PLEASE READ THIS FIRST: Matthew 1:18-25 “They will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”). (Matthew 1:23) When I talk about Jesus, I am not talking about just another human being. Jesus was fully human, like us, and yet He was more. Matthew is stressing this uniqueness of Jesus in this paragraph. He was uniquely conceived…
Will you join me?
I would love to have you join me in reading the bible and posting a few sentences of thoughts/reflections in the comment section at the bottom. Using this blog is a great way to provide encouragement and accountability. Read this post to see why I post my bible reflections online. I have set up the…
Created for good works!
THE STORY OF JESUS: Mark 11:12-19 “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” (Mark 11:14) Jesus is not being ornery just because He is hungry. This story fits with what Jesus is about to do in the temple. A barren fig tree was a very symbolic for Jews, a sign of God’s judgment. “I will…
Welcome to the family!
PLEASE READ THIS FIRST: Matthew 1:1-17 “Whose mother was Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, Uriah’s wife [Bathsheba]” (Matthew 1:3,4,5) So often when I come to a list of names in the bible, I skip over it. It’s hard to think how the Lord can speak to me through a list of names. But if you pay attention to this…
Praise God on the night shift!
THE STORY OF JESUS: Psalm 134 “Servants who minister by night in the house of the Lord!” (Psalm 134:1) This psalm urges the priests not to stop working in the night shift. When no one is around, or no one is looking, or things are dark and scary. In those times too, praise the Lord and anticipate…
The wisdom of trusting Jesus!
THE STORY OF JESUS: Proverbs 28 “Those who trust in themselves are fools…” (Proverbs 28:26) Does this verse mean that self-confidence is foolish? That depends on what we mean by self-confidence. A self that is confident IN GOD is wise, while confidence IN SELF is not. On our own our perspective and judgment is limited, biased, self-serving….
Who is sharpening you?
THE STORY OF JESUS: Proverbs 27 “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” (Proverbs 27:17) Who in your life sharpens you as a person? Is there anyone you spend time with that improves your character? In creation, God saw it was not good for people to be alone (Genesis 2:18). Yet too many of us live…
On the road again!
THE STORY OF JESUS: Mark 11:1-11 “Many people spread their cloaks on the road… ” (Mark 11:8) This was an act of devotion, an offering of ‘self’ in service to the king. What have you spread “on the road” for Jesus? This is more than faith, more than saying ‘I believe!’ Many say ‘I believe in Jesus’,…
A blind man who sees!
THE STORY OF JESUS: Mark 10:46-52 “‘Go,’ said Jesus, ‘your faith has healed you.’” (Mark 10:52) Notice how this blind man sees something in Jesus that ignites his hope. ‘Son of David’ was another way of saying God’s promised messiah. While doubters debated and disputed, his desperate heart had no doubt. When no one else would have…
The Jesus way to being great!
THE STORY OF JESUS: Mark 10:35-45 “Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant.” (Mark 10:43) Here we see Jesus’s understanding and pattern for good leadership. A leader is responsible to guide people towards God’s agenda. Not to force people, nor to force people towards their own agenda. It is for God and the…