“The grace of the Lord of us, Jesus Christ, (be) with all of you. Amen.” Revelation 22:21 (Literal Translation) With – What is the last thing John wants us to remember? Grace! Charis. The overriding message of God’s plan of redemption. Joy, rejoicing, favor. The thing that causes acceptance and benefit. What transforms. Goodwill. The…
“And the LORD said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to Me? Tell the sons of Israel to go forward.”” Exodus 14:15 Go Forward – You face fearful obstacles. There seems to be no way of escape. You can’t imagine how you will get through it. You’re convinced the God brought you to this…
“For the lips of an adulteress drip honey and smoother than oil is her speech” Proverbs 5:3 Lips and Speech – Propriety prevents Solomon from being explicit. But anyone with half a Hebrew brain knows there is more to this observation than talking. This is especially true when we realize that our translation “speech” has…
“A faithful witness will not lie; but a false witness breathes lies.” Proverbs 14:5 Faithful – Some modern translations do not use this English word. Instead, they use the word “truthful”. The Hebrew ‘e munah can mean both, but the shift from “faithful” to “truthful” does more than simply use an alternative meaning. When I…
“They have dealt treacherously against the LORD, for they have borne illegitimate children.” Hosea 5:7 Illegitimate Children – Who are the parents of these bastards? Did Hosea lash out against the offspring of foreigners? Quite the contrary. These children were born into the household of Israel, the progeny of good Jewish heritage. So, if they…
“Blessed is Egypt My people, and Assyria the work of My hands, and Israel My inheritance.” Isaiah 19:25 Blessed – You can easily imagine the reaction of the Jews when Isaiah relayed this message from God. Shock! Disgust! How could God call Egypt His people and Assyria the work of His hands? Didn’t that special…
“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.” Luke 2:14 Peace – You’re a shepherd on the hillside. In the days before fossil fuels, the night sky is clear and dark. One star is particularly bright. Centuries later your fellow humans will discover it is a…
“and I will cause you to ride on the heights of the earth, and make you eat with the inheritance of your father Jacob.” Isaiah 58:14 Eat – Do you want to really celebrate Christmas? Then enjoy an inheritance meal, served up by God Himself. It won’t be the usual turkey or ham. It won’t…
“then you will take delight in the LORD” Isaiah 58:14 Delight – What is more rewarding than seeing the face of a small child opening a brightly wrapped gift? The excitement, the joy, the anticipation and the sheer delight portrayed in that countenance is more thrilling than all rest of the festivities. Why? What makes…
“and you shall be called the repairer of the breech, the restorer of the streets” Isaiah 58:12 Restorer – Jesus is born to be the restorer. If we follow in His footsteps, we must also be the restorers. The Hebrew word shuv is used more than 1000 times in the Old Testament. It has a…
