Cloud Cover

“They looked, but there was none to save; even to the LORD, but He did not answer them.” 2 Samuel 22:42 Looked – A few weeks ago I climbed Pacaya, an active volcano in Guatemala.  The prospects sounded enticing when the trip began, but as we approached the crater, we discovered that clouds covered the…

Nothing To Eat

but for Cain and for his offering He had no regard.  So Cain became very angry and his countenance fell. Genesis 4:5 Regard – Everything important about life is found in the first three chapters of Genesis.  Well, almost everything.  We might have to include this story about Cain and Abel since it describes the…

Head Trips

Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind Ephesians 2:3 Flesh/ Mind – It’s no surprise.  When we were without the guidance of the Spirit, when we were resistant to submission to the Father and when we existed without a…

Dead Men’s Rules

and you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world Ephesians 2:1-2 Were Dead – When did you die?  That’s not the usual question you get on applications, is it?  We usually get a question about your birth.  Of course, from a biblical perspective,…

Consolation Prize

Now the man had relations with his wife Eve, and she conceived and gave birth to Cain, and she said, “I have gotten a manchild with the help of the LORD.” Genesis 4:1  NASB Have Gotten – One more look at Eve’s declaration is even more frightening.  Here’s the crucial question: Why doesn’t Eve mention…

The Heavenly Genie

Now the man had relations with his wife Eve, and she conceived and gave birth to Cain, and she said, “I have gotten a manchild with the help of the LORD.” Genesis 4:1  NASB With The Help Of – In an absolutely wonderful book, The Beast That Crouches At The Door, Rabbi David Fohrman calls…

Generational Homicide

“What have you done?  The voice of the blood of your brother cries to Me from the ground.” Genesis 4:10 Blood – If we could only see what is hidden in the text, oh how we would rejoice at the beauty of God’s rich vocabulary!  Here is a simple statement.  We know the story.  Cain…

The Second Law

“Surely our transgressions and our sins are upon us, and we are rotting away in them; how then can we survive?” Ezekiel 33:10 Rotting Away – Everything goes down hill!  Have you come to terms with the Second Law (of Thermodynamics)?  No matter what you do, the slippery slope syndrome rules the fallen world.  As…

SPIRITUAL GRAMMAR

“Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts?” Life in the Spirit is a lot like proper punctuation.  There are rules that have to be followed.  The Bible often uses the analogy that our lives are like something written in a book.  Having God write your name in His book is…