16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.-1 Thessalonians 5:16-18Part of the enemy's prerogative his innerworkings ...  Read More

This image of Mary before Jesus, pouring out the best of what she has before Him and humbling herself to the extent that she has is a favorite of mine. I commonly consider this image when I am coming ...  Read More

Given the counter cultural points in the account of Mary pouring the spikenard on the feet of Jesus and wiping His feet with her hair, that would have absolutely stood out in this account. The example...  Read More

There are many connections to make throughout this section. One I want to focus on is the act of Mary anointing the feet of Jesus. There are a few interesting point to note here.Firstly, when someone ...  Read More

Do you remember last week how I said as we get nearer to the most important part of a narrative, it seems to slow down and it really zeroes in? Well this section does just that. There is a lot to unpa...  Read More

Then, six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was who had been dead, whom He had raised from the dead. 2 There they made Him a supper; and Martha served, but Lazarus was one...  Read More

Given that suffering is promised, and knowing what we know about persecution around the world, our brothers and sisters overseas are in desperate need for prayer. I encourage you to take time this mor...  Read More

2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. 4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and com...  Read More

Seeing how Jesus was treated for His righteous serves as an encouragement to me. As a believer, you find very quickly that people very quickly lose fondness for you in your faith. You get mistreated, ...  Read More

The lesson is primarily informative but there is definitely a takeaway that Jesus iterates in just about all His comments about persecution. What we see is how Jesus is treated in light of His recent ...  Read More

I was listening to a teaching a while ago on the Gospel accounts. In this sermon, David Pawson went over the nature of how narrative texts like this would be written. It would start off very fast. Jes...  Read More

Let's carefully consider what is going on in this context. Jesus just got done with raising Lazarus from the dead, and now we are dealing with the results of that. Many Jews came alongside Mary and Ma...  Read More

45 Then many of the Jews who had come to Mary, and had seen the things Jesus did, believed in Him. 46 But some of them went away to the Pharisees and told them the things Jesus did. 47 Then the chief ...  Read More

Part of why I believe Jesus was groaning and weeping is because of the hatred of sin and death and the yearning for resurrection. Let us sit in a place of yearning for and longing for the same thing.T...  Read More

One of the more essential facts of the Bible is that the Lord loves His people. We tend to struggle with this concept in application because we like to be a people that do. It is great that we have an...  Read More

Going a slightly different direction from what I have written thus far, I want to focus on the shortest passage in the Bible.Jesus wept.-John 11:35So many that I have heard talk about this have landed...  Read More

25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. 26 And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?”-John ...  Read More

Many scholars have agreed and concluded some of the same similarities I want to share with you today. The first of which is the similarities of Moses and his signs and the signs of Jesus. Moses began ...  Read More

This is the last of the miracle accounts recorded in John before the resurrection.Jesus was approached by the sisters of Lazarus of Bethany, as Lazarus had become sick. Jesus, hearing the plea, tells ...  Read More

Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 It was that Mary who anointed the Lord with fragrant oil and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazar...  Read More

Take the time to pray that you would have the eyes to see and the ears to hear what the Lord is doing. Make today be a practice of praise. Rejoice in the works of the Lord that He has done through you...  Read More

I had a dear friend of mine who was so good about recognizing the works of the Lord in her life. She had such wonderful eyes to see the Lord moving in things I never would have thought to look. She ca...  Read More

Jesus calls for the Jews around Him to look upon His works and let those testify of who Jesus says He is. If you believe in His works, then you will also believe that He is who He says He is.I am sure...  Read More

There is an essential theme that flows throughout the entirety of this section. In fact, it is the same theme that has been there throughout the whole last 10 chapters. Did you catch it?Believe.This s...  Read More