For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline. 2 Timothy 1:7 Love – We all know that the word “love” covers a wide range of feelings and actions. Greek has four different words to explain it. Hebrew has three words. But the number of different words…
For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline. 2 Timothy 1:7 Power – Mike Yaconelli calls it “happy terror.” He suggests that when we follow Jesus, it is thrilling and terrifying at the same time. His comment is insightful. Did you think that God’s gift of…
For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline. 2 Timothy 1:7 Power – God is not the author of my fearfulness. Quite the opposite, God gives power. That’s truly what I need. My anxious concern makes me weak. I find that I am willing but unable. …
For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline. 2 Timothy 1:7 Has Not Given – Are you a road warrior? Are you a follower of Yeshua and the Way who sometimes finds the journey excruciating? Do you see discipleship blisters on your feet? Then Paul has…
“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…
