“If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, “Give Me a drink”, you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.” John 4:10 Knew – The story of the woman at the well is so familiar that we often overlook this critical verse. When…
“And He said to them, “It is written, ‘MY HOUSE SHALL BE CALLED A HOUSE OF PRAYER’” Matthew 21:13 Prayer – When Matthew translated Jesus’ shout into Greek, he used the word proseuche. Whatever the history behind the Hebrew word might be, the story of this Greek word is a bit clearer. Proseuche comes from…
“And He said to them, “It is written, ‘MY HOUSE SHALL BE CALLED A HOUSE OF PRAYER’” Matthew 21:13 from Isaiah 56:7 Prayer – Do you think Jesus would say the same thing to us if he were to show up on Sunday? Is your church really a “house of prayer”? This is not a…
“Even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You.” John 11:22 Even now – Martha stretches just a little beyond the three days in the grave. Even now, even after everyone else thinks it is too late, even when I can’t imagine how, even now God will give. The Greek…
“If only you had been here, my brother would not have died” John 11:21 If only– Lazarus is dead. Too late for Lazarus, but not too late for Martha to proclaim her lost hope. She runs to Jesus as he approaches the house, saying, “If you were here.” “If” – the word of exquisite hindsight. …
“May He grant you your heart’s desire and fulfill all your counsel!” Psalm 20:4 Counsel – “Free advice is worth exactly what you pay for it.” How often have you heard someone belittle your counsel because you didn’t charge him for it? That, by the way, is the secret of consulting. Give advice and charge…
“May He grant you your heart’s desire and fulfill all your counsel!” Psalm 20:4 Desire – When it comes to matters of the heart, the Psalms are rich with metaphors. But just like English, the idea of “heart” often has nothing to do with the organ that pumps blood. In Hebrew, levav is used most…
“May He grant you your heart’s desire and fulfill all your counsel!” Psalm 20:4 Grant – Why do parents feel so good about the birthdays of their children? It can’t be because the day is so relaxing. Birthdays usually mean lots of preparation, organization and coordination. Running around stuff. It’s not because everyone is in…
“we had the boldness in our God to speak to you the gospel of God amid much opposition” 1 Thessalonians 2:2 Boldness – Star Trek and Freedom of Speech. They are tied together. We make a big deal out of the “right” to free speech. It is central to our political system, although there are…
“Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ” 2 Corinthians 5:18 Reconciled – Bankruptcy! Most of us have emotional reactions to that word. We think about the damage to our credit, the embarrassment and the endless negotiating that will follow. Jesus used these feelings to give us a picture…
