“That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” John 3:6 Flesh – What’s your birthright? Jesus gives you the answer. It depends on how you were conceived. Flesh produces flesh. Spirit produces spirit. The gap between the two is the distance from East to…
Then the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being. Genesis 2:7 Breathed Into – Sometimes the links between the Greek New Testament and the Hebrew Old Testament are quite subtle but exceedingly powerful. Understanding those links often…
Return, O Lord, rescue my soul; save me because of Your lovingkindness. Psalm 6:5 (English) Return, Rescue, Save – What does active favor look like? David tells us in three powerful verbs. When we reach the point where our sin exhausts us, these are the three verbs we must understand: return, rescue and save. “Return”…
Have mercy on me, Lord, for I am wretched. Heal me, for my limbs are stricken. Psalm 6:3 (Hebrew text, translation Robert Alter). Mercy – This is a day for personal confession. Yes, I know, we have often talked about community. In God’s house, we are not islands in the stream. We are linked together…
“Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU SHALL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS” Matthew 11:29 Find Rest – What did the listeners hear when Jesus quoted this passage from Jeremiah (see Jeremiah 6:16)? They knew it, of course, since they were schooled in…
“Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU SHALL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS” Matthew 11:29 Learn – This Greek verb manthano is not the same as the word used in the Great Commission passage. The verb in Matthew 29:18 is matheteuo (see February…
“Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU SHALL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS” Matthew 11:29 From – Don’t read this too quickly! You might see the King James Version instead. That version says “learn of me.” The implication is that the more we…
“Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU SHALL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS” Matthew 11:29 Yoke – How can we enter into the second rest that Jesus promises? Well, not by sitting under a tree! Jesus says that rest comes when we are…
Every Christian must be a Fourth Step person. In case you aren’t familiar with the Twelve Steps, number Four is “take a fearless moral inventory.” Scrupulously examine your life and lay it all bare before the throne of grace and the cross of Christ. Of course, the Twelve Steps doesn’t actually say to strip yourself…
“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:29 Will Give Rest – Jesus gives rest like no other. Why? Because He knows exactly how you were designed and what purpose you are to serve. No one, not even you, knows more precisely what you need…
