It happened that while Jesus was praying in a certain place, after He had finished, one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray just as John also taught his disciples.” Luke 11:1 NASB Pray – Perhaps you feel like I do. Tossed on the waves. Sparks flying upward. Tohu wabohu. The…
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. John 1:1 NASB The Word – There is an amazing little fact about the gospel writers that is often overlooked. It is simply this: The New Testament provides little information on Jesus’ family. Outside of the nativity stories,…
When the Lord first spoke through Hosea, the Lord said to Hosea, “Go, take to yourself a wife of harlotry and have children of harlotry; for the land commits flagrant harlotry, forsaking the Lord.” Hosea 1:2 NASB Spoke through – Do you want to know the single most important key to understanding the Bible? Would…
And Jesus said to them, “You cannot make the attendants of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them, can you? Luke 5:34 NASB Bridegroom – “Most commentators assume that Jesus’ mention of the bridegroom refers to Himself as the Messiah; however, within Jewish tradition, the bridegroom never refers to the Messiah. As we…
If you meet your enemy’s ox or his donkey wandering away, you shall surely return it to him. Exodus 23:4 NASB Return – The instructions that accompany citizenship in the Kingdom of YHVH are fundamentally different than our view of political affiliation. In systems based on Western thought, individual rights and privileges are at the…
They will know you are my disciples by . . . John 13:35 NASB By – Perhaps we should update the words of Yeshua. After all, he couldn’t possibly mean that love among his followers is the true test of discipleship. We need to make a few changes in order to reflect a more modern…
Then it shall come about, because you listen to these judgments and keep and do them, that the Lord your God will keep with you His covenant and His lovingkindness which He swore to your forefathers. Deuteronomy 7:12 NASB Listen – What does it take for you to believe God? Are you able to demonstrate…
“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.” Deuteronomy 6:4 ESV Hear – It should come as no surprise that Hebrew thinking about Scripture is radically different from Greek thinking about Scripture. The difference is not in the language of Scripture itself. The Bible is written in Hebrew, Aramaic, a particular kind…
“I tell you, something greater than the Temple is here.” Matthew 12:6 ESV Something greater – In footnote to a discussion of this event, Marc Turnage makes an incredible important observation. It’s worth citing in full: Many interpreters of Matthew 12:6 assume that, when Jesus spoke about “something greater than the temple,” He referred to…
And there occurred a great uproar; and some of the scribes of the Pharisaic party stood up and began to argue heatedly, saying, “We find nothing wrong with this man; suppose a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?” Acts 23:9 NASB Nothing wrong – Most Christians read this story of Paul’s defense without…
