Jesus said to them: “Watch out that no one deceives you.” (Mark 13:5) “What I say to you, I say to everyone: ‘Watch!’ ” (Mark 13:37) The sermon on the fall of Jerusalem and the time of the end can appear confusing. Different interpretations are held by genuine believers. It’s easy to dive into the details … More Watch out (Mark 13:5, 37)
“Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked them: “Why are you talking about having no bread? Do you still not see or understand? Are your hearts hardened? Do you have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear? And don’t you remember?” (Mark 8:17-18) In Mark 7:20-23 (looked at yesterday), Jesus spoke about … More How’s the heart?
Then Jesus entered a house, and again a crowd gathered, so that he and his disciples were not even able to eat. When his family heard about this, they went to take charge of him, for they said, “He is out of his mind.” And the teachers of the law who came down from Jerusalem … More Suffering before the cross (Mark 3:20-22)
“Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.” (Mark 1:35) Every time I read this verse, I am challenged about my own prayer life. Jesus had so much to do (Simon and the others are coming to … More Oh, to pray like Jesus!
The Navigators’ 5x5x5 reading plan starts with Mark’s gospel. If you’re following this plan, it may be helpful to know a little bit about Mark’s gospel. I don’t claim any credit for what follows; it comes from the ESV Bible introduction to Mark. The Gospel of Mark emphasizes that Jesus is the Christ, the Son … More Mark’s gospel
Hebrews 12:2 The men and women of faith ran the race of life, we run the race, and so did Jesus. While Hebrews 12:1 encourages us to be inspired by the “cloud of witnesses” (the example and faith of the old testament believers), Hebrews 12:2 tells us to “look” to Jesus. “Looking” does not mean a … More Devotional for 21 November 2020 – Hebrews 12v2 part 2 – looking to Jesus
Hebrews 12:2 We don’t just look at the Old Testament. These people inspire us and witness to us about the power of faith, but they do something more: they point us to Someone, whose name is Jesus. Jesus is the Saviour, the Redeemer. He doesn’t just inspire us to have faith, but He is the … More Devotional for 20 November 2020 – Hebrews 12v2 – the author and perfecter of faith
Proverbs 18:24 During these days, there are so many people who have an opinion. There are opinions about Covid-19, opinions about health, opinions about the government, opinions about vaccines and, still, opinions about Brexit! We even have people among our friends and family who will tell us that we should or shouldn’t do certain things. … More Daily Devotional for 10 October 2020 – Proverbs 18v24 – the true Friend
Today I have a Sunday off, but the ministry of the word continues at Lansdowne through one of our elders, Lawrence Ovenden. This message is a continuation of a long-running series that Lawrence was preaching on Sunday evenings before the Covid-19 lock down began. None of Lawrence’s previous messages are available online, but this message … More Sunday sermon – 20 September 2020 – John 11v45-57 (Lawrence Ovenden)
Hebrews 2:17 Yesterday in this verse, we saw that Jesus is our high priest. But what kind of priest is he? When I was growing up there was a priest in the local Roman Catholic church. He was miserable and unfriendly. Jesus is not like that. He is a “merciful” high priest. He is compassionate and … More Daily Devotional for 6 September 2020 – Hebrews 2v17 part 2 – a merciful and faithful high priest
The best is yet to come 