The Wonder of Mark’s Gospel: His Thesis Statement

Posted on July 12, 2023 by Joseph V. (Josh) Carmichael

The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. (Mark 1:1 ESV)

Mark was a no-nonsense writer. He had a story to tell and he tells it. He does not take us back to eternity past like John (see Jn 1:1ff.). He does not take us back to the sixth day of creation like Luke (see Lk 3:38). He does not take us back to Abraham like the preeminent Jewish writer, Matthew (see Mt. 1:1-17). He just starts with the ministry of Jesus: The beginning of the gospel… His opening sentence gives us both a thesis statement and a sort of outline of his book. From the second verse all the way through Peter’s confession, he demonstrates as Peter says, “You are the Christ” (8:29b). Then part two begins in earnest and continues through the confession of a centurion facing him at the foot of the cross, “Truly this man was the Son of God!” (15:39b). Then Mark concludes with the burial and resurrection of Jesus, reinforcing his remarkable argument.

Mark’s telling of the good news of Jesus and the coming of the Kingdom God into human history in his person and work is a manual of discipleship. Mark gets to the point quickly and hammers it home over and over. Jesus, through Mark calls you to take up your cross and follow him. He invites you into the life of faith with the father of the demon-possessed boy, “I believe; help my unbelief!” He disarms you with his compassion for sinners, even those who think they are OK: And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, … And he arrests you with his conclusion: They went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had seized them. [See chs. 8, 9, 10, and 15.]

Believe. Receive. Worship. He came for sinners like you and like me: For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many (10:45). Peter, likely John Mark’s writing companion, preached it pointedly to the religious leaders of his day: This Jesus … rejected by you … has become the cornerstone. There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to people by which we must be saved (Acts 4:11-12 CSB).

Posted in Acts, Bible Study, Devotion, Mark | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Faith in the Midst of Darkness

Posted on July 6, 2023 by Joseph V. (Josh) Carmichael

You have taken away my companions and loved ones. Darkness is my closest friend. (Psalm 88:18 NLT)

The 88th Psalm has been my companion for almost 25 years thanks to a sermon by Dr. D. R. Davis. To be more precise, I have come to admire my mentor from ages past, Heman the Ezrahite. Heman had the guts—the audacity—to close a prayer to the one true and living God with the statement: “Darkness is my closest friend.” Taking that to heart has given me courage to keep searching for a way out the many times I have found myself in my own Mirkwood or Shadow Valley. Many might mistakenly take Heman’s poetic monologue to the Lord as doubt. And in our twenty-first century definitions it does resemble doubt in a way. But it is really a lament from a circumstance of distress. He is straight with God: I am as good as dead; You have thrown me into the lowest pit; O Lord, why do you reject me? (4a, 6a, 14a) And he is still praying.

Further, he knows who he is talking to: O Lord, God of my salvation (1a). He is taking his pleas and cries and tears to the Covenant Lord who does not seem to be listening. But what else can he do? What else can you do when you find yourself in the darkest valley (Psalm 23:4b)? What else could Peter do when the crowds began turning from Jesus (John 6:68)? I invite you to read Heman’s prayer line by line. He makes the profound assumption that God cares to listen to him recount his troubles and afflictions, his fear and loneliness. He argues a logical case with the Almighty as to why he ought to answer: Can those in the grave declare your unfailing love? Can they proclaim your faithfulness in the place of destruction? (v. 11) Lord, if you let me die, I won’t be here to praise you! (Reader, do not get hung up on the language. He knew about the resurrection (see Psalms 16 and 116). That is not the point. He wants the Lord now! His closest friend is darkness after all.)

This psalm leaves the reader hanging. Psalm 13, on the other hand, allows us to experience the happy ending. In Psalm 88 the last word is darkness. If that is where you are today, do not despair. The psalm has been preserved. It seems Heman survived to tell his story. And now it is an encouragement to us when neither friend nor family can console us. May we in the valley today, like Heman’s musical cohort Aspah, say: Let me remember my song in the night; let me meditate in my heart (Ps 77:6 ESV).

Posted in Devotion, Psalm 119, Psalms | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Conscience and Clarity

Posted on July 4, 2023 by Joseph V. (Josh) Carmichael

We can say with confidence and a clear conscience that we have lived with a God-given holiness and sincerity in all our dealings. We have depended on God’s grace, not on our own human wisdom. That is how we have conducted ourselves before the world, and especially toward you. (2 Corinthians 1:12 NLT)

A clear conscience is a wondrous thing. It means you are not ashamed or feeling shame for what you have done. It means that sinking feeling inside has dissolved and you find it has been replaced—perhaps—with downright buoyancy. It means when you put your head on the pillow to sleep that your mind is actually free to rest. Oh for a clean conscience!

St. Paul had sent a letter to the Christian church in Corinth in which he had called them out on a number of sinful behaviors and practices. These folks had been living in ways unbecoming of those who had professed the name of Christ. So Paul gave it to them straight. And it appears that they had taken his words to heart and sought repentance and positive change. Yet some who claimed apostolic authority were questioning Paul’s words and motives. So he takes some of 2 Corinthians to defend his life and ministry. His conscience was clear on how he had treated and lived before the Corinthians.

I wonder if the nagging of my conscience may come from a failure to live as Paul describes in the second sentence in the verse above. He said he (and his companions) had depended on God’s grace. He says they had not depended on human wisdom. How often do I start the day on my flesh-driven autopilot? Like the Tasmanian Devil from Looney Toons lore, I zip through tree after tree even before I leave my house only to start back upon my return, not to mention the day at work in between. No wonder that deep feeling like a disconnected emotional nerve whipping against the pavement won’t relent. No wonder my focus is so scattered. I forget about God’s grace. I ignore God’s Spirit. What to do? Let’s be thankful for Isaiah. He was a prophet with a clear conscience. He is always ready with a word for us: This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says: “Only in returning to me and resting in me will you be saved. In quietness and confidence is your strength. But you would have none of it.” (Isa. 30:15). What about you?

Posted in 2 Corinthians, Devotion, Isaiah | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Cheer Up

Posted on June 27, 2023 by Joseph V. (Josh) Carmichael

For all those words which were written long ago are meant to teach us today; that when we read in the Scriptures of the endurance of men and of all the help that God gave them in those days, we may be encouraged to go on hoping in our own time. (Romans 15:4 Phillips)

Why did God give us the Bible? Because it is profitable for teaching, reproof, correction and training in righteousness (see 2 Tim. 3). Because it is living and active. It sees right inside of us, judging the thoughts and intentions of our hearts. It leaves us exposed before the one to whom we will give an account of our lives (see Heb. 4; 9:27). It also shows us the way to salvation from our sin. As the Westminster Confession of Faith puts it: “Those things which are necessary to be known, believed, and observed, for salvation, are so clearly propounded and opened in some place of Scripture or other, that not only the learned, but the unlearned, in a due use of the ordinary means, may attain sufficient understanding of them” (1-7).

Scripture is a light unto my path. We may hide it in our hearts so that we may not sin against God. It contains the wondrous things of God’s law (see Psalm 119). It is sweet like honey for the soul. God’s word makes one wise, joyful, and reverent for God (see Ps. 19). And friends, all these words were written when the “Bible” was the Old Testament. The New Testament was still being written. And so we have Romans 15:4.

The stories of the Old Testament, not to mention the law, poetry, and prophecy, were preserved for our endurance and encouragement. As I prepare to preach on the final chapter of Daniel, Paul’s words to the Roman Christians have been ringing in my ears. Daniel’s three friends had endured the fiery furnace in their commitment to the second commandment. Daniel had faced the lions in his commitment to the first commandment. At the end of his life, Daniel was told of the coming persecutions of God’s faithful remnant. Yet Daniel was given remarkable words from God through his angelic messenger: “As for you, go your way until the end. You will rest, and then at the end of the days, you will rise again to receive the inheritance set aside for you.” (Daniel 12:13 NLT).

We must endure in times today when good is now called evil and evil good (see Isaiah 5:20). We hear the words of false teachers, people whom we thought we could trust (see Matt. 24; 2 Pet. 1-2). And in some cases believers in Jesus are hated just for loving him and believing his word to be true (see Luke 6; John 15). So where do we go for help? Go to the word of God. These wise words were written long ago so that they might be relevant and applicable to us today. God’s word teaches us. We see the patient endurance of those who have been faithful to God before us. We see the evidence that God truly does not leave nor forsake his people. The word of God offers us encouragement. It gives us hope, that is, certainty, that with the powerful help of the Holy Spirit, we shall endure. So as Jesus said, “In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33 KJV). Amen.

Posted in 2 Peter, Daniel, Devotion, Hebrews, Isaiah, John, Luke, Psalm 119, Psalms | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Do you spend time with Jesus?

Posted on June 8, 2023 by Joseph V. (Josh) Carmichael

When they observed the boldness of Peter and John and realized that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed and recognized that they had been with Jesus. (Acts 4:13 CSB)

Peter and John were arrested for teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. The Sadducees took them before the chief priest and the high priestly family. These two disciples explained to the religious leaders how the Old Testament prophesied and prepared the way for Christ’s coming. Having heard them declare, “There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to people by which we must be saved” (v. 12), the religious professionals were astonished at Peter and John. These fishermen had not received formal training. What was there secret? Where did they get this learning? The Sadducees noted the source: they had been with Jesus.

Jesus gave them courage. He gave them understanding of the Scripture. He gave them conviction. Being with Jesus made all the difference. Great for them, you say, but what about me? I do not have that luxury. Indeed, you and I do. Jesus said it would be better when he went away because he would send the Holy Spirit to dwell within believers (see John 14-16). We do have Jesus. God speaks to us through the 66 books of the Bible, his word. We can approach God in prayer through the Spirit and in Jesus’ name. Jesus is at the right hand of the Father where he lives to intercede for the saints (Heb. 7:25). And the Holy Spirit dwells within God’s people and prays for us even with groans too deep for words (see Rom. 8). Jesus did not leave us alone.

And do not forget the church, the body of Christ. Are you a part of a local fellowship of believers? We can be with Jesus through these “ordinary means of grace,” that is, the Word, prayer, and the Sacraments or Ordinances of the church, as well as the fellowship, or koinonia we have with God’s people. I know I need to spend more time with the Lord Jesus and my heavenly Father. Perhaps you do too.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, thank you for the ordinary means of grace through which I can spend time with you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Posted in Acts, Devotion, Growing Your Faith, Hebrews | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

“Come to me.”

Posted on June 5, 2023 by Joseph V. (Josh) Carmichael

“Don’t be afraid, Daniel,” he said to me, “for from the first day that you purposed to understand and to humble yourself before your God, your prayers were heard. I have come because of your prayers.” (Daniel 10:12)

Daniel was serious and earnest about his faith. Realizing all the obstacles that has arisen against his people who had returned to Jerusalem (see Ezra 1-2), he acted. What did he do?  In those days I, Daniel, was mourning for three full weeks. I didn’t eat any rich food, no meat or wine entered my mouth, and I didn’t put any oil on my body until the three weeks were over. (Daniel 10:2-3) He humbled himself before God in fasting and in prayer. Was his approach to God and his entreaty effectual? Indeed. He was visited in a vision by an angelic being! God sent him in response to Daniel’s prayers and his character of humility.

Daniel just acted like Daniel. He was a faithful believer in Yahweh, the God of his fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He was not trying to twist God’s arm. He was not seeking to manipulate God. He had a relationship with a holy and righteous covenant LORD and so he acted like one in service to his King. God sees everything and knows everything. He knows what you and I are thinking right this moment. He knows what we each need. He has provided both precept and example in his word, the Bible, to guide us through any circumstance we may face. He will not turn away any who come to him in faith.

Jesus said it clearly: “Everyone the Father gives me will come to me, and the one who comes to me I will never cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me. This is the will of him who sent me: that I should lose none of those he has given me but should raise them up on the last day. For this is the will of my Father: that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him will have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.” (John 6:37-40)

Amen and amen!

Posted in Daniel, Devotion, John | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Remarkable Incongruity of Mercy

Posted on June 2, 2023 by Joseph V. (Josh) Carmichael

They remembered that God was their rock, the Most High God, their Redeemer.

But they deceived him with their mouths, they lied to him with their tongues,

their hearts were insincere toward him, and they were unfaithful to his covenant.

Yet he was compassionate; he atoned for their iniquity and did not destroy them.

He often turned his anger aside and did not unleash all his wrath. (Psalm 78:35-38 CSB)

After leading his people out of slavery under Pharaoh through Moses, they consistently rebelled against his holiness and grace. So he disciplined them for their own good. And for a time they would repent and obey. It is almost a precursor to the times of the Judges. Blessing, forgetting, disobedience, discipline, crying for help, deliverance, blessing.

In the account recorded and recounted above, we see a profound breaking of the fourth commandment. And a warning to all of us! We speak untrue words before God: deceived/mouths and lied/tongues. The parallelism emphasizes the sin. And it is toward God. Yet we are told not to take his name in vain (not to mention not to bear false witness; see Exodus 20). But it goes deeper. Insincere hearts toward him. It hurts to type such words! Unfaithful to his covenant. Let us not deceive ourselves. We follow in their footsteps. Though we bear his name we bring shame on that name through our actions and even our ways of life.

Yet! Yet his response included compassion, atonement, preservation, holy patience, and the ultimate demonstration of self-control. (I do think God first is the perfect demonstration of the fruits of the Spirit he shares with us.) In Christ and by sheer grace God does not give us what we deserve. He shows compassion toward sinners. He sees that we are lost sheep in need of a Shepherd. He provides atonement. That actually means he removes the obstacle of his wrath and makes the way for us to be reconciled to him. He lets us live when we deserve to die for our sins. He relinquishes his holy anger that our sins rightly provoke and withhold his wrath that our sins rightly deserve.  What a comprehensive deliverance!

Of course this could not go on indefinitely. Sin had to be dealt with finally and fully. The answer to the dilemma? Jesus. Being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed. (Romans 3:24-25) The answer is spelled out in the work of Christ for sinners like me and like you. Hallelujah, what a Savior.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, thank you for the salvation you provide by grace through faith in Jesus. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Posted in Devotion, Psalms | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Mercy for Sinners

Posted on May 26, 2023 by Joseph V. (Josh) Carmichael

How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word. (Psalm 119:9 ESV)

As I was thinking about Psalm 119, I came across an article about the filthy and heartbreaking cover of the recently released EP by Harrison Patrick Smith, AKA The Dare. First Mr. Smith, I appeal to you, you are still alive on this earth, so there is still hope for you. I implore you, you should repent of your views of sex and sexuality. Sex is meant for the marriage bed between one mane and one woman. As Jesus said, “Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’?” (Matthew 19:4-5). And yes, your album cover is unrestrained pedophilia. Again, I implore you, you must turn from your wicked ways and turn to Christ for failure to do so will mean for you the judgment of everlasting torment in the lake of fire. But you do not have to go there since Jesus died for sinners like you and me. Run to Jesus now for refuge and He will forgive you and make you a member of His heavenly kingdom.

Friends, thank God for his word. There we find the only safety against the world, the flesh, and the devil. How can you keep from being tempted into the lifestyle promoted by the above artist and others like him? Guard your life according to the word of God. It tells us we will not be tempted beyond what we can bear but that God will always provide a way of escape. We are instructed to flee temptation. We are told to resist the devil and he will flee from you. Friends, the name of the LORD is a strong tower. The righteous run to it and are safe. Do so, even now.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, help me to guard my life according to your word. And further, God, have mercy on me, a sinner. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Posted in Devotion | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Conviction and Confession

Posted on May 17, 2023 by Joseph V. (Josh) Carmichael

For I confess my iniquity; I am full of anxiety because of my sin. (Psalm 38:18 NASB)

David, the young shepherd who became the King of Israel and a man after God’s own heart, found himself sick in his sin. He knew that his sin was against the God who made him. As he was living in sin he found no soundness in his flesh and no health in his bones. He was in over his head in sin and it was a burden too great to bear (v. 4). He admitted his folly. He was benumbed and badly crushed. He was sighing, crying, and in physical, mental, and spiritual pain.

David was under the conviction of sin. The Holy Spirit applied God’s word to him and it made him groan and sigh. His heart was agitated. What was he to do? Confess and repent!

For I confess my iniquity; I am full of anxiety because of my sin. He was filled with anxiety. Why? Because people did not like him? That is not why. Because of strained relationships at work and at home? That is not why. Because he felt like the world was a dangerous place? That is not why. These things were all true of King David. But his “anxiety attack” was over his sin. His sin against the God who looked upon him with steadfast love and faithfulness. The God who said, “You shall have no other gods before me.”

Can you relate to David? David realized his troubles were due to his own sin. He discerned that he was receiving the discipline of a loving Father. And so he confessed. He repented. And he ran to the very One he had offended: Do not forsake me, O Lord; O my God, do not be far from me! Make haste to help me, O Lord, my salvation! (vv. 21-22).

PRAYER: Dear LORD, Create in me a clean heart. Please renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence; take not your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Posted in Devotion, Psalms | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Word and Prayer

Posted on May 15, 2023 by Joseph V. (Josh) Carmichael

 I, Daniel, learned from reading the word of the Lord, as revealed to Jeremiah the prophet, that Jerusalem must lie desolate for seventy years. So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and fasting. I also wore rough burlap and sprinkled myself with ashes. (Daniel 9:2b-3 NLT)

Daniel was over eighty years old. He had spent his entire adult life in exile. What was he doing? He was reading his Bible. Whatever scrolls or fragments of God’s word that had made the trek to Babylon some 67 odd years before, Daniel was studying them. What does he learn from his meditation and study? In his case he learns that the time of exile, according to the word of the LORD through Jeremiah the prophet, is drawing toward a conclusion. How does he respond? He prays. Notice his position. He turns toward the Lord. Notice his petition. He pleads with God. He seeks the LORD. He intercedes for his people. Notice his posture. Fasting, burlap, and ashes. These items represented humility in his approach to the throne of the Most High. He comes with reverence. He kneels in worship. To whom else can he go?

We have the benefit of the 39 books of the Old Testament and the 27 books of the New Testament bound and in multiple English translations. Do you read it? Do you meditate upon it? Do you need inspiration? Take a look at Psalm 119. We have a Savior through whose perfect merits we can approach the throne of grace with confidence and find mercy and grace in time of need. Have you kneeled in prayer lately? Further, those united to Christ by faith have the deposit of the Holy Spirit, guaranteeing our redemption. And lo and behold, He dwells within us, offering supplication with groans too deep for words. Have you plead with God lately?

Friend, Reformed and Evangelical Presbyterians like myself are not supposed to say what I am about to type. I dare anyone to rebuke me. Friend, by God’s grace, dare to be a Daniel.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, give me the motivation to read your word and the inspiration to pray fervently to you, even as Daniel did. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Posted in Daniel, Devotion | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment