Hebrews 9:27, “It is appointed unto for man to die once, and after that comes judgment…” At any given moment, the veil that separates us from the unmediated face of the risen Jesus Christ is as thin as a single heartbeat. As long as the muscle in our chest continues to pulse, a thin—yet, […]
1 Peter 1:18, “…you were ransomed…with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. He was foreknown before the foundation of the world…” According to these verses, Christ was foreknown in the mind of God “before” the beginning of creation. But notice specifically how Christ was foreknown: as
In Matthew 27:29, we see the Roman soldiers scoff at the claim that Jesus is the King of the Jews by placing a crown of thorns on his head and putting a reed in his hand as a mock scepter. However, their attempts to malign Christ are, for those with eyes to see, transfigured
Isaiah 10:5, 15, “Woe to Assyria, the rod of my anger; the staff in their hands is my fury…As if a rod should wield him who lifts it, or as if a staff should lift him who is not wood.” In context, these verses present the invading Assyrian army as a tool of judgment
Isaiah 6:3, “And one called to another and said, ‘Holy, holy, holy is YHWH of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory!’” In Scripture, holiness is often associated with otherness and separateness (a holy vessel is separate from common vessels etc.), so we might assume that the perfect (threefold) holiness of YHWH
Psalm 62:5-7, “For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from Him. He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken. On God rests my salvation and my glory; my mighty rock, my refuge is God.” When David says “For God ALONE…” and
Psalm 30:5, For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes in the morning. Psalm 30:11, You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; you have loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness… Divine anger, weeping, night,
Proverbs 30:5, “Every word of God proves true; He is a shield for those who take refuge in Him.” How does one take refuge in the Lord? What does that look like? He is not a physical fortress to whom we can literally run….He is not a charm or magic stone which we can
John 14:6-7, “I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father if not through me. If you have known me, also have also known my Father. And from now on you know Him and have seen Him.” The way for the disciples to come to the Father—both truly now,
Romans 8:17, “…provided we suffer with Him, in order that we may also be glorified with Him.” The Passage Considered Sometimes, when we think of suffering with Christ, we might imagine that Christ is the sufferer and that WE take on HIS sufferings. While there is a sense in which this is true,
Zephaniah 3:8, “‘…my decision is to gather nations, to assemble kingdoms, to pour out upon them my indignation, all my burning anger; for in the fire of my jealousy all the earth shall be consumed.’” Zeph. 3:8 explains YHWH’s response to His people’s continued apostasy, namely, the universal, world-ending judgment of all the earth. However,
Micah 5:4, “And he shall stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of YHWH, in the majesty of the name of YHWH his God.” Micah anticipates an eschatological Shepherd-King, and the WAY in which this Shepherd-King will lead His people will display the sovereign power and majestic identity of who the one true God
John 6:40, “…this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in Him should have eternal life…” What is the Will of God in this verse? Well, in the context of John 6, the Son who is looked upon is the crucified Son (v.51-56)….And to believe in this
Psalm 107:30, “…He brought them to their desired haven.” In Psalm 107:23-32, the people of God are pictured as sailors in the midst of a violent storm. They cry to YHWH and He stills the storm and brings them to their desired haven. What I want to focus on this morning is that last part….bringing
Proverbs 12:18, “There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.” As those created in the image of the one who creates reality by His word, our words also have real power to alter what is around us….especially regarding the internal world of others.
Revelation 5:5, “‘Weep no more; behold the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered so that He can open the scroll and its seven seals’.” “Weep no more.” That is the word that catches my attention this morning….. “Weep no more.” How widely, though, can we apply these words? The
Proverbs 9:10, “The fear of YHWH is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.” The knowledge (intimate, personal knowledge—same word used for the way a husband and wife “know” one another in marital union) the knowledge of the Holy One is insight. By saying that knowledge of the Holy
2 Corinthians 1:5, “…just as the sufferings of Christ abound unto us, so through Christ our comfort also abounds.” The phrase, “just as” at the beginning of this verse refers back to what Paul has been talking about in the preceding verses, namely, the afflictions which he and others believers suffer. This is important
Psalm 104:24, “O YHWH, how manifold are your works, in wisdom you have made them all…” 1 Corinthians 1:23-24, “Christ crucified…[is] the wisdom of God.” The wisdom of God IS Christ crucified. Archetypical wisdom is not merely God the Son abstracted from the man Jesus Christ, rather it is God the Son proclaimed as
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1 Corinthians 6:19–20, “You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.” One of the foundational beliefs in the present Western world is “I am my own,” or in other terms, “autonomy.” “I can do what I want with my body”; “I can do what I
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