Monthly Archives: May 2018

Wednesday, May 30                     Paul tells us in Romans six that salvation means that we change masters.  Before salvation we served Satan; now we serve the Lord.  He puts it in … Continue reading →

Tuesday, May 29                         I wonder how many Pauls and Paulines there are in the world—or how many people have been named after the Apostle Paul through the centuries.  … Continue reading →

Monday, May 28                              I So what do we have to do to experience this immeasurable love?  We get at least a partial answer by going back to Eph. 3.  This description of God’s love is in the context of Paul’s … Continue reading →

Sunday, May 27                            Paul often makes statements that are hard to understand.  In Eph. 3:19 he speaks of God’s “love that surpasses knowledge.”  It took me awhile … Continue reading →

Saturday, May 26                         No one likes to be rebuked, so correcting a fellow believer is never easy.  Both Jonah and Cain were rebuked by God.  Cain’s response “Am … Continue reading →

Friday, May 25                               Janine.  When God rebuked Jonah for being more concerned about his own comfort than for the citizens of Ninevah, he wasn’t harsh. … Continue reading →

Wednesday, May 23                             Tom, commenting on Jonah’s rebellion against God when he was commissioned to preach to the Ninevites.  “Men are more willing to reject God … Continue reading →

Tuesday, May 22                          The parable of the sower.  Mt. 13:1-23, Mk. 4:1-20, Lk. 8:4-15.  A parable is an analogy.  In this case a farmer is planting seeds.  The … Continue reading →

Monday, May 21                             How to Walk In our early years, we don’t even think about what we might do in the future.  We just live from day to day, doing what we’re told—albeit sometimes by coercion.  We look for things … Continue reading →

Sunday, May 20                           Love and Hate “Love” is a good word, too, but we can love the wrong things.  The sin nature makes it fairly automatic to love the wrong things. It doesn’t have to be gross sins like murder … Continue reading →

Saturday, May 19                          Martin Luther was very knowledgeable about the Bible. His dedication to God was beyond that of his fellow priests.  He desperately wanted to please God, … Continue reading →

Friday, May 18                            Provoke and Rebuke “Provoke” is not a bad word.  Heb 10:24 (KJV)  “And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works.”  Basically, “to provoke” is to “spur on,” which the NIV uses … Continue reading →

Thursday, May 17                          To transfer information in one language into a second language is not easy.  We often get a laugh when we read the instructions on some … Continue reading →

Wednesday, May 16                        Translation is not easy.  Every language uses words that have a variety of meanings.  Greek is no exception.  So a translator who translate the Bible from … Continue reading →

Tuesday, May 15                                There’s only one letter different between exulting and exalting.  Both are words of emotion, often in response to God’s grace in redeeming … Continue reading →

Monday, May 14                         When studying Jonah, I was impressed with the fact that Jonah always told the truth.  He didn’t hide anything from God or from the sailors … Continue reading →

Sunday, May 13                             A phrase in another old hymn caught my attention.  It was from the hymn “Immortal, Invisible, God only Wise,”  written by Walter C. … Continue reading →

Friday, May 11                                We got an e-mail from a student under training with Ethnos360 concerning some pertinent teaching that encouraged her.  All mission boards have … Continue reading →

Thursday, May 10                       Mark ‘s recent remark in our adult Sunday School class:  “God has a lot of ways to get our attention.”  The context of that statement was … Continue reading →

Tuesday, May 8                                         D.A. Carson, Praying with Paul, p.68.  “Paul’s values are so aligned with God’s that the things that … Continue reading →

Monday, May 7                           Linda in our adult Sunday School class:  “Acknowledging sin is not enough; we have to want to change.”  When Christians sin, God has provided … Continue reading →

Sunday, May 6                              Yesterday I noted how people focus on their reputations at the expense of character.  Somewhat inadvertently D.A. Carson touched on the same issue … Continue reading →

Saturday, May 5                         Doug in a recent sermon.  “Polishing the outside does not purify the inside.”  This analogy sends a clear message.  The “outside” is our reputation.  Most … Continue reading →

Friday, May 4                        Don’t climb on roofs. Don’t do anything in a hurry. Sleep as long as you want—without apologies. Do what you want whenever you want. Get a … Continue reading →

Wednesday, May 2                   Abraham was 100 and Sarah was 90 when Isaac was born.  Paul has an interesting twist on this in Rom. 4:19.  “Without weakening in his faith, he faced … Continue reading →

  Tuesday, May 1                          D.A. Carson, Praying with Paul, p. 72.   “Christian love—mature, deep, and unqualified—is a rare commodity.” What makes that universally true is the word “Christian.”  … Continue reading →