I watched them tearing a building down, A gang of men in a busy town. With a ho-heave-ho and lusty yell, They swung a beam and a sidewall fell. I asked the foreman, “Are these men skilled, As the men you’d hire if you had to build?” He gave me a laugh and said, “No…
Author: Norm
If Peter can be forgiven…
SCRIPTURE: Mark 14:66-72 Peter makes the strongest vow he can make to claim he does not know Jesus. He said something like this: ‘I swear by God’s Name that I do not know him; may God curse me forever if I am lying.’ Now Peter is scared, and in his fear he is desperately trying to…
Is Jesus Who He says He is?
SCRIPTURE: Mark 14:60-65 When Jesus finally answers their question, He refers to a prophecy from Daniel. “In my vision I saw One who looked like a son of man. He was coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Eternal God. He was led right up to him. And he was given authority, glory and…
Save us from our leaders!
SCRIPTURE: Mark 14:53-59 Here we see Jesus’ enemies trying to make up a case against Him. They know they hate Him, they just need a solid reason to kill Him. The sad thing is that these people are the religious leaders. Shouldn’t religious leaders speak up for truth, justice, integrity, honesty, compassion, goodness? Sad to say,…
A Jesus follower in the shadows
SCRIPTURE: Mark 14:45-52 Who is this young man lurking in the shadows with Jesus, running when confronted? I’ve heard, and assumed, that this was Mark, the author of this gospel. Unlike Judas, he does not want to betray Jesus, but neither is he ready to go public for Him. I sometimes feel like this young man…
Default ‘go to’ or last resort?
SCRIPTURE: Psalm 62 Think about times when you are under pressure, overwhelmed or in trouble. What is your default ‘go to’, the first person/place/thing you normally reach out to? Do you start with yourself, your own resources, or quickly turn to others for help? Or do you despair, or whine, or take out your troubles on…
Two wrongs don’t make a right
SCRIPTURE: Ezra 7-10 So let’s make a covenant in the sight of our God. Let’s promise to send away all of those women and their children. (Ezra 10:3) Just because Ezra commanded this, and the people did it ‘in the sight of God’, and just because it’s in the bible, doesn’t mean that this episode is good,…
More willing than weak?
SCRIPTURE: Mark 14:37-42 In my good moments, I am like Peter (Mark 14:31), I can take on the world. But I am very aware of my weaker moments, when my body surpasses my spirit. Tired, drained, overwhelmed, pressured, burdened, these are dangerous times for me. Jesus became fully human, and He endured these things like me, like…
Only in Canada too
I received the following “Only in America” observations, but I’ve changed it to Canada, since most of them apply here too. They make you think… Only in Canada too… can a pizza get to your house faster than an ambulance. Only in Canada too… do drugstores make the sick walk all the way to the…
Never alone
SCRIPTURE: Mark 14:32-36 Jesus knows that it is not good for Him to be in the garden alone (see Genesis 2:18), whether Eden or Gethsemane. He enters this battle zone with the support of His friends (though they let Him down, see v.37), and God. He still wrestles in prayer alone, but they are there (or are…