“And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men.” Mark‬ ‭2‬:‭3‬ ‭ESV‬‬ Reflection: why didn’t the paralytic man come to see Jesus by himself?  We have some amazing neighbors and friends. When we experienced a house fire recently, they came quickly to our help, offering a place to stay, meals, practical supplies, and just company. Checking in on us, multiple times a day, asking if they could do anything for us. What was so amazing to experience was that we didn’t have to ask for...

“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.”” Mark‬ ‭1‬:‭44‬ ‭ESV‬‬ Reflection: why is it so difficult for us to obey Jesus?  Our little grandson of 18 months knows what “no” means. He knows it so well that he will slowly approach something he is not allowed to touch, look at us while he shakes his head no. But, still move forward doing exactly what he knows is a “no”. It is...

“And he said to them, “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out.” And he went throughout all Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons.” Mark‬ ‭1‬:‭38‬-‭39‬ ‭ESV‬‬ Reflection: why was “casting out demons” so central to Jesus’ ministry, but not even mentioned in today’s teaching?  This is a difficult topic. But there is clearly something here that is not being discussed much within the Christian circles. Or not even discussed...

“And they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath he entered the synagogue and was teaching. And they were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes.” Mark‬ ‭1‬:‭21‬-‭22‬ ‭ESV‬‬ Reflection: how can we know if the teaching we hear is truly representing Jesus?  Coming to a new city, either moving or just to visit, many followers of Jesus seek out a fellowship of believers. But if you have tried this, you know that this is not a simple...

“Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”” Mark 1:14-15 ESV Reflection: have you made a U-turn in all areas of your life?  The GPS technology has become pretty advanced. What amazes me is how accurate a GPS system can calculate the arrival time, down to the minute, even if driving 100s of miles. There are a lot of factors that go into that calculation,...

“And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove.” Mark 1:10 ESV Reflection: how would you describe the Holy Spirit?  In 1982, I came to the United States for the first time. On this first trip, I was traveling with a good friend, and we had decided to spend a week in New York City before heading off for college in Wyoming. While I had already been to some larger cities in Europe, including Paris, it was hard...

“John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.”Mark 1:4 ESV Reflection: why did John the Baptist have to come before Jesus?  Have you ever sat around a camp fire, and even days later noticed how all your clothes, smell like the smoke from that fire? As if the smoke is baked in, somehow. Last week I had the unusual experience of walking through a house that had been hit by lightning. It was amazing to see that on the outside,...

“See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.” 1 John 3:1 NIV Question: what are you doing with the gift God has given you?  I absolutely love this verse from John. It’s is almost as if John has a discovery as he writes it, or just being so excited that he just cannot contain himself. Because, John repeats his point about being children of God, as he...

“He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” Micah 6:8 ESV Reflection: what is the purpose of religion? An estimated 85% of the world’s population consider themselves “religious”, or belonging to some religion. Perhaps not too surprising. But did you know that there are an estimated 10,000 different religions in the world? That is just wild. Now, we can at least understand that people from...

“Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!” Psalm 27:14 ESV Reflection: what does it mean to “wait” for something?  We live in a very impatient culture. The idea of waiting for anything is difficult for most of us, as we are bombarded with marketing telling us that we can have what we want, no need to wait. Even things that will take years to pay off. Let’s say you really want a different car. You image trading in your current car, and driving off the lot...