They Shall Take Up Serpents

It is with great difficulty that I am able to draw any certain conclusions regarding the last RED-letter statement in Marks Gospel. To an end I will allow you to take away your understanding of this passage. I offer the following:

(17) And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; (18) they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on t

Merry Christmas 2024

Good morning and Merry Christmas to You

 May the blessings of the birth of our Lord and Savior be upon you and your families this day

 The true meaning of Christmas

Christmas is a time to give thanks for the love, hope, and joy that Jesus brought into the world. It's also a time to remember that God gave us Jesus as a gift, and that we are loved and have hope for the future.

• The importance of Jesus' birth

The specific date of Jesus' birth isn't as important as the reason fo

Day 24 Luke 24

The resurrection of Jesus is discovered.

Women followers of Jesus discover the empty tomb of Jesus.

 Now on the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they, and certain other women with them, came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared. But they found the stone rolled away from the tomb. Then they went in and did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.

 Now on the first day of the week, very early in the morning: Jesus was crucified on Friday (or on T

Day 23 Luke 23

Jesus on trial before Pilate and Herod.

The first trial before Pilate.

Then the whole multitude of them arose and led Him to Pilate. And they began to accuse Him, saying, “We found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to pay taxes to Caesar, saying that He Himself is Christ, a King.” Then Pilate asked Him, saying, “Are You the King of the Jews?” He answered him and said, “It is as you say.” So Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowd, “I find no fault in t

Day 22 Luke 22

The Last Supper.

Judas seeks to betray Jesus.

Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread drew near, which is called Passover. And the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might kill Him, for they feared the people. Then Satan entered Judas, surnamed Iscariot, who was numbered among the twelve. So he went his way and conferred with the chief priests and captains, how he might betray Him to them. And they were glad, and agreed to give him money. So he promised and sought oppo

Day 21 Luke 21

  Jesus speaks of future events.

 Jesus makes an amazing prediction concerning the temple.

Then, as some spoke of the temple, how it was adorned with beautiful stones and donations, He said, “These things which you see; the days will come in which not one stone shall be left upon another that shall not be thrown down.”

 As some spoke of the temple: This temple was originally rebuilt by Zerubbabel and Ezra (Ezra 6:15), but greatly expanded and improved by Herod. It was the cen

Day 20 Luke 20

A question about the resurrection.

 The Sadducees ask Jesus a ridiculous question.

Then some of the Sadducees, who deny that there is a resurrection, came to Him and asked Him, saying: “Teacher, Moses wrote to us that if a man’s brother dies, having a wife, and he dies without children, his brother should take his wife and raise up offspring for his brother. Now there were seven brothers. And the first took a wife, and died without children. And the second took her as wife,

Day 19 Luke 19

Jesus and Zacchaeus

Zacchaeus climbs a tree and risks ridicule to see Jesus.

 Then Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. Now behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich. And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not because of the crowd, for he was of short stature. So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him, for He was going to pass that way.

Jesus entered and passed through Jericho: Jericho was an ancien

Day 18 Luke 18

Lessons on humility

 A parable to rebuke the self-righteous

 Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men; extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.’ And

Day 17 Luke 17

Forgiveness, faith and duty.

The danger of stumbling another.

Then He said to the disciples, “It is impossible that no offenses should come, but woe to him through whom they do come! It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones.”

Then He said to the disciples: Jesus, through the account of Lazarus and the rich man, has made it clear that eternity is for real, and no on

Day 16 Luke 16

The story of the dishonest steward.

 What the dishonest steward did.

 He also said to His disciples: “There was a certain rich man who had a steward, and an accusation was brought to him that this man was wasting his goods. So he called him and said to him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your stewardship, for you can no longer be steward.’ Then the steward said within himself, ‘What shall I do? For my master is taking the stewardship away from me. I canno

Day 15 Luke 15

Finding the lost son

 How the son came to be lost.

Then He said: “A certain man had two sons. And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.’ So he divided to them his livelihood. And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living. But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he began to be in want. Th

Day 14 Luke 14

Jesus teaches on pride and humility.

The setting for this teaching.

So He told a parable to those who were invited, when He noted how they chose the best places, saying to them:

 So He told a parable: What follows is a parable, a real-life illustration set along side a Biblical truth to give an example. Parables are not fables; Jesus didn’t tell fanciful stories with morals. He took real-life situations familiar to all, and used them to bring forth God’s truth, especially for

The Importance of Repentance

Jesus uses two recent disasters to explain the urgency of repentance.

There were present at that season some who told Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And Jesus answered and said to them, “Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered such things? I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish. Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and kille

Day 12 Luke 12

A warning to beware of hypocrisy.

In the meantime, when an innumerable multitude of people had gathered together, so that they trampled one another, He began to say to His disciples first of all, “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known. Therefore whatever you have spoken in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have spoken in the ear in inner rooms will