CHRIST’S IMMEDIATE CARE The Gospel of Mark is unique among the four gospels in that it was written in the present tense. Mark’s action-oriented writing is marked by his favorite phrase, “and immediately” (Greek: “καὶ εὐθὺς”), which is found throughout the book. Here, the NLT translates the phrase as “instantly.” Each gospel presents a
THE CALL OF CHRIST As Jesus walked along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, He saw the brothers Simon Peter and Andrew casting their nets, for they were fishermen. He called to them, inviting them to follow Him and He would make them fishers of men. They immediately left their nets and followed Him.
A VALENTINE FOR THE BROKENHEARTED Not everyone will receive a Valentine today. Some have a heart still hurting from a broken relationship. Other hearts have slowly been crushed by a lifetime of loneliness. Yet, everyone who comes to the Lord with a contrite and humble spirit, admitting their broken hearts, will experience His presence and
RECOGNIZING THE SACREDNESS OF OUR WORK The modern separation between the sacred and the secular is not the wholistic view of faith and vocation that is seen in the Bible. Consider these two men whom Moses named in Exodus because of their God-given talent as craftsmen. He described Bezalel as being “chosen” (Ex.35:30) by the
WHAT SHOULD I DO WITH JESUS? The Roman Governor Pilate asked the crowd to answer this question for him. He sought to avoid making a decision about Jesus, but his plan backfired. The crowd’s surprising support of the criminal Barabbas left Pilate still responsible to answer the question of what to do with Jesus. Pilate
ROCK OF AGES CLEFT FOR ME The Lord hid Moses in the crevice of a rock, letting him catch a glimpse of His glory as He passed by. Many have meditated on the meaning of this rock. Among them was Augustus Toplady, who wrote the well-known hymn, “Rock of Ages.” First published in 1775, the
ARE YOU FOLLOWING JESUS AT A DISTANCE? On the night when Jesus was arrested, Peter tried to blend in as one of the crowd, following Jesus at a distance. This, after following so close must’ve been unbearable for Peter. Yet, it only took a little distance before denial overtook him. For just as Jesus predicted,
WHAT DID JESUS SING AT THE LAST SUPPER? The night when Jesus was later betrayed, He shared the Passover meal with His disciples. This was the last supper before His crucifixion the next day. At the end of the meal, He joined His disciples in singing a hymn before going up to the Mount of
DO YOU LOVE THE LEAST OF THESE? Jesus’ teaching on the end times included this image of the righteous being commended for caring for the “least of these.” Jesus equated their care for the hungry, sick and imprisoned as caring for Him. For the Church is His body of which He is the Head.
ARE YOU READY FOR CHRIST’S RETURN? It appears that the parable of the ten virgins was given by Jesus to his disciples in a private setting, as a further illustration of what the Day of his return would be like. As such, this parable seems particularly aimed at the state of the church at Christ’s