“The fruit of the Spirit is…” Galatians 5:22. What is fruit? It is one’s off-spring, or the product of any plant; the outward manifestations of the life of the plant, or with animate beings of the parents. Likewise the fruit of the Spirit is the outward manifestation of the God-life of the Holy Spirit within […]
Colossians 3:12-17 begins by saying “Therefore, as the elect of God…” which means that God has chosen and picked us out from the masses of earth’s population to be His special people, a position enjoyed by “as many as received Him” (Jesus), John 1:12. In this transition God places a new spirit within us that […]
In Romans 8:26-28 the Apostle teaches us about the Holy Spirit helping us in our weaknesses. The Greek word here is Parakletos meaning someone who is an intercessor, comforter, helper, advocate, and/or a counselor. Outside of the Biblical setting it is technically an attorney who goes to court on behalf of another. Jesus uses the […]
When the Psalmist speaks of the Lord preparing a table for us in psalm 23, I believe He is thinking of all the good things God has provided for us. The moment you accept Him as your shepherd He commits to caring for you like a shepherd cares for his sheep, and He begins a […]
In the Bible wind is one of the symbols of the Holy Spirit. In Ezekiel 37:1-14 we have an interesting story where the prophet is transported in vision into a valley of dry bones; there have been at least four different views of the meaning of this vision, perhaps all having validation. But one thing […]
Micah obviously lived in an environment where wicked and false prophets were leading God’s people astray; delivering God’s message to them he distinguishes himself as God’s prophet by saying, “But truly I am full of power by the Spirit of the Lord” 3:8. As God’s people we are promised power to live and act differently […]
The Greek word Pentecost means fiftieth. It was the Jewish “Feast of weeks”, also known as the “Feast of harvest”, being celebrated fifty days after Passover according to Leviticus 23:16, and came to be known as Pentecost. This was one of three annual festivals that every adult Jewish male was to celebrate in Jerusalem, so […]
As we travel through life we often find it filled with sorrows, pain, hurt, and heavy burdens. The Bible recognizes this in Job 5:7 saying, “man is born to trouble, As the sparks fly upward.” The same sentiment is expressed in 14:1. There are two different Hebrew words used in these verses, respectively meaning trial, […]
Part 2 Today we continue our five part series on the titles given to Jesus in Isaiah 9:6, looking at the second one, which is Counselor. Some see counselor being one title with wonderful (wonderful counselor), and the Arabic version does render it as such (with the Septuagint and Targum seeming to lean that direction). […]
As we begin this New Year, Rose and I plan, for some weeks, to be focusing these meditation thoughts around the word of God. When a poetic rhyme accompanies the meditation it has been written by Rose, and her insights set the theme for the meditations. She and I seek to work together, with the […]