Posts by Pastor Mark (Page 9)

A Gruesome and Glorious Day

Amos 3:3–6 3 “Do two walk together, unless they have agreed to meet? 4 Does a lion roar in the forest, when he has no prey? Does a young lion cry out from his den, if he has taken nothing? 5 Does a bird fall in a snare on the earth, when there is no trap for it? Does a snare…

Trusting God when the Stench of Evil is Undeniable

​​​​​​Mark 14:60–64 60 And the high priest stood up in the midst and asked Jesus, “Have you no answer to make? What is it that these men testify against you?” 61 But he remained silent and made no answer. Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?” 62 And Jesus said, “I am, and…

God is Glorified as His People are Edified

1 Corinthians 12:12–13 12 For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.  The Corinthian’s…

You do not have because you do not ask!

Luke 11:9–13 “9 And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. 11 What father among you, if his son asks for…

The Power of God for Salvation

Romans 1:16–17 16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.” To the…

Credit Where Credit is Due

Deuteronomy 8:17–18 17 Beware lest you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth.’ 18 You shall remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your fathers, as it is this day. Moses prepares…

The Chaos of Moral Relativism

Judges 17:6 (21:15) In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.  Our society, and many in our world, are influenced by the idea of moral relativism. Moral relativism holds to the understanding that there is no universal or absolute set of ethical standards. Those guided by…

Don’t Take the Presence of God for Granted

Isaiah 55:6–7 6 “Seek the Lord while he may be found; call upon him while he is near; 7 let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.  In a world deadened to the presence and power…

Gospel Grace Empowers Perseverance

Luke 9:57–62 57 As they were going along the road, someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” 58 And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” 59 To another he said, “Follow me.” But he said, “Lord, let me…