A few days ago, I mentioned that demonic encounters in the Bible are relatively undramatic. And then in today’s Bible reading*, we see a very dramatic demonic manifestation with a boy who is thrown to the ground, his mouth foams, he grinds his teeth, and becomes rigid. When Jesus casts out the demon, it cries…
If you’ve been around church for long, you’ve probably heard the parable of the soils (Mark 4), part of today’s Bible reading*. Jesus pointed out that He spoke in parables to reveal secrets of the Kingdom of God to those who would inherit His Kingdom. (Mark 4:11) Yet His parables cloaked the secrets of the…
In today’s Bible reading*, we see two things that are called, “awe-inspiring”: an awe-inspiring sign in heaven (v. 1) and the awe-inspiring works of God (v. 3). Awe is a word that is foreign to many Believers. We just don’t see things as being “awe-inspiring”. The things of God tend to be, quite frankly, normal. Boring….
In today’s Bible reading*, Jesus warns the Laodicea Church against its lukewarm walk with Jesus. Jesus tells the church that He would rather a church — or an individual, by implication — be either piping hot or stone-cold as opposed to being lukewarm. One of my favorite scenes in the Christian Movie War Room features Miss Clara serving…
In today’s Bible reading*, Peter reminds us that God’s promise is sure: Jesus will return. He says that scoffers will come, trying to discourage God’s children by pointing out that Jesus has yet to return. “Where is the promise of His coming He predicted?” (2 Peter 3:4) There will always be nay-sayers. There will always be scoffers. There…
In addition to reviewing the once-for-all sacrifice Jesus gave for our atonement, today’s Bible reading* includes one of the most compelling arguments for being regularly involved in a local church. As a pastor, I often hear excuses from people who have no interest in going to church. One of the most popular arguments is that they can…
