“Even if I bear witness to myself, my testimony is true, for I know where I came from and where I go.” John 8:14 Bear Witness – Why were the Pharisees so distraught about Yeshua’s teaching? They were distressed because He did not fit the proper protocol. In rabbinic Judaism, a true teacher had to…
Now to Him being able to keep you without stumbling, and to set you before His glory without blemish . Jude 24 Without Stumbling – Zodhiates poses a question about this verse: “Is Jude promising we shall live our lives without ever stumbling?” If we answer, “yes,” then Jude seems to stand in contradiction…
“And now, O Israel, what does the LORD your God demand of you? Only this: . . .” Deuteronomy 10:12 Demand – We don’t like the sound of this, do we? What God demands doesn’t sound much like the gentle, compassionate God we hear about in church. We would rather have this Hebrew word translated…
“say not to yourselves, ‘The LORD has enabled us to possess this land because of our virtues’, . . .” Deuteronomy 9:4 Virtues – Why does God bless? Do you think His blessings are the result of your goodness? Do you think He provides for you because you have been more obedient than others? I…
and do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. Romans 12:2 Conformed – Let’s go to visit the blacksmith. Of course, today you might have to travel a long…
and do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. Romans 12:2 And – How many times have you heard this verse? Dozens, I’ll bet, but we often miss the…
“Cut it down! Why does it even use up the ground?” Luke 13:7 Use Up – Parables make one point. That point is often a function of the event context of the parable. So, after Yeshua rejects the religious ranking of sins, He tells this parable about a fig tree that doesn’t produce. The parable…
“Do you think that these Galileans were sinners beyond all the Galileans?” Luke 13:2 Beyond – How do we know who is really a sinner? Well, the answer is obvious, isn’t it? We just look how they died. If they were really bad, then they die in horrible ways. After all, God doesn’t punish the…
Do not labor for the food which perishes but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give to you; for God the father sealed this one. John 6:27 Do Not Labor – The daily devotional of Oswald Chambers for July 27 is profound. One of the sentences reads,…
“You were faithful over a few things; I will set you over many. Matthew 25:23 Faithful – God gives. That is an essential part of the foundation of Christian thought. God, the Sovereign Master of the universe, gives. He determines the distribution of assets. They are His, not ours. He determines the degree of obligation….
