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 […]
In Daniel chapter six we learn of Daniel’s commitment to God and prayer. What did he pray for? The Bible does not tell us at this point, however we know that later in the book he prayed for the restoration of Jerusalem and the return of his people according to the Scriptures (Daniel 9:1-19). This […]
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 […]
Hebrews 6:13-20 points to “two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie …” (verse 18). These two unchangeable pillars are His covenant and His oath. His covenant is His promise, specifically to Abraham in Genesis 22:16-18, and generally to all who will receive it, “For all the promises of God in […]
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 […]
Probably the greatest picture of bonding in the natural world is found in true marriage when laying aside the modern trend, where marriage is entered into lightly, and then at the early signs of difficulty or of one not getting their own way, there is separation and divorce, with each treading their own path. True […]