When the devil reigns in someone’s life the result is misery and horror. We see this in the demon-possessed man described in these verses. But we also see this today. Perhaps we don’t see cases where Satan bodily possesses someone, but all around us are those whose souls have been possessed by the devil. Satan still urges those in whose

Our Lord Jesus Christ is a man as well as God. He knows what it is to be tired and to sleep, and He understands what it’s like to have that sleep interrupted by people who need you. We must be careful not to expect more out of ourselves than Christ does of Himself. Sometimes we are tired, and we

These verses are a further practical application of the parable of the sower. They teach us that our knowledge of God must be put into practice. Just knowing about God is not enough - it is as useless as a hidden candle. Instead our Christianity should be seen in our lives. Thousands around us are without Christ and without hope,

This parable is full of warnings to those who hear God’s Word. First, we are to beware the devil. The devil is working all the time to stop or slow us down from growing as Christians. He wants to prevent as many as he can from being saved. From the devil come our wandering thoughts, lazy minds, sleepy eyes, fidgety

Our Lord Jesus Christ’s time on earth is short, but He accomplishes much by never wearying of doing good. The unbelief and opposition He meets with does not slow Him down. We are to imitate Christ in this. Our time is short, and there is much work to be done - we must not waste time on things of no

It is possible to show respect to Christ and the things of God and yet remain an unbeliever. The Pharisee, Simon, shows respect to Christ - he is polite, but he has no love of our Lord. You can go to church, sit in a pew, sing the Psalms, and want nothing to do with Jesus Christ. Being religious does

Our Lord Jesus Christ compares the unbelieving hearts of the Jews to children at play. No matter who God sends to them, no matter what the message, they are never satisfied. They are always finding fault, complaining, and objecting - refusing to listen. But these objections are only a cover for their hatred of what God has to say. The

As soon as the disciples of John the Baptist leave, Jesus begins defending the reputation of John. He sees that the people around him are inclined to think lightly of John. To the crowds of the day he is old news. He used to be very popular, but now in prison and deserted by most, the crowds have moved on

John the Baptist is a prisoner in the hands of Herod. He knows that his life is coming to an end. A long imprisonment or a violent death is the only future ahead of him. Yet, during this time his concern is not for himself, but for his disciples. He knows they are ignorant and weak in the faith. He

A young man, the only son of a widow, is dead. Why? Why does God allow tragedies like this to happen? Why do decent people often suffer terrible things? It’s not an easy answer, but a simple one. Sin. The presence of pain, death, suffering, and grief in this world is directly linked to the presence of sin. Adam and