The good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God (Mark 1:1) At the heart of God's Word, there is good news. At the heart of our response to God's Word, there is to be thanksgiving for this good news. In today's world, we search for good news. It's not easy to find. There is …
Continue reading Responding to God’s Word (38): Glory To His Name
"A cloud came and overshadowed them; and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son. Hear Him!”" (Mark 9:7). Who are we listening to? So many people have so much to say. What are we to make of it all? There is so much that fills us with anxiety. The more we hear, …
Mark 11:1-11 More than a journey into Jerusalem - a journey to suffering, crucifixion and death. No shortcut to resurrection - Jesus must go by way of the Cross. At the Cross, we see Jesus, the King of love. Why did He not defend Himself? - Because He loves us. He shows His love by …
"No one can ever buy back another person or pay God a ransom for his life" (Psalm 49:7). What no-one else could ever do for us, God has done for us - "... the Son of Man came ... to give His life as a ransom for many people” (Mark 10:45). "God forbid that I should …
Continue reading What no-one else could ever do for us, God has done for us.
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 the Lord. (c) the priority …
Continue reading A New Beginning: Some thoughts from the Scriptures
* 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 …
"You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High" (Luke 1:31-32) - What a special person Jesus is! He's the Son of God - and he's our Saviour! "And there were shepherds living out in …
Continue reading The Life and Teachings of Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Lord
"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 …
“He taught them with authority” (Mark 1:22). We need both: the teaching and the authority. It is the teaching that gives the authority. We are taught by the Lord. We speak with the authority that comes from this: God’s Word is truth. When we know that the revelation has come to us from the Lord, …
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, the Good …
Continue reading Good News: Isaiah 53:1-12; Mark 15:33-16:20
As we read of the feeding of the five thousand, our thoughts turn to the Lord's Supper. Jesus blessed the food, broke it and gave it to everyone. "All of them ate as much as they wanted" (Mark 6:42). In the Lord Jesus Christ , the Bread of Life, there is more than enough for …
“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 the way …
Continue reading Good News – Reaching Out To Us And Reaching Out Through Us
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 …
Before we move on to Jesus' resurrection and His return to heaven, we must turn our thoughts to His death and His burial. The world doesn't want to hear about death, but this is something about which we must speak. There is no Gospel, if we stop short of Jesus' death, if we speak only …
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" …
Mark 6:14-44 They were great men of God - ‘John the Baptist... Elijah... the prophets of old’ (Mark 6:14-15). 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 …
What a difference there is between Jesus' enemies and His friends. "The scribes" wanted "to kill" Jesus (Mark 14:1). The woman worshipped Him. There is also the sadness of Judas. He began as a friend, and, then, he became an enemy. Even in the Passover / Lord's Supper, Jesus showed love for Judas. Sadly, it …
Continue reading A Way Forward, A Better Future – With Jesus
"The large crowd enjoyed listening to Jesus. As He taught, He said, “Watch out for the experts in Moses’ Teachings! They like to walk around in long robes, to be greeted in the marketplaces, and to have the front seats in synagogues and the places of honor at dinners. They rob widows by taking their houses …
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 …
As I was reading the Bible's first chapter, Genesis 1, I noticed, in verses 22 and 28, "God blessed them." In verse 28, I read about "seed" and, in verse 22, I read about being "fruitful." This made me think of Jesus' parable of the sower (Mark 4:3-9). In this parable, Jesus is speaking about …
"How hard it will be for rich people to enter God's Kingdom!" (Mark 10:23). Christ turns the world's values upside down. He asks us, 'The things that are so important to you - are they really so important? or Have you made them more important than they really are?'
Mark 7:24-37 The Gospel is for both Jews and Gentiles (Romans 1:16). The Gospel isn't just for long ago. It's for today and tomorrow - as well as yesterday. What about our response to the Gospel? - "They were extremely astonished and said, He has done everything well!": We worship the Lord, and we are …
Continue reading The Gospel Is For Today And Tomorrow – Not Just Yesterday.
"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.
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 …
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 to listen. …
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 …
Mark 8:27-9:13 - ‘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 …
Mark 10:1-31 - 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 …
Mark 12:1-44 - 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 …
Mark 14:1-25 - 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 …
"I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit” (Mark 1:8). As we commit ourselves to serving the Lord, we must pray that the Holy Spirit will come upon us with power. How can we serve the Lord effectively if we are not filled with the Holy Spirit? By themselves, our …
Continue reading When the Word of the Lord is spoken in the power of the Holy Spirit
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 …
Mark 10:44-45 Whoever wants to be most important among you will be a slave for everyone. It’s the same way with the Son of Man. He didn’t come so that others could serve Him. He came to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many people.” We read the words, "to give …
Continue reading Thank You Jesus. I want to be more like You, Jesus.
Mark 4:33-5:20 Parables and miracles: In Jesus' miracles, there's a message for us. We must ask, 'What does this mean for us?' In the miracles - calming the storm (Mark 4:35-41) and driving out demons (Mark 5:1-20), there is the message: "Be still, and know that I am God" (Psalm 46;10). We look beyond the …
Mark 8:1-26 "Compassion" (Mark 8:2): This is where everything comes from - the feeding of the crowds (Mark 8:1-10), the healing of the blind man (Mark 8:22-26). Jesus opens our eyes to see how great His love is. He feeds us with spiritual food - the Gospel of His love. Sadly, there is, between these …
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 …
Continue reading Celebrating the Lord’s Supper: Psalm 23:1-6; Mark 14:1-11
"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 …
Leviticus 1:1-3:17; Mark 9:33-10:12; Psalm 27:1-6, The offerings were to be “made to the Lord”. They were to be “pleasing to the Lord.” These recurring phrases emphasize the importance of keeping the Lord at the centre of all that we do. We are not to argue about who is the greatest (Mark 9:34). There is …
Continue reading Keeping the Lord at the centre of all that we do
Mark 10:17-34 In Exodus 20, following the Ten Commandments, there is distance and darkness (Exodus 20:18-21). The law shows us how far we are from God. It shows us how much we have failed God. Is this what we see in this man? No! It's not. We see pride - "Teacher, I have kept all …
For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? (Mark 8:36) Each of us must make choices. Which world are we going to live for: the world that is passing away, or the world that will remain forever? Which world is most important to us? That is the question …
Continue reading Important questions to which each one of us must give our own answer
"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 …
Continue reading We can’t say, "This is what we want Jesus to be." We must let Him be who He is.
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 …
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 …
"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 10:45). Jesus was a servant - but He's much more than that. He's our Saviour. Jesus shows us how we are to serve - but He does much more than that. He …
Mark 2:1-17 "He was speaking the message to them" (Mark 2:3) - and there were "signs following" (Mark 16:17). Preaching and miracles: we see this pattern in Mark 1 - preaching (Mark 1:14-20), miracles (Mark 1:21-34,40-45). In Mark 1:39, we see both - preaching and miracles. Along with preaching and miracles, there is prayer (Mark …
"Jesus ... saw a great multitude and was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd. So He began to teach them many things" (Mark 6:34). There were so many people - and Jesus loved every one of them. He loved them, he prayed for them - and he gave himself, …
Mark 12:28-37 What is love for God? How do we learn to love the Lord? We begin with listening to Him. He speaks to us. We listen to Him. He speaks to us of His love for us His love for us is so much greater than our love for Him. The love of God …
Mark 16:1-20 "Who will roll away the stone ... ?" (Mark 16:3) - They were looking for men to do this. God had already done it! "Jesus was crucified. Jesus is risen" (Mark 16:6). "Go, tell His disciples and Peter" (Mark 16:7). "He is going ahead of you" (Mark 16:7) - Jesus is already ahead …
A confession of faith in Jesus (Mark 8:29) is followed by a rebuke from Jesus (Mark 8:33). How did Peter get from confession to rebuke? - Satan slipped into his heart and mind, leading him away from the Lord Jesus. Did Jesus give up on Peter? - No! Jesus was still speaking to all of …
This 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 wikderness", 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 …
Mark 13:7-8 “When you hear of wars and rumours of wars, don’t be alarmed! These things must happen, but they don’t mean that the end has come. Nation will fight against nation and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes and famines in various places. These are only the beginning pains of the end. Wars, earthquakes, …
Continue reading Wars, Earthquakes, Famines – Don’t Be Alarmed!
Since this service is a Communion service, we turn our attention to the 14th chapter of Mark's Gospel, where we read about the last supper Jesus ate with his disciples. We begin by thinking about Jesus' triumphal entry into the city of Jerusalem. We read about this in the beginning of chapter 11. We remember …
We look at Jesus. In everything, he lived his life "as the Scriptures says." What about us? Are we becoming more like him? Are we learning to live the way he lived - "as the Scriptures say"?
"Jesus ... was deeply hurt because their minds were closed" (Mark 3:5). "Whoever curses the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven. He is guilty of an everlasting sin" (Mark 3:29). "Whoever does what God wants is My brother and sister and mother" (Mark 3:35). These are challenging verses, They call us to be open to …
Continue reading Be Open To The Life-Changing Love Of Christ.
Parables: Where does understanding come from? It comes from the Lord. Before there can be "harvest" (Mark 4:29), there needs to be sowing (Mark 4:26). We are not to say, "This one is good soil. Here, there is bad soil." Following some parables, we have Jesus calming the sea (Mark 4:35-41) - "Be still" (Mark …
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 …
“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 …
Continue reading Before You Can Be The Lord’s Servant, He Must Be Your Saviour.
God is calling us to move forward into His future. He's calling us to move forward with Him. He's calling us to move forward for Him. How are we to move forward with God? How are we to move forward for Him? If we are to move forward with God and for God, we must …
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 …
Continue reading Let’s Eliminate Negative Thinking about Jesus Christ.
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