Daniel said, “Let the name of God be blessed forever and ever, for wisdom and power belong to Him.” Daniel 2:20 Blessed – Daniel understood the most important aspect of worship: God’s name must be blessed. When all else fails, when everything seems confused and chaotic, God’s name must be blessed. When we are at…
Bear one another’s burdens, and thus fulfill the law of Christ. Galatians 6:2 Bear – How long will it take before we truly understand that the New Testament authors thought in Hebrew but wrote in Greek? Let me tell you how long. It will take as much time as it takes to realize that the…
But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all men generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. James 1:5 Wisdom – James isn’t Greek. That should tell you that when he uses the word sophia in his letter, he does not have the Greek…
“and the worries of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.” Mark 4:19 Choke – No Heimlich maneuver will save you. The word does not mean choking from something stuck in your throat. This is choking by strangulation. It…
“and they have no firm root in themselves, but are only temporary; then, when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately they fall away.” Mark 4:17 No Firm Root – Jesus is an Old Testament man. He is saturated in Scripture. And why not? Scripture, by its own admission, is truth (John 17:17). …
“and when they hear, immediately Satan comes and takes away the word which has been sown in them.” Mark 4:15 Takes Away – If you understand (eido – remember yesterday?) the parable of the sower, then you will understand why there is a war going on over the lost. The first causalities are these poor…
And He said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? And how will you understand all the parables?” Mark 4:13 Understand – Without seeing the Greek text, you have no idea what Jesus is saying here. That’s because there are two different Greek verbs used in these two instances of the word “understand.” Translating…
And He was saying to them, “To you has been given the mystery of the kingdom of God; but those who are outside get everything in parables.” Mark 4:11 Has Been Given – Have you been given the mystery of the kingdom? If you are called as one of His brothers or sisters (the ones…
And He was saying to them, “To you has been given the mystery of the kingdom of God; but those who are outside get everything in parables.” Mark 4:11 But – Jesus distinguished between those who were called and those who heard. The called ones were given the opportunity to peer into the mystery of…
There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus Romans 8:1 No Condemnation – It seems as though all of my life I have been reminded that I am not good enough. Leftover childhood trauma made me an overachiever, but every overachiever knows that under the skin is a fragile human…
