It was at this time that He went off to the mountain to pray, and He spent the whole night in prayer to God. Luke 6:12 NASB Whole night– Have you ever spent a whole night in prayer? Perhaps you’ve participated in a prayer vigil or taken a shift in a community event. But that’s not what this…
“Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials,”James 1:2 NASB Joy– I don’t think we listen to James. We simply do not regard trials as joyful. I don’t regard trials as joyful. If I really look at my own emotional response to James’ instructions, I discover that his words don’t penetrate my heart. Trials…
For we wanted to come to you—I, Paul, more than once—and yet Satan hindered us.1 Thessalonians 2:18 NASB Satan– What was the first century Jewish view of “Satan”? Why does Paul refer to Satan when he writes to the Thessalonians? Where did the idea come from? For most contemporary believers, Satan is as real as it gets. He and…
The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this.1 Kings 3:10 NIV Was pleased – Something odd is happening. We examined the fact that Solomon’s request was not about “right and wrong,” but rather about “good and evil.” That seems to be an ominous portent of his future idolatry. Human beings are not equipped to…
So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?” 1 Kings 3:9 NIV Right and wrong – The translators of the NIV completely ignore the Hebrew connection between Solomon and Adam. I suspect it is deliberate. The Hebrew text…
We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. Romans 12:6a Berean Study Bible Gifts – Paul introduces the subject of gifts with the word chárismata. The Greek text does not designate these as spiritual gifts. Church doctrine often views this word as though it is confined to the spiritual realm, but that is an extension…
For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ Romans 12:4-5a NASB Function – Even in Greek it’s hard to miss the implication here. The Greek word is praxis. The implication is that each member…
“For I know the plans that I have for you,” declares YHWH, “plans for welfare and not calamity to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11 NASB Hope -Did you know that this famous passage in Jeremiah is connected to Paul’s remarks about transformation in Romans 12? Probably not. When we read this verse,…
“Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials,” James 1:2 NASB Joy – What is joy? According to the ancient Greeks, joy is the unbridled experience of self-being, the manifestation of the fullness of who we are as the culmination of our existence. It is that feeling that arises when we no longer are…
