Randall Johnson

Good Luck Charms: Daily Thoughts from 1 Samuel (1 Samuel 4:1-11)

As a baseball fan I am tantalized by the superstitions many players have about how to insure victory or a continuation of good playing. If they were wearing certain socks when they got a homerun, they

How Can We Hear the Voice of God?: Daily Thoughts from 1 Samuel (1 Samuel 3)

There is a disturbing sentiment in much of evangelical Christianity that God does not speak to us personally but that we should expect His voice to be heard only in Scripture, because in Scripture is all

The Invisible Principle Made Visible: Daily Thoughts from 1 Samuel (1 Samuel 2:27-36)

Book of 1 Samuel God judgment Old Testament
/ By Randall Johnson

This principle, that God exalts the humble and abases the proud, does God always make it plain that this is what is going on? Or is it left to us to draw the logical conclusion, as we see arrogant men

Cold or Hot or Something Else: Daily Thoughts from 1 Samuel (1 Samuel 2:12-26)

God exalts the humble and abases the proud. But what if you’re in-between? Can you be halfway humble or only somewhat proud? You can, but how does God respond to that? The author of 1 and 2 Samuel

Not By Might Shall One Prevail: Daily Thoughts from 1 Samuel (1 Samuel 2:1-11)

James A. Garfield was our 20th president and served only 6 and a half months because he was shot by an assassin four months into his presidency. But even more remarkable than this is how he became president.

Whoever Humbles Himself: Daily Thoughts from 1 Samuel (1 Samuel 1)

There are certain inexorable principles operative in God’s world. One of these principles is that God determines who will be exalted and who will be abased, and this determination is made based on

These Signs: Daily Thoughts from Mark (Mark 16:9-20)

It bothers some that a comparison of the many New Testament manuscripts available show minor variations from one another, and in a couple of cases, some large variations. But in terms of defending the

The Ending of Mark’s Gospel

There are four possible endings to Mark’s Gospel presented to us in the Greek manuscripts. The best evidence is that the original ending of Mark 16 after verse 8 has been lost. We do not know how

Alive Again: Daily Thoughts from Mark (Mark 16:1-8)

The evidence for the resurrection from the dead of Jesus the Nazarene is incredibly strong. And if Jesus rose from the dead then everything his disciples said about him and everything he said about himself

Abandoned: Daily Thoughts from Mark (Mark 15:33-41)

A young friend of mine was abandoned by her grandmother on the streets of Addis Ababa when she was just a young girl. Her parents had died and her grandmother could no longer afford to take care of her.

Mocked: Daily Thoughts from Mark (Mark 15:16-32)

The word “mock” can mean to speak derisively of someone, to mimic someone or thing, or to deride someone by mimicking them. It is a hateful and despicable way to treat someone and reveals the

Whose Fault?: Daily Thoughts from Mark (Mark 15:1-15)

Whose fault was it that Jesus was killed? This question has become rather a bugaboo. It has fueled persecution of Jews. Even asking the question has been viewed as a revelation of prejudice. The account

Are You the Christ?: Daily Thoughts from Mark (Mark 14:53-65)

Book of Mark Jesus New Testament
/ By Randall Johnson

It is startling to think that Jesus came into our world for the express purpose of ending up dead, a death that would be deemed a sacrifice to take the place of our having to die for our own sins. Why

An Inconceivable Disaster: Daily Thoughts from Mark (Mark 14:43-52)

Book of Mark Jesus New Testament
/ By Randall Johnson

It is hard to imagine the initial telling of the story of Jesus’ arrest and execution to early listeners, since we have heard the tale so often that it has become commonplace and excites little emotion.

When God Told Jesus No: Daily Thoughts from Mark (Mark 14:32-42)

Book of Mark Jesus New Testament Prayer
/ By Randall Johnson

Many of us struggle with prayer. We feel obligated to talk to God but find it boring, or ourselves distracted, and we get discouraged. We have also experienced God not answering our prayers the way we

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