Pay careful attention to the story of Jesus’ formal affirmation of the twelve disciples who would follow after him, as recorded by Mark in the historical account bearing his name: And he went up on the mountain and called to him those whom he desired, and they came to him. And he appointed twelve (whom READ MORE
Galilee
Legitimizing the Lord
Tucked tightly between the passage about Jesus’ healing the man with the withered hand and the calling of the twelve apostles is a seemingly modest account of a great crowd coming to Jesus for physical healing. Read carefully what Mark has penned about this particular moment in Jesus’ remarkable life: Jesus withdrew with his disciples READ MORE
Your King is Coming!
Five hundred and forty years before the first Easter a prophet named Zechariah captured the attention of God’s people, speaking directly into their vulnerabilities, fears and brokenness. After seventy years of exile within the high walls of a brutal empire, the Jewish people had been released to return to their ancient homeland and its capital, READ MORE
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
Sandy Hook Elementary and the Tower of Siloam
A dark night has come and gone since the horrid massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary. My own numbness continues, as I am sure does yours. I cannot help but note the weird irony that yesterday morning, early, I posted on my Facebook page how overwhelmed I am that my own precious girls are no longer 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