THE STORY OF JESUS: Luke 21:20-28 “Stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” (Luke 21:28) Do these verses describe the end times, or the destruction of Jerusalem? The answer is both, they speak to all times of crisis before Jesus’ return. Every time terror and misery reign, “stand up and lift…
Category: daily meditations
One God for all!
THE STORY OF JESUS: Psalm 99 “The Lord reigns, let the nations tremble… let the earth shake.” (Psalm 99:1) This psalm celebrates the greatness of God, as Israel knows Him. A mighty God, a just God, a God of equity (v.4). A God that hears, a God that knows, a God that cares. This in contrast to…
Burning up inside!
THE STORY OF JESUS: Jeremiah 19-20 “His word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones.” (Jeremiah 20:9) Jeremiah is struggling with being God’s messenger. The message itself is dark, and people are attacking him for it. His job is to warn people about impending doom – not a pleasant job….
Undermining our inheritance!
THE STORY OF JESUS: Jeremiah 16-18 “Through your own fault you will lose the inheritance I gave you.” (Jeremiah 17:4) Imagine a christian leader with a effective ministry and a loving family. He gives in to an inappropriate relationship, and is found out. Now he is out of work, his family is devastated, and he is terribly…
This is my story (whether you agree or not)!
THE STORY OF JESUS: Luke 21:10-19 “And so you will bear testimony to me.” (Luke 21:13) Jesus does not expect us to convert or change anyone. We are not to be His enforcers, making people believe. We are called to be witnesses, to testify to what we know about Jesus. And a witness can only testify to…
The church that impresses God!
THE STORY OF JESUS: Luke 21:5-9 “The time will come when not one stone will be left on another.” (Luke 21:6) This reading makes me think of Shania Twain’s song, ‘That don’t impress me much!’ The disciples are impressed by the beautiful temple structures. I attended a mega church and someone said, ‘wouldn’t you like a church…
The size of the heart!
THE STORY OF JESUS: Luke 21:1-4 “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all the others.” (Luke 21:3) It is not the size of the gift, but of the giver’s heart, that counts. God can do more with this widow’s penny, than with the sizable donations of the rich. God doesn’t need…
Does the church value ministry at work?
“In the almost thirty years of my professional career, my church has never once suggested that there be any type of accounting of my on-the-job ministry to others. My church has never once offered to improve those skills which could make me a better minister, nor has it ever asked if I needed any kind…
Who is our teacher?
THE STORY OF JESUS: Luke 20:41-47 “Beware of the teachers of the law.” (Luke 20:46) I need to take these words to heart for myself, as ‘a teacher of the law’. I am someone who devotes my time to studying and teaching scripture. We speak with authority, quote Greek and Hebrew as we tell people what God…
Sinners in the hands of a loving God!
THE STORY OF JESUS: Psalm 98 “Let them sing before the Lord, for he comes to judge the earth.” (Psalm 98:9) In my experience, talk about the coming Judge did not elicit songs of praise. We were warned that the Judge was angry, and would only pardon the penitent. The Judge was not our friend but a…