The light from the sun was gone. And suddenly, the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn down the middle. —Luke 23: 45 (NLT) How do we know that Christ’s atonement satisfied God the Father and fully covered humankind’s sin? First, the veil of the temple which separated the Holy Place from the […]
Read MoreTag Archives: Luke
Saved by Grace
“Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.” And Jesus replied, “I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise.” —Luke 23:42–43 (NLT) We are not surprised to find a God-ordained and therefore significant reason behind the arrangement of Golgotha’s three crosses. It gave Jesus an opportunity to reach out in hope […]
Read MoreFinal Words
Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.” —Luke 23:34 (NLT) Though I realize it had to be, though I understand what it accomplished, and though I know that a brilliant dawn awaited Him who endured the darkest of all days, I am unable to shake free from the sound […]
Read MoreWatch and Pray
“Simon, are you asleep? Couldn’t you watch with me even one hour? Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak.” —Mark 14:37–38 (NLT) Jesus didn’t just bow once for a brief prayer in the garden and then go out to […]
Read MoreFeast of Remembrance
Passover was approaching. The leading priests and teachers of religious law were plotting how to kill Jesus, but they were afraid of the people’s reaction. —Luke 22:1–2 (NLT) On His last night with His disciples, Jesus celebrated the Passover as devout Jews had been doing for centuries. Appropriately, He used that feast of remembrance to […]
Read MoreRemembering Names, Part Two
Okay . . . there you stand, getting introduced to someone. How are you going to remember the person’s name? Well, you’re already of the mind-set that this meeting and the person are very important. You remember that from yesterday, right? Okay, so now zero in first on one major thing—the name, nothing else, for a few seconds. Ignore all distractions and peripheral activity. Listen for one thing, the name. That is your goal, after all.
Read MoreSongless Saints
I was on a scriptural safari. Prowling through the Ephesian letter, I was tracking an elusive, totally unrelated verse when God’s sharp sword flashed, suddenly slicing me to the core . . . speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord. (Ephesians 5:19)
Read MoreSelf-Praise
“Self-praise,” says an ancient adage, “smells bad.” In other words, it stinks up the works. Regardless of how we prepare it, garnish it with little extras, slice and serve it up on our finest silver piece, the odor remains. No amount of seasoning can eliminate the offensive smell. Unlike a good wife, age only makes it worse. It is much like the poisoned rat in the wall—if it isn’t removed the stench becomes increasingly unbearable.
Read MoreModeling God’s Message
Hosea started a scandal in the parsonage. Why? Hold onto your hat—he married a prostitute. Talk about gossip! His name became a byword for “fool.” Respect for him dropped to zero. His reputation was suddenly null and void. “Small wonder he is listed first among the minor prophets,” some sneer . . . “He must have been some kind of a nut.”
Read MoreThe Broken Wing
It is quite probable that someone reading my words this moment is fighting an inner battle with a ghost from the past. The skeleton in one of yesterday’s closets is beginning to rattle louder and louder. Putting adhesive tape around the closet and moving the bureau in front of the door does little to muffle the clattering bones. You wonder, possibly, “Who knows?” You think, probably, “I’ve had it . . . can’t win . . . party’s over.”
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