Do You Ever Feel Like This?

Written some time ago now, but nevertheless true of parts of this journey, I thought it might be useful to share a bit of my own struggles.  Just in case you thought you were all alone here. Describing the Journey: A Declaration of In-dependence Life is not what I wanted it to be. I feel…

Amazing Grace

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…

What You Own

But whoever has the world’s goods, and beholds his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him?  I John 3:17  NASB Goods – How do you measure your success?  Most of us will say that we think of success in terms of relationships, community and…

Why Not?

As for the days of our life, they contain seventy years,
Or if due to strength, eighty years,
Yet their pride is but labor and sorrow;
For soon it is gone and we fly away.  Psalm 90:10  NASB Pride – “For if there is no meaning inherent in the world, on what basis can we determine the value…

What Law Is That?

For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.  Romans 8:2  NASB Law of sin and death – It should be no surprise by now that Paul uses the Greek word nomos in a variety of ways.  Sometimes he uses it…

Life Happens

Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me, for in you my soul takes refuge; in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge, till the storms of destruction pass by.  Psalm 57:1 ESV (57:2 in Hebrew text) Destruction – Now, if I were rabbinic, I might say, “Don’t read this word…

Standard Explanation

For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood by reason of the life that makes atonement. Leviticus 17:11 NASB Atonement – Tim Hegg’s summary of the scholarly work on the critical Hebrew…

The Thin Red Line (1)

For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that makes atonement by the life.  Leviticus 17:11  ESV Blood – Christian apologists often claim that the blood of Christ shed on the cross…

Life in the Noose

“Your life shall hang in doubt before you.  Night and day you shall be in dread and have no assurance of your life.”  Deuteronomy 28:66  ESV Hang – What picture does the word tala paint?  Tala is defined as “to be suspended in the air with the minimal amount of hooks, to be in an…

Relationship Consumer

“He who has found his life shall lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake shall find it.”  Matthew 10:39  NASB Lose – “But what about my needs?”  That’s the problem, isn’t it?  We treat relationships in the same way we treat any other possession.  We are relationship consumers.  Our culture…