Category: Prayer Intention

“On that day they will fast.” –Mark 2:20 Many years ago there was an expression: “He couldn’t punch his way out of a wet paper bag.” This was a way of calling someone a weakling. People questioned why Jesus’ disciples did not fast. Jesus answered that the fasting by His disciples would be so powerful and extreme that their lives wouldn’t be able to take the effects of it. It would be like pouring fermenting, volatile new wine into an old wineskin (Mk 2:22). Only after Jesus’ death, Resurrection, and Ascension into heaven culminating in Pentecost would His disciples have...

“The wine ran out, and Jesus’ mother told Him, ‘They have no more wine.’ ” –John 2:3 In John’s Gospel, Jesus began His public ministry at a wedding feast where they had “no more wine.” Likewise, many people begin to let Jesus work in their lives when they realize they are out of wine, love, strength, energy, ideas, or hope. In the weakness of our emptiness, God’s power in us can reach perfection (2 Cor 12:9). It is literally true that without Jesus we can do nothing (Jn 15:5). Of ourselves, we are always on “empty” in the important things...

“As He moved on He saw Levi the son of Alphaeus, at his tax collector’s post, and said to him, ‘Follow Me.’ Levi got up and became His follower.” –Mark 2:14 Although it was a serious sin for a Jew to be a tax collector, Levi chose to be one. Jesus called Levi out of his sinful job and into being an apostle and missionary. If we repent, we can follow Jesus’ call even if we are damaged goods, for Jesus comes not for the healthy but for the sick, not for the righteous but for sinners (Mk 2:17). Jesus...

“I command you: Stand up! Pick up your mat and go home.” –Mark 2:11 Will you receive “the promise of entrance” into God’s rest (Heb 4:1), that is, will you be with the Lord forever in the perfect happiness of heaven? “Therefore, while the promise of entrance into His rest still holds, we ought to be fearful of disobeying lest any one of you be judged to have lost his chance of entering” (Heb 4:1). By ourselves, we are unable to obey the Lord and enter eternal rest. We are spiritually paralyzed. Our only hope is to come to Jesus...