Author: Norm

SCRIPTURE: Job 38-42 “I spoke about things I didn’t completely understand. I talked about things that were too wonderful for me to know.” (Job 42:3) This will be the chorus of all humanity when they finally stand before God. How often we spout our religious opinions as if we are in a position to really know. The…

SCRIPTURE: Luke 6:27-31 In the world according to God, things run very differently. Imagine life with Adam and Eve, how they might have handled relationships? Though without sin, there could still be misunderstanding, miscommunication, unintended hurts, mistakes. Would they respond with anger, smart comebacks, revenge… No, they were trained in love, joy, peace, patience, etc., the…

SCRIPTURE: Luke 6:24-26 If God is with the the needy, is He not with the rich, well-fed, and those who laugh? That’s scary, because in comparison to the majority of earth’s population, I am all three of these. The issue is not the state we are in (poor or rich, well-fed or hungry, etc.), but the…

SCRIPTURE: Luke 6:17-23 The people that were attracted to Jesus were the needy, the hungry, the sad, the hated. Jesus encourages them with hope, assuring them that Gd’s kingdom is for them! God hates injustice and oppression and cruelty and abuse, and His heart goes to those who experience it. I know for myself, my heart…

SCRIPTURE: Luke 6:12-16 The kingdom of God is wherever men or women live, love and lead in service to God – like Jesus did. For the kingdom of God to come, Jesus needs to raise up kingdom followers. These twelve were not a limited group, never to be added to, but the first of many to…

SCRIPTURE: Psalm 74 Faith in God can be severely tested when it seems the opponents of God are winning. I’ve watched debates between Atheists and Christians, where the Atheists walked all over the Christian. Reading books like “The God Delusion” (Richard Dawkins) and “God is Not So Great” (Christopher Hitchens), you sense the arrogance and anger…

SCRIPTURE: Job 32-37 “So the three men stopped answering Job, because he thought he was right. But Elihu the Buzite burned with anger against Job. That’s because Job said he himself was right instead of God… Elihu’s anger also burned against Job’s three friends. They hadn’t found any way to prove that Job was wrong. But…

SCRIPTURE: Luke 6:1-11 “The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath day.” (Luke 6:5) Jesus is ‘the Son of Man’, the promised messiah (Daniel 7:13-14) and a descendent of Adam (Luke 3:38). Adam (which means ‘humanity’ or ‘mankind’) was made Ruler/Lord of creation (Genesis 1:26-28), including the Sabbath. A true son/daughter of Adam, in God’s image (i.e. like God)…

SCRIPTURE: Luke 5:33-39 To fast is to deny yourself of something (usually food or drink) for religious purposes. There is nothing wrong with fasting, but it is not a religious duty. ‘Why don’t you fast?’ – expecting religious observance is ‘old religion’, an immature way of relating to God. When the reality of God is experienced…

SCRIPTURE: Luke 5:27-32 Yesterday we saw how Jesus has restored us as agents of grace, to represent God’s forgiveness on earth. In today’s reading we see this in action: God’s grace to sinners. Christians often prefer to be agents of God’s judgment, like the Pharisees. Being gracious to sinners does not mean God will not judge…