THE STORY OF JESUS: Matthew 24:15-25 “Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath.” (Matthew 24:20) As a follower of Jesus, I believe that prayer is very important. Here Jesus urges His followers to pray when the tough times come. He is referring to the upcoming destruction of Jerusalem (AD 70)….
Healing prayer!
THE STORY OF JESUS: Psalm 32 “I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord.’ And you forgave the guilt of my sin.” Psalm 32:5) David senses what an amazing thing it is to be forgiven by God. It’s better than trying to deny or cover up sin… that only eats you up on the inside….
Gambling with God!
THE STORY OF JESUS: Joshua 17-19 “Joshua cast lots for them in the presence of the Lord, and distributed the land to the Israelites.” (Joshua 18:10) This is not an inspiring selection from scripture today. But within the land division details we see the people waiting on the Lord. They are trusting God to keep His promise…
Golden opportunities!
THE STORY OF JESUS: Joshua 14-16 “Here I am today, eighty-five years old… The Lord helping me, I will drive them out! (Joshua 14:10,12) I turned 50 this year, and I do not have the strength and energy I had 25 years ago. My body is reminding me regularly that it is getting tired, and I can’t…
‘Don’t let Satan blow it out!’
THE STORY OF JESUS: Matthew 24:9-14 “Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold.” (Matthew 24:12) The most important thing in the world for us, no matter what is going on around us, is love. As long as we have the option to love, there is hope. When love grows cold, then…
No need to be alarmed?
THE STORY OF JESUS: Matthew 24:1-8 “You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed.” (Matthew 24:6) Sometimes, like the disciples, we can be so impressed with what our world can accomplish? But Jesus sees beyond our supposed greatness to the reality of the broken human heart. Human…
Willing to open the door?
THE STORY OF JESUS: Matthew 23:37-39 “How often I have longed to gather your children together… and you were not willing.” (Matthew 23:37) In this picture, a very religious family is busy doing their religious duty. They sit as a family and listen to the bible, but they don’t hear Jesus knocking. Jesus wants to be a…
A warning to religious hypocrites
THE STORY OF JESUS: Matthew 23:29-36 “You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell?” (Matthew 23:33) Jesus uses the Jewish word ‘gehenna’ (here translated as hell) to describe the final judgment. The valley of Hinnon (ge’hinnon) near Jerusalem was used in the past for child sacrifice (2 Kings 23:10). Jeremiah named it ‘the…
Troubled times!?
THE STORY OF JESUS: Psalm 31 “My times are in your hands!” (Psalm 31:15) ‘We live in troubled times’, according to the lyrics of this Green Day song. As I write this, the world is adjusting to the Trump presidency and its implications. What will it mean for the economy, for race relations, for the environment, for…
Holding on to mystery!
THE STORY OF JESUS: Joshua 10-13 “The sun stopped in the middle of the sky and delayed going down about a full day.” (Joshua 10:13) When you ask me what actually happened on this day, my answer is ‘I don’t know!’ How can the sun stop… when it is the earth that rotates around the sun? And…