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Then He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation." - Mark 16:15 Aristides, a second-century defender of the Christian faith, once wrote to the Roman Emperor Hadrian about Christ-followers saying: "They love one another. They never fail to help widows; they save orphans from those who would hurt them. If they have something, they give freely to the man who has nothing; if they see a stranger, they take him home, and are happy as thou

The kings of the earth and all the world’s inhabitants did not believe that an enemy or adversary could enter Jerusalem’s gates. Yet it happened because of the sins of her prophets and the guilt of her priests, who shed the blood of the righteous within her. - Lamentations 4:12-13 Second Samuel 1:25 reads, "How the mighty have fallen in the thick of battle!" Of course, this verse speaks of the death of Jonathan and Saul at the hands of the Philistines, but many years lat

And at three Jesus cried out with a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lemá sabachtháni?" which is translated, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?" - Mark 15:34 If you have ever felt abandoned by the Father, you are not alone. Apparently, His own Son felt it, as well. Ultimately, we who follow Christ Jesus understand the utter necessity of that "forsaking" and, no doubt, Jesus understood it as well. Yet, understanding and experiencing, particularly at such an infinite level, a

Jacob’s Portion is not like these because He is the One who formed all things. Israel is the tribe of His inheritance; Yahweh of Hosts is His name. - Jeremiah 51:19 Why would someone, an entire people, exchange the truth of God for a lie? While we may wonder at the absurdity of such a proposition, we must also acknowledge that historically such an event has repeatedly occurred. It is even possible that this "trade" is a part of your (yes, even my) own personal past. "Ja

So the Scripture was fulfilled that says: And He was counted among outlaws. - Mark 15:28 I have often commented on the need for the church (the Body of Christ) to maintain a radical posture in a world system that stands in opposition to her. Radical is not just a position for some of us, it should be the attitude of all of us. Our example is Christ Himself who happened to be the greatest radical who ever lived. Jesus of Nazareth lived and died an outcast, despised and r

Babylon was a golden cup in Yahweh's hand making the whole earth drunk. The nations drank her wine; therefore, the nations go mad. - Jeremiah 51:7 The rise and fall of the Babylonian empire is a great example of God's sovereign power. Jeremiah, God's prophet, foretold both the ascent and descent of this once powerful nation. In the end, Babylon was simply a tool by which God accomplished His divine purposes. Could our nation experience a similar fate? Absolutely. Can a

Then, willing to gratify the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. And after having Jesus flogged, he handed Him over to be crucified. - Mark 15:15 Here we see a leader who desired to gratify the "crowd" or "mob," but he had to crucify the Savior to do it. In every church, ministry, or missionary organization you will find the Holy Spirit, a "crowd," and some "disciples." The competent leader is conscious of the "crowd's" existence, but he listens to the disciples as

I will return Israel to his graying land, and he will feed on Carmel and Bashan; he will be satisfied in the hill country of Ephraim and Gilead. In those days and at that time -- this is the Yahweh's declaration -- one will search for Israel's guilt, but there will be none, and for Judah's sins, but they will not be found, for I will forgive those I leave as a remnant. - Jeremiah 50:19-20 Certainly the most difficult time to remember God's deliverance would be when you ar

Then He went a little farther, fell to the ground, and began to pray that if it were possible, the hour might pass from Him. - Mark 14:35 If a person is given two choices, rarely will he choose the path that is most difficult, right? Everyone knows this. It is common sense. Of course, sometimes we are not given a choice. We must take the hard path because it is the only one available. Jesus had a choice, but because He was the obedient Son of His Father, He willingly fo

Why do you brag about your valleys, your flowing valley, you faithless daughter? You who trust in your treasures [and boast]: Who can attack me? - Jeremiah 49:4 What is the meaning of "arrogance?" Is it simply the presence of pride or is it something more? I would define arrogance as "self-love, revealed by the placement of trust in something other than God." The Babylonians trusted in their valleys (and bountiful harvests), their power, their false gods, and all their

Peter told Him, "Even if everyone runs away, I will certainly not!" - Mark 14:29 Peter (the Rock) might have been wrong, but he was never in doubt! He was the first out of the boat, but also the first to sink. He was the first to speak up on the mount, but he was also the first to be silenced. Of course, he was also one of the first to follow, yet one of the first to run away. It seemed that if a thought or idea crossed Peter's mind it also crossed his lips and moved him to a

And you, My servant Jacob, do not be afraid -- [this is] Yahweh's declaration -- for I will be with you. I will bring destruction on all the nations where I have banished you, but I will not bring destruction on you. I will discipline you with justice, but I will by no means leave you unpunished. - Jeremiah 46:28 As if He needed to justify His punishment of Israel, God explained to His covenant people the necessity of His discipline. Yes, they were His people, but they we

For those will be days of tribulation, the kind that hasn't been from the beginning of the world, which God created, until now and never will be again! Unless the Lord limited those days, no one would survive. But He limited those days because of the elect, whom He chose. - Mark 13:19-20 In his description of the end times, Matthew followed Mark to the letter (24:21-22). Luke, however, departed briefly to say that the "celestial powers will be shaken (21:26)." Do Matthew

"But as for you, do you seek great things for yourself? Stop seeking! For I am about to bring disaster on every living creature" -- this is Yahweh's declaration -- "but I will grant you your life like the spoils of war wherever you go." - Jeremiah 45:5 Baruch was Jeremiah's scribe who was charged with the difficult task of not only accurately recording God's prophecies through the prophet, but also delivering God's Word to Judah's rebellious leaders. Even though he was on

And the good news must first be proclaimed to all nations. - Mark 13:10 Nearing the end of His earthly life, Jesus' disciples asked Him about the signs that would accompany the end of the age. The master told them many things, but in significant ways He consistently emphasized their responsibility to take the good news of the Kingdom to all the peoples of the earth. The disciples would continue to express their end-times concerns until the moments just before Jesus' ascensio

Whether it is pleasant or unpleasant, we will obey the voice of Yahweh our God to whom we are sending you so that it may go well with us. - Jeremiah 42:6 Every Sunday morning, hundreds of millions of people who call themselves Christians will gather together for instruction from (presumably what will be) God's Word. Unfortunately, some will exit having heard something quite different. Thankfully, many will exit those assemblies having heard a message from Scripture, stop

And the good news must first be proclaimed to all nations. - Mark 13:10 While much is discussed and debated over the possible events leading up to the return of our Savior and King, Jesus, the necessity of proclaiming the good news to all "peoples" (ethne) is not on the list of uncertainties. Earthquakes, famines, wars (and rumors of such) fill our news reports each (and it seems) every day and the prognosticators of the impending parousia delight in pronouncing the end of t

... that Yahweh your God may tell us the way we should walk and the thing we should do. - Jeremiah 42:3 A group of leaders once approached the prophet Jeremiah and expressed a desire to have God give them guidance for the future. After they presented their request, Jeremiah agreed to take it before the Lord. The people then gave their unequivocal consent to whatever God's direction, expressed through Jeremiah, implied. Then they proceeded to ignore it completely! Wouldn

Jesus told them, "Are you not deceived because you don't know the Scriptures or the power of God?" - Mark 12:24 Private and corporate theological heresy may originate from many sources. Sometimes it comes from long-held traditional beliefs and at other times from an agenda intended to deceive and/or abuse. One thing is certain though, in every situation, heresy is only successful among those who do not comprehend God's Word. The greatest defense against error is truth. Those

Jeremiah replied to Zedekiah, "If I tell you, you will kill me, won't you? Besides, if I give you advice, you won't listen to me anyway." - Jeremiah 38:15 Jeremiah, mud still caked between his toes from his days spent in the king's cistern, was taken to Zedekiah for the stated purpose of delivering a message from God. Fresh from his "deeper life" experience, Jeremiah found it hard to believe that the king really wanted to know what God was thinking. Have you ever come a