And looking at him, Jesus felt a love for him, and said to him, “One thing you lack: go and sell all you possess . . .” Mark 10:21 Felt A Love For Him – Don’t make this mistake! Don’t convert the intensity of the real Greek expression here for a feeling. The Greek text…
he shall make restitution for it in full and add to it one-fifth more Leviticus 6:5 One-Fifth – In a world of madness, litigation knows bounds determined only by imagination and persuasion. The economic impact of this insanity affects everyone in society. We breathe litigious greed. That itself is a part of the world’s system…
but the gift of God is life everlasting in Christ Jesus our Lord Romans 6:23 Life Everlasting – When did we make the mistake of thinking that we could accumulate God’s distributed gift? Most Christians simply do not understand the radical shift that occurs when we finally start living God’s paradigm. We are so used…
but the gift of God is life everlasting in Christ Jesus our Lord Romans 6:23 Gift – Sin pays. God gives. Once we understand the difference, life changes direction. Yesterday we learned that sin pays for our allegiance. We earn our way to hell. Now comes the startling news. God doesn’t pay. We don’t earn…
The wages of sin is death Romans 6:23 Wages – Sin pays! Paul desperately wants us to see that sin is the paymaster of living our way. Sin gives you your wages for your time and effort. It’s just that the wages sin pays are death. Too many times we read this verse as a…
But as for me, the nearness of God is my good; Psalm 73:28 Good – Do you remember the boxed candy called “Good and Plenty”? Black and white tiny morsels of licorice packed the pink and white container. I’m sure Asaph never heard of licorice but the word he chooses to describe “good” could easily…
But as for me, the nearness of God is my good; Psalm 73:28 Nearness – Asaph wrote this psalm. He was a choir leader and musician in David’s court (see 1 Chronicles 6:39). In 1841, Sarah Adams put the thought to the music we know. “Nearer my God to Thee” recalls Asaph’s great Hebrew hymn….
But the vessel that he was making of clay was spoiled in the hand of the potter; so he remade it into another vessel, as it pleased the potter to make. Jeremiah 18:4 As It Pleased – Did you wake up this morning? Of course you did. And the first thing that should have crossed…
For I think that God set us out last, the apostles, as appointed to death, because we became a spectacle to the world, even to angels and men. 1 Corinthians 4:9 Spectacle – “All the world’s a stage,” said Shakespeare. Paul agreed. But Paul’s version of the play of life is a bit different than…
being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated (men of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts Hebrews 11:38 Was Not Worthy – What are your measurements of success? Don’t brush this aside as though they are obvious. Remember that we often say what we believe but we do what we value. And when it comes to…
