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 …

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 …

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 …

Facing our fears and triumphing over them

“Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” (Mark 6:50). We like to think that we're strong, but we're not. When the testing time comes aour way, we see how weak we really are. These are the times when we need to hear these words of Jesus, Fear is always there, waiting in the wings, …

By faith, taking our stand on Jesus’ victory over Satan

He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!” …

When people turn away from following the Lord

Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him. He appointed twelve that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach and to have authority to drive out demons. These are the twelve he appointed: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter), James son …

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 authority …

The preaching of God’s Word, the forgiveness of sins and a healing miracle

A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home. They gathered in such large numbers that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them. Some men came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. Since they could not get …

God has given us new life. Let us live the new life.

"No one pours new wine into old wineskins... They pour new wine into new wineskins” (Mark 2:22). In John's Gospel, we read about Jesus turning water into wine (chapter 2), and, then, we read about Jesus, telling Nicodemus that he needed to be "born again" (John 3:3). Here, he speaks about new wine. He's telling …

Following Jesus, and leading others to follow him

"Follow me" (Mark 2:14). This is what Jesus said to Levi. How did Levi respond to Jesus' words? "He arose and followed Jesus" (Mark 2:15). This was just the beginning of Levi's new life. Immediately, after starting to follow Jesus, Levi began to play his part in bringing other people to Jesus: "As Jesus was …

Good news: it’s in the Old Testament as well as the New Testament.

"The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God, as it is written in Isaiah the prophet: 'I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way', 'a voice of one calling in the wilderness, 'Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him'" (Mark …

What was so amazing about Jesus’ teaching?

"The people were amazed at Jesus' teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law" (Mark 1:22). What was so amazing about Jesus' teaching? His message was clear. It wasn't confusing. He didn't makes things complicated. His words didn't go over the heads of the people. He …

When the Word of the Lord is spoken in the power of the Holy Spirit

"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 …

Good News

‘The time has come,’ Jesus said. ‘The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!’ (Mark 1:15). All of us love to receive good news. What's the best news we can hear? It's this - Jesus is our Saviour. What is it that saves us? Is it our repentance? Is it our faith? …

Jesus and the Pharisees: Salvation and Religion

There's a huge difference between salvation through Jesus and the religion of the Pharisees. Jesus had this to say to the Pharisees: "You abandon the commandments of God to follow human traditions" (Mark 7:8). Jesus' words are a challenge to us - Will we stand on the Word of the Lord? or Will we let …

Love God – and love your neighbour.

Mark 12:29-31 Love God. Love your neighbour. Love for God comes first, but it never stands alone. It's never just "Love God", and leave it at that. It's always "Love God" and "Love your neighbour."

New life for Levi

Mark 3:14–17 New Life For Levi (Mark 3:14). His name was LEVI. He was EVIL. He was a tax collector, making a fortune for himself at the expense of other people. He began to LIVE when he followed Jesus. What a wonderful message there is in the conversion of Levi. Our Saviour still calls sinners …

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 …

More Than Enough For Everyone

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 …

The Teaching And The Authority

“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 …

Christ turns the world’s values upside down.

"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?'

Who are we listening to?

"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, …

Our first Communion service since the beginning of COVID restrictions

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 A, from the beginning of …

How does Jesus change our life, here-and-now?

We begin with Mark's Gospel, where we read about Jesus' immediate future. From there, we move on to John's Gospel and our eternal future. Continuing with John's Gospel, we ask the question, "How does Jesus change our life, here-and-now?" (1) Jesus' immediate future "They were on their way up to Jerusalem, with Jesus leading the …

Saved, satisfied and sharing

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 …

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 …

Listening to Jesus, learning from him and living for him

Mark 7 "The heart of the matter is the matter of the heart." That's the message that comes to us from the first part of Mark 7. This is what the Lord is saying to us. How are we to grow in our love for the Lord? Let's hear what Jesus said to the crowd: …

Let us learn about how much Jesus loved people, and how much he loves us.

Mark 6 verses 1-6a In Jesus' "hometown" (v.1), many people were "amazed" at his teaching (v. 2), but "they took offence at him" (v.3). Why did they not accept Jesus and his teaching. They had known Jesus since he was a wee boy. They knew his family. They couldn't let Jesus grow up, and become …

When we feel like we’re on our own

Exodus 17:1-18:27; Mark 1:1-28; Psalm 22:1-11 The life of faith is never an easy life. We have to do battle with the world, the flesh and the devil. We see the influence of the world in Exodus 17:3, “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt… ?” We may also see this as the influence of …

Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord.

Leviticus 21:1-22:33; Mark 15:1-32; Psalm 31:19-24 An offering of sacrifice to the Lord “must be without defect pr blemish to be acceptable” (Leviticus 22:21). In Mark 15:15, we have the great statement concerning the sinless Son of God taking the sinner’s place – “Pilate released Barabbas to them. He had Jesus flogged and handed Him …

Without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sins: the Lamb of God takes away the sin of the world.

Leviticus 17:1-18:30; Mark 14:17-42; Psalm 31:9-18 “For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar, it is the blood that makes atonement for one’s life” (Leviticus 17:11). The Old Testament principle, cited in Hebrews – “without the shedding of blood, …

O Lord my God, I will give You thanks for ever.

Leviticus 14:1-57; Mark 13:1-31; Psalm 30:8-12 We are cleansed by the sacrifice of “the sin offering” which “makes atonement” for us “before the Lord” (Leviticus 14:18). Only those who have received cleansing from their sins through faith in Christ will enjoy the glory of heaven when the Lord returns (Mark 13:27). Psalm 30:8-12 gives an …

Let us go the Lord’s way, not the world’s way.

Leviticus 19:1-20:27; Mark 14:43-72; Proverbs 6:30-35 Central to the teaching of Leviticus is its emphasis on the holiness of God and His purpose of making His people holy: “Consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am the Lord your God. Keep My decrees and follow them. I am the Lord, who makes you holy … …

The clean life

Leviticus 13:1-59; Mark 12:28-44; Proverbs 6:20-29 Leviticus 13 continues to emphasize the importance of being clean. The clean life is a life characterized by love for God and love for our neighbour (Mark 12:29-31). This is “more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices” (Mark 12:33). The clean life is the life which is lived …

We have been lifted out of the darkness of our sin. We will be raised to eternal life.

Leviticus 11:1-12:8; Mark 12:13-27; Psalm 30:1-7 The Psalmist says, “I will exalt You, O Lord, for You lifted me out of the depths” (Psalm 30:10. In Leviticus 11-12, there is a great emphasis on the need for cleansing. In Christ, we have been cleansed. We exalt Him because He has lifted us out of the …

When we catch a glimpse of the greatness of God’s salvation, we give glory to God and His glory appears among us.

Leviticus 9:1-10:20; Mark 11:27-12:12; Psalm 29:1-11 In the sacrificial system, everything was to be done “as the Lord has commanded” (Leviticus 9:7; Leviticus 10:15). This was the foundation of Jesus’ authority. He lived His whole life in perfect obedience to the Father’s will. Only those who, through faith, are in union with Him, will recognize the …

Through Jesus Christ, the perferct Sacrifice for our sins, we are able to come to God and know that our prayer is heard and answered.

Leviticus 7:11-8:36; Mark 11:1-25; Psalm 28:1-9 The priest entered the holy place on behalf of the people. Jesus entered the holy city, Jerusalem, on behalf of the people. The priest entered with a sacrifice. Jesus Himself became the Sacrifice. Through Jesus Christ, the perfect Sacrifice for our sins, we are able to come to God …

Jesus Christ, our Saviour: perfect in holiness, perfect in love

Exodus 27:1-28:43; Mark 5:21-6:6a; Psalm 24:1-10 "Whenever Aaron enters the Holy Place, he will bear the names of the sons of Israel over his heart" (Exodus 28:29). This bearing of the names on the heart is seen supremely in Jesus. He was not prepared to let the woman, who had touched the hem of His …

We have been redeemed by the Lord. Let us live as those who are being savctifies by Him.

Leviticus 5:14-7:10; Mark 10:32-52; Proverbs 6:12-19 “The sin offering is to be slaughtered before the Lord … it is most holy” (Leviticus 6:25). Concerning the death of Jesus, the human story is this: “the chief priests and the teachers of the law will condemn Him to death” (Mark 10:33-34). There is, however, also the divine side of …

The most important thing of all is to be in a right relationship with God.

Leviticus 4:1-5:13; Mark 10:13-31; Psalm 27:7-14 The most important thing of all is to be in a right relationship with God. This is the point which is emphasized in Israel’s sacrificial system. All other relationships are secondary to our relationship with God. Jesus makes this point in Mark 10:29-30 - Leave all your loved ones …

A new beginning

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 under …

Less fear, more faith

Mark 5 "Don't be afraid. Only believe" (verse 36). Jesus says to us, 'Don't stop believing.' He says to us, 'Keep on believing.' Throughout life, each of us is involved in a battle. It's a battle against fear. It's a battle for faith. How are we to win the victory? "Perfect love drives out fear" …

The glory of the Lord, revealed through Moses and Elijah, was nothing compared with the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Exodus 39:1-40:38; Mark 9:2-32; Psalm 26:1-12 “The glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle” (Exodus 40:34-35). There is, however, an even greater demonstration of God’s glory - in Christ. Concerning Christ, God says, “This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to Him!” (Mark 9:7). The glory of God, revealed through the ministries of Moses …

Christ sets us free to please God, not to please ourselves.

Exodus 37:1-38:31; Mark 8:14-9:1; Proverbs 6:1-11 Jesus warns His disciples against the godless influence of the Pharisees. Their influence on people is classed along with the evil influence of Herod (Matthew 8:15). The Pharisees had become obsessed with the externals of religion but they had lost the awareness of God’s glory. They conformed to the details (the kind of …

God’s saving grace and His keeping power

Exodus 35:1-36:38; Mark 7:31-8:13; Psalm 25:16-22 “The people are bringing more than enough for doing the work the Lord commanded to be done” (Exodus 36:5). “The people ate and were satisfied. Afterward the disciples picked up seven baskets full of broken pieces that were left over” (Mark 8:8). Jesus always has more to give than …

Thinking Together About Jesus

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 …

Lord, take us to the quiet place. This is where we receive strength for bringing the Bread of Life to others.

Exodus 31:1-33:6; Mark 6:30-56; Psalm 25:1-7 Moses calls to the people, “Whoever is for the Lord, come to me” (Exodus 33:26). Jesus also invites His apostles to “come” - “Come with Me... to a quiet place” (Mark 6:31). To come with Jesus to a quiet place is not to discover a place of permanent tranquility. …

Greater than all the prophets, priests and kings, Jesus is our great Saviour.

Exodus 29:1-30:38; Mark 6:6b-29; Proverbs 5:15-23 Some people thought that Jesus was “a prophet like one of the prophets of long ago” (Mark 6:15). He was more than a prophet. He was also greater than the priests of whom we read in Exodus 29. When we look at an evil king such as Herod, it is …

When everything seems to be going wrong

Mark 4 Are you listening? This is what Jesus is saying to us in his parables. He speaks about the seed, which is the Word of God. He asks us, 'Is the message really getting through to you.' When the Word of God is really getting through to us, it brings us out of darkness …

God’s love for us, and our love for him

Mark 3 In this chapter, the verse that spoke, most directly and most powerfully to me was the last verse: “Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother” (verse 35). Doing the will of God is the most important thing. This is what Jesus said to his family. This is what …

What no-one else could ever do for us, God has done for us.

"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 …

The Saviour Takes The Sinner’s Place.

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 …

Jesus, our Saviour; Jesus, our Lord

Mark 2 What was the first thing that Jesus said to the paralyzed man? He said, “Son, your sins are forgiven” (verse 5). What did Jesus say to Levi? He said, “Follow me” (verse 14). From forgiveness to following: We do not receive forgiveness as a reward for following Jesus. Forgiveness is God’gift, We have done nothing to deserve his …

The beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God

Mark 1 What's the first thing that Mark tells us about Jesus Christ? He tells us that Jesus is "the Son of God" (verse 1). This is so important. If we think that we're reading about an ordinary man, we're missing the point. Jesus is the Son of God: Where does this come from? It …

Exodus 19:1-20:26; Mark 1:29-2:17; Psalm 22:12-21

Those who seek to be mighty before men must learn to be humble before God. “Moses went up to God… “, “Moses went back and summoned the elders of the people and set before them all the words the Lord had commanded him to speak” (Exodus 19:3,7). “Very early in the morning, while it was still …

Exodus 21:1-22:31; Mark 2:18-3:30; Proverbs 5:1-14

There is a world of difference between legal obedience and Gospel obedience. It is the difference between “old wine” and “new wine” (Mark 2:21-22). The religion of the Pharisees was legalistic. The obedience of Jesus was truly spiritual. These men could not stand Jesus -  “the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the …

Exodus 23:1-24:18; Mark 3:31-4:29; Psalm 22:22-31

The people of Israel were called by God to celebrate His goodness:  “Celebrate the Festival of Harvest with the firstfruits of the crops you sow in your field” (Exodus 23:16). A good harvest is used by Jesus as a symbol of a rich, spiritual harvest – “Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, …

Exodus 25:1-26:37; Mark 4:30-5:20; Psalm 23:1-6

The Lord’s people were in the wilderness. Nevertheless, the Lord’s presence, symbolized by the tabernacle, was with them (Exodus 25-26). Jesus’ disciples were caught in the storm. Nevertheless, the Lord was with them, and He brought peace (Mark 4:35-41). The greatest wilderness, the greatest storm is death itself. Through faith, we can say, “Even though …

Mark 4-7

What an extraordinary man Jesus was! His teaching and his miracles proclaim him to be the Son of God. Nevertheless, the Lord's power is not released where there is a "lack of faith" (Mark 5:6). The gospel calls us to faith. We are to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. This is the way of …

Jesus Christ is the Son of God.

"The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God" (Mark 1:1). When Mark begins to present to us "the gospel of Jesus Christ", what's the first thing that he tells us about Jesus? He tells us that Jesus is "the Son of God." Quite clearly, we're moving beyond the world of the …