”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…]
“King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold, sixty cubits (27m) high and six cubits wide, and set it up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon “ (Daniel 3:1). This particular story begins by describing the actions of a mad, self-delusional, power hungry king of Babylon. The statue he built which was … [Read more…]
“There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit” (Isaiah 11:1). Isaiah, from what I recall, has been called the evangelist of the OT – the good news bearer. He, more than any other prophet, is in the good news business. The passage, today, … [Read more…]
“We love because He first loved us” (1 John 4:19). Worship is an act of love and love “flows” outward. Always. We, the created ones, love God, the universe, His creation, our neighbour, our enemy, etc., because He first loved us. We respond to God’s love. We respond to an initial “flow” of love that … [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 show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts” (2 Corinthians 3:3). Generally speaking, our life is a series of responses to particular situations/real life situations. Christians respond … [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…]