“Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus” Luke 16:24 Send – How difficult it is to remove the blinders of our own cultural surroundings! When I returned from Honduras and wrote about a family in desperate need of housing, I received an e-mail from a woman who lives there. She said that it…
Then Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him until daybreak Genesis 32:24 Left Alone – We know the story. Jacob wrestles through the night with the Angel of the Lord. He is defeated but he will not succumb. In the process, God gives Jacob his new name, Israel. There’s nothing particularly noteworthy…
and as they go on their way they are choked with worries and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to maturity. Luke 8:14 Pleasures – Hedonism II, the infamous Jamaican singles resort, brings images to mind that appeal to sensual delights. The owners of this resort have gone to great lengths…
and the worries of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful Mark 4:19 Deceitfulness –The “worries of the world” really means “getting my share of the pie.” But getting my share is only one side of the story. Jesus…
and the worries of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful Mark 4:19 Worries of the World – The theme song of this world is musical chairs. Musical chairs is a zero-sum game. Do you know what that means?…
“No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” Luke 9:62 Looking – Jesus is hard to take. If I stop sugar-coating His words, I find a demanding severity that could lead me to utter despair. His blade cuts too deeply for me. His thought…
Whoever scorns the poor reviles his Maker Proverbs 17:5 Reviles – God has a special place in His heart for the poor. Perhaps He knows that the poor are our best example of our true spiritual condition. Perhaps His compassionate heart is best appreciated by those who are desperate. Whatever the reason, God loves the…
Whoever scorns the poor reviles his Maker Proverbs 17:5 Scorns – Because we think of ourselves as good and upright people, we are apt to treat this verse as though it is a judgment against the vile and corrupt of the world. Certainly despots and egomaniacal business leaders who exploit the poor for personal gain…
I write these things while absent, that being present I may not deal sharply with you according to the authority which the Lord gave me for building up and not for pulling down. 2 Corinthians 13:10 Sharply – The Word of God is sharper than any two-edged sword. So says Hebrews 4:12. Have you thought…
Therefore, I, the prisoner of the Lord, exhort you to walk worthily of the calling in which you were called, with all humility and meekness, with long-suffering, bearing with one another in love; being eager to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Ephesians 4:1-3 Being Eager – Our last look…
