December 2001 Daily Devotionals

Saturday 1 December

Mark 11:22-24

"Have faith in God, I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

Sunday 2 December

Mark 11:25

And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins."

Monday 3 December

Mark 11:29-30, 33

"I will ask you one question. Answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. John’s baptism — was it from heaven, or from men? Tell me! Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things."

Tuesday 4 December

Mark 12:1-9

"A man planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a pit for the winepress and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and went away on a journey. At harvest time he sent a servant to the tenants to collect from them some of the fruit of the vineyard. But they seized him, beat him and sent him away empty-handed. Then he sent another servant to them; they struck this man on the head and treated him shamefully. He sent still another, and that one they killed. He sent many others; some of them they beat, others they killed. "He had one left to send, a son, whom he loved. He sent him last of all, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ "But the tenants said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ So they took him and killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard. "What then will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others.

Wednesday 5 December

Mark 12:10

Haven’t you read this scripture: "‘The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone

Thursday 6 December

Mark 12:11

The Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?"

Friday 7 December

Mark 12:15-17

"Why are you trying to trap me?" "Bring me a denarius and let me look at it. Whose portrait is this? And whose inscription? Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s."

Saturday 8 December

Mark 12:24

"Are you not in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God?

Sunday 9 December

Mark 12:25-27

When the dead rise, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven. Now about the dead rising — have you not read in the book of Moses, in the account of the bush, how God said to him, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not the God of the dead, but of the living. You are badly mistaken!"

Monday 10 December

Mark 12:29-30

"The most important one," "is this: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’

Tuesday 11 December

Mark 12:31

The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these."

Wednesday 12 December

Mark 12:34

"You are not far from the kingdom of God."

Thursday 13 December

Mark 12:35-37

"How is it that the teachers of the law say that the Christ is the son of David? David himself, speaking by the Holy Spirit, declared: "‘The Lord said to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your feet. David himself calls him ‘Lord.’ How then can he be his son?"

Friday 14 December

Mark 12:38-40

"Watch out for the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and be greeted in the marketplaces, and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honour at banquets. They devour widows’ houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. Such men will be punished most severely."

Saturday 15 December

Mark 12:43-44

"I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything — all she had to live on."

Sunday 16 December

Mark 13:2

"Do you see all these great buildings?" "Not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down."

Monday 17 December

Mark 13:5-6

"Watch out that no one deceives you. Many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am he,’ and will deceive many.

Tuesday 18 December

Mark 13:7-8

When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, and famines. These are the beginning of birth pains.

Wednesday 19 December

Mark 13:9

"You must be on your guard. You will be handed over to the local councils and flogged in the synagogues. On account of me you will stand before governors and kings as witnesses to them.

Thursday 20 December

Mark 13:10

And the gospel must first be preached to all nations.

Friday 21 December

Mark 13:11

Whenever you are arrested and brought to trial, do not worry beforehand about what to say. Just say whatever is given you at the time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit.

Saturday 22 December

Mark 13:12-13

"Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child. Children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.

Sunday 23 December

Mark 13:14-20

"When you see ‘the abomination that causes desolation’ standing where it does not belong — let the reader understand — then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let no one on the roof of his house go down or enter the house to take anything out. Let no one in the field go back to get his cloak. How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! Pray that this will not take place in winter, because those will be days of distress unequaled from the beginning, when God created the world, until now — and never to be equaled again. If the Lord had not cut short those days, no one would survive. But for the sake of the elect, whom he has chosen, he has shortened them.

Monday 24 December

Mark 13:21-23

At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or, ‘Look, there he is!’ do not believe it. For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform signs and miracles to deceive the elect — if that were possible. So be on your guard; I have told you everything ahead of time.

Tuesday 25 December

Mark 13:24-27

"But in those days, following that distress, "‘the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’ "At that time men will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. And he will send his angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens.

Wednesday 26 December

Mark 13:28-30

"Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that it is near, right at the door. I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened.

Thursday 27 December

Mark 13:31

Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

Friday 28 December

Mark 13:32

"No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.

Saturday 29 December

Mark 13:33

Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come.

Sunday 30 December

Mark 13:34-37

It’s like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with his assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch. "Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back — whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. What I say to you, I say to everyone: ‘Watch!’"

Monday 31 December

Mark 14:6-9

"Leave her alone," "Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me. She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial. I tell you the truth, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her."