On The Mountain With Jesus

Here’s some verse on the events of Mark 9:2-8. On The Mountain With Jesus Up the high mountain the four of them went, Peter, James, John, and the One heaven sent. There He was transfigured before their eyes, His appearance became luminous and glorified. Then Elijah and Moses came into their view, They were thereContinue reading “On The Mountain With Jesus”

Caesarea Philippi

Here’s some verse from Mark 8:27-35. Caesarea Philippi At Caesarea Philippi He asked them one day, how others saw Him—what did they have to say? A prophet of some kind, a man to revere, but beyond that the people weren’t sure—it just wasn’t clear. He might have paused for a moment to take this inContinue reading “Caesarea Philippi”

Outsider Insight

Here’s some verse from the powerful story of Jesus’ encounter with the Syrophoenician woman in Mark 7:24-30. Outsider Insight With His disciples somewhere near Tyre, A retreat for renewal perhaps their desire. But it wasn’t to be— His presence became known, A woman came to Jesus, Fell at His feet like a stone. She pleadedContinue reading “Outsider Insight”

Swords Out! (The Darkest Hour)

There shall be no negotiated peace. That’s what Winston Churchill says in his address to his Outer Cabinet toward the end of the movie, That Darkest Hour. The movie focuses on the tumultuous events of May 20-28, 1940. England and France had previously declared war on Germany in September of ’39 (after their invasion ofContinue reading “Swords Out! (The Darkest Hour)”

Reaching Out To Jesus

Here’s the wonderful story of Mark 5:25-34 put into verse. I’ve found that doing this helps me get deeper into the story and see it in new ways. I hope you will find it helpful in some way. Reaching Out To Jesus Twelve years, painful isolation, finances drained, spiraling frustration. Somehow there was still aContinue reading “Reaching Out To Jesus”

The Glories Of God’s Kingdom

The story featuring the question to Jesus about fasting is the third in a series of five stories of conflict (Mark 2:1-3:6). The first two stories (the healing of the paralyzed man, Jesus eating with tax collectors and sinners) celebrate the power and scope of forgiveness in the kingdom (2:1-17), while the last two (theContinue reading “The Glories Of God’s Kingdom”

There’s Within My Heart A Melody

Our church had a singing recently. It was one of those where we had the opportunity to request our favorites. Only instead of calling out the name of the song, we called out the number in the songbook (as we always do). So on this particular occasion there was a flurry of “number calling” asContinue reading “There’s Within My Heart A Melody”

Kingdom Authority

One of the things Mark wants us to see in the first chapter of his gospel has to do with the kingdom authority Jesus possesses. The people of Rome knew all about kingdom power in the sense of “might makes right,” but Mark shows them something radically different in Jesus. With his quote of IsaiahContinue reading “Kingdom Authority”

Not Even Close!

The ecosystem Mark constructs in chapter one of his gospel is . . . well, it’s overwhelming. While chapters weren’t part of original text (they came later), nonetheless, what the Spirit guided Mark to include in the portion of his gospel we refer to as the first chapter is nothing short of amazing. If youContinue reading “Not Even Close!”

Fresh Faith (1)

In Matthew 9:14-17, Jesus refused to mix the new wine (teaching) He brought with the toxic stuff the Pharisees were dispensing.  Whether it was His teaching on fasting or some other issue, He wasn’t going to try to fit His teaching and ministry in with theirs (as perhaps the disciples of John were attempting to do). Continue reading “Fresh Faith (1)”