Category: daily meditations

SCRIPTURE: Luke 4:1-13 Jesus was just like Adam and Eve in the garden: sinless, but able to be tempted to sin. Satan tempts Jesus like he did Adam and Eve (only now in a wilderness, not in a garden). Adam and Eve should have responded as Jesus did, by quoting what God said. Each time He…

SCRIPTURE: Luke 3:21-38 Luke ties this moment to the original creation: “Jesus… son of Joseph… son of Adam… son of God.” Yes, Jesus is the Word of God made flesh, but He is also the fully human son of Adam, son of God. When God created Adam, God said: “You are my son, and I love…

SCRIPTURE: Luke 3:10-20 I mentioned earlier that holiness (being perfect) is not a prerequisite for mercy. But having said that, repentance is a prerequisite for mercy. Repentance involves a sense that something is wrong (in us and in the world) and we need help, we need mercy. Like the alcoholic needs to recognize their problem before…

SCRIPTURE: Luke 3:1-9 “There he preached that people should be baptized and turn away from their sins. Then God would forgive them.” (Luke 3:3) “Produce fruit that shows you have turned away from your sins.” (Luke 3:8) Does mercy precede holiness (see  this past Friday), or does getting rid of sin precede God’s mercy? John’s message sounds the…

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…