Don’t stop listening …

"Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear" (Mark 4:9). Jesus is calling us to listen to him. What he says is important.  It's what we need to hear. Sadly, we're poor listeners. Again and again, we fail to hear what he's saying to us him. Listening to him isn't always the most important thing …

God Gave His Son – And Raised Him.

Mark 12:1-12When the prophets had said and done all that they had to say and do, there was still more to be said and done. When the prophets had come and gone, there was still someone else to come - God's Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ (Mark 12:6). Jesus speaks to us about His death …

God Gave His Son – And Raised Him.

Mark 12:1-12 When the prophets had said and done all that they had to say and do, there was still more to be said and done. When the prophets had come and gone, there was still someone else to come - God's Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ (Mark 12:6). Jesus speaks to us about His …

A New Beginning – Based On What Had Gone Before

Mark 1:1-20This was a new beginning (Mark 1:1), but it was based on what had gone before (Mark 1:2-3).Those who speak of Jesus Christ, their Saviour, are "voices crying in the wilderness", but their ministry is blessed by the Lord (Mark 1:3,5).  We must  never forget this, and we must pray that we will be like …

A New Year Sermon: 2 Chronicles 30:6-12; Mark 1:1-13

2 Chronicles 30:6-12; Mark 1:1-13 "Then the runners went throughout all Israel and Judah with the letters from the king" (2 Chronicles 30:6). A message had been given to them. They passed the message on. They "spoke according to the command of the king" (2 Chronicles 30:6). What we see here, in 2 Chronicles 30, …

Good News – Reaching Out To Us And Reaching Out Through Us

“Good News” - “the forgiveness of sins” and “baptism with the Holy Spirit” (Mark 1:1,4,8). This Good News is centred on Jesus Christ, God’s beloved Son (Mark 1:11). Jesus was empowered by “the Spirit” (Mark 1:12). He comes to us with “the Good news of God” (Mark 1:(14). He calls for our response - “Change …

Learning to Follow Jesus

"Jesus was going to Jerusalem"  - to be "betrayed", "condemned to death" and to "come back to life" (Mark 10:32-34). Hallelujah! What a Saviour! "Teacher, we want you to do us a favour" (Mark 10:35) - This sounds so self-centred. What does Jesus say about this? - "Whoever wants to be great among you will …

“Many warned him to be quiet, but he cried out all the more … ” (Mark 10:48).

There were many people who tried to silence blind Bartimaeus. Here was the voice of prayer – and they were saying, “Shut up’! Thank God – he didn’t shut up. He shouted out. They more they said, “Shut up”, the more he shouted out. Because our praise is loud, that doesn’t mean that it’s real …

Let’s Eliminate Negative Thinking about Jesus Christ.

Mark 8:27-9:8 I've borrowed part of this title from Robert Schuller. He used the letters of the word, Lent, to say something that we all need to hear - Let's Eliminate Negative Thinking.  * Let's Eliminate Negative Thinking about Jesus Christ. In his short three-year ministry, Jesus encountered much criticism and controversy. The religious leaders, known …

Blessing Is In Jesus. Blessing Comes From Him.

“Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord!” (Mark 11:9).Blessing is in Jesus. Blessing comes to us through Him. There's no direct route to God's blessing without going by way of Jesus. He is "the Way, the Truth and the Life." We come to God the Father through Him (John 14:6). When …

Second Sunday of Advent: Isaiah 40:1-11; Psalm 85:1-2, 8-13; 2 Peter 3:8-15a; Mark 1:1-8

Second Sunday of Advent: Isaiah 40:1-11; Psalm 85:1-2, 8-13; 2 Peter 3:8-15a; Mark 1:1-8 Those who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. ‘The Lord is the everlasting God... He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak... those who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength...’ (Isaiah 40:28-31). …

Revised Common Lectionary – Year B: First Sunday of Advent – Isaiah 64:1-9; Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19; 1 Corinthians 1:3-9; Mark 13:24-37

Revised Common Lectionary Year B - First Sunday of Advent: Isaiah 64:1-9; Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19; 1 Corinthians 1:3-9; Mark 13:24-37 Jesus Christ is God’s Answer to our prayer. We confess our sins to God - ‘We sinned... All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy …

Hypocritical Religion and True Devotion

In Mark 12, we see that much of Jesus' ministry must be understood within the context of conflict. The religious leaders were out to get Jesus, and Jesus didn't miss them when He spoke of their hypocritical religion. Mark 12 ends with a deeply moving picture of true devotion. It's a call to love the …

God’s Word Brings Blessing.

"… the seed shall sprout and grow, he himself does not know how …" (Mark 4:27).God has given us a great promise – “my word that goes out from my mouth … will not return to me empty” (Isaiah 55:11). When we feel that God’s Word is returning to us empty, we have this Word …

The Gospel Changes Us.

"Repent and believe in the Gospel" (Mark 1:15).We hear the Gospel and we are changed by it. That's where repentance and faith come from. The come from the Gospel. They are what the Gospel does to us. The Gospel brings us out of unbelief and into faith. The Gospel makes us new men and women. …

Physical Blindness – And Spiritual Blindness

“Many warned him to be quiet, but he cried out all the more … ” (Mark 10:48).There were many people who tried to silence blind Bartimaeus. Here was the voice of prayer – and they were saying, “Shut up’! Thank God – he didn’t shut up. He shouted out. They more they said, “Shut up”, …

Salvation Comes From The Love Of God.

Mark 6:30-44"He saw a huge crowd and had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd.Then He began to teach them many things" (Mark 6:34). Salvation comes from the love of God. We are sinners without a Saviour.  He teaches and He shows us the Good News of His salvation. "This place …

The Power Of The Lord Jesus …

The power of the Lord Jesus is seen in His miracles. It is the power of His love. His power is sen in His resurrection. This power is the power of life. Life triumphs over death. When we seek power for ourselves, we do not glorify the Lord. There is power in humility. We recognize …

Raised from the dead! …

"You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He isn't here! He has been raised from the dead! ... Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone everywhere ... And the disciples went everywhere and preached, and the Lord worked with them, confirming what they said by many miraculous …

Coming to the Lord’s Table

Hosea 14:1-9; Hosea 6:1-3; Mark 2:1-22 We begin our approach to the Lord's Table with words which are found in both Hosea 14:1 and Hosea 14:2 - "Return to the Lord." To those who return to Him, God gives wonderful promises: (a) "I will love them freely" (Hosea 14:4); (b) "I will heal their backsliding" …

In Memory Of Her

Mark 14:1-16 "Wherever the Good News is spoken in the world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her” (Mark 14:9).   * "Good News" - Christ's love for us: This is the Gospel. Our love for Him: This is our response to the Gospel. He died for us. We are to …

New wine …

"New wine is poured into fresh skins" (Mark 2:22). New, fresh - This is the work of God. This isn't something that we can do for ourselves or give to ourselves. This must be done for us. It must be given to us. All the glory belongs to the Lord! "The Son of Man has …

Judas’ tragedy, Peter’s restoration

We already know about Judas - what He was planning to do. Of the other eleven disciples, Peter wasn't the only one who failed the Lord - "All the other disciples said the same thing as Peter" (Mark 14:31), and, like Peter, they let the Lord down. They kept well out of the way, making …

May we be a shining light…

Exodus 27:20-29:9 The 'lamp' was 'set up to burn continually' (27:20) - 'May we be a shining light...Let the flame burn brighter...' (Songs of Fellowship 389; Mission Praise, 743). A 'royal priesthood', we have been called by God - to let His light shine (1 Peter 2:9). He has called us to serve Him (28:1 …

Thinking Together About Jesus (Psalm 2:1-12; Mark 8:27-9:8)

Psalm 2:1-12; Mark 8:27-9:8 We're going to think together about Jesus is and what He has done for us. We're also going to think about keeping our eyes on Jesus and living for Him. (1) We begin by looking at two questions - "Who do men say that I am?" and "Who do you say that …

Being With Jesus And Learning From Him

Mark 3:1-19 Jesus' ministry of preaching, teaching and healing was a remarkable ministry - but He did not go it alone. He called disciples to be with Him and learn from Him. How much do we know about these men? We know quite a lot about some of them. There are others about whom we …

The Future And The Present

"Be on your guard! I have told you everything before it happens" (Mark 13:23). Why does Jesus speak to us about the future? He's calling us to live for Him in the present. Will we be ready for Jesus when He returns? It all depends on our response to Him here-and-now.

The Lord will return. Make sure that you’re ready for Him.

In Mark 13:1-2, Jesus speaks about the destruction of the Temple. In Mark 13:7, He speaks about "the end." There are events which point us to the end. These events make us think about the end. There's another "end" that we must think about - "the person who endures to the end will be saved" …

Search The Scriptures: Mark’s Gospel

MARK “Good News” - “the forgiveness of sins” and “baptism with the Holy Spirit” (Mark 1:1,4,8). This Good News is centred on Jesus Christ, God’s beloved Son (Mark 1:11). Jesus was empowered by “the Spirit” (Mark 1:12). He comes to us with “the Good news of God” (Mark 1:(14). He calls for our response - …

Are the Scriptures more than the words of men? Are the Scriptures the Word of the Lord?

"What the Scriptures say must come true." (Mark 14:49) Why? It's because the Scriptures come from God, and God is the God of truth. When God speaks, He speaks the truth. Whenever we are tempted to doubt the Scriptures, let's not forget that this means that we are questioning God. We are saying, "Has God …

Celebrating the Lord’s Supper: Psalm 23:1-6; Mark 14:1-11

Psalm 23:1-6; Mark 14:1-11 Jesus was looking forward to the celebration of the Passover. It would be the time when He would introduce His disciples to something more than the Passover - the Lord's Supper. Before we come to the Lord's Supper, we read about two very different people - one, a woman, Mary (see …

Return To The Saviour. Be Restored By The Saviour.

Jesus was betrayed by Judas. He was denied by Peter. Could Judas have been restored? From God's point of view, the answer is "Yes." The love of God was there - even for Judas. From Judas' point of view, the answer was "No." There was no turning again to the Lord in Judas' heart. In …

Heaven came down, and glory filled my soul …

"They went to Capernaum, and when the Sabbath came, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach. 22 The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law. 23 Just then a man in their synagogue who was possessed by an impure spirit cried out, 24 ‘What …

Standing Up For Jesus

"Don't let anyone separate what God has joined together" (Mark 10:9). "Don't stop the children from coming to Me" (Mark 10:14). In today's world, people often devalue the things that were very important to Jesus. When we speak about standing up for Jesus, we must remember that this means more than speaking His Word to …

Jesus Christ – the Son of God (Psalm 118:19-29; Mark 12:1-12)

Psalm 118:19-29; Mark 12:1-12 There were many servants. There is only one Son. We read Jesus' parable in the light of Peter's confession - "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God" (Mark 8:29) - and God's declaration - "This is My Beloved Son" (Mark 9:7). In this parable, Jesus is speaking to …

What love the Lord has for us! …

1st July: Exodus 20:21-21:32 So many instructions - Don't get bogged down in details. Remember this: We do not live by an ethic of legalism. This is an ethic of redemption (20:1-2). Forget the God of redemption, and you have nothing but a lot of rules and regulations. Become obsessed with rules and regulations, and …

When we really begin to see things from Jesus’ point of view, we will follow Him.

"Jesus was going to Jerusalem"  - to be "betrayed", "condemned to death" and to "come back to life" (Mark 10:32-34). Hallelujah! What a Saviour! "Teacher, we want you to do us a favour" (Mark 10:35) - This sounds so self-centred. What does Jesus say about this? - "Whoever wants to be great among you will …

Good News: Isaiah 53:1-12; Mark 15:33-16:20

Isaiah 53:1-12; Mark 15:33-16:20 The story of Jesus didn't end with His death. Beyond His death, there is His resurrection. The risen Lord says, "Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature" (Mark 16:15). Gospel means Good News - The Good News which comes to us from God the Father; - …

It was stormy – but Jesus was there …

Jesus' disciples were used to storms - but this time, there was something different! They were "troubled" by what they saw - "Jesus came to them, walking on the sea" (Mark 6:49-50). They couldn't get their heads round this. Before they could think too much about what was happening, Jesus said to them, "Be of good …

The Kingdom Of God: Mark’s Gospel

* The beginning of Jesus' ministry "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel" (Mark 1:15). - The kingdom has come. We need not create it in the present, and it is not merely in the future. - It is good news  - "the gospel …

A New Beginning (some thoughts from the Scriptures)

Genesis 1:1-3 'Genesis' means 'beginning'. Its opening verses challenge us to get our priorities right. (a) the priority of God(1)  God comes first. Before anyone else is mentioned, He is there. (b) the priority of God's Word (3) God is the first to speak. Before any human word is spoken, there is the Word of …

Salvation And Discipleship

Jesus brings us salvation - “Friend, your sins are forgiven” (Mark 2:5) - and He calls us to discipleship - “Follow Me” (Mark 2:14). We cannot be His disciples without, first, coming to Him for salvation. We must emphasize that salvation leads to discipleship. Our discipleship demonstrates the reality of our salvation. We must hear …

Wherever the Good News is spoken …

"Wherever the Good News is spoken in the world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her" (Mark 14:9).The Good News tells us about Christ's love for us. It tells us about what Christ has done for us. It also calls for our response to His love, our response to what …

We can’t say, "This is what we want Jesus to be." We must let Him be who He is.

"Hosanna!" (Mark 11:9-10) - This was a day of celebration, but the celebration didn't last long. The cursing of the fig tree (Mark 11:12-14,20-21) and the throwing out of the moneychangers (Mark 11:15-17) showed people that Jesus was different from what they wanted Him to be. We can't say, "This is what we want Jesus …

Mark 14-16

Mark14:1-25  -  Jesus was surrounded by enemies, ‘seeking to kill Him’ (1). There was also a hypocrite, preparing ‘to betray Him’ (10-11). What a joy it was to find a woman with such heartfelt love for Him (3-9). Her love for Christ must never be forgotten (9). There is something else which must never be …

The seed shall sprout and grow, the sower does not know how … (Mark 4:27).

God has given us a great promise - "my word that goes out from my mouth ... will not return to me empty" (Isaiah 55:11). When we feel that God's Word is returning to us empty, we have this Word of encouragement: God's Word will not return to Him empty. God gives us His great …

Mark 12-13

Mark12:1-44  -  Jesus - God’s ‘beloved Son’ (6): Rejected by men, raised by God (10-11). Jesus’ enemies tried ‘to trap Him in His talk’ (13). He spoke with wisdom - and so can we. Anointed by the Holy One, we have the mind of Christ (1 John 2:19-20; 1 Corinthians 2:14-16). Christ’s enemies knew ‘neither …

Mark 10-11

Mark10:1-31  -  The Pharisees came to Jesus - ‘to test Him’ (2). They asked Him about divorce (2). He spoke to them about marriage (6-9). We need to be positive, well grounded in the basic principles of God’s Word. When the thorny problems come - as they surely will - we will face them with …

Mark 8:27-9:50

Mark8:27-9:13  -  ‘Who do you say that I am ?’: Jesus puts this question to all of us. Some believe He is the Christ. Others do not. Some try to 'sit on the fence'. Everyone makes their response to Him. God is not deceived by outward observance of religion, when it masks an inward refusal …

Mark 6:14-8:26

Mark 6:14-44  -  They were great men of God - ‘John the baptiser... Elijah... the prophets of old’ (14-15). None of them can compare with the Lord Jesus Christ. These men directed attention to the Lord (1 Kings 18:36-39; Isaiah 52:13-53:12; Jeremiah 31:31-34; Ezekiel 36:25-27). Of Christ alone, we say, ‘There is salvation in no one …

Mark 4:1-6:13

Mark4:1-34  -  God’s Word carries this message: ‘He who has ears to hear, let him hear what the Spirit says...’ (9; Revelation 2:7,11,17,29; 3:6,13,22). We must listen for the voice of the Spirit. Grace has been ‘given’ to us (11). It is God's gift. To God be the glory! Sadly, some refuse to listen. Think …

Was this the end of the road?

In Mark 14:66-72, we read about Peter denying his Lord three times. Was this the end of the road for Peter? No! In John 21:15-17, we read of Peter declaring his love for Jesus - three times, once for each denial! In Acts 2:41, we read of three thousand people being brought to faith in …

The Solid Rock

“Have you never read the Scripture passage: ‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. The Lord has done this, and it is amazing for us to see’?” (Mark 12:10-11).Jesus is the Cornerstone of our faith. We build on Him, the solid Rock. He’s the sure Foundation. He died for us. He was …

Mark 1-3

MARK 1:1-20  –  This is a new ‘beginning’. The prophets had spoken. Now, the Saviour has come. This is ‘Good News.’ John has prepared the way. Now, he stands aside to make way for ‘Jesus Christ, the Son of God’ (1,11).  Following Jesus’ baptism, there was temptation. This was Kingdom against kingdom. Satan’s kingdom was …

“Abba, Father,” he said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will” (Mark 14:36).

Doing the will of God wasn't easy for Jesus. It won't be easy for us. It's always better to do God's will rather than insisting on getting our own way. For Jesus, there was more than crucifixion. There was resurrection. Whatever may lie ahead of us, may we never forget this - God is our …

The Stone Was Rolled Away – By God.

"Who will roll away the stone ... ?" (Mark 16:3). "The stone had been rolled away" by God (Mark 16:4). What man cannot do, God has done! - Jesus "has been brought back to life" (Mark 16:6). "Shock and trembling overwhelmed them ... they were afraid" (Mark 16:8). This was the initial reaction. They came …

The Son of Man is going to die as the Scriptures say He will (Mark 14:21).

We look at Jesus. In everything, he lived his life "as the Scriptures say." What about us? Are we becoming more like him? Are we learning to live the way he lived - "as the Scriptures say"?

Before You Can Be The Lord’s Servant, He Must Be Your Saviour.

“Whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant … For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Mark 10:43,45).Do you want to be the Lord’s servant? Remember that He is your Saviour. Do you want to serve the Lord? …

Grace has been given to us …

22nd June : Mark 4:1-34 God's Word carries this message: 'He who has ears to hear, let him hear what the Spirit says...' (9; Revelation 2:7,11,17,29; 3:6,13,22). We must listen for the voice of the Spirit. Grace has been 'given' to us (11). It is God's gift. To God be the glory! Sadly, some refuse …

Jesus changes people …

Mark 2:13-3:12 Jesus changes people. Levi became Matthew (14). He became 'a new creation' (2 Corinthians 5:17). The change of name marked his new birth (John 3:6). To be changed by Jesus you must recognize yourself as a sinner (17). There is a world of difference between legal obedience - 'old wine' - and Gospel …