What Jesus treated as basic discipleship in his time on earth we’ve made into a rarity and some “specialist” work. In Mark 9 Jesus has come down from the Transfiguration and a father runs straight to him.
Tag Archives: healing
Tolerating demons
When I began Lent I had in mind a practice I read in Esau McCaulley’s new book, Lent. I was going to go through the New Testament books that weren’t the Gospels or Paul’s writings. I would start in Acts and move through and end up in Revelation. Once I opened my Bible to tryContinue reading “Tolerating demons”
Wrestling with unhappiness
We can tend to insulate ourselves against the harshness of what is going on around us. We build thicker walls to keep the noise out. We ignore news because it is “all bad.” We need to keep our eyes and ears open. There is unhappiness around and we need to LISTEN to the why.
The journey of healing and justice
Healing is not accidental. It is not coincidental. Healing in our lives, our thinking, etc., is intentional. It is a process. This is the journey I have been on and the journey I will be on for the rest of my life. (I almost typed “God willing”, but I know it is God’s will.)
Living in the gospel wrecks your daily schedule
Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (which means “son of Timaeus”), was sitting by the roadside begging. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”Continue reading “Living in the gospel wrecks your daily schedule”
How NOT to have a healing ministry
I am walking my way through the Gospel of John and there are times I find passages I’m familiar with a bit humorous. John 5 is one of them.
The enemy shows up when things are GOOD
As I keep moving prayerfully through Acts 5, I am struck by how I like to emphasize things in my preaching and teaching. I love Acts 5:12-16. Peter’s shadow falling on people heals them and delivers them from demons! Who wouldn’t like that? Who couldn’t preach on that?
Heal us of our blindness
Reading for today: Psalm 51; 69:1-23 Lam. 1:1-12 2 Cor. 1:1-7 Mark 11:12-25 Lam. 1:5 Her foes have become her masters; her enemies are at ease. The Lord has brought her grief because of her many sins… Prayer: Lord, we are blind and our blindness is simply stunning. All the advantages have been afforded usContinue reading “Heal us of our blindness”
Love without pretense
Reading for Saturday: Psalm 102, 108, 33 Ex. 2:23-3:15 1 Cor. 13:1-13 Mark 9:14-29 Reading for Sunday: Psalm 118, 145 Ex. 3:16-4:12 Rom. 12:1-12 John 8:46-59 Thoughts from Mark 9:
Faith that risks
Reading for today: Ps. 80, 77, 79 Gen. 44:18-34 1 Cor. 7:25-31 Mark 5:21-42 Jesus had his “reputation” put on the line several times, and people didn’t seem to care.
Apprentice 2 Jesus 