Fire in the Mouth

And he called them unto him, and said unto them in parables, How can Satan cast out Satan? And if a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand. And if Satan rise up against himself, and be divided, he cannot stand, but hath an end. —Mark 3:23–26 John Calvin: In refuting the calumny alleged against him, he first quotes a common proverb. This refutation may appear to be not quite satisfactory. We know what subtle...

An unconverted minister is utterly unfit for his office. How can he speak experientially of that grace which he has never tasted himself? How can he commend that Savior to his people whom he himself only knows by name? How can he urge on souls the need of that conversion and new birth which he himself has not experienced? Miserably mistaken are those parents who persuade their sons to become clergymen in order to obtain a good living or follow a respectable profession! What is it but persuading ...

We see, for one thing, in this passage, how much Christ disapproves all irreverent behavior in the house of God. We are told that He drove out of the temple those whom He found selling oxen and sheep and doves within its walls – that He poured out the changers’ money and overthrew their tables – and that He said to those who sold doves, “Take these things hence; make not my Father’s house an house of merchandise.” On no occasion in our Lord’s earthly ministry do we find Him acting so energetica...

. . . a faithful minister will always exalt Christ. We read that when John saw the state of mind which his hearers were in, he told them of a coming One far mightier than himself. He refused the honor which he saw the people ready to give him and referred them to Him who had the winnowing fork . . . in His hand – the Lamb of God, the Messiah. Conduct like this will always be the characteristic of a true man of God. He will never allow anything to be credited to him or his office which belongs t...