Author: Norm
The things that impress God!
SCRIPTURE: Mark 13:1-8 On September 11, 2001, I thought of this passage: “Do you see all these great buildings?” replied Jesus. “Not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.” I am not saying that this was God’s judgment against the U.S., or the people in the towers. But those…
Praying the victim’s prayer
SCRIPTURE: Psalm 59 Think about slave songs (‘negro spirituals’), and you get a sense of this Psalm. They had no protection, no hope (humanly speaking), and endured unspeakable horror. Their only hope was escape from this life: ‘swing low, sweet chariot, gonna come and bring me home!’ David prays for protection (“refuge”) and justice (“show no…
This Sunday: Pray for Persecuted Church
Who is whispering in your ear?
SCRIPTURE: 2 Chronicles 21-28 Joash did well as long as he listened to the right voices (2 Chronicles 24:1-2; 17). Which voices am I listening to, who is whispering in my ear? The direction of my life will depend on the choices I make, the voices I heed. What do you sense the Lord saying to you? PRAYER Lord,…
What does my giving reveal about me?
SCRIPTURE: Mark 12:41-44 What is the spirit behind my giving or sharing or generosity? As Jesus watches me, what does He observe about me, about my priorities and values. This widow would have been unknown to history, had it not been for Jesus noticing. It’s usually the big donors that get recognized, that get buildings named…
Not the messiah we expected?
SCRIPTURE: Mark 12:35-40 Not the Jesus… and not the enemies… they expected. The Jews were desperately hoping for God’s Messiah, a king just like (a son of) their greatest king, David. They saw David as the template, and the messiah as a copy. Jesus shows that David (in Psalm 110) saw it the other way around: the…
All you need is…
SCRIPTURE: Mark 12:28-34 ‘All you need is love’; ‘love makes the whole world go round’. If you want to know what life in God’s world (kingdom) is supposed to be like, focus on love. If you truly love God and love people, all of the commands will be unnecessary. Like this man, many people sense that…
We really do not understand!
SCRIPTURE: Mark 12:18-27 The Sadducees were trying to show that the idea of a final resurrection is nonsense. Good question, what happens to someone who has been widowed and remarried – who is their spouse for eternity? Behind this is our struggle to understand what life if God’s eternal kingdom creation can be like. We can’t,…
Am I any better than the politicians I criticize?
SCRIPTURE: Psalm 58 Right now big news in our country is the Senate scandal: who is lying, who is telling the truth? Sometimes you get the feeling that most politicians are crooked – “from the womb they are wayward, spreading lies.” David is reflecting on corrupt, cruel, oppressive and unjust leaders, and what will happen to…