Author: Norm

SCRIPTURE: Ezekiel 1-5 “You must speak my words to them, whether they listen or fail to listen, for they are rebellious.” (Ezekiel 2:7) Ezekiel’s job is not to convert anyone, just to let them see and hear the message from God. It will not be easy or nice, since God is challenging the people. But everyday that…

SCRIPTURE: John 1:35-42 “You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which, when translated, is Peter). (John 1:42) This is not a formal, ceremonial name change, but a keen personal observation. Like when meeting a tough in your face fighter, and saying, ‘I think I’ll call you Scrappy’. Jesus sees into who Simon is…

SCRIPTURE: John 1:29-34 “The Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29) “The one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.” (John 1:33) “This is God’s Chosen One.” (John 1:34) Each one of these claims is remarkable. There is no hesitation for John – Jesus is the hope of the world. If we don’t…

SCRIPTURE: John 1:19-28 “‘I baptize with water,’ John replied, ‘but among you stands one you do not know. He is the one who comes after me, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.’” (John 1:26-27) We are called to represent God, to point the way to God, to help people see and understand…

SCRIPTURE: John 1:6-18 Who was John the Baptist, Who was Jesus – the early Jesus-followers had to figure this out. They knew what a prophet was, they had a long list of prophets they knew of. John was definitely a prophet, someone who pointed the way to the truth. But Jesus was different; though something of…

SCRIPTURE: Psalm 106 Think of a world with no human rights, no constitution, no protection for the innocent. No legal system or justice system or fair law, except what was enforced by the non-elected king. Imagine extreme poverty, extreme immorality, extreme violence, extreme abuse of the vulnerable. Into that setting, you have been placed to represent…

SCRIPTURE: Lamentation 1-5 “Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope…” (Lamentations 3:21) Amazing words of faith, coming from a person experiencing horrific trauma. Reading this book of tears, one is surprised to find these nuggets of hope. It is structured as acrostic verses (the sentences start with the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet)….

SCRIPTURE: John 1:1-5 Some explanation is needed to make sense of this mysterious language. John ties his version of Jesus’ story to the beginning of creation: ‘In the beginning’ (Genesis 1:1). God creates the world through the creative, powerful word: ‘Let there be…’ (Genesis 1:3) This ‘word of God’ is how God interacts with us, relates to us…