THE STORY OF JESUS: Mark 12:1-12 “The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone!” (Mark 12:10, Psalm 118:22) When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the crowds sang out from Psalm 118:26. Now Jesus throws back Psalm 118:22, where the rejected one becomes the chosen one. “The cornerstone (or foundation stone) concept is derived from the first stone set in the construction…
Category: daily meditations
Holding out on Jesus?
THE STORY OF JESUS: Mark 11:27-33 “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.” (Mark 11:33) The religious leaders are playing ‘hard to get’ with Jesus. They are clever and shrewd, but so is Jesus. He knows their hearts, He can play their games… and win. Do we play games with Jesus,…
Surrender to His authority?
THE STORY OF JESUS: Mark 11:27-33 “Who gave you authority to do this?” (Mark 11:28) When God created humans, He gave them to lead for Him (Genesis 1:26-28). This is our creation design; we all have authority to act for God. This is authority to be good, to do good, to serve for the good of all. But…
One in heart, mind and will!
THE STORY OF JESUS: Mark 11:20-25 “Whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” (Mark 11:24) This statement seems plain and clear: ask, believe, and you WILL receive! Sounds like a formula for success… so why doesn’t it seem to work? One reason may be that we just…
Open house!
THE STORY OF JESUS: Mark 11:15-19 “My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations.” (Mark 11:17, Isaiah 56:7) God’s original design was that all creation would be a place for prayer. And by prayer, I mean more than ‘asking God for things’. Prayer, like worship, means more than the narrow ideas we usually give…
Overflowing with fruit!!!
THE STORY OF JESUS: Mark 11:12-14 “Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit.” (Mark 11:13) Jesus’ action seems harsh, since “it was not the season for figs.” (v.14) Apparently fig trees in Israel do produce fruit out of their normal season. A fig tree in…
Join the praise parade!
THE STORY OF JESUS: Mark 11:8-11, Psalm 118 “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” (Mark 11:9; Psalm 118:26) The people are excited, they are hopeful Jesus is the One. They start singing from their sacred song book (Psalms), words that inspire and encourage. Their excitement stems from two things: (1) Their shame and suffering…
WWJD (What Would Jesus Drive)?
THE STORY OF JESUS: Mark 11:1-7 “When they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks over it, he sat on it.” (Mark 11:7) When the pope came to America, he opted to be driven in a Fiat. “His choice to stick to an understated classic in a country where big cars rule the road and…
Complicating faith?
THE STORY OF JESUS: Luke 11:45-54 “You have taken away the key to knowledge.” (Luke 11:52) I often think the church of history is guilty of a similar offence. Jesus presents a very simple message: trust Me, put your hope in Me. This simple message of faith has morphed into a complex message of beliefs. You must…
What about you?
THE STORY OF JESUS: Luke 11:37-44 “A Pharisee invited him to eat with him; so he went in and reclined at the table.” (Luke 11:37) What happens when we invite Jesus into our life? We invite Him to see the inside of our heart — the nice and not so nice. And because Jesus cares, He speaks…