not the God of the dead but of the living. This body will die but we will live on forever with our Lord Jesus Christ. Praise be to our God that someday our old body will be resurrected and made new forever.
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Mark 12:28-31
The Most Important Commandment
28 One of the teachers of religious law was standing there listening to the discussion. He realized that Jesus had answered well, so he asked, "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?"
29 Jesus replied, "The most important commandment is this: 'Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is the one and only Lord.  30 And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.'   31 The second is equally important: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' No other commandment is greater than these."  (NLT)
Here is the First and Greatest Commandment that you are to follow, “You are to Love the Lord your God with All your heart, with All your soul, with All your mind and with All your Strength.” This is God’s first command to you and His will for you to do. The word all can also be interpreted as “entire” in other words your entire being. The second commandment is equally important because if you love God then you will naturally love others that God has created. Why does God give us these two commandments? First of all God is love and God loves you. Second is that you are created in the image and likeness of God therefore you are to be like Him in every area of your life. You hear people say that child is just like their Dad or just like their Mom that’s because the child is a part of their parents or linked to their parents. As children of God you should be acting just like Jesus for He is the perfect representation of God the Father. If you are not acting like Jesus then you need to spend time with Jesus and spend time studying Jesus in the Bible so that you can be just like Him. Not acting but truly being like Jesus. Jesus said, Come follow Me; therefore, let us lay aside the old life and put on the new life in Christ and be emulators of the Lord Jesus Christ.
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