Thus says the LORD, “The people who survived the sword found grace in the wilderness” Jeremiah 31:2 NASB Wilderness – Not everyone finds grace in the wilderness. God says that His people, the ones who have survived the sword, the ones He calls Israel, find something unexpected in the wilderness. They find grace. Imagine the…
Now I desire to remind you, though you know all things once for all, that the Lord, after saving a people out of the land of Egypt, subsequently destroyed those who did not believe. Jude 1:5 NASB Did not believe – Most of the time we just skip over this one page letter in the…
Turn to me and grant me grace, for alone and afflicted am I. Psalm 25:16 Robert Alter translation Turn – We just want to see a smile. We want to look on the face of the Lord and see Him smiling. Growing up under the Roman idea of God as Judge, we have buried deep…
All the LORD’s paths are kindness and truth for the keepers of His pact and His precepts. Psalm 25:10 Robert Alter translation Keepers – Think of the covenant like a trust fund with conditions. All of God’s kindness and truth is available as a result of the trust He established. But the benefits aren’t for…
I will never forget your precepts, for by them you have given me life. Psalm 119:93 ESV You have given me life – Frankly, I am amazed. I am amazed that the majority of Christians can read a verse like this and think that grace is all they need. I am amazed that we can…
I recently gave a lecture in South Africa about the “law vs. grace” issue, explaining how the definitions of the terms need to be understood in the culture of the first century. This is a THREE PART VIDEO of about 2 hours total. You will learn that the real issue is not law versus grace…
In a recent conversation I challenged someone to provide either a theological or historical foundation for the claim that Christians need to be “good” people. The topic arose because my friend remarked that her church taught that being saved and going to heaven was the true goal of Man’s spiritual quest. Once salvation was assured,…
For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Romans 1:21 ESV Give thanks – What does it mean to give thanks? The answer has to come from a biblical point of view. Paul…
Say, therefore, to the sons of Israel, “I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from their bondage. I will also redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments. Then I will take you for My people, and I…
In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace. Ephesians 1:7 NASB Through His blood – When did we receive redemption through the blood of Yeshua? There are several perfectly correct answers. The first answer is entirely personal. You were redeemed at the personal…
