Tag: Scriptures

  • Not Yours, But God’s

    Not Yours, But God’s

    Psalm 69:1–5, 30–36; Genesis 17:1–13; Romans 4:1–12 “Abram” translates to “exalted ancestor”. “Abraham” translates to “ancestor of a multitude”. While Ismael was Abraham’s son (the son he had with Sarah’s servant), it didn’t quite connect with Abraham as Ishmael wasn’t a result of him and Sarah (his wife and love).Both names had their own sting.…

  • You Want Me to do What?

    You Want Me to do What?

    Ananias chose to face reality. Ananias chose to walk ahead in faith, trust, and love. He made this decision while knowing the past.

  • Burning Light

    Burning Light

    Just as “Star of Bethlehem” drew Gentiles (the “wise” men or magi) from afar, so does the speaking and reading of the Scriptures bring light into the world that is in pain and dying. Similarly, a lighthouse casts its light into the dark seas, providing guidance and the promise of security to ships.

  • Advent Set Aside

    Advent Set Aside

    Zechariah 14:1–9; 1 Thessalonians 4:1–18 So often, it takes destruction for transformation. Far too many stories, whether Alcoholics Anonymous, Celebrate Recovery, Narcotics Anonymous, or others involve someone hitting rock bottom before a turn-around occurs. The opening words from this passage from Zechariah are brutal. The cruelty that the Israelites would receive went from financial, to…

  • Circling Vultures

    Circling Vultures

    Matthew 24:36–42; Luke 17:11–37 One of the most famous concepts in End Times thinking is those “left behind”. Part of the was the “Left Behind” series. It was also the dramatic portrayals of how two people would walk together, and one would just disappear. As an unbeliever, that always sounded…strange (okay, maybe crazy). The problem…

  • Cast Off

    Cast Off

    Matthew 23:13-15; Acts 15:1–22; Colossians 2:4–13  There is no question about Jesus’ attitude toward the scribes and the Pharisees in this verse. It seems pretty straightforward. What if it isn’t? What if Jesus was instead using their language in a way so as to make a point?  The Pharisees, with their belief in the afterlife, would certainly not want…

  • Foundational

    Foundational

    Matthew 19:16–26; Hebrews 9:1–14; Romans 10:8–13 The story of the rich young ruler, in my experience, has always been presented in one way…he cared too much for his stuff. This is true…to a point. Is the conclusion that we have often been led to actually correct? Or perhaps we, too, are missing which point Jesus…

  • Rumble

    Rumble

    Exodus 19:17–20; Haggai 2:5–9; Hebrews 12:25–27 We are often skeptical about God making the mountains tremble and the oceans roar. Our deeper understanding of the natural world makes us a little arrogant about things. We “know” that it’s really tectonic plate movement that causes that. The heavens don’t really shake, so we think. We “know”…