Mark 9:3 - Prayer Tents

9Then he drove it home by saying, "This isn't pie in the sky by and by. Some of you who are standing here are going to see it happen, see the kingdom of God arrive in full force."G2532G3004G846G281G3004G5213G3754G1526G5100G2476G5602G3748G1089G3364G1089G2288G2193G302G1492G932G2316G2064G1722G1411

In a Light-Radiant Cloud

2Six days later, three of them did see it. Jesus took Peter, James, and John and led them up a high mountain. His appearance changed from the inside out, right before their eyes.G2532G3326G1803G2250G2424G3880G4074G2532G2385G2532G2491G2532G399G846G399G1519G5308G3735G2596G2398G3441G2532G3339G1715G8463His clothes shimmered, glistening white, whiter than any bleach could make them.G2532G846G2440G1096G4744G3029G3022G5613G5510G3634G3756G1102G1909G1093G1410G30214Elijah, along with Moses, came into view, in deep conversation with Jesus.G2532G3700G846G2243G4862G3475G2532G2258G4814G24245Peter interrupted, "Rabbi, this is a great moment! Let's build three memorials—one for you, one for Moses, one for Elijah."G2532G4074G611G3004G2424G4461G2076G2570G2248G1511G5602G2532G4160G5140G4633G3391G4671G2532G3391G3475G2532G3391G22436He blurted this out without thinking, stunned as they all were by what they were seeing.G1063G1492G3756G5101G2980G1063G2258G16307Just then a light-radiant cloud enveloped them, and from deep in the cloud, a voice: "This is my Son, marked by my love. Listen to him."G2532G1096G3507G1982G846G2532G5456G2064G1537G3507G3004G3778G2076G3450G27G5207G191G8468The next minute the disciples were looking around, rubbing their eyes, seeing nothing but Jesus, only Jesus.G2532G1819G4017G1492G3762G3765G235G2424G3441G3326G14389Coming down the mountain, Jesus swore them to secrecy. "Don't tell a soul what you saw. After the Son of Man rises from the dead, you're free to talk."G1161G846G2597G575G3735G1291G846G2443G1334G3367G3739G1492G1508G3752G5207G444G450G1537G349810They puzzled over that, wondering what on earth "rising from the dead" meant.G2532G2902G3056G4314G1438G4802G5101G450G1537G3498G207611Meanwhile they were asking, "Why do the religion scholars say that Elijah has to come first?"G2532G1905G846G3004G3754G3004G1122G3754G2243G1163G4412G206412Jesus replied, "Elijah does come first and get everything ready for the coming of the Son of Man. They treated this Elijah like dirt, much like they will treat the Son of Man, who will, according to Scripture, suffer terribly and be kicked around contemptibly."G1161G611G2036G846G2243G3303G2064G4412G600G3956G2532G4459G1125G1909G5207G444G2443G3958G4183G2532G184713(SEE 9:12)G235G3004G5213G3754G2243G2064G2532G2064G2532G4160G846G3745G2309G2531G1125G1909G846

There Are No Ifs

14When they came back down the mountain to the other disciples, they saw a huge crowd around them, and the religion scholars cross-examining them.G2532G2064G4314G3101G1492G4183G3793G4012G846G2532G1122G4802G84615As soon as the people in the crowd saw Jesus, admiring excitement stirred them. They ran and greeted him.G2532G2112G3956G3793G1492G846G1568G2532G4370G782G84616He asked, "What's going on? What's all the commotion?"G2532G1905G1122G5101G4802G4314G84617A man out of the crowd answered, "Teacher, I brought my mute son, made speechless by a demon, to you.G2532G1520G1537G3793G611G2036G1320G5342G4314G4571G3450G5207G2192G216G415118Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, grinds his teeth, and goes stiff as a board. I told your disciples, hoping they could deliver him, but they couldn't."G2532G3699G302G2638G846G4486G846G2532G875G2532G5149G846G3599G2532G3583G2532G2036G4675G3101G2443G1544G846G1544G2532G2480G375619Jesus said, "What a generation! No sense of God! How many times do I have to go over these things? How much longer do I have to put up with this? Bring the boy here."G611G846G1161G3004G5599G571G1074G2193G4219G2071G4314G5209G2193G4219G430G5216G5342G846G4314G316520They brought him. When the demon saw Jesus, it threw the boy into a seizure, causing him to writhe on the ground and foam at the mouth.G2532G5342G846G4314G846G2532G1492G846G2112G4151G4682G846G2532G4098G1909G1093G2947G87521He asked the boy's father, "How long has this been going on?" "Ever since he was a little boy.G2532G1905G846G3962G4214G2076G5550G5613G5124G1096G846G1161G2036G381222Many times it pitches him into fire or the river to do away with him. If you can do anything, do it. Have a heart and help us!"G2532G4178G906G846G2532G1519G4442G2532G1519G5204G2443G622G846G235G1536G1410G1536G4697G1909G2248G997G225423Jesus said, "If? There are no 'ifs' among believers. Anything can happen."G1161G2424G2036G846G1487G1410G4100G3956G1415G846G410024No sooner were the words out of his mouth than the father cried, "Then I believe. Help me with my doubts!"G2532G2112G3962G3813G2896G3004G3326G1144G2962G4100G997G3450G57025Seeing that the crowd was forming fast, Jesus gave the vile spirit its marching orders: "Dumb and deaf spirit, I command you—Out of him, and stay out!"G1161G2424G1492G3754G3793G1998G2008G169G4151G3004G846G216G2532G2974G4151G1473G2004G4671G1831G1537G846G2532G1525G3371G1519G84626Screaming, and with much thrashing about, it left. The boy was pale as a corpse, so people started saying, "He's dead."G2532G2896G2532G4682G846G4183G1831G2532G1096G5616G3498G5620G3754G4183G3004G59927But Jesus, taking his hand, raised him. The boy stood up.G1161G2424G2902G846G5495G1453G846G1453G2532G45028After arriving back home, his disciples cornered Jesus and asked, "Why couldn't we throw the demon out?"G2532G846G1525G1519G3624G846G3101G1905G846G2596G2398G3754G1410G3756G2249G1544G846G154429He answered, "There is no way to get rid of this kind of demon except by prayer."G2532G2036G846G5124G1085G1410G1831G1722G3762G1508G1722G4335G2532G352130Leaving there, they went through Galilee. He didn't want anyone to know their whereabouts,G2532G1831G1564G3899G1223G1056G2532G2309G3756G2443G5100G109731for he wanted to teach his disciples. He told them, "The Son of Man is about to be betrayed to some people who want nothing to do with God. They will murder him. Three days after his murder, he will rise, alive."G1063G1321G846G3101G2532G3004G846G3754G5207G444G3860G1519G5495G444G2532G615G846G2532G615G450G5154G225032They didn't know what he was talking about, but were afraid to ask him about it.G1161G50G4487G2532G5399G1905G846

So You Want First Place?

33They came to Capernaum. When he was safe at home, he asked them, "What were you discussing on the road?"G2532G2064G1519G2584G2532G1096G1722G3614G1905G846G5101G1260G4314G1438G1722G359834The silence was deafening—they had been arguing with one another over who among them was greatest.G1161G4623G1063G1722G3598G1256G4314G240G5101G318735He sat down and summoned the Twelve. "So you want first place? Then take the last place. Be the servant of all."G2532G2523G5455G1427G2532G3004G846G1536G2309G1511G4413G2071G2078G3956G2532G1249G395636He put a child in the middle of the room. Then, cradling the little one in his arms, he said,G2532G2983G3813G2476G846G1722G3319G846G2532G1723G846G1723G2036G84637"Whoever embraces one of these children as I do embraces me, and far more than me—God who sent me."G3739G1437G1209G1520G5108G3813G1909G3450G3686G1209G1691G2532G3739G1437G1209G1691G1209G3756G1691G235G649G316538John spoke up, "Teacher, we saw a man using your name to expel demons and we stopped him because he wasn't in our group."G1161G2491G611G846G3004G1320G1492G5100G1544G1140G4675G3686G3739G190G3756G2254G2532G2967G846G3754G190G3756G225439Jesus wasn't pleased. "Don't stop him. No one can use my name to do something good and powerful, and in the next breath cut me down.G1161G2424G2036G2967G846G3361G1063G2076G3762G3739G4160G1411G1909G3450G3686G2532G1410G5035G2551G316540If he's not an enemy, he's an ally.G1063G3739G2076G3756G2596G2257G2076G5228G2257G522841Why, anyone by just giving you a cup of water in my name is on our side. Count on it that God will notice.G1063G3739G302G4222G5209G4221G5204G4222G1722G3450G3686G3754G2075G5547G281G3004G5213G622G3364G622G846G340842"On the other hand, if you give one of these simple, childlike believers a hard time, bullying or taking advantage of their simple trust, you'll soon wish you hadn't. You'd be better off dropped in the middle of the lake with a millstone around your neck.G2532G3739G302G4624G1520G3398G4100G1519G1691G2076G2570G3123G846G1487G3037G3457G4029G4012G846G5137G2532G906G1519G228143"If your hand or your foot gets in God's way, chop it off and throw it away. You're better off maimed or lame and alive than the proud owner of two hands and two feet, godless in a furnace of eternal fire.G2532G1437G4675G5495G4624G4571G609G846G609G2076G2570G4671G1525G1519G2222G2948G2228G2192G1417G5495G565G1519G1067G1519G4442G76244(SEE 9:43)G3699G846G4663G5053G3756G2532G4442G4570G3756G457045(SEE 9:43)G2532G1437G4675G4228G4624G4571G609G846G609G2076G2570G4671G1525G5560G1519G2222G2228G2192G1417G4228G906G1519G1067G1519G4442G76246(SEE 9:43)G3699G846G4663G5053G3756G2532G4442G4570G3756G457047And if your eye distracts you from God, pull it out and throw it away.G2532G1437G4675G3788G4624G4571G1544G846G1544G2076G2570G4671G1525G1519G932G2316G3442G2228G2192G1417G3788G906G1519G1067G444248You're better off one-eyed and alive than exercising your twenty-twenty vision from inside the fire of hell.G3699G846G4663G5053G3756G2532G4442G4570G3756G457049"Everyone's going through a refining fire sooner or later,G1063G3956G233G4442G2532G3956G2378G233G25150but you'll be well-preserved, protected from the eternal flames. Be preservatives yourselves. Preserve the peace."G217G2570G1161G1437G217G1096G358G1722G5101G741G846G2192G217G1722G1438G2532G1514G240G1722G240