“For Yours is the kingdom and power and the glory.” (Matt 6:13). We often read about great prayers and the great things that have been accomplished as a result. OT: Moses prays with his hands lifted up and the Israel’s army is winning; NT: The church prays for Peter’s return. As they pray, he knocks … [Read more…]
“Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one” (Matt 6:13). Two words stand out in the first part of this petition. The word “lead” seems to imply that God intentionally and actively “leads” the believer into situations which may be harmful to his/her body and soul. The word here translated “temptation” … [Read more…]
“Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one” (Matt 6:13). Reading a few verses prior to this (v.13), we can imagine the Pharisees of the day, standing at prominent places, all dedicated to a prayer that was meant to catch the people’s attention. Jesus had something to say about them and … [Read more…]
Every country has its own important days, which are celebrated often with a nation-wide holiday – a day of rest and merriment. In our country we have Australia Day as a national holiday. It celebrates the process that led to the formation of Australia as a country. That process began in 26th January 1788 with … [Read more…]
“Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those that trespass against us” (Matthew 6:15). Praying for “daily bread” – or means for our sustenance, affirms our dependence on God. He is the un-failing Provider – Jehovah-Jireh. Our Father in heaven is providing generously and faithfully for our daily bodily needs. But man doesn’t live on … [Read more…]
“Give us today our daily bread” (Matthew 6:15). Today’s part of the Lord’s Prayer is clear and easy to understand. There are no theological or interpretative difficulties present. Simple as it is, it provides for us a path which as we follow it we discover the wonderful and rich blessings of God. What path? The … [Read more…]
“Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven…” (Matthew 6:14). As God’s children, we ought to live our lives under the “umbrella” of God’s will as it has been presented to us in the Bible. Last Sunday, the Old Testament reading contained the (well known) verse: “He has told you, O man, … [Read more…]
“Your kingdom come…” (Matthew 6:14). One of the ancients observed that God “…has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end” (Ecclesiastes 3:11). (Actually it was a divine inspiration rather than observation…). What is eternity? … [Read more…]
“Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life” (Revelation 2:10). There are … [Read more…]
“This, then, is how you should pray: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name…” (Matthew 6:9) Making New Year resolutions is a tradition, most common in the Western World “in which a person resolves to continue good practices, change undesired behaviour, accomplish a personal goal, or otherwise improve their behaviour at the beginning of … [Read more…]
“…Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him” (Matthew 2:2). A picture is worth a thousand words. The “Christmas picture” is a mundane/common picture: it represents a normal life event. A baby being born is a normal life … [Read more…]
“From the fullness of His grace we have all received one blessing after another” (John 1:16) Let us use our imagination, shall we? This is the challenge: What would Christmas look like – without the Gospel stories about Jesus’ birth? No visiting angels; no heavenly host; no star… Without the well-known ‘nativity scene’? Without the … [Read more…]
”And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David…” (Luke 2:4) The promise of a deliverer – “the serpent’s head crusher” was made to “cancel” the evil one and his plans. … [Read more…]
“The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst they said to him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery” (John 8:3, 4). In the Gospels (and in real life) Jesus “leads” a movement towards God…Jesus calls people to be … [Read more…]
When we focus on the “little things” or on the “small picture” of worship, wemay end up, at one point, just like Asaph. “Surely in vain have I kept my heartpure; in vain have I washed my hands in innocence” (Psalms 73:13). When it comes to God, “truth and Spirit” (John 4:24) form the very … [Read more…]
The book of Daniel is both familiar and unfamiliar to most of us. The stories of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fiery furnace, and Daniel in the lion’s den, fill the pages of many Bible story books and Sunday school classes. These stories are not just familiar to us but also loved and cherished. … [Read more…]
I rejoiced with those who said to me, “Let us go to the house of the LORD… where the tribes go up…to praise the name of the LORD…” (Psalm 122:1, 4). Coming to planet earth, Jesus revealed to us the heart of God. We came to know that God desires a certain kind of worshipers … [Read more…]
“You who bring good news to Zion, go up on a high mountain. You who bring good news to Jerusalem, lift up your voice with a shout, lift it up, do not be afraid; say to the towns of Judah, “Here is your God!” (Isaiah 40:9). Do not be afraid! God encounters can be a … [Read more…]
God “moved heaven and earth” in order to make salvation available to everyone who believes. The good news has the “power” to open the hearts of the hearers unto salvation. Don’t be ashamed: spread the good news!
“This, then, is how you should pray: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name…” (Matthew 6:9) The story of Jesus – the Son of God – is a story of simplicity and deep reverence of God. He came as the Father’s Son, yet without any “bells and whistles”.Jesus’ teachings reveal that God doesn’t require … [Read more…]