“Yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength” Isaiah 40:31 Wait – There are lots of different attitudes when it comes to waiting. Waiting in line at the store can evoke impatience. Waiting for news from a doctor may cause anxiety. Waiting for a court date might result in anger. Our emotional…
“and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may be glorified with Him.” Romans 8:17 Suffer – Jesus is the first in the family. He is the oldest Son, the elder brother, the one who lead the way. If I want…
“and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may be glorified with Him.” Romans 8:17 Heirs and Fellow heirs – When do you inherit something? Usually, it is on the death of the benefactor. Someone has to die before the inheritance…
“Otherwise you may say in your heart, ‘My power and the strength of my hand made me this wealth’. But you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who is giving you power to make wealth,” Deuteronomy 8:17-18 Wealth – Not many of us are wealthy. Of course, it’s a relative concept. …
“And He wondered at their unbelief” Mark 6:6 Wondered – How do you think you would have responded to Jesus if you grew up in his hometown? Would you have been like the villagers of Mark 6? They just refused to believe their eyes because they refused to see what was happening. Mark describes Jesus…
“for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ” Ephesians 4:12 Service – Why does Christ give different roles and different gifts to His followers? Wouldn’t it be so much easier if each one of us could just do the whole job by ourselves? …
“Consider it all joy, my brothers, when you encounter various trials” James 1:2 Joy – If Jesus is our example, then he is our example in all aspects of life. None is more important than this one: in the midst of struggles. Charan (from which we derive “charity”) comes from a root that means a…
“Consider it all joy, my brothers, when you encounter various trials” James 1:2 Consider – James would not make a good salesman. He doesn’t understand the technique of upgrades. He starts out with the top of the line product and doesn’t even mention a next best option. He says, “Lead with this, hold it in…
“And then I will declare to them, “I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS”” Matthew 7:23 Lawlessness – Jesus quotes Psalm 6:8. If we want to know what he means, we need to look into the Hebrew word ‘awen. The reason that we have “lawlessness” in this verse comes from the…
“And then I will declare to them, “I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS”” Matthew 7:23 Never – It’s hard to imagine a stronger announcement. Matthew uses a Greek word that combines the idea of “not even once” with “any time” (oude and pote). It’s an explosive statement, one that knocks…
