Tag: Gospel
-
Two Tensions with Thomas
24Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. 25So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand…
-
Seeking and Saving
5And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.” 6So he hurried and came down and received him joyfully. 7And when they saw it, they all grumbled, “He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is…
-
4 Thoughts on Hell
19“There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. 20And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, 21who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores. 22The poor man…
-
A Daily, Intentional Life
27Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ…–Philippians 1 Paul was in prison and was contemplating bigger, meaning-of-life-and-death matters. I think to understand this basic phrase we should work backwards. What are principles of the Gospel of Christ? So now what would describe a life worthy of those principles? As always,…
-
Praising the God Who Leads Us
48Then I bowed my head and worshiped the LORD and blessed the LORD, the God of my master Abraham, who had led me by the right way to take the daughter of my master’s kinsman for his son.–Genesis 24 The steward trusted God and was led by God on the right path. He will return home to Abraham obediently…
-
No Self-Salvation
1Now the whole earth had one language and the same words. 2And as people migrated from the east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there. 3And they said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly.” And they had brick for stone, and bitumen for mortar.4Then they said,…
-
Don’t go to war with gaps in your armor!
10Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness,…
-
To the End
13But the one who endures to the end will be saved.–Matthew 24 Today’s reading is Jesus’ famous chapter about the end-times. So that is our context. Jesus’ usage of the word ‘saved’ has an Old Testament feel. Salvation is being delivered by God from an impossible situation where you have no other answer or hope.…
-
Scandal and Sovereignty
12Then the disciples came and said to him, “Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?” 13He answered, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be rooted up.–Matthew 15 Jesus had uttered a teaching about what was coming out of you being more important than what was going into…
-
The Best Kind of Fruit
8Bear fruit in keeping with repentance.–Matthew 3 John the Baptist was speaking and people were coming to him. Even famous and highly respected ‘holy’ people like the Pharisees and the Sadducees. John was quick to call them on their responses. If you are truly repenting, then your life will show it. Think of repentance like…