The leader we need was not almost assassinated. He was.
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‘Grim Property Outlook’. So warned the infotainment morning TV show yesterday morning. The property outlook was dark and foreboding. Poverty and austerity were the likely future. It was GRIM.
But when we consider the promises that will be true in Jesus, the property outlook isn’t grim. It is wonderful.
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Colossians is a great book of the Bible because it absolutely centred on Jesus. It is a letter to the church in the Ancient city of Colossea. They’d heard the gospel from someone who lived in their city. Paul writes to them to make sure the gospel is absolutely clear in their heads & hearts. He want them to know Jesus and serve him.
Ruins of the ancient city of Colossae. Photo by A.Savin, Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colossae
Mark’s Gospel is the action packed gospel. This guide will help you read Mark’s Gospel and see Jesus in all his power, love and authority.
Storm on the Sea of Galilee By Rembrandt - www.gardnermuseum.org :
Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6812612
What is the unforgivable sin and the blaspheme of the Holy Spirit? The stakes are high for this seems to contradict the offer of forgiveness in other parts of Scripture. And, it seems there is a sin that crosses a line that can never be uncrossed. Does this unravel Jesus' work on the cross?
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Until this year, the sure way to kill a conversation or slay a whole dinner party was to raise the topic of death. Unless, of course, it was a horrific public murder. But otherwise, even alluding to death was the social equivalent of deliberately insulting the party host. But, now, death is trending on twitter.
So, what does it say about the human heart that the overflow is spit? And what does it say when one person thinks another person deserves their phlegm?
Photo with thanks - By Asael Peña on Unsplash
Read Mark’s Gospel in just 21 days, taking 10-15 minutes a day. You could read most of these in 5-6 minutes giving you 10 minutes to think about what you’ve read.
BTW - Ignore the headings in most printed Bibles. They are a distraction from the flow and connections!
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Over one summer in Sydney, Jesus thundered into my mind. Before that summer, Jesus was insipid in my mind. He was a slight, white figure with no power, no majesty and no strength. Yes, I knew he went to the cross for me, but it seemed a passive path, with a sad inevitability about it. But as I met Jesus in Mark’s gospel I was stunned by the strength of his character and deliberate desire to offer himself on the Cross.
The next few blog posts are written to help you read Mark’s Gospel.
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This is a reading guide for Luke’s gospel. Its goal is to help you get the most gold as you read Luke. Luke is a beautiful piece of writing. It reveals Jesus as the suffering servant king who comes to fulfill God’s promises. We, humanity, are revealed to be lost and far from God, oppressed by spiritual forces of evil and captive to our own sinfulness. Jesus comes to free us - to bring forgiveness. It’s great news worth reading for yourself.
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A dear friend wrote an email to me saying they are not sure if they can believe in God. Here is how I responded: you can’t trust someone if you don’t know them.
There is a lot of gold on the internet. And there is a lot of dross! Slowly but surely I’ve kept a list of some of the gold. As they say - just click on the links.
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It was a Buddha’s head that started the thought. The head was in Bunnings ready to receive your newly purchased soil and spring bulbs. Jesus was thoroughly domesticated.
Photo by William Hook Unsplash