John the Baptists’ disciples were not liked very much by the Pharisees of the day. The Baptist was preaching the coming of the Lord – the Messiah – and was not shy about exposing the Pharisees’ (and others) hypocrisy. John’s disciples were fasting to be sure Jesus was the Messiah.

Zig Ziglar tells a story about inviting a friend to church. The friend said, “I’m not going to any church, they’re all just a bunch of hypocrites.” And Zig responded, “Well, c’mon down then – there’s always room for one more.” And so those same lawyers who complained about Jesus […]

The crowds were so great no one could even get through the door. When Jesus returned to Capernaum, word had spread so quickly that a paralytic, carried by friends, seemed to have no chance to get close enough to be healed by Jesus. But these folks were not so easily […]

Imagine what it must be like to be a celebrity. There are the “Hollywood” types, and those in media, both of whom have the money and resources to protect their privacy – to a certain extent. Then there are those thrust into the spotlight as a result of circumstances beyond […]

Like many, my attention is often diverted from one thing to another several times a day. But Jesus did not ever seem to deviate from His plan. This passage seems to give us a clue as to how He did it. Jesus prayed. After a long night of healing the […]

So Jesus and a few of His disciples go to Simon’s house to grab some chow. But when they get there, Simon’s mother-in-law is down with a fever. The guys say, “hey, maybe we can still get a table at Baltazar’s downtown.” But even as they spoke, Jesus healed her […]

That’s Jesus’ message to evil spirits. Wouldn’t it be terrific if words like that were only heard when spoken with authority to cast out demons or silence evil spirits?

“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near” (Matthew 3:2), John the Baptist cried out from the wilderness. But now John has been silenced – imprisoned by a corrupt ruler. It was at this time that Jesus began to proclaim, “repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near”. Simon and […]

Have you ever experienced a great spiritual victory – overcoming a habitual sin, resisting an otherwise irresistible temptation, or leading a friend to Jesus Christ? Then what happens? Unexplained depression, or a major failure, or a greater temptation which catches you completely off guard! Why does it have to be […]

John the Baptist was called to prepare the Way, as prophesied in Isaiah 40:3. John obediently fulfilled that call – he preached repentance and forgiveness of sin, and Jesus Christ was the fulfillment of a doctrine of salvation to come.