Mark 9:48You get the idea that Jesus wants to get this point across. Why? It is so vital. To miss this is to miss it all. The is a problem to be solved, there is a hell to fear. Heavenly Father, thank you for giving us Christ! You have made a way to escape the…

Mark 9:47Jesus helps us understand what he is saying by this repeat using different parts of the body. The feet, hands, and eyes are significant. Your feet represent where you go. Your hands represent what you do. And your eyes represent what you absorb. It is in these three areas that we get in trouble.…

Mark 9:46Looking at the word ‘worm’ here we see that he is speaking of the deterioration of the body. Of course, normally this process would be finished after a time. However, he seems to indicate that in hell the punished will have physical bodies which will experience eternal degradation. Obviously, we do not completely understand…

Mark 9:45In order to avoid confusion here, we must understand something of Jesus’ perspective. Those who he is speaking of entering into life with just one foot would be entering into the life of the blessed. Whereas, those having two feet would be embarking upon a life of wickedness only to be ended by being…

Mark 9:44Jesus’ teachings on the subject of hell are quite specific. He has a lot to say about it. In fact it is one of his primary subjects. Between this verse and the previous one he uses two different words to describe the nature of the fire. He literally tells us it is unquenchable fire…

Mark 9:43Once again we find ourselves looking at some of Christ’s intense teaching. Why did Jesus use such extreme examples? What is he trying to teach his disciples here? He had been talking about this man that the disciples saw doing miracles in Christ name. But at this point he’s turned his attention to a…

Mark 9:42Though persecution is a reality, it will not go unpunished. Christians have no reason to retaliate for persecution. Instead, the proper response is pity. What awaits those who would stand against the work of the Spirit is more than enough retribution.Just as a good father protects his children, God will protect us. Heavenly Father,…

Mark 9:41One of the things that we seem to miss completely in Scripture is the paradigm for ministry. Why does Jesus say, ‘because you belong to Christ’? Why does that matter? Well, time and time again in Scripture we see this pattern. Giving, charity, ministry have as the object God’s people. Even in the case…

Mark 9:40This is a good principle for us to remember. Often, it’s difficult to know the right balance when it comes to cooperating with others. On the one hand, we do not want to compromise the truth; but on the other, we have to work together. Jesus gives us the principal here, if someone is…

Mark 9:39We know from Acts 19 and the story of the sons of Sceva that those who did not know the Lord would not be able to cast out demons. So, this man who the disciples had seen must have known the Lord. Likely he was a disciple of John who had now believed in…