Mount Pleasant Lutheran Church Mount Pleasant Lutheran Church

1Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, 
To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: 
Grace to you and peace. 

2We always give thanks to God for all of you and mention you in our prayers, constantly 3remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. 4For we know, brothers and sisters beloved by God, that he has chosen you, 5because our message of the gospel came to you not in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction; just as you know what kind of persons we proved to be among you for your sake. 6And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for in spite of persecution you received the word with joy inspired by the Holy Spirit, 7so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. 8For the word of the Lord has sounded forth from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but in every place your faith in God has become known, so that we have no need to speak about it. 9For the people of those regions report about us what kind of welcome we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols, to serve a living and true God, 10and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead — Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath that is coming. 

1One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, at three o'clock in the afternoon. 2And a man lame from birth was being carried in. People would lay him daily at the gate of the temple called the Beautiful Gate so that he could ask for alms from those entering the temple. 3When he saw Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked them for alms. 4Peter looked intently at him, as did John, and said, "Look at us." 5And he fixed his attention on them, expecting to receive something from them. 6But Peter said, "I have no silver or gold, but what I have I give you; in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, stand up and walk." 7And he took him by the right hand and raised him up; and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong. 8Jumping up, he stood and began to walk, and he entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God. 9All the people saw him walking and praising God, 10and they recognized him as the one who used to sit and ask for alms at the Beautiful Gate of the temple; and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him. 

In the first book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and teach 2 until the day when he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. 3 After his suffering[a] he presented himself alive to them by many convincing proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. 4 While staying[b] with them, he ordered them not to leave Jerusalem but to wait there for the promise of the Father. “This,” he said, “is what you have heard from me; 5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with[c] the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”
   6 So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 He replied, “It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” 9 When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. 10 While he was going and they were gazing up toward heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them. 11 They said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up toward heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.” 

            12 Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey away. 13 When they had entered the city, they went to the room upstairs where they were staying: Peter, and John, and James, and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James son of Alphaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of[d] James. 14 All these were constantly devoting themselves to prayer, together with certain women, including Mary the mother of Jesus, as well as his brothers. 

Mark 16:1-8
1When the sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and
Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint [Jesus’ body]. 2And very early on
the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. 3They had been
saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the
tomb?” 4When they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had already
been rolled back. 5As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man, dressed in a white
robe, sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed. 6But he said to them, “Do not be
alarmed; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised; he
is not here. Look, there is the place they laid him. 7But go, tell his disciples and Peter that
he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him, just as he told you.” 8So they
went out and fled from the tomb, for terror and amazement had seized them; and they
said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.

 Mark 11: 1-11

When they were approaching Jerusalem, at Bethphage and Bethany, near the Mount of
Olives, he sent two of his disciples 2 and said to them, “Go into the village ahead of you,
and immediately as you enter it you will find tied there a colt that has never been ridden;
untie it and bring it. 3 If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ just say this: ‘The
Lord needs it and will send it back here immediately.’ ” 4 They went away and found a colt
tied near a door, outside in the street. As they were untying it, 5 some of the bystanders
said to them, “What are you doing, untying the colt?” 6 They told them what Jesus had
said, and they allowed them to take it. 7 Then they brought the colt to Jesus and threw
their cloaks on it, and he sat on it. 8 Many people spread their cloaks on the road, and
others spread leafy branches that they had cut in the fields. 9 Then those who went ahead
and those who followed were shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the
name of the Lord!10 Blessed is the coming kingdom of our ancestor David!
Hosanna in the highest heaven!” 11 Then he entered Jerusalem and went into the temple,
and when he had looked around at everything, as it was already late, he went out to
Bethany with the twelve. 

Mark 13:1-8, 24-37 

         1As [Jesus] came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, "Look, Teacher, what large stones and what large buildings!" 2Then Jesus asked him, "Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left here upon another; all will be thrown down." 
          3When he was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked him privately, 4Tell us, when will this be, and what will be the sign that all these things are about to be accomplished? 5Then Jesus began to say to them, "Beware that no one leads you astray. 6Many will come in my name and say, 'I am he!' and they will lead many astray. 7When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed; this must take place, but the end is still to come. 8For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines. This is but the beginning of the birth pangs. 
          24But in those days, after that suffering,  

the sun will be darkened, 
 and the moon will not give its light, 
25and the stars will be falling from heaven, 
and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. 

26Then they will see 'the Son of Man coming in clouds' with great power and glory. 27Then he will send out the angels, and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven. 
              28From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. 29So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates. 30Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place. 31Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. 
             32But about that day or hour no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 33Beware, keep alert; for you do not know when the time will come. 34It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his slaves in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to be on the watch. 35Therefore, keep awake — for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or at dawn, 36or else he may find you asleep when he comes suddenly. 37And what I say to you I say to all: Keep awake."