Beggars like Bartimaeus (Mark 10:46-52) often depend upon public pity for their existence. Without love and pity, most-likely, he was largely ignored. Yet, despite his desperate situation, Bartimaeus never succumbed to self-pity. Self-pity is deadly to faith and especially poisonous…
The story of Bartimaeus in Mark 10:46-52 is a powerful illustration of faith and healing. A blind beggar, Bartimaeus sat and heard the stirring of the people. When he asked what was happening, he was told that Jesus was coming.…
If I would say my wife does not care about me (especially when I am not well) invalidates her love for me. It shames her and declares that our relationship is a farce. Fake. Even more, to suggest that God…
Can God heal? Most people would agree that He can, but faith does not only rest on God’s ability to do something. God’s ability to heal does not make Him obligated to perform healing. A billionaire today is not obligated…
WARNING: This is a deeper lesson for those who choose to think more deeply. 😉 When someone chooses to “reconcile” something, it means that all things are resolved and settled according to a high standard. All wrongs and misplaced things…
The 10 lepers heard the words of Jesus, “go show yourselves to the priest.” (Luke 17:14) I imagine these leprous men making a mad dash for the temple. People on the street would see them coming and jump out of…
I remember as a boy, I once took special interest in Jesus and the Bible. What was the truth? I wanted to know. So, as a young reader, I began to plod my way through the New Testament; “the part…
“And by his stripes we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:5) God did not say “by his stripes” tigers and zebras are healed! If He had said so, there would be no hope for you or I. In fact we would rather…
I recently stayed overnight at the hospital with my wife. She had just given birth to our second son, Jeremiah. And to support her, I lay overnight in the fold-out sofa bed beside her bed. As uncomfortable as it was,…
When I was younger, I heard someone say that they sold their soul to the devil. It is a point of fantasy in some movies and entertainment, but is that really possible? I have heard of desperate people in Java…