The Heartache of my Soul

One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.” Luke 11:1  NIV Us – Have you discovered that you don’t have the right words for prayer?  You want to communicate with God, but when you actually…

Biblical Social Media

In You, Lord, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame.  Psalm 71:1  NASB Put to shame – It isn’t surprising to find out that social media is one of the sources of psychological distress in young people.  A recent study confirms the negative effects on teenagers,[1] but I suspect that we adults…

Underworld

Out of the ground the Lord God caused to grow every tree that is pleasing to the sight and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  Genesis 2:9  NASB In the midst – (This article was first published on 10 April 2016)…

Magic Trick

The second is like it, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”  Matthew 22:39  NASB Is like it – Why does Yeshua say that the commandment to love your neighbor is hómoios aute (like it)?  How can any other commandment be like the first one: to love God will all your heart, mind, and strength? …

What Matters Most

Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus,   Philippians 2:3-5  NASB Personal interests – Paul…

The Hidden You

Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is. 1 John 3:2 NASB Not appeared – Is John right? Is it really true that you and…

What Matters Most

Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus,   Philippians 2:3-5 NASB Personal interests – Paul…

More Than I Am

“Then if the Son sets you free, you are free indeed.” John 8:36 Free – Freedom is an important word in a man’s vocabulary. We have talked about it a lot. We recognized that the Greek idea of freedom is centered in the relationship between the individual and the State. For the Greeks, freedom is…

The Delusion of Freedom

Then stand firm in the freedom with which Christ made us free, and do not again be held with a yoke of slavery. Galatians 5:1 Freedom – Are you free? Don’t be too quick to answer. It depends on your concept of freedom. In order to understand what Paul says about freedom in Christ, we…