Why Not Worship? Wednesday, March 18, 2020

Scripture Reference: Hebrews 13:1-9
13 Let (A)brotherly love continue. 2 (B)Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing (C)some have unwittingly entertained angels. 3 (D)Remember the prisoners as if chained with them—those who are mistreated—since you yourselves are in the body also.

4 (E)Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; (F)but fornicators and adulterers God will judge.

5 Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, (G)“I will never leave you nor forsake you.” 6 So we may boldly say:

(H)“The Lord is my helper;
I will not fear.
What can man do to me?”

7 Remember those who [a]rule over you, who have spoken the word of God to you, whose faith follow, considering the outcome of their conduct. 8 Jesus Christ is (I)the same yesterday, today, and forever. 9 Do not be carried [b]about with various and strange doctrines. For it is good that the heart be established by grace, not with foods which have not profited those who have been occupied with them.

Scripture Reference: Mark 6:45-56
45 (B)Immediately He [a]made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while He sent the multitude away. 46 And when He had sent them away, He (C)departed to the mountain to pray. 47 Now when evening came, the boat was in the middle of the sea; and He was alone on the land. 48 Then He saw them straining at rowing, for the wind was against them. Now about the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea, and (D)would have passed them by. 49 And when they saw Him walking on the sea, they supposed it was a (E)ghost, and cried out; 50 for they all saw Him and were troubled. But immediately He talked with them and said to them, (F)“Be[b] of good cheer! It is I; do not be (G)afraid.” 51 Then He went up into the boat to them, and the wind (H)ceased. And they were greatly (I)amazed in themselves beyond measure, and marveled. 52 For (J)they had not understood about the loaves, because their (K)heart was hardened.

53 (M)When they had crossed over, they came to the land of Gennesaret and anchored there. 54 And when they came out of the boat, immediately [c]the people recognized Him, 55 ran through that whole surrounding region, and began to carry about on beds those who were sick to wherever they heard He was. 56 Wherever He entered, into villages, cities, or the country, they laid the sick in the marketplaces, and begged Him that (N)they might just touch the (O)hem of His garment. And as many as touched Him were made well.

Scripture Reference: Mark 6:30-43
30 (B)Then the apostles gathered to Jesus and told Him all things, both what they had done and what they had taught. 31 (C)And He said to them, “Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” For (D)there were many coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat. 32 (E)So they departed to a deserted place in the boat by themselves.

33 But [a]the multitudes saw them departing, and many (F)knew Him and ran there on foot from all the cities. They arrived before them and came together to Him. 34 (G)And Jesus, when He came out, saw a great multitude and was moved with compassion for them, because they were like (H)sheep not having a shepherd. So (I)He began to teach them many things. 35 (J)When the day was now far spent, His disciples came to Him and said, “This is a deserted place, and already the hour is late. 36 Send them away, that they may go into the surrounding country and villages and buy themselves [b]bread; for they have nothing to eat.”

37 But He answered and said to them, “You give them something to eat.”

And they said to Him, (K)“Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give them something to eat?”

38 But He said to them, “How many loaves do you have? Go and see.”

And when they found out they said, (L)“Five, and two fish.”

39 Then He (M)commanded them to make them all sit down in groups on the green grass. 40 So they sat down in ranks, in hundreds and in fifties. 41 And when He had taken the five loaves and the two fish, He (N)looked up to heaven, (O)blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to His disciples to set before them; and the two fish He divided among them all. 42 So they all ate and were filled. 43 And they took up twelve baskets full of fragments and of the fish.

Scripture Reference: Mark 6:14-29
14 (B)Now King Herod heard of Him, for His name had become well known. And he said, “John the Baptist is risen from the dead, and therefore (C)these powers are at work in him.”
15 (D)Others said, “It is Elijah.” And others said, “It is [a]the Prophet, (E)or like one of the prophets.”
16 (F)But when Herod heard, he said, “This is John, whom I beheaded; he has been raised from the dead!” 17 For Herod himself had sent and laid hold of John, and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife; for he had married her. 18 Because John had said to Herod, (G)“It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.”

19 Therefore Herodias [b]held it against him and wanted to kill him, but she could not; 20 for Herod (H)feared John, knowing that he was a just and holy man, and he protected him. And when he heard him, he [c]did many things, and heard him gladly.

21 (I)Then an opportune day came when Herod (J)on his birthday gave a feast for his nobles, the high officers, and the chief men of Galilee. 22 And when Herodias’ daughter herself came in and danced, and pleased Herod and those who sat with him, the king said to the girl, “Ask me whatever you want, and I will give it to you.” 23 He also swore to her, (K)“Whatever you ask me, I will give you, up to half my kingdom.”

24 So she went out and said to her mother, “What shall I ask?”
And she said, “The head of John the Baptist!”

25 Immediately she came in with haste to the king and asked, saying, “I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter.”

26 (L)And the king was exceedingly sorry; yet, because of the oaths and because of those who sat with him, he did not want to refuse her. 27 Immediately the king sent an executioner and commanded his head to be brought. And he went and beheaded him in prison, 28 brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl; and the girl gave it to her mother. 29 When his disciples heard of it, they came and (M)took away his corpse and laid it in a tomb.

Scripture Reference: Mark 6:7-13
7 And He called the twelve to Himself, and began to send them out two by two, and gave them power over unclean spirits. 8 He commanded them to take nothing for the journey except a staff—no bag, no bread, no copper in their money belts— 9 but to wear sandals, and not to put on two tunics.

10 Also He said to them, “In whatever place you enter a house, stay there till you depart from that place. 11 And [a]whoever will not receive you nor hear you, when you depart from there, shake off the dust under your feet as a testimony against them. [b]Assuredly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city!”

12 So they went out and preached that people should repent. 13 And they cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick, and healed them.

Scripture Reference: Psalm 100
Make a joyful shout to the Lord, [a]all you lands!
2 Serve the Lord with gladness;
Come before His presence with singing.
3 Know that the Lord, He is God;
It is He who has made us, and [b]not we ourselves;
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.

4 Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,
And into His courts with praise.
Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.
5 For the Lord is good;
His mercy is everlasting,
And His truth endures to all generations.

Scripture Reference: Mark 6:1-6

Then He went out from there and came to His own country, and His disciples followed Him. 2 And when the Sabbath had come, He began to teach in the synagogue. And many hearing Him were astonished, saying, “Where did this Man get these things? And what wisdom is this which is given to Him, that such mighty works are performed by His hands! 3 Is this not the carpenter, the Son of Mary, and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And are not His sisters here with us?” So they were offended at Him.

4 But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own country, among his own relatives, and in his own house.” 5 Now He could do no mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them. 6 And He marveled because of their unbelief. Then He went about the villages in a circuit, teaching.

Scripture Reference: Philippians 4:8
Finally, brethren, whatever things are (A)true, whatever things are (B)noble, whatever things are (C)just, (D)whatever things are pure, whatever things are (E)lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.

Scripture Reference: Mark 5:1-20
Then (B)they came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the [a]Gadarenes. 2 And when He had come out of the boat, immediately there met Him out of the tombs a man with an (C)unclean spirit, 3 who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no one could bind [b]him, not even with chains, 4 because he had often been bound with shackles and chains. And the chains had been pulled apart by him, and the shackles broken in pieces; neither could anyone tame him. 5 And always, night and day, he was in the mountains and in the tombs, crying out and cutting himself with stones.

6 When he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshiped Him. 7 And he cried out with a loud voice and said, “What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I (D)implore[c] You by God that You do not torment me.”

8 For He said to him, (E)“Come out of the man, unclean spirit!” 9 Then He asked him, “What is your name?”

And he answered, saying, “My name is Legion; for we are many.” 10 Also he begged Him earnestly that He would not send them out of the country.

11 Now a large herd of (F)swine was feeding there near the mountains. 12 So all the demons begged Him, saying, “Send us to the swine, that we may enter them.” 13 And [d]at once Jesus gave them permission. Then the unclean spirits went out and entered the swine (there were about two thousand); and the herd ran violently down the steep place into the sea, and drowned in the sea.

14 So those who fed the swine fled, and they told it in the city and in the country. And they went out to see what it was that had happened. 15 Then they came to Jesus, and saw the one who had been (G)demon-possessed and had the legion, (H)sitting and (I)clothed and in his right mind. And they were afraid. 16 And those who saw it told them how it happened to him who had been demon-possessed, and about the swine. 17 Then (J)they began to plead with Him to depart from their region.

18 And when He got into the boat, (K)he who had been demon-possessed begged Him that he might be with Him. 19 However, Jesus did not permit him, but said to him, “Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you.” 20 And he departed and began to (L)proclaim in [e]Decapolis all that Jesus had done for him; and all (M)marveled.

Scripture Reference: Mark 4:35-41
35 (B)On the same day, when evening had come, He said to them, “Let us cross over to the other side.” 36 Now when they had left the multitude, they took Him along in the boat as He was. And other little boats were also with Him. 37 And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling. 38 But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, (C)“Teacher, (D)do You not care that we are perishing?”

39 Then He arose and (E)rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, (F)“Peace,[a] be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. 40 But He said to them, “Why are you so fearful? (G)How[b] is it that you have no faith?” 41 And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, “Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!”