Devotional Thoughts

Mark 11:7-11   "And they brought the colt to Jesus, and cast their garments on him; and he sat upon him.  (8)  And many spread their garments in the way: and others cut down branches off the trees, and strawed them in the way.  (9)  And they that went before, and they that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna; Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord:  (10)  Blessed be the kingdom of our father David, that cometh in the name of the Lord: Hosanna in the highest.  (11)  And Jesus entered into Jerusalem, and into the temple: and when he had looked round about upon all things, and now the eventide was come, he went out unto Bethany with the twelve." In a matter of a very few days, we can see just how fickle humanity can become. Jesus enters Jerusalem on the beginning of this final week of His earthly life. The people are gathered as they feel royalty is entering the city. They cry out with great accolades, "Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord." Bu

And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. – Matthew 4:19 Have you ever wondered why the Lord called the Apostles to be fishers of men? Why not hunters or trappers? Surely such activities were found in first century Israel. I think the answer lies in the nature of fishing that makes it different from the others. The fisher casts a net or a line without knowing if it will come back empty or full. They cast in hope. As we go out into the world each day we are surrounded by people young and old, from varying statuses and cultures. However, we often never know which is a child of God or not. Yet Jesus set the example and encouraged His disciples to be good stewards of the Gospel, sharing it or rather casting it like seed. We never know who will respond or how. Yet we cast in hope. When next you consider your role in God’s kingdom, be assured that you and I are either faithful to the hope we have or not. If we hope in Christ, then let us cast in hope

Mark 11:4-7   "And they went their way, and found the colt tied by the door without in a place where two ways met; and they loose him.  (5)  And certain of them that stood there said unto them, What do ye, loosing the colt?  (6)  And they said unto them even as Jesus had commanded: and they let them go.  (7)  And they brought the colt to Jesus, and cast their garments on him; and he sat upon him." This passage of Scripture has always fascinated me. Jesus had just sent two of His disciples into Jerusalem to bring back the colt. He would use it to ride into the city for the final time. It seems that Jesus already knew their apprehension about getting this colt. It seems they were wandering what if the owner does not want us to take it? What if we are accused of stealing the colt? Jesus addressed that before they even asked. We find it in verse 3, just prior to today's text. "And if any man say unto you, Why do ye this? say ye that the Lord hath need of him; and str

Mark 10:49-52   "And Jesus stood still, and commanded him to be called. And they call the blind man, saying unto him, Be of good comfort, rise; he calleth thee.  (50)  And he, casting away his garment, rose, and came to Jesus.  (51)  And Jesus answered and said unto him, What wilt thou that I should do unto thee? The blind man said unto him, Lord, that I might receive my sight.  (52)  And Jesus said unto him, Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole. And immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way." "Jesus stood still."  That is a miraculous statement. The Son of God, Creator and Sustainer of the universe, stood still. He stopped everything and gave His full attention to this beggar on the side of the road. The one who the disciples had tried to hush was being given the full attention of our Lord. I hope that gives each of us sweet comfort and assurance. We live in a time that wherever we go, we feel like we are being herded through line

Mark 10:46-49   "And they came to Jericho: and as he went out of Jericho with his disciples and a great number of people, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the highway side begging.  (47)  And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out, and say, Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me.  (48)  And many charged him that he should hold his peace: but he cried the more a great deal, Thou Son of David, have mercy on me.  (49)  And Jesus stood still, and commanded him to be called. And they call the blind man, saying unto him, Be of good comfort, rise; he calleth thee." "Judge not, that ye be not judged." (Matthew 7:1) Some people tend to take Matthew 7:1 out of context to say that we are not to judge whether an action is right or wrong. For me, that is not what Jesus was saying concerning judgment of others. Just about now, you may be asking, "What does this verse of Scripture have to do with today's devotion?" I'm

Mark 10:32-34   "And they were in the way going up to Jerusalem; and Jesus went before them: and they were amazed; and as they followed, they were afraid. And he took again the twelve, and began to tell them what things should happen unto him,  (33)  Saying, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be delivered unto the chief priests, and unto the scribes; and they shall condemn him to death, and shall deliver him to the Gentiles:  (34)  And they shall mock him, and shall scourge him, and shall spit upon him, and shall kill him: and the third day he shall rise again." We start with the words of Jesus, in the book of Mark, telling the disciples what will take place when they arrive in Jerusalem. This is the third time that Jesus told them exactly what would happen. It seems He goes into more detail on this occasion than on the others. He is very explicit in describing the mockery, the scourging, even that He would be spat upon. He is plain spoken in saying t

“Why pray?”  A very simple question.  The Bible and practical Christian life lead us to many answers.  The foundational answer of why we pray is that we love God.  We talk to those we love.  We communicate with them regularly, actually, as often as possible.  But the Bible and our own Spirit-led experience tells us of many other valid reasons to pray. “Why pray?” We Pray Because We Need God God is our creator.  God is our sustainer.   God is our savior.  God is our life.  God is our all in all.  Prayer is an obvious sign that we need God.  Prayer is an obvious sign that we cannot get by on our own.  We need His wisdom, His provision, His forgiveness, and His strength.  We need Him spiritually, physically, and intellectually.  Psalm 50:15, “Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me.”  The more we realize our deep need of God, the more we love Him.  The more we love Him, the more we realize our deep need of God. We must receive food to

Mark 10:17-23   "And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?  (18)  And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God.  (19)  Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother.  (20)  And he answered and said unto him, Master, all these have I observed from my youth.  (21)  Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me.  (22)  And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions.  (23)  And Jesus looked round about, and saith unto his disciples, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!"

Mark 10:13-16   "And they brought young children to him, that he should touch them: and his disciples rebuked those that brought them.  (14)  But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.  (15)  Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein.  (16)  And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them." It seems that the disciples fancied themselves as keepers of the door to Jesus. This is not the first time that they tried to turn people away who had come to Jesus and it won't be the last time. We saw it when they tried to send the multitude away because they were hungry. They tried to send away the Syro-Phonecian woman whose daughter was sick. They didn't think the people should be able to cast out demons because they did not walk with them. Here, we see t

Mark 9:50   "Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his saltness, wherewith will ye season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace one with another." This verse is the culmination of a message given by Christ after a statement had been made to Him concerning the attitude toward others. "And John answered him, saying, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name, and he followeth not us: and we forbad him, because he followeth not us." (Mark 9:38) John did not think the other person should be allowed to cast out devils because he did not walk with them. Jesus answered with great wisdom, "He that is not against us is on our part." Whether we think it to be right or wrong, there are many varieties of names under which Christians identify themselves. Whether we agree with the doctrine of others or not, we must be very careful in the manner we treat them. If they belong to the Lord, they are our brothers and sisters in Christ. I don't want

Mark 9:33-35   "And he came to Capernaum: and being in the house he asked them, What was it that ye disputed among yourselves by the way?  (34)  But they held their peace: for by the way they had disputed among themselves, who should be the greatest.  (35)  And he sat down, and called the twelve, and saith unto them, If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all." I confess I had to read these verses several times and compare them to the other accounts of the Gospel before I could come to a peace about what Jesus was saying. As I began the study of Mark, I made the observation that Mark is a man of few words. This is another case to show this to be so. Picture this: Jesus and the disciples are walking along the road. They have observed many things that have happened at the hands of Jesus. They have heard His teachings and observed His ways. They just watched as Jesus cast the demon out of the young man. They had not been able to do tha

If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. – Romans 12:18 Sometimes the biggest challenge we face is being peaceable. Making peace can be difficult, and when we face real injustice as well as lesser slights, we can grow angry and frustrated. We may dream of ways to have vengeance and retribution, but is this the Christian way? Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God” (Matthew 5:9). In another place He said, “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:27). Isaiah described the Lord as “The Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6), and His kingdom is full of peace. So it is clear. Christians should seek peace. Just as the Apostle Paul wrote the Roman church, “If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men” (Romans 12:18). Sometimes living peaceably is not possible, but Ch

Mark 9:20-24  "And they brought him unto him: and when he saw him, straightway the spirit tare him; and he fell on the ground, and wallowed foaming.  (21)  And he asked his father, How long is it ago since this came unto him? And he said, Of a child.  (22)  And ofttimes it hath cast him into the fire, and into the waters, to destroy him: but if thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us.  (23)  Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.  (24)  And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief." How many times have we had to identify with this father? "Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief." We certainly believe in the power and glory of our Saviour, Jesus Christ. We believe His is indeed the Son of God. We believe He left heaven to come to this earth. He walked among a people that was so contradictory to His nature, for He Who had no

Mark 9:5-8   "And Peter answered and said to Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias.  (6)  For he wist not what to say; for they were sore afraid.  (7)  And there was a cloud that overshadowed them: and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him.  (8)  And suddenly, when they had looked round about, they saw no man any more, save Jesus only with themselves." There are two thoughts I want to share this morning. These verses are taken from the viewpoint of the three disciples who went with Jesus to the top of the mountain. Mainly, this is Peter's viewpoint of the events. First, I say I cannot imagine the glory and the joy that was experienced by these three men as they watched Jesus being transfigured before their very eyes. This glory went with them for the rest of their lives. As Peter observed Jesus and Moses and Elijah, we are told that did not

Mark 9:5-6   "And Peter answered and said to Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias.  (6)  For he wist not what to say; for they were sore afraid." What could have taken place that would stir Peter to say, "It is good for us to be here"? Jesus had taken Peter, James, and John to a high mountain and there was transformed in front of their very eyes. These three men were blessed of the Lord to be able to see a portion of the true glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. I say a portion of His glory, for the Word of God tells us that no man shall see God while in this flesh. His glory is too great for us to be able to see and live. That's why God, in His wisdom, has ordained that we shall be changed from mortal to immortal to enter heaven and see His glory. (Sorry, I think I just went down a rabbit trail, didn't I?) They had seen Jesus transformed and there stood with Him

Mark 8:34-37   "And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.  (35)  For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it.  (36)  For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?  (37)  Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?" "What shall a man give in exchange for his soul?" I remember television programs when I was young, such as "Twilight Zone" that would depict some poor individual wanting something so bad that he would sell his soul to the devil. The implication was the person lost their home in heaven because they wanted something on earth even more than that. This intention of this first paragraph is to say these verses do not teach that we can lose our home in heaven. Eternal life is

It is impossible to grow in our love for God if we do not talk to Him.  We talk to God through prayer.  The more we talk to Him in prayer, the deeper our love grows for Him.  The more we love Him, the more we desire to talk to Him, and the more we actually talk to Him.  In prayer, we communicate our thankfulness for all that God is in and of Himself, and all that He has done.  In prayer, we share our love for God, our hope in Him.  While God primarily speaks to us through His written word, in prayer God shares with us His presence, His power, His peace, and His purpose for our lives. Prayer is Communication Within a Relationship Do we want to have a more vibrant love relationship with the Lord?  If the answer is yes, then experience that vibrant love relationship through direct communication with God.  The depth and vibrancy of our love relationship with God has direct relationship to the depth and vibrancy of our prayer life.  Prayer normally takes the form of words.  In spe

Mark 8:31-33   "And he began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and of the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.  (32)  And he spake that saying openly. And Peter took him, and began to rebuke him.  (33)  But when he had turned about and looked on his disciples, he rebuked Peter, saying, Get thee behind me, Satan: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but the things that be of men." "And he began to teach them." We often hear the saying, "you never get too old to learn." Many of us can remember a time in our lives when we felt we knew it all. When a person is at that place in life, it truly is hard to teach them anything. When I was at the time of life, it was difficult to teach me anything. Why should I try to learn anything when I already know all the answers? Jesus "began to teach them." Of course, we know He had been teaching them for a

Mark 8:27-30   "And Jesus went out, and his disciples, into the towns of Caesarea Philippi: and by the way he asked his disciples, saying unto them, Whom do men say that I am?  (28)  And they answered, John the Baptist: but some say, Elias; and others, One of the prophets.  (29)  And he saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Peter answereth and saith unto him, Thou art the Christ.  (30)  And he charged them that they should tell no man of him." The people had never encountered a man such as Jesus. They truly did not know what to make of Him. There was much speculation concerning Him. Some thought He was one of the prophets of old who had been brought back from the dead. Some thought He was John the Baptist revived. As they were traveling along, Jesus talked to His disciples concerning this. "Whom do men say I am?" Of course, we know that Jesus already knew the answer, but it seems His intention was to get to the heart of what His disciples were thinking

Mark 8:22-26   "And he cometh to Bethsaida; and they bring a blind man unto him, and besought him to touch him.  (23)  And he took the blind man by the hand, and led him out of the town; and when he had spit on his eyes, and put his hands upon him, he asked him if he saw ought.  (24)  And he looked up, and said, I see men as trees, walking.  (25)  After that he put his hands again upon his eyes, and made him look up: and he was restored, and saw every man clearly.  (26)  And he sent him away to his house, saying, Neither go into the town, nor tell it to any in the town." We find Jesus working another miracle upon one that was brought to Him. Notice his situation as "they bring a blind man unto him" and afterwards, "he sent him away to his house." I start with these phrases to note the difference that Jesus made in this man's life. He was brought to Jesus, but he left on his own ability and being able to see where he was walking. A popular song in t

And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace, And said unto them; Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way. – Matthew 20:3-4 Aside from the admonition to contentment in service to God, what stands out to me in this parable is verse 3, “…he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace.” Why were they idle? They were in the marketplace. Was their no opportunity to work before the vineyard owner arrived? We do not know, but if we look at our own lives, we find many times we are idle, waiting on someone to put something in front of us or tell us what to do. Similarly, when I was young man, I asked my dad how I could know God’s will for my life. He smiled, picked up his worn Bible and said, “Here is God’s will for your life.” It took years for me to understand the absolute truth of that statement. Please understand, I was professionally and socially act

Mark 8:11-13   "And the Pharisees came forth, and began to question with him, seeking of him a sign from heaven, tempting him.  (12)  And he sighed deeply in his spirit, and saith, Why doth this generation seek after a sign? verily I say unto you, There shall no sign be given unto this generation.  (13)  And he left them, and entering into the ship again departed to the other side." We see the action of the Pharisees in our text today follows their normal path of action. They constantly looked to find fault in Jesus. They would tempt Him with their questions. They would try to trap Him; but invariably, He would turn the question around and trap them with it. Today, we find a different approach in Jesus' response to them. They asked for a sign. He straightway told them, "There shall no sign be given." He knew their hearts. He knew why they asked these questions. He was not going to give them credence by answering. They had seen His power exhibited in opening

Mark 7:32-35   "And they bring unto him one that was deaf, and had an impediment in his speech; and they beseech him to put his hand upon him.  (33)  And he took him aside from the multitude, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spit, and touched his tongue;  (34)  And looking up to heaven, he sighed, and saith unto him, Ephphatha, that is, Be opened.  (35)  And straightway his ears were opened, and the string of his tongue was loosed, and he spake plain." I do not even pretend to understand the reasoning behind this motive of healing used by Jesus. I understand the outcome and I believe we all excpected the same outcome when we first read "they bring unto HIM one that was deaf." I believe it is very important to take our friends and loved ones to the Lord each time we pray. I'm thankful for friends and a Church family who takes time to lift one another in their prayers. These friends, or family, took their time to care for this one who was deaf and cou

Mark 7:25-30   "For a certain woman, whose young daughter had an unclean spirit, heard of him, and came and fell at his feet:  (26)  The woman was a Greek, a Syrophenician by nation; and she besought him that he would cast forth the devil out of her daughter.  (27)  But Jesus said unto her, Let the children first be filled: for it is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it unto the dogs.  (28)  And she answered and said unto him, Yes, Lord: yet the dogs under the table eat of the children's crumbs.  (29)  And he said unto her, For this saying go thy way; the devil is gone out of thy daughter.  (30)  And when she was come to her house, she found the devil gone out, and her daughter laid upon the bed." I addressed the attitude of the disciples yesterday in that they did not feel this woman to be worthy of Jesus' time and effort. Aren't you glad that others are not the judge concerning whether God hears and answers your prayers? She came to Him