“having a form of godliness, but denying the power of it” 2 Timothy 3:5 Form – “Build the perfect engagement ring,” says the advertisement, “at a fraction of the price.” Don’t worry about appearances. This cubic zirconium has “diamond quality”. What an intriguing statement! How can a substitute for the real thing have the quality…
“therefore the Lord God sent him out from the garden of Eden, to cultivate the ground from which he was taken.” Genesis 3:23 Ground – How does language condition worldview? In subtle ways, the very syntax and grammar of our language creates boundaries for our thoughts, bringing one aspect of the world into focus and…
“Lord, all my desire is before You; and my sighing is not hidden from You.” Psalm 38:9 Desire – Has God turned His back on your desires? We have been emotionally conditioned to believe that God only looks on the “high and moral” desires of men and women. We wouldn’t dare come into God’s presence…
“There is no soundness in my flesh because of your anger, nor peace in my bones because of my sin.” Psalm 38:3 Sin – Food poisoning. Just the thought of it might make you feel uncomfortable. When you get it, it’s not very pleasant. But here’s an interesting question. When you went to the restaurant…
“There is no soundness in my flesh because of your anger, nor peace in my bones because of my sin.” Psalm 38:3 Soundness – We all want good health. There’s nothing better than feeling great. The American culture has made fitness and health a mega-billion dollar hysteria. Since the culture serves the god of price,…
“For your arrows have sunk deep into me, and you hand has pressed down on me.” Psalm 38:2 To Descend – A single verb is used for both of these phrases. It is nakhath. Obviously, it covers a wide range of meanings. To bend a bow in battle. To bring down or pull down something. …
“But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?” Luke 18:8 Faith – There’s something missing here. It might not seem like much, but once you know what should be in the text, you’ll have a deeper appreciation for this very disturbing question. What’s missing is the definite article “the”….
“But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?” Luke 18:8 Find – It’s the 1890’s. The California gold rush is in full swing. People from everywhere pack up mules and head for the Sierra Nevada mountains, hoping to strike it rich. But gold doesn’t grow on trees. It takes…
“If I ascend to heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in Sheol, You are there.” Psalm 139:8 Make my bed – Four in thirty nine. Keep that in mind when you think of the number of times this word is used in the Old Testament. Yasa’ occurs only four times in thirty-nine…
“But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man shall be blessed in what he does” James 1:25 Effectual doer – James helps us see the practical side of our religious convictions. What good is…
