Author Archives: Steve

Eternal Preparation – Mark 9:43-48

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prepare_yourself“If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life crippled, than, having your two hands, to go into hell, into the unquenchable fire, where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched. If your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life lame, than, having your two feet, to be cast into hell, where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched. If your eye causes you to stumble, throw it out; it is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, than, having two eyes, to be cast into hell, where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched” (Mark 9:43-48, NASB).

This saying of Jesus alludes to the very last verse of Isaiah, which speaks of the punishment for rebellion against God as endless destruction.

John had asked Jesus what to do about someone who was casting out demons in Jesus’ name but was not part of the group of His disciples. Jesus answered not to be so concerned about someone doing good in His name but be concerned about false teachers. Be more concerned about someone who causes others to stop trusting in God or prevents them from ever starting to trust in God.

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The Trinity for Children – Mark 9:36-37

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Trinity“Taking a child, He set him before them, and taking him in His arms, He said to them, ‘Whoever receives one child like this in My name receives Me; and whoever receives me does not receive Me, but him who sent me'” (Mark 9:36-37, NASB).

I am a trinitarian. I believe in God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. I believe that God reveals Himself to us in the Bible as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. My comprehension of God and my personal experience of God is trinitarian.

I want my children to have a complete and accurate knowledge of God as they grow up. Yet, I’m not sure that I really completely understand the Trinity.

So, how do you explain this complex trinitarian theology to your children when you don’t really understand it yourself?

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When Last is Better Than First – Mark 9:35

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last-in-line“If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all” (Mark 9:35, ESV).

We live in a success-oriented society. So all you high achievers may want to know how you achieve success in the Kingdom of God!

Achieving success in God’s Kingdom actually occurs much differently from achieving success in this world. Kingdom success doesn’t come by promoting yourself or by exerting power and influence over others. It doesn’t even come by working harder and longer than everybody else.

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When Bad Is Good – Psalm 119:71

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BadNews-GoodNews“It is good for me that I was afflicted. that I may learn your statutes.” (Psalm 119:71, NASB).

You probably have never experienced problems or sickness and said to yourself, “That was good!”  Sure, we’re taught that the problems of life can work for our good (see Romans 8:28), but we still don’t like to have problems. We don’t like to be hurt or sick. We don’t rejoice about affliction!

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Walking in Freedom – Psalm 119:44-45

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freedom“I will keep on obeying your instructions forever and ever. I will walk in freedom, for I have devoted myself to your commandments” (Psalm 119:44-45, NLT).

Don’t laws control you? Then, how do laws set you free?

Psalm 119 is a Hebrew acrostic poem. There are twenty-two stanzas, one for each successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Each of the eight verses within each stanza begins with the Hebrew letter named in its heading. The unifying theme of the Psalm is love for and obedience to God’s Law or Word.

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The Good Thing About Death – Psalm 116:15

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eternal-life-road-sign“Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His godly ones” (Psalm 116:15, NASB).

With Easter approaching it seems appropriate to be thinking about death. And the good thing about death!

While Easter is the time we celebrate the Lord’s resurrection, we should also remember that the only way human beings enter into eternal life is through the death of the physical body.

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Exercising Spiritual Gifts: Part 2, The Spiritually Gifted – 1 Corinthians 12

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GiftOfTheSpirit “But earnestly desire the greater gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way.” (1 Corinthians 12:31, NASB).

The Apostle Paul begins a response to the Corinthians’ question about Spiritual gifts in corporate worship in I Corinthians 12. Paul identifies varieties of Spiritual gifts and varieties of Spiritual service. (Notice that I render the word “Spiritual” with a capital “S” to indicate that the source of the gifting is God the Holy Spirit and not the individual who may be perceived to be “spiritual” because he or she is exercising a gift.)

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Exercising Spiritual Gifts: Part 1, The Gift List – 1 Corinthians 12

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Spiritual_Gift_List“Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord. There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons. But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good” (1 Corinthians 12:4-7, NASB).

From these verses we can make the assumption that every Christian has at least one spiritual gift. Yes, each and every Christian has a spiritual gift: “But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit…”

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Taking Care of Sin First – Mark 2:1-11

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first_things_first“Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, Your sins are forgiven, or to say, Rise, take up your bed and walk? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins—he said to the paralytic—I say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home.” (Mark 2:9-11, ESV).

Jesus was at His home in Capernaum (the base for His ministry) where many people were gathered listening to Him teach and preach. Four men carrying a paralytic man tried to bring him to Jesus for healing, but they were unable to get the disabled man near Jesus because there was no more room in the house. Then, they went up on the roof and removed some of the clay roof tiles (see Luke 5:19) and hoisted the paralytic man down near Jesus. 

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Totally Praiseworthy – Psalm 103

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praiseworthy“Let all that I am praise the Lord; with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name. Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things he does for me” (Psalm 103: 1-2, NLT).

This psalm of David celebrates God’s perfection, compassion, forgiveness, and goodness. The structure of the psalm is an acrostic poem with one verse for each letter in the Hebrew alphabet.

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