In Luke “the Lord said, Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat.” Repetition of a name was considered an expression of love, and I suspect that it would also spark attention to the importance of the message that would follow. Jesus spoke directly to Simon, possibly because […]
Jeremiah had been put in prison for proclaiming the word of the Lord (Jeremiah 32:2-3), and he had made it clear, that because of sin, Jerusalem would be overrun and the nation would be carried captive into a foreign land. This was what some would call “redemptive judgment” because, while it would punish sin, it would […]
The book of Habakkuk begins on a note of despair as the prophet views the conditions around him, and dialogues with God. Then in the middle part of the book God brings him to discover the truth that “the just shall live by his faith” (Habakkuk 2:4). I believe this truth must have revolutionized the […]
Just reading causally, you may not recognize the significance and impact that psalm 91 should have upon us. In the first two verses, God is revealed not only by His Jewish National name, LORD (Yehhovaw or Yahwah, meaning Jehovah the self existent one), but also by three other titles; MOST HIGH (Elyone or Elyon showing […]
Isaiah 40 transitions from the declarations of judgment against Israel, Judah, and pagan Nations (brought on by sin and disobedience) in the first 39 chapters, to the return of Judah and Israel from captivity, speaking words of comfort and peace, the ultimate of which would be experienced under the reign of Messiah, with the rest […]
In 1 Peter 1:3-7, Peter addresses Christians with praise to “the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope…” Why is it a living hope? First, because it is established in a living person, “…through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from […]
Hope, one of the anchors of the Christian life, is deeply rooted in the same garden as faith. The Psalmist sums it up in 119:81, “… I hope in Your word” and here, the word that is translated “hope” from the Hebrew language, means to wait, and implies to be patient. Looking at hope in […]
We live in a world of darkness, and sometimes even Christians find it staring them in the face. In Micah 7:7-8, Israel had fallen into a dark place, but finally came to the realization that if they would turn to God He would hear them, and their confession and comfort is found in verse 8, […]
Lazarus, Jesus’ close friend, had died, and it was four days later when Jesus arrived on the scene, saying to his heartbroken sister, Martha, “Your brother will rise again” (John 11:23). Martha affirms her belief in a future resurrection, which is the hope of all believers in accordance with the words of Jesus, Himself, in […]
Numerous times in the Bible men were instructed to wait on the Lord, wait for the Lord, or to stand still. Yes there are times when we must “roll up our sleeves” and go to work, but then there are times when the task is too great for us; our intellect is insufficient, or we […]