“Watch and pray that you do not enter into temptation” Matthew 26:41 Watch – Jesus knows that we are weak, but willing. We want to serve and be of service, but we struggle mightily with disciplining the body. We are often our own worst enemies, relinquishing ground to those appetites that we so enthusiastically fed…
He who turns away his ear from listening to the law, even his prayer is an abomination. Proverbs 28:9 Abomination – The Hebrew principle of measure for measure applies to a lot more than eyes and teeth. Waltke points out that “if a man, on his part, is deaf to instruction, then God, on His…
Observe them faithfully, for that will be proof of your wisdom and discernment to other peoples, who on hearing all these laws will say, “Surely, that great nation is a wise and discerning people.” Deuteronomy 4:6 Surely – The nations will be amazed. That’s what Moses says about an obedient Israel. “Surely,” is the Hebrew…
YHWH, in Your strength the king rejoices and in Your deliverance how he rejoices greatly! Psalm 21:1 (my translation) Rejoices – English just doesn’t cut it. English is a language focused on things. So, we have dozens of words to distinguish slight variables in things. Just think about the many different words we have that…
YHWH, in Your strength the king rejoices and in Your deliverance how he rejoices greatly! Psalm 21:2 (Hebrew text, my translation) Strength / Deliverance – It’s Oz, but there’s no wizard. It’s deliverance but there’s no background music. Of course, you have to be “old” to understand these allusions. I won’t apologize for that. Age…
No one serving as a soldier tangles with the affairs of this life, so that he might please the one enlisting him. 2 Timothy 2:4 Tangles – You’re in the army now! If you’re committed to following the Messiah, you made a voluntary decision to join His ranks. That decision has some very big implications. …
My friend, Soo-Inn Tan, from Singapore, writes a weekly post. Today’s edition had something very important to say to all of us who understand the liberty and renewal of Jesus. The results of the studies that he cites only tell us just how terrible it is to be one of the lost. He says: I…
Let a woman learn in silence, in all subjection. But I do not allow a woman to teach, nor to exercise authority over a man, but to be in silence. 1 Timothy 2:11-12 A Woman – The universal law of real estate is simple: location, location, location. There is a comparable universal law in biblical…
From time to time, some of my graduate students produce some very good work. I thought you might like to see what Barry Jenkins had to say about prayer. A Theology of Prayer By Barry L. Jenkins Introduction It is necessary to state the obvious at the beginning of this work entitled A Theology of…
Let your women be silent in the churches, for it is not allowed to them to speak, but let them be submissive, as also the law says. 1 Corinthians 14:34 The Law – Some weeks ago, one reader wrote, “Perhaps at some point you could give a clear explanation as to what the thorough explanation…
