Author: Norm

SCRIPTURE: Psalm 70 Just because this prayer is in the bible, does not mean it fully expresses God’s heart. God includes it in the bible because if fully expresses David’s heart, it is a real, raw, desperate prayer. It does express God’s heart for the poor and needy, and His anger at injustice and cruelty. But…

My brother Greg put together this great video tribute to our older brother Rick, who celebrates his birthday today. Thanks Greg, and thanks Rick for being a great brother. Dad, Mom, Doreen, Rick, Greg… I’ve been blessed with an amazing family! And as you’ll see, I got blessed with the full head of hair! Enjoy!

SCRIPTURE: Job 11-14 “So commit yourself to God completely. Reach out your hands to him for help. Get rid of all of the sin you have. Don’t let anything that is evil stay in your tent. Then you can face others without feeling any shame. You can stand firm without being afraid.” (Job 11:13-15) Zophar has God…

MUB says in his comment: “We don’t get a lot of press coverage as to Jesus earlier life. We hear about his birth, and then this story when he was 12. The biographers tend to cover his years of ministry, when he was about 30.” There are other about Jesus’ childhood, stories from later centuries…

SCRIPTURE: Luke 2:41-52 He was sitting with the teachers. He was listening to them and asking them questions. Everyone who heard him was amazed at how much he understood. (Luke 2:46-47) Was Jesus a prodigy, with a higher IQ than others… because He was God? We often think that because of Jesus divine origins, He was wiser,…

SCRIPTURE: Luke 2:33-40 Remember how the angel told Mary she was specially favoured by God (Luke 1:28)? Compare that with what Simeon says, “A sword will wound your own soul too.” (Luke 2:35) If this is what it means to be favoured, then who would want it? Or what about Anna, a deeply spiritual, pious lady, widowed for…

SCRIPTURE: Luke 2:25-32 “Now let me, your servant, go in peace.” (Luke 2:29) St. Augustine once said, ‘Our hearts find no rest until they rest in God!’ Like Simeon, we are rest-less until we experience God’s love through Jesus. The Holy Spirit is at work in us too, prompting us to look for God and Jesus. Some…

SCRIPTURE: Luke 2:21-24 Circumcision symbolized the bond between God and Abraham’s family (passed through the male seed). A new mother giving birth to a son was unclean for 7 days; for a daughter it was 14 days (Leviticus 12). After a cleansing time (33 days for a boy, 66 for a girl), the family presented the child…

SCRIPTURE: Psalm 69 Have you ever been ridiculed for your commitment to God and Jesus? I have not, except one incident from my childhood, teased by my friend for going to church. David is zealously committed to God, yet people (even family and friends) laugh at him. When he struggles, they mock him, ‘let your God…