God is light and in Him there is no darkness at all I John 1:5 Darkness – Have you ever wondered why “darkness” is associated with evil? The history is very old. In ancient times, darkness was associated with the realm of the dead. It was a place of terror, chaos and danger. It doesn’t…
A joyful heart makes a cheerful face Proverbs 15:13 Joyful – Solomon’s observation about appearance looks beneath the skin. He’s not interested in the veneer of happiness. He wants to know the root cause. And when he looks, he sees something quite different than our contemporary cultural images. If you want to see someone with…
Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things which have not been done, saying “My purpose will be established, and I will accomplish all My good pleasure”; Isaiah 46:10 Beginning – If you’re paying close attention, you will notice a very odd arrangement in the Bible. While we think of things in…
“the word of God is full of living power” Hebrews 4:12 (NLT) Living Power – So many people I meet tell me how they struggle to understand the Bible. They get confused with the language. They get lost in the stories and history. It all seems so strange to them. They know the general outline…
Beloved, I exhort you as aliens and exiles, to abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul 1 Peter 2:11 War – What is your strategy against sin? Before you answer that question, consider this: the Greek word strateuomai is the basis of our English word “strategy”. It’s the word Peter uses to describe…
Beloved, I exhort you as aliens and exiles, to abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul 1 Peter 2:11 Lusts – The Greeks knew the underlying essence of lust. Lust is what makes you boil over. Lust is that force that grips you with its power and causes you to explode. Lust is…
Beloved, I exhort you as aliens and exiles, to abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul 1 Peter 2:11 Fleshly – “I can’t get no satisfaction” cried the Rolling Stones nearly 40 years ago. Things haven’t changed much for creatures who listen to body talk. Peter knew the truth about the matter almost…
Beloved, I exhort you as aliens and exiles, to abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul 1 Peter 2:11 Abstain – Sometimes you just can’t avoid grammar if you really want to understand the words. Of course, our society is not inclined to agree. We have devolved to functional literacy, a place where…
Beloved, I exhort you as aliens and exiles, to abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul 1 Peter 2:11 Aliens and Exiles – There is no doubt about what Peter had in mind. We just don’t seem to be listening. In Greek, paroikos and parepidemos. Literally, “near the house” and “close to the…
We give thanks to you. O God, we give thanks, for Your name is near. Psalm 75:1 Near – David knew the difference between thanksgiving for presents and thanksgiving for presence. His psalm is the expression of joyful gratitude for God as his neighbor; the one who is close at hand. In fact, this Hebrew…
