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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 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 …

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 seen 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 …

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 …

Stay Awake.

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 sure that …

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

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: …

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 …

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" …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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, …

Jesus Christ – the Son of God

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 …

He Who Has Ears To Hear

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. Think …

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 …

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 …

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 … …

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 …

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 …

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, …

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 …

More questions than answers

"In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will …

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 …

The peace of God that passes all understanding

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid (John 14:27). Here, Jesus speaks of "peace." What does he mean when he speaks of his peace? What does he mean when he says that …

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 …

Love, joy, peace… where do they come from?

"The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control" (Galatians 5:22-23). Love, joy, peace ... - Is this what we find when we look within ourselves? or Do we find something very different? What does Jesus tell us about ourselves? Does he pat us on the back and tell as that, at …

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 …

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 …

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 cheer! It …

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 …

Looking forward to being with Christ, forever

"Christ in you, the hope of glory" (Colossians 1:27). From "Christ for you", we move on to "Christ in you." Christ was crucified for us. Beyond his crucifixion, there is his resurrection. And, beyond his resurrection, there's his return "in great power and glory."* We do not only remember a past event: He died for …

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 …

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 …

The School of Discipleship (10): 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 …

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 1:1-20 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 wilderness", but their ministry is blessed by the Lord (Mark 1:3,5). We must  never forget this, and we must pray that we …

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!” …

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 …

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 …

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, …

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 …

What a difference there is between Jesus giving a sign and the Pharisees demanding a sign!

What a difference there is between Jesus giving a sign and the Pharisees demanding a sign! Miracles are given when the Lord decides - not when we demand: "If these people are given a sign, it will be far different from what they want!" (Mark 8:12). A blind man came to Jesus. His sight Was …

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 …

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 …

Responding to God’s Word (38): Glory To His Name

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 …

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, …

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 …

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 …

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 the Lord. (c) the priority …

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 …

The Life and Teachings of Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Lord

"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 …