“And I saw a new heaven and a new earth;” Revelation 21:1 New – If heaven is such a wonderful place, why does God need a “new” one? We would all agree that a “new” earth would be nice. We would like to see the problems of this earth disappear, the balance of life restored,…
“And Peter, along with John, fixed his gaze upon him and said, “Look at us!”” Acts 3:4 Look at us – “How are you today?” “Fine.” “What’s up, man?” “Nothing much.” “How’s it going?” “Great.” Non-answers. When we ask questions like this, we really don’t want to know the true answers. It’s just passing conversation….
“He found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah”” John 1:41 Found – The urgency got left out. This verse puts emphasis on the first thing that Andrew did when he met Jesus. But this translation (NASB) leaves out the word first (Greek protos). Andrew didn’t hesitate. He immediately…
“But at these words his face fell, and he went away grieved, for he was one who owned much property.” Mark 10:22 Face fell – The face is the weather map of the soul. If we are attuned to the signs, we can read the soul as easily as watching the local news. Jesus was…
“Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” Matthew 16:26 Exchange – How much is it worth? That’s the question. Not, “How much does it cost?” The biggest issue in life is not about cost. It is about value. The best way to understand this verse is to use the imagery of…
“A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a slave above his master.” Matthew 10:24 Disciple – In the school where Jesus teaches, enrollment alone doesn’t count. Being a disciple means a lot more than simply showing up for class. It’s not even about taking notes and reading the books. It’s about listening, understanding and…
“Therefore, laying aside falsehood, speak truth” Ephesians 4:25 Laying aside – How many sets of clothes can you wear at the same time? For a joke, you can always put on more than one shirt or pair of pants or dress. But ordinary living usually means that you wear only one of each. Nothing fits…
“Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but those who deal faithfully are His delight.” Proverbs 12:22 Faithfully – Did you notice that the contrast is more than speech? “Lying lips” is not contrasted with “telling the truth”. It is contrasted with (literally) “doing faithfulness”. It only takes words to set lying in motion,…
“Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but those who deal faithfully are His delight.” Proverbs 12:22 Abomination – If God ever rank ordered sins (which He doesn’t), lying would be right up there at the top. We might not consider it on a par with murder or adultery, but God’s hatred for this…
“next to him Amasiah the son of Zichri, who volunteered for the Lord” 2 Chronicles 17:16 Volunteered – It’s wartime and the call goes out: Enlist Now! Volunteer to Fight for Your Freedom! God’s army is the opposite of human military organizations. God never drafts the foot soldiers, only the generals. God drafted Moses. He was…
