THE STORY OF JESUS: Mark 11:20-26 “What you ask in prayer, believe you have received it and it will be yours.” (Mark 11:24) Prayer is not a technique to get something from God; it is a personal relationship. When we bond with someone in love, we work together and support each other. If one person moves, the…
Author: Norm
Let Him shelter you!
THE STORY OF JESUS: Psalm 57 “I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings.” (Psalm 57:1) You can read the story behind this Psalm in 1 Samuel 24. David is afraid, he is in danger, he is under pressure, he is under attack… His response is to pray, to reach out to God for hope and help….
To smarten me up!
THE STORY OF JESUS: 2 Chronicles 11-13 “You have abandoned me; therefore, I now abandon you.” (2 Chronicles 12:5) If we walk away from God, we will miss out on life with God (He will still love us). As with the prodigal son, the Father lets us take the inheritance and run. He does this to teach us what…
Serving the Servant King!
THE STORY OF JESUS: 2 Chronicles 8-10 “So the king did not listen to the people.” (2 Chronicles 10:15) What happens when the leadership loses touch with the people? There is a subtle deceptiveness that affects leaders, it can skew their perspective. For governments, church leaders, employers/managers, position can go to your head. Responsibility gives way to privilege, and…
Created for good works!
THE STORY OF JESUS: Mark 11:12-19 “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” (Mark 11:14) Jesus is not being ornery just because He is hungry. Mark ties this story with what happens in the temple to show what Jesus is doing. A barren fig tree was a powerful symbol for the Jews, a sign of…
On the road again!
THE STORY OF JESUS: Mark 11:1-11 “Many people spread their cloaks on the road… ” (Mark 11:8) This was an act of devotion, an offering of ‘self’ in service to the king. What have you spread “on the road” for Jesus? This is more than faith, more than saying ‘I believe!’ Many say ‘I believe in Jesus’,…
A blind man who sees Jesus!
THE STORY OF JESUS: Mark 10:46-52 “‘Go,’ said Jesus, ‘your faith has healed you.’” (Mark 10:52) Notice how this blind man sees something in Jesus that ignites his hope. ‘Son of David’ was another way of saying God’s promised messiah. While doubting minds debated and disputed, his desperate heart had no doubt. When no one else would…
The life we were made and saved for!
THE STORY OF JESUS: Mark 10:41-45 “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve.” (Mark 10:45) The ‘Son of Man’ is the promised seed of Eve, sent to crush Satan (Genesis 3:15). Satan tempted Adam and Eve to serve themselves, their own desires and wants. Humanity as a whole has become enslaved to…
Walking in the light!
THE STORY OF JESUS: Psalm 56 “I may walk before God in the light of life.” (Psalm 56:13) We were made to live without pain or loss, without fear or death. We were made to be loved, not to be attacked or slandered or betrayed. David finds himself under attack, but he hangs on to God for…
Pray to Jesus!
THE STORY OF JESUS: 2 Chronicles 5-7 “May you hear the prayer your servant prays toward this place.” (2 Chronicles 6:20) Solomon knows that God cannot be bound by a man-made temple. But he still asks God to tie Himself to the temple. When people look to the temple for help, may God hear and respond. For Solomon, the…