Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, James 1:2 ESV Count – “Never confound the trial of faith with the ordinary discipline of life, much that we call the trial of faith is the inevitable result of being alive.”[1] If we take Chambers’ insight seriously, we soon discover that…
Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, Matthew 2:1 ESV “Jesus is just alright with me” Born – Now it seems unremarkable when we assert that Yeshua (“Jesus”) was Jewish. What could be more obvious? Born in…
James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes in the dispersion: Greetings. James 1:1 ESV Dispersion – One of the common claims of some of the followers of the “Messianic movement” is that those who are now discovering their Hebrew roots are part of the “lost tribes of…
James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes in the dispersion: Greetings. James 1:1 ESV James – If we’re going to study the work of someone, it might be useful to know the author’s name. It might be useful to know the author’s heritage and past influences and…
Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, in order that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. Romans 6:4 NASB Baptism – We have already noticed that baptism, the practice of ritual ablutions through water, is…
Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? Romans 6:3 NASB Baptized – For a moment, put away your familiar associations with the joy of baptism. Set aside the usual celebration when someone expresses faith through this immersion. Then ask yourself,…
But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless? James 2:20 NASB You foolish fellow – Oswald Chambers’ devotional for October 28 makes an astounding statement. “I am not saved by believing; I realize that I am saved by believing. It is not repentance that saves me, repentance is…
Moses made a copper serpent and mounted it on a standard; and when anyone was bitten by a serpent, he would look at the copper serpent and recover. Numbers 21:9 JPS Recover – There is no doubt that Yeshua refers to this event as an explanation of the cross and the ascension (see John 3:14)….
As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up. John 3:14 ESV Be lifted up – “Houston, we have a problem.” Yeshua’s death on the cross does not meet the requirements for a sacrifice for intentional sin. Scripture tells us what those requirements must be. The…
He who walks blamelessly will be delivered, but he who is crooked will fall all at once. Proverbs 28:18 NASB Blamelessly – The Hebrew adjective is tamiym. In general, the meaning is “to be complete.” It is not restricted to spiritual contexts. It can mean a complete day, a complete (healthy) plant, a full amount…
