By Christy Gambrell Photo by Jametlene Reskp on Unsplash In his interactions with others, Jesus often got straight to the point. His call to discipleship in Mark 8:34 is no exception: “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” Discipleship equals self-denial and cross-bearing. Period. But what does Jesus mean by “deny himself”? What does the ultimate cross-bearer mean by “take up his cross,” since Jesus’s cross and our cross can

Photo by Kolby Milton on Unsplash Note first that Jesus did not heal the man in the village proper but cured his blindness outside of the town (vv. 22–23). Second, Jesus' use of His spittle in the healing was unusual, though not unprecedented (7:31–37; John 9:1–7). Finally, the healing described in Mark 8:22–26 stands out for being the only healing in the Gospels that occurs in stages. In his commentary Mark, Dr. R.C. Sproul theorizes that the movement from incomplete healing

By Rev Tan Eng Boo Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. (James 1:19-20) Who doesn’t get angry? Most drivers know what it is like to become angry on the road. When you are behind the wheel, you will know what I mean. There was a time when I was driving and became very angry with another driver who was deliberately inching his car into my lane. I refused

Photo by Brett Jordan on Unsplash Christ, the living bread from heaven, nourishes all who come to Him, be they Jew or Gentile, and this is illustrated for us in Jesus' ministry by His multiplication of bread for both Jews and Gentiles (Mark 8:1–10; see John 6:22–59). Yet though as God's people we are sustained by Jesus Himself, we are often slow of heart to believe Him. That is illustrated for us as well in today's passage, as the disciples are perplexed as to how Jesus will

Photo by Brett Jordan: https://www.pexels.com/photo/close-up-shot-of-a-book-page-14673946/ Mogilalos, the Greek term used to describe the deaf man's condition, appears only one other place in the Bible: Isaiah 35:5–6. Isaiah 35 follows a series of oracles in which the prophet proclaims judgment against nations and cities including Tyre (chap. 23), Jerusalem (chap. 28), and Edom (chap. 34). After the destruction of these lands, Isaiah 35 explains, there will be a great restora

By Andrew and Rachel Wilson Photo by Nadia Valko on Unsplash Here are three insights from Christian writers that, more than any others, have helped me cope with the unanswered questions. Intellectual Most cultures and societies have suffered far more than ours and yet have not seen it as a reason to doubt the existence of God. Why? Because they assume that, if there is an answer to the why? question, we wouldn’t necessarily know what it is—our knowledge is just too limited. I

By Rev. Tan Eng Boo Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity! (Psalm 133:1) Bible- Presbyterian (B-P) Church Synod meeting on 30 October 1988 Life Bible-Presbyterian Church. The photograph accompanying this article was taken at the last Bible- Presbyterian (B-P) Church Synod meeting on 30 October 1988 Life Bible-Presbyterian Church. Following that meeting, the Bible-Presbyterian Church Synod was dissolved. At that time, there were 16 B-P churches.

Photo by Alex Shute on Unsplash The first Gentile that Mark mentions in connection with our Lord's journey to the region of Tyre and Sidon is the Syrophoenician woman who begged Jesus to cast a demon out of her daughter (vv. 25–26). In the encounter between the woman and Jesus, we see that He did not say yes to her request immediately. Instead, He implied that she was a "dog" and did not deserve the bread that belonged to the children of the household (v. 27). This reflects t

By Tom Ascol Photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash If you do not understand the problem, you will not seek the right cure. That is true not only medically but also spiritually. In Matthew 15 Jesus teaches a vital lesson in spiritual diagnosis. What He says is fundamental to living the Christian life. He exposes the superficiality of Pharisaical religion by putting His finger on the source of all our sinful behaviors. It is not what goes into a person that defiles him. It is what

by Thabiti Anyabwile Photo by Josh Applegate on Unsplash Below are ways committed membership expresses itself. Attends Regularly This is the first and most important ministry of every Christian in the local church. Being present, being known, and being active are the only ways to make Christian love possible (Heb. 10:24–25). Seeks Peace A committed church member is committed to the maintenance of peace in the congregation. (Rom. 14:19). “And a harvest of righteousness is sown

By Benjamin L. Gladd Photo by Jonny Gios on Unsplash The Gospel of Mark contains two gripping stories of Jesus performing miracles on the Sea of Galilee. In the first miracle, Jesus famously stills the raging sea (4:35–41). In the second miracle, Jesus walks on the sea to reach the stranded disciples, and the storm dies down (6:47–52). This second event contains an odd line that often causes readers of Mark’s Gospel to scratch their heads: “[Jesus] saw them straining at the o

By Rev Tan Eng Boo “It’s easy to forget who’s actually speaking when a biblical sermon takes place. Although we may see a mere man standing before us, every biblical preacher is truly a herald of the King of kings. Paul commended the Thessalonians for recognizing this reality: “when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God” (1 Thess. 2:13). We must learn to hear the urgency of divi

Photo by Rolf Schmidbauer on Unsplash Mark's account also shows Jesus' tender care for men and women who were not part of His normal band of followers. Heeding Christ's call to get away and rest, the disciples try to find a place to recuperate, but the renown of their and Jesus' ministry makes it impossible. There are too many people, and there is no refuge from the crowds (vv. 32–34). Seeing this, Jesus has compassion on the crowds, for the people are "like sheep without a s

By Jared C. Wilson Photo by Michael Carruth on Unsplash Given what is taking place in the world today, do we have any indications that to follow Christ will become more and more comfortable? The Bible Belt, long the cultural bastion of “biblical values,” has long been heading toward the spiritual ruins of post-Christendom. Cultural Christianity is wasting away. And the outside world is becoming more and more hostile to the things of faith. Even some professing Christians are

A collection of vintage blacksmith tools displayed on a wooden table outdoors. Photo by SHOX ART Christ experienced this reality when He visited His hometown of Nazareth after healing Jairus' daughter (Mark 6:1; see 1:9). During the earthly life and ministry of our Savior, Nazareth was an insignificant village in Galilee where no more than about five hundred people lived. Given the small size of the town, everyone would have known Jesus and His family well. This is somewhat e

By Rev. Tan Eng Boo “And they stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on his head and put a reed in his right hand. And kneeling before him, they mocked him, saying, ‘Hail, King of the Jews!’” (Mat. 27:28–29) Pictures of Jesus being mocked. Beginning of Via Dolorosa near Lion's Gate, Jerusalem. From the moment of His arrest to His crucifixion, our Lord Jesus Christ endured relentless mockery. The Roman soldiers ridicule

By Kristen Wetherell Photo by Brett Jordan on Unsplash It’s been 12 years—12 long years of her very lifeblood draining from her. And not only that, but her savings, her possessions, her strength, her hope that anything will ever change. Here, standing before her, is the one they say is a miracle-worker, a change-maker, the one who can make the impossible happen—and stop it from happening. A man says Jesus is on his way to heal someone’s daughter. So I have this one chance, sh

by Dave Deane Photo by Brett Jordan on Unsplash The Bible is clear: We live in a world that is groaning. Romans 8 tells us that all of creation groans under the weight of sin, longing for redemption. Sin is not some floating, dark mist that pervades the universe, like the Force in Star Wars. It’s not an invisible toxin that randomly infects people. At its core, sin is separation from God—the Creator of the world. It is choosing to live apart from Him and outside of His design

By Dave Deane Photo by Steve A Johnson on Unsplash Fear isn’t just a feeling—it’s a window revealing, not just the frightful things out there, but the fragile things in here: what we love, what we depend on, what we’re afraid to lose. And in that sense, fear doesn’t simply come as a response to danger—it comes from value. Our deepest fears orbit the things that matter most to us. Unlike previous technologies, AI isn’t neutral. It’s architected by human intelligence. And we’re

By Rev. Tan Eng Boo “Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name!” (Psalm 100:4) (Photo of The Neo-Gothic Evangelical Church of Christ exists since 1863 in Lake Hallstatt, Austria) Psalm 100:4 reminds us of the true purpose of attending church: we gather to worship the Lord. Yet, in reality, many distractions can subtly shift our focus away from God. One such distraction is an undue emphasis on who will be speaking on a gi