THE STORY OF JESUS: Isaiah 60-63 “Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn.” (Isaiah 60:3) To get these words, we have to recall the context in which they were spoken. Israel was a mess, of the 12 tribes only ‘the Jews’ (Judah) remained. The glory days of the past were a…
Author: Norm
Up, In, Out: The Jesus Pattern
The free flow of blessing!
THE STORY OF JESUS: Luke 18:15-17 “Bringing babies to Jesus for him to place his hands on them.” (Luke 18:16) So what exactly happened when Jesus placed His hands on them? In Mark 10:16 we read that Jesus blessed the children in His arms. Did this blessing give these babies an advantage over other un-blessed babies? My guess…
Honest to God!
THE STORY OF JESUS: Luke 18:9-14 “Those who humble themselves will be exalted.” (Luke 18:13) Take a moment to think about your particular weaknesses. What sin issues do you struggle with? Do you tend to think of your issues as not as bad as others? Or do you see yourself as no worse than others? As long…
Desperately hanging on!
THE STORY OF JESUS: Luke 18:1-8 “A parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.” (Luke 18:1) Faith does not let go, even if its hard to hang on. Jesus knows that life can be hard, and that God often waits to respond. He knows this from personal experience. But He also…
When evil is purged from this world!
THE STORY OF JESUS: Luke 17:26-37 “Two women will be grinding grain together; one will be taken and the other left.” (Luke 17:35) Jesus is warning about the day when God’s judgment is unleashed. He has been holding back the floodwaters of judgment, but they will be released. Not because God wants us to perish, but because…
Jesus over anxiety!
THE STORY OF JESUS: Psalm 94 “When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy.” (Psalm 94:19) More and more I hear about people that struggle with anxiety. I would say for myself that I experience a mild grade anxiety. It is not debilitating, but it is always there under the surface. The psalmist describes…
From death to life!
THE STORY OF JESUS: Isaiah 57-59 “The righteous are taken away to be spared from evil.” (Isaiah 57:1) When someone dies, we naturally assume it is negative. Which I get, from our point of view it definitely is negative. Here we see Isaiah saying that God was providing for ‘mercy death’. “They find rest as they lie…
Seeing Jesus! (#2)
“For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’ “They…
Seeking God’s ways!
THE STORY OF JESUS: Isaiah 54-56 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways.” (Isaiah 55:8) This verse is often quoted to explain the mystery of God’s ways. But the context suggests that it explains the wrongness of our ways. It follows a call for sinners to forsake their thoughts and ways…