SCRIPTURE: Proverbs 25-31 “Where there is no revelation, people cast off restraint; but blessed is the one who heeds wisdom’s instruction.” (Proverbs 29:18) If only people paid attention to the wisdom of God, things would be so much better, for us and for the world! I admit that the bible can be a difficult, divisive book (even…
Author: Norm
Carry the cross with Jesus
SCRIPTURE: Luke 9:21-27 “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.” (Luke 9:23) For Jesus, the cross represented the burden He chose to carry to help us in our struggle. Anyone who chooses to help someone in need takes on a burden of some sort. A house…
Liar, Lunatic or Lord?
“I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: ‘I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept his claim to be God.’ That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said…
Who do you say He is?
SCRIPTURE: Luke 9:18-20 It seems that everyone had something to say about Jesus. All of the suggested identities are positive – a former prophet re-sent from God. There were others who had some negative suggestions: deceiver, traitor, heretic, rebel, madman, fool? People today still have opinions, similar or different to these. And then, like Peter, there…
Looking up to heaven
SCRIPTURE: Luke 9:10-17 Some people doubt this story, it is just made up, no one could multiply food like this. I agree, no human could ever do this, but I do believe that God could. And that’s the thing; those who doubt this story also doubt there is a God. So this is the real issue:…
Now that’s good news!
SCRIPTURE: Luke 9:1-9 The disciples proclaim the kingdom of God (Luke 9:2), which is the good news (Luke 9:6). The good news of the kingdom of God (Matthew 4:23, Mark 1:15, Luke 4:43, Acts 8:12). God created this world very good, and authorized humans to rule it for Him, like Him (Genesis 1:26-28). But because humanity failed (Genesis 3), God had to raise up…
Feeling God’s smile
SCRIPTURE: Psalm 80 “Restore us, Lord God Almighty; make your face shine on us, that we may be saved.” (Psalm 80:19) Asaph quotes the words ‘make your face shine on us’ three times (vv.3,7,19), based on the priestly blessing: “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious…
To do or not to do… something
SCRIPTURE: Proverbs 22:17-24:34 “If you falter in a time of trouble, how small is your strength! Rescue those being led away to death; hold back those staggering toward slaughter.” (Proverbs 24:10-11) Each one of these sayings could be focused on, I am choosing one. The point is to not stand by and do nothing when someone is…
Sleepers will awake!
SCRIPTURE: Luke 8:49-56 “Stop crying!” Jesus said. “She is not dead. She is sleeping.” In the bible, sleep is a euphemism for death (John 11:11, 1 Corinthians 11:30 15:51, Ephesians 5:14, 1 Thessalonians 4:13). This is not to minimize the curse of death, but to maximize the blessing of hope! Death is a tragic, unnatural (from a Creation point of view) experience. Jesus…
A faith that moves us towards God
SCRIPTURE: Luke 8:40-48 “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace.” Here I again I am encouraged by the simple faith that Jesus honours. It is not ‘understanding the faith’ (beliefs) that helps, heals, or saves us. It is any move towards God – whether uncertain or desperate or confident – for help. This woman…