Ephesians 2 – Identity. The dictionary defines identity as the sameness of essential or generic character in different instances; a distinguishing character or personality…
Mark
92 posts
Exodus 20 – For 400 years the Israelites lived in Egypt; a land filled with many deities and gods. Although they had kept their heritage potentially they could…
Exodus 12 – There are many aspects to the instructions given to the people of Israel as the final act of God’s power was about to hit…
Exodus 3 – “Where can I go from Your Spirit? Where can I flee from Your presence?” – Psalm 139:7 40 years of Moses’ life he was…
3 John 1 – Paul calls it a gift. Hospitality is right up there as one of the giftsthe Spirit gives out to Believer’s. EveryFollower has at…
2 John 1 – 2 words – spoken often and used quite a bit in today’s age but seldom practiced: Truth and Love. Almost like an endangered species,…
Job 42 – We live in a fallen world.Believers andunbelievers are both inundated with the consequences of sin. Our God is not indifferent;Hes not uncaring…
Job 37 – For 37 chapters God allowed the storm to rage against Job. From the opening, as the curtains beyond our world into the heavenlies were cracked to…
Job 11 – The third friend of Job finally responds and boy – its a doozy. Although Zophar only has a few places hes found talking to Job, he…
Job 4 – Its easy to weigh in on a matter from a distance. We look at the circumstances, the facts presented through word and observation and make decisions…
Joshua 22 – We all have those times when we jump to conclusions. We hear something not very favorable about people and we make up our mind based on…
Joshua 19 – The final division of the land is done. All tribes have been given land to make their home. On some levels, the reading of the division…
Joshua 8 – With the failure behind them, having cleansed the camp of Achan and his sin, Joshua readied the people for their second attempt at taking Ai. The…
Joshua 5 – The Israelites spent 40 years in the desert because they were terrified of the Canaanites. They foolishly doubted God’s ability to do for them what He…
Matthew 28 – “He is risen!” These are 3 words that have changed the very outlook and trajectory of all humankind. These 3 words are the key…
Matthew 27 – Four miraculous events took place at Jesus’ death. Darkness came upon the land. The curtain in the temple was torn in two. …
Matthew 25 – David Wilkerson was the founding pastor of Times Square Church in New York. His humble beginnings were in Indiana where in time he would…
Matthew 24 – It began as a random observation by the disciples which turned into quite a teaching of end times and Jesus’ return in all His…
Matthew 20 – We often live in the mindset – people get what they deserve. We think about this when it comes to the laws of the…
Matthew 9 – Human need is all around us. The question is do we see it completely with the heart of compassion or with a heart of…
Titus 3 – Now isn’t this an interesting way to end a letter? Reading and rereading this final chapter of Paul’s letter to Titus it seems to be fitting though.
1 Samuel 18 – Relationships hold highs and lows for us. There are those that are such a gem and we treasure greatly. There are others which…
1 Samuel 15 – I will tell you, this is one of the saddest chapters. It truly brought pain to my heart on so many different levels….
1 Samuel 12 – Take a moment to consider the goodness of God. Yes, even if at this point of whatever is going on, your heart has…
1 Samuel 10 – Samuel boldly speaks to Saul of his calling and role he is about to play for Israel. He anoints him king. He tells…
1 Samuel 4 – One statement, that’s all there is. Chapter 4 opens, “Thus the word of Samuel came to all Israel.” We read nothing more of…
1 Samuel 3 – God has never done things the ‘normal’ way. Ever. It seems that every story within the Bible is chock full of examples where…
2 Timothy 3 – End Times thoughts are pretty much on people’s hearts a lot it seems. It is a topic that even those who are not…
Romans 11 – “It’s you, the outsiders that I’m concerned with now. Because my personal assignment is focused on the so-called outsiders…
Romans 3 – Paul paints a very hopeless and depressing picture through these chapters. As he hammers against those who use the Law to justify their behavior, lists specific…
2 Kings 9 – Elijah had prophesied years before that Ahab, his family and dynasty would be destroyed. This prophecy was about to be fulfilled…
James 3 – “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” What a load of bunk. Since when has this ever been true?…
John 20 – The miracle of the empty tomb, the resurrection of Jesus brought shock and skepticism. John records that miraculous morning…
John 7 – There is a thirst within every human. There’s a drive and longing that is there beyond what we ourselves are capable of finding…
John 5 – For 38 years the man wanted to be healed. He had joined many others who gathered around a pool of water in Bethesda day…
Hosea 12 – From the womb he was contentious. Wrestling with his brother it would become a standard for his life. Jacob would be the second twin birthed but…
Daniel 7 – The first 6 chapters of Daniel were historical in nature and inspiring as Daniel was one man who stood firm in times of persecution. His unwavering…
Psalm 146 – Psalm 146 – James Boice writes: “In the earlier psalms, we have studied the writers’ griefs, shames, sins, doubts, and fears. We have…
Psalm 110 – Who was this mysterious man, Melchizedek? Well, we don’t know much. He appears briefly in Genesis 14:17-20, here in Psalm 110, and is mentioned several times…
Psalm 71 – “But as for me…” – Psalm 71:14 Although this psalm is tagged anonymous, many believe it was David who wrote it. Older in years now, he…
Psalm 46 – There is no stopping our God. None. Although foe has come against, darkness circles the planet in hopes of annihilating God’s…
Psalm 30 – What would it look like for us to live a life of praise? From the moment we wake even before crawling out of bed to the…
Psalm 26 – The testing of our faith comes in many forms all of which is allowed by God. Times of testing are never easy and in fact, really…
Mark 16 – “The resurrection means that the cross was the payment, and the empty tomb is the receipt, the proof that though it may have looked like He…
Mark 15 – “…without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.” – Hebrews 9:22 All the way back to when Adam and Eve sinned, it would be God who…
Mark 14 – He had walked with Jesus for 3 years. He had witnessed countless miracles and seen what real love was firsthand. He had heard truth spoken…
Mark 13 – After the exile, the temple was rebuilt by Ezra and Zerubbabel. King Herod would expand it around 19 BC. It had been the center of Jewish…
Mark 12 – If Christ is rejected, so is hope. In ancient days it was common for a person to rent a plot of land. It was expected that…
Mark 11 – False advertising. At one point or another, we’ve all been ‘had’ by it. We’re promised something, looks like it will do exactly what we were…
Mark 10 – Jesus is concerned about our relationships. As we are tied to relationships in this life, Jesus wants our relationships to reflect Him…
Mark 9 – It was a moment of complete transparency and revelation. Jesus took Peter, James, and John up to the mountain where right before their…
Mark 8 – We’ve all experienced it. We get behind someone who is driving 20 mph on a 35 mph road. Aggravated, it can be the birth of road…
Mark 6 – Has Jesus become too familiar to us? Familiar: one who is seen or well known from close association. We all have people in our lives we…
Mark 5 – A Roman legion consisted of up to 6000 men. The man brought fear to the town. More than likely they avoided the tomb area for more…
Mark 4 – The purpose was to cause people to think. Jesus often set the table by telling a parable which would intrigue deeper thought. It was an invite…
Mark 3 – As the quote goes, “Politics makes strange bedfellows.” But this is not only the case in such an arena. The meaning goes toward unlikely companions who…
Mark 2 – We find three snapshots of Jesus that speak absolutely to His character and desire. We find Him in a house teaching when suddenly the roof was…
Mark 1 – A man running naked… a deserter… eventually, a pastor… who was this man?
Deuteronomy 15 – Can you imagine? Every 7 years whatever debt you owed to someone was marked off the books and you were forgiven of the money loaned to…
Deuteronomy 12 – Curiosity killed the cat – as the old strange statement goes. As one commentator reckons, curiosity killed many a spiritual life. The point of this thought…
Ecclesiastes 12 – Choices – all of life is made up of things we must choose between. Choices have consequences. Unfortunately, sometimes we live with these the rest of…
Luke 13 – Wow! “A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. Then he said to…
Luke 8 – The ministry of Jesus continues to grow and expand. It’s noteworthy that as he went from one town and village to another the 12 were right…
Luke 5 – Here begins a turning point in Luke as we read of his many miracles, the calling of who would be his disciples and his ministry to…
Ezekiel 45 – Greed, extortion, and usury were part of the culture. The darkness of man’s heart hasn’t changed much. There are various times in Scripture where God has…
Ezekiel 35 – Edom was near Israel and also blood relation. Having come from Esau, the brother of Jacob, although a foreign nation, as cousins they had things in…
Ezekiel 22 – The walls had a breach. What had been a strong fortress was now missing sections. This was not of absent physical stones but spiritual failure. The…
Ezekiel 9 – During the days of the ancients, a common tool used was a writing kit. On a long narrow board was a place which held a reed…
Ezekiel 4 – The commands of God are dramatic. The action is bold. Ezekiel was called to live an object lesson before the people about something that had not…
Acts 27 – A Nor’easter is a storm mixed with the collision of several weaker storms. As a parent storm, the polar jet stream mixes with the…
Acts 15 – The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing. Conflict. We would rather run as far away as we could rather…
Acts 13 – The church in Antioch was in the middle of worshiping God and fasting when the Holy Spirit spoke. It was a direct commission of…
Acts 12 – It’s 44 AD. 11 years have passed since Jesus had been crucified and rose from the grave. Herod had begun a full frontal attack…
Acts 10 – God is the great interrupter. Just when we are content with life the way it is. Just when we think we have all things…
Leviticus 15 – Reading this chapter on discharges making both man and woman unclean is hard to grasp why this was addressed. These are natural things that happen. These…
Leviticus 14 – In great detail, God instructs the priests how to handle and as one commentary states, cleansing a leper or his home. These laws and instructions are…
Leviticus 11 – At first glance, the listing of unclean and clean animals of which God spoke about seems to us a bit much. Certainly, there are animals on…
Leviticus 2 – Alongside the burnt offering a grain offering was given. It was a symbol of thanks to God for the food He had provided and a reminder…
Leviticus 1 – The book of Leviticus is not an easy read. Almost like a handbook for the priests and Levites, it gives a snapshot of what their duties…
Revelation 18 – The persecuted church has always faced the temptation to compromise with the world hoping to ease the tension that is faced while living here. This was…
Revelation 16 – The last 4 verses of Revelation 15 has a sobering scene unfold. The portals of the temple in heaven open and out walk 7 angels dressed…
Revelation 14 – In the last days there will be a great division of the human race. There will be those that remain true to the faith even in…
Revelation 13 – Back in the 80’s an American Hip Hop Band emerged from the streets of New York. They pretty much took the music industry by storm. Their…
Revelation 10 – “God reigns over the nations; God is seated on his holy throne.” – Psalms 47:8 There is nothing that happens in this world, in this…
Revelation 7 – Chapter 6 ended with the dramatic opening of the 6th seal which brought cosmic disturbances that registered off the charts…
Revelation 4 – There is a throne where the Lord God Almighty sits. It is a room where every thought is made right; every act of betrayal is redeemed. It…
Revelation 1 – Turn on any news cycle and we’re bombarded with political haggling, distraught emotions, murder, and rage among so many other negative things. If we were to…
Jeremiah 35 – They were like the Nazirites. The clan of Recab had been asked to live a completely different lifestyle than others. Generation after generation grew up and…
2 Chronicles 21 – Time reveals the fruit of our lives. Many times seasons must come and go before the bearing of our own obedience or choices is shown. Sometimes that revelation is not…
1 Chronicles 11 – For 20 years David waited. As a young man, Samuel came to his household and anointed him the future king. These 20 years…
1 Chronicles 10 – For 9 chapters we have read of Israel’s genealogy from creation all the way through the Exile which took the rebellious people into…