(Translated version, original article written in Chinese by Pastor Mickey Hsiao)

Worship

By singing praises and hymns, awake your soul, open your heart to the Lord, and prepare yourself to welcome the presence of God and receive the Word of God that will be given to you.

Thanksgiving

Petition with thanksgiving to God for a wonderful day and pray sincerely for a focused Scripture reading time! (Do not rush into reading the Bible without starting with prayers!) (e.g., you may start with a simple prayer like this: “Dear Lord, what will you be speaking to me today?)

Scripture Reading

Get the following items ready in advance: your devotional notebook, paper, pen, and/or electronic devotional articles so that you can easily write down the Bible verses, questions, and thoughts you have noticed! You are encouraged to open your Bible and vocally read out the scriptures (Try to practice this reading method daily or once a week)!

Scripture Reading: Mark Ch. 6 (ESV)

Meditation

Take a moment to quietly reflect on today’s Scriptures. Through such exercises, let God’s Word be gradually written into our hearts and be inscribed to our mind.

Devotional

Read the devotional articles prepared by CBCLWA (*Read the Bible first before reading any devotional materials.)

(vv. 1-6) When Jesus returned to his hometown and taught in the synagogue, many were astonished by his teaching, wisdom and mighty works. But because they knew his family background, “Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?”, they took offense at him. Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor, except in his hometown and among his relatives and in his own household.” Because of their unbelief, Jesus went teaching elsewhere. Those who supposedly knew Jesus the best actually missed out on the blessings because they looked down upon him. Let this be a reminder to us that any bias we have against others will become the biggest obstacle for us to get to know them better. I hope we can all remove our bias toward Jesus, the church and our brothers and sisters, and to learn and understand them based on truth. 

(vv. 7-13) Here is what we can learn from the scriptures where Jesus sent out the twelve to preach the gospel: 

• Work together: It is not a one-man show. Remember to work with your fellow coworkers, pray for, take care of and support each other. 
• With authority: Do not forget God’s authority, which can heal and cast out demons. Bear in mind, the power is from Him, given to you. 
• Have faith: Prepare nothing in excess. Follow God’s command and go out with faith. 
• No fear of rejection: If someone welcomes you, make your best effort to share the gospel. If you are rejected, don’t be upset, it happens. Just “shake off the dust that is on your feet” and go on.  
• Proclaim repentance: When you share the gospel, you proclaim that people should repent, turn away from sin and turn to God, and live a holy life. 

For those of you hesitant about going out to share the gospel, this passage is a guide from preparing your heart to taking actions. Along with your fellowship, or your brothers and sisters, create a plan for evangelism in accordance to Jesus’ instructions, go out and share the good news! 

(vv.14-29) John the Baptist, the forerunner of the Messiah himself, was killed by Herod. Looking back on how he had testified for Jesus in his life: 

• In his mother’s womb: When Mary, pregnant with Jesus, visited Elizabeth, the baby leaped in his mother’s womb  
• In the wilderness: He was the prophet who cried out “Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight” 
• In the river Jordan: He baptized Jesus, and testified Jesus as the beloved Son of God 
• In front of Herod: With no fear of man’s power, he boldly pointed out the sin Herod had committed. John has borne witness to “the light”. The light shines into the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. In the end, John was beheaded due to Herod’s impulsive promise. 

What we can learn from John: 

• Leap in mother’s womb: Let us use our energy in life to leap for Jesus. 
• Prepare the way of the Lord in the wilderness: In evangelism, let us lead the way for others to believe in Jesus. 
• Testify Jesus as the beloved Son of God in the Jordan: Testify the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit with our lives.
• When facing oppression: Do not compromise or give way to sin, but be courageous and bear witness to light. 

“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” (Matthew 5:10-12) We believe there’s great reward for John. We should also do our part and let our lives be the testimonies of God. 

(vv. 30-56) As written in the second half of this chapter, Jesus performed three miracles: 

• Feed the crowd: Jesus had compassion on those hungry for his teaching, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. Jesus fed them with his words. He also cared about their physical needs, and fed them all with five loaves and two fish.  
• Walk on the water: When the disciples were on a boat battling the wind, Jesus walked toward them on the sea reassuring them! 
• Heal the sick: In Gennesaret, any sick ones who knew Jesus and came to Jesus were all healed. 

Wherever Jesus went, God’s power was apparently manifested, men’s needs satisfied, and on top of all, relationship between people and God established. We cannot just solely focus on God’s miracles, but we should interact and converse with the one true God. And share with others all things we received from the Lord without reservations, so that more people may know him.  

Pray

Give thanks to God for His enabling us to read the Scriptures and for our response for living out the Word of God today! (e.g., You may start with a simple prayer like this: “Dear Lord, what/where are you going to lead me to today?”)