But the ends of the earth? Now we’re talking Gentiles. Surely Jesus wasn’t serious. READ MORE
Judea
The Missing “Nun”
Psalm 145:1 and following offer a marvelous portrait of praise to the Most High God. Penned by King David, and the last of the psalms attributed to him, it honors the Lord for his kindness to his people. Like a number of the psalms, it is written with an acrostic structure, meaning that each verse READ MORE
The Twelve
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
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
A Cry in the Wilderness
The wilderness is a place of desolation, deprivation and despair. Here the harsh voices within our souls scream bloody murder, taunting us, pointing out our foolishness, our shame, our sins, questioning who we really are and why we are so lonely. The vulnerability of the wilderness plays on our deepest fears and leaves us wallowing READ MORE
And So They Ran—An Intro to Galatians: No Other Gospel
Grace is guaranteed redemption at Christ’s expense. It is what makes possible my salvation. It is what makes possible my freedom. Because of the work of Christ on the cross I am a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17). My chains are gone. And yet I pick them up and wear them still. After all, despite READ MORE