Right at that moment when we think Jesus may be watering down the essence of being rightly related to God, we realize that he is actually raising the bar quite a bit higher. The question about fasting, offered by the disciples of both John the Baptist and the Pharisees, as recorded in Mark 2:18 and READ MORE
Disciples
Prayer in a Desolate Place
Jesus’ early-morning trek to an out-of -the-way spot so that he might talk with his heavenly Father offers some important lessons regarding both prayer and purpose. Consider the passage, as revealed in Mark 1:35-39: And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, READ MORE
The Entrance
Jesus’ movement from the synogogue to Peter’s home is far more significant than might seem on the surface. Consider the text, according to the English Standard Version, from Mark 1:29-34: And immediately he left the synagogue and entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. Now Simon’s mother-in-law lay ill with a READ MORE
The Holy One of God
It is not just a mere man who has come to bring light into the darkness, to meet us in the wilderness, to rescue us from bonds of evil, and erase our shame. Consider the following passage from Mark 1:21-28 for proof: And they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath he entered the READ MORE
A Call to Suffer and Die
It was a restless hamlet in South Sudan along the Ethiopian border. A few short years ago I was there leading a pastors’ conference with the elders and pastors from various tribal groups from the region. When I asked them the best way I could help them their forceful plea was for me to tell READ MORE
Set Upon the Spirit
The Apostle Paul declares in Romans 8:6, “To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.” I very much want that “life” and “peace” of which Paul speaks—that daily calm reflecting a meaningful connection with something bigger than me. Or Someone. Who is READ MORE