Matthew 5:16, “…let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” Short Thoughts: Christians ought to be explicit about Jesus When our good works are flavored and illumined by the supremacy of the slain and risen Lord, they become pointers […]
John 14:26-27, “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, He will teach you all things an bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. Peace I love with you…” Short Thoughts: The Spirit illumines and ignites the self-revelatory words of the Son so that, in
Psalm 90:6, “…in the morning it flourishes and is renewed; in the evening it fades and withers…” Psalm 90:14, “Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love…” Short Thoughts: Because our Lord and God passed through the night of death and secured the morning of resurrection life, we who sojourn in the night of
John 13:8, “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.” Short Thoughts: Just as the Lord of glory left His throne and descended to serve as one of us, so too here He leaves His seat of honor to wash His disciples feet. And this same divine identity will move Him
Daniel 2:44, “The God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall the kingdom be left to another people. It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand forever…” Short Thoughts: Every human-centered authority has been, is being, and
John 12:48, “The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day.” Short Thoughts: The word of Christ cannot be ignored and will confront us on the last day, to our vindication or condemnation. Long Thoughts: The
Acts 9:31, “…walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit [the church] multiplied.” Short Thoughts: The Spirit’s work will only be a comfort to the one who fears the Lord, and only the one who fears the Lord will know the comfort of the Spirit. The Holy
Hebrews 1:3, “He upholds the universe by the word of His power…” Even as He was upheld by the arms of His mother…
Matthew 1:21-23, “…you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.’ All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: ‘Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call His name ‘Immanuel’ (which means God with us.)” In the evenings
John 1:29, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” This morning I was at a prayer meeting and there is one elderly woman in particular who I am always glad to hear pray. She lives all by herself and often walks to the church during the week and
1 John 3:17, “…if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him?” This verse follows directly on the heels of John’s first real definition of love in this epistle, namely: ”By this we know love, that He laid down
1 John 2:16-17, “…everything in the world–the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life–comes not from the Father but from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.” Short Thoughts: If we unrepentantly share the
Psalm 80:3,7,19 — “Restore us, O God; let your face shine, that we may be saved!” “Restore us, O God of hosts; let your face shine, that we may be saved!” “Restore us, O YHWH God of hosts! Let your face shine, that we may be saved!” First, the phrase translated “restore us,” can also
John 8:32, “…and you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.” The truth will set you free…not some generic truth, but the truth that comes from abiding in Jesus’ word (8:31). And what is His word? Typically in John’s gospel, the “word” (λόγος) of Christ refers to His teaching about Himself
Isaiah 46:4, “…I will carry you. I have made, and I will bear; I will carry and will save.” Isaiah 53:4, “Surely, He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows…” A song for today’s picture: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c26hIle6lKY I’m currently working on a script for a new animation that I plan to make the first or
Hosea 11:3, “…they did not know that I healed them.” + Isaiah 53:5 As I was reading yesterday, I was struck by the poignancy of Hosea 11:3 in light of the cross. In the context, YHWH is talking about His persistent care for the people of Israel and that—despite His centuries of nurturing, healing,
Numbers 24:17, “…a star shall come out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel; it shall crush the forehead of Moab…” Revelation 22:16, “I am the root and descendant of David, the bright morning star.” Numbers 24:17 combines a number of images that are and will become important in the symbolic grammar
Numbers 24:17 + Revelation 22:16 Read More »
John 7:7, “but [the world] hates me because I testify concerning it that its works are evil.” Short Thoughts: In the light of the sin-bearing death and righteousness-giving resurrection of Jesus Christ, we are ALL revealed as evil to the core… The world hates Him for this… But His sheep will accept that revelation,
1 Peter 1:2-3, “May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through the knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence…” Short Thoughts: Everything needful to live
John 6:63, 65, “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. But there are some of you who do not believe…This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is
