THE STORY OF JESUS: Psalm 77 “I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember…” (Psalm 77:11) Asaph was struggling through something terrible. He was desperate for help, yet his mind was plagued by doubts. Satan loves to torment us in tough times, adding his lies to the mix. The mind becomes a battleground,…
Author: Norm
Wisdom is calling!
THE STORY OF JESUS: Proverbs 8-9 “To you, O people, I call out; I raise my voice to all mankind.” (Proverbs 8:4) Wisdom is accessible and available to all people. It is written into the very fabric of nature… God built it that way. If we take time to reflect on things, wisdom will reveal itself. But…
Playing with fire!?!
THE STORY OF JESUS: Proverbs 5-7 “Can a man scoop fire into his lap without his clothes being burned?” (Proverbs 6:27) This warning about an adulterous woman applies to ALL sexual temptation. It was not just in that time that Satan used sex to ruin people. Lust and sexual sin are like fire in our lap, or…
Greatness in the kingdom!
THE STORY OF JESUS: Luke 7:24-30 “The one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than (John).” (Luke 7:28) John was the greatest Old Testament messenger for the coming Messiah. Greater than Abraham, Moses, Elijah, or even David? But Jesus makes this shocking statement about the least in the kingdom. How can you or…
Am I resisting mercy?
THE STORY OF JESUS: Luke 7:18-23 “Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me.” (Luke 7:23) In this passage we see what Jesus is about. His ministry is essentially a mercy ministry, helping the helpless. So why would anyone take offence at this, who can be against mercy? But that is the thing, some…
Open heart for miracles!
THE STORY OF JESUS: Luke 7:11-17 “When the Lord saw her, his heart went out to her…” (Luke 7:13) What happen when you see someone suffering, grieving or struggling? Does your heart go out to them? Mine does, but many a time I have wished I could do what Jesus did. I have often felt helpless when…
Greater faith outside the church?
THE STORY OF JESUS: Luke 7:1-10 “I have not found such great faith even in Israel.” (Luke 7:9) The church is a place where we expect many people have great faith. And yet, as an ‘insider’, I know this is not always true. I’m not sure why, but I find my share of sceptics and doubters in…
Keep Christ in Christmas?
God’s love on fire!
THE STORY OF JESUS: Psalm 76 “Surely your wrath against mankind brings you praise.” (Psalm 76:10) What is meant by the wrath of God? Some synonyms for ‘wrath’ include fury, rage, extreme anger. How can wrath bring Him praise? We need to be clear: God is love, God is not wrath. Some kind of love is the…
Guard my heart!
THE STORY OF JESUS: Proverbs 3-4 “Guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” (Proverbs 4:23) For the Jews, the heart was a person’s spiritual command center. Our heart directs our mind, our will and our emotions. When something has our heart, everything about us moves towards it. What happens if our hearts are gripped…