365 Reflections

Did you ever think about the fact that Peter is the first backslider in Christian history? And worse yet, his defection from faith and steadfastness is recorded for generations of Christians in the sacred text of the New Testament! Poor Peter. Peter said to him, "Even though they all fall away, I will not." And Jesus said to him, "Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times." But he said emphatically, "If I must die with you, I will not deny you." And they all said the same. And Peter had followed him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest. And he was sitting with the guards and warming himself at the fire. But he denied it, saying, "I neither know nor understand what you mean." And he went out into the gateway and the rooster crowed. Mark 14:29-31, 54, 68 But the glorious reality is that Christ thought of Peter upon His resurrection. He told the women to tell his ...

Mark 14:10–11 (ESV) Then Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve, went to the chief priests in order to betray him to them. 11 And when they heard it, they were glad and promised to give him money. And he sought an opportunity to betray him. Judas had a problem with money. I never saw this before, but Mark puts the woman who anoints Jesus' body with the expensive perfume (worth a year's wage) right before the moment Judas goes to the chief priests to betray Jesus for money. Another Gospel writer reveals during the anointing that Judas used to help himself to the money people provided for the ministry of Jesus. How ironic that money would lead to the arrest of Jesus.  For Jesus Himself said no man can serve two masters... he will either love God or money. Judas never even got to enjoy the money.  It cost him his life.  Jesus could have forgiven Judas, but the desire for wealth, the covetous greed of his heart sent him off in remorse that led to death. ...

Mark 13:26 (NLT)  Then everyone will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds with great power and glory. Mark 13:33 (NLT) And since you don’t know when that time will come, be on guard! Stay alert! Mark 13:35–37 (NLT) You, too, must keep watch! For you don’t know when the master of the household will return—in the evening, at midnight, before dawn, or at daybreak. 36 Don’t let him find you sleeping when he arrives without warning. 37 I say to you what I say to everyone: Watch for him!” Watch. For all the speculation around Matthew 24 and here in Mark 13, there is one essential truth Jesus IS DEFINITELY saying: "WATCH for HIS RETURN." Someone onces said, "Live like Jesus died yesterday, rose today and is coming back tomorrow."   That's exceptional advice. We worry about our future, our plans, our dreams.  God has the future in His hands.  We get nervous about what "may happen" to us.  We have forgotten the return of the Lord. ...

Mark 12:30 (ESV) And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ I was having a conversation with someone about a frustrating reality in the church.  Christians tend to lose their minds when they follow Christ.  They just switch off their brains. I don't know why.   I've heard of Christians not work hard because they were too busy witnessing. I've seen parents of Christian Children not worry about Grades and schooling because "God will take care of them." I've seen kids of Christians parents grow up and be completely ill equipped for life "outside" their Christian bubble. I've seen adult Christians gullibly believe the silliest email spam and forwarding it to their friends or posting it on facebook as if it was God's truth. I get tired of Christians who refuse to love God with their minds. Being a Christian doesn't mean you lost your ab...

God is THE giver by nature. He is not a giver as that limits Him to one of many kinds.  He is GIVER... All other giving is the result first of God's initial giving work.  Giving creation, giving dominion, giving the law, giving His Son.  God is THE Giver. In the parable of the Tenants, Jesus talks about the vineyard God plants and leases out to workers who misuse their opportunity given them by the Master of the Vineyard.  After they kill His Son he takes vengeance on them.  Then, the verse reads: Mark 12:9 (ESV ) What will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the tenants and give the vineyard to others. Did you see that?  Immediately after destroying the unfaithful tenants, the Owner (God) gives the vineyard to a new group.   Of course we believe this is the Church.  The true Israel of God now purchased with the blood of Jesus.  But I think we need to remember - all we have is given.  Even our position. ...

Mark 11:24 (ESV) Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. Jesus couldn't be simpler and more direct in His admonition to us about prayer.  We are to ask.  We are to believe, and we are to receive.  What a blessing.  I think of Billy Graham who said, "Heaven is filled with the answers to prayers that have never been prayed."  We have to learn to become great askers.  We are beloved Children of God through faith in Christ.  And that same Christ said that if we have faith in Him, we are to expect an answer to our requests from the Father.  I take special concern over my children's lives.  I hear their voices in a crowded room.  I want them to be well fed, well-adjusted and able bodied adults one day.   And compared to God, Jesus says I'm evil!  So how much more does God want to bless you and multiply you.  Believe Him.  Stop letting go of wha...

Mark 10 , Jesus is full on heading into Jerusalem.  He's going to suffer and die, laying His life down as a "ransom for many."  This is also the time where the nature of discipleship comes clear. Having just challenged a man to sell all and follow, the disciples (Peter) declare how they have left everything to follow Jesus.  Jesus promises rewards a plenty for such acts of faith and commitment.  But He suddenly turns to the reality of His death and resurrection.   What happens next is so hard to believe.  Right after Jesus foretells His death, James and John come asking to sit at the right and left hand of Jesus in His Kingdom.  Did they not hear what Jesus was just talking about? It would be completely unbelievable if there weren't a lot of this attitude in all of us.  We say we are disciples, but we all have shadow missions for our own benefit.  James and John are at least up front about it.  The ten are angered w...

For the one who is not against us is for us. (Mark 9:40 ESV) Simply put - Don't make enemies. It seems we don't listen to Jesus here more often than not. John tells Jesus about a man casting out demons who didn't "follow them ." The disciples tried to stop him.  This was on the heals of the disciples arguing who was the greatest.  Having been rebuked by Jesus for such thoughts, they turn toward those "other Christians" over there. It's so crazy how often we act the same way.  Our church is the greatest!  Our denomination is the true church. Notice Jesus doesn't say, "Did you check his doctrinal statement?" Or "First find a flaw in his liturgy before you try to stop someone." Jesus said simply, don't create division where there's obvious opportunity for unity.  Separation is the desire of Satan.  Division in the body of Christ is anathema to Christ. He prayed for us to be united as One just as He and the Fa...

Mark 9:29 (ESV) And he said to them, “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer.” A demon possessed boy brought to Jesus' disciples by his father.  The disciples are powerless against the demon.  They cannot drive it out.  They are spiritual failures.  But Jesus, fresh from the Mount of Transfiguration drives it out with a few words.   The reason He gives the disciples for failure?  There are some things that regular devotion to God will not get you over.  Jesus says, "This kind."  There are different spiritual enemies.  There are Goliaths, and there are others. Jesus says their failure is because they haven't prayed (and some manuscripts add) and FASTED. There is no doubt, fasting is Biblical, commanded and practiced by Jesus, and essential to a life of supernatural power and influence.   Why don't we do it? Maybe because we have our wires crossed.  Many of us think the mountain top experience is w...

Mark 8:14–17 (ESV) Now they had forgotten to bring bread, and they had only one loaf with them in the boat. 15 And he cautioned them, saying, “Watch out; beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.” 16 And they began discussing with one another the fact that they had no bread. 17 And Jesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why are you discussing the fact that you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive or understand? Are your hearts hardened? The funny thing about this passage is that it falls on the heals of Jesus feeding 5000 men with a few loaves of bread.  How could Jesus possibly be concerned that the disciples didn't bring bread?  He's trying to teach them about what's really important, and they are worrying about having enough to eat. What's really important is to watch out for those who want to look important but really don't care about people.  The Pharisees demand a sign just after Jesus fed the multitudes.  They aren't getting...

I have always misread the passage about the Gentile woman with the sick daughter.  I used to see what Jesus says to her as a test of faith. Mark 7:26–27 (ESV) Now the woman was a Gentile, a Syrophoenician by birth. And she begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter. 27 And he said to her, “Let the children be fed first, for it is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” I realize now based on the background of where she is from, that she was indeed a pagan!  This woman was not close to being a believer in Israel's God.  J.R. Edwards says, "Tyre (where she was from) probably represented the most extreme expression of paganism, both actually and symbolically, that a Jew could expect to encounter."  They were hostile to the Jewish nation.  Just two centuries before, while the Jews fought for independence, Tyre sided with the opposition.  The Jewish historian Josephus called them “notoriously our bitterest enemies.” It ...

I'm reading Mark 7 tonight while this week I've been preparing to preach on the Miracle of Water to Wine in John 2.  So I might have to make a slight divergence to cover some depth to this passage below: Mark 7:1–3 (ESV) Now when the Pharisees gathered to him, with some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem, 2 they saw that some of his disciples ate with hands that were defiled, that is, unwashed. 3 (For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands properly, holding to the tradition of the elders, Jesus and his disciples didn't need to wash their hands ceremonially any longer.  In the miracle at Cana in John 2 Jesus had the servants fill 6 waters jars used for such washing to the brim and THOSE jars carried the water turned to wine. John's Gospel covers the first year of Jesus' ministry while the Synoptics cover the last two.  So I can imagine the disciples snickering a little when the Pharisees and scribes got ...

Where are you on your understanding of Jesus? I'm sure you're not where you should be. Thats the nature of following this man of unimaginable glory. Just when you think you've arrived, He ups the level beyond what you can fathom. I think of the disciples at sea the night they just fed five thousand people which happens on the heels of casting out demons in Jesus' name with incredible results.  Here they are... struggling... against wind. Mark 6:48 (ESV) And he saw that they were making headway painfully, for the wind was against them. And about the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. He meant to pass by them, Wind.  Nothing supernatural, nothing overwhelming.  Just a night of struggle with wind.  We've had them.  Trying to get moving in the positive direction and it seems like nothing really BIG is stopping us.  Just life.  Just the winds we face.   Have you been there?  On the heels of a great victory...

Mark 6:30 (ESV) The apostles returned to Jesus and told him all that they had done and taught. Mark 6:35–37 (ESV) And when it grew late, his disciples came to him and said, “This is a desolate place, and the hour is now late. 36 Send them away to go into the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.” 37 But he answered them, “You give them something to eat.” And they said to him, “Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give it to them to eat?” Look at the sequence of Mark 6… The "Apostles" go out and do miraculous things through all the towns.  They come back and report how much they did for Jesus.  This must have been thrilling and exhilerating. Notice the crowds chase them down because they "recognized them ." It was no longer Jesus alone who attracted crowds.  The disciples had experienced recognizable success!  They were demon chasers!  Here they are!  Wow! YET… just 7 verses later - the...

There is no more sinister character in the Gospels than Herod.  He is THE pompous, arrogant, self-centered, egotistical, murderous, adulterous king of the heathens.  His puppet reign keeps Israel from becoming true to itself and so coalesce with their Roman occupiers.  He persecutes his own, and at the drop of a hat murders the most revered prophet of the day at the whim of a teenager. Some king. But it is with great curiosity that we read something of Herod that seems an asterisk on his legacy: Mark 6:20 (ESV) Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he kept him safe. When he heard him, he was greatly perplexed, and yet he heard him gladly. Notice: He feared John.  Not enough to eventually murder him for of course he feared his reputation more.   He knew John was righteous and holy.  He kept him safe.  Apparently, John has an unseen advocate amongst the "powers that be." Ev...

Mark 6:4 (ESV) And Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor , except in his hometown and among his relatives and in his own household.” Think about this as a definition for  dishonor  -  "to treat someone as common." When Jesus goes home He gets treated in a way that's completely strange compared to everywhere else.  He gets treated commonly.  And it limited their experience with Him. They ask: Mark 6:3 (ESV) Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him. Jesus is not common.  Limiting who He is in your mind only robs you of the glory available to you through Him. You know why Jesus wouldn't do miracles in His hometown?  Because they had been too familiar with Him.  They didn't see Jesus for the honor and glory He is due. The treated the bright and morning star as a common street lamp. This is THE proble...

Mark 5:35–36 (ESV) While he was still speaking, there came from the ruler’s house some who said, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?” 36 But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not fear, only believe.” Jairus the synagogue leader has come to Jesus in desperate need of his daughter's healing.  A man who associates with those looking to get rid of Jesus has found himself in absolute need of Him. Funny how life can do that to anyone. Along the way to the home of Jairus a woman with a severe hemorrhaging issue comes up and touches Jesus' clothes believing that one touch will heal her for sure.  It does heal her, but it also stops Jesus, right in His tracks on the way to Jairus' home.  He wants to know who she is - even though He already knew.  He wants her to not only benefit from Him, He wants her to MEET Him.  That's the heart of God.  He doesn't just want to GIVE you His g...

Mark 4:35 (ESV)  On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side (of the sea).” Mark 5:1 (ESV) They came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gerasenes. Mark 5:21 (ESV) And when Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a great crowd gathered about him, and he was beside the sea. There is something I learned recently.  The Sea of Galilee makes its first appearance in the New Testament.  Before Jesus, there is not one singe mention of this body of water.  Yet in the Synoptic Gospels, its mention is constant and central to the geographical movement of Christ with His disciples. Why? In the 1st Century, Israelites avoided traveling by sea.  You didn't do it unless you absolutely had to.  Israel was a nomadic land-loving people.  They were defined by the "Promised Land" of ages past.  They still felt a sense of belonging to the land.  Yes, four disciples w...

Mark 4:39–40 (ESV) And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. 40 He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” Why do we fail to trust Jesus? So many Christians simply freak out when the storms of life come.  They see the waves, the waters rising, the boat being troubled and Jesus is there, and they still freak out. Here's what the disciples had still failed to understand: Jesus told them to get to the other side of the lake.  If Jesus said they were getting there, they were going to get there. Mark 4:35–36 (ESV) On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” 36 And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him. I like to think I'm better than the disciples because I can see their hardship with hindsight and think, "What's wrong with those guys?"  Bu...

The more you read about the kingdom as Jesus describes it, the more you realize, you may have had it wrong. The kingdom of God is not "in your face." The kingdom of God does not "kick but." The kingdom of God does not "shove it's way into your reality." Here's how Jesus describes the kingdom of God: Mark 4:26–29 (ESV) And he said, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground. 27 He sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows; he knows not how. 28 The earth produces by itself, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear.  A man scatters seed and it grows without human agency.  It doesn't burst forth ferociously, it sprouts.  It doesn't overwhelm society, it grows.  And we don't truly know how it happens!  It's mysterious.  The earth is involved, the process is slow and gradual and most of it is UNSEEN. Unseen. This is the nature of God's movement.  Someth...

I had to consult a popular commentary from the get go on this verse in Mark.  And what I found was well worth my short search: Jesus says in Mark 4:22–23 (ESV) For nothing is hidden except to be made manifest; nor is anything secret except to come to light. 23 If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.” Nothing is first hidden, Jesus says without the express purpose of later being revealed.  Remember that Mark emphasizes the "Messianic Secret" in his Gospel.  That Jesus continually commands people to NOT say who He is.  Here is a clue as to why God brought about His redemptive act through His Son in such an in auspicious manner.  God loves to thrill us with discovery! If you have children over ages 3-10 you will know this to be the truth.  I loved playing hide and seek with my oldest children during those years.  The purpose of the game was to hide oneself SO THAT you are discovered.  It's actually an interesting game in that i...

Jesus in the parable of the soils describes the third soil as people who let "the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. Mark 4:19 ESV Look at those two words: "enter in" . These desires where not there beforehand.  This is striking. How do we let the cares of this world in? How about the deceitfulness of riches? Or the desires for other things? How do they get in there? I think it has a lot to do with our eyes.  They lead us into envy and covetousness. We see what another has and we want it. It's about awareness. We go to their home and see their cathedral ceilings.  We didn't care about cathedral ceilings before, now we want them.  We invite them over and see their luxury car. We hear of something they use that makes their life more powerful or easier. And once aware, we start to care. We desire something that formerly we couldn't have cared l...

Want to follow Christ? Prepare for the worst at times. Especially when it comes to relationships. People who you love and trust and you thought lives and trusted you will align themselves with strange and difficult liaisons. Looking at what I believe is the saddest couple of verses in Mark: When his family heard what was happening, they tried to take him away. “He’s out of his mind,” they said. But the teachers of religious law who had arrived from Jerusalem said, “He’s possessed by Satan, the prince of demons. That’s where he gets the power to cast out demons.” Mark 3:21, 22 NLT Did you see that? Jesus' family had a closer opinion of Him to His enemies than anyone. His family believed He was insane, His enemies believed He was demon possessed. Wow. This though is what can happen when Christ comes first in your life. The mind of the flesh is indeed hostile to the leadership of the Holy Spirit. To be fair, His family did come around. His mother a pillar of the E...

In Mark 3 we find a group of people who are no longer interested in having Jesus around.  Their only aim is to destroy Him. Mark 3:2 (ESV) And they watched Jesus, to see whether he would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse him. Some people are like that with God.   You could see the beauty and majesty of God all over the world. You could hear the testimonies of changed hearts on every Continent and almost every Country.  You could hear the stories and see the lives changed by the power of Jesus' Name.  And still, all they seek to do is accuse and excuse, misjudge and destroy.  That's exactly how they treated Christ. But in the midst of this hostility Jesus calls to him 12 men "He wanted to be with Him that He might send them out to preach."  That's what it means to be chosen by Jesus.  You aren't just chosen for your own sake.  You are chosen for His sake.  To preach.  To leave no one without a testimony of God's...

Mark 2:6–7 (ESV) Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, 7 “Why does this man speak like that? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” Mark 2 is a really funny chapter.  Twenty eight verses of give and take between Jesus and the religious leaders of His day.  Jesus does something and they have a problem with it. Jesus does something else and they have a problem with that too.  Jesus does another thing, and there they are questioning what on Earth He's doing!  I wonder if Mark penned this chapter with a grin. God shows up and the people who should have been so schooled to recognize Him miss Him completely.  I wonder sometimes, who would that be today?  I hope it would not be me. FACT: God is God.  He's going to surprise you.  He's going to blow away YOUR expectations.  He's going to undo your presuppositions.  He's going to unravel your traditions.  Why?  Because He's Go...

Theologians tell us the Gospel of Mark has a particular emphasis pertaining to the secret of Jesus' Messiahship.  In one chapter, Mark lists two miracles, and each make it clear that Jesus doesn't want anyone to know who He is. In the healing of the leper, Jesus puts his foot down with the recipient of the miracle: Mark 1:43–44 (ESV) And Jesus (Note the words) sternly charged him and sent him away at once , 44 and said to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, for a proof to them.” The word for "sternly charged" him is one word in Greek.  It is a word representing deep emotion expressed inarticulately In Mark 8:30, Jesus tells His disciples who now have come to know who He is not to tell anyone about it.  After the Mount of Transfiguration, Jesus tells them not to say a word until after His resurrection.  Even though they were still too dull to understand what He me...

Mark is known as the Gospel of Action.  He cuts to the chase and gives us the fact.  Mark 1:11 (ESV) And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” What a beautiful moment for Jesus.  The Father bragging on Him.  The Spirit descending on Him for empowerment.  The people witnessing this momentous occasion of edification and glorification. Then the very next verse: Mark 1:12 (ESV) The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness . I learned from my Seminary professor, this word, " drove " in the Greek can be translated " thrown " - it's a forceful driving, not a light or incidental push.  The Spirit descends on Jesus and immediately drives Him into the uncomfortable region of the wild.   Mark describess it further: Mark 1:13 (ESV) And he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. And he was with the wild animals, and the angels were ministering to him. Jesus is pre...

The World offers us a philosophy of sin completely counter to the truths of Scripture.  The world says, "My life is my business.  If I don't hurt anyone, what should it concern you?  Leave me alone!" To which James responds in the prominent place of the closing words: James 5:19–20 (ESV) My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, 20 let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins. It is our job to "Pastor" each other away from sin. And notice how sin happens.  James says someone FIRST "wanders from the truth!"  That's the essence of all sin.   "Did God really say?" said the Devil to Eve in the beginning of the end!  To lose a grip on truth is to lose the battle with sin.  Truth and life belong together. The solution?  We need to help defend the truth for each other.  Watching for how we think, react a...

I'm not going to pretend, this verse is for me.  In fact, I downright need this more than anyone. James 5:9 (ESV) Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door. James is talking about the return of the Lord. In the same paragraph he turns our attention to how we talk to our brothers and sisters.  James is talking to persecuted Christians experiencing trials of various kinds.  And when the pressure of life is on we all tend to let it fly against those who are closest to us.  For Christians, it can seem tougher to do life in this culture, to know we aren't home, and to be frustrated with the world and ourselves as we see our own fleshliness make an appearance on occasion.   But we must soberly remember the judgment that awaits us.  Judgment is not only reserved for those sinners "over there." James makes it clear, our judgment is coming as well.  Not between heaven and he...