Author Archive for: meiling

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Mark 10:17-31.  Let’s go!

Mark 10:17 (NIV)
17  As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. “Good teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”  
 
On verse 17:  On the outside this man seemed to approach Jesus the right way: he ran up to Jesus (proactive!), he fell on his knees before Jesus (humility!), and addressed him respectfully as “Good Teacher” (honouring!).   But when you hear the man’s question to Jesus, you get a hint that this man’s approach to God and heaven was flawed.  There’s a good chance that what this man was really asking was, “What can I do to earn heaven?”  Jesus will use this man’s question to show that there is nothing a human being can do to earn their way to heaven (“With man this is impossible” – v27).  

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Mark 9:42-50.  Let’s go!

Mark 9:42-48 (NIV)
42  “And if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone tied around his neck.
43  If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, where the fire never goes out.
45  And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than to have two feet and be thrown into hell.
47  And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell,
48  where “‘their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.’
 
On verses 42-48:  Jesus’ words here show us a number of things:
 
1. Here Jesus shows us how holy God is, how nothing with sin can stand in His presence.  If it weren’t for Jesus Christ dying on the cross to pay for our sinfulness, none of us would stand a chance of going to heaven.  As Psalm 130:3-4 says, “If you, O LORD, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand?  But with you there is forgiveness; therefore you are feared.”  May we never take God’s incredible holiness or His equally incredible mercy for granted.

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Mark 9:33-41.  Let’s go!

Mark 9:33-34 (NIV)
33  They came to Capernaum. When he was in the house, he asked them, “What were you arguing about on the road?”
34  But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest.

On verses 33-34:  How silly it was for the disciples to be arguing about who among them was the greatest, when in fact the greatest one by far was with them but not part of the conversation.  It’s like if Wayne Gretzky were to play with a bunch of grade school children and find them arguing about who is the greatest player among them, all the while forgetting that the greatest of all time was in their midst.

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Mark 9:24-32.  Let’s go!

Mark 9:24 (NIV)
24  Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”

On verse 24:  After realizing that the size of his own faith mattered, the boy’s father declares his faith in Jesus and asks Jesus to help him overcome his unbelief.  That is a legitimate prayer and request you can make to God: “help me overcome my unbelief”.  When you pray that way, you’re coming to God honestly, humbly and with an open mind.  God loves to give grace to those who come before Him with honesty, humility and an open mind.