Blog (Page 221)

Exodus 17:1-7 “He called the place Massah and Meribah, because the Israelites quarreled and tested the Lord, saying, ‘Is the Lord among us or not?’” vs. 7 The people of Israel had an amazing collection of stories passed on through the generations about their early days together as a community of faith. Things had not always gone smoothly as they’d wandered through the wilderness with their distorted memories of what it had been like as slaves in Egypt. Quite naturally…

John 3:10-17 “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.” vs. 16 This often memorized, regularly quoted verse contains what many believe to be the core of the gospel message. It speaks clearly of God’s inclusive love and the revelation of that love in the person of Jesus. No one is left out of the picture…there are no “un-lovables” mentioned or…

John 3:1-9 “Nicodemus said to him, ‘How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother’s womb and be born?’” vs. 4 Nicodemus wonders about this “born again” thing that Jesus had alluded to and asks a further question to get some clarification. He likely knows that his literal response seemed foolish, but he seems sincere in his desire to know more. Ultimately it appears that the confusion continued as he departed…

Romans 4:13-17 “For the promise that he would inherit the world did not come to Abraham or to his descendants through the law but through the righteousness of faith.” vs. 13 Paul’s words must have come as a jolt to those folks who believed that obedience to the law was their guarantee of salvation. Some of them had undoubtedly spent a lifetime laboring to follow every prescription and commandment that had come down to them. And now he was telling…

Romans 4:1-5 “But to one who without works trusts him who justifies the ungodly, such faith is reckoned as righteousness.” vs. 5 The truth of the gospel was readily apparent to those who began following Jesus in those early years following his resurrection. They knew that in him they had forgiveness and life. But knowing the truth wasn’t always enough as they began talking with others about faith matters. People responded to the good news with questions about mechanics: how…

Psalm 121:5-8 “The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time on and forevermore.” vs. 8 Every faithful Jew learns the words of the Shema at an early age and recites them daily, “Hear O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might.” According to Deuteronomy 6, these words were to be written…

Psalm 121:1-4 “I lift up my eyes to the hills— from where will my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.” vss. 1-2 When we find ourselves in a tough or challenging situation, it’s not easy to know what to do. Even if we’ve been raised to be self-reliant and independent we don’t always have all the answers. In those moments of need we quickly discover that there are many places to look for…

Genesis 12:1-4a “Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you.” vs. 1 We live in a time of major migrations as refugees flee their homes by the millions and cross countless borders in their search for freedom and economic stability. Many of these families end up living in camps for decades with little prospect of relief. Some become permanent wanderers as they go…

Matthew 4:6-1 “Then the devil left him, and suddenly angels came and waited on him.” vs. 11 Sometimes it seems that there is no end to the parade of demons that visit us in daily living. Some are personal and secret and we’ve known them for years. They come by at inopportune times with their temptations and ugly thoughts and can hang around for days. It’s not that they’re around all the time…sometimes they seem to go on vacation and…

Matthew 4:1-5 “Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.” vs. 1 Often we think of the desert or the wilderness as a place where we can go on retreat and find solace for our soul in quiet and solitude. Hours spent there will be full of meditative fruit and we’ll find ourselves growing closer to God. At least that’s what we have been led to expect. Matthew gives us a…

Romans 5:12-19 “Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death came through sin, and so death spread to all because all have sinned—” vs. 12 While Paul at times revels in the sheer foolishness of the gospel, he also had a strong appreciation for logic, and, in his letter to the Romans, makes an appeal to rational thought. Basing his argument on Genesis, he says that sin came into the world through Adam, and with…

Psalm 32:6-11 “You are a hiding place for me; you preserve me from trouble; you surround me with glad cries of deliverance.” vs. 7 Some days we’d like to stick a pillow over our heads and just stay in bed! The steady barrage of information via social media, television, and newspapers is too much to deal with. It’s like an invasion…and the more we absorb, particularly that which is political, the more anxious we become. No wonder stress levels are…