It is clear from Daniel two, verses 12 and 13, that Daniel and his friends (Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego), were considered part of this caste of men known as the Wise Men of Babylon who were to be advisors to the King on a great breadth of subjects, including religion, science, philosophy and politics.  They […]

I used to wonder why the angels did not appear to the “professional” religious folk in the Temple… why shepherds? That was the thought and question I circled my mental wagons around as I considered this aspect of the Incarnation. After wrestling with this, I have concluded that the shepherds were the PERFECT candidates for […]

Essay #2 on Christmas – Mary and Joseph. I focus on the humanity of Mary’s journey. What humanity, you might ask? Picture the scene. Mary is in her home in Nazareth when an angel—no ordinary angel, but Gabriel himself—appears. By the customs of the time, Mary was likely only fourteen to sixteen years old. Now, […]

There was an old saying I remember hearing years ago: “You never meet the devil when you’re going his way.” When you reach the point as a believer when you are no longer silent in your faith – when you begin to boldly proclaim your allegiance to the Prince of Peace, pointing to Him as […]

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God” (v.9). Having been emptied, cleansed, and filled with God’s righteousness, the disciple now becomes an instrument of His peace. The peacemaker carries God’s own heart into a fractured world, working to restore shalom—wholeness, harmony, and justice—between man and God. In doing so, […]

A pure heart has clear spiritual sight; the fog of sin and selfishness no longer clouds the soul. Such a person begins to recognize God’s hand in daily life — in His Word, in creation, and even in the quiet movements of the Spirit within. Fancy words, that. But how do we get from here […]

Here is an excerpt from this podcast: “True mercy is never born of weakness or sentimentality. It flows from a position of strength—spiritual, emotional, and moral strength rooted in God’s grace. The merciful person isn’t a pushover, nor are they naïve about evil or sin. They see clearly the wrong that’s been done, yet they […]

Matthew 5:6 — “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” — speaks to the deep longing of the human soul for what is truly good, pure, and right in God’s eyes. In this Beatitude, Jesus moves beyond the outer actions of faith and goes straight to the heart’s […]

What does this Beatitude have in common with an encounter I once had with an Alaskan Coastal Brown Bear? Give it a listen or a watch and find out! Here is the audio – Spotify – Link: Blessed are the Poor The YouTube Link: Blessed are the Poor Blessings! Paige

Why do some scholars feel that verses 9 through 20 of Mark 16 were not in the original manuscripts? Also – why did Mark say the women left the tomb frightened and told no one anything, when all the other Gospels say the women DID talk to others about why they saw at the Tomb? […]

From the Sanhedrin and the charge of blasphemy to Pilate and the charge of treason, still Jesus did not retaliate. Convicted of treason with Pilate demanding that the religious leaders accept their participation in this event, Pilate consented to their demand to crucify Jesus, and sentence was passed. Here is the video link: Mark 15… […]

You can learn a lot about Jesus by seeing His responses throughout His trial, sentencing, and execution. In today’s podcast I outline the context of this last part of Jesus’ life by sharing 10 reasons why His trial was illegal. Here is the YouTube Link: The Trial of Jesus Part 1 The audio links are […]

What does the act of the woman with the perfume tell us about her? What does Jesus’ betrayal by Judas tell us about Judas? What do Jesus’ words at the last Supper tell us about Him? School is almost done for the disciples. The next three days are going to be crazy. Buckle up. Here […]

This passage in Mark has bothered me throughout then years. But I think I have come to grips with it. My overriding question has been “Is this a prophetic word for the first-century Disciples or for us today?” My answer is…. Yes. Here is the video link: Mark 13… Prophecy – a Two Edged Sword […]

In His last week in Jerusalem, Jesus begins by facing off with each faction of the religious leadership of Israel… Chief Priests, Teachers of the Law, Pharisees, Sadducees, and Herodians. He does not hold back in revealing their hypocrisy. Here is the Video Link: Mark 12… Into the Lion’s Den The Audio links for Spotify […]

Join me as I “Think with my mouth open” on the topics of Fig Trees and Prayer as addressed by Jesus in Mark 11. Here is the video link: Mark 11… Of Fig Trees and Prayer The Audio links – Spotify and iTunes – are to the right. Here is the transcript used for today’s […]

Once again Jesus has to explain to His disciples what is going to happen in Jerusalem. In the process He also addresses the topic of being a servant-leader, completely opposite of how the disciples were thinking about leadership. In the midst of this, Jesus encounters a blind man on the side of the road. Here […]

Is there a one thing or things you would refuse to give up if asked to by Jesus? The rich young man in this account by Mark was asked that very question. The video link is here: Mark 10:17-31… The Rich Young Ruler The audio links are to the right… i.e. Spotify and iTunes Here […]

What is it about children that causes Jesus to tell us to emulate them in regards to membership in the Kingdom of Heaven? Video link here: Mark 10:13-16… About Children Audio links  – iTunes and Spotify – are to the right. Here is the transcript I used to record today’s podcast. Mark The Little Children […]

Yes, the Pharisees asked Jesus a question about Divorce. But the underlying reason for the question wasn’t about a search for truth by the Pharisees. It was more sinister than that. The video link is here: Mark 10:1-12… it’s not REALLY about Divorce The audio links for Spotify and iTunes are to the right. Here […]

Jesus continues His discussion with His disciples about His impending death, weaving in a discussion about true humility and salt. The video link is here: Mark 9:30-50… Of Salt and Humility The Audio links are to the right (iTunes and Spotify). Here is the transcript used for today’s podcast: Mark 9:30-50 Jesus Predicts His Death […]

Why were the disciples unable to cast the demon out of that child? Why were the disciples arguing with the Teachers of the Law? Why was Jesus upset? This is a hard passage… but the reason for impotent ministry is highlighted here. Grab some coffee and join me! The video link is here: Mark 9:14-29… […]

I can imagine Peter is reeling from the revelation that the Messiah (Jesus) would die soon. I see the conversation on the Mount of Transfiguration in that context – especially the part where God the Father rebukes Peter… “This is my Son… LISTEN to Him!” The Youtube link is below: Mark 9:1-13… What do I […]

Peter’s confession – “You are the Christ/Messiah” – revealed real insight into the nature of Christ’s person and mission, but at the same time, his concept of Jesus’ messiahship was far from being perfect. He and the other disciples still had much to learn of Messiah’s suffering, rejection, and death. Here is the video link: […]

Jesus is entering the last phase of His earthly ministry. He has important things to tell His disciples, and they are worried about bread. Here is the video link: Mark 8:1-21… It’s Not About the Bread The Audio Links are to the right i.e. Spotify and iTunes. Here is the transcript used for this podcast: […]

After His argument with religious leaders over what is to be considered “clean” or “unclean”, Jesus departs for a pagan region,Tyre – an unclean region  – to minister to the Gentiles there. Here is the video link Mark 7:24-37… Back to the Gentiles… Again The audio links for iTunes and Spotify are to the right. […]

Jesus does not mince His words in confronting the Pharisees concerning their religious hypocrisy. The video link is here: The Gloves Come Off The Audio links (Spotify and iTunes) are to the right. Here is the transcript used in today’s podcast: Mark 7 Of Pharisees, Sadducees, and the Oral Torah During the span of the […]

We will all experience “Crucible Moments” where the truth of our faith is revealed. In today’s passage, the truth of the disciple’s faith in Jesus is revealed. Here is the video link: Crucible Moments The audio links for Spotify and iTunes are to the right. Below is the transcript used for today’s podcast. Mark 6:45-56 […]

Compassion was the foundation from which Jesus’ miracles came. Here is the video link: Compassion and Miracles – Mark 6:30-44 The audio links are to the right – Spotify and iTunes. Here is the transcript from which this podcast was derived. Mark 6:30-44  Compassion and Miracles Mark 6:30-34 Sheep need a Shepherd 30 The apostles gathered […]

On the heels of raising Jairus’ daughter from the dead, Jesus returns to Nazareth, His hometown, only to be rejected by them. Here is the video link: Mark 6:1-29… A Prophet and Their Hometown The audio links (Spotify and iTunes) Here is the transcript used to produce this podcast episode: Mark 6 6:1-6 A Prophet […]

Today’s passage evoked some of my personal feelings about miraculous healing. Give it a listen and a look! Here is the video link: Mark 5:21-43… a Sick Woman and a Dead Girl The audio links are to the right i.e. Spotify and iTunes Here is the transcript I used for today’s podcast: A Sick Woman […]

Jesus travels to a Gentile community and delivers a Gentile man from a powerful group of demonic entities. Powerful stuff. Here is the video link: Mark 5:1-20… They call me Legion The audio links to Spotify and iTunes are to the right.   Mark 5 They Call me “Legion”  1 They went across the lake […]

Why did Jesus speak in Parables? The answer might surprise you. The video link is here: Mark 4… Parables and a Storm The audio links are to the right i.e. Spotify and iTunes. Here is the transcript used for this podcast: Mark 4 – Parables and a Storm Parables aren’t a cute literary vehicle to […]

For the first time in Mark’s Gospel, Jesus turns His attention to the religious leadership directly, and does not back down. Here is the video link: Mark 3:7-35 The audio links i.e Spotify and iTunes are to the right. Here is the transcript today’s podcast was based on: Mark 3:7-35 The Battle is Joined 7 Jesus […]

In this Podcast we read about more interactions between Jesus and the teachers of the Law and Pharisees. All this made me think about the juxtaposition of church tradition with what God says in His word. Tradition isn’t bad in and of itself until it gets put on the same authoritative level as the Words […]

What did JESUS say about Himself? Was He God? Was He a good man executed for doing good things? Was He a good and moral teacher? Here is the Video link to the podcast… What I Believe… Jesus Part 2 For Spotify and Apple – check the links to the right. Blessings! Paige

In this episode I present my first February devotional in the “What I Believe” series. This month I will be sharing what I believe about Jesus. As I was preparing, I read something on the Internet that bothered me and got under my skin. Somebody wrote something to the effect of  “I find it hard […]