Author: Andrew Timberlake

Mark 1:29-35

29 And immediately he left the synagogue and entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. 30 Now Simon’s mother-in-law lay ill with a fever, and immediately they told him about her. 31 And he came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and the fever left her, and she began to serve them.

32 That evening at sundown they brought to him all who were sick or oppressed by demons. 33 And the whole city was gathered together at the door. 34 And he healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons. And he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him.

35 And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed.

(ESV)

STOP! Think a little 🤔 What is God saying to you?

  • What is the writer saying?
  • How do I apply this to my life?

💡How to do your quiet time

Jesus performed miracles in order to provide authority to His message. His miracles validated that He was who He said He was. Those miracles also brought Him fame and people flocked to Him to have their loved ones healed and be rid of their demons. Jesus showed great compassion and healed the sick and cast out many demons. Fame can quickly derail one from their intended mission. Jesus could have allowed His growing fame to lead Him to be king of Israel along a much easier path. But his mission was greater than that. He withdrew to a desolate place and prayed. Jesus was intent on obeying the Father and spent much time in prayer to make sure He only did what the Father wanted Him to do. Prayer and time in God’s word is the only way to ensure you are living your life God’s way. Is that the foundation of your life or are you directed more by circumstances?

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Mark 1:14-28

14 Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, 15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”

16 Passing alongside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. 17 And Jesus said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” 18 And immediately they left their nets and followed him. 19 And going on a little farther, he saw James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, who were in their boat mending the nets. 20 And immediately he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants and followed him.

21 And they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath he entered the synagogue and was teaching. 22 And they were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes. 23 And immediately there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit. And he cried out, 24 “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God.” 25 But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent, and come out of him!” 26 And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying out with a loud voice, came out of him. 27 And they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, “What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.” 28 And at once his fame spread everywhere throughout all the surrounding region of Galilee.

(ESV)

STOP! Think a little 🤔 What is God saying to you?

  • What is the writer saying?
  • How do I apply this to my life?

💡How to do your quiet time

Jesus’ ministry started with a bang. He immediately declared that the kingdom that Israel had been waiting for had arrived and that they needed to respond with repentance and belief. To receive the gift of the kingdom of God, one must repent or turn away from your current object of trust (your self), and to place your trust (belief, faith) completely in the one who came to save, Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God.

This is seen in the four fishermen that Jesus calls. They immediately turn away from their old way of life and follow Jesus in response to His call. Jesus’ disciples would live with Him and learn from Him and ultimately be released to do His ministry in sharing the gospel and fishing for men. Discipleship is the expected response after belief in the gospel. If you have believed, are you now following Jesus in a life of learning from Him?

When Jesus began His teaching ministry, everyone recognised that He spoke with an authority that was unlike the scribes and even the unclean spirits obeyed Him. His fame quickly spread throughout the region.

Most people recognise that Jesus is an incredibly unique person in all history. Many acknowledge that He taught amazing truths backed by an amazing life. Few people are prepared to believe that He is who He said He is and believe in Him for salvation. Unfortunately, even less are prepare to actually follow His teachings as disciples day to day. Where do you find yourself in your response to Jesus?

Posted on by Andrew Timberlake 1

Mark 1:1-13

1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

2 As it is written in Isaiah the prophet,

  “Behold, I send my messenger before your face,
    who will prepare your way,
3   the voice of one crying in the wilderness:
    ‘Prepare the way of the Lord,
    make his paths straight,’”

4 John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5 And all the country of Judea and all Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. 6 Now John was clothed with camel’s hair and wore a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts and wild honey. 7 And he preached, saying, “After me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. 8 I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

9 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. 11 And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”

12 The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. 13 And he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. And he was with the wild animals, and the angels were ministering to him.

(ESV)

STOP! Think a little 🤔 What is God saying to you?

  • What is the writer saying?
  • How do I apply this to my life?

💡How to do your quiet time

Mark’s gospel opens with a line that serves as the book’s title. The gospel is the good news of God’s power through Jesus Christ to save all who believe (Rom 1:16). This is the good news about Jesus who’s name is the Greek for the Hebrew Joshua which means “Yahweh is salvation” and Christ is the greek equivalent of the Hebrew title of Messiah, the Anointed One. Not only Jesus a man who is God’s special agent of salvation but He is fully divine as the Son of God. This is a very special message.

Mark begins with a quick introduction of three events we need to understand Jesus’ ministry. The ministry of John the Baptist who came before Jesus, as prophesied in Isaiah and the prophets, as a messenger to prepare the way for Jesus’ ministry. Second, Jesus was baptised in the Jordan along with all those from Judea and Jerusalem. He was probably baptised to show full agreement with God’s plan and to identify with Israel’s sinful predicament although He didn’t confess any sins like the rest did (Mark 1:5). At His baptism, God the Father confirmed and approved Jesus’ ministry with the Holy Spirit present as a dove. All three persons of the Godhead present at once. Thirdly, Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert where He was tested by Satan for forty days. Jesus’ testing was used by God to prove that he was qualified for His mission while Satan used the time to try to get Jesus to move away from His divinely appointed mission.

We are introduced to a very unique individual with a very unique and divinely appointed mission. Will you listen to Him?

Posted on by Andrew Timberlake 1

Proverbs 4:20-27

20   My son, be attentive to my words;
    incline your ear to my sayings.
21   Let them not escape from your sight;
    keep them within your heart.
22   For they are life to those who find them,
    and healing to all their flesh.
23   Keep your heart with all vigilance,
    for from it flow the springs of life.
24   Put away from you crooked speech,
    and put devious talk far from you.
25   Let your eyes look directly forward,
    and your gaze be straight before you.
26   Ponder the path of your feet;
    then all your ways will be sure.
27   Do not swerve to the right or to the left;
    turn your foot away from evil.

(ESV)

STOP! Think a little 🤔 What is God saying to you?

  • What is the writer saying?
  • How do I apply this to my life?

💡How to do your quiet time

Why does God (through Solomon) keep saying the same thing over again. He urges us to listen, to hold on to, and treasure wisdom above everything. Why so much emphasis on this? Because it’s that important. We are naturally inclined to want to do things our own way. Right back in the garden of Eden Adam thought he knew better than God and today we tend towards thinking the same way. Even as believers our sinfulness leads us to think we can figure out the best way for ourselves. We need to protect our heart because it is prone to wonder. Jesus said that where our heart is, that’s where our treasure is (Mat 6:21). Is your heart and your treasure firmly fixed on the things of God or is your heart wondering elsewhere?

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Proverbs 4:10-19

10   Hear, my son, and accept my words,
    that the years of your life may be many.
11   I have taught you the way of wisdom;
    I have led you in the paths of uprightness.
12   When you walk, your step will not be hampered,
    and if you run, you will not stumble.
13   Keep hold of instruction; do not let go;
    guard her, for she is your life.
14   Do not enter the path of the wicked,
    and do not walk in the way of the evil.
15   Avoid it; do not go on it;
    turn away from it and pass on.
16   For they cannot sleep unless they have done wrong;
    they are robbed of sleep unless they have made someone stumble.
17   For they eat the bread of wickedness
    and drink the wine of violence.
18   But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn,
    which shines brighter and brighter until full day.
19   The way of the wicked is like deep darkness;
    they do not know over what they stumble.

(ESV)

STOP! Think a little 🤔 What is God saying to you?

  • What is the writer saying?
  • How do I apply this to my life?

💡How to do your quiet time

There are two paths to take in life, the path of wisdom (God’s way) or the path of evil. We tend to rationalise our choices and think that if we’re not being too bad then it can’t really be considered evil. But anything we do contrary to God’s way of doing things is on the path of evil. The further we go down that path, the harder it is to return. Wisdom shows us the path where your step won’t be hampered and if you run you won’t stumble. The path of wisdom is like the light of dawn which gets brighter and brighter until full day while the path of the wicked only leads to deep darkness that causes you to stumble. Which path do you find yourself walking on more often? What do you need to do to spend more time on the path of wisdom and righteousness?

Posted on by Andrew Timberlake

Proverbs 4:1-9

1   Hear, O sons, a father’s instruction,
    and be attentive, that you may gain insight,
2   for I give you good precepts;
    do not forsake my teaching.
3   When I was a son with my father,
    tender, the only one in the sight of my mother,
4   he taught me and said to me,
  “Let your heart hold fast my words;
    keep my commandments, and live.
5   Get wisdom; get insight;
    do not forget, and do not turn away from the words of my mouth.
6   Do not forsake her, and she will keep you;
    love her, and she will guard you.
7   The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom,
    and whatever you get, get insight.
8   Prize her highly, and she will exalt you;
    she will honor you if you embrace her.
9   She will place on your head a graceful garland;
    she will bestow on you a beautiful crown.”

(ESV)

STOP! Think a little 🤔 What is God saying to you?

  • What is the writer saying?
  • How do I apply this to my life?

💡How to do your quiet time

Solomon wrote to his sons to share some of the wisdom he had learned from his father. Wisdom is grounded in truth that can be passed down from generation to generation. Deuteronomy 6:6-8 tells parents to pass on God’s word to their children. Wisdom is supreme and we should hold it in high value. Wisdom is found in God’s word and provides us with everything we need to live complete lives (2 Timothy 3:16-17). But the Bible also warns us that there is wisdom promoted by the world which is not true wisdom (1 Cor 3:19) and will not result in the protection, honour and crown that this passage speaks of. We do not need to figure out life through trial and error. Wisdom is available to us to prevent us from making mistakes along the way. Do you consider wisdom to be of supreme value? Where do you go to for wisdom?

Posted on by Andrew Timberlake 2

Psalm 46

To the choirmaster. Of the Sons of Korah. According to Alamoth. A Song.

1   God is our refuge and strength,
    a very present help in trouble.
2   Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way,
    though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,
3   though its waters roar and foam,
    though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah
4   There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
    the holy habitation of the Most High.
5   God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved;
    God will help her when morning dawns.
6   The nations rage, the kingdoms totter;
    he utters his voice, the earth melts.
7   The LORD of hosts is with us;
    the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah
8   Come, behold the works of the LORD,
    how he has brought desolations on the earth.
9   He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
    he breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
    he burns the chariots with fire.
10   “Be still, and know that I am God.
    I will be exalted among the nations,
    I will be exalted in the earth!”
11   The LORD of hosts is with us;
    the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah

(ESV)

STOP! Think a little 🤔 What is God saying to you?

  • What is the writer saying?
  • How do I apply this to my life?

💡How to do your quiet time

While we live in uncertain and sometimes scary times, how much worse would it be if the earth were giving way and the mountains were being swallowed by the sea? Even something as scary as that should not cause us to fear because God is our refuge. No matter what happens we who trust God are safe under His sovereign control.

God’s peace is like a river flowing into the city of Jerusalem, the centre of Israel’s worship. When God’s presence was with them, they were secure and safe. Later, because they rejected Him, God’s presence left and Jerusalem fell. If we abide in Jesus, then He is with us and he will lead and guide us.

Even though the nations rage against God, by his voice alone He can cause them to melt before Him. The God of all power is our fortress if we will draw near to Him and trust Him.

Ultimately God will bring peace on earth and destroy all the weapons of war. Be still and know that He is God. He will be exalted throughout the earth. God offers us peace now in the midst of trouble if we draw near to Him and trust Him. He also promises a universal peace we can look forward to when Jesus returns one day.

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Psalm 37:27-40

27   Turn away from evil and do good;
    so shall you dwell forever.
28   For the LORD loves justice;
    he will not forsake his saints.
  They are preserved forever,
    but the children of the wicked shall be cut off.
29   The righteous shall inherit the land
    and dwell upon it forever.
30   The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom,
    and his tongue speaks justice.
31   The law of his God is in his heart;
    his steps do not slip.
32   The wicked watches for the righteous
    and seeks to put him to death.
33   The LORD will not abandon him to his power
    or let him be condemned when he is brought to trial.
34   Wait for the LORD and keep his way,
    and he will exalt you to inherit the land;
    you will look on when the wicked are cut off.
35   I have seen a wicked, ruthless man,
    spreading himself like a green laurel tree.
36   But he passed away, and behold, he was no more;
    though I sought him, he could not be found.
37   Mark the blameless and behold the upright,
    for there is a future for the man of peace.
38   But transgressors shall be altogether destroyed;
    the future of the wicked shall be cut off.
39   The salvation of the righteous is from the LORD;
    he is their stronghold in the time of trouble.
40   The LORD helps them and delivers them;
    he delivers them from the wicked and saves them,
    because they take refuge in him.

(ESV)

STOP! Think a little 🤔 What is God saying to you?

  • What is the writer saying?
  • How do I apply this to my life?

💡How to do your quiet time

As Christians, we tend to think of salvation and righteousness in the narrow lens of Christ’s death as the substitutionary atonement for our sins. He has saved us from the eternal penalty for our sins and we are righteous before God because Christ took our sins on Himself and gave us His righteousness. This is right but that only describes our positional righteousness before God. There is so much more. God doesn’t just want you to be positionally right through Christ but relationally and behaviourally righteous in Christ-likeness. This psalm is talking about living righteous lives. God will reward and bless you when you live your life with His law in your heart, when you wait for Him and keep His way, when you are blameless and upright. The salvation and deliverance of the righteousness this psalm talks about is salvation from the troubles and trials of this life. If you want God to be “your stronghold in times of trouble” then you need to walk in His way.

Posted on by Andrew Timberlake 2

Psalm 37:14-26

14   The wicked draw the sword and bend their bows
    to bring down the poor and needy,
    to slay those whose way is upright;
15   their sword shall enter their own heart,
    and their bows shall be broken.
16   Better is the little that the righteous has
    than the abundance of many wicked.
17   For the arms of the wicked shall be broken,
    but the LORD upholds the righteous.
18   The LORD knows the days of the blameless,
    and their heritage will remain forever;
19   they are not put to shame in evil times;
    in the days of famine they have abundance.
20   But the wicked will perish;
    the enemies of the LORD are like the glory of the pastures;
    they vanish—like smoke they vanish away.
21   The wicked borrows but does not pay back,
    but the righteous is generous and gives;
22   for those blessed by the LORD shall inherit the land,
    but those cursed by him shall be cut off.
23   The steps of a man are established by the LORD,
    when he delights in his way;
24   though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong,
    for the LORD upholds his hand.
25   I have been young, and now am old,
    yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken
    or his children begging for bread.
26   He is ever lending generously,
    and his children become a blessing.

(ESV)

STOP! Think a little 🤔 What is God saying to you?

  • What is the writer saying?
  • How do I apply this to my life?

💡How to do your quiet time

The wicked may work against the righteous, even seeking to kill those who are upright but ultimately it will be their own demise. The Lord is on the side of those who are upright. It is far better to have little and be righteous than to have the abundance of the wicked. The wicked will ultimately face God’s judgement. (Yet even for the wicked Christ died (Rom 5:8) and has offered His life for theirs, to bear God’s judgement and wrath on their behalf, if they will believe in Him for eternal life.)
Note the major contrast between the wicked and the righteous. The wicked are self-seeking while the righteous are generous. Even though the wicked are often described as wealthy, the righteous, though they may be poor, are seen to be generous and yet never lack—because God leads the person who walks in His way.

When life feels rocky and unsure, the righteous—those who delight in God’s way—have the assurance that He will guide them and walk them through by the hand (Ps 37:23-24). Wow, what a promise to hold on to.

Posted on by Andrew Timberlake 2

Psalm 37:1-13

Of David.

1   Fret not yourself because of evildoers;
    be not envious of wrongdoers!
2   For they will soon fade like the grass
    and wither like the green herb.
3   Trust in the LORD, and do good;
    dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.
4   Delight yourself in the LORD,
    and he will give you the desires of your heart.
5   Commit your way to the LORD;
    trust in him, and he will act.
6   He will bring forth your righteousness as the light,
    and your justice as the noonday.
7   Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him;
    fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way,
    over the man who carries out evil devices!
8   Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath!
    Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil.
9   For the evildoers shall be cut off,
    but those who wait for the LORD shall inherit the land.
10   In just a little while, the wicked will be no more;
    though you look carefully at his place, he will not be there.
11   But the meek shall inherit the land
    and delight themselves in abundant peace.
12   The wicked plots against the righteous
    and gnashes his teeth at him,
13   but the Lord laughs at the wicked,
    for he sees that his day is coming.

(ESV)

STOP! Think a little 🤔 What is God saying to you?

  • What is the writer saying?
  • How do I apply this to my life?

💡How to do your quiet time

In Hebrew, this psalm is an acrostic where the first letter of every stanza begins with the next letter of the Hebrew alphabet.

This psalm exhorts us not to be overly concerned about the wicked who seem to prosper even though they reject God. Instead will should trust in God who will bring about justice.

All around us we see those who do not live God’s way and they seem to be successful and enjoy all the pleasures this world has to offer. Do not be envious of them because they will soon fade like the grass, their lives will disappear in insignificance. Instead, we should trust in the Lord who can answer our heartfelt prayers and give us the desires of our heart. If we delight in the Lord, then our desires will also be righteous and aligned with God’s character and will. If we focus on the lives of the wicked and their apparent success, then that leads to envy or anger, both are unhelpful and sinful.

Posted on by Andrew Timberlake 1