” We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one” 1 John 5:19 Whole world – We compromise. God doesn’t. God uses words like “whole” and “all” and “only” and “nothing”, but we like “most” and “nearly” and “some” and “not quite”. We prefer the…
“Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.” Matthew 6:12 Debts – There are only two critical terms in a debt: who and what. Without those two terms, the debt means nothing. So, let’s ask the obvious questions. In the Lord’s Prayer, whom do I owe and what is it that I…
“Do not fear, for I am with you: Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God,” Isaiah 41:10 Anxiously look about – Hebrew is a language that often uses parallel expressions to emphasize a point. This is God’s version of a double-take. God starts us off with a command about giving up…
“Who says to you, ‘Do not fear, I will help you.’” Isaiah 41:13 Help – In God’s world, we all need help. Not a single person will ever reach the point in life where help is no longer necessary. Of course, if we live in a world of fear and risk, our focus will not…
“Who says to you, ‘Do not fear, I will help you.’” Isaiah 41:13 Do not fear – Fear is a big concern in the Bible. Someone told me that the command to not be afraid is used 366 times in Scripture. Why does God feel it necessary to repeat this idea over and over? Because…
“yet not My will, but Thine be done.” Luke 22:42 Be done – Sometimes we need a peak at the Greek verb in order to see how marvelous the idea really is. This verb (ginomai) tells us something truly wonderful if we take the time to understand it. The verb itself means, “to become”. Jesus…
“yet not My will, but Thine be done.” Luke 22:42 But – There are several words in Greek that are translated “but”. This one is alla. It is a strong and deliberate pause. The difference between my will and God’s will requires an intentional stop and start. I have to come to the end of…
“yet not My will, but Thine be done.” Luke 22:42 My will – The purpose of living is to practice aligning my will with the will of God. This is learned behavior. Most of the time, it is learned in struggle. Jesus was no exception to this rule. Jesus learned obedience through suffering. And in…
“yet not My will, but Thine be done.” Luke 22:42 Yet not – Jesus’ words in the Garden are perhaps the most important words ever spoken. Without these words, God’s plan of redemption fails. Without these words, the world is doomed. These words become the rallying call for every follower of Jesus. Each one is…
“And in the morning, a great while before day, he rose and went out” Mark 1:35 Rose – We are quite familiar with the fact that Jesus prayed early in the morning. Actually, this verse suggests that he began praying while it was still dark before the sun breached the horizon. But have you ever…
