SCRIPTURE: Mark 13:32-37 In Mark 13, Jesus describes what this present age will be like after He goes back to God. It will be nothing less than a clash of kingdoms, and it will seem as if darkness is winning. But be strong, take heart, and wait for the Lord, for He is coming. Thing is, we…
Author: Norm
Blind to the obvious
SCRIPTURE: Mark 13:28-31 How do we read the news today: the devastating storm in Philippines, the Mayor Ford fiasco? People are warning us that this storm is partially related to global warming… are we blind to it? People are warning Rob Ford that he has lost his moral authority… is he blind to it? Jesus offers…
God is helping us!
SCRIPTURE: Psalm 60 David is praying for God’s help, and wondering why God isn’t helping. When God steps in, it doesn’t matter how great our enemy is. But the problem is, God doesn’t always step in. Here David thinks that it’s because God is angry, that He is punishing them. Sometimes God holds back because of…
Worshiping at the cross
SCRIPTURE: 2 Chronicles 29-36 How can the people celebrate, sing, worship, when there is so much bloodshed (2 Chronicles 29:27-28)? We have a hard time understanding why God commanded sacrifices, but there is a very important reason. The curse of sin is death (Genesis 2:17); by rights we should be eternally dead. But God holds back His judgment, and waits…
“Humanity as it could be…”
What if we actually took the time to stop and ‘connect’ with strangers? Would we find ourselves caring more? Is it possible that this photographer is touching something important, something deep. That deep down we are all family, all created by God as His children. Sin builds walls that separate, that isolate, than alienate. We…
What a day that will be!!!
SCRIPTURE: Mark 13:24-27 History is moving towards a major showdown. The kingdom of God will finally confront the kingdom of darkness. All creation will groan and tremble, everything will seem bleak and hopeless, darkness will seem to triumph. And in the final moment when darkness reigns, a light will shine, the sun will rise, a glimmer…
Look to the east!
I am reflecting on the end of times, when things seem to be going from bad to worse. That will be a time when many will lose hope, and wonder where God is, and why He is taking so long. A scene from the Lord of the Rings movie (The Two Towers) came to mind….
Fasten your seatbelts
SCRIPTURE: Mark 13:14-23 Jesus refers to the prophecy of Daniel (Daniel 9:27, 11:31, 12:11) when talking about the coming crisis. For Jews, this ‘abomination’ would be the worship and sacrifice of foreign gods in their temple. ** In 167 BC Antiochus IV Epiphanes made an altar to Zeus in the temple and sacrificed swine on it; Caligula c. 40…
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Why it’s taking so long
SCRIPTURE: Mark 13:9-13 It’s been almost 2000 years since Jesus came and restored God’s kingdom? Why does the world seem so much like hell still? Here Jesus suggests some reasons for His delay: — so that we can witness to governors and kings on account of Jesus — so that the kingdom message of Jesus (good news/gospel)…