By Faith Alone Podcast

This week we see that Jesus is brought to trial not just from the religious authorities, but also from the governing authorities, the Roman governor. He is silent before them, he is condemned, he is scorned, and he is crucified. Yet in all of this, he is king. Notice these verses of Mark 15: Verse 2: And Pilate asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews ?” Verse 9: And he answered them, saying “Do y...

While Jesus was undergoing a trial, Peter was going through one of his own. Would he be true to Christ or not? We are too much like Peter. When the pressure gets too great, we deny Jesus. Yet thank God that though Jesus was unjustly convicted, he is the Son of Man, God himself. He is able to rescue us to the utmost because he himself bore our sins so that we might live for righteousness. This is a...

There are times when we make promises to our Lord to be loyal and faithful to him. We promise not to betray him but commit our lives to him. Yet often we fail in this promise. When we sin we have given up wholehearted devotion to him but have gone our own way. Yet we can thank God that in today’s message, Jesus is the true Passover Lamb. On the occasion of the Passover he dined with his disciples...

The events in this part of the gospel of Mark show us the final moments leading up to Christ’s death. The ruling body plots to kill Jesus, but not during the Passover. Mary does a beautiful thing by breaking the jar of perfume and anointing Jesus with it. Her costly love of the Lord outweighed any thought of what others thought and demonstrated how much she valued her Lord. Judas agrees to sell ou...

When can we expect Jesus to return? We don’t know. Even the Son does not know the day or the hour. Yet God’s people need to be ready for the time when the Master returns. We can do that by doing good, by being willing to suffer, and by looking to Christ to come in and dine with us forever at his banquet table. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or ge...

On the day when the seventh trumpet sounds, the mystery will be revealed. God reveals his word to his servants - a message that is received or rejected, a message of gospel hope or rejection. In the fullness of time, the true mystery has been revealed in Jesus Christ when all things will be united to him. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get acc...

There is often so much suffering and destruction that we see in our lives. Because of spiritual warfare, there is much more going on behind the scenes that we don’t always see. Revelation 9 shows us some of this spiritual warfare. When the fifth and sixth trumpets are blown, the demons of the bottomless pit are allowed by God to be released, and many are allowed to kill. In the end the survivors o...

Today’s passage reminds us that the judgments that God brings can either be good or bad, depending on where one stands. According to Article 37 of the Belgic Confession, the judgment of God is horrible and dreadful to wicked and evil people, but it is very pleasant and a great comfort to the righteous and the elect. God calls his people to pray faithfully because God hears our prayers for his king...

As there is a pause from the seals of judgment, we see here a beautiful picture of the multitudes in heaven. Those in Christ are sealed with the mark of Christ on them. They are protected even though they suffer. The unnumbered multitude, from every tongue, tribe, and nation are those who have overcome and finished the race. Though they have suffered, here they are sheltered and protected and now...

When the six seals are opened, we see a picture of much destruction. Yet on the fifth seal, we see these waiting witnesses, the martyrs who have been killed for their faith. They wonder how long until they are avenged. Yet they are told to rest and to wait a little while longer. The saints that have died before us are in the presence of Christ, but they wait because Christ has not finished his red...

A dystopia is an imagined state or society in which there is great suffering and injustice. The beginning part of Revelation 5 has John weeping, because no one in heaven or earth is able to open the scroll. It’s a picture of what the world would be like without God’s redemptive plan. Do we marvel in our own part of this suffering, in our own sense of sin apart from a mediator? We can thank God tha...

In Revelation 4 the door to heaven is opened and we see that the Lord is king over all creation. We witness a great throne room and we see the living creatures and the 24 elders praising God. The elders lay aside their crowns because they acknowledge God alone as the true king. All creatures should give praise to our eternal God. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with oth...

In a world of enmity, we certainly need a savior who will be our peace. Ultimately the peace we need is not from this world, but a peace between God and us. Praise God that at just the right time, Christ came as a baby at Christmas so that we might be reconciled to God. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit joshchr...

Even though fatherhood in this world is broken by sin, the fatherhood of God is amazing. The qualities of the coming Messiah promised in Isaiah’s day was that he would be like a loving father who lasts forever. Christ has adopted those who believe in him into his family forever. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visi...

Even though God’s people had failed because of sin, we have a Messiah who is a mighty God. He loves us with an everlasting love and turns our record of sin into joy. Let us rejoice in what God has done in a mighty way. Let us know the depths of his love and the way that he has redeemed us. Let us rejoice that one day God will gather together his people to save them for all eternity. This is a publ...

Isaiah 9:6 has for well-known names that describe what the coming Messiah would be like: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace. In a world that is disconnected and cut off, this messiah is a wonderful counselor. The promised child is wonderful because he does great things and he is beyond understanding. And he is counselor because even though he is God himself, h...

Old hundredth is a beloved psalm of praise that calls people to give thanks to God, for he is good and worthy of our thanks. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit joshchristoffels.substack.com

Rich Laodicea is very much like today’s church; affluent but spiritually deprived. This church is lukewarm and because of that it lacks anything useful. Yet Christ calls his church to be repentant and to put their trust in Jesus who offers the free gift of salvation. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit joshchrist...

The church in Philadelphia was a suffering and powerless church. Today we might suffer from disasters, poverty, and persecution too. To this church Jesus promises the key of David, an open door, and a pillar in God’s temple. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit joshchristoffels.substack.com

One of the biggest issues facing the church today is apathy. The stronghold of Sardis was once invaded by Persia because they failed to post a guard at a critical spot. God calls his church not to be sleeping but to wake up and be aware of spiritual apathy. Instead, we should repent and have a great resolve to obey the gospel with great fervor. Christ even gives us the motivation to do so; those w...

The Church in Thyatira was the opposite of the church in Ephesus. It was good at love, but it compromised on truth and holiness. Jesus calls for this church, and us, to have a love that is increasing - more than we had at first. Yet they lacked discernment. Like Jezebel who is leading Christians astray, Thyatira allowed sin to coexist within the Christian world. Jesus calls his church to cast her...

Today we are living in the world of the church in Pergamum. This was a church that had to be warned against embracing the idolatry of the world around them. This threat is one inside the church when we tolerate the false teaching of embracing this idolatry. Christ calls us to repent, but he enables us to put sin to death. And he also promises help. He gives us his heavenly manna and his white ston...

The church in Smyrna was a suffering church. This church was not corrected for wrongdoing because it was difficult to see beyond their suffering. Many churches today are persecuted, but here in North America our freedoms don’t always lead to political persecution. Yet many individuals continue to suffer. When this happens, Christ calls us to suffer unto glory - to seek the crown of eternal life. C...

The church in Ephesus was doing well at holding fast to the truth. They worked hard, they patiently endured, and they practiced church discipline to those who were evil. But one thing they did not do well was that they abandoned the love of God and neighbor that they had at first. They were called out by Christ to repent and do the work of love. Christ is warning his church to pursue both love and...

The early church was a suffering church. John was banished to the island of Patmos when he received this message from the Lord that is unveiled. When we feel as if there is no voice speaking, Jesus comes to us and speaks. He gives some hard-hitting truths to his church, but he also gives them encouragement to persevere and the goal of living forever with him in paradise. Join me in this 8-part ser...