“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” And [Jesus] said to [the lawyer], “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and foremost commandment. The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’” […]
Nevertheless I tell you the truth; it is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter (parakletos) will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. (John 16:7 KJV) I shed secret tears when I say goodbye to close friends. It’s hard. We mourn […]
Silence accuses. When we can’t hear God, or feel His presence, a nagging inner voice suggests that we have done something wrong, we are incapable of hearing, or He is at fault. Only the first is a possibility, and God is always willing to convict and correct the humble. We need to get comfortable with […]
Life has its ups and downs. Have you ever returned from a reinvigorating trip to find a tax demand in the waiting mail reminding you it’s tax season? That’s how Peter must have felt when Jesus and His disciples returned from the mount of transfiguration. Tax collectors saw Peter coming. “Does your teacher not pay […]
What’s in it for me? It’s a common question. We are used to a world that pays wages for work and uses rewards to motivate people to excel. A conversation between Jesus and a wealthy young man set Peter questioning along the same lines. In answer to the young man’s inquiry about obtaining eternal life, […]
My prayer discipline has always been fairly strong, but I have expectations. When those expectations don’t get met, I lose interest. I want answers, outcomes: feelings of His presence, peace, clarity, breakthrough in ministry, changes in the lives and ministries of others. You see, my prayers are quite transactional, even selfish. The pattern causes a […]
Would it have happened? Was the devil speaking the truth when he told Jesus that the heavenly Father would send angels to catch Jesus if He jumped off the temple pinnacle (Luke 4:9-12)? Scripture doesn’t lie, right? So when the devil quoted it he was speaking truth, right? Wrong! This temptation twisted truth, applied it […]
“Why do you call me, “Lord, Lord”, and do not do what I say?” (Luke 6:46) “Sorry, I didn’t catch what you said. I don’t have much time to focus and there’s a lot of background noise right now.” “Frankly, I didn’t grasp the relevance and importance of what you say to my life now […]
Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered Him, saying, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from you.” But He answered and said to them, “An evil and adulterous generation craves for a sign; and yet no sign shall be given to it but the sign of Jonah the prophet.” (Matthew 12:38-39. See also […]
What a Waste! – The Pilferer. The scent was exquisite but almost overwhelming. The occasional, warm evening breeze through the open shutters was quite a relief. Whatever Mary had slavered on Jesus’ feet was clearly top-of-the-line perfume. “Probably cost her a fortune”, thought Judas. “What a waste!” (Matt. 26:8). “Why was this perfume not sold […]