“In all wisdom and insight, He has made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention” Ephesians 1:8-9 Wisdom – We live in a culture that has been influenced by Greek thought much the same way that the Ephesians were influenced by Greek thinking. Many of the patterns and meanings…
“and in your godliness, brotherly kindness” 2 Peter 1:7 Brotherly kindness – Take a trip with me. We’ll travel from Orlando to Philadelphia. On the way, we will first come to Washington, DC. Before we get to the city of brotherly love, we will have to travel through the capitol of the country. That’s the…
“Then the Lord took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it.” Genesis 2:15 Keep – I take “keeping” seriously. I have been known, much to my regret these days, to place too much value on the things that I have. I was probably one of those…
“discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness” 1 Timothy 4:7 Godliness – Yesterday we saw that the word for “godliness” can be applied to people who practice outward devotion but have no inner character pleasing to Christ. Paul warns us to avoid such people. But here is the same word, now used in a context…
“holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power” 2 Timothy 3:5 Godliness – What does it mean? What is a “form of godliness”? This is something we better be clear about. Paul is adamant. Have nothing to do with these people. Avoid them, he says. That implies that we know who…
“Thou art a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek” Hebrews 7:17 quoting Psalm 110:4 Melchizedek – Hebrew names often contain meanings that portray the essential character of the person. In Hebrew thought, a name is much more than a label. It is a description of the role that the person will play in…
“To An Unknown God” Acts 17:23 Unknown – Do we know the unknown God? I am quite sure that we feel confident enough to say, “Of course. He’s God, the Father of Jesus, the triune God of the Bible.” We have the correct facts. If we were standing with the company of Greeks on the…
“and do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind,” Romans 12:2 Conformed – In March we looked at this word. We talked about the patterns, the schematics, that show up as sin in our lives. Paul is clear. We need to be insulated from these. But I…
“For all the people were weeping when they heard the words of the Law” Nehemiah 8:9 Weeping – It was a day of the tears. After years and years in captivity in Babylon, the people of Israel stand on their own soil once again. They remember the trials and the suffering. They feel the sense…
“until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass away from the Law” Matthew 5:18 Not – Do we actually believe what Jesus says? Or do we listen to the words and then unintentionally modify them so that they are not so radical? This verse is an example of our…
