This episode launches our new series in the book of Acts: The Continuing Acts of Jesus. In this first episode, derived from Guide Through the Bible, Arlin and Anthony frame our study in Acts. They explore the theme that spans the book of Acts—turning the world upside down with Jesus—drawn from Act 4:13 and Acts 17:6. They also look at the progression of the Gospel outlined in Acts 1:8, and how we can take part in its ongoing spread. Through this conversation, they share their questions and what they hope to learn from this study of the book of Acts. […]

Have you seen the Righteous One? In this Easter special, Arlin Horst looks at Paul the Apostle, a man who encountered Jesus in a miraculous way and was transformed. As Arlin explores Acts 22:1-16, he examines Paul’s questions, his actions, and how his encounter with Christ turned him into a bold witness for Him. This episode invites you to reflect: Have you seen Jesus, and has your life been changed by Him? 

In this second part of “The Church of Dangerous Delusion”, we continue our study of the church of Laodicea in Revelation 3:14-22. Though this church is lukewarm and blind to its own spiritual condition, Jesus provides a path forward to restoration, which is outlined in his exhortation and compensation. In this last episode examining the churches in Revelation, we are called to reflect on our own spiritual temperature and the promise given to those who overcome.

Chapters

• (00:00:00) - Revelation: The Voice of Hope
• (00:02:19) - the Church of the Laodiceans
• (00:03:56) - Message of Exhortation to the Church at Laodice
• (00:12:13) - Jesus at the Door
• (00:21:18) - 7 Letters to the 7 Churches of Revelation
• (00:27:03) - The Door of My Heart

I Timothy 2:11-15 I had the privilege, or misfortune, of growing up in the 1960s and 70s. During that time, the concept of authority was trashed in favor of personal autonomy. The mantra of that era was “no one is going to tell me how to live.” It led to the wholesale rejection of moral standards. The young adults of that time eventually grew up – at least they got older. Yet many of them never abandoned their childish ideas about freedom. They carried these with them into places of influence and authority. We believe there are objective moral standards […]

Don’t Be Afraid, Just Believe

Mark 5:21-43 

              Charlotte Elliott was a sickly English woman who developed a long history of refusing to do things she was asked to do because of her illness. Her brother was a pastor, and he was particularly persistent in trying to get her to do something positive. But Charlotte always refused. She’d say things like; “I’m not feeling up to it; I’m an invalid, you know; I just don’t think I can.”

              Charlotte’s brother was trying to raise funds for a school for young women. Once more he asked Charlotte to help … just to go to the event and do something, anything. But again, she refused; she was too tired and too sick. And so, the family went off and left her home alone.

              That night, Charlotte began to think about how her sickness was taking over her life. She began to feel ashamed because she would not risk anything for the Kingdom. She realized that that her illness had become the most important thing, maybe the only thing, in her life. And that night Charlotte heard the call of God.

              Out of her restlessness, out of her self-disgust, she wrote, “Just as I am, without one plea, but that Thy blood was shed for me, and that Thou bidd’st me come to Thee, O Lamb of God, I come. Just as I am, and waiting not… just as I am, with many a conflict, many a doubt. Yes, just as I am, poor, wretched, blind… just as I am, I come.” Yes Lord, I’m a mess, but I’m coming.

              In her extremity, Charlotte Elliott was learning a very valuable lesson; that brokenness and the exercise of faith are crucial steps on the way to wholeness.

              As we resume our study in Mark’s Gospel, we come to the account of Jairus’ daughter being raised from death to life and the healing of the woman who had a chronic hemorrhage. There are valuable lessons about faith and fear we can learn as we meditate on this Scripture. From the last several scenes in Mark’s Gospel we’ve seen these themes of fear and faith in Jesus’ control over nature, over demons, and now, over sickness and death. 

              Listen carefully now as I read Mark 5:21 to 43.

              In this text the comparison of faith and fear is clearly illustrated. As we examine these illustrations, we will better understand Jesus’ words, “Don’t be Afraid, Just Believe.” 

The First ILLUSTRATION (of the comparison between faith and fear) is,

              A Devoted Father

              Mark and Luke identify Jairus (JY-RUS) as a ruler of the synagogue. His position surely would have acquainted him with Jesus. The Gospel records tell us that Jesus taught in many of the synagogues of Galilee. Jesus may have spoken more than once in the very synagogue where Jairus was the leader.

              Jairus filled an honorable position. He was most likely prosperous and well respected in the community. But not everything about his life was ideal. Luke implies that his “only daughter” was his only child. Mark adds the endearing term, “little.” For a Jewish man to have no sons was a great misfortune. This misfortune may have made his daughter more precious to him.

              So, his precious little girl is struck with illness and, according to verse 23, her life was slipping away. She was dying. Jairus sought out Jesus as his only hope. Jesus had returned to the western shore of the Sea of Galilee, and as was usual, a dense crowd gathered around Jesus. Jairus had to push his way through that crowd to get to Jesus. This is his first visible expression of faith; he believed Jesus could help.

              Notice Jairus’ attitude and his request. He came to Je...

Going to the Dark Side: Part 2

Mark 5:1-20

At the insistence of the demons, Jesus permitted them. By His power, Jesus could have sent them anywhere, even back to the abyss. That fact that He didn’t do that tells us He had a larger purpose to fulfill in this interaction with the demons and the residents. John MacArthur wrote, “By granting permission for these demons to go into the herd of pigs, Jesus was allowing them to put on display the true magnitude of their destructive and deadly force. In so doing, He also highlighted the glorious superiority of His own power.” [1]

              What happened next stunned the bystanders! The entire herd of 2,000 pigs went berserk and stampeded down a steep slope and into the Sea of Galilee to their deaths. This was undeniable proof that the demons had left the man and entered the pigs. It also illustrated the damaging power of the demons on a massive scale. Most importantly, it demonstrated Jesus’ absolute authority over them. They had no choice by to comply with His sovereign command!

              We have many warnings in Scripture that evil will increase as we approach the end of the age. Jesus and the apostles spoke about how evil behaviors will “come out of the closet” and into the mainstream of culture as Satan realizes that his time for deception is growing short. I have witnessed this in my short lifetime.

              For those who follow Christ, confronting evil in society today is much more costly than in the past. But we must not shrink in fear. Instead, we need to “put on the full armor of God so we can stand against the devil’s schemes.” We are not struggling against human beings, but against spiritual forces of evil in this world of darkness working through human beings. We must not retreat in the face of opposition but go boldly forward to confront evil in our time.

              Going to the dark side requires us to cross barriers and confront evil.

Another STEP (in going to the dark side) is,

              Choosing Sides

              Not all demonstrations of Jesus’ power are as dramatic as this one. But one thing is sure; when Jesus shows up you can’t be neutral. You can either accept Him or reject Him, but you can’t ignore Him!

              Those who cared for the pigs and witnessed their dramatic destruction didn’t wait around to see what would happen next. They took to their heels in fear and told everyone they saw about what had happened to the herd of pigs. The text isn’t clear about whether they had seen the transformation in the former demoniac. The news spread like wildfire across the whole region. When people heard about what happened they wanted to see it with their own eyes.

              So, they came to see if what they’d been told was true. And sure enough, the pigs were floating in the water. Even more astounding was the man who had been possessed by many demons sitting with Jesus. He was fully clothed, and his mind was completely restored. He and Jesus were conversing together. And they were afraid. This was the same kind of fear the disciples experienced after Jesus stilled the storm on the Sea of Galilee. It was the realization that they were in the presence of the Holy One.  

              Imagine those who had witnessed these dramatic events retelling them to the curious crowd that had gathered. I see them imitating the behavior of the demoniac, the calm composure of Jesus, and the violent reaction of the herd of pigs. I picture them pointing to the bodies of all those d...

Going to the Dark Side: Part 1

Mark 5:1-20

              What was the purpose of Jesus’ coming to earth? Hint: there’s more than one right answer. In First John 3:8, John answers this question very clearly. In this context, John is writing about the relationship between sin and the child of God. He wrote, “He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose, the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.”

              So, the Son of God was revealed so that He might destroy the works of Satan. It seems that John is simply reminding us of what God promised Eve in Genesis 3:15. “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel.” Some versions read that the seed of the woman, Jesus, will “crush” the head of the serpent.

              In the Gospels, we see Jesus doing this very thing. Before He began His public ministry He endured a time of temptation in the wilderness. There, Jesus convincingly demonstrated His power over Satan, specifically, by using the written Word of God. In Mark chapter one, on the Sabbath and in the synagogue, Jesus delivers a man from a demonic spirit showing His mastery over the powers of darkness.

              That brings us to our text for this study, Mark 5:1 to 20. Matthew and Luke also record the details of this amazing event. In the biblical record, not since God cast Satan and his angels out of heaven, have so many demons been simultaneously displaced by one divine command!  

              But before we get to our text, let’s consider the larger context. What was happening just before the events of this chapter? In Mark chapter 4, Jesus was teaching His disciples about the characteristics of the kingdom of God. He compared it to the mystery of a growing plant. The farmer plants the seed, but he can’t make it grow nor can he fully explain how it grows. Furthermore, He implied that the kingdom would start as a very small seed, yet it would grow into a large tree so the birds could come and nest in its shade.

              Then, at the very end of chapter four, we have the account of Jesus sleeping during a wild storm on the Sea of Galilee. He was exhausted from a couple of days of nonstop ministry. They had been so busy that they didn’t even have time to eat! So, immediately, after they leave the crowds behind, He falls asleep in the stern of the boat. When the violent storm erupts, He keeps right on sleeping.

              The disciples are struggling to control the ship and their fear is growing. They are facing the reality that this voyage isn’t going to end well, so they awaken Jesus with a cry of despair; “Don’t you care that we are perishing?” Jesus miraculously stills the wind and the waves and then the disciples are even more terrified. “Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!”

              That question is left hanging, as it were, in the air. In their understanding, only God, the creator of earth and sea can control such things. And that brings us to our text, Mark 5:1 to 20. Listen to Mark’s record of these amazing events.   

              If the disciples were out of their comfort zone during the storm and with Jesus’ response to the storm, the narrative we just read must have compounded their uneasiness. The unpredi...

Is Jesus in Your Boat?

Mark 4:35-41

            Few ships in the world are more famous than the Titanic. She began her maiden voyage on April 10, 1912, from Southampton, England, to New York City. On April 14, the Titanic struck an iceberg and in a few short hours broke apart and sank. More than 1500 people lost their lives in the icy waters of the North Atlantic.

            On the Sunday after the Titanic sank, Belfast, Ireland, was in shock. The Titanic was built by one of the premier shipbuilding firms in the city, and it was considered virtually unsinkable. As you can imagine, the townspeople were devastated. Men met on the city’s streets, grasped each other’s hands, burst into tears, and parted without saying a word. One church lost 16 of its male members to the icy waters; they were all mechanics on the Titanic. And on that dark Sunday, the pastor in that congregation read Mark 4:35 to 41.

            As we continue our study of the Gospel of Mark, we come to this text. It is the dramatic account of Jesus and His disciples on the Sea of Galilee amid a horrendous storm. The title of this study is a question, “Is Jesus in Your Boat?” I hope you can stay with me. Listen now as I read Mark 4:35 to 41.

             As we look at the interaction of Jesus and the disciples in this text, we’ll see that the only unsinkable vessel in history was the little boat occupied by the sleeping Savior. How you answer the question, “Is Jesus in your boat?” will have far-reaching and eternal consequences.  

Consider the Humanity of Jesus

            As I read and meditated on this short text, I was impressed by how few words are spoken. There are several short commands and questions, but they are loaded with so much meaning.

            Jesus makes the first statement; “Let’s cross over to the other side.” It is the evening of what has been a hectic day. The events included the blasphemous accusation by the Pharisees, the visit of the family to rescue Him from the crowds, leaving the crowded house for the sea, teaching parables from a boat, and more parables in the house, and back to the sea again. Now, they are preparing to cross the sea!

            Here is evidence of the humanity of Jesus. He was physically tired, and it was time to find some relief from the pressing demands of the constant crowds. He had been so busy there hadn’t even been time to eat, according to Mark 3:20. Think of the emotional drain that constant ministry put on Him. The needs were endless.

            They were on the west side of the lake and a voyage to the eastern side in the evening would be a delightful and refreshing change for the weary Jesus. Furthermore, the eastern side of the lake was much less populated, making it a good place to rest. But as is often the case with Jesus, there’s more to the story. He has a divine appointment on the other side of Galilee.

            So, they started their voyage. They took Jesus with them in the boat, the one He had been teaching from. Mark is the only one who mentions other little boats with them. People must have gathered around Jesus’ boat to be closer to Him and to hear His teaching.

            It reminds me of our trip to Israel in March 2023. When our tour group visited a site, there were always those who were taking pictures or looking for a place to sit. I tried not to be obnoxious or pushy, but...

The Mystery of the Kingdom

Mark 4:21-34

            In Ephesians 5, in the context of his teaching about marriage oneness, Paul wrote, “This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church.” 

            In First Corinthians 15, he wrote, “Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed—in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet.” 

            Then in Second Thessalonians 2:7, in the context of the second coming of Christ, Paul wrote,“For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way.” 

            In Ephesians, Paul says the marriage relationship and our union with Christ IS a great mystery. Can you fully explain how the marriage relationship mirrors Christ’s relationship with the Church? I didn’t think so. Then, in Thessalonians, he says the mystery of lawlessness IS already working. Again, the spirit of the antichrist is working in our world, but we don’t fully understand how it will manifest itself just before the coming of Christ.

            However, in First Corinthians 15, Paul informs us that he is SHOWING us (literally, telling us) a mystery. In other words, he is revealing something that wasn’t known before. That’s the biblical definition of a mystery; it’s the revelation of what was previously unknown.

            In Mark 4:11, Jesus said to His disciples, “To you, it has been given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God; but to those who are outside, all things come in parables…”

            The portion of Scripture for our study this time follows immediately after the parable of the soils and is directly related to it. I’ve titled my teaching, “The Mystery of the Kingdom,” and our text is Mark 4:21 to 34. So, listen carefully as I read this text and see if you can pick out the steps that reveal to us the mystery of the kingdom. 

In this text, we observe the several STEPS that reveal to us the mystery of the kingdom.

Before we get into our study, I point out to you Jesus’ emphasis on hearing! In verse 9 of this chapter, He says, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” Then, in verse 23, He says, “If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.” And verse 24, “Take heed what you hear.” Let’s keep this emphasis in mind as we work our way through this text.

The First STEP (that reveals the mystery of the kingdom) is,

            Its Proclamation

            Jesus continues directly from “the parable of the soils” into additional teaching about the kingdom of God. He moves from the field to the house and uses a common item to illustrate His teaching – a lamp.

            Every household in Jesus’ day had these small clay lamps. A small lump of clay was formed into a shallow bowl that would hold a couple of teaspoons of oil, and then one side was pinched into a crude spout.  A wick was laid in that little bowl of oil and out over the spout. After the wick was saturated, you lit the exposed end, and there was your lamp. In the house, these were usually placed on a small shelf or a stone that was left protruding from the wall for that purpose.

            Interestingly, Mark invests the lamp with motion. He ask...

Resurrection Celebration 2024

Selected Texts

We Shall Assemble/There is a Redeemer

Who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, And as a root out of dry ground. He has no form or comeliness; And when we see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him. He is despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him…

Stricken, Smitten, Afflicted

Surely, he has borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement for our peace was upon him; and by his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, everyone, to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

When I Survey the Wondrous Cross

And He, bearing His cross, went out to a place called the Place of a Skull, which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha, where they crucified Him, and two others with Him, one on either side, and Jesus in the center. Now Pilate wrote a title and put it on the cross. And the writing was: JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS.

O Sacred Head Now Wounded                     

Now when evening had come, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who himself had also become a disciple of Jesus. This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be given to him. When Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and laid it in his new tomb which he had hewn out of the rock; and he rolled a large stone against the door of the tomb and departed.

Then Came the Morning                                

Now after the Sabbath, as the first day of the week began to dawn, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb. And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat on it. His countenance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow. And the guards shook for fear of him and became like dead men. But the angel answered and said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.

Awake, Awake O Earth                     

Now if Christ is preached that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty, and your faith is also empty. And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable. But now Christ is risen from the dead and has become the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.

Lift Your Glad Voices                         

But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone. For it was f...

Don’t Miss Your Moment

Luke 19:28-48

            Some of you are familiar with Leo Tolstoy’s famous Christmas story where the main character is Martin, an old cobbler. One night as Martin sat reading from the Gospels, he thought he heard someone calling him. He listened and heard clearly: “Martin, look out into the street tomorrow for I will come to visit you.” He looked around the tiny room, and since he couldn’t see anyone, he reckoned it must be the Lord who had spoken to him.

            All that next day, Martin worked with a sense of excitement and anticipation. After helping several needy people throughout the day, he reluctantly closed up the shop, disappointed that the Lord hadn’t come.

After supper he read from the Gospels for a while, and then put down the book. In a flash of inspiration, the words of the Lord came to him: “I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty and you gave me a drink. I was naked and you clothed me.” The words thrilled Martin. The Lord HAD visited him, and he hadn’t missed the opportunity to serve Him!

            Have you ever missed an important moment in your life because you were expecting something different than what actually happened? The people of Jesus’ day were no different; because they were looking for something different, they missed out on being part of His kingdom. Missing their moment had tragic consequences.

            Our text today reveals several responses you and I must have to Jesus or we, too, will miss our moment. So, listen to the words of Holy Scripture from Luke 19:28 to 48.

This text reveals the RESPONSES necessary for you if you don’t want to miss your moment to enter the kingdom of Heaven.

The First RESPONSE is,

            Proclaim the King’s Worth

            Jesus is continuing His final ascent to Jerusalem. In a few days He will go to the cross. But there are prophecies that need to be fulfilled before that takes place. One is Zechariah 9:9. “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, Lowly and riding on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey.”

            So, Jesus sends two of the disciples into a nearby village with unusual instructions. “When you get into the village, you’ll find a donkey colt tied; a donkey colt that’s never been ridden. Untie him and bring him to me. If anyone questions you, just say ‘The Lord has need of him.’”

            The scene unfolds just like Jesus predicted. When the owners asked why they were untying the colt the two disciples simply said, “The Lord needs him.” Suppose for a moment they’d said “Hey, you can’t have the colt; it’s ours.” That would have been their right under the law. But they would’ve missed their moment.

            The owners of the colt allowed it to be taken for Jesus’ use. If they hadn’t given permission, I’m sure Jesus would’ve found another donkey. But the question is – am I willing to proclaim Jesus’ worth by allowing Him to use my resources?

            So now the disciples have the colt. When they get back to Jesus, they take off some of their outer garments and put them on the back of the donkey. Then they seat Jesus on the colt and continue their...

A Fruitful Life : Part 2

Mark 4:10-20

            This text reveals several key INGREDIENTS necessary for producing “A Fruitful Life.”

In the previous episode of The Voice of Hope we began studying Mark 4:1-20, Jesus’ parable of the soils. We looked at the skill of the sower, the quality of the seed, and the first two kinds of soil. They were the hard-packed soil of the footpath and the thin soil with underlying bedrock. Today, we’ll look at two more types of soil and also the yields of good productive soil.

Listen now as I read a shortened version of our text, Mark 4:10-20.

                And then Jesus moves on to the third soil type; the thorny soil. Once again, the question arises; “Why sow precious seed among thorns?” I think Luke’s record of this provides the answer. He wrote, “Some [seed] fell among thorns, and the thorns SPRANG UP WITH IT and choked it.”

            Many varieties of thorny vines are rhizomes; that is, their root systems spread beneath the soil. In the winter, the old growth dies and deteriorates. In the spring, new growth will emerge from those root systems under the ground.

            So, it is possible that depending on how the soil was prepared to receive the seed, the sower would not see any evidence of the thorns. That area of the soil may look just as good as all the other areas. It is only after the seed is sown and both the grain and the thorns begin to grow together that the problem is discovered.

            In verses 18 and 19 of our text, Jesus explains the characteristics of the thorny soil. As the young stalks of grain and the young thorns grow together, literally becoming intertwined, the thorns overtake the grain and choke out its life. And the Greek word means to choke something until it is dead! Death precludes any possibility of bringing fruit to maturity.

            Let me pause here to note something I think is important. Except for the very first soil, the hard-packed path, each of the other soils probably appeared on the surface to be suitable for sowing the seed. But it was what lay beneath the surface that was important in determining whether or not a crop was produced.

            Now, let’s look at Jesus’ description of the thorny soil. Jesus said the thorny soil represents those who, as they are going forth, are “strangled” with the cares and riches and pleasures of this life. As a result, they bring no fruit to perfection or maturity. Let’s take some time to examine the things Jesus specifically mentioned that strangle these fruitless plants.

            First, Jesus mentions cares. What are the cares that prevent fruit? Matthew and Mark refer to “cares of the world.” In Philippians 4:6 Paul writes “Be care-full [or anxious] for nothing…” In Second Corinthians 11:28, he writes about all the care or anxiety he experienced as the leader of the churches. And in I Peter 5:7, we read, “Cast all your cares [anxieties] on Him, because He cares for you.”

            Jesus is talking about a preoccupation with the affairs of this life. It is investing my time and energy in...

A Fruitful Life: Part 1

Mark 4:1-20

            As we continue our study of Mark’s Gospel, we come to the record of Jesus’ teaching that’s often called “The Parable of the Sower.” You’ll notice as we read Mark 8:1-20 that the sower is only mentioned twice, once in verse 3 and again in verse 14. The main thrust of the parable seems to be the types of soil on which the seed falls. We could more accurately call this “The Parable of the Soils.”

            When we study parables in the Bible, we need to remember they usually contain one primary message. In this parable of the soils, Jesus concentrates on the types of soil and how each responds to the sowing of the Word of God. How those soils, which represent people, respond, determines whether or not they will understand the mysteries of the Kingdom and the resulting fruitful life.

            Jesus’ teaching in this text speaks to us right where we are, in the daily decisions of living. Let’s read this text from Mark 4:1 to 20; and as we do, you will see that Jesus is teaching us how to have “A Fruitful Life.” 

            This text reveals several key INGREDIENTS necessary for producing “A Fruitful Life.”

The First INGREDIENT is,

            The Skill of the Sower

            As I mentioned earlier, this parable is often called “The Parable of the Sower.” But of all the ingredients necessary for producing a fruitful life, the sower is given the shortest space in the text. It’s not that He’s unimportant. In fact, without Him, there is no possibility of fruit being produced. He must do his job well for a crop to be produced. While the main focus of this parable is on the types of soil, we must look at the character of the sower.

            I find it interesting that Jesus begins by saying, “Listen, behold…” I remember years ago an evangelist who would periodically ask during his preaching, “Are you listening?” Jesus said to His listeners, hear! And He followed that up with “behold.” These are both words that command attention. They cut through the distractions we’re so often surrounded by. You and I should cultivate the discipline of becoming good listeners.

            We see quickly from the context that the sower is Jesus. And He is not just ‘a’ sower. Some Bible versions neglect the Greek use of the definite article, but the New American Standard has it correctly translated as “The Sower went out to sow His seed…” Everything we see in Jesus’ life and ministry, from His introduction by John the Baptist to this section of teaching, is a picture of Him sowing the seeds of truth about the Kingdom of God. And, if ever there was a person who was skillful in sowing, it was Jesus.

            When the Divine Sower walked the earth, sowing was done by hand. A quantity of seed was carried in a sack or a fold of cloth over the left shoulder. The cupped, right hand was thrust into the loose grain and then swung in a smooth arc to distribute the grains evenly across the ground. I have done this myself in my home garden, sowing a cover crop. It’s not as easy as it sounds or looks. It takes practice to get an even distribution of the seed.

            As we observe Jesus’ life and ministry, He didn’t always scatter the seed the same way in every setting. But He always knew how to sow the seed for the greatest potential harvest!

            Before our text, Jesus spoke plain...

How does someone become spiritually delusional? In this episode, we turn to Revelation 3:14-22 and Jesus’ sobering message to the church in Laodicea. In this episode, we see a church trapped in a dangerous self-deception having turned away from the truth. They found comfort in materiel wealth and were in danger of rejecting Jesus. In this first part of the study on Laodicea, J. Mark reflects on Jesus’ accusations and the danger of becoming lukewarm in your faith.

A Model for Leaders

Mark 3:7-19

            When I was a boy, models of classic cars were a big thing. They came in a box unassembled, and you had to glue all the plastic parts together and then paint the model whatever color you wanted. In my memory, I can still smell the glue we used to assemble them. They accurately represented real cars, and the details were pretty amazing.

In the spring of 2023, my wife and I had the privilege to visit Israel. Among the many attractions we visited was the model of the city of Jerusalem during the time of Herod the Great. The model shows what the city looked like in AD 66, about 30 years after the crucifixion of Jesus. It was fascinating to see a detailed model of what the city looked like during that time. The model covers about 4,000 square meters, almost an acre.

Other models serve as patterns to be followed. Jesus gave His disciples a model prayer in Matthew chapter six. It’s not so much that we repeat that prayer verbatim but that we use the ideas in it as a pattern to help us pray effectively.

In our continuing study of Mark’s Gospel, we’ve come to chapter three, verses seven to nineteen. This is the continuing narrative of the life and ministry of Jesus. Sometimes, when we teach from narrative portions of the Scripture, it can be challenging to apply it to our lives. But as I studied and prayed, the Holy Spirit showed me in these verses: “A Model for Leaders.”   

            Now, don’t let that title scare you away! If you’re not in a formal leadership position, you can still benefit from this teaching. The actions we’ll observe Jesus taking to model leadership apply to everyone to some degree. Action is a defining characteristic of Mark’s Gospel.

            Follow along now as I read our text, Mark 3:7 to 19, and see if you can pick out some of the actions of Jesus that model leadership.

In this narrative, we find several ACTIONS taken by Jesus that can be used as a model for leaders.

            Before we begin exploring this text, don’t forget what happened in the preceding verses. Context is very important. Jesus had healed a man in the synagogue on the Sabbath day. As a result, the Pharisees and the followers of Herod began exploring ways to put Jesus to death. That sets the stage for our text.

The First ACTION is,

            Exercise Prudence

            Our text opens with Jesus withdrawing from the synagogue and going to a remote area somewhere along the shore of the Sea of Galilee with His disciples. Luke’s narrative adds that Jesus went to this remote region to pray.

Do you think Jesus was fearful of the threats of His enemies? I don’t think I ever considered that possibility before. I hope you don’t think that’s blasphemous. After all, what does the writer of Hebrews mean when he wrote that “…we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin”? Being tempted in EVERY way certainly includes fear.

One thing we know for sure is that Jesus knew that His time to die hadn’t yet come. So, He exercised prudence or caution. He wasn’t going to needlessly antagonize the opposition. Proverbs 27:12 says, “A prudent man foresees evil and hides himself; the simple pass on and are punished.” Jesus foresaw the outcome of the opposition and prudently removed Himself to the open countryside around the Sea of Galilee.

To be...

This is a special feature on the VOH. J. Mark Horst interviews Anthony High, our Executive Director. Next week, we will return to our series in the book of Mark. Do you remember your first Bible? The first copy I had was called The Rainbow Bible. It had a picture on the front cover of Jesus blessing the children and it had a zipper to keep it closed. Today, I have numerous copies of the Scripture in my home and office. Yet many people in other parts of the world don’t have a copy of God’s Word. Last fall, Tony High, our […]

Lord of the Sabbath : Part 2

Mark 3:1- 6

Missed Part 1? Catch it here!

His Argument from Human Predicament

              The second incident recorded in our text occurs on another Sabbath day, here at the beginning of chapter three. Jesus is teaching in the synagogue. Nothing new with that, it was something He did regularly.

              In the congregation that day was a man with a withered or shrunken hand. The same word is used to describe the fig tree that Jesus cursed in Matthew chapter twenty-one. So, his hand was useless. Luke records that it was the man’s right hand. For most people, the right hand is the predominant one, the one that enables them to work and earn a living. Marvin Vincent writes: “The [Greek] participle indicates that the withering was not congenital, but the result of accident or disease.” So, this man was not born with a deformity.

              Now, notice verse two. The scribes and the Pharisees were watching Jesus to see whether or not He would heal someone on the Sabbath day. They are watching Him, not just out of curiosity or interest, now there’s animosity. They are watching to see what he will do so they can accuse Him of breaking the Law. That would tarnish His reputation in the eyes of the people and give them an excuse to bring Him before the Sanhedrin. But because of His deity, Jesus always had the upper hand. All along He knew what they were thinking!

              Again, Jesus seems to intentionally raise the tension level in the situation. He commands the man with the withered hand to stand up and move into the middle of the room! Now Jesus has everyone’s attention. As everyone is looking at Him, He asks the question; “Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath days or to do evil; to save life, or to kill?” In my mind, this is a rhetorical question; the answer is self-evident. I’m fairly certain Jesus intended it to be so.

              After asking the question, Jesus paused to give them time to reflect on His question. As they’re thinking about what He said, He takes time to look over the entire audience slowly and deliberately. Mark says He looked around about Him with anger because he was grieved at the hardness of their hearts. The original grammar of the sentence tells us that His anger was momentary and fleeting, but the grief was continuing.

              The heart and attitude of these religious men were in a state of moral ossification like hardened hands or feet. Poros was used to describe a particular kind of stone, marble, and also of the callus on fractured bones. The Pharisees were hardened against this new truth by their previous conceptions of how it should be applied.

Then He says to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” The man obeyed and immediately his hand was restored to wholeness like his uninjured one.

              How would you have responded if you’d been there? Would you have been glad for the man who was healed? For myself, I would quickly say, “Yes, I would be glad for him.” But what if that healing made me look foolish in the eyes of my peers? After all, what if the roles had been reversed? What if I were the one with the withered hand?

              Think of what this meant to him, not only physically, but also spiritually and emotionally! If he were a day laborer, he would be much more likely to be hired now because he was a whole man. He could once again provide for himself and his fami...

Lord of the Sabbath : Part 1

Mark 2:23-28

      Lord Shaftesbury was a member of Parliament in London in the late 1700s. He was a devout Christ follower and a tireless advocate for the poor and the mentally ill. Because he worked closely with the poor, he was well respected among them, and his interactions generated some unique insights and improved some of their lives.

In one instance, the London fruit and vegetable peddlers told him that their donkeys, if they were rested one day in seven, could carry their loads 30 miles per day. But if the peddlers worked the donkeys seven days a week, those same donkeys could only travel 15 miles a day.

      The livelihood of these peddlers depended on their animals, and they discovered that they lost 75 miles of travel each week by working the donkey every day; not only that, but they also had a sick, shabby-looking donkey. If they used the donkey just six days per week, they gained 3,900 miles of travel in a year and had a sleek, nice-looking donkey.

Do donkeys benefit from the Ten Commandments? Here’s Deuteronomy 5:14. “The seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter or your male servant or your female servant, or your ox or your donkey or any of your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates, that your male servant and your female servant may rest as well as you. 

      God made men and donkeys. He knew what was good for them and put both into the commandments. An unbeliever who ignores God’s law doesn’t know enough to run a donkey without killing it. In Paris, France, there was no Sabbath observance during this time (the time of the French Revolution), and there were more suicides in proportion to the population than in any other city in Christendom.

      In our continuing study of Mark’s Gospel, we move into the end of chapter two. We’ve learned that the common people flocked to hear His teachings and to experience His healing and the Pharisees had begun to openly oppose Him.

            The analogies that we looked at last time were an indication of the growing differences between Jesus and the Pharisees. His teaching, when compared with traditional Jewish belief, was like a new garment that will replace an old one or like new wine that will burst old wineskins. And so, at the end of this chapter, rather than try to placate the opposition, Jesus seems to “throw down the gauntlet.” He confronts them with the statement that HE is the One who is qualified to decide what constitutes keeping the Sabbath, not them!

            Several words from His statement become the title for our study; “Lord of the Sabbath.” Now, I will read our text, Mark:2:23-3:6.

            As we reflect on the words “Lord of the Sabbath,” we learn several things. First, the word, Lord, establishes authority. And the word, Sabbath, establishes the sphere or area in which He exercises that authority as Lord. As we study, we want to see how Jesus, in His position of authority, understood and defined the original intent of the Sabbath.

In this text, Jesus supports His claim to the lordship of the Sabbath by posing two arguments.

His Argument from Scriptural Precedent

            The scene Mark creates for us in the opening verse of o...

The Gospel Paradigm Mark 2:18-22 Recently, I came across the story of a famous Japanese criminal. Toc Kichi Ishii was born in the 1870s and executed in 1918. He was cruel beyond measure, like a wild animal, and he had no pity for his victims. Without any pricking of his conscience, he brutally murdered men, women, and children in his career of crime. Eventually, he was arrested and imprisoned. While he was in prison, two Christian ladies visited him. They had a regular ministry in the prison where he was being held. But he refused to even speak to them; […]

The Offense of Grace

Mark 2:13-17

              Most religions of the world have some things in common. One is the belief in a higher power that can impact life in either a positive or negative way. Religions also share practices like worship, kindness, compassion, and community. But what is the goal of these practices?

The fundamental goal of all religions is to enable worshipers to connect with the object of their worship. To reach that goal, they must find a way to be acceptable to the god or gods they worship. Subjectively, they concern sin and the sinner. Objectively, they seek forgiveness of sin and welcome to the sinner.

Granted, not all religions have a concept of sin. But most of them operate on the premise that the worshiper must DO something to make him or herself acceptable to the one being worshiped. The Rabbinical traditions of Judaism in Jesus’ day followed this premise. All of their cumbersome observances were only an attempted answer to the question, “How can a person be just with God?”

Judaism, as practiced in the time of Christ, stood silent and powerless regarding the forgiveness of sins. It had no word of welcome or help for the sinner. The very title, “Pharisee,” meant “separated one,” and it implied that sinners were excluded. We see this mindset and its effects repeatedly in the Gospels. Pharisees believed that the unlearned or ignorant in the Law could neither be right with God nor live righteously. Contact with such people made one unclean.

Understanding this concept is critical to the proper interpretation of the healing of the paralytic (which we looked at last time) and the text before us today. In the minds of the religious leaders, one needed to clean up their life before coming to God. Once that happened, God would accept them. So, when Jesus welcomed sinners and offered them grace, the scribes and Pharisees were offended because it was contrary to their whole belief system. I’ve titled my teaching “The Offense of Grace.”

That Jesus introduces this concept of grace so early in His ministry is instructive. His miracles of curing human sickness and curing the sickness of the soul showcased His power as the Great Physician.

So, follow along now as I read Mark 2:13 to 17. Follow the sequence of events and the varied reactions to the grace of Jesus.

The sequence of ACTIONS in this text shows us how grace is restorative to the sinner but offensive to the self-righteous. The actions are the call to a sinner, the community of sinners, the contempt of the scribes, and the correction of the Savior.

The First ACTION is,

              The Call to a Sinner

              Levi was a tax collector for the hated Roman government. Jesus met him, in the words of our text, “…sitting at the tax office.” Sitting at, is literally sitting on the elevated platform or bench, which was the principal feature of the toll office. This customs office was at Capernaum, the landing place for the many ships which traversed the lake or coasted from town to town. It wasn’t only for those who had business in Capernaum but for those who would connect there with the great road of eastern commerce that ran from Damascus to the harbors of the West.

              Of the two kinds of tax collectors in Jesus’ day, Levi was among the group that was most hated, the Mokhsa. They were responsible for collecting duty on all...

Jesus Forgives and Heals

Mark 2:1-12

              Most of us who have lived more than twenty or thirty years can look back on life and see the results of some of our decisions. Some decisions were good and brought blessings, others were not so good and brought us trouble and pain. This is our experience as human beings.

              Like you, I’ve made decisions in the past that have brought me great joy and blessings. I’ve made others that I’d like to go back to and change. But I can’t, it’s impossible. That’s not the way life works. I’ve also met people who continually beat themselves up over poor decisions they made in the past.

              I’ve seen people whose childhood was turbulent, even traumatic, put that behind them and become well-adjusted adults. I’ve seen others who’ve experienced far less turbulence get stuck in the trap of constantly looking back and reliving the past. Some of them become bitter, reactionary, and emotionally unstable, always blaming others for their troubles. It’s really sad to watch, especially when it can be different.

              Jesus has the ability to redeem and restore what has been broken, the power to forgive and to heal. That’s the focus of our study from Mark 2:1 to 12. Jesus uses the healing of a paralyzed man to show us how our decisions impact our lives and our relationship with Him.

              So, follow along now as I read the Scripture. As I read, see if you can pick out the decisions that were made and how they impacted those who made them. Here is Mark 2:1 to 12.

              Before we get into our study, let me give a bit of context. At the end of the previous chapter, Jesus was teaching in the synagogues throughout the cities of Galilee and casting out demons. In the course of His ministry, He was approached by a leper who asked Him for cleansing. Jesus healed the man, then sent him off to the priest for his cleansing and warned him not to tell anyone what happened to him. The former leper disregarded Jesus’ command and the resulting attention prevented Jesus from openly entering the towns of the area.

In this account of the healing of a paralytic, the text shows us how our DECISIONS impact our life and our relationship with Him. The three decisions we observe in this text are an act of faith, a question of unbelief, and a demonstration of authority.

The First DECISION we see (that impacts our life) is,

              An Act of Faith

              The opening of our text has Jesus returning home to Capernaum from the other parts of Galilee. When the word got out that Jesus was back home in Capernaum, a crowd gathered. The crowd grew so large that there was no room in the house, no room even in the doorway. The Greek uses a double-negative to intensify the meaning. This house was packed full, and the street outside was full too! “There was not no more room for anyone.”

Now, keep that scene in your mind and add what happens next. Several men are bringing a paralyzed man to see Jesus. Four of them are carrying him on some kind of bed, maybe just a sleeping mat held by the four corners. They evidently believed that Jesus could heal their friend. Their carrying him to Jesus was an act of faith.

Picture them turning the last corner into the street where the house was. Maybe an audible groan escaped one of them and their shoulders sagged a bit in disappointment as they saw the crowd. Coming closer, they realized there was no way they were going to be able to penetrate that dense throng of people. If you had been them, what would you have done?

To their credit, they didn’t give up. I don’t know how far they had already carried...

The Ministry of the Servant Mark 1:35-45               What comes to your mind when you hear the word ministry or minister? An organization, a position of leadership, something else? Some organizations use the word ministry in their official name. At Heralds of Hope we’re an international Gospel ministry using media to make disciples of Jesus Christ. In 2001 I was ordained as minister of the Gospel for my role with Heralds of Hope. Both of these are common understandings of the words – ministry or minister.               But what’s really at the root of this idea of being a minister […]

HOPE for the New Year

Selected Texts

Bold titles are song titles.

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear, Even though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; though its waters roar and be troubled, Though the mountains shake with its swelling.” 

            “Roll, Roll, Billows Roll                     

            Thank you, men, for that testimony of confidence that God is our refuge and strength; we don’t need to fear. And thank you for tuning in to this New Year’s edition of The Voice of Hope. I’m J. Mark Horst, your host, and I’m delighted to have you join me.

            Well, here we are, just about ready to turn the calendar page to the year 2024. Looking around at the conditions in our world could lead us to have a fearful, pessimistic view of the future. There are numerous wars going on around the world and crime and violence are on the rise in our country. But let’s not forget – God is in control.

            The Psalmist asked, “Why do the nations rage, And the people plot a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against His Anointed, saying “Let us break Their bonds in pieces And cast away Their cords from us.” He who sits in the heavens shall laugh; The Lord shall hold them in derision. Then He shall speak to them in His wrath, And distress them in His deep displeasure: “Yet I have set My King On My holy hill of Zion.”

                        “Thine is the Kingdom”                    

            Isn’t it comforting to know that the Almighty, Sovereign God is in control of events in our world? It is to me. But do you know something? He’s in control of the events of your life, too! Now maybe you have no problem believing that God controls the events in your world, but you do have a problem believing that God controls the events of your life.

            In fact, you may not want Him to have that control. Instead, you want to have control, you want to make those choices yourself! You’re afraid that if you let God choose for you, He’ll ask you do something or serve Him in some way that you don’t want to.

            But listen to what God has to say in Jeremiah 29:11. “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. [That verse is familiar and is often quoted by itself. But listen to what follows]. Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.”If you trust God with the details of your life, if you seek Him with all your heart, then this will be your testimony.

            “The Lord is My Strength and My Song”                 

            Now, it’s true, trusting God with your life will not guarantee that things will always be easy or go the way you plan. But because God is the All-wise, All-knowing, loving Heavenly Father, He will not allow anything into your life that is not for your good and His glory. God doesn’t allow trouble and heartache just to make your life difficult. No, He always has a purpose He wants to accomplish. That purpose is to make you more like Jesus, and to demonstrate His power through you to those who are watching your life.

            Are you willing to give God that kind of freedom in your life as we enter the New Year?

                       

Our study today comes from Revelation 3:7-13, Jesus’ message to the church in Philadelphia. Unlike most of the other churches in Revelation, Jesus offers no condemnation, only praise. Despite their small numbers and limited influence, the believers in Philadelphia were commended for keeping His word and remaining loyal to His name. This passage powerfully highlights the enduring importance of devotion and faithfulness to Christ. 

Chapters

• (00:00:00) - The Church of Notable Devotion
• (00:05:05) - Crucified Words of Jesus to the Church
• (00:06:33) - The Message to the Church in Philadelphia
• (00:12:24) - Jesus' Words of Commendation to the Church at Philadelphia
• (00:22:10) - The Overcomers
• (00:25:33) - In a Little While We're Going Home

A Celebration of the Incarnation Italicized/bold titles are song titles.             It’s Christmas Time                            Joy to the World                    Thank you, men. And thank you for joining us for this special, Christmas edition of The Voice of Hope, a “Celebration of the Incarnation.” One thing I particularly enjoy about this season of the year is the music. Music expresses the whole range of human emotions, but at this time of year, especially JOY! In a few moments we’ll continue celebrating the birth of the Savior with a variety of musical selections focusing on different aspects of His coming to earth […]

The Authority of the Servant Mark 1:21-34             Most of you have probably heard of Robert Louis Stevenson’s story, “The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.” If you’re not familiar with it, it’s the story of one man with two vastly different personalities. Dr. Jekyll is a well-known, respectable citizen, Mr. Hyde is cruel and remorseless, a perpetrator of unspeakable criminal acts. And so, even today, a person with extreme or violent mood swings is said to have a split personality and they’re sometimes characterized as a “Dr. Jekyll, Mr. Hyde.”             There are some words in the […]

Following Jesus

Mark 1:16-20

            I’m a lover of history, so I’ve read a lot of books and watched numerous films, especially relating to World War II. I remember one film where a group of soldiers needed to cross a minefield in order to advance. Before they began to cross, their leader reminded them to walk very carefully, placing their feet directly in his footsteps to avoid the mines and certain death.

            Unfortunately, one of the men lost his balance and stumbled. Not only did that soldier lose his life, but the explosion also gave away their position to their enemies and put the lives of the whole squad in jeopardy. One man’s failure affected the whole group.

            Learning how to follow well is a skill we all need to develop, especially leaders. But because we’re born with a sin nature, our greatest motivation is to follow self, to pursue what we want. If that motivation is left unchecked, it will ultimately destroy us.

               As we continue our study in Mark’s Gospel, we come to the account of Jesus calling the first several of His disciples. In keeping with his style, Mark’s record is very short and very concise, but it provides a very clear picture for us of what following Jesus involves. So, my title is short and concise too, “Following Jesus.” The text for our consideration is Mark 1:16-20. Listen carefully and see if you can pick out the steps that put us on the path to following Jesus.

In this text, Jesus walks us through a series of STEPS to put us on the path to follow Him. Those steps are the call, the commission, and the commitment. We will examine each of these carefully.

The First STEP (on the path to following Jesus) is,

            The Call

            In our study last time, we learned that after Jesus had overcome all of Satan’s temptations in the wilderness of Judea, He made His way back to Galilee. As our text opens, Jesus is walking along the Sea of Galilee. Now we know enough about Jesus to realize that this wasn’t just a random walk. He had a purpose in mind. Jesus said in John 5:30, “I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me.” So, His walk had a purpose, He was there by divine appointment.

As he walks by the Sea of Galilee He observes Simon, and Andrew, two brothers, casting their net into the sea because they were fishermen. That’s all the information Mark gives us about them as he introduces us to them.

As they’re going about their work, Jesus says to them, “Come, follow Me.” Come can be a word of invitation or a word of command. In John’s Gospel, chapter one, he records that two men who heard John the Baptist’s proclamation of Jesus as the Lamb of God started following Jesus. Jesus turned around and asked them what they wanted. They said, “Teacher, where are you staying?” Jesus’ response was “Come and see.” He was inviting them into His life—into His experience. He was saying, “Follow me and see where I’m going.” They accepted His offer.

You and I are not Jewish, we’re not fishermen, we don’t live in Galilee, and we live in a very different era of time. But this first step along the path to following Jesus is the same for us as it was for those first disciples long ago. It is the call or the invitation, “Come, follow Me.” Just a few verses later, this same invitat...

Missed Part 1? Catch it here! Preparing the Son of Man : Part 2 Mark 1:9-15 The Next PROCESS (involved in preparing the Son of Man) is,             His Authentication             How do you decide if something is authentic? You test it, right? Back in the days when gold was used in coins, some people would actually bite the coin to see if it was genuine. They knew that gold is fairly soft, you could dent it with your teeth. They also wanted to see if the coin just had a thin coating or if it was gold the whole […]

Preparing the Son of Man : Part 1 Mark 1:9-15             Sometime around 2003 or 2004, George W. Bush was the US President, and he was invited to speak at the National Religious Broadcasters Convention. Joyce and I were attending that event at the Opryland Hotel and Convention Center in Nashville, Tennessee. One of the things I remember about that experience was the security surrounding the event. As you can imagine, the president didn’t just show up and walk in the door. There was an advance security team that did a thorough sweep through the hotel and convention center. Only […]

Preparing the Way Mark 1:1-8             Preparation is a major part of any task. Think about the construction of a major highway. There are engineering studies, environmental studies, soil studies, public hearings, an extensive permitting process, and the list goes on and on. All those preparations must be made before one cubic foot of earth is moved.   When I’m given a task or a responsibility to fulfill, I want to know what’s expected of me. Whether it’s preaching, traveling, or building a piece of furniture, making adequate preparations helps me feel like I’m in control of the situation. I […]

On Your Mark

Mark 1:1

            For the past couple of years, in the month of April, Heralds of Hope has sponsored a 5-kilometer race as a fundraiser for the ministry. My wife and I aren’t runners, but we joined in to show our support. We’ve served as the “sweepers” a couple of times now; we make sure that all the runners have cleared the course and we pick up any trash that’s left behind. That means we always finish last, but that’s ok, we still get some exercise, and we get to encourage the runners.

            Like most races, this one begins with the familiar words, “On your mark, get set, GO!” This sentence has been used to start races since the 1800s. The mark is the starting line. All runners start from the same place. This prevents any runner from having an unfair advantage. Getting set means being prepared because the beginning of the race is imminent. The command to “Go” is usually signaled by a shout, a shot from a starting pistol, a whistle, or some other loud noise.

            As I promised you last week, on this episode of The Voice of Hope we’re beginning a study of the Gospel of Mark. That’s why I’ve titled today’s teaching, “On Your Mark.”

            If you’re a regular listener, then you know by now how much I stress the importance of understanding the background and context of the Scripture. Many errors and much false teachings result from a careless handling of the Bible. One of the challenges we face in our understanding is that the Bible was written in a culture that’s significantly different from our own.

            That doesn’t mean it’s irrelevant because the Bible is universal. It just means we need to work harder to understand what the writer meant to communicate to his original audience. Once we understand the message, then, we can make applications to our time and place. So, this episode will explore some of the background material that will help to enhance our understanding of Mark’s Gospel.

            If you’re a Bible reader, you know that Mark’s version of the gospel story is very different from the accounts of Matthew and Luke. These three are referred to as the Synoptic Gospels. In the word, synoptic, syn, means together, and optic means seeing. Seeing the gospels together. Laying these different accounts side-by-side and comparing them highlights their differences, but it also shows many points of agreement. It’s like interviewing witnesses to the same event; depending on their perspective or vantage point, they highlight different observations.

            Aside from the apostle John, we know more about Mark than any other of the gospel writers. We know that he was sometimes referred to as John Mark or just John, as in Acts 13:5. He was the son of Mary, a woman who must’ve had significant wealth because she hosted the budding Jerusalem church in her house. Some scholars believe this was the location of the Last Supper. You may recall that when Peter was miraculously released from prison by an angel he went to Mary’s house (Acts 12). The church was gathered there praying for Peter’s deliverance.

            We learn from that same account that one of the servants recognized Peter’s voice in the darkness when he showed up at the gate. Evidently, Peter was well known in Mark’s house and it’s very possible that Mark was converted under Peter’s preaching. Later, in his first epistle, Peter refers to Mark as “my son.” This close connection suggests that Peter was the source of much of what Mark wrote under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. It also seems like Mark was present at the arr...

The Inspired Word II Timothy 3:14-17             I begin today by paying tribute to those who’ve so ably and graciously led me to embrace the discipline of biblical exposition. I’m deeply grateful to God for the nearly thirty years I’ve spent at Heralds of Hope and the six years of mentoring I received under the founder, Dr. J. Otis Yoder. He often reminded me of the importance of being faithful to the Word.               Biblical exposition is a discipline. Like any other discipline, there are practices and procedures that must be followed to achieve accuracy and effectiveness in handling God’s […]

Living Hope

I Peter 1:3-9

Jim Springer and Jim Lewis were twin sons born to a fourteen-year-old girl in a small town in Ohio. After they were born, she immediately disappeared. These two boys were adopted into two different loving families and for 39 years they never met each other. But their adoptive families eventually told them they had a twin sibling somewhere.

Jim Lewis had always had a strong hope that he would someday find his twin brother. One lived in Lima, Ohio and the other in Dayton. Through the probate court, they found each other.

Try to imagine the scene. Jim Lewis drove to Dayton to meet his brother for the first time. He found the address, but he was so nervous he drove around the block three times. Finally, he stopped, walked up to the house, and knocked on the door. When Jim Springer met Jim Lewis for the first time, they just stood there staring at each other, speechless. They said it was like looking in a mirror. They looked alike, they talked alike, they discovered that they even thought and acted alike. They had never seen each other, yet they were so much alike. It was uncanny. Jim Lewis’ hope had been finally realized.

Would it sustain your hope and preserve your faith to know that after the trials of this life when you see Jesus you will have a surprising resemblance to Him? If you knew that the trials and hard things you experience could actually make you wiser, more peaceful, and more joyful, would that affect your response to those experiences? Do your responses to life’s troubles cause those watching you to have an improved opinion of Jesus? If they do, it’s because living hope produces that kind of joy and faith.

It’s this message of living hope through Jesus Christ that we proclaim at Heralds of Hope. It’s this living hope that anchors our vision to use media to make disciples of Jesus Christ to accomplish the Great Commission in our lifetime.

Turn in your copies of the Scripture to the book of First Peter and let’s think together about several ASPECTS of this living hope from First Peter 1:3 to 9.

The First ASPECT is,

The resurrection of Jesus is the source of our living hope. How important is hope in your life? We have a saying, “as long as there’s life, there’s hope.” The founder of Heralds of Hope, J. Otis Yoder, told me about a time when he was visiting Israel. He was have a conversation with a Jewish man and he mentioned this saying about hope. In response, the Jewish man said, “we Jews turn that saying around. We say, ‘as long as there’s hope, there’s life.’” I think he’s on to something. Without hope, life isn’t worth living! And this hope you and I have isn’t a “hope so” hope. No, according to Romans 5:5, it’s a settled assurance. It’s a hope that will not disappoint us in the long run! The writers of Scripture talk about this hope as though it has already been realized! It’s that sure; you can count on it.

Remember what the apostle Paul said in First Corinthians 15 in the context of his teaching about the resurrection? “Now if Christ is preached that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable [the most miserable].” He went on to say, “But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.”

What’s the reason for all the darkness and despair in our world, why are peo...

I Thessalonians 5:16-18 In late September, my wife and I were visiting in Canada and our relatives mentioned that they were looking forward to their annual Thanksgiving Day. If you’re one of our Canadian listeners you’ve already your day of thanks on October, the 9th. Those of you listening in the US will have your day of thanks on November 23rd. So, here we are between these two national holidays, and I will share my teaching, “A Recipe for Thanksgiving.” In North America, there are certain foods that are often associated with Thanksgiving Day. Turkey, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn, […]

In this episode, J. Mark explores Jesus’ message to the church in Sardis from Revelation 3:1-6. He unpacks the historical and spiritual context of the church and explains what Jesus’ words would have meant to the believers there. Sardis was a wealthy city, and the church had a strong reputation for good works, but Jesus saw beyond the outward appearance and declared that the church was spiritually dying. This lesson challenges us to reflect on how Jesus’ evaluation of Sardis applies to our own lives today.

The Glorious Kingdom

Joel 3:18-21

All of us look forward to certain events or milestones in our lives. As children, most of us had a strong desire to get older faster. We knew that our older siblings got to do more things than we did, they had more privileges. What we didn’t realizes was that with those privileges came greater responsibility. It’s a lesson many young people aren’t being taught today.

            As a young teenager I remember anticipating getting my driver’s license. After that it was graduation from high school. Then it was a job, dating, and marriage. At every step there was a sense of anticipation. Someone once said, “anticipation is half the fun.” There’s some truth to that. Even the Scriptures use anticipation to encourage us to be faithful.

            In Luke 21, Jesus was talking about the events leading up to the Day of the Lord. After telling His followers about the destruction of the Temple, about the terrible suffering they would endure, and about the violence and wars that were coming in the future, here’s what He said.

“And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; men’s hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.”

Did you see the idea of anticipation in those words? One is negative and, one is positive. The negative is men’s hearts failing them for fear; they anticipate the terrors that are coming upon the earth. The positive is for Believers to look up and lift up your heads because your redemption is coming closer. That sounds like anticipation to me.

In our study of the book of Joel, we’ve come to the final verses. Our study today will be taken from Joel 3:18-21. The title of my teaching is, “The Glorious Kingdom.” As I’ve said before in my teaching, I believe in a literal Millennial reign of Christ. The prophets seem quite clear that this will be a 1,000-year time of unprecedented peace and prosperity when Jesus will rule over the earth from His throne in Jerusalem. Truly that will be a glorious kingdom and a glorious time for all who follow Christ.  

So, as we begin our study on these final verses, I will read our text, Joel 3:18 to 21. I invite you to follow along as I read these words from the Lord through the prophet, Joel.

From these words of the Lord through the prophet, Joel, we learn several important DETAILS about this coming glorious kingdom.

The First DETAIL is,

            The Renewed Land

            Verse 18 begins, “And it will come to pass in that day…” In that final Day of the Lord, when God delivers Israel once and for all, the land of Israel will overflow with blessing. The description of these blessings is very picturesque, very poetic.

            “The mountains will [drop] drip new wine and the hills will f...

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The Valley of Decision : Part 2

Joel 3:9-17

The Next STEP (laid out for us regarding the events of the last days) is,

            The Presentation

            In verse 14, Joel raises the loud and prolonged cry, “Multitudes, multitudes, in the valley of decision.” Now, I want you to understand right away that these multitudes are not being called to this valley of judgment to make a decision. No, they’ve already made their decision to oppose God Almighty. The hordes that gather in this valley are there to receive the announcement of God’s decision against them! God is making the presentation of His decision and it is unmistakable. I think you’ll see that clearly as we move forward in the text.

            The word multitude is hamonim. It is a picture of a confused, turbulent, noisy mob. Isaiah 9:5 uses similar imagery as he introduces the coming Prince of Peace. He talks about confusion, noise, and garments rolled in blood. Certainly, an army of this size will generate a lot of noise and dust and confusion. And remember, in Hebrew, the repetition of the word, multitudes, strengthens the intensity of the meaning.

            Notice once again the appeal to agricultural scenes in verse 13. The winepress is full, and the vats are overflowing during the time of grape harvest. The picture of abundance portrays the great wickedness of the nations. God’s mighty ones (verse 11) are commanded to “put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe.” The apostle John saw a similar picture in Revelation 14:17 to 20.

“Then another angel came out of the temple, which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle. And another angel came out from the altar, who had power over fire, and he cried with a loud cry to him who had the sharp sickle, saying, “Thrust in your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth, for her grapes are fully ripe.” So, the angel thrust his sickle into the earth and gathered the vine of the earth and threw it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. And the winepress was trampled outside the city, and blood came out of the winepress, up to the horses’ bridles, for one thousand six hundred furlongs.”

            At that place “outside the city,” in the Valley of Jehoshaphat, in this valley of decision, there will be a great slaughter. There, the blood will be running so deep that it will come up to the bridle of a horse. The word translated decision can also be translated as “trench” which could refer to the place where the blood will flow so deeply.

            When I think about these scenes, my mind goes to Genesis 6. “Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intentof the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually… The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. So, God looked upon the earth, and indeed it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth.” You know what happened after that, the flood of Noah’s day.

But after the flood was over, we read these sobering words in Genesis 8:21, “Then the LORD said in His heart, “I will never again curse the ground for man’s sake, although the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth; nor will I again destroy every living thing as I have done.” Did you notice what God said? Even after He cleansed the earth by way of the worldwide flood, man’s...

Joel 3:9-17 Think about the things you’ve experienced in life. I’ll venture to guess that most of them are the result of some sort of human decision or planning, decisions made either by you or someone else. Your employer has a specific outcome in mind when he assigns work to you. He decides what needs to happen today to reach the outcome he has in mind. If you’re self-employed, your customers make those decisions for you. If you’re a student, your teachers or the school system decide what you need to learn during the current school year. But not all […]

Missed Part 1? Catch it here! A Day of Retribution 2 Joel 3:1-8 Another ASPECT of judgment is, The Reasons for Judgment Let’s look at verse 3. “They have cast lots for My people, they have traded a boy for a prostitute, and sold a girl for wine, and have drunk it.” Place this in the context of what Jesus said in Matthew 25:40, “Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.” Israel’s conquerors then, and in the future, place so little value on the lives […]

A Day of Retribution : Part 1 Joel 3:1-8 A few years ago, I read the book, “Unbroken,” by Laura Hillenbrand. If you’re not familiar with it, it’s the biography of World War II veteran Louis Zamperini. Young Louie grew up in Torrance, California, in a nominally Christian home but he was a wild and rebellious teenager. He got in trouble with the law at a young age.   His older brother encouraged him to use his energy constructively – in running. So, he joined his high school track team. His brother’s encouragement changed his life as he began winning […]

Missed Part 1? Catch it here! The Return of Messiah : Part 2 Joel 2:28-32 The Next ACTION (that will accompany the return of Messiah) is,             The Signs are Appointed             Here are verses 30 and 31, “And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth: blood and fire and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord.” None of these were evident at the outpouring of the Spirit at Pentecost.             Those who teach that this prophecy has […]

The Return of Messiah : Part 1 Joel 2:28-32             Hope is a little word, but it has powerful effects. We sometimes say, “As long as there’s life, there’s hope.” We often use it in the context of physical injuries or serious illness. But I’ve also heard the statement reversed, “As long as there’s hope, there’s life.” Think about that.             In 2020, the world was ravaged by the Covid-19 pandemic. Government, medicine, academia, and the media made the situation worse by their totalitarian responses and by withholding information and suppressing information. There were forced lockdowns and masking that destroyed […]

A Promise of Restoration: Part 2 Missed Part 1? Listen here! Joel 2:18-27 Another Outcome (that results from God’s promise of restoration) is, The Assurance of Protection             In verse 20 God says, “But I will remove far from you the northern army [literally, northerner] and will drive him away into a barren and desolate land, with his face toward the eastern sea and his back toward the western sea; his stench will come up, and his foul odor will rise, because he has done [great] things.” In other words, God is saying, “I will protect you.”             It is possible that Joel is […]

A Promise of Restoration : Part 1 Joel 2:18-27             Not far from where I live is an old house. I first saw this house more than 40 years ago. It wasn’t in very good shape. The roof was sagging, some windows were broken, and in some places, the stucco was coming off the walls. The yard and grounds weren’t well kept either.             An elderly man lived in that house and his appearance was somewhat like the condition of his house. He didn’t seem to have family connections and he was a bit of a recluse. He had served […]

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A Plea For Repentance : Part 2

Joel 2:12-17

The Next STEP (in responding to God’s plea for genuine repentance) is,

            Gather the People

            These next two verses are very similar to chapter one, verse 14. “Sound the shofar in Zion! Sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly, gather all the people.” This was the work of the priests; they were to lead by example. Here, Joel goes through a list of specific people who should be there. No age group is excluded, and nothing should be allowed to interfere with this gathering, not even previous exceptions in the law of Moses; like the one exempting newly married couples from certain duties for their first year together (Deuteronomy 24:5).

            Notice with me how this plea for repentance is set in the context of the community of God’s people. Our culture, western culture is a “me” culture instead of a “we” culture. The emphasis in our culture is on the individual. Our wants, our desires, our rights take precedence over everything else. That isn’t the biblical pattern, although we have tried to adapt the Scripture to fit our culture. I’m not suggesting that individual repentance isn’t necessary, it is, but individual repentance does have ramifications for the larger community.

            If you look at examples of repentance in Hebrew culture, the emphasis is on the group rather than the individual. Nehemiah prayed, “please let Your ear be attentive and Your eyes open, that You may hear the prayer of Your servant which I pray before You now, day and night, for the children of Israel Your servants, and confess the sins of the children of Israel which we have sinned against You. Both my father’s house and I have sinned.” Daniel’s prayer in chapter nine of his book is very similar. Both godly men include themselves in the prayers of repentance.

            Joshua 7 records the defeat of Israel’s army at Ai that resulted from the sin of Achan. After the defeat, Joshua tore his clothes and cried out to God. What did God say? He said, “Israel has sinned, and they have also transgressed My covenant which I commanded them.” Did you catch that? One man sinned, Achan, but his sin affected the whole group. In the New Testament, in the closing verses of First Corinthians eleven, Paul tells us that those who participate in the Lord’s Table in an unworthy manner cause disease and death in the body, the church.

            Joel called on the religious leaders of Judah to consecrate a fast. The Hebrew word is kadhesh. It means “to be set apart” or “to be holy.” To consecrate something is to set it apart for a special purpose. So, the people of Judah were commanded to set apart time and resources for a period of fasting. Fasting involves crying out to God and asking Him to reveal His will. Fasting can sharpen mental alertness and spiritual perception. The process often leads to purification, as God through the Holy Spirit reveals sin that we were previously unaware of.

            The priests were instructed to gather the people for a sacred assembly. A sacred assembly was a special time of corporate worship. It was a time when no regular work was done. Israel as a nation had regular festivals that included gatherings like this one, but this was an “emergency” meeting. Just as Joel instructed them to consecrate a fast, he now tells the priests to...

In this episode, J Mark examines Jesus’ letter to the church at Thyatira found in Revelation 2:18-29. Although this church was known for its love and perseverance, some believers had become captivated by deception and were drifting toward spiritual danger. Jesus addresses the seriousness of their compromise, warning them of judgment if they do not repent, while also encouraging those who remain faithful. This lesson explores Christ’s message to Thyatira through four key elements: the commendation, the accusation, the exhortation, and the compensation.

A Plea for Repentance : Part 1 Joel 2:12-17             When I was a teenager, my friend and I ran a trapline together. My friend asked permission for us to set traps on the property of one of his relatives. Things were fine until one day when I was checking traps, I noticed a set we hadn’t made. Because all traps needed to contain a tag with the owner’s name and address, checking the trap revealed who had set it.             As I went further along the stream, I found more traps that weren’t ours. One of those traps had […]

The Day of the Lord Joel 2:1-11             By the grace of God, I have never lived in a part of the world wracked by war. But because I enjoy studying and learning about history, I have read many books and watched many movies about World War II. During that war, both the Axis and Allied powers used saturation bombing as a technique to demoralize the enemy and to destroy manufacturing centers and lines of transportation.             Beginning on September 7, 1940, the German Luftwaffe bombed the city of London daily for 56 days, almost 2 months. During the entire […]

A Call to Lament Joel 1:13-20             “Better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting, for that is the end of all men; And the living will take it to heart. Sorrow is better than laughter, for by a sad countenance the heart is made better. The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.”             Those words from the wise man, Solomon, sound strange in our ears today. We live in a world that wants to eliminate all hardship, pain, and suffering. Families have their loved ones cremated so there’s […]