• Forgive

    Daily Readings: Mark 11 and Psalm 62 Mark 11 is a dramatic chapter and there is much on which to comment, but for today let’s think about this profound statement: 25 And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.’ This

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  • Total obedience

    Daily Readings: Mark 10 and Psalm 61 Jesus had already told His disciples twice that He was going to be put to death, only to rise again (Mark 8:31 and 9:31). Now in 10:33-34 he repeats Himself yet again: 33 ‘We are going up to Jerusalem,’ he said, ‘and the Son of Man will be delivered over to

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  • Help my unbelief

    Daily Readings: Mark 9 and Psalm 60 24 Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, ‘I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!’ The demonised boy’s father was desperate for his son to be healed. He firmly believed that Jesus could bring deliverance and healing to his son. And yet at the same time, he found doubts rising.

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  • Yeast

    Daily Readings: Mark 8 and Psalm 59 15 ‘Be careful,’ Jesus warned them. ‘Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and that of Herod.’ In rabbinical writings “yeast” was symbolic of the intentions of the human heart. So, although the disciples misunderstood what Jesus was trying to say, we should apply our minds to it. What common

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  • Unclean (Part 2)

    Daily Readings: Mark 7 and Psalm 58 It feels like an awkward interaction and I’m hesitant to focus on it, but my attention keeps being drawn to it. So here goes. Disclaimer: This blog is going to be longer than usual, and its a rambling sort of reflection. But hey, it’s a public holiday in

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  • Familiarity or Faith?

    Daily Readings: Mark 6 and Psalm 57 All the miracles we observed yesterday were performed in Galilee, so it’s no surprise that the townspeople of Nazareth had heard all about them. Word of a miracle-working rabbi would have travelled fast in the rural world of Galilee. For example, consider how the people of Gennesaret immediately

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  • Unclean

    Daily Readings: Mark 5 and Psalm 56 Jesus had just demonstrated His power and authority over the forces of nature in Mark 4:35-41 by calming a violent storm on Lake Galilee. Now, in Mark 5, Jesus stilled storms of a different kind. First, He stilled a violent demonic storm with His word of command. Next,

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  • Consider Carefully

    Daily Readings: Mark 4 and Psalm 55 Mark 4 records four of Jesus’ parables about the Kingdom of God, each teaching us in a different way about the power of God’s Word to bring about the growth of the Kingdom. And then the chapter ends with Jesus miraculously calming a storm with the power of

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  • Resist or surrender?

    Daily Readings: Mark 3 and Psalm 54 So much happens in Mark 3, but the unifying theme that seems to surface for me in my devotional time today is this: You either receive Jesus as the Son of God (v.11), submit to His Lordship and obey Him OR resist Him, refuse to accept His Lordship

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  • Authority to forgive

    Daily Readings: Mark 2 and Psalm 53 We saw yesterday how the Gospel of Mark emphasizes that Jesus is the Son of Man who came to give His life to liberate people from the murderous power of sin. He came to minister the power of God to forgive us, cleanse us and liberate us from the life-destroying

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