"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 …
Continue reading Following Jesus, and leading others to follow him
"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 …
Continue reading God has given us new life. Let us live the new life.
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 …
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 …
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 …
Jesus Christ is the Saviour of sinners. We are not asked to make ourselves worthy before coming to the Saviour. If we could make ourselves worthy of God's love, there would be no need for a Saviour. Jesus Christ does not merely help us to save ourselves. He is the Saviour of sinners. Jesus did …
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 …
Continue reading ‘Many warned him to be quiet, but he cried out all the more’ (Mark 10:48).
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 …
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 …
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 …
"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. They 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 …
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."
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 …
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 …
Continue reading Let us learn about how much Jesus loved people, and how much he loves us.
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 …
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 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 …
"… 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 …
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 …
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: …
Continue reading Listening to Jesus, learning from him and living 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" …
Continue reading The Lord will return. Make sure that you’re ready for Him.
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 …
"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 …
Continue reading Physical Blindness – And Spiritual Blindness
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 …
Continue reading How does Jesus change our life, here-and-now?
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, …
Continue reading A New Year Sermon: 2 Chronicles 30:6-12; Mark 1:1-13
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
Continue reading Jesus and the Pharisees: Salvation and Religion
"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 …
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 …
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 …
Continue reading The peace of God that passes all understanding
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 …
Continue reading The preaching of God’s Word, the forgiveness of sins and a healing miracle
"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 …
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 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 …
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 …
"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 …
Continue reading Looking forward to being with Christ, forever
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 …
Continue reading When people turn away from following the Lord
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 …
Continue reading The School of Discipleship (10): Salvation and Discipleship
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 …
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 …
Continue reading A New Beginning – Based On What Had Gone Before
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!” …
Continue reading By faith, taking our stand on Jesus’ victory over Satan
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 …
Continue reading The beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God
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 …
Continue reading The seed shall sprout and grow, the sower does not know how … (Mark 4:27).
“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, …
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! 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 …
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 …
"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 …
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, …
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But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not be faint. Isaiah 40:31
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Jesus answered and said to her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, 'Give Me a drink,' you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water." John 4:10
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Luke 9:23-24 23 And He was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me. 24 For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it.
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