THE STORY OF JESUS: Nehemiah 4-5 “But out of reverence for God I did not act like that.” (Nehemiah 5:15) If we constantly lived with an awareness of God, would we behave differently? Nehemiah lived and prayed as if God was right there with him. He made sure that his behavior was reflected His reverence and love…
Author: Norm
Ora et labora
THE STORY OF JESUS: Nehemiah 1-3 “I prayed to the God of heaven, and I answered the king.” (Nehemiah 2:4-5) I like how Nehemiah speaks to both kings at the same time. He talks to God, and he answers king Artaxerxes. He acts in both the realm of Spirit, and the realm of man. Which, properly speaking…
Turning point tears
THE STORY OF JESUS: Mark 14:66-72 “And Peter broke down and wept.” (Mark 14:72) As I watch Peter in this scene, I sense Jesus looking at me! ‘How about you, how have you betrayed me?’ Ouch, it is easier to look at Peter and his failure. Certain moments come to mind, ones that I am not proud…
Standing with the Messiah!
THE STORY OF JESUS: Mark 14:60-65 “‘Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?’ ”I am,’said Jesus.” (Mark 14:61-62) When “Son” language is used of Jesus, it refers to Him as the promised Messiah. “Son of the Blessed One” is not a divine title, but an divine affirmation. He is a human being after God’s…
Save us from our leaders!
THE STORY OF JESUS: Mark 14:53-59 “Looking for evidence against Jesus so they could put him to death.” (Mark 14:55) Here we see Jesus’ enemies trying to make up a case against Him. They know they hate Him, they just need a solid reason to kill Him. The sad thing is that these people are the religious…
Pointing to Jesus without pretense!
THE STORY OF JESUS: Mark 14:43-52 “Going at once to Jesus, Judas said, “Rabbi!” and kissed him.” (Mark 14:45) Judas pretends to respect Jesus by calling him ‘teacher’ (Rabbi). But most painful of all, he pretends to love Jesus by a kiss. As Jesus-followers, we are called to be bridges between Jesus and the world. We are…
My rock and refuge!
THE STORY OF JESUS: Psalm 62 “Surely they intend to topple me…” (Psalm 62:4) My enemies are not the same as David’s enemies. Not even sure I have any human enemies, like David did. But I have an enemy that wants to topple me too. Satan’s only power is the power of deception. He is a messenger…
Listen to Jesus… not Ezra!
THE STORY OF JESUS: Ezra 9-10 “Let’s promise to send away all of those women and their children.” (Ezra 10:3) We look to the bible for insight into how God works. But we should not take human examples as our patterns of behaviour. Ezra and the people recognize that they had married improperly. But to send away…
Counting on His help!
THE STORY OF JESUS: Ezra 7-8 “Because the hand of the Lord my God was on me, I took courage.” (Ezra 7:28) I saw a video of a young boy struggling to catch a large, heavy fish. The boy was visibly upset, he was pleading with his dad for help. Dad put his hands around his son’s…
Watch and pray!!!
THE STORY OF JESUS: Mark 14:37-42 “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.” (Mark 14:38) What does Jesus mean by “watch and pray”? This is not a special kind of prayer, or a prayer formula. It simply means, ‘be on your guard, and reach out to God for help!” Do you feel the…