In Numbers 6, God tells Moses to have the priests bless the people. The first line of that blessing is, “The Lord bless you and keep you.” How does God want to bless us? Scripture: Numbers, chapters 5-6; Psalm 22; Acts, chapter 26 Numbers 6:22-27 (CEB): The Lord spoke to Moses: Tell Aaron and his sons: You will bless the Israelites as follows. Say to them: The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make his face shine on... Read more
Leviticus 25 reminds us that the land belongs to God; we are just “immigrants and foreign guests” here. How should that influence how we live? Scripture: Leviticus, chapter 25; Psalms 25-26; Acts, chapter 22 Leviticus 25:23 (CEB): The land must not be permanently sold because the land is mine. You are just immigrants and foreign guests of mine. Observations: “The Land Is Mine” In yesterday’s post (“Clean Hands and a Pure Heart”) I reflected on the fact that “the earth... Read more
Who can stand in God’s presence? Psalm 24 tells us, “those with clean hands and a pure heart.” But what exactly does that mean? Scripture: Leviticus, chapters 23-24; Psalm 24; Acts, chapter 21 Psalm 24 (CEB): The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it, the world and its inhabitants too. Because God is the one who established it on the seas; God set it firmly on the waters. Who can ascend the Lord’s mountain? Who can stand in his... Read more
God’s grace means more than “just” forgiveness. Paul says that the message of grace means changing hearts and lives! Scripture: Leviticus, chapters 20-22; Acts, chapter 20 Acts 20:17-24 (CEB): From Miletus he sent a message to Ephesus calling for the church’s elders to meet him. When they arrived, he said to them, “You know how I lived among you the whole time I was with you, beginning with the first day I arrived in the province of Asia. I served... Read more
All of us face difficult, even overwhelming, challenges in our lives. How do we hold to our faith in hard times? Scripture: Leviticus, chapters 18-19; Psalm 13; Acts, chapter 19 Psalm 13 (CEB): How long will you forget me, Lord? Forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long will I be left to my own wits, agony filling my heart? Daily? How long will my enemy keep defeating me? Look at me! Answer me, Lord my... Read more
The world calls us to “be happy.” On the other had, God invites us to be overflowing with joy. What’s the difference? Scripture: Leviticus, chapters 1-3; Acts, chapter 13 Acts 13:44-52 (CEB): On the next Sabbath, almost everyone in the city gathered to hear the Lord’s word. When the Jews saw the crowds, they were overcome with jealousy. They argued against what Paul was saying by slandering him. Speaking courageously, Paul and Barnabas said, “We had to speak God’s word... Read more
Christian faith is not a matter of mere knowledge or information. Acts 1 talks about “convincing proofs” of the resurrection. What convincing proofs are present in us? Scripture: Exodus, chapters 12-13; Psalm 21; Acts, chapter 1 Acts 1:1-11 (CEB): Theophilus, the first scroll I wrote concerned everything Jesus did and taught from the beginning, right up to the day when he was taken up into heaven. Before he was taken up, working in the power of the Holy Spirit, Jesus... Read more
On the road to Emmaus, Jesus chastised two disciples for their “dull minds.” How can we allow God to sharpen our dull minds? Scripture: Exodus, chapters 9-11; Luke, chapter 24 Luke 24:13-32 (CEB): The Things About Jesus On that same day, two disciples were traveling to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. They were talking to each other about everything that had happened. While they were discussing these things, Jesus himself arrived and joined them on their... Read more
Pilate was ready to release Jesus, but the crowd shouted him down. “Their voices won out.” How do we avoid being led astray by the voices of the crowd? Scripture: Exodus, chapters 6-8; Luke, chapter 23 Luke 23:13-25 (CEB): Then Pilate called together the chief priests and the rulers of the people. He said to them, “You brought this man before me as one who was misleading the people. I have questioned him in your presence and found nothing in... Read more
Jesus said to those who came to arrest him, “This is your time, when darkness rules.” But light can drive out darkness – and Jesus is the light of the world! Scripture: Exodus, chapters 3-5; Luke, chapter 22 Luke 22:47-53 (CEB): While Jesus was still speaking, a crowd appeared, and the one called Judas, one of the Twelve, was leading them. He approached Jesus to kiss him. Jesus said to him, “Judas, would you betray the Human One with a... Read more
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